A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 480

480. Ascending Mount Tai

Though the Demonic Energy had dissipated, the fog surrounding the Grand Shrine hadn’t lifted. In fact, it seemed to be thickening. Sunbin and his group navigated through the dense fog, heading north of the Grand Shrine towards the North Gate, as the path to Mount Tai began there. They had just arrived at the North Gate when a low growl echoed from within the fog. Princess Gyeonghui was startled, but Seorin’s face lit up.

“Kitties!”

“Tsk,” Noh Gun frowned. “Now they’re showing up in droves.”

The Demonic Beasts that emerged were a snow leopard with fur as white as snow and a red leopard. Like the black leopard, these two large Demonic Beasts from Mount Tai bowed their heads to the group, showing their friendliness. Seorin eagerly petted the Demonic Beasts, and they purred softly under her touch. Princess Gyeonghui watched in amazement as the fearsome Demonic Beasts became docile under Seorin’s touch, her eyes shining with curiosity.

“I can’t just abandon the beasts that came all this way… Fine,” Noh Gun grumbled, though everyone knew it was just an excuse. He was already scratching under the chins of the three Demonic Beasts, who seemed to enjoy it, closing their eyes in contentment. As he petted them, Noh Gun suddenly asked Sarasvati, “Why isn’t this fog clearing? I don’t sense any Demonic Energy anymore.”

After the disappearance of the Divine Maiden Gongsun Zhi, the Demonic Energy had rapidly waned. Like frost melting in the morning sun, most of it had vanished before the group even reached the North Gate. However, the fog still blanketed everything, obscuring the majestic form of Mount Tai and even the main road leading to it.

“I don’t know. I sense something strange, but I can’t quite grasp it. It feels unpleasant,” Sarasvati said, shaking her head slightly. Then, she looked at Sunbin. “What about you, Raja [a title of respect or royalty] ?”

“I’m not sure either,” Sunbin replied, lifting his gaze. “But I’m certain he’s waiting for us up there.”

Sunbin’s gaze was fixed on the unseen Mount Tai. Everyone turned to look in the same direction, but the thick fog still obscured everything.

“Well, fog or no fog, we still have to take down that Bi Geom bastard,” Noh Gun shrugged. “Let’s go.”

***

Mount Tai isn’t the tallest mountain in the world, but it has always been considered the foremost of the Five Great Mountains [Important mountains in Chinese culture] and is often used as a symbol representing all mountains. People often compare climbing Mount Tai to ascending to the heavens, not only because of its symbolic significance but also because of its magnificent and majestic landscape. Sunbin and his group were now climbing that mountain.

Although the dense fog prevented them from appreciating the renowned scenery, the steep stone steps, said to number seven thousand and leading to the summit, clearly illustrated why people described it as ‘ascending to the heavens.’

“Hmm, I wonder if there really are seven thousand?” Noh Gun said as he moved his feet. He was walking up the endless steep stone steps as casually as if he were taking a stroll.

“Who knows? Hasn’t anyone counted them?” Sunbin replied, his steps also light.

Even Sunbin, who was the weakest in terms of internal energy among the group, wasn’t tired from climbing the stone steps.

“Should I count them?” Seorin asked from atop the black leopard. However, Noh Gun chuckled.

“Come on. Do you think people haven’t counted because they don’t know numbers? They just enjoy the feeling without bothering to count. If you actually count them, you’ll be called a philistine [a person who is hostile or indifferent to culture and the arts, or who has no understanding of them].”

Sunbin agreed with Noh Gun. The point wasn’t to know the exact number. The ‘seven thousand steps’ were simply a way to express the significance of climbing Mount Tai.

“Still, it would be funny if it were a lie. We should know for sure.”

“There are things you should just pretend not to know and move on. Besides, we’ve already climbed thousands of them.”

Seorin tilted her head, seemingly not understanding. Swaying atop the black leopard, she looked up at the stone steps.

“But it’s a bit boring. We can’t see the scenery, and the steps just keep going up.”

