A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 373

373. Seeing Is Believing 1

The vast expanse of the Western Regions plateau stretched beneath the high sky.

Looking out over the verdant grasslands, Tang Mun-won, the leader of the Tang Clan’s goodwill delegation, exclaimed in admiration.

“This is the Western Regions? It’s unexpectedly beautiful.”

“Oh, please don’t say that.”

The head of the caravan, who was acting as their guide, waved his hand dismissively.

“This place is never to be trusted. It may look peaceful, but it’s higher than most mountain peaks, you know? If you overexert yourself even a little, you’ll immediately have trouble breathing, and your head will feel like it’s splitting open.”

“Is that so? I’ll have to be careful then. Hahaha.”

Chuckling, Tang Mun-won glanced back at his group. Though they were dressed as ordinary merchants, they were actually members of the Tang Clan’s elite martial force, the Black Tortoise Unit, and had previously served as the Silver Sword Unit, guarding Tang Wol-ah.

Disguised as merchants, they had just arrived in the Western Regions with the important mission of confirming Tang Wol-ah’s safety and, if necessary, rescuing her.

—Verify the truth of this rumor! Immediately!

Tang Hwa-ryun, the chief strategist of the Tang Clan, had said with a chilling glint in her eyes. The reason she wasn’t heading to the Western Regions herself was due to her awareness that she held the fate of the clan in her hands.

The Black Tortoise Unit, one of the Tang Clan’s elite forces, was immediately deployed, and Tang Mun-won, Tang Hwa-ryun’s uncle and a veteran of a trip to the Northern Sea, was appointed as the leader.

There was no reason to delay. The Tang Clan’s delegation departed for the Western Regions that very day, as soon as Tang Hwa-ryun gave the order. Because their destination was the Potala Palace, they couldn’t even send a goodwill delegation openly, so they disguised themselves as merchants. In truth, even the goodwill delegation was just a formality.

Their mission was to verify, thoroughly and without fail, the unbelievable rumor that Great Chieftain Son Bin and his party had died.

“By the way, while coming here, I noticed that the Western Regions caravans were all talking about someone called the Great Chieftain…”

Tang Mun-won subtly inquired of the caravan leader.

Even as the delegation traveled to the Western Regions, they frequently encountered caravans heading towards the Tang Clan. Unlike the merchant groups, which were at most fifty horses strong, the sight of a hundred large, fine warhorses lining the Tea Horse Road was spectacular to behold.

“Indeed. I’ve heard the stories too, but everyone gets so excited when they talk about this Great Chieftain or whatever. Some people chant mantras [sacred sounds or phrases] at every turn, while others are saying they’ll become monks as soon as this trading trip is over. It’s quite a commotion.”

The caravan leader, who was from Sichuan, clicked his tongue. He was also a member of the Tang Clan’s collateral line and, though his words seemed a bit frivolous, he was perceptive enough not to ask any questions about their mission.

“These people are naturally religious, but I’ve never seen them this zealous. Even in the last village we passed, people were offering prayers to the Great Chieftain, you know? Did you see? People were gathered in front of the stupa [a dome-shaped Buddhist shrine].”

Tang Mun-won nodded at the caravan leader’s words.

“Ah, you mean the white stupa in front of that village?”

“Yes, that’s right. They’re all praising the Great Chieftain’s virtues and praying for his reincarnation to be born in this land soon.”

“Reincarnation…”

Tang Mun-won gave a wry smile. It was the first time he had seen people so earnestly believing in reincarnation, which he had only known as a religious concept.

But more than that, he was reminded of the rumor that was circulating. Praying for reincarnation meant that death was a foregone conclusion.

“When will we reach a large town or city?”

“In a few more days, we’ll reach a large city called Lithang.”

The caravan leader replied, swaying on horseback.

“If you go there, you can hear all the news of the Western Regions. There’s also a fairly large temple, so you can experience the local esoteric Buddhism [a complex and symbolic form of Buddhism]. The monks here are generally very kind.”

