The World of Sound - Chapter 46



Only Krnovel

“An evil dragon… … Not bad!”

It’s not quite as good as the first one, but it’s okay for a first timer.

Considering his abilities, he should at least be the Evil King, Evil Emperor, Evil Emperor, or Evil God, but he was old and had not yet properly shown his abilities.

Moreover, if it can help achieve its purpose in the Yongbong branch, it can be accepted as not being a bad thing.

“It might be a bit of a hassle, but it’s a plan so you can change it if things change.”

“You really meant it… … ?”

Of course, I didn’t really like the idea of ​​having to hang out with kids and become friends with them, but I could endure it for Uncheol’s sake.

If things go wrong, it would be okay to completely revise the plan.

“When is the Yongbong branch meeting?”

“Three days. Three days later.”

“Three days… … It’s just right!”

Moreover, the timing of the Yongbong branch meeting was exquisite.

This coincides with the date that Namgung Se-ga, who had been away for a while, was expected to return home, as told by Hao-mun.

Cheonhwa nodded with a strange smile, and the branch manager shivered with an inexplicable sense of eeriness.

***

“I am glad that everyone is here, as the host of this meeting. I hope everyone has a great time.”

Yongbong branch.

A special meeting has begun, where only those with the most outstanding skills among the top tiers of martial arts can attend, given the nicknames of Dragon and Phoenix.

Of course, on the surface, unless you were a Sapa or a Mine, you could be qualified even if you didn’t have a family or sect background, as it was a selection based on the weapon you possessed.

However, that hasn’t happened for at least several decades.

This is because the strength of a prestigious school that has been built up over a long period of time cannot be ignored.

The families and sects that could be considered prestigious basically had martial arts skills that could reach a high level, and they tended to make large investments in the later generations who would take responsibility for the next generation, so the participants in the Yongbongjihoe were mostly the later generations of the Gupa Ilbang and the Odaesega, or those of prestigious families of similar level.

Therefore, although there may be descendants of such prestigious families who have not yet been active in the martial arts world and thus have not received the nickname of Yong, it was considered an established fact that it was virtually impossible for someone who did not belong to them to receive the nickname of Yong or Bon.

They also took it for granted and had great pride in belonging to it.

Could that be why there was another person who recently received a new dragon nickname, but no one was saying it.

It may be that they don’t even know it exists yet, but maybe they just don’t want to acknowledge it.

“yet.”

Except for one person.

“Hmm? Lady Bukgung. Do you have anything to say?”

As soon as Namgung Jin finished speaking to announce the start of the meeting, everyone’s attention turned to Bukgung Yeon, who raised her hand.

When Bukgungyeon, who rarely opened his mouth even during meetings, opened his mouth as soon as the meeting began, everyone gathered in surprise and looked at him.

“He didn’t come.”

It was the usual short answer.

Some of them were older than her, but no one seemed to care.

Because I know why she speaks so briefly.

However, her voice sounded a little more lively than before.

Similarly, I’m sparing with words, but perhaps I’ve become more comfortable?

Some people were more interested in her voice than her words, as it was a voice different from the one she had been squeezing out with difficulty.

“It seems like Lady Bukgung’s voice has become more refined. Are you feeling better?”

“Now that I think about it, it seems like your prayers have become stronger than before.”

“Sister. Your voice has become really pretty!”

It was better than the previous squeezing sound, but it was still not a sound that could be called pretty or beautiful, but the purpose of this meeting was ultimately to make friends.

Although it has the purpose of promoting and developing martial arts and is relatively focused on it, the underlying purpose is to foster friendship among the next generation of prospective heads of households and senior members of powerful families or sects.

“Hmm. I don’t quite understand what you’re saying. Was there anyone missing? It seems like everyone who was supposed to come has come.”

But not everyone is like that.

Even if you follow that framework, it’s not your only goal.

“Evil dragon.”

“Evil Dragon? Ah… … I think I’ve heard of it. There’s someone called that recently. However, he won’t be able to come to today’s meeting. He has a nickname, but it hasn’t been properly verified yet, and since we don’t know where he is, we didn’t send him a separate invitation.”

Bukgungyeon was one of those people.

She reminded Namgung Jin that there was someone he had left out, and he made excuses that weren’t excuses with a slightly uncomfortable expression.

It had only been a short while since Cheonhwa had acquired the nickname of Evil Dragon, and although he had defeated Wijicheon and Taeyeondo, he judged it to be too early to acknowledge it.

