Wudang Sacred Scriptures

"Is that so."
Wang Cheol-go gave a small nod and said,

"I’ll go ahead and secure a spot. Taoist-nim, please take your time coming."
He couldn’t bring himself to say that Kwak Yeon didn’t need to come at all. After all, there was nothing he could do to cure his son’s aphasia.
"If you stop by Lord Daejehak’s Teukseon Inn and ask around, they should be able to direct you to where we’re staying. All the refugees seem to start there first anyway."

Kwak Yeon turned to So Cheong, who was peeking out shyly from behind her mother’s skirt.
"I’ll see you again soon."
"……"

So Cheong buried her face back into the folds of her mother’s skirt.
Haa…
Watching Wang Cheol-go’s family join the other refugees and depart, Kwak Yeon finally turned around.
At the ferry, the constables were still busy recording the identities of the refugees in their registers.

Good… nothing happened.
Feeling a sense of relief, Kwak Yeon began to walk away from the ferry when he spotted some figures watching the dock from the upper windows of a nearby teahouse.
Huh? Martial artists!

A cold-looking man in a finely embroidered martial robe was seated, and three or four armed men were standing nearby.
Judging by the escort, this wasn’t an ordinary martial artist.
But why are they observing the ferry?

More precisely, they were watching the constables as they logged the refugees’ personal information.
Kwak Yeon turned his gaze away, convinced they weren’t looking for him, and headed into the market streets.
But after a few steps, a chill ran down his spine, and he instinctively looked up.

"……!"
From the third-floor window of a large teahouse, someone was staring directly at him.
Despite the distance, Kwak Yeon clearly recognized the person’s features.

An old woman with long, flowing white hair—
But her face was strikingly youthful.
A master who has reversed aging!

Their eyes met.
She’s been watching me all this time.
Unlike the others at the teahouse, she made no attempt to avoid his gaze. It was clear she knew who he was.

There was another woman beside the white-haired, youthful-faced elder, but Kwak Yeon couldn’t focus on anyone else.
He looked for a moment longer, then turned away.
If they had business with him, they’d appear.
I’ll find out the reason then.

With that thought, Kwak Yeon strolled leisurely through the marketplace.
Eventually, he found the antique shop he’d been looking for.
"Welcome!"

The shopkeeper greeted him warmly.
"Looking for something in particular?"
Since it was rare for a young man to enter an antique shop, the owner’s eyes lit up with expectation.

Unless he was looking for a gift for a sweetheart, there weren’t many reasons for someone his age to come here. Most likely, he was unfamiliar with the market, making him easy prey.
"I’m looking for marbles," Kwak Yeon asked without hesitation.
"Marbles? Of course! We have gold marbles, silver marbles, jade marbles—a great many. This way, please. If it’s for a young lady’s ornament, I recommend gold marbles. The bigger, the better, you know."

As the shopkeeper opened a lacquered case, luminous marbles sparkled within.
Kwak Yeon made an awkward face.
"Not those kinds of treasures. I’m looking for the kind of marbles children play with."

Disappointment washed over the shopkeeper’s face.
"Ah, you’re looking for toys for your niece, then. I do happen to have a few glass marbles from Hangzhou."
Glass marbles were expensive.

Not on par with jewel marbles, but they still offered decent profit margins.
"If it’s for a girl, ones with flower patterns are best. For a boy, ones tinted with ink would suit better."
But Kwak Yeon thought fancy glass marbles might cause unnecessary trouble.

"Simple ceramic ones will do."
The shopkeeper’s brow furrowed.
His hopes had just crumbled.

Even if he sold ten of those, he’d only make a few coppers.
"They’re in the back corner. Pick as many as you want. Ten for five pun."
Understanding the man’s irritation, Kwak Yeon said nothing and walked over to the indicated spot.

A box full of misshapen, uneven ceramic marbles sat there.
He’d have to pick carefully to find ones that actually functioned as marbles.
— Clatter! Clack!

While Kwak Yeon focused intently, sorting through the box to find decent ceramic marbles...
"Why would a Taoist from the mountains need marbles?"
A woman’s voice suddenly broke the silence, and Kwak Yeon turned his head.

A young woman in colorful traveling clothes stood before him.
Perhaps just over twenty.
Her beauty was striking—impossible to miss.

And, of course, Kwak Yeon immediately recognized her as the woman who had been beside the white-haired, youthful-faced elder.
He looked at her for a moment, then turned his gaze back to the marble box.
"Hey, when someone asks a question, shouldn’t you answer?"

At her irritated tone, Kwak Yeon responded.
"Was that directed at me?"
The woman’s expression twisted in disbelief.

"Are you seriously pretending you’re not that Taoist?"
"Taoist? Who are you referring to?"
"Who else? The Lay Daoist of Samnyeonggung from Mount Wudang!"

"Then yes, you’ve come to the right person."
He replied indifferently and returned to picking through the box.
The woman, now even more bewildered, asked,

"Don’t you even want to know why I’m here?"
"I do."
"Then why aren’t you asking who I am or why I came?"

