Wudang Sacred Scriptures

With his clavicle pierced and his body pinned to the stone wall, Suhmyeon Horui wet himself at the sight of Kwak Yeon approaching.
“H-how… Are you immune to all poisons or something?”

Whether it was a question born of sheer terror or a lifetime habit of suspicion, the doubt spilled from Suhmyeon Horui’s mouth almost involuntarily.
“I haven’t experienced all ten thousand poisons, so I can’t say for sure. But I’m definitely immune to yours.”
Kwak Yeon had deliberately ingested the Mountain Bell Toxin that lingered in the courtesan’s embrace.

It had been a precaution for a situation like this—but he had also been curious about the limits of what his cultivation could withstand.
“In the martial world, poison is what you must be most wary of. Especially for a master of internal qi like you, Do-in Kwak. Mountain Bell Toxin is the deadliest. And since it’s technically not classified as a poison, even those of the Orthodox sects permit its use. They justify it by blaming the victim for not being cautious enough—utter nonsense, if you ask me. In any case, you’ll always be treated like a fool if you fall for it. Never drink tea or wine from anyone you don’t trust.”
Those were the words the Cheongyang Swordsman, Hong Su-cheon, had repeated over and over before parting ways with him on a mountain trail.

To Kwak Yeon, who had reached the Fire Meridian Stage, the Mountain Bell Toxin had absolutely no effect.
His internal qi had instantly reacted, burning it away completely.
He had heard that poisons were useless against high-level experts, but now that he had experienced it for himself, his gratitude for Daoist Master Unseon—who had guided # Nоvеlight # him to this stage—only deepened.

Thanks to that, Kwak Yeon had been able to drink the tea brought by the butcher without hesitation.
“Suhmyeon Horui, you should know there’s a reason I’ve kept you alive.”
Kwak Yeon spoke in a calm, steady tone.

“If you refuse to cooperate, you’ll spend your time like your friends over there. But if you do cooperate, I’ll let you go without pain.”
Suhmyeon Horui nodded frantically.
“I’ll cooperate. I’ll cooperate.”

Those so-called enforcers had actually been first-rate martial artists.
Yet even first-rate masters had been reduced to shattered wrecks in an instant—unable to lift a finger.
Watching that, Suhmyeon Horui had come to the undeniable realization: Kwak Yeon was a supreme-level master.

“I’ll do whatever you ask.”
He shut his eyes tightly, unable to watch the enforcers any longer—those elite warriors who now begged for death in their final agony.
If the Cave Demon before him would grant him a painless death, then he would do anything.
Not long after, a fire broke out at the Forgotten Ox Butcher’s Shop on West Serene Street.

To the enforcers, the searing blaze that consumed them was a mercy.
It brought death that much faster.
None of them thought of the flames as Kwak Yeon’s compassion.

—KWA-RRRRUMBLE!
When the great fire collapsed even the foundation stones, all that remained was a pile of scorched black rock.
 

****
“What the hell did you do to that guy?”
Chwi Dugae looked at Kwak Yeon with eyes full of disbelief.

“In my entire life, I’ve never seen someone so obedient during interrogation.”
Suhmyeon Horui pissed himself at the slightest frown. He confessed everything the moment you prompted him. Even when questioned again later, not a single detail had changed.
“I didn’t do anything special.”

Kwak Yeon’s reply was devoid of even the slightest sincerity, and Chwi Dugae narrowed his eyes.
“You expect me to believe that?”
“…”

“When you handed him over to me, he looked at me like I was his long-lost father. I swear, he practically hugged me with joy.”
“Perhaps Hu-gai looks like his father.”
“That’s a joke? You’re saying that rat-faced bastard’s father looked like me? How could a man like me have a face like that?”

Chwi Dugae’s expression twisted in disbelief as he grumbled.
“I take care of all the dirty work, and instead of thanking me, you hit me with that kind of insult? Tch!”
“Hu-gai, it was you who first proposed we work together on this case. That’s why I captured Suhmyeon Horui and handed him over for interrogation.”

“Grrgh…”
“Now I’d like to hear the results of that interrogation.”
“That… that damned son of a bitch! All he ever did was put on airs. Turns out he didn’t know shit.”

Chwi Dugae spat the curse with clear resentment toward Kwak Yeon, then continued in a disgruntled voice.
“Anyway, it’s clear that the one giving Suhmyeon Horui his orders is none other than the Hao Clan’s Vice Branch Leader, Yang Won-gak. Apparently, he’s been Suhmyeon Horui’s right-hand man ever since he was one of the Seven Elders.”
“Then the Hao Clan’s Vice Branch Leader is the head of that faction.”

“As far as we can tell, yes.”
“Hu-gai, is it common in the Hao Clan to be promoted directly from Elder to Vice Branch Leader?”
“Not in most sects, no. But in the Hao Clan, it happens now and then. Their Twelve Elder Council can even replace the Clan Leader if they vote on it.”

“You must’ve interrogated this Vice Branch Leader too, I assume?”
“Of course. That bastard Yang Won-gak is the root of all this.”
Chwi Dugae’s chest swelled as he continued, clearly eager to share.

“He wasn’t very prominent under the previous Clan Leader. But he had a real knack for the information business, and somehow clawed his way up to become one of the Seven Elders. Everyone assumed that was his limit, since his martial skills weren’t anything special. But then, he seems to have gotten his hands on some kind of powerful martial technique. His skills improved rapidly, and combined with his information trading savvy, he rose all the way to Vice Branch Leader. Doesn’t that stink a bit?”
“I see.”
Kwak Yeon nodded and looked quietly at Chwi Dugae.

