A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 33

33. The Ferocious Dragon Crosses the River (2)

Sasuyeon didn’t respond to Okryong’s words, which were hard to tell whether they were praise or mockery. No, she couldn’t.

“Haa, haa.”

Sasuyeon composed her ragged breathing. It was almost a miracle that she had survived between her sword and the vortex of death created by Okryong’s energy. If she had misjudged even for a moment, she would have disappeared without a trace.

Swish.

Sasuyeon raised her sword. Her shoulders were still shaking, but her eyes were still shining.

“Let him go.”

Okryong smiled.

“So, you want to protect this man. But you shouldn’t.”

A cold energy began to flow from the hand on Sonbin’s head. Sonbin tried not to show it, but he couldn’t help but pale.

“The more the young lady does that, the more significant he becomes, and the more dangerous he becomes. Someone you want to protect is just an easy weakness. If you really want to protect this man…”

Rustle.

Okryong lightly stroked Sonbin’s head. Sonbin felt goosebumps all over.

“You shouldn’t even flinch. Even if one of this man’s arms is cut off, you should act as if it has nothing to do with you.”

Okryong casually raised his hand.

“That’s how you can protect him. Just like I did.”

Swish.

Sasuyeon clearly saw his eyes turning murderous. He was really going to cut off Sonbin’s arm. And Sasuyeon could never do as he said.

“No!”

At the same time as she shouted, Sasuyeon threw herself at Okryong.

Whoosh.

Her blue sword rushed towards Okryong’s arm. But Okryong was faster.

“Hmph.”

With a light smile, Okryong’s hand moved lightly.

Bang!

In an instant, Sonbin felt his body being thrown forward violently. Okryong had thrown Sonbin with just a light gesture, like throwing a stone.

Boom.

‘Ugh.’

The world turned upside down, and Sonbin’s vision spun dizzily. An empty and unpleasant feeling of floating in the air assailed Sonbin.

‘Ugh.’

Sasuyeon bit her lip. The direction Sonbin was thrown was exactly where Sasuyeon’s sword was flying. Sasuyeon immediately retracted her sword and twisted her body lightly in the air.

Whir.

Thud!

At the same time as he collided with something soft, Sonbin felt a strong force grabbing him.

Thump.

Sasuyeon, who had caught Sonbin, landed on the ground. Only then did Sonbin realize that Sasuyeon had caught him.

“Are you okay?”

Sasuyeon asked, gently putting Sonbin down. He still felt dizzy, but Sonbin tried to answer as if he was okay. No, he was about to answer.

“I, I’m fine…”

Sasuyeon’s arms were still around Sonbin’s waist. Sonbin struggled to get away from Sasuyeon.

Wobble.

Sonbin’s legs trembled. Sasuyeon tried to support him again, but Sonbin raised his hand to stop her.

“No. More than that…”

Sonbin raised his eyes. A slender, handsome man with snow-white clothes, hiding his face behind a transparent green fan, was looking at them. With a soft yet chilling gaze.

Swish.

Sasuyeon stood in front of Sonbin, shielding him. Her sword pointed straight at Okryong.

“No skill, no sense, and no learning ability…”

Okryong sighed and lightly shook his head.

“His name is wasted on him.”

It was a clear mockery of Sasuyeon. Sasuyeon only hardened her face and said nothing. It was Sonbin who answered.

“Other people’s opinions… are always like that.”

Sonbin said, straightening his disheveled clothes. Finding dirt on various parts of his clothes, Sonbin frowned slightly and reached out to brush it off.

Tap.

“At first, you want to hear someone’s impressions. You wonder what it was like.”

Sonbin raised his head.

“If you get praised, you feel good, but if you hear a bad review, you want to argue. You want to protest that it’s not true. But as time passes, you eventually realize.”

Sonbin smiled at Sasuyeon.

“No one takes responsibility for you. You can accept it and change, or you can ignore it altogether, but in the end, you have to walk your own path.”

Okryong frowned slightly. An unpleasant light was evident in his eyes.

“This is a little advice from a senior who has suffered from reviews for a long time to a young lady who is hearing her first review.”

