Wudang Sacred Scriptures

After an immeasurable stretch of time passed in the stillness, Uncheon Zhenren finally opened his closed eyes.

Then he looked warmly at Kwak Yeon, who still sat before him with his eyes shut.

“...”

After a long while passed like that as well, Kwak Yeon finally opened his own eyes.

When Uncheon Zhenren saw the clear radiance flow through Kwak Yeon’s eyes and then settle, he spoke.

“If you pursue it, you will reach the Formless.”

It meant that form would disappear, that he would rise to the realm of the Formless Sword.

“I will endure the suffering and reach the Formless.”

When Kwak Yeon answered with a silent bow, Uncheon Zhenren said with gentle eyes,

“You have already placed yourself before the wall, so you will surely accomplish it. But there is one thing I must impress upon you. On the path to the Formless, do not hurry as you have until now.”

Kwak Yeon shuddered when he realized that Uncheon Zhenren had seen at a glance just how mercilessly he had driven himself all this time.

“I will remember it.”

At Kwak Yeon’s reply, Uncheon Zhenren let out a low sigh and said,

“With this descent from the mountain, I have accomplished one of the two things I resolved to do.”

Kwak Yeon found it strange that Uncheon Zhenren’s sigh felt so heavy.

Should he not have felt relieved, now that he had fulfilled his promise with Unseon Taoist?

Kwak Yeon could dimly sense that the weight in Uncheon Zhenren’s heart came from the one remaining matter he had set out to do.

Even with a heart purified by deep cultivation, he is still troubled. Then it must be no easy matter.

Just as Kwak Yeon’s own heart was beginning to grow heavy as well—

“Martial Nephew Kwak, you should rise now. I would feel sorry to keep an honored guest waiting any longer. And there is no need for you to trouble yourself by coming separately tomorrow to pay your respects.”

At those words from Uncheon Zhenren—words that meant they should part here—Kwak Yeon rose and gave a deep bow.

“Martial Uncle, I will see you again soon.”

Since they would surely meet again once he went to the Martial Alliance’s main headquarters, Kwak Yeon took his leave of Uncheon Zhenren and stepped out of the inner room.

Only when he saw two people standing by the moon gate in front of the detached annex of the guesthouse did Kwak Yeon realize who the honored guest Uncheon Zhenren had mentioned was.

Standing beside Taoist Hyeonam was the Martial Alliance’s Hocheon Unit Lord, Myung Jincheon, the Blue-Rain Sword.

Uncheon Zhenren would not have been able to tell by aura alone who was waiting all the way at the moon gate outside the inner room of the annex, so he had likely received Myung Jincheon’s calling card and been waiting for him.

“Senior Brother Hyeonam.”

When Kwak Yeon greeted Taoist Hyeonam with a respectful salute, Taoist Hyeonam returned it with a silent bow and said,

“Martial Brother Kwak, the Martial Alliance’s Hocheon Unit Lord has come to receive Martial Uncle Uncheon.”

“I see.”

After replying to Taoist Hyeonam, Kwak Yeon saluted Myung Jincheon.

“It is good to see you again, Unit Lord Myung.”

When Kwak Yeon saluted him, Myung Jincheon returned the salute.

“Taoist Kwak, I am glad to see that you are in good health. This Myung had various matters to deal with, so I was unable to seek you out separately and offer my thanks.”

Despite the content of his words, there was a chill in his voice.

“That is quite all right. I had already assumed Unit Lord Myung would be busy.”

“I cannot keep the Zhenren waiting any longer, so I will go in now.”

After Hocheon Unit Lord Myung Jincheon entered through the moon gate, Taoist Hyeonam turned to Kwak Yeon with a worried expression.

“Martial Brother Kwak, I heard from Unit Lord Myung that you suffered a great hardship here in Aju County City.”

“It was something I brought upon myself. I am sorry for causing you concern, Senior Brother.”

“Sorry? What are you saying? I should be the one apologizing. And was it not because you carried out the task this worthless senior brother asked of you that you became the target of such vicious designs from the Alliance of the Demonic Path?”

“Senior Brother Hyeonam, that was my personal vengeance for the death of one of my classmates.”

Taoist Hyeonam knew Kwak Yeon was drawing a firm line to ease his burden, and that only made him feel more sorry.

“In any case, I am sorry. And grateful.”

Kwak Yeon’s chest ached at Taoist Hyeonam’s sincere thanks.

For a moment, he nearly blurted out that he owed his present self to the fact that Taoist Hyeonam had chosen not to pursue the matter further back when the trainees at the training ground had all been struck by severe diarrhea.

But it was an old matter, and for a man as upright as Taoist Hyeonam, it would only stir up needless turmoil in his heart, so Kwak Yeon forced himself to swallow it.

“And as your senior brother, I am deeply ashamed.”

Wanting to change the subject for Taoist Hyeonam’s sake, Kwak Yeon asked,

“Senior Brother, how is it that you came out on this expedition? I had heard that Mount Wudang had decided not to participate in this martial assembly.”

“Martial Brother Kwak, so you have been keeping up with news from Mount Wudang all along.”

“Yes.”

Kwak Yeon could not very well say that he had been listening closely for news from Mount Wudang ever since he heard that the Wuyi Sect had informed the mountain that Sage Taoist had gone missing.

