NOVEL NEXT chapter 30
Instructor Hyeonmun led Kwak Yeon out of the Precepts Hall.
He couldn’t ignore the boy’s unnervingly indifferent expression—far too composed for someone his age.
This must have left deep wounds.
But what could he possibly say?
There was nothing better than an honest conversation to ease the burden of a troubled heart.
“Ha Gang leaving behind a confession letter before fleeing… that was hardly the behavior of a true Demonic Cult spy.”
“……”
“I wonder if that was his way of repaying you for keeping silent.”
Hyeonmun noticed the slight tremor in Kwak Yeon’s shoulders.
“Why didn’t you tell the Precepts Hall that he was a spy from the Demonic Cult?”
Kwak Yeon’s eyes widened in shock.
“How… how did you know?”
“I heard that you shared a dormitory with him at the Outer Training Hall and that you were quite close. There were other… incidents, too.”
Lowering his head, Kwak Yeon murmured,
“I wanted to believe in him.”
Hyeonmun gazed at the boy and thought, He’s still young after all. It was only natural—wasn’t childhood supposed to be a time of innocence?
“That was a dangerous way to think. In the end, he escaped, and Wudang failed to capture him. You could have been held responsible for it. They could have accused you of keeping silent to protect him.”
“I didn’t stay silent for his sake.”
“What do you mean?”
At Hyeonmun’s question, Kwak Yeon bit his lip before answering.
“I was afraid… afraid of losing faith in people.”
At first, that had been the only reason.
Hyeonmun looked at him thoughtfully and said,
“Then never forget that feeling.”
“……”
“I think I might understand why a child of the Demonic Cult would leave behind a confession letter.”
As the familiar halls of Eternal Wudang came into view, Kwak Yeon suddenly couldn’t hold it in anymore.
“Instructor… I lied just now.”
“Hmm?”
“The real reason I kept quiet… was because I wanted to punish him myself. My family, my village—they did nothing wrong. I held it in. Again and again. Just so that he could escape safely.”
Hyeonmun’s gaze grew sharp.
“Wudang disciples are taught to abandon malicious thoughts, yet you still harbor such resentment.”
“Why am I telling you this?”
“Because you didn’t want to hide it from me.”
“…Yes.”
“Thank you for being honest.”
“Then… does that mean I’m unworthy of being a Wudang disciple?”
“No.”
Hyeonmun shook his head.
“There is a saying: A righteous man cannot afford to be weak.”
“……”
“That means true righteousness comes from refusing to ignore injustice.”
“But isn’t personal revenge forbidden by Wudang’s laws?”
“That is also true.”
Kwak Yeon blinked in confusion at Hyeonmun’s seemingly contradictory words.
“What matters is whether your anger stems from your own suffering… or from the suffering of innocent people. If it’s the latter…”
Hyeonmun’s voice was calm, yet resolute.
“Then become as ruthless as you need to be.”
Kwak Yeon stared at him in shock.
A disciple of Wudang… being told to become ruthless?
Hyeonmun felt a deep sorrow knowing that this boy had already walked so close to the edge of darkness.
And yet, at the same time, he felt relief.
Because he could see that Kwak Yeon’s heart remained righteous.
It took true courage to bare one’s heart so openly.
“I need to tell you a story.”
Kwak Yeon immediately straightened up.
He could tell this wasn’t just any ordinary story.
Of course, he did. Zhang Sanfeng, the legendary founder of the Wudang Sect, was revered by all.
“Back then, a wandering monk once rebuked him. He said:
‘San Feng, do you think you can eradicate all evil in this world by yourself? Evil is born from the hearts of men. Shouldn’t a true Daoist seek enlightenment and spread wisdom to cleanse those hearts instead?’
To this, Zhang Sanfeng replied:
‘When people see a righteous warrior strike down an evildoer, the flames of justice grow stronger in their hearts. The more justice thrives, the less room there is for evil. That, too, is the way of Dao.’”
“……!”
“Chivalry upholds justice. That is why Zhang Sanfeng took up the sword and founded Wudang.”
A weight suddenly lifted from Kwak Yeon’s chest.
Seeing the clarity in his eyes, Hyeonmun asked,
“Do you understand what I’m saying now?”
“If you refuse to tolerate injustice, then you must be ruthless.”
“Exactly. A Wudang disciple is both a Daoist and a martial artist. If we turn a blind eye to evil, then how can we {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} call ourselves Wudang disciples?”
For the first time, Kwak Yeon felt truly glad to be here.
He had joined Wudang simply to learn martial arts.
But now, he had a real purpose.
‘I will master martial arts… and take my revenge with my own hands.’
At that moment, Hyeonmun spoke again.
“Do not let your hatred for Ha Gang consume you.”
Kwak Yeon’s expression hardened.
“But I can’t just let go of my resentment.”
“You should never take rumors at face value. Especially when it comes to punishing someone.”
His voice stern, Hyeonmun lowered his tone and continued.
“I inquired with the Precepts Hall. Your home village… was abandoned years ago.”
“…Abandoned?”
“Two years ago, the authorities relocated all refugees from the mountains back to their hometowns. It’s possible that your family simply left.”
Kwak Yeon’s eyes widened in shock.
This was… good news.
“Then… what about Guard Ha?”
