The World of Sound - Chapter 42



Only Krnovel

Magacheolbang.

It was the name of the most famous iron fence in the martial arts world at the time.

It was also a sacred place for craftsmen that anyone who considered themselves a craftsman would want to visit.

As the name suggests, it was initially founded by a craftsman with the surname Ma, but as many craftsmen gathered under him, they shared and developed their skills, and it acquired a power that no other martial arts school could easily touch.

Because there were many who would fight for them just to have one of the swords they made.

Moreover, the swords presented to the imperial family were recognized as world-renowned swords, and now they were even protected by the imperial family.

As such, there are many people who want to visit there, but the number of people who actually set foot inside the iron cage is limited.

Those who are not qualified to visit are strictly and resolutely restricted from entering.

Of course, Cheonhwa could not be an exception.

All I knew was that my master had left something in the Maga Iron Fang.

“But, can I find it just by saying the master’s name?”

But that part was solved by chance.

Mayeryeong. Because she was the head of the Haomun Akyang branch and was from Magacheolbang.

She and the person who founded Magacheolbang were of the same blood.

Because she was a girl, she could not become a craftsman, and she herself ran away from home because she did not like living among sweaty, hardened people, but it seems that she did not break away from her natural ties.

As for Margin, there were many people with the surname Ma in the Central Plains, so when he heard the name Maga Cheolbang, he didn’t think there would be any connection, but it was a stroke of luck for Cheonhwa.

When I told her where I was going to leave Akyang, she wrote me a letter of introduction, revealing her origins.

It was said that since he had left his family a long time ago, that alone would not be enough to achieve what he wanted, but at least it would be possible to enter the Maga Iron Room.

That’s why Cheonhwa was worried about what would happen after entering Maga Cheolbang.

Would you be able to retrieve what you left in my care just by giving me your name, without even having any identification?

I was worried about what I had left behind and what strange things I might have done, but I also had no idea whether I would be able to find the item I had left behind.

Of course, he wouldn’t have told you to go without thinking about such things, but you never know, Master.

There was a high possibility that he had not thought about it enough.

“Eight, let’s go and think about it. There’s no point in thinking about it in advance!”

Eventually, Cheonhwa gave up thinking.

It would have been something to check with Magacheolbang first.

Until then, no matter how much I thought about it, there was no answer.

“Are we almost there?”

Fortunately, it was only a short trip to Anhui Province, where Maga Cheolbang was located.

Because the watercourse of the Yangtze River flows from Yueyang to the tip of Hubei and into Anhui Province, it was possible to make good use of the identity card that Jin Zhu Guang had given him.

Since we had almost hijacked the pirates’ ships while they were on business and headed straight for Anhui Province, we were able to get there without much trouble.

The problem was that the process was a bit tedious, but it became bearable as I spent time taming my newfound iron harp.

The place where Maga Cheolbang was located was Qingyang County in Anhui Province. If you get off at Dongling and practice Gyeongsin Method about a day to the south, you will be able to find Maga Cheolbang.

“Stop!”

The estate of Magacheolbang had a rather grand appearance.

Although it was not a fancy place, it was a place where many craftsmen lived and produced their own items, so the workshops themselves were necessary, and many laborers had to stay or come and go to support their livelihoods as they only knew how to make things.

For that reason, it was expected that the control of entry would be lax, but at each of the entrances, there were gatekeepers with large physiques standing.

‘It’s not unmanned?’

However, when I looked at them, I didn’t see any signs of unmanned activity.

Surprisingly, it is not the skilled martial artists but those who can be called artisans who are acting as gatekeepers.

If that is the case, then the purpose and role of actually deterring intruders would disappear.

It was partly due to the protection of the Imperial Palace and the various martial arts schools that wanted to establish ties with them, but at the same time, it was more like a declaration.

This place is a place where weapons used by unmanned people are made, but it is also a space for craftsmen who operate independently of the royal family of the martial arts world, as even the guards are taken care of by craftsmen who take turns.

