The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

Medicine Peddlers

Decades ago, when entertainment was scarce, these individuals gathered at rural markets or elder councils, captivating audiences with their skills while peddling their medicines.

They hawked dubious remedies, claiming they could cure everything from coughs and phlegm to boosting immunity and addressing all sorts of diseases, even those affecting one’s nighttime activities.

The audience, misled by the peddler’s eloquence, purchased these counterfeit medicines. Yet, some rationalized their purchases as compensation for the entertainment provided by the performance.

What intrigued me was this very concept of paying for the experience.

“People are more accustomed to paying for goods than stories.”

In such remote villages, there’s no incentive for someone to pay just for my storytelling when they could listen in without any cost. Thus, they avoided paying.

Should I, then, abandon storytelling in these places?

No.

The line between medicine and poison was fine. Overuse transformed medicine into poison, while the correct

dose of poison could act as a medicine.

I enlisted Tang Hwarin, an expert in pharmacology, to create a genuine fatigue recovery agent using inexpensive ingredients, steering clear of counterfeit remedies.

What would happen if we began selling this medicine?

It seemed justifiable to pay a little for the storyteller’s tale. But wasn’t it a waste of money? However, what if the storyteller was offering a medicine with remarkable effects?

Purchasing this medicine meant acquiring an effective treatment and compensating for the entertainment, so why not buy one?

That’s the mindset we aimed to cultivate.

Of course, to achieve this, we must convincingly demonstrate the medicine’s efficacy.

‘A brief commercial break for that purpose.’

I took out the medicine, held it aloft, and paraded around the stage, presenting it to the people.

“Sichuan Tang Family!!! From a woman who dedicated her life to studying medicine there!!!! This fatigue recovery agent I purchased!!! Just drink it!!! And the day’s fatigue disappears!!! With regular use!!! The fatigue that wouldn’t go away, even with plenty of sleep, vanishes!!! Containing the secret formula of the Sichuan Tang Family!!! Fatigue! Recovery! Agent!!!”

“Wow. Such a miraculous medicine exists?”

“Sichuan Tang Family, isn’t that the family in Sichuan Province famous for poison? What kind of medicine is this?”

“This person! Knows one thing but not the other. Doesn’t know that medicine and poison are separated by a thin line? Naturally, knowing the most about poison means they also know a lot about medicine!”

“Wow! Just drinking it recovers fatigue, isn’t this the legendary elixir I’ve heard about!”

“If such a thing exists, I’d like to try it too.”

People were surprised by the mention of the Sichuan Tang Family and began discussing the medicine I held.

Modern people might think this drama had too much product placement (PPL), breaking immersion. “Can’t they stop inserting such distracting ads?” they might comment negatively. But in this world, there were no such concerns.

This sales method was probably used for the first time by me.

I had never seen performers selling medicine in this world. If there were, it wouldn’t be a mainstream sales method.

“If they’re startled by just this much advertising, that would be problematic.”

As the crowd calmed down and turned their attention back to me, I immediately consumed the medicine.

“I feel energized!!! The fatigue disappears!!!”

I purposely performed a spectacular somersault on the spot to appear energized.

“Wow! The effect must be huge!”

“Hamurin, who was about to collapse, is doing somersaults!”

“It’s like waking up in a warm, fluffy bed, opening the window, and breathing in the cool morning air without a trace of fatigue!!!”

I shouted loudly, indicating that I was ready.

“There goes a woman wearing a mask onto the stage!”

“She’s holding a hidden weapon! Must be an assassin!”

The masked woman slowly began to ascend the stage.

My medicine’s effectiveness promotion was just the beginning.

What should be done to sell the medicine effectively?

The essence of being a medicine peddler.

The patented approach of medicine peddlers.

A mechanism to prove the efficacy of the medicine.

“I am an assassin. Take… the hidden weapon.”

Indeed, medicine peddling includes acrobatic shows.

“The acting is really awkward.”

Who declared themselves an assassin upfront? It’s expected to wait until someone said, “Who are you?!”

Tang Hwarin showed stiff movements as soon as she stepped on stage, resembling a wooden puppet due to nervousness.

This was when I should quickly cover for her.

