Surviving as a Rival in a Martial Arts Novel

Chapter 6 – Let’s Assume They’re Dead for Now (02) (Revised on 22.03.02)

Nod.

In the end, she nodded her head, accepting my opinion.

“You’re right. However, we can’t rely solely on Sohyup’s words. I, as an individual, will assess the situation.”

“I succeeded.”

If it goes like this, whether I save her or not, Je Gal Yeon Ji will come here, following the traces of her twin sister.

And later, if I convince her and leave behind a trace that suggests she might be alive through the bracelet, things will return to the original story.

Even when the enemies reveal their true identities, with the unexpected help of Shadow Je Gal Yeon Ji, we might be able to win.

“Is a crisis an opportunity……?”

Even if everything collapses, as long as we go to Seoul, it will be fine. Even if the background setting crumbles, as long as the protagonist and the general framework align, the novel’s plot will unfold the same way.

Slowly, it felt like I was grasping how to survive in this novel.

“Well then, please take care of me from now on, Yeon Sohyup.”

“Yes. It’s an action to protect Jegal Sae-ga’s precious person… right?”

“Although it hasn’t been long since we met, Sohyeop… has been consistently preparing for them. Watching you confidently discuss plans without any hesitation, I couldn’t help but think of you as someone who has been preparing for Jegal Sae-ga’s lady.”

For her, it was the highest praise if Jegal Yeon-ji, the darkness counterpart, considered her equal to his younger sibling.

“So, from now on, I’ll follow Sohyeop’s advice and hide my identity, gathering strength to resist them together. Fate that should have ended this morning anyway, write it as you wish, Sohyeop.”

To some extent, her thoughts could be guessed.

It’s not that she sincerely wants to follow me because she thinks I’m a great person.

Knowing about the black organization and requesting methods skillfully, there was a bit of trust, but along with that, there seemed to be more suspicion, wanting to observe closely from a nearby place.

But, in reality, didn’t I just read the content in advance and spoil it to that extent?

“I’m not that great of a person.”

“But I think we need to gather our strength together to resist them.”

“…”

It’s a headache in many ways, but…

‘No, rather… if she acts secretly without my knowledge and causes another incident, it can’t be controlled. But if I keep an eye on her while she’s nearby, I can leave traces similar to the original when needed, like with Jang Nang-hyeon’s lady, Jegal Yeon-ji.’

Come to think of it, it wasn’t just about telling her to hide, but also secretly checking whether she’s hiding properly, monitoring to ensure she doesn’t interfere with the novel.

“Sigh…”

Although the thought of it being troublesome came first, I sighed. However, gathering my own power secretly like this might lead to a safer happy ending later.

“You have a convincing way of speaking.”

As I put the bracelet I received back on her hand, I extended my hand.

“Well then, I’ll be counting on you from now on.”

* * *

The group had grown, but there was no significant change in perception.

Except for the occasional gaze we felt as we explored the Four Heavens like usual, there was hardly any difference. However, the reason for the many instances where people would stare at us was that, in their own way, Samae and I appeared as a couple, strolling around.

She was keeping an eye on me from a discreet position, thinking that it was safer and more objective to observe from a distance rather than openly moving as part of the group.

“It’s burdensome for me to suddenly have someone by my side.”

And an unexpected convenience was that I could call her and ask about various detailed knowledge of this world, which she had learned bit by bit while rolling around with the maids or mingling with them.

While I admittedly lacked the ability to hide or assassinate stealthily, Jegal Sae-ga, who possessed the greatest wisdom and information in the martial arts world, seemed to have absorbed all sorts of information like a spy and provided me with most of the information I needed.

“Of course, I intentionally don’t ask about the protagonist or the progress of the novel.”

Originally, the one-month period where I was supposed to spend time protecting the maids and rolling around with them while enjoying the Four Heavens was being filled just by sightseeing with Samae. But as the time for the protagonist to appear drew near, I found myself gradually becoming more tense without realizing it.