“Is the road dangerous?”

“It’s not dangerous.”

The caravan leader thumped his chest and assured him.

“This isn’t a place where dangerous wild animals roam. And all the monsters or whatever have disappeared, so it’s absolutely safe.”

“Speaking of which, have you ever seen a monster yourself?”

“No, I haven’t.”

The caravan leader shook his head.

“It was said to have been very severe last winter, but I don’t really believe it. But the people here are so adamant about it that I can’t help but believe them.”

The caravan leader continued, wearing a complicated expression.

“Still, how could there be monsters in this world? And the fact that this Great Chieftain or whatever eliminated all the monsters in the Western Regions at once… These people are kind, but they’re so devoted to esoteric Buddhism that I can’t really trust them…”

Neigh.

With a sudden cry, the horse the caravan leader was riding reared up on its front legs. The surprised caravan leader barely managed to avoid falling off, but the horse refused to calm down easily.

“Whoa, whoa. Why is this horse acting like this all of a sudden? Whoa, whoa!”

As the caravan leader struggled to calm the horse, one of the Black Tortoise Unit members approached Tang Mun-won.

“Captain.”

In a low voice, the member pointed to the ground a short distance ahead. And the moment he looked there, Tang Mun-won couldn’t help but frown.

‘Ugh.’

It was a corpse of some kind. The caravan leader’s horse had been startled by the sight of the half-rotted corpse.

Swish.

The Black Tortoise Unit member dismounted. And without hesitation, he walked towards the corpse.

“Be careful. It might be poisonous.”

Tang Mun-won’s words were unnecessary advice. If the Tang Clan’s Black Tortoise Unit were to be poisoned, it would be nothing short of a laughingstock.

Swoosh.

The Black Tortoise Unit member moved the corpse with a long pole. And he couldn’t help but frown.

An unusually large body, a long, torn mouth, and abnormally protruding claws and teeth.

The grass and flowers around the already rotting corpse were charred black. It was clear at a glance that this wasn’t just due to the corpse’s natural toxins.

‘This is…’

Looking down at the still eerily gleaming red eyes, the Black Tortoise Unit member could clearly identify the corpse.

‘A monster.’

A terrifying monster that could only be described as not belonging to this world.

It was the corpse of a monster that had threatened all living things in the Western Regions last winter.

* * *

“Hahaha.”

The monk at the large temple in Lithang said with a hearty laugh.

“The Great Chieftain is alive.”

Tang Mun-won’s eyes widened as he heard the caravan leader’s translation.

“Alive?”

“Hahaha, that’s right.”

The old monk smiled with a gentle expression. But Tang Mun-won couldn’t hide his surprised expression.

Having arrived at the large temple in Lithang, Tang Mun-won had subtly inquired about the ‘Great Chieftain’ to a high-ranking monk. He had started by saying, ‘I heard that the Great Chieftain passed away recently…’ but he received an answer he hadn’t even imagined.

“Then, where is he now?”

It was truly a shocking answer, but if the Great Chieftain was alive, there could be no better news.

Tang Mun-won asked again with a sense of urgency. But the monk’s answer was a little, no, very different from Tang Mun-won’s expectations.

“He lives in our hearts.”

“Pardon?”

Tang Mun-won blinked, wondering what he meant. Then, the monk in the red robe added an explanation, wearing a gentle smile.

“As long as we do not forget the compassion and virtue he bestowed upon this land, the Great Chieftain will always live in our hearts. As it is said, ‘Everything is created by the mind (一切唯心造),’ so isn’t everything up to the mind? Hahaha.”

Watching the monk laugh heartily, Tang Mun-won felt a surge of murderous intent. But Tang Mun-won, who was second to none in human relations, didn’t show even a trace of it.

“I see.”

Tang Mun-won said, clasping his hands together with a gentle expression.

“Thank you for your words of deep wisdom.”

‘Damn it.’

