Meeting the Protagonist

Having spent the entire night transcribing manuals, the Shaanxi Four Fiends set out at first light for a nearby wild mountain to train.

The prospect of soon obtaining Peak Realm martial arts and a full One Gapja of inner energy had them too excited to sleep. The most they managed was two shichen of rest—barely four hours.

"From now on, once we've finished circulating our energy at dawn, we train the arts we've newly learned. That's the only way we'll grow stronger. We cannot let this chance slip away through laziness."

"Hohoho, Big Brother. We've never been lazy a day in our lives."

She was right. The Shaanxi Four Fiends had lived fiercely, because living was the only option they had. To survive the jianghu as Second-Rate martial artists, they had had no choice but to become cold and cruel. Even banding together as four had been a way of covering one another's gaps at that Second-Rate level.

After a life like that, there was no chance they would balk if Seo Joo-cheon drove them through brutal training. If anything, their hunger to reach the First-Rate realm on the back of this opportunity burned hotter than ever.

For a martial artist, First-Rate was the realm one naturally yearned to attain. But One Gapja of inner energy and Peak Realm martial arts were not stations handed out to just anyone. Birth, background, and talent all had to align; countless martial artists trained their whole lives and still crumbled away without ever achieving a First-Rate art, let alone a Gapja of power.

The Shaanxi Four Fiends had originally been that sort of people. Seo Joo-cheon's intervention had changed everything.

Ham Cheon-yeong was a martial artist from the Unorthodox Black Heaven Gate, near Chao Lake in Southern Zhili. He had trained the Shadow Black Saber to the level of mastery, yet never quite reached the standard of a First-Rate saber hand. The Shadow Black Saber was a technique issued to newly initiated disciples; its very nature was weak.

But the Phoenix Controlling Dragon Saber, belonging to the Phoenix Controlling Heaven Art, was a Peak Realm saber method. Ham Cheon-yeong had already committed the early forms to memory, and his movements were anything but ordinary.

Watching that enormous frame undulate as if dancing, the saber sweeping in great, fluid arcs, there was even a kind of exhilaration in it.

Dokgo Ho-in, by contrast, was having a harder time of it. He had originally been a fast-sword specialist, using the Half-Light Flash Sword as his signature art. But the Half-Light Flash Sword had been derived from a spear form rather than a true sword art, and so its completeness had a ceiling. That was why Dokgo Ho-in, too, had remained Second-Rate.

Then he obtained the Phoenix Facing Heaven Sword, and his fast sword shone all the brighter. Yet the Phoenix Facing Heaven Sword was not merely a fast sword—it was a Peak Realm sword art that wove transforming sword and illusory sword into a single whole, and grasping its true meaning was no easy feat.

Time will take care of it. Ho-in has outstanding talent and keen senses.

He was from the Unorthodox Hong Heaven Gate of Weinan in Shaanxi, which had been annihilated by the black-path Myeongjumun of Xi'an. His grudge against Myeongjumun ran deep; he would complete the sword art no matter what.

Seo Joo-cheon's gaze turned to Kang Chu-mi. A woman from an Orthodox sect that had been wiped out by Yunnan's Heavenly Poison Gate. The reason for the destruction was a peculiar one: the demonic Heavenly Poison Gate had coveted the Jiang Family Manor's Flying Whip Radiance Art and razed the sect for it. A classic novel setup—destroyed over a secret manual.

Pursued by Heavenly Poison Gate warriors and on the verge of dying from poison, she had been saved by Po Un. After that, she had followed him through the jianghu.

Every one of them had a long, winding story.

The three of them aren't even my settings. I only tacked a bit of backstory onto Po Un.

The stories of the Shaanxi Four Fiends now rising in his mind were things surfacing from Po Un's memories. Watching it happen, Seo Joo-cheon stroked his chin.

They say that once you create a character, that character starts living on its own. That events arise from the character's personality and background.

Even without detailed settings, from the moment they were born of Seo Joo-cheon's pen they had been living their own lives, carving out their own fates. He understood now what it meant when people said that if characters live and breathe and run wild inside a work, the work succeeds and wins the readers' hearts. Because the writer only has to follow those characters and write.

I created them, and yet they're living lives of their own.

Seo Joo-cheon felt a strange mix of emotion—fresh, and oddly poignant. Something like being a creator. Something like being a father. And at the same time, wistful and aching. He was a writer, and yet he couldn't pin this feeling down in a single word.

If even the supporting cast lives lives like these, what of the protagonist?

The thought that he might meet Jang Hyeon-nam, the protagonist of The Invincible Lay Disciple, today felt like reuniting with a lover parted long ago.

Seo Joo-cheon called up the protagonist's settings. His talent had been so outstanding that Wudang Sect had wanted to take him in as a full Daoist priest—but his family was far too prominent for that to be possible. If the Namgung Clan dominated Southern Zhili by force of arms, the Jang Clan dominated it by force of gold. He was the second son of that Jang Clan.

