Book 4 Chapter 2

Skill of Sound and the Seonja of Celestial Sound

Bilyeon was preparing for his lessons in his exceptionally clean and tidy room.

The room was so spotless that it had become a ruthless place where not a single speck of dust could survive, and it was blindingly dazzling with a luster that seemed to capture the midday sunbeams.

However, the extreme tidiness of the interior was certainly not Bilyeon's doing. Given Bilyeon's relaxed, bordering on lazy, personality, such a miracle was impossible. In fact, Bilyeon could be defined as a hostile presence that disrupted the perfection of the room's order and cleanliness. But any perfection damaged by Bilyeon was immediately restored in an instant.

Moyonghwi possessed an astonishing ability to restore everything to its perfect state of tidiness and cleanliness, regardless of how Bilyeon disrupted it, using any means necessary, and all within half a beat. The cleanliness, which shone transparently like the afternoon sun, was so perfect that it inexplicably put a subtle pressure on Bilyeon's psyche. His obsession with cleanliness, stemming from severe mysophobia, was so great that even Bilyeon, the epitome of recklessness and audacity, no longer dared to mess up the room carelessly. That was how terrifying Moyonghwi's dedication to cleaning and cleanliness was.

"A room without a speck of dust is too inhuman and abnormal," Bilyeon grumbled, but his complaints did not reach Moyonghwi's ears or mind.

Still, sometimes this kind of neatness wasn't so bad. Especially when the dawn sunlight streamed through the windows, it felt as if the entire room was bathed in light.

In the midst of the waves of light filling the room, Bilyeon, oblivious to the countless arrows of malice and condemnation aimed at him, was leisurely preparing for his lesson. Today was finally the day for his sound skill class, and for the first time in a while, Bilyeon was polishing his Guqin, Mukrae, with excitement.

Guqin Mukrae!

It was the dark, dusky Guqin that Bilyeon had carried on his back when he entered Cheongwan earlier this year, using bizarre techniques to overturn a sect to its foundations. It was the item he usually made Yeomdo carry because it was too bothersome to bring himself.

While he claimed to have received it from his master through proper procedures, there were more than a few suspicious points. The Guqin named Mukrae was a secret treasure of his sect, the Birae Sect, and not something anyone could carelessly possess or handle.

However, according to Bilyeon's claim, he was the legitimate successor of his sect and the next sect leader, having gone through the proper procedures. Therefore, he argued, everything belonging to the sect was his. Of course, if his master heard this, he would have denied it vehemently, swinging his fists like a windmill.

Furthermore, the reason Mukrae was an even more important and valuable treasure was because it contained the Bongraehan. The Bongraehan, known to seal the power of the Thunder God, was the Birae Sect's greatest treasure, and its purpose was to store the true Biraedo.

When the Biraedo was stored inside, its sharpness and the aura of the Thunder Blade would miraculously not be damaged, so it was always kept there when not in use. In other words, by possessing Mukrae, Bilyeon now had both the Guqin and the Bongraehan, the other of the Birae Sect's two treasures, in his hands. It was as if Bilyeon had stripped the Birae Sect of its entire foundation, leaving not a single pillar.

As if infected by Moyonghwi's unwavering dedication to cleanliness, Bilyeon, who was polishing Mukrae to a shine after a long time, suddenly glanced to the side. There, he saw Moyonghwi, just like himself, meticulously and thoroughly polishing his own Guqin. It was highly unexpected. Usually, besides his sword, the only things he touched were cleaning supplies, hundreds of intricately named books, and writing tools.

"Oh, are you taking a sound skill class too?"

In response to Bilyeon's question, Moyonghwi nodded silently. So cold…

"I never thought you'd be taking a sound skill class!"

"Surprising?"

Moyonghwi asked, seemingly displeased by Bilyeon's gaze of wonder.

"Of course. I thought you only knew swords, but to have an elegant hobby like music, it's surprisingly unexpected for someone as stoic as you."

Bilyeon's words seemed to strongly emphasize his own (questionable) elegance in learning sound skills.

"It's not a hobby."

"Then what is it?"

"I am simply interested in the difference in the flow and changes of Qi between the emission, utilization, operation, and application of true Qi in sound skills and the emission, utilization, operation, and application of sword Qi in sword skills. That is my only interest."

