Light Novel: Volume 18 Episode 22
Manhwa: N/A
The Zigong Merchant Group mainly dealt with silk, paper, and silverware crafts.
All three were considered specialty products of Chengdu, but those handled and distributed by the Zigong Merchant Group were the finest and best among them.
Outside of Sichuan, these were precious goods that money could not easily buy. However, the Zigong Merchant Group wasn’t always dealing with these products from the beginning.
The entry barrier was so high that a new merchant group like Zigong couldn’t easily acquire them. The only reason they could handle these three special products was because Yu Gi-cheon of the Snow Cloud Villa had helped them.
He introduced his trade contacts to Zigong Merchant Group, and thanks to that, Lee Shin-pil was able to handle products despite the high entry barrier.
The silk from Chengdu has been famous for its quality since ancient times.
Traders from the western regions would travel to acquire it, and important figures of Jianghu would consider purchasing it if it was silk from Chengdu.
The quality of crafts made from silverware and paper was also the best, so they sold like hotcakes as soon as they were offered.
Because the goods were so precious, the escorts of the Zigong Merchant Group covered the wagons tightly with waterproof cloths.
It would have been a disaster if the goods were spoiled by the rain and wind so they took strong precautions in advance.
In total, there were more than forty merchants, escorts, and laborers accompanying the Zigong Merchant Group on this trip.
It was truly a large group.
Lee Shin-pil said to Gu Sang-hak, the chief escort,
“There will be a few more people joining us on this trip.”
“What? Why?”
Gu Sang-hak’s eyes widened.
Lee Shin-pil usually didn’t allow outsiders to join their trip so he was surprised to hear that Lee Shin-pil was now permitting others to join.
“They’re traveling to Shaoyang, which also happens to be on our route, so I allowed them to join.”
“Oh!”
“They are important people, so make sure to inform the other escorts to be courteous around them.”
“I understand. I’ll make sure to let them know.”
Gu Sang-hak nodded in reply.
It was then.
Three people entered through the gate of the Zigong Merchant Group.
Lee Shin-pil rushed to greet them.
The people who arrived were a man with a hat pressed low over his eyes, a young girl, and a young boy who appeared to be serving as her escort.
“Welcome!”
“Mm!”
The man with the hat nodded.
He was none other than Pyo-wol.
Lee Shin-pil spoke cautiously,
“I’ve prepared an empty carriage for you, so you can ride comfortably during the trip.”
“If there is a passenger carriage mixed with the merchant procession, it will attract attention.”
“What? Then–”
“We’ll just take and ride a wagon in the back.”
“Is that okay?”
“Don’t give us special treatment because you’re trying to be considerate. It’ll just make us stand out.”
“I understand, then feel free to ride the wagon at the rear.”
“Thank you.”
“No problem.”
Lee Shin-pil immediately took action.
He reorganized the caravan by assigning those in the back to other wagons.
The individuals who had been at the rear looked at Pyo-wol and his party with a puzzled expression.
No matter how they looked at it, the three didn’t seem to fit for this kind of travel. However, since Lee Shin-pil had personally brought them, they could only watch without saying anything.
“I’ll drive the wagon, big brother!”
The young boy naturally took the coachman’s seat as if it were a given.
He was none other than Do Yeonsan.
Sitting beside Do Yeonsan was Eunyo.
She stared straight ahead, her hat deeply pressed over her eyes.
This was her first time going outside since she entered Chengdu, so her face was flushed with excitement.
‘What will the outside world be like?’
At times like this, she regretted not having complete vision.
She could only guess how beautiful the world would be, seen with her own eyes, but just the fact that she would be able to experience the outside world was enough.
Pyo-wol climbed on top of the wagon and lay down.
Thud! Thud!
As the wagon traveled over the rugged ground, it rocked back and forth. Still, Pyo-wol’s expression didn’t change, he just closed his eyes and slept.
The trip went smoothly.
