The World of Sound - Chapter 30



Only Krnovel

After educating Wi Ji-cheon and not responding to the invitation of Wi Ji-se Ga-ju, Cheon-hwa visited Ak-yang Jeil-ru every day for three days, eating, drinking, and having fun.

However, since I enjoyed the scenery of Dongjeongho Lake enough, I never occupied the 6th floor except on the first day.

Whether intentional or not, he knew that this would also be a hindrance to business, so he rented a room and invited musicians to play music.

Especially from the second day onwards, a blind musician who revealed his name was Soye also joined.

Although his wound has not fully healed yet, he wants to share the music with Cheonhwa as it is not enough to interfere with his performance.

It was not only a show of gratitude, but also because of the performances Cheonhwa occasionally showed while discussing music with other musicians.

Just like Cheonhwa, she also wanted to play with Cheonhwa, who was an outstanding musician with a special reputation, no doubt as good as her, if not better.

“It was an honor to serve you. Thank you.”

“I had fun too. If we get another chance, let’s share some music together.”

“I will always wait.”

Cheonhwa also gladly accepted her intention and saw, felt, and learned a lot from her performance.

The only thing she had learned was gold, and it could not be said that her skill was superior to his, but her way of playing the strings was unique, and her ability to handle delicate emotional lines and interpret songs were excellent, so she was enlightened.

Although it is difficult to say that Soye’s appearance was beautiful, the way she played the instrument was so beautiful that it made her look like a peerless woman.

It wasn’t that he harbored feelings for her, but as a musician, Cheonhwa respected and admired her, so if she wanted, he would pay the price to Akyang Jeilru on her behalf and let her live the way she wanted, but Soye politely declined.

Although she was a gisaeng, she was not originally a person who had been sold to the brothel with debt. She had simply hired herself here by showing off her outstanding talents in order to take advantage of her inconvenient body, and so she was only working as a gisaeng selling her skills, not as a prostitute selling her body.

So I didn’t feel the need to break out of this fence.

Also, since I was feeling a great sense of accomplishment and pride in meeting many people here and sharing my music, Cheonhwa did not recommend it any longer.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t keep her all to myself, so I left Akyangjeilru on the fourth day, but I was looking forward to the day when we could meet again and enjoy music.

“Where will you go now?”

“I should go to the other bases. I heard there are three top musicians in Akyang, so shouldn’t I meet them all?”

Even though he escaped from Akyangjeilru like that, it did not mean that Cheonhwa was leaving Akyang.

Because now I’ve only met one first-class musician.

“Me, all of them? Ahem… … If they have first-class musicians, then all of those places must be high-class as well, right?”

When I suggested that we meet and play with the other two special musicians, Margin looked a little embarrassed.

Although he had managed to get a fair amount of money from the Black Tiger Room, he didn’t have much silver left because he expected the map raid to end soon.

In addition, the amount of silver that was taken away every day on the way there was also not a small amount of money spent lavishly at Akyang Jeilru.

It got to the point where the tables were turned and I was hesitating to apply for a map visa because of money.

Of course, he could have just issued a promissory note under his own name on the battlefield, but at this rate, it wouldn’t be long before the pillars of the Iron Man Society were uprooted.

In fact, in the case of the Iron Man School, it was not a school that made much money because it only focused on training.

As a regional loser, a certain amount of protection fees are paid, and additional monthly subsidies are paid from friendly factions like Heukhobang, but the amount is not large enough to be spent lavishly.

Because right now, they are the type of people who find greater pleasure in training themselves than in enjoying luxury.

“Why, do you have too little money?”

“… … That can’t be. Don’t worry.”

But I couldn’t reveal that to Cheonhwa.

If it was Cheonhwa that he knew, the moment he said he ran out of money, he would be a great man who would leave without looking back, even if it meant giving him a map or something.

In the end, Margin lamented how he had come to be in this state and followed Cheonhwa to Juru, where there were other special musicians.

“Huh? You don’t have any?”

“Yes. We have guests who have already made reservations long ago, so we won’t be playing here for a few days.”

However, Cheonhwa’s plan soon went awry.

The other two top musicians were both previously contracted and were out of the picture.

I thought it wouldn’t be bad if I could enjoy the sound from a different seat or a different floor, but I heard the bad news that they wouldn’t be coming out to the stage at all.

“Ahem, what should I do with this?”

This is difficult.

It is true that the skills of first-class musicians are outstanding, but it was confirmed that only the best musicians can have deep conversations about themselves and their music.

Of course, learning new performances and new techniques is quite enjoyable regardless of skill level, but even that wasn’t easy.

Since there are popular songs and techniques, the musicians confirmed at Akyangjeilru are all similar.

“Cheonhwa-nim?”

At that moment, someone recognized Cheonhwa.

“Oh, who are you?”

“I am the captain. He was the one who sailed the ship when you came to Akyang.”

“Ah! I remember.”

He was none other than the captain.

This is the captain of the ship that Cheonhwa rode when he came from Sangdeok-hyeon to Akyang, and which eventually sank.

“I guess you came to visit?”