Because he was a person without any particular background or power.

Although he suddenly appeared and showed his skills, the position was that it was still not possible to trust the rumors at face value.

Moreover, since there was no proper base and it was difficult to specify the location, an invitation was not sent out.

The fact that the Yongbong branch was scheduled before he became famous was sufficient justification, and he used that as the basis for excluding Cheonhwa.

“I’m here.”

“… … Yes? What is that?”

“excuse me.”

But then, Bukgungyeon lowered the hand he had raised in a flash to a horizontal position.

It stretched out in the direction of the road leading up to the meeting place.

“I guess I came to the right place?”

There, there was a young man walking with a slow gait, waving his hand brightly.

“The author… … is an evil dragon?”

It was my first time seeing this, but not everyone was like that.

When the evil dragon defeated the Taeyeondo, Bingbong was there.

So Bing Bong would know the face of the evil dragon, and the fact that she pointed it out herself would mean that he was the evil dragon.

However, no one in the Yongbongjihoe seemed to welcome Cheonhwa.

It’s not that they’re shy. It’s just that they find it difficult to readily accept a catfish of unknown origins joining their already established group.

Some people looked at him with curious eyes, but there were more people who looked at him with wary eyes.

In particular, the way Bingbong Bukgungyeon personally took care of them and waved his hand as if he knew them made those who had received the nickname of the dragon even more irritated.

Although there are some families or sects that do not have good feelings towards the Bukgung family, they are full of desire to become friends with her because of her outstanding beauty, martial arts skills, and special support as a descendant of the Sword Lord. After all, she is young.

However, because she was a person of few words and gave off a cold vibe, not many people were able to have a proper conversation with her.

That’s why the sight of Cheonhwa, who seems to be friendly with Bingbong, is annoying.

However, Cheonhwa didn’t really wave at her.

‘Hmm. I guess I’m no match for those guys from the Hohwa Branch or the Kyeoncho Branch.’

Cheonhwa, who appeared under such vigilance and jealous gazes, also examined them quite closely.

They say that the Hwahwa branch was created to compete with the Yongbong branch, but this is no match at all.

The prayers felt from each of them were at least at the level of a mature climax, and some of them seemed to be on the verge of a climax.

Of course, inaction doesn’t determine everything, but to this extent, it can be said to be pretty good.

Since they are still young, if they continue to work hard, they may be able to reach the pinnacle, or perhaps even reach the realm of Hwagyeong.

‘It seems that more mental training is needed.’

However, I don’t really like these harsh stares.

Judging by their blatant display of wariness and hostility, it is clear that children are children.

I think I know the reason, but it’s not something to be discouraged by.

“This is the meeting place where the Yongbong branch is being held. Please identify yourself.”

‘They’re playing cutely.’

It was a fight of wits to ask questions even though he seemed to already know a lot about me.

Perhaps the intention is to kill the spirit and see what his attitude is like.

“This is Cheonhwa. I heard that you’ve recently been given the nickname ‘Akryong’, so I stopped by because I thought it might be fun.”

A few eyebrows rose at the word fun, but it wasn’t particularly rude, so no one got upset.

Instead, he just looked at Namgung Jin, who was hosting this meeting.

“You were a member of the Cheonhwa Sohyeop. I heard about your recent activities. Welcome to the Yongbong Branch.”

Then, Namgung Jin welcomed Cheonhwa, using a rather subtle way of speaking that simultaneously used both honorifics and courtesy.

Although he may not be sincere, he decided to accept his participation as the host, perhaps because he wanted to show off his great personality.

“By the way, is there anyone here you know? I heard you’re acquainted with Bingbong… … .”

“Well, I think I saw it once in passing.”

And when he asked her secretly about her relationship with Bukgungyeon, Cheonhwa responded as if it was nothing special.

Then, the expression and the mood relaxed a little.

I had hoped for it, but when I heard it was nothing special, my guard was lowered a little.

Also, Bing Bong’s appearance is unforgettable once you see it, but his attitude of taking a step back makes you think that he is humble and not being greedy.

“Then, the seats… … are you okay over there? Everyone’s already taken their seats.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

I took a quick look at the seating arrangement there.

The seat that Namgung Jin assigned to Cheonhwa was clearly in the corner, and it was also the furthest seat from Bingbong.

