Wudang Sacred Scriptures-Chapter 48

Daoist Cheongmu was searching frantically in all directions—because Kwak Yeon was nowhere to be found.

Eventually, his steps brought him to the front of Daoist Hyeonin’s quarters.

“...Master, Kwak Yeon is gone.”

It was the first time Cheongmu had ever spoken first to Daoist Hyeonin.

“He’s undergoing Immortal Punishment. No need to look for him.”

“Hehe! That’s a relief, then.”

Cheongmu, who had been about to close the door, tilted his head.

“...Where is he?”

“That’s none of your concern. Just process the pine needles.”

“Hehe, I already processed them.”

“Then go chop firewood.”

“...I’ve already chopped all the firewood.”

“...Then draw water, at least.”

“Of course—I’ve filled up all the water.”

“......”

“...Please just tell me where he is.”

“I said you don’t need to know, didn’t I? Are you throwing a tantrum at your master now? Do you want to be punished?”

“No. No, I don’t. It’s not that place, right...?”

Cheongmu, visibly trembling, opened his eyes wide.

“That place... it’s not there, is it?”

Daoist Hyeonin furrowed his brow.

“You brat! You still refuse to listen to your master’s words? Go back to your room and meditate this instant. If you disobey, you’ll be charged with defying your master’s authority!”

Dash!

Cheongmu darted off at a full sprint.

“You should’ve just done that from the start—huh?”

Daoist Hyeonin’s smug satisfaction turned into alarm.

Cheongmu wasn’t running back to his room—he was leaping down into the courtyard and taking off in the opposite direction.

“You little bastard!”

By the time Daoist Hyeonin leapt from his seat and chased after him, Cheongmu was already climbing the steps.

“Cheongmu, you wretch! Stop right this instant! Opening the Immortal’s Room without permission is a crime punishable by expulsion!”

But Cheongmu heard nothing.

All he could see was the shrine halfway up the cliff, bathed in full moonlight.

When Daoist Hyeonin stepped onto the stairs, Cheongmu was already at the door of the shrine.

“You dare lay a hand on that door and I’ll expel you and strip your name from the sect—!”

He didn’t even get to finish his threat.

CRASH!

The shrine door—crafted from black ironwood, said to be harder than steel—shattered.

Cheongmu was having a fit.

Daoist Hyeonin knew full well that when Cheongmu had one of his episodes, no one could stop him.

“Damn it!”

But he couldn’t lie and say Kwak Yeon wasn’t inside.

As a master of the Daoist Hermit Lineage, lying to one’s disciple was not permissible.

It would be a betrayal of everything he claimed to practice.

He was still, for now, a Daoist of the Hermit Lineage.

Maybe not for much longer.

Which meant there was only one path left: he had to physically stop Cheongmu.

No matter the situation, laying hands on one's superior was forbidden.

Daoist Hyeonin dashed up the steps in a panic.

BANG! BANG!

The sound of fists pounding on the iron door echoed, along with Cheongmu’s cries.

“Kwak Yeon! I’ll get you out—just hold on a little longer!”

BANG! BANG!

Daoist Hyeonin was relieved the Immortal’s Room door had been made of eternal cold-forged iron.

If it hadn’t, Cheongmu might have actually broken through.

Out of breath, Daoist Hyeonin reached the shrine and ran to Cheongmu, grabbing his shoulders.

“Stop it right now!”

He yanked Cheongmu back roughly.

“Hrk—!”

A strangled gasp escaped Daoist Hyeonin’s mouth.

Cheongmu turned his head—and in his eyes burned ghostfire.

“Ch–Cheongmu...”

Daoist Hyeonin’s legs gave out. He collapsed where he stood.

Cheongmu’s face twisted, warped like that of a demon—and Daoist Hyeonin could make no sense of it.

This isn’t just a fit.

He had always believed Cheongmu’s seizures were temporary madness brought on by Qi Deviation.

But—

Grrrrrr...

A feral growl escaped Cheongmu’s throat. Goosebumps crawled across Daoist Hyeonin’s skin.

“Cheongmu... please... come back to yourself.”

Daoist Hyeonin, sitting collapsed in front of the shrine door, began inching backward.

And then—

“Om! Urgent and in accordance with the Law! Svaha!”

A mantra resounded behind him.

With it, the ghostfire in Cheongmu’s eyes extinguished—and he collapsed with a crashing thud.

****

The first thing Kwak Yeon saw when he opened his eyes was a middle-aged Daoist with a clear, calm face.

“My child! Are you all right?”

Kwak Yeon could instinctively tell that this was Daoist Hyehae—and that he was the one who had pulled him out of the Immortal’s Room.

Ah... the Immortal’s Room...

As the memories of that horrific place came back, Kwak Yeon shuddered.

And yet—his body felt strangely light.

It felt like he had just awoken from the most restful sleep of his life.

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“I believe I’m fine, Daoist Hyehae.”

Daoist Hyehae studied him for a moment before asking,

“Do you see any illusions?”

“Illusions? I don’t think so...?”

“I mean—do things seem to spin? Or shimmer like a heat mirage? Do you see anything like that?”

“Not at all.”

A strange glint flickered in Daoist Hyehae’s eyes.

“Well, well... You’re a vessel of the Way.”

“...?”

“Forgive me. I’m speaking in riddles. I’ll explain everything in time—so don’t worry. Just focus on regaining your strength for now.”

Kwak Yeon sprang to his feet and spoke.

“This disciple truly feels fine. If anything, my body feels lighter than ever. I’d be grateful if you could tell me what happened.”

Seeing the sincere light in Kwak Yeon’s eyes, Daoist Hyehae gave a slight nod.

“Your heart must already be shaken. There’s no need to pile confusion onto that and stir a demon of the mind.”

