A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 185

185. Fate (因緣 [inyin: a predetermined connection or destiny])

Dang Hwa-ryun cleared her throat slightly, composing herself.

“So, you’re Young Lady Sa.”

Dang Hwa-ryun said with a bright smile, but inwardly, she was extremely flustered.

‘The young mistress of Bukhae in a place like this!’

The young mistress could potentially become the empress of Bukhae. More than anything, she currently holds the trade rights of Bukhae.

No matter how much Dang Hwa-ryun was the chief strategist of the Dang Clan, she couldn’t treat Sa Su-yeon carelessly.

‘Moreover, with Wol-ah as well…’

The appearance of Sa Su-yeon, the Divine Sword Maiden and young mistress of Bukhae, following Shin-ui, was a completely unexpected variable for Dang Hwa-ryun.

‘No, perhaps this is…’

Dang Hwa-ryun’s eyes sparkled. Depending on how she looked at it, this could be a great opportunity.

“If you are the Divine Sword Maiden, Sa Su-yeon…”

Dang Un-yeong said, unable to hide her surprise. She was also aware of the news from Bukhae.

“Could it be that you are the Seventh Young Mistress of Bukhae?”

Sa Su-yeon seemed momentarily flustered but soon nodded.

“Yes.”

“This is surprising.”

The old woman, Dang Un-yeong, bowed her head to Sa Su-yeon.

“To meet the renowned young mistress of Bukhae, I am truly delighted.”

Dang Hwa-ryun also smiled and bowed her head more respectfully.

“Ah, so you are the young mistress of Bukhae, Young Lady Sa. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Y, you don’t have to do this.”

Sa Su-yeon waved her hands. It was difficult to handle the elderly woman bowing her head.

Dang Un-yeong smiled at her refusal.

“The young mistress is even more beautiful than I’ve heard. And so kind-hearted.”

Sa Su-yeon blushed.

“T, thank you.”

At that sight, Dang Hwa-ryun frowned without realizing it.

‘What is going on?’

In fact, the accomplishments of the Seventh Young Mistress of Bukhae were enough to impress even Dang Hwa-ryun.

Although her final choice to abandon the empress’s seat was disappointing, she was still a rare opponent that Dang Hwa-ryun highly valued.

But the Sa Su-yeon before her looked just like any other carefree young lady, overflowing with happiness.

“I didn’t expect the young mistress of Bukhae to be in a place like this.”

Dang Hwa-ryun’s bewildered inner thoughts were subtly revealed in her voice.

“May I ask what your relationship is with my sister, Wol-ah?”

Sa Su-yeon looked back at Dang Wol-ah and smiled.

“Well, I suppose we live in the same house? Actually, I’m the one who’s staying with her.”

Sa Su-yeon’s expression as she smiled was completely unreserved.

“Young Lady Wol-ah is the most outstanding and intelligent young lady I’ve met in the Jianghu [jianghu: the martial arts world]. And she’s also a really good person.”

That was Sa Su-yeon’s sincere assessment of Dang Wol-ah.

At first glance, Dang Wol-ah may seem aloof and unfriendly, but few people are as honest and straightforward as she is. Especially in the Jianghu.

“Su-yeon is a strong person.”

Dang Wol-ah said quietly. Sa Su-yeon smiled.

“That goes for Young Lady Wol-ah too.”

At Sa Su-yeon’s words, Dang Wol-ah shook her head.

“That’s not what I mean. Su-yeon is… strong.”

Seeing the two young ladies praising each other, the old woman Dang Un-yeong wore a pleased smile.

However, Dang Hwa-ryun was lifting her teacup, trying to hide her confused expression.

‘What on earth is going on?’

Namak Old Monarch and Shin-ui were already bewildering enough, but now there’s even the young mistress of Bukhae.

If the Dang Clan joins in, it’s only natural to expect a tense atmosphere.

Fiery clashes of nerves, as well as words like hidden daggers, should be rampant.

But there isn’t even a minimum of wariness between them. They’re laughing without a care, like naive young ladies, so she can’t figure out how to interpret this situation.

“Haa.”

Dang Hwa-ryun sighed without realizing it. Immediately, everyone’s attention focused on her. Perhaps her sigh was louder than she thought.

“This is truly a wonderful place. This Seowon [seowon: a private Confucian academy].”

Dang Hwa-ryun said with a smile, as if nothing was wrong.

It certainly didn’t sound like that kind of sigh, but since she said so, no one could say anything.

