A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 331

331. Guests of the Seowon

The children, who thrived on activity, genuinely enjoyed the sudden influx of guests. Hyeolbong Geum Saryeon, with her delicate beauty, was especially popular among the girls.

“Oh, is this your first time visiting?” Son Bin asked.

Geum Saryeon smiled and nodded gently. “Yes. I’ve wanted to come sooner, but I simply couldn’t find the time. It’s a lovely place.”

Due to her fragile health, she had been largely confined and alone since childhood. Watching the children’s enthusiastic welcome and bright, happy faces brought a genuine smile to her own.

“If I had more time, I’d love to stay longer, but…” Hyeolbong Geum Saryeon’s voice trailed off.

Although the children’s company brought her joy, she couldn’t fully relax. She still needed to manage the Hyeolbong Association’s affairs and delegate responsibilities in preparation for her three-day absence.

“I apologize for suddenly involving you in this…”

“No, it’s not your fault, Young Master Son. Perhaps this is…” Hyeolbong Geum Saryeon paused, watching the children for a moment, then continued, “…it feels like fate.”

Hyeolbong Geum Saryeon’s word ‘fate’ carried a certain weight, as if the events to come would be far from simple.

“Wahahaha.”

“Kyahahaha.”

Son Bin watched the laughing, chattering children. It was just their laughter, but he understood how precious and valuable it truly was.

“If it’s fate,” Son Bin said to Hyeolbong Geum Saryeon with a gentle expression, “I suppose we can’t avoid it.”

Geum Saryeon fully understood the determination hidden beneath his words. She nodded, allowing herself a moment of peace, watching the children laugh and play in the Seowon’s yard.

That night, after dinner, Son Bin and Saja Hyuk went out to Bukgang again.

They didn’t immediately unleash the Pawareol Ilshik [a powerful sword technique] as they had on the first day. Instead, Son Bin demonstrated his sword techniques, and Saja Hyuk asked questions.

Saja Hyuk showed great interest in Son Bin’s swordsmanship, which, while based on the same Hyeoncheon Sword Art [a fundamental sword style], possessed a distinctly different character.

The sight of them together resembled that of old friends, or sometimes a grown son and his father, so much so that Sasu-yeon, who was observing them, sighed and remarked, “They look good together.”

“Yeah, they seem to be having a good time,” No-gun chuckled, nodding. Seeing Son Bin with a smile on his face all day, it was clear he was genuinely happy.

“Father—no, Father is amazing, too. When I created my sword technique, he didn’t even glance at it, but anyone would think he’s a very affectionate person,” Sasu-yeon said, a hint of jealousy in her voice. The relationship between the two seemed remarkably close.

Of course, Saja Hyuk remained as taciturn as ever. However, seeing him answer Son Bin’s questions and sometimes directly guide him with sword techniques, he truly embodied the image of a ‘taciturn but affectionate’ father.

“I wish I were a man instead…”

“Stop it. Bin would seriously try to stop you if he heard that,” No-gun said.

Sasu-yeon’s cheeks flushed slightly at No-gun’s words. But No-gun ignored her and turned his head to glance at Jeondae Okryong.

Jeondae Okryong stood a little apart from the group, as he had the previous day, covering his mouth with an jade fan while watching Son Bin and Saja Hyuk. The look in his eyes, visible above the fan, openly revealed his discomfort.

“It’s unsettling,” No-gun muttered, holding a teacup.

He hadn’t realized Jeondae Okryong was so patient. In the past, the slightest hint of displeasure on his face would have meant death for the offender. He was displaying an astonishing level of self-control now, which only made those who knew him well anxious about when he would finally explode.

“He’s planning something,” Dang Wora said quietly beside him. No-gun looked at Son Bin and Saja Hyuk.

Swish.

The large black greatsword, Pawareol, traced a path through the air.

Son Bin, watching intently, tilted his head and wielded the Seon Sword Baekro [a type of sword], drawing a similar but distinctly different sword path.

“He’s trying to show it directly rather than just talking about it,” No-gun nodded. When discussing swordsmanship, it’s inevitable to demonstrate or occasionally exchange a few moves.

As he spoke, Saja Hyuk and Son Bin each held the Seon Sword Baekro and the black greatsword Pawareol, and lightly exchanged a few moves.

Whoong, Hwaaaak.