Chwi Dugae continued.
“The rest of it was trivial stuff. How the business was run, who requested the epithet deals, that kind of thing. I can tell you if you want, but…”
“That won’t be necessary.”

Kwak Yeon shook his head. Knowing would only trouble his heart.
“What did he say about the courtesan assassin and the enforcers?”
“Suhmyeon Horui had no idea where the assassin or the enforcers who followed him around came from. That’s why I lost it at the start.”

“I see.”
“Hmm? You don’t seem disappointed.”
“I’d already suspected as much. Didn’t Hu-gai also think that might be the case?”

“Still, they were always by his side. I figured he’d have picked up something. Guess they were tighter-lipped than we thought. That just proves they weren’t from any ordinary organization.”
“If we can get our hands on the Hao Clan’s Vice Branch Leader, we should be able to trace those organizations.”
“Those organizations? You think they’re not all the same group?”

Kwak Yeon nodded.
“The enforcers at the butcher’s shop seemed unaware that the courtesan assassin had failed. Doesn’t that suggest a chain of command with several degrees of separation?”
“…”

“Even if that’s not the case, I believe people were pulled from different organizations and assigned separate tasks like components in a machine. For some reason.”
“To maintain secrecy…?”
Kwak Yeon nodded.

“The Vice Branch Leader of the Hao Clan is likely just another component. What would he possibly do with fragments of martial arts techniques from various sects?”
“...!”
“It may be nothing but paranoia, but I believe there are significant powers pulling the strings behind all this.”

Chwi Dugae had already considered that possibility. It was likely the very reason his master had insisted on entrusting him—Hu-gai—with this case.
“Do you have any idea who those powers might be?”
Kwak Yeon shook his head.

“This is my first time entering the martial world.”
“Could it be… that this is why you descended from Mount Wudang?”
Chwi Dugae simply could not understand why the Wudang Sect would allow a young master at the Fire Meridian Stage to descend the mountain.

“It’s more or less related.”
Kwak Yeon didn’t want to bring up the final words of Daoist Master Unseon, who had commanded him to strip away the grand deception clouding the world.
He wasn’t yet certain whether this incident was part of that larger deception.

“There are also a few other things I need to investigate. And for one of them, I was hoping to receive your cooperation.”
“My cooperation?”
“I’ll tell you once this incident is resolved. For now, the priority is locating the Hao Clan’s Vice Branch Leader. Please keep Suhmyeon Horui securely imprisoned in the meantime—and also protect So-hyeop Hwa Yu-yeong.”

“That’s what the Beggars’ Guild does best, so don’t worry about that. The problem is tracking down the Vice Branch Leader. That’s no easy task.”
“So there are actually things the so-called ‘world’s greatest intelligence network’ can’t find?”
“The Hao Clan is so full of rot, their people are always in hiding.”

Chwi Dugae grumbled, clearly annoyed.
“Anyway, I’ve already issued the order to search in every direction. We’ll get a lead on that bastard’s tail before long.”
With that boast, Chwi Dugae turned and left.

Kwak Yeon did believe Hu-gai would do his best—but he couldn’t help but worry.
More than anything, time was the issue.
Burning down the Forgotten Ox Butcher’s Shop had erased any trace of Suhmyeon Horui’s disappearance, but the longer time passed, the more suspicion would build.

And if the people behind this decided to erase the trail completely, they might succeed in wiping it out for good.
Suddenly, Kwak Yeon thought of the Hao Clan Elder named Jo Cheon-yang, and the girl, Gwaa.
That Elder Jo Cheon-yang was part of the Hao Clan’s top leadership.

And he didn’t seem to be involved in this incident.
If I could gain their cooperation, finding the Hao Clan’s Vice Branch Leader might become far easier.
But he had parted ways with the two of them on less than pleasant terms. At the time, he’d been full of hostility toward the Hao Clan.

If it’s for the sake of the mission, there’s no reason to cling to pride.
Come to think of it, he had been rather rude to them.
First, I should meet them and talk. Even if they refuse to cooperate, just apologizing for that day will lighten my heart.

Once he resolved himself to do so, a realization struck him—those two had been traveling in disguise.
If they went so far as to endure harassment from the Branch Lord of the Black Death Division while undercover, it couldn’t have been for something ordinary.
Kwak Yeon began to suspect that their covert travels might be connected to this very incident.

He suddenly recalled the way Elder Jo Cheon-yang had hesitated before instructing Gwaa to hand over the antidote.
The reason he visited my room that night at the guesthouse might not have been to apologize for Gwaa’s antics…
What if I coldly turned away someone who had come with difficulty to ask for help?

I shouldn’t be wasting time. I need to find them immediately.
This wasn’t something to casually ask Chwi Dugae to look into and wait for leisurely.
Judging by how long they’d stayed here in Aknyang, they probably haven’t left just yet.

Just as Kwak Yeon solidified his resolve and rose from his seat—
—Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Urgent knocking resounded at the door.

—Clack!
When Kwak Yeon opened it, he found Gwaa standing there, trembling, her face pale as death.
He couldn’t even spare the thought: What are the odds of this timing?

Because before he could think anything at all, her shrill voice broke out:
“…Please help me.”