But Tang Mun-won couldn’t help but curse inwardly.

Such incidents continued to occur.

On the way to the large city of Lhasa, Tang Mun-won met countless people and monks.

As soon as the words ‘Great Chieftain’ were mentioned, people would chant mantras and tell Tang Mun-won how he had saved this land. Sometimes, they would even tearfully praise the Great Chieftain’s virtues, and express goodwill and gratitude to Tang Mun-won simply because he was from the Central Plains.

It was then that he learned that he was the incarnation of Gandharva [a celestial musician], one of the Eight Legions, the commander of the Potala monastic army, and the Great Chieftain. He also heard unbelievable rumors that he had loved thousands of beautiful women, and that he had enjoyed beautiful music and heavenly drinks while flying through the sky.

There were some slightly embarrassing rumors, but in any case, people sincerely mourned the Great Chieftain’s death and did not hide their deep respect for him.

On the other hand, the monks, especially the high-ranking monks, gave completely unexpected answers.

Most of them said things like, ‘He lives in our hearts,’ or ‘He lives in the Western Paradise.’

In the end, it meant that he was dead, but somehow the monks were all refusing to say ‘dead’ so readily.

‘Is it that hard to accept?’

Tang Mun-won even thought that. Perhaps death had no meaning in this land.

The answer that confused Tang Mun-won the most was ‘He lives somewhere in this land.’

“So, you’re saying that he’s not living in your hearts or in the Pure Land, but right here in this land?”

“That’s right. Hahaha.”

The old monk’s hearty laughter deepened Tang Mun-won’s suspicion. Tang Mun-won asked cautiously.

“Then, where in this land is he?”

“Well, I don’t know.”

Tang Mun-won’s brow furrowed without him realizing it. He wondered if it was a typical conspiracy theory that he had died but was actually hiding somewhere to avoid danger.

“But we’ll know soon.”

The monk’s next words surprised Tang Mun-won. Tang Mun-won quickly asked.

“How soon is soon…?”

“Until the owner of Bodhicitta [the Potala Palace] is formally enthroned.”

The owner of Bodhicitta was the lord of the Potala Palace. Tang Mun-won couldn’t understand why the enthronement of the lord was suddenly being mentioned.

Seeing Tang Mun-won blinking, the high-ranking monk nodded as if he understood.

“When the owner of Bodhicitta is enthroned, he will formally search for the reincarnation of the Great Chieftain, won’t he? So, we’ll know then.”

The moment of expectation plummeted into disappointment in an instant.

“Re, reincarnation?”

“That’s right.”

The high-ranking monk nodded with a gentle expression, unaware of Tang Mun-won’s inner thoughts.

“Do you know how much the owner of Bodhicitta misses the Great Chieftain? He will probably be the first to look for the Great Chieftain’s incarnation when he is enthroned. The Great Chieftain knows that heart, so he must already be born somewhere in this land. When I think of their affectionate hearts…”

The old high-ranking monk even teared up and chanted a mantra.

“Truly, this is a sacred and pure land. The owner of Bodhicitta is here, the Potala Princess watches over the sentient beings, and the incarnation of the Great Chieftain protects this land. Isn’t that so?”

The high-ranking monk said in a proud tone. Tang Mun-won smiled at the words that contained both pride in this land and a subtle invitation to convert.

“That, that’s truly an enviable thing.”

In the end, it meant that not Great Chieftain Son Bin, but the baby he was reincarnated into, would be alive somewhere in this land.

‘Damn esoteric Buddhism. Is there some kind of dying oath that prevents you from speaking plainly?’

Of course, it wasn’t incomprehensible. There were plenty of monks and Taoists in the temples and Taoist temples of the Jianghu [the martial arts world] who exchanged so-called Zen questions and answers.

But from the perspective of someone asking with a desperate heart, it was an unavoidable situation to curse.

“Hehe, hehehe.”

Forcibly suppressing the curses that were about to pour out, Tang Mun-won forced a hearty laugh.