If he did, then he would have to tell them about Sage Taoist’s death, and if that happened, the news of his death would be sent straight to Samryeong Palace.

Then his plan of climbing Samryeong Peak after avenging Sage Taoist and personally delivering the news would collapse into nothing.

As far as Kwak Yeon was concerned, he wanted, somehow, to delay bearing grief to them for as long as he could.

“It was because Martial Uncle Uncheon, who emerged after many years of secluded cultivation, strongly insisted that our Wudang must also join the expedition. Once Martial Uncle Uncheon, the Sword of Wudang himself, stepped forward, and several of the Palace Lords also turned in favor of it, even Grand Elder Unhak had no choice but to yield his stubbornness.”

Only after hearing Taoist Hyeonam’s answer did Kwak Yeon finally understand why Wudang had joined the expedition this time.

So that is why Martial Uncle Uncheon came in person as expedition commander.

Grand Elder Unhak’s decision not to attend the All-Under-Heaven Heroes Assembly had drawn criticism from the martial world, with many saying it was conduct unworthy of the Wudang Sect, one of the great mountains and northern dippers of the martial world.

It is fortunate that Martial Uncle Uncheon corrected it, even if belatedly... Hoo.

The madmen rampaging through Huayang Temple rose in Kwak Yeon’s mind, and he could not help sighing inwardly.

“Martial Brother Kwak, you should be on your way now. If it were up to me, I would keep you here longer, but... your companions must be waiting as well.”

Kwak Yeon found Taoist Hyeonam’s sudden words slightly strange, but without protest he offered a salute.

“Understood.”

There was also a reason he turned away so readily.

He wanted to think in quiet about Myung Jincheon, the Martial Alliance’s Hocheon Unit Lord.

A moment earlier, while watching Myung Jincheon stride through the moon gate, Kwak Yeon had felt a faint discomfort at the back of his mind.

It was because of the impression he had received the moment he faced him.

Unlike their first meeting at the east gate of Aju County City, the second time he saw him, there had been a chill about him.

But it was different from the kind of coldness one felt from a frigid nature or a lack of human warmth.

If he had to name it, it was the chill one felt when facing the edge of a finely honed blade.

Judging by the fact that the Honwonmusang Technique had shown no reaction at all, it was not a coldness born from any of the seven emotions and five desires.

Is Unit Lord Myung simply cold by nature?

Remembering that Hu Gae had once said the man had a coolheaded temperament, Kwak Yeon decided that must be it.

If so, there was no reason to dwell on it any further.

Maybe I’m just being too sensitive.

There had been no chance to rest on the road all the way to Aju County City, with one incident after another breaking out in succession. It would not have been strange.

Kwak Yeon decided that tonight he would put aside all other thoughts and spend the whole night circulating the Honwonmusang Technique to steady both mind and body.

He felt sorry for Hu Gae, who was no doubt waiting with reddened eyes, ready to demand how in the world he had spent so long talking.

Kwak Yeon hurried to the isolated annex where his party was staying and opened the door to the main hall.

CLACK!

“...?”

He found a whole group of people seated around the table in the main hall.

“Kwak, my brother! You’re finally here!”

Hu Gae, who was seated at the center of the group, greeted him by throwing up his left hand high in the air.

“Your friends have been waiting for you for quite a while now.”

Under the bright lamplight of the main hall, Kwak Yeon recognized at once who the young men looking at him were.

Jongsu, Ho Cheoljung, Jeong Unho, Pyo Yeongsang... and Seokjangsan!

Many years had passed, and they had all grown into young men, but to Kwak Yeon—who had never once forgotten their faces, dear to him as brothers—they looked exactly as they had before.

Ah!

Only then did he understand why Taoist Hyeonam had practically chased him back to his lodgings.

Senior Brother Hyeonam gathered the Hall of Heroic Martiality classmates and sent them here!

Kwak Yeon had secretly hoped there might be some of his Hall of Heroic Martiality classmates in this expedition.

But he had not truly expected to be able to see them.

All of his Hall of Heroic Martiality classmates were now second-generation disciples, which meant they would be occupied following the orders of their masters and martial uncles.

And yet...

The moment Kwak Yeon saw his Hall of Heroic Martiality classmates gathered in one place, it felt as though something hot surged fiercely up from inside his chest.

As Kwak Yeon stood there blankly, swept away by the storm of emotion crashing through him, Seokjangsan and the others busily rose from their seats.

Then, all at once, they saluted him.

“We greet Martial Uncle Kwak.”

The moment he heard them speak in one voice, Kwak Yeon knew they had arranged this in advance.

And that the one who had led them in doing so was Seokjangsan.

“I’ll address you properly as Martial Uncle from now on.”

Kwak Yeon remembered those words Seokjangsan had spoken when they parted after Jeong Ichu’s funeral at Seongil Market.

A faint flush rose to Kwak Yeon’s face.

“You lot... stop teasing me. It’s not like there’s anyone here to see it...”

Trailing off awkwardly, Kwak Yeon noticed that the table was covered in liquor bottles.

“Hm...?”

He realized then that the reddish color on his Hall of Heroic Martiality classmates’ faces was not just from the lamplight.

And then he saw the large bottle of liquor in Hu Gae’s right hand—the hand he had not raised.

“Hu Gae... Elder Brother!”

Kwak Yeon’s voice rang through the annex hall like thunder.