A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 354

354. Dragon King and Egret

As if time had stopped, Son Bin and Fudō Myō-ō stood facing each other.

They weren’t the only ones silent. The young palace lord and Princess Potala, as well as the watching high-ranking monks, couldn’t open their mouths. They couldn’t understand what had just happened before their eyes.

In that quiet stillness, Old Master murmured.

“Hmm, they’re quite capable too?”

Just now, Son Bin deflected Fudō Myō-ō’s attack with the subtlety of Tai Chi. It wasn’t just using the opponent’s strength or inner energy to redirect it, but more fundamentally, twisting the opponent’s flow itself.

However, Fudō Myō-ō recovered from that situation with a single stomp. Even a master of external affairs wouldn’t easily break free so quickly.

“Oh, but it seems like he’s ignited a fire instead.”

Seo-rin said. Fudō Myō-ō’s eyes, as he looked at Son Bin, were burning so fiercely that anyone could tell.

“Then that’s even better. It’ll be over soon.”

From the start, he didn’t think Son Bin would lose. As Old Master spoke, he frowned.

‘But what was that at the beginning?’

Son Bin drew a sword in the air. Like Fudō Myō-ō, Old Master could instinctively sense that the single sword strike was something tremendous.

Enough to justify Fudō Myō-ō’s attempt to avoid that space itself.

But had Son Bin’s sword ever possessed such a thing before?

As Old Master was about to recall something, he suddenly looked at the Yellow Abbot standing next to him. The Yellow Abbot was alternating between looking at Son Bin and Fudō Myō-ō with a bewildered expression.

“W-What is going on right now…”

The Yellow Abbot hadn’t even realized what had just happened.

It couldn’t be helped. In his eyes, it would have looked like Fudō Myō-ō had charged towards Son Bin, then suddenly shattered the stone floor and appeared in a different spot.

But there was definitely something he could understand. It was the fact that Son Bin was facing Fudō Myō-ō without any fear. Rather, it was Fudō Myō-ō who seemed to be wary.

The high-ranking monks’ thoughts weren’t much different from the Yellow Abbot’s. But the Myō-ō were not.

“Did you see it just now?”

At Aizen Myō-ō’s voice, the Southern Myō-ō let out a soft groan.

“…I missed it.”

The Southern Myō-ō answered honestly. He had clearly seen the scene where Fudō Myō-ō’s Vajra Dragon King Sword and Son Bin’s Egret met.

But before he knew it, Fudō Myō-ō was using ‘Vajra Immovable’ and shattering the stone floor.

In that truly fleeting moment, the Southern Myō-ō had completely missed it.

“Did you see it?”

That was a question that didn’t even need to be asked. Aizen Myō-ō’s eyes were completely ablaze with joy.

“I’ve never even heard of something like that.”

Aizen Myō-ō said in a sweet voice, slightly trembling her shoulders.

The Myō-ō couldn’t possibly be unaware of techniques that utilized the opponent’s strength and momentum. The concepts of shifting force or deflecting a thousand pounds with four ounces were not unfamiliar to the Myō-ō, even if the words were slightly different.

However, what was unfolding before their eyes now was fundamentally different. Although they couldn’t see through exactly how he did it, the Myō-ō had the insight to recognize the difference.

“Aren’t you going to translate?”

The Yellow Abbot quickly came to his senses at Old Master’s sudden rebuke. And he conveyed Fudō Myō-ō’s words to Son Bin.

Listening to the Yellow Abbot’s translation, Son Bin felt a sense of bewilderment. ‘Finally met’? Did Fudō Myō-ō know Son Bin?

Perhaps it was meeting a worthy opponent as a martial artist, or perhaps it held a unique religious meaning specific to this place.

But there was no time to ask. Fudō Myō-ō was already starting his next move.

Thud.

With a heavy reverberation, Fudō Myō-ō charged towards Son Bin. The stone floor where he stood shattered once again, but no one paid it any attention.

Kwaaa kwa kwa.

A merciless momentum, as if not allowing any resistance, once again crashed towards Son Bin. It was an overwhelming force that would freeze the body of an ordinary person.

