The Side Characters' Fight

When Seo Joo-cheon entered the guest room and sank into deep thought, the three of them quietly withdrew to give him space. Their eldest brother had done this sort of thing before, so they thought little of it. Whatever it was, once Big Brother made his decision, all they had to do was follow. All three owed Po Un their lives; for his word, they would have leapt into a pit of fire without hesitation.

For Seo Joo-cheon, taking stock of his current condition was the first priority. He had created the character himself, so Po Un was hardly a stranger.

Po Un had studied the White Serpent Sect's sword art, the White Serpent 72 Sword Art — but of those seventy-two forms, he had only properly mastered some thirty. Seo Joo-cheon had written him as remaining a Second-Rate swordsman, never having learned the latter forty-odd forms. On top of that, his internal energy fell short of One Gapja — roughly half a Gapja at best. Even that much had come from various elixirs he'd swallowed during his wanderings through the Jianghu.

For a thirty-year-old like Po Un, half a Gapja of internal energy wasn't nothing — but across the martial world as a whole, it was hardly impressive. The rising talents of the Nine Great Sects, the Five Great Clans, and the other prestigious Orthodox factions had grown powerful on a diet of elixirs; those who had already surpassed One Gapja were a dime a dozen.

But Po Un had compensated for his deficient martial arts with hard-won Jianghu experience and real combat, and he didn't go down easily even against ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠newly minted First-Rate masters. In the novel, he had killed several young First-Rate experts.

First, I'll deal with the Karma Mission, then think about the rest. I'm the author — I know every character's fated encounter. Getting stronger won't be hard. I'll just snatch the opportunities meant for others.

The problem was the Karma Mission.

Seo Joo-cheon thought hard, then opened his travel pack and drew out a small white porcelain vial. It contained poison, kept for emergencies. Po Un was an Unorthodox martial artist, so he'd been carrying such toxins even without Seo Joo-cheon having specifically written it in.

Do I have to kill Unorthodox martial artists with this?

Killing with poison came with all sorts of complications. Slipping it into food, water, or wine required considerable care.

Still, some of them are stronger than the Shaanxi Four Evils. I'll have to be careful.

He searched his memory for which Unorthodox martial artists were currently at the Namcheon Inn. There were hundreds of characters, and he'd already finished the novel and moved on to other work — the minor ones didn't come readily to mind.

Maybe that's why the Character Search function was given to me — because I'm ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the author.

Giving protagonist-level buffs to the eldest of the Shaanxi Four Evils — an extra who was supposed to die soon — left him little choice but to think so.

I'll be careful when dealing with the stronger Unorthodox martial artists.

Poison wasn't a panacea. It didn't work well on true masters. Masters had the internal energy to expel toxins; a botched attempt could put him in danger instead.

First, I'll try poisoning one easy Unorthodox martial artist. That should trigger some change in the Karma Mission.

Seo Joo-cheon tucked the poison vial into his robes and stood. Just then, from the inn below, came the crash of a table shattering, followed by raised voices.

"You'll regret this when I cut your damn hands off!"

"Hahahaha! You little bitch! Did my hands wear your ass out just from a squeeze? That plump rump of yours was begging to be appreciated — you should be honored!"

"Who the hell is this shit-eating dog running his mouth?!"

"Feisty as a she-cat, aren't you? I'm starting to like you more and more."

Seo Joo-cheon frowned. That was unmistakably Kang Chu-mi, the fourth of the Shaanxi Four Evils. Similar incidents flickered through his memory. Kang Chu-mi's beauty had ripened considerably, and it seemed she'd attracted this kind of trouble more than once. With looks that dripped sensuality, she'd clashed with Demonic Path and Unorthodox martial artists on several occasions.

After a moment's thought, a smile spread across Seo Joo-cheon's face.

If I need an easy Unorthodox target, I'll take that bastard.

By the time Seo Joo-cheon came downstairs, the ordinary guests had already fled. The inn was empty. Only a handful of people who looked like martial artists remained, watching the confrontation unfold.

The wrecked table was Kang Chu-mi's handiwork. Three men stood around the shattered wood. Kang Chu-mi, Ham Cheon-yeong, and Dokgo Ho-in faced them from the opposite side. Swords had yet to be drawn, but the murderous atmosphere suggested steel would fly at any moment.

Descending the inn's stairs at an unhurried pace, Seo Joo-cheon poured internal energy into his eyes and locked his gaze on the three men's faces. Character Search activated at once.

Now I remember. These bastards were originally supposed to die at the protagonist's hands before the Shaanxi Four Evils even appeared. That's why I gave the eldest First-Rate internal energy — so he could put up a fight against the hero.

Which meant they were stronger than the Shaanxi Four Evils. That was the problem. Jeuk Hon, the eldest, possessed First-Rate internal energy — enough to earn them the title of the Three Evils. There weren't many who could kill them.

