A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 340

340. The Princess of Potala

The woman Sun Bin and his group, or more accurately, Saja Hyuk, had rescued was none other than the princess of the Potala Palace.

In truth, the word ‘princess’ was merely how Hwang Bang-ju had translated it, and its meaning was quite different from what Sun Bin understood.

‘Princess of Potala’ carried a sense of religious reverence, seeming to imply something closer to a ‘saintess’ rather than simply a person of high status.

The reason the warriors had short hair and wore red robes similar to monks was that they were both warriors and monks at the same time.

“A complete religious state. The monks of Shaolin would drool with envy,” No-gun grumbled. The Tibetan warriors in red robes didn’t understand No-gun’s words, but they noticed his irreverent tone and glared at him.

Of course, No-gun wasn’t one to be fazed by such things.

Clatter, clatter.

The princess’s carriage, draped with red curtains, was now moving with Sun Bin and his group. She had formally invited Saja Hyuk and his companions to the Potala Palace, calling them ‘saviors of her life.’

“This is truly remarkable. For the princess of Potala to formally invite foreigners like us is an unimaginable honor,” Hwang Bang-ju said, unable to hide his excitement. Perhaps it was a natural reaction for him. The woman in the carriage was the princess of Potala, located at the very pinnacle of this Tibetan land.

“Ah, I know all about it,” No-gun responded nonchalantly.

“I’ve seen plenty of princesses already. Humming and circling around Bin like a cat, what’s the big deal?”

Sun Bin chuckled wryly at No-gun’s words as he blew air through his nose while picking at his ear. He knew who No-gun was talking about. He wanted to say that Princess Kyunghee hadn’t exactly circled around him, but now wasn’t the time to interject.

Hwang Bang-ju, on the other hand, openly frowned at No-gun’s words. In his eyes, it seemed like No-gun was just being stubborn because he didn’t want to lose.

“And honor my ass… Looking at them earlier, it seemed like they were calling us because they needed something,” No-gun added.

No-gun had also heard the conversation from Hwang Bang-ju. There were already many people in the Jianghu [the martial arts world] who wanted to rely on Saja Hyuk’s abilities, so it wasn’t that strange.

“Elder, you don’t understand. Of course, Sir Sa is a great man, but do you know what it means for the princess of Potala to extend her hand first here?”

Religion is inherently idealistic, absolute, and therefore exclusive. This is especially true in the Tibetan lands, where esoteric Buddhism is the mainstream.

So, even if she was the princess of Potala, formally inviting foreigners to the palace was a risk that could jeopardize her own position.

“That’s why we’re going, isn’t it? We can’t refuse,” No-gun grumbled. It was called an invitation, but they couldn’t refuse. Not accepting this invitation would be openly denying the authority of Potala.

Of course, that wasn’t the reason No-gun was going.

“And didn’t you say that this is the most reliable way to find out what happened anyway?”

“Well, yes. We’ll be able to hear the most accurate and reliable story, rather than just rumors.”

“Do you think they’ll tell us willingly?”

No-gun’s point was valid. Even if the Potala Palace knew the exact details, there was no guarantee they would tell them.

“In my experience, those who think they’re great take it for granted that others should do things for them. They think, ‘Consider it an honor to work for me.’ Something like that,” No-gun said, grumbling. Hwang Bang-ju couldn’t argue with that. It was true everywhere.

“Well, since the princess of Potala invited us, the treatment will be good…”

“Where are we going now?” Sun Bin suddenly asked. Hwang Bang-ju glanced at the carriage, which was covered on all sides with red curtains, and said, “We’ll go to Litang first. All the horses of the princess’s party are dead. But eventually, we’ll go to Lhasa, where the Potala Palace is located.”

The princess’s carriage, draped with red curtains, was being pulled by Sun Bin’s group’s horses. The horses that originally pulled the carriage had died in the monster attack.

The warriors’ horses had also all died, so everyone had to walk. The exception was the warrior with the injured shoulder, who had been treated but hadn’t recovered easily. Despite wanting to walk, he was forcibly put on a horse by the princess’s order.

The luggage was divided between two horses, and Bloodpeak Geumsaryeon, Sun Bin, and the injured warrior each rode a horse.

“Lhasa, I think I’ve heard of it in the Jianghu before… But why was the esteemed princess of Potala in a place like this?”

Hwang Bang-ju shrugged at No-gun’s words.

“I don’t know. Maybe she visited Shangri-La on the Tea Horse Road leading to Yunnan, or perhaps she stopped by Kangding, the capital of the ancient kingdom in the Great Snow Mountain valley.”

“The capital of an ancient kingdom?” Sun Bin asked, intrigued. The fact that the capital of an ancient kingdom was in the Great Snow Mountain valley was something he had never heard before, and he was incredibly curious.

Hwang Bang-ju nodded.

