A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 85

85. Turbulent Times in Gangnam

Three days had passed since the Gangnam Dragon-Phoenix Gathering concluded. Despite the unsettled atmosphere in Gangnam’s martial arts world, the bustling streets of Nanchang remained filled with people. It seemed the more turbulent the times, the more crowded the streets became.

Tap, tap, tap.

“Huff, huff.”

A young woman in martial attire gasped for breath as she plunged into the crowd.

“Huff.”

“What, what is it?”

She seemed to be trying to hide among the people, but her plan didn’t succeed. People were startled and moved away from her.

“Bl, blood?”

Her once vibrant martial attire was now stained with dark red blood. No matter how crowded the place, she couldn’t help but draw attention.

Moreover, she was carrying a sharp sword, so everyone who saw her hurried to back away.

Regardless of people’s reactions, she desperately looked around, searching for a place to hide.

“Stop!”

A strong voice filled with inner energy made her pause.

*Fwoosh.*

Two martial artists landed behind her. With sharp eyes, they wore the martial attire of the Namgung Clan.

There were many people in the busy street, but no one dared to interfere, watching the situation unfold while keeping themselves safe.

One of the Namgung Clan warriors shouted at her.

“You wench! You can’t escape any longer!”

The young woman in blood-stained martial attire bit her lip. Realizing she couldn’t ask for help or hide, she seemed to steel herself and raised her sword.

“Filthy dogs of the Namgung Clan. Our Pajeon Sect [a minor martial arts sect] will never let you get away with this.”

“Hmph. A heretic sect’s girl doesn’t know her place, spouting nonsense.”

The Namgung Clan warrior scoffed.

“The Pajeon Sect will be destroyed without a trace. Now that the Namgung Clan has stepped in, who can stop us? You are all finished. And you too.”

His words were confident, and rightfully so. The Pajeon Sect’s girl in blood-stained martial attire gritted her teeth.

*Grind.*

“Shut up! You despicable bastards!”

She unleashed her inner energy and thrust her sword forward. Her sword, imbued with inner energy, sharply rushed towards the Namgung Clan warriors.

*Clang!*

The Namgung Clan warriors easily blocked her sword. But her attack was just a feint. Deflecting the strong rebound, she leaped into the air.

*Whoosh.*

As if performing a somersault, her body drew a large circle in the air. From the start, she had intended to find an opening to escape.

Just as she was about to land in the crowd,

*Swish.*

A sharp sword cut through the air with an eerie sound.

*Thud.*

“Ah!”

With a short groan, her body fell to the ground. Red blood splattered everywhere.

“Eek!”

“Aah!”

The people standing nearby screamed and backed away. The Namgung Clan warriors smirked and walked towards her.

“Didn’t I tell you? It’s over.”

She couldn’t answer. She was already dead.

The Namgung Clan warrior, having retrieved his sword, looked around. The numerous people who had been watching them flinched and avoided eye contact.

“This is the clan’s business.”

The Namgung Clan warrior said in a heavy voice filled with inner energy. His intense eyes gleamed.

“Watch your mouths.”

*Shwing.*

The warrior sheathed his sword and turned away after saying those words. He confidently walked through the crowd and left the street.

Left with the woman’s body, people murmured, unsure of what to do. The Namgung Clan warrior had said it was ‘the clan’s business,’ so they couldn’t dare to touch it.

Some time later, other Namgung Clan warriors appeared and took away the body. Until then, her blood stained the bustling streets of Nanchang red.

On the same day in the afternoon, unidentified bodies washed up on the shores of Poyang Lake. The fisherman who first discovered them was terrified and reported it to the authorities, who soon identified them.

Surprisingly, they were the missing promising disciples of the heretic sects. They had participated in the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering and disappeared, only to be found dead.

* * *

“What in the world is going on?”

The head of the Namgung Clan, Lightning Sword Namgung Kwon, frowned.

“The clan’s warriors assassinated a daughter of the Guiju Pajeon Sect! Who on earth gave such an order?”

“No such order was ever given.”

Summoned suddenly, Outer Clan Lord Namgung Ryeol replied with a stern face.