In truth, their entire fighting strength was the eldest brother. It would take all four of the Shaanxi Four Evils just to match the eldest of the Three Evils of Luoyang. That was why Seo Joo-cheon didn't rush in.

"Big Brother, look the other way if your fourth sibling gets her hands dirty today. I cannot forgive these bastards."

The three younger siblings of the Shaanxi Four Evils clearly had no idea who the Three Evils of Luoyang were. Even so, the Shaanxi Four Evils weren't the type to cower anywhere, and they were taking a hard line. The Three Evils of Luoyang stood with their arms crossed, looking as if they found Kang Chu-mi adorable.

"Hahaha, I really do like this girl. Come with us and we'll show you a good time morning and night. You'll learn what paradise feels like. Mixing with trash like that only cheapens you," said Jeuk In, the second of the Three Evils of Luoyang, licking his lips.

Ham Cheon-yeong, a man of similar bulk, answered him.

"I'll make sure you spend the rest of your life cursing that mouth of yours. I won't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠kill you. I'll just make sure you eat nothing but gruel till the day you die."

As the two men traded barbs, heat surged through Seo Joo-cheon's body. Fighting spirit and killing intent boiled up inside him — a reaction worthy of the eldest of the Shaanxi Four Evils. But Seo Joo-cheon was still calculating how to deal with Jeuk Hon.

Cheon-yeong and Ho-in can handle the second and third of the Three Evils of Luoyang. The problem is the eldest.

The thought itself startled him. Until yesterday, he'd been an ordinary wuxia novelist living in modern South Korea. Even with the synchronization to a character from his own work, he hadn't expected to adapt this fast — to be thinking about fighting as if it were natural.

What kind of plausibility-wrecking plot development is this? If the readers saw it, they'd tear me a new one.

Some of them would probably go berserk, accusing him of wrecking the story's balance just to speed things along.

But if I dragged it out, they'd drop the series for being boring.

Was it the author's instinct talking? For a moment, Seo Joo-cheon forgot the scene unfolding before his eyes and imagined what would happen if he serialized this situation as a chapter.

"And what might your great name be?"

Jeuk Hon's words snapped him out of his reverie. Seo Joo-cheon looked at him and smiled faintly. That leisurely expression — the look of a man who thought they were easy prey — made him want to put a fist through it. Po Un's fighting spirit spread through his entire body.

"The eldest of the Shaanxi Four Evils."

At those words, Jeuk Hon burst into open, roaring laughter. They were even further beneath him than he'd thought. The laugh came unbidden.

"The Shaanxi Four Evils. The Shaanxi Four Evils. Just how widespread must your villainy be, to have a whole province in your name?"

A clear provocation. Having a provincial name attached did, at least, mean they were well-known.

"Well, it is bigger than Luoyang."

Jeuk Hon looked surprised at that.

"Oh? So you know of us?"

Seo Joo-cheon threw his head back and laughed until the muscles in his face ached. A sky-splitting laugh he'd never given in his life felt utterly natural.

"Hahaha! How could fellow travelers of the same path not know the illustrious Three Evils of Luoyang?"

Seo Joo-cheon changed tactics. He decided to avoid a clash. He still hadn't confirmed whether he could fully inhabit Po Un — not just in speech and manner, but in martial arts as well. Under those circumstances, colliding with an objectively superior force would gain him nothing.

Of course, as an author, this was exactly where he'd have them fight. When serializing, timid plot developments had to be avoided if you wanted to keep the view counts up. But this was reality now. Lives hung in the balance. Caution was the only sensible choice.

Somehow, I can feel the tragedy of being an extra.

If Po Un were the protagonist, there would be no need to swallow his pride and play it safe. A protagonist would cut down even the strongest extras without breaking a sweat.

"Whatever the matter, there's no need for fellow travelers on the same path to flush with anger at each other."

As a gesture of concession, Seo Joo-cheon even cupped his fists in a martial salute and bowed his head.

The moment Seo Joo-cheon showed weakness, Jeuk Hon dropped the mock-polite register and revealed the law of the jungle.

"Get on your knees and beg this seat for forgiveness. Then we'll pretend this never happened."

Kang Chu-mi bristled at Jeuk Hon's words.

"You dog-bone sons of bitches. How dare you talk that shit to Big Brother?!"

Kang Chu-mi shifted into a fighting stance, but Ham Cheon-yeong grabbed her arm, his face grim. He, too, had realized they were at a disadvantage against the Three Evils of Luoyang.

"Fine. I'll kneel."

Seo Joo-cheon was prepared to do it. If kneeling meant living, it wasn't a bad trade. They were just passing extras, after all. His knees began to bend.

"Big Brother!"

Kang Chu-mi cried out, her voice raw with outrage.

That was when it happened. Using the bend of his knees as a spring, Seo Joo-cheon exploded upward, drew his sword, and thrust at Jeuk Hon's jaw.