The Zigong Merchant Group moved along the official road.
Sichuan Province was a basin surrounded by high plateaus.
Naturally, to get out of the province, they had to pass through the plateaus.
The roads between the plateaus were rugged, nothing like the well-paved official road.
Riding a wagon on this type of road was dangerous enough to risk one’s life.
As a result, Lee Shin-pil and the escorts couldn’t help but become extremely tense the moment they entered the perilous path.
One mistake and both the wagon and its occupants could fall off the cliff and plummet to their deaths.
“Everyone, stay alert!”
“Check the width of the road. Make sure the wagon wheels don’t go off track!”
Lee Shin-pil and Gu Sang-hak shouted at the same time.
Though they were usually lenient with their subordinates, they couldn’t afford to do so on such a dangerous road. Laxity here was directly related to their lives, so they had to keep shouting to keep everyone alert.
The wagon Pyo-wol was in also climbed up the mountainous road precariously.
The wagon seemed more unstable because of the heavy load. Therefore, Lee Shin-pil kept a special eye on it.
Driving a wagon on such a dangerous mountain road required a special skill. That’s why he wondered if the young Do Yeonsan had such skills, but, contrary to his concern, Do Yeonsan drove the wagon well.
Although the wagon swayed precariously due to the full load, Do Yeonsan managed to skillfully navigate through the dangerous area.
The Zigong Merchant Group finally entered a safe zone.
The treacherous path ended and a well-maintained road appeared.
A little farther down this road, there was even a spacious area where they could take a break.
Only then did the people of the Zigong Merchant Group breathe a sigh of relief.
“Phew!”
“I thought I would die.”
Having gone through such a dangerous path, their legs were shaky.
Especially those who had driven the carriages, they were unable to move their legs as the tension was released.
Lee Shin-pil clapped his hands and said,
“You’ve all worked hard. It’s already late, so we will camp and sleep here tonight. Everyone should get some rest first before getting ready for the night.”
“Yes!”
“Understood.”
The laborers answered energetically.
Smiles appeared on their faces.
They were relieved to be over the hump.
After a short break, the laborers got to work.
They gathered branches, built a bonfire, and prepared a meal. In the meantime, the escorts scanned the area for any dangers and checked the wagons for any damages and abnormalities.
Pyo-wol, Eunyo, and Do Yeonsan also got off the wagon and approached the campfire.
Eunyo took off the hat she was wearing. Then, her beautiful appearance was revealed.
“Wow!”
“Damn!”
The people who happened to see her exclaimed.
The light from the campfire accentuated her beauty.
Eunyo immediately realized her mistake and hastily put her hat back on. But everyone had already seen her face.
Pyo-wol said to her,
“You can take off your hat, it’s okay.”
“But–”
“The only person who knows your true identity here is the head of the merchant group. So it’s okay to take off your hat.”
“Alright.”
In the end, Eunyo took off her hat and sat near the campfire.
Do Yeonsan chuckled softly next to Eunyo, as if finding something particularly pleasing.
Pyo-wol was still wearing his hat together with his blood-red robe.
His appearance was already so well-known that even strangers could recognize him quickly. Therefore, he never took off his hat for even a moment, pressing it down deeply so that others couldn’t recognize him.
Lee Shin-pil cautiously approached Pyo-wol and asked,
“How are you? Are you uncomfortable?”
“I’m fine.”
“Understood. I was just worried so I–”
“You don’t have to ask me about these things in the future.”
“I will do as you say.”
“After this road, are we going directly into Guizhou Province?”
“That’s right. The fastest way to get to Hunan is to pass through Guizhou.”
Guizhou was populated by a quite diverse array of ethnic groups.
The Han, the Miao, the Tujia, and numerous other ethnicities lived there, all mixed together.
“If we play our cards right, we might be able to buy some useful items there. The ethnic minorities there are very good with their hands and often create unexpected items.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes! Although, doing so may delay our journey for a day or two. Please understand that.”
