A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 118

118. No Edge (Mubong) and White Dew (Baekro) (2)

Click.

Son Bin carefully opened the door and entered. The room was exactly as before, as if time had stopped.

“Are you alright?”

Son Bin asked the blacksmith.

“Hmm.”

The blacksmith made a sound that was hard to tell if it was a response or a groan. His eyes were still fixed on Baekro.

Rustle.

The blacksmith took the paper he had been holding in his mouth. Papers were scattered all over the floor.

“How long has it been?”

The blacksmith asked, looking at Son Bin. Since the window was closed and the lamp was lit, it was natural for him to ask.

“It’s been long since the sun went down.”

Dinner was over, and they had finished their tea. Hyeonryeon-wi left right after the meal, and Jeok Se-hwa and Dang Wol-ah also returned home. They didn’t invite the blacksmith to dinner because they didn’t want to disturb him.

“Is that so?”

The blacksmith said in a faint voice. In just half a day, he seemed quite haggard. The strong middle-aged impression had disappeared, and even his voice had no strength.

“This sword is…….”

His gaze had already returned to Baekro. His large eyes, staring at Baekro, trembled.

“I can’t believe it. I just can’t.”

Baekro is a beautiful sword, enough to captivate even the eyes of someone who has nothing to do with swords. Needless to say for a martial artist.

The charm of Baekro’s blade shakes the soul. How much more so for a blacksmith who makes swords?

He doubted his eyes. He couldn’t believe that such a sword existed in the world. But Baekro clearly exists, proudly showing off its beautiful and mysterious blade.

Rustle.

The blacksmith slowly got up from his seat. His large legs swayed.

“Are you alright?”

Son Bin quickly supported him. The blacksmith’s solid muscles were firm in his arm.

“I have to go.”

The blacksmith changed the subject instead of answering.

“Right now.”

His eyes were blazing. Right now, there was only one thing on his mind: to hammer iron.

Bang.

The blacksmith opened the door and went out. Son Bin, worried, followed him. But the blacksmith was already out the door. There was no greeting or even a thank you.

Son Bin, who followed him out, saw the blacksmith disappearing into the distance. The staggering was only at first, and he quickly disappeared into the darkness.

‘Will he be okay?’

He didn’t seem to need to worry too much. After all, he was several times stronger than Son Bin.

Son Bin returned to the room, finding the blacksmith’s belongings scattered about.

‘I should bring them to him later.’

Son Bin first picked up Baekro, which was on the table.

Buzz.

Baekro hummed subtly, as if complaining. Son Bin smiled wryly.

Swish.

Sheathing Baekro, Son Bin gathered the blacksmith’s belongings.

‘Ah, come to think of it.’

Son Bin was startled. Only then did he realize that he had left the iron sword at the smithy.

*

*

*

Swish.

The leaves rustled in the wind. The moon, high in the night sky, shone quietly, and the night waves of the Bukgang River flowed silently, sparkling.

Step.

No-gun, who was holding a glass, turned his head. A figure with a mountain-like physique appeared, cutting through the darkness.

Step, step.

The person who appeared was the former Sword Master, Hyeonryeon-wi.

“What is it?”

No-gun frowned and asked. Hyeonryeon-wi was wearing clean new martial clothes, unlike during the day.

There were no decorations except for a small, antique hat and a wide blue band tied around his head. It was as if he was performing some kind of ritual.

“Hoo.”

No-gun sighed. He could have teased him for changing his clothes, but No-gun understood Hyeonryeon-wi’s heart better than anyone else right now.

“What’s that?”

No-gun asked. A large sword was visible behind Hyeonryeon-wi’s back. It was a huge, deformed sword that was wide and very long at a glance.

The blade, which didn’t even have a scabbard, showed the appearance of the unsharpened sword as it was. The handle was also large and long to match the length.

“It’s my sword.”

“That’s a ‘sword’?”

