The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel-Chapter 258: Wuchang - 2

"The Guild Leader of the Ten-Thousand Gold Merchant Guild is waiting for you. Please follow me."

They came from the Ten-Thousand Gold Merchant Guild as soon as I’d dropped off my bags in Wuchang. It’s not like they’d been watching for my arrival. I guess the fact that I came from Daseogak—once run by the Guild Leader’s close friend—really did carry weight.

I followed the man who had introduced himself as the Chief Steward of the Guild.

"Aren’t we going to the Guild itself?"

The Guild’s headquarters was located in the busiest district, but the road we were on now was in the opposite direction.

"We are headed to the Guild Leader’s residence. However, if you’re from Daseogak, I was under the impression that a lady of the Tang family, not a gentleman of the Kang family, was supposed to come..."

"Hwa-rin is recuperating at the Sichuan Tang Clan."

Technically, this was Hwa-rin’s job, not mine. The Chief Steward’s suspicion was natural.

"My apologies. I must be getting old—my memory isn’t what it used to be. Is it true that she’s staying in Sichuan for a long-term illness?"

The Chief Steward tilted his head slightly in a sheepish tone, as if the thought had only now resurfaced.

"Haha! I’m not sure where you heard such rumors, but you never know with people, do you?"

They said ten years, but depending on my Fame stat and Hwa-rin’s cultivation, things could change. I shrugged with a smile like a family member speaking optimistically about a patient in serious condition.

"Hmm. Indeed... People are unpredictable."

The Chief Steward’s tone was laced with knowing resignation. What was that? He seemed satisfied with my answer.

Come to think of it, how did he know that Hwa-rin was staying with the Tang Clan?

I followed behind him, carrying that unresolved question in my mind.

---------

"I will go inform the Guild Leader of your arrival. Please wait a moment in the garden."

While the Chief Steward went to report my arrival, I quietly looked around the garden.

How much did they spend on this?

Landscaping a garden is often called a “modest extravagance.” You can sink endless money into it, but unless you’re a trained expert, it just ends up looking “nicer than usual.”

To an average person, this garden looked tasteful and refined. But to someone who truly understood—like a name card collector flipping over a fancy business card—it was the kind of place that screamed, this cost a fortune.

Even Kang Yun-ho’s father, the infamous scoundrel and tycoon of Joseon, had built a garden like this. No way I wouldn’t recognize it.

"You may enter. The Guild Leader is waiting."

"Thank you."

I walked carefully through the door that the Chief Steward had opened for me.

As soon as I was far enough away from him not to be overheard, I exhaled quietly.

A single word can settle a debt of a thousand nyang.

Can I pull it off?

If I can’t, I’ll lose Daseogak. This isn’t about wondering if I can do it.

I have to.

With that firm resolve, I entered the room where the Guild Leader awaited.

"You’ve come."

As soon as I made my presence known, the sharp-featured old man responded.

The Guild Leader of the Ten-Thousand Gold Merchant Guild—just like last year—wasn’t looking at me. He was tending to a bonsai tree.

"It’s been a while, Elder Jang."

I cautiously stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

"I hear you pulled quite the stunt on my grandson."

Straight to the point, huh?

The Guild Leader continued speaking without so much as glancing at me.

What should I say?

I’ve committed a grave offense. Please forgive me. Please, just cancel the debt. There’s no way I can pay it back.

No. That’s not how I’m playing this.

"If you get bitten by a mad dog, you can either sit and cry or run away—but someone has to be willing to raise a stick, knowing full well the mutt might bite again."

Apologizing won’t solve anything.

In fact, admitting fault would only give them the upper hand. At best, they’d postpone foreclosure—but insist on full repayment.

And I had no intention of paying back a debt I didn’t owe.

Besides, if he was truly furious over his grandson, he would’ve brought that up the moment I walked in.

If he had stormed in here, furious and yelling, I’d have prepared a different strategy. But starting this calm, almost indifferent? He’s clearly trying to psych me out from the beginning.

