Episode 36: Under the Moonlight
Won Seung spoke with a voice full of emotion.
"Mr. Neung is quite an extraordinary person. He was so impressed by Du Gong's painting that he created a replica."
"I see. This painting seems quite old as well... Must be someone from long ago."
"Time can sometimes leave its mark."
"Oh, how can you say something like that?"
So San-san was impressed.
Won Seung didn't want to lie to his friends. Since he was the one who painted it, Mr. Neung was indeed an extraordinary person, and he dodged the question about being someone from long ago.
Regardless, the three women were amazed by the painting. Even if it wasn't an original, it was still a work of significant value.
"The technique of this Mr. Neung is impressive. It seems better than Du Gong's painting."
"Come on, can a replica surpass the original?"
"No, look at the face of the beauty. Her expression is more vivid than the Du Gong painting I saw."
Listening to the three women chatter, Won Seung felt satisfied.
'Of course, it's better. I painted it.'
"This is also a replica. It's a painting by the Wildman Wind-Cloud Young Master."
"Wildman Wind-Cloud Young Master? Never heard of him."
"Do you know him?"
"No. The Wildman Wind-Cloud Young Master was an eccentric who wandered the world long ago. I heard about him by chance and admired him, so I used the alias Wind-Cloud Student."
Won Seung made up a story.
"Why are there only replicas?"
Won Seung shamelessly replied.
"Well, the Hundred Flowers Pavilion only deals with replicas by masters."
"Will replicas sell?"
Hua Yeo-wol tilted her head, and So San-san, with a slightly flushed face, said,
"I think they'll sell well. I've only seen the Painting of the Beauty Under the Moon. I've heard of the other works but never actually seen them. But they're all here, aren't they? Look at this Thousand-Day Waterfall Painting. Even if it's not an original, you can feel the strong style and spirit. It's definitely worth appreciating."
Hearing So San-san's words, Hua Yeo-wol nodded. Indeed, the ten pieces hanging in the painting room were worth appreciating.
Hua Yeo-wol felt a bit disappointed while looking at the artworks. The number of paintings seemed insufficient for the space.
"There are only ten paintings?"
"No, what's the name of the painting room? It's the Hundred Flowers Pavilion. There are a hundred such high-quality replicas."
"Then why don't they show them all?"
"If they show them all at once, their value would decrease."
Won Seung pointed to the Thousand-Day Waterfall Painting and said,
"When one sells, they'll hang a new painting in its place."
"Oh!"
Yang Yeon-seo clapped her hands.
"Then people will look forward to the next piece?"
"Exactly."
Won Seung smiled. Am I a genius in business?
"I should bring my brother here tomorrow."
Yang Yeon-seo's brother is Yang Dae-hyun, one of the Three Talents Under Heaven. He even intervened when Won Seung had a dispute with Jong Won-bo at the Cloud Flower Pavilion.
Recalling Yang Dae-hyun's face, Won Seung felt secretly pleased.
'If one of the Three Talents buys a painting, word will spread quickly.'
But he spoke with a calm expression.
"Someone as outstanding as Scholar Yang might not be impressed. But if he comes, I'll welcome him warmly."
"Should I bring my father?"
At So San-san's words, Hua Yeo-wol and Yang Yeon-seo were surprised.
"You're bringing the Governor?"
So San-san replied,
"My father loves paintings. Thanks to him, I've seen the genuine Painting of the Beauty Under the Moon."
'Hmm. The Governor?'
The Governor of Xiangyang is a Rank 1 Senior Official who governs not only Xiangyang City but also a radius of five hundred li, including Jungyang and Hayang. He oversees administration, judiciary, and local military, making him akin to a king in the Xiangyang area.
The Emperor granted the Governor, dispatched from the central government, immense authority to check the local powerful families, and the Governor of Xiangyang is one of the top five most powerful governors nationwide.
'If the Governor comes... it'll be a huge success.'
Won Seung praised himself for holding the opening ceremony.
"Now that we've seen the paintings, let's eat and drink to our hearts' content."