“Ha Dongjo might have disappeared for an entirely different reason.”
“……!”
“I tell you this not just to ease your pain, but because Wudang’s sword cannot be wielded by someone blinded by hatred.”
At that moment, Kwak Yeon finally understood.
Hyeonmun had expectations for him.
He wasn’t just another disciple.
“I haven’t trained in days. I’ve fallen behind.”
“But Eternal Wudang does not adjust its pace for individual circumstances.”
With those parting words, Hyeonmun strode ahead.
Watching him go, Kwak Yeon slowly bowed in gratitude.
****
“Change your mindset. Picture the nine bricks as a single continuous line.”
Hyeonmun relentlessly drilled the new disciples of Eternal Wudang.
“Nine Palaces Palm Techniques are an extension of Taiji Sphere Techniques. You must see the flow of power with your eyes—do not rely on instinct alone.”
The intensity of the training was merciless.
“Ugh! I’m dying here…”
Even Seok Jangsan, who prided himself on his strength, collapsed the moment Hyeonmun ended the session.
Kwak Yeon felt like his entire world had turned upside down.
“This is all your fault,” Seok Jangsan grumbled.
Kwak Yeon raised a brow.
“…What?”
“What do you mean?”
“You really are clueless sometimes.”
“I know better than anyone that I’m bad at picking up on things, so drop it already.”
“I’m saying that because Instructor Hyeonmun is pushing your training speed, the rest of us are suffering too.”
From beside them, Jeong I-chu, who was still catching his breath, chimed in.
“He’s right. We already finished this part of our training, but now we’re going through it all over again. We’ve heard the same lecture so many times, I could recite it in my sleep.”
Realizing Instructor Hyeonmun’s intentions, Kwak Yeon felt guilty toward his fellow trainees.
“This won’t do.”
He suddenly stood up.
The least he could do was train even harder to keep up with the group and ease their burden.
“You really are obsessed with training.”
Seok Jangsan grumbled but got to his feet as well.
Kwak Yeon waved a hand at him.
“Jangsan, you should go back and rest.”
“Training alone is boring. I’m fine, so leave me be.”
As always, Seok Jangsan stayed behind in the Training Hall, helping Kwak Yeon with his practice until both of them collapsed onto the ground.
The full moon loomed overhead, watching them in silence.
“Come to think of it, the Mid-Autumn Festival is coming up soon.”
When Kwak Yeon didn’t respond, Seok Jangsan suddenly spoke up.
“You’re thinking about Ha Gang, aren’t you?”
“……”
“Forget about him. He’s not worth it.”
“How can someone hide their true self so completely?”
“Well, what do you expect? He was from the Demonic Cult.”
“Are all Demonic Cult members like that?”
“What are you getting at?”
“…He left behind a confession letter.”
“That part was surprising, I’ll admit. In fact, if you hadn’t been released from the Precepts Hall within three days like you promised, I was planning to track him down myself.”
“……?”
“You remember how I always said there was something suspicious about him, right? That’s why I kept an eye on him. That’s how I found that letter on his bed. Either way, the fact that he ran means he knew his cover had been blown.”
“If the Demonic Cult is as ruthless as they say… do you think he’ll be alright?”
“Unbelievable. Are you seriously worried about him? Did you forget what happened to your village?”
“…It wasn’t the Demonic Cult.”
“Huh?”
Kwak Yeon briefly explained what Instructor Hyeonmun had told him about his home.
“So in the end, Ha Gang wasn’t trying to frame me.”
“……!”
“I’m worried about him. No matter what, that confession letter… he wrote it for my sake.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Huh?”
“If you’re so curious, ask him yourself if you ever see him again.”
“…Do you think we’ll meet again?”
“I doubt he was just an ordinary recruit. The Demonic Cult wouldn’t entrust such an important mission to just anyone.”
“…Maybe. Either way, I hope I never see him again.”
“Why?”
“Because if I do, we’ll probably be enemies.”
“Hey, you might never even leave Wudang Mountain in your lifetime. What are you worrying about it for?”
“You’re not wrong. I can’t even make progress on Nine Palaces Palm Techniques right now.”
Hearing the dejected tone in Kwak Yeon’s voice, Seok Jangsan looked at him with concern.
“What’s wrong with you this time?”
“I don’t know.”
“Have you noticed any changes in your dantian?”
“…My dantian?”
Seok Jangsan immediately shot up from the ground.
“Wait—you’re telling me you haven’t felt anything at all? Not even a slight sensation?”
“No. Why?”
“Ah! That’s why your Nine Palaces Palm Techniques aren’t working!”
“…Huh?”
“You do know that this technique is meant to draw out internal energy, right?”
“Yeah.”
“To hold all nine bricks in place between your palms, you need at least some internal energy flow to link them together. Since you don’t have any, it’s no wonder you’re struggling.”
“……!”
“Well, it’s fine. You’ve always been slower than the rest of us. But in the end, you always catch up.”
“…Yeah, you’re right.”
Kwak Yeon nodded, but a hint of unease remained in his heart.
No one trained in Taiji Internal Arts more diligently than he did. He even practiced Standing Energy Cultivation in secret.
Yet he still couldn’t sense even the faintest trace of internal energy within himself.
I won’t let this shake me.
Determined, Kwak Yeon resolved to push himself even harder in his energy circulation training.