A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 30

30. Ambush on the Official Road (2)

By the time Sohn Bin returned to the inn, most of the breakfast service was over.

The aroma of food within the inn stirred Sohn Bin’s appetite, but he first went to his room to wash up and neaten his clothes. Then, he packed his luggage and went down to the dining hall to quickly eat breakfast.

Just as Sohn Bin finished his meal and was refilling his teacup, Saja Hyuk and Sasu Yeon came downstairs. Sohn Bin, who was filling his teacup, took a sip of tea with a slightly regretful expression and stood up.

Clink.

As Sohn Bin stood, he suddenly met Saja Hyuk’s gaze. Saja Hyuk stopped walking and stared intently at Sohn Bin. His unique, intense gaze was fixed on Sohn Bin.

“What’s wrong?” Sohn Bin asked.

“Did you happen to meet someone this morning?”

“I didn’t meet anyone,” Sohn Bin replied, puzzled. He hadn’t met anyone. He might have passed people, but that was all.

“Strange,” Saja Hyuk said, slightly frowning.

“Just now, I sensed a fragrance on you…”

‘Fragrance?’ Sohn Bin tilted his head.

“Isn’t it the scent of tea? I don’t have any fragrance pouches, and I didn’t meet anyone this morning…”

Sohn Bin suddenly realized that Sasu Yeon was also looking at him with sharp eyes.

“I don’t have any…” His voice trailed off, perhaps because he was self-conscious under her gaze.

Sasu Yeon, who had been observing Sohn Bin, turned to Saja Hyuk and said, “I don’t sense anything.”

“You wouldn’t,” Saja Hyuk said. “Because it’s a fragrance that doesn’t exist in this world.”

Both Sasu Yeon and Sohn Bin looked momentarily bewildered. Saja Hyuk’s words were unexpected. What did he mean by a fragrance that didn’t exist in the world?

“What does that…”

“No, it’s nothing,” Saja Hyuk said, cutting off Sasu Yeon’s words. “I must be mistaken.”

Thud, thud.

Saja Hyuk walked straight out of the inn. Sasu Yeon glanced at Sohn Bin again, but she couldn’t detect anything unusual, especially not a unique fragrance.

“Let’s go,” Sasu Yeon said, and followed Saja Hyuk out of the inn.

“Ah, yes,” Sohn Bin replied, but he didn’t move immediately. After confirming that Sasu Yeon had left the inn, Sohn Bin unconsciously raised his sleeve to check for any scent.

But there was no fragrance. There wasn’t even a strange smell.

‘Does that man ever make mistakes?’ Tilting his head, Sohn Bin followed the two out of the inn.

Clatter, clatter.

The carriage sped along the straight official road. Immediately after leaving the inn, he was nervous that someone might block their path again, but nothing happened.

Thanks to this, Sohn Bin’s gaze turned to the passing scenery of Yunnan, and then to Sasu Yeon sitting next to him.

He was thinking that her hair, slightly fluttering in the breeze, was beautiful when Sasu Yeon suddenly spoke.

“This place is beautiful.”

“Ahem, ah, yes,” Sohn Bin said, startled, and cleared his throat.

“The climate is mild, and it seems more prosperous than I thought,” Sasu Yeon said, unable to take her eyes off the passing scenery of Yunnan. As she said, the scenery of Yunnan was exotic and beautiful.

“But it’s a place to be careful of,” Sohn Bin said with a wry smile.

“This place has been the land of ethnic minorities for generations. They have a long history and traditions that we don’t know. There are things that we cannot understand, and that are naturally, sometimes even sacredly, accepted here.”

“Things we cannot understand?” Sasu Yeon also gave a bitter smile. She couldn’t help but agree with Sohn Bin’s point. Just the things the group was currently experiencing were like that.

“What you say is correct, Master Sohn,” Sasu Yeon replied, lightly smoothing her hair that was fluttering in the wind. “They probably have a long history and precious traditions that we don’t know. But I…”

In the meantime, the running carriage got closer to the people walking ahead. Those who were walking ahead with their backs to the carriage moved to the side of the road as the carriage approached from behind.

They were people commonly seen on the official road, at least until the moment the carriage was about to pass them.

Whoosh.

As they seemed to move to the side of the road, they turned and lunged at Saja Hyuk with sharp daggers.

It was a sudden ambush, but the horsewhip in Saja Hyuk’s hand was already slashing through the air as if he had anticipated it.

Crack!

Peeping.

With a sharp sound that seemed to tear the air, the daggers lost their direction and bounced away.

“Kugh.”

Some of the daggers returned to those who had thrown them. With groans, they collapsed forward, and those who were aiming bows from all directions revealed themselves.

Fwing, fwi-fwi-fwing!

With the sound of cutting through the wind, sharp arrows rained down on the carriage.

