A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 385

385. Righteous Indignation

The moment Bahadur General had been dreading arrived sooner than expected. Not long after crossing the territory’s border, Son Bin’s group’s horses noticeably slowed down.

“They’re entering the forest.”

Even without his subordinate’s words, Bahadur was watching. Son Bin’s group was heading into the dense forest.

‘Foolish.’

Bahadur scoffed. They must be trying to hide in the forest because their horses were too tired to run.

But that was the limit of these foreigners. Bahadur himself, his three subordinates, and the old man Sheh were all more familiar with the forest.

“Haa!”

With a triumphant smile, Bahadur urged his horse on. The thought of finally catching them filled him with renewed vigor.

Clatter, clatter.

Following Son Bin’s group into the forest, Bahadur rode slowly.

Tired horses breathed heavily as they moved their feet rhythmically, and Bahadur carefully avoided the outstretched branches, looking for traces of Son Bin’s group.

Although the dense trees obscured the bright moonlight, Bahadur wouldn’t miss even the faintest trace.

‘As expected.’

The remaining traces confirmed Bahadur’s prediction. The shallow hoofprints meant their horses were exhausted. And judging by the traces, Son Bin’s group wasn’t far away.

Swish.

Bahadur gestured silently to his subordinates. The three subordinates bowed their heads and immediately dismounted, scattering to the left and right.

Clatter, clatter.

With a leisurely mind, Bahadur rode on with Sheh.

Sure enough, Bahadur soon found Son Bin’s group standing in a small clearing.

Old Gun and Son Bin, along with Hwang Bang-ju and a pretty boy he’d never seen before, were on horseback, looking at Bahadur.

Bahadur first checked to see if there were any other signs of life nearby. Then, meeting the cold gazes of Son Bin’s group, he slowly stopped his horse.

Clatter.

“Hehehe. Is this the end of the road?”

Bahadur laughed, his eyes gleaming under the moonlight.

“You ran pretty hard, but you can’t escape my grasp.”

“Hmph.”

Old Gun snorted.

“What’s with all the confidence? Seeing us waiting like this, shouldn’t you think, ‘Something’s up,’ and slowly back away? Are you out of your mind?”

Hwang Bang-ju wondered for a moment if he should translate this. But there was no need.

“Did you think we would be wary and retreat if you stood there like that? But your bluff won’t work on me.”

Hwang Bang-ju was inwardly impressed by Bahadur’s words. Even though they clearly didn’t speak the same language, it was as if they were having a conversation.

“You have dared to violate the laws established by the great God and the Shah [ruler or king] of the Empire. Furthermore, you have conspired with rebels in treason, a great crime that can never be forgiven.”

Bahadur said, lifting his chin and looking down with arrogant eyes.

“There is no escape now. This is the end for you.”

At those words, Old Gun frowned.

“That bastard, did he just insult us?”

“He says this is the end for us.”

Hwang Bang-ju quickly translated. Old Gun’s frown deepened, when suddenly, Son Bin dismounted.

Thud, thud.

Son Bin walked towards Bahadur, stopping and looking up at him.

“Did you,” Son Bin asked in a deeply沉着的 [calm and collected] voice.

“Did you order the deaths of all the villagers?”

Bahadur frowned at Hwang Bang-ju’s translation, but he soon smirked.

“Yes.”

Son Bin gritted his teeth. Then he spoke again.

“Old Gun willingly bound himself in chains. I, Hwang Bang-ju, and even Lady Suyeon and Lady Wola were imprisoned. That was not an easy choice. Never…….”

Son Bin paused for a moment, then spoke clearly.

“It wasn’t easy.”

Son Bin’s eyes shone intensely as he looked at Bahadur.

“They willingly endured humiliation not because they lacked strength, nor because they had done wrong. It was simply because they didn’t want innocent people to be harmed because of us. They didn’t want those kind children to get hurt. It was simply…….”

Grind.

Son Bin gritted his teeth, then said quietly, “Because I wanted it that way.”

Bahadur and Son Bin’s eyes met. Even in the face of Bahadur’s sharp gaze, forged on countless battlefields, Son Bin didn’t flinch.

