Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Harmony of Sword and Song
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Having tossed Baek Yang-hui and Je-gal Seol-ha into the entrance of the Pure Sound Five Pavilions at the base of the cliff, Yin-hu returned to the Hu-gok Guest Inn.
The total time it had taken was barely half a half da-gyeong.
Considering that the two locations were a half-day's journey apart even on foot, it was truly astonishing lightness skill.
"Lord Yin-hu, what of Yang-hui and Seol-ha...?"
Je-gal Seon, still standing awkwardly, asked. Yin-hu replied nonchalantly.
"They've entered the Pure Sound Five Pavilions. Assuming they emerge safely, it'll take at least a month, so you should return to your residence."
"I can't do that. I'll stay here at the Hu-gok Guest Inn until the children come out. However..."
Je-gal Seon shook his head with a hardened expression, trailing off.
"You said 'assuming they emerge safely'—does that mean it's extremely dangerous?"
Having heard that inadequate safety measures could even cost them their lives, how could a father's heart not worry?
"Mm. There's about a fifty percent chance they won't make it past the first pavilion and will die. It's the one that needs the most precautions, but none were taken at all."
Je-gal Seon's face paled—no, rage boiled up on it.
He nearly demanded if she had really thrown Seol-ha into such a place, the words rising to his throat, but he couldn't bring himself to voice them.
Watching him, Yin-hu smiled faintly.
"This is the path to becoming a disciple of Pa-cheon Yin-hu. Even if it's a perilous road, I deem it more than worthwhile. Don't you agree?"
"...You're right."
Across the world, there were sands on the riverbed's worth of people who would stake their lives to become a disciple of one of the Ten Heavenly Martial Venerables.
No matter the threat to life, the opportunity Baek Yang-hui and Je-gal Seol-ha had seized was undoubtedly a fateful encounter.
It was just that, as a father, he couldn't rest easy.
"Cast aside your anxiety and worry. Do you not trust those two children?"
"..."
Silent for a moment, Je-gal Seon lifted his head.
"No. The children will succeed."
What Je-gal Seon trusted was Baek Yang-hui.
The adopted son of his sworn brother, who had shown extraordinary talent from their first meeting.
Having witnessed Baek Yang-hui's martial prowess and gifts at the sparring tournament, Je-gal Seon had been genuinely impressed.
'Yang-hui. Please, protect our Seol-ha. Get her out of the Pure Sound Five Pavilions safely. I believe you can do it.'
Seeing Je-gal Seon's face fill with reassurance rather than unease, Yin-hu felt intrigued.
He was merely a worried father now, but Je-gal Seon was the young clan leader of the mighty Je-gal Clan, which dominated the world.
For such a man to place this level of profound trust...
'As expected, that young hero is no ordinary one.'
Yin-hu had made him an inner disciple precisely because of that same judgment, like glazing candied fruit to savor later.
Moreover... there was something special about him, unlike the other children.
'The qi of harmonious essence. That energy felt within... it's unmistakable.'
The Sacred Sound Jade Spirit Sect pursued the immortal's path.
Thus, Yin-hu could sense the uniqueness Baek Yang-hui harbored.
What to call it? It was as if he were born a vessel of an immortal—lofty and pure, profoundly clear.
'Living long lets you witness all sorts of amusing things.'
Over twenty years had passed since ascending to the Ten Heavenly Martial Venerables.
In all that time, Yin-hu had never felt such intense curiosity and interest as now.
Baek Yang-hui possessed exceptional talent and an extraordinary uniqueness.
However...
The unfinished Pure Sound Five Pavilions were exceedingly dangerous. Each of the five pavilions was a crisis where one staked their life.
'The first, the Conquest Pavilion. Even if they pass it, the Seven Herbs Pavilion will be tricky. I should check on them around then.'
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ ⚔ Heaven-Covering 108 Swords ⚔ Fifth Initial Form Eagle Feather Scatter — Fifth Variation Form
Je-gal Seol-ha lost herself watching Baek Yang-hui abruptly perform a sword dance.
It was because his sword form, like eagle feathers scattering in all directions, was so breathtakingly beautiful.
A sword dance evoking feathers soaring on the wind, fluttering down lightly.
'Sword principles as profound as decades of training. How, when he's my age...'
