A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 20

20. The Second Life-or-Death Decision

Three days had passed since Son Bin and Sa Ja-hyeok had stayed at the inn in Xi’an.

Son Bin found the days quite satisfying, watching Sa Ja-hyeok’s Hyeoncheon Swordplay [a martial art technique] at midnight, preparing records and grinding ink at dawn, and exploring various places in Xi’an during the day.

However, on the third day, Son Bin began to wonder if this leisurely pace was sustainable.

“Are you sure this is alright?”

Son Bin asked, sipping tea after finishing breakfast.

“What do you mean?” Sa Ja-hyeok asked back, bringing the teacup to his lips.

“Didn’t you say someone was following you?”

Sa Ja-hyeok smiled faintly at Son Bin’s question.

“They chased me to Sichuan, but now that they’ve heard news from Hubei Province, they probably think they’ve been deceived. They’re likely somewhere in Hubei Province by now.”

“Hmm.”

It wasn’t really Son Bin’s concern anyway. Nodding perfunctorily, Son Bin brought the teacup to his lips.

Slurp.

The bitter tea refreshed his mouth. After savoring the taste for a moment, Son Bin asked again.

“When will the Tiger of Sichuan [a powerful figure or martial artist] arrive here?”

“Soon.”

Sa Ja-hyeok replied.

“He is very cautious, but also curious and impatient. He will be the first to come here when the wind blows.”

Son Bin tilted his head.

“A cautious tiger, you say?”

“Have you ever seen a tiger?”

Son Bin shook his head at Sa Ja-hyeok’s question.

“I’ve heard of them, but I’ve never seen one in person…”

“Tigers are very clever. That’s why they are curious. They instinctively recognize opponents stronger than themselves and exercise endless caution in everything they do. A tiger only shows its teeth when it is sure it can win. But this time, that curiosity will be its downfall.”

“Is that so?”

Son Bin said, tilting his head.

“I just had the impression that the Tiger was simply strong…”

“Because you don’t know, you just get beaten.”

Sa Ja-hyeok said, raising his teacup.

“If you know, you can hunt it instead.”

It was a strangely meaningful statement, and Son Bin unconsciously took out his books and fine brush.

∴

The news Sa Ja-hyeok had been waiting for arrived that very afternoon. The servant he had seen at the brothel came to find Sa Ja-hyeok at the inn.

As they were sitting at the table for dinner, Son Bin saw the servant approach Sa Ja-hyeok.

The servant bowed to Sa Ja-hyeok and Son Bin, then whispered a few simple words to Sa Ja-hyeok in a low voice.

It was so quiet that even Son Bin, sitting right across from him, couldn’t hear it properly. The servant bowed respectfully again and hurried out of the inn.

“Has he come?”

Son Bin asked. Sa Ja-hyeok’s eyes were deeply sunken. It was the same look he had seen in Sichuan a few days ago. The look before a life-or-death decision.

“Yes.”

It was the second life-or-death decision. Son Bin asked.

“Are you sure you’re alright?”

“I’m fine.”

Sa Ja-hyeok’s deeply sunken eyes showed a faint smile.

“Didn’t I tell you? If you know, you can hunt it.”

Click.

Sa Ja-hyeok stood up from his seat.

“Rest up. Tonight, I have to hunt a tiger.”

Son Bin nodded silently. The second life-or-death decision had arrived.

***

As soon as the moon rose that night, Son Bin left the inn with Sa Ja-hyeok.

The streets of Xi’an were sparkling with lights, as it was still early in the evening. They got into the carriage that was waiting in front of the inn, and the carriage immediately began to move.

Clatter, clatter.

“Take this.”

Inside the swaying carriage, Sa Ja-hyeok handed over a very small box. Son Bin took the small box with a puzzled expression.

It was a small box that fit perfectly in the palm of his hand, and it looked quite old.

Click.

Son Bin opened the box with a little force. A refreshing fragrance spread throughout the carriage.

“What is this?”

Inside the box was a small, milky-white bead. A single small bead was neatly placed on a red silk cloth.

“You’ll need it.”

Sa Ja-hyeok said in a calm voice.

“Just keep it with you. But if you feel you are in danger, put it under your tongue, and if you think it’s the very last moment, swallow it. It will save your life, once.”

Son Bin felt a chill for some reason.

“Is my life in danger?”