“I told you, I have no intention of interfering with the merchant group’s plans. Just act as you usually do.”
“Yes! I will do so.”
Lee Shin-pil bowed his head and then walked away.
Pyo-wol strictly adhered to the position of a guest.
Because if he intervened, he would narrow Lee Shin-pil’s operational range.
Pyo-wol’s gaze suddenly landed on Eunyo.
A faint smile could be seen at the corners of her mouth as she sat by the campfire.
The blowing wind, the pleasant scent, even the noisy sound of insects—she enjoyed every bit of it.
Eunyo hummed a tune softly, then turned to look at Pyo-wol.
“Big brother!”
“What is it?”
“Can you play the pipa for me?”
“Pipa?”
Pyo-wol looked surprised.
He hadn’t expected Eunyo to make such a request.
Pyo-wol had received music training from the Master of the Celestial Music Hall.1
Thanks to this, he had a high level of proficiency in playing instruments.
Eunyo had also received training from the Master of the Celestial Music Hall after asking Pyo-wol. But she had no talent for music at all, and eventually, the Master gave up teaching her.
Although she had given up on learning music due to her lack of talent, she still had many lingering feelings about it.
“What if there’s no pipa?”
“I brought one with me.”
She rummaged through the bag that Do Yeonsan had brought and took out a pipa.
“You brought a pipa?”
“Yes! I thought it would be nice to listen to it when we’re camping like this–”
“Let me see.”
Pyo-wol took the pipa from her.
He had also learned how to play the pipa when he was learning from the Master of the Heavenly Music Hall.
Thump!
Pyo-wol plucked the strings of the pipa once.
The sudden sound of the music made people stop what they were doing and look at Pyo-wol. However, Pyo-wol did not care and plucked the strings a few more times.
Once he got the feel of it, Pyo-wol began to play a tune called ‘White Snow in Early Spring.’2
Ding-ding-ding!
Pyo-wol’s white fingers skillfully plucked the strings.
Though it had been a long time since he last played, there was no clumsiness in Pyo-wol’s hand movements.
The beautiful sound of his music echoed throughout the camp.
People stopped in their tracks and closed their eyes.
The sound of the pipa was so sorrowful that it made those listening involuntarily sentimental.
It pierced the hearts of people like them, who had to leave their hometowns and travel far distances, like a sharp knife.
Among those engrossed in the music, some even wiped away tears.
“I can’t help but cry.”
“Whew! His skill is incredible.”
“Didn’t think it would make me so choked up.”
Pyo-wol’s performance continued.
He had thought his skills might have rusted from not playing for so long, but it was all a baseless worry.
Once he started playing, his hands moved on their own.
Eunyo closed her eyes and became absorbed in Pyo-wol’s playing.
‘Indeed, my older brother is amazing.’
When she was still learning how to play the pipa from the Master of the Celestial Music Hall, the most frequent comment she heard was about Pyo-wol’s skills.
Her music teacher had said that if Pyo-wol focused solely on pipa, he could easily compete to be the best in the world. She didn’t fully understand it at the time, but after hearing Pyo-wol’s performance, she understood what the Master of the Celestial Music Hall meant.
Pyo-wol’s music had the power to move people’s hearts.
The performance was reaching its climax.
People’s hearts were also stirred along with it. Then, suddenly, the sound of the pipa stopped. The performance had finally come to an end.
“Ha!”
“Wow!”
People clapped their hands in admiration and awe.
Eunyo also clapped generously, but the person in question, Pyo-wol, remained unmoved.
He nonchalantly handed the pipa back to Eunyo.
“Can’t you play one more song?”
“If there’s time later…”
“Okay!”
Eunyo obediently took the pipa back.
Pyo-wol pressed his hat deeper into his head and looked at the blazing bonfire.
Playing after a long time not only stirred others’ hearts but also caused ripples in his own.
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