The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

Nine Sects and One Union (九派一幇).

In martial arts fiction, the term refers to the ten most prestigious factions, which include nine sects and one union.

Depending on the martial arts story, the composition of the Nine Sects and One Union often changes, except for the union.

However, two factions were always constants: the Revered Shaolin of the North and the Esteemed Wudang of the South, representing the pinnacle of the martial world. They were the Shaolin Temple, founded by Bodhidharma, and the Wudang Sect, founded by Zhang Sanfeng.

Located in the northwestern part of Hubei Province on Mount Wudang, the Wudang Sect was the pride of Taoist martial arts factions.

However, a book was about to cause a stir within the Wudang Sect.

“Elder Brother Cheongun, can I see that book too?”

It had all started when Cheongun’s junior disciple accompanied him to the bookstore.

Cheongun had been acting oddly for the past few days. He had been engrossed in the book he bought from the bookstore for days. It would have been understandable if it were a thick academic book, but it was clearly just a storybook that one could finish in a day.

Moreover, Cheongun’s expression while reading was suspicious.

Whenever he read the book from the bookstore, Cheongun appeared as though he was making life-and-death decisions.

It seemed he was reading it from the beginning every day, but he reacted the same way at certain parts—getting sad, angry, cheering, and being surprised.

Watching him like this, his junior disciple’s curiosity became unbearable.

“I think I need to read it at least five more times.”

Cheongun replied softly and disregarded his junior disciple’s request, turning the page.

“Elder Brother, you’ve been reading that book for days. How interesting is it?”

“Do you think I keep reading it just because it’s fun?”

“I don’t know. That’s why I’m asking to see it.”

“I need to finish it today, so I don’t have time.”

Cheongun realized he had no time to argue with his junior disciple, as he needed to complete his tenth reading before bed.

“Elder Brother, are you not showing me the book because it’s actually boring?”

“The Tale of Martial Heroes, boring?”

Cheongun turned his head abruptly to look at his junior disciple, his eyes wide with astonishment.

“Wow. I’ve never seen such an expression on Elder Brother. It’s kind of scary.”

“It’s because you’re talking nonsense.”

Cheongun awkwardly adjusted his expression and replied.

“Elder Brother! If it’s so interesting, let’s read it together. We can discuss the novel if more people read it.”

“That’s true.”

“Then let me borrow it. I want to know how interesting it is. I’ll give you my review after I’ve read it.”

“…Alright. This book is too precious to be read by me alone. Fine, I’ll lend it to you. But the paper quality is not great, so it might get damaged easily. Be careful.”

Cheongun carefully closed ‘The Tale of Martial Heroes’ he was reading and handed the book to his junior disciple with both hands, treating it as if it were a precious item.

“I’ll take good care of it! I’ll tell you how interesting it is after I’ve read it!”

“That book is not for you to judge… No, go ahead and read it.”

Cheongun felt somewhat irked to see his junior disciple taking the precious book so lightly. However, as an avid reader, he wanted to share a good book.

He imagined the junior disciple would regret treating the book so casually once he had finished reading. Cheongun soothed his annoyance by picturing the discussions they would have about the book’s content after his junior had read it.

“Elder Brother, what exactly is that book?”

A few days later, the junior disciple approached Cheongun with a look of surprise. Anticipating this reaction, Cheongun smiled and spoke.

“So, do you still think it’s a boring book, as you claimed?”

“Boring? I’ve never encountered such a novel before.”

“I also thought it was the first of its kind in my life.”

“How can there be such a book? I couldn’t help but scream when Yunhyeon smashed the leader of the kids bullying him!”

“I heard from the other junior disciples that your scream woke them up in the middle of the night.”

“Haha. I never thought I’d scream while reading a novel at night.”

The junior disciple reminisced about screaming at night and scratched his head, seemingly embarrassed.

“I always find immense satisfaction when I reread that part.”

“That’s true. In such books, the protagonist usually just endures hardship. Sometimes they even emphasize filial piety or loyalty, only to die in the end.”

“Right. But in ‘The Tale of Martial Heroes,’ when hardship is presented, it’s followed by a satisfying scene, and then more hardship. It keeps you on your toes.”

“Sigh. It really felt like my soul was being sucked out.”

Cheongun sighed softly. To him, his junior disciple’s sigh seemed like a soul departing.

“Haha. Any other thoughts?”

“It’s fun but… the idea of such a cave on a cliff seems too fanciful. If it’s a person, they need to eat to live, so why seclude themselves in such a cave?”

“Falling off a cliff and then encountering a stroke of fate. I thought it was an interesting but far-fetched development.”

“Are you questioning the arrangements of the 5th generation grandmaster and Yunhyeon’s fate?”

Suddenly, Cheongun spoke in a stern, low voice.

“Brother?”

“If he’s a grandmaster level expert, he’d naturally be skilled in lightness skill. He would choose such a place to avoid disrupting his training.”

