Wudang Sacred Scriptures

heinstantheheardthewordsumanffering,theformlessanxietyinKwakYeon’shearttookonsubstanceandshoweditsface.henitsettoworkwithoutmercy,gougingathischest.

“Wordsaretheartofcallingillusionsintoreality,soonemustalwaysspeakwithcare.”

enowunderstood,vividly,whatyeonhaeaoisthadmeantwhenhewarnedhimtobecautiouswithspeech.

hemomentyoudefineanimaginedthinginwords,itceasestobeanillusionandbecomesareality.

KwakYeonhadbeenforcinghimselftobelievethattheSageaoisthadonlybeenabductedandhadnotyetsufferedmisfortune.

Butthebottomofhisheartinsistedotherwise.

ecouldnotdenythathehadborrowedChwiDugae’smouthbecausehelackedthecouragetofaceahorrificrealityhimself.

Fromthemomenthesawthroughthattheywerenomerekidnappers,thebalefulwordhadbeenturningoverinhismind.

SeeingKwakYeon’sdevastatedcomplexion,ChwiDugaeopenedhismouthatlast,tryingbelatedlytodousethefireofanxietyhehadkindled.

“BrotherKwak,itmaybeleapttoofarwiththatconjecture.”

SeeingtheembarrassedlookonChwiDugae’sface,KwakYeonfeltsorry.

“o.ntruth,wasthinkingthesame.lackedthecourageandsoughtconfirmationthroughyou.fanything,shouldapologize.”

AtKwakYeon’scandidconfession,ChwiDugaefeltsomeweightliftfromhisheart.

ChwiDugaeknewthatthewayhespokehismindwithoutwatchingforpeople’sfeelingscausedpain,yethefoundithardtochange.

hathabithadhimforeverclashingwithhismasteraswell.

avingresolvedthatifhecouldnotcurethehabithemightaswellmakeuseofit,ChwiDugaequietlywenton.

“t’sgivingyouasicknessthesizeofajarandhandingovermedicinethesizeofmousedroppings,but—eveniftheyabductedforthatpurpose,theymaystillnothaveperformedauman...no,nothavedonethefouldeedyet.”

BecauseheknewChwiDugaespoketoconsolehim,KwakYeononlynoddedinsilence.

“heywillnothave.”

“Morethanthat,theysurelydidn’tknowtheSageaoistwasWudang’sdisciplewhentheytookhim.fso,theymaybeallthemoreunabletoactrashly.”

herewassomesenseinwhatChwiDugaesaid.Buttheoppositewasjustaslikely:theSageaoistmightbeingreaterdanger.

heywouldnotwanttheirdeedknowntotheWudangSect.

avingsaidit,ChwiDugaeinwardlyregrettedit.

Damn,shouldn’thavesaidthat...

hearrowalreadyloosed,ChwiDugaehurriedon.

“BrotherKwak,inanycase,don’tlosehope.hisolderbrotherwillhelpaswell.”

KwakYeonspoketowardChwiDugae.

“’mgratefulfortheheartbehindit.Butshouldn’tyougototheMartialAlliance?”

“Assaidbefore,theeroesAssemblyrunsthewholemonth;there’splentyoftime.fgonow,there’snothingtodobutwatchgreenyouthscrossswords.Aboveall,thisissomethingcannothelpbutinvestigate.here’ssurelyagreatplotatwork.”

“...”

“Mythought,but—theyseemonadifferentlevelfromthehiddenhandthatstagedthecoupintheaoSect.fcourse,thetwomaynotbeseparateorganizations.”

KwakYeonwasthinkingalongsimilarlines.o—onestepfurther:itmightbetiedtothebalefulqithatwasshroudingtherealmfromtheshadows.

fthisincidentwasapieceofthatbalefulqi,thentheSageaoist’ssituationwasalltheworse,andhisheartgrewheavier.

hisisn’tthetimetositandworry.

SettingasidehisconcernfortheSageaoistforthemoment,KwakYeonaskedChwiDugae:

“Brother,whatkindofpeoplewoulddosuchathing?”

“Withsolittleinformation,can’tsayforcertain,butthey’renoordinarylot.”

hinkingitfortunatethatChwiDugae—wellversedinthewaysofthemartialworld—waswithhim,KwakYeonlistenedclosely.

