A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 37

Chapter 37. Collapse

As the wind blew, snowflakes danced in the air.

Beneath the deep blue sky, on a pristine white snowfield, a nobleman stood leisurely, like a figure in a painting.

He appeared so relaxed that one would forget this was a high mountain where even breathing was difficult. This man was none other than Okryong.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

Okryong said in a soft voice.

He turned his head to gaze at the snow-covered peaks. The peaks, sharply rising into the blue sky, were shining white all over.

“Indeed.”

Saja Hyuk replied in a calm voice.

“It is a beautiful place. And…”

He slowly looked around.

“It is a solitary place.”

Son Bin agreed with Saja Hyuk’s assessment.

The snowfield, quietly spread out in this high place where even breathing was difficult, and the silver peaks looking down upon it, exuded a majesty that refused the approach of not only people but all living things.

“When I first came here,”

Okryong said.

His gaze was still fixed on the pure white summit. The sharply rising peak was like a fang about to shatter the blue sky.

“I was almost overwhelmed by the dignity and beauty of this mountain. Things that seemed so great down below looked like nothing when viewed from here. They even seemed ridiculous. But what I liked most was the fact that there was no one here.”

Okryong, who had been gazing at the mountain peaks with a contemplative look, turned his head to look at Saja Hyuk.

“My dear friend, the Martial Emperor of Hyeoncheon.”

His eyes gleamed.

“Welcome to this mountain. You cannot know how much joy it gives me to be standing here with you today.”

“I have discarded that name.”

Saja Hyuk said, looking at Okryong.

“I am Saja Hyuk.”

“Heh heh.”

Okryong laughed.

“Would Mount Tai [a sacred mountain in China, often used metaphorically] disappear if called by another name?”

Sabeok [sound of footsteps].

As if taking a stroll, Okryong lightly moved his steps.

“The one who stands alone under the sky. A truly invincible Martial Emperor, noble and violent, whom no one can defy. The rampaging Tiger of Sacheon is not even comparable to you, and the elegant Yellow Crane cannot match you either. Even in the Murim Outskirts [a hidden world of martial arts experts], the world of those belonging to the world beyond the heavens, you were the only one truly worthy of being called the sky.”

Sabeok.

Okryong stopped walking.

“And still, you are the Martial Emperor of Hyeoncheon.”

Saja Hyuk was silent for a moment. Then, he opened his mouth again.

“Why.”

Saja Hyuk asked in a heavy voice.

“Why did you do such a thing?”

“Such a thing?”

Okryong tilted his head.

“Are you referring to inciting those two to ambush you? Or poisoning you at the Cheonhyang House by using that woman as a hostage? Ah, now that I think about it.”

Okryong said with a faint sneer.

“She ended up dying, didn’t she? That hostage. Stabbed by the Tiger’s fangs. It was a foolish thing to do. As if she could protect you by throwing herself.”

Okryong’s smile deepened. He said.

“By the way, did you find her body?”

“That is…”

Huuuuuu.

The wind began to rise around Saja Hyuk.

It was different from the energy Saja Hyuk had shown until now. An eerie yet intense, never-before-seen energy swirled around Saja Hyuk.

“Is that what you were talking about? What I desire most?”

“Surely not.”

Okryong frowned.

“That can’t be. You know me well, don’t you? I don’t even touch what I don’t like. Moreover, I wouldn’t even lay a finger on a woman like that. The Tiger’s venom would have prevented her from maintaining her form, so I burned her without a trace. Now, no matter how much you miss her and want to see her…”

He said with a faint smile.

“You have nowhere to go to find her.”

Son Bin saw Sasu Yeon’s body trembling. The woman Okryong was talking about was probably Sasu Yeon’s mother.

Son Bin also bit his lip.

“Ah, now that I think about it.”

Okryong said as if suddenly remembering something.

“There’s one more left here. A trace of that unsightly woman.”

Okryong’s cold gaze turned to Sasu Yeon. Okryong, who was covering his mouth with an jade fan, spoke in a very small whisper.

“Get rid of her, Sword Demon.”

Swish.

A silver blade appeared in the air. As if it had been there from the beginning, without any sign.

When Son Bin raised his head, feeling a chilling sensation as if his crown was being pierced, the blade was already falling towards Sasu Yeon.

Huuuk.

Son Bin saw Sasu Yeon’s sword reveal itself and begin to emit energy.

It was a momentary reaction, but to Son Bin, it seemed as if the world had stopped.

