A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 131

131. Martial Arts Competition for a Bride

“So you pretend to be smart, but what are you all doing?”

A sharp voice echoed through the ornate room. The speaker, adorned with glittering jewels, was none other than Bing-hu.

Her complexion was haggard, as if she had aged recently, but her eyes gleamed with a fierce intensity.

“Are you just going to hand over the Northern Sea to that girl?”

The shrill voice grated on the ears of the five concubines in the room.

“Please calm down. It doesn’t look good to the subordinates,” said the Third Consort, holding a teacup. Bing-hu turned and glared at her. The Third Consort, who wouldn’t have dared to meet Bing-hu’s eyes in the past, calmly continued, “And Bing-hu, you should take care of your own tribe. I heard they’re in disarray since Great Elder Tulkher collapsed? Shouldn’t you have been managing them better?”

Tulkher remained unconscious. His collapse had unleashed suppressed dissatisfaction, and his tribe now faced a serious internal division.

“Hmph, you’re good at chattering. Even if you gather your entire tribe, you still couldn’t handle my father’s brothers.”

“What did you say?”

“There are a thousand warriors who would die for my father’s command. Can your tribe match that?”

The Third Consort bit her lip. Despite their internal strife, Bing-hu’s tribe remained the largest force in the Northern Sea. Bing-hu looked down at the Third Consort with arrogant eyes.

“It’s a miscalculation if you think I’m finished. I am still Bing-hu of the Northern Sea.”

A palpable sense of oppression emanated from Bing-hu’s gleaming eyes. The Third Consort flinched.

“But…”

A slender voice came from behind. It was the Seventh Consort, the youngest of the concubines.

“The Third Palace Lord has been deposed, right?”

Bing-hu’s complexion changed drastically. The other concubines looked at the Seventh Consort with surprise. Perhaps due to her youth, the Seventh Consort nonchalantly spoke straightforwardly.

“So Bing-hu needs us too. Without a son or daughter, a Little Palace Lord [a potential heir], you have no claim to the throne of the Northern Sea. Isn’t that right?”

The Seventh Consort smiled brightly, meeting Bing-hu’s resentful gaze head-on. Bing-hu bit her lip.

“Yes.”

Clatter.

Bing-hu put down the teacup and said, “But what about you? Are you just going to watch that girl steal the Northern Sea?”

The concubines’ faces changed. They also felt threatened by Sa Soo-yeon, but felt powerless to act.

“What can we do?”

The Seventh Consort’s clear voice rang out.

“The Seventh Palace Lord defeated Nigul and Timur after Tulkher. I heard she even defeated Delbe and Naran in an unofficial martial arts contest? What can we possibly do?”

Nigul and Timur were former masters often mentioned as rivals to Tulkher. After Sa Soo-yeon defeated Tulkher, they tried to prove their superiority by challenging her.

However, they too were defeated by Sa Soo-yeon’s sword. Their only consolation was that they weren’t humiliated like Tulkher.

Adding to the surprise, Delbe and Naran, leading female martial artists of the Northern Sea, requested an unofficial martial arts contest with Sa Soo-yeon, and rumors of their defeat had spread.

Delbe and Naran hadn’t denied the rumors, so they were now widely accepted as fact.

“What if we get on the wrong side of the Seventh Palace Lord and she challenges us to a martial arts contest? It’s not just about embarrassment; which tribe would support a defeated Little Palace Lord? We have no choice but to bow our heads and wait for the storm to pass.”

Her bluntness made the other concubines uncomfortable, but they couldn’t argue with her logic. They could only blush and remain silent.

“Let’s see. So five, six, seven…”

The Seventh Consort counted on her fingers, then said in a light tone, “That’s eight. Isn’t it over now? The Seventh Palace Lord’s martial arts contest, I mean.”

“Th-then are we going back to the South now?”

“No, officially it’s only six times…”

The concubines began to whisper to each other. Bing-hu scoffed, as if dumbfounded.

“Do you think she’ll leave?”

Bing-hu’s eyes were cold.

“If you were her, would you leave? With the throne of the Northern Sea right in front of you?”

At first, she had only been bothered by Sa Soo-yeon’s existence, fearing she might gain the Ice Emperor’s favor. Everyone knew the Ice Emperor favored the previous Bing-hu and Seventh Palace Lord.

She had thought she could simply marry her off to a suitable man and push her aside. But she had miscalculated.

No one could defeat her.

Tulkher had fallen, and Nigul, Timur, Delbe, and Naran had also been defeated.

The ignorant bowed to her, seeing Gaya [a legendary warrior queen] in her, and those captivated by her sword vied to pledge their loyalty.

At this rate, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Ice Emperor handed over the throne to her tomorrow.

“The Seventh Palace Lord’s battle is a sea of people, right? With warriors and tribal chiefs trying to pledge their loyalty.”

