A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 418

418. Farewell Leaves Longing

Okryong’s mockery, or perhaps warning, about the Central Plains martial world weighed heavily on Son Bin’s heart. He was well aware of the greed of those in power, and that even good people sometimes made cruel choices to survive.

“Come to think of it, returning home isn’t always welcomed. Like Emperor Mu.”

Son Bin thought it wasn’t the person who fought Emperor Mu to the death who should be saying that, but Okryong fluttered his jade fan and spoke as if he was quite amused.

“When you return, there might be quite an interesting situation unfolding. Don’t you think so, Son Bin?”

Son Bin’s expression darkened. Just then, No-gun’s voice came from behind.

“So what?”

No-gun frowned as he spoke.

“Even if you leave it alone, a room is bound to get messy. Even if you don’t sow seeds, weeds always grow. But so what?”

No-gun glared at the former Okryong, his eyes shining.

“We can just clean it up. It might be a bit of a hassle, but it’s not like it’s impossible. Don’t you think?”

The former Okryong smiled faintly at No-gun’s words.

“Really? But coming from someone who couldn’t even sort out a childish infatuation and holed himself up in Namak, it’s not very convincing, is it?”

No-gun shrugged as if it was nothing.

“Well, it’s better than someone who tries to burn the world just because they don’t like something. At least I’m not harming others.”

No-gun’s retort was unexpected for the former Okryong. The former Okryong glared fiercely at No-gun. However, No-gun raised his chin and met Okryong’s gaze.

“Why? What?”

It was at that moment, when Okryong’s fan trembled slightly at No-gun’s provocation.

Woo Woong.

An unsettling sound echoed through the Great Hollow. At the sound, everyone looked up at the Gate of Nadir.

Woong, Woo Woong.

The Gate of Nadir was fluctuating even more violently than before. Its unstable appearance foreshadowed that the end was near.

“It’s time to go.”

Saja-hyuk said quietly. At those words, Sa Su-yeon bit her lip and looked back at her father, Saja-hyuk. However, Sa Su-yeon couldn’t bring herself to speak.

After losing his lifelong partner, Sa Su-yeon’s mother, Gara, all that remained for Saja-hyuk was the path of martial arts.

Or perhaps it had been that way even before. He was the Martial Emperor of Hyeoncheon, the one who ascended to the heavens above the heavens with the black greatsword, Pa-wol.

So now, nothing could hold him in this world. No one could stop him. Not even his own daughter. Sa Su-yeon knew that.

But because understanding with the head and the emotions felt in the heart were completely different, Sa Su-yeon’s eyes couldn’t help but be filled with tears.

“…Dad.”

Looking at Sa Su-yeon, Saja-hyuk said,

“You were the greatest gift she gave me. So I was always sorry.”

Sa Su-yeon couldn’t bring herself to answer. She felt like she would burst into tears before she could even speak.

“So you, please be happy.”

At the clumsy paternal affection contained in those rough words, Sa Su-yeon’s tears, which she had been holding back, finally streamed down. After watching her for a moment, Saja-hyuk turned his head and said to the former Okryong.

“Let’s go now.”

Clack.

The former Okryong, who had been frowning, folded his jade fan as if he had been waiting. And without a word, he lightly kicked off the ground.

Whoong.

The two men’s bodies floated into the air. As if walking on the sky, the two men flew smoothly towards the Gate of Nadir.

Pajik, Pajijijik.

The Gate of Nadir began to react violently. But as soon as Son Bin reached out his hand, the fierce resistance subsided as if it were a lie.

“Dad!”

Saja-hyuk, who was just entering the Gate of Nadir, looked back at Sa Su-yeon and Son Bin. And he wore a gentle smile.

“Take care of my precious daughter.”

Looking at Son Bin, Saja-hyuk said,

“My friend.”

It was such a touching thing to say that it felt like tears would come out. As Son Bin couldn’t bring himself to answer, the former Okryong looked at Geom-hui and smirked.

“How amusing. In the end, the person who sees my end is you, Geom-hui.”

