Wudang Sacred Scriptures

Hu Gae found the Martial Alliance Leader, the Martial Supreme Venerable Cheol Gun-ak’s words utterly absurd.

A master of the Entrance-to-Divinity Realm, one of the Four Venerables of the martial world, who had achieved rejuvenation, talking about senility?

Of course, Hu Gae knew the Martial Alliance Leader must have had some reason for saying it.

“......?”

But with the Martial Supreme Venerable looking down from the dais, he could hardly send Kwak Yeon a transmitted voice to ask. All Hu Gae could do was glance sideways at Kwak Yeon and tilt his head.

Just then, the Martial Alliance Leader Cheol Gun-ak asked Hu Gae, “Hu Gae, it seems Beggar Clan Leader Yongdu still has not let go of his anger from the Eight Desolations Upheaval?”

Hu Gae hastily answered.

“I cannot say my master has let go of all of it, but he has let go of some. If he had not, would he have sent this little beggar to help the Martial Alliance?”

“That is true.”

The Martial Alliance Leader Cheol Gun-ak nodded, then asked, “Did Beggar Clan Leader Yongdu have any message for me?”

Hu Gae’s expression turned awkward.

“He said that if I happened to meet you, Alliance Leader, I should pass on a word when the chance came. But it is such an impertinent thing to say that...”

When Hu Gae trailed off, conscious of those around them, the Martial Alliance Leader Cheol Gun-ak smiled lightly and said, “All under heaven knows Beggar Clan Leader Yongdu speaks his mind plainly. Say it here.”

Hu Gae squeezed his eyes shut and said, “He said that this time, he hopes we don’t make a pot of porridge only for the dogs to gorge themselves on.”

Kwak Yeon flinched at Hu Gae’s blatantly crude words.

No matter what his master had said, did he really have to repeat it exactly?

Just as Kwak Yeon was feeling a little stifled by his sworn elder brother’s complete lack of flexibility, the Martial Alliance Leader Cheol Gun-ak lightly clicked his tongue.

“Beggar Clan Leader Yongdu has not let go of his anger at all, then. Even though the rivers and mountains have changed three times since.”

He went on.

“This time, we have prepared the Martial World Pact, so we should be able to ease those concerns of Beggar Clan Leader Yongdu’s.”

Hu Gae bowed his head.

“My master also said he thought it right that merit and reward were set down in the Martial World Pact.”

The Martial Alliance Leader Cheol Gun-ak gave a hearty laugh.

“I am grateful that Beggar Clan Leader Yongdu acknowledges this man that much, at least.”

Kwak Yeon felt relieved as the atmosphere inside Righteous Heaven Hall softened.

Then the meaning of the phrase, “make a pot of porridge only for the dogs to gorge themselves on,” began to bother him.

It meant something like that had happened during the Eight Desolations Upheaval.

And he could vaguely make out what that “porridge” and those “dogs” referred to.

He had heard that, as a result of the Eight Desolations Upheaval, certain martial sects were now enjoying their greatest prosperity in history.

Among those sects, Wudang Sect was enjoying the greatest prosperity of all.

With an uncomfortable feeling in his chest, Kwak Yeon suddenly felt that this second Eight Desolations Upheaval lay on the same line of continuation as the first.

And not only because the demon heads of the Demonic Eight Divisions had broken out of the Martial Alliance’s Great Demon Prison and escaped.

As Kwak Yeon was briefly lost in thought, the Martial Alliance Leader Cheol Gun-ak spoke.

“In any case, I thank the two of you for bringing such important news at the right time.”

He praised Hu Gae and Kwak Yeon with an openly pleased expression, then continued.

“You can hear the result of the senior leaders’ council from the Grand Strategist later. Though, as always, it was a chaotic meeting full of obvious talk, so there likely won’t be much worth hearing.”

The Martial Alliance Leader Cheol Gun-ak stopped speaking for a moment and looked at the two of them before opening his mouth again.

“I called the two of you here for another reason.”

Hu Gae and Kwak Yeon raised their heads at the same time.

“That stubborn Grand Strategist standing over there said it would be best to hear the opinions of those who had dealt with the madmen directly. Hu Gae’s cleverness is something Beggar Clan Leader Yongdu always praises, is it not?”

Hu Gae blushed faintly.

