The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

“‘To be, or not to be, that is the question.’”

The classic tragedy, “Hamlet.” Even those unfamiliar with the story likely recognized this line.

To briefly summarize “Hamlet,” the play centered around Hamlet’s uncle, who assassinated Hamlet’s father and then married Hamlet’s mother to claim the throne. Upon learning of this treachery from his father’s ghost, Hamlet sought revenge. Although he ultimately succeeded, he, too, met his demise in a twisted turn of events.

I intended to adapt this tale to my own style and create a solo performance to present before an audience.

“‘To be, or not to be, that is the question.’”

The Moyong Family’s Tonal Art maintained bodily health and even enhanced the voice. I started with a low tone to establish the atmosphere and ensure the first line resonated with the listeners. I began acting as if lost in deep contemplation.

“My father has passed away, assassinated by a stranger. The headship of our Ha family did not pass to me but to my uncle.”

From the outset, I present the protagonist’s conflict to captivate the audience.

“Isn’t that the story of the Sung family?”

“It’s from Joseon; just listen.”

Some audience members seemed to have caught on already, but it was not a major concern.

“I examined my father’s body. It bore wounds that only someone with a level 5 or higher in Ha swordsmanship could have inflicted—strange. Only two people in our family have reached that level: my uncle and me.”

With a voice and face brimming with suspicion, I communicated the protagonist’s doubts to the audience, folding the fan and mimicking a stabbing motion.

The fan proved to be a useful prop.

“The uncle bastard must be the culprit.”

“If he knows, why doesn’t he just kill him?”

“Why is he hesitating?”

The audience was captivated by the intense beginning of the story—a favorable reaction.

“My uncle has no children. He publicly declared that after serving ten years as the family head, he would pass the title to me. If I avoid raising suspicion now, in ten years, the entire wealth and glory of the Ha family will be mine.”

I acted as if I were walking on the ground scattered with all sorts of treasures, pondering, then looked up and continued.

“But!! Then who will avenge our father, wandering in agony as a restless spirit! However, even if I claim that only my uncle could leave such wounds, no one would believe me. If I kill my uncle, I will be branded a patricide. And then, I too will die… ‘To be, or not to be. That is the question.’”

My tone was like making excuses to my father. Yet, my face bore deep contemplation.

“Why not just wait 10 years and become rich?”

“Would you do that if your father was murdered? You must avenge him!”

“My father would want me to live richly, not die.”

Good. The audience was beginning to understand the protagonist’s dilemma.

Now it was time to transition to the more sensational part of the story.

“I should talk about this dilemma to my mother. Though she is my stepmother, she must have loved my father.”

I turned my body to the opposite side of the audience, pretending to walk, then I unfolded the fan.

Covering the lower part of my face, I stuck my hips out slightly and imitated a woman’s voice.

“Dear, how did you manage to kill my husband so secretly without anyone knowing?”

“Shh. What if someone hears you?”

Snap! I folded the fan again and changed my expression, acting as another man, the uncle.

This was why I bought the Korean fan, the hapjukseon.

It was perfect to express that I was from Joseon, and it also served as a trademark for a storyteller.

Moreover, the fan could be used as a prop for acting, and opening or closing it signaled a change in character.

Truly a versatile tool.

“Here, only my beloved Ga and this concubine are present.”

“My wife, do you know how much effort I put into gaining this Ha family for you?”

“Hehe. That’s why I worked hard to pass the Ha family to Ga instead of your unrelated child.”

“Thank you, my wife. My brother had more blessings than he deserved. To have the Ha family, and such a beautiful woman. Now both have found their true master.”

“So, I am to become Ga’s possession now?”

“Haha, of course. As soon as I send an assassin to kill that nephew of mine, I will officially welcome you as my wife.”

I revealed the conspiracy between the two characters and glanced subtly at the audience.

“Those damn scoundrels!”

“How can they be so shameless, even with a sister-in-law?”

“Honey, lately you’ve been strangely close to my younger brother… Ah! Sorry! Don’t pinch me!”

“I feel like throwing up. How can such vile scoundrels exist!”

Good. The reaction was strong. It was finally time to use my main trick.

“Heaven above! Have you seen this!”

I changed my voice tone to continue acting as Prince Hamurin.

“I want to kill those dog-like scoundrels right now! What do you think?!”

Looking at the audience, I gestured with the fan toward the spot where I had just acted as the two villains.

“Kill them!”

“If you don’t, your father will weep in the afterlife!”

“If you don’t, it’s unfilial, pure unfiliality!”

The audience was really responsive. Some men were even shouting themselves hoarse.

The atmosphere heated up.

Now, it was time to show some technique.

“But Heaven above. Even if I kill those scoundrels, without evidence, I will be executed. A patricide for killing my mother and uncle. However, if I go to the scene of my father’s murder and gather evidence, I can kill those scoundrels!”

“Hurry up, go!”

“What are you waiting for? Go!”

Alright, I was going. But I needed something first.

