A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 27

27. Yunnan’s Five Prodigies

At the next inn, the group was thankfully able to eat without incident. However, the inn was farther away than expected, so it was already after sunset when they arrived.

Saja Hyuk said nothing, but Son Bin tried to avoid touching anything if possible.

He cautiously tasted the food before slowly starting to eat. But nothing strange happened, and by the end of the meal, Son Bin stopped worrying.

The tea from Yunnan, with its unique aroma and flavor, and in fact the pride and origin of tea, suited Son Bin’s taste quite well. He relieved the fatigue of the journey with a cup of tea, and the group returned to their respective rooms.

Perhaps due to the fatigue of the continuous carriage travel and the surprising events that had occurred one after another since entering Yunnan, Son Bin fell asleep earlier than usual. And as always, he woke up in the middle of the night.

‘Hmm. Instead of waiting like this, should I go and find him first?’

Son Bin, who had been tidying his clothes and waiting for Saja Hyuk, was about to leave his room when—

Clack.

Son Bin discovered an unexpected face.

“Ah, Miss Suyeon.”

He greeted her with a feeling of unexpected pleasure, but Sasu Yeon’s face slightly stiffened.

“It may seem strange, but I would appreciate it if you called me Miss Sa.”

Was it because it was late at night? Her voice was low. Son Bin, realizing his mistake, lightly bowed his head.

“I apologize. I will do so.”

“There’s no need to apologize. If we’re being strict, it’s my fault for not properly introducing myself at the beginning.”

Sasu Yeon politely bent at the waist to show her respect.

“I am Sasu Yeon. Thank you for accompanying my father.”

“I am Son Bin.”

Son Bin returned her greeting.

“Thank you for showing kindness in a difficult time.”

A faint smile appeared on Sasu Yeon’s lips.

“Are you aware?”

“Yes?”

When Son Bin looked at her with a puzzled expression, Sasu Yeon said,

“That you’ve said ‘thank you’ for the fourth time already.”

“Ah, that’s….”

Son Bin was momentarily flustered, but Sasu Yeon lightly lowered her head.

“I accept your gratitude, young master. So, please don’t say thank you anymore.”

“Ah, yes. Thank….”

“That’s the fifth time, isn’t it?”

At her smiling words, Son Bin quickly shut his mouth. Instead, he politely returned her greeting once more.

“But, what brings you here at this late hour, Miss?”

Son Bin asked, finally remembering.

“He summoned me.”

Sasu Yeon replied. Her face stiffened again. It seemed Saja Hyuk had called for her.

“Perhaps he intends to show you his training.”

“Training?”

Sasu Yeon’s brow furrowed slightly.

“That can’t be. My father has strictly forbidden me from ever watching him train.”

Sasu Yeon added, with a face full of dissatisfaction.

“Ever since I was seven years old.”

‘Seven years old?’

Seven years old was still a young child. Could there be a reason to prevent her from seeing his training since then?

‘Was it because he was afraid she would get hurt?’

Son Bin shrugged, thinking that, contrary to his gruff demeanor, Saja Hyuk might be very fond of his daughter.

“Anyway, let’s go.”

Leaving the quiet inn behind, Son Bin and Sasu Yeon stepped outside. The night scenery of Yunnan under the moonlight greeted them.

Swish, swish.

The sound of grass being flattened under Sasu Yeon’s feet could be heard. The usual sounds of insects felt unusually loud, and the calls of nocturnal birds sounded very close.

But even louder than that was the sound of Son Bin’s own heartbeat. It was pounding so hard that he had to consciously control his breathing.

Slowly, deeply, and rhythmically. Then, Son Bin suddenly thought.

‘Wait, instead of this, shouldn’t I say something….’

“Ah, I….”

Son Bin’s attempt to say something was cut short by Sasu Yeon’s words.

“He’s over there.”

Saja Hyuk was standing a short distance from the inn, with his hands behind his back, exuding his unique, intense presence under the fragmented moonlight.

The sight of his massive black sword, Pa Wol, hanging on his back, felt new again.

“Ah, yes.”

Son Bin replied in a slightly disappointed voice.

“I have been waiting.”

Saja Hyuk said in his unique, weighty voice.

‘Oh dear. Did I talk for too long at the inn?’

Son Bin was inwardly taken aback and was about to reply when Saja Hyuk continued.

“They are here.”

Saja Hyuk’s gaze was directed elsewhere. Son Bin also inadvertently looked in that direction, but all he saw were trees and shadows of the forest.

