A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 187

187. His and Her Story

“I went to the Jiangnan Yongbong Assembly [a gathering of martial artists in the Jiangnan region] with Young Master Son.”

“Alone?”

At Dang Hwa-ryun’s question, Dang Wol-ah shook her head, her silver hair shimmering softly.

For a moment, Dang Hwa-ryun was captivated by the sight.

‘Was it because of the Poison Qi Art? Her silver hair and eyebrows were truly surreal. But, at least in my eyes,’ Dang Hwa-ryun thought, ‘she looked more beautiful than anyone else.’

“No, Old Master Noh went with me. And I met Lady Su-yeon there, and also saw the Divine Physician.”

“I see.”

Dang Hwa-ryun quickly regained her senses and nodded. Now she understood why Dang Wol-ah had suddenly gone to Nanchang.

“Son… Young Master didn’t seem to stand out much at the Jiangnan Yongbong Assembly, did he?”

“He was there to observe, not participate.”

Dang Wol-ah said, lifting her teacup.

“Lady Se-hwa suggested it. But thanks to that, I was able to save Lady Su-yeon’s life. Even the Divine Physician said he couldn’t guarantee her survival.”

“If even the Divine Physician couldn’t, then who treated Lady Sa [referring to Sa Su-yeon]?”

Dang Wol-ah blinked her large eyes and looked at Dang Hwa-ryun. Her expression seemed to ask why she was asking such an obvious question.

“Young Master Son did.”

‘Ah.’

Dang Hwa-ryun was reminded of Son Bin saving Dang Wol-ah.

“About that… Could it be that the Divine Physician did it? Both Lady Sa and you.”

Dang Hwa-ryun asked cautiously. But Dang Wol-ah’s answer was simple.

“No.”

Dang Wol-ah stared at Dang Hwa-ryun and said,

“Think about it, sister. There’s no way you wouldn’t know.”

Dang Hwa-ryun gave a bitter smile. Dang Wol-ah was right. It didn’t make sense, based on the timeline, for the Divine Physician to have treated Wol-ah.

‘What on earth happened to him?’

It was impossible to know. Even if she tried to deduce something, the inexplicable presence of Sa Ja-hyuk, who was with him, made everything uncertain.

‘But if that’s true…’

Dang Hwa-ryun bit her lip. If Dang Wol-ah’s words were true, she couldn’t just stand by. She couldn’t live owing him a debt, of all people.

“And I went to Wudang [a mountain range in China known for its Taoist temples and martial arts] and brought Seo-rin back.”

At Dang Wol-ah’s words, Dang Hwa-ryun recalled the beautiful boy who was said to be a disciple of Hwanghak Jin-in.

“Why did you suddenly go to Wudang…”

“Not me, Young Master Son.”

Dang Wol-ah savored the tea, as if recalling that time.

“Young Master Son was slightly injured because of it.”

Dang Hwa-ryun could see Dang Wol-ah’s eyes turn a little fierce, but it soon disappeared.

“And you? Were you okay?”

At Dang Hwa-ryun’s worried question, Dang Wol-ah tilted her head.

“Not really. He was weak, wasn’t he? Old Master Noh told me to be careful and take it easy.”

“R-really?”

She worried without realizing it, but Dang Wol-ah was already a master of external arts. Dang Hwa-ryun’s concern might be unnecessary.

“And Young Master Son went to Wuhan [a major city in China] and helped the Moryong family. I ate a lot of delicious food. Lady Moryong-rin knows a lot of good places.”

“I see.”

Dang Hwa-ryun nodded. As expected, Dang Wol-ah was behind the resurgence of the Wuhan Moryong family. It was annoying that ‘Young Master Son’ kept coming up since earlier.

“How did you end up going to Bukhae [the Bohai Sea, a sea in northeastern China]?”

“I went for Lady Su-yeon, with Young Master Son.”

The tail that kept following her was still annoying, but Dang Hwa-ryun had something she wanted to ask first.

“For the Young Palace Lord? You?”

Dang Wol-ah quietly nodded.

“Lady Su-yeon took care of me and styled my hair nicely.”

Immediately after the Jiangnan Yongbong Assembly, the Divine Physician examined and treated Dang Wol-ah. He said it would have been fine to leave her as she was, but thanks to him, Dang Wol-ah was able to become the fully-fledged woman she was now.

It was Sa Su-yeon who wiped and took care of Dang Wol-ah back then.

“Hair?”