In that moment, Je-gal Seol-ha realized she had been so entranced she hadn't noticed the changes around her.
The massive snowflakes piling up from the sky.
The winding snow-covered mountain path stretching into the distance.
All of it was melting away like snow.
The change extended about ten zhang ahead before stopping.
"Tch. This is my limit for now, huh."
Je-gal Seol-ha asked Baek Yang-hui, who stopped his sword dance and clicked his tongue.
"Senior Brother... how on earth did you do that?"
Just now, Baek Yang-hui had used his sword to dismantle part of the formation.
Even for Je-gal Seol-ha, a direct descendant of the Je-gal Clan—renowned as peerless in mechanism formations and arrays—it was incomprehensible.
Compared to the feat's grandeur, Baek Yang-hui's answer was exceedingly simple.
"I severed the artificial qi flow to create a temporary life gate."
The most classic way to escape a formation was to find and exit through a life gate.
But if it were that easy, formations would have died out long ago.
Finding a life gate required not only qi sense surpassing mortals but also knowledge and intellect to calculate nature's harmony distorted by mechanisms.
'Not finding an existing life gate, but creating one temporarily...'
An act utterly impossible by current martial world's standards.
Thus, Je-gal Seol-ha could only ask.
"...Is that even possible?"
"Yeah."
"How?"
Her face still etched with shock, Je-gal Seol-ha pressed.
Baek Yang-hui smirked at her.
"With outstanding talent, well."
"...Fine, if you don't want to tell me."
Je-gal Seol-ha puffed her cheeks in a huff. But there was no helping it.
"That's really all there is to it, Junior Sister. Nothing more to say."
Baek Yang-hui was born with what could be called the world's—no, the greatest in history—qi sense.
His sensitivity to heaven and earth's qi was so acute he could even detect congenital qi hidden deep within others' bodies.
'Sensing and slicing distorted flows is a piece of cake.'
His current internal energy level and realm limited him to temporary life gates, but in his past life, Baek Yang-hui alone was the natural predator of mechanism artisans and formation masters.
"Anyway, let's hurry on."
Reaching the boundary of the temporary safe zone ten zhang ahead, Baek Yang-hui performed another sword dance, prodding here and there.
The snowy landscape melted away. He advanced another ten zhang and repeated.
Thus, in about a day.
Je-gal Seol-ha could only gape.
"I thought it'd take at least several days. No, I even feared we might not pass the first pavilion and die..."
It had been a gateway difficult enough to warrant such thoughts, yet they'd cleared it in less than a day.
Was this right?
"How about it? Don't you respect your Senior Brother a bit more now, Junior Sister?"
"..."
Honestly, awe welled up, but... Je-gal Seol-ha glared at him with puffed cheeks.
His tone brimmed with mischief, screaming I'm teasing you for real.
Listening, respect gave way to annoyance.
He was clearly her benefactor—why did gratitude fade like this?
'Yin-hu... no, Master. Please, leave a gateway where your disciple can shine too.'
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Baek Yang-hui and Je-gal Seol-ha arrived at the third pavilion of the Pure Sound Five Pavilions: the Sound Pavilion.
Why the third, skipping the second? The second, the Good Pavilion, was so unfinished—not even properly built—that passing it was just walking by.
"Getting thrown in today was a blessing in disguise. Otherwise, it'd have been more hassle."
"Don't pin the 'challenge it right away' on this Junior Sister."
"If you hadn't insisted on challenging it, your Senior Brother wouldn't have been dragged into the hassle either."
"..."
Je-gal Seol-ha puffed her cheeks again and changed the subject.
"It seems the Pure Sound Five Pavilions are arranged in the order Master deems most important."
The first tested conquest of will. The second was just reading "Good Pavilion" above the door, but it was meant to test one's virtuous character.
"The Sacred Sound Jade Spirit Sect, famed for sound arts, yet tests aptitude for sound third."
"The main sect seems like a fine place."
Using "main sect" before even formal acceptance as a disciple was just endearing.
"Aptitude for sound, though... that's a problem."
Baek Yang-hui had zero knowledge of sound arts.
To be precise, aside from calligraphy among poetry, books, painting, and music, he had zero interest.
