I turned to Mangnyang, who said with a bitter smile, “Feng Menglong is right.”

“If we’re doing this, then I didn’t need to practice writing at all!”

“I thought you might have talent.”

“…”

I sighed. It wasn’t that I had no talent for writing, but it seemed I was just average at best. If that was the case, it would be wise to ghostwrite for the Celestial Sage. If my goal was to write an outstanding novel, I wouldn’t dream of relying on someone else, but that isn’t my life goal, so I had no choice.

Pa-at!

We moved on to Luoyang. Following Feng Menglong’s lead, we arrived at a large building filled with sharp-looking scholars everywhere. As I curiously scanned the area, Mangnyang muttered.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been here.”

“Mangnyang, have you been here before?”

Mangnyang nodded and said, “This place is called the Seven Aspects Pavilion. It’s a gathering spot for scholars who haven’t yet obtained an official position or made a name for themselves in Luoyang. They come together to hone their skills and study.”

“So you’ve been here before?”

“I came for assistance before looking into the past. It wasn’t for long.”

Feng Menglong spoke up, “Wow, Baek Woong, you sure have incredible abilities. You traveled from the Jiangsu Province to Luoyang—a distance of thousands of miles—in an instant! Are you like a legendary sorcerer?”

“… Where can I find a ghostwriter?”

Pointless to explain magic items or golden lamp techniques to an ordinary person, I shifted the topic. Feng Menglong shrugged.

“It would be best to get a recommendation from the Pavilion Lord.”

“Does this Seven Aspects Pavilion have a specific owner?”

“Usually, a penniless scholar is bound to live in poverty. But the Pavilion Lord dislikes that and took it upon himself to build this place by spending his own wealth. He’s well-versed in poetry, painting, and various arts.”

“Hmm…”

I looked around. At least thirty idle scholars occupied each floor, and across the entire building, there must be over a hundred of them. It was impressive that such folks could just loaf around and create.

‘This guy must be loaded…’

We sought out the Pavilion Lord. Since Feng Menglong was acquainted with him, we easily entered his room where the middle-aged man, referred to as the Pavilion Lord, spoke.

“You want to hire a ghostwriter… Do you realize that’s ethically questionable?”

“It’s not like I’m here seeking wealth and fame. This gentleman, Baek Woong, wishes to share amusing stories throughout Luoyang.”

As Feng Menglong persuaded the Pavilion Lord, he thought for a moment and then asked, “What do you want?”

“What do you mean?”

“Usually, people write novels for money and fame. If a popular novel sells well, it could bring in considerable income, especially with the printing and publishing techniques advancing day by day. But you seem to want something different.”

“I’m curious about something too. Why are you running the Seven Aspects Pavilion at a loss?”

When I countered, the Pavilion Lord chuckled softly.

“How I spend my money is none of your concern.”

“Fair enough. But I just want to achieve what I desire.”

“You’re an interesting person. You are undoubtedly a peculiar one.”

The Pavilion Lord tossed me a scroll. As I caught it, he said, “This scroll contains the names of around a hundred and seventy skilled scholars in Luoyang. Just showing it will likely get your proposal accepted.”

“What’s so special about this scroll?”

“They can’t hold office, so in exchange for lounging around the Pavilion, they have to do me a favor. This scroll serves to compel that favor.”

“Hmm.”

It was a pretty nifty scroll. Sure, it didn’t have any magical power, but its symbolism alone could command skilled scholars to do your bidding.

We began seeking out the scholars listed on the scroll, starting to present our ghostwriting proposals when one guy reacted suddenly.

“I’ll do it!”

“Who are you?”

“My name is Oh Seung-eun! Please let me write!”

“……”

He cried out in a desperate voice, “I have no money for drinks! I was just looking for someone to buy my writings, and now I’m lucky. Please let me write! I write well!”

Oh Seung-eun!

‘Wait a minute? Doesn’t this dude look like the Celestial Sage in disguise from before?’

