Wudang Sacred Scriptures

—Clang!
The door to the chamber creaked open.
"Kwak Yeon, do you recognize me?"

Kwak Yeon looked up at the boy who had entered, carrying a meal tray. Though his voice had deepened and he had grown taller, Kwak Yeon recognized him immediately.
"Ah! Seong Deok-sam!"
He was one of the disciples who had failed the final exam of the Byeong-rank Training Hall and had left.

Seong Deok-sam grinned.
"Wow, I feel honored. You actually remember my name."
To Kwak Yeon, every connection was valuable, and he made an effort not to forget anyone. After all, he had only reached the Main Sect thanks to the support of those around him.

"Deok-sam, what are you doing here?"
"After I left the training hall, I was assigned to work here as an errand boy for the Precepts Hall. That’s how I ended up doing this."
He lifted the meal tray as proof of his duties.

Seeing this, Kwak Yeon momentarily forgot his own predicament, feeling a complicated mix of emotions.
Seong Deok-sam noticed his expression darken and quickly reassured him.
"Hey, I’m actually fine. The pay is decent, and the work isn’t so bad."

It was a relief to hear him say that.
But was he truly satisfied? Kwak Yeon wondered if he was simply reopening an old wound by asking.
Still, this wasn’t the time for him to be worrying about someone else’s situation.

And yet, he found himself asking:
"Deok-sam, aren’t you afraid of me?"
"Why? Because they’re calling you a Demonic Cult spy?"
Seong Deok-sam scoffed, placing the meal tray down and picking up some food with chopsticks.

"Kwak Yeon, if you’re a Demonic Cult spy, then that means there’s not a single person in this world who isn’t part of the Demonic Cult."
His assigned task wasn’t just bringing the food—it was also feeding Kwak Yeon, who was still bound.
"Quit spouting nonsense and open your mouth. The head cook made this especially for you so you’d have the strength to hold on."

"The head cook? Why…?"
Kwak Yeon had never been to the Precepts Hall before, nor had he ever met its head cook.
"Kwak Yeon, you’re famous among the caretakers of Wudang."

"…?"
Most of the elderly workers on Wudang Mountain were called caretakers unless they held specific positions like head cook.
"The late Elder Jang Noya was the most respected among them. And you were the only one who chased after Shinmu Danju to fight for his justice. You were the only one who visited his grave every day, shedding tears."

Kwak Yeon was speechless.
"The head cook personally called for me and sent me here. Told me to keep you company for a while."
A lump formed in Kwak Yeon’s throat, and he shut his eyes.

Even after his death, Elder Jang Noya was still protecting him.
After a moment of silence, Kwak Yeon opened his eyes and looked at Seong Deok-sam.
"Deok-sam, can you do me a favor?"

 
****
"He still refuses to confess?"

At the Great Elder Unhak Jin-in’s question, Precepts Hall Lord Hyeoncheol Daoist replied with a grim expression.
"That is correct."
For two days now, Kwak Yeon had not said a single word.

It was a stark contrast to the first day, when he had vehemently argued his innocence.
Hyeoncheol Daoist suspected that the boy had simply withdrawn due to the emotional toll.
If, by any chance, Kwak Yeon was not a Demonic Cult spy, then this ordeal would leave a deep and permanent wound.

"What a stubborn little rat. Is the Precepts Hall being too soft on him?"
"Great Elder, he is still just a child. And we have no conclusive evidence."
—Bang!

Unhak Jin-in slammed his hand down on the table.
"We have all the proof we need! He incited his fellow trainees in the Byeong-rank Training Hall! He poisoned disciples in the Eul-rank Training Hall! What more confirmation ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) do you need?"
"While the boy was involved in some incidents, the training hall instructors, the assistant instructors, and even Physician Hyeon Ik all deny that his actions were malicious."

"They’ve all been deceived by that snake’s cunning."
"…."
"Even former Shinmu Danju Hyeon Gong testified that the boy was suspicious. There’s no direct proof, but don’t forget—when all those trainees fell sick, wasn’t he involved? Clawing his way to the Main Sect by any means necessary… That reeks of Demonic Cult tactics!"

Hyeoncheol Daoist frowned slightly.
He was well aware that Unhak Jin-in had conveniently covered up his disciple Hyeon Gong’s past crimes.
Now, it was clear that the Great Elder was using this incident to shift focus away from Hyeon Gong entirely.

Unhak Jin-in continued.
"And what about the Gap-rank Training Hall’s final exam? No one in history has ever crossed the cursed section of the Jeol-ae Peak! Are you telling me a child with the worst talent in the Byeong-rank Training Hall just happened to break through? He must have been hiding his true skills!"
Hyeoncheol Daoist couldn't deny that Kwak Yeon's rapid progress was extraordinary.

"Even if he is young, a Demonic Cult seed cannot be allowed to take root. We cannot wait indefinitely for a confession."
"Then… what do you suggest, Great Elder?"
"From today onward, treat him as a prisoner of Hangma Cave."

Wudang was a Daoist sect. They did not torture prisoners.
But Hangma Cave was different.
There, prisoners affiliated with the Demonic Cult could be tortured.

In other words, Unhak Jin-in was ordering them to force a confession out of Kwak Yeon.
Hyeoncheol Daoist’s expression darkened.
"Great Elder, this is Wudang. And the boy is still a disciple of the sect. If he is innocent, this will leave a wound that cannot be undone."

