A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 26

26. Death Game (2013.11.30.)

The attempted self-harm by the man they met at the entrance to Yunnan [a province in southwest China known for its diverse landscapes and tea production] was enough to put Sohn Bin on edge. However, Sohn Bin seemed to be the only one nervous, as Saja Hyuk and Sasu Yeon remained silent with calm expressions.

The carriage stopped a little after lunchtime. It was a large inn located next to the main road, and there were quite a few customers already eating.

Click.

As Sohn Bin, Saja Hyuk, and Sasu Yeon took their seats, a young waiter hurried over.

“Welcome. What can I get for you?”

Saja Hyuk said nothing. Sasu Yeon was the same, so Sohn Bin ended up ordering for them.

“Bring us some simple dishes to fill our stomachs. Ah, perhaps some Yunnan soju [a clear, colorless distilled beverage of Korean origin]?”

“Anything is fine for me.”

Sasu Yeon replied in a quiet voice. The waiter bowed and disappeared into the kitchen. Seeing Saja Hyuk drinking tea, Sohn Bin also picked up the teapot on the table and poured himself some tea.

Pour.

The tea was surprisingly warm. Sohn Bin slowly drank the tea, savoring the aroma. Yunnan was originally a region famous for its tea. With the rising aroma of the tea, the fatigue and tension of the journey seemed to gradually dissipate.

“Sorry for the wait.”

With the customary greeting, the waiter brought out the food with both hands full. It was a simple vegetable dish and a noodle dish, and it had a unique aroma, perhaps because it was a specialty of Yunnan.

‘Oh.’

Just as Sohn Bin was about to reach out, feeling a sudden hunger from the smell of the food.

“Wait.”

Saja Hyuk said.

“It’s best not to eat this food.”

‘Huh?’

Sohn Bin looked at Saja Hyuk with a puzzled expression.

“Because it’s poisoned.”

‘Poison!’

Sohn Bin made a startled expression, and a faint smile appeared on Saja Hyuk’s lips.

“To resort to such childish tricks, Okryong [likely a character or organization name] has changed a lot in the meantime.”

“Haa.”

Sasu Yeon sighed softly.

“I knew it.”

A bitter smile also appeared on her lips.

“The customers in this inn were all fake too. There was nothing strange about them; it’s amazing.”

Sohn Bin realized it then. Silence had fallen over the inn. The bustling noise had disappeared as if washed away, and only a tense atmosphere filled the entire inn.

“How did you know?”

Sohn Bin turned his head at the sudden voice. A little further away, the young waiter was speaking with a bitter smile.

“As that woman said, there shouldn’t have been any unnatural or strange signs? How did you know the food was poisoned?”

“Among these many people, no one was wary of me.”

Saja Hyuk said.

“Curious gazes, wary eyes, unwarranted blatant hostility. These are the things I experience every time I enter an inn. I couldn’t find any of that here.”

“Is that so? Too much disguise has become a poison.”

The waiter said with a bitter expression. The expression no longer looked young or like a waiter.

“You don’t have to blame yourself for that.”

Saja Hyuk said in a calm voice.

“Even if your disguise was perfect, you still couldn’t deceive my eyes. And this poison wouldn’t have been able to do anything to me either.”

“Heh heh.”

The waiter gave a bitter smile.

“Indeed, you are worthy of Okryong sending the Secret Hundred and Eight Assassins after you.”

“Come.”

Saja Hyuk said.

“I have a long way to go.”

“There’s no need to rush.”

The waiter replied.

“Because your path ends here anyway.”

And the waiter muttered, as if chanting.

“Attack.”

The moment the waiter’s words fell, or rather, just before that, the people inside the inn began to move all at once.

Crash!

Dozens of figures rushed towards Saja Hyuk all at once. Some charged towards him, while others leaped into the air.

Swish, swish.

Some moved like shadows under the tables, and others darted towards Saja Hyuk erratically, like snakes crossing through the bushes.

More than a dozen daggers and dozens of poisoned needles flew through the air towards Saja Hyuk, and towards the places he was predicted to dodge. All of this happened in that instant the waiter spoke.

Thwack!

At that moment, Sohn Bin felt someone pulling him. A cold, white hand grabbed Sohn Bin’s shoulder and pulled him back forcefully. Sohn Bin felt something soft and squishy on his back as he fell backward.

“Duck.”

Sasu Yeon said in a small voice, as if whispering in his ear. But Sohn Bin had no time to duck. Because at that moment, an enormous energy exploded from Saja Hyuk.

