The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel-Chapter 259: Wuchang - 3

If it meant taking on debt, I would rather abandon Daseogak.

That wasn’t just drawing a line in the sand—it was also a bluff. After all, Daseogak was a bookstore located in the heart of Yichang’s busiest district.

To compare it to Korea, it wasn’t Seoul, but it was like a major bookstore-café combo in the best commercial district of Busan.

Giving up Daseogak, in the bustling second city of Hubei Province, and starting over from scratch would be a massive setback. But now the Guild Leader was saying that if I passed his test, he’d forgive the entire debt?

Of course I was tempted.

"You said it’s a test to grow the money?"

The terms were attractive. I asked again to confirm the test conditions.

"All expenditures must stay within the amount written on the note. You must keep detailed ledgers and be able to explain them if any doubts are raised."

The amount on the note wasn’t some cheat-level fortune, but it was enough to try running a small business.

"I only need to earn money in Wuchang?"

"Correct."

He was telling me to make enough profit here to satisfy the man who lent me money. That would’ve sounded stifling to anyone else—but I had an easy method.

All I have to do is open a Daseogak branch in Wuchang and sell Storm of the Tang Clan.

It was a guaranteed hit. Thanks to the Guild Leader’s friendship with the Baek Family Head, Storm of the Tang Clan hadn’t been widely distributed in Wuchang yet.

So I just had to print the books in Yichang and sell them in Wuchang.

As long as the accounting was clean—like a normal transaction between a publisher and retailer—there wouldn’t be any issues, even if it technically involved affiliated entities.

It sounded easier than expected.

"You’re not allowed to profit from novels. Especially not that Storm of the Tang Clan you’re so proud of."

The Guild Leader cut in as if he could read my mind.

"A writer and bookstore owner isn’t allowed to make money from books?"

"I’ve already seen what you’re capable of. What use is it to see it again?"

Is there no memory-wiping gadget around? I’d even wear sunglasses. Just flash it for a second...

He was telling me to make money without using books. Like asking me to play chess without my rook or cannon.

"When’s the first assessment for repayment capability?"

"The test is about growing the money, but you’ll have to report your progress at intervals. Depending on your results, I may relax the conditions—or add new ones."

So if things go well, he might let me sell the novel after all.

"Are you saying the terms might get harsher?"

Better to confirm if this had any poison pills than get carried away by wishful thinking.

"I’m only doing enough to confirm whether you’re truly fit to carry on Baek’s legacy."

The Guild Leader looked at me like an old mentor sizing up a green rookie.

So that’s what this test really meant.

Hwa-rin’s grandfather wasn’t just a bookstore owner—he was a formidable businessman. The Guild Leader, as his close friend, probably wanted to see for himself whether I truly had the talent to follow in Baek’s footsteps.

If I had it, he’d erase my debt. If not, he’d pull me into his fold and have me work under him.

Given how big my debt was, this was the kind of trial only someone like the Guild Leader could propose.

"Earning money in Wuchang without connections or books... You’re basically asking me to make a fortune from nothing."

I spoke like a test-taker who had already given up after seeing Question 1.

"You’re saying you can’t?"

I didn’t answer. The Guild Leader looked at me, disappointment creeping into his expression.

It was frustrating.

If I just didn’t have this debt. If those bastards didn’t keep bleeding me dry every month.

When would I ever find time to save the heroines, to uncover the true heroine?

But that debt wasn’t going away on its own.

What if it did disappear?

Then I could finally tear off my shackles and move. Set up Daseogak branches all along the Yangtze River. Expand aggressively. Build wealth and fame.

If I succeeded, I could spread my wings across all of the Central Plains. If I failed, I’d be a slave to my debt—my life mortgaged away.

Should I give up just because I’m afraid to fail?

No. I started out in this world wearing rags and carrying nothing.

The guy who used to sprint just to protect a single piece of bread... was now standing in front of the Guild Leader.

I’ve always carried risks to survive in this world. And if this one’s not about survival—but about soaring—

"I’ll do it."

Then I’ll shoulder it without hesitation.

****************

"Did he return safely?"

The Guild Leader, Elder Jang, asked while gazing at the bonsai tree in the garden.

"I confirmed that Young Master Kang has returned to his inn."

"Disburse the funds exactly as scheduled on the note."

"I’ll ensure the process is handled fairly and without error."

"...Chief Steward."

The Guild Leader called to him while gently watering a dried-out bonsai.

"Yes, my lord?"

"This bonsai I’ve taken to growing in my old age... it’s rather amusing. If you give it too much attention, the roots rot or grow weak. But if you neglect it entirely, it withers. And then, there are the rare ones. You don’t pay much attention to them, but with just a bit of pruning... they turn out better than any other tree."

He looked fondly at the most vibrant tree in the entire garden as he spoke.

The Chief Steward, who had served him for decades, saw right through to the Guild Leader’s true thoughts and finally spoke.

"When I first heard about Young Master Kang, I couldn’t believe it. Convincing veteran creditors with sheer charisma, writing a novel that even I stayed up all night reading, and creating that bookstore—Daseogak—from scratch... all while never once missing a debt payment."

"Hrhr. That’s not all, is it?"

"No. Though the details are unclear, I’ve heard he escaped a deadly situation in Sichuan with extraordinary wisdom and courage. Then he returned to Yichang, performed good deeds, and expanded his business endlessly. It’s honestly hard to believe someone barely past twenty could achieve all that."

