A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 279

279. Greed

That night, after Son Bin and Noh Gun returned to the academy, Dang Wol-ah watched over the five sleeping children.

Hong-ah, Cheong-ah, and Nok-ah, dressed in pajamas, were tangled together on the large bed. Hwe-ah and Hwang-ah, being boys, were given a separate large bed, but they were rolling around just as freely.

Rustle.

Dang Wol-ah stroked each of the sleeping children and carefully covered them with the blankets, though she knew they would kick them off again soon enough.

The faces of the children sleeping under the moonlight were peaceful and beautiful, like a painting. Dang Wol-ah gazed at them for a long time before quietly stepping outside, careful not to wake them.

Swoosh.

The outside was brightly lit by the moonlight. Sa Soo-yeon, who was sitting on the wide bamboo platform in Dang Wol-ah’s yard, turned to Dang Wol-ah and smiled gently.

Sa Soo-yeon’s smiling face under the moonlight was as beautiful as a fairy.

“Are the children asleep?”

Sa Soo-yeon asked.

“Yes.”

Swoosh, swoosh.

Dang Wol-ah quietly walked over and sat next to her.

“Really? They seemed to be playing just a moment ago. They fell asleep so quickly.”

When she usually saw the children playing, she wondered where they got all that energy.

Even when it was time for bed, they still wanted to play. But as soon as they started to doze off, they would fall asleep as if nothing had happened.

“They’re still children.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

Sa Soo-yeon smiled and looked up at the night sky. Dang Wol-ah’s gaze also turned to the night sky.

“It’s beautiful.”

Sa Soo-yeon said quietly.

The night sky above them was clear, without a single cloud. The moon illuminated the world with a soft light, and a vast river of stars flowed across the deep blue expanse.

“What were you thinking about?”

Dang Wol-ah suddenly asked. Sa Soo-yeon chuckled. They had agreed to speak comfortably, but Dang Wol-ah was still treating her like an older sister after winning the sparring match.

“You can speak comfortably. Me telling you to call me ‘sister’ was just…”

“You’re worried, aren’t you?”

Dang Wol-ah said, cutting off Sa Soo-yeon’s words. Sa Soo-yeon knew that she couldn’t deceive or gloss over it.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Dang Wol-ah asked. After hesitating for a moment, Sa Soo-yeon replied.

“Young Master Son is a kind and good person.”

“Yes.”

“And he’s a responsible person. He doesn’t think about saving the whole world, but he doesn’t turn a blind eye to those he can save.”

“And?”

“So…”

Sa Soo-yeon sighed softly.

“Sometimes I wonder if Young Master Son is looking at me out of a sense of responsibility.”

“Because of the cold energy?”

Son Bin had saved Sa Soo-yeon’s life. But as a result, Sa Soo-yeon would have to live with severe cold energy for the rest of her life.

Shin-ui [a divine physician] had already warned about this. No one knew what would happen to her if Son Bin wasn’t by her side.

“That too, but…”

After hesitating for a moment, Sa Soo-yeon bit her lip slightly and said.

“Because Father told him to take care of me.”

For a moment, both of them were silent.

Everyone knew how much Sa Ja-hyeok meant to Son Bin. And Son Bin never turned away from someone in need.

It wouldn’t be strange if Son Bin accepted Sa Soo-yeon to fulfill his responsibility and to keep Sa Ja-hyeok’s last request.

“Do you dislike that?”

“Well, it’s not that I dislike it, but…”

Sa Soo-yeon shook her head and gave a bitter smile.

“If he’s only looking at me out of a sense of responsibility… I think I’d be very sad.”

A moment of silence passed. The sound of crickets beyond the wall seemed particularly loud.

“I.”

Dang Wol-ah said quietly.

“Just thinking about Young Master Son makes my heart swell.”

Placing her small hand on her chest, Dang Wol-ah continued quietly.

“When I see him laughing, talking, and smiling, the world feels like a dream. Just the fact that Young Master Son is under the same sky as me makes the whole world look different.”