“Today feels strange…”

Watching the hoodlums of Haomun grabbing their chests and running away, I could sense that today was the day when Yeoncheongha and the protagonist would meet for the first time.

“So, is today the actual day?”

The day when Bangyuseong and Yeoncheongha meet for the first time.

What would happen if I didn’t go to that place?

If the protagonist and the rival stimulate each other and train competitively, they would naturally become stronger. But if they pass each other without meeting… Would the two of them be able to grow as much?

I tried to ignore it, but I couldn’t help but be concerned as events unfolded in front of my eyes, as if they were directly asking me to come and find them in the novel.

“Sigh…”

“I’d rather not involve Samae if possible…”

“Samae, would you like to go inside first?”

“Huh? Is something wrong, Sahyeong?”

“It’s nothing major, I just want to have a drink before going inside.”

“Should I pour you a drink, miss?”

“Even so, it’s too early for our twins.”

Pulling away as if treating her like a child, the twins expressed their discomfort strongly, lips pursed.

“Let’s have a drink together when the twins grow up.”

“Marriage… I should be of marriageable age normally.”

It’s true by local standards, but in modern terms, she’s barely a teenager. Her body might be fully grown, but her actions are still childish. Taking care of her continuously, she doesn’t feel like an adult, just a cute younger sister.

“Even if you say that, the twins still look young in my eyes. Have a little drink and wait inside.”

“Really… Can’t you drink too much?”

“I’ll just have a drink and leave.”

Saying this much, the twins didn’t insist further and went back to the lodging first.

‘I don’t know how it will turn out, but if the protagonist and Yeoncheong get attached, I might have to show an embarrassing sight in front of the twins…’

‘And if the twins barge in and hit the female protagonist, there’s a risk of ruining the protagonist.’

For now, let’s hide inside and assess the situation.

Honestly, as someone who became a rival, I was curious about the guy leading this novel. It’s funny that there’s a competitive spirit against someone I haven’t even seen yet, but in a way, I’m also a reader of the original, so if I’m not interested in the protagonist, that would be a lie.

‘The protagonist is a step behind the female protagonist for now, so should I go ahead and secure a spot?’

The thugs from Haomun who just got beaten and ran away came back with their colleague, a martial arts master. Naturally, if they pick a fight with the female protagonist, chaos will ensue in the tavern. If Yeoncheong, who was quietly drinking in the corner, gets upset, she will deal with Haomun’s thugs and the martial artists who joined in between.

Then, shocked by the entrance of the master, if the female protagonist’s face shows confusion and the twins return, holding her hand and trying to pull her while touching her face, attempting to draw her towards them, the protagonist might barge in, questioning if she doesn’t dislike it, intervening, and a 2:1 confrontation would unfold.

“Just some simple snacks…”

“Sohyup, our place requires you to order drinks. We sell snacks cheaply, so this place doesn’t run a loss with just drinks.”

Honestly, I knew I could get by just selling side dishes, but since I had no intention of getting into petty quarrels with the gangsters, I simply ordered the cheapest liquor, Jukyeopcheong.

*Sigh… I made up an excuse to drink with Samae, but I didn’t really plan on drinking.*

Still, since I’ve already placed the order, might as well have a sip.

Originally, in history, Jukyeopcheong contained medicinal herbs, so it wasn’t exactly cheap, and it had a sweet taste. However, in this world, following the typical setting of a martial arts novel, Jukyeopcheong is remarkably cheap, and it tastes really cheap.

“Ugh…!”

To be more specific, it’s just soju.

I don’t usually drink much, so I can’t discern the taste well, but still, it smells like soju, and it tastes like soju.

*Ugh… it’s not good.*

Since becoming a martial artist, I don’t experience hangovers or headaches after drinking, but since I don’t easily get drunk, I can only taste the disgustingly bitter flavor more intensely.

