Wudang Sacred Scriptures

In the Kitchen Hall dining area, Kwak Yeon was eating and chatting with Ha Gang.

Seok Jangsan sat down across from Kwak Yeon and asked,
"What’s got you two talking so excitedly?"

Kwak Yeon replied,
"We were reviewing the sanda sparring match from today."

Seok Jangsan chuckled.
"Kwak Yeon, you never stop, do you?"

"Everyone’s working hard; I can’t just slack off."

Seok Jangsan nodded.
"True. Everyone's so diligent that there isn’t a single dorm with its lights off. That’s all thanks to you."

Kwak Yeon blushed.
"What have I even done?"

"See for yourself."

Seok Jangsan gestured around the Kitchen Hall dining area.
"Look at those kids who used to treat each other like enemies just three months ago."

Groups of trainees laughed and chatted brightly among themselves.

Ha Gang added,
"Kwak Yeon, it’s undeniable that the atmosphere’s improved because of you."

Kwak Yeon’s expression darkened.
"Even so, the number of promotions is fixed. Competition won’t disappear."

Seok Jangsan said,
"That would still be true even if we spent a year in hell. Better to get along like this while we can."

Ha Gang nodded in agreement.
"Exactly. And honestly, I’d be fine even if I don’t get promoted. Kwak Yeon, you wouldn’t look down on me for staying an Outer Sect disciple even if you become a Main Sect disciple."

"You’re more than qualified."

At Kwak Yeon’s words, Ha Gang shook his head.
"I know you’ve been holding back during sparring. If you gave it your all, I wouldn’t last even half a shichen."

Seok Jangsan widened his eyes.
"Is that true?"

Ha Gang nodded.
"Kwak Yeon has changed a lot since the beginning. I bet he wouldn’t lose even if he sparred with you now."

Seok Jangsan looked at Kwak Yeon and broke into a wide grin.
"Wow! They say late bloomers thrive, and that’s you, Kwak Yeon. Let’s stop eating and head out."

Startled by Seok Jangsan’s sudden enthusiasm, Kwak Yeon protested.
"What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?"

"Let’s have a match. I’m dying to see how good you’ve gotten."

"Please stop. Everyone’s staring at us."

"Fine, but promise me we’ll spar later."

Exasperated by Seok Jangsan’s persistence, Kwak Yeon reluctantly nodded.
"Alright, now sit down."

As Kwak Yeon pondered how to excuse himself from the sparring match with Seok Jangsan, commotion arose at the entrance of the Kitchen Hall dining area. Instructors dining in a corner stood up all at once.

"Welcome, Division Leader."

Shinmu Squad’s Division Leader, Hyun Gong, barely acknowledged their greetings and asked loudly,
"Where is the head cook?"

The dining hall fell silent.

After a moment, Jang Gu-sam poked his head out of the kitchen.
"Ah, Division Leader. It’s been a while."

Hyun Gong glared at him and said,
"Head Cook, come here."

The forty-something Division Leader spoke down to the nearly eighty-year-old elder as if it were the most natural thing.

Jang Gu-sam approached Hyun Gong without showing any discomfort.
"If you had something to say, you could’ve summoned me to your office. But since you’ve come in person, allow me to escort you to my room."

Hyun Gong replied stiffly,
"No need for that."

Jang Gu-sam smiled gently.
"Judging by your expression, it doesn’t seem like you bring good news. They say bad news should be shared sparingly. Please, come inside."

Hyun Gong firmly shook his head.
"This is something everyone needs to know, so I’ll say it here."

The Kitchen Hall staff gathered around to watch. The trainees and instructors also turned their attention to the scene.

Hyun Gong announced,
"The council of sect leaders has decided to replace the head cook."

The Kitchen Hall erupted in murmurs. The instructors and trainees exchanged looks of disbelief.

Yet Jang Gu-sam himself remained calm.
"So that’s why you’ve come in person, Division Leader."

"It’s unfortunate, but please understand. You’re of an age where you deserve rest. You’ll be well compensated to spend your remaining years in peace."

"Then, will I be transferred to the Main Sect?"

Hyun Gong shook his head.
"The sect leaders and elders would find that uncomfortable. A residence has been prepared for you in the village below. You can live there."

It was a polite way of saying he was being banished from Wudang Mountain.

The unrest among the Kitchen Hall staff grew louder, and the instructors and trainees began whispering amongst themselves.

Everyone had expected Jang Gu-sam to protest, but instead, he asked,
"When must I finish preparing to leave?"

"The new head cook will arrive on the last day of the month. Have everything ready by then."

Jang Gu-sam nodded.
"Understood. I’ll return to my duties now."

He bowed politely to Hyun Gong, who asked,
"Aren’t you going to ask why you’re being replaced?"

"I’m sure there’s a reason."

Hyun Gong nodded.
"If there’s anything you wish to convey to the Main Sect, say it now."

"What could an old cook from the Kitchen Hall possibly have to say? I only wish you had delivered the news in private."

"Do you think yourself special enough to deserve that?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"You’re just an old cook who doesn’t know his place. That’s why this is happening."

For the first time, a shadow crossed Jang Gu-sam’s face.

Hyun Gong addressed the gathered crowd.

As the Division Leader left, an uneasy atmosphere lingered in the dining hall.

"What a sudden disaster," Seok Jangsan muttered with a grim expression.

"They call it retirement, but the Division Leader just expelled Jang Gu-sam," he continued.

Ha Gang hesitantly said,
"But the Division Leader said it was the council’s decision."

"He likely proposed it to the council himself. That’s why he said it like that."

