A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 133

133. The Road to the Northern Sea (2)

Son Bin and his party were on a long journey from the southern tip of the continent to the northern tip.

They passed several places famous for their scenery, historic cities, and large towns. However, they mostly had to be content with just passing by, as they were short on time.

The scenery changed day by day. The forests, mountains, and even the climate changed, and by the time they arrived near the northern border, a desolate landscape stretched out before them. It was a stark reminder that they were now entering the land of foreign tribes.

“You guys are lucky.”

Clack, clack.

The man driving the horse spoke in a rough northern dialect. With a face full of beard, he looked more like a bandit than a guide. He grinned, revealing his rugged face, and said,

“Thanks to the merchants heading to the Northern Sea Ice Palace, border control has become lax, and there are more people around. Those wealthy mega-corporations really do things on a different scale, huh?”

Many merchants coveted the trade rights in the Northern Sea, but only the mega-corporations could afford it. Only they had the power to influence the court and handle the massive initial investment.

Thanks to the efforts of these prominent merchants, they were able to pass through the border without much difficulty.

Normally, it would have taken a lot of time and money just to pass through the gate. However, because of the crowds, the guides’ fees had also skyrocketed.

“You really know the fastest way to the Northern Sea, right?”

Old Man No glared.

“Of course. Just trust me.”

The man confidently declared.

“You’ll never arrive if you just follow the heavily laden merchants. If you want to go fast, you have to travel light and take the quick route, right?”

“And you’ll need this too.”

Old Man No grinned and handed the man a steel coin.

“Oh, this old man knows his stuff?”

The man’s face lit up, but Old Man No flicked the steel coin with his finger.

Clink.

Instead of going to the man, the steel coin fell back into Old Man No’s hand. The bearded man frowned, and Old Man No slowly tightened his grip.

Crack.

The small steel coin crumpled like a piece of paper under Old Man No’s fingers. The man’s expression hardened. But that wasn’t the end of it.

Thwack.

With a sharp sound, the steel coin flew through the air and collided with a large boulder beside the road.

Bang!

A loud explosion echoed around them. The side of the boulder that the steel coin hit was completely shattered. The man, his smile gone, turned to Old Man No with a shocked look.

“I have plenty of money.”

Old Man No said in an indifferent voice. The bearded man turned pale. It was the first time he had ever heard the words ‘I have plenty of money’ sound so menacing.

“I have good ears too. And you know what? Old men don’t need much sleep.”

Old Man No grinned.

“If you try anything funny, I’ll blow your knees off like that. You don’t need knees to guide the way, do you?”

Of course, he did. How could he guide the way with shattered knees? But the pale-faced man had no choice but to nod. His smile had vanished long ago.

*

*

*

After passing through the border gate with the bearded man’s guidance, a barren and desolate landscape unfolded before them.

This vast and arid land, scattered with large and small stones and sparsely covered with withered grass, was a massive natural barrier in itself.

“Ah, I’m telling you, even if you dig a well, you’ll only get saltwater. It’s literally a land of death.”

Clack, clack.

The man, who had somehow regained his energy, joked. Son Bin couldn’t believe his words. Not only was the groundwater salty, but this place was inland and had nothing to do with the sea.

“What’s really scary is the sudden dust devils. Small and large stones rain down in the wind, and if you get caught in one, you’ll be torn to shreds so badly that you won’t even be able to find the body. No matter how skilled a martial artist you are, if you get caught in this wind, it’s game over.”

Old Man No glared at him, but the man pretended not to notice and avoided eye contact.

“This isn’t a sand desert.”

Son Bin asked.

“There are sand deserts too. Why wouldn’t there be?”

The man shrugged.

“But that’s in a different direction. You have to go far west from here. That place is literally nothing but sand dunes that make noise as they move, so they call it the singing dunes. But to me, it sounded more like a creepy wail than a song.”

The man’s claim that he knew the way through the desert seemed to be true.

Son Bin was reminded of what Sa Su-yeon had said about her father, Sa Ja-hyeok, living in a place where there was nothing.

