Chapter 34: The Youngest Son of the Merchant Guild

Meanwhile, around the same time.

Grumbling was beginning to ripple through the publishing world of Hanyang.

These were complaints from readers who had already been spoiled by “that person’s” novels.

“When is the sequel to  coming out!!”

“Is it true the author was dragged off to the State Tribunal!!”

“I heard he retired to manage an orchard?”

“No way!! Does that mean Part Two will never be released??”

Like modern readers who’ve waited twenty years for the next volume after blood and tears, Hanyang’s readers were now waiting with necks outstretched for the long-promised Part Two of .

Of course, they wouldn’t have been so worked up under normal circumstances.

The problem was, after feasting on a slew of delicious new releases recently, their tastes had soared to the heavens, and now they were left in a state of perpetual hunger.

“This isn’t enough!! These kinds of second-rate imitations won’t do…!!”

“Ugh… Why is nothing fun anymore? Why…!!”

“Where’s the new release, where is it!! Bring it here, now!!”

Now, Hanyang’s readers literally couldn’t live without “that person’s” novels.

Back in the days when everyone led the so-called “Yellow Dog” lifestyle, this would have been unimaginable.

Besides, what allowed “that person” to take over Hanyang’s publishing market in the first place?

It wasn’t just overwhelming entertainment—it was also the relentless serialization speed that kept readers hooked, always chasing the next installment.

.

.

.

And, the latest, .

After experiencing four serialized sagas in a short time, readers had lost much of their ability to wait.

And then—

“Is this even possible…?”

“Why, Madam?”

“No, I mean… I’ve never seen someone work this fast before…”

There was a reason why Court Lady Choi, upon receiving the manuscript, tilted her head in confusion.

She had been busy for a while, so this time, she received the goods through the thinker Kim Buyong.

At present, after its first publication,  had continued to release new volumes at steady intervals without a break.

And, without pausing ,  began serialization at the same time and wrapped up cleanly.

Of course, that was only possible because, with an endless supply of Chinese characters as material, Sun Wukong could lead omnibus-style stories across various settings.

The important thing was that, amid all this, “that person” had serialized both works simultaneously.

No wonder Court Lady Choi, who knew the author’s circumstances better than anyone else in Hanyang, was utterly shocked.

Though, from the outside, nobody imagined that the author of the Hangul-written  and the Classical Chinese , with their completely different writing styles, were the same person.

But there was no one who could sympathize with Court Lady Choi’s dilemma.

“What? Why are you even curious about that?”

A middle-aged man, picking his nose with a bored look, flicked his finger.

He was Gye Deok-sang, owner of the Gyeonggi Woodblock Shop and, as of recently, officially appointed head of the Woodblock Guild.

But, as a money-grubber, there was no way he’d listen to trivial worries that had nothing to do with profit.

“No, but seriously, that speed is just absurd…”

“Why does that matter, Madam? The people of Hanyang are happy reading great novels, the people’s hearts are soothed so His Majesty sleeps easy, and I, as well as the guild’s other investors, are making money… Hehehe…!!”

In the end, Court Lady Choi realized she was a fool for seeking out Gye Deok-sang for this.

Still, even when she consulted someone else, the result wasn’t much different.

“You’re worried about how ‘that person’ writes novels so quickly?”

“Yes. No matter how I think about it, I just don’t understand…”

“That’s because ‘that person’ was sent down from heaven for the good of Joseon!! This Kim has recognized ‘that person’s’ greatness for ages…!!”

Even Kim Jo-sun, whose fanaticism had grown extremely strong lately, betrayed Court Lady Choi’s expectations like this.

Moreover—

“Hahaha… Only now does Madam Court Lady find that strange?”

“Uh…?”

“There are two possibilities. Either the high ladies of the Inner Palace are writing together, or ‘that person’ is an extraordinary genius…”

What Park Ji-won, whom she met by chance at the Gyeonggi Woodblock Shop, said was even more outrageous.

He had never even received a manuscript directly from “that person,” yet he was already close to the truth.

“Of course, I, Yeonam, already have the exact answer! Hahaha!!”

“If you mean the exact answer…”

“The future of this country is truly bright!! Hahaha!!”

This strange middle-aged man, who burst into raucous laughter at every turn—just how had he deduced the truth?

In the end, Court Lady Choi, having gone in search of answers, left the shop with yet another mystery clinging to her like a tumor.

Though she had already formed a solid suspicion regarding “that person’s” identity.

Because of “that person’s” monstrous writing speed, it only added to Court Lady Choi’s confusion.

At any rate—

No one knew that the secret to “that person’s” absurd writing speed was being a former webnovel author whose name was unfamiliar in this world.

And, since ordinary people who hadn’t met “that person” didn’t know that the authors of the Hangul novel  and the Classical Chinese novel  were the same,

The readers of Hanyang were gradually becoming accustomed to the routine of having two masterpieces serialized simultaneously.

