Wudang Sacred Scriptures

After 200 days of training at the Eul-rank Hall, Kwak Yeon had risen to the upper-mid ranks.

Although he was finally within reach of the coveted Gap-rank promotion, Kwak Yeon couldn’t bring himself to feel entirely happy.

It was because Mae Jang-so’s progress had been slow.

With all the lower-ranked trainees already eliminated and forced to leave the hall, Mae Jang-so had ended up at the bottom among the mid-ranked trainees. He now faced constant pressure from the instructors.

“You’ve lasted 200 days, so you can become a named disciple of your family’s martial arts lineage. Since there’s no hope anyway, why waste another hundred days suffering here? It’s better to go and learn your family’s techniques early.”

Some trainees gave in to the instructors’ temptations, surrendered, and abandoned their training.

As a result, Mae Jang-so sank even further to the bottom.

The once cheerful Mae Jang-so had grown quieter, spending more and more time alone.

Kwak Yeon called Mae Jang-so out of the dark dormitory where he had been sitting by himself.

“I’m not sure if this will help you,” Kwak Yeon said.

Mae Jang-so responded listlessly.

“Are you asking me to stargaze with you again?”

“It’s not about looking at stars. It’s about guiding your meridians based on the celestial patterns in the sky.”

“I tried it a few times because you insisted, but it was a waste of time. Even Jangsan said back then that it probably only works for you.”

Kwak Yeon had once suggested to Seok Jangsan and Mae Jang-so that they practice navigating their energy flow using the Celestial Meridian Map.

Although he couldn’t explain it fully, Kwak Yeon had insisted that it relieved fatigue and significantly helped with training.

Under his guidance, they tried using the Celestial Meridian Map for several days, but neither of them saw any noticeable results.

In the end, Seok Jangsan and Mae Jang-so had both given up.

“But things are different now,” Kwak Yeon said. “I’ve overlaid the Celestial Meridian Map with human anatomy, making it much more realistic. Now you can see how muscles, tendons, and joints shift with the flow of energy.”

“You’re not seeing it—you’re just imagining it,” Mae Jang-so scoffed.

Kwak Yeon’s face reddened.

“Fine, it’s imagination. But it’s incredible! Ever since I started applying it during training, it’s made things noticeably easier.”

Mae Jang-so stared at Kwak Yeon for a moment before suddenly asking,

“And why are you telling me this amazing discovery?”

“Well, I just thought…”

“Because I’m falling behind you and you feel sorry for me? Because I’m someone you need to look after now?”

“…?”

Kwak Yeon blinked in surprise at Mae Jang-so’s sharp reaction.

“I’m already barely holding on, so leave me alone!”

“I just thought it might be a breakthrough for you—”

“Enough!”

Mae Jang-so suddenly shouted.

“I heard your explanation a hundred times, and I couldn’t even picture the star patterns, let alone understand them! That method only works for you!”

Mae Jang-so stormed off, leaving Kwak Yeon standing alone, lost in thought.

Not long after, Kwak Yeon realized his mistake.

Kindness that failed to consider the other person’s feelings could sometimes come off as arrogance.

The trainees had all been finding their own ways to survive. Some methods even showed results, but no one was quick to share their discoveries.

‘And it wasn’t just because they were selfish.’

The truth was, methods that worked for one person were often ineffective for others, only leaving them discouraged.

Mae Jang-so didn’t return to the dormitory until late that night.

“I wasn’t thinking straight,” Kwak Yeon said, waiting for him.

“I didn’t mean to upset you. I’m really sorry.”

Mae Jang-so looked at him for a long moment before replying.

“You stayed up just to say that?”

Kwak Yeon nodded.

Mae Jang-so smiled faintly.

“You’re impossible, you know that?”

“So, you’ll forgive me?”

“There’s nothing to forgive. Honestly, I’m the one who should apologize. I overreacted earlier. I know you were only trying to help.”

“Thanks for saying that.”

