The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

The Elder Council stirred at my shocking statement.

“There’s a way to save the Young Clan Head?”

“Even our Sichuan Tang Clan and the Jegal Clan couldn’t find a cure—what are you talking about?”

“Not even the Great Immortal Doctor could make the Young Clan Head rise again!”

Well, of course the Great Immortal Doctor can’t save him.

Honestly, has there ever been a person that guy could save?

In wuxia, the so-called Great Immortal Doctor is constantly name-dropped as a legendary healer, but in truth, he’s more like a grim reaper in physician’s robes—someone who could slap death across the face with both hands.

A doctor only has to lie a patient down and say, “Not even the Great Immortal Doctor could save this one,” and voilà—the Reaper himself will jot that name into today’s Death Note and come collect, whether the patient just had a scratch, indigestion, or a mild headache.

Just mentioning him is a death flag in the martial world.

“You think you’ve somehow surpassed the medical techniques of the Sichuan Tang Clan and the Jegal Clan?”

Of course not. I’m not some OverSoul-ing shaman who yells “Possession! Physician Spirit!”

I don’t have anti-poison abilities, and I’m definitely not some reincarnated Master Heo Jun who can summon a thousand blooming cures with a brush stroke.

But there is a method.

“I heard the Young Clan Head fell into a qi deviation while cultivating poison arts—triggered by Tang Geo-ho and his followers. He barely managed to seal the poison to one side of his body, but he’s still hovering at death’s door.”

“And what of it?”

The Elder Council glared at me like I was spewing nonsense.

“Hwa-rin can cure that poison.”

I spoke to them with confidence.

“What are you saying?”

“On the day we fought Tang Geo-ho’s forces, one of the Pavilion guards fell victim to a poison that left him on the brink of death. One of the poisons they used was similar to the one affecting the Young Clan Head.”

That’s a bluff.

It could be the same poison—or a completely different one. But based on what I heard from the Pavilion guards, there’s a decent chance it was at least the same type.

“What happened to the poisoned guard?”

“Before she lost consciousness, while still only an incomplete Poisoned One, Hwa-rin extracted all of the venom and even healed his wounds.”

“Is that true, Pavilion Head?”

Elder Il turned to the Pavilion Head.

If I can convince Elder Il’s faction, it’ll be over. But since he’s not just a Young Clan Head supporter—he’s also the presiding Elder Council chair—it won’t be easy.

Let’s see how the Pavilion Head responds.

While it’s true Hwa-rin cured the poisoned man, from the Pavilion Head’s professional standpoint, he might put it differently.

“It’s true. That girl, Tang Hwa-rin, cured everyone regardless of what poison they were afflicted with. If she becomes a complete Poisoned One, I believe there’s a high chance she could cure the Young Clan Head as well.”

After speaking, the Pavilion Head looked to me, as if asking whether that answer was good enough. I gave a silent nod, with a faint smile.

“A Poisoned One has such an ability?”

“The Young Clan Head... could really survive?”

“Even if we give her the Poison Pellet of the Human-Faced Earth Spider, there’s no guarantee she’ll become a complete Poisoned One!”

“If the bastard child abandons his claim to succession and helps her become a complete Poisoned One, and the Young Clan Head might survive—then isn’t that worth it?”

“Just like the boy said, so many lives were lost already...”

“Hah! Do you think the Human-Faced Earth Spider’s Poison Pellet is called a sacred treasure for no reason?”

With the Pavilion Head’s endorsement, the Elder Council fell into a flurry of debate.

If Hwa-rin saves the Young Clan Head, he might survive.

This was the ultimate card I’d hidden until the very end.

Sure, I could’ve revealed it earlier—but the risk was too high.

If I’d played it first, the value of the black-haired bastard in the succession dispute would vanish.

And all that would remain is the uncertain hope that Hwa-rin might become a true Poisoned One even after taking the pellet.

This card could only be played after I’d placed everything on the scale—my status as an illegitimate son, Hwa-rin’s life, the Tang Clan’s morality as an orthodox sect—and still had nothing left to give.

“Let me ask you one final thing.”

The Elder Council must’ve wrapped up their deliberation—they turned to me.

“Ask whatever you wish.”

“Will you truly never pursue the position of heir to the Sichuan Tang Clan?”

“There’s already a legitimate heir. What threat could a bastard like me pose?

If my woman recovers, I’ll leave the Sichuan Tang Clan right away. You don’t have to worry.”

Even now, they still doubt me, huh?

