It has been a week since Jang Yi received news from the peddler, Yu.
“Inkeeper! Three servings of Geduguksu, please!”
“Inkeeper! Over here, a bottle of Hwaju and some Gyeongjangyuksasa!”
“Yes, yes, coming right up!”
A week had passed since he closed the Geum Myeong-wol Daily House, but Jang Yi’s routine flowed on unchanged.
However, there was a slight change.
“The Great Hero Geum Myeong-wol…”
“The Bicheongmacha…”
While working, whenever rumors about Geum Myeong-wol brushed against his ears, Jang Yi used to unconsciously stop and eavesdrop or join in on the conversations of the guests. But now, he simply let it roll off, indifferent.
After a day that felt like a war with the guests from dawn till dusk, once he confirmed that most of the drunken evening patrons had ascended to their rooms, Jang Yi plopped down onto a chair.
“Haah.”
Just as he finally tried to catch his breath, a shadow loomed at the entrance of the inn.
Another guest at this late hour? Today’s luck is feeling grim.
“Oh dear, welcome!”
Grumbling inwardly but with a business smile, Jang Yi got up only to realize the visitor wasn’t a guest, but Wang Il, the bookstore owner.
At that moment, Jang Yi remembered that it had been over a week since he had seen Wang Il and felt a pang of regret.
They used to meet every day or two to debate about Geum Myeong-wol. So Wang Il must have been concerned with his sudden absence.
Jang Yi thought it might be for the best.
Since Wang Il had come all the way to the inn, it was the perfect opportunity to have a drink and break the news that it would be tough to hang out from now on.
Wang Il reaffirmed his calm disposition and solidified his determination.
How could an innkeeper be free from rumors and speculation? Irrespective of his will, the inn guests continued to talk about Geum Myeong-wol.
However, these rumors of Geum Myeong-wol did not stir Wang Il’s heart, leading him to believe he had completely moved on from his feelings for Geum Myeong-wol.
Perhaps this was what the martial artists referred to as “calm as a mirror.”
“Hey, have you heard the news?”
And Jang Yi, completely calm, replied,
“About the Great Hero Geum Myeong-wol? I hear it all the time. But more importantly, I have something to tell you.”
“The Great Hero Geum Myeong-wol is actually Huang Nation’s Hyeok Gi-rin from the Jeomchang Faction!”
“What the—!!!”
Ho Cheon-an shattered to pieces in front of the real bomb planted by Dokgo Yeongcheon.
*
Rumors spread from the Dark Dragon Sect.
If you wanted to gauge the reactions, where would you go?
The answer had been determined the moment he decided to turn Hyeok Gi-rin into a heroic innkeeper princess.
It was, of course, the bookstore.
Rumors seldom hold much information and lack detail. And above all, with time, they can easily change or fade away.
That’s why I advised Wi Seoryeon and Tang Do-yeon to take their time and gradually unveil the daily life of Hyeok Gi-rin.
So that the stories they share can be compiled into a book.
But why did I do this?
Because I hoped that those with extraordinary interest in Geum Myeong-wol would gather in one place.
Books are expensive.
High-quality books are near precious items, and even mediocre books are hard to impulsively buy due to their prices.
Thus, those who bought Geum Myeong-wol’s daily records were the ones who wanted to own detailed accounts, even if it cost them money.
They were already people of significant interest in Geum Myeong-wol. If they read the book and acquired detailed and precise information, what would happen?
It’s human nature to want to talk when they learn something new, so they would look for others to share with.
And those who bought books at the bookstore could easily find conversation partners.
People reading Geum Myeong-wol’s daily records near the bookstore or at a café nearby.
In other words, to summarize it in modern terms: I induced fans with deep love for Geum Myeong-wol to gather in front of the bookstore to form a fandom.
Now, fierce arguments were underway among those very fans at the bookstore front, the heart of this fandom.
“The Great Hero Geum Myeong-wol is a man! Who thinks that makes any sense?”
A bandit-bearded man, his face as red as a persimmon, yelled, clearly one with deep admiration for Geum Myeong-wol.
“Hmph, what doesn’t make sense?”
Daring to retort was a frail man with a goatee.
“Is there anyone in the world who doesn’t know Geum Myeong-wol’s appearance? But people who have seen Hyeok Gi-rin claim he looks just like Geum Myeong-wol!”
“In this vast world, there might be one or two people with similar faces!”
The bandit-bearded man protested, to which the goatee man scoffed and replied.
“Ha! That could be, but do you know when Hyeok Gi-rin last revealed himself? It’s been over several years! Years! Even if it’s true that he went to a closed retreat to melt the spiritual medicine granted by the imperial family, that’s just too long, isn’t it?”
The goatee man escalated his argument.
