A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 333

333. A Friend in Need

In her office, Dang Hwa-ryun sat face to face with Son Bin. She had intentionally excluded others, especially her younger sister Dang Wol-ah, knowing she wouldn’t be able to properly confront him with her present situation.

Click.

“Hoo.”

Setting down her teacup, Dang Hwa-ryun let out a soft sigh. With it, the deep furrows that had been etched between her brows eased slightly.

Son Bin was inwardly relieved when Dang Hwa-ryun suddenly spoke.

“…You’ve worked hard.”

“Pardon?”

Son Bin looked at Dang Hwa-ryun with a puzzled expression. The deep lines returned to Dang Hwa-ryun’s forehead.

“I’ve heard the general story. You even went to the Imperial Palace and put an end to the Heavenly Calamity Scheme, right? That’s why I said you’ve worked hard.”

“Ah, yes.”

Her tone was such that he couldn’t tell if she was questioning or thanking him. Son Bin nodded for the time being.

“However.”

Dang Hwa-ryun continued, a faint smile on her lips. But Son Bin could sense a chill in her voice.

“Why is Princess Kyunghee, the mastermind behind that Heavenly Calamity Scheme, with you?”

Son Bin had sent brief messages to those who had helped him and knew about the Heavenly Calamity Scheme. Naturally, Dang Hwa-ryun of the Dang Clan was included.

However, he had not written any specific or detailed information.

Only that the Emperor had changed his mind through a ‘political resolution,’ and that there was no need to worry about what would happen next.

So it was only natural that Dang Hwa-ryun would question Princess Kyunghee’s presence.

“Besides, I heard that Lady Kyunghee was adopted by Prince Sun and granted the title of princess before being sent off to the north as if she were being sold.”

That was something that was hardly known to the general public. But the Dang Clan’s intelligence network, and Dang Hwa-ryun, had not missed it.

This was clearly one of the results of Son Bin and the Emperor’s ‘political negotiation.’ The downfall of Lady Kyunghee, who had led the Heavenly Calamity Scheme, was a clear demonstration of the Emperor’s willingness to reconcile with the Jianghu Murim [the martial arts world].

“Could it be that you…”

Suddenly, Dang Hwa-ryun felt uneasy. As she knew all too well, this man had a tendency to be absurdly soft at crucial moments.

“You didn’t happen to take Princess Kyunghee away in the middle of all this, did you? No matter how great you are, you won’t be able to get away with that.”

Dang Hwa-ryun was serious. If that were the case, whether out of pure sympathy or another secret agreement with Princess Kyunghee, it could be a very big deal.

“Well, that’s not it…”

“It’s not?”

Son Bin was at a loss for words at Dang Hwa-ryun’s questioning with a frown.

To explain in detail, he would have to talk about the ‘Imperial Son-in-Law.’

But he didn’t want to talk about it if he could help it. It felt like the more people who knew about it, the more irreversible it would become.

However, Dang Hwa-ryun, who had inherited all the secrets and treasures of the family at a young age and held the reins of the Dang Clan, had a much sharper sense than Son Bin had anticipated.

“Wait, could it be…”

A sigh-like sound escaped Dang Hwa-ryun’s lips.

She looked as if she couldn’t believe it herself. But Son Bin’s awkward smile confirmed that her guess was correct.

“It was you? You’re the one he gave her to? Princess Kyunghee? The Emperor?”

It was absurd. But Dang Hwa-ryun’s brilliant mind was already clearly tracing the events.

In short, the Emperor had concluded a peace agreement by establishing a blood relationship with Son Bin. That was the whole story of the ‘political resolution’ that Son Bin had mentioned.

“That’s not true.”

Son Bin said with a straight face.

“This is just a political formality. It’s just a kind of symbol. It has no special meaning.”

However, Son Bin’s explanation would not work in front of the Dang Clan’s chief strategist, even if it might work for Sa Su-yeon or Dang Wol-ah, who didn’t know much about the world.

“No special meaning? Is that really the case? The nameless Imperial Son-in-Law of the North?”

Dang Hwa-ryun’s sarcasm was quite sharp. Son Bin quietly averted his gaze.

The existence of Princess Kyunghee was, in fact, a serious problem. There might not be any particular problems right now, but depending on the situation, it could bring a storm to the court or the Jianghu Murim.

