A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 96

96. The Jang River Inn

The journey from Qingyuan to Wudang Mountain in Hubei Province was a long one, traversing half the continent.

After rattling along in the carriage for a while, the passing scenery would completely change, but the sightseeing was fleeting, and the passengers openly showed their boredom. Only Dang Wora kept her head held high, watching the passing scenery without moving. Son Bin was lost in reminiscence, recalling his days traveling far for the civil service examination.

Clatter, clatter.

“Oh, did you hear the rumor? The Sword Saintess of Destruction single-handedly crushed a mountain fortress in Hunan Province.”

A merchant, unable to bear the boredom, started a conversation.

“The Sword Saintess of Destruction?”

“You know, the one who deciphered the techniques of famous late-stage masters.”

“Ah, that Sword Saintess of Destruction. Now that you mention it, there was such a rumor.”

“Sword Saintess of Destruction? I’ve never heard of her.”
A slightly younger-looking merchant said.

The rumors circulating in the Jianghu [martial arts world] and Murim [martial arts community] world are endless.

Moreover, when something noteworthy happens, like the recent Blood Peak Syndicate incident, rumors tend to focus on that. Past events are naturally forgotten.

“But that Sword Saintess of Destruction crushed a mountain fortress in Hunan Province?”

“Yeah. Those guys were blocking a mountain path and running their business when, coincidentally, the Sword Saintess of Destruction stumbled upon them. They thought they could take advantage of a lone woman with outstanding beauty, but they were thoroughly robbed—not only the ones who attacked but also the entire fortress. It was a fairly large fortress in that area, but they couldn’t withstand the Sword Saintess of Destruction.”

“Amazing. So, the fortress guys are all dead?”

“D-Dead?”
The young merchant asked with a terrified face.

“No. They didn’t kill them, I heard.”

Another merchant frowned.

“What, so they let them live? Those kinds of guys will just go back to banditry. What’s the point of raiding the fortress then? Once it passes, they’ll cause even more trouble.”

“Hey, take it easy. Who said they let them go? They dragged them all to the Provincial Judicial Commissioner’s Office.”
The Provincial Judicial Commissioner’s Office oversees judicial trials in a province. It is governed by a local official directly dispatched from the central government, so a mountain fortress would never be able to exert influence there.

“Wow. The Commissioner got lucky.”

“Why?”

“It all becomes his achievement.”

He answered the young merchant who kept asking questions and continued.

“Anyway, the Sword Saintess of Destruction refused the Commissioner’s reward and left. Then, she crushed a heretical sect in Henan Province. What was the sect’s name again…….”

“Heretical sect?”

“It seems there was trouble at an inn this time. The son of the heretical sect’s leader went to the inn and saw the Sword Saintess of Destruction…….”

“He was tempted by her beauty and attacked?”

“Yeah.”
The man nodded.

“Wow. She must be really pretty.”

“They say she’s a peerless beauty. Anyway, the son got wrecked, the heretical sect warriors who rushed to help got wrecked, and eventually, even the sect leader was completely wrecked. Those many swordsmen couldn’t defeat the Sword Saintess of Destruction.”

“They probably handed them over to the Commissioner again.”

“No.”
The man shrugged.

“This time, they abolished all the internal energy [cultivation power] of the warriors, including the leader. The sect completely closed its doors.”

“That’s good. Murim people are ruthless. Those kinds of guys shouldn’t even be allowed to hold a sword. Aren’t they just parasites sucking the marrow of powerless people?”

“Hey, now.”
The merchant who started the conversation stopped him, glancing at Son Bin. Son Bin pretended not to hear, looking elsewhere.

“Hey, where are there Murim people here? That’s all for self-defense.”
Another merchant said, looking back at Son Bin. The ‘that’ he was referring to was probably Son Bin’s White Dew and Iron Sword.

“Anyway, after that, she defeated the Heavenly Five Fiends and severely punished a young master from a family that held considerable power in Kaifeng. That was a righteous sect, but it seems raising children is just as difficult there.”

“Amazing?”
The merchant listening clicked his tongue.

