A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 285

285. Outbreak

Deep in Huangshan, nestled behind cliffs that seemed to pierce the sky, stood an old pavilion.

It had weathered countless years. The plaque that once adorned it was long gone, the red pillars were faded with age, and weeds had overtaken the antique black tiles.

Were it not for the towering cliffs, like a giant wall, protecting it from the elements, it would have collapsed long ago.

In the center of the pavilion, Gyeonghui sat with her legs crossed.

Her elegant and ornate clothing, complete with gold-threaded floral patterns on the tips of her shoes, seemed entirely out of place for mountain climbing, yet perfectly complemented her haughty beauty.

“So, you failed?”

Gyeonghui frowned slightly, her beautiful eyes narrowing.

“Then what good is that Gongsun? If he can’t even manage the simple task of separating the masters of the Outer Affairs Division [a division responsible for external affairs and intelligence gathering] and the disciples of each sect, what task could he possibly be entrusted with?”

Gyeonghui’s voice was low and calm, but Soha was not foolish enough to miss the anger simmering beneath the surface.

“It’s not entirely his fault.”

Soha shrugged, responding to her words. “Even Bi Geom [likely a title or epithet meaning ‘Hidden Sword’] wouldn’t have anticipated that someone walking the Path of the Martial Emperor would say such a thing.”

“No, he should have anticipated it.”

Gyeonghui cut off Soha’s words immediately. “Someone walking the Path of the Martial Emperor knows this is a trap. Therefore, taking countermeasures is a natural course of action. Not preparing for that is clear incompetence on Bi Geom’s part.”

Soha did not object to Gyeonghui’s assessment. He had no intention of defending Bi Geom Gongsun Geuk.

“Bi Geom wants the position of Martial Alliance Leader, doesn’t he?”

“Yes, and also to be recognized as the First Family Under Heaven.”

“The position of Alliance Leader is not suitable for the incompetent, so once the Heaven Shifting Scheme [a grand plan or conspiracy] is over, Gongsun will have to face the appropriate consequences.”

“After we make him the Alliance Leader first, right?”

Soha said with a smile. Gyeonghui looked down at Soha and replied without blinking.

“Of course. I keep my promises.”

Bi Geom Gongsun Geuk would become the Alliance Leader, and his Gongsun family would become the First Family Under Heaven.

But that time of glory would not last long. Incompetence was a vice that Gyeonghui could never tolerate.

“But it’s true that things have become difficult.”

Soha sighed.

“The masters of the Outer Affairs Division are acting together with their disciples. Because of that, the plan to neutralize the current sect leaders and core forces has become unavoidable.”

The strategic goals of the Heaven Shifting Scheme were twofold. One was to neutralize the famous sect leaders of the Jianghu [the martial world] and their trusted core forces here in Huangshan.

That would inevitably lead to an artificial generational shift throughout the Jianghu martial world. That was one of the two goals pursued by the Heaven Shifting Scheme.

“It doesn’t matter. If necessary, the second goal can be abandoned. The Heaven Shifting Scheme was created for only one thing.”

For a moment, Gyeonghui’s eyes gleamed.

“The dissolution of the Outer Affairs Division.”

The other strategic goal of the Heaven Shifting Scheme, and its most important value, was to effectively dismantle the Outer Affairs Division.

If this was achieved, the reorganization of the Jianghu martial world would be a natural consequence. At that time, the Martial Alliance Leader would stand tall as the First Under Heaven.

“That’s right.”

Soha bowed his head, agreeing with Gyeonghui’s words.

“If we dismantle the Outer Affairs Division, reorganizing the Jianghu martial world will be as easy as flipping a hand.”

As Soha raised his head, he realized that Gyeonghui was not looking at him.

Soha followed Gyeonghui’s gaze and lifted his eyes. Three figures, completely cloaked in black, stood where Gyeonghui’s gaze was directed.

Standing without a sound, not even a breath, their faces were entirely covered with black cloth. Only the glint of their eyes indicated that they were alive.

“Are you not convinced by them?”

Soha said with a smile. Gyeonghui’s gaze moved slowly back to Soha.

“These are the ones His Majesty personally bestowed. Their individual martial arts skills rival Cheonsu Sword [likely a highly skilled swordsman], and their loyalty is beyond doubt. They are beings optimized to exclude all emotions and only carry out orders. Truly perfect ‘tools’.”

“So?”

Gyeonghui’s eyes did not change. Soha replied with a smile.