It was something that could have been a bit upsetting depending on how you thought about it, but when Cheonhwa walked over and sat down there as if nothing had happened, Namgung Jin finally smiled faintly.

I was worried that he might show off his pride and come out pushing and pulling, but I was mistaken in thinking that he had definitely understood the subject as he followed along without saying a word.

Even though it really didn’t matter what the position was.

“Since this is your first time attending the Cheonhwa Sohyeop, I think you can just think of it as an observer and enjoy it. Now that everyone is here, let’s officially begin the meeting.”

Are you telling someone who has already participated to go observe?

That meant you shouldn’t even think about getting involved and should just quietly watch from a corner.

But surprisingly, Cheonhwa did not object or raise an issue.

I didn’t know anyone, and I didn’t even know what was going on there in the first place, so it was a bit hesitant to join even if I wanted to.

Since my purpose was not to hang out with these kids from the beginning, I just shrugged my shoulders.

And then, the Yongbong branch meeting began.

It may sound like something grandiose when called Yongbongjihoe, but it is basically a social gathering.

Even though Namgung Jin officially announced the start of the meeting, nothing seemed to have changed from before.

At first, it was just simple chatter.

‘It’s boring.’

It had been a long time since we had met, so we chatted for an entire hour, reminiscing about the past.

Naturally, no one had ever spoken to Cheonhwa first during that time.

Only Bukgungyeon, known as Bingbong, occasionally glanced at Cheonhwa, but she too could not readily approach Cheonhwa and speak to him.

Because those around her wouldn’t leave her alone.

“Take this. I happened to get some good elixir from my family, and I brought it because I was thinking of Bingbong.”

“Haha. Is that all you can do to send a message? Look at what I brought. It’s the inner layer of the Dokkaebi-mang, which is said to have the energy of the extreme sun.”

“A poisonous net? Isn’t that just a red snake? The size of the energy is too small to be considered the inner layer of a poisonous net… .”

“Oh my. How can size be the only thing that matters? What matters is how much yang energy is concentrated. Even though it looks like this… … .”

Even though she hardly ever responds, she keeps talking and showers him with gifts.

Knowing what she needed, you brought something full of yang energy to try to win her favor.

In the process, they showed a lot of restraint towards each other, but since they were in the same position, they did not cross the minimum line between them.

For that reason, the atmosphere was generally friendly, although there were also those who tried to target her, and another woman felt somewhat left out.

“Everyone. Thank you.”

Bukgungyeon also did not refuse their favor.

Although he knew full well what their intentions were, he also knew very well that his family was suffering greatly because of him.

To ease that burden, I accepted their gifts and treated them appropriately.

‘They’re no different from those guys, except for their high status.’

From Cheonhwa’s perspective, who is watching this from a step back, all he can feel is a pitiful thought.

It’s so disgusting to see them talking like they have no other thoughts than making friends.

“Okay. Now that you’ve let out some of your stress, how about we get started on the discussion?”

“That’s good. This time, I’ve prepared thoroughly, so you’d better brace yourself, Namgung hyung. Haha!”

But the chatter didn’t go on forever.

After more than an hour of talking, Namgung Jin, who was the host and had cleaned up the room, mentioned the next order of events, and the atmosphere changed slightly.

“Discussion?”

Non-competitive debate.

It meant a fight with words, not swords.

If they actually held swords and fought, there was a risk of both sides getting hurt, and since the number of times they could do it was limited due to the consumption of physical strength, stamina, and mental power, they fought with swords instead.

However, since they would verbally discuss the martial arts and countermeasures in order while drawing out the actions in their heads, it was meaningful only when they knew each other’s martial arts and were familiar with their level or had limited it to a certain level, but since they still met often, that wasn’t a problem for them at all.

“This time, I will go first. Who will be my opponent?”

“Then I’ll step forward. I had a bad experience last time, but I’ve learned a lot since then, so this time will be different.”

It wouldn’t have been strange if they had happened simultaneously, but since it was not just two people competing, but a place for everyone attending the Yongbong branch to listen, think, and learn, the debates were held in pairs.

The first to step forward were the Minghe Dojo of Qingcheng and Murong Hui of the Murong Family.

The two of them had started off by chatting about whether they had ever argued before in a previous meeting, but their gazes were anything but friendly.

Although it is not actually unfolding, it is a battle of pride between each other because it is a battle of pride.

“… … I twist my body half a step to dodge the swordsman’s first attack… … .”

