Wudang Sacred Scriptures

Kwak Yeon clenched his lips and began walking through the group of trainees.

Swish—

The trainees parted like a receding tide, stepping aside to make way.

The instructors’ gazes turned toward Kwak Yeon.

Before long, every eye in the training hall was fixed on him.

“What’s the matter?”

Kwak Yeon held out the broken incense stick toward the head instructor.

“My incense stick is broken.”

“That’s truly unfortunate. Didn’t I tell you to take proper care of it? There are no spare incense sticks, so take the test with that one, as per the rules. Of course, if you choose to forfeit, I’ll allow you to rest early.”

“I have no such intention. Furthermore, I was not negligent. This incense stick already had a crack in it.”

“What nonsense is that? All incense sticks were inspected, and no defects were found. If you’re not forfeiting, return to your position.”

“I think it’s no coincidence that this defective incense stick ended up in my hands. Naturally, this means there was a mistake during the inspection process.”

“What exactly are you implying?”

“If there was no mistake, then it means someone tampered with it intentionally.”

The head instructor frowned deeply.

“Kwak Yeon, not only are you disobeying an instructor’s order, but you’ve also just insulted the instructors. As of this moment, I revoke your status as a trainee. Instructor Song! Remove this boy from the hall immediately.”

Following the head instructor’s orders, Instructor Song stepped toward Kwak Yeon.

“You should’ve known your place and kept quiet.”

“Don’t touch me. I’ll walk out myself, but let me say one more thing.”

Momentarily thrown off by Kwak Yeon’s words, Instructor Song paused as Kwak Yeon turned to address the head instructor.

“There’s only one place for me to go once I leave this hall.”

“Where do you think you’re going?”

When Kwak Yeon lifted his gaze toward the rocky peaks of Mount Wudang, the head instructor’s expression twisted menacingly.

“Hah! Do you really think anyone in the Main Sect will bother with the likes of you?”

“Probably not. I’ll likely be stopped before I even pass the Sword-Shedding Pond. But I trust that the Daoist masters of the Wudang Sect won’t stand idly by and let a child starve to death at their gates.”

The head instructor’s face darkened further, turning red with anger.

“Are you threatening me? Do you think this will change anything?”

“I’m not expecting change. I’m merely preparing to throw a pebble into the pond.”

The head instructor glared at him and said,

“I understand your frustration, but the rules cannot be changed. Go ahead and throw as many pebbles as you like.”

Kwak Yeon felt the crushing weight of despair as the head instructor’s firm stance left no room for compromise.

Yet, he straightened his back, suppressing the anger and bitterness that threatened to overflow.

He refused to give the schemers even a sliver of satisfaction.

Just as Kwak Yeon was about to step toward the hall’s exit—

“Oh no! Head Instructor, my incense stick is broken too.”

Seok Jangsan stepped forward, holding up an incense stick that had snapped nearly in half.

“It was perfectly fine until just now, but it suddenly snapped!”

The head instructor’s face contorted again.

“There are no exceptions to the rules. Either take the test with that stick or forfeit.”

“I won’t accept this unfair treatment either. I’ll go with Trainee Kwak to the Sword-Shedding Pond to throw pebbles.”

Seok Jangsan tossed the broken incense stick to the ground and moved to stand beside Kwak Yeon.

Stunned, Kwak Yeon asked,

“Do you realize what you’re doing?”

“Of course. Two stones are more likely to hit than one, aren’t they?”

“But you’re supposed to become a Main Sect Disciple.”

Raising his voice so everyone could hear, Seok Jangsan declared,

“I refuse to become a Main Sect Disciple by ignoring this injustice! I’d rather carry manure than train under such unfair conditions.”

He swept his gaze over the trainees, whose heads hung low.

“Seeing how you can’t even look up means you still have some semblance of shame. Good luck to you all.”

“Stop it!”

Kwak Yeon tried to stop him.

“These kids did nothing wrong. Why are you dragging them into this?”

“Kwak Yeon, this happened because you helped everyone without discrimination. That’s why you’re in this situation.”@@novelbin@@

“What?”

“Everyone here knew you’d been targeted by the instructors, but they all kept quiet. They expected this outcome.”

“You two! Enough talking. Move it!”

Instructor Song barked, his sharp gaze silencing the room.

“I won’t tolerate any more interruptions.”

But then, a loud voice rang out from among the trainees.

“Damn it! My incense stick broke too!”

The boy who stepped forward was Mae Jang-so. He held up an incense stick that was also broken in half.

“Hey! Let me join you. You all know I’m the best at throwing stones, right?”

Another trainee stepped forward behind him, also holding a broken incense stick.

“No way! I’m better than you at throwing.”

“I won’t lose either.”

“Wait for me! I’m coming too.”

More trainees began stepping out with broken incense sticks in hand, and the once-tight formation started to scatter.

Kwak Yeon, who had been frozen in surprise, felt a faint smile spreading across his face.

*****

“Congratulations!”

“You really did it!”

Mae Jang-so and the other trainees showered Kwak Yeon with congratulations.

Feeling embarrassed, Kwak Yeon muttered,

“Stop it already. I barely passed in last place...”

Mae Jang-so, wearing a determined expression, replied,

“Whether you’re first or last, a promotion is still a promotion. Right, top scorer?”

“That’s true.”

Seok Jangsan nodded, then scrunched up his face in mock disappointment as he added,

“That’s why I feel a bit down. Don’t you think the top scorer deserves some special treatment? At least a decent meal, if nothing else.”