Once, when I sought out the village where the Master of the Twelve Joules was, the Celestial Sage had disguised himself as an ordinary human. Back then, he introduced himself as the ‘Sahyang Mountain Man,’ and thinking back, Oh Seung-eun right here looked exactly like him. I glanced at him suspiciously.

“Are you claiming to be the Sahyang Mountain Man?”

“Huh? You know me?”

“What’s your connection to Celestial Sage Mi-hu King?”

“Huh…? What do you mean?”

“Come with me.”

“Aaaaah!”

With a swift movement, I dragged Oh Seung-eun into a deserted alley and marked his bloodline. Using the Soul Exchange Technique, I hoped to delve into his connection with the Celestial Sage.

However, Oh Seung-eun seemed completely clueless. The only info I could gather was that he was about forty years old now, he had once shown promise in poetry but had no connections to public office, ending up lounging around the Seven Aspects Pavilion, selling his writing for drinking money.

‘In short, just a washed-up scholar wasting time…’

No martial arts or sorcery knowledge either.

Mangnyang, who had been watching the interrogation, said, “It’s no coincidence that the Celestial Sage took on his appearance in a past life. The alias and name are identical; they must be related somehow.”

“But after the Soul Exchange, he can’t lie.”

Mangnyang smiled smugly, “I think, as Oh Seung-eun continues his ordinary life, there could be a moment where he encounters the Celestial Sage. There must have been something in the past. And now, we meet him before he meets the Celestial Sage.”

“… Wow.”

Is there really a possibility for that?

As I pondered, Mangnyang continued, “Since it’s fate, let’s have him ghostwrite.”

I replied, a little annoyed by his suggestion, “But there’s no proof that this guy can actually write well! There are plenty of talented individuals listed on this scroll…”

Mangnyang shook his head. “Hmm, this kind of coincidence doesn’t usually happen. If we’ve encountered a potential future connection, there must be significance to it. Maybe this meeting is your destiny, Baek Woong.”

“Hmm… I guess I have no choice.”

Seeing Mangnyang had a point, I unbound Oh Seung-eun’s bloodline and erased the memories of this interrogation with the Soul Exchange Technique. I handed the ghostwriting task to Oh Seung-eun along with some gold.

“Please write a great story.”

Oh Seung-eun’s mouth dropped at the sight of the gold in his hand. It was more than enough for an ordinary scholar to live decently for twenty years.

“I got it. But what’s the title of the story?”

“You choose.”

Oh Seung-eun thought hard for a moment and then slapped his palm, “How about The Legend of the Three Treasures?”

“Sure, that works.”

As I turned to leave after assigning him the writing task, Oh Seung-eun suddenly stopped me.

“Wait a second!”

“What is it?”

He cleared his throat. “Um… if you give me more money, I could write an additional story with you as the main character.”

Is he trying to negotiate with me now? I couldn’t help but chuckle, but the thought of being the protagonist in a story piqued my interest a bit. After all, it was a popular trend for those in the Jianghu, with not-so-famous folks to have themselves as main characters in a martial arts novel. I sat beside Oh Seung-eun and said, “You see, I’m this ugly guy; how can you write a fun story about me?”

“Haha! In a novel, I can make you a peerless handsome guy!”

“Not that it’s necessary…”

While I could use surgical techniques in my past life to improve my looks, I hadn’t bothered since it seemed a waste of time thus far. Besides, my tasks didn’t demand a good appearance, and my companions weren’t the type to judge me based on how I looked. At that, Oh Seung-eun said, “Everyone secretly wishes for their own glory and greatness. It’s human nature to desire satisfaction through a charming character since most people aren’t born that way.”

“… Hmm.”

“Geniuses, heroes, or beauties are extremely rare. No matter how hard you try, you can’t live like them in this lifetime. Most just dream while waiting for a better future.”

I nodded. I definitely resonated with that sentiment. Maybe that’s why I was drawn to martial arts and military novels. Oh Seung-eun grinned. “Right now, you seem indifferent, but if you change your mind, let me know. I’m quite good at writing and can whip up a splendid novel for you.”