Kwaaaa!

‘Ah.’

What unfolded before Sohn Bin’s eyes as he fell was a bizarre sight, as if the whole world had stopped. The daggers flying towards Saja Hyuk were clearly visible, as if nailed in the air.

He could also see the calm yet ruthless eyes of the people who had leaped into the air. He saw that he was falling, and that Sasu Yeon’s sword had already begun to emit energy in front of him.

Hooong.

In that bizarre scene where the world seemed to have stopped, only Saja Hyuk’s sword, Pa Wol [likely the name of the sword], was slowly drawing a circle. It wasn’t Pa Wol Ilsik [likely a special sword technique], but it was a huge and imposing circle that seemed to sweep away the entire world.

Kwagwagwagwa!

‘Ugh.’

The enormous force swept through the inn. Sohn Bin turned his head and covered his face with his hands.

Crash!

Bang!

Clatter!

Crack!

A tremendous noise followed. Everything, people and objects alike, collided with the walls as if thrown forcefully. The windows shattered all at once, bursting outwards, and the entire inn shook from the enormous shockwave.

Around Saja Hyuk, it was as if someone had cleaned everything up, leaving nothing behind. There was only Sasu Yeon, who was crouching down, and Sohn Bin, who was almost embraced by her as he fell.

And outside that range, it was a complete mess, almost like a ruin.

Thud!

Clunk!

Crash!

The sound of objects and people colliding with the walls and falling to the floor could be heard. Those who had been thrown away, or perhaps those who had been floating in the air.

“Kuhk.”

A soft groan was heard. When Sohn Bin turned his head, he saw the waiter, who was now crumpled beyond recognition. No, he could no longer be called a waiter.

“You, you…….”

He said, like a groan.

“Who the hell are you? Why is someone like you…… Cough, still…… An unknown (Unnamed) person?”

“That is.”

Tak.

Saja Hyuk replied in a calm voice, putting away Pa Wol.

“Because you are not qualified to hear my name.”

The man’s eyes shook violently. And after a while, he let out a bitter smile.

“Heh heh. The leader of the Secret Hundred and Eight Assassins is not qualified? Then who in the world…… Cough, who is qualified to hear your name?”

“Doesn’t one person already know?”

Saja Hyuk said.

“Okryong knows my name.”

The man’s eyes widened. And after a while, a bitter smile settled on his lips.

“I see. I see. Okryong…… Heh heh heh.”

He let out a hollow laugh and suddenly shouted.

“Okryong!”.

He screamed with all his might.

“Following your will, the Secret Hundred and Eight Assassins offer their lives here! Okryong Cheonse [likely a title or honorific]! Cheoncheon…….”

Thud.

His scream did not continue to the end. Saja Hyuk flicked his finger lightly towards him, and with a soft reverberation, his head drooped down.

“Let’s go.”

Saja Hyuk said in a calm voice and turned around.

Step, step.

Looking at the ruined inn and the fallen people, Sohn Bin muttered absentmindedly.

“These people…….”

“They’re not dead.”

Saja Hyuk said, passing by Sohn Bin.

“And, there aren’t a hundred and eight of them either.”

Sasu Yeon said in a soft voice.

‘Huh? Is that so?’

At her words, Sohn Bin looked around the inn. As she pointed out, there didn’t seem to be a hundred people. At least there seemed to be dozens of them.

“Their martial arts aren’t that great either. It seems they’re only good at hiding their presence.”

Her voice sounded a little upset.

‘Well, there’s no guarantee that they all came…… And martial arts, based on Saja Hyuk…….’

Who could be said to have great martial arts? But Sasu Yeon seemed upset that she had been deceived by these people.

“Let’s go.”

Whirr.

She turned around and headed out of the inn. Sohn Bin quickly followed her out of the inn, fearing that he would be left alone in this ruined inn.

The coachman was fortunately safe. After waking up the coachman, who had been abandoned in the stable unconscious, Saja Hyuk sent him back to Akryang [likely a place name]. Before leaving, the coachman changed the group’s carriage to a smaller one.

Fortunately, there were many empty carriages in front of the inn. Saja Hyuk took the reins instead of the departed coachman.

“Giddy up!”

Clatter, clatter.

The small carriage without a roof was quite luxurious and quite comfortable. But Sohn Bin was restless. Because Saja Hyuk was holding the reins, and Sasu Yeon was sitting right next to him.

“Ah, um, I can drive…….”

