The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

Wedding Ceremony

I never thought I would be part of such an event. Whenever my friends got married, I diligently gave them congratulatory money, feeling a bit bitter since I never believed I would receive it myself.

Now that I am getting married, I want to invite all my friends. Chang-sik, I’m getting married. I gave you 200,000 won at your wedding; why haven’t you called? Jin-woo only gave 100,000 won, but he called to thank me.

Myung-jun, a friend who contacted me out of the blue after a year to say he was getting married, upset me a bit at the time. Nevertheless, I still gave a generous gift. I’ve been attending gatherings since then without saying much, but I felt a bit upset back then. If you come to my wedding, I’ll forgive you.

Who was I marrying?

A lady named Moyong Sang-ah who lived in Yodong Castle. Chinese? Yes, she is. Hey, do you think I would be so desperate for a woman that I would call an international marriage agency? Still, we’re an international couple, so congratulate us.

Where should you go?

Martial arts visual novel. Yodong Castle. Moyong family. Oh, was it difficult? You don’t like it because it will be a bloody wedding? Then don’t come. I also think it’s not a good idea.

“What a weird dream.”

I dreamt that I invited my friends to my wedding, but no one came. I woke up screaming, “My gift money!”

The wedding took place in the late afternoon, after lunch.

A once-in-a-lifetime event, the wedding ceremony ended faster than I had anticipated.

Just as travel preparation was the main part and the trip itself was just DLC, the wedding preparations were arduous, but the actual ceremony was brief.

Neither family attended, and the scale was not as large as one would expect for a Moyong family event.

I had thought famous martial artists would come to congratulate us, but there were not many renowned guests. Perhaps Moyong Sang-ah didn’t want rumors to spread, as it might appear that she was being sold off.

Of course, the scale of the event wasn’t small due to a lack of famous guests; there were many visitors. In this era, it was customary to treat anyone who came to a happy occasion, not just those with invitation cards.

It was a modest wedding for a martial arts family, without VIPs or parents present.

Yet, there was something unmatched about this wedding.

“Look how beautiful Moyong Sang-ah is.”

“Mom! There’s a fairy over there!”

“She’s always been beautiful, but now she’s just like a real fairy.”

“Such heavenly beauty. Hard to believe she’s real.”

“Such a beautiful lady marrying that man. Oh dear!”

Truly, no bride could be this beautiful. Seeing Moyong Sang-ah in her wedding dress, I couldn’t keep my jaw from dropping.

Incredible.

I had to run away tonight, but she looked like she would not leave me; instead, she would return to the bridal room.

Now I understand why the original Kang Yun-ho, despite hearing the news of the treason, tried to force himself on Moyong Sang-ah. To go die without being with such a bride? Unbearable.

“You’re making me shy, staring like that.”

Moyong Sang-ah noticed my gaping jaw and surprised face, then smiled slightly and looked away.

“Today, Moyong Sang-ah is marrying Kang Yun-ho of Joseon. Now, we’ll proceed with the ‘Biyeol’ ceremony, the Joseon-style ritual of placing a hairpin in the bride’s hair. The groom will now place the hairpin in the bride’s hair.”

Following the MC’s words, I approached Moyong Sang-ah, who had turned her back to me.

With all eyes on us, I felt nervous.

I had practiced in advance for the ceremony, so I was quite skilled at arranging her hair and placing the hairpin.

Moyong Sang-ah’s fair neck blushed pink slightly, and her natural scent tickled my nose, making my head spin.

Couldn’t the news of the treason have come just one day later?

Just give me one day. I had lived my life earnestly. Of course, my thoughts wouldn’t change the outcome, so the ceremony continued.

“Wow! The groom’s first marriage, yet he’s so skilled at placing the hairpin. I wonder if the bride will struggle. Ha-ha.”

The MC joked about Kang Yun-ho’s past with women, prompting laughter from the guests in a pleasant atmosphere.

The wedding ceremony continued amid such cheer.

Voices admiring Moyong Sang-ah’s beauty.

Voices calling Kang Yun-ho a thief.

Moyong Bi’s relieved expression.

Speeches given during the wedding ceremony.

While observing and listening to these things and contemplating the future, the wedding ceremony ended before I realized it.

“Now that the two of you are married, you will head to the bridal chamber!”

That was too blatant. Even though we were a married couple now, I shouldn’t be concerned about such things in this era.

“Oh my!”

“Kyaa!”

“Kuhuhuhu! Miss!!”

Amid the not-so-welcoming cheers of the crowd, Moyong Sang-ah and I left the wedding venue.

Paradise and hell were separated by a thin line.

That was how Moyong Sang-ah viewed marriage.

To marry a detestable man seemed akin to entering the gates of hell. She had schemed to avoid this destiny, ultimately without success, but once she saw the true nature of the man, her perspective shifted.

The road to hell now appeared to lead to paradise.

Discovering the presence of the Demonic Sect within her family was akin to dwelling in hell every day.

Admittedly, her current circumstances were still torturous. Marrying him hadn’t altered the situation. Yet now, she would have her husband beside her as she navigated this hell.

With him, she could endure even the flames of hell. No, he would likely carry her through it, refusing to let even a flame graze her.

How could a marriage with such a man be considered hell?

The night deepened.

Moyong Sang-ah slipped out of her wedding gown, refreshed her makeup, and donned lighter attire. She would proceed to the bridal chamber and await his arrival.

The first night held significance for both the man and the woman.

She thought she should lie down demurely and let him lead, but she realized lying down might be difficult for him. So, she decided to sit demurely with her eyes closed.

‘Where will he lead me tonight?’

