Wudang Sacred Scriptures

"Ah!"

Seok Jangsan suddenly understood what Kwak Yeon was saying.

It was about seeing the cliff as a living giant and using its movements against it.

"How did you even come up with that idea?"

"I remembered learning about force principles when we studied human anatomy back in the Byeong-rank dormitory."

"Well, it's definitely better than just climbing blindly."

Still marveling at the idea, Seok Jangsan looked at Kwak Yeon and said,

"So this is why you wanted to talk to me, huh?"

Kwak Yeon nodded.

"Well, you would have figured it out anyway."

"You give me too much credit. But thanks."

Seok Jangsan’s expression darkened.

"But aren’t you more worried about yourself?"

"I’ll climb however I can."

Seok Jangsan thought for a moment before saying,

"Then climb with me."

"No."

Kwak Yeon shook his head firmly.

"Why, you don’t want to?"

"If I focus on you, it’ll only make things harder for me."

"That's ridiculous."

"Either way, I’ll find my own way up. You should do the same with whatever method works best for you."

It was a reasonable argument.

Climbing together wouldn't necessarily help. They had different strengths.

"Alright. Still, I appreciate it."

After Seok Jangsan left with a serious expression, Ha Gang spoke up quietly.

"I really don’t understand you."

"Hmm?"

"Honestly, you don’t have to worry this much. Seok Jangsan is completely different from us—he’ll reach the top ranks without a problem."

"Then that means I don’t need to care about this at all, right? Jangsan isn’t even our competitor."

"That’s not what I mean…"

Ha Gang’s face flushed.

"If you want to be one of the top eight, shouldn’t you focus entirely on yourself?"

"Do I really have to do whatever it takes to pass?"

"What kind of question is that? You said your dream was to become a disciple of the main sect."

"Yeah."

Kwak Yeon nodded.

"But I don’t want to live with regrets. I promised myself I wouldn’t betray anyone."

"Because your family sold you?"

Ha Gang and Kwak Yeon had shared parts of their pasts.

"...Sorry. I shouldn’t have brought that up."

"It’s fine. You have your own painful memories, too."

At that, Ha Gang’s face darkened.

Kwak Yeon suddenly felt guilty.

Ha Gang’s entire family had been massacred. His father had been an Outer Sect disciple of Wudang, but by the time Wudang sent people to investigate, only Ha Gang had survived.

Wudang did what they could, even tracking down the culprits, but eventually, the matter faded away.

For an Outer Sect disciple’s family, even that much effort was already exceptional.

As a result, Ha Gang had ended up in the dormitory.

He had his own reasons for needing to become a disciple of the main sect.

To him, Seok Jangsan was a competitor.

Kwak Yeon realized that his concern for others might have been frustrating for Ha Gang.

With a remorseful look, he said,

"Either way, I just believe in fair competition. Let’s both do our best tomorrow."

Ha Gang sighed.

"My chances are low, but I’ll give it a shot."

Seeing his slumped shoulders, Kwak Yeon felt a deeper sense of guilt.

Even if he meant well, his actions wouldn’t always be seen that way.

Everyone had their own circumstances.

Kwak Yeon gazed at the sunset-colored Jeol-ae Peak, feeling a weight in his chest.

"Can I really be one of the top eight?"

He wasn’t even sure he could finish the climb.

He could visualize it in his mind, but whether he could actually pull it off was a different question.

****

The day of the final promotion exam had arrived.

Each Gap-rank trainee was given a safety rope.

Chief Instructor Kang Ik-yu gave them one last warning.

"Give it your all, but I hope no one gets seriously hurt. Secure your safety ropes properly as you climb."

The trainees answered in unison.

"Understood."

"Climbing Jeol-ae Peak isn’t an impossible task for those of you who have completed three years of training."

"......"

"You’ve all been given a gakjeok (角笛, signaling horn). You can probably guess why. If you need to forfeit, blow the horn and wait in place. The instructors and drill instructors will come for you.

"Lastly, though this is a competition, I hope you won’t forget that you are comrades."

As the bell tolled to mark the start of jinsi-cho (辰時初, 7:00 AM), Kang Ik-yu called out,

"Begin!"

Forty Gap-rank trainees set off from the dormitory at once.

By the time Kwak Yeon reached the base of Jeol-ae Peak, many had already begun climbing.

Each was choosing their own route.

Most had opted for the gentler eastern slope.

Ha Gang was heading that way as well.

"Ha Gang, I don’t think that’s the right way," Kwak Yeon called out.

"Why?"

"Look, there’s a sheer cliff halfway up. It starts off fast, but you’ll get stuck there."

"But we can just detour south at that point."

"Then it’ll become a bottleneck. If you’re not at the front, you’ll have to wait in line, wasting time."

Ha Gang nodded slightly.

"Then what are you going to do?"

Kwak Yeon pointed at the western cliff.

"I’ll go that way."

Not many trainees had chosen that route.

"But that side is just a continuous series of vertical cliffs! And there’s an overhanging rock blocking the way near the middle."

"I’ll drop down slightly from there, then cross over to the northern slope’s ridgeline."

"That means you’ll have to leap across a gap. You might make it, but…"

"I’ll help you."

Ha Gang hesitated before speaking.

"You really don’t give up. If this is about what I said yesterday, I’m fine."

"This is as far as I’ll help."

"……!"

"After that, we each do our best. If we both make it into the top eight, that’d be great."

