“Have you heard of it before?”
Seeing Cheong-un react with so familiarity to Storm of the Tang Clan, one of the Pavilion guards asked him.
“For a mont, I confused it with another novel. This is actually my first ti hearing of Tang Clan Storm.”
Cheong-un shook his head slightly as he stared down at the book. The “Storm” in the title had reminded him briefly of Tale of Chivalry and Tempest, but this was clearly a different work.
Tale of Chivalry and Tempest was a hand-written novel on coarse paper. In contrast, Tang Clan Storm was clearly machine-printed on high-quality paper.
As Cheong-un turned the first page, he saw Kang Yun-ho’s signature on the inner leaf. The bold strokes hinted at a man’s burning passion for the ideal of the chivalrous hero.
That’s not the handwriting from Tale of Chivalry and Tempest.
The first thing Cheong-un did was ntally compare it to the handwriting in Tale of Chivalry and Tempest, a script he’d seen hundreds of tis. But this signature didn’t match it.
It’s a completely unfamiliar handwriting... yet strangely familiar.
It wasn’t the sa as the calligraphy from Tale of Chivalry and Tempest, but there was a vague sense of déjà vu.
Of course, there’s a difference between an author’s rushed signature scribbled during travel and the careful, upright script used to write a novel filled with hope. But there was no way Cheong-un could know that.
He felt a tinge of disappointnt, having hoped it might be the sa. Maybe he’d just seen similar handwriting elsewhere—since this was a book and pen na he hadn’t encountered before.
“You’ll be hooked the mont you start reading. It’s truly an incredible story of a chivalrous hero.”
Seeing the Wudang Daoist examine the novel with such interest, one of the Pavilion guards couldn’t resist chiming in as a fellow fan.
“That’s right. It’s a masterpiece that captures the true essence of the Sichuan Tang Clan. And to think soone tried to burn it!”
“You think I wanted to burn it?”
A novel so highly praised by the Sichuan Tang Clan themselves... Cheong-un’s curiosity only grew stronger. He wanted to dive into it right away. But if he went back to the room, the lights would be out. Maybe he could read a little by the fire before heading in.
As the book-loving Cheong-un weighed his options, an unexpected comnt caught his ear.
“Especially the final love scene with the Most Beautiful Woman in Sichuan—that was a masterpiece. It made shout, ‘She’s the true main wife!’”
“What are you talking about? Obviously, the real main wife is Du Eung-hyang, the Top Courtesan of Hubei!”
“Ha! That proves you’ve got no taste in won!”
“What was that?! Say that again!”
Cheong-un stared at the two in confusion. Love scene? That wasn’t sothing you’d find in a story about chivalry. That was sothing out of... erotica.
“Wait... Is Tang Clan Storm not a novel about chivalrous heroes, but... actually erotica?”
Surely not. But just in case, Cheong-un asked the two n directly.
“You... don’t know what kind of novel this is, do you?”
“Young Master Kang told himself—it’s a novel about chivalrous heroes.”
“That’s right. The main character, Tang Jeong, is the greatest hero I’ve ever read about. But yes, this novel is also erotica.”
“What do you an?”
A story about heroes... but also erotica? Cheong-un couldn’t wrap his head around it.
“In Joseon, novels like Tang Clan Storm are called Colorful Chivalry. They’re martial world stories that also contain explicit scenes. Here, take a look.”
One of the Pavilion guards flipped open Volu 1 to the final part, revealing the scene between Tang Jeong and the Most Beautiful Woman in Sichuan.
“What on earth...”
Words like juicy peach and willowy waist—descriptions drenched in sticky, erotic tension filled the page.
“And the best part is the chest scene. Let find it, it’s sowhere around—”
“A-ah, excuse —!”
Cheong-un’s face, cooled earlier by the night breeze, began to flush all over again.
“You fool! You think it’s appropriate to show sothing like that to a Daoist in the middle of training?!”
“Oh no! My deepest apologies.”
One of the guards sharply rebuked his friend, who hastily closed the book.
“To think Tang Clan Storm was... erotica...”
A shadow fell over Cheong-un’s face.
“There are explicit scenes, sure, but it’s genuinely a great story. If you’d like, I can give it to you.”
The Pavilion guard offered the book again. But this ti, Cheong-un couldn’t bring himself to accept it.
If this were just a case of wayward young Daoists sneaking a peek, it’d be one thing. But Cheong-un had entered the Jianghu as a Wudang Daoist in pursuit of a hero’s path.
For a Wudang Daoist to take a book like this—it would be no different than a monk blushing as he walks into a brothel during alms round.
