The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel - Chapter 94: Journey To Yichang (1)

The expedition group for the printing press was formed.

The place where Tang Hwarin and I were located was to the northeast of Hubei Province, near Anhui Province. On the other hand, Tang Hwarin’s maternal grandfather was on the west side of Hubei Province, close to Sichuan Province, so it would be a considerable journey to Yichang.

I must become famous by writing novels. To achieve that, I needed to become close to Tang Hwarin during the journey.

To become closer to Tang Hwarin, it was necessary to open her heart.

It’s like how a college student named Mr. Kang could talk to a girl he liked, send messages first, and press like on SNS every day. But if the other person didn’t respond, it would become a vain effort.

‘I’ve unlocked the lock that was filling Tang Hwarin’s heart.’

I managed to turn her distrust into trust, even making her see me as a reliable ally by emphasizing once again the rational reasons for my helping her.

Kang Yun-ho was known to be a close friend of a poison human.

If Tang Hwarin came to believe this, she would see me as the only person in the world who could get close to her, overcoming her own complexes.

‘When I become famous, I can change her future.’

Tang Hwarin’s future as a poison human would be filled with pain and disdain. She no longer needed to suffer in pain. With my abilities as the Defier of Heaven, she would be freed from her pain.

If I became famous using the printing press, perhaps she could change not just her pain but her entire future.

Although I opened her heart with a setting I created, the closer we became, the more beneficial our relationship would be.

A journey for our bright future.

That’s how we started our journey to Yichang.

Ten days since we started the journey.

Instead of following the safer but longer official roads, we chose a quicker path to Yichang, which has become increasingly inconvenient, but facing difficulties together has ironically made our relationship more comfortable.

“It’s unbelievable.”

Sitting in an inn, Tang Hwarin looked at me with incredulous eyes.

“What is?”

“Hey, Kang Yun-ho. Weren’t you a martial arts expert?”

“I never said I was an expert.”

The reason Tang Hwarin looked at me incredulously was that we had encountered a group of bandits on the way.

一 “No, what kind of barbarian doesn’t get cut by a sword! Guys, charge!”

Dirty bandits. If Tang Hwarin looked strong, they should have run away. Why swarm me? Did they think they were the Shaolin 18 disciples? We’d give them a beating, and let the barbarian try using a metal bar. This was ridiculous.

Of course, it was impossible for the greenhorns who hadn’t properly learned martial arts to penetrate the Jade Face Self-Protection Technique.

“I didn’t expect to handle it all by myself.”

Tang Hwarin was indeed strong. Every time she threw a hidden weapon, it precisely hit the bandits’ vital points.

“Speak properly. I took care of three.”

I boasted with a triumphant smile, spreading three fingers. Well done, Kang Yun-ho. Now I could handle three sword-wielding bandits.

“Ha. That’s something to be proud of.”

Tang Hwarin sighed as if foreseeing future hardships.

“Guests. What would you like to order?”

As Tang Hwarin was rubbing her head in frustration, a server approached us.

“Just bring us water first.”

Tang Hwarin said, burning with impatience and not even looking at the server.

“Guests. We don’t serve water separately.”

“What kind of inn doesn’t serve water?”

Tang Hwarin spoke to the server in an annoyed tone, as if hearing something absurd.

Tang Hwarin. It seemed that she hadn’t been to cheap inns before. I smiled at the server, asking them to explain to the lady who doesn’t know the ways of the world.

“Guests. In our inn, water is self-serve!”

“Water is water. What does ‘self’ mean?”

Tang Hwarin looked at me, puzzled, not understanding the server’s words.

She didn’t know what ‘self’ meant. If you’re going to take an exam in the past, at least study reflexive pronouns, miss.

Every time I saw Tang Hwarin like this, I could feel that she had lived her life being treated like a lady.

“I’ll get up and bring some water.”

I said, smiling as I rose from my seat.

“Hey, Kang Yun-ho. Why are you bringing water? Aren’t you supposed to ask the server to… oh, isn’t it?”

Tang Hwarin seemed to finally grasp the concept of ‘self-serve’ as she watched me casually go to get a water bottle, while the server looked on as if it were the most natural thing.

Tang Hwarin continued to stare at me, still not fully over the cultural shock, until I brought the water bottle and placed it in front of her.

This was what it means to be a rich lady.

Well, after coming to this world, I too was shocked to learn that water is ‘self-serve’ in a different sense. But what could I do?

“Guest! What would you like to order?”

As I brought the water, the server waited for our order with a smile, as if nothing unusual had happened.

Tang Hwarin got over her cultural shock and started looking at the menu to choose food.

“What should we order?”

“I don’t know. Just order whatever you want to eat.”

It’s not like I was our department head who said , ‘I’ll pay today, so order whatever you want. By the way, I think the Jajangmyeon here is the best,’ as if giving a hint.

“I’ll have the cream cheese spa…”

“Here, the market soup rice is the cheapest. I’ll have that.”

“One market soup rice. And for the person next to you, is it cream cheese spaghetti?”

Tang Hwarin peeked at me cautiously, hiding her face behind the menu, with only her eyes visible.

Ignoring her gaze, I took out my wallet for payment, noticeably lighter than when we first started the journey.

“…I’ll also have the market soup rice.”

After closely observing the wallet, she changed her order.

She could eat whatever she wanted.

How admirable. I should give you 1 point for doing well in social life.

“Two market soup rice, please!”

“Do you… lack money?”

