Chapter 051
Even though December had arrived, Baek Sugyeong's daily routine hadn't changed much.
Teaching Yi Jonhwi what he could, mediating the tension between the three women, and continuing to write the next volume of "Wudang Sword Hero"—that was his everyday life.
He would occasionally mix in some light exercise, but Baek Sugyeong's days generally followed this pattern.
Sometimes he stayed at the Luoyang branch of the Auspicious Cloud Trading Company, other times at the Dragon Gate Li Clan's villa, but the basic framework of his life remained unchanged.
However, that was until recently.
"You're saying you're hosting the Dragon Gate Gathering, sir?"
Yi Jonhyo nodded in affirmation to Baek Sugyeong's question.
"It would be an honor if Master Baek would participate and grace us with your presence..."
"Hmm."
Baek Sugyeong took a sip of tea and made a slightly troubled expression.
Dragon Gate Gathering.
Though Baek Sugyeong wasn't particularly familiar with Murim affairs, having stayed with the Dragon Gate Li Clan while teaching Yi Jonhwi, he couldn't help but know about the Dragon Gate Gathering.
To summarize, it was like a comprehensive martial arts tournament for the old capital region, with the Dragon Gate Li Clan as the host and the Imperial Palace as the sponsor.
It didn't end there—famous trading companies and escort agencies in Luoyang also participated as sponsors.
As such, its scale was by no means small.
Originally, it had been nothing more than a small gathering hosted by the Dragon Gate Li Clan where young masters from various clans came together to socialize, but over time, it had evolved into something like a comprehensive martial arts tournament.
But the Dragon Gate Gathering wasn't usually held in the dead of winter like this.
Seeing Baek Sugyeong's questioning expression, Yi Jonhyo explained.
"This year, due to various circumstances, it kept getting postponed, and we're finally able to hold the Dragon Gate Gathering now in December, just before the year ends."
"A Dragon Gate Gathering in this weather—it must be quite a challenge."
"Since the Princess herself has said she will come from the Imperial Palace, we cannot be negligent in our preparations."
When Ju Geumye's name came up, Baek Sugyeong felt like his stomach was twisting.
Why that Princess again?
Perhaps noticing Baek Sugyeong's feelings, Yi Jonhyo continued.
"The Princess specifically mentioned Master Baek as the reason for this Dragon Gate Gathering. She decided to hold it solely because she wanted to see you."
"Pfft!"
Baek Sugyeong spat out the tea he was drinking and looked at Yi Jonhyo as if what he'd just heard was absurd.
"Sir, did I hear you correctly?"
"It sounds like a joke, but it's the truth. It seems the Princess has taken a great interest in you, Master Baek."
"Ha, haha..."
Cold sweat ran down the back of his neck.
He was screwed.
It had been a while since he truly felt his stomach churning like this.
'I need some Pingwei powder...'
...
Of course, even with the Dragon Gate Gathering being held, there weren't many changes to Baek Sugyeong's daily routine.
As he had felt at the Murim Alliance, even if he observed martial artists' techniques, his eyes couldn't follow their movements, making it completely useless.
What was the point of training his eyes when he didn't even understand internal energy cultivation methods?
As such, he planned to quietly skip attending the Dragon Gate Gathering this time.
It was about time he needed to speed up his work anyway.
People thought "Wudang Sword Hero" would be between 10 and 20 volumes, but Baek Sugyeong was trying to keep the schedule as tight as possible and finish it in the early to mid-10 volumes if he could.
Originally, he had planned to end it at 8 volumes, but the response was so good that it had stretched longer than expected.
Of course, that meant more content for readers, but the problem was that Baek Sugyeong was killing himself in the process.
"Sigh... I need something to reference. I wonder if there's someone who knows Wudang Sect's martial arts well. Should I visit Mount Wudang?"
Since his novel featured the Wudang Sect as the protagonist, Baek Sugyeong thought it would be good to climb Mount Wudang when he returned to Hubei, combining research with his trip.
"It's a bit scary though."
After "Wudang Sword Hero," Baek Sugyeong's life had completely changed.
Of course, the status of the Wudang Sect had changed as well.
While many at Wudang Sect might consider him a benefactor, there would certainly be those who didn't.
That worried him a bit.
Of course, since he wasn't going right away, it was just a minor concern.
"...I'm almost done with the first draft of volume 9. My shoulders are stiff."
Baek Sugyeong stretched his stiff shoulders.
Right after finishing volume 8, he had been working on volume 4 of "Little Immortal's Chivalrous Journey," and having recently completed that, he had just now finished working on volume 9.
If volume 8 depicted the creation of the "True Martial Thirteen Swords" and "Dark Heaven Limitless Divine Art," along with the chaos that engulfed Mount Wudang due to the attack from the Heavenly Pole True Cult and the third force, the Nine Heavens Secret Palace, which had been waiting for an opportunity...
Volume 9 would focus on how Jin Un and the Wudang disciples who helped him turned the tide in what had seemed like a losing situation.