“It’s an old city on the summer trade route. It’s also called the beginning of Tibet, and you’ll probably see it when you return later.”

The path Sun Bin and his group had taken wasn’t the usual trade route. Sun Bin nodded in understanding as Hwang Bang-ju continued his explanation.

“Actually, coming here from Lhasa isn’t easy. I don’t know what happened, but…”

Hwang Bang-ju looked at the carriage again. The carriage, covered on all sides with red curtains with gold patterns, didn’t reveal anything inside. But Hwang Bang-ju lowered his voice, worried that the princess might hear.

“It’s definitely not a normal situation,” he said emphatically. No-gun and Sun Bin agreed with him. This situation, with monsters running rampant like before, could never be called normal.

Not long after joining the princess’s group, they soon reached the city of Litang.

Behind them was the vast expanse of the snowy plains, and before them stood a fairly decent city filled with complex buildings and people. Of course, most of the buildings were low, and it couldn’t compare to the great cities of the Jianghu.

“Wow, this is amazing,” Seo-rin said, her eyes wide as she looked around. The clothes of the people passing by and the buildings gathered together were all unfamiliar. The decorations boasting vibrant colors and the walls that looked particularly white were also like that.

“Well, this place is also where people live,” No-gun said, snorting. Sun Bin agreed with him. What they saw was quite exotic, but the atmosphere unique to places where people lived was familiar.

The busy, complex, and noisy atmosphere unique to cities.

Not long after entering the city, monks in red robes appeared. The monks, who appeared to be high-ranking, bowed to the princess of Potala’s carriage and led the group to a large temple. It was a Tibetan-style temple with vivid white, purple, and yellow colors.

“She really doesn’t show her face,” No-gun said, shrugging. The princess of Potala didn’t lift the curtains even when high-ranking monks came to greet her.

“What did I tell you? This is no ordinary matter,” Hwang Bang-ju said, as if to say, “I told you so,” but No-gun didn’t seem impressed.

The temple the group arrived at was filled with the unique, splendid, and mysterious atmosphere of Tibetan esoteric Buddhism. The sound of turning the cylindrical Mani wheels [prayer wheels] engraved with scriptures and the thick scent of incense filled the temple.

There were many monks wearing red robes in the temple, and there were many young monks as well as older monks, making it very lively.

“They say you will be staying here,” Hwang Bang-ju translated the words of the monk who had guided Sun Bin and his group. Sun Bin put his hands together and expressed his gratitude.

The old monk in red robes smiled warmly and responded with a bow.

“They’re more friendly than I thought? Is it because we came with the princess?” No-gun said, and Hwang Bang-ju gave a wry smile.

“They originally value guests. If you can communicate, you can be invited to the monks’ quarters and have quite in-depth discussions. It’s rather us who discriminate, calling them foreigners and barbarians,” Hwang Bang-ju muttered to himself before speaking to the group.

“Please rest for now. I’ll go out to the city and make some preparations. We can’t walk all the way to Lhasa, so I’ll have to find a carriage. It would have been cheaper in the summer, but I wonder what the market price is these days?”

No-gun said casually to Hwang Bang-ju, who was muttering to himself.

“Find out how to send a letter to Sichuan too. We need to let them know we arrived safely.”

“Of course, I have to do that. If there’s no news, the terrifying chief strategist of the Tang family might misunderstand,” Hwang Bang-ju said with a wry smile, as if he still vividly remembered her threats. He tilted his head.

“But these days, it’s winter, so there won’t be any merchants going to Sichuan, whether it’s a trading group or a horse caravan… I’ll look into it anyway.”

“Ah, Hwang Bang-ju-nim,” Sun Bin said, and Hwang Bang-ju turned to look at him.

“Is it okay for you to continue staying with us?”

Hwang Bang-ju’s original mission was to cross the Great Snow Mountain range in winter. Now that they had arrived in the city, it could be said that Hwang Bang-ju’s work was done.

“It’s okay. It’ll be difficult to communicate without me right now… Or would it be better if I wasn’t here?”

“No, we would be grateful if you could help us, Bang-ju-nim.”

As Sun Bin said, Hwang Bang-ju’s help, being familiar with the language and customs of this place, was very valuable.

“Anyway, it’s hard for me to go back until summer, and I don’t want to miss the princess’s invitation, so let’s travel together for the time being. We can discuss the compensation later.”

Like a true merchant, he made it clear that he refused to work without pay. Fortunately, Sun Bin had enough money. The gold and silver coins that Tang Hwa-ryun, the chief strategist of the Tang family, had entrusted to him were quite substantial.

―Don’t get me wrong. This is Wol-ah’s. So always get Wol-ah’s permission before using it. Got it?

Tang Hwa-ryun had threatened him like that, but Tang Wol-ah had said very simply, ‘Do as Sun Gong-ja-nim wishes.’

