A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 264

264. The Person I Met in Hangzhou (2)

To travel from Cheongwon to Hangzhou, the usual route is north along the main road, then taking a boat on the Yangtze River. Son Bin and his group were also guiding their carriage along this main road heading north.

“So, there’s tension between Namchang and Hapbi right now. It’s because of the Gongsun and Namgung families’ war of nerves. And to top it off, the relationship between the Zhuge and Gongsun families has become strained, causing trouble for the sects in Nanjing.”

At the Yangtze River Fisherman’s words, Shinui nodded in agreement.

“Indeed, Nanjing has suffered a lot of humiliation throughout history. Geographically, it’s where the north and south meet, so conflicts never cease.”

“That’s what makes it such an important place. Wasn’t it the capital of six dynasties?”

“But all six dynasties failed to last a hundred years, didn’t they? And their ends weren’t good.”

Shinui and the Yangtze River Fisherman’s conversation was gradually turning into a historical reflection.

While Son Bin was listening with interest, Old Gun suddenly muttered from behind.

“Nanjing… They had delicious duck there.”

Shinui frowned at Old Gun’s sudden interjection, but the Fisherman nodded in agreement.

“That’s true. But I think Peking duck is more delicious.”

“What are you talking about? Peking duck actually originated in Nanjing.”

Old Gun retorted, suddenly changing the topic to culinary culture.

“Tsk, food is just about eating well and staying healthy. What’s with this…”

As Shinui muttered, Old Gun and the Fisherman frowned simultaneously.

“Tsk, tsk, you ignorant doctor.”

“That’s not right. Historically, food is…”

Son Bin stepped in to mediate the suddenly chaotic conversation.

“Shall I buy you some?”

The three people’s gazes turned to Son Bin at the same time. Son Bin smiled and said.

“It’s been a while since we’ve come this far, so let’s eat something delicious.”

“But I wonder if there’s a place in Hangzhou that properly makes Nanjing duck dishes.”

Old Gun muttered. Son Bin calmly replied.

“If we take a boat on the Yangtze River, we’ll pass by Nanjing, so we can eat it then.”

“That would be good. If you’re buying, I’d be grateful. I’ll look forward to it.”

The Fisherman readily expressed his gratitude. Thanks to this, the three people’s conversation temporarily subsided.

“Um, could I hear more about the Kangbuk [North of the River] Murim [Martial Arts World] story from earlier?”

Son Bin asked the Fisherman. The reason Son Bin ended the conversation was precisely this.

Old Gun, the Fisherman, and Shinui’s conversations were endless, as if showing their life’s experience.

Not only did they easily branch off, but they also frequently engaged in in-depth conversations.

Listening to them was quite interesting. However, the problem was that if left as is, there was no telling how long it would take to return to the main topic.

“Ah, that’s right.”

The Fisherman finally recalled the original intention of his words.

“Right now, Kangbuk Murim is a mess because of that book, the ‘Hundred Inquests Record’.”

“Really? Kangnam [South of the River] doesn’t seem to be saying much about it.”

At Old Gun’s words, the Fisherman nodded with a satisfied expression.

“It’s truly a fortunate thing. The Namgung and Hyeokryun families are maintaining their positions as righteous sects. Recently, the power of the Blood Peak Union has been growing in Kangnam, but they’re keeping a clear distance from the evil sects, so we’ll keep an eye on them.”

The Fisherman, who was speaking, looked at Son Bin.

“I heard you helped out? If the evil sects had risen greatly in Kangnam, many people would have suffered. Thank you for stopping it.”

“It’s nothing. It’s thanks to the Blood Peak Union’s Geum Sa-ryeon young lady and the Namgung family working together.”

The Fisherman smiled contentedly at Son Bin’s modesty.

“Hehe, I knew I saw the right person.”

“The right person, my foot. Who was it that started a fight as soon as we met?”

Old Gun interjected. It was clear that the topic would stray again if left like this, so Son Bin quickly took the words.

“Is the situation in Kangbuk more serious than I thought?”

“Well, that’s…”

“It can’t help but be serious. There are too many so-called talented guys there in the first place.”

Old Gun answered instead of the Fisherman.

“They have a deep history and tradition. So, the history of discord is also long. They’re usually quiet, but if you throw in just one proper spark.”

Old Gun shrugged.

“It’ll burn up very brightly.”

