Bachelor Swordsmanship Remastered [EN]: Chapter 394

394. Not the Best Under Heaven

The commotion at Chwiseon House was quickly resolved.

Yunhyun, Gaekong, and Yeonghojun, guided by Yeonhong, took their seats in a room on the third floor of Chwiseon House.

It was a beautifully decorated room with a great view.

Since Chwiseon House was originally designed to be open on all sides, the bustling streets of Hangzhou and the night view of West Lake were visible through the large windows.

Fragrant fine wine and several dishes that stimulated the appetite were set on the table, and soon two female entertainers and a male musician entered the room.

They were accompanied by maids carrying instruments.

One of the young female entertainers politely greeted Yunhyun and his party.

Sarak.

“My name is Sowol.”

She was a woman with impressive long eyelashes and a refined appearance.

Her attire was flashy, as befitting a female entertainer, but it was not excessive, giving her a neat impression.

“Oh, are you Sowol?”

Yeonghojun said with a gentle smile.

He seemed to be seeing Sowol for the first time as well.

“I’ve heard a lot about you. I heard your name as soon as I arrived at Chwiseon House. Hahaha.”

Yunhyun gave a wry smile at those words.

He certainly had heard of her. The person the Sim family’s son had been causing a ruckus over was Sowol.

“I heard that you helped those who were unfairly caught up in the trouble because of me.”

Sowol raised her head.

Her beautiful eyes sparkled as they caught the light.

“I sincerely thank you.”

She didn’t even offer a common smile.

However, one could feel a noble dignity in her appearance.

Her atmosphere was very different from other courtesans or entertainers, making it understandable why the Sim family’s son had caused such a commotion.

“I’m not the one who deserves the thanks.”

Yeonghojun smiled.

“It’s this gentleman right here.”

Sowol turned her gaze to Yunhyun.

“Thank you for your help.”

Sowol bowed politely.

Yunhyun thought her atmosphere was somewhat similar to that of the Great Palace Lord.

“It wasn’t for you, so there’s no reason to thank me.”

“But it is true that I received help.”

Sowol said, raising her head.

“Sometimes that small help can save someone’s life.”

Yunhyun was speechless.

Righteous Brother Ilchunghyun and Righteous Younger Brother Dokgorang, the Divine Monk Bulyeong, and countless others.

Just thinking of their names filled Yunhyun’s heart, for without their help, Yunhyun would not be here.

So, the person who knew the meaning of those words better than anyone else was Yunhyun himself.

“…I’m glad it helped.”

That was all Yunhyun could say.

“But what are you good at?”

Yeonghojun asked.

Sowol answered quietly.

“I am skilled in the zither and poetry, and I dabble a little in calligraphy and painting.”

“How skilled are you? Are you one of the best in Chwiseon House?”

“In Hangzhou, there is no one who can compare to me.”

“Oh, you’re confident.”

Yeonghojun said, as if in admiration.

Female entertainers rarely spoke like that.

In fact, music is difficult to judge because it involves a lot of subjective opinions.

Moreover, it was even more so if one asserted that they were the best.

“But you haven’t heard the sounds of all the entertainers in Hangzhou, have you? Isn’t that right?”

Yeonghojun’s words were somewhat accusatory.

Whether it was the pride of an entertainer or the vigor of youth, Sowol’s eyes changed.

“That’s because my teachers told me so.”

Her expression was slightly hardened.

However, Yeonghojun readily nodded.

“Ah, I see. If your teachers said so, then of course it must be true.”

Yeonghojun said with a smile.

“Then can I see some of that great skill?”

Although she was slightly upset, she was still an entertainer.

Quietly bowing her head, Sowol replied.

“…Yes, I will.”

Sowol turned her head and gestured to the maids who had brought the instruments.

The maids soon began preparing for the performance.

All they had to do was place the instrument stands.

This was because a place for the performance was already prepared.

Sarak.

The instruments the maids brought were a seven-stringed zither [a plucked string instrument], a se [a large zither with movable bridges], and a xiao [a Chinese vertical end-blown flute].

The se was a stringed instrument similar in shape to the seven-stringed zither, but it had more strings and its tone blended well with the seven-stringed zither, so it was often played together, to the point where there was a word ‘geumseul’ for it.