“Ah, and don’t worry about expenses, we already have enough. There are quite a few bills of exchange from the Tibetan merchants that the Tang family’s chief strategist gave me.”

In some horse caravans in Sichuan, the bills of exchange from the Tibetan merchants here are also used to some extent. Tang Hwa-ryun had gathered all the bills of exchange from the Tibetan merchants in Sichuan and given them to Hwang Bang-ju. It was meant to be used for the necessary expenses here.

“R-really?” Sun Bin was a little surprised. He felt even more sorry for Tang Hwa-ryun, who had taken care of even such things, as he felt like he was receiving too much help in many ways.

“Then I’ll be back,” Hwang Bang-ju said as he went out to the city and brought back two sturdy and large carriages. It was a very long journey from here to Lhasa, where the Potala Palace was located.

He also somehow obtained clothes similar to what the group was wearing, but with better insulation. In that way, the group was able to take a proper rest for the first time since arriving in Tibet.

* * *

That evening, an old monk came and said that ‘the princess wishes to have dinner with you.’ Hwang Bang-ju was excited, saying that ‘this is also a huge deal,’ but the group, who didn’t know much about it, just thought, ‘Oh, is that so?’

As if to prove Hwang Bang-ju’s words, going deep into the temple where the princess was staying was very complicated and cumbersome.

“What is this, they said they value guests?” No-gun grumbled like that, and the monks guarding the temple glared at Sun Bin and his group with blatant wariness.

There was no body search, but it was clear that they were very reluctant to have the group there.

“It can’t be helped. We’re foreigners after all,” Hwang Bang-ju said, glancing at Saja Hyuk’s expression. But Sun Bin was more anxious about the reaction of the former Okryong. He knew that he would never stay still if he received such treatment. If he didn’t like it, he might even set the temple on fire.

But surprisingly, the former Okryong didn’t say anything. Although he didn’t hide his unpleasant expression.

Saja Hyuk was also indifferent. Even the monks’ sharp gazes seemed no more than annoying gnats to him.

Along with Guigyeonsura, who was having a pointless staring contest, and Seo-rin, who was gaining the favor of the picky old monk, Sun Bin and his group were finally able to reach the Potala princess’s residence deep inside the temple after a long time.

“I thought it would be a great place, but it’s nothing special,” No-gun grumbled. The place where the Potala princess was temporarily staying wasn’t that different from the other buildings in the temple, although it was a bit larger.

But it clearly had a different meaning here. Because almost none of the many monks were visible.

“Come this way,” a young novice monk said, quite dignifiedly putting his hands together and welcoming Sun Bin and his group. The cute novice monk led the group inside with a serious expression. His efforts to act like an adult made him even cuter.

Click.

The large room, brightly lit with lamps, was filled with Buddhist thangkas [Tibetan Buddhist paintings] and decorations. A brazier lit in the middle of the room conveyed a subtle warmth, and incense rose from an incense burner placed on one side.

“Please sit down,” the novice monk said and left right away. The princess, who had called them, was nowhere to be seen, and only Sun Bin and his group were left in this large room.

“How should we sit?” Sun Bin asked Hwang Bang-ju, but Hwang Bang-ju shrugged as if he didn’t know either.

The princess’s residence was a typical monk’s room with cushions placed on the wooden floor. Very thick cushions with ornate decorations were placed in a large circle, but they hadn’t been guided to a seat, and they didn’t know where the best seat was, so they were worried about accidentally committing a faux pas.

“Are you going to stand there? Just sit down roughly,” No-gun said, grumbling, and plopped down on a cushion. Seo-rin jumped down next to No-gun, and Sa Soo-yeon and Tang Wol-ah also took their places next to her.

Bloodpeak Geumsaryeon and Guigyeonsura, who had difficulty with their legs, also sat down. Perhaps because they were both women, Bloodpeak Geumsaryeon relied especially on Sa Soo-yeon. Sa Soo-yeon took good care of her.

Saja Hyuk and the former Okryong also sat down. As a result, the only remaining seats were next to the front, which seemed to be the best seat. Inevitably, Sun Bin and Hwang Bang-ju sat there.

Sun Bin was looking around when Hwang Bang-ju, who was sitting next to him, suddenly asked.

“Um, that Geom-hui person hasn’t been seen for a few days… Is she okay?”

Hwang Bang-ju’s worried expression wasn’t because he was worried about Geom-hui, but because he was afraid of when she might suddenly appear. Sun Bin smiled.

“She’s fine.” She would probably occasionally appear to Sa Soo-yeon or Tang Wol-ah. It would be more serious if Geom-hui revealed herself. That would mean a really big danger was coming.

How long had they waited like that? Just as No-gun’s brow was furrowing more and more, the door quietly opened and a woman entered. It was the princess of Potala who had called them.

