NOVEL NEXT Chapter 35
The banquet hall for the invited performers of the Gapsu Guild.
“Here comes the alcohol! Slurp!”
“Brother, drink up quickly!”
“The snacks are running out! Sigh!”
Invited performers were gathered, feasting and drinking. Naturally, I was there too.
Earning money by showcasing skills to others is short-lived. Performing daily for an audience provides a steady, but often insufficient income.
Performers hope to showcase their talents on the streets and get invited to wealthy homes.
If street performance is like busking, then storytelling at a birthday celebration is akin to a small theater performance in Hongdae.
Being invited to a wealthy home signifies that one has finally gained recognition as a performer.
Today, I could say I made my official stage debut in the Central Plains.
If I performed well on this official stage, other clients would soon come looking for me.
Now that I’ve displayed a good performance, someone will surely seek me out.
Feeling good, I began my meal.
“Where are you from, performer? You don’t seem to be from the Central Plains.”
A burly man from the acrobatic troupe spoke to me.
“I’m from Joseon.”
“Joseon? We had a new guy join our troupe from there recently. You know Ok-bun, right?”
“No, that’s the first I’m hearing of the name.”
If I knew every person from my own country, I’d be best friends with all the pro gamers and athletes I cheer for daily.
“Can people from the same place not even know each other? Hey! Where’s Ok-bun?”
“She went out for a bit!”
“Geez. If I get the chance, I’ll introduce you two.”
“Yeah, I’d love to meet a fellow countryman.”
I might ask if I could get some kimchi. Ramen would be nice too.
“I’ll introduce you when I get the chance. By the way, performer, I’ve heard Chilgok County has become quite famous lately. How’s the business here? We came from another place by invite.”
“The people were not bad.”
Except for those trying to take advantage of that goodwill.
“That’s a relief. Last place I went, even when people clapped and enjoyed the show, I didn’t get a single coin in my pocket.”
“That must really be disheartening after all the hard work.”
“When we go as a group and that happens, it spells disaster for us. Do you know what it’s like to go hungry with the whole group?”
“I’ve only been hungry alone, so I can’t say I do.”
I remembered when I was starving in a cave in the mountains. Hearing the distant cries of starving beasts wasn’t scary. I just wished they’d come. Then at least one of us would survive, right?
“It’s devastating. I have to feed everyone, and I feel like I want to do something insane. Honestly, if I had a bad mindset, I’d have turned to robbery. But you’re alone, so you’re probably getting by okay.”
“I make ends meet.”
What’s the point of boasting about surviving as a barbarian in the Central Plains to someone I’m meeting for the first time? I brushed it off.
“Then you should at least make a living by talking.”
A drunk guy next to me shot me a dirty look.
“This guy. Is he trying to pick a fight after drinking again? He should drink more moderately.”
The burly man scolded the drunkard.
“No! We practice every day and perform acrobatics to eat. How easy is it for a barbarian to just talk his way through life? Am I wrong? Cough.”
The burly man glanced at me, worried I’d react to his comrade’s thoughtless words. I, for one, won’t be baited into a fight.
“Haha, what do you do, sir?”
“Me? I juggle poles. Can you juggle?”
He stood a pole upright and climbed on it to perform. He’s definitely skilled.
“That’s truly impressive. I wouldn’t even dare attempt something like that.”
“Are you saying I’m crazy for doing it?”
This guy is really itching to pick a fight. He must have a lot of anger in life.
I briefly contemplated knocking him out and letting him sleep, but reconsidered. One-on-one would be possible, but with so many troupe members around, it wasn’t feasible.
“Of course not. I earn my living with words, so I always admire those with skills like you guys.”
More specifically, I admire the skills of a master carpenter like you. If I’d known I’d end up in a martial arts dating sim, I’d have taken my father’s advice to learn a skill earlier.
I’m not quite sure how to use my computer skills and driving license in this martial arts dating sim world.
“You just keep flapping your lips.”
“While I make a living with my stories, I am learning acrobatics myself. Would you like to see?”
“Acrobatics?”
The drunken guy’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.
“If you give me a coin, I’ll show you.”
“Use your own.”
“It’s because I have to use someone else’s coin for this trick.”
“If it’s not fun, you’re in trouble. Go for it.”
The drunkard reached into his pocket and tossed a coin. Oh, it’s silver. Jackpot!
“I have a coin in my palm right now. I’ll clamp down on it and say Ho~! And — ta-da!”
The coin disappeared right before their eyes.
“What? Where did it go?”
“Wow!”
“Oh! Is this a trick from Joseon? I’ve never seen this before. How amazing!”
Onlookers kept a wary eye out in case a fight broke out, but they too were astonished.
“Look! There’s no coin in this hand. But with just a little touch! Ta-da!”
Suddenly, a coin appeared in the previously empty hand.
“Wow! How did you do that?”