And it was clear to Son Bin that her sword would not be able to block the falling blade.

‘No!’

He wanted to shout, but even his movements were too slow. It felt as if his whole body was tied to something.

The moment the sharply shining silver blade reached right above Sasu Yeon, a huge explosion erupted.

Kwaang! Hwirik.

The figure of a woman in white clothes fluttered into the blue sky. A silver sword sparkling at the end of her sleeve drew a large circle.

It was the woman who had identified herself as the Sword Demon. And what had blocked her sword was Saja Hyuk’s greatsword, Paewol.

Huuuung.

Paewol, which had unleashed a powerful energy, was emitting a sharp aura as if protecting Sasu Yeon. And Saja Hyuk raised Paewol towards the Sword Demon in the air.

Wuuuung.

The Sword Demon’s sword, still floating in the air, began to emit energy at that very moment.

A snow-white and chilling energy spread like frost over her sword, soon creating the shape of a huge sword.

As if everything around it had frozen with her sword, the huge silver sword fell straight towards Saja Hyuk’s Paewol.

Kwaang! Kuuung!

The ground vibrated with the explosion.

Jjeojeok [sound of cracking].

A chilling sound spread beneath the snowfield. Then, some of the snowfield around it began to collapse as if by a lie.

Kureureureung [rumbling sound].

‘Huk.’

Son Bin gasped in surprise. Some of the snowfield around it was slowly sliding and collapsing downwards.

A large pile of snow fell off the steep cliff, revealing a huge blue ice of unimaginable thickness.

‘Ice? This, this place is?’

The snowfield that the group was standing on was neither land nor rock. It was a state where snow covered a huge ice formed over an unimaginable long period of time.

Although the area that collapsed now was a relatively weak part of the snowfield, there was no guarantee that this place would not collapse if it continued like this.

Moreover, this place was a high altitude where even breathing was difficult, and below the snowfield was a steep cliff. The ground collapsing underfoot was something one didn’t even want to imagine.

Kwaang!

Another explosion erupted. Son Bin turned his head.

Against the huge silver sword, Saja Hyuk’s greatsword, Paewol, was emitting streaks of blue energy.

Kiiiing!

The silver giant sword and Saja Hyuk’s black greatsword were touching each other, letting out a sharp wail. The Sword Demon’s silver sword looked abnormally large, to the point where the greatsword Paewol looked small.

It wasn’t that the sword had actually grown larger, but that the energy emitted by the Sword Demon had materialized.

“A unique sword.”

Saja Hyuk said.

The Sword Demon’s deep and serene eyes stared straight at Saja Hyuk. The two swords were still letting out a sharp wail.

“But this can’t be your best, can it?”

“That’s right.”

The Sword Demon replied.

Jjaeng!

With a sound like something breaking, Paewol and the silver sword fell apart.

As Saja Hyuk took a step back, the Sword Demon spun quickly as if dancing and retreated.

Huuung.

Her white sleeves swept across the snowfield, creating a small blizzard.

When she stopped again, the shape of the huge silver blade had already disappeared. All that remained was her sword.

Sarak [rustling sound].

Her sword quietly pointed towards Saja Hyuk. It was a calm and natural movement without any energy, but Son Bin felt a chill down his spine as he watched the scene.

As if that feeling wasn’t a lie, her sword soon began to turn white. There was no giant blade, no energy emitted, but it was clear that it was the Sword Demon’s ultimate technique.

Wuuuung.

Saja Hyuk’s Paewol howled softly. As if it was happy to face the Sword Demon’s sword.

“Oh dear.”

Just then, Okryong’s voice broke the tension between the two.

“This is a bit troublesome, isn’t it?”

Okryong said with a laughing voice. Saja Hyuk turned to look at Okryong.

“I am your opponent, you know?”

Sarak.

Okryong raised one hand. Okryong’s sleeve fluttered, revealing his white hand.

He was not holding anything in his hand, but Saja Hyuk knew better than anyone how threatening it was.

“But right now…”

Seuk [sound of movement].

Okryong’s hand moved smoothly. Reflexively, Saja Hyuk’s gaze reached Sasu Yeon.

However, the person Okryong’s hand was aimed at was Son Bin.

“Shall we get rid of the trash first?”

Ping [sound of a small object hitting something].

With a soft sound cutting through the wind, a chilling aura of death was shot towards Son Bin.

And Son Bin clearly heard it. Okryong glared at him and said this.

