By Zephyria 
HF 21
===
Ho-yeon had the kind of face that looked easy to take advantage of, but he was surprisingly stubborn. The time Ho-yeon spent playing the seven-stringed zither was strictly fixed, and he calculated his wages with surgical precision.
Occasionally, artists might perform a free trick depending on their mood, but such a thing was out of the question for Ho-yeon. Ruju felt inwardly resentful that such a fellow was so keen on free money, but she didn’t let it show on the surface.
“Young Master Yeom admires your talent and wishes to keep you by his side to listen to your playing.”
At the mention of Young Master Yeom, Ho-yeon’s brow furrowed slightly. As it happened, the silver Young Master Yeom had given him yesterday remained untouched on the tea table at home. Mu-gyeong had not taken it. Because of this, Ho-yeon was in an even worse mood.
“Do I only need to play one piece, ‘Yu-ae-gun-il-in’?”
While ‘Yu-ae-gun-il-in’ was a difficult and long piece, it was by no means worth one tael of silver.
“You’ve just come up from the countryside, so you might not know, but the fact that Young Master Yeom gave you one tael for a single piece yesterday was meant as an encouragement to do well in the future. Do you understand what I mean?”
In other words, Ruju was telling him to attend to Young Master Yeom throughout the evening while he drank and play whenever he desired. Naturally, Ho-yeon wasn’t oblivious. He simply knew that in situations like this, pretending not to know was the best course of action.
“Yesterday, he wanted ‘Yu-ae-gun-il-in’ for one tael. Considering it is a long piece, I will do it if you give me one tael for every two pieces.”
“…Oh, Yeon.”
Ruju pressed a hand to her forehead, lamenting how he could be so clueless about the ways of the world. Just then, the sound of something being violently smashed echoed from inside the pavilion, accompanied by someone’s shouting.
“Yeon, hurry and go. Just close your eyes once and think of it as saving my skin, alright?”
Sure enough, it seemed Young Master Yeom was throwing a tantrum. Whether the Jade Pavilion went bankrupt or not mattered little to Ho-yeon. However, even if he moved to another pavilion, the same thing would happen if Young Master Yeom followed. For Ho-yeon, who had lived quietly with the children at Eumbyeol Hall, this situation was somewhat overwhelming.
“Then I will do it only until Haecho(1).”
“He might have a bit of a bad habit with his hands when he’s drunk, so don’t be flustered, understood?”
Did she mean he might touch or even hit him without permission?
“I sell my talent, not my body.”
“Goodness, you frustrating boy. Young Master Yeom might be the one to change your fate, so why does it matter?”
Ruju pushed Ho-yeon’s back, claiming that if it were her, she would have thrown herself at Young Master Yeom first.
“I simply will not do it. Please tell Young Master Yeom that I have quit.”
At the sight of him not hesitating for a single moment, Ruju’s face instantly turned pale.
“You look like a seolgo(2), yet how can you be so rigid? I’ll put in a good word with Young Master Yeom. If he happens to touch you anywhere without your permission, you may leave your seat, alright?”
Once he actually ended up beside Young Master Yeom, he wouldn’t be able to just storm out. Young Master Yeom wasn’t the type to let him go, and since his demonic art was considerable, he could easily suppress a mere zither player. Ruju was only thinking of how to push Ho-yeon into Young Master Yeom’s arms.
“Mistress!”
Just then, a warrior guarding the Jade Pavilion hurriedly sought Ruju.
“What is it?”
“The Sharp-Tongued Demon has arrived. I told him that Young Master Yeom had rented out the entire pavilion for today, but he refuses to listen. What should we do?”
Another sound of something smashing erupted from inside the pavilion.
“Yeon, you get ready and come out for now.”
Ruju, speaking rapidly, rushed inside in a flurry. As the warrior followed her, Ho-yeon was left standing alone in the corridor.
He didn’t know who The Sharp-Tongued Demon was, but it seemed he was the one causing the commotion inside. Regardless, since it was Ho-yeon’s turn for the next performance, he entered the waiting area, picked up the seven-stringed zither, and stepped out.
As he ascended the platform, several overturned tables caught his eye. Ruju, who had rushed out to mediate, was standing in a corner, looking lost.
A man stood alone atop a perfectly intact table, drinking straight from the bottle, while Young Master Yeom and his group sat at a large table in front of him. Despite the man’s rudeness, Young Master Yeom’s face was merely flushed deep red.