No-gun, who had been frowning, said as if he was dumbfounded. He must have been given the Sword Master’s sword, so he must have gotten a new one.

“In the end, you got one that suits your personality. It suits you. It’s just like you.”

A slight strange light flowed through Hyeonryeon-wi’s eyes.

“You like it. Tsk, tsk.”

No-gun clicked his tongue, but Hyeonryeon-wi asked in a heavy voice.

“Where is he?”

“Can’t you see him? He’s waiting.”

No-gun turned his gaze. The former Sword Master, Hyeonryeon-wi, also raised his head.

Under the moonlight, in a quiet empty field, with the night waves of the Bukgang River behind him, a man was standing. Compared to Hyeonryeon-wi, he looked even frail. He was in the familiar form of a scholar.

Hyeonryeon-wi was silent for a moment. Son Bin, standing under the moonlight, looked detached, as if he had stopped while taking a walk. He didn’t look like someone who was about to have a duel with the former Sword Master.

“Why?”

No-gun asked with an indifferent expression.

Step.

Without saying a word, Hyeonryeon-wi slowly walked towards Son Bin. No-gun, who had been expecting some kind of reaction, looked disappointed.

Step, step.

The neatly dressed scholar youth turned his head. He smiled quietly when he found Hyeonryeon-wi. The moment he saw that smile, Hyeonryeon-wi realized that he was facing his promised opponent.

“You are…….”

Hyeonryeon-wi said in a low voice.

“Who are you?”

He asked, but Hyeonryeon-wi himself already knew the answer. The expectation and excitement that he had forgotten for a long time, and that he had longed for for a long time, began to run through Hyeonryeon-wi’s whole body.

At the same time, a tremendous force swirled around him.

Whoo-oong.

“My name is Son Bin. I am a teacher at a small Seowon [private Confucian academy], and…….”

Son Bin answered in the midst of the storm-like force.

“I am one who dares to walk the path of the Martial Emperor.”

Flap.

Hyeonryeon-wi’s force scattered Son Bin’s hair. But Son Bin’s eyes were calm. The sight of the two people’s gazes colliding in mid-air was clearly visible to No-gun and Shin-ui, who were sitting far away.

“Tsk, boring guy.”

No-gun, who was watching the two, frowned.

“If it were Lightning Sword, there would be some fun in teasing him, but he’s so blunt that I’m not interested.”

“He’s very different from the former Lightning Sword.”

Shin-ui said, watching. No-gun chuckled.

“If Lightning Sword is a quick sword, that guy is a heavy sword. A brutally heavy sword at that. Once you take a hit, your bones will ache so much.”

No-gun said.

“He said that he still aches from taking that guy’s sword back then. Well, they’re both crazy about martial arts anyway.”

No-gun said as if he was talking about someone else. Shin-ui asked.

“Will Bin be okay?”

“I don’t think he’ll be okay?”

Shin-ui frowned and looked back at No-gun’s answer. But there was no smile on No-gun’s face.

“If he treats him like Lightning Sword, he’ll probably be crushed.”

His gaze was fixed on Son Bin as he spoke.

Shin-ui sighed. In his opinion, martial artists were all crazy. Not to mention those who belonged to the Outer Palace. Not only No-gun, but also Hyeonryeon-wi standing there. It was impossible to understand.

Shin-ui shook his head as if he couldn’t understand at all. But his gaze, like No-gun’s, was fixed on Son Bin and Hyeonryeon-wi.

Hoo-oook.

Hyeonryeon-wi’s force surrounding Son Bin was still strong, as if it would be forever.

“This sword is…….”

Whoo-oong.

Hyeonryeon-wi said. With him, the storm-like force slowly subsided. But Son Bin could feel that the surrounding air was becoming even more tense.

Swish.

The large sword appeared from behind Hyeonryeon-wi’s back. In terms of width, it was enough to cover Son Bin’s face. The fact that the end of the sword was cut off bluntly as if it had been cut off was also unique.

