ch34
[The Winner Has Been Decided]
The next day, Seo-yeon headed straight to the plaza where the Carving Arts Competition was being held.
Originally bustling with people, the plaza had been remodeled for the competition, creating a wide space where hundreds of artisans could showcase their skills simultaneously.
Despite the early hour, it was already packed. In an era where spectacles were rare, the Martial World warriors and ordinary people alike flocked to witness the Golden Dragon Merchant Guild's competition.
The streets were filled with the loud voices of vendors selling snacks, and a long queue was visible on one side. The people in line all bore scars etched deep with the passage of time, each exuding an aura that made them worthy of being called artisans.
The more skilled a stonemason, the more calloused their hands. It was the same principle as a blacksmith's hands being covered in calluses.
When Seo-yeon joined the queue, the gazes of those around her turned to her. Their faces were filled with doubt.
She could easily guess what they were thinking just by looking at their eyes.
'A woman?'
However, no one stepped forward to scold her for being in the wrong line. This was because of the carving tools like chisels and hammers hanging from Seo-yeon's waist.
Soon, people lost interest in Seo-yeon. It was obvious that those who only looked good on the surface would be weeded out, and they assumed Seo-yeon would be the same.
Seo-yeon, holding Hwa-ryeon's hand, approached the registration desk and gave her personal details.
"Tae-sil Mountain in Henan Province? There are people living in the mountains. Your name is Seo-yeon, right?"
"Yes."
"Take one of the wooden blocks next to you."
On the desk next to the registrar, square wooden blocks were piled high. Seo-yeon picked one up and moved on.
Seo-yeon pondered, fiddling with the palm-sized wooden block.
'Oak.'
It was one of the hardest woods to find. The grain was also rough, making it a very difficult material to work with.
'They're probably using this to filter us out.'
No stonemason would be unable to work with wood. A skilled sculptor doesn't discriminate against materials.
They couldn't just give precious Olivine Stone to anyone.
Seo-yeon soon entered the tent she was directed to. The supervisor overseeing the test led Seo-yeon to a desk. Oddly enough, a member of the Golden Dragon Merchant Guild and an official from the government office were sitting side by side. They seemed to be the supervisors.
The supervisor said, "You have one da-gyeong to carve the wooden block into a circle."
"One da-gyeong?"
"It doesn't have to be a perfect sphere. You just have to exceed the standard we've set to pass, otherwise you fail."
Seo-yeon was relieved.
She interpreted this to mean that she didn't have to smooth the surface perfectly.
'That's enough.'
She could only think that because she didn't know that many stonemasons had despaired upon hearing the test topic.
Seo-yeon's hand holding the wooden block moved powerfully.
The hardness of the material meant little to Seo-yeon. Seo-yeon firmly secured the wooden block with one hand, then took a carving knife and began to carve it without hesitation.
"Fast!"
"How can a woman be so fast?"
Some of the people standing around exclaimed in admiration. Among them were sculptors who were struggling with the test.
"...It's like peeling an apple."
Even the supervisors watching from the side couldn't hide their admiration.
Although they had given her a tight deadline of one da-gyeong, Seo-yeon created a perfect sphere in less than a quarter of that time.
Not only that, but she was smoothing the surface with sandpaper made of glue and sand.
"That's enough. You pass!"
"I pass?"
"You've far exceeded the standard. We didn't even expect you to smooth the surface."
The supervisor shook his head at the sphere Seo-yeon had created. He then placed it on the desk and pushed it slightly. Soon, the sphere rolled like a marble. There should have been a side that would catch, but it rolled without any obstruction.
"Do you have a master?"
It was high praise, so Seo-yeon smiled and shook her head.
The supervisor took it to mean that she didn't want to reveal her school. He couldn't imagine that she had reached this level through self-study.
Nearly half were eliminated in the first test. Fortunately, there was no second test. The Golden Dragon Merchant Guild had fewer artisans left than the number of Olivine Stones they had prepared.
Among the stonemasons who passed the first hurdle, those who were close to each other gathered in small groups to talk as they moved.
"It seems they value speed more than delicacy."
"They probably want to repair the Old Buddha as soon as possible. Why else would they have changed the topic to Olivine Stone?"
"It would take months for one person to do the work, let alone a group."
In the open space, lumps of Olivine Stone were placed according to the number of people. They were slightly larger than Seo-yeon's upper body, and their color and texture indicated that they were all of the highest quality.
Hwa-ryeon was waving her small hand from outside the fence that had been set up to prevent people from approaching.
"Good luck!"
Seo-yeon chuckled and nodded.
The way people entered, they stood in the front row, and Seo-yeon's place happened to be right in the center. Perhaps because the other stonemasons were all wearing dark-colored clothes, she stood out like a white stone placed among black stones.
Soon, an elderly man with a generous build appeared in front of the platform. It was the Guild Leader of the Golden Dragon Merchant Guild. As if only certain people could lead a huge merchant guild, an inexplicable sense of intimidation was felt beyond his kind-looking face.
He scanned the stonemasons with a sharp gaze and then opened his mouth. As if he had mastered martial arts, his voice echoed through the crowd even though he spoke softly.
"You may begin immediately. The Golden Dragon Merchant Guild will take care of your room and board."
Then one of the stonemasons raised his hand and shouted.
"What is the time limit!"
The Guild Leader of the Golden Dragon Merchant Guild nodded as if he had expected the question.
"There is no time limit. The topic doesn't matter either. However, we will judge based on three areas: speed, precision, and Intent."