“I do not read novels that interfere with my training. My apologies.”
Cheong-un bowed and returned to his room.
His expression as he stepped inside was filled with quiet betrayal.
*********
When I opened my eyes, I saw hero Cheong-un staring daggers at .
“Did I oversleep?!”
I bolted upright and asked. Did I wake up too late or sothing? Cheong-un was already dressed in his Daoist robes, neat and proper, looking ready to depart at any mont.
The morning sunlight cast a faint glow through the window. Still early.
“No.”
His voice was clipped and cold. What the hell? Did I snore? I don’t snore.
“Then why...?”
It felt like I had dozed off in class and opened my eyes to find the teacher glaring at like, This punk really thinks he can nap through my lecture?
“You lied to .”
“Lied? About what?”
What’s he talking about? It’s not like he’s the heroine—why would I lie? If it’s not serious, I’d really like ten more minutes of sleep.
“Tang Clan Storm.”
At those three words, it was like I took a Dempsey Roll to the face—my sleepiness got KO’d.
“Ahahaha...”
Oh, that? I didn’t lie. I just... left out a few details. I laughed awkwardly.
“It’s erotica, isn’t it?”
“You read it?”
I glanced around him. Tang Clan Storm was nowhere in sight. Where did he find out?
“I passed by so Tang Clan mbers last night. They were burning unnecessary items.”
Ti to assess the situation. I forced my brain into overdrive first thing in the morning.
So he didn’t read the whole thing—just enough to see the sex scenes. From his point of view, it probably felt like I said it was a novel about heroes, only for him to discover it was smut. I’d be pissed too. But Tang Clan Storm does have real heroism in it.
No point in groveling. Better to speak with confidence.
“There are explicit scenes, yes. But it’s still a story about heroes.”
I gave him a composed look, like he was just misunderstanding.
“Then why is the entire last third of the book nothing but sex scenes?”
You skimd it, huh? How far did you get?
“They were included for broad appeal. The real substance is in the earlier chapters.”
Honestly, I think both parts are important. What’s a Colorful Chivalry novel without the colorful? So might even say the heroic parts are just setup for the climax scenes.
“Erotica fans always say, ‘Even without the sex, it’s still a masterpiece.’ But in the end, you wrote smut.”
That’s not fair. So novels have love scenes where they describe body parts as boiled at, which totally kills the mood. There are plenty of masterpieces that still work without the adult content.
I had to bite my tongue not to say it. Not the ti for that example.
“It was simply to diversify the entertainnt. The spirit of chivalry is still very much there.”
“A true story of chivalry doesn’t need sex scenes to be entertaining.”
“I like those kinds of books too. But they’re not popular.”
Do you have any idea how much I bled trying to publish straight wuxia in this world? The answer is Colorful Chivalry.
“Even if they’re not popular, soone will recognize the value. And if your story can plant the seeds of chivalry in their heart, that is what it ans to be a true writer.”
He’s not wrong. There are plenty of people in this world who write purely for principle, for knowledge, for aning—not for money.
“I’m not really a ‘writer.’ I’m just a scribbler. Maybe I could write one of those stories, but if it ends up gathering dust in a bookstore corner waiting forever to be bought... then what’s the point? I have to write sothing that sells.”
“But soone will pick it up.”
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
Cheong-un hero wore a complicated expression, as if sothing in my words had stirred a mory.
“Soone like would starve long before those readers ever showed up. And adding those explicit scenes wasn’t just for popularity—it was also for realism.”
“Realism?”
Cheong-un tilted his head, puzzled. Co on, catch the hint.
“The righteous actions of a hero naturally attract admiration. Wouldn’t any woman fall for a man like that? Haven’t you experienced sothing like that during your own chivalrous deeds?”
“...I don’t think I have.”
“You might not have noticed it, but I’m sure it’s happened. Honestly, even when you saved , if I’d been a woman, I probably would’ve fallen for you on the spot.”
“W-what are you saying?”
Cheong-un’s voice was flustered. Looks like he’s as hopeless as I am when it cos to romance.
“A hero doesn’t walk alone. Alongside them are people who are moved, who fall in love, who harbor resentnt. I just wrote that kind of hero’s life in an entertaining way. And I hoped more people would co to think about what chivalry really is.”
I just wrote down what makes a hero so inspiring. It’s basically required reading for would-be wandering swordsn, okay?
“If you’re performing acts of chivalry for that purpose, then it’s not true chivalry.”
Tch. A purity fundantalist when it cos to heroes, huh?