The Fisherman couldn’t argue and gave a bitter smile. But there was still something Son Bin didn’t understand.

“I didn’t think the people from the Five Great Families recorded in the Hundred Inquests Record would directly step forward.”

“They didn’t directly step forward.”

The Fisherman replied.

“But the subordinates and the minor sects that carry the names of the families are different. If words spread that this side is better than that side, they’ll suffer great losses right away. And the families often stand by or secretly help. So, the tension between the small sects only increases.”

“It’s a problem that can’t be clearly resolved, so it’ll be even more so.”

The superiority between the families cannot be clearly defined, and the families themselves never step forward in such matters.

“I thought the Five Great Families wouldn’t move, but this is what’s happening.”

It was certainly unexpected. But Old Gun shrugged.

“But it doesn’t spread seriously. If it looks like things are getting too big, the families will settle it with appropriate concessions. In the end, the conclusion that the Five Great Families won’t be greatly affected is the same. From the Five Great Families’ point of view, it’s like watching other people fight.”

“The problem is that there are a lot of guys in the Five Great Families who don’t listen.”

The Fisherman added to Old Gun’s words.

“There’s always a possibility of unexpected conflicts.”

The Fisherman said as if predicting the future. Old Gun grumbled, ‘Those guys. Whatever,’ but Son Bin was uneasy.

“What if a serious conflict breaks out between the Five Great Families?”

The Fisherman’s expression hardened. He frowned and said with a serious expression.

“The reason why the current chaos is limited is because they believe that the Five Great Families will control the situation. If this matter turns into a full-scale conflict between the Five Great Families…”

The Fisherman paused for a moment and then continued in a low voice.

“The situation will become uncontrollable.”

“Uncontrollable, my foot.”

Old Gun scoffed and said.

“They’ll just fight to the death again. There are quite a few guys within the Five Great Families who secretly want that, you know?”

“Don’t talk nonsense!”

The Fisherman flared up.

“A fight between righteous sects! Such a thing must never happen!”

“What are you talking about? They’ve already done that before. Have you already forgotten the Five Great Families fighting each other like they were going to eat each other up?”

Old Gun shrugged and said, but the Fisherman’s face remained hardened and he didn’t answer. Old Gun clicked his tongue.

“I know you’re sincere, but there’s not a single righteous sect in the world that meets your standards. A guy with a sword is just a guy with a sword. Except for Bin.”

“That’s true.”

Shinui agreed. He also knew about the behavior of the so-called righteous Five Great Families.

“They’re all the same. Except for Bin.”

The Fisherman kept his mouth shut and didn’t loosen his frown. Son Bin gave an awkward smile, feeling like it was his fault.

“Um, it’s just a hypothetical situation, so you don’t have to worry too much.”

But the Fisherman’s mood didn’t improve. Thanks to this, an awkward atmosphere lingered in the carriage for a while.

*

*

*

Following the main road north, Son Bin and his party took a boat on the Yangtze River towards Hangzhou.

The Yangtze River Fisherman said he couldn’t feel the waves and disliked taking large boats, but he couldn’t overcome Old Gun’s insistence that they needed to carry the carriage.

Shinui also said with a serious expression, ‘I don’t like small boats anymore,’ siding with Old Gun. It seemed that his memories of riding a boat with the Fisherman in the past weren’t very good.

The journey down the Yangtze River on a large boat was leisurely and comfortable.

But the conversations of the merchants who were on board were quite different. They were the ones who were actually experiencing the tension in Kangbuk Murim firsthand.

“Have you heard? The Jo Family Manor in Gugang and the Blue Sword Sect in Anqing had a big fight?”

“No, why?”

“There was a tavern they had been eyeing each other for a while, and they happened to run into each other, which led to a big argument.”

“Oh, I heard that the Namgung Family is behind the Jo Family Manor, and the Blue Sword Sect is…”

“Close to the Gongsun Family.”

“I hope nothing big happens?”

“Would the Namgung or Gongsun Families get involved over just one tavern? But I’ve also heard that the Gongsun Family is sharpening their knives…”

The merchants looked around and lowered their voices.

“Anyway, be careful these days. It seems like there’s chaos between the sects everywhere. Last time, I heard that the Hwangbo Family and the Baekri Family had a big fight.”

“No, why the Hwangbo Family and the Baekri Family?”