“Duck down,” Sasu Yeon’s slender hand ruthlessly pressed down on Sohn Bin’s head along with a quiet voice. As she rose in the carriage, Sasu Yeon drew her sword.

Whoo-oong.

Swish.

As her sword, emitting a blue aura, cut through the air, the arrows flying towards Sohn Bin and Sasu Yeon were instantly neutralized.

Clatter, clatter.

In the meantime, the carriage did not slow down. However, the official road was blocked. A fairly thick tree had fallen across the road.

The tree, fallen at about waist height, blocked the official road in a way that the carriage had no choice but to stop. It was clear that it had not fallen naturally.

“The road is blocked!” Sohn Bin shouted. But Saja Hyuk had no intention of stopping the carriage.

Saja Hyuk grabbed the reins and whip with one hand, and then stood up from his seat and took out his greatsword, Paewol, with the other.

The carriage was shaking violently, but he skillfully took a stance as if he were standing on solid ground.

Whoo-oong.

Saja Hyuk’s Paewol began to emit a low 울음 [ulmeum, a mournful cry or hum]. Saja Hyuk raised Paewol from the ground towards the sky.

Whoo-oong.

Kwa-gwa-gwak!

The momentum created by the greatsword Paewol began to carve a large scar on the official road. The force didn’t subside and shot forward, directly hitting the fallen tree.

Kwaang!

As if by magic, the center of the tree burst and shattered. And the carriage bounced off the shattered pieces of wood and sped forward.

Thud!

The carriage shook violently, but it did not fall over or stop. Arrows were still flying from behind, but the number was rapidly decreasing.

Sreung.

Saja Hyuk sheathed Paewol and grabbed the reins and whip again.

Peiing.

Crack.

The whip once again cut through the air, knocking away the arrows as if it were alive. And no more arrows flew.

Sohn Bin cautiously tried to raise his head, but Sasu Yeon’s hand was still pressing down strongly.

“Miss Sasu…”

“Is it over?” Sasu Yeon asked Saja Hyuk.

“Probably.”

“But somehow, it doesn’t feel right,” Sasu Yeon frowned as she looked back.

“It’s so different from the previous assassins or Oh Joon. What are they thinking?”

Clatter, clatter.

Saja Hyuk did not answer.

“Does it mean that they only intend to stain the road red, but have no intention of stopping us?”

“Who knows,” Saja Hyuk replied.

“No one can understand Ok Ryong’s thoughts. The only thing that is certain is that this is just another one of his games.”

“If it’s this bad even on the official road, wouldn’t it be worse in cities or castles?” Sasu Yeon said, still frowning.

“We are not going to cities or castles,” Saja Hyuk said.

“If we’re not going to cities or castles…” Sohn Bin asked with a bewildered expression.

“Where are we going?”

“The place where he is waiting for me,” Saja Hyuk replied.

“Ok Ryong Snow Mountain.”

‘Snow Mountain?’ Sohn Bin suddenly recalled that the man he had met at the entrance of Yunnan was wearing snow-white clothes. Was that also a message to Saja Hyuk?

“It’s a high and rugged place.”

If it was a snow mountain in the climate of Yunnan, it would be a high mountain with perpetual snow. It was a place he had never seen before, and an environment he had never experienced. Sohn Bin felt a subtle sense of anticipation and, at the same time, a vague sense of unease.

“Will you be alright?”

“I’ll be alright,” Saja Hyuk said.

“But, it won’t be easy,” Sasu Yeon said with a stiff face. But Saja Hyuk did not answer.

Sreung.

Sasu Yeon sheathed her sword and sat down. No more arrows were flying, and there was no sign of an attack.

Clatter, clatter.

The carriage sped along the official road. Sohn Bin looked back again, but there was nothing to be seen anymore. As if the attack had been a figment of his imagination.

‘Hoo.’

Sohn Bin sighed inwardly. The carriage was still speeding along the official road, and Ok Ryong Snow Mountain was getting closer.

***

The group arrived at an inn around evening. After finishing dinner, Saja Hyuk went up to his room without a word.

Sohn Bin was also about to go up to his room, but seeing Sasu Yeon silently holding a teacup, he refilled her empty teacup with tea.

Pouring.

A subtle fragrance rose as the hot tea was poured. Sohn Bin, savoring the unique fragrance, suddenly raised his head and saw Sasu Yeon turning her head and looking somewhere.

‘Huh?’

Sohn Bin also turned his gaze following hers. But all he saw was the ordinary interior of the inn. Guests of the inn were going up and down the rather large stairs leading to the upper floor.

Sohn Bin, who had not found anything, turned his head back to Sasu Yeon, and their eyes met.

‘Ah.’

Sohn Bin gave an awkward smile at Sasu Yeon’s gaze, and she opened her mouth.

“Master Sohn,” Sasu Yeon said, looking straight at Sohn Bin. Her expression seemed a little dark.

