A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 66

66. Standoff (2)

The Soeun Merchant Group had indeed appeared in Namak.

The branch sects guarding the southern routes never expected them to come through Mount Hyung, and were caught completely off guard.

On the other hand, for some sects and Green Forest outlaws stationed on the Hyung Mountain side—more precisely, those who had been pushed out of the competition for territory—this was an unexpected stroke of luck.

At least, that’s what they thought when they first spotted the Soeun Merchant Group’s banner.

“You bastards!”

The Green Forest bandits who first discovered the Soeun Merchant Group’s procession shouted and rushed toward the convoy.

With numerous sects eyeing the goods right behind them, they felt desperate and acted without thinking.

“Hurry up and hand over the treasure….”

They needed to seize the treasure and run before the other sects realized what was happening. They didn’t even consider the Soeun Merchant Group’s strength.

This assessment was at least reasonable, as it aligned with the general perception.

However, they should have considered more carefully the fact that the Soeun Merchant Group, which should have been hiding, was openly displaying its banner.

Ping! Ping! Ping!

“Cough.”

“Ugh.”

“Gah.”

The Green Forest bandits, who had confidently drawn their swords and sabers, collapsed before they could even finish their sentences. A sudden impact, as if struck by something hard, overwhelmed them.

“Tsk.”

Namak Old Man clicked his tongue, lightly shaking his hand.

“Since when has Hyung Mountain become such a dirty place? I haven’t been out for a while, and it’s become a wasteland of trash.”

Namak Old Man strolled leisurely, as if taking a walk. The fallen bandits groaned, unable to move. Although they didn’t seem to be bleeding to death, many were so stunned that they lost consciousness.

“You bastards! Hurry up and… cough!”

Ping!

“Tsk, tsk. Why do they all say the same thing? Well, they wouldn’t be bandits if they had any sense.”

Muttering to himself, Namak Old Man continued to shoot out something with sharp force.

His gestures were as light as swatting away annoying flies, but for those struck by it, it was like a bolt from the blue.

Ting.

Something rolled out from the fallen bandits. It was a small iron coin.

“He’s using those like that.”

Eun Chobin, walking behind him, spoke softly with a slightly horrified expression.

“Amazing.”

Head Guard Jang nodded with a stiff expression.

“Yes, it truly is.”

Without Namak Old Man, each of those fallen individuals would have been a deadly threat.

Yet, according to Namak Old Man, they were just rolling around like mere trash. It was almost absurd.

“But it’s also a bit of a waste.”

Namak Old Man was literally throwing money around. It was hard not to feel it was a waste to scatter money on the road.

“Still, one iron coin per sword-wielding bandit. If we consider it the price of our lives, it’s not too wasteful.”

Head Guard Jang said, his eyes sharply scanning the surroundings.

Although money was rolling around everywhere, no one picked up the iron coins. The porters and seamstresses all knew they were in a perilous situation.

Ping, ping, ping.

As the Soeun Merchant Group descended the road, the number of groaning figures lying on the roadside increased. The merchant group slowly passed through them.

The guards who had drawn their swords had nothing to do, but their expressions were grim. Even though the bandits were lying down, the surroundings were still filled with them, making it impossible to relax.

They were also careful not to touch those lying in the middle of the road as they passed.

The only ones who weren’t tense were Son Bin and Dang Wora.

In particular, Son Bin felt a nostalgic longing, as if he had returned to the days when he traveled with Saja Hyuk.

‘Indeed.’

Son Bin thought, watching Namak Old Man’s back.

‘This is nice.’

Son Bin calmly observed Namak Old Man’s every action. Sentences and words naturally arose in his mind, making him want to pick up a brush immediately.

How long had they been going like this? Namak Old Man stopped. The procession following him naturally halted as well.

“Hmm.”

Namak Old Man puffed out his chest and put his hands behind his back. In the slightly widened part of the road, a considerable number of sword-wielding individuals had appeared.

With the fallen bodies scattered between them, they were wary of Namak Old Man, swords and sabers drawn.

The other sects, having heard the news, had finally arrived. Numerous individuals, both righteous and evil, stood in groups with their weapons drawn.

“Now some thoughtful trash has come out.”

Namak Old Man sneered.

But they said nothing. The sight of the fallen bodies lying before them made them hesitant to attack rashly, and they were assessing the situation.

Moreover, they had to be wary of each other, making it difficult to move easily.

After a period of silence, someone’s voice broke through.

“Are you perhaps Namak Old Man?”

“Yes.”

Namak Old Man replied, still wearing a sneer.

“This old man is Namak Old Man.”

A low murmur arose.

“Namak Old Man?”