Dang Wol-ah looked up at Sa Soo-yeon.

“Even if Young Master Son never looks at me for the rest of my life, I don’t care. I just want him to be there. That’s all I want.”

It was highly unusual for Dang Wol-ah to speak this long. The intelligent Sa Soo-yeon realized what Dang Wol-ah was trying to say.

“Sister, isn’t that the same for you?”

At Dang Wol-ah’s question, Sa Soo-yeon smiled gently.

“I feel the same way. I’m really happy to see him happy with the children and smiling at me. So, I don’t need to be anxious about Young Master Son’s feelings, which I can’t control.”

Sa Soo-yeon looked at Dang Wol-ah’s silver eyes visible through the veil.

“Because just being by his side makes me happy.”

Dang Wol-ah nodded quietly. Then, she turned her head indifferently to look at the night sky, when she suddenly heard Sa Soo-yeon’s voice.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Dang Wol-ah replied in a calm voice. But Sa Soo-yeon’s words were not over yet.

“Don’t worry.”

“Yes?”

Dang Wol-ah looked at Sa Soo-yeon with puzzled eyes. Sa Soo-yeon said.

“I won’t be happy alone, leaving you behind.”

“…I’m already happy.”

Dang Wol-ah blinked and replied. Sa Soo-yeon smiled.

“Yes, I know. That’s why I’m grateful.”

Dang Wol-ah always covered herself with a veil. She seemed like someone cut off from the world, but Sa Soo-yeon knew. In fact, Dang Wol-ah was the kindest and most beautiful woman in the world.

Rustle.

Sa Soo-yeon reached out and took Dang Wol-ah’s small, white hand. And she looked at Dang Wol-ah with gentle eyes and said.

“But just as you know me, I know you too.”

Sa Soo-yeon did not miss the slight tremor in Dang Wol-ah’s silver eyes.

Perhaps no one in the world understood Dang Wol-ah as much as Sa Soo-yeon did.

She too had her life saved by Son Bin, and like Sa Soo-yeon, she was someone who had to live with poison for the rest of her life.

“So, you don’t have to worry.”

Dang Wol-ah turned her head away from Sa Soo-yeon’s gaze. But she did not shake off Sa Soo-yeon’s hand.

“But I won’t just give in. You know? This is a fight I can never back down from.”

Sa Soo-yeon said with a serious expression. But the soft warmth in her eyes could not be erased.

Dang Wol-ah, who was looking down, did not answer. Perhaps she couldn’t answer. Sa Soo-yeon, who was looking at Dang Wol-ah, suddenly raised her head and looked at the night sky.

Countless stars were shining brightly in the sky as if they were about to pour down. Sa Soo-yeon, unknowingly sighing, said.

“It’s really beautiful. Isn’t it?”

Dang Wol-ah also raised her head and looked at the sky. The moon filled the night sky, and the stars shone.

“Yes.”

Dang Wol-ah replied in a small, soft voice. Sa Soo-yeon, who was looking up at the night sky, suddenly turned to Dang Wol-ah.

“Oh, right.”

Sa Soo-yeon said to Dang Wol-ah, who was looking at her with puzzled eyes.

“I want to send a letter. Can I borrow the power of the Dang Family [a family known for their influence and resources]?”

“Where to?”

“A little far away.”

Dang Wol-ah could tell where Sa Soo-yeon was talking about.

“Are you talking about the Northern Sea?”

Sa Soo-yeon nodded.

“Now that I think about it, I’m a bad granddaughter who hasn’t even properly greeted my grandfather. Would that be okay?”

“Yes.”

Dang Wol-ah nodded. And she looked at Sa Soo-yeon and asked.

“Are you going to Mount Huang?”

“Yes.”

Sa Soo-yeon said with a lonely smile.

“There may be nothing left, but I still want to go.”

According to Son Bin, that might be where Sa Soo-yeon’s mother met her end.

