The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

Cheongun, the third-generation disciple of Wudang, frequently visited the bookstore.

Unlike his younger counterparts, he wasn’t there to covertly indulge in erotic novels or racy stories.

“Senior Brother Cheongun reads erotic novels too? What? Why are you looking at this?”

When the diligent Cheongun was spotted reading, the younger disciples speculated whether he secretly relished erotic novels. Filled with such curiosity, they’d tiptoe over to him, only to be disappointed by the titles he perused.

Cheongun consistently immersed himself in Taoist texts, renowned customs of the Central Plains, and morally uplifting stories.

“This is more interesting than I thought.”

“Typical Senior Brother, always buried in such books. Why not try some entertaining storybooks for a change?”

The junior disciple shook his head in disbelief and walked away.

Had their master witnessed this, he would’ve rebuked the junior for his lack of respect toward the Senior Brother. However, they weren’t around, as Cheongun had taken the disciples on a brief outing.

“That kid… I do read fun things occasionally.”

Setting aside his current reading, Cheongun moved to the section featuring the latest novels.

It wasn’t that Cheongun favored only dry and tedious books. He wasn’t in search of erotic tales that might disrupt his cultivation, but he did delight in discovering unheard classic folktales and narratives of legendary heroes.

“Kwak Geo-byeong’s Tale, I’ve read this. Akbi Chronicles, this one too. Seocho Conqueror’s Tale, also read this. Seems I’ve already gone through all these new arrivals.”

Disheartened, Cheongun realized that the so-called new books were not new to him. With a soft sigh, he acknowledged that while the younger disciples had an abundance of fresh erotic novels at their disposal, the kind of stories he enjoyed seldom saw new additions.

Cheongun glanced past the shelves of new arrivals to the piles of books stacked haphazardly to the side, looking for something worth reading. Books that no one sought after or old ones were there instead of being neatly shelved.

Perhaps he could uncover a hidden gem among these.

With a spark of hope, Cheongun began his search.

“This is a new title, ‘The Tale of the Martial Heroes’?”

The book, printed on coarse paper with poor-quality ink, might contain decent content, but the letters on the cover had faded significantly.

While anyone else might have ignored it, Cheongun, thirsty for new literature, opened ‘The Tale of the Martial Heroes.’

“The protagonist is from Wudang?”

Impersonating a disciple of the great Wudang was bold. Cheongun was tempted to close the book immediately, but his curiosity prevailed.

The story unfolded with the young protagonist Yunhyeon’s happy life being shattered.

Yunhyeon, known for his cleverness, lost his parents to bandits. On the brink of death, he was rescued by a Wudang Taoist passing by.

The Taoist, recognizing Yunhyeon’s potential, invited him to become his disciple. Yunhyeon performed the nine bows ritual (九拜之禮) to his master, establishing their master-disciple bond.

Before leaving his village, he made a vow at his parents’ graves.

[Father, Mother. I will master the sword and ensure no one suffers like us again.]

“…”

Cheongun was drawn into the next chapter by the young protagonist’s misfortune and sharp intellect.

Although Wudang was a Taoist sect, not all disciples were naturally virtuous. Some came from wealthy families or had parents in official positions who secretly supported them during their Wudang stay.

Thus, Yunhyeon, an orphan with nothing, faced ostracism.

The baseless malice of the other children tormented him relentlessly.

‘I was in a similar situation.’

Cheongun empathized with Yunhyeon. He, too, had lost his parents to bandits and faced comparable bullying as an orphan.

In a situation where most kids would have given up in tears, Yunhyeon remembered the vow to his parents and persisted in his training. Was it his innate talent or the vow that spurred him on? His martial prowess improved with each passing day.

On a regular training and sparring day at Wudang,

Yunhyeon chose to challenge the leader of the kids who had bullied him.

There was a significant age gap between Yunhyeon and the bully’s leader. Under normal circumstances, Yunhyeon stood no chance.

‘How can he possibly win this?’

As Yunhyeon struggled to dodge and defend against the attacks, Cheongun thought he was doomed to lose.

But Yunhyeon remained patient, calmly waiting for the right moment.