“Fromthefacttheyabductedaoistsandmeditatingmonkswhohadn’tlearnedmartialarts,they’renotoneswhousedemonicartslikethessence-DrainingDemonicArt.hat’swhysaidumanfferingseemstobetheaim.”

houghthessence-DrainingDemonicArtwasawickeddemonicart,itwasstillrecognizedasamethodwithinthewayofmartialcultivation.fcourse,thosewholearneditwerebrandeddemonsanddrivenoutwithoutmercy.

“nanycase,asknowit,theBloodSectthatvanishedahundredyearsagopracticedumanffering.Moreover,theybelievedofferingupthosewhohadcultivatedimmortalbreathworkedbetterthanusingcommonfolk.”

“henhastheBloodSectreappeared?”

“Judgingbytheiractionssofar,itfits—butcan’tdeclareittheBloodSect.”

ChwiDugaeshookhisheadandcontinued.

“fitbringsthempower,outcastsanddeviantswilldoanything—andthemartialworldisfullofsuchmen.”

WhenChwiDugaementionedtheBloodSect,KwakYeoncouldhearasubtlefearinhisvoice.

KwakYeontoohadheardthatahundredyearsagotheBloodSectwasanabsoluteterrorinthemartialworld.edidn’tknowwhytheyweresofearsome,norwhytheyvanishedallatonce.

eunderstoodthatChwiDugaewasinwardlyhopingthesewerenottheBloodSect.

KwakYeonnoddedreadilytoChwiDugae’swordsandspoke.

“henthere’snothingforitbuttofindoutdirectly.”

****

uardianlderWoljeongZhenrenwaswaitingforKwakYeonandChwiDugaeastheydescendedtotheWuyiSect’sguesthall.

“Ah!You’recomingdown.”

isexpressionwassevere,buthedidnotcompletelyhidethelookofrelief.

twasnojoytohaveoutsiderslingerwithinthesect.hesetwowereuninvitedbesides.

avingshoulderedoffahardburdenuponthem,heplainlywishedtosendthemontheirwayswiftly.

“fyouwouldreachSeonyangCountybeforedark,itwouldbebesttomakehaste.”

WoljeongZhenrenhadalreadyturnedhisbodytowardthemountaingate.

Atthatmoment,KwakYeonspokeout.

“uardianlder,beforewedepart,wouldlikeafewwordswiththemmortalodge’snovice.”

“Whythemmortalodge’snovice...?”

WoljeongZhenren’sface,turnedback,stiffenedslightly.

“Doyoumeantoholdthissecttoaccount?”

AtWoljeongZhenren’sexcessivereaction,KwakYeonfeltastirofforeboding.

“assomethinghappenedtothemmortalodge’snovice?”

Atthepointedquestion,WoljeongZhenrenflinched.henheletoutalowsighandspoke.

“t’snotthatwemeanttoconcealit.Wesimplydidnotsayitforfearofstirringuprumors.”

“uardianlder,knowtheWuyiSect’sposition.heintentionwasgood,andtheresultturnedoutthus.”

AtKwakYeon’swords,WoljeongZhenren’srigidfaceeasedalittle,andhesaid:

“otlongaftertheincident,themmortalodge’snovicewentdownthemountain.hingsweresounsettledthatweonlylearneditafterafewdays.”

“Withouttheelders’leave?”

“Justso.”

odding,WoljeongZhenrenwenton.

“hemmortalhosthadtakenthechildinpersonallyasanoviceandhadnotenteredhimintheregistry,sowehadnoparticularreasontoholdhimbackonceheleft.”

“Wasthereasonthemmortalhosttookhiminasanovicetiedtothatclassictext?”

WoljeongZhenren’seyeswidenedashelookedatKwakYeon.

“owdidyou...?”

ChwiDugaealsostaredatKwakYeoninfranksurprise.

“Kwakaoist,trulyastonishing.”

WoljeongZhenrenbobbedhisheadandcontinued.

“heboyfoundthatclassicwhilegatheringwoodinthemountainsandcametothemmortalhost.esaidhewantedtostudytheclassichimself,sowekepthimfirstasthemmortalodge’snovice.”

