“This is unreal.”

The woman with the pink twin-tails stormed down the street, fuming.

Even in the bustling city of Yichang, where beauty wasn’t in short supply, heads turned to stare. Men couldn’t help but gawk, even at the risk of getting their thighs pinched by jealous girlfriends.

“Of all people... why did it have to be him?”

The sudden attack on the Hao Clan’s Wusan branch had left her reeling.

She was the only one who escaped, thanks to her exceptional lightness skills. The ambush was so well-planned that she’d barely dared to hope she’d make it out alive.

Enemies everywhere, no one to turn to for help, and then—of course—the worst moment came, as it always does.

Was this the end? Could she survive if she just kept running? Fear and doubt filled her head, when suddenly—

A man with black hair appeared. Twice.

Once, maybe, out of kindness. But to help her again after knowing she was a runaway courtesan? That was something else.

In this world, a low-born courtesan fleeing from the brothel was either captured for a reward or simply ignored. But not him. He shielded her. Helped her.

With that confident expression, those lightning-fast reflexes—he’d saved her like it was nothing.

She couldn’t help but think of a character from a novel she loved when she looked at Kang Yun-ho.

“He’s like... Tang Jeong from Storm of the Tang Clan...”

The protagonist of her favorite story.

Okay, maybe only a quarter—no, an eighth as cool as the real Tang Jeong, but still. He felt a little, no, a lot like Tang Jeong in that moment.

— What is your name, Young Master?

She had to remember her savior’s name. Mustering her courage, she’d asked.

— Shouldn’t you introduce yourself first?

What should she say?

Even if he was her savior, telling the truth as a runaway courtesan could get her killed. After a quick mental scramble, she came up with a brilliant idea.

If he was like Tang Jeong, then naturally, her name could only be—

— I’m Du Eung-hyang.

A chivalrous man saving a courtesan in distress. If he was Tang Jeong, she’d be Du Eung-hyang, of course.

— Don’t I look a little like Du Eung-hyang?

— Are you insane? You? Compared to Hubei’s Top Courtesan, Du Eung-hyang?

— Hey!

If she’d called herself Du Eung-hyang in Wusan’s Gyobang, a place packed with rabid fans of Storm of the Tang Clan, the other apprentice courtesans would’ve torn her apart. But here? No one would hear it.

She’d given her favorite heroine’s name, hoping that he’d remember her that way.

And now she couldn’t sleep at night from the embarrassment.

“It had to be Kang Yun-ho...”

Even if she hadn’t heard as much about him as she had about Ho-pil, rumors about Kang Yun-ho had still reached the Wusan training house.

The greedy, crooked bookstore owner holding Ho-pil hostage.

The man bleeding the author dry to stuff his own pockets. Rumors painted him as a ruthless merchant who used Ho-pil like a pawn.

True, those stories were half-truths, warped and twisted.

But stories of Kang Yun-ho hoarding Volume 2 of Storm of the Tang Clan, or his insane money-grabbing schemes, and how he exploited Ho-pil? Those were gospel among the courtesans of Wusan who had become die-hard fans.

So the more she loved Storm of the Tang Clan, the more she hated the man they all blamed for delaying the next volume—Kang Yun-ho.

And now, of all people, the one who saved her was the merchant she despised.

“I can’t believe I called myself Du Eung-hyang in front of Kang Yun-ho! Ughhh!”

He must’ve laughed his ass off inside when he heard that.

She’d given him the name of a character who basically paid his bills. He probably thought it was hilarious—probably even gave her that coin pouch for the joke. He might even be laughing about it now, drinking somewhere.

“Still...”

She pulled out the pouch Kang Yun-ho had given her.

Maybe he was the worst bookstore owner, a crooked merchant, but he didn’t seem like a bad person. And he didn’t look like the barbaric thug the other courtesans described, either.

No, in fact, he was actually kind of...

“No! He’s still the worst bookstore owner, Kang Yun-ho!”

She shook the thoughts from her head violently. She could be grateful, sure. But that didn’t change the fact that he was the enemy of Ho-pil.

To receive help from Ho-pil’s enemy—

As head of Wusan’s Daseohoe, a devoted reader of Storm of the Tang Clan, and a die-hard supporter of Ho-pil, this was a humiliation she couldn’t bear.

She shoved the pouch away, pushing down her tangled emotions, and made her way toward the Hao Clan.

************

"Kang Yun-ho is back aliiiiiive!"

The moment my feet touched Yichang soil, I let out a loud, victorious shout.

A bit embarrassing, sure, but I yelled it in Joseon language, so who cares? In the noisy harbor, to everyone else, it was just more background noise they couldn’t understand.

I left Yichang ready to die at the Tang Clan.

Thankfully, I solved their problems, turned the tigers I thought would eat me into allies, and came back alive.

I saved Daseogak, I saved Storm of the Tang Clan, and Hwa-rin’s Poisoned One issue? Basically resolved. Sure, we had to part ways for now, but I’d see her again sooner than later—if I worked at it.

Now I was back. Everything handled. It felt amazing.

"You shouted something in Joseon just now—what did you say?"

The escort captain spotted me mid-scream while ordering the cargo to be unloaded and walked over.

"I said I’m happy to be home."

"Haha, I see. Well, happy or not, we’ve got a lot of cargo. Come with us to the Western Escort Bureau’s Yichang branch."

"Of course."

As much as I wanted to run straight to Daseogak, I couldn’t.

I had cargo from the Tang Clan, and people too—Dang-Pae and other Tang Clan warriors who needed a place to stay.

Sure, I’ve got Daseogak, but no way am I shacking up with a bunch of dudes.

