A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 369

369. Separation

Son Bin opened his eyes in the underground shrine.

No, it couldn’t be said that he opened his eyes. It was more accurate to say his vision had returned, as he hadn’t closed them at all.

But it was true that his sight had returned.

The fierce torrent of jet-black receded, and the darkness that had filled his surroundings slowly dissipated.

And the first sensation Son Bin felt was a sense of discomfort, as if something was stifling him.

‘Uh…’

He quickly realized the cause of the stifling sensation. Sa Su-yeon was holding Son Bin tightly.

Son Bin blinked, wondering what was going on. What was in front of him was definitely Sa Su-yeon’s hair. Even in this situation, a pleasant scent tickled his nose.

“Um, this is…”

Son Bin opened his mouth, careful not to let his breath touch Sa Su-yeon. Then, Sa Su-yeon immediately raised her head.

Thump.

Son Bin’s heart skipped a beat. Sa Su-yeon’s eyes were wide with surprise and filled with tears, and the sight was so beautiful it nearly stopped his heart.

“Bin…”

Sa Su-yeon’s red lips moved slightly. Perhaps she herself didn’t know what she was saying.

“…Uh, yes.”

Son Bin replied. He figured she had called his name. But the result wasn’t Sa Su-yeon’s answer or explanation, but her bone-crushing embrace.

“Bin!”

‘Ugh.’

“Bin-ah!”

“Hyeong!”

Sa Su-yeon wasn’t the only one applying pressure. He felt strong pressure on his arms and shoulders as well.

‘Huh?’

A faint tremor was transmitted from behind. Son Bin turned his head to look back.

Silver hair flowed out from under a crushed hat and crumpled veil, barely visible over his shoulder. The source of the faint tremor was none other than Dang Wol-ah.

Dang Wol-ah didn’t even raise her head, burying her face in Son Bin’s back, and embracing him from behind with her slender arms.

He could vividly feel her trembling through his back without even seeing her quivering shoulders.

He felt an urge to stroke her hair, but Son Bin, whose entire body was restrained, couldn’t even move a finger.

Son Bin turned his head again and saw that the pressure on one of his shoulders was from Geom-hee’s hand.

Geom-hee’s eyes were staring straight at Son Bin. Her gaze was as unreadable as ever.

Or perhaps it was a feeling he had never seen before.

After meeting Geom-hee’s gaze for a moment, Son Bin turned his head to see what was pressing on his other shoulder. Then, he flinched without realizing it.

No-gun was glaring at Son Bin with a red and blue face.

“…You’re going to die later, you know that?”

No-gun, with one hand on Son Bin’s shoulder, trembled with anger as he spoke.

“You’re shortening the life of an old man who doesn’t have much left anyway? You son of a…”

No-gun couldn’t continue. He was already at his limit just trying to hold back the tears that were welling up.

“Hyeong! Hyeong!”

Son Bin lowered his head to check the source of the heavy feeling on his arm.

Seo-rin was hugging Son Bin’s arm with both arms, and since the large Seo-rin was clinging to him with all his might, he couldn’t move his arm at all.

No, even without Seo-rin, he was already tightly held from the front and back. But strangely, that uncomfortable feeling was so comfortable and warm to Son Bin.

So much so that he thought he could stay like this forever, or even eternally.

—Cannot be, allowed.

A sinister voice shattered that comfortable feeling. Son Bin raised his head. And he saw the Demon’s red eyes wavering completely.

—Cannot be allowed. How can you return after facing ‘that’ again?

The Demon was denying it with all his might. But Son Bin’s clear eyes were making the Demon’s denial futile.

—Are you turning away from the truth even after seeing it? How can you reject it? That is the true form of this world, how can you…

A ghostly cry echoed in the underground shrine.

But Son Bin didn’t listen to that sound.

“Um, can you let go of this for a second…”

Son Bin struggled slightly and released the hands that were holding him.

The discomfort disappeared, and the warmth disappeared with it. But there was no time to dwell on the regret. Because there was something he had to do.

“Seo-rin-ah.”

“Yes, Hyeong.”

Without explanation, Seo-rin nodded and answered. Son Bin slowly raised the White Dew that had been lowered.

Woo-oong.

The clear energy of the Hyuncheon Grand River Art rippled in the White Dew, and the ‘Afterimage’ sparkled with gold.

—Cannot be allowed. Such a thing can never…

The ghostly cry ringing in his ears no longer stopped Son Bin. Son Bin took a step toward the Great Demon Formation and slashed down as it was.