Should she apply what she had learned from the [Joseon Women’s Behavior Guide]? Engaging in slightly daring fantasies, Moyong Sang-ah was about to head to the bridal chamber.

“Miss!!”

Suddenly, the Changbongdae leader appeared, prostrating before Moyong Sang-ah as she made her way to the bridal chamber.

“It’s improper for a man to appear before a bride on her way to the bridal chamber. Move aside, unless you wish to receive a severe punishment.”

The presence of an outsider before a bride on the verge of being deflowered was a significant taboo.

“I will accept any punishment, but I must deliver this message.”

“… If the Changbongdae leader is prepared for that, it must be important. Speak.”

“The Kang family… has been annihilated.”

The Changbongdae leader uttered the words Moyong Sang-ah never wished to hear.

“What do you mean?”

Moyong Sang-ah’s voice trembled slightly.

“A letter arrived from our source in Joseon. The Kang family was exterminated for treason. Kang Yun-ho’s father and his relatives were executed.”

“Ah, aah.”

Shocked, Moyong Sang-ah’s legs gave way, and she leaned against the wall for support.

“Currently, you and I are the only ones privy to this news. But in a few days, it will be known to the family.”

“What have I done…”

Overwhelmed by the news, Moyong Sang-ah felt a wave of dizziness. Why did this happen? Weren’t they supposed to have failed?

“Miss, you need to stay calm. It’s not too late. I have brought a sword.”

The Changbongdae leader attempted to hand her a sword in its sheath.

“What am I supposed to do with this?”

She had ruined everything.

She had committed an irreversible sin against the hero who had come to her rescue at Yongdam Lake.

How could she make amends?

Should she take her own life with the sword?

“Use that sword to kill Kang Yun-ho.”

“What, what did you say?”

“The wedding ceremony has taken place, but the first night has not. If you kill Kang Yun-ho now, you can return to the Moyong family.”

The leader of Changbongdae shared his desperate plan.

“I will pretend I did not hear that.”

“Miss!! Think of your father! Think of the Moyong family!”

Aware of the dire situation, the leader of Changbongdae pleaded with Moyong Sang-ah.

“… You want me to kill my innocent husband for our family?”

“It was you, Miss Moyong Sang-ah, who wished to drive that man’s family to annihilation for treason!”

“…….”

Faced with that harsh truth, Moyong Sang-ah found herself without a retort.

“Although that man is a scoundrel, he may not deserve death. But from the moment you sent fake evidence to the Joseon court, Kang Yun-ho was as good as dead.”

Yes.

That was true.

She was to blame for the ruin that ensued.

Blinded by her swordsmanship, she failed to notice her surroundings.

How arrogantly she had behaved when she defeated her brother!

She had not considered her brother’s feelings of inferiority amidst the praise of others.

Her father collapsed.

When people mentioned her brother was acting strangely, why had she disregarded it?

People around her started dying under mysterious circumstances.

They approached her, trembling with fear, but she was too absorbed in her sword training.

She was defeated by her brother.

Those who had expectations of her turned their backs on that day.

After her defeat with her mediocre sword skills, she realized she had no place left.

She had done nothing to avert this situation.

She had never wished to marry.

So, for the first time, she took decisive action. And behold the outcome.

The man who had risked his life to find her—

His entire family was annihilated.

She had stripped him of everything precious.

She had obliterated the family of the man who had offered her salvation.

All because of her own deeds.

“Ah……. Ah, ah, ah”

She was responsible for the ruin that ensued.

“Miss! Regain your composure!”

If she stayed still, she crumbled; if she intervened, she ruined everything.

She stood in hell right now.

“It’s about time for the news to come.”

Before heading to the bridal chamber, I changed out of my wedding attire and into more comfortable clothes in the waiting room—clothes that would be easy to escape in.

A wedding was more tiring and stressful than I had expected. I was so drained that I just wanted to lie down.

But soon, news from Joseon should arrive.

“Is anyone there?”

“Who is it?”

“The captain of the guards.”

“Alright. Come in.”

The captain of the guards, who had led the Kang family’s wedding procession, opened the door and strode toward me.

“Sir, please don’t be startled by what I’m about to say.”

The captain of the guards stood before me with a somber expression. It was okay. I wouldn’t be surprised by the news.

“Speak.”

“Sir, your family has been caught for treason and annihilated. The family head and all relatives have been executed.”

Finally, what was expected had come!

“So it has come to this.”

I spoke with a tone of mild lamentation.

“Sir?”

The captain of the guards seemed surprised by my lack of shock, expecting a different reaction. Hey, did I have time to be shocked and play along with him, wondering what we’d do now?

“My father gave me a hint before he left for the wedding ceremony. Are the people here aware of this incident, Captain?”

“I don’t think so. I learned about it through an urgent message from the Kang family’s communication network in Yodong Castle, Sir.”

“Good. With my family annihilated, this place is no longer my in-laws’ home but a den of thieves aiming for our family’s wealth. We must escape immediately.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“However, if I don’t visit the bridal chamber and escape directly, the people here will be alarmed. Regardless of whether they know about the Kang family’s situation, they will send a pursuit team after us.”

“That seems very likely, Sir.”

The captain of the guards nodded, understanding the urgency.

“So, I’ll briefly stop by the bridal chamber and then leave. Captain, go and find Dolsoe, who is preparing for emergencies outside the Moyong family. Prepare with Dolsoe to escape from the Moyong family.”

“I will prepare right away.”

“I’m counting on you.”

The captain of the guards nodded and left the room. Cautiously, I exited as well.

So, it has come to this, the situation I anticipated.

Now, it’s the final hurdle.