A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 59

59. The Path of the Gentleman (1)

“Secret manuals, elixirs, and beauties. This is practically begging to be attacked.”

Eun Chobin said, biting her lip.

“We haven’t heard any rumors like that in the areas we’ve passed through so far. I don’t know what’s going on.”

“Could they have overheard something about this transport and misunderstood?”

Son Bin’s words prompted a response from Eun Chobin.

“That’s possible. But the problem is that the rumor has already started to spread. And this attack will only make the rumor seem more plausible.”

Her point was valid. Whether it was a misunderstanding or a baseless rumor, it would now spread further.

And people would believe that Soeun Bureau was carrying treasures from the Tang family.

“It’s awkward, but thank you again, Great Hero Son.”

Eun Chobin bowed her head in gratitude.

“It’s nothing. It was the right thing to do. And as I said before, I’m not a great hero. That title is a bit…”

“Ah, right. Sorry, Young Master Son.”

Eun Chobin lightly bowed her head in apology.

Son Bin scratched the back of his head, feeling awkward.

It was awkward to receive apologies for such things, and the title of ‘Young Master’ wasn’t really comfortable either.

‘Teacher would be the best, but that would be even more presumptuous than being called a great hero…’

He wasn’t bold enough to ask to be called ‘Teacher.’ Son Bin had half given up on the matter of titles.

Meanwhile, Eun Chobin spoke to Head Guard Jang.

“Please arrange for the injured to stay at this inn and receive treatment. And Head Guard Jang, I know it’s difficult, but please continue to lead the transport. It wouldn’t work without you.”

“It’s not difficult. It’s my duty.”

Head Guard Jang bowed to Eun Chobin. Watching this, Son Bin cautiously spoke up.

“I don’t know if I should say this…”

Eun Chobin looked at Son Bin.

“It’s okay. Go ahead.”

“Given the situation, wouldn’t it be better to turn back for now?”

Eun Chobin’s brow furrowed slightly. Head Guard Jang looked as if he had heard something he shouldn’t have.

Eun Chobin sighed softly and replied firmly.

“Abandoning the transport is something a bureau can’t do. The moment we give up, Soeun Bureau is finished.”

“But isn’t it a life-threatening situation? No matter how important it is to succeed in the transport, it’s not more precious than life.”

“Young Master Son.”

Eun Chobin said.

“This isn’t about money. We are a bureau [a type of merchant guild]. Once we’ve taken on a transport, we must complete it to the end, even if it costs us our lives, no matter the losses. That’s what a bureau is. Even if it’s your suggestion, I can never concede on this issue.”

In short, it was a matter of principle.

“Then, could you request a change of route from Saryang Bureau, or ask for their help? It won’t be easy, but given the situation…”

At Son Bin’s suggestion, Eun Chobin bit her lip.

“That’s… impossible.”

“Why?”

“There was a clause stating that once the goods are accepted, no changes to the transport or additional requests are allowed for any reason.”

In fact, that wasn’t the only reason. But anything beyond that was a personal matter for Soeun Bureau, or rather, for Eun Chobin and her family.

“There’s no choice anymore.”

Eun Chobin said, as if to herself. Her voice sounded somehow meaningful, and silence hung in the air for a moment.

“Then what should we do going forward?”

At Son Bin’s words, Eun Chobin replied.

“Judging by the circumstances, the specific details must have been leaked. We’ll have to abandon the main road and take a detour. It will be quite a forced march to meet the schedule.”

If the details of the transport had been leaked, they couldn’t take the easy, convenient route. They would have to take a lesser-known path, which would naturally make the transport more difficult and challenging than before.

Click.

Eun Chobin stood up and said to Son Bin.

“I want to apologize to you, Young Master Son.”

“Yes?”

At Eun Chobin’s sudden words, Son Bin looked at her with a puzzled expression.

“I actually thought you were helping us to win Sehwa’s favor. But with your swordsmanship, you wouldn’t have needed to choose such a difficult path. I guess my heart was troubled, so I was thinking negatively about everything. I apologize for thinking that way, even for a moment.”

Eun Chobin bowed to Son Bin. Her hair flowed down her neck.

Son Bin hurriedly stood up.

“Ah, no. It’s okay, please stop.”

At Son Bin’s urging, Eun Chobin finally raised her head.

“It’s even more shameless, but please continue to help us.”

Eun Chobin’s expression was serious. Son Bin nodded.

“I don’t know how far I can go, but I will do my best.”

“Thank you.”

Eun Chobin smiled faintly.

“It’s reassuring to have a master swordsman like you with us, Young Master Son.”

‘Master swordsman?’

The word ‘master’ suddenly reminded him of Saja Hyuk.