The Guild Leader nodded in deep satisfaction.

"And the intelligence from Sichuan—was it true?"

"Yes. Miss Tang Hwa-rin reportedly needs about ten years of convalescence at the Tang Clan. It seems their marriage will take place in their thirties."

The Chief Steward, comparing reports from Sichuan and Yun-ho’s own statements, confirmed their accuracy.

"Ten years... That’s far too long a wait for a man building a great enterprise, especially without support from his wife."

In this world, women usually married in their teens—even martial artists in their early twenties. A man unmarried in his thirties wasn’t just “late”—he was seen as defective.

And yet, there was a strange kind of approval in the Guild Leader’s voice.

"Yes. Even if one has a fiancée, a household and a woman to support him are still necessary in the meantime."

"Then it’s settled."

The bonsai that had thrived without special care was now, under the right hands, turning more beautiful than any other in the garden.

"My grandsons will be arriving at the Guild soon."

The Chief Steward, momentarily mesmerized by the tree’s beauty, quickly snapped back to business.

"And that one?"

"Well..."

The Guild Leader’s tone grew icy. The Chief Steward began to sweat, because he knew exactly whom that one referred to.

"Did he come?"

"He... He rarely leaves his room. And this gathering is for those among your grandsons who’ve proven themselves..."

"So you’re saying he’s not coming?"

His voice was like shears snipping off a useless branch.

"I-I’ll send a letter immediately."

"Good. Make sure there are no mistakes."

Leaving the bonsai behind, the Guild Leader returned indoors to prepare for his next engagement.

------------------

Inside the carriage en route to the Ten-Thousand Gold Merchant Guild—

The Guild Leader, Elder Jang, was lost in memories of a long-lost friend.

Baek... What’s with this sudden streak of charity? Have you lost your mind just because you lost your wife and children?

I aim not to leave behind money, but people.

The loss of a wife, the accidental deaths of children, and illness. The misfortunes that had befallen his close friend so suddenly were too heavy even for Jang, his sworn brother, to console.

Still, to commit to charity to the point it jeopardized his business?

Feeding the hungry, sponsoring those with talent but no means, building orphanages for children who’d lost their parents in war or accident...

Even knowing it was good, it wasn’t something just anyone could do. Especially not consistently.

At the time, the Guild Leader had thought his friend had gone mad—he simply couldn’t understand him.

“Baek... You had to lose your son to come to such a realization...”

His voice was soaked with the regret of old age.

Had he watered too much? The one who would carry on his will—his only son—was gone in an instant.

A son born late in life. He’d postponed marriage to learn his father’s trade, and Jang hadn’t minded. He was just glad to pass down his legacy.

Who would have expected that healthy boy to die so young, from an unexplained illness?

Only then did the Guild Leader understand—

When I die, who will carry on my will?

After a life spent pursuing nothing but money, a bitter emptiness had begun to fill him.

He thought again of his cherished friend.

Just handing things out to people won’t leave anything behind!

If I scatter and scatter, maybe one day, a child will appear to inherit my will.

He had heard that all of Yichang had mourned when his friend died. But no one came forth to inherit that will. So the Guild Leader had thought.

Not until he saw the face of his friend’s sore spot—his troublesome daughter’s child. Her fiancé. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

I aim not to leave behind money, but people.

Business is not about leaving behind profit—it’s about leaving behind people.

When Kang Yun-ho spoke those words, Elder Jang had been momentarily speechless.

The man before him, different in hair and appearance, overlapped with his old friend so much it was uncanny—like someone who had leapt over decades.

No one had cared for that one tree. But now, it had absorbed the nutrients his friend had sown long ago and grown tall, even reaching to carry on his will.

If that Baek bastard could’ve seen this, he would have looked upon his granddaughter’s husband more fondly than any grandfather in the world.

In the end... Baek had been right.

"Grandfather!"

Elder Jang took his seat at the prepared high table, surrounded by his gathered grandsons.

"Each of you, take one."

He gestured to the Chief Steward, who /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ then handed out prepared slips of paper to the grandsons.

"Grandfather, what is this?"

"A promissory note? Is this your allowance? Kinda stingy, huh?"

Each note listed the exact same amount he’d given the black-haired man.

"This is your test."

"A test?"

"Use those notes to grow money. Right here, in Wuchang."

So far, the same words he had given the black-haired man.

"What kind of test is this?"

"Do we have to, Grandpa? Can’t we just skip it?"

Elder Jang didn’t reply. He scanned his gathered grandsons with a sweeping gaze. Among them was Jeon Gil-san—the very same Gil-san who had caused trouble in Yichang.

A heavy, stifling feeling tightened in his chest.

Not only Gil-san. They were all the same.

Money was meant to be something one stepped on to climb higher. He hadn’t wanted to see them grow rotten and soft, drunk on inherited wealth.

Not a single one of them impressed him.

He had married off his daughters to good households—yet this was what their children had become?

But these were children of married-out daughters. He had no right to interfere with their upbringing.

"Grandfather?"

The question pulled Elder Jang from his thoughts.

Even these ones—he had to offer them a fair chance.

So Elder Jang opened his mouth to make a monumental declaration to his descendants.

"Whosoever passes this test... will inherit the Ten-Thousand Gold Merchant Guild."