Episode 17. Entered Xi’an2013.10.29.
Sweet.
When I open the window, the cool dawn air flows in. Sonbin took a deep breath.
“ha.”
Sonbin’s eyes were red and bloodshot, unable to sleep even a wink. It’s been hours since she finished last night’s dance, and her heart is still pounding.
When I close my eyes to go to sleep, I vividly remember that amazing dance, and instead of falling asleep, I immediately get up and take out my brush.
After lying down and getting up from bed several times, Sonbin gave up trying to sleep. And this is how dawn came.
“Whoa.”
Sonbin took a long breath. Then she turned her head and looked at her table top.
Disheveled papers with dense writing are scattered around, and you can see ink, ink, inkstone, and large and small brushes that have been taken out in earnest.
These are the results of a sleepless night, but there are still some things that I feel are lacking.
Rustle.
Papers that were quite long made a sound. In each case, the small text is dense. Sonbin carefully gathered the scattered papers.
‘I guess I’ll have to tie this up separately.’
Now, I couldn’t bring myself to copy into the booklet again.
Rustle rustle.
After carefully checking the contents and organizing them in order, Sonbin rolled the records up like a scroll and tied them with paper string.
Originally, you had to glue each piece of paper together or fold it into a book shape, but since you will be reorganizing it later anyway, you can store it for now.
When I made it into a scroll and held it in my hand, it was quite thick.
‘Hmm, what should I write?’
Sonbin picked up the brush and thought for a moment. But soon, he was scribbling down one side of the scroll in small letters.
– Gyeol (決), one (一).
After waiting for a while for the food to dry, Sonbin packed the scroll in his luggage. Once it ends like that, hunger sets in.
‘Has the guest’s sleep already occurred?’
Sonbin felt like he needed to fill his stomach first, so he went to visit. He walked down the hallway a little bit, looked down the railing, and saw several guests sitting in the dining room.
‘Ho, there are people even this early in the morning.’
Most of them were people who had to leave at dawn, and as I looked around, I saw the familiar figure of Sajahyeok.
‘Heh.’
Sonbin laughed without realizing it. This was because the few people were all sitting far away from Sahyeok.
Maybe it was because I was changing into my military uniform again after yesterday, but I was able to see a scene I hadn’t seen in a while again.
“Did you sleep well?”
Sweet.
Sonbin greeted him lightly as he took a seat in front of him. Sajahyeok, who had a teacup in front of him, said nothing.
The teacup held in his hand looks unusually small.
“no.”
Sajahyeok answered in a heavy voice. Sonbin, who was pouring tea into a teacup, paused for a moment.
Rattling.
After putting down the teapot, Sonbin grabbed the teacup. There’s a lot I want to say, but I don’t know what to say.
“That sword… … .”
Sonbin spoke carefully.
“Can I keep it?”
“He gave it to you and you received it. “Do as you wish.”
“hmm. But I thought it might be a bit too much for me to handle… … .”
“The world.”
Sajahyuk said as he raised his teacup.
“Why did they only give you the easy ones? Some people collapse under the weight, while others throw it away. And some other people.”
Sajahyuk lightly placed his lips on the teacup.
“You may find your destiny within it.”
“A thousand people… … .”
Sonbin smiled bitterly.
How can one sword be worth a thousand lives to someone who is not even a warrior? Sonbin raised his teacup. Sonbin spoke after savoring the bitter and fragrant tea that spread across his mouth for a moment.
“His swordsmanship is a little different.”
Sonbin said, suddenly remembering yesterday’s dance. Certainly, Nodosa’s sword was different yesterday.
There was a strong feeling of letting go of Sa-hyuk’s attack rather than confronting it head-on. He even said he shed it himself.
“I don’t know.”
“You’re right.”
Sajahyeok said.
“Reading the opponent’s instincts and cleverly changing them or attacking a completely different target is called the art of eccentric grafting.”
“If it’s grafting, doesn’t that mean you’re deceiving the other person?”
In an old folktale, sending a beautiful woman who was pregnant with one’s child to one’s partner to inherit the heir was called Ihwa grafting.
It means taking a flower and attaching it to another tree, which means it is a way to deceive the opponent with a clever trick.
“Once you reach the level, you can even control your opponent’s bets as you wish. “You can control a large force with a small force, and this is the law of Saryangbalcheongeun.”
“Then the old swordsman’s sword… … .”
“and.”