But at this rate, it would be no different from the first time.

Perhaps this was a confirmation? Wanting to confirm once again that what happened a moment ago wasn’t a mistake or a coincidence?

But Son Bin didn’t think so. The tremendous momentum gathering in the Vajra Dragon King Sword was telling him that something different was happening now.

Whoosh.

As expected? Fudō Myō-ō swung his greatsword, the Vajra Dragon King Sword, greatly with both hands. And at that moment, the Vajra Dragon King Sword spewed out a huge flame.

Hwaaaak.

The tremendous flame burst out as if to burn Son Bin in an instant. Like a dragon king from legends exhaling, red flames poured out towards Son Bin.

Fudō Myō-ō’s ultimate technique, ‘Wrath of the Dragon King,’ which destroys everything in its path and completely incinerates any evil.

Kwaaa kwa kwa.

The red flame now charging towards Son Bin is Fudō Myō-ō’s inner energy itself.

A reckless extreme of inefficiency, pouring out unimaginable amounts of inner energy indiscriminately.

But as such, the only way to block it is to pour out an equal amount of inner energy.

Forcing an unavoidable inner energy showdown on those who want to resist, a method that would be considered utterly insane in the Jianghu [martial arts world] martial world.

Rustle.

In front of the storm of flames rushing towards him, Son Bin stretched out the Egret he held in one hand horizontally and lowered it slightly.

It wasn’t a stance to parry. It was even less of a stance to cut the oncoming flames in half.

The pose was like discovering a falling petal after finishing training and trying to catch it lightly with the tip of the sword.

Hwooong.

The faint flow of the Mysterious Heaven Grand Essence Art spreading on the blade of the Egret.

It was a force too weak compared to the ‘Wrath of the Dragon King,’ which was like a storm of flames, but it was enough for Son Bin and the Egret.

Because the Egret had already withstood an even greater force than that.

The immense power of the ‘Ice Soul,’ the ten-thousand-year-old ice crystal of the North Sea, which had accumulated over tens of thousands of years. Compared to that, the ‘Wrath of the Dragon King’ would be like a small flower petal.

Hwaaa reureureuk.

The moment the storm of flames spewed out by the Vajra Dragon King Sword rushed towards Son Bin, Son Bin lightly lifted the Egret upwards. His other hand was still placed behind his back.

Thung.

There was no sound. But those who saw it felt as if they had heard such a sound.

The flames of the Vajra Dragon King that were rushing towards Son Bin soared into the sky before their eyes, or rather, from the tip of the Egret’s sword.

Kwaaaaa.

“No way!”

Aizen Myō-ō shouted without realizing it, watching the ‘Wrath of the Dragon King’ bursting towards the sky.

One of Fudō Myō-ō’s ultimate techniques, ‘Wrath of the Dragon King,’ is literally like a flame. Even if you cut it with a sword, the flame will only flicker for a moment, and its direction will never be distorted.

The same goes for blocking it with something. The flame flows fiercely along the surface of what blocks it, engulfing and burning the obstacle.

The ‘Wrath of the Dragon King’ is also the same. It is like a torrent or a storm, and you can only endure it, and twisting its direction is absolutely impossible.

“What an absurd technique.”

Old Master saw through the ‘Wrath of the Dragon King’ and clicked his tongue. The closest thing to it would be Shaolin’s ‘Hundred Step Divine Fist’ or ‘Vajra Great Handprint,’ but even those don’t pour out inner energy so recklessly.

“But that’s a bad move. This is what Bin is best at.”

You can’t twist the flame, torrent, or storm itself with force. But if it’s a flow, controlling that flow is not unfamiliar to Son Bin.

Moreover, it’s even more so with a fierce and rough flow like the ‘Wrath of the Dragon King.’

A large flow contains many possibilities for change, and a strong force tends to react violently even to small changes.

Hwaaaa.

The huge flame that was rushing towards Son Bin was already completely disappearing into the sky. But Fudō Myō-ō’s attack was not over yet.