The trainees burst out laughing.

Seeing Seok Jangsan—usually so distant—making a comical face and cracking jokes was too much to hold back their laughter.

But Kwak Yeon alone couldn’t bring himself to laugh.

He quietly stepped away from the noisy group and moved to a corner of the dining hall.

There, he found the eliminated trainees, all looking dejected.

“I’m truly sorry… and thank you.”

Among those who had failed were some who had intentionally broken their incense sticks to stand by Kwak Yeon. Without their support, he wouldn’t have even had the chance to take the test.

Their actions had forced the head instructor to acknowledge the defective incense sticks.

The eliminated trainees spoke up.

“We’re the ones who should be sorry. Honestly, we knew we didn’t have much of a chance to advance, but we still stood by and watched while you struggled.”

“To be honest, I feel a little less miserable knowing you passed. It’s like a weight’s been lifted.”

“Yeah! If it weren’t for your help, we wouldn’t have even dared to take the test in the first place.”

“We wanted to go congratulate you earlier, but we hesitated, thinking we might ruin the mood.”

Hearing the eliminated trainees congratulating him made Kwak Yeon’s chest tighten with emotion.

They were all such sincere and kindhearted kids.

It was only because they had been driven into endless competition that they had acted so harshly toward one another.

Kwak Yeon couldn’t help but wonder—did it really have to be this way?

‘If the selection process had been different, wouldn’t we have been able to get along better?’

He thought back to what Head Cook Jang No-ya had said—that laughter and conversation among the trainees had vanished ever since the hall’s policies had changed.

“I should’ve tried to get to know you all sooner.”

Thinking about how soon he’d have to part ways with them left Kwak Yeon feeling both wistful and sad.

“Kwak Yeon, make sure you pass all the way up to the Gap rank and become a Main Sect Disciple for us.”

“Yeah, you can definitely do it.”

“We’ll all be cheering for you.”

Their words of encouragement, following their earlier congratulations, filled Kwak Yeon with warmth and determination.

“I’ll give it everything I have. No, I’ll make sure it happens.”

The eliminated trainees packed their belongings and left the hall.

It was said they’d be sent to work as laborers for the Taoist temples on Mount Wudang, the secular clans, or the trading companies operated by those clans.

Thanks to their training, which included literacy and physical conditioning, they’d receive better treatment than ordinary laborers.

Some might even rise to positions like managers or clerks with enough effort.

Still, they’d have to live with a sense of deprivation for the rest of their lives.

Kwak Yeon knew he might see them again someday, as long as they remained within the boundaries of Wudang.

When that time came, he vowed to meet them not as a failed trainee but as a proud disciple of Wudang, ready to share the bonds of friendship they hadn’t had the chance to fully build.

*****

Before leaving Byeongpal Dormitory, Kwak Yeon approached Instructor So Jin-sam. The dormitory was already empty, as the other trainees had departed.

“What is it?”

Seated at the edge of his bed, So Jin-sam looked at Kwak Yeon with an uneasy expression.

Kwak Yeon bowed his head.

“Thank you for taking care of me all this time.”

So Jin-sam’s eyes widened.

It was the first time he had ever received a farewell greeting from a trainee. Given his notorious reputation as one of the strictest instructors, he hadn’t expected it.

“You’re mocking me, aren’t you?”

“No, sir. Not a single child in our dormitory fell ill during my time here. There wasn’t a single bedbug or louse to be found, either.”

So Jin-sam’s obsession with cleanliness and his relentless discipline had served a purpose. With dozens of young trainees crammed into a small dormitory, strict hygiene was essential.

While So Jin-sam stared blankly, Kwak Yeon took out a folded note from his sleeve.

“...What’s this?”

“I found an old medical text in the library. It mentioned a prescription that, when taken over time, could help loosen stiff joints. I wrote it down for you.”

“Hah! I’ve tried dozens of prescriptions like that already. Do you seriously think your pitiful studies can compare to the skills of the Wudang Sect’s apothecaries?”

“I wouldn’t dare. I only thought it might help because it’s aligned with the principles of the Jianche Yangsheng Method.”

So Jin-sam knew that Kwak Yeon had spent all three days of their rest period buried in the library.

‘Could it be that he was doing this for me…?’

Hesitating for a moment, So Jin-sam reached out and took the note.

“I’ll take it, just to humor you.”

As Kwak Yeon handed it over, he said,

“Along with the prescription, you should practice the Jianche Yangsheng Method regularly. It worked for me, so I’m sure it’ll work for you too.”

“You’d better hope it does, or I’ll make sure you regret this.”

“Feel free to come and scold me anytime. Well then, I’ll be going.”

Kwak Yeon turned and began walking through the now-empty dormitory.

Watching his retreating figure, So Jin-sam suddenly called out.

“Kwak Yeon.”

Kwak Yeon stopped and looked back.

“From the Eul rank onward, things will be completely different. And in the Gap rank…” So Jin-sam hesitated before continuing, “…you’ll need to be most wary of those closest to you.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“There’s no point in knowing more right now. Just get out of here!”

After Kwak Yeon left, So Jin-sam stood alone, gazing around the deserted dormitory.

“…Sigh.”

A faint sigh escaped his lips.

Every time he started to grow attached to a trainee, they ended up leaving.

His strictness toward rule-breakers stemmed from his own past scars.

But that kid, Kwak Yeon…

So Jin-sam gave a bitter smile as his eyes lingered on the folded note in his hand.