However, she had been a sheltered flower in the closed-off Imperial Palace and was hardly known to the outside world, and the experts of the Outer World would not pay much attention to her.

He would have to avoid the gaze of the Murim Alliance’s leaders, though.

“Haa, to drag in such a troublesome problem.”

Dang Hwa-ryun sighed again, running a slender hand over her forehead. She clearly understood the meaning of Princess Kyunghee’s existence.

She had thought that the bizarre attempt called the Heavenly Calamity Scheme had simply failed, but now it had become a complex and enormous story involving the court and the northern tribes.

“How far are you going to make things difficult for me…”

“Speaking of problems,” Son Bin said with an extremely cautious expression.

“Would you be willing to take care of Princess Kyunghee for a while?”

Dang Hwa-ryun’s brow furrowed instantly. She had already heard this story from her younger sister, Dang Wol-ah. But she still didn’t like it.

“Why me? Why don’t you do it yourself, Imperial Son-in-Law?”

Dang Hwa-ryun said with a chilly expression. It was a natural reaction to suddenly being saddled with a problem.

Son Bin explained the reason as politely as possible.

“The others and I have to go stop the Heavenly Demon who opened the Gate of the Abyss.”

“…What?”

This time, even Dang Hwa-ryun couldn’t help but react that way.

Son Bin continued, looking genuinely apologetic.

“I’m thinking of going to the land of the Jang tribe in the west for now, but I may have to go as far as Tianzhu [ancient name for India] or Persia [ancient empire in modern-day Iran]. So I don’t think I’ll be able to return anytime soon…”

“No, wait a minute. What are you doing now?”

Son Bin was momentarily puzzled. Had he said something so difficult to understand?

“I’m going west. As far as I know, there’s an old road called the Chama Ancient Road that goes from here in Sichuan to the land of the Jang tribe in the west…”

“No, not that, the part before that!”

“Ah, that the Heavenly Demon opened the Gate of the Abyss? When I first heard it, I wondered what that was all about.”

Son Bin smiled as if he understood.

“But as he said, you have to go and see for yourself. He always gets straight to the point…”

Dang Hwa-ryun looked dumbfounded. Even she, who had a sharper and more brilliant mind than anyone else, couldn’t immediately accept what Son Bin had just said about the ‘Abyss’ and the ‘Heavenly Demon.’

Son Bin, who had been talking happily, quickly trailed off when he saw Dang Hwa-ryun’s unusual reaction.

“Well, that’s about it.”

Dang Hwa-ryun barely managed to regain her composure with superhuman patience.

She reached out and picked up her teacup. The soft fragrance gently soothed her seething heart.

After calming her mind with warm tea and a deep breath, Dang Hwa-ryun asked softly.

“…So that’s why the Martial Emperor of Hyeoncheon and the previous Jade Dragon are with you? To stop the Heavenly Demon who opened the Gate of the Abyss?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

Son Bin, who had unintentionally caused a huge problem, nodded with an apologetic expression.

But that shrinking figure was even more displeasing to Dang Hwa-ryun. What was it about this that made Son Bin look so apologetic?

“Hmph, the Outer Worlders playing in the clouds must be up to something strange again. It’s nothing new.”

Dang Hwa-ryun said with a confident expression, as if such things were nothing.

Wasn’t it common for this man to suddenly throw a serious problem at her?

“Then how did they, the Martial Emperor and the previous Jade Dragon, come back to life? Weren’t they buried in the snow mountains?”

“Ah, it seems to be some kind of great magic. The previous Jade Dragon said it was cheating death.”

‘Cheating death’ was an absurd explanation, but it was something that the previous Jade Dragon might be able to do.

Dang Hwa-ryun’s mind went cold as she thought of Sa Ja-hyeok and the previous Jade Dragon.

In fact, the reason Dang Hwa-ryun had met with Son Bin alone was to hear about them. Although she had gotten angry about Princess Kyunghee’s situation.

“What about the other experts of the Outer World? Why aren’t they going with you?”

Son Bin smiled gently.

“Everyone has their own circumstances. Besides, the Outer Worlders are such free spirits…”

“It’s not that, it’s that they don’t want to listen to anyone else’s orders.”

Click.

Dang Hwa-ryun put down her teacup.

“No matter how important the matter is, they would never accept being swayed by the words of the Martial Emperor and the previous Jade Dragon. A system created by those who cannot tolerate each other in order to avoid mutual destruction. That is the Outer World today.”