The Namgung Clan and the Jang Clan had exchanged ties for generations, and a prenatal betrothal already bound the two houses. Jang Hyeon-nam possessed the Hundred-Year Martial Bone, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠said to appear once in a century; he was tall, handsome, brilliant in his studies, and blessed with a fine temperament. He had received a Bone Marrow Cleansing in childhood and consumed spiritual medicines besides, and so he already held One Gapja of inner energy.

In short, Seo Joo-cheon had written him as a perfect man who could only exist in a novel. After being scolded by his editor time and again that a protagonist had to be special, he had set the character this way out of sheer spite.

Now that looks like a proper protagonist.

He remembered the editor's pleased face when he brought in the revised profile. And even then, the man had needled him for giving the supporting cast too much of the spotlight. He had even suggested raising the protagonist's inner energy from One Gapja to Two. But Seo Joo-cheon had always preferred a growth-type hero, and handing out Two Gapja had felt like cheating, so he had held the line at One to the end.

Come to think of it, is the editor the reason I'm in this mess?

The thought made him resent the man. Then, suddenly, Seo Joo-cheon started snickering. He had written one of the Three Great Villains of The Invincible Lay Disciple as the editor himself, down to the last detail. Whenever he wrote, he tended to model his villains on people he disliked, then kill them off in the story and work out the grudge. A very petty sort of revenge, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠if you looked at it that way.

"Big Brother, are you sure you're not actually sick?"

Kang Chu-mi watched Seo Joo-cheon snickering to himself and eyed him with genuine concern. Seo Joo-cheon gave a short laugh.

"Dawn's almost here. Wrap it up."

"Will you be learning the Phoenix Facing Heaven Sword as well, Big Brother?"

Dokgo Ho-in asked as he wiped the sweat from his face.

"Of course. Where else would I find a Peak Realm sword art of this caliber? I'll focus on the transforming and illusory aspects rather than the fast sword, though. That should complement the White Serpent Sword."

Dokgo Ho-in nodded.

"This younger brother thinks so as well."

He could now execute the full White Serpent Seventy-Two Sword Art, which meant the White Serpent Sword itself could rise from a Second-Rate art to a First-Rate one. Being the author had its advantages. The later forms, he could simply invent. A completed White Serpent Sword paired with the Phoenix Facing Heaven Sword would make him a swordsman who could throw his weight around in the martial world with some justification. His chest was already swelling with pride.

Seo Joo-cheon unfolded the White Serpent Sword in a trance of perfect absorption. Some thirty forms Po Un had known. Some forty more Seo Joo-cheon had newly conceived.

The three younger siblings watching him were struck with awe.

"Ah—it seems Big Brother has fully awakened the White Serpent Sword he'd been stuck against all this time."

"As expected of Big Brother. I knew this day would come. And with the added inner energy, it truly looks as if a white serpent is moving."

Ham Cheon-yeong picked up the thought.

"Once we achieve One Gapja as well, we'll be able to wield Sword Qi. We must always devote ourselves to training so we don't fall behind Big Brother. So we don't become a burden to him."

"Of course. Isn't it about time we shed the 'Fiends' label, too?"

"Why? You want to hear people call us the Shaanxi Four Heroes? That's what Fourth wants to hear more than anyone."

Dokgo Ho-in never missed a chance to needle Kang Chu-mi over her Orthodox origins.

"Hmph, and why shouldn't I? We've only acted a bit like Unorthodox types because we didn't have the strength. Have we ever actually done anything truly evil? We've never killed an innocent person."

Ham Cheon-yeong and Dokgo Ho-in watched Kang Chu-mi working herself up and smiled. It looked for all the world like a beloved little sister throwing a tantrum.

Dokgo Ho-in turned to Ham Cheon-yeong.

"And if Big Brother decides to conquer the martial world?"

"Then I'll walk that path with him. If I haven't the ability, I'll become his horse or his ox."

"Hahaha, Second Brother. You be the ox. I'll be the horse."

"Tsk! Then I'll be the coachman who drives the ox and the horse."

The two brothers burst out laughing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠at Kang Chu-mi's chiming in. Their laughter rang clear across a sky just beginning to brighten with dawn.

Even with Peak Realm martial studies in hand and their inner energy risen, their everyday rules had not changed.

"Big Brother, I ordered beef today. The Three Evils had quite a bit of money on them, so I splurged a little. Forgive me."

Seo Joo-cheon gave a short laugh at Ham Cheon-yeong's words.

"Don't be. I'm glad you're eating what you want. If anything, I'm the one who's sorry—this elder brother never had enough to feed you properly."

"What are you saying? Even if we ate grass, it would taste like meat so long as we ate it with Big Brother."

Dokgo Ho-in said it with his eyes blazing, and Ham Cheon-yeong laughed.

"Third, I know your heart well enough. No need to glare like that."