“There’s no need to indulge in human sentimentality when using tools. If you feel uncomfortable ‘using’ the Hocheon Three Divine Guards…”

“There is only one who reigns over the army of thousands and the people of millions.”

Gyeonghui’s red lips moved.

“Soha, do you think that’s ‘human’?”

Soha simply smiled and did not answer. Gyeonghui continued.

“The word ‘human’ does not exist in the Imperial Family. If you expected human emotions from me, Soha, I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you.”

Her voice contained no emotion. Soha bowed deeply, paying respect to his lord.

“I apologize for my ignorance and foolishness in trying to fathom your mind, my lord.”

A faint smile appeared on Gyeonghui’s lips. But Gyeonghui’s gaze, looking down at Soha, was cold.

It wasn’t just when she looked at Soha. Even when she looked at Hang Ah, who stood by her side, her eyes were not much different.

“Raise your head.”

Gyeonghui said.

“What I want is not an apology, but for you to do your job properly.”

Soha raised his head and smiled. Gyeonghui looked down at him and continued.

“So, how much disruption will that ‘modification of the plan’ bring to the Heaven Shifting Scheme?”

“Not much. It’s just that the two tasks of neutralizing the core forces of the sects and excluding the masters of the Outer Affairs Division have become one.”

Soha replied as if he had been waiting for the question.

“But the accidental conflicts between the sects will be greatly reduced than originally expected. After all, if there are masters from the Outer Affairs Division present, they will avoid conflict with each other and will not easily fall for provocations.”

Gyeonghui tapped the armrest with her fingers, lost in thought. As if representing her concerns, Soha sighed and said.

“Really, that person is always a problem. He was the one who ended the chaos in the Jiangnan [region in China, south of the Yangtze River] martial world so absurdly, wasn’t he? If things had gone as planned, Jiangnan should still be in chaos.”

Gyeonghui wanted the chaos in the Jiangnan martial world to continue, or even expand.

If the conflict between the Blood Phoenix and the Namgung Clan had escalated and even involved the Hyeokryun Clan, it would have been the same as neutralizing two of the Five Great Clans.

The Namgung Clan, exhausted by wasteful disputes, would eventually request assistance from the government, and using that, the Namgung Clan would be placed under the influence of the government, which was the basic plan.

“Baek In-rok too. In fact, it would have been perfect if we had dragged it out a little longer, induced disputes, and created a situation where full-scale conflicts broke out between the sects.”

Personal grudges eventually develop into conflicts between the organizations they belong to.

Moreover, it was a natural consequence for martial artists who were proud and willing to risk their lives to avenge their teachers or siblings.

“Thanks to him, Cheonglang Sword, Wei Gong, didn’t even get to make a name for himself properly. The Cheonghye situation only gained fame in Beijing, so it’s a huge loss. If we had a little more time, we would have taken the Cheonghye situation into our hands as well.”

When chaos deepens, people want heroes. Cheonglang Sword, Wei Ga-jin, and the Cheonghye situation of Emei [a famous mountain in Sichuan, China, and a center of Taoism and Buddhism] were enough to show the image of a great hero that people wanted.

Not just a Martial Alliance inspector or a rising master, but a hero of the righteous martial world.

Moreover, Cheonghye was inherently righteous and susceptible to the affection between disciples.

By using her junior sister, Gyeonghui, and the disciples of the Jihye Gate, she could be controlled as much as possible with effort. After all, Gyeonghui had the justification.

Wouldn’t the fair and beautiful Emei martial monk and the righteous and dignified young Wei look like a perfect picture?

But that collapsed with the appearance of Son Bin. With Son Bin already knowing the mastermind behind Baek In-rok, most of the plans that were based on not revealing the identity were abandoned.

“If the chaos in the Jianghu martial world had been prolonged and escalated, several problems would have been resolved by now.”

The chaos in the Jianghu martial world stimulates the desires of those who have. The Five Great Clans would become even more greedy, and the Four Great Righteous Sects would seek to expand their influence under the guise of justification.

It was very easy to manipulate those who were full of greed. If the scheme using Baek In-rok had proceeded as originally planned, the Four Great Righteous Sects, and some of the Five Great Clans, would have been in Gyeonghui’s hands by now.

“If it weren’t for him.”

Gyeonghui, who had been listening to Soha’s complaints, said quietly.

“The Heaven Shifting Scheme wouldn’t even be in place now.”