The beautiful figure of Baekro drew a trajectory in the night sky, while the powerful momentum of Pawareol rushed to crush it mercilessly. Then Baekro, as if anticipating it, deflected Pawareol’s momentum with graceful movements.

No-gun, Sasu-yeon, Dang Wora, and the others were mesmerized by the beautiful exchange.

But after a while, No-gun noticed something strange.

“Hey, this…”

Hooo wooo wook.

Before they knew it, Pawareol was emitting an even more powerful force. The energy surrounding Baekro’s beautiful blade was also extraordinary.

Lost in the beautiful exchange of sword and blade, they hadn’t noticed that the two men’s sparring was gradually becoming more intense.

Shwiik. Kwaang.

“Ugh!”

A storm-like wind rose with Pawareol’s strike, and the earth vibrated faintly.

No-gun quickly regained his balance, which was about to fail. The others, who had been watching mindlessly, seemed to realize the seriousness of the situation, and their faces hardened.

Even Talhondo, never one to be outdone in terms of violence, showed a clear sign of tension. He wanted to say it was typical of Saja Hyuk, but he was annoyed at being caught off guard.

“Hey, you… Can’t you take it easy!” No-gun shouted. The small wine cup he was holding had long since been filled with dirt and dust.

The next day, the number of guests at the Seowon increased.

That’s because Hyeonryeon Wi, the former Paegeom [a title signifying mastery of the sword] of the Hyeonryeon family, arrived early in the morning after hearing the news.

No-gun grumbled, ‘It’s already crowded, why is this big guy coming? It’s a nuisance!’ but Hyeonryeon Wi didn’t even pretend to hear him. He didn’t even show surprise when he saw Saja Hyuk and Jeondae Okryong.

However, he never left the Seowon, or rather, Saja Hyuk and Son Bin’s side, for a moment. The only exception was the dinner he had promised with his wife.

And, as if on cue, Namgung Cheon, the former Noegeom [another title signifying mastery, possibly of a different style] of the Namgung family, also came to the Seowon.

He arrived alone from the distant Namgung family without any attendants, and the moment he saw Saja Hyuk and Jeondae Okryong, his sly smile vanished instantly.

“How did you know to come?” No-gun asked with a look of resignation.

Namgung Cheon couldn’t take his eyes off Saja Hyuk, as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing, and muttered in reply, “Well, I had a vague feeling that if I didn’t come now, I would be very upset, so I came…”

In fact, he had planned to come leisurely with his granddaughter, Namgung Hyang. Enjoying himself while others worked was one of Namgung Cheon’s greatest pleasures.

However, the animalistic instinct that had protected him throughout his life compelled him to hurry. And the result was even greater than he had anticipated.

“This is… amazing, isn’t it?” His face was already flushed with excitement as he spoke.

Even after hearing about ‘Cheonma’ [likely a demonic figure or force] or ‘Narak’ [likely a hellish realm], he remained unconcerned. Instead, he was filled with excitement at the prospect of witnessing the sparring between Muje Saja Hyuk and Son Bin.

“Tsk. You’re not a proper human either,” No-gun clicked his tongue. As a master of Outer Affairs [likely a political or administrative role], it’s natural to be interested in martial arts, but not caring about the world’s crisis is definitely not normal.

“Well, there’s no way there would be a proper human among the Outer Affairs…” No-gun grumbled with a self-deprecating murmur.

“At this rate, the children’s Seowon will become an adult’s Seowon.”

But No-gun didn’t realize that the Seowon had long been filled with more adults than cute children.

* * *

Three days later, the people who would participate in this unexpected journey were decided.

“Okay, so me and Bin, and then Yeon-a, Wora, and Seorin are going…” No-gun looked around as if confirming each person.

“I, I really want to go too…” Hwasa, with a gloomy expression, grabbed Talhondo’s arm and muttered. Hwasa desperately wanted to go with them.

But the problem was that she would have to travel with Jeondae Okryong.

The reason Hwasa had lost her mind and suffered the cursed fate of going berserk was due to Jeondae Okryong’s experiment, which was little more than a game. She could never accept traveling with Jeondae Okryong.

Talhondo patted Hwasa’s shoulder. But Hwasa’s protruding lips didn’t seem inclined to return to their normal position.

“Have a safe trip!” The children raised their voices as if singing in unison. Even though they were saying goodbye, the children didn’t seem disappointed at all. Rather, Son Bin, who was leaving, had a more complicated expression.

