Wudang Sacred Scriptures

At Chwi Dugae’s question, Kwak Yeon gave a nod.

“There’s been no word since he descended the mountain.”

“For ten years?”

“That’s right.”

“Good heavens...! And what’s Wudang been doing all that time?”

“It’s nothing to boast about, is it?”

“Well, no, but still... Hmph, so that’s why you were examining the foundation stones of Aknyang Pavilion that day?”

“Since I was visiting on behalf of someone who wanted to see Aknyang Pavilion, I took the chance to look for the stone where the Grandmaster Emeritus left an inscription. I thought he might have left a mark of some kind.”

“...”

“In any case, I’d like you to find out who his friend in the Beggars’ Guild is.”

Chwi Dugae answered without hesitation.

“I’ll ask my master as soon as I return to the capital. I’ll need to report the outcome of this incident anyway.”

“Thank you. And there’s one more thing I’d like you to look into. It’s about an organization whose members have red snake tattoos on their forearms.”

“Red snake tattoos?”

“One of the men guarding Seo Myeonho had that tattoo. I also saw one at Baekyang Hermitage.”

Kwak Yeon had already inspected the body of the man who had attacked him at Baekyang Hermitage using top-tier techniques—he’d had suspicions.

“I understand. So, what will you do now?”

“I plan to go to Mount Wuyi. That’s where my senior brother is training.”

“Mount Wuyi, huh. That’s quite a journey.”

Chwi Dugae rummaged through his waistband, pulled out a coin, and handed it to him.

“Take this. It’s a Beggars’ Guild Hero Coin. You’ll need a way to stay in contact, after all.”

“...”

“Wherever you go, any local branch of the Beggars’ Guild will offer you full assistance if you show that.”

“Thank you.”

“Between us, there’s no need for thanks...”

Chwi Dugae chuckled awkwardly—then his face turned serious.

“In fact, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“...?”

“Back at the branch, I heard some news about Wudang. I figured you ought to know.”

Seeing Chwi Dugae’s grim expression, Kwak Yeon listened with full attention.

“I heard there was a clash between Wudang and the Cult of the Evil Way.”

“Please, tell me in detail.”

“The Black Kill Squad of the Cult of the Evil Way wiped out a government office in Geyang-hyeon, Hubei Province. Seems Wudang struck back in retaliation.”

Chwi Dugae relayed what he had heard: that Wudang had assembled a Pursuit Squad and wiped out the Black Kill Squad.

“I can understand Wudang drawing their sword to assert dominance, but still—what’s their plan going forward, I wonder.”

“What do you mean?”

“The Cult of the Evil Way is the overlord of the unorthodox factions. From their perspective, they can’t let that go. There’s no controlling those kinds of people except through threats.”

“They wouldn’t dare oppose Wudang directly.”

Chwi Dugae nodded.

“That’s true. Even the Cult wouldn’t start an all-out war against Wudang. Not unless they want the Martial Alliance to step in. But the problem is that the unorthodox bastards have filthy temperaments. They’re seasoned in dirty ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) tricks and backdoor schemes.”

“...”

“Especially if the target is outside the main sect.”

“You mean they’ll go after Wudang disciples who’ve descended the mountain.”

Chwi Dugae nodded.

“The journey back to the main mountain won’t be easy. That incident’s already the talk of the entire martial world.”

“They are Wudang’s elite disciples.”

“Does a blade not cut just because someone’s elite? Sure, like you said—they’re the best Wudang has. They won’t be easy prey. Anyone who charges in carelessly might end up like the Black Kill Squad.”

Still, Kwak Yeon felt unease.

“Where is the Wudang Pursuit Squad now?”

“I heard they’re idling about at Seong Iljang’s residence in Sain-hyeon. If they get cocky, it could turn dangerous.”

Chwi Dugae tilted his head slightly and went on.

“Even if they’ve only trained in the mountains and lack worldly experience, they should have enough sense to know that. That they don’t—it’s strange.”