Distance no longer mattered. As the Demon said, ‘that’ was everywhere and nowhere in this underground shrine.

Clang.

Where the golden trajectory of the White Dew passed, a thread-like line was drawn. It looked so thin and weak, but it was an absolute boundary that nothing could cross.

Flash.

The boundary instantly connected to the sky and the earth, emitting a golden flash. It was only a fleeting moment, but Seo-rin didn’t miss that moment.

“Haa!”

Hongjin Manri shone. The blue energy was radiating so brilliantly as if it would dye this underground shrine entirely with light.

Kwaaaang!

The Great Demon Formation vibrated. It trembled as if resisting Seo-rin’s Hongjin Manri, but soon countless cracks began to spread across the Great Demon Formation.

Crack.

—Kkeuaaaaaaa.

At the same time, the Demon screamed and writhed in agony. As if resonating with his screams, the entire underground shrine trembled.

Kugeugeung.

Clods of earth fell and large cracks ran along the walls. The vibration that shook the entire Hwangto Mountain peak, not just the underground shrine, only grew stronger instead of subsiding.

Hwareureuk.

Flames soared from the Great Demon Formation. It was spewing out black demonic energy and flames as if it were running wild. The flames visible through the cracks were eerie, like the fires of hell.

“We have to, escape.”

Dang Wol-ah said quietly. No one mentioned that her voice was slightly tearful.

Thump, Kukung.

“Too late.”

Geom-hee raised her head and stared into the darkness, saying. She was probably listening to the sounds coming from the upper floors.

“…Already, collapsing.”

“Damn it.”

No-gun gritted his teeth and glared at the Demon. But it seemed impossible to hear a way out of here from the Demon.

—Keuk, Keugeuk.

The Demon stopped his ghostly screams and laughed. But contrary to the laughter that flowed out, his body was collapsing as if crumpled here and there.

Like the flames of the Great Demon Formation, the parts of the Demon that had fallen off were burning with red flames.

—You said I was, your adversary, Keuk, did you?

There was no more eeriness in that voice. It was just a meaningless noise left at the end.

—You are not, the adversary of something like me. You are, you are…

Hwareureuk.

The flames swallowed his last words. Son Bin, who had been staring at the Demon with indifferent eyes, turned his head.

“We have to escape this place.”

“But how?”

No-gun asked in a hurried voice.

“It’s already collapsing from above. It’s only a matter of time before this place is swallowed up as well.”

No-gun’s words were accurate. The structurally unstable Hwangto peak was collapsing from the top down.

The weight was acting as a greater shock to the lower layers, causing a chain reaction of collapse.

In other words, the way out was blocked off from the very beginning.

“There will be a way.”

Son Bin said with conviction.

“Those who are chased prepare to escape above all else. If the old king who built this underground shrine was being chased by fear, he must have prepared a way out.”

Structurally, this underground shrine was virtually a dead end. There was no way that the king, who had been exiled to the outskirts and trembled with fear, would have driven himself into such a place.

“Surely there were several corridors before entering this place. If there is a royal residence among them…”

No-gun frowned and muttered.

“Yes. That’s right.”

“Let’s go!”

As soon as No-gun’s words were finished, the group threw themselves out of the exit. Seo-rin called out, ‘Hyeong!’ and tried to grab Son Bin, but Sa Su-yeon was faster.

Pak.

Sa Su-yeon’s movements were so rough that Son Bin unknowingly let out a ‘Keok’ sound.

But Son Bin soon found himself nestled in Sa Su-yeon’s arms. Sa Su-yeon’s arms around Son Bin were holding him as if she would never let go again.

‘Ahem.’

Son Bin couldn’t show it and coughed inwardly, turning his eyes slightly. Sa Su-yeon’s plump chest was right below him.

But if he raised his head, Sa Su-yeon’s beautiful face would be right in front of him.

Son Bin turned his head to the side with an awkward expression. But even in the midst of all this, he carefully wrapped his arms around Sa Su-yeon and hugged her tightly, not forgetting to do so.

Sa Su-yeon was so soft and warm.

Thud.

Fortunately, Sa Su-yeon was running without paying attention to Son Bin’s actions. Geom-hee, Dang Wol-ah, and Seo-rin and No-gun also rushed out of the underground shrine.

‘Ah.’

The sight of the underground shrine came into Son Bin’s view as he turned his head. Amidst the flames pouring out of the Great Demon Formation, the figure of a giant Buddha looking down on the underground shrine was clearly revealed to Son Bin’s eyes for a moment.