Kwaaa kwa kwa.

Fudō Myō-ō’s Vajra Dragon King Sword charged towards Son Bin.

A rough sword path of the Vajra Dragon King Sword rushing only towards himself, without any strange changes or deceptive tricks. Son Bin knew the meaning of that sword path.

It was a martial artist’s challenge demanding a battle of swords against swords, a clash of inner energy against inner energy, and a contest of strength against strength.

‘Ah.’

Son Bin sighed softly inwardly.

He also wanted to do so. He wanted to achieve a confrontation with the Vajra Dragon King Sword and the Egret, with no retreat, and to face the eyes of Fudō Myō-ō, the pure martial artist’s gaze with nothing but competitive spirit.

But Son Bin couldn’t do that. He had never felt so regretful of his shortcomings as he did now.

With that regret and heartache, Son Bin decided to respond to Fudō Myō-ō with the best he could do.

Sssk.

Son Bin held the Egret with both hands and slowly lifted it upwards. It was the beginning of the One-Style Half-Form Swordsmanship, Jade Dragon’s Reverse Scale Strike.

Kooong.

Suddenly, with a heavy reverberation, Fudō Myō-ō stopped. He, who had been charging towards Son Bin, stopped in an instant.

Flick.

Not only that. Fudō Myō-ō, who had been charging towards Son Bin’s eyes, immediately leaped back and distanced himself from Son Bin.

A strange light flashed in Son Bin’s eyes as he lifted the Egret.

Thak.

Fudō Myō-ō, who had landed on the ground, was staring at Son Bin with a stiff expression. A look of disbelief flashed for a moment, but it didn’t last long.

Ssk.

Son Bin lowered the Egret. Son Bin’s group, the Myō-ō, as well as the young palace lord, Princess Potala, and the high-ranking monks, all looked towards Fudō Myō-ō with questioning eyes.

“Hmm.”

Fudō Myō-ō held the large Vajra Dragon King Sword in one hand, and looked down at the other hand, clenching and unclenching his fist several times. Then, he suddenly raised his head and asked.

“Is that your ultimate technique?”

The Yellow Abbot quickly translated his words. Son Bin nodded.

“You could say so.”

Jade Dragon’s Reverse Scale Strike originally belonged to Saja Hyuk. Son Bin felt a little, no, quite a bit guilty to call it his own technique, so he answered that way.

“Indeed.”

Fudō Myō-ō said with a deep gaze. A moment ago, the moment Son Bin’s sword moved, Fudō Myō-ō could clearly know.

That this would be his end.

It was a conviction he couldn’t even understand himself. Of course, he couldn’t even explain it. But like some religious conviction, he could clearly realize it.

The moment that sword moves again, this martial arts contest will be over. And with his complete defeat.

Fudō Myō-ō hesitated for a moment. But it didn’t take long.

“This martial arts contest.”

He closed his eyes and opened them, then said to Son Bin.

“Is my defeat.”

It was no wonder that a buzzing sound arose among the high-ranking monks at that moment. Because to them, it had only seemed like Fudō Myō-ō’s unilateral offensive had continued a few times.

The Myō-ō were also the same. They had seen how great Son Bin’s sword was, but they didn’t think that Fudō Myō-ō would so easily acknowledge defeat.

Son Bin’s group was also surprised.

“What’s his ulterior motive all of a sudden?”

Old Master openly frowned and looked suspiciously. But regardless of Old Master’s or other people’s gazes, Fudō Myō-ō continued to speak.

“But as Fudō Myō-ō, I.”

Fudō Myō-ō said, looking straight at Son Bin.

“Still have something to confirm with you.”

Perhaps it sounded like an excuse, or perhaps he was trying to find fault with something strange.

But Son Bin trusted Fudō Myō-ō. Son Bin nodded and asked.

“What is it?”

“Now, I will unleash one technique.”

Fudō Myō-ō’s heavy voice echoed around.

“Receive it. Then I will acknowledge you and submit to your will.”

Son Bin was a little puzzled. If it was a technique, he could just unleash it at any time. What was the meaning of asking him to receive the technique again after acknowledging defeat like this?