Dang Hwa-ryun looked at Dang Wol-ah’s beautifully styled hair. The familiar hairpin shone there.

“That hairpin…”

“Yes.”

Dang Wol-ah nodded.

“You gave it to me, sister.”

Dang Hwa-ryun barely managed to hold back the tears that were about to spill.

“You still… have it.”

Dang Hwa-ryun was speechless for a moment. It wasn’t that great now, but at the time, it was the best she could get for her sister.

“So, did you help the Young Palace Lord in Bukhae?”

Dang Hwa-ryun asked in a soft voice.

“I didn’t do anything.”

Dang Wol-ah shook her head.

“Young Master Son did everything. Young Master Son saved her, and Young Master Son defeated them. So, in Bukhae, they call Young Master Son this.”

Dang Wol-ah said, looking straight at Dang Hwa-ryun.

“‘The Azure Wolf of Bukhae’.”

Looking at her sparkling eyes, Dang Hwa-ryun could tell.

Her sister, Dang Wol-ah, had been emphasizing ‘Young Master Son’ since earlier. She was doing it with a clear intention, so that Dang Hwa-ryun could notice.

“So.”

Dang Wol-ah’s quiet voice echoed in the room.

“Take a good look at Young Master Son, sister.”

Dang Hwa-ryun bit her lip. But her answer was already decided.

The only reaction she could have for her sister, Dang Wol-ah, was this.

* * *

Dang Hwa-ryun stood under the moonlight with a haughty demeanor.

The lanterns hanging in the academy shone in her sparkling eyes. The person those eyes were directed at was a young man dressed as a scholar, Son Bin.

“I see.”

Son Bin replied with a smile and a soft voice.

“To advise Old Master Noh, it would certainly be presumptuous. Still, I am grateful that the Old Master accepts it in good faith.”

Son Bin, who had been looking at Old Master Noh’s residence, turned his head back to Dang Hwa-ryun.

“Come to think of it, I still haven’t properly greeted you. It’s been a long time, Lady Dang Hwa-ryun.”

Son Bin bowed with a gentle expression, but Dang Hwa-ryun did not.

“Were we ever on terms to greet each other so happily?”

“Aren’t we?”

Son Bin tilted his head and said with a smile, “I somehow feel happy. You are also the benefactor who saved my life.”

He meant it when he said he was happy. The word benefactor was half a joke.

But the moment Dang Hwa-ryun saw Son Bin’s smile, she felt a surge of annoyance.

“That’s right. It would have been better if I had stopped you from speaking back then.”

“That would be troublesome.”

Son Bin said with a smiling face. “It would be difficult to teach the children then.”

Dang Hwa-ryun stared straight at Son Bin.

But Son Bin’s expression was as gentle as his voice.

There was no sign of displeasure at Dang Hwa-ryun’s harsh words.

“Hoo.”

Dang Hwa-ryun turned her head and sighed softly. “I didn’t intend to say these things, but I don’t know why I become like this whenever I see you.”

Dang Hwa-ryun, who had been muttering with an unpleasant expression, raised her head and looked at Son Bin. Her eyes still clearly showed her discomfort.

“I apologize for my rudeness just now.”

Dang Hwa-ryun bowed lightly. At first glance, it looked like she had only lowered her eyes slightly.

Son Bin gave an awkward smile. Dang Hwa-ryun was even unapologetically arrogant in her apology.

“And, thank you.”

The next moment, Dang Hwa-ryun’s expression became serious. There was no more contempt or ridicule in her sparkling eyes.

In a clear tone, Dang Hwa-ryun said, “Saving Wol-ah is the most important thing to me.”

She did not lower her head. She certainly did not kneel.

She was only standing straight and looking directly at Son Bin.

But Son Bin knew that this was her sincerity.

Without a word, Son Bin politely bowed in response to her unique gratitude. He did not offer any words of humility, such as saying it was nothing.

“What do you want?”

Dang Hwa-ryun’s eyes were still fixed on Son Bin. Son Bin smiled.

“I didn’t do it expecting anything in return.”

At those words, Dang Hwa-ryun let out a burst of laughter.

“You didn’t do it expecting anything in return…”

She turned her head, bit her lip for a moment, and then looked at Son Bin.

“You must have lived happily all this time. But I haven’t.”

Dang Hwa-ryun’s quiet voice was filled with sarcasm.

“I gathered my grandfather’s belongings and returned to the family, and do you know what they said? They told me to hand everything over as it was. They probably thought I didn’t know the value of those things. Some even shouted, saying that I was young and didn’t know my place, and was only full of greed.”