When the four returned to the living room, dishes were already set on the table. Raising the window revealed the garden at a glance. The garden, softly lit by stone lanterns, seemed subtly secretive at night.
"Ah... what a wonderful atmosphere."
The three women were pleased.
The main dishes were stir-fried chicken with various vegetables and pickled vegetables, dishes the three women had never seen before. Since they were Southern dishes, it was natural for the young ladies from northern Xiangyang to find them unfamiliar.
"I told you. When you wander the world, you get to taste all kinds of food. This is a stir-fried chicken dish from Hainan."
"Oh!"
Enchanted by the atmosphere, the three women believed Won Seung's words without question.
"Mmm. It's delicious."
The women were amazed by the pickled vegetables. Jong Bi looked at Hua Yeo-wol with a proud face, then unfolded a fan with a snap and disappeared into the kitchen.
"There's also wine. It's Milsohwa."
Won Seung poured the Milsohwa he bought from the Cloud Flower Pavilion and winked at Hua Yeo-wol.
You know, our connection started with Milsohwa, right?
As the four exchanged drinks and enjoyed a modest banquet, a thud was heard from the backyard, as if something had fallen.
Soon after, Jong Bi entered and signaled to Won Seung.
Won Seung quietly got up and followed Jong Bi. In the shed, Jong Bi whispered.
"That guy's here. He's in pretty bad shape, as if something happened to him."
When Won Seung entered the shed, he saw a person leaning against the wall, looking so emaciated that he seemed like a skeleton. His beard was so overgrown that he was almost unrecognizable on the street.
Blood was even oozing from his stomach.
"Isn't that Ohgu? What happened?"
Won Seung feigned ignorance, though he had some suspicions.
"The... antidote... I'll be your servant, Young Master. Please, the antidote...."
"Alright. Rest here for now."
Won Seung instructed Jong Bi.
"Bring some food."
When Won Seung returned to the living room, Hua Yeo-wol asked,
"What happened?"
Hua Yeo-wol must have noticed someone jumping over the back wall.
"Ah, a pumpkin fell."
Won Seung replied nonchalantly and picked up the wine bottle to pour more.
The three women, having drunk moderately, were in high spirits.
"Let's meet here often. It's nice to chat freely without worrying about others."
When Hua Yeo-wol suggested, So San-san and Yang Yeon-seo agreed enthusiastically.
Just then, the sound of a carriage was heard outside.
"Ah, it's time to go, I guess."
So San-san said regretfully.
When they went outside, a carriage sent by the Governor's mansion and another from the Yang Family Mansion arrived simultaneously.
It was indeed a different level from the Jianghu Faction, Clear Water Sect.
After So San-san and Yang Yeon-seo left in their carriages, Hua Yeo-wol also stepped out into the street.
"I can walk home."
"It's dangerous to walk alone at night. I'll escort you."
At Won Seung's words, Hua Yeo-wol burst into laughter.
Hua Yeo-wol had learned her family's martial arts. Moreover, four guards were waiting at the end of the alley. Yet, the scholarly Won Seung offered to protect her, which made her laugh.
Of course, she didn't dislike it.
When Hua Yeo-wol signaled, the guards waiting in the alley quietly hid.
The two walked under the gentle moonlight towards the Clear Water Sect.
As they walked at night, Hua Yeo-wol whispered.
"The Painting of the Beauty Under the Moon... Who is the beauty waiting for?"
"Hmm. She's waiting for her lover who went off to war."
"Oh... I see. War is terrible."
The martial family's daughter, Hua Yeo-wol, shuddered like a fragile girl.
Won Seung's next words were quite harsh.
"Her lover is already dead. She knows it too."
"What?"
Hua Yeo-wol stopped and looked back at Won Seung.
"Then why...?"
"The Cinnamon Tree Hill is where they used to meet and talk. The beauty doesn't believe the news of his death and climbs the hill every moonlit night, gazing endlessly down the road."
"Oh...."