Sonbin said, looking straight at Okryong.

‘It’s okay. Stay calm.’

Sonbin muttered inwardly. He was putting strength in his eyes and pretending to be brave, but in fact, he wanted to lower his eyes right away. But he couldn’t just remain silent.

It was a sword wielded by a young lady who had never been properly taught and was now seeing the world for the first time. The Okryong Yeokrin Cut she had performed, she had only seen it a few times. It was absurd to give her the Lion’s Fury and tell her to complete it, but Okryong was being too harsh.

No, it was not just harsh, it was even absurd. And wasn’t it too much to even mention her father’s name?

The moment Sonbin heard Okryong’s evaluation of Sasuyeon, something welled up in his chest. So he couldn’t remain silent.

‘It’s okay. Maybe soon…’

There was another reason why Sonbin could speak so boldly to Okryong. And that was, in fact, the biggest reason.

“You…”

It was the moment when Okryong was about to say something in an unpleasant voice.

“That’s right.”

Thud.

A heavy voice was heard. And everyone’s eyes turned to the darkness at once.

“One’s own path is the one they must walk.”

Thud, thud.

A man appeared from the darkness. A large physique with a huge black greatsword hanging behind his back. It was Sajahyuk.

“Because no one takes responsibility for you.”

Thump.

Sajahyuk stopped. Looking at Okryong with his intense eyes, Sajahyuk said.

“It’s been a while.”

“Yes, it’s been a while.”

Okryong replied.

“I thought you’d be waiting in Seolsan [Snow Mountain], but I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“It’s not that surprising.”

Rustle.

Okryong said, lightly waving his fan. A faint smile appeared on his hardened face.

“How many times have I changed my mind?”

“Yes. Not just once or twice.”

Sajahyuk said.

“But I still can’t understand. Why you…”

“Stop.”

Okryong cut off Sajahyuk’s words.

“Are you getting old? Or have you suddenly become sentimental now that you have your sworn enemy in front of you? We’re not the kind of people who can talk like this anymore, are we?”

Sajahyuk met Okryong’s sharp gaze with silence.

“That’s right.”

With Sajahyuk’s answer, energy slowly began to rise from his body.

“Not anymore.”

“Hmph. You still have that impatient temper.”

Flap.

Okryong pointed his fan at Sajahyuk. Sasuyeon and Sonbin flinched. But Sajahyuk’s energy didn’t change at all.

“Come to Seolsan.”

Okryong said.

“I’ll give you what you want most.”

Sajahyuk chuckled.

“What I want doesn’t exist in this world anymore.”

“Well, is that really so? I still think there’s a lot. For example…”

Sonbin saw Okryong’s eyes shining sharply.

‘Ah.’

There was no time to think. The moment he realized it, Sonbin was already pushing Sasuyeon aside.

Whoosh.

Thud!

A strong energy brushed past Sonbin’s nose. And Okryong’s laughter was heard.

“Hehehe. Look.”

His laughter couldn’t hide his joy.

“It was right in front of you. What you’ll want most when you lose it.”

Okryong looked at Sajahyuk and laughed.

Sajahyuk’s Wave Cutter was already in his hand, emitting a blue aura. And the traces that Wave Cutter had made on the ground deeply divided Okryong and Sasuyeon. Sajahyuk was even moved by Okryong’s false energy aimed at Sasuyeon.

Step.

Quietly, Okryong took a step back.

“Come to Seolsan. I’ll be waiting there. And you…”

Okryong’s cold gaze turned to Sasuyeon, then moved to Sonbin. Okryong’s eyes smiled mockingly.

“You too.”

Step.

Okryong took another step back. His figure slowly began to melt into the darkness.

“It won’t be easy. And I won’t wait long either.”

“It’s not difficult.”

Sajahyuk said.

“And it won’t take long either.”

Sajahyuk’s eyes, staring straight at the fading Okryong, were heavily sunken.

“Hehe.”

Okryong, whose laughter was now faint, said in a whisper.

“I’ll be waiting.”