“Didn’t I say it was a life-or-death duel?”

‘A life-or-death duel.’

That’s true. But that was Sa Ja-hyeok’s case, and Son Bin didn’t feel any danger.

That was because Sa Ja-hyeok was always with him, and because he was essentially just an observer.

But at least this duel, it seemed, might not be the same.

As Son Bin looked at the small bead without saying a word, Sa Ja-hyeok suddenly spoke.

“If you don’t want to…”

Son Bin looked up at the voice.

Clatter, clatter.

The light passing outside the carriage brushed against Sa Ja-hyeok’s face. And his calm, deep eyes were looking at Son Bin as well. Suddenly, Son Bin thought that his eyes resembled someone else’s.

“You don’t have to go.”

Sa Ja-hyeok said. Son Bin gave a bitter smile.

“Don’t you think we’ve come too far to get off now?”

“There is no such thing as a path of no return.”

Sa Ja-hyeok said.

“That’s why the responsibility of the walker exists.”

It was as if he were talking to himself.

“I don’t know much about determinism.”

Son Bin said.

“I’ll go. I have to do my job.”

Sa Ja-hyeok listened to Son Bin’s answer in silence. Meanwhile, the carriage was already passing through the straight streets of Xi’an and heading out of the city.

∴

The carriage carrying the two stopped at a small lake not far from Xi’an. It was a desolate place with no sign of anyone, and all that could be seen was a small pavilion on the lake.

‘A lonely place.’

A thin moon shadow is reflected in the small lake. The only light around was a small lamp hanging on the lakeside pavilion, so the surroundings were not clearly visible.

Only the starry night sky was spread out amidst the splashing water.

“If you just keep my words in mind…”

Son Bin turned his head at Sa Ja-hyeok’s voice.

“There’s nothing to worry about.”

Sa Ja-hyeok said that and walked towards the lighted pavilion. Putting his hand inside his coat to check if he had received what he had been given earlier, Son Bin headed to the pavilion following Sa Ja-hyeok.

As he approached the pavilion, listening to the splashing water, he saw the shadow of a person standing with his hands behind his back, looking down at the lake. And next to him stood a slightly smaller shadow.

Thud, thud.

Sa Ja-hyeok stopped near the entrance of the pavilion. He could see the figures of two people standing under the lonely lamp.

One was a young man, holding a sword in his arms. His sharp eyes were directed at Son Bin and Sa Ja-hyeok.

The other was a man with a rather large build. He had his hands behind his back and was facing the lake, so only his back could be seen, but he was wearing a silk robe with elaborate patterns.

The appearance of the glittering ornaments on his wrists and fingers was as if a high-ranking official had come out for a night stroll.

Swish.

The man who had been looking at the lake slowly turned around. His glittering silk robe, woven with gold and silver threads, swayed softly under the lamp, and then fierce eyes, like those of a tiger, glared at Son Bin and Sa Ja-hyeok.

‘Ugh.’

Son Bin flinched without realizing it. The middle-aged man’s eyes were sharp and intense. A sense of tension, as if looking into the eyes of a tiger, flowed down his spine.

“It’s been a while.”

The man said in a heavy voice with a faint smile.

“I’m glad to see you again.”

“I’m glad too.”

Sa Ja-hyeok said. But there was not a trace of a smile on his face.

“That you are still a hypocrite who says and does different things.”

A smile spread across the face of the middle-aged man with the fierce impression of a tiger.

“Are you talking about the poison I’ve laid around? But that’s not me.”

‘Poison?’

If it was poison, it meant that poison had been spread. Son Bin looked down without realizing it. But there was only ordinary grass and soil under his feet, and nothing strange could be seen.

“Why would I do such a thing when I know it won’t work on you? Most poisons won’t even get near you. That’s this child’s childish work.”

He turned his head to look at the young man standing next to him.

“He’s quite skilled, but it won’t work on you.”

The eyes of the young man holding the sword in his arms shone sharply. If you exclude the fierce eyes, he was quite a handsome man with slender lines.

“Say hello. He’s my friend.”

The young man, who was looking at Sa Ja-hyeok with challenging eyes, bowed lightly.

“Nice to meet you. Please call me… Snow Sword.”

The young man’s voice was thin. But Son Bin felt uneasy for some reason. And the reason was…

“You still have the habit of shifting responsibility to others and trying to elevate yourself by belittling others.”

