A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 25

Reunion

The Gentleman’s Sword couldn’t hide his disappointment. In contrast, the Iron Sword smiled, promising another meeting.

Thus, Saja Hyuk and Son Bin, having bid farewell to the two, left Akyang in the carriage provided by the Gentleman’s Sword.

Clatter, clatter.

“Pyeong-eun, it seems we shouldn’t be so careless,” Son Bin said with a sigh. Saja Hyuk stared at Son Bin inquisitively.

“Especially when it concerns another person’s sword.”

“There’s no need to discuss others’ martial arts,” Saja Hyuk replied.

“We can just clash directly.”

Son Bin gave a wry smile.

“Aren’t scholars different?”

“At the academy, we occasionally have gatherings where we present and critique each other’s poetry. You really have to be prepared for that.”

Son Bin shook his head.

“They mercilessly criticize every word, every character. It feels like your heart is being torn to shreds. Some people even retreat to their hometowns because of the shock.”

“Is that so?” Saja Hyuk showed interest. Son Bin continued,

“Some people can’t even write their own poetry well, but they’re exceptionally harsh and witty when criticizing others’ work. Martial artists respect and admire each other, but I don’t understand why scholars are so eager to tear each other down.”

“Do you admire anyone?”

“Well, most of the scholars these days are all the same, so not really…”

“Hmph.” Saja Hyuk chuckled.

“You’re a scholar too.”

Son Bin’s face flushed red.

“No, that’s not what I meant…”

“A martial artist,” Saja Hyuk said,

“bets everything on a single sword. When an opponent’s sword comes rushing towards you, what in the world can block that blade? At that moment, everything else becomes meaningless. And life becomes extremely simple.”

Turning his gaze out the window, Saja Hyuk spoke as if to himself.

“Extremely.”

What was he looking at? Son Bin couldn’t even imagine.

So, with very careful movements, Son Bin quietly took out his book and brush.

***

To enter Yunnan from Akyang, one had to pass through Guizhou Province. Guizhou Province had a completely different atmosphere, giving the feeling of entering a foreign land.

The only regret was that they were just passing through. Still, the exotic atmosphere of the different inns they stayed at each night somewhat soothed Son Bin’s disappointment.

“Tomorrow, we’ll enter Yunnan,” Son Bin said, sipping tea after finishing dinner. However, Saja Hyuk was silently staring at his teacup. The tea at the inn was also a unique type, conveying a different feeling.

‘Hmm?’

Son Bin sensed that Saja Hyuk seemed a bit tense. Although he didn’t show it at all.

‘There’s no reason to be tense, is there?’

It wasn’t the feeling of facing a life-or-death battle. It certainly wasn’t because of the unique aroma of the tea, either.

But he was definitely tense. Son Bin asked cautiously in a low voice,

“Is something the matter?”

“Why do you ask?” Saja Hyuk asked, lifting his teacup.

“You seem a little tense…”

Saja Hyuk’s hand, which had been lifting the teacup, stopped. He gave a bitter smile.

“To think it was noticeable to you, how pathetic.”

“No, it wasn’t that I noticed, it was just a feeling…”

Saja Hyuk’s expression hadn’t changed. His eyes were still intense and full of pressure. But somehow, the feeling was slightly off.

“Soon…” That was the moment Saja Hyuk spoke.

Clatter.

The beaded curtain at the entrance of the inn, strung together like a screen, made a sound. Someone had entered.

Normally, they wouldn’t have cared who entered. But this time was different. Because Saja Hyuk turned his head to look.

And Son Bin, who had inadvertently turned his head following Saja Hyuk, widened his eyes.

‘Oh!’

The person who had entered, pushing aside the curtain, looked straight at Son Bin and Saja Hyuk. And with a composed gait, she walked directly towards them.

Step, step.

Saja Hyuk leaned back leisurely in his chair. On the other hand, Son Bin still couldn’t erase his surprised expression.

He couldn’t tell if what he was seeing was a hallucination or a delusion.

Thud.

She stopped in front of the table. A familiar but distinct scent spread.

“Go back,” she said, looking down at Saja Hyuk.

“Father.”

“Going back…” Saja Hyuk said with a calm expression,

“Don’t you know it’s meaningless now? Daughter.”

She bit her lip slightly. Her red lips twisted.

“Let me introduce you,” Saja Hyuk said to Son Bin. Son Bin still had a surprised expression.

