Chapter 39

Wi Je-ho asked with curious eyes. Although he had only said "that," Cheong-ra knew that Wi Je-ho was referring to the 'World's Greatest Beauty Contest'. Instead of answering, Cheong-ra looked at Dang Ran-yeong. The condition that he would only agree to the proposal if he was told the reason and purpose for participating in that contest still stood.

"Young Master Dang, can I just have this meal and leave?"

When Cheong-ra said this, demanding an answer, Dang Ran-yeong finally spoke leisurely.

"Actually, the prize for that contest is nothing special. It's just ten taels of gold."

Cheong-ra was shocked to hear that the prize was ten taels of gold. Ten taels of silver would be enough for a large family to live comfortably. And ten taels of gold was an enormous sum that could cover several years of operating expenses for a small or medium-sized sect with plenty left over. Dang Ran-yeong dismissed this amount as "just" and moved on. Even Wi Je-ho didn't seem particularly surprised.

"What I need is not the prize from that contest, but someone who qualifies to participate in it."

"What are the qualifications for that contest? If it's just being beautiful, wouldn't someone from this Pavilion of Golden Fragrance be enough?"

Cheong-ra asked, still unable to understand why they specifically wanted him. Dang Ran-yeong briefly glanced at Cheong-ra and then replied with an indifferent attitude.

"I'll tell you about the rest of the plan gradually later."

Cheong-ra glared at Dang Ran-yeong with a dissatisfied look. In the end, he had explained almost nothing. No, it seemed he didn't even feel the need to make Cheong-ra understand in the first place. It was an attitude that was surprisingly indifferent, even treating him as a nuisance.

'Was it really a good idea to seek him out?'

Had he crawled into a snake's den without any plan, based on a vague guess that Dang Ran-yeong might not be behind it? Was he going to die a sudden death, his ankle caught by the snake's venomous fangs without realizing it? Cheong-ra harbored such doubts as he continued his meal.

***

Cheong-ra, sitting in a chair and drinking tea, frowned. And then he sighed.

"What on earth is this all about?"

His dissatisfaction was evident in the way he put down his teacup with a thud. And for good reason, as he had been going back and forth between the guest room and the tea room for ten days now without any interaction.

At first, he had asked Dang Ran-yeong about the schedule for the World's Greatest Beauty Contest. But the only answer he got was that they would surely depart when the time came, with nothing more revealed. They were supposed to be working together, but in reality, Cheong-ra was completely excluded and left alone.

The other party's attitude blatantly revealed the intention to use Cheong-ra one-sidedly.

Moreover, the behavior of the three people who seemed to be Dang Ran-yeong's close associates towards Cheong-ra was equally unpleasant. Wi Je-ho, contrary to his words of being glad to meet again, hardly interacted with Cheong-ra. He only exchanged greetings while pretending to be friendly, without engaging in any further conversation.

Still, he was the best of the lot. The name of the infamous defrocked monk known for his eccentric behavior after being struck by Dang Ran-yeong's windfall was Nam Gang-ryong. Every time he encountered Cheong-ra, he would chant "Amitabha" in an unpleasantly polite manner and then say:

"May Buddha bestow mercy upon this pitiful being."

And then he would turn away before Cheong-ra could say anything. It was as if he was dealing with someone he shouldn't interact with.

Hwan-hong, whom he encountered most frequently coming and going, ignored him the most severely, not even looking at him, let alone speaking to him, and just busily went about her own business.

Of course, needless to say, the most indifferent attitude came from Dang Ran-yeong. After having a meal together ten days ago, he hadn't shown his face to Cheong-ra at all. In this situation, being ignored by everyone, Cheong-ra couldn't help but feel dissatisfied.

Ten days were enough to spend time examining the luxury items scattered around the room or training. Finally, he left the room wearing his veil. This was to prevent rumors from spreading about the Moonlight Beauty Sword frequenting The Pavilion of Golden Fragrance and living dissolutely.

However, as soon as Cheong-ra left the room, Yeo-jin appeared as if she had been waiting. She smiled gently and asked Cheong-ra politely.

"Young Master Baek Ri, is there anything you need?"

"...No. I just felt stuffy and came out for a walk."

"Ah! In that case, may this humble girl guide you? The Pavilion of Golden Fragrance has a back garden suitable for taking walks."

Yeo-jin guided Cheong-ra with a gentle attitude, her actions very natural. However, Cheong-ra was certain that she was monitoring him. Like the servants here, Yeo-jin seemed to have learned martial arts, as her subtly emanating aura was extraordinary.