“Furthermore, none of the clan’s warriors killed the daughter of the Guiju Pajeon Sect. When we arrived, the Pajeon Sect’s daughter was already dead.”

“The clan’s warriors didn’t do it?”

“Yes. That’s certain.”

Clan Head Namgung Kwon frowned and groaned. As he said, no one would dare to act recklessly without an order. Moreover, Outer Clan Lord Namgung Ryeol had confirmed it.

But the rumor was already widespread throughout Nanchang, and everyone believed it was the Namgung Clan’s doing.

“What about the investigation into the promising disciples of the heretic sects who were found dead?”

“The cause of death was deep wounds from swords, and according to the physician, they had been dead for several days. There are no clues about the culprit.”

*Grind.*

Clan Head Lightning Sword Namgung Kwon gritted his teeth. Outer Clan Lord Namgung Ryeol voiced his feelings.

“Clan Head, this is a frame-up. Someone is plotting to harm the clan.”

The representatives of the Four Righteous Sects and Five Great Clans had left Nanchang yesterday. These events occurred immediately afterward, making it seem as if the Namgung Clan had deliberately started trouble.

Everyone in the world already knew that the Namgung Clan was furious, so now people would believe that the Namgung Clan had massacred the promising disciples of the heretic sects.

“Hyang-ah.”

“Yes, Clan Head.”

A young woman, sitting quietly with an elegant posture, lowered her head. Her black hair cascaded over the vibrant blue collar of her dress.

“Who would do such a thing?”

“How could I, with my limited knowledge, know such a thing? However, I do have a suspicion…”

“Who is it?”

“The Blood Dragon Gate.”

She, Namgung Hyang, replied with her head slightly bowed.

“The Blood Dragon Gate… Why?”

“If the conflict between the clan and the Gangnam heretic sects intensifies, the Blood Dragon Gate can gain enormous benefits.”

“That’s not just the Blood Dragon Gate.”

Namgung Kwon gave a bitter smile.

“The Hyeokryun Clan, Gongson Clan, Tang Clan, even the Zhuge Clan or the Four Righteous Sects. There are countless people in the world who would smile if we shed blood.”

“But among them, only the Blood Dragon Gate can kill the promising disciples of the heretic sects.”

She said in a cute voice, still tinged with youth.

“They were always with the promising disciples of the heretic sects. From the first day they appeared at the Gangnam Dragon-Phoenix Gathering until the very end.”

“Hmm.”

*Tap, tap.*

Namgung Kwon tapped the desk with his finger, lost in thought.

The Blood Dragon Gate had been acting like protectors of the heretic sects’ disciples. It would have been impossible for them to escape the inn where they were confined and intrude on the Deungwang Pavilion banquet without the Blood Dragon Gate.

Would they suddenly change their attitude and kill the promising disciples of the heretic sects?

“Hyang’s opinion is merely speculation.”

Outer Clan Lord Namgung Ryeol frowned slightly.

“That alone will not convince anyone. Furthermore, it is difficult to see how the Blood Dragon Gate could benefit from this. If the conflict between the clan and the Gangnam heretic sects intensifies, they will rather lie low.”

Namgung Ryeol’s words were quite persuasive. Clan Head Namgung Kwon turned to Namgung Hyang.

“What do you think?”

Namgung Hyang bowed her head lightly and continued.

“Outer Clan Lord’s words are indeed correct. However, if the Blood Dragon Gate uses this incident as an excuse to become the center of the Gangnam heretic sects, the Blood Dragon Gate will instantly seize half of the Gangnam martial arts world. This can only be considered an enormous benefit.”

Clan Head Namgung Kwon frowned. Outer Clan Lord Namgung Ryeol also shook his head and said.

“Impossible. As you said, that would be like handing over their territory to the Blood Dragon Gate. How could the heretic sects, who are sensitive to interests, accept that? Furthermore, it is difficult to see how the Blood Dragon Gate, which is merely an external force, could gain the support of the heretic sects.”

Although the heretic sects are lumped together, the interests and relationships between them are very complex.

The world of the heretic sects is a place where making one friend creates ten enemies.

So it was natural that Namgung Hyang’s words were considered an impractical theory.