Fortunately, this particular wait turned out to be surprisingly short.

“??”

“What kind of dumb novel title is that? I heard it was written by someone who’s never even read a novel before?”

At first, Joseon’s readers were put off by the unfamiliar, webnovel-style title.

But—

“They say the writer of  wrote this new book?”

“No way, is that even possible??”

“Two novels serialized at once…?”

Once the identity of the author came out, all that stopped mattering.

And before they could be amazed by the simultaneous serialization, they had something far more important to do…

“Does it matter? The important thing is we have something to read after !!”

“Y-yeah…!! You’re right!!”

“Let’s go!! To the bookshop!!”

The power of previous works and a famous pen name was just as impressive in this era.

In this way, “that person’s” new novel triggered yet another craze, sweeping through Hanyang.

Of course, the sense of fun carried over from  was as excellent as ever.

Moreover, perhaps influenced by , the fast-paced opening was already knocking readers off their feet and leaving them dizzy in Hanyang.

“Wow…!! Wow…!!”

“The protagonist reincarnates as the youngest son of the merchant guild leader who was framed and killed???”

“I’ve seen plenty of reincarnation stories, but this kind of thrilling setup is a first!!”

“So, does that mean the errand boy who used to grovel and wipe other people’s messes is going to take over the whole guild??”

Revenge stories always do well, no matter the era.

Take, for example, the popular European novel of this period, .

Stories where the wronged get revenge on the wicked have always been a sure-fire, hearty dish for readers starved for justice and dopamine.

For similar reasons, at first, Wonja intended to write Part Two of  as another homage to a famous drama.

But suddenly, Bossy King Jeongjo went on a rampage, threatening Cute Slave No. 1, and everything got tangled up.

Anyway.

Thus, a shockingly fresh new work made its appearance in Hanyang.

And this new book hungrily absorbed all the attention of readers who had been waiting for Part Two of .

Not only was the reincarnation premise at the start novel and fresh,

The success story of the protagonist, now the youngest of the merchant guild, was packed with dopamine in its bold progression.

[…“You called this a gift?”

“That’s right, a gift. Since you made your old grandfather happy, ask for anything—just one thing.”

“In that case…”

At that moment, Yun Woo-hyun—no, the youngest grandson of Leader Jin—saw a flash before his eyes.

The Yangsun Merchant Guild, under the banner of ‘Supporting the Nation Through Transport,’ controlled Joseon’s best shipping logistics, including tribute grain transport.

As the leader, his grandfather could grant him pretty much anything he wished.

And what now struck his mind was the icy royal decree that would be issued a few years later from Changdeokgung Palace.

It was an order, under His Majesty’s strong will to strictly prohibit ‘Private Home Confiscation (Yeogatallip)’, that would soon change everything…]

“Yeogatallip…? That sounds familiar…”

“I-I know this! Wasn’t that the royal prohibition on seizing private homes during the previous king’s reign!!”

“So this novel was set in Joseon??”

The scene where the protagonist, born the youngest of the leading merchant guild, achieved his first success through real estate speculation.

No reader in Joseon, where commerce had only just begun to flourish, had ever seen such a dopamine-charged plot.

Moreover, the royal edict banning ‘Yeogatallip’ mentioned here was indeed a real order issued during the reign of King Yeongjo.

With a real, recent past as the backdrop, the story of using future knowledge to gain profit and change history was a first for Hanyang readers.

“This… this! I can’t even think straight!!”

“Wow, is this really possible…?”

“So, what happens next??”

Through his knowledge from before reincarnation, the merchant guild’s youngest son knew the king would soon strictly prohibit the buying up of private homes.

He used that to persuade his grandfather, the guild leader, to buy up all the conveniently located but old and shabby houses in Hanyang and have them rebuilt into mansions.

Soon enough, the expected royal edict came, and the price of such fine mansions inside the Four Gates skyrocketed, allowing him to sell them off for massive profit.

Thus, the completely overlooked youngest son suddenly caught the leader’s eye.

This is where the first volume of  wrapped up…

“Manager, come out!!”

“Gye Manager!! We know you’re in there!!”

A short time later.

A calamity struck Gye Deok-sang, who’d been forced to shelve his usual shady business tactics under pressure from “that person.”

When Gye Deok-sang, still with sleep in his eyes, came running out of the living quarters attached to the woodblock shop after being struck by this sudden misfortune—

“What’s going on here!!”

“Customers are swarming the bookstore and making a ruckus!! Give us a definite answer!!”

For the first time in ages, the wholesalers were staging a protest in front of the Gyeonggi Woodblock Shop.

Even Gye Deok-sang, a veteran of countless ups and downs, could hardly believe his eyes—he just blinked at the crowd in shock.

Ever since they began distributing work to the subordinate woodblock shops belonging to the Guild, nothing like this had ever happened.

Well, except for that one time when parents nearly stormed the shop over the Thousand Characters Classic lesson cards.