Bing-hu smiled self-deprecatingly.

“Still, the big tribes aren’t moving,” the Third Consort said, attempting to refute. Most influential tribes supported concubines and Little Palace Lords from their own tribe. So, no matter how many flocked to Sa Soo-yeon, it wouldn’t be a significant advantage.

“Some of our tribe are already in contact with the Seventh Palace Lord.”

The concubines’ faces changed at Bing-hu’s calm statement. If some of Bing-hu’s tribe were considering joining forces with the Seventh Palace Lord, other tribes might follow suit.

In the power struggle, a world of winner-takes-all, aligning with the most likely victor was crucial.

“St-still, the Four Direction Generals are still…”

“Ha!”

Bing-hu laughed coldly.

“Don’t you know that Altan of the North is like the previous Seventh Palace Lord and doesn’t care about anything? The only reason he’s staying still is because it’s not beneficial for the Seventh Palace Lord for him to intervene now.”

Bing-hu, who had tried several times to enlist the Four Direction Generals, knew this.

They weren’t foolish bears. Even Altan, known for his recklessness, possessed an underestimated political acumen.

Careless outreach could result in being devoured.

“It’s only fortunate that the other three generals won’t agree with Altan.”

If the Four Direction Generals united, it would be over. Even the concubines’ tribes might change their minds.

The Four Direction Generals of the Northern Sea were a force so formidable that even the Ice Emperor couldn’t disregard them.

“Th-then…”

The Third Consort said with a haggard expression. If Bing-hu was right, there was no hope.

“There is a way,” Bing-hu said, drawing all eyes to her.

“What…”

The Third Consort asked.

“We have to defeat that girl. That’s the prerequisite.”

The Third Consort’s face contorted. Who didn’t know that? The problem was how.

“Who would do that…”

Gritting.

Bing-hu gritted her teeth. The Third Consort shuddered at her fierce intensity.

“If there isn’t anyone in the Northern Sea, we’ll find someone in the world.”

“Yes?”

“I heard there are many amazing masters in the Murim [martial arts world] of the South. They could defeat that girl. What do they call it, a martial arts competition for a bride?”

A martial arts competition for a bride was a way to find a spouse through martial arts.

It was an extreme method used by powerless women to find someone to resolve their grievances, but also used to attract a strong son-in-law.

“Not only would they win a woman of unparalleled beauty, but they would also become the spouse of the Little Palace Lord of the Northern Sea. It will be a tempting offer for southern merchants wanting to trade with the Northern Sea, drawing them like moths to a flame.”

The beauty of the Seventh Palace Lord Sa Soo-yeon grew more radiant daily. Her cold expression was so captivating it could sway even another woman’s heart.

It was beyond beauty, almost like sorcery, especially for men.

“Hah, but that’s…”

The Third Consort said awkwardly. Were they suddenly going to bring in outsiders?

“‘Anyone’ who defeats me,” Bing-hu said.

“That girl said it herself. There’s nothing wrong with it. And think about it. If an outsider becomes that girl’s spouse, who will pledge their loyalty? That girl will never become the master of the Northern Sea.”

The concubines’ eyes sparkled. Bing-hu’s words offered a solution.

If an outsider defeated the Seventh Palace Lord Sa Soo-yeon and became her spouse, she would lose all Northern support.

“But if we do that, it’ll be like admitting there are no warriors in the Northern Sea…”

One of the concubines said hesitantly. It was a matter of pride, an announcement that no one in the Northern Sea could defeat Sa Soo-yeon.

“Are you going to hand over the Northern Sea to that girl because of pride?”

Bing-hu said coldly. The concubines fell silent.

“Our power is still great. But if we don’t reverse the atmosphere now, we won’t have a chance later.”

The meaning of ‘we’ was significant. The concubines exchanged glances.

Click.

“I’ll pass,” said the Seventh Consort, rising from her seat.

“Why? Are you scared?” Bing-hu mocked.

“Yes.”

The young Seventh Consort smiled brightly.

“I don’t want to be an enemy of someone who makes the Ice Palace tremble just by practicing her sword.”

“Ha! Are you talking about that nonsense?” Bing-hu ridiculed. There had been a time when the Ice Palace trembled in the middle of the night, due to an earthquake.

Such tremors weren’t uncommon in the Northern Sea, but ignorant maids whispered it was caused by the Seventh Palace Lord’s training.

“Let me tell you, there is no such thing as neutrality,” Bing-hu said sharply.

“The day that girl falls, you will also be kicked out of the Ice Palace, along with your daughter.”

“Hopefully,” the Seventh Consort said with a bright smile, bowing her head lightly before leaving the room.

Spat, spat.

Bing-hu, who had been glaring at the Seventh Consort’s back, turned to the remaining concubines.

