Wudang Sacred Scriptures

“Grand Strategist.”

Hu Gae swallowed when he saw Martial Alliance Leader Cheol Gun-ak call for Grand Strategist Sagong Ui.

“Alliance Leader, give your command.”

“I intend to send a letter to the Alliance of the Demonic Path’s leader before the day is out. Draft it and bring it to me.”

Hu Gae’s eyes flew wide at the Martial Alliance Leader’s words.

The one-million-gold public commission the Alliance of the Demonic Path placed on Brother Kwak!

If not for that, what reason would the Martial Supreme Venerable, the Martial Alliance Leader, have to send a letter to Saryejon, the leader of the Alliance of the Demonic Path, as a reward for Kwak Yeon?

And sure enough—

“Write that since Taoist Kwak has taken on an important post in the Martial Alliance, I ask him to withdraw the Alliance of the Demonic Path’s private grudge against him.”

Even though he had expected the Martial Alliance Leader’s intent, Hu Gae still flinched in surprise.

Heaven above. The Martial Alliance Leader is asking the leader of the Alliance of the Demonic Path for a favor?

Even ordinary martial artists could not easily ask favors, because they then bore an obligation to answer the other party’s requests in turn.

Martial Alliance Leader Cheol Gun-ak spoke of it lightly as a favor, but the meaning within those words was enormous.

The Martial Alliance, the Heavenly Demon Cult, and the Alliance of the Demonic Path were said to stand in a three-way balance of power, but in practice, the Martial Alliance was the force that ruled the martial world.

How heavy, then, would a request from the supreme figure of that Martial Alliance be?

“Alliance Leader, please withdraw that command.”

That was why Kwak Yeon hurriedly bowed his head and cried out.

“I truly cannot bear placing such a heavy burden on you over my personal affairs.”

It was obvious that Saryejon, leader of the Alliance of the Demonic Path, would later make some difficult demand of the Martial Alliance Leader in exchange for this favor.

“Taoist Kwak—no, Chief Secretary Kwak. I will not withdraw my command, so say no more.”

Martial Alliance Leader Cheol Gun-ak firmly shook his head, then turned to Grand Strategist Sagong Ui.

“Grand Strategist, draft the letter as ordered and bring it to me.”

“I will have it prepared by the end of the Monkey Hour.”

Martial Alliance Leader Cheol Gun-ak looked at Kwak Yeon, whose face was troubled.

“I know this is not such a great reward for you, Chief Secretary Kwak. A trifling commission like that could not even touch the hem of your robe.”

He could say that because he had seen through Kwak Yeon’s realm with precision.

“......Then why take on such a heavy burden?”

Kwak Yeon had already decided that he would soon settle his grudge with the Alliance of the Demonic Path.

But the Alliance of the Demonic Path was the sovereign of the black path, and he could not help worrying over the fact that the process would spill a great deal of blood.

He had never imagined that such an unexpected helping hand might resolve that difficult problem.

“Because even if small fry cannot touch the hem of your robe, they can disturb your mental state.”

“......!”

“Needlessly staining your sword with blood, and innocent people being harmed in the process, will also disturb your mental state.”

At the Martial Alliance Leader’s next words, Kwak Yeon’s mind flashed clear.

“If one wishes to go far, one must first hold one’s heart wide. That is the principle of the world.”

Kwak Yeon realized that the Martial Supreme Venerable, the Martial Alliance Leader, was giving a teaching by analogy to a junior standing before the wall.

He was telling him that he had to climb the wall with a tranquil mental state.

To do so, he had to govern his heart and not be swayed by outside affairs.

Until now, Kwak Yeon had thought only of climbing the wall. He had paid no attention to the chaos surrounding him.

He had believed it would be enough to cut down and punish whatever came his way.

I ran wild like a reckless child, without even knowing what mattered.

Before the towering wall of the Entrance-to-Divinity Realm, such petty grudges were worthless things.

Kwak Yeon realized that the Martial Supreme Venerable removing the Alliance of the Demonic Path’s public commission was, in truth, an enormous reward.

It was meant to allow him to focus wholly on the wall of the Entrance-to-Divinity Realm.

“Thank you for your consideration, Alliance Leader.”

Kwak Yeon bowed deeply to the Martial Supreme Venerable, then continued.