Those words revealed Dang Hwa-ryun’s view of the Outer World.

“Well, I don’t think that’s all there is to it…”

Still, the result was the same. In the end, only Son Bin and his party were moving.

From the beginning, it seemed that the Martial Emperor and the previous Jade Dragon had not expected anything more than that. The Blood Phoenix was a bit of an exception, though.

“Who knows about this? Does the entire Outer World know?”

Leaving aside the issues of the Heavenly Demon and the Abyss, the return of the Martial Emperor and the previous Jade Dragon alone was shocking news that could shake the Outer World.

It was only natural that Dang Hwa-ryun would ask. But Son Bin paused for a moment, caressing his teacup.

“I sent a brief letter to those who have helped me, but I don’t intend to make a big deal out of it. I don’t think he wants that either…”

‘He’ must be referring to Sa Ja-hyeok.

Dang Hwa-ryun nodded. The Outer World was such a place anyway.

“The Heavenly Demon who opened the Gate of the Abyss, that’s a dangerous thing, isn’t it?”

She knew that without even hearing it. But Dang Hwa-ryun’s eyes were serious as she asked. Son Bin also nodded with a solemn expression.

“Yes. Probably.”

“And you don’t know more than that?”

“That’s right. Nothing has been revealed yet.”

If there was any specific information about the Heavenly Demon or the Abyss, Son Bin would not have said ‘the Heavenly Demon opened the Gate of the Abyss.’

“Wol-ah…”

If it was Dang Wol-ah, the younger sister Dang Hwa-ryun knew, she would definitely be with Son Bin.

The worry about Dang Wol-ah soon became a soft sigh that escaped Dang Hwa-ryun’s lips.

When she thought about it, it was absurd for her to worry about Dang Wol-ah, who was an expert of the Outer World.

But to Dang Hwa-ryun, Dang Wol-ah was always just a small, weak, and gentle younger sister whom she had failed to protect.

“Will she be okay?”

“Even if she’s not okay,” Son Bin said quietly but firmly.

“I’ll make her okay.”

That was Son Bin’s clear expression of his intention to protect Dang Wol-ah.

Dang Hwa-ryun accepted those words.

“The road to the land of the Jang tribe in the west,” Dang Hwa-ryun continued quickly in a businesslike tone.

“It’s not that unfamiliar here. Of course, it’s a bit rough, but it won’t be a big problem for you. It won’t take long to prepare transportation and a guide.”

Dang Hwa-ryun smiled, a little hollow but gentle.

“So enjoy your rest to the fullest. I’ll take responsibility for protecting Princess Kyunghee and her party until you return.”

“Thank you, Miss Hwa-ryun.”

Dang Hwa-ryun’s brow furrowed.

“I’m just saying this in case, but if you make Wol-ah sad or something happens to her,” a chill settled in Dang Hwa-ryun’s shining eyes.

“You’d better be prepared for the consequences. Got it?”

What could happen to Dang Wol-ah? Her Iron Prison was a technique that even Old Lord was impressed with, and her Wol-ah Poison Art alone was enough to stand up to Hwasa, an expert of the Outer World.

Son Bin smiled awkwardly. But Dang Hwa-ryun’s fierce gaze did not soften. This frustrating man clearly still didn’t know something.

* * *

While Son Bin and Dang Hwa-ryun were meeting in the office, Dang Wol-ah was sitting in the Yeongbingwan Garden, leisurely enjoying the Sichuan sunshine.

The garden, which had been carefully decorated to welcome distinguished guests, gave off a rather cozy feeling thanks to the warm Sichuan weather and the green bamboo.

“May I sit here?”

Dang Wol-ah turned her head at the voice next to her. Sa Su-yeon was standing there with a small tea pot and a small table with tea cups.

“Of course.”

Dang Wol-ah replied in a small voice. Sa Su-yeon poured tea into a teacup and offered it to Dang Wol-ah. Dang Wol-ah accepted the warm teacup. Although the Sichuan weather was mild, the warmth was still welcome in winter.

Looking at the green bamboo swaying in the warm sunlight, Sa Su-yeon and Dang Wol-ah quietly savored the tea.

“The Dang Clan also…”

Dang Wol-ah opened her mouth softly.

“There was a place like this.”

It was a truly inappropriate comment for Dang Wol-ah, who was practically the owner of this place. But Sa Su-yeon could clearly understand her words.

