A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 121

Chirp, chirp.

A bird chirped outside the window. Dang Hwa-ryun, the Chief Military Officer of the Tang Clan, lifted her teacup from her lips.

“An excellent tea.”

A smile spread across her red lips. The ornate decorations atop her head sparkled in the afternoon sunlight.

“I am glad you like it.”

The white-haired old woman said. Her snow-white hair was still soft, and her wrinkled smile still radiated her undiminished beauty.

“I prepared it with special care, hearing that the Chief Military Officer has been working so hard lately.”

Though she wore no extravagant ornaments, her refined appearance exuded an undeniable noble aura.

“Do you still select the tea yourself?”

Dang Hwa-ryun asked.

The old woman gently smiled as she caressed the teacup. An unrefined jade ring, unsuited to her slender fingers, gleamed, and her gaze turned to the rippling surface of the tea.

“Touching the tea leaves makes me feel like I’m back in the old days.”

There was a slight shadow in her smile, but it quickly vanished.

“You’ve done well today.”

The old woman said, lifting her head.

“For the Chief Military Officer to visit an old woman who knows nothing, I can only be grateful.”

“Not at all.”

Dang Hwa-ryun bowed lightly.

“It is only natural to do this for Grandmother. Rather, I am glad to be able to explain the recent issues in detail.”

The old woman before her was the head of the Tang Clan’s largest faction. Although she had stepped down, the influence of her words could not be ignored.

In fact, the only person in the Tang Clan who could keep Dang Hwa-ryun in check, and the one who should have been in control of the Tang Clan, was the old woman before her.

She was Tang Baek-ho’s own younger sister, Tang Un-yeong, known as the Tiger of Sichuan [a formidable and respected figure in the region].

“Actually, gaining the understanding of all the elders is not easy.”

Dang Hwa-ryun said, smiling slightly as if embarrassed.

“Indeed. Men talk as if they know everything, but in truth, they are still children even when they get old.”

The old woman said, knitting her brows slightly. The ‘children’ she was referring to were the figures who swayed the resolutions of the Grand Council Hall, the Tang Clan’s highest decision-making body.

They were individuals whom not only the Tang Clan but also the Murim Alliance [a martial arts alliance] could not take lightly, but in the old woman’s eyes, they were still like ignorant children.

“There are many times when I feel frustrated. There are times when I want to shout, ‘Don’t you even know this?’ But what can I do? Once they get sulky, it’s hard to appease them, so I have no choice but to coax them gently.”

“Hahaha.”

Dang Hwa-ryun laughed gleefully. The old woman also smiled.

“I know you are working hard for the family.”

The old woman’s smile remained, but her eyes sparkled sharply.

“But when you rush, you tend to overlook what’s around you. Never forget that it is wise to stop and look back sometimes.”

Clink.

Dang Hwa-ryun put down her teacup and bowed respectfully.

“I will not forget your valuable advice and will keep it in mind.”

The old woman smiled.

“You may leave.”

Dang Hwa-ryun rose from her seat and bowed deeply.

Swoosh, swoosh.

Dang Hwa-ryun walked lightly out of the room.

Click.

The door closed behind her, and the subordinate who had been waiting bowed.

Thump, thump.

Dang Hwa-ryun began to walk along the corridor. The subordinate silently followed behind.

“This is a warning, isn’t it?”

She said with a cold smile.

“A warning that if I make even one mistake, they will never forgive me.”

Dang Hwa-ryun’s eyes flashed sharply.

“But it won’t be easy. Because I’m the one holding the knife.”

Thud.

Dang Hwa-ryun stopped walking and turned her head to look at her subordinate.

“The report?”

The subordinate took a thin letter from his chest and held it out to Dang Hwa-ryun.

Rustle.

Dang Hwa-ryun unfolded the letter on the spot. The content was not long.

“Hmph.”

She let out a sneer.

“The spark in Gangnam [a region in Korea] has finally crossed the Yangtze River [a major river in China]. It’s certainly unexpected, but it doesn’t matter.”

Dang Hwa-ryun crumpled the letter.

“The fiercer the flames, the more enjoyable it is to watch, isn’t it?”

Crackle.

The letter in her hand began to change color and soon crumbled. Soon, nothing remained in her hand.

“And?”

Dang Hwa-ryun said, lightly dusting off her slender fingers.

“There is a report from the Silver Sword Captain.”

The subordinate handed over a neatly folded letter. Dang Hwa-ryun read the letter with a calm gaze. Suddenly, her beautiful eyebrows furrowed.

“A pretty boy is one thing, but old men, young scholars, and children? What on earth is Wol-ah trying to do?”

Dang Hwa-ryun’s gaze fell on the words ‘young scholar.’ Suddenly, a face flashed through her mind.

The figure of the shabby young scholar who had dared to advise her, whom she could never forget. But Dang Hwa-ryun immediately shook off the thought.

