Chapter 447

The Zigong Merchant Group mainly dealt in silk, paper, and silver thread crafts.

All three were specialties of Chengdu, and the ones handled by the Zigong Merchant Group were the finest among them.

They were precious items that trading companies outside of Sichuan Province couldn’t obtain even with gold taels. The Zigong Merchant Group hadn’t always handled these products from the beginning.

The barrier to entry was incredibly high, so a new trading company like the Zigong Merchant Group couldn’t acquire them. The reason they were able to handle these three specialties was because Yu Gicheon of the Snow Cloud Stronghold had helped them.

He had introduced his own suppliers to the Zigong Merchant Group, and thanks to him, Lee Shin-pil was able to handle specialty goods with a high barrier to entry.

The silk of Chengdu had long been famous for its quality.

Merchants came from as far as the Western Regions, and high-ranking officials of Jianghu would buy it on sight if they heard it was silk from Chengdu.

The quality of the silver thread crafts and paper was also top-notch, so they sold like hotcakes as soon as they were put on the market.

Since the goods were precious, the escorts of the Zigong Merchant Group meticulously covered the cargo wagons with waterproof tarps.

It would be a disaster if the goods were damaged by wind and rain, so they prepared thoroughly in advance.

The total number of merchants, escorts, and workers accompanying the Zigong Merchant Group on this trip exceeded forty.

This could be considered a large group.

Lee Shin-pil said to the head escort, Gu Sanghak.

“A few more people will be joining this trip.”

“Pardon? What do you mean?”

Gu Sanghak’s eyes widened.

Lee Shin-pil rarely allowed outsiders to join his caravans. For him to say he was letting outsiders participate was puzzling.

“They are people heading to Shaoyang, and since it happens to be on our route, I’ve allowed them to join.”

“Ah!”

“They are esteemed individuals. Tell the escorts to never be impolite to them.”

“Understood. I will make sure to instruct them firmly.”

Gu Sanghak replied with a bow of his head.

It was then.

Three people opened the gates of the Zigong Merchant Group and entered.

Lee Shin-pil rushed over to them.

It was a man with the hood of his Wind Cloak pulled down, a young girl, and a young boy sticking close to her as if to guard her.

“Welcome.”

“Mm.”

The man with the hood pulled down nodded his head.

He was none other than Pyo Wol.

Lee Shin-pil carefully continued.

“I have prepared an empty carriage, so you may travel comfortably.”

“Having a passenger carriage mixed in with a merchant caravan will draw attention.”

“Pardon? Then…”

“We’ll just ride in the cargo wagon at the rear.”

“But still, how can I?”

“Don’t give us special treatment out of consideration for us. It will only make us stand out more.”

“Understood. In that case, please ride in the cargo wagon at the rear.”

“Thank you.”

“Not at all.”

Lee Shin-pil immediately took action.

He reassigned the people who had been driving the rear cargo wagon to other wagons, adjusting the personnel.

Those who had been at the rear looked at Pyo Wol’s newly joined party with puzzled expressions.

No matter how they looked at them, they were people who didn’t seem to fit in with this kind of merchant trip. But since they were people brought personally by Lee Shin-pil, they just watched.

“I’ll drive the wagon, hyung!”

The boy sat in the driver’s seat as if it were the most natural thing to do.

He was none other than Do Yeon-san.

Eun-yo sat beside Do Yeon-san.

With the hood of her Wind Cloak pulled down deep, Eun-yo stared ahead.

Since it was her first time going outside after entering Chengdu, her face was flushed with excitement.

‘I wonder what the outside world is like?’

At times like this, she regretted the fact that her eyes were not whole.

She couldn’t imagine how beautiful the world would be if she could see it with her own eyes. Still, just being able to experience the outside world directly was meaningful enough.

Pyo Wol climbed onto the top of the cargo wagon and lay down.

Clip-clop! Clip-clop!

The wagon jolted as it passed over the uneven ground. Even so, Pyo Wol’s expression didn’t change as he closed his eyes and sought sleep.