Speaking to the expressionless Geom-hui, the former Okryong said,

“Well, it doesn’t matter. If that guy tries to follow us, you can come along too. It’ll be quite fun.”

No-gun, who was listening, frowned, but Geom-hui quietly nodded. And at that very moment, No-gun noticed the former Okryong moving his lips towards Geom-hui. He had sent some kind of telepathic message.

‘What is it?’

But there was no chance to confirm it.

Swish.

Before No-gun could do anything, the former Okryong and Saja-hyuk turned their bodies as they were. And without hesitation, they threw themselves into the other side of the Gate of Nadir.

Sreuk.

The figures of Saja-hyuk and the former Okryong disappeared as if it were a lie. And at the same time, the Gate of Nadir began to shake violently.

Hoo Woook.

“Bin!”

No-gun shouted urgently. Son Bin strongly gripped the hand he had extended towards the Gate of Nadir without delay.

Hook.

The Gate of Nadir shrank in an instant. And after trembling for a moment, it disappeared as it was. At the same time, a heavy impact sound burst out in all directions.

Koo Woong.

“Ugh.”

Hwang Bang-ju screamed, startled by the sudden impact. No-gun frowned, and the others also shook from the shock.

Kureureu.

The shock spread throughout the Great Hollow and then subsided. When the group looked up, there was no trace of the Gate of Nadir. All that remained was the figure of a huge pillar extending from the distant ceiling. Everyone silently stared at the spot where the large pillar had been torn off, or rather, where the Gate of Nadir had been. Not only Son Bin and Sa Su-yeon, but also No-gun and Seo-rin, Dang Wol-ah, Hwang Bang-ju, Hyeol-bong and Gwi Gyeon-su-ra, and even Geom-hui.

“…They really left.”

Hwang Bang-ju, who was staring blankly, said as if to himself.

Son Bin couldn’t say anything. The image of Saja-hyuk smiling was still vivid in his mind, but now he was no longer here. He had disappeared into another world through the Gate of Nadir.

No-gun, with a somewhat complicated expression, also frowned and stared silently at the empty space where the Gate of Nadir had been.

“You told me to name it well, didn’t you?”

Son Bin said in a slightly trembling voice. No-gun turned his head and looked back at Son Bin. Son Bin was still looking up at where the Gate of Nadir had been.

“I have decided on the name for the White Dew Three Resolutions. There is nothing now, and in fact, even the White Dew Two Resolutions is not yet complete, but….”

“What is it?”

No-gun asked in a low voice.

“Yeon-yeon (戀戀).”

Son Bin replied. His gaze was fixed on the empty space. The image of him smiling at himself a moment ago was still vivid in his eyes.

“…Longing, longing [戀戀].”

No-gun said nothing.

Kureung.

“Huh?”

No-gun frowned at the unsettling rumble. It sounded like an echo of the impact sound from earlier, but there was no reason for it to be heard again now.

“…Bin. What’s that sound?”

No-gun asked. But Son Bin didn’t know either.

“W, well? I don’t really….”

Even at that moment, the low rumble was getting louder and louder.

“If you don’t know, how am I supposed to know? You took all of the Heavenly Demon’s power and memories, didn’t you!”

No-gun frowned at the flustered Son Bin. But Son Bin was wronged. The former Okryong had said that, but in fact, Son Bin himself didn’t know much. Even the Heavenly Demon’s memories were only a small part, so he didn’t know everything like the former Okryong said.

Kureureureu.

The rumble grew stronger and stronger. Now, not only the sound but also an ominous tremor was being felt underfoot. No, judging by the fact that even the huge pillar was vibrating slightly, it seemed that the entire Great Hollow was shaking.

“Hey, this is probably….”

It was when No-gun was saying that with twitching eyebrows.

“Ah!”

Then suddenly, Son Bin realized. It was as if an old memory had surfaced.

“This place is about to close!”

“Close? You don’t mean it’s collapsing or anything, do you?”

When No-gun asked back, Son Bin said with an urgent expression.

“It’s not collapsing. But if we don’t get out quickly, we won’t be able to get out at all….”