A male musician dressed as a scholar took the xiao, and another female entertainer took her place in front of the se.

And Sowol sat in front of the seven-stringed zither at the very front.

After taking a moment to catch her breath, Sowol reached out over the seven-stringed zither.

Sarak.

Slightly bowing her head and closing her eyes, she looked almost noble.

And soon the performance began.

Ddarang―.

The tones of the seven-stringed zither and the se blended together, and the tone of the xiao added a melody on top of it.

Yunhyun quietly watched Sowol and the two’s performance.

Although he didn’t know much about music, he could quickly tell that their performance was excellent.

Wrapping his hands around the warm teacup, Yunhyun savored their performance.

Gaekong, as well as Yeonghojun, listened to the melody without a word.

The melodies of the zither, se, and xiao filled the room and flowed out.

The night view of Hangzhou and the night scenery of West Lake, visible through the window, added even more to their performance.

It was as if an autumn breeze was blowing.

Ddarararang.

The performance ended with a small sound.

Their ensemble was quite long.

“Haa.”

Sowol took a deep breath and slowly withdrew her hands.

Her forehead was slightly sweaty, as she had been completely immersed in the performance.

Sarak.

Sowol looked straight at Yeonghojun and said.

“How was it?”

“It was very wonderful.”

Yeonghojun said, nodding his head.

“It’s no wonder your teachers said there is no one in Hangzhou who can compare to you.”

Yeonghojun had a gentle smile on his face as he spoke.

A faint smile spread across Sowol’s lips as well.

“Thank you.”

Yunhyun admired inwardly as he watched the scene.

Yeonghojun’s rhetoric, especially the so-called push and pull, was extraordinary.

He was indeed worthy of being known as the romantic young master of Hangzhou.

“It was a good performance.”

Yunhyun said with a smile.

It was a scholar’s courtesy to properly critique an excellent performance.

“The melody was clear and very beautiful. It was a bit sad and lonely, like an autumn breeze blowing.”

A strange light flashed in Sowol’s eyes.

Yunhyun didn’t know it, but that was exactly the feeling Sowol wanted to express.

“Did you know this song?”

“No, I’m hearing it for the first time.”

Yunhyun said with an awkward smile.

Not being knowledgeable about music was not something to be proud of as a scholar.

“I see.”

Sowol said quietly, looking at Yunhyun.

Yunhyun had recognized the very feeling she wanted to convey, without a single explanation.

“Thank you.”

Sowol said, slightly bowing her head.

Yunhyun looked at Gaekong.

“What did you think, Elder?”

“Good.”

Gaekong said in a calm voice.

“But it’s different from what I heard.”

Yunhyun smiled awkwardly.

It was bound to be different. Sowol wouldn’t be Ileun.

Yunhyun turned his head to Sowol.

“I’d like to talk for a moment, would that be alright? Ah, not in any other way…”

“Yes, it’s alright.”

Sowol said before Yunhyun could even finish his sentence.

Sowol gestured to the other entertainers and musicians.

They quietly got up from their seats, bowed to Yunhyun and his party, and went outside.

The maids cleaned up the se and took it with them, but they left the seven-stringed zither behind.

Sarak.

Sowol got up from her seat.

“Come this way.”

Yunhyun offered her a seat.

Sowol approached Yunhyun and sat down demurely.

Yunhyun, who was looking at Sowol, suddenly felt a gaze and turned his head.

Yeonghojun was looking at Yunhyun and smiling meaningfully.

“Ahem.”

Yunhyun cleared his throat and turned his head.

It seemed that Yeonghojun had misunderstood something because Yunhyun kept looking at Sowol.

But now, no matter what he said, it would end up being an excuse, so Yunhyun said to Sowol instead.

“Would you like some tea?”

If he were someone who enjoyed romance, he would offer her a drink, but Yunhyun had no intention of doing so.

Sowol stared at Yunhyun for a moment, then nodded.

“Yes.”

Yunhyun picked up the teapot, filled a new cup, and placed it near Sowol.

Sowol reached out and held the cup with both hands.

She looked at the luxurious liquor bottle placed on the table.

The fragrant fine wine was untouched.

“Would you prefer wine?”

Yunhyun asked.