“… … After stepping back from the Sambo, I will quickly step on the Chilseongbo and use the Yooseongji method to press on the Yangno and Yanggokhyeol points.”

This is what the Non-Geom Bimu was like.

It was a martial art where you would exchange blows and movements with each other, and you would think about what your opponent said and come up with a way to counter them.

However, since everyone had to start saying their next movements and recipes before they counted to three, split-second judgment was of the utmost importance.

It was a process of learning and realizing new cases and responses to each other, but to Cheonhwa, it was just a play on words.

“… … I lost. I learned a lot today as well.”

How does a fight proceed like that?

There were countless intentions hidden in one move, and even when one move was played out, it was an act of digging into the opponent by causing countless changes within it.

It’s not like we give and receive each other every once in a while.

Also, there was no rule that said you had to make a move just because your opponent made a move.

And most importantly, this is only possible when you know exactly what your opponent is doing. If your opponent’s actions are even slightly different from what you expected, it will be difficult to respond properly, or the response that seemed appropriate will end up being completely useless.

Even if you were to perform a skill worthy of being called a seasoned swordsman, it would be as if a more skilled swordsman could cut it in two with one simple slash of the sword.

“Pfft.”

That’s why Cheonhwa couldn’t hold back her laughter.

You’re arguing about whether you won or lost after muttering about it?

This is not a competition of martial arts, nor is it an exchange or development of martial arts, it is just a play on words.

“Cheonhwa Sohyup?”

It seems that the laughter was louder than expected.

Or maybe he didn’t seem to care, but was secretly watching Cheonhwa.

Since they were people with outstanding martial arts skills that could be said to be at their peak, there was no one who did not hear Cheonhwa’s laughter.

Namgung Jin was the first to express his displeasure at the laughter.

“What’s so funny?”

They were annoyed when Cheonhwa, who did not even call them by their nickname of Evil Dragon because he did not acknowledge it, seemed to be laughing at them.

So, he openly questioned Cheonhwa as if he was picking a fight with her, but that did not cover up Cheonhwa’s honesty.

“I just found it funny. I thought, ‘What a meaningless thing to do,’ and it really hurts my mouth.”

“Meaningless? Are you disparaging our argument right now?”

“Well, I don’t plan on wasting my time playing, right? What’s the point of talking so much all day? What’s important is whether I can put it to good use in a real situation.”

Namgung Jin got angry at Cheonhwa’s honest answer.

The other members of the Yongbong branch also looked very unpleasant. The expressions on the two people who had argued just a moment ago were particularly unpleasant.

They are saying that their best efforts in the debate were seen as nothing more than ‘play.’

But Cheonhwa had no intention of retracting her statement. Because it was true.

No matter how much you talk, in real life there are countless variables.

In the end, isn’t the important thing whether you can use them in real life and respond in the same way?

So, Cheonhwa thought that rather than wasting time by arguing, it would be much better to compete directly and learn the various possibilities.

“Non-geom-bi-mu is something that countless previous warriors have practiced and proven. Are you denying that history now?”

However, Namgung Jin did not give up and accepted it.

It cannot be said that Cheonhwa’s words are entirely wrong, but they thought that it had its own meaning, and it was something like a tradition that had been carried on for many years.

He pressured Cheonhwa by bringing up the previous generations of warriors, as if there was no reason for him to be looked down on by someone like Cheonhwa, who he didn’t even know where he came from.

“Ah, I didn’t say it was completely useless. It’s just that it only has meaning to those who have perfected their martial arts skills. If you meet a slightly more skilled person, it will be useless, so what’s the point of talking about it now? If you spend that time improving your martial arts skills, it will be completely useless.”

“… … It seems like you don’t know what you’re saying, but if you say it that way, it’s not completely wrong, but by setting a level and discussing it, you can broaden your perspective… … .”

Where do those who haven’t even perfected their martial arts skills come from and only imitate them?

Namgung Jin tried to refute Cheonhwa’s claim that the child was just imitating an adult with his own logic, but Cheonhwa had no intention of listening to his long-winded argument.

“Who said that?”

“… … ?”

“Which of you would limit your internal energy to match your level while you’re desperately trying to kill each other, and don’t even use Donggwi Eojin’s techniques? And if you’re going to hit me with bad words, how about this? Sprinkle an indecipherable poison here. What are you going to do then?”

“That is, first gather the poison with your internal energy and push it out… … .”

“Really? Can you really do this?”