“My daughter, Saja Suyeon. Or, to you…”

Saja Hyuk chuckled.

“I should call her Kangha Suyeon.”

The person who had appeared was someone Son Bin already knew.

The very woman who had saved Son Bin in Wuhan, and whom he had passed by at the cottage in Chengdu, Kangha Suyeon, was standing before Son Bin.

Her beautiful eyebrows were slightly furrowed.

“It’s not too late yet.”

“Lies to deceive yourself are meaningless,” Saja Hyuk said.

“I know it, and you know it too. Even the earth knows, and the heavens know.”

Saja Hyuk said with a calm expression.

“It’s irreversible now. No, I will never reverse it.”

“Always…” Saja Suyeon’s lips trembled.

“You’re always like this. You are.”

“That’s me.” Saja Hyuk’s voice was cold.

Whirr.

Saja Suyeon turned around. And walked away without hesitation.

Thud, thud.

Clatter.

She left the inn. Only the swaying curtain seemed to indicate that she had been there.

Son Bin, who had been blankly staring, finally seemed to come to his senses and turned his head sharply to ask Saja Hyuk,

“She was your daughter? That… young lady?”

“Yes,” Saja Hyuk said.

“That child is also the one who follows me.”

‘No way…’

It was an unbelievable fact.

‘No, considering the age difference…’

He wondered if Saja Hyuk had such a grown daughter. It wasn’t that the young lady looked mature, so did that mean Saja Hyuk looked young?

Then suddenly, Son Bin’s thoughts reached the words Saja Hyuk had said earlier.

“No, more than that, how do you know?”

Saja Hyuk frowned slightly. It was a question of what he meant.

“I mean, you said Kangha Suyeon. That was at the Yellow Crane Tower in Wuhan…”

That’s what she had said when she saved him. Of course, Son Bin had never mentioned it. How did Saja Hyuk know that?

“I was there too.”

Son Bin’s mouth dropped open.

“I was going to step in, but that child sensed my presence and came up. Thanks to that, I saved some trouble. Although it would have been the same anyway.”

“Wh-where, no, when, how…”

Saja Hyuk frowned.

“Ask questions clearly, and one at a time. It was from when you went up to the Yellow Crane Tower, and I was just standing on the roof of the tower. As for how… it’s not very difficult for me.”

Son Bin was dumbfounded.

‘He was standing on the roof of the high Yellow Crane Tower? No, well, if it’s Saja Hyuk, that’s to be expected…’

The image of Saja Hyuk standing calmly with his clothes fluttering in the wind was easily imaginable.

But from the time he went up to the Yellow Crane Tower? Then that meant it took him less than half a day to find him?

‘No? Come to think of it, that might be natural too…’

Recalling the image of Saja Hyuk he had seen so far, somehow that seemed natural too. Son Bin was so confused that he didn’t even know what to be surprised at anymore.

“Can I ask a question?” Son Bin said, trying to gather his bewildered feelings.

“Were you waiting for Suyeon Young Lady?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Saja Hyuk said with a calm expression,

“To catch a dragon, you need bait. They say you need a white horse as white as snow.”

Son Bin frowned.

“Is Suyeon Young Lady the bait?”

“No. She is the fishing line,” Saja Hyuk said.

“A strong fishing line to pull the Jade Dragon out of the water.”

‘Suyeon Young Lady?’

Son Bin was puzzled. How could Suyeon Young Lady be the fishing line?

‘Hmm? Then…’

“Then the bait is…”

Saja Hyuk said, lifting his teacup,

“Me.”

A faint smile hung on his face.

“The best bait. Even if they know it’s a trap, they can’t help but bite.”

Saja Hyuk slowly drank the tea as if savoring it.

“Um, Suyeon Young Lady went out, isn’t it okay not to follow her?”

“It’s okay,” Saja Hyuk said.

“If it’s that child, she will already be reading my thoughts. I’ll see her again tomorrow morning.”

“What do you mean it’s meaningless to go back?”

Saja Hyuk was silent for a moment.

He smiled faintly. It was a slightly warm smile.

“Soon,” Saja Hyuk replied, lifting his teacup.

“You will know.”

***

Son Bin met Saja Suyeon again when he left the inn the next morning. Saja Suyeon was standing next to the carriage waiting for Son Bin and Saja Hyuk.