“And I will also keep your teaching in mind.”

“Chief Secretary Kwak, I merely spoke one principle of the world. I never gave any teaching.”

Martial Alliance Leader Cheol Gun-ak shook his head vigorously, then looked over those present with an annoyed expression.

“All of you may leave now.”

*****

“Welcome back.”

Jin Cheongha greeted the two of them as they entered the guest residence.

“Sister Jin, I am sorry we left you alone in an empty guest residence.”

“Sub-Branch Master, you do not need to apologize.”

Jin Cheongha shook her head and continued.

“It was nice to have time to myself for once.”

“Huh. It seems Sister Jin must have been quite uncomfortable with us around all this time.”

Jin Cheongha startled and waved both hands.

“Sub-Branch Master, that is absolutely not what I meant!”

“Sister Jin, I was only joking.”

Hu Gae chuckled and went on.

“But why be frightened half out of your wits over it? Were you perhaps training in some secret martial °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° art that can only be practiced alone?”

Jin Cheongha hurriedly shook her head.

“What special secret martial art would I have? I did try moving through my own martial arts to pass the time, but.......”

It was not untrue, since she had taken advantage of being alone to use the Underworld Trace-Free Divine Technique and look around the guest residence.

Kwak Yeon abruptly cut in.

“Brother, why are you interrogating Lady Jin so closely? It is not as though you have ever taught her even a single move.”

Hu Gae spoke with a sullen expression.

“Hey, do you think I avoided it because I wanted to? All the martial arts I learned are ghastly things for beating dogs. They do not suit Sister Jin.”

After grumbling to his heart’s content, Hu Gae spoke as though arguing with him.

“Instead of saying that to me, why not have you, Brother Kwak, who loves dancing wildly all night, transmit a move to her?”

When Hu Gae jabbed at the fact that Kwak Yeon had taught martial arts to his Hall of Heroic Martiality classmates at the Aju County guesthouse, Kwak Yeon could only shake his head.

“Lady Jin, Brother feels guilty that only the two of us went to the Alliance Leader’s Office, so please understand.”

Jin Cheongha smiled faintly and nodded.

“Thank you both for taking such careful care of me.”

Seeing the darkness in Jin Cheongha’s smile, Kwak Yeon realized she felt guilty inside.

Just how important is this clue, for her to search so diligently?

Even if staying in the guest residence spared her the trouble of crossing the walls between the Martial Alliance’s outer fortress and inner fortress, the danger was hardly small.

As befitted a restricted area, guards were stationed everywhere inside the Martial Alliance’s inner fortress, and patrol guards came and went frequently.

It was something he could not know unless Jin Cheongha chose to speak first, so Kwak Yeon emptied his mind of it.

“Ahem!”

Hu Gae cleared his throat for no reason, trying to dispel the awkwardness, then said,

“Sister Jin, I have one piece of good news.”

“......?”

Hu Gae proudly spoke to Jin Cheongha, whose eyes had begun to sparkle.

“Brother Kwak has become Chief Secretary of the Alliance Leader’s Office. So from now on, call him Chief Secretary Kwak instead of Taoist Kwak.”

Jin Cheongha’s face brightened.

“Congratulations, Chief Secretary Kwak.”

Faced with Jin Cheongha’s wholly unshadowed reaction, Kwak Yeon felt embarrassed.

“Lady Jin, it is a position I had no choice but to accept temporarily.”

“To be precise, it is not temporary.”

Hu Gae tactlessly cut in.

“Because the authority to step down from that post belongs only to you.”

“Brother, that is precisely why I say the same thing. It is a position I can quit whenever I choose, so what temporary post could be more temporary than that?”

“Well. I wonder whether it will truly go according to your wishes.”

“What do you mean by that?”

When Kwak Yeon looked at him in disbelief, Hu Gae smiled.

“I found myself thinking that the Alliance Leader did not place a bridle on you for no reason. Perhaps he did it because he knows your nature, that you cannot stand leaving a debt unpaid.......”

Kwak Yeon flinched at Hu Gae’s suggestion that the Alliance Leader had an intention behind removing the Alliance of the Demonic Path’s public commission.

“On top of that, as a lowly hand like me, I had no idea what he was saying, but he gave you a teaching too.”