As Won Seung shared the story behind the painting, Hua Yeo-wol sighed.
"That's why the beauty's face looks so sad."
After that, Hua Yeo-wol walked on, looking straight ahead.
The feeling of waiting for someone who won't come is hard for a seventeen-year-old girl to comprehend. Yet, her heart felt a pang of melancholy.
The two walked silently under the moonlight.
When they reached the Clear Water Sect, Won Seung saw a platform placed in the square in front of the main gate. The platform, about three jang on each side, was about waist-high.
The Martial Arts Stage was filled with moonlight.
Seeing this, Hua Yeo-wol's face darkened, and she sighed lightly, lowering her head.
Hua Yeo-wol's long eyelashes shimmered softly under the moonlight.
Won Seung recalled a phrase from the Painting of the Beauty Under the Moon.
- The moonlight falls on the beauty's sorrowful face....
'Yeowol is the beauty under the moon.'
Won Seung felt embarrassed by his own thoughts. To change the subject, he asked while looking at the solitary Martial Arts Stage.
"What is that?"
"The Descendant of the Yong Clan set it up today. He sat in meditation on it all day."
"Hmm. So, he wants to have a martial arts duel right in front of the main gate."
Won Seung remembered telling the Descendant of the Yong Clan about the situation of the Clear Water Sect.
The Descendant of the Yong Clan was considerate enough to suggest holding the duel in the square.
Hua Yeo-wol, feeling suffocated, sighed deeply once more.
The beauty's sigh resonated in Won Seung's heart.
"Is something bothering you?"
Hua Yeo-wol didn't answer and just looked at the Martial Arts Stage.
Then she quietly asked,
"If... if your family committed murder... what would you do?"
Won Seung flinched. Being raised as an assassin, the word 'murder' struck a chord. Hadn't he indirectly poisoned Instructor Ak?
"......."
Perhaps she wasn't expecting an answer, as Hua Yeo-wol silently continued to gaze at the Martial Arts Stage.
Won Seung thought he understood Hua Yeo-wol's dilemma.
There was no way Hua Yeo-wol wouldn't know the rumors circulating in Xiangyang.
- The Three Hwa Brothers of the Clear Water Sect ambushed and killed the Yong Family Head at night to seize the Sanggang Hegemony.
The long-hidden past was being talked about as if it happened yesterday, with the appearance of the Descendant of the Yong Clan.
Hua Yeo-wol's question was something Won Seung had never considered. So he had nothing to say.
He just thought Hua Yeo-wol wasn't as strong as she seemed.
'She's more delicate than she appears.'
So he told her,
"You need to stay strong. This isn't about who's right or wrong. Didn't the Yong Clan spill blood when they took the Sanggang Hegemony? Someone must have died back then too. From their perspective, it's karma. So what's important for you is to survive."
Hearing Won Seung's words, Hua Yeo-wol looked at him in surprise. It felt as if he saw right through her situation.
"Yes. I understand."
Hua Yeo-wol replied weakly and began to walk again.
"At night, you should enter through the side gate."
Seeing Hua Yeo-wol's drooping figure, Won Seung felt a pang in his heart. Moonlight flowed down Hua Yeo-wol's slender back.
Won Seung silently followed Hua Yeo-wol.
The Clear Water Sect Manor was vast, with two main gates to the north and south, as well as eight small gates.
When they reached the Southwest Small Gate, a warrior on the second-floor lookout recognized Hua Yeo-wol and signaled below.
Hua Yeo-wol turned and said,
"Thank you for inviting me today."
"I'm the one who's grateful."
"If anything happens...."
Hua Yeo-wol wanted to say she would use the Clear Water Sect's power to help Won Seung but then stopped.
The Clear Water Sect was facing its greatest crisis. In such circumstances, how could they help anyone?
But then, Won Seung suddenly grabbed Hua Yeo-wol's hand.
"I understand your feelings... And don't torment yourself over something that's not your fault."
When her hand was suddenly held, Hua Yeo-wol's face flushed with heat.