“Is there anyone else who wants to leave?”

The concubines looked at each other and shook their heads. Bing-hu wore a triumphant smile.

“I’ll talk to the Ice Emperor. All you have to do is nod.”

Bing-hu’s plan was attractive, leaving no room for hesitation.

But could they trust Bing-hu? They were suspicious, as alliances with her had never ended well.

“Um, why is Bing-hu going this far…”

“There are two things I want,” Bing-hu said, noticing their suspicion.

“First, to maintain our tribe’s status. Second, to support my designated successor as tribal chief. If those are promised, I will support your choice for the next Ice Emperor.”

The concubines’ faces brightened. Bing-hu wanted to regain control of her tribe, which was in disarray. It would be a relief for her.

The convinced concubines nodded, weighing their interests. They had already decided to support Bing-hu’s plan.

“G-good.”

“I agree.”

Greed flickered in their eyes. Hope emerged on the path to the Northern Sea’s power, which had been blocked.

Now, the concubines fiercely calculated who to nominate as the next Ice Emperor candidate.

‘Hmph.’

Bing-hu sneered, but not at the concubines.

‘Are you laughing? That I’ve been brought down according to your will.’

Sa Soo-yeon hadn’t brought her down. A different person had created this situation.

The one truly in control, directing everything, always at the forefront but unnoticed.

‘Ice Emperor.’

Was it a coincidence that Sa Soo-yeon returned now? Was it just her idea to start a nonsensical martial arts contest, calling it the law of the Northern Sea? Was the Seventh Palace Lord’s battle allowed only because of the Ice Emperor’s affection for his blood relatives?

Bing-hu didn’t think so. Impossible. He was the Ice Emperor, protecting the throne for so long. He could orchestrate this with his eyes closed.

The one who had lived in political conspiracies and schemes longer than anyone, the most terrifying person in the Northern Sea. That was the Ice Emperor.

‘But your scheme ends here.’

Bing-hu gritted her teeth.

‘I’ll… destroy it.’

The teacup in her hand trembled, unnoticed by the concubines.

∴

Spat, spat.

The Seventh Consort moved lightly. After walking a while, she stopped.

Click.

The maids following behind looked puzzled, but the Seventh Consort just sighed.

“‘There is no such thing as neutrality’…”

The Seventh Consort quietly recalled Bing-hu’s words.

“That’s right. There is no such thing as neutrality. Then, there is only one place for me to go, right?”

She turned her head towards the Seventh Palace Lord’s battle.

“But still, I’m a little lonely alone. Should I ask Lady Yi to go with me?”

Lady Yi had no children, a woman who had stepped down from everything and was quietly growing old in a corner of the Ice Palace. The Seventh Consort nodded, thinking of Lady Yi.

“She’s not interested in these things, but she might want to meet the rumored Seventh Palace Lord. Well, if she says she doesn’t like it, I’ll think about it again then.”

Overthinking wasn’t the Seventh Consort’s style. She shook off her worries and headed towards Lady Yi’s residence.

*

*

*

Dudududu.

The carriage raced along the main road. Other coachmen shook their heads at the speed, but Nam-ak Old Lord expertly controlled it.

“They’re coming,” Nam-ak Old Lord said quietly. His voice, filled with inner strength, was clearly heard by the group behind him.

Thump.

They passed over rough terrain, but the carriage barely shook, maintaining its speed. It creaked as if it would break.

Dudududu.

No one complained. Seo-rin and Dang Wora maintained their balance despite having nothing to hold onto, leisurely observing the scenery as if on a tour. Only Son-bin’s complexion had changed, gripping the handle tightly.

“Oh, it’s out again.”

The Old Lord in the driver’s seat grumbled, reaching into a heavy money bag next to him. He pulled out several iron coins.

“Stop!”

“You bastards! We are the famous…”

Hulking men with spears and swords blocked the road. A fallen tree obstructed the path, forcing any carriage to stop. But the Old Lord had no intention of stopping.

“Hmph.”

Fling, fling.

The iron coins shot out with a sharp sound. The hulking men collapsed without a sound.

“Cough.”

“Ugh.”

“Ugh.”

Iron coins remained in Nam-ak Old Lord’s hand. He slowly channeled his inner strength.

Whoosh, Paang.

The iron coins flew towards the tree with tremendous force.

Kwaang!

The tree exploded, flying away. The Old Lord’s carriage passed through the gap without hesitation.

Dudududu.

“I heard Gangbuk [a region in China] has many righteous sects and prestigious noble families, but why are there so many robbers? Are these guys traditional robbers?”

The Old Lord grumbled, driving the carriage without hesitation.

“I’m glad I prepared generously. That’s why you can’t trust rumors?”

Of course, no one answered. Leaving behind the fallen robbers and the wreckage of the broken tree, the carriage raced along the main road.