The eyes of absolute indifference (無心) [Mushin: a mental state where the mind is free from thoughts and emotions], that had transcended life, death, and even the fate of this world.

That was the last sight of the underground shrine that Son Bin saw.

* * *

It was almost night when Son Bin’s group escaped the narrow underground passage. The old king must have been very afraid, as even the underground passage was like a maze.

It wasn’t difficult for Son Bin’s group, filled with outer disciples, to break through the maze. However, it couldn’t be helped that it took time to pass through the underground maze made of narrow earthen caves.

Having come outside in that way, Son Bin’s group realized that they had come out near the northeastern entrance of the Moon Castle Valley. The underground passage was connected to the very place they had entered early this morning.

Considering the distance to the ruins, it was truly an amazing thing. Perhaps the old king had dug the underground passage in preparation for the valley being surrounded by the army.

“Ugh, I want to wash.”

Seo-rin, covered in dirt and mud, said with a tearful face. Some of the underground caves were full of moisture, and even a master couldn’t avoid getting dirty.

“What’s with a guy who used to roll around in the wild acting clean? Just bear with it.”

No-gun, who was also a mess, said. No-gun’s clothes and hair were also covered in dirt.

“Roll around! Wolves are so clean!”

But No-gun didn’t pay attention to Seo-rin’s rebuttal and frowned, tilting his head.

“What’s that sound again?”

Son Bin couldn’t hear anything, but No-gun’s sensitive senses were clearly recognizing the faint sound coming from the center of the valley.

“It sounds like they’re chanting some kind of mantra as a group? Hey, you go take a look…”

No-gun, who was turning his head to look for Geom-hee, realized that she had already disappeared.

“She’s gone again? Does she have some kind of social phobia? She disappears all the time. She should just wear a veil like Wol-ah… Ah, whatever.”

Son Bin tilted his head. He didn’t think that Geom-hee disappearing and Dang Wol-ah wearing a veil were for the same reason.

“Well, it seems like we’ve accomplished our goal anyway.”

No-gun smirked as he looked at the scene unfolding before his eyes.

Hoooong.

In the Moon Castle Valley, that desolate place, the corpses of monsters were scattered. Most of them were trampled and broken, but many had died because they couldn’t overcome the pain themselves.

The group silently watched the scene before their eyes. It was definitely something to be happy about, but it was also clearly a terrible sight.

“This kind of result with one swing of a sword… Well, it’s worth the trouble.”

No-gun smirked and said. Son Bin gave a bitter smile at those words that summed up all the hardships so far with ‘one swing of a sword’.

“It’s not something to be happy about.”

Dang Wol-ah’s quiet voice flowed out.

“As long as the Heavenly Demon and the Gate of Naraka exist, this kind of thing can happen again at any time. Moreover, this may not be all the power the Demonic Sect has.”

“Hmm.”

No-gun groaned. Dang Wol-ah’s words were correct. This was not the end, and it was certainly not everything.

“Anyway, let’s go. Everyone must be worried.”

If Son Bin didn’t show up after the Demonic Sect’s base was destroyed, it was obvious what kind of worries Aemyung Myungwang or the Potala monks would have.

It was the very moment No-gun was about to move his feet.

“Um…”

It was Son Bin’s voice. No-gun stopped and looked back at Son Bin.

“Why?”

Son Bin, who had been hesitating for a moment, said.

“I’ve been thinking about something…”

“What is it?”

“Wouldn’t it be better to leave as we are?”

No-gun’s eyes widened. Seo-rin also looked puzzled, as if asking what he meant.

“Why? Did you cause some kind of accident without us knowing?”

Son Bin let out a hollow laugh and quickly shook his head.

“It’s not that. But if we go back to the Potala Palace as we are, I don’t think I’ll be able to leave this land easily.”

No-gun knew that too. They were already praising Son Bin as the Great Abbot, so how could they just send away the hero who saved this land from the threat of monsters?

“But if you decide to go, no one will be able to go against your will, right? At least thirty thousand, no, all the Potala monks will be willing to die for you if it’s your command.”

It wasn’t just the Potala monks. If it was ‘the order of Great Abbot Son Bin’, everyone in this land would obey without question, without asking why.

Because Son Bin was the incarnation of the Eight Divine Generals, the Great Abbot of Potala, and the living Tathagata [a title for one who has attained Buddhahood] who saved this land from the threat of monsters and the Demonic Sect.

“That’s why.”

Son Bin said in a calm tone.

“I don’t believe all the Demon’s words, but as he said, I am an outsider (外人) [wairin: foreigner] here. It is never desirable for me, who does not belong to the religion and culture of this land, to gain excessive trust and influence. Moreover, it is even more so when I think that I must eventually leave this land.”