“Bin hyung! [hyung: older brother or respected male figure]”

A young boy ran in with a flurry of noise. It was Seo-rin, who had gone to buy sweets earlier.

“Look! They gave me so many sweets!”

The children following behind him were all holding handfuls of sweets.

Son Bin frowned without realizing it.

But soon, he wore a gentle smile. If emotions get involved in education, even the best teachings are in vain.

“That’s good.”

“Yeah! It’s really good.”

Son Bin couldn’t help but smile naturally at Seo-rin’s happy expression.

“But did you get the change back?”

“Change? You get money back when you buy things?”

Son Bin’s worries became reality.

Seo-rin had learned about buying things and paying money, but he didn’t even think about receiving money back.

“Silver coins have different values. Remember what I taught you about arithmetic? So…”

Just as Son Bin was about to say something about the value of money, someone rushed in from outside. It was the owner of the sweet shop.

“Oh, dear. I went to exchange the money, and you disappeared in the meantime.”

The middle-aged owner of the sweet shop was drenched in sweat. He seemed to have run here in a hurry.

Son Bin received the change on behalf of Seo-rin.

“Thank you. I’ve caused you trouble.”

“It’s nothing. You’re a regular customer, after all.”

The sweet shop owner went back right away. He wanted to offer tea, but he had customers, so he promised to do so next time.

As soon as the children returned, the quiet Seowon became noisy again.

Son Bin gestured for Seo-rin to come closer. He realized that he needed to properly introduce Seo-rin to the guests.

“Say hello to the guests.”

Seo-rin bowed his head and said with a bright smile.

“Hello. I’m Seo-rin. It’s the name my teacher gave me.”

His greeting made Son Bin smile. He was now quite mature enough to introduce himself.

“Teacher, you mean Master Son?”

Dang Un-yeong asked with a smile. Seo-rin’s bright appearance, smiling innocently, was enough to make anyone smile.

“No.”

Seo-rin smiled brightly.

“Hyung is hyung. My teacher is Hwanghak Jin-in [Jin-in: a Taoist term for a perfected person or immortal].”

The gentle expression on Dang Un-yeong’s face hardened. Dang Hwa-ryun, who was lifting her teacup, was the same.

‘Hwanghak Jin-in, that means…’

A man who was even called the living immortal of Wudang due to his noble character and easygoing nature.

Wasn’t it just recently that the world mourned his death?

If he was a disciple of Hwanghak Jin-in, his significance to Wudang would be far from small.

As Dang Hwa-ryun was thinking that, Dang Un-yeong asked the young boy.

“Th, then are you from Wudang…?”

Seo-rin answered without hesitation.

“Yes, but I’ve left now.”

Seo-rin smiled, looking back at Son Bin.

“I’m going to live with Bin hyung.”

Son Bin smiled back at Seo-rin. But despite that heartwarming sight, Dang Hwa-ryun couldn’t smile.

‘What on earth is this Seowon…’

Namak Old Monarch, Shin-ui, and now even the young mistress of Bukhae, and to top it off, even a disciple of Hwanghak Jin-in.

At this point, she was starting to wonder if this was a Seowon or the Murim Alliance [Murim: the martial arts world].

Dang Hwa-ryun felt slightly dizzy. Even the children’s chatter seemed to grate on her nerves.

“Come to think of it, how did our Wol-ah end up at this Seowon?”

Dang Un-yeong asked in a soft voice. The phrase ‘our Wol-ah’ bothered her, but this was not the time to worry about that.

‘That’s right.’

Dang Hwa-ryun suddenly realized. Dang Wol-ah wanted to be here from the beginning. That was what she had asked for.

But now that she had come, this Seowon was full of strangeness. The more she knew, the more it became.

How did Dang Wol-ah know about a place like this?

‘Could it be…’

Was there some connection with Saja Hyuk, the Supreme Emperor of Hyeoncheon?

Dang Hwa-ryun waited anxiously for her sister Dang Wol-ah’s answer.

“I…”

That was when Dang Wol-ah said that.

“Excuse me, Young Lady Wol-ah.”

Son Bin interrupted her. Dang Hwa-ryun glared at him without realizing it, but Son Bin said to Dang Wol-ah with a calm expression.

“Please speak as simply and accurately as possible… No, I mean, please speak in a way that people don’t misunderstand.”

Dang Hwa-ryun frowned. She wondered what he was suddenly talking about.