“Damn it….”

Before Son Bin could finish speaking, No-gun’s expression twisted.

“You should have said that sooner!”

Thwack. No-gun immediately grabbed Son Bin, threw himself forward, and shouted.

“Everyone, get out of here!”

As No-gun’s urgent cry rang out, Seo-rin was already running out with Hwang Bang-ju in her arms, and Gwi Gyeon-su-ra was running with Hyeol-bong in his arms. Sa Su-yeon bit her lip as she looked at where the Gate of Nadir had been, but soon turned her body and kicked off the floor.

Thwack thwack.

The group dashed towards the door they had entered like the wind. In fact, they couldn’t see a door, but they accurately grasped the direction they had come from through the shape of the throne and the torn pillar. Swish swish. Even as he was being carried away by Seo-rin, Hwang Bang-ju noticed that the surrounding scenery was changing strangely. Snow fell on the desolate ruins, and maple leaves bloomed on the bare branches. Then, in an instant, a lush summer came, and soon a spring full of flowers bloomed everywhere.

Kureureureureu.

But the unsettling tremor that echoed through the Great Hollow was making even all that scenery meaningless.

“Where’s the door?”

“It’s over there!”

Son Bin, who was in No-gun’s arms, pointed to the smooth wall with his hand. No-gun lightly landed in front of the wall.

Tak.

The moment Son Bin’s hand touched it, the wall rose up and the door opened. Beyond it, the dark corridor that the group had passed through was visible.

“Can’t it just open on its own at times like this?”

No-gun grumbled and landed in front of the huge door. As if waiting, Son Bin reached out and placed his hand on the door, and the large door opened with a sound.

Kureureureung.

The three magical beasts waiting outside the door had already risen to their feet and were shining their eyes towards Son Bin’s group. Gwi Gyeon-su-ra, who was holding Hyeol-bong, flinched, but No-gun threw himself onto the black magical beast without hesitation.

“Let’s go!”

The other members of the group also climbed onto the backs of the magical beasts without hesitation, and Gwi Gyeon-su-ra, who was holding Hyeol-bong, also took a seat behind No-gun.

—Keureung.

After letting out a cry, the three magical beasts began to sprint towards the valley entrance at a rapid pace.

Koong, Koo Koong.

Rocks and soil fell from high places, and piles of stones and the remains of large stairs on the ground collapsed. The ominous tremor was shaking the narrow valley all over. The three flexible magical beasts nimbly avoided the obstacles and ran like the wind. But the problem wasn’t just them.

Pajik, Pajijik.

Black lightning-like things crackled and flickered everywhere. No-gun couldn’t understand what those things were, but he knew that it wasn’t a good feeling at all. This entire valley, or perhaps this entire space, was about to close as Son Bin had said.

“Faster!”

The entrance to the valley finally appeared before No-gun, who gritted his teeth. The three magical beasts fearlessly escaped the valley. And a thick sandstorm enveloped everyone as if it had been waiting.

Hwaaaak.

‘Ugh!’

No-gun frowned and closed his mouth. The dense sandstorm completely obscured everyone’s vision. Even No-gun couldn’t tell what was ahead. But the next moment, the sandstorm disappeared as if it were a lie, and the group found themselves in a dark wilderness. As if they had been thrown into a completely different place by someone, the surrounding scenery suddenly changed.

Tak.

The magical beasts twisted their bodies and stopped. No-gun frowned and looked around.

“Where is this….”

The red rocky mountain that had been rising until just now, and the deep valley that seemed to have cut off the mountain and the earth, were nowhere to be found. The unsettling rumble that had been ringing in his ears and the black lightning that had been filling the area had also disappeared as if they had been washed away. All that was visible was the Taptan volcano covered in white snow, and the quiet, rough wilderness under the moonlight.

“Did we get out properly?”

No-gun asked, frowning at the pungent smell that stung his nose. Even at night, white smoke was rising from the Taptan volcano. Seo-rin was holding her nose and complaining that it was terrible, and the three magical beasts were also wrinkling their noses, clearly showing that they didn’t like it.