“......!”

When Kwak Yeon’s expression hardened, Hu Gae drove the wedge in.

“Is it an ordinary thing for the Alliance Leader to entrust someone with the post of Chief Secretary—and on top of that, to have him act as his representative?”

Kwak Yeon felt uneasy in a corner of his heart, but he decided there was no particular reason the Alliance Leader would want anything from him and said,

“Your problem, Brother, is that you exaggerate too much. The Alliance Leader limited it to representing him in the Strategists’ Office meetings.”

At Kwak Yeon’s rebuttal, Hu Gae nodded.

“Well, if that makes you comfortable, let us leave it at that.”

“Brother.......”

“Brother Kwak, let us stop talking about this. Whether I exaggerated or not, it is a good thing either way, is it not? No one will be able to ignore the opinion of the Chief Secretary representing the Alliance Leader. If that can reduce even one person’s sacrifice, then it is a good thing.”

When Hu Gae backed out like that, Kwak Yeon lost his momentum. Hu Gae’s words were also correct.

How much sacrifice will I truly be able to reduce?

No matter how hard he tried, there was no way to prevent a brutal slaughter from taking place.

Sensing that the air in the hall had grown heavy, Jin Cheongha carefully spoke.

“Then, will you be moving to the Alliance Leader’s Office, Chief Secretary Kwak?”

Since he had taken on an important post in the Alliance Leader’s Office, she was asking because it seemed natural that he would go there.

Kwak Yeon lightly shook his head.

“I agreed to stay at the guest residence for the time being. I will mostly have to work at the Strategists’ Office, and I must see Elder Begs-for-All as soon as he arrives.”

“Ah! I see.”

Hu Gae turned to Jin Cheongha.

“Sister Jin, you will likely spend a great deal of time alone at the guest residence for the time being. Only after my grand-martial uncle arrives will you formally receive your affiliation and duties.”

“Sub-Branch Master, please do not worry about me. I can spend my time alone training in martial arts.”

“That is right!”

Hu Gae nodded and continued.

“Anyway, let us fill our bellies now. Why is it that everywhere we go in this blasted Martial Alliance, not a single place offers even a cup of cold water?”

Hu Gae felt truly wronged that neither the Alliance Leader’s Office nor the Grand Strategist’s hall in the Strategists’ Office, which he had visited afterward, had offered him so much as a cup of tea, let alone liquor.

“How do they not know that, to a beggar, a meal is more important than life? Damn it!”

Jin Cheongha sprang to her feet.

“Sub-Branch Master, I will hurry to the guest residence kitchen.”

By the time the three of them finished their late lunch, a guard from the Strategists’ Office came to the guest residence.

“Chief Secretary Kwak, the council of the three Military Strategists will begin shortly, so I have come to escort you.”

Kwak Yeon rose from his seat.

“I will go and return.”

“Go without worrying.”

Watching Kwak Yeon leave through the detached annex door, Hu Gae let out a relieved sigh.

“Whew!”

It was because Kwak Yeon would be busy with the Strategists’ Office for the time being, which meant he would have no chance to run into the Fire Dragon of the Jegal Family.

Not understanding why, Jin Cheongha looked at Hu Gae.

“Sub-Branch Master, why did you suddenly sigh?”

Only then did Hu Gae realize he had sighed out loud without noticing.

Though it was because he felt comfortable around Jin Cheongha, he could not tell her everything he was thinking, so he gave a roundabout answer.

“It feels like watching a child left by the water.”

“......!”

Feeling awkward, Hu Gae immediately continued.

“Well, that was nonsense. I know what realm Brother Kwak has reached.”

Jin Cheongha said quietly,

“Perhaps no matter how high his realm is, in your eyes, he is still your younger brother.”

“.......”

This time, Jin Cheongha hurriedly continued.

“I’m sorry. The relationship between you two looked so lovely that I just.......”

“No need to apologize.”

Hu Gae shook his head and continued.

“It is embarrassing to hear it said to my face, but it feels good.”

“......!”

“In any case, I should go to the Jadeite Pavilion as well. Sister Jin, rest here by yourself.”

“Please...... do not worry about me at all.”

Jin Cheongha quickly gave a silent bow in order to hide the shadow that had bloomed across her face.

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