I won’t let him.

I need to be shameless. I should act like I did nothing wrong. Like I just disciplined an unruly mutt that needed to be put in its place. Be bold.

"A mutt, huh. Sounds like you’re talking about me."

A smile?

The Guild Leader let out a small scoff as he fiddled with his orchids. Not angry—just amused.

That’s good. If he isn’t snapping back, I struck a nerve.

"When a parent dotes too much, they can’t even see how far their child has gone astray. Even the offspring of a tiger can turn out to be a mutt. I hope this serves as a good lesson for the tiger."

Train your child properly before someone else beats some sense into him.

"Hrhrhr! You’re right. I heard the full story. I figured that rascal would get taught a harsh lesson eventually!"

The Guild Leader laughed heartily and finally looked my way.

"Did you now."

I let out a quiet sigh of relief inside.

Thank god. I passed the first trial...

"But that doesn’t mean your debt gets canceled."

He dropped the smile and stared me down with a piercing gaze.

"......"

So this wasn’t about personal offense. He really was in it for the money.

"Why should I show you any leniency?"

His eyes told me everything—I know why you’re here.

I swallowed dryly and met his gaze head-on. That look, like it could cut through bone.

Taking on debt I don’t owe is unjust. How can anyone pay that back? It’s absurd. But he shut all that down with his stare.

I need to say the right thing here.

Complaining about whether the debt is fair won’t work. He’s the Guild Leader. He has the power to make any debt look legitimate.

So how do I approach this?

Think fast. Combine what I know.

About the Guild Leader. The facts I’ve picked up. What I just learned. The concept of “modest extravagance.” He cares about appearances. My hand. Lay it out.

Which is the strongest card I have?

"I am carrying on the spirit of the Baek Family Head."

I declared it boldly, facing the Guild Leader.

"You’re claiming you inherited that Baek bastard’s spirit?"

A twitch formed in the Guild Leader’s brow.

The Guild Leader of the Ten-Thousand Gold Merchant Guild. A man the world describes as someone who wouldn’t bleed even if stabbed. So should I give up?

No.

I just have to stab where he can bleed.

And I’ll do it using the one card that only I can play.

"You’ve probably heard about what I did upon returning to Yichang."

"I heard you hired impoverished scholars."

The Guild Leader nodded. Good—he knows.

"After resolving the Tang Clan situation, the first thing I thought was, ‘How should I live from now on?’"

"You thought about how to live going forward?"

He was curious. A good sign. It meant the card I had played was a strong one.

"If I only cared about my own happiness, I wouldn’t have had that thought. But I didn’t stop there. I wanted to carry on the will of the Baek Family Head."

The good deeds he performed until his death—ones I wanted to continue.

Of course, I just needed employees to boost my Fame stat. But everything is about how you present it, isn’t it?

In the end, it’s all about how others perceive you.

"Isn’t that something you should think about after repaying your debt?"

"How can a merchant ever accomplish great things if he fears taking on debt? If one follows a grand purpose, money naturally follows."

The Ten-Thousand Gold Merchant Guild straddles the line between a bank and a loan shark.

The kind of merchant the Guild Leader respects? One who borrows for something big, succeeds, and then borrows even more—a reliable, profitable customer.

Then I should become his ideal kind of merchant.

"And what is that grand purpose?"

"I believe that the true goal of business is not to accumulate profit, but to nurture people."

I spoke firmly, like a merchant driven by a towering conviction planted deep in his chest.

"Sounds like something that Baek bastard used to preach at me all the time."

"I mentioned something similar to the head of the Yichang Literary Society. He was surprised and told me so himself."

One more line to sell it: it’s my belief, sure—but what a coincidence, it happens to mirror the late Baek’s ideals exactly.

‘I’m not a black-haired barbarian in front of him—I’m the embodiment of the Baek Family Head’s will.’