“Okay, that’s the last city. You have to prepare to cross the desert there.”

A fairly large city appeared in the distance.

“Prepare to cross the desert? Isn’t this already a desert?”

Son Bin, who had already been passing through a sufficiently desolate place, asked. The man smirked.

“This? This is just the beginning.”

Clack, clack.

Passing along the dusty road, the group entered a large inn. It was filled with people and merchants in similar situations, preparing to cross the desert.

After settling down in the inn, the man demanded money, saying that he needed to buy supplies to cross the desert.

“Everything’s expensive because there are so many people.”

“I’ll go with you.”

The man frowned at Old Man No’s words.

“That’s going to be difficult. They won’t give me a discount if a stranger comes along. You might even get ripped off.”

No matter what he believed, the man was brazen. Old Man No also frowned.

“If you don’t want me to come with you, bring the supplies first. You already got paid in advance, didn’t you?”

Old Man No, still unable to trust the man, didn’t back down. The man grumbled but nodded.

“Alright. I’ll see what I can get.”

The man left the inn. And he didn’t return even after the sun set, the night passed, and the next morning arrived.

“That bastard ran off.”

Old Man No’s face turned red with anger. The bearded man had never intended to guide them properly from the start.

He had taken on Son Bin’s group, seeing them as easy targets, but ran away after seeing Old Man No’s martial arts skills.

Old Man No was furious, but there was no way to find the disappeared man in this unfamiliar city. Son Bin comforted Old Man No, saying that it was for the best. It would be worse if he ran away in the middle of the desert.

∴

“A quick route? There’s no such thing.”

A middle-aged man leading a merchant group frowned and said to Son Bin.

“If there was a quick route in this desert, it would probably be a route to death.”

The middle-aged man said with a bitter smile. He had been crossing this desert for thirty years and was leading a fairly large merchant group.

“You must never underestimate the desert. It may seem like there’s nothing there, but it’s more dangerous than any other place.”

After the first guide disappeared, Old Man No asked the innkeeper if there were any large merchant groups preparing to cross the desert.

Thanks to the power of the steel coin, Son Bin’s group was able to meet the middle-aged man who was staying at the inn.

“So, you said you participated in a delivery for the Soeun Escort Agency?”

No merchant group would readily accept strangers.

However, Son Bin’s appearance, which was that of a scholar, lowered their guard somewhat, and the fact that he had participated in a delivery for the Soeun Escort Agency as a scribe helped the man make his decision.

“Explain this ledger to me.”

The man handed Son Bin one of the merchant group’s ledgers. It seemed that he was trying to verify the truth of Son Bin’s words rather than actually entrusting him with work.

Son Bin not only explained the contents of the ledger skillfully but also accurately pointed out the errors. Seeing the admiration flash in the man’s eyes, Son Bin thanked the chief manager of the Soeun Escort Agency in his heart.

“Well, it’s not that difficult to travel together across the desert……”

In fact, it was common to ask to travel together. The question was whether they would be a danger or not.

In the middle-aged man’s opinion, the scholar in front of him didn’t seem like he would cause any harm. In a worst-case scenario, he might even be helpful.

The man glanced at Son Bin’s group.

A pretty boy with curious eyes, a slender girl with her face covered in a veil, and an old man who looked grumpy at first glance were standing with their hands behind their backs, looking elsewhere.

“Why are you going to the Northern Sea?”

The middle-aged man asked Son Bin.

“I’m going to… find someone.”

The middle-aged man recognized the sorrow in his voice.

“A woman?”

Son Bin looked a little surprised. But he soon nodded silently. The middle-aged man sighed at the sight.

‘Tsk. Even if you go to find a runaway woman, she’s not going to come back.’

He wanted to tell him that it was a waste of time, but young people don’t listen to the advice of adults. Just looking at him going all the way to the distant Northern Sea was enough to tell.

“Alright. Let’s go together.”

He said. Perhaps it was half out of sympathy.

“I’m Jin-ryang. You can call me Manager Jin.”

“I’m Son Bin. Thank you for allowing me to join you.”