Each refers to speed, precision, and harmony.
"Simply creating something quickly will disqualify you. It must be at a level worthy of being recognized as a work of art. However, it will be difficult to get a good score if it takes too long. You are all renowned artisans in your respective regions, so you will understand what I mean. Then."
The Guild Leader of the Golden Dragon Merchant Guild said that and came down from the platform. Not towards the spectators, but towards the stonemasons.
It was taken to mean that he would judge them directly up close.
It was only natural that the Guild Leader of the most renowned merchant guild in the world would have exceptional discernment. No stonemasons objected to that.
The Guild Leader of the Golden Dragon Merchant Guild leisurely walked from the front row. Originally, there was not much to see on the first day. They had to draw the overall picture. However, because speed was set as an evaluation criterion, there were quite a few who immediately raised their chisels.
The Guild Leader of the Golden Dragon Merchant Guild looked at one of the stonemasons and clicked his tongue inwardly.
'There's nothing to see here.'
He probably had no experience handling Olivine Stone. If you apply too much force because it is hard, the Olivine Stone will fall off in chunks. This means that it is impossible to handle it properly without experience.
It would be wiser to step back and contemplate than to make such a mistake.
The Guild Leader of the Golden Dragon Merchant Guild secretly sent a Telepathic Transmission to his subordinates as he walked around.
- -
Deduct 5 points from number 8.
- -
Deduct 5 points from number 11 as well.
- -
Deduct 5 points from number 18 as well.
Occasionally, the Guild Leader of the Golden Dragon Merchant Guild stopped, and each time, the spectators watched the artisan's work closely.
The speed of smoothing is unhindered, and the force of hammering is constant. A skilled artisan's sound is different when hammering the chisel. It means they have reached a certain level.
- -Add 3 points to number 43.
Then he stopped in the middle.
There stood a woman. She was the only woman participating in the Carving Arts Competition.
'Was that the female stonemason the third son was talking about?'
The woman seemed to be deep in thought, staring intently at the lump of Olivine Stone.
'It's understandable that she's having complicated thoughts. It's a difficult material to handle with a woman's body in the first place.'
Why are most blacksmiths men? Because it takes a lot of strength. The same goes for stonemasons. There were many tasks that were too much for a woman to handle. Even more so with hard Olivine Stone.
Soon, Seo-yeon raised her chisel and hammer. And then, without a moment's hesitation, she began to chisel.
Tok-!
A clear sound like striking jade rang out. At that moment, a different light appeared in the eyes of the Guild Leader of the Golden Dragon Merchant Guild.
The Guild Leader of the Golden Dragon Merchant Guild, who was about to examine the other stonemasons, turned his head and stared at Seo-yeon again.
Soon, the Guild Leader of the Golden Dragon Merchant Guild understood what Seo-yeon was trying to do.
'Round carving.'
It refers to a technique of carving so that it can be appreciated from all sides. The three-dimensionality is complete, but it is several times more difficult than the general method of carving only one side because all sides must be completely carved.
Originally, carving is a noisy and busy task. You can see that there are many pedestrians covering their ears from the sound of chisels around them.
Tok, tok, tok-!
But this woman was different.
It was not noisy but clear. It was like hitting jade, not stone. Yet the sound was not small, and the pleasant sound echoed in all directions.
The Guild Leader of the Golden Dragon Merchant Guild was now absorbed in the work and stared at Seo-yeon. Without realizing it, he had taken a few steps closer than before.
The shape of the Olivine Stone lump was gradually changing.
At first, it was just a huge lump. It was impossible to even guess how big a picture she was drawing.
Soon, one lump transformed into a shape like three mountain peaks. At first, he thought she was trying to depict nature. This was because that was generally the case when creating peaks first and then carving a background picture in relief.
Then the Guild Leader of the Golden Dragon Merchant Guild realized that he was completely wrong.
'Ah!'
She wasn't creating peaks. Although it was faint now, the shape of the knees and legs in a lotus position was gradually revealed from the bottom of the peaks.
'Three Bodies and Three Worlds Buddha.'
It means three Buddhas with three bodies. He thought that this was why she had created three peaks in the first place. From the beginning, she had been trying to carve a Buddha on each peak.
The Guild Leader of the Golden Dragon Merchant Guild stared at the Olivine Stone, holding his breath.
Every time Seo-yeon's hand moved, clothes were drawn on the peaks. They were thin, rippling, and wrinkled clothes. It was so elaborate that one would be mistaken for thinking that someone had put real clothes on them.
The Guild Leader of the Golden Dragon Merchant Guild, who was craning his neck and watching, couldn't help but admire.
'How can she do this in such a short time... .'
As he thought that and looked up, the world was already dyed black.
The Guild Leader of the Golden Dragon Merchant Guild opened his mouth without realizing it. The sweat on his back and the aching knees told him that he had been immersed for several hours.
When he turned his head, many members of the merchant guild were looking at him anxiously.
"...Guild Leader? Are you okay?"
Hearing the merchant guild member asking in a worried tone, the Guild Leader of the Golden Dragon Merchant Guild barely managed to hold back the burst of laughter.
"How long have I been like this?"
"It's been a little over six hours. No matter how many times we asked, you didn't answer, so we thought you had lost consciousness while standing."
His expressions were not joking.
The Guild Leader of the Golden Dragon Merchant Guild chuckled and turned his head back to Seo-yeon.
Tok-!
Only Seo-yeon's chiseling was ringing out clearly in the noisy test site.