Somehow, it wasn’t just a baseless delusion that his personality seemed to be getting dirtier since coming to this Western Regions.

* * *

After several days, Tang Mun-won was finally able to reach Lhasa, the center of the Western Regions and a large city.

The beautiful appearance of the Potala Palace and the vast scale of Lhasa impressed Tang Mun-won, but the countless times he had heard the words ‘The Great Chieftain is alive’ on the way here were enough to exhaust his mind and body.

But it was too early to draw a conclusion. The words of the high-ranking monks were not clear facts, but rather opinions that added their beliefs to already widespread rumors.

In the end, there was only one person in this Western Regions who could clearly confirm the death of the Great Chieftain and his party.

It was the lord of the Potala Palace, the owner of Bodhicitta, who had established the Great Chieftain and ordered him to subjugate the monsters.

“Welcome. I welcome you.”

The young lord smiled softly at Tang Mun-won. He was surprised that he spoke the language of the Central Plains fluently, but Tang Mun-won couldn’t help but admire the noble and unapproachable atmosphere.

“Tang Mun-won of the Tang Clan greets the lord.”

Tang Mun-won bowed deeply. Tang Mun-won was now paying respects to the owner of Bodhicitta in the White Palace of the Potala Palace.

The caravan leader from Sichuan was overwhelmed with emotion, saying that he had never had such an honor, but for Tang Mun-won, it was a matter of course. How could it not be natural for the lord of the Potala Palace to meet with the Tang Clan’s delegation?

‘As expected of the Potala Palace.’

The Potala Palace that Tang Mun-won saw was magnificent. The unique and beautiful architectural style, as well as the clean White Palace, which looked as if it had been newly renovated a few days ago, showed at a glance that it was being managed with great care, although the decorations and scale themselves were simple.

But the most surprising person was the young lord of the Potala Palace, the owner of Bodhicitta.

Despite his young age, he felt a dignity like that of a monarch. It was not something that could be achieved through education alone, but something that emanated from within a person.

Tang Mun-won glanced at the woman next to the lord. The woman, who was slightly bowing her head and guarding the young lord with a gentle expression, was the princess of Potala.

She had a grandiose name, the companion of all suffering sentient beings and the lotus flower blooming in the sea, and it turned out that she was the reincarnation of the old Princess Wencheng.

‘She’s said to be the reincarnation of the princess, and she’s pretty.’

Her smiling face was so benevolent that it seemed as if she would embrace all suffering people.

Perhaps it was because she felt a different kind of elegant beauty from the Western Regions women he had seen on the way here, who had flamboyant decorations and eye makeup.

“The head of the Tang Clan has expressed his gratitude for the gifts sent by the lord.”

Tang Mun-won respectfully handed over a letter from Hwa-gun Tang Ok-dam, the head of the clan. It was just a letter full of ceremonial greetings, with only rhetorical splendor. And in fact, there was not a single sentence that could be used as evidence that it was sent by the Tang Clan. The writing itself was ghostwritten.

“And this is a letter from the chief strategist of the Tang Clan.”

Tang Mun-won respectfully handed over another letter. And this letter piqued the curiosity of the young lord.

“Oh, you’re going to send tea?”

“That’s right.”

Tang Mun-won said with a smile.

“The chief strategist was pleased with the Potala Palace’s gift to the Great Chieftain and has decided to send a total of 2.5 million pounds of tea over the next five years.”

The Potala Princess couldn’t hide her surprised expression at those words. Considering that they usually received 300,000 pounds of tea for sending 10,000 horses as tribute, it was almost three times the price.

Considering that tea was called black gold in this Western Regions and was treated very preciously, it was an enormous gift.

But if they could get 30,000 Western Regions horses for 2.5 million pounds of tea, that would be a profit. No, in the first place, the price of 30 pounds of tea for one Western Regions horse was ridiculously cheap.

“That gift was given to the Great Chieftain, so how can the Tang Clan receive a reply? It is truly a gracious word, but please take it back.”

