The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel-Chapter 170: An Unexpected Encounter - 7

“Pickpockets,” I said, snatching the coin pouch from the boy’s hand and tossing it back to Cheong-un.

Pickpocketing might be mostly gone in modern-day Korea, but in this world, it’s still a pretty common career path. The scariest part about pickpockets in the martial world is that even low-level thugs know martial arts designed specifically for theft.

They work in teams—some distract you, while others strike in a blink with hands faster than the eye. Before you even realize it, your pouch is gone.

If you stay alert, it’s not a problem, but for rookies like Cheong-un just entering the Jianghu, it’s easy to let your guard down.

“Pickpockets...?”

Cheong-un, still gripping the hilt of his sword, looked at the boys in disappointment. The ones who had played the role of lookouts flinched at his gaze.

“Warrior! It’s not our fault—he’s the one who couldn’t break the habit! Our brother really was taken, I swear!”

Now that’s just pathetic.

“If we had gone into that alley, we would’ve found the town’s local thugs waiting for us. If the pickpocketing didn’t work, their next move was to lure us into a trap and rob us.”

One of their tricks is to steal something small and obvious just to get you to follow them. Once you do, it’s all downhill from there.

“No! I swear, my brother’s really getting beaten up!”

The kid looked genuinely terrified now. He probably thought we’d cut him down for real. His voice cracked with panic.

Cheong-un hesitated, struggling with the image of the trembling child. After a moment, he spoke gently.

“Let’s go with them.”

“Young Hero Cheong-un. It’s a trap. I said it was the local thugs, but there could be armed men waiting for us.”

You can’t fool my eyes, brat. You’re not crying because you care about your “brother”—you’re scared you’re about to be cut.

“How could I ignore someone asking for help? Let’s go.”

...He knows, and he still wants to go?

Though he nodded as if agreeing with me, Cheong-un still followed the boys toward the alley.

------------

“Heh... good job, kid.”

Just as expected. As soon as we stepped into the alley, a group of about ten thugs appeared, surrounding us. They didn’t look all that impressive, but a few of them were armed.

“And where’s your brother?”

Cheong-un’s voice was calm, his posture relaxed—like a tiger surrounded by stray mutts. He turned to the boy and asked casually.

The boy seemed unsure now, either from guilt or because he realized something was seriously wrong. He stayed silent, fidgeting.

“That brother of his? That’s me. Now hand over everything if you want to walk out in one piece!”

So the kid figured it out, but their so-called leader hadn’t. Does he think Cheong-un is just some clueless young noble who’s never drawn his blade?

“Haah... No one to save. Just garbage to clean up.”

“Young Hero Cheong-un?”

Was he angry? He let out a long sigh, his tone bitter.

“What the hell’s this punk mumbling about?!”

“You’re mere petty thugs—I won’t bother drawing my blade.”

Cheong-un grabbed the sheath of his sword like a club and raised it.

“Get ‘em!”

Of course it turned into this. The ten thugs all rushed us at once.

Back in the day, I’d be running for my life. But I’m not the old Kang Yun-ho anymore.

“Gah!”

I’ve got a secret weapon now: the Chivalrous Hero Deployment Skill. While Cheong-un surged into the enemy lines and took out the first wave of attackers with frightening ease, I wasn’t about to sit still either. I scanned the area for the easiest targets.

“W-What the hell?!”

“What do you mean, what the hell?! This is the martial art of Joseon! Death God Style – White Tiger Seven-Fold Strike!”

“Wait, is he... a barbarian master?!”

Nope. I’m just swinging wildly.

“Aaaaagh!”

It ended in an instant.

By the time I’d punched out one guy with seven random strikes, Cheong-un had already taken care of the rest.

The sight of these thugs crawling like worms, nursing their broken limbs, made me feel a little guilty for even worrying earlier.

I mean, this is the guy who climbed a mountain alone because he thought bandits had set up a stronghold. What would he be afraid of here?

They say that when you lack strength, your brain has to work harder. But if you have strength, you can just walk straight into danger and deal with it.

“Kang Master. Let’s go.”

Cheong-un turned to me, his face cold, his voice quiet.

He’s really pissed.

He wasn’t showing anger per se, but his usual warm expression was completely gone.

Can’t blame him. He got tricked when all he wanted to do was help someone. Of course he’d be upset. He looked like he was about to leave, as if throwing out the trash.

But I wasn’t planning to leave just yet.

“Young Hero Cheong-un. I understand how you feel, but please wait.”

I started walking deeper into the alley as I spoke.

“Kang Master?”

Cheong-un called out, puzzled.

To him, this might just be an unpleasant incident. But things like this pile up and become emotional wounds.

What if next time, someone really in need begs him for help—and he hesitates because of this?

What’s done is done. But if I can turn this bad memory into something a little more satisfying, then I should.

Not the chivalrous hero way—but the Kang Yun-ho way.

“Hey! Snap out of it!”

I grabbed the ringleader’s hair and yanked his head back.

“Wh-What?! What are you doing?! We were wrong! Please, spare my life!”

He looked utterly wrecked now—hard to imagine he was talking tough just a minute ago.

That face alone would’ve made for a fine lesson, but I figured Cheong-un and I both deserved a little compensation.

