Wind and Cloud Heroes.
The story of Un-hyeon, who lost his parents to bandits and joined Mount Wu to become a martial artist, and then steps out into the world to become a hero after meeting a fateful encounter.
Though it’s a martial arts world, it doesn’t feel like a typical martial arts tale, and while it features righteous heroes, these heroes don’t act very righteous. This is the novel I wrote while proclaiming an orthodox martial arts story.
This was also the first novel I wrote in this world, and it’s a bitter memory of my first failure.
“I’m talking about the novel I wrote.”
I introduced my book to the two women, who were staring at Wind and Cloud Heroes with puzzled expressions.
“You wrote something other than The Rise of the Tang Family?”
“It was my first attempt at writing, born out of pondering how to succeed in the Central Plains during the days of my black-haired vagabond self.”
To meet the ending conditions, I must gain popularity.
They say a wordless rumor travels a thousand miles, so surely a book can become famous faster than working as a black-haired messenger.
The direction was promising, indeed.
Though I failed.
“W-What?! Master Kang’s first novel?!”
“Isn’t The Rise of the Tang Family by Ho Pil instead of this book?!”
The two women alternated their startled glances between me and Wind and Cloud Heroes.
“Who among us becomes full after just the first bite? This was the harsh failure that inspired The Rise of the Tang Family.”
So, martial arts doesn’t sell in this world? As if I would give up because of that!
I’ll analyze the market hard and succeed!
Let’s shove commercialism right into martial arts. They say adult novels are popular? Just toss in some steamy scenes with women, and we’d be good to go. That’s how Colored Heroic Stories by The Rise of the Tang Family came about.
“W-What? Another novel by Master Kang?!”
“You know that book…”
The two women’s gazes were drawn to Wind and Cloud Heroes like celestial bodies to a black hole.
“Want to read it?”
Before I could finish speaking, their hands were already reaching forward.
Zhegal Hyang’s hand was certainly fast, but one side moved faster than I could comprehend.
“H-Ha-yeon!”
“I’ll read it quickly and pass it to you!”
Im Ha-yeon shook the book with a victorious smile.
Zhegal Hyang couldn’t possibly outpace the unmatched speed of the Shadowless Thief.
She tried catching the book late but, with a height difference between them, it was absurd to think she could steal an item from the Shadowless Thief.
“Ha-yeon, we talked about this recently…”
Zhegal Hyang spoke up, glancing at Im Ha-yeon with an almost wronged expression.
“Ugh! Should we just share it even if it’s a bit uncomfortable?”
Im Ha-yeon handed the book to Zhegal Hyang, flustered. Did they have some private conversation going on?
“I have more copies printed in Yichang, so just read those separately.”
“Wha? Really? Then quickly give them to us!”
Like baby birds eagerly waiting for food, Zhegal Hyang couldn’t mask her excitement as I handed over volume one of Wind and Cloud Heroes.
Thus began the reading session of Wind and Cloud Heroes.
The two women paused their activities and sat down, starting to read.
“L-Losing one’s parents to bandits? That’s so sad!”
“A protagonist from an orphaned background, quite different from Tang Jung from The Rise of the Tang Family.”
“Wha? The protagonist’s name is Un-hyeon?”
“You know, Un-hyeon is the name of the hero mentioned in volume three of The Rise of the Tang Family!”
The two women looked at me as if asking how this could be.
“There’s a chance I’ll publish Wind and Cloud Heroes in the future, so I put that in there as a hint.”
Once Im Ha-yeon finishes her own business, I want to release Wind and Cloud Heroes. Since there’s also a printing shop, I have plenty printed already.
“So, it’s a parallel story with The Rise of the Tang Family?!”
Heheh.
Seeing the two women engrossed in my book made me feel a tickle of something.
Was it embarrassment? An indescribable feeling made it hard for me to stay still.
“I’m stepping out for a quick stroll; keep reading.”
——–
There’s a traditional method for torturing creators.
The most historic and traditional method involves using a heated iron skewer, but to mentally torture the creator, you merely show them their old works.
If I were asked to read those parody stories I wrote for fun as a child, I’d rather bite my tongue.
Back then, I received my first fan art and cherished those memories. It’s definitely not a dark history, but facing that past feels like confronting something difficult to handle.
For me, Wind and Cloud Heroes was similar.
I thought I had poured my heart into it, yet it was undoubtedly a record of failure.
Though my lingering regrets made me pile them up, facing the readers’ reactions would take considerable courage.
“Did everyone read well?”
Organizing my thoughts, I cautiously opened the door to my office, only to find the two women staring at me silently.