"Ugh! What is that? I can't believe it. I really can't believe it. So you're painstakingly learning sound skills just to compare and analyze the principles and differences between two different martial arts?"

Unlike Bilyeon, who was learning sound skills for personal hobbies and interest to show off, Moyonghwi was taking the class for incredibly complex academic reasons. It was understandable that Bilyeon was getting tired of it.

"Naturally."

Moyonghwi replied firmly and without hesitation.

'What a boring person,' Bilyeon cursed inwardly. He felt proud of himself for maintaining a relationship with such a devoid-of-fun and social-skill person (Bilyeon, you're truly amazing). Bilyeon was completely unaware that, in the eyes of others, he himself was also a rather peculiar individual.

"So, whose class is it?"

Although he asked, Bilyeon already knew the answer. Only one person had a lecture scheduled at this time.

Bilyeon and Moyonghwi were not the only ones taking the sound skill class today. As the two left the room, Hyoryong was waiting outside with a Guqin on his back.

"Whoa? Hyoryong, what are you doing here?"

At Bilyeon's words, Hyoryong furrowed his brow slightly.

"Have you already forgotten?"

"Ah, come to think of it, we signed up for the same class, didn't we?"

After a long moment of contemplation, Bilyeon clapped his hands and said. If Hyoryong hadn't waited for him, he would have left without him.

"You finally remembered?"

"Yeah."

Bilyeon nodded nonchalantly. Without a hint of apology.

"Of course, you would. Well, but your Guqin looks like an extraordinary item."

The dark Guqin slung over Bilyeon's back had captured his attention from the moment he first saw it. It would be a lie if he wasn't curious about its origin.

"Ah, this? Well, in a way, it's quite a ridiculous item."

Bilyeon replied with a peculiar smile.

"With such a renowned instrument, can I expect your performance skills to be good as well?"

His look was full of doubt. No matter how he thought about it, the wild Bilyeon and music didn't seem to harmonize.

"Of course. Look forward to it!"

Bilyeon was always confident.

The sound skill class of the Seonja of Celestial Sound, Hongran, was held in a special lecture hall on the third floor of Eumnyulgwan. It was equipped with triple and quadruple soundproofing facilities to avoid disturbing other classes. Moyonghwi, who preferred to sit alone, sat separately at the back, while Bilyeon sat with Hyoryong.

As expected of Cheonmu Academy, where the descendants of famous families and prestigious lineages gathered, many of the other students also had exquisite instruments, but they all seemed a bit inferior compared to Bilyeon's Mukrae. Bilyeon's Guqin, Mukrae, possessed a mystical aura that drew everyone's attention.

After Seonja of Celestial Sound Hongran's brief greeting, the class began. The class, as expected, started with theoretical lectures on sound skills. In any case, this time was for teaching the basics of sound skills.

"Sound skill refers to all martial arts power that uses musical instruments such as Guqin, strings, pipa, Xiao, and flute, as well as all martial arts power that uses sound, such as a lion's roar, to agitate and strike enemies."

Her lecture, flowing like water, began.

Despite being in her forties, Seonja of Celestial Sound Hongran maintained the beauty of her twenties. Still, Bilyeon was fortunate that he wasn't learning Guqin from a withered old hag. After all, it was only fitting to learn Guqin from a beauty (Bilyeon harbored thoughts that were extremely lacking in respect for elders).

Even Seonja of Celestial Sound Hongran could not help but admire Bilyeon's Guqin. Upon seeing the Guqin, the instincts of a musician within the Seonja stirred. Her heart pounded with anticipation at the thought of what kind of sound the eight strings, made of thin, transparent silver thread that could easily be overlooked without careful observation, would produce under her fingertips. A Guqin using such transparent silver threads was something she, a master of Guqin, had never seen before.

Just as a swordsman feels a strong urge to wield a divine or precious sword upon seeing one, and a gourmand wants to eat a delicious, renowned dish at all costs, a musician also wants to play a famous instrument imbued with divine energy. This desire would be even stronger for a master musician. Seonja of Celestial Sound Hongran was no exception.

"What is the young hero's name?"