The stone steps did curve slightly, but overall, they stretched towards the summit without any major undulations. In fact, that very aspect made the grandeur of Mount Tai even more palpable, but it was impossible to appreciate it in the fog.

“I know,” Noh Gun said, his lips pursed as if he felt the same way. “They say Mount Tai is grand and tall, but how can we know if we can’t see anything? It’s just steep stone steps.”

“These stone steps are the ‘Emperor’s Path,'” Princess Gyeonghui said, causing Noh Gun to turn his head. Princess Gyeonghui was riding the black leopard with Seorin. She couldn’t keep up with the group on foot. Perhaps due to her pride, she wasn’t clinging to Seorin, but her white hands gripping the black leopard’s fur tightly indicated that she was quite uncomfortable.

“It’s the path that the emperor, who climbs Mount Tai for the Fengshan Ceremony [an ancient Chinese ritual], walks himself. Ordinary people are said to fall eighteen times while climbing it, so it’s also called ‘Eighteen Falls’.”

Sunbin thought it was understandable, given Princess Gyeonghui’s explanation. The stone steps were steep and tiring, and looking back at the height could be frightening enough to make one sit down.

“That’s why many emperors only performed the ritual at the Grand Shrine below instead of the Fengshan Ceremony.”

Originally, the Fengshan Ceremony was performed at the summit of Mount Tai. However, among the hundreds of emperors in history, only a few actually reached the summit. Conversely, there were also emperors who climbed Mount Tai multiple times.

“Emperor’s Path or whatever, isn’t it too quiet?” Noh Gun said casually. “I thought there would be obstacles, but there’s nothing?”

“That’s because we’ve already defeated them all,” Sarasvati said from atop the pure white snow leopard. She was sitting on the snow leopard instead of walking, swaying gently with her usual elegant demeanor.

“If we hadn’t defeated the Divine Maiden at the Grand Shrine, we would probably be facing Demonic Beasts and Demonic Humans one after another by now,” Sarasvati said with a smile, stroking the snow leopard. Her figure atop the large snow leopard looked almost noble.

“Hmm, is that so?” Noh Gun nodded. “Even if I don’t know anything else, that Fire Bomb was truly terrifying. If that had rolled down these stone steps, we would have been scared stiff.”

“Please, let’s not talk about the Fire Bomb anymore…” Sasooyeon, who was walking beside him, said with an awkward expression. With her good eyesight, she must have seen the horrific scene more vividly than others.

“Alright. Anyway, it’s a relief if we can climb quietly,” Noh Gun muttered. As they climbed the steep stone steps, Sunbin and his group eventually arrived at the South Heaven Gate, said to be the gateway to the summit of Mount Tai. The massive red structure, standing tall like a huge castle gate, looked down upon Sunbin and his group.

“Is this the South Heaven Gate?” Seorin asked Noh Gun, who was muttering to himself. “Are we there yet?”

“Nine thousand and forty-five,” a low voice said. All eyes turned to Dang Wora, who spoke in a small voice from behind her veil. “There are nine thousand and forty-five steps to here.”

Sunbin, who had been wondering what she meant, was taken aback. Dang Wora was talking about the number of stone steps.

“Wow, you’ve been counting them all along?” Seorin asked Dang Wora, her face lighting up. Sunbin also stared in surprise, and Dang Wora lowered her head slightly, saying, “…There wasn’t anything else to see, so…”

She probably started counting the steps reflexively. It was such a Dang Wora-like thing to do that Sunbin couldn’t help but nod.

“Really? Then there are more than seven thousand,” Noh Gun said, looking down at the stone steps. Dang Wora said in a small voice, “Seven thousand is only up to the middle. From the beginning to the Middle Heaven Gate, there are seven thousand four hundred and twelve. And from there to here, the steep section has one thousand six hundred and thirty-three steps.”

At this point, anyone would be surprised. Even Princess Gyeonghui, who had been skeptical, couldn’t hide her astonishment.