“The wealth of the Ha family is now in the hands of those filthy scoundrels. I cannot use dirty money to avenge my father. Heaven above! Please! Grant me travel expenses!”

I quickly stepped down from the stage and pulled out a prepared begging bowl. Holding the bowl with both hands, I started walking in front of the people.

The crowd seemed confused by my actions, showing no response.

“Heaven above! Without travel expenses, I cannot go to the scene of my father’s murder!”

“Hurry up, give me the money. You’ve been listening for free until now.”

Storytelling was fundamentally free.

This world didn’t have subscription-based services where only those who paid could listen. Nor could I buy a theater and charge admission just for entry.

So, how did a storyteller make money? That’s where skill came in.

Yaoqianfa (Inviting Money Technique)

This was the method of earning money while telling free stories.

A classic technique was the ‘cliffhanger’. I stopped at an interesting part of the story and refused to continue. Then, people would put money into the storyteller’s box, urging me to continue.

But this method had the problem of leaving the audience feeling too dissatisfied if the story was interrupted when it was interesting. So, I broke the fourth wall as the main character, directly asking for money.

“Hurry up and collect the money and rush to the scene!”

“Plant a knife in your uncle! Take this!”

“I was going to have a drink of rice wine, but take it!”

Money started accumulating in the bowl. It looked like I’d be able to eat thick, meaty premium hangover soup for a while.

“Heaven above! To provide me with such travel expenses, I will immediately rush to the scene!”

Once enough money was collected, I briskly climbed back onto the stage.

I guessed I needed to use this Inviting Money Technique at least three times for one act.

With that, I began the rest of the story.

“What a touching story.”

“Enjoyed it immensely!”

“It’s not just the Central Plains; such things happen in Joseon too!”

“A bit tragic, but it was spectacular!”

The story of Prince Hamurin from Joseon was a great success. As the story concluded, the audience applauded and showed their admiration.

In the end, although Prince Hamurin met a tragic death, he achieved his revenge satisfactorily. And my money box had gotten significantly heavier.

“Thank you. I will share stories from Joseon at this time every day.”

“I’m looking forward to more stories from Joseon!”

“Such a youth brings a sense of tension to the relaxed Chilgok County!”

As the satisfied audience members began to leave, I too gathered the money box and stepped down from the stage.

This was all the money I had earned.

To think I had been missing a few coins and had to survive on roots in the mountains.

The money in the bowl was all in bronze coins, but their weight indicated it was enough to exchange for silver coins.

No matter how skillfully one used the Yaoqianfa, people didn’t usually spend silver coins just to listen to a story.

It was not about getting a large sum from a few people, but about collecting small amounts from many. That’s the essence of the Yaoqianfa.

‘I should ask Mr. Wang to exchange it for silver.’

Carrying this much was burdensome.

And it was risky to leave it in my shanty house; it might get stolen. It was better to exchange it for larger denominations and carry it with me.

After exchanging the money with Mr. Wang, I headed back to my shanty house.

On the way, I encountered an old man I had never seen before, sitting with a stall set up. Behind him was a flag with the word ‘Fortune-Telling’ written on it.

If he was fortune-telling, why was he here near the shantytown and not in the market area?

“Hello. I haven’t seen you around here before.”

The old man with a sage-like beard glanced at me and then gave no further reaction.

This grandfather didn’t know how to do business. A proper response to a greeting should include a sales pitch.

“Do you tell fortunes? How’s business today?”

I had struck big today. Actually, I wanted to brag a bit, but Mr. Wang was too busy to chat.

“If you’re telling fortunes, you should be on a busy street, not near the shantytown.”

“Fortune-telling said I would meet a very important guest here today, but no one has come. Perhaps you, are you here for a fortune?”

“I don’t know much about fortune-telling. But I guess I can be your first customer.”

This grandfather was subtly good at business. I might not have been a valuable customer, but he seemed to have a sales spirit, so I obliged as his first client.

“Sit on the chair in front of you. What would you like to know?”

“I did well in my first business today. I want to know if my life will continue to be successful.”

For a month, I had been surviving on a loaf of bread, wondering if I should indulge in such luxury. But when good things happen, it’s okay to show a little kindness to someone else.

“Alright. Let’s see your birth chart. What is your date of birth and time?”

‘My birthdate…’

Should I mention the birthdate of Kang Yun-ho, who would be born hundreds of years later, or that of the prodigal son Kang Yun-ho? Converting the former into the sexagenary cycle was too complicated.

I just went with the birthdate of the prodigal son Kang Yun-ho.

“Hmm…”

The fortune-teller grandfather started fiddling with some strange tools in front of him. Oh, it was quite atmospheric. Was grandfather more serious than I thought?

“Strange.”

Suddenly, the grandfather looked at me again and then returned to his tools.

“Hmm.”

The grandfather tapped his forehead with his finger, showing a thoughtful expression

What was he doing? Calculating the fee? If he asked for too much, I might just flip the table and run away. Grandfather.

“You.”

The grandfather then looked at me seriously.

“Yes?”

What’s up?

“Why is a dead person walking among the living?”

What?

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