“Have a safe trip.” On the other hand, Dang Wora’s five children were quite sullen. They had naturally assumed they would be going with ‘Mommy Teacher,’ but Dang Wora had forbidden it.

Sarak.

Dang Wora knelt down and hugged each of the children tightly.

“Take care of the Seowon. And don’t get sick. Okay?”

They were children who couldn’t get sick even if they wanted to, but her small and delicate voice conveyed genuine sincerity towards them.

Hong-a nodded bravely, and Cheong-a, who was more sensitive, already had tears welling up in her eyes.

“Hug me too.”

“Me too, me too!”

The children gathered around Dang Wora, and No-gun, whose eyes were getting misty at the sight of Cheong-a’s sobbing, quickly turned his head and changed the subject.

“Are you really okay with going together?” At No-gun’s words, Hyeolbong Geum Saryeon smiled bitterly and nodded. She and Gwigeonsura, who had been designated by Jeondae Okryong, would also be accompanying them.

“I think it’ll be alright. It’s not that I’m not worried, but…” Geum Saryeon turned to look at Gwigeonsura. Gwigeonsura was holding the wheeled chair she used. It had been hastily made by the Hyeonryeon family, and although it wasn’t as good as the previous one, it was still quite usable.

“But there’s nothing we can do. We can only hope that the other members of the Hyeolbong Association will manage well.”

“Well, judging from the situation in Gangnam Murim [a region known for martial arts activity], there won’t be any major incidents for the time being, but…” No-gun couldn’t finish his sentence.

In fact, there were no direct enemies currently threatening the Hyeolbong Association. The Namgung family, which could be considered their arch-rival, the Tang family of Sichuan, a potential threat, and even the Hyeonryeon family all had ties to Son Bin.

The problem lay within the Hyeolbong Association itself. Because the organization was still in its early stages, no one could predict what might happen in the absence of Hyeolbong Geum Saryeon and Gwigeonsura.

No-gun suddenly raised his head and looked at the Bukhae Sibibi [likely a group of individuals from Bukhae].

“When are you guys going back to Bukhae?”

Despite No-gun’s blunt question, the Bukhae Sibibi smiled and answered, “We’re going to stay a few more days.”

“Haven’t you had enough fun yet?” No-gun frowned and said. But the Bukhae Sibibi answered unexpectedly calmly, “What’s wrong with staying a little longer since we’ve come all this way? And we haven’t even been to Gwangju a few times because we’ve been studying at the Seowon all this time.”

The Bukhae Sibibi were taking classes with the children at the Seowon.

Orhan had issued a strict order that they had to learn the language and customs of the South. Thanks to that, they were able to answer in such clear Southern language.

They were to return to Bukhae with Orhan, report the progress of their work to Bingje, and prepare for any eventuality. But there was no immediate rush, so they were showing such composure.

“Come to think of it, where did that guy who’s the Moonju [a leadership title] of the Hyeollyong Gate go?” No-gun looked around. But the figure of the young Okryong, the Moonju of the Hyeollyong Gate, was nowhere to be seen.

“I woke up this morning and he was gone. The patient also disappeared with him,” Shin-ui answered calmly. Shin-ui was also staying at the Seowon. He also showed a strong curiosity about the lands of the Jang tribe or Cheonchuk [likely regions or cultures], but he didn’t want to be a burden to others.

No-gun glanced at Jeondae Okryong. But Jeondae Okryong didn’t even show any interest in the missing young Okryong.

No-gun also gave up on further inquiry. The young Okryong was, in fact, showing as much aversion to Jeondae Okryong as Hwasa was.

“Geomhee will follow on her own.”

As always, Geomhee didn’t reveal herself. But on the first day, Geomhee had expressed her intention to go with them through Hyeonryeon Sehwa. It was just a very short sentence, ‘I’m going too.’

Half of the reason Hwasa was so disappointed now was probably because Geomhee was going but she couldn’t.

“You guys are ready too, right?” Kyunghee Gongju’s group and Cheonghye Satae of the Ami Sect were standing where No-gun’s gaze was directed.

“Yes, that’s right,” Wiryeogajin of the Cheongrang Sword politely bowed and answered No-gun. Seeing that, Old Madam Dang Unyeong said, “Don’t worry. Sichuan is a beautiful place, and the Tang family will take good care of you.”