“Yes. I think so.”

At Son Bin’s answer, No-gun once again looked around. And he raised his head and carefully examined the constellations with a serious expression.

“Hmm, I was worried because it suddenly became night, but it doesn’t seem to have changed much.”

“Changed?”

When Son Bin asked, No-gun frowned and replied.

“You know how it is. When you come back after watching the immortals play Go [a strategic board game], the ax handle is all rotten [a metaphor for time passing unnoticed]. How would you know how much time has passed in the meantime?”

“Yes? Could it be….”

No-gun shrugged at the surprised Son Bin.

“Well, I don’t think that’s the case. The constellations haven’t changed, so the season is the same. Even if there is a difference, it would only be a few days.”

“You don’t know that.”

Dang Wol-ah said quietly.

“It’s just the same season, but in fact, many years may have passed.”

No-gun frowned, and Seo-rin muttered from behind.

“Oh, then hundreds of years might have passed? Wow, that’s going to be fun!”

“These guys….”

No-gun, who had been twitching his lips, shouted.

“Who are you trying to make a widower? I’m still newly married!”

Seo-rin laughed, and Hwang Bang-ju also gave a wry smile. The anxiety that he had been feeling seemed to fly away at No-gun’s shout.

“Anyway, I’m glad we got out safely.”

Hwang Bang-ju said with a sigh of relief. No-gun nodded.

“Yeah. Now all that’s left is to go back.”

As No-gun said, the Gate of Nadir was closed, and the danger of the Demonic Cult had disappeared. Now all that was left was to return to the Seowon [a private Confucian academy in Korea].

“…It’s going to take forever to get there, though.”

No-gun said, clicking his tongue. At those words, Son Bin was reminded of how far they had come.

Looking back, it was truly a long journey. They had crossed the snowy mountains of midwinter and the towering mountain ranges, passed through the quiet Seojang and the vast northwestern plains of Cheonchuk, and crossed the wilderness of Pasa here.

The people they had met on the way here were also not few. The Five Great Vidyarajas [wisdom kings in Buddhism] with strange abilities and the owner of the young Bodhicitta [enlightenment mind], Princess Potala who was like a flower petal, and the nameless Living Buddha who predicted the future. And Parsha and Gatra, whom they met in the Cheonchuk’s untouchable village, General Vikram who took care of them, and even Rahman, the imperial guard who had been with them until the wilderness of Pasa. Everyone was unforgettable.

‘And….’

The Six Demon Gods cannot be left out either. The first time they met the Water Demon God and the charming Empress Saraswati, and the Sword Demon God and the Demon Dragon, the Demon Eagle, and the Black Demon God whose name they didn’t even know. When he thought about it, he wondered how they had managed to defeat those enormous beings and reach this place.

“What can we do if it’s far? We have no choice but to go back the way we came.”

Hwang Bang-ju, who was familiar with merchantry, shrugged and said. But No-gun clicked his tongue and grumbled.

“Isn’t there anything that would just take me home even if I just stay still?”

Everyone couldn’t help but feel the same way at those words. But there was no point in looking for something that didn’t exist.

“…Let’s go.”

Hwang Bang-ju said. Since they couldn’t just stay here like this, they had to leave. But the reason why everyone couldn’t move easily was because the aftermath of what they had just experienced was still filling their hearts.

Son Bin raised his head. The moonlit night wilderness was more desolate than serene, but Son Bin couldn’t take his eyes off the desolate scenery. It was probably because of the heart-wrenching longing that remained in that rough scenery.

Swahhhhh.

The wind blew in the empty wilderness. In the silence, only the blue moonlight was gently caressing Son Bin.

(Author’s Note)

It’s not the end. ^^;;; I was a little embarrassed when I received congratulatory comments on the ending in episode 44. For reference, the straight-line distance from Seowon to Taptan Volcano is 5,200km, which is about 13,000 li [a traditional Chinese unit of distance, approximately 500 meters]. That’s why it’s also [Sword Scent Ten Thousand Miles], but anyway, it’s an irrelevant story.