A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 149

149. The Way of the Conqueror and the Way of the King (2)

“Phi, Master Pil.”

Pilong Jegal Lian looked up at the awkward southern accent. It was the maid working at the inn where the Jegal Clan was staying.

“What is it?”

“A guest has come, no, has arrived.”

Pilong Jegal Lian frowned at the maid’s words. A guest at this time? He couldn’t think of anyone. Especially in this situation where he was devoted to treating his relative in this unfamiliar land of Bukhae.

“Who is it?”

“That is… Ah! You can’t do this…”

Thud.

“It’s me.”

The person who ignored the maid’s restraint and entered was a face Pilong knew well.

“Old Lord!”

“Yes, it’s me. Since when has it become so difficult to see your face?”

“There’s no way.”

Jegal Lian smiled and stood up. The worry that had been on his face disappeared.

“My house is always open to you.”

“This isn’t a house, it’s an inn. You don’t even own it, yet you act like it’s yours.”

Old Lord grumbled. Then he looked around Jegal Lian’s room. The fancy decorations and luxurious atmosphere gave it the feeling of a mansion.

“You’re staying in a very nice inn. I’ve been suffering like crazy… Geez.”

Jegal Lian couldn’t understand Old Lord’s words. It sounded like Old Lord had been through some hardship, but he had no idea.

“You haven’t gone back yet?”

Jegal Lian replied to Old Lord’s words.

“Gyun’s condition is serious, so I couldn’t return. I’ve already sent word, but it will take time for someone from the main family to come…”

“That’s good.”

Old Lord said, cutting off Pilong Jegal Lian’s words.

“Good? What is?”

“There’s someone who wants to meet you.”

“Me?”

Without answering, Old Lord turned around.

The door slowly opened, and a beautiful young lady with a bright impression entered.

“Huh? You are…”

Jegal Lian didn’t recognize her for a moment. Just as he was thinking that she looked familiar, Jegal Lian realized who she was.

“Young Palace Lord!”

She was none other than Saso Yeon, the Young Palace Lord of Bukhae. Her atmosphere had changed so much that Jegal Lian didn’t recognize her at first.

The sparkling eyes and the beauty that captivated the gaze were still there, but the cold feeling of the ice flower of Bukhae was nowhere to be found.

Rustle.

Saso Yeon politely bowed. Pilong Jegal Lian couldn’t hide his surprised expression. But soon he hardened his face and said.

“What brings you here?”

Whoosh.

A terrifying aura rose from Pilong Jegal Lian.

It was inevitable. The woman before him was not only the one who had seriously injured Jegal Gyun, but also a being who might threaten the peace of the world in the future.

“Ah, that guy is so prickly.”

Old Lord said instead from the side.

“Is it your family’s etiquette to keep guests standing like this?”

Jegal Lian groaned for a moment. The fact that Old Lord, of all people, was accompanying her meant that there was definitely a significant matter at hand.

Reflecting on his own hasty emotional reaction, Jegal Lian said.

“Come in.”

“Thank you.”

Saso Yeon lightly bowed her head.

A strange light flashed in Pilong Jegal Lian’s eyes. It was because he didn’t expect her to bow so readily.

“Are we going in now?”

“Be careful.”

As soon as Jegal Lian’s words were finished, other people rushed in. They were all people from Old Lord’s group that he had seen before.

Pilong let out a hollow laugh at their carefree appearance.

“Everyone, sit down. Should I prepare some tea?”

∴

Old Lord’s group sat around a small table.

Old Lord and the veiled lady seemed to be completely absorbed in the good tea they were tasting after a long time, and the pretty boy was only tasting it with the tip of his tongue.

A smile naturally appeared on Pilong’s face at the sight of the innocent pretty boy.

However, the person who caught Pilong’s attention more than anyone else was Saso Yeon, the Young Palace Lord.

From the way she elegantly savored the tea, the cold, aloof, and even overwhelming aura of the past could not be found.

“I’ve heard the news.”