“At that rate, isn’t she a complete female knight-errant [a wandering hero, often female, who rights wrongs]?”

“Right. There’s even a story that she saved a child who fell from a boat on the Yangtze River… Some people are already calling the Sword Saintess of Destruction the Murim Sword Queen or the Jianghu’s Number One Sword Flower.”

“Sword Flower, that’s cool.”

Listening to their words, Son Bin quietly pondered. The image of Sa Soo-yeon flowed over the passing scenery.

The sharp impression like a sword when they first met, and that lonely figure like the blue wind blowing through the bamboo forest.

The vulnerable and pitiful expression he saw when they met again at the Tengwang Pavilion banquet, and the warm smile he showed the children at the academy.

“Didn’t I tell you not to worry?”

Suddenly, Old Master said.

“I say, there won’t be many who can endanger that child.”

“But I’ve heard that Murim is a dangerous place with as many schemes and plots as hidden blades.”

“Schemes and plots only work on opponents of a certain level. If that child puts her mind to it…….”

Old Master glanced at Dang Wora. However, Dang Wora was still looking at the passing scenery with her face covered by a veil.

“Anyway, there’s no need to worry. Besides, she’s constantly moving, so even if someone wants to plot something, they won’t be able to do it easily.”

Old Master said, but Son Bin couldn’t shake his concern.

“I hear she’s going north. Do you know where she lived?”

“I heard she lived in a place with nothing.”

“A place with nothing… I don’t know well, but it’s definitely far.”
Muttering, Old Master suddenly asked Son Bin.

“But what are you going to do when you get there?”

It was a very vague question, but Son Bin understood.

“I’m going to meet someone and be on their side.”

It was a conclusion he had reached after a long thought. The words of the True Man, asking him to teach the ways of life to his young disciple, and the request to deliver his sword, which he had been with all his life, were merely formalities.

If he threw the Four Books and Three Classics [Confucian texts], which contained the ways of life, and handed over the requested White Dew, would Son Bin’s responsibility be over?

Absolutely not.

The true meaning contained in the earnest request of the Old Taoist was to become the guardian of the young disciple who had lost her master and was alone, to be the one by her side. That was what Son Bin had to do.

“They will want your sword.”

Old Master said quietly. Son Bin smiled bitterly and shook his head.

“The person who will receive this sword has already been decided.”

There was a firm determination shining in Son Bin’s eyes.

The only person who is qualified is Seo-rin, the True Man’s remaining young disciple.

“I understand.”

Old Master said. His deep eyes, hidden beneath his white eyebrows, were also sparkling.

“Oh, I told you she’s really a beautiful witch, didn’t I?”
The voice of the merchant, raising his voice as if wronged, suddenly came.

“Now even witches are beautiful? I know you like pretty women, but that’s too much.”

“I really like beautiful women too, but I don’t think this is it.”

“Oh, really. She appears like a ghost in the middle of the night, regardless of the powerful families or martial clans in each region. What was it? ‘Give me back my other half’?”

“Not ‘Give me back my leg’? Anyway, you…….”

“Oh, really!”

Clatter, clatter.

While the merchants were bickering over the rumors, the carriage rattled along, hurrying towards the Yangtze River.

*

*

*

Changing carriages several times, Son Bin and his party continued their journey. The closer they got to the Yangtze River, the more people and carriages traveled along the main roads. Most were merchants or merchant groups, but martial artists were not uncommon.

After continuing their journey for several days, Son Bin and his party were able to reach an inn facing the Yangtze River.

“Wahahaha!”

Clatter, clatter.

The inn was bustling. Perhaps because of its location on the main road, it was quite large and crowded with people. Most were people who would cross the Yangtze River the next day.

Just as Son Bin entered and was looking around for an empty seat.

Tap.

The moment he heard that footstep, Son Bin felt something strange. Without hesitation, Son Bin turned his body to the side.

Crash.

“Ouch!”
A small, grimy boy fell next to Son Bin, screaming. He hadn’t collided with Son Bin, but it seemed he had tripped.

“Are you okay?”
Son Bin bent down and reached out to the fallen boy.