‘There’s nothing….’

Just as Son Bin thought that, he suddenly felt that this situation was somehow familiar.

‘Could it be.’

Rustle.

Sure enough. A figure appeared from where there was clearly no one.

“So the Hidden Hundred Assassins failed.”

A sharp voice was heard. And a young man appeared.

He was a young man with sharp eyes, short hair, and wearing red martial attire. The red spear he held in one hand gleamed in the moonlight.

“Indeed, they were up against a worthy opponent.”

Thud!

“Hmph. Assassins are only fearsome for their stealth; their individual martial skills are nothing to fear.”

With a heavy sound, another man appeared. He was a giant of a man, with a physique that seemed even larger than Saja Hyuk’s; one might even call him a giant.

He had a large axe that seemed sickening to look at slung over his shoulder, befitting his physique. He grinned at Saja Hyuk.

“Smaller than I thought? Quite puny.”

Snap.

“And doesn’t seem as impressive as I expected.”

It was a woman’s voice that was heard. A woman with a white band tied around her head and wearing white martial attire, appearing as if her eyes were closed, appeared.

She was holding a sword close to her chest, which felt somehow familiar to Son Bin.

“Can’t even compare to Jade Dragon.”

Thud.

“Who could compare to that person?”

A low voice said. The owner of the voice was a man dressed like a nobleman. If seen elsewhere, one would have thought he was a young master of a noble family rather than a martial artist. He was such a neat and tidy man.

He had one hand behind his back and lightly fanned himself with a white fan in the other, covering his mouth. The pure white sword hanging at his waist was particularly distinct.

“More than that, I’m annoyed that all five of us, the Yunnan Five, have to come out for just one person like this.”

“Who decided we’re the Yunnan Five?”

The young man in red martial attire who had appeared first said with a displeased expression.

“I’ve never been grouped with you guys. It’s just that Jade Dragon called us together.”

“Right. And you should stop imitating the Jade Dragon, which doesn’t suit you at all.”

The woman said to the nobleman-like man in a sharp voice. The giant man with the large physique echoed her words.

“Hmph. I’m the one who’s annoyed. How dare a loafer like you be one of the Yunnan Five… Ugh!”

The eyes of the man who was speaking widened, and his large physique immediately lowered its stance. And at the same time, the giant axe cut through the air with a sharp whistling sound.

Whoosh.

His giant axe accurately struck the invisible force that was flying towards him. Soon after, an explosion erupted.

Kaboom!

Fallen leaves scattered, and tree branches swayed. The giant man who had blocked the force glared and spat out as if chewing his words.

“How dare you, you bitch….”

“Don’t speak carelessly in front of your elders.”

A clear woman’s voice echoed.

“Weren’t you taught that by your parents?”

Buzz.

Holding a sword that emitted a low humming sound, Sasu Yeon spoke. A blue aura was rippling from her sword, which was pointed towards the ground.

“Miss.”

The man with the fan said with a relaxed smile.

“This isn’t a place for a beautiful person like you to be….”

Swish.

Sasu Yeon’s sword, rippling with a blue aura, pointed straight at the nobleman-like man.

“If you have something to say.”

Sasu Yeon said.

“How about clashing directly with your own sword? Stop gossiping like girls.”

Crack.

Although there was no sound, it seemed as if a vein was bulging on the man’s forehead.

“Your group is inviting danger….”

The nobleman-like man’s words were directed at Saja Hyuk.

“Is it alright to leave them like that?”

“Since when.”

Saja Hyuk said with an indifferent, or even bored, expression.

“Has a martial artist ever asked permission from someone other than their own sword? Ask your sword that.”

Grind.

The nobleman-like man’s face slightly contorted.

“Puhahaha.”

The giant man with the large physique laughed, shaking his shoulders.

“Good, good. I really like those words. Then….”

Thud!

He slammed the giant axe into the ground. The ground seemed to vibrate faintly under his feet, as if the weight was tremendous.

“I’ll correct this rude bitch’s manners.”

“Impressive.”

Sasu Yeon said. The giant man with the large physique smiled.

“Hmm. Now you recognize how impressive I am….”

“How can you say such trashy things with your own mouth? Just listening to it makes me….”

Sasu Yeon shook her head.

“It feels like my ears are rotting.”

His large eyebrows twitched.

“You bitch!”

Whoosh.

A faint aura began to form from his axe, emitting a low humming sound.

