Visiting the Wudang Sect (2)
In response to my question, the one who called himself the True Martial Great Emperor looked slightly taken aback before bursting into hearty laughter.
"Very well, what is it you desire?"
"What can you offer me......"
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"......"
I opened my eyes.
As I sat up, I tilted my head in confusion.
What was that just now? A dream? It felt like I'd been dreaming......
I racked my brain to recall it, but like any ordinary dream, only hazy fragments remained.
It hadn't felt bad, though......
While eating breakfast at one of the guest hall's dining areas, the hall's steward, Baekmun, approached to inform us that the disciples assigned to guide us would arrive in the afternoon.
That meant we could spend the time until then exploring the areas open to visitors.
After finishing my meal, I set out from the guest hall with my escort warriors.
"Like yesterday, the Wudang Sect's scenery looks quite impressive in the morning light."
Sergeant Palgap's words drew a nod from the Seo-u Warrior.
"To visit the Wudang Sect, one of the two great pillars of the orthodox martial world! It's an honor."
The other three escorts nodded in agreement. Seeing that, I could guess what the Wudang Sect meant to the people of the orthodox martial world.
But in my previous life, more than half of this place had been destroyed, with barely half the disciples surviving.
Thanks to the surviving masters, the lineage hadn't been severed, but the already struggling sect had declined to the point where operations became difficult.
This led to bandits rampaging around Wudang territory, inconveniencing travelers.
Before that, no bandit would have dared operate in Wudang's domain.
Our merchant group had suffered considerable losses from it too.
The more I thought about it, the more bitter it tasted.
Harboring sentiments different from the others, I toured the areas permitted for visitors.
Even though it was only a small fraction of the entire sect, it was vast, and by the time we'd finished exploring, it was already lunchtime.
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After lunch, the disciples assigned to guide us arrived.
It was Gongryun Dojang and Muun Dojang, who had greeted us the day before.
"We meet again so soon."
"Yes, we've been ordered to guide Seonhyeopmirang and his party."
"We appreciate your help."
With that, we proceeded into the sect's inner sanctum, off-limits to ordinary visitors.
We wore the passes we'd received from the guest hall steward around our necks.
Thanks to the sect leader's permission yesterday, we were able to obtain them.
Without these, no outsider could venture this deep.
Gazing at the pass around my neck, I recalled my visit to the Sacheon Tang Clan.
I wondered if Tang Su-bin the Young Lady and Jo Woong-i were doing well.
We passed through the gate dividing the outer and inner areas. At once, a similar yet profoundly different world unfolded before us.
"This place......"
"Yes, this is the true heart of the sect."
The buildings were a bit aged but impeccably maintained, exuding an air of timeless elegance.
Smooth blue stones paved the ground, and above them, Wudang disciples practiced their martial arts with resounding shouts.
"What a magnificent sight."
At my words, Gongryun Dojang puffed up with pride.
"Over there, they're practicing Taiji Fist, one of our sect's proudest arts, and on that side, the Three Talents Swordsmanship."
"You mean the Taiji Fist and Three Talents Swordsmanship that I know?"
Taiji Fist and Three Talents Swordsmanship were staples among the cheap martial manuals peddled by street vendors in the markets.
Of course, those were fakes with the same names.
If genuine manuals circulated, Wudang wouldn't have stood idly by.
"As expected, the real ones are different."
Gongryun Dojang nodded proudly at my remark.
"Of course."
We headed toward one of the buildings, where Gongryun Dojang excused himself.
"Please wait a moment. I need to inform those inside that visitors have arrived."
"Understood. We'll wait here."
Gongryun Dojang entered the building, leaving Muun Dojang with us.
I glanced at the disciples practicing Taiji Fist and Three Talents Swordsmanship, then turned to Muun Dojang.
"How far have you progressed in Taiji Fist and Three Talents Swordsmanship, Dojang?"
"I haven't achieved great mastery yet."
He continued.
"It's been nearly five years since I became a disciple, but my progress in them is slow—not because I lack talent. Before the next intake of disciples, we focus solely on these two arts, advancing at a glacial pace. We repeat the same forms for months."
"I see."
From what I'd heard, Wudang accepted formal disciples once every eight years.
"So you'll have to train in these two for another three years."
"Yes, that's right."
Perhaps because he had no one to confide in, or no one to agree with him, he poured out his grievances.
"Honestly, it's tedious. Repeat, repeat, and repeat again."
"I can imagine."
"Yes, why only these two arts over and over......"
As he vented, he gasped "Ah!" and clapped a hand over his mouth.
He'd realized I was an outsider.
A slip from a young disciple.
"Please forget what I just said. Consider it nonsense."
I tilted my head at that.
"I don't know what you mean, Dojang. Did you say something to me?"
I asked my escorts.
"Did you hear Muun Dojang say anything?"
"We didn't hear a thing."
I turned to Palgap.
"Did you hear anything?"
"Hear what, young master?"
Muun Dojang clasped his hands in a fist salute.
"Thank you."
I chuckled softly and smoothly changed the subject.
"What do you think of the Wudang Sect, Dojang?"
"Of course, our sect boasts a long and storied history. I'm proud to be a Wudang disciple."
"As you say, it's an excellent sect. They wouldn't emphasize these two arts without reason. There must be a purpose."
"Do you have any thoughts on why?"