Clink.

Jegal Lian said in a low voice, putting down his teacup.

“Now that you have Bukhae in your hands, what are you going to do?”

Jegal Lian’s gaze towards Saso Yeon was sharp. But Saso Yeon quietly smiled. It was a smile that seemed somehow detached.

“Well, what should I do?”

Saso Yeon fiddled with her teacup.

“I don’t know this land well. But the people I met here had strong and warm hearts.”

Saso Yeon recalled Sareunae and Namira. She also remembered Seomoksu Orhan and the Bukhae Twelve Guards, the Four Direction Generals and Bingje, and the face of an unknown woman who smiled brightly after entrusting her with a baby.

“I want to protect their smiles.”

Clink.

Saso Yeon put down her teacup. She looked straight at Pilong Jegal Lian and said.

“As the Young Palace Lord of Bukhae, I ask the Jegal Clan: If you allow the trade rights of Bukhae, can the Jegal Clan promise to work with sincerity and trust for each other’s good?”

Jegal Lian’s eyes widened. And in an instant, they contorted.

He wondered if she was plotting something again.

But Pilong Jegal Lian’s eyes regained their composure at Saso Yeon’s clear gaze.

“Are you telling me to believe that? How can I be sure that you don’t have other hidden intentions?”

Saso Yeon said quietly.

“It is said that a country cannot stand if the people do not believe in it, and that nothing can be done if there is no trust between people. I understand your words, Master Pilong.”

What she said was a quote from a classic. A strange light flashed in Jegal Lian’s eyes.

“The Five Great Merchant Guilds are already eyeing Bukhae. I can stop them for now, but they won’t give up. They will definitely set foot in Bukhae by any means possible, just like they did in this martial arts competition for marriage.”

Jegal Lian’s face turned slightly red at Saso Yeon’s words. It was because she pointed out the fact that the Jegal Clan was swayed by the demands of the Five Great Merchant Guilds.

“Then it would be better to allow a certain level of trade and control them. It’s time for Bukhae to open the doors that it has been closing. This is my intention.”

Of course, not everyone in Bukhae would agree.

But Saso Yeon knew. The power of the South could not be sustained by the pride of Bukhae alone. And if exchanges began, Bukhae could also change.

“Then why didn’t you go directly to the merchant guild officials?”

“Because only the Five Great Families can control the Five Great Merchant Guilds.”

Saso Yeon said.

“They think that even if they commit a crime here, it’s over if they run away to the South. But if the Ice Palace and the Jegal Clan are cooperating with sincerity and trust, the story is different.”

Jegal Lian understood what Saso Yeon was saying.

‘Indeed.’

If the Jegal Clan joined hands with the Ice Palace, even the Five Great Merchant Guilds would have no way to deal with it.

Even if they could temporarily oppose the Ice Palace, they could not turn their backs on the Jegal Clan.

How could a merchant guild exist if it went against the will of the Five Great Families?

“This proposal will be conveyed to all five of the Great Families. Whether they accept it or not is their choice. If the Jegal Clan accepts this proposal now, they will be able to start trading much sooner than the others.”

The reason for opening it to all five of the Great Families was also clear. It was to expect the role of competition and mutual checks.

The advantage of starting trade earlier in a competitive situation is by no means small.

“Of course, the Ice Palace will impose taxes on all trade. Also, any news learned from trading must be reported to the Ice Palace. To be exact, it would be public sentiment, or public opinion.”

A strange light flashed in Jegal Lian’s eyes again.

There are many rulers who want power, but there are few rulers who try to listen.

“Are there any other conditions?”

Saso Yeon realized what he was saying. He was asking if there was anything else that should be given to Saso Yeon personally.

For example, wealth or martial arts manuals.

“No.”

Saso Yeon said with a bitter smile.

“All I want is sincerity and trust.”

“Amazing.”

Pilong Jegal Lian exclaimed.