“It’s okay.”

Saja Hyuk replied without looking back. It was a tone that seemed useless to say more, and the narrow driver’s seat was already full with just Saja Hyuk alone.

“This place is better than that seat.”

“Me too.”

Sasu Yeon said in a slightly sharp voice.

“This is better, rather.”

The word ‘rather’ was a bit unsettling, but anyway, neither of them seemed willing to change seats. To break the awkward atmosphere, Sohn Bin quickly changed the subject.

“Um, I drank tea at that inn earlier…….”

“It’s okay. The poison was only in the food.”

Sohn Bin tilted his head at Saja Hyuk’s words.

“If they were going to use poison in the food, why not in the tea…….”

“Because we would be wary.”

Saja Hyuk replied.

“Okryong has already warned us. So it’s natural that we would be wary when we enter the inn. So they didn’t touch anything. The curtains, the teacups, the tables, the chairs, anything we touched.”

‘Even the curtains and tables?’

Sohn Bin hadn’t even thought of those things.

“Come to think of it.”

Sohn Bin tilted his head.

“That waiter, no, that man didn’t seem to know anything about you…….”

“Okryong.”

Clatter, clatter.

Saja Hyuk said.

“Knew from the beginning that they couldn’t stop me with them. It was just to stain my path with blood. That man understood that at the end. That’s why he tried to do that.”

‘Ah.’

Sohn Bin could finally understand why the man had screamed at the end. At the same time, a chill ran down his spine.

‘To try to give up his life even after knowing he was deceived.’

The person named Okryong, and the people who follow him, are definitely not normal.

“Then will this kind of thing continue to happen…….”

“Don’t worry.”

Saja Hyuk said.

“This is Okryong’s game. If he really wanted to stop me, he wouldn’t do it this way. So there’s no need to worry too much.”

‘This is a game?’

Saja Hyuk said it to mean not to worry, but Sohn Bin felt even more eerie.

“It’s just a game?”

Sasu Yeon said. Saja Hyuk chuckled.

“It’s a game. He’s the kind of person who could burn down all of Yunnan just for fun.”

“He’s crazy.”

“Is he?”

Saja Hyuk said in a calm voice, as if talking to himself.

“Among those who have reached the level of Cheonoecheon [likely a high level of martial arts mastery], how many can truly be said to be sane? Sometimes I too…….”

“That’s not true.”

Sohn Bin said. Something welled up and hit his chest, and his voice unconsciously grew louder.

“Didn’t you say it yourself? That you would never become like them. And at least as far as I know, you are definitely not like them.”

Sohn Bin’s words were sincere. How could he compare that Okryong, who kills people just for fun, to Saja Hyuk?

Saja Hyuk was silent for a moment. And then he said.

“Then, that’s a relief.”

Clatter, clatter.

“What does Cheonoecheon mean?”

Sasu Yeon’s voice broke the silence.

“And why didn’t that leader of the assassins know Father’s…… No, Father’s name?”

‘Huh?’

Sohn Bin turned to look at Sasu Yeon. Sasu Yeon was asking Saja Hyuk with a serious look.

“It was the same when we were chasing after Father. I met people who were related to the Murim [a martial arts world or community], but no one knew Father’s name. Why?”

“That’s because of Murim Oesa [likely a term related to the martial arts world]…….”

Sohn Bin replied unconsciously, and Sasu Yeon turned her head to look at Sohn Bin.

“Murim Oesa?”

Sasu Yeon’s eyes sparkled.

“What’s that?”

“What that child knows about Murim.”

Saja Hyuk’s voice was heard. It seemed to have a slight laugh mixed in, perhaps because of his mood.

“Is no more than you. No, maybe you know more.”

Clatter, clatter.

“Because that child is practically new to the world.”

“Huh?”

Sohn Bin looked at Sasu Yeon with a surprised expression. Sasu Yeon was glaring at Saja Hyuk’s back with an unpleasant expression. Her cheeks seemed to be slightly flushed.

“So it’s best to half-listen to that child’s advice.”

‘Really?’

It seemed that not only Saja Hyuk was very different from his first impression. Sohn Bin unconsciously turned to look at Sasu Yeon.

“Just because I don’t have experience…….”

Sasu Yeon’s voice was a little sharp. But certainly, the previous momentum was gone.

“It doesn’t mean I don’t know anything.”

After saying that, Sasu Yeon turned her head to avoid Sohn Bin’s gaze. And for a while, no one spoke.