The journey was smooth.

The Zigong Merchant Group moved along the main road.

Sichuan Province was a basin surrounded by high plateaus.

Naturally, to get out of Sichuan Province, one had to pass through the rugged plateaus.

The path that ran between the plateaus was incomparably rougher than the well-paved main road.

Traveling this road by wagon was so dangerous that one had to be prepared to risk their life.

Because of that, the moment they entered the rough path, Lee Shin-pil and the escorts couldn’t help but be on high alert.

A single mistake could send a wagon and its people plummeting down a thousand-zhang cliff.

“Everyone, stay sharp.”

“Check the width of the road. Be careful the wagon wheels don’t go off the edge.”

Lee Shin-pil and Gu Sanghak shouted at the same time.

They were usually lenient with their subordinates, but they couldn’t afford to be on such a treacherous road. A moment of carelessness was directly linked to life and death, so they had no choice but to keep shouting to keep everyone’s minds alert.

The wagon Pyo Wol was on also ascended the mountain path precariously.

It looked even more precarious because the wagon was so heavily loaded. For that reason, Lee Shin-pil kept a special watch on it out of the corner of his eye.

Driving a wagon on such a rough mountain path required special skill. He was worried whether the young Do Yeon-san possessed such a skill. But contrary to his worries, Do Yeon-san drove the wagon well.

Although the wagon swayed precariously due to its full load, he skillfully navigated through the dangerous areas.

The Zigong Merchant Group finally entered a safe zone.

The arduous road had ended, and a well-paved road appeared.

After traveling a little further down the road, a spacious area where they could rest appeared.

Only then did the people of the Zigong Merchant Group let out a sigh of relief.

“Hoo!”

“I’m dead.”

Their legs trembled from having traversed such a rough road.

The people who had driven the wagons, in particular, couldn’t move as the tension left them and their legs gave out.

Lee Shin-pil clapped his hands and said.

“Everyone worked hard. It’s already late, so we’ll camp here for the night. Everyone rest for a bit, then prepare to make camp.”

“Yes!”

“Understood.”

The workers answered energetically.

Smiles graced their faces.

Now that they had overcome the difficult part, they felt a sense of relief.

After a short rest, the workers began to move.

They gathered branches to build a bonfire and prepared a meal. In the meantime, the escorts checked the surroundings for any potential dangers and inspected the cargo on the wagons for any issues.

Pyo Wol, Eun-yo, and Do Yeon-san also got down from the wagon and approached the bonfire.

Eun-yo took off the hood she had been wearing over her head. Her beautiful features were revealed.

“Whoa!”

“Huk!”

People who happened to see her let out exclamations of admiration without realizing it.

The light of the bonfire enhanced her beauty.

Only then did Eun-yo notice her mistake and hastily pulled her hood back on. But by then, everyone had already seen her face.

Pyo Wol said to her.

“It’s okay to take off your hood.”

“But still…”

“The only one here who knows your true appearance is the merchant group leader. So it doesn’t matter if you take off your hood.”

“Okay.”

In the end, Eun-yo warmed herself by the bonfire with her hood off.

Do Yeon-san, for some reason so pleased, grinned foolishly beside Eun-yo.

Pyo Wol still had the hood of his Wind Cloak pulled over his head.

His appearance was already widely known, so even those who didn’t know him could recognize him instantly. That was why he never took off his hood for even a moment, and even now, he had it pulled down low so that others couldn’t recognize him.

Lee Shin-pil approached Pyo Wol and asked cautiously.

“Were you not inconvenienced in any way?”

“It’s fine.”

“Understood. I was just concerned…”

“From now on, there’s no need to ask about such things one by one.”

“I will do so.”

“Once we pass this road, do we enter Guizhou Province right away?”

“That is correct. The fastest way to Hunan Province is through Guizhou Province.”

Guizhou Province was composed of quite a diverse range of ethnic groups.

Countless ethnic groups, such as the Han, Miao, and Tujia, lived intermingled.