"The battle between the Nine Heavens Secret Palace and the Heavenly Pole True Cult will be depicted, but the main focus will be on the Wudang disciples' activities."
"Wudang Sword Hero" was thoroughly a work by Wudang, for Wudang, about Wudang.
That's why he had composed Jin Un's circle of characters using mostly Wudang Sect people.
Until now, Jin Un had been portrayed as a hero saving the martial world by single-handedly destroying the Heavenly Pole True Cult's bridgehead, but now the picture would be that not just Jin Un alone, but the Wudang Sect and the orthodox Murim would be supporting him.
Of course, this might provoke antipathy from Shaolin or other sects, but it wasn't a development that lacked plausibility.
"Murim has formed orthodox-unorthodox alliances whenever threats approached. Hmm, but I'm not sure if this applies to the current Central Plains."
Of course, Baek Sugyeong had been collecting materials in his spare time.
He had seen records of several major incidents in the past Murim and the formation of an orthodox alliance during the old Murim's war against the demonic cult, which had been a fight for Murim's survival.
But had an orthodox-unorthodox alliance actually been formed?
He still didn't know about that.
He would have to ask Namgung Somin or Gal Yerung.
"I should ask in advance. It's amazing how the work keeps going even with this haphazard approach."
It was truly remarkable how the work progressed despite him making things up and inserting them so casually.
Of course, even in modern times, he had been directing the overall framework rather than drawing the details himself, which had earned him the reputation of a genius writer, but genius?
No way.
If Baek Sugyeong had been a genius, his first novel wouldn't have failed so miserably.
After stretching to loosen his stiff body, Baek Sugyeong sat back down in his chair.
"From now on is a critical point."
The rise of the Heavenly Pole True Cult, the rapid emergence of the Nine Heavens Secret Palace, the downfall of the Murim Alliance.
From now on, the orthodox-demonic structure would completely crumble and enter a stage of chaos.
The so-called Heaven Mixing Plan.
The plan of the Heavenly Demon, who was the leader of the Heavenly Pole True Cult and the final boss of "Wudang Sword Hero."
The Heavenly Demon's plan to lead the martial world from a turbid world to a chaotic world, from a chaotic world to an end world, and from an end world to a destroyed world.
The Heaven Mixing Plan was the starting point of that plan.
"The Heavenly Pole True Cult's advance into the Central Plains had been decided even before Jin Un left the mountain, and they periodically sent forces to disrupt the martial world. That's how they led the confused Murim into a turbid world."
Baek Sugyeong's brush marked a period on the book.
The Heaven Mixing Plan was the plan to move decisively from a turbid world to a chaotic world.
And this Heaven Mixing Plan was the most important key plan related to the Heavenly Pole True Cult and the Heavenly Demon's wish to create a new Murim.
"Chaos caused by the Heavenly Demon's overwhelming force and schemes... The power consumption generated by the clash between the Nine Heavens Secret Palace forces drawn into the Central Plains by the Heavenly Pole True Cult and the orthodox alliance, and the downfall due to discord and internal strife within the Murim Alliance."
It's quite an interesting structure because it could actually happen in reality.
Originally, people tend to divide into factions when faced with extreme situations, and some try extreme methods like coups to take control.
That's why the story was expected to accelerate from volume 9.
"I should establish the plot to some extent, or it might be troublesome."
Baek Sugyeong's brush raced across the book, writing down words.
For a writer, the existence of a plot is important.
Broadly speaking, it becomes the big framework, and narrowly, it becomes the basic framework for a chapter.
Baek Sugyeong was the type of writer who created a few major plots and filled in the rest as he wrote.
He tended to create small incidents that went between developments on the spot.
Putting down his brush again, Baek Sugyeong folded his arms and fell into thought.
"Even if I accelerate from volume 9, it will take more time to resolve all these themes. It's not something that can be resolved in just one or two volumes."
Some appropriate editing was necessary.
That was a concern in itself.
The story would unfold at a point where the Heavenly Pole True Cult emerged as a great threat to the martial world, the Nine Heavens Secret Palace rapidly rose as a new threat, and internal strife due to discord within the Murim Alliance overlapped, creating an urgent situation for the orthodox factions—but describing all of that would require too many pages.
After pondering for a while, Baek Sugyeong came to a conclusion.
"I'll just have to work harder."
He had no intention of deceiving his readers, but he couldn't fit all the content he wanted within the existing volume size, so Baek Sugyeong would just have to work harder.
A writer's duty is to give pleasure to readers, nothing else.
"From volume 9, I'll have to respond by increasing the volume a bit more. It will be a bit thicker."
After reviewing the first draft of volume 9, he would need to make a copy.
He had to entrust it to So Ssanga.
After writing down the plot he had decided on in the book, Baek Sugyeong got up from his seat for a moment.
Having been cooped up in his room completing the first draft of volume 9, his body felt achy.
Stretching alone didn't seem enough to relieve the stiffness.
"I must have concentrated too much. I need to walk a bit."
Baek Sugyeong left the room, patting his stiff shoulders.