Chapter 11
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Clashing Melodies
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Seeing Zhuge Dowon's scheme, I couldn't help but laugh.
"He's trying to rattle Nangong Mubaek's nerves before the duel. A clever scoundrel like him is always such a pain."
I sat leisurely in the pavilion, sipping my drink.
"Young master, don't fret so much. Just sit back and enjoy the show."
"How can I enjoy that? Who knows what he'll pull next?"
"That's exactly why he's doing it—because you're uneasy. If you get more anxious, he'll act out even worse."
"Is that how it works?"
"A scoundrel can't help being a scoundrel. He has to stir up trouble and ruin everything."
Nangong Mubaek downed a shot, looking uncomfortable, as if my words were aimed straight at him.
Ting-a-ling-ling!
Zhuge Dowon picked up his pipa and began to play an accompaniment.
The clear tones showed he'd properly learned his music—the mark of true training.
They said the Zhuge Family made music studies mandatory.
The three singers harmonized perfectly with Zhuge Dowon's melody, creating a fine performance.
"Do you know what piece that is?"
Nangong Mubaek, clearly enjoying it, asked me.
"It's 'High Mountains and Flowing Water,' the second of the Ten Great Pieces. Do you know of Bo Ya and Zhong Ziqi?"
"Even I know that much. When his friend Zhong Ziqi—who truly understood his music—died, Bo Ya snapped the strings of his qin and never played again, right?"
"Exactly. 'High Mountains and Flowing Water' is the piece Bo Ya composed after losing Zhong Ziqi."
No wonder it was so heartrending.
Zhuge Dowon, overhearing us, paused his playing in surprise and looked at me.
"Scholar Cheon, you know your music, I see."
"Well, I know all Ten Great Pieces. And I can play them too."
At that moment, Zhuge Dowon's eyes turned sly.
"Perfect. Why don't we each play our favorite pieces? It's a great day to get swept up in the mood. Little brother Mubaek, you sit there and enjoy our performance. If you can, that is—might be tough when all you've trained in is martial arts."
Feeling insulted as a mere sword-swinging brute who knew nothing of music, Nangong Mubaek surged with anger.
The words rang true, but calling him an ignorant thug outright crossed the line.
Before he could snap, though, Zhuge Dowon struck up his pipa again.
"Hmph!"
Nangong Mubaek swallowed his rage and glared at him.
'So that's his game. Stirring up anger without giving a chance to fight back.'
Zhuge Dowon left no room for retort.
"Little brother Mubaek, know this piece?"
He asked while playing.
I stepped in first.
"Isn't it 'Sunny Spring and White Snow'? The bright, crisp melody depicts the cycle of life—birth, aging, sickness, and death."
"Impressive! Even a mere scholar knows 'Sunny Spring and White Snow.'"
"It's one of the Ten Great Pieces. It'd be weirder if I didn't."
Nangong Mubaek clamped his mouth shut.
He'd never heard it before.
"Last year it was poetry, now it's music. You're toying with me again."
Nangong Mubaek grumbled.
Suddenly, people gathered around the pavilion.
Members of the Nangong and Zhuge Families mingled together.
"I called them over. Can't have a performance this fine without an audience."
Classic Zhuge trickery—planning ahead to summon the crowd.
Show off his musical prowess, then humiliate Nangong Mubaek in the friendly duel. He seemed utterly confident in his music.
So he went even bolder.
"Wait! Isn't that beauty over there...?"
"Heavens, to see her in a place like this!"
Some Nangong elders exclaimed in shock. No one expected Zhuge Dowon to set up such a spectacle.
"It's Cheongyo of the Celestial Pleasure House."
If you named the most famous courtesan in Hefei, she'd top the list.
Her skill on the qin and pipa had made her renowned not just in Hefei, but across all of Anhui.
Zhuge Dowon had paid a fortune to invite her.
Despite constant requests from high officials and great families, she was known for performing only for those who truly appreciated music.
That, along with Jong Sobin—the saintess offering free treatments—had made them Hefei's twin wonders lately.
Zhuge Dowon had two reasons for inviting her.
First, to show Nangong Mubaek—and the Nangong Family—that he wielded enough influence to summon her.
Second, to let everyone hear her praise his playing.
That would paint him not just as a martial prodigy, but as the refined warrior the Zhuge Family prided itself on.
The Zhuge Family held a pillar of the martial world not through unmatched martial prowess, but because they were far more learned than the average brute.
She appeared in splendid palace robes, followed by a plainly dressed woman with a cane.
"Welcome, Lady Cheong."
Cheongyo replied in a clear voice.
"Thank you for inviting me to the Nangong Family."
She glanced around, then bowed to Nangong Hak and Jeon Ian.
"An honor to meet the Family Head and Matriarch of the Nangong Family. This is the glory of three lifetimes for me, Cheongyo."