It was also intended to filter out those who were qualified and those who were not qualified from the entrance.

“What brings you here? I haven’t seen your face before.”

“The master told me to retrieve what he left for me. Oh, please take this.”

“Letter of introduction? Whose… … Huh! Th, this is Miss Yeryeong’s?!”

That is why the letter of introduction he received from Mayeryeong was a great blessing to Cheonhwa and a wonderful thing that protected the peace of Maga Cheolbang and perhaps the world of martial arts.

If Cheonhwa, who couldn’t find a way to get in, tried to turn everything upside down or sneak in, he would almost be branded a public enemy in the martial arts world and would be pursued by the martial arts world, or even the government.

If that had happened, it would have been something worse than any tragedy the martial arts world had ever experienced.

“Please come inside first. But… …what is your relationship with the young lady?”

“I just happened to find out.”

“Ahem. Things like marriage and lover… … ?”

“no.”

The gatekeeper who received the letter of introduction called her Miss, as if he remembered Mayeryeong, but Cheonhwa simply responded briefly.

There may be something to be gained by showing off here, but I don’t want to cause any unnecessary misunderstandings and make things worse.

Even so, the gatekeeper glanced at Cheonhwa as he guided her and asked her about Mayeryeong, but there was no answer he could give her.

Because I really didn’t know anything.

Even the fact that she was the head of the Haomen branch of the Akyang branch was not something that could be said because of her request.

So, I lied and said that I helped her with her work and received the money as I had agreed to in advance.

“Sir, I brought him.”

The place we arrived at, guided by the gatekeeper, was one of the annex buildings of Magacheolbang.

Since the most skilled craftsmen were staying and working in the main building, all work not related to work was handled in the annex so as not to disturb them.

Of course, coming here was not something that was allowed for just anyone, but the gatekeeper who checked the letter of introduction personally guided us and had someone else deliver the letter of introduction to the general inside first, so the meeting was held without any waiting.

‘I guess you have a deep distrust of those who are not craftsmen.’

The general manager of Maga Cheolbang whom I met that way was also an excellent craftsman.

At this point, I wonder if there is some kind of long-standing grudge against those who are not craftsmen.

But Cheonhwa thought it didn’t matter anyway and immediately said what she wanted.

“You brought a letter of introduction from Miss Yeryeong? So, what brings you here?”

“My master told me to go and look because he had entrusted something to me. However, I did not hear when he entrusted it to me or what he entrusted to me.”

“Hmm. That’s difficult.”

As Mayeryeong said, not everything was solved with just one letter of introduction.

The meeting was permitted, but it was like starting over again from scratch.

Cheonhwa confessed her purpose plainly, and the general rubbed his chin as if he was troubled.

“Since Miss Yeryeong asked me to do something, I’ll look for it for you. However, I’m not sure if it’s okay to give it to you. Basically, I don’t give away items that are left here unless they’re the owner.”

“Yes. Please at least look for it.”

“Okay. Then, tell me the name and characteristics of the person you entrusted it to.”

“His name is Danhosu. He is the 6th Cheonummunju, and he is a hunched old man with a goatee. He looks very shabby. Um, I don’t know how old he is. He has been the same since I first met him. Ah! It seems like he hasn’t visited this place since I met him, so it must have been at least 15 years.”

Still, it helped a lot.

Since I wasn’t the one who entrusted it to him and I didn’t even know when or what he entrusted to me, if things were normal, I would have just thrown it away without even looking at it.

However, since Mayeryeong had a special request, I decided to at least confirm it.

“Just wait a moment.”

The explanation was lacking and it was hard to tell if it was really the right way to describe a master, but the general nodded.

I put down the book and looked through the bookshelf behind me for a moment.

I wondered if Cheolbang was a pawn shop and that he couldn’t possibly have that many items left, but since I was the one who was disappointed, I had no choice but to sit still and wait for him to check the details.