I don’t want the Young Clan Head position.

Why would I want to spend my life trembling in fear, never knowing when I’ll be exposed or killed?

I’ll write my martial smut and become famous that way.

I looked at the Elder Council with a calm expression, pure of ulterior motives.

And maybe that sincerity finally broke through.

The moment they were about to conclude felt like an eternity.

“Very well. The Elder Council agrees with the Clan Head’s decision and authorizes the use of the Human-Faced Earth Spider’s Poison Pellet on Tang Hwa-rin.”

I did it.

----------

Without sparing a glance behind, I ran straight to the room where Hwa-rin was resting, the Pavilion Head following at my side.

“How ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) is she?”

She’d been stable before I went to the Elder Council. But patient conditions can change in an instant.

I anxiously asked the Pavilion Head as he checked her pulse.

“I’ll need more time to assess it, but... it’s not too late. The guards have taken exceptional care of her.”

Thank goodness.

“Whew... Your men never left her side.”

I let out a quiet sigh and finally sank into a nearby chair.

It felt like I’d survived a hurricane bare-handed.

I was glad to be alive—but completely exhausted.

If I hadn’t had to check Hwa-rin’s condition next, I might have collapsed onto any bed nearby.

“...Was this your plan all along?”

The Pavilion Head, after silently watching Hwa-rin, glanced sideways at me and asked.

“I told you the day we met, didn’t I? I only care about protecting Hwa-rin.”

I answered with a tired smile. I used Storm of the Tang Clan for her sake.

I’d told him the same thing when he visited Daseogak.

“That’s right...”

He trailed off, voice tinged with something bittersweet.

“Haha. What? Are you disappointed I didn’t try to become Young Clan Head?”

I laughed, drained and joking half-heartedly.

“...”

The Pavilion Head stared at me with an odd mixture of irritation and defeat.

Wait—no way...

“...Seriously?”

“If you wanted it, I was prepared to support you.”

You were?

Wow. I really feel like I just took a hit.

For someone who used to loathe the black-haired barbarian, to overcome his bias and come to that kind of decision...

I didn’t know what to say.

As I fumbled for a response, I heard someone pacing outside and muttering to himself.

“I grabbed the wrong rope. I backed the wrong side...”

The voice belonged to Dang-Pae—panicking.

Sorry. I had to cut that rope. It was a two-person rope, and there wasn’t room for three.

I shrugged and looked toward the Pavilion Head.

“Well, I never considered taking that path, so forget it. But don’t throw Dang-Pae away.

You might think of it as betrayal, but if it weren’t for Dang-Pae, none of this would’ve happened today.”

Sure, Dang-Pae’s shot at becoming the future Outer Pavilion Lord is gone now,

but someone should at least make sure he doesn’t end up unemployed for life.

“I plan to work him hard, but I won’t cast him out.”

The Pavilion Head nodded and glanced through the wall at where Dang-Pae stood, with an expression that said, what a pathetic fool.

“Are we giving her the Poison Pellet right now?”

I asked, eyeing the luxurious box placed nearby.

Inside it—the Human-Faced Earth Spider’s Poison Pellet.

With that, Hwa-rin could be saved.

“Her energy’s been heavily depleted from being unconscious for so long.

We can’t give it to her now.”

“Then what should we do?”

The Pavilion guards have done everything they could.

Even so, her vital energy is drained.

Is there even a way to replenish it?

“Wait. It’ll be here soon.”

“Pavilion Head! It has arrived!”

Just as he spoke, a voice called from outside.

“It’s here. I’ll stay with her—you go greet them.”

...What’s here?

I nodded and stepped out to the small garden just outside the reception hall.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

----------

When I stepped out into the garden, I saw several luxurious boxes loaded onto a cart.

“...What’s this?”

They looked... very familiar.

When I showed a hint of surprise, one of the Pavilion guards grinned ear to ear and opened a box, explaining proudly.

“It’s none other than that rarest of elixirs—Joseon ginseng. It’s been nearly impossible to find any in Sichuan over the past year, but we finally managed to get some recently.”

Of course they looked familiar. These were the same kinds of boxes I’d seen the wastrel Kang Yun-ho eyeing constantly in the past.

“Will the ginseng actually help Hwa-rin?”

“There’s no elixir more versatile than ginseng. While it won’t suppress the venom itself, it will greatly help in restoring Miss Hwa-rin’s depleted vital energy.”

Of course. The all-purpose miracle cure of this martial-visual novel world—Joseon ginseng. Nice to see it again after so long.