The biggest damage Son Bin caused was this. Originally, the Heaven Shifting Scheme was the last resort. It was the final plan, assuming that it would be impossible for Gyeonghui to take control of the Outer Affairs Division.

But Son Bin’s warning changed everything.

Gyeonghui realized that she had no choice, and she learned the true intentions of the Emperor who had allowed this.

The only way for Gyeonghui to survive in that situation was to follow the Emperor’s will and implement the Heaven Shifting Scheme.

She succeeded in that gamble and was now able to stand in this place, as the executor of the Heaven Shifting Scheme for the Emperor, not for herself.

“If it weren’t for him.”

Gyeonghui gritted her teeth.

Son Bin’s warning awakened Gyeonghui from her delusion, from the vain dream that she could take control of the Outer Affairs Division and become independent from the Imperial Family. But at the same time, he was also the cause of driving her into this dead end.

Which is better, to be intoxicated with vain dreams and then abandoned without knowing anything, or to realize the cold truth and struggle to survive?

“Ugh, what grudge does he have against us that he goes this far? I really don’t know what he hasn’t interfered with.”

Soha shuddered as if he was fed up.

In a way, Soha was the one who had to put in the most futile effort because of Son Bin. So, it was natural for him to react nervously.

But Gyeonghui’s reaction was a little different. She looked at the sea of clouds in Huangshan below the pavilion and murmured quietly.

“…Is that really so?”

The mountain does not allow human arrogance. The massive mountains sometimes symbolize enormous obstacles.

But the mountain simply exists as it is. Those who seek to conquer the mountain fall and stumble, but those who lean on the mountain and adapt gain life within it.

In fact, isn’t the mountain the cradle and foundation of countless lives?

“Yes?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Gyeonghui shook her head, shaking off her thoughts. Even in this situation, she didn’t want to admit to herself that Son Bin’s gentle smile had flashed in her mind for a moment.

‘How pathetic.’

The fact that she was having such useless thoughts was proof that she was psychologically cornered.

Rustle.

Gyeonghui got up from her seat. After moving a few steps quietly, she soon reached the railing of the pavilion. Then, as if waiting, a strong wind fluttered her hair and clothes.

Swoosh.

A sea of clouds spread out below her feet. The peaks of Huangshan, visible through the clouds, looked like mysterious islands floating in the sea.

Gyeonghui gripped the old and worn pillar. It seemed difficult to even stand in this high and rough place without doing so.

“Failure is not forgiven. You know that, right?”

Gyeonghui said, looking down at the sea of clouds. Soha smiled.

“They are divided by greed, but we are moving systematically under a clear goal. The masters of the Dongchang [Eastern Depot, a Ming dynasty secret police and intelligence agency] are also secretly starting to act to add to the chaos.”

Soha said without hesitation.

“Their Outer Affairs Division is uncontrolled and cannot be controlled. They are each other’s enemies. On the other hand, we have Cheonsu Sword, Bi Geom, and the Hocheon Three Divine Guards that His Majesty has allowed.”

Soha shrugged and said.

“In this situation, how can we possibly fail?”

“Yes.”

Despite Soha’s flamboyant words, Gyeonghui’s voice was only quiet.

“It better be. For your sake too, Soha.”

Soha bowed his head as if it were natural. But Gyeonghui’s gaze was not on him.

“Start the Heaven Shifting Scheme.”

Gyeonghui said quietly, as if to herself. Soha put his hands together and knelt down.

“I obey your command.”

But Gyeonghui did not answer. Only the sea of clouds that had swallowed the whole world and the islands of the sky that could never be reached were endlessly 펼쳐져 [Korean word for ‘unfolding’] before Gyeonghui’s eyes.

*

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*

The weather in Huangshan, which had been gloomy since the night before, was heavily overcast from the morning. The sea of clouds, a specialty of Huangshan, was just dense fog and clouds in the lowlands, so people who woke up had to shrug their shoulders in the cold.

The sea of clouds did not recede even at midday. The world was clearly bright, but it was strange that things could not be seen properly even if they were a little far away. It was as if the surroundings were covered with a white curtain.

In this kind of weather, even martial artists want to be lazy. In fact, entering Huangshan in this climate was like committing suicide.

“Wahahaha.”

“Hey! Bring me more wine here!”

In this kind of weather, it’s best to stay put. Martial artists, as well as merchants and pleasure-seekers, gathered in the inns in search of warm food and drink.

The topics were plentiful. There were rumors about beautiful women like the Huangshan Five Flowers, and about the famous masters who had appeared or not appeared here.