“I’ll give you a big lesson today. I won’t show any mercy just because you’re a girl.”

“At least.”

Sasu Yeon said. And she extended her sword straight towards the giant man.

“I like that one thing.”

Thud, thud!

The giant man with the large physique raised his axe and charged towards Sasu Yeon. The ground seemed to shake just from the force of his charge.

It was Son Bin who was taken aback by the sudden momentum. Seeing that large figure rushing towards Sasu Yeon, he was filled with worry.

“Miss Sa….”

It was the moment Son Bin was about to call out to her in a hurried voice.

[Be quiet.]

A low voice was heard in Son Bin’s ear. It was Saja Hyuk’s voice.

A voice that he had heard before, as if whispering right next to him.

[Watch.]

“Iyaaaah!”

With a tremendous shout, the giant axe began to scatter a chilling aura.

Facing the imminent force that seemed as if it would fall on the frail Sasu Yeon at any moment, Sasu Yeon was faintly smiling.

Whoosh.

The giant axe, scattering a blue aura, plunged down towards Sasu Yeon. And Sasu Yeon, with just a slight twist of her body, evaded its trajectory.

Thud!

The giant axe crashed into the empty ground with a dull roar. But even the result of that was not insignificant.

Kaboom!

With a tremendous impact, the earth burst out as if it had been turned inside out. As if something had exploded from underground, the ground where the giant axe had collided burst upwards, scattering soil and sand dust that instantly obscured the surrounding view.

Crumble!

‘Gasp!’

Son Bin, who was watching, felt his whole body shaking. Reflexively lowering his body and examining the ground, he realized that it was not the earth that was shaking, but himself.

That giant axe had not only struck the earth with powerful force, but it seemed to contain a tremendous amount of energy.

‘If it’s this much from this distance….’

In an instant, worry for Sasu Yeon overwhelmed Son Bin. If he, who was far away, was losing his balance, how much greater would be the impact on Sasu Yeon, who was nearby?

“Miss…!”

In that moment, as he quickly raised his head, Son Bin clearly saw it.

In the place where the scattered soil and sand dust obscured the view, he glimpsed Sasu Yeon’s figure, and the giant axe was relentlessly bearing down on her. And through the dust, Sasu Yeon’s sword was still scattering a blue aura.

Kaboom!

A sharp impact sound followed. With that force, the soil and sand dust disappeared as if swept away by the wind.

Sasu Yeon, as expected, seemed unable to completely escape the initial impact, and her stance was disrupted, but she was still staring straight at her opponent.

Towards such Sasu Yeon, the giant axe flashed its sharp edge and came crashing down.

Whoosh!

“This is the end, you bitch!”

The giant man grinned with a sinister smile.

If Sasu Yeon blocked it, it was a force that would cut her, along with her sword, in two. Considering that his previous strike had shaken the earth, it was clear that it would.

At that moment, Sasu Yeon’s sword emitted a sharp aura and drew a straight line in the air. A very short, sharp line.

Ching!

A short impact sound rang out. As if the previous loud explosions were a lie. Son Bin unknowingly muttered blankly.

“Miss….”

Buzz.

The giant axe was scattering a chilling aura right above Sasu Yeon’s head.

It seemed as if it would fall on Sasu Yeon’s crown at any moment, but the axe could no longer move.

Because the tip of Sasu Yeon’s sword, overflowing with a blue aura, was precisely touching the neck of the axe, where the blade and handle connected.

“Keuheuhe.”

The giant man holding the axe smiled sinisterly.

“Not bad, girl. To break my Earth Shattering Strike in this way….”

Drip.

A stream of red blood flowed from the man’s mouth.

“I never imagined it would be broken like this….”

The giant man could no longer continue speaking.

Whoosh.

Sasu Yeon withdrew her sword. But the giant axe did not move, as if nailed in mid-air.

Swoosh.

The aura that had been rippling from his giant axe disappeared as if a candle had been extinguished. And the head of the giant axe, separated from the handle, slowly began to tilt downwards.

Swish.

Sasu Yeon lightly moved her steps.

The giant axe head fell to the ground beside her. And now, the giant man who had been holding only the handle also collapsed to the side as if crumbling.

Thud!

The gazes of the Yunnan Five turned to Sasu Yeon.

The young man with the spear, the woman in white martial attire, and the nobleman-like man all sent sharp gazes towards Sasu Yeon.

Meeting those gazes, which were no longer light or arrogant, Sasu Yeon said quietly.

“One.”