"With my limited insight, I believe it's because these two form the foundation of all Wudang martial arts."
I continued.
"Think of a tower. The taller it rises, the larger and more solid the base must be, right?"
"Ah......"
"Wudang hopes every disciple reaches greater heights, so they invest years in building that foundation."
Muun Dojang's eyes sparkled as he replied.
"I've been foolish. Thanks to Seonhyeopmirang's words, I've found my path forward."
"I'm glad my humble thoughts could help."
I smiled and accepted his words.
In truth, the reason for drilling only these two basic arts for eight years wasn't solely because they underpin all Wudang techniques.
Of course, mastering just two basics meant endless, mind-numbing repetition.
But learning martial arts is inherently that—endless repetition.
If you can't endure the tedium, you'll never reach higher realms.
And human nature doesn't change easily.
In other words, it's also a way to select disciples worthy of advanced teachings.
From what I'd heard in my past life, before the next intake, they tested the recent disciples' achievements.
If their proficiency in Taiji Fist and Three Talents Swordsmanship fell short, they couldn't learn more and had to leave the mountain.
Becoming a Wudang disciple was hard enough; becoming a full member was even more grueling.
"An interesting conversation."
The sudden voice from behind made cold sweat break out.
It hadn't registered on my senses at all.
I whipped around to see an elderly man standing there.
Muun Dojang hurriedly saluted with a fist.
"Twenty-sixth-generation disciple Muun greets the elder."
That revealed his identity, and we all saluted in turn.
"This one is Eun Seo-ho, young branch leader of the Eunhae Merchant Group. It's an honor to meet a Wudang elder. Beside me are my attendant and escorts. With the sect leader's permission, we're touring the sect."
"I see. I am Jinjeong."
The elder Jinjeong introduced himself and gave me a slight nod.
"I heard you've made quite a generous donation to the sect."
"It's modest, but I hope it aids Wudang."
"It's very helpful. Thank you."
Just then, Gongryun Dojang emerged from the building and saluted the elder upon seeing him.
Jinjeong Elder wished us a good tour with a faint smile and departed. We entered the building.
It was a hall for studying the Tao. As a holy site of Taoism, Wudang placed great emphasis on Taoist principles.
After a brief look, we moved on.
As we toured, I spotted an area heavily guarded by Wudang disciples.
I peeked inside and saw a small pavilion wrapped tightly in iron chains and golden cords.
Hm? That place?
Suddenly, last night's foggy dream came back to me.
It was undoubtedly the place from the dream.
In the dream, I'd met the True Martial Great Emperor, who told me to prevent a blood calamity on Wudang Mountain.
And I had......
Ah...... I'd made a deal.
Making deals even in dreams—guess I'm a merchant through and through.
The Great Emperor tasked me with stopping the blood calamity on Wudang Mountain, and I asked what he'd do for me.
He promised to reveal one heavenly secret.
I didn't know what it was, but since it would help me, I accepted.
Surely the True Martial Great Emperor wouldn't scam me.
Still, a blood calamity......
If even he called it that, it was no small matter.
And his mentioning it here meant the blood cultist was sealed in that heavily guarded pavilion.
"Ah! You mustn't go near there."
Muun Dojang pulled me back. Pretending ignorance, I asked.
"What's that place?"
"They say if you go there, you'll turn into a demon."
"A demon?"
Gongryun Dojang picked up the explanation.
"Yes. From what I've heard, it's where the demon who once spilled blood across Wudang Mountain is imprisoned. Get too close, and its curse will turn you into a demon too."
"Then we should stay away."
I didn't know how they'd framed the blood cultist as a demon, but given the bloodbath on this mountain, it wasn't entirely wrong.
Anyway, I'd found the blood cultist's prison, but how had the strict security been breached?
The visible guards were formidable, and the unseen ones even more so.
No way Wudang's masters would let a brute-force escape happen.
The real issue was how to stay longer.
Donors usually stayed only a day or two before leaving.
From Wudang's perspective, prolonged stays required extra attention.
Anything more needed a pretext.
To stop the cultist's escape or the blood calamity, I needed to remain here.
That was when it happened.
"Watch out! Blood—dodge!"
A voice cried from somewhere. Looking up, I saw a broken wooden sword from a sparring match flying straight at us.
"Danger, young master!"
Palgap shoved me aside and took the hit squarely.
"Aigoo!"
"Palgap!"
"Aigoo, I'm dying! Aigoo!"
"S-sorry! Truly sorry!"
Chaos erupted in an instant.
The broken sword had flown our way, but it wasn't unavoidable for Palgap.
He'd been training under Jin Yu Warrior lately and was far more agile than his bearish build suggested.
He could've predicted its path.
Even without, he could have dodged.
No way he'd done it on purpose?
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Palgap was carried to the guest hall, and soon a physician arrived.
"Is my attendant alright?"
"Symptoms from such impacts can appear late, so we must monitor his condition. Have him rest for a few days."
"Yes. Thank you."
The physician left after that.
Baekmun, the guest hall steward in the room, apologized to me.
"We're truly sorry this happened."
"No need. It was unavoidable. Given the physician's orders for rest, it seems we'll need to stay a few more days."
"Of course you should."
The steward promised to make arrangements and left.
Then, from his bed, Palgap smirked and whispered.
"How was my acting, young master?"
I couldn't help but chuckle.