"My name is Bilyeon."

'Huh? Has this ajumma fallen for me already, even though we haven't even started flirting?'

"If it's not too much trouble, may I try playing your Guqin?"

As a musician before a martial artist, Seonja of Celestial Sound Hongran politely requested Bilyeon. She showed him the utmost courtesy. She had no doubt that Bilyeon, as a student, would not refuse, expecting him to reciprocate her excessive courtesy. However…

"No."

Her trust shattered like a high-quality glass plate dropped from the second floor. Bilyeon's expression, which had crushed her expectations in an instant, was so resolute that there was no room for negotiation.

Although she had passed forty by five years, Seonja of Celestial Sound Hongran, who maintained her late twenties appearance using her formidable internal energy and beauty techniques, unconsciously etched a fatal wrinkle, the greatest enemy of beauty, onto her smooth face.

"May I know the reason?"

Out of pride, Seonja of Celestial Sound Hongran suppressed her anger and asked.

"Because I don't want to learn Guqin from a teacher with no fingers."

"……?"

She couldn't quite grasp the meaning of Bilyeon's words. It was understandable. In fact, Bilyeon's Guqin, Mukrae, was undoubtedly a divine instrument, but it had a very nasty characteristic: if one touched it carelessly, their fingers could easily rot and fall off like rotten radishes. The eight strings of Mukrae were made of a rare material called Thunder Spirit Silk, whose sharpness was incomparable to that of a renowned sword or precious blade. Bilyeon himself had experienced a dangerous situation in the past when he carelessly touched it, thinking only of its appearance, and nearly lost his fingers. He had almost ruined his life by becoming an amputee. Of course, nowadays, it didn't cause any problems even if touched carelessly.

"You don't believe me."

Bilyeon said, looking directly into Hongran's eyes, full of doubt and suspicion.

Why didn't people believe him from the start? Yeomdo was the same. Thinking back, after transforming Yeomdo into a disciple with a magnificent scheme, he entrusted Mukrae to him instead of making him a porter, and Yeomdo didn't believe Bilyeon's earnest warnings. He had repeatedly warned him to be careful as it was a finger-severing demonic instrument, but Yeomdo ended up touching it and almost gripping the sword with his four fingers.

Perhaps Mukrae possessed a strange, alluring power that emanated the scent of blood, tempting people. The thought of what would happen if this Guqin, which had already drawn blood from several people before it was even played, were properly played, made Bilyeon happy (Is this something to be happy about?).

"Sigh, if you don't believe me, then there's nothing I can do."

Knowing Mukrae's past track record well, Bilyeon gave up trying to persuade Hongran any further. It seemed that anyone who saw that Guqin had to shed blood before they learned their lesson. Seonja of Celestial Sound Hongran was no exception.

Still, Bilyeon, who had no intention of learning Guqin from a teacher with fewer than ten fingers, did not forget to offer one piece of advice. It was a precious piece of advice, a golden piece of advice, that saved Seonja of Celestial Sound Hongran's dearly beloved fingers.

"Touch it gently. Very, very lightly!"

Whether Seonja of Celestial Sound Hongran heard him or not, she lightly strummed the barely visible, transparent strings of Mukrae.

"Swoosh!"

The result was as expected. For anyone who hadn't professionally learned advanced external energy techniques, the result was the same.

"Ah!"

Seonja of Celestial Sound Hongran hastily withdrew her jade finger. A single drop of blood, like a crimson fruit, appeared on the tip of her snow-white finger.

"How could this happen?"

"See? I clearly told you. I'm not responsible."

Bilyeon grumbled.

Seonja of Celestial Sound Hongran could only silently blame herself for her carelessness and rashness. The moment she saw the drop of red fruit on her fingertip, her gaze towards Bilyeon changed completely by 180 degrees. It was impossible for someone who could play a demonic Guqin that even wounded her own hand to appear ordinary.

"Then let's begin the lesson."

Hastily hiding her embarrassed red face, she began the lesson. Bilyeon's first sound skill lesson began with a single drop of crimson blood. And Bilyeon's first lesson began splendidly.

Throughout the class, Seonja of Celestial Sound Hongran's peculiar, and frankly burdensome, gaze never left Bilyeon.