Chapter 272: Reuniting with the Sword Man-1
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 272: Reuniting with the Sword Man-1
"Your learning isn't quite as deep as I thought."
Neung So-hwa spoke with a smile tinged with mockery.
"It’s not like the path to a government post is open to me, so finishing the Four Books and Three Classics was enough," Seol-hyang replied.
"How can you view scholarship merely as a means to attain office? Learning is a continuous joy of realizing what you did not know and rediscovering what you already knew."
"Oh, I think that’s such a cliché. Is there really a right answer for one's attitude toward learning? I believe one can purely enjoy the process of enlightenment, or one can view it as a tool to climb the social ladder."
"A goal-oriented mindset only impoverishes one's life."
"But wouldn't life feel even more empty if you didn't try to achieve anything?"
Neung So-hwa and Seol-hyang were engaged in their usual war of nerves today. It seemed the topic of the day was scholarship.
They sure are having fun.
Sun-woo chuckled inwardly as he watched their power struggle.
It had already been a week since Neung So-hwa joined the search party. And during that week, Seol-hyang had not missed a single day of riding in his carriage. At first, she usually hopped in after lunch, but now she climbed in first thing in the morning as if the seat were hers by right.
Sharing the carriage had become her daily routine. And once inside, she inevitably engaged in arguments and psychological warfare with Neung So-hwa. Their bickering was so intense that even after a week, no clear winner had emerged.
Both of them possessed such immense self-love that they barely registered any mockery or sarcasm directed at them. Watching them, Sun-woo realized something: a war of nerves between people with high self-esteem does not end easily.
The two were spending yet another day locked in their battle of wits. It was then.
"What do you think, Brother?"
"What is your opinion?"
The two, who had been in the middle of their heated debate, turned to Sun-woo and questioned him simultaneously.
"What... what about?"
Sun-woo, who hadn't been listening properly while lost in thought, asked back in confusion.
"You prefer a goal-oriented life, don't you?"
"Is it not better to live a life that values the process over the goal?"
"..."
Sun-woo clamped his mouth shut at their sudden questions. How was he supposed to answer such a philosophical query?
"Well... I like both?"
The conclusion he reached after much deliberation was "both."
"There's no such thing!"
"That is not an option. Choose one!"
Upon hearing Sun-woo's answer, the two raised their voices in protest. Sun-woo wore a troubled expression. It seemed they both wanted him to take their side.
Go play by yourselves!
Sun-woo complained inwardly. They were doing just fine on their own; why did they have to drag him into it all of a sudden?
"Why don't you ask Guard Ma instead?"
Sun-woo quickly shifted the target to Guard Ma, who was sitting beside him.
"Wh-what!?"
Hearing Sun-woo's words, Guard Ma looked at him with a resentful face. Why was he being dragged into this when he was just sitting there quietly?
"Guard Ma is Lady Neung's guard. He lacks objectivity," Seol-hyang pointed out.
"Guard Ma will take my side," Neung So-hwa added.
The two rejected the suggestion, each giving their own reasons. The bottom line was a lack of objectivity.
They're picky about the strangest things.
Sun-woo let out a hollow laugh internally. They were stubborn in the oddest ways. He fell back into contemplation. Being forced to choose between the two was a cruel task.
"Hurry up!"
"Speak at once!"
When Sun-woo remained silent in thought, Seol-hyang and Neung So-hwa began to pester him. Despite their nagging, Sun-woo couldn't easily reach a conclusion. It was like being asked whether he liked his mom or dad more during a holiday gathering. Of course, he liked his mom more, but he couldn't bring himself to hurt his father's feelings.
Sun-woo's contemplation grew deeper.
Rattle.
Suddenly, the carriage jolted and began to shake violently.
"What's going on!"
Sun-woo seized the sudden situation as a perfect opportunity to change the subject.
"The carriage in front has stopped abruptly," the coachman replied, sounding flustered.