Hook.

The huge sword lightly cut through the air. The former Sword Master, Hyeonryeon-wi, gripped the sword with both hands and took a stance.

“It’s Mubong (No Edge).”

Mubong means that there is no blade. It was a deformed great sword, but Son Bin felt a sense of familiarity from the sword’s appearance. Saja-hyeok’s black great sword, Pa-wol, looked similar to it.

“It’s a good sword.”

A strange light flashed in Hyeonryeon-wi’s eyes.

Swish.

Son Bin slowly drew his sword. Compared to Mubong, the straight blade, which looked even thin, revealed its appearance under the moonlight.

“This sword is Baekro (White Dew).”

Hyeonryeon-wi’s expression didn’t change at all. But Son Bin could notice that his large eyes were trembling slightly.

Woong.

Baekro cried. Son Bin smiled.

“Thank you.”

It was a sudden word, but it was Son Bin’s sincerity.

From Hyeonryeon-wi, who was facing him, he couldn’t feel any sharp emotions. There was no wariness, no suspicion, no ridicule. There was only one thing: the will of a martial artist who was giving his all.

How long had it been since he had faced such a sword? An extremely pure martial artist who he had no choice but to face with sincerity. He was the former Sword Master, Hyeonryeon-wi.

“I should be the one saying that.”

Hyeonryeon-wi said. In that short word, Son Bin felt his sincerity. Now it was his turn to respond to that heart.

Swish.

Son Bin also took a stance. Under the blue moonlight, Baekro shone quietly, like the night waves flowing in the Bukgang River.

Woong.

Hyeonryeon-wi’s great sword, Mubong, cried lowly, and soon a deep blue energy began to form.

He didn’t feel any eerie force or sharp murderous intent, but Son Bin could tell that the energy in Hyeonryeon-wi’s great sword was the result of endlessly sinking into his inner self and reaching the extreme.

Swish.

The wind blew. In the moonlit clearing, only the two people aiming their swords and the low sword cries rang out. The two people were standing there like a painting, as if they would be forever.

But the next moment.

Hook.

Hyeonryeon-wi’s great sword, Mubong, began to draw a large circle. It looked very slow, but the storm-like force that Mubong emitted was by no means ordinary.

If he rashly tried to narrow the distance, he would probably be cut in half in an instant by Mubong.

Woo-oong.

Baekro cried as if grumbling. But Baekro’s blade was already drawing a clean curve towards Mubong. And the moment the two swords met.

Clang!

A sharp, shattering sound erupted. No-gun and Dang Wol-ah, who were watching, flinched. Shin-ui covered his ears with his hands, and Seo-rin immediately lowered his body and revealed clear hostility in his eyes.

“Krrr…….”

“Wait.”

Dang Wol-ah said quietly.

“If you don’t want to be scolded by Young Master Son later, you better listen to me.”

Seo-rin gritted his teeth, his fingers twitching as if he was holding back the urge to jump out immediately.

“B, but…….”

Seo-rin protested in an awkward voice and looked up at Dang Wol-ah, seeing her biting her lip. Her blue lips looked like they were about to burst with blood.

Hook.

Mubong rushed towards Son Bin, cutting through the wind. Like a lion that failed to grab its prey on the first strike, the great sword raged and tore through the air.

Clang!

As if mocking that force, Son Bin’s Baekro drew a soft curve. And once again, the huge blade and the beautiful blade met in mid-air.

Clang!

A cracking sound that seemed to tear the space itself erupted, and the two swords failed to come to a conclusion again and fell away.

Thump, thump.

Two steps, the feet of the former Sword Master, Hyeonryeon-wi, retreated. The grass and dust caught in the force finally rose violently as if surprised.

Flap.

“Hmm.”

Hyeonryeon-wi let out a low groan and said, “Amazing.”

Step.

One step, Son Bin, who had stepped back, smiled wryly.

Flap.

His collar and hair fluttered in the force that swept around him.