Despite Dang Hwa-ryun’s piercing gaze, Son Bin was desperately trying to explain.

If she said ‘I am Master Son’s’ again in front of Dang Wol-ah’s family, it would be a real disaster.

Moreover, the Snow Sword Dang Hwa-ryun was right in front of him.

He didn’t even want to imagine what kind of reaction she would have if Dang Wol-ah said that.

“Please use specific and accurate words, and focus more on what happened rather than your own interpretations or meanings. Please give an objective description based on clear facts. And…”

Son Bin’s words were lengthy. Moreover, he was using unfamiliar words. It was proof that he was quite flustered, but it wasn’t very important to Dang Hwa-ryun.

“Be quiet. Wol-ah is talking right now.”

Dang Hwa-ryun, unable to bear it any longer, spoke in a sharp tone without realizing it.

It was an extremely rude act as a guest, but she didn’t even notice. All her attention was focused on her sister, Dang Wol-ah.

“Okay, tell me. Wol-ah.”

“I can’t give an objective description.”

Dang Wol-ah said quietly. Her voice was calm, as always, without any emotional fluctuations.

“Because I don’t know what other people are thinking.”

“No, I mean, the meaning of objective is…”

“She said she doesn’t know. Why do you keep stopping her from talking?”

Dang Hwa-ryun stopped Son Bin’s words. She smiled brightly at Dang Wol-ah, who was slightly annoyed with Son Bin.

“It’s okay. Just say what you think.”

Dang Wol-ah looked back and forth between Dang Hwa-ryun and Son Bin.

Dang Hwa-ryun was smiling, but her eyes were sharper than ever.

Son Bin had a slightly embarrassed expression, but he was also visibly nervous under that gaze.

“But…”

Dang Wol-ah’s voice echoed softly.

“Are you two acquainted?”

Dang Hwa-ryun’s face hardened. Son Bin’s was the same.

“Come to think of it, you two haven’t even introduced yourselves to each other, have you?”

Jeok Se-hwa muttered. Certainly, Son Bin hadn’t even exchanged names with Dang Hwa-ryun.

Dang Hwa-ryun had also greeted everyone else, but not Son Bin. As if they knew each other well.

“W, well, that’s…”

Son Bin opened his mouth with an awkward smile. But Dang Hwa-ryun quickly stepped in.

“Wait, let me speak first.”

Having blurted out the words hastily, Dang Hwa-ryun quickly corrected herself. Since when had she been speaking so informally?

“No, I will speak first.”

No matter that the other party was Son Bin, such a frivolous tone was not befitting of the chief strategist of the Dang Clan.

Dang Hwa-ryun felt like she had returned to the past for a moment. Back when she lived with nothing but the stubbornness that she could never lose, without any hope.

“You know that your sister was in charge of guarding our grandfather’s sword, right, Wol-ah?”

In fact, it couldn’t even be called a position. Perhaps wanting to show off, the previous Clan Head, Dang Baek-ho, had suddenly created the position. Of course, not just anyone could take it.

“I met Son… ahem, Master Son briefly at that time. Just in passing, very briefly. Really, nothing…”

“Young Lady Dang Hwa-ryun treated me.”

Son Bin suddenly said. Dang Hwa-ryun glared at him as if it was unnecessary, but Son Bin smiled gently and said to Dang Wol-ah.

“I was poisoned and my life was in danger, so it was really fortunate. If it weren’t for Young Lady Dang Hwa-ryun, even if I had survived, I wouldn’t have been able to use one of my arms.”

Of course, that treatment was not a simple act of kindness. Because of that deal, Dang Hwa-ryun was able to inherit everything from Dang Baek-ho.

But it was certainly true that she had treated Son Bin.

“My sister saved Master Son…”

Dang Wol-ah’s gaze turned to Dang Hwa-ryun. It was possible to tell that her eyes were sparkling even through the veil.

Dang Hwa-ryun’s heart dropped. She absolutely didn’t want to be seen as close to this man by anyone else, especially her sister.

At this point, she might have doubted herself why she disliked him so much, but she didn’t have the time to look back on herself right now.

“Th, that’s, you see…”

“That’s amazing.”

Dang Wol-ah’s voice was trembling slightly as she spoke.

“My sister saved Master Son, and Master Son saved me. This is what you call fate.”

Dang Wol-ah placed her hand on her chest. Sa Su-yeon and Jeok Se-hwa were also amazed, and Shin-ui nodded silently as if he sympathized more than anyone else.