“Closed retreat? That’s important. But even so, wouldn’t it be strange if he kept training in isolation during the upheaval of the Blood Sect? In a crisis where all the resources of the sect had to be mobilized, the High Priest wouldn’t even show his face? It’s far more believable to think Geum Myeong-wol opposed the Blood Sect’s unrest!”
As the goatee man’s words ended, the fans gathered in front of the bookstore were plunged into a gloomy atmosphere.
Well, that makes sense.
Among those gathered, many viewed Geum Myeong-wol as an adorable “girl,” and it stands to reason many would be charmed by that.
Just think about it.
What if your beloved idol or celebrity turned out to be a man? It’s terrible to even imagine—no thought could even approach that sort of thing.
Of course, they wouldn’t be hit with such intense shock.
Currently, Geum Myeong-wol’s identity is not as an idol or celebrity, but as a martial artist who saved the world.
However, that’s just talk—it’s still enough to feel a severe sense of betrayal.
“Accept it! Geum Myeong-wol was an absolute swindler!”
Just like the goatee man, now tainted with bitterness.
“A swindler? You’re babbling with a gaping mouth!”
A fight broke out. In an instant, the front of the bookstore became chaotic, caught up with the two grappling and those trying to separate them.
Such things must be happening all over the world right now.
“…Senior, you’re aware you’re smiling wickedly right now, yes?”
The Black Cat, who came with me to get a feel for the atmosphere, asked incredulously.
Oops, it seems my satisfaction is slipping into my smile.
“Isn’t it a bit questionable to laugh like this, pulling a fast one on those who truly love Hyeok Gi-rin?”
“Oh come now! It’s merely a calculated strategy to soften the blow!”
“Sure, sure.”
The Black Cat lazily brushed off my words, but the situation was indeed a necessary measure.
The shock upon learning that their beloved Hyeok Gi-rin is, after all, a guy! overshadowed the true identity and history of Geum Myeong-wol, which fell to the background.
Compared to that magical effect, isn’t it minor that they had a temporary misperception that Hyeok Gi-rin was a man? After all, it’s not that he actually became one; it was just a misunderstanding for a brief moment.
Even if you’ve received medicine, if you feel better afterward, isn’t that sufficient?
“Will it leave a scar on their hearts?”
“Those don’t show, so it will be fine.”
I felt the Black Cat’s lukewarm gaze, but I deliberately ignored it, turning my attention towards the bookstore.
“Calm down, everyone! There’s no guarantee that Geum Myeong-wol is indeed Hyeok Gi-rin!”
“True! Nevertheless, it remains unchanged that Geum Myeong-wol is a hero from the martial world who stood against the Blood Sect!”
“Geum Myeong-wol is a girl! Not a man!”
“Ha ha! They’re still calling that man Geum Myeong-wol! Hahaha!”
Watching them reminded me of the concerns I had while on my way to Nangyang.
I encountered the martial artist cross-dressing woman, Hyeok Gi-rin. Then I experienced the second-in-command of the Huang Nation, Princess Yuya, and also a female hero known as Hwang So-wol, who went by her alias.
So then.
Which of these names does the true Hyeok Gi-rin use, and what role does he truly fulfill?
Can I even define Hyeok Gi-rin as Hyeok Gi-rin? In reality, Hyeok Gi-rin might view himself closer to Princess Yuya or perhaps wish to be Hwang So-wol.
With various positions and roles, what could happiness be for Hyeok Gi-rin, and what problems are there to resolve?
I pondered such matters, and surely others would have similar thoughts.
So, Geum Myeong-wol wasn’t Geum Myeong-wol, but Hyeok Gi-rin?
Then what was the Geum Myeong-wol I loved?
What aspects of Geum Myeong-wol did they admire and fan over?
A martial hero? A local pride? Warm daily life? A girl? Or perhaps Seo Gong? Or a side of him that I could never anticipate?
Some may have reached a clear answer, but most likely, they have not.
Like the majority of fans experiencing confusion while listening to the argument between the bandit-bearded man and the now bitter goatee man.
They still had not found their resolution.
They received the shocking news that Geum Myeong-wol was Hyeok Gi-rin and may potentially be a man.
So what can be done?
Another shock must be delivered.
“Let’s go, Black Cat. It’s time to prepare for the next operation.”
“Sure. If details about this leak out, you might find yourself on the receiving end of some rocks, so we have to be thorough.”
I broke my gaze from the bookstore and stealthily looked towards Yunnan.
In the end, Dokgo Yeongcheon hit me where it hurts. Well, I had planned this with the understanding of his superior swindler instincts, but that doesn’t change the fact that it was a hit.
So is it any wonder we can’t just overlook it?
Come on, let’s see you sweat a little, Master (Jin).
“Did you say we were going?”
“Yeah, we’re going.”
I moved my feet at the Black Cat’s urging.