“A total of nine thousand. It’s quite dreadful,” Noh Gun said, looking down at the stone steps they had climbed. It was an unusual sentiment for someone who had climbed Mount Tai, but it was also very Noh Gun-like.

“Then there must be over ten thousand stone steps to the summit,” Noh Gun said, turning to look towards the summit. This South Heaven Gate was only the gateway to the summit. From here, one had to pass through the Heavenly Street, called Cheon-ga [Heavenly Street in Korean], and climb further to reach the Jade Emperor Peak, the summit of Mount Tai.

“Really? Then there are less than a thousand left, so it’ll be quick?” It was then that Sunbin spoke.

“I have something to say.” Noh Gun and Seorin, as well as Geomhee, who had been silent until now, all turned their attention to Sunbin.

“I want to go to the summit alone,” Sunbin said with a serious look.

“No,” Sasooyeon was the first to react. “I can’t let you go alone. No matter…”

“Wait a moment,” Noh Gun’s voice interrupted Sasooyeon. Noh Gun looked at Sunbin and asked, “What’s the reason?”

“I’m afraid you’ll be in danger,” Sunbin replied, causing Noh Gun to frown. However, he didn’t dismiss the idea of worrying about the safety of the Outer Realm experts as unnecessary.

“And?” Noh Gun asked, looking directly at Sunbin. Sunbin replied quietly, “…I have to go there alone.”

That wasn’t an answer. Saying he had to go alone because he had to go alone was simply a tautology [a statement that is true by definition]. However, Noh Gun knew that Sunbin had no choice but to answer that way. After looking at Sunbin for a moment, Noh Gun sighed slightly.

“Alright,” Noh Gun nodded. “Considering what happened at the Zhuge Family, I understand why you want to go alone. And the fact that Pilong’s internal energy has completely disappeared…”

Noh Gun continued, looking at Sunbin, “Perhaps we might be holding you back. If we accidentally shed blood, Bi Geom might use it to do something.”

Noh Gun’s words were correct. Pilong Zhuge Lian, an expert of the Outer Realm, had lost all his internal energy in the fog of blood. There was no guarantee that something similar wouldn’t happen to the group. Moreover, it wasn’t certain that Bi Geom’s abilities were limited to that. There was no guarantee that something wouldn’t happen that would hold Sunbin back, or even worse, as Noh Gun said.

Sunbin turned to look at Sasooyeon. Her beautiful eyes were trembling slightly.

“Don’t worry,” Sunbin said with a gentle smile. “I won’t lose.”

“Of course not,” Sarasvati said, stepping down from the snow leopard. “Young Master Sun is a Raja. He can’t possibly lose to a Blood Fiend.”

“That’s right. Hyung [term for older brother] won’t lose,” Seorin said, also getting off the black leopard. “Among the people I know, Hyung is, um, well…”

Feeling that the expression ‘strong’ wasn’t quite right, Seorin tried hard to think of a suitable expression. “That’s right! Hyung is the most amazing!”

Sunbin smiled at Seorin’s bright smile. Princess Gyeonghui, who was standing behind Seorin, had a dissatisfied expression but kept her mouth shut and said nothing. Geomhee remained expressionless, and Dang Wora simply stood quietly, silently watching Sunbin as always.

“I don’t think Young Master Sun will lose either,” Sasooyeon said quietly. “But promise me just one thing.”

Sasooyeon raised her eyes and looked directly at Sunbin. Her gaze was so beautiful that he couldn’t take his eyes off her, precisely because of the sincerity that filled her eyes.

“…Please, come back.”

“Yes,” Sunbin replied, looking at the beautiful Sasooyeon. “I will definitely come back.”

Sunbin smiled at Sasooyeon. “I promised to be where Sasooyeon’s hand can reach, after all.”

Sasooyeon’s cheeks flushed slightly, but she didn’t say anything more. Sunbin turned to face the group.

“Then, I’ll be off.”