“Ah, yes. I’m okay.”
The boy, who had been frowning, grabbed Son Bin’s hand. And then, Old Master’s wrinkled hand landed squarely on the boy’s head.

Old Master asked the boy in a gruff voice.

“Are you okay?”

“Ah, yes.”

“That’s a relief.”

To the boy who answered with a slightly embarrassed face, Old Master brought his face closer. And said quietly.

“But if you don’t take that hand away right now, you’ll never be okay for the rest of your life.”
The boy’s complexion hardened, and he swung his arm to knock away Old Master’s hand.

Clack.

As if he hadn’t fallen, the boy jumped up. And glared at Old Master, clicking his tongue.

“Tch.”

The boy ran straight out of the inn. Watching the boy disappear quickly, Son Bin looked at Old Master with a bewildered expression.

“That guy was after your pouch. Those kinds of guys are common everywhere. You have to be careful in crowded places.”

‘That kind of boy…….’

Son Bin was uneasy. But Old Master didn’t care.

“There’s an empty seat over there.”
It wasn’t a great seat, but Son Bin and his party were able to sit at the table anyway. After waiting a bit, the waiter came and took their order.

Not long after the three of them were drinking tea and waiting for their food.

Crash.

“Aaaagh!”
With a scream, a small boy was thrown into the inn as if bouncing. It was the same boy who had run out of the inn a little while ago. Dirt was smeared all over his body, and blood was spreading from the corner of his mouth.

“You insolent little thief!”
With an angry voice, several people entered the inn. Dressed in martial attire, they were all burly men.

The gazes of the people filling the inn focused, and the bustling sound quickly diminished.

“How dare you lay a hand on the Young Lady of the Gongson Clan!”
The last person to enter was a beautifully dressed young lady.

Despite her sharp eyes and frowning expression, she was beautiful enough to capture people’s attention at once. Looking around the inn, she frowned again.

“What a dirty place.”
In the quiet inn, her voice echoed clearly like rolling jade beads. Although the content was not very clear.

‘Huh? That young lady is.’
Son Bin thought he had seen her somewhere. It didn’t take long for the memory to come back.

‘Ah. Back then…….’
She was the ‘Young Lady Gongson’ he had seen at the Yellow Crane Tower. The one who had provoked Young Master Namgung and made things worse. Meanwhile, a burly warrior bowed to her and said.

“I’m sorry, Young Lady. It’s getting dark, so it’s not good to cross the Yangtze River now. There’s no choice but to…….”

“But it’s dirty. Look, there are things like this from the entrance, how can the food be clean?”
She looked down at the fallen boy as if looking at something unclean.

“You. How dare you try to touch my things, you’ve done quite a cute thing?”
The boy didn’t answer or bow his head. Instead, he rolled his rebellious eyes around, looking for a chance to escape. The eyes of the Gongson Clan’s young lady became even more distorted.

“Yes, you guys are always like that. You don’t even know how to repent, and you try to steal anything you can if you see an opportunity. I think I need to fix your habits thoroughly.”
She turned her head to the warrior next to her. Her red lips moved, and a voice like jade beads flowed out.

“Cut off this thief’s arm.”
The complexions of the people listening hardened all at once. And someone muttered in a small voice.

“Gongson Ji, the Poisonous Heart Flower of the Gongson Clan…….”
Instantly, the sharp gaze of Gongson Ji, the Gongson Clan’s young lady, turned towards the direction of the voice. The title Poisonous Heart Flower was something she hated very much.

Her name was Single Heart Flower, but her venomous personality was mocked as Poisonous Heart Flower. But no one dares to call her Poisonous Heart Flower in front of her. The muttering voice quickly subsided.

“Hmph.”
Single Heart Flower Gongson Ji turned her head and said to the warrior holding the boy.

“Do it quickly.”

“Wait.”
A young man’s voice flowed out from behind her.

Swish.

The young man who appeared through the parted curtains was a gorgeously dressed nobleman. Although he was slender, his strong eyes and the sword at his waist told that he was a martial artist.