“Alliance Leader, even a hedgehog thinks its own young are soft and pretty. You expect too much.”

The Martial Alliance Leader Cheol Gun-ak laughed heartily.

“Hu Gae, I hear you are one for bold words yourself, so there is no need to be so modest.”

“That was... something I said because I was drunk. Still, I will offer what little insight I have.”

After gaining Hu Gae’s surrender, the Martial Alliance Leader Cheol Gun-ak turned his gaze toward Kwak Yeon.

“The Grand Strategist insisted that we had to call you in particular and hear your thoughts.”

Grand Strategist Sagong Ui, who had remained silent until then, opened his mouth.

“Taoist Kwak, in the Strategists’ Office, did you not strike to the heart of the matter regarding the madmen’s great evil art? With such insight, I suspect you must have thought of some countermeasures as well.”

Kwak Yeon knew Grand Strategist Sagong Ui possessed outstanding wisdom, so he did not deny it.

“I would not call them grand countermeasures, but I have thought of several possible methods.”

Grand Strategist Sagong Ui brightened visibly.

“Taoist Kwak, the punitive campaign against the Demonic Eight Divisions was decided long ago and cannot be stopped. If we are to reduce the sacrifices of our fellow martial artists, your help is urgently needed. So please, say whatever comes to mind without holding back.”

Kwak Yeon had not come to the Martial Alliance merely to pass on information about the madmen, so he laid out every method he had considered.

“The inner power and true qi of the demon-path martial artists who received the great evil art are explosive, but their martial skill is lacking by comparison. If martial artists equipped with shields and other protective gear stand in the first line for defense, and masters trained in refined martial arts form ranks in the second line, they should not be at a great disadvantage.”

Grand Strategist Sagong Ui readily nodded.

“Preparing shields, armor, and the like will not be difficult.”

Martial artists disliked wearing protective gear, but in group warfare like this, there was no helping it.

“The true terror of those demon-path martial artists who have received the great evil art comes after the first battle, when they transform into madmen. The madmen possess several times their usual ability and go berserk in slaughter without distinguishing friend from foe. Therefore, when the demon-path martial artists are cut down in the first engagement, they must be killed with certainty. So I think it would be best to deploy martial artists who use long weapons and heavy weapons in the third line, so they can finish off the fallen demon-path martial artists.”

At Kwak Yeon’s words, Grand Strategist Sagong Ui’s face darkened.

He understood what “finish off” meant.

“It is truly a brutal operation. I worry that the respected elders of the orthodox martial world will find it hard to accept.”

Hu Gae abruptly spoke.

“Grand Strategist, if Brother Kwak, a Taoist, went so far as to think of such a cruel method, what does that tell you? Once anyone faces the madmen even once, they’ll fling that soft-hearted mercy tens of thousands of li away.”

“My apologies. As a bookish scholar, I said something idle.”

When Grand Strategist Sagong Ui looked embarrassed, Kwak Yeon quickly spoke.

“Grand Strategist, what worries me most is encountering the madmen in an enclosed space. If scouts are always sent ahead to examine the way during the advance, that danger can be avoided, but if such a situation occurs despite that, I believe the best course is to focus solely on defense and endure.”

“You mean to wait until the madmen’s life force runs out.”

“That is correct. In such cases, the great sects and great families have their own formations and will be able to prepare, but for smaller and mid-sized sects and families that do not, the Martial Alliance should prepare suitable formations and have them learn them.”

Grand Strategist Sagong Ui nodded.

“I will inform the Right Military Strategist, who serves as the Chief Strategist of the punitive force, and make sure there are no gaps in our preparations.”

The Martial Alliance Leader Cheol Gun-ak, who had been sitting in the grand chair and listening closely, spoke with satisfaction.

“As expected, the Grand Strategist was right. If I had not called the two of you here and met you in person, we might have paid a great price while doing nothing but arguing from behind a desk. Excellent!”

At the Martial Alliance Leader’s praise, Kwak Yeon said with an embarrassed expression, “Alliance Leader, they are only stopgap measures I was able to think of because I had observed several weaknesses in the madmen.”

“Oh? If that much is merely a stopgap measure, then if Taoist Kwak truly puts his mind to it, a proper strategy will emerge, will it not?”

“......?”