Kyunghee Gongju smiled mockingly at those words. But Dang Unyeong didn’t bother to deny it.

Kyunghee Gongju’s group would not be traveling with Son Bin. But that didn’t mean that Kyunghee Gongju’s group could be kept here at the Seowon.

In the end, Kyunghee Gongju’s group decided to be protected by the Tang family for the time being.

Sichuan, where the Tang family was located, was also a good place to avoid unwanted attention, and the Tang family was perfectly positioned to monitor Kyunghee Gongju. In any case, the group had to pass through Sichuan.

“Then let’s go now. At this rate, the year will be over,” At No-gun’s words, Son Bin, who was hugging the children, also got up from his seat.

“Then, please take care of the Seowon. Miss Sehwa,” Son Bin said to Hyeonryeon Sehwa. The formal teacher of the Seowon was, strictly speaking, Hyeonryeon Sehwa, besides Son Bin.

Hyeonryeon Sehwa smiled and replied, “Yes. Have a safe trip. Oh, this is nice.”

“Yes?” Son Bin asked with a puzzled expression. Hyeonryeon Sehwa had a graceful appearance and a quiet personality like a young lady, but she often said or thought unexpected things.

“The words ‘Have a safe trip.’ It’s a word you can only say because you know you’ll definitely come back. Don’t you think so?”

Son Bin smiled. She was right. This Seowon was the place he would return to.

“Yes, that’s right. Then I’ll be back.”

Hyeonryeon Sehwa smiled brightly. No-gun couldn’t even look at Dang Unyeong properly, as if he felt sorry and embarrassed about something.

“Have a safe trip, Soonrang.”

“I, I’ll be back, Youngmae.”

Janggang Eoeong, oblivious to the warm atmosphere between the two, intervened. “Go quickly. Don’t worry about the Seowon.”

Janggang Eoeong had decided to stay at the Seowon for the time being. Hyeonryeon Wi, the former Paegeom, who was still standing silently, would take care of the Seowon, and Talhondo would be there with Hwasa for the time being, so there was nothing to worry about, as he said.

No-gun glared at Janggang Eoeong once and got into the carriage. No-gun naturally took the reins without anyone telling him to.

“Let’s go. Get in quickly,” At No-gun’s words, Sasu-yeon, Dang Wora, Seorin, and Hyeolbong Geum Saryeon and Gwigeonsura got into the carriage. Kyunghee Gongju’s group and Cheonghye Satae got into another carriage driven by Wiryeogajin of the Cheongrang Sword.

Son Bin got into a separate carriage with Saja Hyuk and Jeondae Okryong. It wasn’t intentional, but it turned out this way because the others avoided Jeondae Okryong.

Son Bin was the only one among the group who wasn’t afraid of Saja Hyuk and Jeondae Okryong. Thanks to that, Son Bin got to hold the reins of that carriage.

Ttagak, ttagak.

As the three carriages moved slowly, the people who remained waved goodbye. The children also gathered together and waved their small hands.

Shin-ui was just watching silently, and Hyeonryeon Wi, the former Paegeom, was also standing silently like a totem pole. Namgung Cheon, the former Noegeom, looked very sorry, but Janggang Eoeong had already packed his fishing rod.

Hyeonryeon Sehwa and Old Madam Dang Unyeong, who were seeing off the group, couldn’t erase the worry and regret from their eyes.

“Come back soon!”

“Definitely!”

The children shouted at the carriage. And Hwasa’s voice echoed among them.

“Be careful on your way back!”

Hwasa waved her hands diligently and shouted as loudly as she could so that they wouldn’t miss it.

“If you see anything delicious, be sure to buy it! Got it! Especially you, Ice Chunk! If you eat it alone, you’re dead!”

Son Bin smiled wryly at Hwasa’s shout towards Geomhee, who couldn’t even be seen. It wasn’t directed at Son Bin, and it wasn’t something to be taken seriously, but he would still have to buy something.

Hoping that there would be something delicious and long-lasting in the western lands he had never been to, Son Bin slowly drove the horse away from the Seowon.

Towards Sichuan, the beginning of the trade route called Chamagodo (茶馬古道) [Tea Horse Road], the old and rough road where tea (茶) and horses (馬) moved, heading towards the western lands of the Jang tribe.

(Author’s words)

You should give them travel expenses if you want them to buy you gifts. In fact, Talhondo gave the travel expenses to No-gun.