“So I must ask. Why did you order the deaths of the villagers? Why…….”

Son Bin’s gaze turned to Sheh.

“Did you break your promise?”

A moment of silence flowed. Hwang Bang-ju, who had been waiting in tension for the next words, suddenly saw tears welling up in Old Gun’s eyes.

Sensing his gaze, Old Gun wiped his eyes with his sleeve, looking at Son Bin’s back and muttering in an emotional voice.

“Do you know how heartwarming it is to have someone get angry for me? It’s worth all the trouble I went through raising him.”

Hwang Bang-ju nodded. Well, if he had raised him since he was young, it was understandable that he would be moved to tears. Hwang Bang-ju himself was feeling a bit touched by Son Bin’s words.

But that emotion was shattered by Seorin’s voice, which suddenly popped up from the side.

“Grandpa didn’t raise him.”

Hwang Bang-ju turned to Old Gun with a look that asked what she meant, but Old Gun answered nonchalantly.

“It’s the same as raising him. I’ve been with him since he only knew the Jade Dragon Reverse Scale Strike [a martial arts technique].”

“Ehh.”

Seorin pouted as if she couldn’t believe it. Old Gun grumbled something, but Hwang Bang-ju couldn’t pay any more attention, because General Bahadur slowly opened his mouth.

“It’s simple. Because it is for the sake of the Empire.”

Bahadur continued with a sneer, “Yes, you have every right to criticize me. But for the sake of the Empire’s safety, the lives of heretics…….”

“I see.”

Hwang Bang-ju was startled by Son Bin’s sudden voice. Bahadur hadn’t even finished speaking yet, and he certainly hadn’t translated yet.

As he wondered if Son Bin had understood Bahadur’s words, Son Bin turned to Hwang Bang-ju and said.

“You don’t have to translate. It’s probably not a good reason anyway.”

Bahadur frowned and glared at Son Bin.

“……What are you doing?”

He demanded an answer, but then interrupted him and started talking among themselves. Bahadur knew that it was meant as mockery.

“Ahem, he says there’s no need to listen because it’s obviously going to be a ridiculous excuse.”

Hwang Bang-ju gave an unnecessary translation. Sure enough, Bahadur’s face twisted with humiliation.

“You bastard…….”

“A young one, relying on the strength of others, is truly arrogant.”

The voice belonged to the old man, Sheh. He looked at Son Bin with a sharp gaze and said.

“You dare to insult the General of the Empire; I will personally cut out your tongue and make you answer for your crime.”

That was Sheh’s trick to provoke Old Gun. And sure enough, as he expected, Old Gun’s voice rang out.

“You can’t.”

Old Gun looked at Sheh with a disdainful expression.

“What makes you think you can do something I can’t? And let me make it clear, you can’t beat Bin.”

Old Gun smiled.

“I raised one kid really well.”

Seorin made a face as if she couldn’t believe it, but Old Gun remained steadfast.

At those words, Sheh frowned and once again examined Son Bin.

A straight posture, and unwavering eyes towards him.

Even if he was a heretic, he certainly had commendable spirit, but not as a warrior. Above all, he didn’t feel the same energy from him as Old Gun.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking…….”

Clang.

Sheh’s words were cut off by a small sound that suddenly rang out. Son Bin had drawn his sword, White Dew.

Bahadur and Sheh both let out a quiet exclamation. The mesmerizingly beautiful blade of White Dew was enough to captivate their eyes. Even Hwang Bang-ju, who had already seen it, forgot to translate for a moment.

“Even now, do you not know what I am thinking?”

Son Bin said quietly, holding White Dew.

“I have never thought that having power makes me superior to others. But now, I really think it’s a good thing, because I can clearly show you how angry I am.”

Son Bin’s gaze was cold. Hearing the translation, Sheh closed his mouth and dismounted.

Thud.

Sheh took a step towards Son Bin and slowly drew his sword.

Clang.

A long, gently curved scimitar and a similarly curved short dagger were revealed. Watching the scene, Bahadur sighed.

“Leave the body, Sheh.”

Bahadur’s concern was perhaps natural. Sheh was truly angry.