“In some book, the head of the Baekri Family was rated higher than the head of the Hwangbo Family. And the Hwangbo Family has quite a temper, right? The Hwangbo Five Heroes completely wrecked the Baekri Family’s disciples… Ahem.”

The merchant, who was speaking, stopped abruptly after seeing the Fisherman. The Fisherman was looking at them with a fierce gaze.

“Do you know them?”

Son Bin asked. The Fisherman frowned and said in a low voice.

“The Hwangbo Family and the Baekri Family are both righteous sects. Although they can’t be compared to the Five Great Families, their names are by no means light. And they’re not the only sects where disputes are occurring.”

Even if they are lower in the Hundred Inquests Record, they are masters of sects that can never be ignored in Kangho Murim [Jianghu Martial World]. As Old Gun said, disputes were occurring among mid-sized sects.

“That wicked Hundred Inquests Record is disrupting Kangho.”

“That’s true, but if you think about it, it’s just an excuse.”

Old Gun, who was standing next to him, said.

“If there were no grudges or interests involved in the first place, why would they fight? Everyone has calculations. They know better than anyone else in the world that they have to step on their opponents to do as they please.”

But the Fisherman shook his head.

“It’s not just that. How can a martial artist vaguely endure insults? A spirit of rivalry can also be said to be natural. It’s just unfortunate that they don’t choose fair sparring as a method.”

“Fair sparring, my foot. If the head of the family or the sect were to be broken, how would they handle the consequences? So, the underlings fight each other instead.”

“That’s not right either. How can a disciple of a sect accept words that disparage their teacher? Their loyalty is not false either.”

Old Gun shook his head.

“Loyalty? Yeah, well, there might be some guys like that. But I’ve never seen one before?”

“I have. And don’t assume that all righteous sects are like that based on your personal experience.”

Old Gun and the Fisherman’s argument didn’t give an inch. Son Bin quietly stepped back and stood next to Shinui, who was leaning against the railing.

“Good choice.”

Shinui, who was looking at the riverside, smiled and said.

“There’s nothing more foolish than interfering in someone else’s fight, pretending to mediate. Besides, even if they fight like that, they’ll go back to normal as if nothing happened by tomorrow.”

Son Bin nodded. He had learned a lot through the carriage journey of the past few days.

That the elders are surprisingly talkative, that they often argue, and that they resolve themselves as if nothing happened if left alone, and so on.

“But you have to be careful.”

Shinui advised with a serious expression.

“Don’t mess with food and pride. If they get sulky about that, it’ll last a long time.”

Son Bin nodded. And he began to worry about what he should buy them for dinner tonight.

*

*

*

After tasting duck dishes in Nanjing, Son Bin and his party headed to Hangzhou by carriage. At every inn the party stopped at, rumors of tension and conflict between the sects were endless.

All of them were plausible rumors. As Old Gun said, the history of discord was as deep as the long history and tradition.

As they got closer to Hangzhou, they often heard talk of the Four Great Righteous Sects having to step forward, or the Murim Alliance [Martial Arts Alliance] having to play a role. That was because the Murim Alliance was located in Hangzhou.

“I’ll be out for a while.”

The Fisherman said as soon as he secured a room in a large inn in Hangzhou’s bustling street.

“I’ll be back by tomorrow evening, so don’t worry.”

After saying that to Son Bin, the Fisherman strode out. Judging from the atmosphere, it didn’t seem like he was going fishing.

“I’ll be out for a while too.”

Shinui also said to Son Bin.

“I need to check if the things I ordered from the apothecary here last time have arrived. There are also doctors I need to meet, so I’ll be back by tomorrow evening too.”

With the Fisherman and Shinui gone, the only people left were Old Gun and Son Bin.

“Perhaps Old Gun, you’re going out too?”

“How did you know?”

Son Bin gave an awkward smile.

“I just had a feeling you would.”

“I have to work.”

Old Gun said as if it were nothing.

“Rumors can’t be trusted. I’ll do some checking myself and see what the atmosphere is like in the Murim Alliance. I’ll be back by tonight, so don’t worry.”

“I understand.”

“If you’re bored, go to Yewon. She’ll be happy to see you.”

At Old Gun’s words, Son Bin recalled Hwayue, the owner of Hangzhou’s Yewon [a renowned courtesan house]. It felt like just yesterday that he had a seven-stringed zither duet with her. Moreover, Kang Rin and her younger sister Kang Min, who had taught Son Bin the seven-stringed zither, were also at Yewon.