Since it was Zhuge Dowon's invitation, she kept it to a formal greeting.
Nangong Hak and Jeon Ian could only chuckle wryly at his audacity.
Using their youngest to prop himself up was bad enough; dragging a Celestial Pleasure House star into their home was outright brazen.
Zhuge Dowon spoke.
"The scholar over there and I will play 'Sunny Spring and White Snow.' Lady Cheong, please listen and give your thoughts."
"How could a mere girl like me judge the music of such gentlemen?"
"Who better than Anhui's finest courtesan?"
Cheongyo could tell it was a musical duel between the two and hesitated to intervene. With the Nangong Family Head present, it wasn't a place for loose words.
So she offered an alternative.
"When it comes to listening, this child here surpasses even me. She lost her sight but gained hearing beyond mortals. Trained in music before going blind, she'll judge more accurately."
Zhuge Dowon saw the fairness in it.
Praise from his invited guest would invite gossip.
"Excellent. Let the child judge instead."
"But she never lies about music. She speaks exactly what she hears and feels, so please keep that in mind."
"Even if she insults my playing, how could I blame the listener?"
He was that confident his music had reached mastery.
"Bringing in Cheongyo means he's out to crush our youngest flat."
Nangong Hak muttered from his seat in the Chekmawon pavilion.
"My lord, trust in our boy and Scholar Cheon."
"I came because the Zhuge elder insisted, but I didn't expect this. The Zhuge Family are all the same—unscrupulous."
"Hee-hee, you came because you believe in our youngest. Don't worry too much. Look, his presence is so different now."
"Can you read presence too, dear?"
He'd half-joked, but Jeon Ian answered seriously.
"His eyes are steady. Before, even a few people made him glance around anxiously."
"True enough. And his aura feels settled. Achieving that stability so quickly isn't easy."
"Scholar Cheon's doing, I'd wager. Though even to another woman, that Cheongyo is truly lovely."
"She's a firefly to your sun, dear."
Jeon Ian smiled softly.
"My lord, I have a feeling Scholar Cheon will outplay Zhuge Dowon."
"Got a reason for that?"
"Woman's intuition."
She'd logically explained their son's presence before, but now it was intuition—leaving Nangong Hak speechless.
Still, he knew a woman's intuition bordered on the supernatural, so he focused on Zhuge Dowon's playing.
Zhuge Dowon immersed himself in the music, falling silent.
The performance lasted about a quarter-hour, and in the winter scene, his inner energy flared, spilling outward.
On this still day, wind seemed to swirl only around him, fluttering his robes.
Each note released waves of presence that rippled through the air.
Ting-a-ling-a-ling!
Finishing, Zhuge Dowon beamed proudly at Cheongyo.
"Well? How was my playing?"
He asked her directly, then quickly corrected himself.
"No, wait—we should hear about Scholar Cheon's too. Your turn, Scholar Cheon."
Confident in his own performance, he had no expectations for mine.
'The scholar's at best fumbling an imitation. And playing before a crowd? Let's see him embarrass himself in front of everyone.'
Meeting Zhuge Dowon's malicious gaze, I said,
"I'll play 'Sunny Spring and White Snow.'"
I took up the qin and began. Infusing the strings with the seasons' essence, I played.
With each pluck, I wove in the Seven Stars Seven Origins energy.
I knew that channeling its essence into music extended the vibrations far and stirred emotions deeply.
The Murim Alliance musicians' gasps of awe had owed much to it.
First, sighs escaped the maids and servants nearby.
The piece depicted the seasons, but also life's joys and sorrows, birth to death.
In the spring melody, I unleashed a stronger surge of Seven Stars Seven Origins essence as I plucked.
Ting-a-ling-a-ling!
People gaped in shock everywhere. Butterflies had flocked to the scholar.
But all covered their mouths, fearing their own noise might mar the perfection.
No one wanted to taint such sublime music with a stray sound.
Even beasts succumbed—not just humans. Like bees to nectar, insects gathered, intoxicated by the melody's fragrance.
'Is this possible? How?'
Nangong Mubaek couldn't hide his astonishment.
'The legendary realm where music moves nature itself?'
Butterflies danced over nearby flowers, drawn inexorably.
Zhuge Dowon couldn't miss it.
'That's possible?'
Never had he considered music could touch mere creatures.
Not a single fly had come to him—despite sitting nearer the blooms.
Soon, butterflies blanketed the scholar's hair and shoulders.
As the piece ended, they took flight all at once, creating a breathtaking spectacle.
"Wow! Incredible!"
Silence shattered as someone shouted.
The speaker froze, face flushing, when eyes turned his way.
I smiled.
He was a Zhuge Family warrior.
Trained in music from childhood, even they lost themselves to my playing—enough to summon butterflies—and cried out in awe.
Admiration for beauty was like an unstoppable sneeze.