Whoosh.

Instead of answering, an extraordinary energy began to rise from Sheh’s entire body.

At that sight, Bahadur clicked his tongue. It seemed difficult to even leave a corpse.

Bahadur glanced at Old Gun. Even in this situation, Old Gun remained calm.

‘That old man is the strongest here?’

Sheh had said so, but Bahadur still couldn’t believe it. Besides, wasn’t Old Gun poisoned by Sheh’s scent?

‘Well, even if he isn’t.’

If Son Bin was in danger, Old Gun would eventually step in. Then, while Sheh restrained his movements, Bahadur himself and his three subordinates would subdue Seorin and Son Bin.

Then the situation would be over. That old man’s weakness was clearly this scholar youth. He was even willing to be bound in chains for him.

Having finished his thoughts, Bahadur prepared to enjoy Sheh’s martial prowess with a relaxed expression. The experienced man didn’t even look in the direction where his three subordinates were hiding.

Thud.

Watching Sheh walk towards Son Bin, Old Gun said quietly.

“Hoo, his internal energy is different?”

“It’s probably something like chakra [energy centers in the body].”

“Chakra?”

Hwang Bang-ju nodded at Old Gun’s question.

“It’s said to be where the power of life gathers. They say that if you open your chakra, you can do all sorts of strange things. They even say there are people who float in the air.”

At those words, Old Gun frowned. He couldn’t believe that they could just float in the air, not even using aerial walking or supersonic flight.

“That’s a story from 천축교 [Hinduism/Indian religions]. Aren’t these guys Muslims?”

Hwang Bang-ju shrugged.

“Even among Muslims, there are all sorts of sects. Each sect has different rules, and some sects hate each other like enemies. I don’t know much about it either.”

Old Gun clicked his tongue with a reluctant expression. Anyway, he didn’t want to know any more about their religious disputes.

“Well, we’ll see.”

The match had already begun. All that remained was the result.

Thud.

Sheh and Son Bin stood facing each other at a distance. The old man, Sheh, lowered his head slightly while glaring at Son Bin. Just as Son Bin was thinking that it was a custom to perform a duel here.

Whoosh.

The gaunt figure of Sheh disappeared. With his two swords in front, he instantly closed the distance and rushed towards Son Bin.

Whack.

Literally, Sheh rushed towards Son Bin in an instant, and he had no doubt that his eerie scimitar and sharp dagger would ravage Son Bin.

Because even at this moment, Son Bin was still not moving.

‘Hmph.’

A slightly premature smile spread across Sheh’s lips, and his scimitar was about to begin its trajectory of death towards Son Bin with a terrifying momentum.

Clang.

A small sound rang out, and Sheh saw a completely unexpected sight. The tip of the beautiful and proud White Dew had already accurately blocked the tip of his sword.

‘Gasp.’

That was something that could never happen by chance—to stop the tip of his sword, filled with Sheh’s momentum, with nothing but the tip of White Dew.

‘This is ridiculous……!’

A precarious situation where even a slight shift in the direction of force would cause them to bounce off each other.

But there was no sense of danger at all. The tip of White Dew, which was only a single point, exuded an overwhelming presence like a giant stone wall.

Swish.

The shock was fleeting. Sheh immediately swung his other hand to throw his dagger.

But that was impossible. The moment the tip of White Dew, which was interlocked with the scimitar, seemed to shake slightly, Sheh’s balance was instantly broken.

‘Ugh.’

If this continued, he would be bringing his neck to the tip of White Dew, which was flashing before his eyes, let alone throwing the dagger.

Sheh immediately pulled up his internal energy and corrected his collapsing posture. Thanks to this, he was able to prevent himself from falling, but his attempt to throw the dagger was completely thwarted.

“Didn’t you say you would cut out my tongue?”

At Son Bin’s voice, Sheh raised his eyes and saw that the tip of his scimitar was still interlocked with the tip of White Dew, and beyond that, Son Bin’s cold gaze was looking at him.

“With this, you won’t be able to, will you?”

Son Bin said, with one hand on his hip and the other holding the beautiful White Dew. His figure was without even a hint of disarray.