With his voice disappearing on the breeze, his figure also disappeared, like a small candle being extinguished. Sajahyuk silently stared at the place where he had disappeared.

“Is he gone?”

Sonbin asked in a tense voice. In fact, it seemed certain that he had disappeared even without asking. But the fear and shock he gave were so great that he had to confirm it again.

“He’s gone.”

Sajahyuk nodded and answered. And he turned to look at Sasuyeon.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m okay.”

Sasuyeon bit her lip and answered briefly, then sheathed her sword.

Whir.

But her disheveled hair and severely torn clothes were at a level that could not be said to be okay. There were also quite a few small wounds exposed through the torn clothes.

“Young miss. This…”

Sonbin took off his coat and handed it to Sasuyeon. Sasuyeon, who was about to decline, looked at her appearance, sighed slightly, and accepted Sonbin’s coat.

“Thank you.”

Sonbin noticed that her outstretched arm was trembling slightly. He wanted to put it on her himself, but Sasuyeon probably wouldn’t accept it.

Flap.

Sasuyeon draped Sonbin’s coat over her shoulders.

“I’ll go in first.”

Her words were directed at Sonbin. Without saying anything to Sajahyuk, Sasuyeon turned and walked away.

Step, step.

Listening to her resolute footsteps, Sonbin looked at Sajahyuk. But Sajahyuk was just looking at the night sky, holding the black greatsword Wave Cutter in one hand.

“I’ll go help for a moment.”

“No need to come.”

Sajahyuk said.

“I’ll be going in soon too.”

He said that, but Sajahyuk didn’t seem likely to leave that spot easily. Anyway, Sonbin hurried towards Sasuyeon.

Tap tap tap.

It seemed like she had just left, but Sasuyeon was quite far away. Almost running, Sonbin was able to get next to her.

Step, step.

“I was nothing.”

She said, spitting it out.

“The martial artists I’ve met since coming into the world were all the same. The people called ‘late bloomers’ and the heirs of prestigious orthodox sects weren’t that great either. So I must have been thinking that way without realizing it, that I was good enough, that there weren’t many great people in the world. But the reality is…”

Still looking ahead, Sasuyeon bit her lip.

“I couldn’t do anything, really anything. How much I had been indulging in ridiculous arrogance…”

Her voice faded. Sonbin glanced at Sasuyeon’s face. Her eyes were moist. Biting her lip and blinking was to prevent tears from flowing.

“Will you give up?”

Thump.

Sasuyeon stopped walking. And she turned to look at Sonbin with sharp eyes. But Sonbin said without any concern.

“If you’re going to give up, the answer is simple. Pack your bags and…”

“I won’t give up.”

Sasuyeon said, gritting her teeth.

“Absolutely, I won’t give up.”

Sonbin smiled.

“Then you already know what you have to do.”

Sasuyeon was silent for a moment. And after a while, she answered.

“Yes.”

Sasuyeon said, looking straight at Sonbin. Her eyes, which had been shaking for a moment, were shining again.

“I already know.”

Swish.

Sonbin put his hands together and bowed politely to Sasuyeon. Sasuyeon made a puzzled expression at Sonbin’s sudden bow.

“Thank you. If it weren’t for you, young miss, I probably wouldn’t have survived.”

Sasuyeon gave a bitter smile.

“If it weren’t for me, young master, you wouldn’t have had such a thing happen to you, would you?”

“But even in that situation, you didn’t abandon me. Perhaps if it were someone else, or most people, they would have run away to save their own lives. If that were the situation.”

“Run away…”

Sasuyeon repeated Sonbin’s words as if she was serious.

“There was such a method.”

Sasuyeon’s appearance, muttering to herself, was serious.

“But that’s impossible. The only way to survive from him was to move forward.”

Sasuyeon raised her head and said with a serious expression. Sonbin smiled bitterly without realizing it.

“I’m just a scholar, but…”

Sonbin said.

“If you need my help, I’ll be happy to help you anytime.”

“Thank you.”

Sasuyeon smiled. And she moved her feet towards the inn again. Her steps were lighter than before, and she definitely had more composure.

‘First of all, I need to get some clothes.’