Wudang Sacred Scriptures

"Is that true?"
Instructor Hyeonmun's eyes widened in shock.
"It is."

"If the Demonic Cult had planted a spy, they should have been filtered out during the training hall's selection process."
The rigorous observation by the instructors and the strict selection process existed precisely to identify anyone who had prior martial arts training.
"It appears that the Demonic Cult employed a ‘cuckoo strategy.’"

A cuckoo lays its eggs in another bird’s nest, leaving them to be raised by a different species.
In other words, the Demonic Cult had sent in a child with no martial arts training at all, making them impossible to detect through conventional means.
"Are you certain?"

Instructor Hyeonmun's voice was laced with disbelief. The Precepts Hall Lord, Hyeoncheol Daoist, answered firmly.
"The Demonic Cult didn't only infiltrate Wudang. Other orthodox sects are in complete turmoil over this revelation."
"Then the identity of the spy must already be known?"

Hyeoncheol Daoist shook his head.
"Unfortunately, we have yet to determine who it is."
Instructor Hyeonmun's face paled.

"Surely you’re not suggesting we expel all of the new disciples?"
"No, we can’t simply cast out the entire group that we worked so hard to select."
"That’s a relief."

"There is only one suspect."
Hyeonmun swallowed dryly.
"Kwak Yeon. That is the name."
For a moment, he doubted his own ears.

"Please repeat that. Who?"
"The suspect is Kwak Yeon."
"And what reason do you have to believe that child is a Demonic Cult spy?"

Hyeoncheol Daoist, meeting Hyeonmun’s sharp glare, spoke calmly.
"The outer disciple who brought him here, Ha Dongjo, has vanished. Moreover, the village Kwak Yeon supposedly came from does not exist. In contrast, all the other disciples’ backgrounds have been confirmed."
Hyeonmun found it impossible to believe.

"Is there a chance this intelligence is mistaken?"
Hyeoncheol Daoist did not answer immediately. Instead, even the Great Elder, Unhak Jin-in, gave Hyeonmun an odd look before speaking.
"There is no possibility of error."

Hyeoncheol Daoist reinforced this with an unwavering voice.
"The Murim Alliance cross-verified this intelligence through multiple sources within the Demonic Cult. Moreover, this is not just about Wudang. It has been confirmed in multiple sects, making it highly credible."
"Ah…"

Seeing the color drain from Hyeonmun’s face, Unhak Jin-in asked,
"Why do you seem so affected by this?"
"Grand Elder, it is simply difficult to believe that this child is a Demonic Cult spy. He has always shown deep care for his fellow disciples, going out of his way to help them."

"That is exactly why he would act that way. To avoid suspicion, a spy must be even more exemplary than others."
Hyeonmun’s expression twisted in agony.
"What do you intend to do?"

Hyeoncheol Daoist answered coldly.
"We will first take him to the Precepts Hall for interrogation. If he confesses, we will sever his tendons and confine him to the Chamber of Repentance."
Hyeonmun immediately recalled the disciple from Wudang’s Main Sect who had pleaded innocence until he took his own life in that very chamber.

"And if he doesn’t confess? What if he is not a spy?"
"That is not a possibility."
"Why do you say that with such certainty?"

"…"
"Brother Hyeoncheol, have you forgotten what happened in the Chamber of Repentance?"
Hyeoncheol Daoist’s face turned pale.

"That… that was an error on our part."
"An error that cost the life of a bright young disciple."
Hyeonmun’s voice was low and seething.

"I will not make that mistake again."
Unhak Jin-in, now visibly angered, interjected.
"Hyeonmun, are you saying you will defy the Precepts Hall’s ruling?"

"Grand Elder, I am saying that we must not commit an irreversible mistake."
"Then we shall imprison him for now."
"Even that will leave him with scars that may never heal."

"This is a matter of a Demonic Cult spy! There is no room for sentiment!"
Hyeonmun’s eyes flared.
"Grand Elder, Wudang’s Main Sect is my responsibility. That child is my disciple."

"Your… disciple?"
—Bang!
Unhak Jin-in slammed his palm against the table.

"A mere instructor of this pathetic excuse for a sect dares to defy me? Let’s see if you still dare to oppose me after this."
—Rustle!
With a flick of his hand, Unhak Jin-in unfolded a document and threw it onto the table.

The seal of Grandmaster Jangmun Jin-in and the signature of the Precepts Hall were clearly visible.
Jangmun Order.
Unhak Jin-in spoke with icy finality.

"Precepts Hall Lord, carry out the Jangmun Order immediately. Capture the Demonic Cult spy and have him escorted for interrogation."
 
****

Kwak Yeon had no idea what was happening.
One moment, he had been practicing in the Wudang training hall.
The next, he was surrounded by Precepts Hall disciples.

His first thought was Instructor So Jin-sam—perhaps the truth about exposing Elder Hyeon Gong’s corruption had come to light.
But then, they called him a Demonic Cult spy.
Kwak Yeon was stunned.

There had to be some sort of mistake.
Forcing himself to stay calm, he answered firmly.
"No matter how many times you ask, my answer will remain the same. Ha Dongjo was the one who brought me to Wudang’s training hall."