As if reading Son Bin’s eyes, Fudō Myō-ō continued to speak.

“This is not something that can be received with martial prowess. Even for those with excellent swordsmanship, or those with high levels of internal energy, receiving this technique is a completely different matter.”

Fudō Myō-ō looked at Son Bin with deep and intense eyes. As if to pierce through Son Bin with that gaze.

“This will test you yourself.”

The word ‘yourself’ is very comprehensive. But Son Bin understood what Fudō Myō-ō was trying to say now.

In other words, Fudō Myō-ō is now trying to unleash some secret technique of Tibetan Esoteric Buddhism.

Perhaps it is something that cannot be received with martial arts, internal energy, or swordsmanship alone. And the meaning is that the people here accept that technique as a test of ‘that person himself’.

“I understand.”

Son Bin realized why Fudō Myō-ō was saying this again after admitting defeat.

This is a separate test from Son Bin’s martial prowess. But as far as swordsmanship is concerned, he had lost to Son Bin. It was Fudō Myō-ō’s fairness to clearly acknowledge this difference.

Son Bin felt a deep respect for Fudō Myō-ō’s martial pride. How noble it is for a person to be able to admit their own shortcomings?

“I will do so.”

At Son Bin’s answer, Fudō Myō-ō nodded silently. And he strongly struck the Vajra Dragon King Sword he was holding down.

Kwajik.

The large stone crumbled and the Vajra Dragon King Sword was embedded. And Fudō Myō-ō strongly clasped his palms together as if in prayer.

Koong.

With that one movement, the stone floor vibrated beneath Fudō Myō-ō’s feet. But Fudō Myō-ō closed his eyes and began to chant a mantra in a low voice, regardless of that.

Son Bin slowly lifted the Egret. Because a tremendous momentum was gathering towards Fudō Myō-ō now.

Hwareureuk.

Red flames rose around Fudō Myō-ō. It was the very same flame that had been swirling around the Vajra Dragon King Sword a moment ago.

The flames were licking as if to burn Fudō Myō-ō himself right away. But only for a moment, the red flames completely covered Fudō Myō-ō and began to blaze.

Hwooook.

Fudō Myō-ō opened his eyes. But his eyes were no longer visible. Because his eyes were shining white as if incandescent.

Sssk.

While still maintaining his hands as if clasped together, Fudō Myō-ō stretched out his other hand and grabbed the Vajra Dragon King Sword.

The Vajra Dragon King Sword, which had been embedded in the stone floor, was pulled out too easily. Fudō Myō-ō held the Vajra Dragon King Sword horizontally with one hand, and slowly stroked the sword with the other hand that was opening as if in prayer.

As if drawing the Vajra Dragon King Sword from an invisible scabbard.

Woo woong.

The Vajra Dragon King Sword began to cry. Fudō Myō-ō murmured softly between the sounds of the sword.

“Great light illuminates all things and brightens all phenomena.”

That low voice, resounding in an incomprehensible language, was proof that Fudō Myō-ō was unleashing his greatest technique.

Son Bin held the Egret and waited calmly. Feeling the warmth of the Egret transmitted from his hand to his heart.

“There is no one to hide before it, and nothing will not be revealed before it.”

Thung.

Fudō Myō-ō’s hand, which had been stroking the sword, struck the sword at that moment. But the result did not end with just a small reverberation.

“Ōshin [Manifestation Body]!”

Jjeoeong.

A huge sound burst out from the Vajra Dragon King Sword along with Fudō Myō-ō’s shout. That reverberation, which seemed to be transmitted directly to the head rather than the ear, was like the sound of the world breaking.

It wasn’t just the sound that burst out.

Golden light was pouring out from Fudō Myō-ō’s entire body, as well as the Vajra Dragon King Sword. The flickering red flames had disappeared, and only intense golden light was filling the area.

Hwoo wook.

And Son Bin saw it. Even though Fudō Myō-ō’s figure wasn’t properly visible in the blinding golden light, the flow that filled the world was telling him that the Vajra Dragon King Sword was now charging towards Son Bin.