As Kwak Yeon tilted his head, not understanding the point of the Martial Alliance Leader’s question, the Martial Alliance Leader Cheol Gun-ak’s gaze was already turned toward Grand Strategist Sagong Ui.

“Grand Strategist, Taoist Kwak should personally deliver what he just said to the Right Military Strategist. No, there is no need to stop there. It would be better to have Taoist Kwak participate in formulating strategy as a member of the Strategists’ Office.”

Grand Strategist Sagong Ui said, “Alliance Leader, that is truly a sound idea. However, Taoist Kwak currently holds the status of an outsider...”

The fact that he was an outsider was one issue, but the greater shock lay in the idea of appointing him as a member of the Strategists’ Office.

The Strategists’ Office was the practical center that moved the Martial Alliance, so making such an offer to a visitor who had come here for the first time was an extraordinarily unconventional measure.

The Martial Alliance Leader Cheol Gun-ak asked Kwak Yeon, “Taoist Kwak, what do you think of my proposal?”

Kwak Yeon gave a silent bow and said, “I am truly grateful for your generous proposal, Alliance Leader. However, I have a mission I must carry out according to my late master’s will, so I find it difficult to accept.”

“By your late master, Taoist Kwak, you mean Unseon of Samryeong Palace.”

“That is correct.”

Kwak Yeon felt deeply moved that the Martial Alliance Leader, the Martial Supreme Venerable, referred to his late master, Unseon Taoist, with such respect, as though speaking of a transcendent immortal.

“If Unseon of Samryeong Palace left such a will, then it must surely be for the sake of the people under heaven. Is that not so?”

“That, too, is correct.”

“In that case, how would helping this alliance punish wicked men go against your late master’s dying wish?”

When the Martial Alliance Leader, the Martial Supreme Venerable, struck to the heart of the matter with his insight, Kwak Yeon had no choice but to clarify his current position.

“There is nothing wrong in what you say, Alliance Leader. I, too, believed I should naturally roll up my sleeves and lend my strength. However, there is one thing I must do before that, so I used my late master’s will as an excuse.”

The Martial Alliance Leader Cheol Gun-ak asked with a regretful expression, “If you have something you must do at once, Taoist Kwak, then why are you remaining here?”

“That is... because I can only determine my direction after meeting Elder Begs-for-All.”

“Then that settles it.”

“......?”

“That means you must stay here without moving a step while you wait for the Lord of the Jadeite Pavilion, does it not? Then during that time, at least, you should uphold your late master’s will.”

“Alliance Leader...?”

Ignoring Kwak Yeon’s call, the Martial Alliance Leader Cheol Gun-ak spoke to Grand Strategist Sagong Ui.

“Grand Strategist, receive my order.”

Grand Strategist Sagong Ui immediately bent at the waist.

“This Grand Strategist receives the Alliance Leader’s command.”

“Here, Taoist Kwak is a resident Taoist of Samryeong Palace of Mount Wudang and is not registered under any sect, so there is no issue with his status. Therefore, by the full authority of the Martial Alliance Leader, I appoint Taoist Kwak as Chief Secretary of the Alliance Leader’s Office.”

Grand Strategist Sagong Ui immediately clasped his crane-feather fan with both hands and responded.

“I receive your command.”

“Taoist Kwak will participate in Strategists’ Office meetings as Chief Secretary of the Alliance Leader’s Office, representing me. See that it is done.”

“There will be no objection.”

After deciding Kwak Yeon’s position in one swift sweep, the Martial Alliance Leader Cheol Gun-ak turned to Kwak Yeon himself, who was wearing a stunned expression.

“Taoist Kwak, if you ever wish to leave, you need only throw down your seal plaque and go, so do not argue. My ears are already ringing from listening to nearly twenty mouths bark at one another for two full double-hours today.”

Since the Martial Alliance Leader had gone so far as to say he was exhausted from the senior leaders’ council, Kwak Yeon found it difficult to add his own voice to that.

“.......”

The Martial Alliance Leader Cheol Gun-ak continued with a satisfied expression.

“I am sorry for forcing this on you, and I cannot make you work for free either, so I intend to give you one reward.”

Beside Kwak Yeon, Hu Gae, who had been watching this unbelievable turn of events in astonishment, perked up at the word reward, his eyes shining.

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