I gave a bittersweet smile. “Nah, writing a story about someone as mediocre as me doesn’t sound amusing. To get satisfaction, the protagonist should be outstanding and impressive.”

“Huh? But I said I could embellish…”

“But that’s not me. I can’t find satisfaction in a fictional version of myself. Over-the-top idealizations just don’t sit right with me.”

Oh Seung-eun gawked. “Well? Hmm… wait a sec! Then I’ll write it that way! It might actually attract interest… could become a popular tale, you know?”

It seemed like he was just saying whatever came to mind because he was enchanted by the money. Well, if he got more gold, he would be set for life, so that made sense. To avoid hearing any more of his nonsense, I waved him off.

“Thanks for the sentiment either way. Let’s meet again. When should I come back?”

“Give it about six months.”

“Got it.”

Pa-at!

I returned to Mount Huang with Mangnyang. He then spoke to me.

“Baek Woong, just wondering, but…”

“What is it?”

“Can the Heavenly Secret Technique summon a spirit tied to an ancient artifact?”

“Hmm?”

I tilted my head at that statement. After pondering about the usage method of the Heavenly Secret Technique, I shook my head. “That’s not how it works.”

“Hmm, I see…”

“Why do you ask?”

“It’s nothing much. Remember you asked me to help find leaves from the Guan family? So, I’ve been trying to grow some spiritual pills on Mount Huang while also mobilizing my influence to locate them. During that process, I thought about your twin broadswords.”

“The twin broadswords…?”

“Those belonged to Liu Bei, the sworn brother of Guan Yu. I thought maybe with that as a medium, I could summon Liu Bei!”

“Oh!”

If that were actually possible, it would certainly be quite convenient. If I collected legendary artifacts, wouldn’t I be able to summon their original owners right on the spot? But unfortunately, the Heavenly Secret Technique didn’t have that capability, which was disappointing.

“I’ve confirmed that the descendants of the Guan family are living in Sichuan. I’ll contact you as soon as I locate them.”

“Got it.”

I dropped Mangnyang off and returned to Jangryeong Valley to begin training together with Jin So-cheong, Extreme Tiger, and Tang San. Honestly, although I had many plans brewing, none of them would yield results overnight, so I still needed to wait at least a few months. In this strange waiting period, the only thing I could do was train.

Three months passed. During that time, the one who had the most rapid growth was undoubtedly Tang San.

Pew pew pew!

With a flick of his fingers, five needles flew through the air, hitting a target over ten steps away. As the target was struck by the needles, it burst apart like a drenched rag. He grinned broadly, proudly announcing, “This is the Tang Family secret technique, Flying Violent Circular Needles! I’ve mastered it all!”

“……”

Watching Tang San demonstrate his martial arts, I was left speechless. ‘Isn’t that a secret technique reserved for direct descendants of the Tang Family? And he learned it just through glancing at it once? In three months no less?’ It usually took at least ten years under a proper master!

His growth rate was simply insane. Tang San had already broken through the limits of peak proficiency and fully grasped the Thunder God lineage’s basics, entering into advanced techniques. Moreover, he had easily acquired the secret skills he’d learned in passing from his troubles during his time with the Tang Family. I couldn’t help but acknowledge him as an extraordinary genius.

Truly a future Great Master!

At this point, Tang San probably stood at the pinnacle among the Jianghu youths under twenty. What he claimed about reaching peak proficiency within ten years was no idle boast. Just as I was marveling at his abilities, Jin So-cheong said, “Baek Woong, Zhuge Sa is looking for you. You should go see him.”

“What’s the matter?”

“I’m not quite sure, but it seems he wants to discuss something related to the novels.”

I went to find Zhuge Sa. As soon as he saw me, he launched straight into the topic.

“Baek Woong, you need to go to the Western Regions.”

“Why?”

He grinned. “If you want to quickly impress the Celestial Sage, you’re going to need a good machine.”