“I have taken the Sichuan Tang Family’s fatigue recovery medicine and am now free from fatigue!!! Hidden weapons are a joke to me!!! Come on!!!”

If the Sichuan Tang Family saw me, they’d hire me as a TV commercial model right away with how naturally I promoted their product.

“Here I go.”

Tang Hwarin showed the audience a hidden weapon with a red string attached before throwing it at me.

“Wow! The storyteller is dodging everything! Cool!”

“Moving only his limbs and dodging everything!”

“Incredible! He caught the hidden weapon in the end!”

“Even with blades, there’s no blood! Is it the effect of the medicine?”

“Wow! The woman throwing the hidden weapon is cool too!”

“With the red string attached. You can see the weapon flying even from afar!”

As expected, it’s clearly visible.

The red string was attached for a special effect.

Even if Tang Hwarin slowly threw the weapon and I dodged, the ordinary audience wouldn’t be able to see it properly.

Throwing the weapon with a red string attached made its trajectory visible with the string extending. It allowed the audience to easily see the process of throwing and dodging the weapon.

It went well, but it was really challenging. We synchronized our timing in the morning, but executing it live turned out to be a whole different ballgame.

“The weapon… has… fallen.”

Tang Hwarin signaled that she was ready for the final act with her awkward acting.

“Assassin! Take my sword!”

I charged at Tang Hwarin, wielding the fan in my hand as though it were a sword.

The assassin fell.

So slow, even in falling.

“Kyaa! Lord Hamurin has triumphed!”

“That assassin! Shaking her chest as she falls. A sight to behold.”

“Is this person insane? What did he just say?”

“Dear, I’m sorry!”

“The assassin was impressive too.”

“If he hadn’t taken the fatigue recovery medicine, it would have been a serious problem.”

“I wish I had something like that too.”

Good. The acrobatic show was more successful than anticipated.

“I was able to defeat the assassin only because my fatigue was recovered!!! All thanks to the Sichuan Tang Family’s medicine!!! I must now offer prayers to the heavens and earth for the fortune of the woman who sold me the medicine!!!”

A brief sales intermission would now take place.

I knelt to pray and signaled to Tang Hwarin, who had descended from the stage, to pick up the medicines placed beside the stage and approach the audience.

I began the advertisement while gazing towards the sky.

“O heavenly and earthly deities!!! She has purple hair and green eyes!!! Suffered from illness in her youth and developed a compassionate heart!!! Learned to make effective yet affordable medicine for the less fortunate of the world!!!”

Tang Hwarin removed the assassin’s mask, revealing her distinctive hair and eyes to the audience.

“Wow! Purple hair!! Green eyes!! She truly is a woman from the Sichuan Tang Family!!!”

“The part covered by the cloth. If you look closely, isn’t that a sign of her past illness?”

“Man! She studied pharmacology because she was ill in her youth!!”

“Then, could it be… the medicine in front of her is the one Lord Hamurin took?”

The twist effect worked wonders.

Knowing this would happen, I intentionally had her wear a mask to cover her hair, only to reveal it in front of the people.

It must feel as though a fictional character has come to life before their eyes.

Even the real woman, a descendant of the Sichuan Tang Family, could be convinced it’s true based on the story I told.

“Fatigue recovery medicine for sale. One dose for 1 silver.”

Tang Hwarin, speak up. She spoke so softly, probably out of shyness.

“I’ll take one!!!”

“Me too!!!”

People hurried to buy the medicine from Tang Hwarin.

“I don’t think we can sell them all.”

People were buying, but we made so much, hoping to sell in large quantities, that it seemed unlikely we’ll sell everything.

“Aren’t you buying?”

“Eh. Why would an old man who can’t sleep at night need such medicine?”

“Dear, should I buy one?”

“What a waste of money.”

I guess I needed to provide some support.

“O Heavens!!! An old man with insomnia buys the SICHUAN TANG FAMILY’s fatigue recovery medicine and gives just one to his grandson, who is tired from studying around noon, saying, ‘It’s tough these days! Your grandpa understands! Take this and gain strength!’ Patting him on the shoulder! After taking the medicine, the grandson’s focus improves, he passes the civil service exam, and forever remembers his grandfather who encouraged him throughout his life!”