“Not at all. I’m not someone who deserves to be called a master.”

Son Bin waved his hand.

‘I shouldn’t use that person as the standard, but…’

He knew that he shouldn’t use Saja Hyuk as the standard for a master. But what could he do when the level of martial arts he had seen was so high?

‘Well, it’s not like I’m going to evaluate other martial artists or write biographies about them anyway.’

If he were to write a book about martial artists, he would need an objective, fair, and dispassionate evaluation.

But he wasn’t going to do that anyway. What did it matter who Son Bin personally considered to be a master?

‘If I were to write about Saja Hyuk, I would unhesitatingly call him a true master.’

If he were to describe him, there would be no question. Without a moment’s hesitation, he would write that he was a true master of this era. A fresh breeze seemed to blow through his heart.

Lost in thought, Son Bin suddenly realized that Eun Chobin and Head Guard Jang were looking at him.

He had been lost in thought and suddenly returned to reality, which made him feel somewhat embarrassed. Just as Son Bin was about to bring up another topic, he suddenly asked.

“Ah, but the rumors about the transport being elixirs, secret manuals, and beauties…”

Eun Chobin chuckled softly. It was not uncommon for martial artists to risk their lives for elixirs and secret manuals. So his question was understandable.

“It’s a lie.”

Eun Chobin said in a firm voice.

“You saw it too, Young Master Son, right? Elixirs, secret manuals, beauties. It’s all a lie. I’d rather it were poison…”

Eun Chobin trailed off.

“Ah, I see.”

Son Bin nodded. A slightly absurd thought, different from Eun Chobin’s expectations, was running through his mind.

‘The bet will end anticlimactically. Should I tell her that she’s not a beauty?’

∴

After Son Bin left, Eun Chobin remained with Head Guard Jang.

“Is your injury bearable?”

“Yes. I’m fine.”

Eun Chobin, who had been fiddling with her teacup, suddenly asked.

“Will he stay with us until the end?”

“He will.”

Head Guard Jang replied in a low voice.

“Martial artists often have strong pride and are obsessed with honor. They will try to keep their word, no matter what.”

“But he… seemed a bit different, didn’t he?”

Eun Chobin said, slightly frowning.

“He didn’t flaunt his swordsmanship from the beginning, and he seemed to decline the title of ‘Great Hero’ so much…”

“There must be a reason.”

Head Guard Jang said.

“There must be some reason he can’t talk about. Anyway, he doesn’t seem to want to be noticed, so we need to be especially careful. There are many people in the martial world with truly diverse pasts and strange personalities.”

“Strange personalities…”

Eun Chobin had heard about the eccentric behavior of martial artists that ordinary people couldn’t understand. In any case, the safety of the transport now depended on that strange person.

“By the way, how skilled would you say Young Master Son is?”

“He’s definitely more skilled than I am.”

Head Guard Jang said bitterly. Son Bin had defeated the man he couldn’t handle in just two moves.

Regardless of how grateful he was, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of self-disgust.

“Ahem. It’s very difficult to evaluate someone who is more skilled than oneself, but…”

Head Guard Jang composed himself and said.

“His swordsmanship is definitely at a high level. There were no unnecessary movements, and it was very stable. This means that his fundamentals are solid, so he must have learned the sword properly.”

Eun Chobin nodded. Certainly, Son Bin’s swordsmanship didn’t seem to have flashy techniques or gimmicks. Nevertheless, he defeated his opponent with just those two simple moves.

“And did you notice that his breathing was hardly disturbed? Breathing means internal energy, so this means that his internal energy is deep and pure.”

Eun Chobin recalled Son Bin standing still. He had an air of tranquility, as if he had just come out for a walk.

“Moreover, the fact that he didn’t even blink in a tense situation shows that he has considerable experience in actual combat. This means that he didn’t just swing a sword in some martial arts gym.”

Head Guard Jang, recalling the attack during the day, continued.

“In my opinion, he is at least at the level of a formally registered disciple of a famous sect.”

A registered disciple refers to a disciple who has formally registered his name. In other words, he is a full member of the sect.

“Then, what about sword energy…”

Eun Chobin asked. Sword energy (劍氣) [a powerful aura manifested by highly skilled martial artists]. Sword energy, like the symbol of an ultimate master, was said to cut down everything in its path in an instant.

If Son Bin was a master who emitted sword energy, it would be like gaining an army of thousands.

“Miss.”

Head Guard Jang said in a low voice.

“Masters who manifest sword energy are people that even martial artists may only see once in their lifetime. Perhaps the heads of the Five Great Families or the leaders of prestigious orthodox sects… They are truly beings who dwell above the clouds.”