Dang Hwa-ryun raised her hand and lightly swept back her hair.

“So, I had no choice but to show them that I wasn’t a fool who couldn’t even wield the sword in my hand.”

Dang Hwa-ryun continued as if it were nothing.

“After throwing a few people into prison and turning two or three into cripples, they finally quieted down. There were many useful things among the things my grandfather left behind.”

Dang Hwa-ryun let out a self-deprecating laugh.

“Isn’t it funny? I gained power, but the first people I used it against were my own family members. Do you think it ended there? Those who were on my side were incompetent, and those who were insignificant kept coming at me without knowing their place. I really feel like…”

The sight of Dang Hwa-ryun gritting her teeth clearly revealed her feelings.

“But what can I do? That’s the Dang family, and that’s the martial world [a world of martial arts experts].”

Dang Hwa-ryun raised her head and looked at Son Bin.

“Now, you’ve taken up the sword. If you don’t wield it, you won’t be recognized. So, tell me, what do you want from me?”

For a moment, Son Bin recalled her past self: the audacious young lady who dared to propose a deal with Son Bin’s life in front of the overwhelming opponent who had killed her grandfather.

Son Bin did not answer. Instead, he quietly said, “Lady, you really care about Lady Wol-ah.”

A different light flashed in Dang Hwa-ryun’s eyes, but it was only for a moment.

“Yes, that’s right.”

It was like a declaration of surrender. She had no choice but to admit her greatest weakness.

“That’s why I said it. You’ve taken up the sword. It’s really you, of all people…”

Dang Hwa-ryun sighed softly and said, “But I have no choice but to believe you. Wol-ah never lies.”

As she spoke, Dang Hwa-ryun let out a hollow laugh.

“Looking at you, I still can’t believe it.”

Son Bin still didn’t feel like he had any special energy. The decision to believe her sister, Dang Wol-ah, was wavering again.

But the atmosphere had definitely changed. The appearance of the novice scholar had disappeared, and now Son Bin’s appearance seemed to exude even a sense of long experience.

“What happened to you after that?”

That question must have been referring to after the duel between Dang Baek-ho and Sa Ja-hyuk.

Son Bin quietly replied, “Many things happened.”

“You don’t want to talk about it?”

Son Bin smiled. Her reaction was truly unique.

“It’s not that I don’t want to, but there really have been many things.”

From what happened in the Snow Mountain to meeting Dang Hwa-ryun again here, how could he put all those countless things into a few words?

“I have become the chief strategist of the Dang family.”

Dang Hwa-ryun said, looking at Son Bin with a confident expression.

“I told you I would inherit the family.”

“I see.”

Son Bin replied with a smile.

“I have begun to walk his path.”

It was clear who ‘he’ was referring to. In the past, she would have replied with ridicule, but now that she had heard Dang Wol-ah’s words, she couldn’t.

“Whether you can actually do it is another matter, but it suits you. Both you and he are the same in that you pursue unrealistic ideals.”

Dang Hwa-ryun said with a mixture of mockery, but it was also half sincere.

“To think that all you do is a life-or-death duel, even with such amazing martial arts…”

The amazing sight that Sa Ja-hyuk had shown was still deeply etched in Dang Hwa-ryun’s memory.

The moonlight that filled the world and the sword fragments of Dang Baek-ho that shattered beneath it. How could she forget that moment?

“Pa Wol Yi Sik, Wol Gwang Man Cheon [a martial arts technique].”

Son Bin said quietly. Dang Hwa-ryun spat out the words.

“I don’t care about the name.”

Apart from that great sight, Dang Hwa-ryun’s assessment of him was cold.

To have such power and not pursue power or build influence, but only engage in personal life-or-death duels, was the same as a reclusive eccentric or a meditating Taoist.

In other words, he was not a person who belonged to this world.

That was Dang Hwa-ryun’s conclusion about Muje. And at the same time, it was her perception of external affairs.

But as Dang Woon-yeong had said, there were others who had different perceptions of external affairs.

“Where is Muje?”

Dang Hwa-ryun asked. It was a question she had fully expected, but Son Bin’s heart grew heavy again when he heard those words.

“I don’t know.”

Dang Hwa-ryun’s brow furrowed slightly.

“What do you mean? He clearly…”

As she spoke, Dang Hwa-ryun noticed that Son Bin’s expression was unusual.

“Don’t tell me…”

“No one knows where he is.”