"Hoho, Third Brother always has a habit of exaggerating."

"Can't help it if that's how I feel."

Soon the beef arrived, and for once the four of them packed their mouths full of meat and chewed with real satisfaction.

"Nothing beats beef, after all."

Dokgo Ho-in was eating with such obvious pleasure that the innkeeper even brought out wine.

"This is on the house. Thanks to the generous repair money you left, I was able to fix the shop without trouble. Thank you."

Seo Joo-cheon answered.

"Not at all. We were the ones who wrecked the place, so paying was only right. If anything, I owe you an apology, innkeeper. And thank you for disposing of the bodies as well."

"Please, I was more than adequately compensated. But… when might you be planning to leave?"

The innkeeper's true concern showed through at last.

"Don't worry. We'll be gone tomorrow."

"Ah. Understood. Please enjoy your meal, then. If you need anything, just tell the waiter."

The innkeeper treated the Shaanxi Four Fiends—the ones who had killed the Luoyang Three Evils—with the utmost courtesy. That, no doubt, was how an innkeeper survived.

It should be about now.

Seo Joo-cheon kept glancing toward the inn door.

The protagonist ought to come in for breakfast around the morning meal.

The door rattled open. Someone stepped inside, and Seo Joo-cheon's eyes lit up.

The young man walked in quietly and made for a table by the window. The waiter hurried over.

"Welcome, Young Master. Here for breakfast? Or looking for a room?"

The young man sat. A deep, easy voice followed. The protagonist was not wearing Wudang Daoist robes, but blue martial attire. Author Seo Joo-cheon had always been fond of blue martial robes, and had dressed the protagonist of every work he wrote in something from that palette.

"I'll be staying the night. But I'd like breakfast first."

"What would you like to order?"

"Meat dumplings and a vegetable dish, please."

"Yes. I'll have it ready shortly."

Seo Joo-cheon had never written the protagonist's voice to sound that pleasant.

Damn it. I didn't even set it this way, and he's got a low voice that easy on the ear. And he's even using polite speech with the waiter.

Fortunately the young man had taken a window seat with a clear view of the outside, so Seo Joo-cheon could study the protagonist at leisure. A well-proportioned frame, and muscle that looked solid even through the cloth. You could feel it even with the blue martial robes on. He set his bamboo hat on the table, and a handsome face was revealed.

Even looking at him myself, I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠did a damn fine job.

The handsome features and the kind eyes suited a protagonist down to the ground. The only clue that he was a Wudang lay disciple was the Pine Pattern Sword at his side. Whenever the protagonist came down into the secular world, he dressed thoroughly to match it.

Noble breeding just pouring off him.

Seo Joo-cheon looked at Jang Hyeon-nam and smiled, quietly pleased.

"Big Brother, don't tell me you prefer men?"

Kang Chu-mi asked it because Seo Joo-cheon had been staring at Jang Hyeon-nam by the window the entire time.

Seo Joo-cheon spat the tea he had been drinking.

"I was looking because he's handsome."

Ham Cheon-yeong and Dokgo Ho-in glanced over at Jang Hyeon-nam as well.

"A rare beauty, that one."

"Looks like a pretty-boy gigolo."

Having said as much, Ham Cheon-yeong and Dokgo Ho-in lost interest. Their heads were already full of the new martial arts they had just learned, turning the forms over and over.

"He is handsome, I'll give him that. But I think Big Brother is the best-looking of all."

Seo Joo-cheon gave a short laugh at Kang Chu-mi's words.

"Look at that. Look at that. That cold little smile. It's terribly charming, you know. And those eyes—sharp, but somehow wistful. A nose that isn't too high, just properly proud. And those lips, not too thick and not too thin, that red—they're provocative. You do realize the women on the street keep stealing glances at you when you walk by, don't you?"

Kang Chu-mi pressed on.

"You're the manly-handsome type, but you give off this villainous air, and that does things to a woman's heart."

Seo Joo-cheon answered.

"Thank you for seeing me that way."

He said it with a warm smile, and Kang Chu-mi beamed.

"And you don't even notice that when you look at someone that warmly, women flush, do you? When a cold man turns a warm gaze on you, that's enormously provocative too. That's why I think our big brother is better-looking than that fellow over there who looks like a girl."

He was, in spite of himself, rather pleased. Po Un was a character whose appearance had been modeled directly on Seo Joo-cheon's own, after all.

But the moment passed, and Seo Joo-cheon turned his attention back to Jang Hyeon-nam.

How do I get involved with the protagonist?

There was not a single point of contact through which to approach him.

I need something—anything—if I'm going to exchange even a word with him.

Seo Joo-cheon looked toward the door again.

The heroine ought to be coming in soon.

He had structured it so that not long after the protagonist entered, the heroine would walk in, and the two of them would take a liking to each other.

How do I create a point of contact with them?

He was turning the problem over with a writer's worry when the inn door suddenly burst open.