"But we can’t know for sure if it was the Division Leader."

"Didn’t you just see how he treated Jang Gu-sam? Speaking down to him is one thing, but publicly scolding him in front of everyone? By seniority alone, Jang Gu-sam ranks twice as high. That kind of behavior doesn’t happen unless there’s long-standing resentment."

Seok Jangsan, having freely voiced his thoughts, turned to Kwak Yeon.
"Kwak Yeon, what do you think?"

Kwak Yeon appeared dazed, lost in thought.

To him, Jang Gu-sam was like a beloved grandfather.

Kwak Yeon understood better than anyone what the Kitchen Hall meant to Jang Gu-sam. Wudang Mountain was his home.

Having been abandoned by both family and home himself, Kwak Yeon felt his heart crumble.

"Wait, are you crying?"@@novelbin@@

Kwak Yeon abruptly stood up and ran out.

At the entrance to the Division Leader’s office, Chief Instructor Kang Ik-yu intercepted the tearful Kwak Yeon.

Gripping his wrist tightly, Kang Ik-yu stopped him. He was well aware of the close bond between Kwak Yeon and Jang Gu-sam.

"I have something to say to the Division Leader. Please, let me go."

Kang Ik-yu asked,
"Do you not know that meeting the Division Leader without my permission is forbidden? Violating the hall’s rules results in immediate disqualification. Even so, do you still want to meet him?"

"Wudang Mountain is everything to Jang Gu-sam. This punishment is worse than death for him."

"I know."

Kang Ik-yu nodded solemnly.
"And I, too, am grieving no less than you."

"Then please, Chief Instructor, stop this."

"I cannot. Even the Sect Leader cannot overturn the council’s decision."

Kang Ik-yu looked at Kwak Yeon intently and said,
"Your protest is no more than a single raindrop in a storm."

He turned Kwak Yeon around and added,
"You’re still young, which is why I’m giving you this chance."

"…!"

Kwak Yeon realized there was nothing he could do.

Returning to the dormitory, he wept endlessly.

The helpless face of his mother on the day he was sold came to mind.

At that moment, he understood his mother’s despair—watching her child taken away, powerless to stop it.

‘I must become a Main Sect disciple and gain strength!’

He felt with certainty that to protect others, one must possess power.

Only by escaping his current powerlessness could he hope to make a difference.

‘I can’t just sit here crying.’

Wiping away his tears, Kwak Yeon stood up.

Jang Gu-sam, as usual, was dozing in front of the hearth.

Quietly, Kwak Yeon sat beside him, staring at the flickering flames.

—Crack! Crack!

The dry firewood crackled as it burned, the sound resembling quiet sobs.

"You did something unnecessary," Jang Gu-sam murmured.

"But it was good that you asked the Chief Instructor for help."

"…!"

Kwak Yeon’s eyes widened.

It hadn’t been a coincidence that the Chief Instructor was stationed at the path leading to the Division Leader’s office.

"I couldn’t just sit and do nothing."

Suppressing the tears that threatened to rise again, Kwak Yeon added,
"I’m sorry."

"There’s nothing for you to apologize for."

"You’ve taken such good care of all of us…"

"You brat. You’ve grown taller, but you’re still just a child."

Jang Gu-sam closed his eyes gently.

Kwak Yeon, his face filled with sorrow, looked at Jang Gu-sam.

He couldn’t think of anything to say.

"I’m alright."

"…?"

Kwak Yeon glanced at Jang Gu-sam.

"At first, it felt like the sky was falling. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized this is a chance to leave this tedious hearth behind."

Jang Gu-sam smiled as he continued,
"They’re giving me enough to live comfortably. Perhaps I’ll finally travel the world."

"That’s a relief."

Kwak Yeon knew Jang Gu-sam was trying to console him.

Unable to look directly at him, Kwak Yeon lowered his head.

Jang Gu-sam gently patted Kwak Yeon’s head.

"Where would you like to go?"

"Let me think… Dongting Lake and Yueyang Tower. I’ve always wanted to visit. A friend of mine spoke so highly of it."

"That friend wasn’t from the Kitchen Hall, was he?"

Jang Gu-sam nodded.

Kwak Yeon looked concerned and said,
"But isn’t Dongting Lake too far? There are many scenic places closer by."

"It’s not just about the scenery. My friend inscribed something on the foundation stone of Yueyang Tower, and I’d like to see it."

"What did he write?"

"‘With a clear mind and body, the sky remains blue even in darkness’—eight characters, inscribed as Simche Gwangmyeong, Amjung Cheongcheon."

"Oh! So your friend was a martial artist. It’s tradition for martial artists embarking on their first journey to visit Yueyang Tower, isn’t it?"

"I’ve been rambling, haven’t I?"

Jang Gu-sam fell silent and began dozing again.

Kwak Yeon placed another piece of firewood into the hearth, lost in thought.

He imagined a young firewood boy and a novice Wudang Sect disciple sitting by the hearth, strengthening their bond as they stoked the flames.

Perhaps Jang Gu-sam sat by the hearth each night dreaming of his own childhood.

A sudden thought struck him.

‘That friend of his… could he be dead?’

Most likely. If he were alive, how could he abandon an old friend in such a predicament?

‘Surely, he would have visited at least once.’

Kwak Yeon stayed by Jang Gu-sam’s side until dawn.

The warmth of the moment, he knew, wouldn’t last much longer, making it hard to leave.

As the morning bell tolled, Kwak Yeon finally stood.

Jang Gu-sam stirred awake and said,
"Child, would you grant me a favor?"