Son Bin interrupted her and said with an utterly desolate face, “So, your revenge will probably not be possible.”

Dang Hwa-ryun was speechless for a moment.

“Hmph.”

She snorted, but she couldn’t easily continue speaking.

After a long time, Dang Hwa-ryun opened her mouth.

“Is your shoulder okay?”

It was a sudden question. Son Bin smiled.

“Yes. The person who treated me has a very reliable personality.”

“Is there a scar left?”

“A little…”

“Let me see.”

Thump.

Dang Hwa-ryun approached Son Bin without hesitation, but Son Bin quickly took a step back.

“That won’t do.”

“Why? I need to check if you’ve been properly treated.”

“It’s okay. It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

Son Bin’s refusal was firm.

“Is that so?”

That was actually half an excuse. She wanted to examine Son Bin’s inner strength on this occasion, but it didn’t seem like it would be easy. She was sincere about wanting to check how the scar was left.

“Alright. Do as you please.”

Dang Hwa-ryun took a step back as if she had given up. She tried not to show it, but it was easy to see that Dang Hwa-ryun was disappointed.

Son Bin slyly raised his hand and stroked his shoulder. Dang Hwa-ryun’s gaze, watching that, still seemed to have lingering feelings.

“Will Lady Wol-ah return to the family?”

Dang Hwa-ryun flinched. After a moment, she sighed and replied, “No. It seems like she wants to stay longer.”

“I see.”

Son Bin nodded.

“Wol-ah had no one.”

Dang Hwa-ryun suddenly said quietly.

“So, she probably follows you like a newborn bird that unconditionally thinks the first animal it sees is its parent, with absolute trust.”

“Surely not to that extent…”

Son Bin gave a bitter smile, but considering Dang Wol-ah’s words and actions so far, it wasn’t impossible.

“So, if you touch her, you’re dead.”

Dang Hwa-ryun’s voice was sharp.

“And you can’t make her cry either. I can’t stand to see tears in my sister’s eyes anymore. Do you understand?”

Her eyes were filled with an undeniable force. Son Bin answered without realizing it.

“I understand.”

“Good.”

Dang Hwa-ryun finally smiled. It was the same natural smile she had briefly shown when she treated Son Bin.

And Son Bin was able to realize anew that Dang Hwa-ryun truly loved her sister, Dang Wol-ah.

Her words, which were like threats, were telling of her true feelings.

Son Bin smiled. As expected of someone who had never backed down even in front of Sa Ja-hyuk: a woman who bounced back even more when pressed down.

“Hmph.”

Hwa-ryun, who had realized that she was smiling after seeing Son Bin’s expression, frowned.

“That’s all I have to say.”

She turned her body as it was. Then, as if she had remembered something, she turned her head slightly and said,

“I’ll postpone my revenge on Muje for now. I can’t take revenge on someone I can’t even find. And…”

Dang Hwa-ryun said after a moment of silence, “If you’re going to be above the clouds, never come down. Then we won’t have to face each other again.”

Thump, thump.

Dang Hwa-ryun left the academy, her back unwavering.

* * *

The next morning, Sa Su-yeon and Dang Wol-ah came to the academy as if it were natural. Dang Hwa-ryun and Dang Woon-yeong were also with them.

Dang Hwa-ryun had an uncomfortable expression, perhaps not expecting to have breakfast together from the morning, but Dang Woon-yeong entered the academy with a happy expression instead.

“Did you all sleep well? Yesterday was very…”

Dang Woon-yeong, who was greeting them with a welcoming expression, froze.

It was because Namak Noh-gun was sitting on the bamboo mat on the foundation of the academy.

“Soon-rang…”

Dang Woon-yeong said, as if forgetting that other people were watching. Noh-gun, who was holding a teacup, hesitated for a moment before answering.

“You still call me that, even though I hate that character in my name the most.”

At Noh-gun’s words, Dang Woon-yeong’s expression changed complexly.

But soon, Old Madam Dang Woon-yeong smiled and said, “Yes. And you told me that the character ‘yeong’ in my name was the prettiest. So, you always called me that.”

“Yes, I did.”

Namak Noh-gun replied with a sigh, and he raised his eyes to look at Dang Woon-yeong.

The traces of a long time were evident, but her beautiful eyes were still shining like they were back then.

“It’s been a while, Yeong-mae.”

“Yes, it’s been a while, Soon-rang.”

Dang Woon-yeong replied with a smile, but her eyes were already full of tears.