Son Bin’s words were correct. The influence that Great Abbot Son Bin, who had eliminated the threat of monsters, would have, especially in this place where religion was the basis of life, would be truly enormous.

Depending on the situation, Son Bin could become an element that fundamentally shook the religious and political structure of this land.

Even if he gave up everything and left, it would be a problem. Son Bin, an existence with absolute influence, would be released to the outside in a completely unpredictable state.

The situation in Seojang could change with just a small rumor or letter about Son Bin. There would definitely be those who would try to use Son Bin’s name and influence as they pleased.

It was truly a maximization of political instability.

“If you leave as you are, everyone will think you’re dead, right?”

“That might be better. In the grand scheme of things.”

The dead have no words. The authority and influence of Great Abbot Son Bin would all be inherited by the young palace lord, the owner of Bodhicitta [enlightenment-mind], so most of the things Son Bin was worried about would be neatly resolved.

“I don’t like the idea of doing good for the wrong guy.”

No-gun, who had been grumbling, said gruffly.

“Well, if that’s what you’ve decided.”

Everyone knew that Son Bin had made up his mind. Then there was no particular reason to object.

“It’s better this way. If we went all the way to Lhasa from here, and then had to do a lot of events there and come back, it would take months just for that time.”

Those words also expressed Son Bin’s inner thoughts.

This Moon Castle Valley was located at the western end. If they left directly to the west now, there was no guarantee that it wouldn’t take months to come back here if they returned to Lhasa.

“So you’re just going to leave without telling anyone?”

“No. I can’t do that.”

Son Bin shook his head.

“I’m going to leave letters to Aemyung Myungwang and the other Five Great Myungwangs, and to the palace lord. I shouldn’t leave out the Potala princess either.”

He couldn’t hide the truth from them. There was no need to either. That was how the ‘incarnation of the Great Abbot’ wouldn’t appear, wasn’t it?

“Ah, and I have to send it to the Dang Clan and Seowon too. I don’t want them to worry if they hear any strange rumors.”

Dang Wol-ah and Sa Su-yeon’s eyes sparkled at the words Dang Clan and Seowon. Son Bin smiled and said.

“Would you two like to write too?”

There was no need to wait for an answer. Sa Su-yeon and Dang Wol-ah nodded at the same time.

“Ah, um, I’m going to the North Sea…”

Son Bin nodded as if it were natural at Sa Su-yeon’s words.

“Hmm, then we should go that way, not this way.”

No-gun gestured towards the outside of the valley. He had confirmed that there was a small village a little further away while reviewing the geography last night.

“Let’s go wash and eat something first. And then let’s all get together and write letters.”

Everyone nodded in agreement. Just as No-gun was about to fly off, Seo-rin suddenly said.

“Ah, what about Chief Hwang?”

Chief Hwang had remained in the camp outside the valley for safety. No-gun shrugged.

“I’ll bring him along while I deliver the letter.”

No-gun said that as if he were picking up a lost item. And he kicked off the ground without hesitation.

Paak.

While being held by Seo-rin, Son Bin suddenly looked at Sa Su-yeon. But Sa Su-yeon quickly turned her head away.

‘Why is she doing that?’

Come to think of it, it seemed like she had been avoiding his gaze since earlier. Maybe it was because she didn’t want to show him her dirty appearance?

‘She’s still pretty though…’

Of course, he didn’t have the courage to say it out loud. But he couldn’t keep staring at her because it seemed like she didn’t like it. It was rude to stare like this in the first place.

Son Bin turned his head with regret. Thanks to that, he didn’t see Sa Su-yeon’s face turning red again.

‘I, what courage did I have to do that…’

Sa Su-yeon was recalling the moment when she escaped from the underground shrine.

The moment when she hugged Son Bin with all her body without any hesitation, and the time when her heart was full of happiness just by confirming that he was in her arms.

“Haa.”

Sa Su-yeon let out a sigh without realizing it. Thinking about it again, she was embarrassed to the point where she wondered where she had gotten such courage.

Along with the memories of that deep place where the North Sea Ice Spirit was, a third unforgettable memory was being engraved.

Swish, Whirlick.

The sound of the passing wind covered Sa Su-yeon’s embarrassing sigh. In that way, the group left the Moon Castle Valley.

(Author’s words)

Demon: No way. How come even after the second evolution….

No-gun: That’s why you should have raised a legendary PoXmon like me. Do you think people are wandering around for no reason?