"...Could it be... an enemy?" Ma Il-gwon asked with a serious expression. He seemed worried that it might be another bandit attack like before.
"I doubt it. Bandits wouldn't dare approach a procession of this size," Seol-hyang said, shaking her head.
She was right. Their convoy, a combination of the search party and the merchant guild, was massive. There weren't many bandits bold enough to attack such a large-scale group.
"Then what could it be?" Ma Il-gwon tilted his head in confusion. If it wasn't bandits, why else would the carriages stop?
While everyone was questioning the situation—
Thump, thump.
The sound of someone urgently knocking on Sun-woo's carriage echoed.
"Speak," Sun-woo said calmly.
"You should come out for a moment," Cheongsong's voice came from outside.
"What happened?"
"We picked someone up."
"A person!?" Sun-woo asked back in surprise. A person, out of nowhere, in this endless snowy field?
"It seems to be a castaway."
"What's their condition?"
"They're perfectly fine. They were sleeping right in the middle of the main road."
"Ha..."
Sun-woo let out a dry laugh. Usually, when traveling to the North Sea, most merchant groups used the carriage paths known as the main roads. Although it was a snowy field everywhere, the main roads were level and flat, making it easier for cargo wagons to travel.
But to sleep right in the middle of such a road... Sun-woo couldn't hide his amazement. It was an incredibly dangerous act; one could easily be run over by a carriage and killed. What nerves of steel.
"They asked to travel with us, saying we're heading the same way."
"Did they say they're going to the North Sea Ice Palace?"
"Yes, they said their destination is the North Sea Ice Palace."
"Hmm."
Sun-woo looked thoughtful for a moment before speaking.
"I should meet them first."
He decided he needed to see the person for himself.
"Where are they now?"
"In the front carriage."
Click.
Upon hearing the answer, Sun-woo threw the door open and stepped out.
"I'll be back," he said briefly, glancing back inside. The others nodded.
Having finished speaking, Sun-woo immediately began moving toward the front of the procession to see the bold human who had been sleeping on the road. Cheongsong followed slowly behind him.
*
Arriving at the front carriage, Sun-woo's eyes widened in shock. He had come to see a bold stranger, but instead, he saw the familiar face of a middle-aged man.
A man with a wild aura, his unkempt hair tied back tightly. A man whose mouth held an irrepressible sense of playfulness.
Sun-woo knew this man well. Though they had only met for a single day, he was the man who had imparted a realization like no other. A man he had hoped to meet again someday. A man who claimed to have no name and asked to be called simply "Sword."
He was the Sword Man he had met before going to White Flower Peak.
"Hahahaha! Fate is truly unpredictable. How is it that you are here?"
Seeing Sun-woo, the man burst into a fit of laughter and spoke.
"S-Senior! How are you in this place!?" Sun-woo asked, his voice a mix of delight and shock.
"Actually, I've been heading toward the North Sea since then. It took a bit of time because I got lost, though. Hahahaha!"
The man laughed heartily as he answered. Sun-woo stared at him blankly. Just how lost did he get to only be arriving at the North Sea now?
"Don't tell me... did you walk all the way?"
"Of course. My stomach churns whenever I ride a horse."
"..."
Sun-woo looked appalled. The distance from the Central Plains to the North Sea was enormous. To think he walked that entire distance without even riding a horse... it was impossible not to be shocked.
"Anyway, have you been well? Your realm has ascended even further since I last saw you."
The man spoke casually, but Sun-woo was stunned. He hadn't even demonstrated his martial arts, yet the man had accurately gauged that his realm had risen.
"Let us perform a sword dance together next time. Seeing you makes my blood boil with excitement."
"...I... I suppose we should."
Sun-woo nodded with a dazed expression. He wasn't quite adjusted to this man who drove the conversation forward like a bolt of lightning. The man looked at Sun-woo and gave a deep smile.