KwakYeoncouldtellthatevenwithintheWuyiSecttherehadbeenuneaseaboutthemmortalodge’soverlycleanstate.

Whenthemmortalodge’snovicevanishedofasudden,theywouldhavesuspectedallthemore,butwithhimalreadygonetheyhadsimplyburiedit.

WhenKwakYeonkeptsilenceafterhearingWoljeongZhenren’sanswer,thestifledChwiDugaeasked:

“Zhenren,youmeanthere’snowayatalltofindthenovice?”

“AllweknowisthenameokSangchil,thathe’ssixteenorseventeen,withabroad,flatface.fwegototheibraryPavilionandsearchtheregister,wemightatleastlearnhishomevillage.”

“nthatcase,atleast—”

KwakYeoncutin.

“Brother,that’senough.”

“m?”

KwakYeonjoinedhispalmstowardWoljeongZhenrenandbowed.

“uardianlder,’msorrytohavetroubledthetemple.hankstoyourparticularcare,wewereabletofindtracesofmyseniorbrother.hankyou.”

Withaperplexedlook,WoljeongZhenrenreturnedthebowandsaid:

“Kwakaoist,’msorrytohave[]laidahardburdenuponyou.PleasereporttoMountWudanginfullthatthisisbeyondoursect’sabilitytohandle.”

“will,ofcourse.wouldaskthatyoukeepmyseniorbrother’stravelpackinyoursafekeepingforatime.”

“hatweshalldoasamatterofcourse.nanycase,weearnestlyawaitthedaywhentheSageaoistandallfellowaoistsreturnthroughthisgatewholeinbody.”

****

“What—earnestlyawait?”

osoonerhadtheypassedoutthroughtheWuyiSect’smountaingatethanChwiDugaegrumbled.

“ruly,ifheisn’tatalkingaoist—whataslicktongue.owcanhe,inthissituation,say‘wholeinbody’...mm!”

ChwiDugaeswallowedthewordsfastandlookedatKwakYeon.

“BrotherKwak,it’snotthatdon’twishforit.t’sjustthatthesightofthatoldaoistbeingsobrazengallsme.heyhidthenovice’sflighttosavetheirownskins.”

KwakYeonnoddedreadily.

“owcouldnotknowyourheart?Andwhenyou’rewithme,speakfreelyofanything.”

edidnotbothertosaythathelikedhowChwiDugae,unlikehim,spokewithoutreserve.

Whenhewasdowncast,hisfaceshowedit;whenhedislikedsomething,hecouldnothelpbutshowit.efoundhimselfstifling.

vennow,hewantedtoshoutatthetopofhislungsandcallforhisseniorbrother.

willfindyou.ndure.

nlythenwouldthebalefulfeelingease.

Butintheevent,heonlypileditupinhisheart.

“BrotherKwak,whydidn’tyouaskthenovice’shomevillage?”

Perhapsemboldenedbybeingtoldtospeakfreely,ChwiDugaeopenedatonce.

“venifit’safabrication,youneverknow.”

“owoftendocoincidencesstackupsomanytimes?here’snoreasontowasteprecioustimeconfirmingwhat’saforegoneconclusion.”

ChwiDugaehadtoconcedethatpoint.

Awood-gatheringboyfindsanoldclassicinahiddencave,seeksoutthemmortalhost,andvolunteersasanovice.hen,whentheboyhappenstobeaway,theentiremmortalodgevanishesasifspiritedaway,andafewdayslatertheboyfleesthemountain—itcouldneverbecalledcoincidence.

ChwiDugaewasconvincedthenovicehadactedasaninsiderandhelpedmakeithappen.

henovicemusthavegiventhemmortalodgeaoistsasleepingdraught,sononeawoke.

venso,heaskedontheoffchancebecausetheyhadnoproperwaytopursuetheculpritsatonce.

thadbeenoversevenmonths;trackingbytraceswasimpossible.

ChwiDugae,frustrated,grumbledagain.

“BrotherKwak,ifwe’retosavetime,doyouhaveaway?”

KwakYeonnodded.

“do.”

“...?”

ChwiDugae’sroundeyesflashedopen.

ehadonlybeengrumbling;hehadnottrulyexpectedananswer.