“No. I like tea.”

Answering that way, Sowol held the teacup with both hands and savored the tea.

Dalkak.

Putting down the cup, she said to Yunhyun.

“What did you want to talk about?”

Yunhyun smiled.

“It was a very wonderful performance. Do you have anyone who has specially taught you?”

Someone who has specially taught you means someone you have taken as a teacher.

Sowol’s eyes changed slightly.

She originally did not have separate meetings with guests.

She had been even more so since she was almost assaulted by the Sim family’s son last time.

The reason she accepted Yunhyun’s offer to talk for a moment was because he had helped a fellow entertainer, and she thought he would not do anything rude.

But this question was unexpected.

Judging from his expression, he wasn’t just asking in passing.

“May I ask why you are curious about that?”

Sowol quietly asked back.

Yunhyun said calmly.

“Because there is someone I need to find.”

“Someone you need to find?”

“Yes. In fact, I don’t know their name, face, or where they are.”

Sowol couldn’t hide her puzzled expression.

“But how are you going to find them?”

“That person played the xiao, and the melody was said to be very outstanding. To the point that this elder was impressed.”

Yunhyun said, turning to Gaekong.

Sowol looked at Gaekong.

Only then did she realize the meaning of Gaekong’s words, ‘It’s different’.

“And actually…”

Yunhyun said, awkwardly smiling as he continued.

“They are a very strong person. No one would dare to threaten them with martial arts.”

Sowol was momentarily flustered.

She thought he was looking for an entertainer with outstanding skills, but suddenly he was talking about someone so strong that no one could threaten them.

“If that’s the case, it seems you’ve come to the wrong place.”

Sowol said quietly.

“Go to the Changryong Alliance [Azure Dragon Alliance] instead of Chwiseon House. Although they are still building their main headquarters, I heard that the best expert under heaven is there.”

“Ah, that’s…”

It was when Yunhyun was about to say something with an awkward smile.

“Who is the best expert under heaven?”

Yeonghojun asked, his eyes shining.

Sowol was puzzled, but she readily answered.

“Why, it’s the Changryong Sword Lord [Azure Dragon Sword Lord].”

Looking at Yeonghojun, Sowol continued.

“He is the leader of the Changryong Alliance and the one who single-handedly destroyed the Heroic Alliance, so it is said that he has no equal under heaven.”

Even Sowol, who didn’t know much about the martial arts world, knew that rumor.

Who wouldn’t have heard of the Changryong Alliance, which had taken over the Central Plains in an instant and destroyed the Heroic Alliance, which had roamed the Yangtze River as if it were their own world?

Moreover, since the Changryong Alliance’s main headquarters was being built in Hangzhou, there was hardly anyone who didn’t talk about the Changryong Alliance these days.

“Ahem.”

Yunhyun cleared his throat and turned his head.

Yeonghojun smiled and said to Sowol.

“Oh, really? He must be a very great person. But even if we go to the Changryong Alliance, we won’t find the person we’re looking for.”

Seuk.

Turning his head and looking at Yunhyun, Yeonghojun continued.

“This gentleman is the Changryong Sword Lord. He is also our leader.”

“Yes?”

Sowol asked back without realizing it.

Many people talked about the Changryong Alliance, but few actually knew the Changryong Sword Lord.

Rumors about the Changryong Sword Lord had been rampant in the Yangtze River for some time, but the only time he had publicly revealed himself was at the Taepyeong Alliance’s [Great Peace Alliance] Dragon and Phoenix Assembly.

Moreover, since the Changryong Alliance had risen so rapidly in such a short period of time, there were no events or gatherings where the leader could show his face.

As a result, the Changryong Sword Lord unintentionally remained a mysterious figure whose identity was not revealed.

Sowol turned her head and looked at Yunhyun.

The shy young scholar in front of her and the mysterious expert of the martial arts world, the Changryong Sword Lord, were not connected at all.

It was not at all strange that Sowol was staring blankly at Yunhyun.

“I’m not the best under heaven.”

Yunhyun said with an awkward smile.

“But I am the leader.”

Only then was Sowol shocked.

That quiet and gentle scholar was the leader of the Changryong Alliance!

Yeonghojun was grinning as he watched Sowol’s eyes widen in surprise.