Although she was a little disappointed, Eun Chobin soon nodded.

“I see. That’s all. Head Guard Jang, please go and rest.”

Head Guard Jang rose from his seat, bowed to Eun Chobin, and went outside.

Click.

Listening to the sound of the door closing, Eun Chobin murmured to herself.

“At the level of a registered disciple of a prestigious orthodox sect…”

It was something to be happy about. That level of skill was more than enough for a transport of Soeun Bureau’s scale.

But now that it was certain that the transport would become more difficult, it was also true that she felt regret. If he were an ultimate master who could manifest sword energy, all problems would be solved at once.

‘Okay. Don’t think useless thoughts and get to work, work.’

With the change of route, all the plans she had made became useless. She had a lot of work to do to create a new route for the transport from now on.

Eun Chobin steeled her heart and got up from her seat.

*

*

*

From the very next day, Son Bin could feel that the way people treated him had changed.

First of all, the term of address changed from ‘you’ to ‘Young Master,’ and they didn’t even talk to him unless it was absolutely necessary.

He was also excluded from the night watch schedule and stayed with Eun Chobin or the head guard instead of the porters when setting up the pot or resting.

Even then, Son Bin could feel the gazes of the other members of the group glancing at him.

‘Why is this happening again?’

Son Bin was a little embarrassed. It was clear that people were watching him.

It was possible that they were a little surprised and curious from their point of view, but it was clearly different from that level.

‘Did I do something wrong?’

He shouldn’t have done anything wrong.

In any case, it was a good thing that there was one more person who knew how to use a sword, so there was no reason for him to be ostracized in this new way.

At least in Son Bin’s opinion.

‘This won’t do.’

Son Bin targeted one of the porters. He was a porter who had become somewhat friendly with him while standing guard at night. Taking advantage of a short break, Son Bin approached him.

“Porter Lee.”

“Ah. Yo, Young Master.”

This porter, who had been resting, was visibly startled when Son Bin spoke to him.

“Young Master? Just call me comfortably like before.”

“No, but…”

“I’m younger than you, and aren’t we from the same hometown? I could even call you uncle.”

“Ha, but still…”

Although he still had an uneasy expression, Son Bin persuaded the porter as if pushing him, and was able to hear the exact reason from him.

“The porters and carriers are anxious?”

“Ye, that’s ri, no, that’s what they say.”

This porter still spoke with a bewildered expression.

“Actually, there’s also the reason that we’ve been a bit rough with you, no, that we’ve been rude to you, Young Master…”

The porter’s tone was a mess. But Son Bin didn’t care.

“And?”

“We have to decide, too.”

“Decide?”

“The other porters are the same, but the carriers are very scared. After all, they suddenly suffered such a thing, and it’s obvious that the road ahead won’t be easy, so they have to decide whether to give up the transport now, bearing a huge loss, and save their lives, or continue as is.”

“That’s… is it up to me?”

“That’s right. In fact, the success or failure of the transport depends on you. As I said then, the transport depends on the relationship of the head merchant and the martial arts of the head guard, but in this transport, the only thing we can trust is you, no, Young Master…”

Listening to the porter’s words, Son Bin frowned and fell into thought. The porter hurriedly waved his hand.

“No, it’s not that we’re not going to do anything. The porters are in a position to succeed in the transport to the end, but overall, the atmosphere is like that…”

“Porter Lee.”

“Y, yes?”

Son Bin looked straight at this porter and said.

“Isn’t there anything I can do to help?”

“He, help?”

“The way of the gentleman is to serve those above with reverence and to care for those below with grace. That is, to live with everyone. If I actively show that I am helping, won’t people’s anxiety subside?”

“We, I don’t know much about the way of the gentleman, but if there’s anything you can do to help…”

This porter hesitated for a moment. Should he say this or not? But he swallowed hard and said in a small voice.

“So, something like martial arts, if you could teach us…”

It was almost a whisper. He knew how shameless he was.

“Martial arts?”

“Ah, no. I’m not asking you to teach us martial arts, just some advice or a word of advice…”

Fearing that he might be offending him, this porter desperately tried to gloss over it. Son Bin’s serious expression and frown added to the porter’s anxiety.

“I, I’m sorry. Forget I said that…”

“Do you happen to be proficient in any martial arts?”

“Huh?”

Son Bin looked at this porter with a serious expression and said.

“I don’t have any martial arts that I can teach you. But if you show me the martial arts you are proficient in, I might be able to give you some advice.”

“Re, really?”

This porter’s eyes widened. He had heard it clearly with his own ears, but he couldn’t believe it.

“Yes.”

Son Bin’s expression as he answered was only serious.