“That’s a trap.”

“I know. But it doesn’t matter, does it?”

Sa Soo-yeon looked at Dang Wol-ah with shining eyes. It was the same look as the Empress of the Northern Sea.

“If it’s a trap, I’ll just break it.”

At her somewhat arrogant words, Dang Wol-ah bowed her head lightly to show her agreement. Sa Soo-yeon smiled slightly and stretched her arms up.

“Shall we go in? Somehow, I’m starting to feel like I was being silly worrying about it. And I need to brush your hair before bed.”

Dang Wol-ah nodded quietly. The two stood up from the platform where they had been sitting. And without either of them saying anything, they raised their heads and looked at the night sky.

Beyond the blue moonlight shining alone, the vast river of stars flowed proudly over their heads.

“Come to think of it, aren’t you going to call Hwa Sa ‘sister’? She seems to be looking forward to it a lot.”

The reason Hwa Sa wanted to be called ‘sister’ was because she wanted to have younger sisters like Sa Soo-yeon or Dang Wol-ah. There was no way Dang Wol-ah wouldn’t know that.

But Dang Wol-ah answered quietly, but firmly.

“I don’t want to.”

Sa Soo-yeon could only give an awkward smile at her words, which left no room for argument. It seemed that it would take a lot more time for the two to become close.

*

*

*

The first to move to find the hidden treasures of the Celestial Four Stars were the small and medium-sized sects located near Mount Huang.

They quickly took action to find the hidden treasures of the Celestial Four Stars hidden in Mount Huang, which was right nearby, though it wasn’t actually that close.

Thump.

“I can’t go in because of the weather! How can that make sense!”

Jang Woong-pyo, the leader of the Taepyung Sect, who was sitting in the old inn at the entrance of Mount Huang, slammed the table and shouted.

The innkeeper, who was watching, was worried that the table would break, but he didn’t have the courage to argue with a martial artist. The inner joy he had felt at the sudden influx of guests was now a thing of the past.

“But the weather is very bad right now. And the sun will be setting soon.”

A subordinate said with a stiff expression. But the sect leader didn’t hear it.

“How long has it been since we had lunch that the sun is already setting? Even if the sun sets early in the mountains, there’s still enough time to take a look around!”

“But…”

“Enough!”

Sect Leader Jang Woong-pyo cut off his subordinate’s words. He took a deep breath as if trying to calm his anger, and then said with a serious expression.

“I understand your concern. But think about it. If the Five Great Families or the Four Righteous Sects show up, do you think we’ll have a chance to step in?”

His words made sense. In fact, even if it wasn’t the Five Great Families or the Four Righteous Sects, but just a sect or family of a decent size, the Taepyung Sect wouldn’t be able to compete.

“We must seize the hidden treasures of the Celestial Four Stars now, before they arrive. And unlike them, we know Mount Huang well, don’t we?”

Even with the sect leader’s soothing words, the subordinate’s face didn’t brighten.

In fact, it wasn’t that they knew Mount Huang particularly well. They were just familiar with it because they were in a nearby small and medium-sized city. Mount Huang was still a wonder of nature that refused to be trodden by people.

“So isn’t it more dangerous? The weather in the mountains changes unexpectedly. And the clouds are so thick right now that it could rain at any moment.”

Perhaps because of the rugged mountain terrain, Mount Huang was foggy and rainy all year round. Because of this, even if you struggled to reach the summit, you would often only see thick fog.

Mount Huang fully revealed its appearance for only a few dozen days a year, and it was said to be a matter of heavenly luck to climb Mount Huang on a clear day.

“Ahem!”

Bang.

Sect Leader Jang Woong-pyo slammed the table hard.

“How can the warriors of the Taepyung Sect be afraid of fog and raindrops? Can you still call yourselves heroes if you do that?”

The subordinate couldn’t hide his bitter smile.

The Taepyung Sect had been committing many illegal acts. Of course, they had never openly extorted like the Demonic Sect, but it was hard to call them a Righteous Sect either.