Sajahyeok said, interrupting Sonbin.
“He who has realized the supreme way is not biased or swayed by anything. That is the Tao of Taegeuk, and his sword is it.”
Sajahyuk said.
“It is a sword that contains the wisdom of Taegeuk.”
‘Taegeuk’s wisdom… … .’
Sonbin muttered to himself. Sajahyeok is said to be a sword containing the wisdom of Taegeuk, but its meaning is not fully known.
But the weight of those words was clearly visible. And Sajahyuk’s heart too.
“Is he dead?”
Sonbin asked.
“Yes.”
Sajahyeok answered quietly.
“You will have no regrets.”
Sajahyeok’s eyes looked into the distance.
“Because he finally got what he wanted so much.”
When coming down from there last night, Sonbin suddenly remembered Sajahyeok stopping and looking in the direction of the vacant lot for a while. Sajahyeok’s gaze now was the same as then.
“let’s go.”
Rattling.
Suddenly, Sajahyeok stood up and said.
“I don’t like this place.”
“after.”
Sonbin sighed softly. And she looked at Lion Hyuk and said.
“Can’t we go and eat breakfast?”
Sajahyuk looked at Sonbin.
“You seem surprisingly obsessed with eating.”
“Only when your stomach is strong will your heart be strong.”
Sajahyuk chuckled.
“That is correct.”
Sajahyeok sat down and motioned to Jeomsoi. After a quick breakfast, Sonbin and Sajahyeok packed their bags and boarded a carriage leaving Seongdo.
The sky, which had been frowning all morning, eventually turned into rain and started pouring down by the time the carriage passed the castle walls.
Shoot!
Tak tak tak.
Listening to the sound of rain hitting the shutters of the carriage, the two left Sacheon without saying a word.
∴
After traveling for several days, the carriage arrived at Xi’an, the capital of Shaanxi Province.
As we left the exotic scenery and drove through a wide plain, the castle revealed its majestic appearance. Xi’an was the capital of numerous dynasties in the past and a city with many stories and legends.
The atmosphere of Xi’an was noticeably different from that of Sacheon. Even the weather was different, so much so that it felt much better compared to the muggy Sacheon.
In addition, the wide, admirably long boulevards of Xi’an made the city appear larger and more majestic.
The two people got off the carriage in a quiet place a little bit away from the downtown area. It was a place where you could see more green trees and low, long walls than fancy, tall pavilions.
The old-fashioned black roofs and elegant but well-maintained mansions indicated that this place belonged to a high-end residential area. The place Sahyeok stopped was in front of a mansion with an old, antique long wall.
As Sajahyuk and Sonbin approached, the white-haired servant who was sweeping the front door of the mansion stopped brushing and raised his head. Sajahyeok asked Nobok.
“Who is the current Soju?”
The old servant with full of gray hair looked at Lion Hyeok with a gentle expression. He looked into Sajahyuk’s eyes for a moment, then smiled and answered.
“This is Lady Nanhyang.”
“It’s a warm scent.”
Sajahyuk smiled bitterly.
“Has that child become Soju before you know it? “What about Hwawol?”
Nobok did not respond to Sajahyeok’s words and lowered his head.
“Please come in. “I will send a message to Soju.”
The old servant’s behavior was polite and dignified. It was hard to believe that he was just an old servant who used the yard.
“Let’s go in.”
Sajahyeok said. Sonbin, who was impressed by Nobok’s attitude, nodded without thinking. And she followed Lion Hyuk into the not-so-big entrance hall.
The place where Nobok guided the two people was a place like a garden located inside the mansion. Although it wasn’t that big, it was so well-built that you couldn’t help but wonder.
“oh.”
Sonbin was impressed.
Tall trees surrounded one side of the garden like a folding screen, and small trees and flowers were elegantly placed underneath them.
Strangely shaped garden stones and delicate small sculptures were decorated here and there, and a small lake and a stream with water were created on one side of the garden.
For a moment, I forgot that this was the center of the big city of Xi’an.
“Please come here.”
The old servant led the two people to a small, quaint pavilion on one side of the garden.
There was a signboard saying “Gwaeokjeong (碎玉停)”, and there was a small round table made of stone and a few small round chairs also made of stone.
Each chair is neatly placed with a cushion woven from bamboo.
‘It’s a nice place.’
Shoot!
The atmosphere of the garden as seen from sitting in Gwaeokjeong was so good that Sonbin unconsciously thought so. When the wind blows, the trees sway slightly, looking like waves.