“Investigation of those around her is forbidden.”

Dang Hwa-ryun said in a cold voice. She would never tolerate anyone stirring up trouble around Dang Wol-ah. No one.

“And summon the Silver Sword members listed on this list.”

Rustle.

Several names were written on the paper Dang Hwa-ryun held out. The subordinate tensed up at the unexpected order. In most cases, such lists were either death lists or something similar.

“I don’t need swords that complain. Strictly punish them according to the family’s customs for insubordination.”

The subordinate realized that something he was unaware of was happening. Perhaps noticing his confusion, Dang Hwa-ryun said coldly.

“The Silver Sword Captain is more capable than I thought. If it weren’t for him, this list would have been longer. Making them see hardship as an opportunity for training is a cliché, but an effective method.”

Dang Hwa-ryun’s lips curled into a sneer.

“And these fools are still fools who can’t hide their dissatisfaction. They probably think their factions will protect them, but they will soon realize that such things are useless in front of me.”

Her voice was utterly cold.

“The Silver Sword Captain remains in his position. It’s hard to find capable people.”

Having finished speaking, she turned and began to walk. The subordinate felt a brief chill but soon regained his composure and followed Dang Hwa-ryun.

Dang Hwa-ryun’s steps were unhesitating as she walked through the ornate corridors of the Tang Clan.

*

*

*

“Wow!”

The children exclaimed, their mouths wide open in admiration. And that soon turned into cheers.

“Amazing!”

“Awesome! Awesome!”

Without waiting for anyone, the children ran into the Seowon [a type of private academy in Korea]. Son Bin also looked around the Seowon with surprised eyes. At first glance, nothing seemed to have changed, but upon closer inspection, many places had been newly transformed.

The shabby wooden fence had been newly built to be sturdy, and the awkward wall had been lowered to blend in with the surroundings.

Thanks to this, it gave an overall well-organized feel. The boundary had been slightly expanded outward, making it much wider than before.

“Impressive.”

Shinui also expressed his admiration in a low voice. The most changed place was the foundation where the bamboo mats had been.

The four sides of the foundation were finished with stone, making it luxurious, and small stone steps were placed to accommodate the children. The entire top of the foundation was covered with solid wood, which was incomparably wider than before.

“Shade. They put a lot of thought into it.”

Nogun said in a blunt tone. The foundation was covered with a cloth roof. Wooden pillars were erected on all four sides, and a solid cloth was placed over them.

“It’s better than putting up a roof altogether.”

Jeok Se-hwa also said, admiringly. It not only blocked the sunlight but was also not very high, so it could be easily removed.

“The room has also become wider.”

Shinui said, looking inside.

“The layout is quite well done.”

There were many subtle changes to the window frames and doors. Besides, the room felt wider, perhaps because of the atmosphere.

“It’s pretty.”

Jeok Se-hwa was busy looking around with curiosity and admiring the place.

“The kitchen is also very conveniently done.”

Dang Wol-ah was more interested in the small chair made next to the wooden fence. It seemed to be a resting place for the children, and she didn’t seem to want to leave, stroking the small chair.

Seo-rin ran around with the children, exploring every corner of the house with sparkling eyes.

“To have done this in just ten days is amazing, isn’t it?”

Jeok Se-hwa exclaimed.

“They wouldn’t even let us in; it’s understandable.”

For about ten days while the construction was in progress, Son Bin and his party were not allowed to enter the house. Thanks to this, Son Bin, Nogun, and Shinui had to stay at Dang Wol-ah’s house.

In fact, Dang Wol-ah’s house was a proper mansion, even if it was small, so it had more rooms than Son Bin’s house. Shinui moved his medicinal herbs and medical books, and Son Bin moved important items, including Baekro, but Nogun simply came empty-handed.

However, other than Dang Wol-ah’s room, there was a lot of dust, so they had to clean it first, and there was nothing in the kitchen, so they had to quickly bring food back.

“Are we not going on picnics anymore?”

Aeng-aeng-yi looked up at Son Bin and asked with a disappointed look.

“Learning outside is also good.”

For ten days, Son Bin had to lead the children on unintended outdoor lessons. Shinui also taught them how to distinguish between medicinal herbs and poisonous herbs and taught them how to deal with injuries or insect bites.

Reading together under the shade of a large tree was also quite charming. They also practiced ‘I Hate Twin Palms,’ and Nogun guided the children one by one.

“Let’s go again later.”

Son Bin said with a smile. Aeng-aeng-yi nodded.

“Yes. But this place is also good.”

Aeng-aeng-yi said, chattering. Aeng-aeng-yi and Jang-ah were the only ones who didn’t run around with the children. Jang-ah had already taken a spot under the shade of the wall and was dozing off.

“Now, we just need that person to come.”