“I did the best I could. I don’t know how you’ll think of , but I hope you won’t take it too harshly.”
I made my case as a writer doing his best, then stood up to wash.
Cheong-un didn’t agree or disagree—he just watched with that sa dissatisfied expression.
----------
The awkward silence between us lasted the entire day.
And this wasn’t a situation where I could just ask for a room change during the trip.
I want to stay on good terms with this hero.
Not that I feel the need to apologize for how I wrote Tang Clan Storm, or grovel. But since I need to protect Hwa-rin, there’s no benefit to staying on bad terms with Cheong-un either.
Guess I’ll have to get him to make the first move.
“I heard you burned so of the belongings of the deceased.”
I approached the Pavilion guards I’d t with Cheong-un the night before, laying the groundwork.
“We didn’t burn keepsakes, just bulkier stuff that we couldn’t carry.”
“And one of those happened to be my book.”
“Ah... haha...”
The Pavilion guard gave an awkward smile, clearly realizing the misstep.
“You did the right thing. If I ever publish Volu 3, I’ll be sure to burn a copy at the grave myself.”
I wasn’t here to scold. In so regions, it’s customary to burn the belongings or favorite items of the deceased. In fact, I should probably comnd them.
“They liked seeing Tang Jeong’s heroics. I’m sure the departed would’ve approved.”
“Indeed. By the way... did either of you, by chance, speak ill of my novel?”
I quickly got to the point.
“...Pardon?”
“What do you an by that?”
“I’m worried Cheong-un hero might have overheard your conversation and misunderstood, forming a bad impression of my novel.”
I spoke in the tone of a superior discovering that subordinates had been badmouthing them behind their back.
“No, of course not!”
“Perish the thought! Absolutely not!”
“As I said, I’m only bringing this up because I’m concerned he may have taken offense due to Tang Clan Storm. I an, considering what you believe about my connection to the Tang Clan, you wouldn’t want to be on bad terms with , right?”
They currently believed I was the Tang Clan lord’s illegitimate son. They definitely wouldn’t want conflict with soone like .
“Absolutely not! Never!”
Just as expected, the two n waved their hands in panic.
“Then if you wouldn’t mind... maybe speak well of the novel in passing? It’s best for all of us if we stay on good terms with a Wudang hero like hero Cheong-un, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Yes, yes, of course!”
“Leave it to us.”
And so, I got to hear them casually praising Tang Clan Storm within earshot of Cheong-un.
----------
After another day of travel, we arrived at another village and checked into an inn.
When the food I’d ordered arrived, I # Nоvеlight # just stared at it in silence for a while.
“Is the combination pizza not to your taste? Would you like so hot sauce?”
“That’s not it.”
“No pineapple pizza, I’m afraid. But since you’re from Joseon, should I order so bulgogi pizza for you instead?”
...Tempting, but no.
“That’s not it either.”
I shook my head with a forlorn expression.
“Then what’s wrong?”
“It’s just that eating this delicious combination pizza reminds of the ti Hwa-rin and I nearly ended up on the street over our debts. We used to split even a single piece of bread back then.”
Well, technically, we skipped als to cover remodeling costs. I looked sadly at the pizza, stealing a glance at Cheong-un’s expression.
He looked sowhat grim. Good. He’s probably starting to realize that I’ve had it rough too.
“You’ve been through such hardship?”
“Yes. Thanks to Tang Clan Storm’s success, I can eat good food now. But with Hwa-rin unconscious... it’s hard to enjoy it.”
Even if it’s not life-threatening, seeing her unconscious for so long—of course it weighs on .
I’ll check on her again later, just to ease my heart.
“She’ll wake up. Miss Hwa-rin will be alright.”
“Yes... She has to be. I’ll head to my room now—I’ve eaten enough.”
I got up and headed to the guest room.
----------
Cheong-un probably doesn’t want things to stay tense between us either. And I do need his help to keep Hwa-rin safe. I’d rather not let things stay cold.
I’d laid the groundwork.
I made it clear that writing Colorful Chivalry wasn’t an easy choice. That I’d really wanted to write classic wuxia but had to compromise with reality. I made sure to say all that.
And thanks to the Pavilion guards, I’m sure he’s heard plenty of praise for Tang Clan Storm by now. If he still hates after all that... then it can’t be helped. I’ll just request a room swap.
After washing up, I sat down on the bed and waited. Eventually, Cheong-un entered the room.
Alright... your move.
I didn’t show anything on my face, quietly watching as he sat on his bed.
After a mont of hesitation, he finally opened his mouth.
“...Would you mind talking with for a bit?”
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