“But it’s not enough.”

Thump!

Hyeonryeon-wi, who was holding the great sword, took a step forward. Even though it was just that, a tremendous force pressed down on Son Bin.

“Show it. Or you’ll die.”

A complete murderous intent began to flow out. Son Bin knew that his words that he would die were absolutely not a lie and that this was the opportunity he was giving Son Bin.

“Hoo-oo.”

Son Bin slowly calmed his breathing and quietly lifted Baekro.

Rustle.

“I understand.”

Hyeonryeon-wi’s eyes changed as he faced Son Bin. At the same time that a strange light appeared in his eyes, a faint smile appeared on his lips.

Swish.

The great sword Mubong turned towards Son Bin again. The sticky murderous intent disappeared as if it had never been there. Instead, an unknown joy overflowed in Hyeonryeon-wi’s eyes.

“I’m going.”

Hyeonryeon-wi said, his voice trembling.

Coo-oong.

As he kicked his feet, the earth vibrated, and that huge body became one with the great sword Mubong and fell on Son Bin.

Clang!

It was a terrifying force that seemed to crush anything that stood in its way, so much so that No-gun, who was watching, swallowed his saliva.

But the storm-like force of the great sword Mubong was not visible at all to Son Bin, who was standing in front of it. All that was in front of him was a single, fragile stream.

Rustle.

The sword and the stream became one, and Hyeonryeon-wi was able to see exactly what he had been hoping for: the sight of a single sword dividing the heavens and the earth in two.

*

*

*

“Hoo.”

No-gun took a deep breath after a long time. He was just watching, but the cramps in his hands still hadn’t stopped.

“I feel it every time I see it, but that guy is really…… really merciless.”

Shin-ui chuckled.

“Even though he saved a dying life?”

Shin-ui’s words were accurate. If Son Bin hadn’t stopped his sword, Hyeonryeon-wi’s chest would have been pierced.

“What’s the point of saving his life? That’s…….”

No-gun shook his head again. You can never know unless you experience it yourself. What should I call the sight of the world being divided in two?

“Anyway, the problem of the former Sword Master is over now.”

“Yes.”

No-gun replied in a perfunctory voice to Shin-ui’s words. He could see Hyeonryeon-wi leaning against the great sword Mubong and barely standing in front of him.

“Tsk.”

No-gun clicked his tongue. His own hand holding the glass was still trembling slightly.

He wanted to tease the former Sword Master even with telepathy, but he didn’t feel like it today. If he wanted to be able to get up from his seat, he would have to wait a little longer, as always.

Thump.

Seo-rin collapsed. Dang Wol-ah glanced down. Seo-rin’s wide eyes and blank expression clearly showed his feelings.

“How is it? I told you to wait, right?”

Seo-rin’s blank eyes turned to Dang Wol-ah. Dang Wol-ah tried to smile, but the muscles around her mouth, which were still cramping, made her smile awkward.

Dang Wol-ah raised her head and looked at Son Bin and Hyeonryeon-wi standing under the moonlight. It was as if time had stopped. Only the occasional fluttering of their clothes told her that it wasn’t an illusion.

Swish.

Hyeonryeon-wi slowly lifted his great sword, Mubong, which was stuck in the ground. His large body staggered for a moment, but Hyeonryeon-wi didn’t stop.

When the large handle of Mubong, with the sword pointing downwards, reached eye level, he gripped the sword with both hands and quietly bowed his head towards Son Bin.

Swish.

The wind brushed past. Hyeonryeon-wi didn’t say anything, but Son Bin could tell that this was the greatest respect he could give.

Swish.

Son Bin also pointed Baekro’s blade downwards and gripped it with both hands, bowing his head towards the former Sword Master, Hyeonryeon-wi. It was the respect that a martial artist deserved.

Swish.

The night wind of the Bukgang River gently wrapped around and flowed past the two people who were holding their swords and paying respect to each other.

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