“To suppress with force is the way of the conqueror, to embrace with virtue is the way of the king. I thought you would just blindly pursue the way of the conqueror, but I didn’t know that your insight and wisdom were so deep. I was wrong about you.”

His admiration was sincere. It was because he thought that Young Palace Lord Saso Yeon would definitely advance to the South after taking Bukhae into her hands.

He had thought that he might have to report to the Martial Arts Alliance if necessary, but the fact that the other party was coming out like this was something he had never foreseen.

Considering that the other party was Saso Yeon, the Young Palace Lord of the foreign race Bukhae, Jegal Lian’s praise was no exaggeration.

“Good.”

Pilong Jegal Lian said.

“The specifics will be decided by the main family, but at this point, it would be strange not to accept it. I will put my name on the line to make sure it happens.”

What he decided was the same as the Jegal Clan’s decision. Since Pilong Jegal Lian had allowed it, everything would be as he said.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I’m glad to have learned of your wisdom.”

“That’s not true.”

Saso Yeon bowed her head. And she turned her gaze and said.

“If it’s wisdom, it’s just borrowed for a while.”

A warm smile lingered on Saso Yeon’s lips. Jegal Lian turned his head, following her gaze without realizing it.

“Huh?”

The young scholar was sitting in front of him. The young man, who remained in Jegal Lian’s memory with his unusually upright eyes, was quietly smiling. But Jegal Lian was a little embarrassed.

“When did you…”

He didn’t remember seeing him come in. He didn’t even feel his presence. But he was sitting right in front of him.

“I’ve been sitting here from the beginning…”

‘From the beginning?’

While Jegal Lian was wondering, Old Lord slipped in and scolded him.

“You pretended not to know him when he greeted you earlier; are you already senile?”

Come to think of it, there was a cup of warm tea in front of the young man.

‘Was it hidden by the aura of the veiled girl and the boy?’

If he went back to his memory, he seemed to have seen him briefly when the group came in earlier. But until now, he had not recognized his existence at all.

‘No, but…’

Could he hide from his eyes for that reason alone? In front of Pilong Jegal Lian, of all people.

Jegal Lian hardened his face. This was by no means a trivial matter.

“You… were you called Son Bin?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

At the same time as asking, Pilong Jegal Lian secretly sent his energy to the scholar young man. It was to figure out his identity.

But the next moment, the energy that Jegal Lian had sent disappeared without a trace, as if the ground under his feet had suddenly collapsed.

“Heh.”

Thud.

Jegal Lian stood up without realizing it. The chair was pushed back and made a sound.

‘Sorcery? No, it’s not that.’

If it was sorcery, there was no way he wouldn’t have noticed. Above all, he didn’t feel any deception from the scholar young man in front of him.

‘One more time…’

It was when Pilong was about to send his energy again.

“What are you doing now?”

Old Lord’s angry voice pierced Jegal Lian’s ears.

When Jegal Lian turned his head, Old Lord was glaring at him with sparks in his eyes.

“I can let it go once because you didn’t know, but you’re doing it again? To a kid who’s not even healthy? What are you doing, you old fart!”

Old Lord’s trembling voice was no joke.

Moreover, the eyes of the veiled lady and the pretty boy of the Tang Clan had also turned sharp.

Even Young Palace Lord Saso Yeon was glaring at him.

“No, I…”

“If you don’t know even after seeing it, then try checking his pulse. Why are you sending energy to someone who’s already weak, huh?”

“Then the pulse…”

“Are you a doctor? Why are you checking someone else’s pulse? Are you out of your mind?”

Jegal Lian felt wronged. In the first place, what martial artist would readily let someone check their pulse? Unless they were a teacher or a parent.

Old Lord, who spat out the expected answer, said in an annoyed voice.

“I might not fix him if you do this.”

“Not fix? What…”

“That Gyun or Gyu or whatever his name is.”

Jegal Lian’s eyes widened. The surprise was beyond anything he had felt so far.

“You can fix Gyun?”

Pilong Jegal Lian grabbed Old Lord’s hand. Old Lord frowned, as if his anger had not subsided.