Sa Ja-hyeok said instead.

“I am Sa Ja-hyeok.”

Sa Ja-hyeok turned to look at the young man. Looking at the young man’s provocative eyes towards him, Sa Ja-hyeok smiled faintly.

“You have quite a lively look in your eyes.”

Snow Sword’s eyes twitched slightly. Sa Ja-hyeok said.

“But make sure you don’t mistake what you should be seeing.”

“Hahaha. Advice to a child he’s meeting for the first time.”

The middle-aged man laughed. He touched his well-groomed beard with his fingers and said.

“You’ve gotten old too.”

“A lot of time has passed.”

Sa Ja-hyeok said.

“But I am standing in front of you like this. As promised.”

“Promise? Ah, promise. Yes, you said that.”

The man nodded. And soon, a sneer appeared on his lips.

“When that lowly bitch was dying in your place. Thanks to that, my sword got dirty, so even now…”

He glanced at Snow Sword.

“I have this child carry it around.”

His gaze was directed at the sword that Snow Sword was holding.

“That’s the sword. The very sword that pierced that bitch back then.”

He said with a bitter smile.

Whoosh.

Son Bin felt a fiery force rising from Sa Ja-hyeok for a moment.

‘Wh, what…’

The moment he felt Sa Ja-hyeok’s hand move, the Great Sword Pawol [Sa Ja-hyeok’s sword] was already revealing its form. And as it was, Pawol was plunged vertically into the earth.

Thud!

A heavy reverberation arose. And then, a tremendous force arose from Pawol and spread in all directions.

Whoo-oong.

The force gently wrapped around Son Bin and flowed backwards like water. The moment Son Bin felt it, it was a tremendous heat. But it passed in an instant before he could even feel it properly.

‘Huh? This…’

Surprisingly, it didn’t feel like much. But Son Bin was the only one who felt that way.

The grass swept by the force all lay down towards the outside, and the dry leaves fluttered here and there. Moreover, the grass on the surrounding floor was turning yellow all at once.

“Hehehe.”

The middle-aged man laughed.

“You used to be able to drive away the poison with just your force, but now you have to borrow the power of Pawol, so you are…”

His tiger-like eyes flashed.

“Changed.”

“You haven’t changed.”

Sa Ja-hyeok said.

“Such obvious tactics of agitating the opponent with words and poisoning in the gap.”

A bitter smile spread across Sa Ja-hyeok’s lips.

“Don’t you think it’s too naive, no matter how much?”

The middle-aged man shrugged.

“The royal road never changes. It’s always effective.”

“That’s called a shallow trick. For example.”

Sa Ja-hyeok sneered and raised one hand. From his clenched fist, a thin smoke like incense rose.

Crackle.

When Sa Ja-hyeok opened his hand, black charred remains fell down.

“Like this phoenix needle that you just threw.”

“After overcoming a big crisis, you naturally become complacent, but I’m actually a little surprised.”

The man said in a calm tone.

“I wouldn’t have dared to try this with you in the past. You are…”

He smiled.

“Changed.”

The tiger-like man’s eyes seemed to pierce through Sa Ja-hyeok. And after a while, his big eyes moved slightly.

“But, who is that child?”

His gaze was directed at Son Bin.

“I am…”

It was when Son Bin was about to speak.

“He is the one who watches and records.”

Sa Ja-hyeok replied.

“The one who watches and records?”

The man frowned slightly.

“What does that mean?”

“It’s as it sounds.”

Sa Ja-hyeok said.

“He is the one who will watch my duel, write it down, and let the world know.”

“Hoo.”

The man’s eyes twinkled.

“That’s good. Why didn’t I think of that sooner?”

He nodded as if genuinely admiring.

“Snow Sword.”

“Yes.”

“Looking at it, he seems to be about the same age as you, doesn’t he? Since you are both young, you seem to have a lot in common.”

Son Bin turned his head to look at Snow Sword. Snow Sword also looked at Son Bin.

At that time, Son Bin clearly saw a thin sneer passing across Snow Sword’s lips. His face was handsome, but his character didn’t seem to be so.

“He is said to be the one who watches and records my friend’s duel, so his writing must also be the best of the time. But it doesn’t seem fair to entrust the record to him alone. So, Snow Sword.”

“Yes.”

“You write too.”