Jeok Se-hwa said.

“Yes?”

When Son Bin asked back, Jeok Se-hwa gave a subtle smile.

“I’m talking about Lady Sa Su-yeon. It’s been quite a while since she left, hasn’t it?”

In an instant, memories washed over Son Bin like a wave. He thought he had been enduring well, but once her name came out, everything collapsed.

“That’s… right.”

Son Bin’s voice was full of longing. Even Jeok Se-hwa, who had brought up the subject, felt choked up.

“It seems like such a long time ago.”

It felt like a very long time had passed. But it also felt like just yesterday. Her figure was still vivid in his eyes.

Everyone was silent for a moment at Son Bin’s words, but then Shinui let out a low groan.

“Well, now that the topic has come up, I should say this now.”

Everyone’s eyes turned to Shinui.

“What…”

Before Son Bin could finish his question, Shinui said. Shinui’s eyes were fixed on Son Bin.

“The deadline for Yeon-ah’s return has passed.”

It was too sudden. So much so that he wondered if he had misheard.

“What are you talking about all of a sudden? Don’t cut off the beginning and end; explain it properly!”

Nogun said, bursting with anger.

“It’s as I said. The date Yeon-ah said she would return has passed.”

Shinui’s expression was serious.

“If we’re not careful, Yeon-ah is in danger.”

A cold silence descended. Shinui’s words were enough to cool down the rising excitement.

*

*

*

After sending the children back, Son Bin and his party, including Jeok Se-hwa, sat around on the foundation. In the center was Shinui.

“You know that Yeon-ah was suffering from extreme cold.”

Son Bin nodded. It was something that didn’t even need to be said. How could he forget the blade of the ice sword that had pierced her chest?

“And you fixed it. The cold that was eating away at Yeon-ah’s life merged with the Jinyuan energy [a powerful internal energy] and instead became Yeon-ah’s strength.”

Shinui continued in a calm voice. But his eyes were shining intensely.

“But that means Yeon-ah has to live with the cold for the rest of her life. Since it has already become one with the Jinyuan energy, it is inevitable that the cold will affect Yeon-ah’s nature.”

Shinui said.

“As a result, everything about Yeon-ah, including her inner strength, emotions, thoughts, and even her disposition, will freeze coldly.”

“Is her life in danger?”

Son Bin asked with a stiff expression. Shinui shook his head.

“The opposite. The greater the influence of the cold, the stronger her inner strength becomes. Eventually, she will become like the epitome of cold, and no one will be able to stand against her. If they were power-hungry martial artists, they would rather wish for it. But.”

Shinui said with a stern face.

“How can we call someone who has had their thoughts, emotions, and even their very nature frozen coldly a proper person?”

Son Bin bit his lip.

“So that’s why you told me… to be careful.”

Shinui nodded. Son Bin closed his eyes for a moment.

“This child is the same.”

Son Bin’s pupils trembled. Dang Wol-ah was where Shinui’s gaze was directed. She, too, had been saved by Son Bin, in the same way as Sa Su-yeon.

Dang Wol-ah remained silent and motionless. She seemed to already know everything.

“But it’s okay. This child is here.”

“What do you mean?”

“Even the most miraculous elixir in the world ultimately comes from outside the body. There is a limit to controlling the cold that arises from the Jinyuan energy. Only the warmth that springs from the depths of the heart can properly manage Yeon-ah’s cold.”

Son Bin was listening to Shinui’s words without blinking. Shinui said.

“And the person Yeon-ah feels warmth from is you.”

It had been happening even before Son Bin saved Sa Su-yeon. On the day Sa Su-yeon reunited with Son Bin in Namchang, Shinui knew that Sa Su-yeon’s condition had improved.

Sa Su-yeon hesitated to speak, feeling embarrassed, but Shinui was soon able to confirm that the cause was Son Bin.

That’s why Shinui came to the Dengwang Pavilion banquet with Sa Su-yeon. And he witnessed the unbelievable scene of Son Bin treating Sa Su-yeon.

“If we leave her like this, Yeon-ah will become a completely different being. If we miss the opportunity, even you won’t be able to save Yeon-ah.”

“How much time is left?”

“If we’re being most optimistic, one year.”

“One year…”

Son Bin repeated Shinui’s words.

“Yeon-ah knows all of this. So she made a promise with me. If she doesn’t return by the promised deadline, she asked me to find her. That was Yeon-ah’s request.”

Son Bin gritted his teeth. Otherwise, it felt like his emotions would overflow at any moment. Regret for his foolishness and emotions for Sa Su-yeon, who had trusted him and left, were raging uncontrollably.

“Will you go?”

Shinui said. But there was no need to ask. Son Bin’s answer was already determined.

“Yes.”

Son Bin replied. He couldn’t say any more because of the emotional storm that he couldn’t control himself.