“Yes, but not me.”

Old Lord looked at Son Bin and said, “Whether that guy lives or dies is in this guy’s hands.”

Pilong looked at the scholar young man with surprised eyes.

With an unusually empty smile, the scholar young man was looking at Jegal Lian.

“Here?”

Seorin looked at Son Bin with wide eyes.

“Yes.”

When Son Bin nodded, Seorin raised one finger straight up.

The moment an unusual energy was gathering at the tip of Seorin’s finger, Son Bin said, “Now.”

At the same time as Son Bin’s words fell, Seorin mercilessly struck Jegal Gyun’s pressure points.

Thwack.

The body of Jegal Gyun, who was lying down, convulsed. Although he was unconscious, his body was reacting to the tremendous pain.

“How is it?”

Seorin looked at Son Bin again.

“Good job.”

Seorin smiled brightly and liked Son Bin’s compliment. Son Bin asked Dang Wora.

“How is it, Miss Wora?”

Dang Wora, who was examining Jegal Gyun’s pulse with a thin silver thread, nodded.

“Good. His energy and blood are stabilizing incredibly quickly.”

Dang Wora released the silver thread and brought a thin piece of paper to Jegal Gyun’s nose to check his breathing.

“His breathing has also stabilized. Now we just have to wait for him to recover.”

“Oh, do I not have to open his eyelids anymore?”

Seorin, who was about to turn over Jegal Gyun’s closed eyelids, asked.

“No need.”

Dang Wora said in a calm voice.

“Thank you for your hard work, Miss Wora.”

Dang Wora lightly bowed her head at Son Bin’s words.

“I could have just done it myself…”

“And then collapse?”

Old Lord said in a voice that seemed impossible.

“It’s better to be troublesome. There’s no need to make him get up suddenly. Just release what’s blocked.”

He said to just release what was blocked, but it wasn’t as easy as it sounded.

It was because Jegal Gyun’s completely tangled meridians were in a situation where he didn’t even know where to start.

Son Bin turned his head and looked at Pilong Jegal Lian. He was anxiously waiting and looked at Son Bin.

“He’s fine now. He’ll probably regain consciousness soon…”

“Umm.”

Jegal Gyun groaned while Son Bin was speaking. Jegal Lian approached Jegal Gyun in an instant.

“Gyun! Are you regaining consciousness?”

Jegal Gyun was close to middle age, but he still seemed young to Pilong Jegal Lian. Jegal Gyun opened his mouth with difficulty.

“How did I…”

“It’s okay. Everything’s okay.”

Jegal Lian stroked Jegal Gyun’s face with a gentle smile.

Jegal Gyun closed his eyes again as if he was relieved, and he quickly fell asleep.

Pilong Jegal Lian carefully laid the sleeping Jegal Gyun down and covered him with a blanket. Then he turned his body and looked at Son Bin.

“Thank you.”

He grabbed Son Bin’s hand.

No, he was about to grab it.

“Uh-huh.”

Thwack.

Old Lord blocked his hand.

“Don’t touch him carelessly. You’re going to say something strange like sorcery again.”

“Didn’t I apologize for that?”

Jegal Lian smiled bitterly and looked at Son Bin again.

“The Jegal Clan has quite a few things that can be called elixirs. Even the Divine Doctor often comes to find rare medicinal herbs. Isn’t there anything I can help you with?”

Son Bin smiled.

“Thank you for your kind words, but…”

Old Lord interrupted Son Bin’s words of refusal.

“If you’re going to give it, you should definitely take it. And if you’re really grateful, send some gold or silver. That’s much better than an elixir that you don’t even know when you’ll receive.”

“I understand.”

Pilong Jegal Lian nodded obediently and said. Thanks to that, Old Lord had a dazed expression.

“Are you really going to send it?”

“I’ll send it to Yewon, so go find it when you feel like it. Come to think of it, there’s something you haven’t picked up yet, right?”

“Did Yewon do that kind of thing?”