Ah. This isn't me!

In that instant, Seo Joo-cheon felt the character Po Un slip beyond his control. And he realized he had forgotten two things: the nature of the synchronization system, and the character of Po Un himself.

Synchronization did not mean Seo Joo-cheon had complete control over Po Un. It meant the two personalities shared each other — which meant Po Un's fierce pride was still very much alive. Po Un would rather die than kneel in a situation like this, no matter how strong the opponent.

I wrote that personality myself and then forgot. Fine. If it's come to this, I'll kill the Three Evils of Luoyang. Come to think of it, we need what they have. We need it desperately right now.

A dazzling sequence of sword forms unfurled from Seo Joo-cheon's hands.

When naming martial ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠forms, Seo Joo-cheon had always preferred the classical wuxia style. His editor had always called it old-fashioned, but when it came to sword forms, he had stubbornly clung to that old-fashionedness.

The forms depicted a white serpent bursting from its den and rearing up. As Seo Joo-cheon pressed the attack, Jeuk Hon countered as if he'd been waiting for exactly that. Martial knowledge Seo Joo-cheon didn't possess — but Po Un did — unfolded in a state of no-mind.

As the two men locked in combat, Ham Cheon-yeong and Dokgo Ho-in grinned at each other.

The words Po Un always spoke at the start of a fight. Jeuk In, similar in build to Ham Cheon-yeong, closed with him, while Dokgo Ho-in and Jeuk Heon collided.

"Fourth! You help Big Brother!"

Jeuk Hon was a First-Rate master, after all. They were worried for their eldest brother's safety.

"Yes."

Kang Chu-mi uncoiled her whip at once and leapt into the fray between Seo Joo-cheon and Jeuk Hon.

It was a strange experience. Po Un's martial knowledge unfolded in a state of no-mind, and yet it felt as if Seo Joo-cheon himself were executing every movement. In those few moments, he had cycled through all thirty-odd forms of the White Serpent 72 Sword Art that Po Un knew. But he had only managed to inflict a few sword wounds on Jeuk Hon's body — nothing decisive.

Seo Joo-cheon parried Jeuk Hon's sword forms even as his mind wandered.

If someone practiced the Dual-Minded Heart Art, they might end up in a state like this.

His mind was elsewhere, yet his body kept scattering sword forms.

"Kh!"

Jeuk Hon's blade grazed his side. The pain was like a red-hot iron spike punching through bare flesh. But Po Un was a tempered warrior. He ignored the pain and did not so much as flinch.

So the pain is my share, is it?

"Ugh!"

Jeuk Hon's sword nicked into his shoulder. As the thirty-odd forms of the White Serpent Sword Art repeated, Jeuk Hon's blade began to find the gaps. And as time passed, even his internal energy was being overpowered. Seo Joo-cheon found himself constantly giving ground.

"Die!"

Whiiing!

With that cry, Kang Chu-mi's whip swept toward Jeuk Hon's lower body. The terror of a whip was that you could never predict its path. Jeuk Hon had been grinning as he furiously pressed Seo Joo-cheon, but Kang Chu-mi's intervention blunted his offensive.

Jiiiiiing!

A sword-cry rang from Jeuk Hon's blade. Only at the level of One Gapja did a sword-cry arise, and with it, Sword Qi. The sword-cry was a warning: Sword Qi was about to ignite.

In The Invincible Lay Disciple, Seo Joo-cheon had established that One Gapja marked a First-Rate master capable of wielding Sword Qi. Two Gapja he had set as the Peak Realm, and three Gapja as the Immortal Realm — the Divine Realm of the immortals. In The Invincible Lay Disciple, even reaching First-Rate made you a formidable master. Seo Joo-cheon had always preferred a world of limited power over one bloated by power inflation.

The moment Sword Qi flared from Jeuk Hon's blade, Kang Chu-mi recognized the disadvantage and unleashed her finest killing technique. The Whip-Flying Radiance Art was a collaboration of flying daggers and whip — a martial art Seo Joo-cheon had crafted with considerable care.

She plucked the four daggers sheathed at her waist and flung them into the air. Then her whip cracked down upon the falling blades.

Piiing-piiing-piiing-ping!

Struck by the whip, the daggers became flashes of light.

"Whoa!"

Jeuk Hon was genuinely startled. He raised Sword Qi and struck the incoming daggers aside. His Sword Qi-wreathed blade rebounded from the impact. The speed of those daggers, and the internal energy driving them, was no small thing.

This woman's technique is no ordinary thing.

Jeuk Hon found Kang Chu-mi's methods even more troublesome.

The Shaanxi Four Evils are stronger than the rumors suggested.

He was pouring One Gapja of internal energy into the fight, and still neither of them had fallen. Alarm bells rang. Their exquisite combined assault was offsetting the gap in internal energy.

Having taken stock, Jeuk Hon immediately pressed Kang Chu-mi.