“If we’re lucky, we might be able to purchase some useful items here. The minority ethnic groups have nimble hands and sometimes create unexpected things.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes! Because of that, our journey may be delayed by a day or two. Please understand this point.”

“Didn’t I tell you? I have no intention of interfering with the trading company’s route. Act as you normally would.”

“Yes! I will do so.”

Lee Shin-pil bowed his head and retreated.

Pyo Wol thoroughly maintained the position of a guest.

If he intervened, it would narrow Lee Shin-pil’s range of movement technique.

Pyo Wol’s gaze suddenly turned to Eun-yo.

A faint smile graced the lips of Eun-yo as she warmed herself by the bonfire.

The blowing wind, the fragrant smells, even the noisy chirping of insects—everything was pleasant.

Eun-yo hummed a soft tune before stopping to look at Pyo Wol.

“Orabeoni!”

“What is it?”

“Can’t you play the pipa for me?”

“The pipa?”

Pyo Wol wore a surprised expression.

He had never expected Eun-yo to make such a request.

Pyo Wol had been taught the zither by Master Yuedu of the Celestial Music Hall.

Thanks to that, he possessed a high level of playing skill.

Eun-yo had also learned the zither from Master Yuedu after being rescued by Pyo Wol. However, she had no talent for music at all. In the end, Master Yuedu gave up on teaching her.

Although she had given up learning the zither due to her lack of talent, she still had many lingering attachments.

“I don’t have a pipa.”

“I brought one.”

She rummaged through the bundle Do Yeon-san was carrying and took out a pipa.

“You brought a pipa?”

“Yes! I thought it would be nice to listen to while camping like this…”

“Let me see.”

Pyo Wol took the pipa.

When he was learning the zither from Master Yuedu, he had also learned to play the pipa as a side skill.

Twang!

Pyo Wol plucked a string of the pipa once.

At the sudden sound of the instrument, people stopped their work and all looked at Pyo Wol. But Pyo Wol paid them no mind and plucked the strings a few more times.

Having gotten a feel for it, Pyo Wol soon began to play a piece called Yangchun Baixue.

Twa-da-da-dang!

Pyo Wol’s white fingers flew across the strings.

Although it had been a long time since he had last played, Pyo Wol’s hand movements were unhindered.

The beautiful sound of the pipa echoed throughout the campsite.

People stopped in their tracks and closed their eyes.

The sound of the pipa was sorrowful, making the listeners sentimental without them even realizing it.

It pierced the hearts of people like those present, who had left their hometowns for a long journey, like a flying dagger.

Some of those engrossed in the music even wiped away tears.

“I’m crying for no reason.”

“Whew! His skill is incredible.”

“I didn’t expect my heart to feel so heavy.”

Pyo Wol’s performance continued.

He had thought his skills might have rusted from not holding an instrument for a long time, but it was all a needless worry.

Once he started playing, his hands moved on their own.

Eun-yo closed her eyes, completely absorbed in Pyo Wol’s performance.

‘As expected, Orabeoni is amazing.’

When she was learning the zither from Master Yuedu, the thing she heard most often was about Pyo Wol’s playing skill.

Master Yuedu had said that if Pyo Wol focused only on the zither, he could easily contend for the title of world’s best. It hadn’t resonated with her at the time, but hearing Pyo Wol’s performance in person, she understood Master Yuedu’s words.

Pyo Wol’s playing had the power to move people’s hearts.

The performance raced towards its climax.

Along with it, the people’s hearts soared. Then, at a certain moment, the sound of the pipa abruptly stopped. The performance had finally ended.

“Hah!”

“Wow!”

People applauded with gasps of admiration.

Eun-yo also applauded generously, but the performer himself, Pyo Wol, showed little reaction.

He nonchalantly returned the pipa to Eun-yo.

“Can’t you play one more song?”

“Later, when I have time…”

“Okay!”

Eun-yo obediently took back the pipa.

Pyo Wol pulled his hood down deeper and stared at the blazing bonfire.

Playing for the first time in a long while had created ripples not only in the hearts of others, but in his own as well.