[Finally, you have gained meaning, trash.]

‘Meaning?’

At that moment, Okryong’s cold and dry voice echoed in Son Bin’s ear.

∴

-But the moment you gain meaning, you die.

∴

‘Ah.’

He couldn’t avoid it, he couldn’t block it. Watching the aura of death flying towards him, countless thoughts crossed Son Bin’s mind.

At the end of those thoughts, Son Bin could clearly know one thing.

‘In the end, I’m going to die.’

Kwaang!

At the same time as Okryong’s finger moved, the Sword Demon’s white blade exploded and struck towards Saja Hyuk.

Her sword, containing everything as if it existed only for this moment, was shooting towards Saja Hyuk. And Son Bin was standing beyond her sword.

However, Saja Hyuk only frowned.

Wuuuung.

Without the slightest tremor, Paewol, which was emitting a soft howl, was preparing to meet the Sword Demon’s sword.

What met the chilling aura of death that Okryong had shot out was another sword that was spraying blue energy.

Swiiing!

“I won’t let that happen!”

Sasu Yeon’s sword moved, cutting through the air. Her sleeves fluttered on the white snowfield.

It seemed that Okryong’s attack on Son Bin was being thwarted. If Son Bin hadn’t shouted.

“No!”

Son Bin shouted, looking at Sasu Yeon.

“Dodge! Miss! What he’s aiming for is…”

Sasu Yeon looked at Son Bin with a puzzled look.

In that fleeting moment, Son Bin’s figure came into Sasu Yeon’s view. He was trying to reach out as if to push her away.

‘Huh?’

Her figure is reflected in his eyes as he shouts at her with a desperate expression.

Her eyes are full of herself, as if only Sasu Yeon exists in the world. And behind her, reflected in those eyes, a white blade was falling.

Puk [sound of piercing].

With a chilling sound, a white sword pierced Sasu Yeon’s chest.

‘Ah!’

Sasu Yeon’s eyes were filled with astonishment. In front of her, Son Bin was desperately reaching out to her, shouting something, but she could no longer hear any sound.

And in the very next moment, the aura of death that Okryong had shot out pierced Son Bin’s chest.

Peoeok [sound of impact]!

The two figures slowly began to collapse.

“Kuaaaaaaa!”

Saja Hyuk’s scream, distorted with anger, echoed through the snowfield. At the same time, Paewol, which had been following right behind, fell on the Sword Demon, spraying an enormous amount of energy.

The Sword Demon released her hand from the sword embedded in Sasu Yeon and immediately retreated. She already knew that Paewol was following behind her.

But that alone was not enough to avoid Paewol.

Kwaaaaang!

With a tremendous explosion, a shockwave like a storm swept around. A huge amount of snow erupted like a volcano, and the entire snowfield began to vibrate.

Kureureureu [rumbling sound].

The snowfield, which had been vibrating as if groaning, began to collapse from the weak parts as if it could no longer withstand the impact.

Kuuung, Kugugung [collapsing sounds].

The sound of the heavens and earth collapsing continued one after another. The surroundings were not visible due to the snowstorm that had erupted.

∴

How much time had passed? With a heavy sound, the snowflakes slowly began to settle.

The sound of the collapsing giant ice masses was heard like an echo from below, but the snowfield seemed to have stopped collapsing.

Huuuung.

The wind blew. The snowflakes that had not yet settled fluttered, and the surroundings were filled with sparkling light.

It was a beautiful scene, like a fantasy, but there was only one person who could see it.

Paak [sound of fan opening].

A fan that shone faintly with a transparent jade light created wind and cleared away the things that were blocking the view.

“Hehehe.”

Okryong chuckled.

The surroundings were sparkling with snowflakes, and even the snowfield was no longer the same as before, but only he was standing there as if nothing had happened.

“Finally.”

Okryong said. His voice was filled with undisguised excitement.

Sabeok.

Okryong slowly began to walk.

But soon, no more leisure could be found in his steps. He even forgot to cover his face with a fan.

Sabeoksabeok [sound of footsteps].

He stopped his feet. With eyes mixed with greed and joy, he said.

“Finally, I have you in my hands. Right, in my hands!”

Saja Hyuk was standing in front of him with glistening eyes.

He was unable to move even a fingertip as if frozen, but only his eyes were burning as if to pierce through Okryong.

“I told you that I am your opponent, didn’t I?”

Okryong said, covering his face with a fan.