I don’t know, I could just throw a tantrum and demand that they hand it over, but that’s because I don’t know what I’ve entrusted to them and what I need to find right now.

About this amount of time passed like that.

The general quickly scanned the ledgers lined up from one end of the bookshelf to the other and tilted his head as if he found something strange.

“That’s strange. Are you sure you really left the items here?”

“You clearly said it was Maga Cheolbang… … Is there something missing?”

“Hmm. Just wait a moment.”

He tilted his head here and there several times as if he couldn’t find Danhosu’s name no matter how hard he searched, then as if something came to mind, he walked further towards the bookshelf in the back.

And then, after about an hour, he came back carrying an old ledger.

“Here it is. Danhosu. The 6th Cheonummunju. You are right. It is written that he or his disciples will come to find him. And it is said that he will have at least one of the four sacred items… … That seems to be it.”

As written in the ledger, he seemed to be comparing it to what Cheonhwa had said, then nodded after looking at the Bingryeongokyak.

Fortunately, it seemed that the master had left behind some clues.

“Let’s see. The money I borrowed… … Oh my. That’s a lot.”

“… …Money?”

But the relief is short-lived.

The next moment, Cheonhwa shuddered at the words the general spoke.

‘I knew it. You’re such a fucking old fart.’

As expected, it seems that they didn’t just leave the items behind as they had feared.

I don’t know how he managed to take care of things like a pawn shop and lend money, but he owed a large amount of money, enough to talk about a lot.

“Uh, how much is it?”

“It’s 10,000 nyang of gold. It seems like I’ve entrusted you with something quite grand… … It’s on the back page.”

10,000 nyang of gold.

It was almost all of Cheonhwa’s current wealth, and it was a huge amount of money that would be difficult to earn through normal means.

Where on earth did they spend all this money they borrowed?

It seems like he has never even seen anything luxurious or extravagant!

Cheonhwa was furious, but he couldn’t cause a scene here.

In this case, it was necessary to first check what had been entrusted to him.

I don’t know if it’s possible, but if it’s useless, it’s better not to get it back.

“What on earth is it? The master left it to me.”

“It’s a fortune. It’s a pretty big piece. This much would be worth 10,000 nyang.”

“Luck… …Is it iron?”

However, the moment he heard about the object’s identity, Cheonhwa’s expression changed.

Uncheol. A word referring to a piece of a star that fell from the sky and contained mysterious powers.

Because it was extremely difficult to obtain, and depending on the size, the price would easily exceed 10,000 nyang, but there was another reason that made Cheonhwa’s eyes light up.

‘You entrusted it to me? A big lump at that?’

Because it was something that couldn’t be obtained even through Haomen’s secret shop.

Because it was one of the key materials for making one of the treasures of Samun.

Although the smaller ones were available at a high price, he couldn’t find one the size he wanted.

‘Why is that guy acting like a master?’

It is difficult to gauge exactly how large the iron cloud the General is talking about is, but judging from the expression, it seems like it would be large enough to create anything one wants, or close to it.

Of course, the only material needed was not the iron, but since it was the most important material, Cheonhwa’s body also heated up.

“I will pay. I will pay. Here is a voucher for 10,000 nyang!”

He immediately took out a 10,000 nyang note from his pocket and handed it to me.

However, the general just stared blankly at it.

“Wow. That’s great that you can pay that much money right away. But unfortunately, I can’t.”

“Huh? What is that… … .”

What does this mean?

Have they already accumulated a lot of interest? Surely they aren’t charging crazy interest rates like the loan sharks?

As Cheonhwa looked at him with a suspicious and uncomfortable gaze, the general shook his head quietly.

He explained the reason.

“This ledger is for things that have already passed their deadline. Looking at it, I see that your master promised to come and retrieve them within 20 years?”

“no way…….”

“That’s right. It’s already been 20 years. To be exact, it’s the 21st year. That means the ownership of the collateralized iron has already been taken away.”

“… … !!”