“You…”
“Master Kang!”
So, not great, huh?
The two women approached me, wearing peculiar expressions.
“Was it really that boring?”
Just as I expected. I wasn’t going to show Wind and Cloud Heroes to Hwa Rin for a reason.
“What are you saying?!”
“How could this possibly be boring?!”
Huh? The two women glared at me as if they were angry at my dejected expression.
“…It’s better than I thought?”
“It’s fun! Really fun!”
“Why didn’t you publish this?!”
“Is that for real?”
A novel that no one read was considered fun?
“It’s a different fun than The Rise of the Tang Family. Even though it’s a simple story about growing up in Mount Wu, to have this much excitement! Shocking!”
“Un-hyeon has a different charm compared to Tang Jung. He walks the righteous path, undeterred by adversity! It’s been ages since we’ve seen a righteous martial artist like that!”
“I-I absolutely want to see the next chapter about Un-hyeon!”
“To think I maintained my dreams in my heart, despite being an orphan! That’s no easy feat.”
Is it really that interesting? I’m a bit perplexed.
“If this novel were published, what kind of reactions do you think it would get?”
“It’s Master Kang’s new work; of course, I think it’ll do just as well as The Rise of the Tang Family!”
Zhegal Hyang kept nodding her head vigorously.
“What do you think, Ha-yeon?”
Does she have something in mind? Unlike Zhegal Hyang, who immediately responded, Im Ha-yeon took a moment of silence before speaking up.
“I’m sure it’s interesting. If we promote it on the first floor of the Tea Bookstore, it’ll sell decently. But….”
Im Ha-yeon glanced subtly at the corner of the office where The Rise of the Tang Family sat.
“I don’t think it’ll fare as well as The Rise of the Tang Family.”
“…”
“I know that, so you don’t have to hesitate to answer.”
“The Rise of the Tang Family is unique; stories set in the Martial Arts World don’t tend to gain much popularity.”
I nodded in agreement with Im Ha-yeon’s words.
In the Colored Heroic Stories, adult scenes are an essential element, like in visual novels for adults.
Even without those scenes, one could argue it was a masterpiece, but it’s truly an element that mustn’t be missed.
That’s why I wanted to revive Wind and Cloud Heroes, but I thought it better to focus on The Rise of the Tang Family and postponed it.
But in this situation, things changed.
“That’s true. But this time, we have Ha-yeon!”
The moment has come for this novel to shine.
“Me?”
“You said you’d use Wind and Cloud Heroes as a promotional tool for the Shadowless Thief.”
“Oh! You can’t mean?!”
Im Ha-yeon looked up at me, as if something had dawned on her.
“We’ll start by establishing Ho Pil’s new work, Wind and Cloud Heroes, to introduce ourselves.”
“If it’s from Ho Pil and the promotional power of the Tea Bookstore, even those who shy away from martial arts stories will at least take a look. And in volume two?”
“Shadowless Thief will appear. We’ll promote it under Ho Pil’s name.”
It might fall short if just called Ho Pil’s new work. But if it’s a promotional novel for the Shadowless Thief, then it’s a different story.
Promoting the Shadowless Thief will prove highly effective, and the novel’s influence won’t end there.
“We’ll be promoting Wind and Cloud Heroes under the name of the Shadowless Thief?”
We’ll be releasing volume two alongside the imminent activities of the Shadowless Thief.
Not a Colored Heroic Stories but a martial arts novel. Wind and Cloud Heroes.
Not a common thief but a righteous thief. The Shadowless Thief.
A novel that would normally struggle compared to The Rise of the Tang Family, and a righteous thief that would typically take time to become famous, now joining together.
“They’ll both become famous.”
Creating a synergy effect.
“Quite the clever scheme, indeed.”
Im Ha-yeon nodded with a smile.
“The problem is, since the Shadowless Thief will debut in volume two, if the first volume tanks like before, we’re in trouble… Hmm?”
As I chuckled a bit nervously, the two women gripped my hands tightly.
“This is a book you wrote. Be confident!”
“Right! M-Master Kang’s novel will surely succeed!”
After a painful failure, this was an idea brought about by the promotion of the Shadowless Thief, but I still wasn’t entirely certain.
What if I failed again? Perhaps it was better not to bring it up at all.
I looked at the two women holding my hands tightly.
Their eyes expressed a confidence I didn’t possess.
“Let’s do this together.”
With the three of us, taking on Wind and Cloud Heroes again felt like a good idea.
—
Volume one of Wind and Cloud Heroes could be sold with just a few modifications.