‘This, what is this…….’

Sheh’s eyes shook violently at the incomprehensible situation, and Sheh wasn’t the only one who was flustered.

‘What is that?’

Bahadur frowned as he watched.

He saw Son Bin block Sheh’s scimitar with his sword a moment ago. Son Bin’s sword, lightly extended with one hand, had clearly stopped Sheh’s scimitar.

It was surprising, but what followed was even more problematic.

Sheh was clearly trying to do something. He was probably trying to throw the dagger in his other hand, but after twitching once, Sheh didn’t do anything after all.

‘Was there something?’

Bahadur was confused by the completely incomprehensible sight, but there were others who weren’t.

“Ah. That’s Master’s!”

Seorin said with wide eyes.

“Hehe, this is funny?”

Old Gun also laughed and looked at Son Bin and Sheh with interested eyes.

“We might see a technique of the 진인 [true/perfected person; refers to a high level of martial arts mastery] after a long time.”

Hwang Bang-ju still couldn’t understand the two people’s conversation. Then suddenly, he realized that he hadn’t translated Son Bin’s words a moment ago.

‘Ah.’

With a troubled expression, Hwang Bang-ju looked at Sheh, but for Sheh, translation was no longer a problem, because he was glaring at Son Bin with murderous eyes, grinding his teeth.

“……You.”

Sheh wanted to withdraw his scimitar right now, but his senses were telling him that he should never move carelessly.

Even though it was just the tip of the sword touching the tip, a terrifying feeling, as if a blade was at his throat, was pressing down on his entire body.

“You were hiding your skills.”

Hwang Bang-ju frowned at his barely audible voice and quickly translated.

Son Bin’s cold gaze didn’t change.

“It’s just that your eyes couldn’t see it.”

Sheh’s face hardened. He pulled up his internal energy and slowly opened his chakra. At the same time, his scimitar began to cry.

Whoo-oong.

The moment a strange light flashed in Son Bin’s eyes, the tip of White Dew trembled slightly. Sheh couldn’t tell if it was a mistake or a coincidence.

But before his reason could make a judgment, Sheh’s combat senses were already telling him that this was a golden opportunity.

“Haa!”

With a sharp shout, the offensive of the scimitar and dagger erupted.

Kaga gagagang.

A splendid trajectory cutting through the air and an explosively raging momentum. A fast and dazzling attack that was impossible to even recognize properly was literally erupting from Sheh.

Clang, chichiching.

But there was no sharp metallic sound, nor an explosion that rang in the ears.

With a small metallic sound, the tip of White Dew floated lightly in the air. Each time, the offensive that Sheh’s scimitar and dagger poured out was extinguished like a flame that couldn’t even burn properly.

Even Bahadur, who was watching, frowned in frustration.

‘Why the hell…….’

The martial power of Sheh that Bahadur knew was definitely not this level. Not long ago, he had even defeated himself and his three subordinates in an instant.

But now, Sheh’s attack was so strange that it was frustrating to watch.

Not only was there not a single attack that properly penetrated, but all of Sheh’s offensives were unable to escape the tip of White Dew. Even Son Bin hadn’t moved a single step yet.

And Sheh knew that very well.

Kaboom.

For the first time since the two people’s clash, an explosion erupted, and Sheh was pushed back as if he had been bounced away.

The tips of White Dew and the scimitar had finally separated.

“Tsk.”

Old Gun clicked his tongue.

“He let him go.”

“Aww, he let him go.”

Seorin also said with a disappointed look. Hwang Bang-ju was bewildered. It seemed to him that Sheh, who had been pouring out a one-sided attack, had only retreated for a moment.

Tap.

Sheh, who had retreated, raised his scimitar and dagger and unconsciously composed himself.

“Hoo, hoo.”

He never thought that a single action of creating distance would make him so nervous. Sheh couldn’t dare to let his guard down and glared at Son Bin, who was standing in front of him.

“Don’t worry.”

Son Bin’s cold voice rang in Sheh’s ears.

“It’s not over yet.”

Son Bin, who was still standing motionless, was standing in front of him.

(Author’s words)

It’s not over until it’s over. Like baseball.