“You are someone who watches and records, that’s what you said.”

“Ah, yes,” Sohn Bin knew what she was talking about. It was probably Saja Hyuk’s description of him.

‘Someone who watches and records.’

Sohn Bin gave a bitter smile. Saying it like that makes it sound like he has a very important position.

Like the historians of the imperial palace. In reality, he is just a failed scholar.

“Well, it’s not that grand.”

“Since when have you been traveling with my father?”

“Since right after I met Miss Sasu.”

“Have you seen my father’s sparring?”

“Yes. Well, yes.”

Sohn Bin smiled wryly and raised his teacup. He had seen not only the sparring but also the training of the Hyeoncheon Martial Arts [a fictional martial art]. Every night, every day, without fail.

Thanks to that, he would automatically wake up in the middle of the night. He had heard so much about the secrets of Hyeoncheon that he could even write down the Hyeoncheon Grand Canon [a fictional text detailing the principles of the Hyeoncheon Martial Arts].

“I’ve seen everything.”

Sasu Yeon hesitated for a moment without saying anything. She bit her lip slightly, then raised her head and asked Sohn Bin.

“Will it be okay?”

“Yes?” Sohn Bin asked back, but he soon understood what she was worried about.

“It’ll be okay,” Sohn Bin smiled.

“I can’t even imagine your father being defeated.”

He couldn’t even imagine it. Since entering Yunnan, Sohn Bin had not been overwhelmed by fear even while experiencing the madness of a man named Ok Ryong.

That was because Saja Hyuk was standing right next to him. Saja Hyuk would not lose.

“It may be a little difficult, but he will eventually win. Because that’s the kind of person he is.”

Sasu Yeon gave a bitter smile.

“Is that so?”

Sasu Yeon quietly brought the teacup to her lips. Sohn Bin’s words did not seem to be of much comfort, but Sasu Yeon’s expression as she lowered the teacup seemed much lighter.

“Did he ever talk about my mother?” Sasu Yeon asked.

‘Mother?’

Sasu Yeon’s mother would be Saja Hyuk’s wife.

‘Saja Hyuk was married.’

Sohn Bin inadvertently thought that. It somehow didn’t seem to fit that someone like Saja Hyuk would get married and have a family. But soon Sohn Bin let out a hollow laugh.

‘Well, that’s why he has a daughter.’

He had a daughter like Sasu Yeon because he was married. Of course, adopting a daughter was not uncommon, but looking at Saja Hyuk and Sasu Yeon, he couldn’t think that way.

The two seemed completely different in appearance, but their atmosphere and personality were exactly the same. Especially their intense eyes.

“He didn’t say anything…”

“No, he wouldn’t,” Sasu Yeon answered before Sohn Bin could finish speaking.

“Just the fact that he has a companion is unbelievable.”

Her point was accurate. In fact, all Sohn Bin had heard was about the secrets of Hyeoncheon, and he had not heard anything about other family members. It was only a few days ago that he learned that Sasu Yeon was his daughter.

“Haa.”

Sasu Yeon let out a small sigh.

Clink.

Standing up from her seat, Sasu Yeon bowed politely to Sohn Bin.

“Thank you. Then.”

“Ah, Miss Sasu.”

Sasu Yeon, who was about to leave, turned her head and looked down at Sohn Bin.

“Did you perhaps… complete the Okryong Yeokrin Sword [a fictional sword technique]?”

Sasu Yeon’s eyes sparkled.

“Why are you asking that?”

“No, just…” Sohn Bin scratched his head and gave an ambiguous answer. Sasu Yeon smiled slightly.

“If you want to know, you can watch me train.”

At her words, Sohn Bin’s eyes widened.

“Can I really watch?”

Sasu Yeon tilted her head, and then said as if she had suddenly remembered.

“Ah, come to think of it, was it forbidden to watch others train?”

Sohn Bin’s eyes instantly filled with disappointment. He was really curious about how the next part of the One Second Half Stance [a fictional martial arts stance] was connected.

“But it doesn’t matter,” Sasu Yeon said.

“Martial arts taboos have nothing to do with me, and anyway, you’re someone who watches my father train.”

Smiling slightly, Sasu Yeon said, “Then, shall we go?”

‘Now?’

Sohn Bin had a puzzled expression.

“No, won’t your father be training tonight anyway? At that time…”

“That won’t work,” Sasu Yeon said.

“I told you? It’s forbidden for me.”

‘Ah.’

Sohn Bin remembered that she had said that.

“And you never know. Someone might come tonight too.”

That was true. Sohn Bin agreed with her words and stood up from his seat.

Clink.

“Then, I’ll be in your care.”

“You’re welcome.”

After bowing lightly, Sasu Yeon turned and headed out of the inn. After reconfirming that she had a book and brush in her arms, Sohn Bin hurriedly followed her.