The Western Escort Bureau offered them lodging, so it made sense to go there, sort out the cargo, and handle the formalities.

"You’ll be surprised when you get there."

What now? The captain gave me a mysterious smile and led us toward the Western Escort Bureau.

-------------

"This is the new Western Escort Bureau Yichang Branch."

The place the captain led me to as the Western Escort Bureau’s branch was... oddly familiar.

"Baek Manor?"

Baek Manor—the place where Tang Hwa-rin’s grandfather used to live. It had been put on the market to settle debts, but since it was such a massive and expensive estate, no one had managed to buy it.

"Welcome. We've been expecting you."

As we reached the manor, a familiar face came out to greet me.

"Chief Steward!"

The man Hwa-rin and I trusted the most in Yichang. Even when Baek Manor was crumbling under debt, he stayed behind, trying to hold things together.

He walked up to me with a bright, relieved smile.

"We heard you were coming and prepared everything for your arrival. Please, come inside."

He guided us to the guest room, brought out tea, and then politely asked to hear what had happened.

"...That’s why Hwa-rin couldn’t come back with me."

I explained everything to him in detail—carefully, of course, avoiding anything too sensitive about the Tang Clan.

"I see... So Miss Hwa-rin has become a Poisoned One and is staying with the Tang Clan."

He stroked his beard, caught between relief and sorrow.

"I’m sorry we couldn’t come back together."

I bowed my head slightly.

The Chief Steward was like family to Hwa-rin here in Yichang. Maybe not as much as me, but still. He had to be feeling it.

"Don’t be. Miss Hwa-rin suffered her whole life from that incurable condition, and now she’s free from it. That’s worth celebrating. I was more worried you would be heartbroken, Young Master."

Of course I am. I wanted her to come back to Daseogak with me, to live every day doing something meaningful.

"It’s fine. If I wait at Daseogak, I’ll see her again. You’d be shocked to see her now, really. She’s changed so much—she’s stunning."

I’m not just saying that because I’m biased. Her skin’s clearer than ever, and honestly, you could call her the Most Beautiful Woman in Sichuan and mean it.

Even a man who didn’t agree with the title would be forced to kneel and admit defeat after seeing her in person.

"If I live long enough, I’m sure I’ll see that beauty for myself."

"You definitely will. By the way, what happened with Baek Manor?"

How did Baek Manor end up as the new branch of the Western Escort Bureau? It was such a huge estate, they said no one could afford to buy it.

"The Tang Clan purchased it."

"The Tang Clan?"

"They said they wanted to manage the home of one of their own. At first, I didn’t know what to make of it. But I suppose... now that Miss Hwa-rin has been accepted as one of theirs, they stepped in."

"So they bought it as the house where she was born."

They really bought an estate this huge just because their Poisoned One used to live here?

Me, I’m stuck using an attic as my office because I inherited both Daseogak and its debts. Can’t even imagine having that kind of buying power. That’s the Tang Clan for you—lords of Sichuan.

If they’ve got that kind of cash, they could’ve helped pay off Daseogak’s debts while they were at it.

Since I inherited Daseogak from Hwa-rin, I also inherited the lovely real estate-backed loans attached to it.

It’d be great if she paid them off, but she’s still not fully established in the Tang Clan, and neither of us is in a position to go begging.

So just like some poor soul stuck with a 35-year mortgage on a two-story red-roof house, I’ve gotta pay this off drop by drop, with blood and tears.

"Since I’ve managed this place for so long, the Tang Clan hired me to continue overseeing Baek Manor. Now that the Western Escort Bureau is helping with operations, things are much easier."

So the Tang Clan bought the place and leased it to the Western Escort Bureau? That’s like a parent company owning the building and making its subsidiary rent it.

A house with no owner falls apart fast if it’s left alone. Whatever the circumstances, this is better than some stranger owning Hwa-rin’s old home.

"That’s good to hear. Hwa-rin would prefer it being used by the Western Escort Bureau rather than strangers. Anyway, has anything come up about Daseogak or Storm of the Tang Clan while I was away?"

I couldn’t help but worry—had something gone wrong at the bookstore while I was gone?

"You haven’t stopped by Daseogak yet?"

"Not yet."

"Haha! When you go, you’ll find people crying their hearts out in front of the store. Some even set up a shrine, praying for your safe return."

"...What?"

"A while ago, someone suggested holding a memorial service for Ho-pil, thinking the author ran off and you were dead. That guy almost ended up with a real funeral."

"Hahaha."

Daseohoe members... still as dramatic as ever.

"From what I hear, Storm of the Tang Clan has become pretty famous in nearby cities, too. You’ll be busy once you reopen."

Even I was surprised. I didn’t expect the Shadowless Phantom Thief to know about Storm of the Tang Clan. Seems like the book kept gaining popularity even while I was gone.

I made the right choice, writing a book to build my Fame Points. Unless I’m planning to slay perverts, demons, and the heavens themselves, I might ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ as well rely on words—they travel farther than swords.

I hid my pride and spoke with a deliberately worried look.

"I’m a bit concerned. Hwa-rin did so much for me, and now I have to handle everything alone."

Running Daseogak during the day, then handling the finances, the stock, writing, typesetting—it never ends.

How the hell am I supposed to do all that without Hwa-rin? Just thinking about it is exhausting.

"Why not hire someone?"

"I’ll think about it. By the way, has anything happened with the debts while I was gone?"

Before I left, I handed full authority over the debt situation to the Chief Steward. I had to ask—did anything go wrong?

His face grew serious when I mentioned the debts.

This... doesn’t feel good.

"Actually, I need to talk to you about the Daseogak debts. It’s urgent."