“Alright,” Noh Gun replied nonchalantly. Seorin said energetically, not wanting to be left out, “Have a good trip, Hyung!”

Sunbin responded with a smile. Then, he looked at Sarasvati and Princess Gyeonghui, Geomhee, who was silent, and Dang Wora in turn. He bowed lightly to Noh Gun and finally looked at Sasooyeon before turning around.

Step. Sunbin slowly walked into the fog. The thick fog quickly obscured Sunbin’s back, and the group silently watched his figure in front of the large South Heaven Gate. And how long had it been?

Princess Gyeonghui’s voice echoed quietly. “Let’s go too.”

“Huh?” Seorin looked at Princess Gyeonghui with a puzzled expression. “Where to?”

“To the summit of Mount Tai, of course.” Princess Gyeonghui’s attitude was as confident as if she were asking the obvious.

“But, waiting here…”

“We didn’t promise to wait here,” Sarasvati said in a clear voice. She smiled gently. “Did we?”

“Well, no,” Noh Gun shrugged, putting his hands behind his back. “I told him to go alone because he said he would, but I didn’t say we wouldn’t follow.”

“Oh, but…” Seorin was flustered. She had just seen Sunbin off, but now they were saying they would follow him as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“If we leave now, it’ll be just right,” Dang Wora said quietly from behind her veil. “Considering the distance and pace that Young Master Sun can sense, it should be fine by now.”

Now Seorin was just blinking her eyes. When she met Sasooyeon’s eyes, Sasooyeon smiled.

“Don’t worry. We’ll just be watching from afar,” Sasooyeon said, turning her head towards the summit. “Let’s go.”

Sasooyeon started walking. Her figure was like a warrior running across the prairie, without the slightest hesitation. Step, step. The other members of the group also began to walk towards the summit, following Sasooyeon. Seorin watched the scene with a surprised expression.

—Growl.

The black leopard nudged Seorin’s back slightly. Seorin frowned slightly.

“I know. I’m going too,” Seorin said, hopping onto the black leopard’s back. Despite its large size, the black leopard began to walk almost silently, following the group.

“…Anyway, adults always do whatever they want,” Seorin said with a slight sigh. But her voice quickly disappeared into the thick fog that covered Mount Tai.

***

The Heavenly Street, called Cheon-ga [Heavenly Street in Korean], was surprisingly wide and flat. With one side being a complete cliff, this road, which deserved to be called the Heavenly Street, was also empty, just like the Grand Shrine below. Sunbin slowly walked along the Cheon-ga. After passing the writings of ancient scholars and emperors carved on large rocks, a fairly steep set of stone steps appeared again. The fog that covered Mount Tai was still thick, but it was clear that the summit was getting closer.

After passing several buildings and stone gates and climbing the stone steps, Sunbin finally arrived at the Jade Emperor Peak, the summit of Mount Tai. Step. Sunbin entered the small shrine built on the Jade Emperor Peak. Although it was a small shrine, its significance was greater than that of the Grand Shrine in Taean. This was where the emperor performed the Fengshan Ceremony [an ancient Chinese ritual].

Step, step. Sunbin, who had entered the shrine, soon found a person. Dressed in ornate robes, he stood with his back turned, looking down at the ground.

“They say that emperors who received the Mandate of Heaven [the belief that the emperor was chosen by heaven to rule], after pacifying the world, built an altar of earth here and sealed a letter to Heaven,” he muttered to himself before slowly turning his head. “I wonder what they wrote?”

Red eyes stared straight at Sunbin and smiled. The expert of the Outer Realm, the former head of the Gongsun Family, the one who had caused a bloodbath in his family and the Zhuge Family, was waiting for Sunbin, covered in a thick stench of blood. With a robust physique and a face without a single wrinkle, thick eyebrows and lush hair, and eyes as red as blood, he was none other than Bi Geom Gongsun Geuk.

(Author’s Note) There are several theories about the number of stone steps on Mount Tai. Dang Wora, who doesn’t know anything about romance, seems to have a STEM-oriented mind.