The deadline to go and find the collateral has passed.

After hearing that absurd answer, Cheonhwa was speechless for a while and lost his mind.

‘This fucking old man!!!’

No, there’s something else to forget. Forget this?!

If that’s the case, why don’t you just take the treasures of things!!

If only I had been there and grabbed him by the collar, but there was nothing I could do.

No, it was time to find something to do.

Whatever, no matter what happens.

“It’s still here, right? Have you made anything with it or anything…?”

Even if you use the Uncheol to create another object, it is not impossible to return it back.

If you make something whole, you can melt it down again and use it.

Even if it was made by mixing other minerals, it would be possible to extract some of it, so Cheonhwa held onto a faint hope, but the answer he got back was not very satisfying.

“Hmm. Well. I don’t know. At least from what I’ve heard, I don’t think anyone has ever made anything using this.”

“Could you please confirm it? I will pay any price.”

Cheonhwa, who was becoming anxious, even made an offer to buy it back at a fair price.

Although he is short on money at the moment, he plans to get it back by paying for the items he left with Haomun, the money he was supposed to receive from Wei Zhi Sega, and the reward tablet from Bukgung Sega.

“Okay. Just wait.”

Is it because the offer was good, or because of Mayeryeong’s letter of introduction?

The director looked slightly annoyed, but had someone check on it.

After about half an hour, he finally received the news, as if he had been asked about everything, and shook his head at Cheonhwa.

“That’ll be difficult. It looks like that item isn’t here anymore.”

“None? Then where… …?”

“After the collateral was released, the Ark himself made a deal with another place. So, we don’t know where he went. Unless the Ark himself tells us.”

It was bad news.

As soon as the ownership of the collateral was transferred to Maga Cheol Bang, Maga Cheol Bang directly traded it with another place.

Since the ark had set out on its own, no one else knew about its whereabouts.

“Would you like to meet the lord? I will try to persuade him myself.”

But that didn’t mean I could give up.

If it has fallen into the hands of another person, it is necessary to at least find out who it is.

“That’s impossible. Even though you received a letter of introduction from Miss Yeryeong, the Master of the House is not someone that anyone can meet. Even our craftsmen have a hard time meeting him except when they first enter the house, and he doesn’t allow anyone to approach him while he’s working.”

But that wasn’t easy either.

They are being very picky, fearing that someone might say they are stubborn craftsmen.

‘What should I do?’

Should I flip it over?

No. I don’t know about other guys, but if they were authors who were called artisans, they would likely be stubborn even if a knife was put to their throat.

Because in some ways, they are honest, if not stupid.

But that doesn’t mean I can give up on Yuncheol.

It might be possible to find out who Maga Iron Ark had done business with by asking Haomen, but it would be difficult to say for sure that even that would be possible.

According to what Mayeryeong said when she gave me the letter of introduction, Magacheolbang was a place that was difficult to delve deep into, whether it was Haomun or Gaebong.

Although it is possible to piece together the information that flows out like crumbs and create something meaningful, it is difficult to penetrate deeply and find out as if investigating other sects.

It may seem easier since they are not from the martial arts world, but the loyalty of those who follow them is so great that if they are not careful, their information may leak to them.

So, we can’t just rely on Haomen’s information and wait.

Moreover, if it was something that Maga Cheol Ark was directly involved in, it would be even more difficult to obtain information.

“Ahem. I wonder if you come with Miss Yeryeong. Then the Lord will allow you to meet.”

The only suggestion was to bring Mayeryeong here directly.

But it was impossible to forcibly bring back a great man who had left home on his own.

If it was going to come, it would have come a long time ago.

Since he had already helped me enough by writing me a letter of introduction, even Cheonhwa had a hard time asking me to do that.

‘… … Wait?’

At that moment, something suddenly occurred to Cheonhwa’s mind.

There was a way to talk to the Maga Iron Ark without having to turn this place upside down, drag him out by force, or infiltrate and threaten him.

This is something only you can do.