I went straight for his softest spot. Not someone stealing money from a friend’s legacy, but someone carrying that legacy, about to be trampled.

The Guild Leader looked like he wanted to speak, his mouth slightly open—then slowly smiled at me.

Did I break through?

"Even so, it’s a large sum. That still doesn’t justify forgiving the debt."

He declared resolutely. Tossing me around, huh? So even that didn’t work? Is that what this is?

Then I had another way.

"If you truly insist I repay every bit of that debt—then I’ll give up Daseogak."

Time to burn the boats.

"You’ll give it up?"

The Guild Leader’s eyes widened with surprise.

"Yes. Daseogak is the wings that let me pursue my ideals. But if those wings become shackles, I’d rather start again with nothing. Even if I’m penniless, I have confidence I can succeed again—because I carry on the Baek Family Head’s legacy."

It’s Daseogak’s debt, right? So just take the place. Better that than paying back that ridiculous sum.

But I’m not the same person who first started Daseogak. Now I have people. Connections. Money.

And the fame of Ho-pil.

Giving up Daseogak would be tough, sure—but do you really think I can’t rise again? I looked the Guild Leader in the eye as if to say: you’d be the one losing out if I walked away from this debt.

"Hrhr. So even Ho-pil himself shows a bit of humility."

"You... knew?"

Chairman of the Merchants’ Association. One of the few people who knew my identity. So he told the Guild Leader.

"You beat my grandson like twisting a baby’s wrist, wrote a story that made the world weep, turned Yichang upside down with your business tactics, went to the Tang Clan and lived to tell the tale... and this is the man who’s supposedly giving up over a bit of debt? You expect me to believe that?"

Sounds like the Chairman really hyped me up.

"That’s why I’m standing here."

"No. You’re here because you couldn’t do it."

No wonder he’s the Guild Leader.

Elder Jang narrowed his eyes like he saw straight through me—his smile the kind that said: you know I’ve won. Just admit it already.

But Elder Jang.

You think that’s all I brought?

"No. I’m here to fulfill one final moral obligation—as the man who inherits the Baek Family Head’s will."

"A final obligation?"

"As his only surviving relative by marriage—as the grandson-in-law—I’m here to give it everything I’ve got before I walk away."

What I’m saying is: I tried. And if this fails, you were the one who made me give up. I’m here to properly close that chapter.

What kind of future does he imagine now?

I carry on Baek’s will but get crushed by unreasonable forces, and he—the Guild Leader—becomes a man who robbed his best friend’s legacy.

Did he understand?

The Guild Leader narrowed his eyes at me—then let out a quiet laugh.

"Hahaha! If that Baek bastard were here, he’d probably say his granddaughter snagged a hell of a husband. Fine. You really think you could succeed from nothing?"

"If I must, I will."

"Then that’s enough. Take it."

He reached into his sleeve like he’d been waiting for this moment and tossed me a wad of paper.

"A promissory note?"

The paper he handed me had a very large sum written on it.

"It’s not a promissory note—it’s my test."

His test?

As I read the note carefully, I saw it: my name—Kang Yun-ho.

A clause read that if the note was used and repayment was not made in time, all of Daseogak’s debt would {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} be transferred to me.

"What is this?"

"So I can collateralize your life. Take that note and turn a profit here in Wuchang—not in Yichang."

He made it clear: this was his final offer. No further concessions.

Now I get it. This was a forced recruitment.

Seizing Daseogak was just a way to drag me here.

Just like Jeon Gil-san’s scouting attempt for Ho-pil—except this time, he wanted merchant Kang Yun-ho as well.

The goal was to chain me down by transferring the debt under my name.

"And why should I go that far?"

I have no reason to accept this.

Starting over with a printing press would be easier.

Did he sense what I was thinking?

The Guild Leader smiled in triumph and explained why he was handing me the note.

"If you pass my test and satisfy me—I will erase all of Daseogak’s debt."

An offer I couldn’t refuse.