Ha Gang thought for a moment, then nodded.

"Alright. And… thanks."

"Save your thanks for later."

Kang Ik-yu watched as Kwak Yeon and Ha Gang climbed up the western slope.

The western face, being nearly vertical, was usually chosen by trainees who had no confidence in their chances—those hoping for some miraculous shortcut.

It was the shortest route in a straight line.

Or, alternatively, it was picked by those overflowing with confidence.

Kang Ik-yu suspected that Kwak Yeon had some sort of plan and observed with interest.

Climbing the sheer rock face required every muscle in their bodies.

Not just their fingertips and toes, but their thighs and forearms had to press against the cliff to generate enough force.

All the martial techniques they had learned came into play.

Surprisingly, Kwak Yeon did not find it overly difficult.

His stamina was holding up much better than expected.

Ha Gang, drenched in sweat, looked at him in shock.

"How are you not exhausted?"

"I'm wondering the same thing."

Kwak Yeon was burning through his stamina. Normally, just climbing ten feet of this sheer cliff would leave anyone drained. Yet, he was recovering much faster than usual.

"Rest for a bit."

Kwak Yeon climbed ahead and secured Ha Gang’s safety rope to a piton.

"Alright, come up now."

With Kwak Yeon securing the safety rope, Ha Gang could focus solely on climbing.

It saved him both time and energy.

Before long, they had climbed so high that the other trainees below were no longer visible beyond the rocky ledge.

"If we keep going like this, we both might pass."

They finally reached the overhanging rock.

A ledge protruded four jang (about 12 meters) out from the cliffside.

Hanging from a crevice with bare hands and swinging across was out of the question.

"We have to stick to the plan and jump across the gap."

Ha Gang’s face turned pale.@@novelbin@@

It looked entirely different now that they were up close.

"Ha Gang, just leap down toward that rock across from us. Keep your arms in Hojogak (鳸鳥脚, Crane’s Beak Position) and wedge them into the rock crevice."

"I'm definitely going to fall."

"We have the safety ropes secured. You'll be fine."

"What if the rope snaps? Or the piton comes loose?"

"I’ll hold onto it."

"Then we’ll both fall."

"So what? Are you going to give up?"

"......"

"Let’s just try. I’ll hook my safety rope to you as well."

Only then did Ha Gang exhale and mutter,

"Thanks."

"Save it until after we cross."

Ha Gang finally leaped.

Thanks to Kwak Yeon’s grip on the safety rope, even though he slipped, he managed to latch onto the crevice with one arm.

"I did it!"

"Urgh…!"

"Ha Gang! Pull yourself up! Use your arm strength like in grappling techniques!"

At last, Ha Gang heaved himself onto the rock shelf.

"Ah! I made it!"

"Yeah. You did it."

Kwak Yeon unhooked Ha Gang’s safety rope and tossed it over.

"Secure it!"

Then, he unhooked his own safety rope and threw it across.

"Now hook mine onto the piton there."

He tied the remaining length of the rope around his waist.

But Ha Gang hesitated.

"...?"

Ha Gang looked at Kwak Yeon, hesitating before speaking.

"...Sorry."

"......!"

Ha Gang let go of Kwak Yeon’s safety rope.

Then, pressing himself against the rock wall, he turned and disappeared around the slope.

For a moment, Kwak Yeon stood motionless, gripping the empty rope.

He was so stunned that he didn’t even call out after him.

"......"

Frozen like a statue, Kwak Yeon finally pulled up his now-useless safety rope and gazed across the gap.

He could still attempt the jump.

If he secured his rope to a nearby piton and leaped across, he might make it.

But if his hands missed the crevice and he slipped, he would be left dangling with no way back.

Even if he miraculously succeeded, he wouldn’t be able to retrieve his safety rope.

That meant he’d have to climb the rest of the sheer cliff without any safety measures.

The sun had begun to cast its light over the western face.

From above, he could hear movement—some of the trainees had already reached the summit.

"What should I do?"

He had to change his plan.

Climbing without a safety rope was suicide.

But he refused to stop here.

"I was too trusting."

He suddenly remembered Instructor So Jin-sam’s warning.

"At the Gap-rank dormitory, beware of the ones closest to you."

"I forgot."

No—he hadn’t forgotten.

Perhaps, in defiance of that warning, he had gone out of his way to help Ha Gang.

Thinking So Jin-sam’s words were just his personal experience.

That’s what made Ha Gang’s betrayal even more bitter.

"Damn it all!"

He suddenly recalled his drunken father’s voice—slurring curses at the names of those who had abandoned him.

Those names must have belonged to the very people who had ruined him.

But Kwak Yeon refused to live like his father—blaming the world for his failures and using betrayal as an excuse to run away.

Not everyone betrayed him.

Jang Noya.

Instructor So Jin-sam.

Mae Jang-so.

The old librarian.

Seok Jangsan.

They had opened their hearts to him.

He wasn’t alone anymore.

"Wounds only fester if you keep scratching at them."

Jang Noya’s words rang in his ears.

Eventually, wounds healed and turned into scars.

"Yeah. Wounds are only what you make of them."

There was no point in wallowing in betrayal.

It was easy to blame others.

It was easy to let that bitterness consume him.

But just as the body grew stronger with training, so too did the heart.

Calluses formed on hands from labor—why wouldn’t they form on the heart from hardship?

His heart might harden, but it wouldn’t break.