Click.

The princess of Potala entered the room alone, without any maids. And only then did Sun Bin realize that she was quite a beauty.

During the day, her elaborate headdress, large necklace, and all the sparkling jewelry made her look rather comical, but now that she was dressed in relatively simple attire, her original beauty was revealed.

Of course, the large necklace and decorations were still a bit much, but her clear eyes and beautiful features seemed to finally shine.

Rustle.

She, whom the group hadn’t seen in a long time, quietly sat down in what Sun Bin guessed was the best seat without a sound. Her posture was soft and without even an inch of disarray.

Rustle.

“Thank you for coming,” the princess of Potala said in a soft voice, lightly putting her hands together and bowing.

“Ah, yes,” Sun Bin quickly put his hands together and bowed, and Hwang Bang-ju conveyed the words in the middle.

Saja Hyuk was indifferent to such matters, and the former Okryong and No-gun were the same. Everyone else seemed to have left it to Sun Bin, so Sun Bin had no choice but to step forward as a representative, even if he wasn’t one.

“I know about your customs. So please feel comfortable,” she said with a light smile. It was the first time she had smiled. At first, even when inviting them, her words and actions were very stiff, to the point where it felt like an order.

“You must be hungry after the long journey, so please have a meal first,” the princess said, and Seo-rin’s eyes sparkled. But the food that the novice monks brought was very simple, as befitting a temple, which greatly disappointed Seo-rin.

“This isn’t even better than what we ate in the mountains,” Seo-rin grumbled like that, and Tang Wol-ah said.

“It’s still fresh. And warm.”

“I prefer delicious to fresh,” Seo-rin said, but she completely emptied her share. The princess didn’t say a word, because Hwang Bang-ju had quietly told them that they didn’t talk during meals here.

After the meal, tea was served. They had expected the unique butter tea of this place, but what came out was unexpected.

“This is Yunnan tea?” No-gun recognized the tea at once and was delighted.

“Because you are precious guests.”

The princess finally opened her mouth. She held the teacup with both hands as if savoring the warmth and quietly savored the tea’s fragrance. And when she raised her head again, her eyes were shining.

“This land is now facing an extremely great danger,” the princess of Potala said, looking straight at Saja Hyuk. Hwang Bang-ju conveyed the words to Saja Hyuk with a bit of stammering.

“If things continue like this, perhaps this place will soon turn into a land of monsters.”

Despite the princess’s very serious expression, Saja Hyuk was just sitting silently. It was almost as if he hadn’t heard.

“Why?” The answer came from an unexpected person. It was the former Okryong. He spoke in his unique, clear voice, with a hint of mockery.

“Why does this place turn into a land of monsters? Is the power of the Potala Palace so weak that it will be pushed back by those beasts?”

Occasionally, masters of Tibetan esoteric Buddhism flow into the Jianghu. Their martial arts are all strange and great, and each time, they throw the Jianghu into chaos.

So the power of the Potala Palace, the pinnacle of Tibetan esoteric Buddhism, was clearly comparable to at least an Outer Realm expert. Even if they were monsters, they could never be a match in front of them.

“That’s right. The monsters themselves are not a big problem,” the princess of Potala said, nodding after hearing Hwang Bang-ju’s translation. Seeing that her complexion was still the same, it was clear that Hwang Bang-ju had conveyed it with some filtering.

“But the real problem lies in the origin of the monsters.”

‘Origin?’ Sun Bin had a puzzled expression. Origin refers to the source or place where something originated.

“Those monsters are changes, or rather, mutations. Those were originally ordinary beasts of this land.”

‘Ah, so that’s why they looked like wolves.’ Sun Bin now understood why the monsters from the day looked like wolves. So originally, those monsters were ordinary wolves.

‘Is it like a contagious disease?’ Whatever it was, it must be related to the Gate of the Abyss that Cheonma had opened.

Moreover, according to the princess, not only wolves but also small mice or large bears might mutate into monsters.

As Sun Bin was thinking that, he hardened his face at one possibility that suddenly came to mind.

“Could it be!” Hwang Bang-ju was startled by Sun Bin’s words that came out without thinking and glared at him. But Sun Bin had no time to pay attention to Hwang Bang-ju.

“Could it be that people too…”

Everyone’s faces hardened at once, and Hwang Bang-ju quickly conveyed Sun Bin’s words to the princess.

“Yes, that’s right,” the princess of Potala said with a very dark expression.

“Although it’s still a very small part, there are stories that the mutation is spreading to people. But the Potala Palace…”

The princess bit her lip. With an expression that was more than determined, the princess of Potala said.

“The Potala Palace is not able to do anything. If things continue like this, the situation will become uncontrollable.”

(Author’s words)

If we’re not careful, we’ll be filming a zombie apocalypse in Tibet.