“Wait… I’ll get in line and come back.”

“Hehe. Let’s go together.”

“O Heavens!!! A person who is always sleepy and still feels tired after sleeping!! If they stop eating meat and take the Sichuan Tang Family’s fatigue recovery medicine for just a week!!! Their old fatigue will completely disappear!!!”

“I should buy one too!!”

“O Heavens!!! To a husband tired from working all day!!! If you give him the fatigue recovery medicine!!! A husband who used to refuse the bed saying he’s tired will have!!! Vigorous!!! Energy to spend!!! Where do you think he’ll use it!!!”

“I bought one too. I’ll wash up as soon as I get home.”

“Dear, wash up? What are you talking about?”

“Give me another one!”

“Me too!”

Eventually, all the medicines Tang Hwarin had were sold out.

“I have avenged my grandfather!!! Now, for the bright future of the Ha family!!! I will live diligently!!!”

Here, Hamurin’s story ended with a happy ending. If it had ended sadly after buying the medicine, they might have asked for a refund.

“That was a great story!!!”

“I’ve never seen a storyteller tell a story so well!”

“Dear!! Don’t stray off the path; let’s hurry!”

“Can’t we just go to my friend’s house?”

“Hehe. I should hurry and prepare it for my grandchild.”

What a heartwarming scene.

I made some money, and the audience bought good medicine.

Everyone was leaving the open space with a pleasant smile.

“Really, is this okay?”

Except for Tang Hwarin, who was looking dumbfounded.

“Isn’t this a scam?”

After finishing dinner in the room, Tang Hwarin asked me with a dumbfounded face.

“Again with that. It’s not.”

“But, claiming it increases concentration or libido? How is that not a scam?”

“The medicine you made. It’s a fatigue recovery medicine made with the Sichuan Tang Family’s secret recipe.”

The medicine I sold today contains the secret recipe of the Sichuan Tang Family.

Neither Tang Hwarin nor I were part of a scam organization, and there was no intention to tarnish my image by selling fake all-cure medicines. We sold genuinely effective medicine.

“Considering it was made with cheap ingredients, the medicine is quite effective.”

“See. We didn’t sell fake deer antlers. Even if the fatigue recovery medicine doesn’t have those specific effects, if fatigue is relieved, concentration improves, and naturally, love is shared with one’s spouse. It’s all related.”

“Still…”

“What we did was just promote the medicine. In Joseon, what we did would barely count as a medicine advertisement. In Joseon, it’s common to say things like eating this will give you the strength of a tiger or let you live like a bear.”

“Is that the standard in Joseon?”

“Yes. I actually felt good being able to show people the true value of the medicine you made. Didn’t you?”

I deliberately tried to elicit empathy from Tang Hwarin.

When you started to feel a bit of guilt, making them an accomplice was the best approach.

“…I was happy to see the medicine I made being sold.”

Tang Hwarin admitted in a reluctant tone, slightly bowing her head.

“That’s right. I liked seeing people praise you and all the medicine you made being sold.”

I smiled at Tang Hwarin like a supervisor proudly watching the growth of a new recruit who has just made their mark.

Tang Hwarin’s eyes suddenly widened at my words.

“Uh, that’s…”

“Let’s go to sleep. I’m tired.”

That should be enough. I walked past Tang Hwarin and collapsed onto the bed.

Tang Hwarin stood for a while, then let out a small sigh and sat down on the bed, continuing to look at me with an uneasy gaze.

Tang Hwarin, if you keep looking at me like that, I won’t be able to sleep.

“Hey… Kang Yun-ho.”

Tang Hwarin continued to look at me, then cautiously called my name.

Was there something else she wanted to say? It didn’t seem like she’s displeased.

I met Tang Hwarin’s gaze, signaling her to speak if she had something to say.

“What’s the real reason you’re traveling with me?”

“I told you. To spread my friend’s medicine…”

“Is that really all?”

She asked me in a serious voice.

Was she doubting me? I sat up in bed and silently met her gaze.

As our eyes met again, Tang Hwarin’s eyes trembled, a mix of anxiety and longing in her expression.

She probably didn’t want to hear the same joke or excuse again.

“Actually, it’s not.”

Then, it’s time to bring out the prepared response for this moment.