‘Indeed.’

Son Bin smiled without realizing it. There were no tricks or deceptions in Fudō Myō-ō’s sword path.

Just a sword path that cuts down from top to bottom, as if to divide the heavens and the earth in half. It was a sword path that was too simple, but perfectly suited for Fudō Myō-ō.

‘The problem is…’

However, the problem is that golden light. That light, which reminds him of the Immaculate Pure Light that the young palace lord emitted, must be the reason why he said, ‘This will test you yourself.’

But strangely, Son Bin was not afraid of that golden light. Even that roar that seemed to shatter the world a moment ago was just a deep echo to Son Bin, like the faint sound of bells heard from afar.

Sssk.

Son Bin lifted the Egret. And he took a step towards Fudō Myō-ō, who was charging straight towards him.

Sapak.

Along with that, the golden light swallowed Son Bin and the Egret, and Fudō Myō-ō and the Vajra Dragon King Sword.

Hwaaak.

Almost no one saw what happened in that blinding golden light.

Most of them were not even able to escape from the shock of the huge sound that had resonated in their heads a moment ago.

The Myō-ō were not much different. Not only the Southern Myō-ō, but even Aizen Myō-ō had to close her eyes at that moment.

However, only one person, the young palace lord’s golden eyes shining with Immaculate Pure Light, saw the scene.

The sight of Son Bin so easily avoiding the Vajra Dragon King Sword shining with brilliant gold and thrusting the Divine Sword Egret towards Fudō Myō-ō’s neck.

“Stop!”

In fact, the young palace lord’s urgent voice would not have been heard. But the Divine Sword Egret stopped as if by a lie. As if that was what it was originally intended to do.

Hwaaaaa.

The golden light slowly faded. And everyone saw. The sight of the large Vajra Dragon King Sword passing by Son Bin and being in the air, and the tip of the Divine Sword Egret stopping right in front of Fudō Myō-ō’s neck.

But what was even more surprising was Son Bin’s appearance. His surroundings were filled with sparkling gold.

Saaaaaaa.

It was like sprinkling gold dust. The light that had been bursting out from Fudō Myō-ō and the Vajra Dragon King Sword had already disappeared, but the golden light remained around Son Bin like an afterglow.

The sparkling light dusts were dancing around Son Bin. As if singing, or as if rejoicing, the light clusters sparkled and flickered around Son Bin.

“Heo-eo-eo…”

It was perhaps natural that the mantra flowed out along with the long sigh of the old high-ranking monk.

“The light of Mahavairocana [the universal Buddha], it is.”

The old monk, who spoke in a trembling voice, closed his eyes and chanted the mantra. As if that was a signal, the other high-ranking monks also closed their eyes and chanted the mantra all at once. Their chanting, like a song, filled the surroundings in an instant.

“W-What is it? What happened?”

The Yellow Abbot said with surprised eyes. The sound that seemed to shatter his head and the golden light that he couldn’t open his eyes to had already disappeared. But the afterglow dancing around Son Bin was still faintly remaining.

“There is such a thing.”

Old Master answered softly like a sigh. It wasn’t just Old Master. Sa Soo-yeon and Dang Wol-ah were also expressing their surprise with small sighs, but there was no sign of confusion at all.

Because those light dusts that surrounded Son Bin a moment ago were the very same light clusters that Son Bin had briefly seen when he fought the Blood Demon.

The only one who didn’t understand was the Yellow Abbot, and Seo-rin was rather openly expressing her joy with a bright smile.

Tteong.

Fudō Myō-ō’s Vajra Dragon King Sword fell.

The light clusters that had surrounded Son Bin had already disappeared, but the chanting of the high-ranking monks continued endlessly.

(Author’s words)

Son Bin, the one loved by mana, no, the flow.

The author, with only a tiny bit of reserves, is attempting to serialize three times a week without fear.

For the month of April, Falling Flowers and Wandering Swordsman will be serialized three times a week (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday). I hope it doesn’t fail in the first week of May~