“But, Outer Clan Lord…”

“Enough.”

Clan Head Namgung Kwon stopped her words.

“Hyang-ah, please leave for a moment.”

“Yes.”

Namgung Hyang rose from her seat. She politely bowed to the Clan Head and Outer Clan Lord and quietly went outside.

*Tap.*

The door closed, and Clan Head Lightning Sword Namgung Kwon said in a heavy voice.

“Outer Clan Lord.”

“Yes, Clan Head.”

“Who are we?”

At the sudden question, Outer Clan Lord Namgung Ryeol was silent for a moment. But not for long.

“We are the Sword Clan, the Namgung Clan.”

“Yes, that’s right. We are the Sword Clan. The Sword King Clan that cuts down mountains if they block the way, and parts the seas if they stand before us. That is our Namgung Clan.”

That was something everyone in the Namgung Clan knew. Namgung Ryeol silently listened to the Clan Head’s words.

“A scheme, you said? Good. Then let us be subjected to the scheme.”

“Clan Head. What do you mean…”

Namgung Ryeol raised his head with a puzzled expression. And he saw flames flickering in Clan Head Lightning Sword Namgung Kwon’s eyes.

“Thoroughly identify the sects involved in this matter. And mobilize the Namgung Clan’s full power to destroy them. Not just a few promising disciples of the heretic sects, but so that the name of that sect is never mentioned again. Then whoever plotted the scheme will know. That petty tricks don’t work on the Namgung Clan.”

The judgment against them was already predetermined. And someone’s scheme had only made the extent of that judgment more severe.

Rumors or bad reputations were no obstacle in the face of the Namgung Clan’s anger.

“Show them clearly what the consequences are for daring to provoke the Namgung Clan’s wrath.”

*Thud.*

Outer Clan Lord Namgung Ryeol stood up and bowed to the Clan Head.

“Namgung Ryeol receives the Clan Head’s command!”

Namgung Ryeol, with his head bowed, felt a tremor. The wrath of the Sword King Clan, now the entire martial world would know it.

∴

*Tap.*

Namgung Hyang, who had closed the door and left the office, sighed softly. The Clan Head hadn’t said anything, but it was clear that her opinion had been rejected.

‘Yes. Compared to my uncle, the Outer Clan Lord, I am just a weak girl. My views are short-sighted, I have no experience, and when it comes to swords or martial arts, I am worse than a child.’

*Shuffle, shuffle.*

Walking down the hallway, she mocked herself.

But no one within the clan could ignore her, Namgung Hyang. The fact that the Clan Head had asked her opinion was already a very unusual event.

‘The Blood Dragon Gate is merely an external force… But from the moment they appeared with the promising disciples of the heretic sects, the Blood Dragon Gate was no longer an external force.’

Namgung Hyang was lost in thought.

The promising disciples of the heretic sects appeared at the Gangnam Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, and the Blood Dragon Gate claimed to be their guardians. That meant that the Blood Dragon Gate had some kind of relationship with them.

‘Faced with the clan’s wrath, they will only cling to the Blood Dragon Gate even more. Then, in effect, half of the Gangnam martial arts world will fall into the hands of the Blood Dragon Gate. Guangxi, Guizhou, and perhaps even Hunan.’

*Shuffle, shuffle.*

Namgung Hyang, continuing her thoughts, bit her lip.

‘The fact that the Blood Dragon Gate, which was merely a local force in Yunnan, is so accurately grasping the situation in the Gangnam martial arts world, is probably…’

She muttered softly.

“It means someone is lending them their wisdom.”

*Tap.*

She stopped walking.

“For now, perhaps it’s the Tang Clan?”

No one heard her quietly spoken words. Even if someone did hear, it would not have any meaning.

This was the Sword King Clan, the Namgung Clan, and she, Namgung Hyang, was just a frail woman who could read a little.

“Haa.”

After letting out a long sigh, she looked up at the sky. The blue sky of Nanchang stretched endlessly above her head.

* * *

*Rustle.*

Sasu Yeon, who was sitting at her desk, looked up at the sound of someone entering.

Wearing a flowing veil, it was Tang Wora, the owner of this house.