He knew there was no trust between Dang Ran-yeong and himself, but to the extent of assigning a monitor... This was the first time in his life he had been treated like this.

However, if he were to be shaken by each of these incidents, he would deserve to be treated like a preciously raised young master from Moon Lake Sect. Cheong-ra followed Yeo-jin's guidance without showing his displeasure. The back garden Yeo-jin guided him to was filled with all sorts of rare flowers and strange rocks.

"This is a back garden that can only be used by guests who use the fourth floor of The Pavilion of Golden Fragrance. As we're not receiving guests on the fourth floor for the time being, you can comfortably remove your veil here."

"I was feeling stuffy, so that's fortunate."

Cheong-ra welcomed Yeo-jin's words and took off his veil. Although he wore it often, it certainly wasn't a comfortable item. Especially for him, who had learned martial arts and was less susceptible to cold or heat than ordinary commoners, wearing a veil in summer was stuffy and uncomfortable.

"Thank you for introducing me to such a nice back garden."

After removing his veil, the unobstructed view was satisfying, and a bright smile naturally appeared on Cheong-ra's face. Seeing that face, Yeo-jin's cheeks turned slightly red. She spoke carefully with admiration.

"Young Master, you are the most handsome man I have ever seen."

"Even more than Lord Owner Dang Ran-yeong?"

When Cheong-ra spoke with a slightly playful smile, Yeo-jin unknowingly let her guard down a little and laughed out loud.

"Lord Owner Dang is handsome in a different way from Young Master Baek Ri. Pine trees, clouds, and flowers each have their own unique beauty, don't they?"

Once they had engaged in friendly conversation, the atmosphere softened. Although Yeo-jin hadn't stopped monitoring him, unlike Dang Ran-yeong and his close associates, at least she didn't ignore him, so Cheong-ra felt more at ease.

After that, Cheong-ra went to the back garden with Yeo-jin every day. It seemed that The Pavilion of Golden Fragrance was the place where Dang Ran-yeong spent most of his time, so even while being monitored like this, walking around might allow him to gather more information.

Cheong-ra gradually probed Yeo-jin and asked various questions. He asked things like what criteria were used to select guests for the fourth floor, or if Dang Ran-yeong was always this hard to see. Yeo-jin answered politely but vaguely.

"Only those who meet the standards of the Lord Owner and the Madam can use the guest rooms on the fourth floor."

"The Lord Owner is sometimes busy and sometimes not."

Thus, Cheong-ra spent time day after day without gaining any information. He even felt half-imprisoned in The Pavilion of Golden Fragrance. When he gave reasons like needing clothes to go outside or needing daily necessities, Yeo-jin would say they couldn't treat a guest poorly and immediately bring what was needed. It seemed she didn't want Cheong-ra to go outside.

Although he had come here of his own accord, feeling frustrated, Cheong-ra was taking a walk in the back garden when something occurred to him, and he politely asked Yeo-jin.

"Would it be alright if I played the zither here?"

As a brothel was a place where music was always heard, Yeo-jin nodded willingly. She called a servant working at The Pavilion of Golden Fragrance and ordered them to bring a zither. It was clearly an expensive zither, well-maintained with a smooth body. He thanked Yeo-jin and then sat in the pavilion in the back garden, placing the zither on his lap.

As Cheong-ra placed his hands on the zither in the beautiful back garden that looked like a painting, Yeo-jin unknowingly exclaimed softly, "Indeed, the Moonlight Beauty Sword." Cheong-ra paused for a moment and then plucked the strings. The lively melody of "Yang Chun Bai Xue" (White Snow in Spring) flowed out.

The melody of the ancient zither depicting the mood of a spring day seemed to flow down like rippling water. It felt as if one could smell the warm earth scent of frogs just waking up, and hear birds chirping. It was a tune that perfectly matched this time when spring was just arriving. When the performance finally ended, Yeo-jin exclaimed in admiration.

"Young Master Baek Ri, you are truly multi-talented. Your skill is worthy of widespread fame not only with the sword but also with the zither."

"I enjoyed playing after such a long time too."

Saying this, Cheong-ra stroked the zither with a regretful touch and then politely asked Yeo-jin if he could keep the zither. Although it was the brothel's property, Yeo-jin, deeply impressed by the recent performance, replied that he could use it as much as he wanted.

From that day on, Cheong-ra came out to the back garden at specific times to play the zither. Although not to the extent of sound techniques, he could enhance the sound by infusing internal energy into the melody, so every time he played, his music resonated clearly throughout the brothel. After playing like this for several days, the person he had been waiting for finally came.