They were restraining themselves because they were mindful of the government, but if it was a lucrative opportunity like now, the leader of the Taepyung Sect would not hesitate to get involved.

So the title of hero was perhaps the furthest word from them.

“Anyway, there’s no time! We have to find the hidden treasures before the Five Great Families or the Four Righteous Sects come!”

“But Sect Leader.”

The subordinate said with a stiff expression.

“Do you really believe such rumors and think that the Five Great Families will come here? And for the Four Righteous Sects to get involved in this kind of thing…”

“Tsk, you don’t know anything.”

Jang Woong-pyo sneered at his subordinate, pursing his lips.

“That guy named Wi Ga-jin of the Azure Wave Sword opened a new realm with just one sparring match. That hidden treasure of the Celestial Four Stars is in this Mount Huang. And the Four Righteous Sects? The Five Great Families and the Four Righteous Sects are all the same. They’re the kind of guys who rush in with their eyes wide open if it’s about profit.”

“But.”

“That’s enough.”

The sect leader no longer accepted his subordinate’s objections.

“Can’t you tell by the fact that other sects are moving busily? It doesn’t matter if we can’t find secret manuals or divine weapons. I’m not someone who wants treasures beyond my means.”

He lowered his voice as if afraid someone would hear him. Small and medium-sized sects with similar ideas were already gathering around Mount Huang.

“But it was said that Mount Huang has a huge amount of wealth hidden by the Celestial Four Stars. If we can get even a part of it, the Taepyung Sect will make a leap forward that day. Do you understand?”

The subordinate sighed softly.

The sect leader was acting as if he was a very sensible person. But why didn’t he realize that it was irrational to get involved in such a dangerous and suspicious matter?

But when you think about it, this might be the true nature of martial artists. The naked 모습들 [Korean: appearances] of pursuing power and wanting to rule over others, led by greed.

“There’s no need to say more. Hurry up and lead the disciples out. I’ll go to the Great Valley with the other disciples.”

Jang Woong-pyo stood up from his seat. The subordinate couldn’t hide his surprise. He never expected the sect leader to step forward himself.

“Are you going yourself?”

“Of course?”

Jang Woong-pyo, the leader of the Taepyung Sect, said, frowning.

“The one who eats first is the owner. So we have to move quickly. Well, whether we can properly digest what we eat is another story.”

The subordinate realized that he could no longer object. The sect leader was more than sincere.

“I understand.”

The subordinate said, bowing his head to receive the order.

“But please be careful. The mountain never allows carelessness.”

Jang Woong-pyo frowned.

“I know.”

As if he didn’t want to hear any more nagging, Jang Woong-pyo led seven disciples out of the inn.

The subordinate also led the remaining five disciples to the east of Mount Huang. And as that night fell, not a single member of the Taepyung Sect returned.

*

*

*

Splash.

A few days after the Taepyung Sect members disappeared without paying, the innkeeper at the entrance of Mount Huang inadvertently turned his head at the sound of someone entering, and screamed without realizing it.

“Aah!”

The owner’s scream filled the inn and instantly focused the attention of the martial artists.

“What’s wrong?”

“What happened?”

And they saw a martial artist in blood-soaked martial robes staggering into the inn.

“Ugh.”

The sight was so terrible that even the martial artists groaned.

The hair was disheveled and messy, and the martial robes were covered in dark red blood. The wounds where the sword had passed through the torn clothes revealed the horrific sight.

“Th-that guy is…”

Someone among the martial artists managed to recognize him.

“Jang Woong-pyo, the leader of the Taepyung Sect!”

“Keu-heu-heu.”

Hearing his name, the blood-soaked man laughed like a groan. But the laughter didn’t last long. He staggered with his sword drawn and fell forward.

Thump, crash.

At the same time as he fell, something the size of a child’s fist poured out in all directions. It was gold ingots made of gold. Jang Woong-pyo’s bulging front was full of gold ingots stained with blood.