“They probably have another mission.”

Kwak Yeon recalled the shadow of the Grand Elder. He could now guess what that other mission was.

They had likely already figured out about him.

He was momentarily taken aback by how a small disturbance he’d started had escalated into something so large.

He remembered the warning of the Black Death Division Chief, who had said the Cult of the Evil Way would never let it rest.

‘I underestimated it.’

He hadn’t accounted for how sensitive the martial world was to grudges and vendettas.

Even so, he didn’t feel that he had done anything wrong. This was something born of greed and overreach.

Still, he couldn’t neglect the safety of the Wudang Pursuit Squad.

He hated the Grand Elder and his faction—but Wudang was his home, and those people were still his family.

Chwi Dugae said,

“Well, I’ve passed on all the messages. Now it’s time to settle accounts.”

“Settle?”

“Brother Kwak, surely you didn’t intend to use the Beggars’ Guild for free, did you? Especially not this Rear Beggar, Little Chief Chwi.”

“What do you want?”

Chwi Dugae picked up his bamboo staff and grinned.

“Isn’t it obvious?”

“...!”

“How often does one get the chance to face a peak-level expert from the Radiant Realm? It’s not a daily opportunity.”

Kwak Yeon said,

“It may not be a daily opportunity—but you might find it overwhelming, Brother Rear Beggar.”

“Hmph! You’ll come to realize the martial arts of the Beggars’ Guild are no joke. I’ll tell you now: you’d better go all out. If I don’t find the exchange worthwhile, I’ll reject your request outright.”

Kwak Yeon smiled faintly and stood up.

“Then I suppose there’s no choice.”

In the courtyard of the Guanzemiao Shrine, the two faced off.

At first, Kwak Yeon had stepped forward reluctantly—but that discomfort quickly faded.

He already understood Chwi Dugae’s level.

Though he picked his nose and yawned lazily, seeming careless, inside he was filled with martial spirit and true qi.

From his early days at the training ground, he had heard countless times how ferocious the Beggars’ Guild techniques could be.

They were said to be peerless in the world in raw power.

Besides, this would be his first proper match against a true expert in explosive power. Jeong Galsinryong of Waryong Stronghold had been killed with a trap, after all.

There was another reason he welcomed the duel.

Kwak Yeon had never truly fought using proper martial forms.

It had always been easier—and less risky—to overwhelm his enemies with sheer force.

But at Baekyang Hermitage, he’d come to understand that one must always prepare for the worst.

There was wisdom in the old martial maxim: Always hide thirty percent of your strength.

No need to use a cow-slaying knife to kill a fly, after all.

Yet the true essence of martial arts lay in martial forms. And the joy of unleashing true technique was something else entirely.

In that sense, this duel was something he ought to welcome.

Sreung!

Kwak Yeon gladly drew the Clear River Sword.

“Senior, I humbly ask to learn from your hand.”

Chwi Du-gae smiled faintly.

“So you’ve finally resolved yourself. Then allow me the honor of teaching you a lesson.”

He raised his Staff of the Stray Dog at an angle.

In that instant, it felt as if the light drained from the world.

“......?”

There was no discernible surge of qi, and yet a chill ran down Kwak Yeon’s spine.

It was Po-Gwang Gyeong-Gi—“Aura of Reverent Madness”—a heart technique of the Beggars’ Union said to be so terrifying that even mad dogs would cower before it. A phantom force birthed by its arcane inner discipline.

Kwak Yeon felt as though he were under a spell.

But then, from the pathways of his blood, a powerful reverence bloomed, pushing outward from every meridian.

The moment that foreign force touched his system, the supreme mental art Mixed Origin Art of Formlessness countered it instinctively, defending his blood vessels like an autonomous guardian.

So this heart technique works by stimulating fear to constrict the meridians... Truly, Beggars’ Union martial arts are something else.

Had he not already mastered the peerless heart technique of Hunwon Musang Gong, he might have been entirely overwhelmed by the ambiance alone.