“Does this brat Yeom think that just because he rented the place, this old monster can’t even have a drink? Eh? Yeom, why don’t you tell me?”
The man referred to himself as an old monster, but he didn’t look that old. The man roughly wiped his alcohol-soaked lips with the back of his hand. Because he wore an eye patch, Ho-yeon recognized him immediately.
He was the man he had seen at the inn on the day he first entered the demon sect. Thanks to that man, he had learned that the Cult Leader had entered closed-door cultivation. Seeing how quietly Young Master Yeom was behaving, he seemed to be a considerable master.
“Elder Do-gyeon, please do not do this and sit down to drink.”
“Elder? Your face looks older than mine, yet you are utterly shameless! Besides, I always drink my liquor atop a table.”
At the nonsensical remark, Young Master Yeom gnashed his teeth. Regardless, Ho-yeon finished preparing to play the seven-stringed zither. It was just as his white hand plucked a string.
“That idiot! Does it look like a situation to be listening to a performance right now!”
Young Master Yeom spat harsh words at Ho-yeon. Because of this, the gaze of everyone in the pavilion shifted toward Ho-yeon.
Young Master Yeom wanted to erase his foul mood by seeing Ho-yeon flustered by his words. However, Ho-yeon placed both hands neatly upon the strings. His face was serene, as if he would only play when told to do so.
Do-gyeon tilted the bottle and observed Ho-yeon with one eye. The son of a Palace Master was selling his talent at an inn, yet instead of wounded pride, his expression clearly read that he only wanted to finish his work and go home as quickly as possible.
Young Master Yeom called him an idiot, but seeing that composed demeanor, he could easily sit atop Young Master Yeom’s head. Whether he was indifferent or simply had an extraordinary ability to adapt, Ho-yeon could understand why the Cult Leader had taken an interest in him.
“Go on, play your best piece.”
Despite saying he would drink standing up, Do-gyeon plopped down onto the table with a grin. At that, Young Master Yeom slammed the table with a loud thud and stood up.
“Today is a gathering I arranged for my friends. I ask that you show broad generosity for the sake of your young juniors.”
“Shut up and sit.”
Do-gyeon waved the hand holding the bottle dismissively.
“Are your words not too harsh?”
Young Master Yeom could no longer endure it and talked back. However, he did not do the foolish thing of revealing his demonic energy against a far superior master.
“Eum Yohwa raised her son far too indulgently.”
“I worry that my mother might hear you.”
“Haha, do you think I’ll wet myself because I’m afraid of Eum Yohwa?”
Do-gyeon was ranked last among the 15 Great Demonic Masters. Eum Yohwa was ranked eleventh, higher than Do-gyeon, but everyone present knew. If Do-gyeon set his mind to it, every rank above him would be pushed back one by one.
Ho-yeon stood at a crossroads, wondering whether he should play or not. If he played, Young Master Yeom’s malice would likely follow him; if he didn’t, the temperament of the man called Do-gyeon seemed equally formidable.
However, in the demon sect, the one with the highest martial prowess was the law. He had to follow Do-gyeon’s words. Since it was his turn to perform anyway, Ho-yeon plucked the strings and began. Young Master Yeom glared at him with piercing eyes. Do-gyeon, surprisingly, listened to the performance in a quiet posture.
The piece ‘The Heavenly Observation Tome’ flowed out, ill-suited for a place where a one-sided psychological war was being waged. It was originally a song with lyrics, and its meaning spoke of a mouse looking at the sky through a tiny hole in a brush. In short, it was a song that indirectly mocked the narrow-mindedness of a man who views the world through a limited perspective.
Since it wasn’t a very famous piece, he wondered how many people present actually knew it. Do-gyeon chuckled as he watched Ho-yeon continue the performance with a prim expression. Truly, the son of a Palace Master is bold.
“To my ears, it sounds better than Eum Yohwa’s playing. What does the guest think?”
Suddenly, Do-gyeon posed a question to someone. Ho-yeon wondered if it was to provoke Young Master Yeom or his companions, but the question was directed at a man sitting beside him. The man’s presence had been so concealed that Ho-yeon hadn’t even noticed when he had entered.
The man pulled out a chair from Do-gyeon’s table and sat down. While focusing on his performance, Ho-yeon glanced at the man several times. He was the person he had mistaken for Mu-gyeong yesterday.
==
Early Hai hour, between 9 PM and 10 PM.
A white, steamed rice cake as fair as snow.