“Brother! Breathe and speak. Breathe! Breathe!”

Cheongun’s sudden outburst prompted his disciple to apply the brakes.

“Ah! I lost the heart of clarity for a moment.”

“Now that I think about it, a cave on a cliff could exist. It would be ideal for training!”

Lately, Cheongun had been continually surprised by his junior disciple’s new perspectives on books. He still remembered his own years as a junior disciple.

Years as a disciple meant learning endurance. The disciple immediately dismissed his own opinion.

“Yes. Such a place could certainly exist. I’m satisfied it helped my disciple understand.”

Cheongun didn’t realize that his junior disciple wasn’t truly understanding but had been coerced into agreement.

“Haha. Thanks to you, brother, I feel like my wisdom has broadened.”

He remembered the times his brother had caught him looking at erotic art in the bookstore. He had always covered for him, so understanding this was only natural.

“Right. Any other deeply impressive points?”

Cheongun wanted to continue feeling the joy of sharing a story known only to himself with others.

“Brother… good deeds. Are they real?”

The usually light-hearted junior disciple asked seriously.

“Well, I can’t speak lightly about that part either. I thought living rightly while cultivating the Dao was important, but good deeds?”

“But Yunhyeon believed in it, following the legacy of the 5th generation grandmaster and emerging into the martial world.”

“Yes. With a sword technique that’s not Wudang’s, yet also Wudang’s.”

“A sword technique created by the 5th generation grandmaster for the common people. Who would have thought?”

“It’s not an existing sword technique, right? Probably invented by the author.”

Cheongun’s assumption was correct.

Techniques like the Taiji Sword Technique existed in this world. Kang Yun-ho, who had never written a wuxia novel before, didn’t want to be criticized for historical inaccuracies. But he couldn’t use a completely absurd technique either.

That was why he created the Bagua Sword Technique.

Bagua, often mentioned alongside Taiji, was commonly featured in novels with Wudang sect protagonists, where boxing usually took center stage. However, Bagua boxing was occasionally referenced.

What if he developed a sword technique based on Bagua?

It was merely a setting he devised. Kang Yun-ho infused the Bagua Sword Technique with vitality.

Crafted by the 5th generation grandmaster, it was a technique akin to the Tao yet removed from the ordinary.

The sword technique embodied change and variety, subtly straying from the harmony and gentleness typically associated with Wudang.

“Could this be a real technique? This book knows an awful lot about Wudang. It’s suspicious.”

“The more I read, the more I suspect it was written by someone from Wudang.”

The book, once neglected and nearly forgotten, was now in his possession.

Was it orchestrated by someone from Wudang? The deeper he delved, the more it perplexed Cheongun.

“It’s not merely an intriguing book. It’s an extraordinary one. A marvel.”

“I concur. By the way, where is the book?”

Absorbed in their conversation about ‘The Tale of Martial Heroes,’ they failed to notice that the disciple was not holding the book.

“That’s… Haha.”

The disciple, finding himself in an awkward situation, scratched the back of his head and laughed.

“???”

Cheongun was clueless as to what the disciple, profoundly affected by the book, might do next.

“Cheongun, my disciple!”

Ten days later, a bearded teacher sought out Cheongun.

“What brings you here?”

“There’s been talk among the Wudang Sect’s disciples about a remarkable book (奇書) that’s been circulating. I was told it began with you.”

“Oh, that’s…”

Confronted with his senior’s inquiry, Cheongun sensed a headache brewing.

He had intended to share ‘The Tale of Martial Heroes’ with his fellow disciples, but he hadn’t anticipated that his junior disciple would spread it to others.

Since it wasn’t an ordinary book, it could be problematic. With that in mind, Cheongun confiscated the circulating copies of ‘The Tale of Martial Heroes’ from the junior disciples.

But the situation had already spiraled beyond his control.

‘Brother, I knew you’d do this, so I’ve already made copies!’

‘Copying ‘The Tale of Martial Heroes’ during study time is popular among the disciples!’

Copies of ‘The Tale of Martial Heroes’ circulated within the Wudang Sect. Even as he spoke with his teacher, someone might have been copying it.

“If the content of the book is problematic, I will immediately urge the disciples to confiscate them.”

The teacher standing before Cheongun was known for his strictness.

Once, some junior disciples brought erotic art to Mount Wudang and were caught by the teacher while passing it around. He mercilessly punished the disciples and confined them to solitary for a month.

Moreover, the disciple who brought the erotic art was expelled, even though he was the child of a wealthy patron (巨富) of the Wudang Sect.

That the teacher came to him was worrying.

“It’s not for that reason.”

Cheongun’s teacher waved off his misunderstanding.

“Then why have you come?”

“That’s… Ahem.”

Cheongun’s teacher, usually stoic, smiled but seemed uneasy. He tried to speak, then closed his mouth again.

“What’s the matter?”

“That’s… Do you happen to have the second volume of ‘The Tale of Martial Heroes’?”

“…What?”