Jegal Lian shrugged his shoulders.

“It’s been a while. That place will do anything if you just ask.”

Old Lord frowned. He seemed displeased with something, but he didn’t say anything more.

In the meantime, Pilong Jegal Lian said to Son Bin.

“The Jegal Clan will not forget your grace.”

Jegal Lian took out a small jade pendant from his chest. It was a small, round jade pendant with a green tint.

“Come visit anytime. The Jegal Clan will never treat you badly.”

“No, I…”

Son Bin tried to decline, but he knew that the heart contained in Pilong Jegal Lian’s old eyes was sincere, so he couldn’t refuse any longer.

“Thank you.”

Son Bin accepted the small, round, green jade pendant.

“Let’s go.”

Old Lord said, breaking the atmosphere.

“We’ve given what we had to give and received what we had to receive, so we have to go. There are many places to go around.”

Old Lord took the lead, and everyone followed him.

Son Bin bowed to Pilong Jegal Lian. This time, Jegal Lian also received it with a smile.

“I look forward to working with you in the future.”

“Yes?”

Son Bin asked back with a puzzled expression, but Jegal Lian only smiled and said nothing.

Son Bin followed Old Lord, and Saso Yeon, Dang Wora, and Seorin followed him as if to protect him.

‘Son Bin.’

Jegal Lian did not take his eyes off them until they had all left.

Pilong Jegal Lian already knew.

No, he couldn’t not know.

That the center of the group, which included Namak Old Lord and the Young Palace Lord of Bukhae, and even a high-ranking expert from the Tang Clan, was none other than that scholar young man.

“Pilong said he would do it, and the Gongsun Clan will definitely do it too. The Namgung Clan and Hyeokryun Clan can just write a letter to Bin.”

Old Lord, who was riding a horse and swaying, muttered while counting his fingers.

“Wouldn’t it be rude to send a letter suddenly?”

Son Bin, who was riding a horse right next to him, asked. Old Lord chuckled.

“There’s no way. If they know you sent it, they’ll probably be grinning from ear to ear. If you know them, those guys are secretly lonely too. Besides, it’s not even bad news.”

It’s not bad news; it’s good news that they’ll come running out barefoot. There’s no family that wouldn’t welcome the contents of that letter.

“Tang Clan, are you going to write it?”

Old Lord said, looking at Dang Wora. Dang Wora shook her head.

“Someone from the Tang Clan came to Bukhae. I’ll send the news with him.”

“Really? So they did come.”

Old Lord, who was muttering, looked at Son Bin.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine. These days, I feel the flow even when I’m just standing still. It’s like floating on a river and flowing along with it naturally.”

It was the same when he was treating Jegal Gyun’s condition a little while ago. He was able to not only see the flow but also predict its changes to some extent. If that hadn’t been the case, he wouldn’t have been able to do such a thing through Seorin.

Son Bin raised his hand and felt the wind that was gently blowing. A large and soft flow was embracing Son Bin even at this moment.

“I think it’s even better than before?”

“It must be better. In terms of feeling.”

Old Lord frowned.

“Don’t forget. What’s holding you now is just the energy of the Hyeoncheon Great River Art, like a grain of sand. So don’t ever act rashly until the Divine Doctor confirms your condition. Got it?” [Hyeoncheon Great River Art is a martial art technique.]

Old Lord said with an extremely serious look.

“Even the smallest thing is like risking your life for you now.”

Son Bin smiled awkwardly. It was because he thought Old Lord’s words were too exaggerated.

But it was Old Lord’s words, and even Saso Yeon, Dang Wora, and Seorin were looking at him with eyes that seemed to agree with those words.

“Don’t even think about grabbing a sword.”

“Baekro will be sad.”

Son Bin looked down at Baekro, which was hanging on his waist. The Divine Sword Baekro was still there.

“Tell him to be patient.”

Old Lord said.

“And from now on, try to talk a lot on purpose.”

“Talk?”

Old Lord nodded and said.