“No. This place is also a sales office belonging to our upper division. Since we lost our ship and there is no job until we get a new ship, the upper division lord has entrusted us with working here for a while.”

He was about to lose his job because his ship sank and there was no work to do, so it seems that he was temporarily in charge of this job until a new ship was found, thanks to the consideration of the superior.

“Aha! That’s too bad you lost your job. It would have been easy if you had just bought my boat!”

In some ways, it could be said that it was because of Cheonhwa, but he didn’t look resentful.

Of course, it is frustrating that the price of a single ship is so high, but if we keep blaming and making problems out of each and every one of them, we will not be able to run the shipping business properly.

Since they had been receiving fares that took into account the risks from the beginning, they did not hold anyone responsible or get angry.

That’s why Cheonhwa didn’t show any sign of apology and instead blurted out, “Why don’t you buy the boat from the Jang Gangsu River that I took?” But that couldn’t be done.

“Haha… … That can’t be possible. If we do that, we’ll be in real trouble.”

If you recklessly ride the boats of the Jang Gangsu River, saying that they stole it, you could really end up with them and have to close down your business.

For that reason, Cheonhwa has unfortunately not been able to sell the ship yet. Despite paying the mooring fee every day, he has not been able to find a suitable seller, so he has put the ship on the Haomen.

Again, a request to sell it to the Jang Gang Surochae.

It’s an inevitable choice since no one else can use it, and you may try to haggle down the price or not buy it, but there is no other way.

If that didn’t work out, I was thinking of just dismantling it all and collecting money for the materials, but that was something to think about after the negotiations were over.

The negotiations he entrusted to Haomen included selling the Surochae ship, but also included ransom negotiations for the prisoners.

The remaining thugs who had been completely frozen in the water channel were reported to the government office and a small bounty was collected, but the ransom for the water channel owner and elite thugs who had reached the very beginning of the climax was too much to replace with the government office’s bounty.

Maybe they set it up like that because it was burdensome for them, but Cheonhwa also didn’t want to hand them over for that cheap price.

Therefore, Cheonhwa asked Haomun to propose a ransom negotiation to the general debtor through Jang Gangsu, and was currently waiting for an answer by sending a messenger to them.

“Anyway, it went well. If you have time, can we talk for a moment?”

“With me?”

“Yes. It’s about the suggestion I made to you last time. At the time, I didn’t know you were a martial arts master, so I made the suggestion… … Since I have a good idea, I wanted to ask if you have any thoughts on it.”

If the captain had known such circumstances, he would not have wanted to get involved with Cheonhwa any longer, but for some reason he didn’t know, he cautiously made the offer to him.

I was wondering if you could take on the job as a musician that I suggested last time.

“All the top musicians are out there?”

“Yes, that’s right. It may take from five to ten days, so it may be difficult to meet them during that time. However, if you participate directly, you may be able to talk to them briefly during breaks, even if you cannot interact directly. If you want to talk to them, you can do it on site.”

If it was just a matter of money, I would have thought about it.

However, when he heard that all the top musicians he was looking for were gathered there, Cheonhwa couldn’t help but perk up his ears.

“Then I should do it. But how much will it cost…?”

If you can save money and get treated well, why not?

We have already confirmed at Akyangjeilru how much money is needed to hire first-class musicians and enjoy the show.

If he wasn’t a top-class musician, he would never have paid his own money for this, so he reacted immediately.

‘It’s the same as my money, since I could have gotten it back if I hadn’t spent it!’

Of course, I didn’t spend my own money at Akyang Jeilru, but according to Cheonhwa’s calculations, it was the same as spending my own money.

“Five nyang of gold per day. Is that okay?”

“Oh my. I have to do it. I really want to do it!”

And on top of that, they give you 5 nyang of gold per day?

This is a must.

I was thinking of doing it even if it was a little less, but there was no way I could give up when they paid me this generously.

Cheonhwa accepted the captain’s offer with a smile, and the captain seemed pleased as he told her the details of the request.

“So all I have to do is get on the designated ship and play, right?”

“Yes. For security reasons, it is difficult to reveal the client, but since he seems to be a high-ranking official, I would ask that you be a bit… … careful with your words and actions.”

The task itself is simple.

Since the high-ranking officials are enjoying a boat ride on a fairly large scale, they asked me to join them and play a musical instrument.

It’s a bit time-consuming and physically demanding to be together from lunchtime until sunset, but it’s not a bad deal considering the compensation you get.

“Hey, don’t worry. I’m also really good at manners!”

However, the captain was worried that Cheonhwa’s words and actions on the ship might offend the higher-ups, so he gave him a brief warning. However, it seemed that he did not think much of it, as if he did not think that he would cause an accident that badly.

“So when and where should I go?”

“Is today okay for you? We are setting sail today, but if you need more time, you can join us tomorrow.”

“If you can, you should do it right away. How much is the daily wage?”

The start of work starts today.

Since the ship was scheduled to set sail in about an hour, the captain asked Cheonhwa about his schedule, and since he had nothing else to do, Cheonhwa immediately expressed his intention to join.