Though they had patched things up, Kwak Yeon’s heart still felt heavy.

Mae Jang-so’s expression seemed darker than ever.

Kwak Yeon didn’t have the nerve to ask where he had been so late at night.

*****

After several days of quiet worry, Kwak Yeon’s tension finally eased.

Mae Jang-so, who had fallen behind, started improving rapidly. Before long, he was matching Kwak Yeon’s pace.

And ten days later, Mae Jang-so even surpassed him.

That evening in the dining hall, Kwak Yeon beamed at him.

“Congratulations!”

His excitement was genuine.

“You’re practically guaranteed to be promoted to the Gap-rank now.”

“Let’s just eat quietly,” Mae Jang-so replied dryly.

Kwak Yeon wondered if he had said something wrong again.

Worried that it might have sounded sarcastic, he cautiously added,

“I really mean it. You have no idea how worried I’ve been.”

—Clack!

Mae Jang-so suddenly put down his chopsticks.

“Just focus on yourself. You’re barely clinging to third-from-the-bottom right now, so stop worrying about me.”

Mae Jang-so picked up his bowl and left, leaving more than half of his food untouched.

Kwak Yeon stared blankly at the door Mae Jang-so had walked through.

“Quit spacing out and finish your food,” Seok Jangsan said, setting his tray down across from Kwak Yeon.

“It’s been a while since we ate together. I was too anxious to come before.”

“What do you mean?”

Seok Jangsan looked at him for a moment and then said,

“Being clueless is part of your charm, but you’re way too dense sometimes.”

“Stop being cryptic and just tell me.”

“Did you really not notice Mae Jang-so’s ‘come at me’ attitude lately?”

“I knew he seemed upset. I thought it was just the stress of pushing himself so hard.”

Kwak Yeon had assumed Mae Jang-so’s growth came from relentless effort. He had silently cheered him on every night as he returned late to the dormitory.

Seok Jangsan gave a skeptical shrug.

“Well, maybe. But it didn’t look that way to me.”

“Is that why you avoided sitting with him?”

“In this training hell, the least I want is to eat in peace. Unlike you, I’m not thick-skinned enough to ignore all that tension.”

Kwak Yeon frowned in concern.

“I don’t get why he’s still so on edge. Is he still mad about what happened before?”

Seok Jangsan studied Kwak Yeon carefully.

“Something definitely happened between you two.”

Kwak Yeon briefly explained what had occurred ten days earlier.

“It’s not because of that!”

Seok Jangsan shook his head after hearing the whole story.

“If your words that day pushed him to improve, he should be feeling grateful instead.”

“Then what’s really bothering him?”

“How would I know? It’s not like I can see what’s going on inside his head.”

Seok Jangsan gave a light laugh but soon dropped his smile.

“Still, it’s strange. If he made progress through solo training, he should be looking proud, not miserable.”

That night, Kwak Yeon found it hard to focus on his Celestial Meridian Map exercises.

Mae Jang-so’s troubled expression kept flashing through his mind.

And it wasn’t just his gloomy look that worried Kwak Yeon. The shadows under Mae Jang-so’s eyes were growing darker by the day, and he had started talking in his sleep more often.

Just the night before, Kwak Yeon had been startled awake by Mae Jang-so shouting in his sleep.

Seeing him drenched in cold sweat as he slept, Kwak Yeon felt a pang of sympathy.

He couldn’t shake the fear that Mae Jang-so was pushing his body too hard and damaging himself in the process.

Unable to concentrate on his training, Kwak Yeon finally got up.

There was no point in forcing himself to focus when his mind refused to settle.

He decided to clear his head with a walk.

Throughout the training grounds, trainees were drenched in sweat as they practiced late into the night.

Kwak Yeon glanced around to see if Mae Jang-so was among them, but he was nowhere to be found.

‘He’s too proud to let anyone see him struggling.’

As he wandered, Kwak Yeon eventually found himself standing before a dense pine forest on the far side of the training grounds.