"He’s just an outer disciple. We need to wrap this up quickly before it causes more unrest."
Just an outer disciple.
Those words stabbed into Hyeoncheol Daoist’s chest.

"Brother Hyeoncheol! Do you intend to repeat the mistakes of that day?"
Instructor Hyeonmun’s voice rang sharply in his mind.
"Why aren’t you answering?"

Hyeoncheol Daoist hesitated.
"I will… find a way to make him speak."
He couldn’t bring himself to agree to torture.

Unhak Jin-in’s gaze darkened in displeasure.
At that moment, the doors to the hall suddenly swung open.
"Great Elder! This is Hyeonji, a disciple of the Guardian Hall!"

A hurried voice called from outside the chamber.
"What is it from the Guardian Hall?"
"Urgent news just arrived from the Main Sect. I was sent to deliver it immediately."

"From the Main Sect? Enter!"
The doors swung open, and Hyeonji, a disciple from the Guardian Hall, rushed in, placing a letter before Great Elder Unhak Jin-in.
The elder’s face twisted as he read it.

"The pursuit team?"
"We have mobilized all Guardian Hall disciples to track him down, but his whereabouts are currently unknown. It seems he changed clothes and slipped away among the incense-bearing pilgrims, disguising himself before descending the mountain."
"How could that be possible?"

"It appears the Demonic Cult had an operative disguised as a pilgrim who assisted in his escape. Today is the Heavenly Martial Ritual, and there were many visitors arriving at the mountain before dawn."
Hyeoncheol Daoist, who had been struggling to grasp the situation, stiffened at the mention of the Demonic Cult’s operative.
"Great Elder?"

With a bitter expression, Unhak Jin-in handed the letter to Precepts Hall Lord Hyeoncheol Daoist.
"This concerns the Precepts Hall as well. Read it."
To his astonishment, the letter was a confession—from the real Demonic Cult spy.

"Hyeonji, have you confirmed that the handwriting belongs to Ha Gang?"
Hyeoncheol Daoist asked.
"As soon as Lord Hyeonmun received the letter, he verified the handwriting himself."

"Who was the first to find this letter?"
"A disciple named Seok Jangsan. When Ha Gang failed to show up for training, he went to his quarters and found only this letter left on his bed."
Great Elder Unhak Jin-in looked utterly bewildered.

"Of all things… a Demonic Cult spy writing a confession before escaping? If he intended to run, wouldn’t it have been easier to leave quietly without drawing attention?"
Hyeoncheol Daoist shared the same doubts.
Why would a spy reveal himself when he was no longer under suspicion?

What was his reason?
Nonetheless, it meant one thing—Kwak Yeon’s innocence was proven.
Hyeoncheol Daoist felt relief wash over him. He had never been comfortable with the idea of torturing a child.

"Continue the pursuit. Have sketches of the fugitive distributed to all secular disciples as well."
Unhak Jin-in’s expression hardened.
To him, this was nothing less than the Demonic Cult mocking Wudang. He would not forgive this.

"Understood."
Hyeonji bowed and left.
Hyeoncheol Daoist then turned back to Unhak Jin-in.

"Great Elder, now that Kwak Yeon has been cleared, he should be returned to the Main Sect."
"Keep him detained for now."
"…?"

"We were never told there was only one spy, were we?"
 
****

—Creak!
The door to the chamber cautiously opened.
"Kwak Yeon, it’s mealtime."

Kwak Yeon, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, slowly opened them.
"Deok-sam, come in."
Seong Deok-sam, the errand boy of the Precepts Hall, grinned.

"Hey, I’ve got good news for you. I overheard the Daoists while serving their meal—you’re getting released soon."
Despite the shocking news, Kwak Yeon’s face remained impassive.
"It was Ha Gang. Turns out that kid was actually the Demonic Cult’s infiltrator. He ran away from the Main Sect, and now all of Wudang is in chaos trying to hunt him down."

"…."
"Anyway, looks like this will be the last time I see you."
"We’re both on Wudang Mountain. We’ll still run into each other."

"Don’t say such horrifying things! Do you know how terrified I was when I heard you got taken here?"
"Either way, thanks."
"For what? I didn’t really do anything. Feeding you is part of my job anyway."

"No. You actually did something important."
Seong Deok-sam blinked.
"That’s ridiculous. All I did was go to the Main Sect, like you asked, and tell your fellow disciples that you were safe."

Kwak Yeon only offered a small smile.
"Seok Jangsan wouldn’t stop hounding me with questions, asking why I was so sure you’d return within three days. He practically held me hostage! But you know what? You really did come back in three days, just like you said."
Kwak Yeon didn’t bother explaining.

That was exactly the reaction he had been hoping for.
It had been a risky move—one he wouldn’t have been able to make had he not run into Seong Deok-sam.
When Seong Deok-sam had shown up carrying his meal tray, Kwak Yeon had immediately recognized it as a chance.

Elder Jang Noya had given him this opportunity.
Going directly to Hyeoncheol Daoist to accuse Ha Gang would have been useless—coming from someone already under heavy suspicion, it would have only made him look desperate.
So instead, he had chosen a different method.

And it worked.
Ha Gang had received the message loud and clear:
"I know who you are."

Two days later, Ha Gang had fled.
"But get this—Ha Gang left behind a letter when he ran away."
Seong Deok-sam said as he scooped up some food with chopsticks.

"He confessed to being a spy. Maybe even the Demonic Cult has a conscience, huh?"
For the first time, Kwak Yeon’s body tensed.