His calligraphy proficiency stemmed not from hobby but his family's scholarly tradition, influenced by his mother, a scholar's daughter—they valued learning highly.
"Heh. Since Senior Brother got us through the first pavilion easily, it's my turn now."
Je-gal Seol-ha stepped forward confidently, glancing at Baek Yang-hui with slightly smug eyes.
Was she really the girl clinging to her dad's arms yesterday, not speaking a word?
'Good she's changing for the better, but why so fast?'
Was it because the Harmonious Heaven Qi sealed her Peach Blossom Aura from escaping the upper dantian?
Or the age where one changes daily, like a glance reveals three autumns?
Whatever—watching her was cute, so he'd let it slide.
"Alright, I'll spectate your skills in this Sound Pavilion."
"Leave it to me."
The Sound Pavilion was a circular cavern embedded with dozens of iron pegs.
Approaching one, Je-gal Seol-ha flicked it with her finger.
Ting, dong, dong, dong, doong-doong—
The sound waves from the first peg resonated, spreading to others, forming a harmony of tones.
But it was just overlapping discordant notes—hardly beautiful music.
'So that's the structure.'
True to her Je-gal Clan lineage, her sharp mind deduced the passage condition.
"Senior Brother, can I circulate the Hyun-won Perfect Core Body Art? I need to use my upper dantian."
Her upper dantian was wrapped in Harmonious Heaven Qi.
Circulating qi would inevitably break the seal.
"Go ahead. Some Peach Blossom Aura will leak, but I'll handle it."
"Got it."
Je-gal Seol-ha immediately began circulating the Hyun-won Perfect Core Body Art.
Peach Blossom Aura drawn from her upper dantian rode her voice outward.
"My love embraces the green brocade qin." "Down the western ridge of Mount Emei, he descends to this girl." "For me, he sweeps the strings once—qin notes resound." "Like myriad valley pines swaying in the wind." "These rhythms wash my maiden heart like flowing waters." ⟨ Qing Chuo Resounds, Zhun Plays the Qin ⟩
Baek Yang-hui was genuinely awestruck.
'Qing Chuo Sheng Zhun Tan Jin could become such a beautiful song.'
Qing Chuo Sheng Zhun Tan Jin—the poem by Tang Dynasty's greatest poet Li Bai, inspired by monk Zhun of Shu playing the qin.
Je-gal Seol-ha had adapted it in her own way, turning it into lyrics with melody.
'That's why Uncle wanted Master to accept Seol-ha as a disciple.'
Her singing talent was truly first-rate.
Considering her young age, one couldn't help anticipating her mastery.
If she joined the Sacred Sound Jade Spirit Sect's inner disciples with this gift...
'In the near future, a Little Sound Marquess might emerge instead of the Soul-Seducing Witch.'
Dong, doong-dong, dong, doong-doong.
La, la-la-la, la-la-la, la-la, la-la-la-la.
Je-gal Seol-ha's voice vibrated the iron pegs.
Vibrations spread, neighboring pegs resonated.
All pegs hummed, filling the cavern. The mechanism responded, and an iron door in the corner slid open.
Clank!
Stopping her song, Je-gal Seol-ha approached Baek Yang-hui, shoulders proudly squared.
"Heh. After hearing a poem of that caliber, even calling it repayment of a tenth for your help in the first pavilion would be modest, right?"
"Having heard verse reaching the pinnacle of elegance, I'd say it covers the full amount."
"Hehe, thank you for the praise, Senior Brother. Shall we move to the next pavilion? The door's closing."
"...Hold on."
The iron door was shutting fast, but Baek Yang-hui didn't budge.
It fully closed soon after. They could just sing again, but Je-gal Seol-ha puzzled over why he stood still.
"What's wrong, Senior Brother?"
"I want to try passing it too."
Je-gal Seol-ha's song. Resonating pegs.
A gateway activated by harmony of sound and qi.
Watching sparked interest—like he grasped something.
Not full enlightenment, but skipping felt like missing out.
Baek Yang-hui trusted his intuition.
"Songs pair with dances as performance arts. Having heard fine singing, this Senior Brother will repay with martial dance."
Dance and martial.
His drawn wooden sword traced a sword dance.
Soon, the first struck peg emitted a tone.
Ting-lang!