“I’ll go too,” Saja Suyeon said. It was a quiet, cold voice.

“Get in,” Saja Hyuk replied in a calm voice. And the three of them got into the carriage.

Clatter, clatter.

An awkward tension flowed inside the carriage with the three of them.

They were so close that they could reach out and touch each other, but they avoided each other’s gaze. Eventually, Son Bin was the first to speak.

“Ah, um, Suyeon Young Lady. I…”

“I know,” Saja Suyeon said. Her voice was still cold.

“I thought I was doing you a favor, but it seems I only showed you a ridiculous sight.”

Son Bin was puzzled by her cold reaction.

“What…”

“He didn’t know,” Saja Hyuk said.

“It was after the Yellow Crane Tower that he came to accompany me, and it was only yesterday that he learned that you were my daughter. So, it is not right to direct your anger at him.”

Saja Suyeon’s eyes trembled slightly. She looked straight at Saja Hyuk and said,

“My anger cannot be directed at anyone. This isn’t anger, it’s…”

Saja Hyuk turned his head to avoid her gaze. It was the first time Son Bin had seen Saja Hyuk turn his eyes away.

He had seen many people afraid of meeting his gaze, but never this.

“I’m sorry.” Suddenly, Saja Suyeon’s voice was heard. She bowed her head to Son Bin.

“I thought Young Master Son was making fun of me with my father. I apologize for my rudeness.”

Son Bin could understand why her voice was cold.

She must have thought that he was using the alias Kangha Suyeon to someone who knew she was Saja Suyeon. In fact, how embarrassing would that be?

“Ah, no, it’s okay,” Son Bin replied politely to her.

“Thank you again for your help.”

Saja Suyeon smiled faintly.

“You’re still the same,” she said.

Her smile was truly beautiful. Son Bin cleared his throat and averted his gaze without realizing it.

It was the moment Saja Suyeon was looking at Son Bin with a questioning look.

Clunk.

The carriage stopped.

“Whoa, whoa.” The coachman’s urgent voice was heard.

“What’s going on?” Son Bin asked, looking out the window.

“Well, that’s…”

Click.

Saja Hyuk opened the door and got out of the carriage.

Son Bin was puzzled by Saja Hyuk’s unusual behavior, but he followed him out of the carriage. And he saw a very strange sight.

‘Huh?’

A man dressed neatly in snow-white clothes was kneeling in the middle of the road. On the white cloth spread neatly in front of him were two small swords.

Swish.

The man, who had been closing his eyes and bowing his head, slowly raised his head.

“Are you the owner of Pawol [likely refers to a specific sword or martial arts style]?” The man’s eyes asking the question were so sharp that they were eerie.

“That’s right,” Saja Hyuk replied in a calm voice.

Swish.

The man in white reached out and grabbed the two small swords in his hands. The blades of the small swords gleamed, as if they were sharply honed.

Clang.

The man stretched out his two hands holding the small swords and crossed the blades.

“The Jade Dragon told me to convey this,” the man said.

“Dear friend. I am overjoyed that you have come to visit me in person like this. With a piece of red heart, I will try to dye your path [an idiom meaning to stain or corrupt someone’s path].”

In an instant, his eyes flashed.

“Just like this.”

Whoosh.

Without the slightest hesitation, the man unhesitatingly stabbed the small swords towards his own neck.

The moment the two sharp blades were about to pierce the man’s neck, a dull sound echoed softly.

Thud!

The blades of the small swords cut through empty air. With his neck bent back, the man was slowly collapsing.

“If you want to take your own life, I have no intention of stopping you. But,” said Saja Hyuk. A hand lightly extended forward indicated that he had flicked something away.

In a dry voice devoid of any emotion, Saja Hyuk said,

“I cannot tolerate anyone arbitrarily defiling my path.”

Thump.

The man fell backward.

“Let’s go.” Saja Hyuk said to the coachman as he turned and got into the carriage.

The coachman had a flustered expression. Because the man was lying in the middle of the road.

The coachman carefully approached the fallen man. Then he let out a sigh of relief. It seemed he wasn’t dead. The coachman moved the fallen man to the side of the road. He threw the sharp small swords far away, covered the white cloth like a blanket, and then returned to the carriage.

Clatter, clatter.

The carriage began to move again.

The exotic and beautiful mountains of Yunnan were unfolding outside the window, but no one was looking at the scenery.