Unaware of this, the opposing child became anxious as his attacks failed to connect. Anxiety made movements larger and more hurried. Yunhyeon had been eagerly waiting for this moment.

Yunhyeon’s talent blossomed.

“Houbaljein” (後發制人) - control by acting later.

Dominate speed with slowness.

Yunhyeon seized the opportunity as the child’s movements grew larger and more hasty, perfectly overpowering him. Everyone was astonished. After all, the martial arts of the Great Wudang Sect were unfolding from Yunhyeon’s hands, despite his young age.

“That’s right. Well done!”

Cheongun, witnessing this, couldn’t help but shout out loud.

“Ahem.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

The bookstore owner gave Cheongun a look, and he felt a bit embarrassed. But he couldn’t put the book down; the next part was too intriguing.

As Yunhyeon defeated the children’s leader, perceptions around him began to change. News of Yunhyeon’s talent, effort, and character started spreading throughout the Wudang Sect.

Consequently, the elders of the Wudang Sect discussed whether to teach Yunhyeon the Taiji Sword Technique (太極劒法).

“Yunhyeon deserves to learn the Taiji Sword Technique.”

Yunhyeon was indeed the potential future of Wudang.

Before Cheongun realized it, the image of Yunhyeon, who had falsely claimed to be a disciple of Wudang, faded from his mind. In its place stood only Yunhyeon, the rightful heir to the Taiji Sword Technique of Wudang.

[I want to become a wandering swordsman.]

One day, after mastering the Taiji Sword Technique, Yunhyeon revealed his secret ambition to his master.

[No. Previous disciples of Wudang also sought to become wandering swordsmen. However, their actions brought numerous grievances and bloodshed upon Wudang. It is strictly forbidden.]

[I learned the sword to aid others and to pursue the path of a wandering swordsman.]

[If you wish to help, offer your sword to those who support Wudang. A high-ranking official is in danger of assassination. Would you consider guarding him temporarily?]

[The wandering swordsman in my vision is not like that!]

[How dare you raise your voice! Should you desire to be a wandering swordsman, you must forsake all that you have learned from Wudang. I cannot condone the use of Wudang’s swordsmanship for personal grudges in the martial world!]

[Master!!]

For Yunhyeon to abandon everything was to let go of Wudang’s internal strength and sword techniques. Already the embodiment of Wudang, Yunhyeon found it impossible to relinquish.

“His Master’s words are right. But Yunhyeon’s resolve is just as true.”

Cheongun, deeply connected to Yunhyeon’s character, sympathized with his struggle. Were someone else to express a wish to become a wandering swordsman, Cheongun, like Yunhyeon’s master, would have tried to dissuade them.

[I learned the sword to become a wandering swordsman. If I cannot fulfill this purpose, what was the point of all my hard work? Yet, Master’s admonitions hold truth. My sword could indeed breed animosity, leading to strife amongst my peers and master.]

As Cheongun observed Yunhyeon’s torment, Yunhyeon weighed his master’s words heavily.

Yunhyeon, deep in thought, wandered around Wudang Mountain and stood on a cliff. By chance, he encountered an invader from the Demonic Sect. Yunhyeon defeated the invader but sustained injuries and fell off the cliff.

The master and his disciples arrived too late; they could not find Yunhyeon’s body.

“What?”

What had happened?

Yunhyeon, who had promised his parents he would succeed and never once complained during the most arduous training. Yunhyeon, who could have easily claimed the rights as the heir to the Taiji Sword Technique but chose to be a wandering swordsman instead.

Yunhyeon, the great talent of Wudang.

Was Yunhyeon truly dead?

Even though he had learned to control his emotions at Wudang, Cheongun struggled to restrain himself at this moment.

If the author were in front of him, Cheongun felt like drawing his sword. How could they write about the death of such a promising young man?

Fortunately, he did not act on his impulse because there was more to the story. Yunhyeon couldn’t have simply died. Cheongun turned the page.

[Where is this place…]

Thankfully, Yunhyeon was alive. He had fallen into a narrow cave between the cliffs. His survival was not the only miracle; what he found next was even more astonishing.