The biggest obstacle blocking the road to the Northern Sea was the desert. Now, they had a way to cross this desert. Son Bin bowed to him politely.

*

*

*

Swish.

A sandstorm was covering everything. The sky and the ground were all yellow. People with their faces wrapped in cloth, leaving only their eyes slightly exposed, lowered their heads and walked silently, tightening their collars.

Shuffle, shuffle.

No matter how impatient and frustrated they were, there was no way to move forward except by walking step by step. The desert did not allow them to pass even an inch for free.

After the yellow wind passed, the desert showed a calm appearance as if nothing had happened. The rocky mountains that occasionally rose in the middle of the desolate plains were enough to create the illusion that time had stopped.

“Beautiful.”

Son Bin said with a soft sigh. The rocky mountains seen at sunset were all dyed red, creating a spectacular sight.

“Yeah.”

Old Man No replied in a blunt tone. That was all Old Man No had to say.

But Son Bin could tell that a quiet reverence was contained in his voice. An unknown reverence for having existed silently and alone for an immeasurable amount of time in this desolate place where there was nothing.

At the end of the day, the merchant group found a suitable place to camp. It was basically camping out in the open, but they were happy just to have a place to lay their heads.

“The stars are so bright.”

Dang Wol-ah reached out to the night sky and said. Lying wrapped in a fur blanket, stars fell at her feet.

“It won’t rain.”

Old Man No muttered something obvious. If it rained, this place wouldn’t be so dry. He looked at Seo-rin, who was lying next to him, staring blankly at the sky, and said as if scolding her.

“Why? Does looking at the night sky make you want to cry?”

Seo-rin didn’t answer, as if she was lost in the stars in the night sky. Instead, Dang Wol-ah said quietly.

“Wolves don’t cry at the night sky, they cry at the moon.”

Son Bin quietly closed his eyes. The sparkling night sky was like a giant blanket covering him.

Rustle.

After the merchant group had all fallen asleep, Son Bin stood under the night sky with Baekro in his hand.

The desert night sky, connected to the horizon, was vast and distant. Standing under it, he felt as if he was the only one in the world.

The great river of stars that proudly crossed the sparkling night sky seemed to be telling him that there was a great current that Son Bin didn’t know about.

Whoosh.

Even the sword’s cry was clear here. Listening to Baekro’s cry, which sounded like raindrops falling from the eaves, Son Bin quietly recalled. Sa Ja-hyeok, his Dao [a fundamental concept in Chinese philosophy describing the ultimate principle and source of the universe].

And the three stances he had shown him, and his last smile…….

Whoo-oong.

At some point, Son Bin’s sword began to move on its own, following the flow of the Hyeoncheon Grand River Art.

Rustle.

He was nothing. In the face of this vast wilderness, the sky covering the entire land, and the time and fate that no one could reverse, he was just small and powerless. There was nothing he could do.

Woong.

Baekro cried. The sword flowed, and the moon shone. And at that moment, Son Bin saw it.

‘Ah.’

It was there. Like the sky that was always there when he looked up, it was always with Son Bin. The sky, the earth, and the sword were all flowing slowly within it.

‘I see.’

It was always with Son Bin. No, he was originally in it from the beginning. So Son Bin was not afraid.

When the unnameable thing embraced Son Bin, what Son Bin felt was a strand of incense.

∴

Woong.

Son Bin opened his eyes at the low cry of Baekro. No, since he had never closed his eyes, the expression ‘opened his eyes’ was not correct. But until just now, he had clearly been seeing something else.

Son Bin blinked. The surrounding objects slowly began to be recognized by Son Bin.

“Haa.”

Son Bin let out a soft sigh. And he quietly raised his sword. Baekro’s straight sword body was showing off its beautiful figure under the blue moonlight.

“Thank you.”

Woong.

As if in response, Baekro cried softly. Son Bin raised his head and looked up at the night sky.

It wasn’t just Baekro that was flowing. This endless wilderness, the rocky mountains standing proudly, the sky covering the land, and even the great river of stars were flowing.