This alone is a priceless experience.

For the first time, he realized the Mixed Origin Art of Formlessness carried such a hidden capability.

Chwi Du-gae was stunned to see Kwak Yeon unfazed by Po-Gwang Gyeong-Gi.

This damned cave-dwelling Daoist... he’s even mastered a heart technique?

But he had no real regrets as he dispelled the aura. It was never meant for actual combat—just to seize the initial advantage.

He twirled the Stray Dog Staff leisurely and spoke.

“Since Junior Brother Kwak is so far ahead in cultivation, this Elder Brother shall take the first move.”

Though he was by far Kwak Yeon’s senior in the martial world, Chwi Du-gae had no qualms about recognizing the younger man’s strength and lowering himself accordingly.

“The Wudang style is founded on the principle of ‘the latter move subdues the first,’ so please, Senior Brother—do not stand on ceremony.”

Sensing Chwi Du-gae might feel awkward as the senior, Kwak Yeon offered the opening gesture himself.

“Then I shan’t refuse.”

Chwi Du-gae stepped forward.

In that instant, his figure seemed to vanish like a snuffed flame.

A tremendous pressure descended from above like a mountain collapsing from the heavens.

―BOOOOOM!

Even the wind that preceded the strike made the stone tiles beneath them tremble.

Seeing the air within several jang crushed beneath sheer force, Kwak Yeon was impressed.

The Stray Dog Staff, flying in with a gust, resembled a massive pounding pestle.

With his mastery of internal energy, Kwak Yeon could tell immediately—this was pure, overwhelming hard qi. And from that alone, he gauged Chwi Du-gae’s inner strength.

Over four cycles of internal power...!

In terms of sheer neigong, Chwi Du-gae surpassed him by over one full cycle.

So be it.

The moment he accepted that, his own internal energy erupted like a volcano.

KR-R-RUMBLE!

As his qi surged, the protective reverence in his blood vessels merged with it, multiplying its strength exponentially.

A pale radiance burst forth from the Clear River Sword.

―KWAANG!

The blade, now charged with sword qi, clashed against the Stray Dog Staff, imbued with hard force.

Though the staff cracked slightly at the point of contact, it remained intact.

This was the first time Kwak Yeon’s sword qi had failed to cut clean through.

Then, the shock of the impact rippled through his wrist, up his arm, and into his shoulder.

The reverent qi in his blood vessels quickly erased the shockwaves, but his garments and hair whipped about violently in the wind, as though caught in a storm.

So this is the fabled world-breaking strength. Incredible.

Chwi Du-gae’s opening strike was far from all he had.

“Heave-ho!”

He slipped the Stray Dog Staff free with a fluid motion and swept it across horizontally.

Kwak Yeon instantly responded with “Piercing Needle into Level Sand,” a swift form that drove the sword downward to parry.

―KWAANG!

Again, the sword failed to cut through the staff.

He’s infused hard force directly into the wood...

Unlike metal, wood has inconsistent structure, making it hard to imbue with energy. But the Beggars’ Union, bound by poverty, had long refined their martial arts to maximize the effectiveness of wooden staves.

By learning to infuse jing into wood, they unlocked another hidden effect—a powerful shockwave.

Because wood is tough yet pliable, it bends slightly on impact, creating vibrations. That vibration amplifies the shockwave upon hitting the opponent, turning the staff into a weapon of focused tremors.

Most martial artists focus solely on the strike itself, overlooking the force of the wind it creates.

But the Stray Dog Staff was different. Its shockwave was vicious, and its vibration devastating. It couldn’t be ignored.

Even a drizzle will soak through eventually—no one is immune to endless strikes.

And Chwi Du-gae wasn’t just any user—he was a true master of the highest-level staff art, taught only to the Beggars’ Union branch leaders.

There was a reason he warned Kwak Yeon to brace himself beforehand.

Heh heh heh... Let’s begin the beating in earnest now.