I don’t know where the high-ranking official came to enjoy the pleasures, but I thought he would be able to do a great job since he was the epitome of courtesy, so I accepted him.

“Then I’ll see you at the accommodation… … See you later.”

Since all he had at the moment was a jade flute, Cheonhwa borrowed gold like he had in Gaeyang, stopped by Haomun for a moment to reconfirm the work he had entrusted to him and the schedule for receiving the goods he had promised to receive, and then headed to the agreed upon location.

However, in this case, since he was participating alone as a musician, Margin was also given some free time.

He, too, was separately looking into the past events at Heukhobang, so he said it was a good thing and went out to look into personal matters.

Afterwards, he will check the news about Baek Woong Bang and Heuk Ho Bang, and also investigate the black Hwan Dan he obtained.

I should stop by the battlefield every now and then to replenish my lost savings.

The two who had parted ways made plans to meet again at their lodgings in the evening and went their separate ways to go about their own business.

Cheonhwado also moved to the designated dock at the appointed time with light steps.

“Huh?”

And there I was able to meet some unexpected people.

“Where are you?”

The first thing that caught my eye was a flag with two letters written on it: Wiji.

Cheonhwa also looked a little surprised, as he could not help but know that it was a flag symbolizing a certain family.

It’s not that surprising that these high-ranking officials are people of the Wei family, but the number of flags is quite grand.

It seems as if they rented the entire wharf in Akyang, and it is covered with flags of the Wiji family.

The flag of the Wijisega was planted on all ships, large and small, even on small ferry boats.

Even someone who doesn’t know the history of Wijisega would be overwhelmed by this sight.

Of course, this story didn’t apply to Cheonhwa.

“Did you really call them all?”

The reason Cheonhwa was surprised was not because of their power.

Because I found Soye far away, on board another ship.

Even though her wounds had not fully healed yet, and even though it was the Wijisega family’s scoundrel who had hurt her, she had been called here too, perhaps because it was a long-awaited appointment, and she could not refuse.

“How did you come here?”

At that time, one of the Wijisega’s warriors discovered Cheonhwa and approached him.

Today is their day, and strict orders have been given to completely block access to those without business.

Even so, most of them would have flinched just by hearing their names, so he asked in a rather relaxed manner, and instead of looking at him, Cheonhwa looked at the top of the largest ship anchored in front of him.

Because there was already someone there looking down at him and emitting strong aura.

“If you come, ride.”

The house of the wise.

It is assumed that he was the first to recognize Cheonhwa.

As he turned around and invited them to board his ship, the uninhabited island that had approached him hesitated and stepped back, not daring to treat Cheonhwa carelessly.

It seemed like they mistook me for a guest of the owner.

“Can I go?”

Perhaps it was not a coincidence that he had been invited to this place. And even if that were the case, the intention was obvious, but even so, it was not a case of throwing it away.

Cheonhwa, who asked a question lightly to the unmanned crew of the Wijise family who had stepped back, waved his hand lightly as if he didn’t need any guidance and boarded the ship. After receiving guidance, he was able to take a seat on one side of the deck.

Surprisingly, the Wiji Se-ju had not shown up again until then.

‘It was these guys.’

Preparations for departure proceeded quickly thereafter.

During that intermission, Cheonhwa was able to notice one thing.

This means that it was Wijise who requested the transport of the goods to the non-responsive country.

‘You have no intention of hiding it?’

As evidence, the phonographs he recorded were installed on each ship. They were so openly displayed that there seemed to be no reason to hide them anymore.

‘Even so, it would be in vain.’

Why would you call four top-class musicians and insist on operating the phonograph machine?

The intention is also obvious.

One of these ships must have placed a gujiguyeopcho on it.

To summon the Eternal Golden Ball.

Of course, since Mannyeon Geumgu had once been captured by Cheonhwa, there was no way he would fall for such a lure, but they must have known that Mannyeon Geumgu had already appeared once, so they might have had no choice.

There was no reason for them not to do what they had already planned.

Maybe because it has already revealed itself and confirmed its existence, it is only making things more heated.

“Haam. Let me know when you start.”

Be that as it may, Cheonhwa simply found a suitable place to lie down on the departing ship and take a short nap.

Until it’s time for you to start playing.

Or, until they have other business to attend to.

“Let’s set sail!”

In this way, dozens of ships carrying the Wiji family began to move away from the dock at the same time.

Although it no longer exists, it boasted such overwhelming majesty that no one would dare think of making a fuss about it even though the eight Janggangsu were still intact, and it occupied and advanced on Dongjeongho Lake.

They had already taken over everything. On a day like today, it was only natural that no cruise ship would dare to set sail and approach them.

All ships except regular passenger ships would probably be grounded for several days while the work was being done.

If you don’t want to incur the wrath of the Wijisega.

“Get started.”

The ships that had been advancing endlessly, thus cutting off Dongjeongho from the world, finally stopped about an hour later, when Wiji Se-ga, who had gone inside the cabin, came back out onto the deck.

“Hmm, hmm.”

Even though he must have noticed his own wave, he still continued to sleep soundly, glaring at Cheonhwa with a cold gaze and energy, and gave orders to all of his servants.