And that was the same for Son Bin himself.

So there was no need to be afraid. There was no reason to be impatient. All he had to do was one thing. Tighten his collar and move forward step by step.

Because everything would eventually reach its original place in this great flow.

Swish.

The wind blew. And Son Bin thought, strangely enough, that he was very happy. This moment, when he was walking step by step for Sa Su-yeon.

∴

No one said anything. Seo-rin, Dang Wol-ah, and even Old Man No were still unable to escape the lingering feeling of something that had unfolded before them for a moment.

Swish.

The wind blew in silence. What was it that they had seen? They could intuitively know what it was.

But they couldn’t express it. No, they didn’t even know what to call it.

“The Dao that can be told is not the eternal Dao……”

Old Man No said after a long time. His voice was more like a groan than a word.

“What does that mean?”

Seo-rin asked, tilting her head. Old Man No said in a low voice.

“I don’t know either. So don’t ask me.”

“I don’t know either. So don’t ask me.”

Seo-rin repeated Old Man No’s words.

“That’s a strange meaning.”

Old Man No frowned. But he didn’t say anything. He just raised his head and looked at Son Bin, who was standing far away.

“You are…….”

Dang Wol-ah said in a small, soft voice.

“How far are you going to go?”

No one answered. A gust of wind was sweeping across the vast desert.

*

*

*

A large city stood where the desolate desert ended. Everyone’s faces lit up.

“Finally, I can see it.”

Manager Jin said, taking off the cloth covering his face. It was still far away and difficult to distinguish in detail, but it was clearly the appearance of artificial structures.

“Have we arrived?”

Son Bin asked. Manager Jin nodded.

“Yes. The city you see there is the territory of the Northern Sea.”

“It’s quite big.”

Even from a distance, it was clear that the city was quite large.

“It’s a fairly bustling place where merchants from various regions gather. Not only us, but all kinds of surrounding tribes gather there. After passing through that city, endless green meadows unfold. It’s almost like a lie.”

“Do you know where the Ice Palace is?”

Old Man No asked, throwing the question out casually. Manager Jin, already knowing Old Man No’s personality, smiled and replied.

“You have to go further north for a few more days to reach the Northern Sea Ice Palace. You can get horses in that city.”

“Horses? We have them?”

Manager Jin smiled and bowed politely.

“They can’t be compared to the sturdy horses of the Northern Sea. Thank you so much for everything so far.”

The merchant group had benefited greatly from Old Man No’s help.

Old Man No was the one who first noticed the changing winds, and he was the one who stopped the heavily loaded horse from stumbling and falling. If it hadn’t been for him, people would have been seriously injured.

“Hmph. No need to thank me. It was nothing.”

Old Man No looked away. Manager Jin turned to Son Bin.

“Thank you too.”

Son Bin hadn’t done much. It was Dang Wol-ah who treated the person who complained of a sudden stomachache during the journey, and it was Seo-rin who noticed the pack of wolves hiding in the shade of the rocky mountain.

But since Son Bin had mediated all of those things, Manager Jin’s trust in Son Bin was not small.

“And you guys too.”

Manager Jin bowed to Seo-rin and Dang Wol-ah to express his gratitude. Seo-rin replied with a bright smile, but Dang Wol-ah didn’t move.

People who had been hoping that she might finally take off her veil were disappointed. This was because there were quite a few people who had bet on whether she was a beauty or an ugly woman.

“Be careful. Never forget that this is not the Central Plains.”

As they entered the city, Son Bin’s group parted ways with the merchant group. Son Bin’s group slowly entered the city.

Clack, clack.

The unfamiliar architectural style and the people’s clothing made it clear that this was the land of foreign tribes. But just being able to see the bustling people on the streets brought a sigh of relief.

“We’ve arrived.”

Old Man No said his impressions in a blunt voice. Son Bin nodded.

“Yes, we have.”

They had finally arrived in the Northern Sea, passing through the wind and the distant wilderness. Here in the Northern Sea, where Sa Su-yeon was waiting.

Son Bin’s heart was pounding.