Psik

Cheonhwa smiled as if mocking the embarrassed Namgung Jin.

Well, it’s a bit tricky. In theory, it could be possible to condense, push out, or concentrate the toxins in the body.

But how many people can do that in a life-or-death situation? And will the opponent be playing around in the meantime?

I attacked you once, so you want me to attack you too?

Of course that couldn’t be the case.

This is what the argument of the lower classes is all about.

Since those who have not properly gained experience and experience just talk, they end up talking about idealistic things that cannot be used in real life, and if they bring in an assumption that deviates even slightly from the established framework or if they lie about their experience and exaggerate, it ends up sounding like an empty novel.

When Cheonhwa pointed that out, Namgung Jin couldn’t answer and his face turned red.

Haomen’s Hapbi branch manager advised him to become friends with Namgung Jin at this point, but it seemed like it was wrong.

In the first place, those guys had no intention of becoming friends with him, and even if he did try to approach them, it didn’t seem like they would welcome him.

If so, then it’s a change of strategy.

Instead of making a fool of himself, Cheonhwa chose to do as he always did.

“Oh my.”

However, even Cheonhwa did not know that the sight caused an unexpected reaction.

Dokbong Dangmimi.

Although she is a member of the Five Great Families, she is the daughter of the Sacheondang family that specializes in poison and secret weapons. As such, she was always treated with something like subtle disdain at the Yongbongjihoe and during the Nongeombimu competition, but she showed interest in Cheonhwa’s remarks.

Because the example was poisonous.

Since Nongeombimu is ultimately a performance where one competes with the other to develop martial arts, there had to be great restrictions on the use of poison, and even when using secret weapons, which required surprise and stealth, the timing and method of their release had to be revealed in detail, so she was always bound to end up in defeat.

As the daughter of a wealthy family, she was particularly confident in her ability to fight alone, and since she thought that the results would be completely different in a real fight, she had been secretly dissatisfied with that, but today, Cheonhwa gave her a refreshing treat.

Also, I was more interested in the fact that I didn’t like the men who were proud of being the most beautiful in Sacheon but only snickered at Bukgungyeon, who was like an ice block and had a strange voice.

When he first appeared, it seemed like he had a connection with Bukgungyeon, but after that, Cheonhwa didn’t pursue her or pretend to know her.

Of course, only Dangmimi knew about such emotional changes.

“I heard that you learned the Yin technique. Isn’t it because Cheonhwa Sohyeop lacks confidence in his Nongeombimu?”

Meanwhile, Namgung Jin, whose face was flushed red, started to pick a fight with Cheonhwa.

He provoked me by saying that I was nitpicking because I had no confidence.

“I’m definitely not confident in verbal warfare. The only things I’m confident in are my looks, charm, and skills!”

However, the opponent was Cheonhwa.

It was true that I didn’t have much knowledge of herbivores to begin with, so I wasn’t confident in my Nongeombi skills.

Even if the opponent says the name of the herb, you don’t know what it is, what kind of movement it is, what kind of internal energy it uses, and what kind of power it has, so how can you have a proper discussion?

But it’s useless to begin with, so there’s no shame in that.

Let’s speak confidently. Namgung Jin clenched his teeth in frustration.

He must have been so angry that he changed the board as the host of this meeting.

“… … Since the excitement has been spoiled, how about we end this Nongeombimu here? Since Master Cheonhwa Sohyeop is confident in my skills, let’s move on to the next round, the real Bimu.”

The real secret that led to the discussion.

I pulled it out, which should have been the last one.

At this point, this meeting is already ruined.

All the other sequences between Nongeombimu and Nongeombimu were omitted, and only Cheonhwa’s nose was crushed.

“Cheonhwa Sohyeop. Would you like to deal with me?”

Namgung Jin stepped forward himself and pointed to Cheonhwa as his opponent.

Now that I’ve said this, I think I’ll never be able to avoid a fight with you.

‘Whether you walk with your arms around each other or carry a passed out guy, as long as you enter the manor, isn’t it all the same?’

Shhh

But unfortunately, he didn’t know that it was all a trick of Cheonhwa.

‘If a dog gets hit and comes home, its owner will chase it away. If a child gets hit and comes home, the father will run away.’

This is a strategy to enter the Namgung Se-ga estate.

“gladly!”

Cheonhwa accepted the offer as if she had been waiting for it.

It was time to get away from these boring kiddie pranks.