“Young Master Jegal!”
A smile like a spring day appeared on Gongson Ji’s face, which had been venomous.

“Listen, Young Master. This insolent thief dares to…….”
Like a fragile girl, she clung to the young man’s arm with tears in her eyes. The young man called Young Master Jegal smiled and replied.

“I’ve heard too. These lowly things are inherently ugly and despicable, so they don’t even know their own faults unless they are severely punished. And the same goes for those who don’t understand that.”
He looked around the inn and said as if to be heard.

People turned their heads away from the young man’s gaze.

The moment they knew he was from one of the Five Great Clans, no one would raise an objection to them.

The smile on the young man’s face turned bitter.

“How about this? From now on, I will cut off this little thief’s arm. But if anyone among you can take my sword instead of this thief, this guy’s punishment will be nullified. If no one comes forward, this young thief’s arm will be……. Cough!”
The young man’s words, which he was continuing as if to show off, were cut off. Then he fell straight to the side.

Thud.

“Young Master!”
Gongson Ji realized that Young Master Jegal’s condition was unusual. She turned her head sharply and reflexively reached for her sword.

“Who is it! Who dares……. Ack!”
Gongson Ji also collapsed with a short groan. The three or four warriors next to her were the same.

Thump, crash, thump.

The burly warriors fell like logs without even groaning. The boy, who had been terrified until just now, looked around with a confused expression, but no one came forward.

“W-What? What’s going on now?”
The people also didn’t understand what was happening.

But whatever the reason, the young lady of the Gongson Clan and the young master of the Jegal Clan were harmed.

The people filling the inn looked around anxiously. Some were already packing their bags and trying to leave. They didn’t want to get caught up in something like this.

The first to move among them was the boy who had been caught.

Dash, swish.

The boy, who was running out, almost collided with someone who was just about to enter.

“Ouch! Watch out, you little rascal. Huh? What are these guys again?”
A gruff voice echoed through the inn. At the same time as the boy ran out, an old man with a fishing rod and a basket entered the inn, frowning.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen guys sleeping on the floor after coming all the way to the inn. Oh my? This lady looks perfectly fine, why is she sleeping here?”
A small and frail old man muttered. Seeing this, the innkeeper ran up with a delighted expression.

“Fisherman Oh! You came just in time. These people suddenly collapsed, but what on earth happened…….”

“Hmm.”
The old man, called Fisherman Oh, bent down and lightly checked the pulses of the fallen people.

“Oh, how is it? They’re from noble families, I hope they haven’t been harmed…….”

“It’s okay.”
The old man stood up and grinned.

“They’re not hurt and they’re all fine. They won’t be able to come to their senses for a couple of days… They’re quite lucky.”

“R-Really? Really, they’re not hurt?”
The owner asked as if to confirm again, perhaps because he was anxious. On the other hand, the guests of the inn who were watching breathed a sigh of relief. The people who had been half-lifting their butts also sat down with a comfortable expression again.

Tomorrow morning, they would all be crossing the Yangtze River and far away, so there was no reason to avoid the situation now.

Son Bin also turned his head and looked at Old Master. Old Master, who was turning his back to the entrance of the inn, lowered his head as if he didn’t know anything and was rummaging through a plate of roasted beans and seeds.

“Thank you.”
Son Bin said. The gratitude was sincere. It was to the point where he couldn’t bear to watch any longer.

“Damn it.”
Old Master said with a frown. It wasn’t an answer to Son Bin’s gratitude.

“If I had known that guy was here, I would have rather…….”

“They’re really lucky. Don’t you think?”
Suddenly, a gruff voice was heard from the side. The old man with a fishing rod and a long beard had already approached and was talking to Old Master.

“To survive even after being hit by your flick. Hehehe.”
Drop, drop.
The remnants of the shattered roasted beans rolled off the old man’s hand onto the table.

“It’s been a while.”
The old man smiled brightly with a face full of wrinkles. But Old Master’s frowning expression didn’t ease.

“Why are you here? Yangtze River Fisherman.”

“Because it’s the Yangtze River.”
The old man, called Yangtze River Fisherman, answered with a smile.