To Dang Wol-ah, who had lived as a hidden blade and poison of the Dang Clan, the family was always a place that forced a cruel fate upon her. So perhaps the Dang Clan that Dang Wol-ah was seeing now was a strange and distant place.

“Should we plant some bamboo in our Seowon [private Confucian academy] too?”

Sa Su-yeon said with a smile. Dang Wol-ah nodded quietly. Sa Su-yeon, who was looking at Dang Wol-ah with a smile, suddenly said.

“But will it be okay? I suddenly came to visit; I hope Miss Dang Hwa-ryun isn’t in trouble…”

The visit of Sa Ja-hyeok and the previous Jade Dragon was by no means ordinary.

Besides, she was trying to entrust Princess Kyunghee and her party to her, so in a way, she was causing a lot of trouble. It was a natural thought for Sa Su-yeon.

“It’s okay.”

Dang Wol-ah replied in a calm voice.

Sa Su-yeon thought that she would probably say something like, ‘My sister always listens to me.’ Because even she could see that Dang Hwa-ryun’s love for her younger sister was extreme.

But Dang Wol-ah’s next words were different from Sa Su-yeon’s expectations.

“My sister is friends with Son Gong-ja [Master Son].”

“Fr, friends?”

Sa Su-yeon was a little embarrassed. Were the two of them friends?

“Uh, since when?”

Dang Wol-ah looked at Sa Su-yeon as if she was the strange one.

“My sister doesn’t hide anything in front of Son Gong-ja. My sister, who always hides herself and treats others with all sorts of calculations, only reveals her thoughts and feelings as they are in front of Son Gong-ja.”

‘Ah.’

Sa Su-yeon recalled the image of Dang Hwa-ryun she had seen earlier. Now that she thought about it, Dang Hwa-ryun treated Son Bin very differently from other people.

“And my sister assumes that Son Gong-ja will not hide anything from her. As if it’s natural. And so does Son Gong-ja.”

“Re, really?”

She thought it didn’t seem quite right, but as she listened, it seemed to make sense.

“It was probably from when my sister saved Son Gong-ja’s life. If it wasn’t for my sister, Son Gong-ja wouldn’t have been able to use one of his arms even if he had survived.”

Sa Su-yeon had heard that story too. Of course, Dang Hwa-ryun would frown at once if she heard it.

“So there’s no way my sister would refuse Son Gong-ja’s request.”

Dang Wol-ah said with conviction. Sa Su-yeon thought, ‘It’s probably because of Dang Wol-ah,’ but she nodded because Dang Wol-ah’s words made sense.

“That’s good.”

“What is?”

Sa Su-yeon asked at Dang Wol-ah’s sudden words. Dang Wol-ah smiled faintly and said.

“That my sister, who I like, is friends with Son Gong-ja.”

“Ah…”

It was naturally better for the people she cared about to be close to each other than to be awkward with each other.

Sa Su-yeon nodded when Dang Wol-ah turned to look at her.

“Isn’t that right for you too, sister?”

“Me?”

“The Martial Emperor is close to Son Gong-ja, isn’t he?”

Sa Su-yeon sighed without realizing it.

“That’s true…”

If she was asked if Sa Ja-hyeok and Son Bin were close, the answer would naturally be yes.

But the reason why she couldn’t be as happy as Dang Wol-ah was because she sometimes felt like her father Sa Ja-hyeok had been taken away by Son Bin.

“What should I say, it seems like there’s a unique bond between men. The way Son Gong-ja treats the previous Jade Dragon is the same…”

When she thought about it, it was also incomprehensible that Son Bin was on such familiar terms with the previous Jade Dragon.

Sa Su-yeon would never be able to do that. Even now, she couldn’t let her guard down against the previous Jade Dragon.

Swish.

The wind blew and the green bamboo rippled. Sa Su-yeon felt the warmth of the warm tea and quietly looked at the scenery of the garden.

The warm sunlight was gently caressing the two women’s leisurely afternoon.

(Author’s words)

Dang Wol-ah: I’m glad for you, sister. You’ve made a friend.

Dang Hwa-ryun: (Panicked) Re, really? Who’s my friend?

Dang Wol-ah: …It’s Son Gong-ja, isn’t it?

Dang Hwa-ryun: (Twitch) Ho, ho, ho. She’s just joking… (Serious) We’re not friends. Got it?