The cool, crisp breeze blowing from the trees felt incredibly refreshing.

‘Maybe practicing Danjeon breathing in a vibrant forest like this will have an even better effect.’

Even if it didn’t, he figured it would at least be good for his mood.

Thinking there was no harm in getting some fresh air, Kwak Yeon stepped into the pine forest.

The ground was covered in a thick layer of dry pine needles, making it soft underfoot.

He walked slowly between the towering pine trees, taking deep breaths. He inhaled deeply, letting the air fill his Danjeon, then exhaled slowly.

Kwak Yeon had been trying to incorporate Danjeon breathing into every part of his daily routine.

Most trainees only practiced it during their assigned times, dismissing it since True Origin Energy couldn’t be physically sensed or measured.

But for someone like Kwak Yeon, who also studied Daoist scriptures, True Origin Energy held a certain fascination.

It wasn’t that he wanted to become an immortal or achieve long life. He was simply curious about the life force said to exist even though it couldn’t be seen or touched.

Daoist teachings claimed that those who reached enlightenment could sense the flow of True Origin Energy.

To merge with the universe’s energy and ascend to immortality—this was the ultimate goal of Daoist cultivation.

Walking atop the soft bed of pine needles while practicing Danjeon breathing, Kwak Yeon felt almost like an immortal floating above the clouds on the back of a celestial crane.

Lost in the rhythm of his breathing, he didn’t realize how far he had wandered into the forest.

‘How long have I been walking?’

Though the forest wasn’t pitch black thanks to glimpses of starlight through the branches, he still felt a twinge of fear.

There was always the chance that a wild animal could appear.

Despite his training, Kwak Yeon was still just an eleven-year-old boy.

‘I should find my way back quickly.’

Kwak Yeon began looking for a clearing where he could see the stars clearly.

With his experience in drawing celestial maps every night, all he needed was the North Star to determine his direction.

But the dense pine trees made it hard to find an open spot to view the night sky.

As he scanned his surroundings, faint murmuring sounds reached his ears.

‘Someone else must be training out here. I can ask them for directions.’

Feeling relieved, Kwak Yeon headed toward the voices.

The sounds were coming from behind a large boulder.

When he got closer, he heard a familiar voice.

“This is all I could find.”

It was Mae Jang-so’s voice.

“I had to go all the way past the dry stream beyond the pine forest just to catch these.”

“You promised five red frogs every day,” said a sharp voice. “Yesterday, you only brought three. Today, it’s just two.”

Mae Jang-so snapped back.

“That’s because you’ve already caught most of them!”

“Enough talking!”

A raspy voice, like rusty hinges, cut in.

“Search him.”

There was a rustling sound, followed by the sharp voice again.

“Nothing hidden on him.”

“I’m not like you bastards. I don’t lie,” Mae Jang-so said bitterly.

The raspy voice responded.

“Hold him.”

“Let go of me!”

There was a dull thud and a groan.

“You’re accusing us of cheating?” the raspy voice sneered.

Another thud echoed, followed by the sound of someone collapsing.

“How is it cheating? You’re the one who couldn’t keep your end of the deal. Either way, no red frogs for you tonight.”

“No, please don’t do this!” Mae Jang-so’s voice was desperate.

“I’ve been eating nothing but those mushroom powders for five days. My body’s falling apart from the toxins.”

“Then stop eating it,” the sharp voice replied coldly.

“But now I can’t stop. Without it, I don’t have any strength left.”

“That’s why we warned you to think carefully before starting. Once you’re in, there’s no turning back.”

“Please, I’m begging you.”

“Then bring the red frogs like you promised.”

“To do that, I’d have to search the mountains all night without sleep!”

“That’s your problem,” the sharp voice snapped. “You joined us knowing it meant catching more frogs. And weren’t you grinning like an idiot about how effective it was?”

“Stop it, all of you!”

The raspy voice intervened, speaking in a calmer tone.

“Mae Jang-so, if it’s too hard on your own, why don’t you find someone to help you?”