“......”

“It’s clear enough what happened—I brought you out after you’d collapsed inside the Immortal’s Room. There’s no need to recount everything. I can guess the hardships you suffered in there, so I won’t press the issue. Still, the Yin-Cold Energy and the Heatfire Energy within that place have the power to disturb a person’s heart and mind. That’s why I asked if you were seeing any illusions.”

Kwak Yeon had already suspected that the Yin-Cold and Heatfire Energies were extraordinary, so he accepted the explanation without hesitation.

“For most people, the suffering grows unbearable, and their minds begin to contract in fear. Those symptoms show themselves outwardly—people begin to see hallucinations or hear strange voices. But you show none of that. That’s why I called you a vessel of the Way—because I believe your heart is strong.”

From the look in Daoist Hyehae’s eyes, Kwak Yeon could feel genuine concern.

The title of vessel of the Way hadn’t been spoken lightly.

He sees me as a rightful successor to the Daoist Hermit Lineage...

Kwak Yeon grew uneasy.

He had been sent to the Three Spirits Palace under the Hermit Lineage, but he had always thought of it as temporary. If he could one day accumulate Internal Energy Pressure, he believed he could return to martial cultivation.

But if he became a full disciple of the Hermit Lineage... wouldn’t that dream disappear like mist?

Then again, he couldn’t simply say he didn’t want to become one—not yet.

As Kwak Yeon fell into silent worry, Daoist Hyehae spoke again.

“In any case, if anything seems strange, tell me right away. I’ve lit sandalwood incense in this room. It will calm your mind and spirit—make sure it doesn’t go out.”

Daoist Hyehae stood and added,

“As for Brother Hyeonin, I’ve decided he should focus on seated meditation for a while. Locking a child in the Immortal’s Room under the excuse of administering punishment—that was far too severe. I was too focused on my own cultivation and neglected to intervene. For that, I’m sorry.”

“Um... Daoist Hyehae?”

“Do you have more questions?”

“What about Daoist Cheongmu?”

“......”

“Right before I passed out, I vaguely remember hearing someone banging on the iron door... and I thought I heard Daoist Cheongmu’s voice. I’m worried.”

“Cheongmu is just outside, preparing medicine for you. He’ll be in shortly. You can ask him yourself.”

Not long after Daoist Hyehae left, Cheongmu burst in, clumsily holding a bowl of decoction.

“Kwak Yeon! Time for medicine!”

“Careful, Cheongmu! You’ll spill it!”

Kwak # Nоvеlight # Yeon looked at the bowl filled to the brim with thick black liquid, worried it might slosh over.

“Hehe, don’t worry! I didn’t spill a single drop! You’re the one drinking it—how could I let it spill?”

The liquid inside the bowl didn’t move an inch.

Kwak Yeon had already witnessed Cheongmu’s ability to use Adhesive Force during the process of making Fasting Pills—how he could make things cling like dough with his inner energy—but even now, he couldn’t help but be impressed.

Seeing the black stains on Cheongmu’s hands, he could tell that even the decoction had been extracted directly by Grasping Force, using bare hands.

“...I don’t think I really need any medicine, though.”

Cheongmu shook his head vigorously.

“No, no! You have to drink it. It’s good for calming your nerves after a scare!”

“Ugh...”

“Not a single drop left behind.”

“This is way too much...”

“Hehe, I added two extra pinches when Master wasn’t looking.”

“That’s... that’s over the prescribed dose...”

“The more medicine, the better!”

When Cheongmu got stubborn, there was no stopping him.

Kwak Yeon decided he needed to get up and leave the room as soon as possible.

At this rate, he’d burst from a decoction overdose.

“Cheongmu... What happened, exactly?”

“What do you mean?”

“Daoist Hyehae. He was supposed to be in deep meditation, right?”

“Hehe, well... I banged on the Immortal’s Room’s iron door a lot. Maybe it was so loud it woke him up?”

“So it was your voice I heard...”

“You heard me?!”

“Right before I passed out. I thought I was dreaming. Then I guess it really was Daoist Hyehae who opened the door?”

“That part... I don’t know.”

“How can you not know?”

“I don’t remember. I remember pounding on the door, and then... nothing.”

“...?”

“Anyway, let’s finish your medicine first.”

****

Daoist Hyehae was now facing his fellow disciple, Daoist Hyeonin.

“You couldn’t have opened the Immortal’s Room on the night of the full moon unless you were actively trying to destroy that boy.”

“I’ve told you before—I simply forgot it was the full moon.”

“The Full Moon Restriction! That’s been drilled into us since our first day here. A thousand times over! How could you forget it?”

“I didn’t forget the restriction itself. I forgot that yesterday was the full moon.”

“Even though the moon was blazing in the sky?”

“I opened the door before sunset.”

“What exactly did that child do to make you so angry?”

“I didn’t act on any personal grudge.”

Daoist Hyehae’s face hardened.

“You truly have abandoned your path, haven’t you.”

Daoist Hyeonin’s face twisted.

“So he told you everything. What’s the point of asking? You’ve already heard it all.”

“I haven’t heard anything.”

“...What?”

“I waited for him to speak, thinking he’d say something. But he said nothing. Still... our sect does not stop those who wish to leave. I won’t try to stop you.”

“You won’t be getting any thanks from me.”

“Whatever day you decide to leave, you should at least pay your respects to Master.”

“There’s no need to greet someone I’m cutting ties with.”

“Fine. Then go to the Hall of Purity and reflect in seclusion for seven days.”

“Hmph. And you think I’d follow your orders now?”

“It’s not an order. It’s a request. From a fellow traveler of the Way.”

“......”

“When power surges too high and isn’t tempered, the path becomes overgrown with thorns. I don’t believe your path has been meaningless.”