But Dang Hwa-ryun couldn’t do that.

“What?”

Dang Hwa-ryun asked, not even realizing that her beautiful face was distorting.

“Who… saved whom?”

“My sister saved Master Son…”

Dang Hwa-ryun shook her head at Dang Wol-ah’s words.

“No, not that.”

“Ah.”

Dang Wol-ah said with a light smile.

“Master Son saved me. From the cursed fate called Dok-in [Dok-in: a type of poison or ailment], he saved me.”

Dang Wol-ah’s words continued softly.

“So, if it weren’t for Master Son, I wouldn’t be here now.”

Dang Hwa-ryun could clearly tell that it was her sister Dang Wol-ah’s true feelings.

A soft smile, one she had never seen before, was hanging on Dang Wol-ah’s lips, revealed beneath the veil.

But for Dang Hwa-ryun, this moment felt like a dream. A very terrible nightmare.

*

*

*

“Hoo-oo.”

Namak Old Monarch sighed deeply.

He had already sent Jang-ah, whom he had been carrying, back home, and was now surveying the situation at the Seowon.

He was quite far away, up in a tree, but that was no problem for the Old Monarch.

“Why did a spirit medium suddenly come to this place…”

The more he thought about it, the more he sighed. He had run away without hesitation, but he didn’t know if it was the right thing to do. Would it have been better to greet her as if nothing had happened?

‘But how?’

He couldn’t bring himself to look her in the eye.

If she were to tearfully resent him, he might die on the spot with a burst heart.

Just thinking about it made his chest feel so stuffy.

“I thought I would never see her again in my life…”

He wouldn’t have seen her. She wouldn’t be able to leave the Dang Clan, and he would hide in Namak, turning his back on the world.

“No, why on earth did she come to such a remote place?”

The Old Monarch grumbled, feeling a fresh surge of annoyance.

In fact, he knew why. She said she was coming to see Dang Wol-ah. But he never imagined that she would be the one to come.

“Hoo.”

The Old Monarch sighed deeply. He could roughly see the appearance of the Seowon, but he couldn’t hear the conversation. He could get a little closer, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

As he kept sighing, the Old Monarch suddenly turned his head.

“If you’ve come, don’t hide and come out. There’s no reason to do that in front of me.”

There was no one where the Old Monarch was speaking. But the Old Monarch continued.

“If you don’t come out, I won’t tell Bin what he likes?”

Rustle.

A woman in white clothes appeared behind the Old Monarch with a small rustling sound.

The surroundings turned cold as she appeared, holding a sword preciously.

“Hmm, this would be quite refreshing on a hot day, wouldn’t it?”

The Old Monarch nodded as if he had made a new discovery, and the Sword Demon said.

“What does he like?”

The Old Monarch smirked. But he didn’t delay his answer.

“Kids.”

The Old Monarch replied.

“I realized it for sure when I came to the Seowon. That guy is definitely not going to fly away, leaving the kids behind.”

That was true. The Old Monarch, who had been worried that Son Bin might ascend to immortality at any moment, was now certain that he didn’t need to worry about that after returning to the Seowon.

As Shin-ui said, he just needed to leisurely recover his true energy now.

“Kids?”

“Yeah. Why, there’s an old story, isn’t there? To keep a fairy, have her bear three children. With nine kids, he can never leave.”

“I don’t know such stories.”

The Sword Demon replied with a blank face.

“Then are those kids all his children?”

“Hehehe.”

The Old Monarch laughed, completely forgetting the misunderstanding he had in the past.

“There’s no way. Well, if you don’t know, you might think so. But no. They’re just neighborhood kids.”

The Sword Demon’s eyes showed a puzzled expression.

“Neighborhood kids?”

“So, don’t just wander around aimlessly, and if those kids are ever in danger, help them. Bin will definitely be grateful.”

The Sword Demon didn’t answer. But it was clear that she would keep those words in mind.

“Hoo.”

The Old Monarch sighed. When night falls, they will leave the Seowon. Until then, he has no choice but to stay like this.

Swoosh.

A breeze blew. The Old Monarch’s white beard and hair fluttered lightly in the wind.

‘What is this thing called affection?’

Although a long time has already passed, his heart is still there, on that day, in that place.

The Old Monarch looked at the Seowon with a lonely gaze. The figure of the gentle old woman was especially full in the Old Monarch’s eyes, even from afar.