Among them, the hottest topic was the news that the meeting between the Four Great Righteous Sects and the Five Great Clans last night had ended without any particular conclusion.

“Then what happens?”

“Are the Four Great Righteous Sects and the Five Great Clans entering into unlimited competition?”

That’s when people were chatting here and there.

Swish.

The inn’s curtain fluttered and someone entered. Some people in the inn habitually looked at the entrance. Those gazes, which would have passed by unnoticed in normal times, stopped as if frozen the moment they identified the person who entered the inn.

“It’s Geomhwa [Sword Flower]!”

With someone’s voice, the inn became quiet all at once.

Step, step.

Gangho’s [another term for the martial world] First Geomhwa, Sa Su-yeon, walked confidently to an empty seat, regardless of people’s gazes. People couldn’t take their eyes off her.

“Hooa…”

A sigh leaked out from somewhere. Even that reaction was no longer surprising.

“What are you looking at?”

No-gun, who entered behind Sa Su-yeon, glared and said. The people who were staring at Sa Su-yeon as if possessed flinched and turned their heads.

No-gun, frowning and glaring at the people, said to Son Bin, who was following beside him.

“See, I told you we should put a veil on her too, right?”

Son Bin replied with an awkward smile. Being beautiful is not a reason to hide. If Sa Su-yeon doesn’t want it, he has no intention of forcing it.

“But why does Wol-ah make the kids practice in the morning? She could just do it with us at night.”

No-gun grumbled. But it was Son Bin who was unusual for practicing at night.

Clatter.

The curtain fluttered slightly and Dang Wol-ah, wearing a veil, entered the inn. The five children followed behind her, but people’s eyes were on Dang Wol-ah rather than the children.

“Ooh.”

A low exclamation flowed out from somewhere. Dang Wol-ah was gaining more popularity than Geomhwa Sa Su-yeon or the Huangshan Five Flowers for some people.

Looking at her small and slender figure, which covered her face with a veil, a sense of unknown mystery and a feeling of regret that she would disappear at any moment welled up.

What was the story of her hiding herself from the world at such a young age, and what kind of face was hidden under her veil was a matter of great interest to some people.

The fact that she was the younger sister of Dang Hwa-ryeon, the chief strategist of the Dang Clan, who was counted as one of the Huangshan Five Flowers, would have contributed to the sense of mystery.

“Wow, it smells delicious.”

Seo-rin, who was hungry, entered with a bright smile, and some women’s cheeks turned red. But most of the men clicked their tongues and turned their heads.

Eo-ong and Shin-ui also followed, but unfortunately, people were less interested in them than in Seo-rin. But the two of them didn’t care about that at all.

“Hmm, what should we eat?”

It was when No-gun was 고민하고 [Korean word for ‘worrying’] about choosing a dish, which some say is the most difficult problem in the world.

Thump.

A loud noise from the entrance of the inn attracted people’s attention.

“Gasp!”

At the same time, the people sitting at the table near the entrance were startled and stood up.

A martial artist covered in blood collapsed and crashed into their table. The loud noise was due to that.

The appearance of the man covered in blood quickly put the entire inn in tension. But Shin-ui was already standing up the moment he saw him for the first time.

Step, step.

Shin-ui approached him without hesitation and examined the details. Son Bin also got up from his seat and approached Shin-ui. He wondered if there was anything he could do to help.

Sa Su-yeon also followed Son Bin. The other members of the group were still sitting at the table, but their eyes were on Son Bin and Shin-ui.

“How is he?”

Son Bin asked Shin-ui. The man had already lost consciousness. Instead of answering, Shin-ui took out a clean cloth from his pocket, stopped the bleeding, and took out a needle.

“Ugh.”

The man quickly regained consciousness with Shin-ui’s treatment. Shin-ui was checking his pulse when the man, who had regained consciousness, raised his hand and muttered.

“Bak, Bak Do-mun… Bak Do-mun.”

“If you don’t want to die, be quiet…”

It was the moment when Shin-ui frowned and said a word. The man said as if squeezing all his strength.

“Bak Do-mun… found the treasure.”

That voice was clearly heard throughout the entire inn, which was wrapped in tension. A heavy silence fell in an instant.

Thud.

“What?”

“Where is it?”

People flocked to the man all at once. Food was spilled and tables were overturned, but people didn’t care. The fact that the man was in critical condition was not in their minds.

“Tell me quickly!”

Someone shouted like a scream. Greed began to cover the entire inn like an epidemic.