“Isn’t Namak Old Man a reclusive former master?”

“Why is such an old monster here now?”

Among the murmurs, there were also some openly insulting remarks directed at Namak Old Man.

However, Namak Old Man stood leisurely with his hands behind his back, as if enjoying their reactions.

The one who had recognized Namak Old Man raised his voice again.

“I acknowledge that Old Man has preemptively… ahem, taken possession of the goods. However, so many martial artists have also spared no effort. For Old Man, who has no one to share with, to monopolize it alone seems excessively greedy, does it not?”

It was a statement subtly emphasizing their numerical superiority. It also revealed to others that Namak Old Man acted alone without forming a faction.

“Huh, that guy.”

Namak Old Man let out a dumbfounded laugh.

“You should have become a con artist instead of a bandit. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard such skillfully spoken nonsense.”

The speaker’s face instantly twisted. He frowned and said,

“Everyone here acknowledges Old Man’s high level of skill. However, Old Man is alone, and we are many. How can one hand overcome ten? This is also out of concern for Old Man… Ack!”

He felt a sharp energy flying toward him and quickly swung his sword. However, his skills were not enough to withstand the energy of the Old Man carried in the small iron coin.

Bang!

“Ugh.”

Feeling as if the hand holding the sword was shattered, he flew backward and crashed into a tree. He lost consciousness and fainted.

Ting.

A small iron coin rolled out of his grasp and fell to the ground.

“Nonsense only works once or twice.”

Namak Old Man said softly. Even the faint sneer had disappeared.

“Damn it.”

Someone cursed roughly and stepped forward.

“What’s so great about a decrepit old geezer? Let’s have a go!”

Whoosh!

Before he could finish speaking, a young man wielding a large saber lunged at the Old Man.

It wasn’t just him. About half a dozen others, with fiery tempers or underestimating Namak Old Man’s age, simultaneously attacked with their swords and sabers.

They hadn’t planned a coordinated attack, but they hoped that if Namak Old Man blocked the first attack, an opening would appear.

If they could defeat Namak Old Man in this place, they would surely gain both treasure and fame.

“Hmph.”

Namak Old Man snorted at those rushing toward him. Then, his hand moved behind him, and a blue sword energy simultaneously cut through them.

Clang!

A sound like a thunderbolt erupted. And those who had lunged at Namak Old Man all groaned in pain and fell backward.

“Cough.”

“Ugh.”

“Argh.”

It was as if they were performing a choreographed farce.

With a single slash of blue light, several burly men were simultaneously thrown backward.

But unlike a farce, the fallen could not get up. The broken swords and sabers, and the blood flowing from their mouths, indicated the severity of their internal injuries.

“Gasp.”

“Sword, sword energy!”

Startled voices were heard from here and there. It was only a brief moment, but it was definitely sword energy.

“Those with loud voices.”

The blue energy had disappeared, and Namak Old Man said in a cold voice with his hands behind his back.

“I’ve never seen anyone with great skill. The same goes for those who attack in groups. And I’m done playing along with you.”

With that declaration, sharp energy began to emanate from Namak Old Man in streams. The force was so great that those watching unknowingly swallowed hard.

“A, archers, shoot!”

Someone shouted urgently. But before that, Namak Old Man’s hand lightly stirred the air.

Ping! Ping! Ping!

“Cough.”

“Ugh.”

Each time the Old Man’s hand moved, archers collapsed here and there. With people groaning and falling all around, there was no way for the archers to aim properly.

Some were frightened and sat down, and the few arrows that were fired recklessly didn’t even come close to the merchant group.

“Ugh.”

People realized that Namak Old Man’s force was not to be taken lightly. These many sword-wielding individuals were no threat to the Old Man at all.

‘What should we do?’

Under normal circumstances, they would have turned back immediately. But the treasure right before their eyes made them hesitate. Moreover, they couldn’t ignore the gazes of others.

‘The only way is a coordinated attack….’

The only thing they could rely on was their numerical superiority. Everyone here knew that. But they were all gathered by greed.

Who would volunteer to sacrifice themselves first? A sacrifice that no one would acknowledge and that would bring no benefit.

They looked at each other, but no one stepped forward.

“What are you doing, not coming? Should I wait while you eat?”

Namak Old Man said mockingly.

“Old, Old Man, why are you protecting that merchant group?”

Someone shouted. The eyes of the others sparkled at those words.

Until now, they had thought he had taken possession of the goods.

But listening to those words, it seemed like he was protecting the merchant group. If the Old Man really wanted to protect the merchant group, then the merchant group was his weakness.

“Hmph. I don’t do things like protecting anyone.”