Greed flickered in the eyes of the innkeeper and all the martial artists. Tension filled the surroundings in an instant.

“Ahem.”

The person who stood up with a dry cough was Wang Jeol, the leader of the Noya Sect near Mount Huang. He was the most skilled person in the inn, and there were many Noya Sect disciples here, so it was a natural thing.

“Take care of the injured first. You guys clean these up.”

At his command, the Noya Sect disciples quickly picked up the scattered gold ingots. Some of them had rolled quite far, so the disciples had a hard time searching the floor. The fact that people weren’t cooperating at all added to their work.

Meanwhile, Wang Jeol, the leader of the Noya Sect, approached Jang Woong-pyo, the leader of the fallen Taepyung Sect, and examined his wounds.

‘This is bad.’

It was a terrible sword wound. And it seemed like he had been bleeding for quite some time, so at a glance, Jang Woong-pyo’s life wouldn’t last long.

Wang Jeol quickly tapped several of Jang Woong-pyo’s blood points [pressure points used in martial arts to control blood flow and energy].

Pow.

“Keo-heok.”

Jang Woong-pyo spat out blood and regained consciousness.

“Hey, Sect Leader Jang. Are you awake?”

“Wh-who…”

Jang Woong-pyo couldn’t focus his eyes.

“It’s me, Wang Jeol of the Noya Sect.”

“Wang, Wang Jeol…”

He didn’t recognize Wang Jeol well, as if his mind was wandering. Well, he had only seen him a few times, so he might not remember him even if he was sane.

Stumbling, Jang Woong-pyo soon smiled broadly.

“I, I found it. I…”

Greed shone in Wang Jeol’s eyes, and the people in the inn held their breath.

“Found? What are you talking about?”

“The hidden treasures… the Celestial Four Stars’… cough, hidden treasures. Keu-heuk-heuk.”

At that moment, Wang Jeol realized his mistake. Instead of doing this here, he should have moved Jang Woong-pyo to a separate room earlier. Weren’t all the martial artists in the inn now watching and listening to Jang Woong-pyo?

‘Tsk.’

Wang Jeol regretted it, but it was already too late. If he tried to listen to Jang Woong-pyo’s words alone here, they would all turn into enemies in an instant.

“Where did you find it? Where is that place?”

“I, I…”

Jang Woong-pyo couldn’t continue speaking as if his consciousness was fading.

Wang Jeol mercilessly struck Jang Woong-pyo’s vital points. It was a dangerous thing that could threaten his life, but Jang Woong-pyo wouldn’t live long anyway.

Was it because of the strong stimulation? Jang Woong-pyo, who was losing consciousness, opened his eyes. Wang Jeol said loudly so that everyone could hear.

“Tell me. Where did you find the hidden treasures of the Celestial Four Stars?”

“Keu-heuk-heuk, cough.”

Jang Woong-pyo coughed up blood while laughing. And the words he spat out were not an answer to Wang Jeol’s question.

“I don’t need the supreme divine arts or the divine weapons. This is enough for me. Because there are mountains… mountains of them there anyway. Keu-heuk, keu-heuk-heuk-heuk-keu.”

His laughter gradually subsided. And soon his life was extinguished as well.

“Damn it.”

Wang Jeol had a frustrated expression because he didn’t get the important answer.

However, he could clearly feel that his words and the gold ingots still rolling on the floor were causing the greed of those in the inn to burn like wildfire.

The next day, the opponent Jang Woong-pyo had fought a bloody battle with was found dead in a nearby valley. The bodies of the Taepyung Sect warriors were also the same. It seemed that the two sects had fought each other.

But no one cared about it anymore.

The handful of gold ingots that Jang Woong-pyo, the leader of the Taepyung Sect, who was only a small and medium-sized sect, had brought out. The rumor about that gold, which was only a small part of the hidden treasures of the Celestial Four Stars, was spreading like an epidemic throughout the world.