I began preparing for its publication while co-writing volume two with Im Ha-yeon.
“The Shadowless Thief moves really ordinarily. In situations like this, shouldn’t he move through the air?”
“No, how could a person spin in the air to dodge a spear, then bounce off to veer completely off course?”
They’re talking about people, right? When I asked for historical accuracy, I got some nonsense back.
“Think you can’t do it? Come out; I’ll show you.”
Im Ha-yeon took my hand and showed me exactly what she was talking about.
“Goodness….”
I’ll need to revise that immediately.
“When it comes to unlocking a safe, what should you do?”
“Let’s skip the detailed explanation.”
“Why?”
It could be exploited for similar crimes.
“Master Kang, the face of Un-hyeon has been completed!”
While I was co-writing volume two with Im Ha-yeon, Zhegal Hyang was drawing the illustration for the promotional part of Wind and Cloud Heroes.
“Quite similar to Tang Jung.”
“Do you not like it?”
Having a strong determination in his gaze was great for a handsome character.
But since it’s still from Ho Pil’s work, I want to express a different protagonist. It’s regrettable.
While various looks have their reasons, dashing looks have a one-size-fits-all charm.
The unique characteristics of a martial artist from Mount Wu… Huh?
“Can you make the lines a bit thinner? I would like a more androgynous vibe.”
At that moment, a person flashed to mind.
The hero encountered on the way to Sichuan, a thief from Mount Wu. Cheong-un.
He had the image of a hero with sharp features, but there was also a slender, androgynous charm about him.
I asked her to draw Cheong-un’s image.
“An androgynous vibe?”
“I want a steady yet precarious aura, like he can’t be left alone.”
So upright that he seems prone to break; this person seems like someone who needs to lean on someone else. I ordered Zhegal Hyang to draw a handsome character in the manner of Cheong-un.
“Sure! I’ll give it a shot!”
Yichang, Tea Bookstore Main Branch.
Tea and Book Club.
The second floor of the Tea Bookstore, once bustling with energy before Kang Yoon-ho and Im Ha-yeon left, now lay in a gloomy atmosphere.
“Yesterday, was the regular discussion about who? And today is the day for predicting volume four’s content, huh?”
Hwang Seong sighed inwardly at the members of the club scattered upstairs.
“Didn’t we do that three days ago?”
“Didn’t we discuss the foreshadowing for what seemed likely in volumes one through three?”
“Wasn’t that four days ago?”
“Then…”
“…What do we do now?”
“…”
A painful silence enveloped the Tea Club.
No matter how fascinating a work, without any new stories, it will eventually grow stale. Even if we meet daily to keep creating topics, we have reached our limit.
Ultimately, after a painful silence came the simmering anger.
“When the heck is volume four of The Rise of the Tang Family coming out?!”
“How many months has it been since volume three?!”
“I hear the Tea Bookstore is on the verge of being taken over by Man Geum Battlefield! Is it a crime for Ho Pil to pause his brush for a friend in crisis?!”
“Ugh.”
Hwang Seong barely managed to calm down the enraged members of the club.
“Manager Kang, I’ve heard they’ve opened another Tea Bookstore in Wuhan?”
“What?!”
“If they’ve expanded funds to keep the Yichang Tea Bookstore going, then isn’t it the case that the author needs to hurry up with the next volume to help Manager Kang?!”
This time, Hwang Seong could no longer hold his frustration.
“Why are you telling me this?”
“When exactly is volume four of The Rise of the Tang Family being released?!”
“Would that we could hear some news about Ho Pil….”
When is volume four of The Rise of the Tang Family even coming out?
The endless wait began to wear down the Tea Club members.
“Move over here!”
Tea Bookstore staff, whether aware or not of the members’ mood, burst in, all busily setting up on the second floor.
“What’s happening? Are you guys having construction today or what?”
“We’re here to hang a large signboard sent from Wuhan.”
“A sign? What kind of sign?”
“It’s the news the Tea Club members have been waiting for.”
“What kind of news? You don’t mean?!”
Is this a blessing of rain on parched earth in the Tea Club?
They gasped as they hurried to the side of the large signboard, their hearts racing.
“Volume four?!”
“Volume four of The Rise of the Tang Family?!”
“Or a tale of separated lovers?”
“What the heck is it?!”
The expansive signboard revealed a highly skilled painting by a painter.
“Ho Pil’s new work. Wind and Cloud Heroes?”
A handsome character with thin lines dressed like a hero was depicted holding a sword as he wandered the martial world, and at the bottom, in bold romantic script, the awaited news from Ho Pil was inscribed.
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