Namak Old Man said in a cold voice.

“Th, then….”

“But.”

As if crushing their small hope, Namak Old Man said,

“Anyone who touches this merchant group, I swear on my name, I will definitely kill.”

For a martial artist, swearing on their name is a serious matter.

Especially for masters like Namak Old Man, who are well-known, they sometimes risk their lives to protect their name. Therefore, anyone who wants to break that declaration must also risk their own life.

‘Da, damn it.’

The faces of the sword-wielding individuals contorted. But after seeing the flashing sword energy before their eyes, they couldn’t dare to do anything.

‘I underestimated him, thinking he was a reclusive old monster.’

Just because he was forgotten didn’t mean he had disappeared. Namak Old Man’s sword energy was still alive and blocking their path.

The one standing before them was just an old man, but that old man was more threatening than all these sword-wielding men.

As they were unable to do anything, there was a commotion from behind.

“Wh, what is it?”

“Damn it!”

As if a wave was parting, people stepped aside to the left and right, and a group of men confidently revealed themselves.

Clatter, clatter.

They were about twenty men on horseback, all dressed in luxurious martial attire and with sharp eyes.

But the most impressive thing was the flag of the Namgung Clan fluttering in their midst.

“It’s the Namgung Clan!”

“The Namgung Clan is here?”

“Damn it. We’ve been working for nothing….”

Although the reactions were not favorable, they didn’t care at all. Rather, they seemed to enjoy the reactions and approached the procession with a relaxed demeanor.

“It is an honor to meet Old Man.”

The middle-aged man at the front clasped his hands and bowed to Namak Old Man. He had a large build and a very strong impression, typical of a martial artist.

“Although we have never met, I have heard of Old Man’s great name for a long time.”

“Hmph.”

Despite the polite greeting, Namak Old Man’s attitude was not good.

“Is looking down from above the etiquette of the Namgung Clan these days?”

“Oh, I have been rude….”

The middle-aged man immediately dismounted. Still, he was taller and sturdier than Namak Old Man.

He clasped his hands respectfully and bowed again.

“I apologize for the rudeness in my haste to arrive. I am Namgung Jun of the Namgung Clan.”

Namak Old Man didn’t believe the words about coming in haste. They had probably been watching from the beginning. His polite greeting indicated that.

If they hadn’t seen the sword energy, they would never have lowered their heads like this. And the fact that they had now revealed themselves meant that they had judged that the direction of events had been roughly determined.

“Namgung Jun? That Cheongsuk Sword [Azure Jade Sword] Namgung Jun?”

A murmur was heard from the quiet rear.

“If it’s Cheongsuk Sword, isn’t he the Deputy Chief of the Outer Clan of the Namgung Clan? Damn it, even Cheongsuk Sword has appeared….”

As if to prove their reactions, tension also settled on the faces of Eun Chobin and Head Guard Jang.

‘Oh.’

Son Bin looked again at the middle-aged man who introduced himself as Namgung Jun.

He was smiling kindly and seemed to be a well-known figure. But no matter how sturdy and tall he was, Son Bin thought he couldn’t compare to Namak Old Man’s force.

“So, what brings the Namgung Clan all the way to this remote Hyung Mountain? Are you also after the goods?”

Namak Old Man said without returning Namgung Jun’s greeting.

Displeasure appeared on the faces of the Namgung Clan warriors. However, Cheongsuk Sword Namgung Jun replied with a smile.

“Of course not. The Soeun Merchant Group’s procession is causing no small amount of trouble in the Gangnam [south of the river] martial world, so we have come to rectify it. The Namgung Clan is always acting with righteousness and chivalry for the sake of the martial world.”

“Righteousness? That is your own righteousness, your own chivalry.”

Namak Old Man snorted and said bluntly.

“Benefit….”

A Namgung Clan warrior standing behind him tried to step forward, but Namgung Jun lightly raised his hand to stop him. The warrior closed his mouth and stepped back, but his unpleasant expression was evident.

“If you don’t touch the procession, I don’t care.”

Namak Old Man said as if throwing the words.

“Thank you for understanding.”

Namgung Jun said politely. It was at that moment.

“Hahahahaha!”

A loud burst of laughter filled with mockery echoed.

“If someone heard that, they would think the Namgung Clan is the only one in the Gangnam [south of the river] martial world. Hahaha!”

The Namgung Clan warriors all frowned. They knew the owner of this voice very well.

“What! Who is it?”

“It’s the Hyeokryun Clan!”

The murmuring voices were answering for them.

Once again, people parted like a wave, and another group of men on horseback revealed themselves. Proudly fluttering among them was the flag of the Hyeokryun Clan.