In the cave lay the remains of Wudang’s fifth-generation leader! Why were the remains of such a revered leader in that cave?

Both Cheongun, reading the book, and Yunhyeon, discovering the remains, began to read the letter left by the leader with astonishment.

[If you are not of Wudang, do not read further and inform the Wudang Sect that my remains have been found. Wudang does not forget its benefactors. But if you are from Wudang, please read this letter to the end.]

What was going on? Yunhyeon, who had entered the cave in the cliff crevice, continued reading the letter.

[Young reader, what is the Tao (道)?]

[Why did you choose the path of the sword over the way of books, pursuing the Tao? Why did you study martial arts instead of the principle of ‘non-action in accordance with nature’?]

[Young reader, is this truly the path to the Tao (道)?]

[Why do you carry such a heavy iron burden in your quest for immortality?]

[Young reader, I made the sky my blanket, the mountains my companions, and dedicated my life to cultivation.]

[Today, I barely glimpsed the edge of the immortal realms. However, due to my lack of accumulated good deeds (善業), I could only look and return.]

[In the end, I did not become an immortal; I failed to ascend.]

[Fallen back to earth, my back lacked wings, and all I had was the sword that had accompanied me throughout my life.]

[Young reader, with your sword, accumulate good deeds (善業). They will become wings for you.]

[Though my life is ending and I can no longer gather good deeds, I will leave behind martial arts techniques that can serve as wings for you.]

[Please, use your sword in the way of the Tao and accumulate good deeds.]

“Elder Brother Cheongun, what book has captured your attention so completely? We must hurry.”

Cheongun’s junior disciple complained, noting that Cheongun had not moved from the bookstore for over an hour.

“This book, this book is…”

Cheongun was so astonished that he couldn’t move.

This wasn’t an ordinary book.

“Shopkeeper!”

Cheongun urgently called out to the bookstore owner.

“What is it?”

“Elder Brother, why such a grave expression? You’re scaring me.”

Both the junior disciple and the bookstore owner were taken aback by Cheongun’s grim demeanor.

“Where did this book come from?”

Cheongun pointed repeatedly at the Tale of the Martial Heroes while asking.

“The Tale of the Martial Heroes? What’s that… Ah! That book.”

“That book?”

“A peddler sold it, saying it was a story for the Wudang Sect, brought by a Korean Taoist from Mount Baekdu.”

“A Korean Taoist from Mount Baekdu?”

“Yes. He mentioned it was especially beneficial for members of the Wudang Sect. Since it went unread, I considered putting it into storage.”

“Mount Baekdu, a Korean Daoist from Mount Baekdu…”

What connection could there be between a person from Joseon’s Mount Baekdu and the Wudang Sect? The more Cheongun learned, the more perplexed he became.

In truth, the bookstore owner’s statement had been embellished as it circulated among various individuals, but Cheongun was unaware of this.

“So, will you purchase it? You’ve read it extensively and frequent here often, so you might as well buy it.”

“I will buy it at any cost. How much is it?”

“Just about 5 silver.”

“5 silver? You’re offering this book for 5 silver?”

Cheongun asked, incredulous.

“Is it due to the poor quality? Yet, it should fetch at least 5 silver…”

“Poor quality? How dare you say such a thing!”

Cheongun exclaimed, his anger flaring.

“What?”

“Elder Brother?”

His junior disciple was stunned to see the normally calm and composed Cheongun so enraged.

“This book’s value can’t be summed up by mere 5 silver. In my pouch, as of this moment, I have… only 50 silver!”

“That book is certainly worth 5 silver.”

“Take all that I have here. And give me the book.”

“Th-thank you.”

The bookstore owner, completely taken aback by receiving the entire pouch, stood with his mouth agape.

“No, the thanks are mine to give.”

Cheongun exited the shop without a backward glance, clutching ‘The Tale of the Martial Heroes’ tightly.

“Elder Brother! Please wait for me!”

“What on earth just happened?”

The bookstore owner, as he pocketed the silver, remained baffled by the recent turn of events.

Little did the bookstore owner know the profound effect ‘The Tale of the Martial Heroes’ would have on the Wudang Sect.