The sound of flower petals falling one by one and flowing water seemed to cool down the heat. It felt like I had entered another world.
“Please wait a moment.”
When the old servant who guided the two bowed his head and disappeared, a young maid came out and brought fragrant tea. The maid serving her tea was also elegant.
Her appearance was natural and flowing, not excessive, and she looked more like a young lady from a good family than a maid.
‘hmm. ‘Good.’
Sonbin savored the scent rising from the teacup. The gentle scent that seemed to envelop her entire body seemed to automatically relieve her tension.
Tarang.
The sound of a small bell suddenly caught Sonbin’s attention. When Sonbin turned around, a gorgeously grown beauty was just entering the entrance to her garden.
She was dressed in gorgeous clothes embroidered with silver thread on silk as blue as deep water, and her black hair like ebony was tied up with several jade hairpins shining, and the small jade beads at the end of them trembled and sparkled every time she took a step.
She was a beauty who was truly worthy of the word “growth” (盛粧), which refers to dressing up extravagantly.
Sabak Sabak.
Every time she moves, the small jade beads shake.
She, who seemed to fit better in the imperial palace, came to Gwaeokjeong and quietly lowered her body to show respect. Her long eyebrows were shaking slightly as she lowered them slightly.
“I come to see you.”
“There is no need for such examples.”
Sonbin turned around at Sajahyuk’s grave voice. Unlike Sonbin, who had his eyes taken by her beau from the start, Lion Hyuk was speaking while lifting her teacup without even looking at her.
“What about Hwawol?”
The beauty quietly stood up and smiled slightly. The corners of her red mouth draw a soft curve.
“As time goes by, so do the months.”
Only then did Sajahyuk turn his head and look at the beauty.
“Hwawol was good at gold.”
“I dare not compare it to the old Hwawol Soju, but it is enough to not be embarrassing.”
“is it?”
Suddenly, Sajahyuk looked at Sonbin and said.
“This is Sonbin. “He is my guide.”
The beauty lowered her body towards Son Bin and politely raised her bow again.
“It’s called orchid.”
Sonbin stood up without realizing it and put his hands together to show respect.
“So, this is Sonbin.”
The beauty, identified as Nanhyang, smiled a small smile at Sonbin. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Sonbin cleared her throat and quietly sat down in her seat.
Sarah.
Nanhyang stood up in an elegant manner and sat down on the stone chair. Then, as if she had been waiting, her maid came in carrying her food. Dishes that Sonbin had never seen before were placed on a small table.
“It looks like it’s still pre-dinner time, so I decided to prepare briefly.”
It’s definitely not a large amount. However, it is not light enough to be easily prepared. Carefully decorated, luxurious-looking dishes were served on antique tableware to stimulate the appetite.
“Just then, some good old wine arrived yesterday.”
“There is no need for alcohol.”
Sajahyeok said. Even good food doesn’t seem to attract his attention, so he just sits quietly with a teacup in his hand, savoring the scent.
However, Sonbin was extremely awkward. She didn’t know where she was, and she didn’t know who the beautiful woman named Nanhyang in front of her was, so there was no way she could feel at ease.
“A lot of people came looking for it.”
“It has nothing to do with me.”
Sajahyeok answered in a blunt tone.
“You haven’t changed.”
Nanhyang smiled slightly.
“How have you been?”
“that.”
Sajahyeok said.
“You can listen to that friend later.”
Nanhyang’s gaze followed Sajahyuk to Sonbin.
‘me?’
Sonbin was embarrassed.
‘No, I told you something.’
“Because he is the one watching me and recording me.”
At that moment, curiosity appeared in Nanhyang’s gaze.
“Someone who watches and records?”
“okay.”
Sajahyeok answered.
“He is the only person allowed to watch my practice of the Xuantian Dao method.”
This time there was a hint of surprise in Nanhyang’s eyes.
“Really?”
Her question was directed at Sonbin.
“Ah yes.”
Sonbin nodded. Nanhyang asked Sonbin with cautious eyes.
“Are you being pretentious?” … .”
“He is not a member of the Murim Foreign Temple.”
The one who answered was Sajahyeok.
“He is not my disciple and has no blood ties or benefits to me. “He is just as you see him.”
“Then what… … .”
“Didn’t you tell me?”
Sajahyuk raised his teacup.
“It’s a good friend.”
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martial arts,