Even under the piercing gaze of Hyeoncheol Daoist, Kwak Yeon felt no fear.
This was simply a misunderstanding.
Surely, it would be resolved soon, and he would return to his training.

"You can verify my words by asking Ha Dongjo himself."
Hyeoncheol Daoist, who had been silently watching, finally spoke.
"Of course, I’d like to verify your story. But the problem is… the warrior who brought you here, Ha Dongjo, has disappeared without a trace."

"…?"
"And that’s not the only issue. A report just arrived from the disciples sent to locate your hometown. According to them, the village is completely deserted."
Kwak Yeon was dumbfounded.

It was one thing for Ha Dongjo to be missing—he could have had his own circumstances. But for his entire village to be empty?
"Could they have searched in the wrong place?"
"Igoksan’s eastern hills. Haenghwa Seokjeong—the Apricot Blossom Stone Well. A single apricot tree by the well, and behind the village, rows of large, black boulders. That’s how it got its name."

"…That’s right!"
"And yet, all that remains are a few abandoned house foundations."
For a moment, Kwak Yeon felt like the ground beneath him had vanished.

He had left that place as if he had been cast out, sold away. But still… it was his home.
"Isn’t this an awfully strange coincidence? That not a single person exists to confirm your identity?"
Hyeoncheol Daoist’s voice sounded distant.

Instead, Kwak Yeon’s mind was filled with the image of his mother—standing just beyond the wicker fence, dabbing at her eyes with her sleeve, trying not to cry.
"And so, you are now the only person left who can answer these questions."
His vision blurred.

They didn’t even seem to consider how much pain this was causing him.
Frustration bubbled up.
He hadn't come here of his own free will.

Wudang had bought him, trained him, shaped him into what he was now. And he had done everything asked of him.
Because this was his home now. Because he had vowed never to be cast out again.
Because he had begun to think of these people as family.

"Lord Preceptor."
Hyeoncheol Daoist looked at him in silence.
"Have you considered, even for a moment, how I must feel right now?"

"…!"
"They sold me, yes. But they were still my family. Just now, you told me that they are… gone. That something terrible has happened to them."
Hyeoncheol Daoist studied his reddened eyes for a moment before rising from his seat.

"You’re right. I was inconsiderate. Take some time to compose yourself. But I cannot untie you. You must understand—the Demonic Cult’s schemes are unpredictable."
A weight settled deep in Kwak Yeon’s chest.
Even now, they still suspected him.

His throat tightened.
Left alone in the chamber, Kwak Yeon wept.
At first, it was out of sheer misery for his situation. But gradually, the tears shifted to something else—worry for his {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} missing family.

He had sworn, on the day he left, that he would never cry for them again.
But this grief…
Maybe it was because he had believed he would meet them again someday.

Maybe because, despite resenting them for selling him, despite feeling hurt that they hadn’t stopped it… they were still his family.
By the time he stopped crying, he felt calm.
No one is going to feel sorry for me just because I cry.

His mind shifted back to the real issue—why was he even being suspected?
Hyeoncheol Daoist had mentioned the events at the training hall. That certainly played a role.
It was true that some had suspected him of poisoning his competitors with toxic mushrooms. And he hadn’t denied it—not to protect himself, but to keep the burial ground a secret.

Still, the decisive factor had been his uncertain background.
All the other disciples had verifiable origins.
"Aside from you and Ha Dongjo, there’s no one to vouch for your hometown. But Ha Dongjo has vanished, and all your family and neighbors have seemingly disappeared into thin air. What else can we do?"

It really was an awful coincidence.
If he had been able to provide just one witness, he could have cleared his name immediately.
A false accusation?

A chill ran down Kwak Yeon’s spine.
What if this wasn’t a coincidence?
What if the real Demonic Cult spy had framed him to avoid suspicion?

His thoughts spun wildly.
And then, a name surfaced in his mind.
Ha Gang.

The only person who knew both his origin and the fact that he had been sold.
He remembered Ha Gang’s story—how his entire family had been massacred, leaving him the sole survivor.
What if the real Ha Gang had died… and someone else had taken his place?

Even Wudang’s masters wouldn’t have noticed.
After all, hadn’t they said Ha Gang had been “luckily” rescued from the site of the slaughter?
Kwak Yeon went rigid.

He had never truly grasped how terrifying the world of warriors was.
But now, just imagining the possibility made him tremble.
The Demonic Cult’s reputation was infamous.

A den of monsters.
Still… they’re human, aren’t they?
Had they truly killed Ha Dongjo?

Had they truly slaughtered his entire village, just to pin the blame on him?
No…
The idea was horrifying.

Could they really go that far, just to insert a spy?
It didn’t seem possible.
But…

The more he tried to dismiss the thought, the stronger it clung to him.
Seok Jangsan’s words echoed in his head—about Ha Gang hiding his true abilities.
And then, an image flashed before him.

Three days after Kwak Yeon had demonstrated the second stage of the Taiji Sphere Technique…
Ha Gang had quietly switched to using a wooden sphere.
—Boom!

He felt as though his heart had thundered in his chest.
"It’s Ha Gang."