*
"Hahahaha! This carriage is filled with beauties so radiant they're blinding."
After boarding Sun-woo's carriage, the man looked around and burst into laughter.
"Nice to meet you. I am Seol-hyang, a disciple of the Emei Sect."
"I am Neung So-hwa."
"I am Ma Il-gwon, Lady Neung's guard."
As he entered, everyone inside greeted him in unison.
"A pleasure. Just call me Sword."
"Sword?"
"Sword?"
Seol-hyang and Neung So-hwa wore puzzled expressions.
"Is your name actually Sword?" Seol-hyang asked curiously.
"Not exactly. It is simply my mindset," the man replied kindly.
"Your mindset?"
"The mindset of becoming a single sword. I cast aside things like names long ago."
"I see! But it still feels a bit difficult to call you that," Seol-hyang said, her eyes sparkling.
"What is so difficult about it?"
"Every time I call you, saying 'Senior Single Sword!' makes the sentence too long, doesn't it?"
"Khahaha! I suppose that's true."
The man laughed even harder at Seol-hyang's rebuttal.
"How about 'Senior Sword Man' for short?"
"A pseudonym? Well, that doesn't sound too bad."
"Then I'll call you Senior Sword Man."
Since the man reacted positively, Seol-hyang immediately sealed the deal.
"Haha, do as you wish, young lady."
Perhaps finding her cute, the Sword Man laughed as he spoke. It seemed Seol-hyang and the Sword Man hit it off immediately, as she had already given him a nickname. The Sword Man also didn't seem to mind her friendliness, laughing continuously and making the carriage lively.
"By the way, Senior Sword Man, why are you heading to the North Sea?" Seol-hyang asked.
Sun-woo pricked up his ears. He was curious about that as well.
"Why else would a mere sword come to the North Sea? I came to swing my sword."
The Sword Man replied with a slight smile.
"Really? For what? A grudge? Or a martial duel?"
"Hahahaha. It's a secret."
"Oh, come on, tell me." Seol-hyang pleaded.
"A man becomes more charming the more secrets he keeps."
"I've never heard that before," Seol-hyang said, tilting her head.
"Of course you haven't."
"Why?"
"Because I just made it up."
"What! What is that!"
The Sword Man and Seol-hyang began to play along with their banter. Laughter never ceased between them. Their chemistry was so good they could have passed for a father and daughter who took after each other.
Watching them, Sun-woo scratched his head. It seemed the man had no intention of revealing his reason for coming to the North Sea in detail.
I'll have to ask him separately later.
Having made that resolution, Sun-woo silently enjoyed their conversation. Surprisingly, their playful banter provided a different kind of entertainment compared to the war of nerves between Neung So-hwa and Seol-hyang.
Huh?
Suddenly, Sun-woo looked at Neung So-hwa as if realizing something. He remembered that she hadn't said a single word since the Sword Man started joking with Seol-hyang.
Neung So-hwa was pouting with a grumpy expression, her lips jutting out as if she were dissatisfied. The sight was so cute it made him want to laugh, but Sun-woo held it in. He felt there was no need to embarrass her.
"Sohwa."
Sun-woo spoke while looking at her.
"What is it?"
"Why are you so quiet?"
"I simply do not wish to speak."
She replied with a prim expression.
"You had plenty to say until a moment ago."
"I suddenly felt like talking less starting from now."
"Suddenly?"
"Yes, suddenly."
She spoke crossly. Seeing her like that, Sun-woo could tell. He knew she was in a foul mood. And he could guess why.
The reason her mood had soured was Seol-hyang, who was now joking around with the Sword Man instead of engaging in their usual war of nerves. Despite constantly complaining about how much she disliked Seol-hyang, Neung So-hwa was sulking now that she wasn't getting any attention.
Sun-woo chuckled inwardly at her cute reaction. It seemed he would have to arrange for the Sword Man to ride in a separate carriage later.