Unable to think of a reason why she would visit so late at night, Sasu Yeon asked in a puzzled voice.

“What’s wrong?”

“Follow me.”

Tang Wora said in a small voice. And she turned around and left.

Sasu Yeon didn’t know what was going on. But she hadn’t gone to bed yet because of her various thoughts, so she got up and put on her coat.

*Rustle.*

Sasu Yeon took the sword hanging on the wall and went outside. Tang Wora was standing under the moonlight. When she came out, Tang Wora started walking towards the outside of the house.

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll know when we get there.”

Tang Wora said that and slowly moved her steps. Sasu Yeon quietly followed her, as if she were taking a walk.

‘It’s quiet.’

Sasu Yeon thought as she looked at the village quietly asleep in the darkness. The moonlight shone blue, and the stars sparkled in the sky. The sound of birds could be heard in the distance, piercing the slightly chilly night air.

*Thump, thump.*

Small stones made sounds under Tang Wora’s feet. With her level of skill, she could have walked silently, but Tang Wora seemed to savor even the small sounds.

‘Ah, this place is…’

Sasu Yeon noticed a familiar sight. The outline of the old house she had seen during the day was getting closer. It was Son Bin’s house.

But now it had become a place where not only Son Bin but also Old Man Namak [an eccentric martial arts master] and even Shin-ui [a renowned physician] resided.

*Thump, thump.*

Contrary to Sasu Yeon’s worries that something might have happened, Tang Wora passed by Son Bin’s house.

After walking a little further on the quiet night road, Tang Wora stood in front of a wide field. The sparkling waves of the Bukgang River could be seen below, and the blue moonlight filled the entire area.

“You’ve come?”

It was Old Man Namak’s casual voice that greeted the two. He was sitting on a tree stump with a small wine cup in his hand, enjoying the atmosphere of the moonlit night.

Shin-ui, sitting across from him, also had a small wine cup in his hand. Sasu Yeon lightly bowed her head and paid her respects to Shin-ui and Old Man Namak.

“Come here.”

Old Man Namak gestured to Sasu Yeon. Sasu Yeon suddenly turned her head to look at Tang Wora. She was standing quietly, gazing at somewhere in the field.

At the end of that gaze, Sasu Yeon found a familiar shadow.

It was a little far from where they were, but that distance was no obstacle for Sasu Yeon.

‘Young Master Son…’

He was Son Bin, standing under the moonlight with a sword in his hand. He was slightly bowing his head and standing quietly without any movement.

“The wine is good and the moon is good, but what are you trying to show me that you dragged me here in the middle of the night?”

Shin-ui grumbled softly. But he didn’t seem to be in a bad mood. As he said, the moonlight was too beautiful.

“Hmph. If I didn’t show you this, I would be resented by you for the rest of your life.”

“How can I resent you if I don’t even know what it is? Think before you speak.”

“What was that? I gave a place to sleep to a guy I should have kicked out right away…”

“Quiet.”

Tang Wora’s low, slightly rough voice cut off the two’s bickering.

“Start.”

‘Start?’

Sasu Yeon naturally turned her gaze to where Tang Wora was looking, Son Bin. Old Man Namak’s gaze and Shin-ui’s eyes were also directed at Son Bin.

*Sparkle.*

The blade of Baekro [Son Bin’s sword] seemed to sparkle under the moonlight, and soon a beautiful trajectory of light began to decorate the night sky.

The swordplay, so beautiful that she forgot to breathe, was something Sasu Yeon also knew well.

‘Hyeoncheon Swordplay [a prestigious sword art]…’

Although it was a sword and not a saber, what was unfolding from his fingertips was undoubtedly Hyeoncheon Swordplay. The same dignified trajectory as her father Saja Hyeok had displayed was now unfolding before her eyes again.

“Good.”

The voice of Old Man Namak, speaking in admiration, was heard.

“Very good.”

But Sasu Yeon couldn’t say anything. She just stood there as if nailed to the spot, endlessly watching Son Bin’s swordplay.

When she realized that Son Bin’s figure was blurring, tears were welling up and streaming down her beautiful cheeks.