“You see, my friend here got hurt. We tried to help, and now his heart’s all wounded.”

“I’m sorry! I’m really sorry!”

“You think ‘sorry’ is enough? What about compensation for the trauma we’ve suffered?”

“Huh?”

“How much money you got?”

When someone tramples your dignity, you get paid. That’s the rule.

I smiled like some wizard who had just legally looted a bandit stash after wiping out a den.

“We... don’t have any money.”

No money? I checked the guy’s clothes. Sure enough, no visible pouch. But come on—no way someone like this walks around broke.

He must be thinking go ahead and try to find it. But if you won’t give it up nicely, there are other ways.

“Really? Then I guess we’ve got no choice. Hey. What color does my hair look to you?”

“Wha—? B-Black?”

“Right. I’m from somewhere far from the Central Plains. Where I’m from, when pickpockets get caught, they either pay compensation... or we cut off their arm.”

“You said you don’t have money, right? Young Hero Cheong-un, I’ll hold him down—please, make it clean.”

I repeated the line the Pavilion Head once used—completely barbaric nonsense. But given the bizarre rumors people have about barbarians, it makes for a hell of a threat.

“EEEEEEK!”

The thug thrashed, but he couldn’t escape the grip I had on his arm.

“Kang Master!”

Cheong-un stepped forward in a daze, completely shocked.

I subtly turned my face so the pickpocket couldn’t see and flashed Cheong-un a smile.

Just kidding. Like I’d really chop off someone’s arm.

“I-I’ll give it to you! I’ll give you everything! Please, just spare me!”

Apparently, even that one step from Cheong-un was terrifying enough to make the pickpocket have a full-blown meltdown.

“Whoa, whoa, don’t be so scared. No one said we’d kill you. Just... chop off an arm, is all.”

“Huhuhuuhhh... I-I’ll give it all! Please!”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

“The pickpocket bawled like he was summoning the strength he used to cry as a newborn.”

I let go of his restrained arm and said, “Now listen up. Go collect all the money from your little crew. If I find any coins you’re hiding after that... well, I’ll be too annoyed to spare anything, so I’ll just cut everything off. Got it?”

That should be enough. I released the trembling brat and watched him scramble.

“Y-Yes. P-Please... just don’t kill me.”

The pickpocket boss emptied every pouch he had hidden on him, along with all the cash his buddies were carrying, and laid it at our feet like a tribute.

Cheong-un watched the whole thing unfold with a baffled expression. But when he saw the tearful, snot-dripping thieves bowing and groveling, even he couldn’t help but let out a faint chuckle.

Maybe that gave him a little bit of comfort.

We walked off with generous compensation money and used it to buy some higher-quality food before heading back to the inn.

------------

The journey was finally nearing its end.

We spent one last night at an inn and left again before dawn.

“Tonight, we’ll rest at an abandoned shrine. By tomorrow or the next day, we should reach Sichuan Province. Once we get to Daejuk-hyeon on the outskirts, we’ll find a branch of the Sichuan Tang Clan. Just one or two more days of effort. Young Hero Cheong-un...”

“I’ll be leaving once we reach the Tang Clan’s branch.”

So our time together was ending. A little disappointing—but still, it was good to know the end was in sight. One or two days more of keeping our guard up, and this would all be over.

Even though my struggles wouldn’t end just because the danger of attacks was gone, the prospect of cutting down one major worry made me feel a little lighter.

“Being assigned first watch—talk about luck.”

I sat down next to Cheong-un, who was staring into the campfire with a glum expression.

“I suppose.”

His voice was flat, almost brooding. Was he still hung up about what happened yesterday?

Probably felt like making a well-meaning donation to a charity, only to find out later the directors were blowing it on a luxury yacht party before getting arrested.

A little discipline alone wouldn’t have been enough to settle that mess.

“The marshmallow came out nicely toasted. Want one?”

I handed him a skewer with a golden, puffy marshmallow on it. Bought with their hush money, so might as well use it for some emotional recovery.

“Oh? This is... actually...”

He took it absentmindedly and took a bite—then his eyes went wide.

“Tastes good, right?”

Roasted marshmallows are the ultimate camping snack. Though from the look on his face, it seemed like this was his first time having one.

“When I was at the Wudang Sect, I spent every coin I had on books...”

Seeing the curiosity on my face, he confessed a little sheepishly.

“Haha. I used to spend all my cash on hobbies too, so I’ve neglected food a lot.”

You know what they say—budget split into three: gacha, savings, and living expenses.

“I see.”

Cheong-un smiled faintly, like he was glad to find a kindred spirit.

“Traveling as a swordsman lets you experience things like this... delicious food and all. I suppose I should cheer up and not dwell on things too much.”

If the ending’s sweet, the rest doesn’t matter.

When I saw him nod softly, I started eating mine as well.

Honestly, selling marshmallows in a martial arts provisions shop? That deserves a raised eyebrow—but if it comforted Cheong-un, I could let it go.

After scarfing down three in a row, he seemed a little brighter. He stared into the flames, then spoke in a low, serious tone.

“Kang Master.”

“Yes?”

“I’m sorry, but... could I trouble you to hear me out for a moment?”

Wow, it’s been a while since someone came to me for advice.

Now this is my specialty.