“I’ll stop by later. Today, I’m just going to rest a bit and take a leisurely stroll.”

Hangzhou’s bustling street was quite familiar. He had stayed there for several days in the past.

“Hmm, well, do as you please.”

Old Gun, who was speaking, suddenly stared at Son Bin.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Hey, don’t go wandering around alone while I’m gone and get mugged by some thugs or something, okay? You know, sometimes there are guys like that. They have high levels of skill but no real combat experience, so they end up getting into embarrassing situations.”

Son Bin gave a bitter smile.

“I’m not at that level anymore.”

“Well, yeah.”

Old Gun nodded. In fact, few people had sparred with as many outer experts as Son Bin.

“So don’t worry. I’ll always walk on the main roads, and if anything happens, I’ll run away no matter what.”

Old Gun’s expression soured at Son Bin’s words. Son Bin smiled and said.

“I’m just kidding, just kidding.”

But Old Gun’s frown didn’t ease easily. Old Gun looked back at Son Bin several times with an unreliable expression before leaving the inn with reluctant steps.

*

*

*

Kyunghee’s expression in the carriage was not good. She was very unhappy with the slow and frustrating handling of the Murim Alliance.

“They still haven’t made a decision?”

At Kyunghee’s irritated question, her maid, Hang Ah, bowed respectfully and replied.

“Yes. Cheongrang Sword Wei Gong is urging the representatives of the Murim Alliance, but they keep repeating that nothing has been decided yet.”

Kyunghee frowned. Her beautiful eyebrows furrowed.

“It’s ridiculous. I didn’t know that so-called martial artists were so sluggish that they couldn’t even make a simple decision.”

Her maid, Hang Ah, who was sitting in front of her, replied in a low voice.

“It’s probably because they don’t actually have any authority.”

“That’s right.”

Kyunghee didn’t hide her blatant expression of contempt.

“They call themselves great heroes, but they can’t decide anything until they confirm the will of their superiors. They’re really an incompetent group.”

Her displeasure was not only because of the Murim Alliance. The failure of her attempt to discipline the Namgung Family had hurt Kyunghee’s pride quite a bit.

She pretended to be nothing in front of Cheonsu Sword Neung Cheon-hwa, but Hang Ah, who knew Kyunghee’s personality well, could tell how angry she was about this.

Of course, Kyunghee never showed it outwardly. She just didn’t forget to retaliate for it, even if it took years.

Clatter, clatter.

Kyunghee, who was speaking as if spitting out words, turned her head and looked out of the carriage. As dusk began to fall, the colorful lights of Hangzhou’s bustling street began to light up one by one.

That beautiful sight soothed Kyunghee’s heart a little, but her furrowed brow still didn’t ease.

It was the moment when the carriage, which had entered the bustling street, slowly turned its direction. Suddenly, the figure of one person came into Kyunghee’s view.

“Wait a minute.”

Kyunghee said to Hang Ah.

“Stop.”

The maid Hang Ah signaled the coachman, and the carriage immediately stopped on the side of the road.

Kyunghee got up from her seat, opened the door, and got out of the carriage. It was a sudden action, but Hang Ah quietly followed her.

Step, step.

Kyunghee walked a few steps towards the side the carriage had come from. The gazes of passersby gathered on her beauty and colorful attire.

But no one recognized Kyunghee. If they had known her identity, they would have bowed their heads immediately.

Thud.

Kyunghee stopped walking. And she confirmed that what she had seen was by no means a mistake.

It was then that ‘he’ looked back. He, who was distracted by the items in the store, turned his head as if he felt Kyunghee’s gaze.

“Ah.”

He had a surprised expression. He also recognized her at once. Kyunghee gave a faint smile.

“It’s been a while.”

Kyunghee said, her eyes shining. He, dressed as a scholar, smiled a little awkwardly and replied.

“Yes, it’s been a while.”

It was clearly not a courtesy befitting a princess. But Kyunghee didn’t care. He didn’t even know that she was a princess, and what she wanted to ask was something else.

“Where is ‘he’?”

Kyunghee asked directly. The young man also knew who ‘he’ was that she was talking about.

The young man hesitated for a moment.

In fact, the beauty in front of him was someone he didn’t even know the name of.

But a fleeting past relationship was reason enough to give her an answer.

“I don’t know.”

The young man looking at Kyunghee, Son Bin’s eyes were calm and serene.