*Guess it’s not going to work. Why should I force myself to drink tasteless liquor with my own money?*

In the end, I cleanly gave up on drinking Jukyeopcheong, closed the bottle again, and leisurely waited for the events to unfold.

Clang!

Almost simultaneously with me putting down the liquor glass, an incident was unfolding.

The protagonist, who had finished training and descended from the martial world, was experiencing his first event, the most crucial event where he encounters the female protagonist and their fateful connection begins.

“Hyungnim! It’s that woman!”

“Going to get slapped by a girl and then come to get scolded by your older brother. You guys have no pride, huh?”

“Are you the audacious girl who touched our younger siblings?”

Hmm. I know this dialogue well.

Honestly, it felt so cliché that my hands and feet cringed when I first read it.

“Your face might be half-and-half, but your compensation can be received through your body!”

“Welfare payment? Did I say something wrong about the subsidy?”

Pfft!

“Ahhhhh!”

Upon hearing the sound of the protagonist, who is already surpassing the top-notch martial artists and on the verge of becoming a supreme martial artist, the protagonist’s thoughts turn to the fact that even a master like Haomun’s Ilryugosu would be crushed.

It’s as if she can hear the sound because she misses her sister so much, as if she were still alive.

“Her voice is definitely similar. Just her tone is much stronger and forceful, so her vocal quality is at a similar level.”

Whenever Yeoncheongha actually saw the protagonist, she felt the pain of realizing the slight differences between her and Same, as well as the fact that she looked so much like Same but was different.

Jjangjang.

Whoosh!

“Eek!”

The protagonist never found herself in a crisis against the cowardly Haomun’s guards who used lowly tricks… or did she?

“Something… is different from the original?”

At first, she tried to observe the situation quietly and assess it, but the problem now was that the protagonist was gradually being pushed towards me.

“I need to help… her? No, but were you always this weak?”

I thought these Haomun guards would be no match for her, but as I watched them fight fiercely unexpectedly, I was dumbfounded, while the protagonist, who was pushed back by the large Haomun master, climbed up onto the table where I had left the alcohol.

Thud.

“Ah.”

“You bastard… what are you, won’t you back off?”

As I calmly caught the falling jug with ease, the Haomun guards who told me to back off with anger, and everyone else except me and the protagonist who seemed frightened and retreated, I sighed.

“In the end, am I being dragged into this… Normally, I would have infiltrated myself, but since I haven’t, it naturally developed like this, huh?”

If you’re going to reproduce the original work to this extent, I guess I have no choice but to follow along to some extent.

“Hoo… These things that aren’t worth much ruin the taste of the alcohol. If you’re going to fight, shouldn’t you go out without bothering anyone?”

Slightly intoxicated, he forcefully pronounced words, making his tongue twist. He acted as if he had just stood up after drinking, dipping his finger in soot and applying it lightly under his chin.

Because that’s how the original was, I portrayed it as if I were moderately drunk and about to fight.

I ended up reproducing the first encounter between Yeoncheongha and Hansoso from the original work.

“Who are you? Are you also acquainted with these guys?”

Feeling the venomous voice, I laughed for a moment as if smoke was rising.

“Mocking?!”

“Well, not exactly mocking…”

While I was denying it, my body was reacting on its own.

Seizing Hansoso’s strike, filled with anger and attempting to swing the sword threateningly, I disarmed and subdued him.

“Let go of this…!”

Trying to shake it off with his own strength, Hansoso couldn’t overcome Yeoncheongha’s strength and was caught. I was in a difficult situation, caught in between, but I tried to manage my expression and not show any signs.

If I forcibly tried to think about it, it could be considered similar to the original.

‘Now… is it time for the protagonist to appear?’

“Stop it right there. Don’t soldiers dislike this?”

Yes, this small but powerful voice.

When I turned my head, there was a young man with dust on his hair, not properly washed, and still not fully grown, but with an intense gaze.

The protagonist of this novel had appeared.