Feeling unexpectedly nostalgic about seeing a product from Joseon in this place, I walked around the box to inspect it more closely.

...Huh? This one’s new.

“There’s a seal from the Murong Family on this box.”

Stamped on the lock was a crest I recognized from the Murong Family estate.

“Sharp eye, sir. Yes, it bears the Murong Family’s seal, but I assure you, it’s genuine Joseon ginseng. The supply from Joseon was completely disrupted for over a year due to unforeseen events. Only recently did the Murong Family take control of one of the major distribution channels, and they’ve started supplying it to orthodox factions like us.”

“So the seal’s a kind of quality guarantee?”

Made in Joseon, verified by the Murong Family, huh? A certified import brand.

“Exactly. With so many counterfeits flooding the market, people won’t trust Joseon ginseng unless it bears that seal. No con artist would dare try to forge the Murong Family’s mark. I don’t know who came up with the idea—but with that kind of mind, no wonder she was willing to kill her own husband.”

“...Mm.”

I didn’t expect that particular woman to be brought up here, especially in the Sichuan Tang Clan. I was momentarily at a loss for words.

Maybe he assumed I didn’t know. The Pavilion guard continued on excitedly.

“Never heard the rumors? About the Mantis Widow of the Murong Family?”

“I’ve heard them.”

I’ve seen her. Touched her. Tasted her.

“They say she learned her husband had been accused of treason, and without a moment’s hesitation, she split his skull open on their wedding night. Vertically.”

That’s not true. She couldn’t go through with it—she sobbed and said she couldn’t do it.

“The version I heard back in Joseon was a bit different. Sounds like an exaggerated rumor.”

“Really? Well, from Sichuan to Liaodong it’s nearly ten thousand li by foot—of course the stories get twisted. I always found that part hard to believe. That a man could be so dazzled by the Mantis Widow’s beauty he didn’t realize his neck was being split. They say she was the most beautiful woman in the martial world, looked like a fairy descended from heaven. Must be distance adding absurdity.”

“That part’s not exaggerated.”

“...Huh?”

“Aha... ha... never mind.”

I smiled awkwardly and brushed it off. Sure, when the blonde-haired girl makes her entrance, the debates might begin—but for now, by all definitions, she’s definitely the most beautiful in the martial world.

“Anyway, thanks to the Mantis Widow taking partial control of the Joseon ginseng distribution, the once-shaky supply has stabilized. Until just recently, there wasn’t a trace of Joseon ginseng in all of Sichuan, but thanks to the Murong Family, we got our hands on it.”

“Does the Murong Family have a branch office in Sichuan?”

I asked, trying to keep the tension out of my voice. Surely not... right? Having them here would be a problem.

“No, sir. From what I hear, they coordinate through multiple escort bureaus and merchant networks. Regardless, this is enough to help Miss Hwa-rin regain consciousness. I’ll bring the ginseng to the Pavilion Head now.”

“Right. I’m counting on you.”

As the Pavilion guard carried the ginseng inside, I stayed behind a moment longer, watching the ginseng boxes.

So you’re living well after all.

I thought of the woman who must be far away in Liaodong. Maybe she’s forgotten me by now and is off fighting Demonic Cultists.

She seems to be doing well, clearly.

In the original game, she only skimmed some of Kang Yun-ho’s fortune—she never gained control over part of the ginseng trade.

It’s been nearly two years now.

That night, when I handed her those papers—maybe she used them to take control of part of the Kang Family’s ginseng route.

A strange twist of fate.

My choice that night, and her efforts ever since, are now reaching Hwa-rin.

With this Joseon ginseng, Hwa-rin has a real chance to recover.

So my decision that night was the right one after all.

Smiling at the thought, I finally turned and went back inside to Hwa-rin.

----------

After taking the Joseon ginseng for several days, a faint flush returned to Hwa-rin’s once pale face.

As expected of the budget elixir that carries the weight of Korea’s exports!

This is premium Joseon ginseng, alright.

“She’ll wake within a few days.”

The Pavilion Head spoke with visible relief.

“You’ve done well.”

“...”

He stared straight at me as I watched Hwa-rin’s face.

What’s with him?

“...Is something wrong? You look like you’ve got something to say.”

I looked over at him, and to my surprise, his face wore an expression of uncharacteristic concern.

What the hell... don’t tell me—

“There’s something you need to know now.”

The Pavilion Head finally spoke, and I immediately had a bad feeling about what he was about to say.