Tang Hwarin asked me cautiously while eating the market soup rice.

“It’s a bit tight.”

I responded in a nonchalant tone. The soup rice here was good. The broth was richer than I expected.

“…I see.”

Tang Hwarin lowered her head and sneakily glanced at me while eating.

The reason she’s eating under my watch wasn’t anything special.

It’s because I spent a lot on her medicine and inn fees, and we encountered more than a few problems finding a room on our way here.

一 Black-haired barbarian and a woman wearing a facial covering? Just by looking, it seems like they will bring trouble. Please leave.

一 Our inn doesn’t accept guests with covered faces. Whenever such guests stay, sword-wielding warriors appear later and damage the inn.

一 They made a fuss in the inn next door? Our inn is fine as long as you show your face once. Aargh! Plague carriers! Get out! Get out!

Because Tang Hwarin covered her face, we faced great difficulties finding lodging, with inns rejecting us for looking suspicious or like plague patients.

High-end inns accepted Tang Hwarin, but staying at such places made my wallet significantly lighter.

Fortunately, the inn we’re staying at today was in a rundown village that didn’t pick and choose its guests, which was a relief.

“If it’s really not enough, there are ways. Don’t worry too much. It’s getting dark, so let’s head to our room.”

Sure, our living expenses were decreasing, but it’s not like there were no solutions. There would be many in this village willing to listen to stories.

The problem was finding a way to earn enough without delaying our travel schedule. But that’s for me to figure out.

I said to her nonchalantly.

“Yeah. Got it.”

Tang Hwarin just nodded passively, still seemingly worried by my expression.

“Hey. You. Are you, are you crazy?”

As soon as we entered the room, Tang Hwarin spoke to me with a face filled with anger, as if her earlier timidity had vanished.

“Why.”

“Whyyyy? Can’t you see this room and still ask why?”

Tang Hwarin gestured towards the room.

The room was outdated. However, she wasn’t scolding because the room was outdated. She always became timid out of guilt whenever I struggled to find a room.

The reason for her anger was different.

I looked at the one large bed in the room and opened my mouth.

“This room was obtained by complaining that we are a couple and how could we be separated. Just sleep.”

I had made sure to stay in separate rooms in high-quality accommodations out of consideration for Tang Hwarin until now. But that was only feasible once or twice.

Due to budget constraints, we now had to share a room.

“How can a man and a woman sleep in the same room?”

Tang Hwarin protested in a shrinking voice. Sohee slept just fine, though.

“Should I find another room?”

“…No.”

Right. You saw my purse. You know we can’t afford that now.

Tang Hwarin, with a slightly flushed face, looked back and forth between me and the bed and then, as if she had made up her mind, dragged two chairs to the side of the bed.

What’s she doing with the chairs?

“I’ll allow you to sleep in the same room as me, but don’t cross these chairs.”

Ah, a barrier, huh.

Tang Hwarin laid down on the bed, thinking my lack of response was a yes.

“What a joke.”

I paid for the room, and she wants to monopolize that large bed? Unacceptable.

I broke the chair barrier and laid down on the bed.

“Hey!”

Tang Hwarin sat up, shouting in surprise.

“What.”

I turned my body to look at her, utterly unfazed.

She seemed surprised that my expression lacked any shame or dark intentions.

Tang Hwarin stared at me for a while as if pondering something, then with a flushed face, she said,

“Th, that. You might not know because you’re a barbarian. But in the Central Plains, if a man and woman share a bed, it mea….”

“Not only married couples share a bed. Let’s just sleep. I’m tired.”

Even a Heavenly Death Star and a childhood friend relationship would share a bed.

I was no longer the old me who couldn’t sleep next to a woman.

Thanks to some informal training with Sohee, I had learned to keep a cool head and sleep soundly.

With such a large bed, where would our bodies even touch? I closed my eyes to shut out further conversation.

“Hey. Hey. Hey! Kang Yun-ho. Stop messing around and get up.”

No response. I was a harmless man. So, you should sleep too.

Even with my eyes closed, I felt like her gaze was boring into me.

“Ah! Damn! Really!”

Tang Hwarin glared at me as if trying to bore holes through me with her gaze for a while, then eventually gave up and lay down on the bed.

There. Give up and it’s easier.

Let’s sleep.

The bed was soft, so there were no issues with the sleeping arrangement.

But as soon as I woke up, I was confronted with a huge problem that could trigger a physiological reaction.

‘Wow. Tang Hwarin is much bigger than I thought.’

What greeted me upon opening my eyes was a vastness filling my vision.

At this rate, she might surpass Sohee.

When did she change clothes? Before I closed my eyes, Tang Hwarin was definitely in travel clothes, but now she was in something resembling pajamas.

Her pajamas, made of thin material, showcased the majestic presence of her chest.

Usually, she’s wrapped up tightly, so I just thought she was big, but I didn’t expect this size.

‘At this rate, it’s beyond the size of the Central Plains.’

If Sohee was beyond Joseon, then Tang Hwarin’s size was beyond the Central Plains level. Truly, a size that could make one’s heart race and cause a physiological reaction in the lower body.

‘I have to get up and plan the schedule.’

In my mind, the battle between calming down quickly to get up and just memorizing the current view was fiercely ongoing.

Just as I was about to strike a dramatic compromise between planning in my head and memorizing the view in front of me,

“Hey. You. What are you looking at?”

Tang Hwarin’s cold voice shattered the compromise.