But as for new novels, a solid system was now in place, and even if demand spiked, the shops throughout Hanyang could mobilize to keep up with supply.

So why were the book wholesalers and shopkeepers now storming the Gyeonggi Woodblock Shop?

Gye Deok-sang, after regaining his senses, soon realized the reason.

“The next volume of  is long overdue!!”

“The customers are going wild, demanding to know when the next part is coming out!! How much longer are we supposed to deal with this!!”

“Manager Gye, you must know the release schedule!! Share it with us immediately!!”

That’s right.

Currently, only the first volume of  had been released, with no news of the next.

On top of that, Volume 1 had ended with a thrilling taste of the protagonist’s amazing success and a hint at his rise as the next merchant guild leader.

So, with readers squirming in anticipation for the sequel, there wasn’t even a whiff of when it might appear.

Of course the loyal readers of Hanyang were visiting the bookstores every day, desperately searching for the missing volume.

Some bookstores had even received threats like this:

[To the owner of the Namchon Bookshop.

If I come again and the next volume of  isn’t here, you die.

Run your business with a conscience.]

Honestly.

In a situation where a favorite novel seemed doomed to an “adult hiatus,” is there a reader alive who would just accept it quietly and say, ‘Oh well~’?

Bookshop owners harassed by such threats were far from few.

So, they decided to band together and confront Gye Deok-sang, who surely knew something about the author of .

But—

“N-no!! I really don’t know!! It’s the truth!!”

The problem was, this time, Gye Deok-sang had no way to calm them down.

He was someone who could spin any lie for profit, but this time he was telling the honest truth.

“Liar!!”

“You think we’ll believe that!!”

“How much are you planning to gouge us for the next volume of !!”

“You money-crazed fiend!! How much are you going to milk us for this time!!”

But given Gye Deok-sang’s usual antics,

His explanation didn’t convince a single bookstore owner.

So, the shopkeepers and wholesalers mobbing the Gyeonggi Woodblock Shop simply refused to believe Gye Deok-sang’s words.

In the end, they resorted to drastic measures…

“Grab him!!”

When words failed, violence was the next resort—then or now, some things never change.

At this moment, for the first time since working at the Woodblock Shop, Gye Deok-sang truly feared for his life.

“I-I’m telling the truth!!”

“Out with it!! Or should we put you on the rack to loosen your tongue!!”

“I swear, that’s all I know!! According to my information, the next envoy won’t be back from Qing China until…”

“Oh, so you’re making us wait that long just so you can sell the next volume for a higher price?”

“No, I really mean it!!”

Suddenly, the tragedy of the boy who cried wolf was playing out in Joseon.

Even as Gye Deok-sang screamed his lungs out while being dragged away by the limbs, no one was listening.

“No!! The gentleman of the Jangdong Kim family told me so!! Why won’t you believe me!!”

In fact, Gye Deok-sang was really telling the truth.

The problem was, the one who could vouch for him, Kim Jo-sun, was currently out of the capital.

And more than that, it was because, up until now, Gye Deok-sang—the notorious money-madman—had always played games with new releases for profit.

“No!! Master Kim!! How could you just run off to Qing and leave me like this…!! Ack!!”

So, like someone trying to stuff an overinflated toad into a sack, Gye Deok-sang’s pitiful screams echoed through Hanyang for a long time.

Later, the bookstore owners and wholesalers realized they’d misunderstood,

But frankly, no one could deny Gye Deok-sang had brought it on himself.

So, the incident was quietly swept under the rug as if nothing had happened.

And then—

“Karma, pure karma.”

Upon hearing belatedly how Gye Deok-sang had gotten himself into a mess,

“That person” summed up the whole affair, like the great author they were, in just five characters.

* * *

Around the same time—

There was someone deep in thought, staring at .

“Hmmm…”

With an expression far gentler than before, the king once again turned the page.

“Could Jo-sun truly have such talent? I still find it hard to believe.”

Thinking of his trusted retainer, now somewhere on the road to Beijing with Jeong Yak-yong, King Jeongjo’s lips twisted.

Kim Jo-sun, who’d looked as though he’d been sentenced to death when ordered to write a new novel supporting government policy,

Yet, seeing how he’d produced the first volume in a flash before leaving as envoy and even provided a summary of the next part, his talent was, without question, real.

“As expected, the more you step on your vassals, the harder they work. But…”

But at that moment,

A slight furrow appeared between Jeongjo’s brows.

He’d just quickly reread Volume 1 and was now glancing over the synopsis Kim Jo-sun had transcribed in his own handwriting.

“This is…”

Other than a single mistake with the first volume of , Wonja had always been thorough about disguising his handwriting.

Aware that Jeongjo could recognize his classical Chinese, he’d become even more obsessive about it since starting to write such novels.

But the reason Jeongjo hesitated was not because of the handwriting.

“This novel, if you’re not careful, could end up being quite audacious…”