“If, if you could make money like that, then, would you want to go into business with me?”
“Th, that’s magic! The performer is using magic!”
The drunk guy yelled in shock.
Magic? When a martial artist sees something so wondrous that they can’t decipher, they immediately scream “magic.” What kind of magic is this?
“It’s just a simple acrobatic trick used for drinking in Joseon. It’s a humble skill, not to be compared with what you mighty performers do.”
I smiled while making several coins disappear and reappear on the spot. The acrobatic group hadn’t seen something like this before and gaped in awe. They’ve never witnessed this type before, right? I practiced extensively for it.
I put in a lot of effort learning and practicing for moments like this, to impress the ladies. It’s what my popular friend told me would brighten up the atmosphere at drinking gatherings.
“Oh, oppa, that was so entertaining!”
“Should I show you something else?”
As I performed coin tricks to be flirtatious and touch some hands, I planned to heat up the atmosphere. And if it escalated well, we could hit a second round together.
But it turns out, handsome guys usually leave right after a drinking party. Tricks are just tricks. I can’t escape reality.
“Wow! Show us something else!”
“Can you teach me that?”
As I showcased my tricks, the acrobatic troupe members gathered around, chattering excitedly. It would be great if I could earn a living with such simple tricks.
Unfortunately, I’m not a magician. With the tricks easily recognizable from different angles, I couldn’t survive on them here. They’re just good for warming up the drinking atmosphere.
Soon enough, the rowdy drunk was shoved into a corner, reduced to a shivering mess.
“Cough!”
After eating to the point of bursting and feeling a need to clear my head, I went outside.
I had been drinking and having fun, and before I realized it, the sun had set, and night had fallen.
“I even made some extra income.”
I tossed the silver coin in my air, catching it again with my hand.
The silver coin the drunk guy had just given me was now in my grasp. Remember, with money tricks, it’s essential. Don’t return the money to someone you don’t like.
Hey, you. Don’t go looking for your silver coin when you wake up in the morning. I’ll take it instead of a punch.
“Ok-bun! Where have you been all this time?”
“I just stepped outside for a bit.”
A voice echoed from within the banquet hall, one I hadn’t heard before. Is that the Joseon person I’d only heard about? I was right by the door; how did we not cross paths? Did we miss each other?
A Joseon person in Hubei Province. I had seen many Joseon people in cities closer to Liaodong Province or port towns, but it was increasingly rare in the interior.
Is there no Joseon Assocation in Hubei Province?
“You! Didn’t I tell you to keep your words short? A newbie should not leave their post without informing their superior! Do you have any thought at all?”
It seemed like they were getting the new recruits in line inside.
A Joseon person showing up in Chilgok County. I was curious to break the ice, but the vibe felt off, so it’d be better to head to my lodging instead.
“There are so many stars tonight.”
On my way back to my lodging, I looked at the sky, filled with countless stars. There must be more women in the Central Plains than stars in the sky.
One of those stars must be the true heroine for me.
The gap between me and the true heroine is as vast as the sky itself. But there’s no need to be too down about it. There are ways.
It’s always possible to wallow in depression endlessly.
No, we should not do that anymore.
I don’t know if luck like today will keep coming, but let’s keep steadily earning through my performance work.
Simply engaging in this line of work can bring both fame and fortune. What I’m doing now is a step towards winning over the true heroine.
It was too hasty to write Chronicles of the Wind and Cloud Heroes. I should gather money to write a book. If one book doesn’t work, let’s write several. Eventually, one should succeed. Then I can regain my fame.
Let’s keep our spirits up, Kang Yoon-ho!
“By the way, who could the true heroine be?”
Thinking positively led me to discover clues about my target.
I pondered over various female characters in my mind. Besides the princess and Murong Sang-a, who could it be? There are many suspicious candidates, but let’s narrow it down to the definitively unqualified ones.
“That insane girl can’t possibly be it.”
She’s the character who revealed to me that Joseon people have black hair.
A homicidal maniac.
It certainly wouldn’t be her.
“The guild leader has been assassinated!!!”
“There’s an assassin among the acrobats!”
“Over there! That assassin is escaping! Catch them!”
Suddenly, lights flared from a distance as loud commotion erupted.
Who died? Someone’s premium membership just expired?!
No! I was just about to ask them to renew!
As I turned to look toward the brightly lit commotion, suddenly a shadow zipped past me.
Huh?
Huh-huh-huh?
Huh-huh-huh-huh?
With black bobbed hair and red eyes?
“Cheon So-hee?”
One of the few named individuals I knew in this world. I was surprised to meet her in such an unexpected place and instinctively called out her name.
The fleeing shadow reacted right away to my involuntary shout.
As I turned to face the fleeing shadow, our eyes met.
In the blink of an eye, her blade was already at my throat.
“Who are you? How do you know my name?”
Ah.
I’m screwed.