The Potala Princess said cautiously. Tang Mun-won realized from those words that she had practical authority, not just decoration.

“No.”

Tang Mun-won said with a good-natured, warm smile.

“How can we consider our Tang Clan and Young Master Son as strangers? The relationship between our beautiful and intelligent chief strategist and Young Master Son is especially special… What should I say, it’s almost like a family relationship.”

It was special. Son Bin was the only person besides Tang Wol-ah who received special treatment from the terrifying chief strategist Tang Hwa-ryun.

But this was a mixture of Tang Mun-won’s unique bluff and exaggeration. The words ‘family-like relationship’ sounded quite meaningful, but in fact, it was just an irresponsible rhetoric that didn’t confirm anything.

However, the young lord and the Potala Princess seemed to accept those words willingly. Of course, a faint wry smile flashed by, but.

“So, sending a reply is rather the Tang Clan’s duty. Please accept it with a comfortable heart.”

Saying that, Tang Mun-won opened a luxurious wooden box that he had brought separately. It was filled with rare teas that were hard to find even in Sichuan and Yunnan. In this Western Regions, it was something that they would covet more than any treasure.

“Then we can’t refuse any longer.”

The young lord smiled softly. He didn’t even glance at the tea in the wooden box, which made Tang Mun-won a little uneasy, but his next words were enough to make a smile appear on Tang Mun-won’s face.

“But we can’t just stand still after receiving such a big gift. We promise to send 10,000 horses to the Tang Clan every year for the next five years.”

At those words, Tang Mun-won had to forcibly close his mouth, which was about to open in delight. With this, a trade was established to exchange 500,000 pounds of tea and 10,000 Western Regions horses every year. And that too, on very good terms that both the Western Regions and the Tang Clan were satisfied with.

“I deeply thank you for the lord’s kindness. The Tang Clan will be very pleased as well.”

Tang Mun-won bowed deeply to express his gratitude. His words that the Tang Clan would be very pleased were neither a lie nor an exaggeration.

500,000 pounds of tea a year was the amount that 50 caravans would have to transport 100 times. And there were even 10,000 Western Regions horses every year.

This enormous scale meant that the Tang Clan would suddenly emerge as a major player in the tea market and horse trade market in the Sichuan and Yunnan areas.

Of course, all the actual commercial transactions would be left to the merchants, and what the Tang Clan had was, in a way, only a promise that didn’t even have a document.

But it was the promise of the lord of the Potala Palace, not anyone else. Moreover, the people of the Western Regions were also famous for maintaining a trade once it was established for generations.

So, the Tang Clan had just obtained an enormous trading right that would shake the tea market and horse trade market itself.

‘As expected, the chief strategist is a great person.’

Tang Mun-won once again admired the ability of the chief strategist Tang Hwa-ryun. It was by no means something that anyone could do to turn what would have ended as a one-time event into such a solid trade.

With this, the Tang Clan’s influence on the merchants of Sichuan and Yunnan, as well as the Five Great Merchant Groups, would become incomparably greater than before.

Tang Mun-won couldn’t hide the joy that was spreading from the depths of his heart. But this wasn’t the time to be so happy.

“There is one thing I would like to ask the lord.”

Tang Mun-won suddenly said. The owner of Bodhicitta looked at him with eyes as if asking what was wrong.

After swallowing hard, Tang Mun-won asked with a truly determined expression.

“Young Master Son and his party, are they dead?”

Tang Mun-won’s determined eyes, which had boldly changed even the expression ‘passed away’ because he was worried that it would cause misunderstanding, were directed straight at the lord.

(Author’s words)

A bromance between the young lord and Great Chieftain Son Bin suddenly blossoms, centered on the old monks.

You may be wondering about the million units of tea, but 500,000 pounds a year is about 300 tons. It is a large-scale trade, but it is still estimated to be only a few hundredths of the tea demand in the Western Regions. That’s why it’s black gold.