"Would you please be quiet for a moment?"
"……?"
"Let me finish picking the marbles first. Then we’ll discuss why your grandmother is looking for me."

"You… what kind of person—"
"Shh."
"……!"

While the woman stood there speechless, Kwak Yeon selected ten marbles and approached the shopkeeper.
"Put them in a pouch."
"The pouch costs an extra two pun."

Kwak Yeon handed over a silver tael, prompting the shopkeeper to frown.
"I don’t have change for this."
The shopkeeper glanced at the woman, and Kwak Yeon instantly saw through the well-worn tactics of an experienced merchant.

He felt a bit annoyed, but didn’t want to waste inner energy over something so petty, so he turned to the woman.
"Miss, why don’t you pick one?"
It was an utterly absurd thing to say, especially coming from a woman.

“What kind of stunt do you think you’re pulling?”
As the young woman’s eyes flared with irritation, Kwak Yeon replied dryly,
“It’s not a stunt. I’m simply compensating you for running your grandmother’s errand. If you really don’t want it, then don’t pick anything.”

“……”
“Shopkeeper, you can keep the rest.”
“Truly? Well then, thank you very much…”

— Tap!
A hairpin with a butterfly pattern dropped in front of the shopkeeper.
“I’ll take this one. I happened to lose my old comb.”

“……”
As Kwak Yeon silently looked at her, the woman sniffed and said,
“Thinking it over, it’d be rude to ignore such a sincere gesture.”

At those words, the shopkeeper’s face contorted slightly.
The moment they stepped out of the antique shop, the young woman threw her name out casually.
“My name’s Joo Yeoryeong.”

Kwak Yeon looked at her for a moment before replying,
“I am Kwak Yeon, Lay Daoist of Samnyeonggung on Mount Wudang.”
“You think I don’t know who you are?”

“I know you do.”
“Afraid someone might deny you’re the Cave Daoist? You really are rigid.”
“It’s not because I’m rigid. I simply wanted to greet you properly. For ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ your grandmother’s sake.”

“……!”
Joo Yeoryeong blinked in momentary surprise before replying,
“No matter who you are, I can’t reveal the name of our sect.”

“……?”
“Obviously, I’m here because Master Ancestor sent me to meet you.”
From the way she referred to the white-haired elder as Sajo, Kwak Yeon could tell her sect was composed entirely of women.

If it were a standard sect, she would have said Sajogo or Sajomo, reflecting the elder’s gender.
Still, Kwak Yeon figured her intentions weren’t malicious.
She had shown herself openly and hadn’t hidden her name—that said enough.

“Where is your grandmother now? Let’s go and meet her.”
“Master Ancestor had urgent business and left.”
“……?”

Kwak Yeon was dumbfounded.
She recognized him, even sent her personal disciple… and then just left?
Something must’ve come up urgently.

Suppressing his bewilderment, Kwak Yeon asked,
“Very well, then what message did your grandmother leave for me?”
“A message?”

Joo Yeoryeong let out a weary sigh and replied,
“You really are stiff, aren’t you? You could just ask, ‘What did she say?’ Why dress it up like that?”
Kwak Yeon looked at her for a beat, then exhaled.

“I said it that way out of respect for your grandmother. She must be a senior of the martial world.”
“No need to be that formal. She’s not even here right now.”
“Do you only show respect when the elder is in front of you, Miss Joo? And it disappears when they’re gone?”

“Of course not.”
Frowning slightly at his sharp rebuke, Joo Yeoryeong countered,
“Then do you only feel respect when you’re being formal?”

It was a cheeky counterattack, but sharp nonetheless—so Kwak Yeon simply nodded.
“That’s fair.”
Joo Yeoryeong seemed a bit deflated by how easily he conceded.

“Fine then, tell me. What did your grandmother say to me?”
“She didn’t tell me to say anything to you.”
“……?”

Kwak Yeon spoke up again.
“Still upset, are you?”
“I’m not.”

“Then why do you keep lying?”
“I’m not lying.”
“Then why did your grandmother tell you to come see me?”

“She told me… to stay with you for a while.”
At this point, Kwak Yeon was no longer just confused—he was beginning to suspect this girl was simply toying with him.
“Miss Joo, if this is a joke, stop now. If you have no message, then please be on your way.”

He turned away, clearly unwilling to keep engaging. But Joo Yeoryeong hurried to his side and stuck close.
With a sigh, Kwak Yeon stopped and said,
“Why are you doing this?”

“I told you. I have to stay with you.”
Now irritated, Kwak Yeon glared at her.
“Don’t look at me like that. I don’t want to be with you either. You’re stiff, no fun at all. But I’m doing this for your sake, Taoist.”

“For my sake? What kind of nonsense is that?”
“Our Master Ancestor never lets people off the hook when they disobey her.”
“I’ve never even met your grandmother. How could I disobey her when I’ve never received any instructions?”

“But I told you she told me to stay with you, didn’t I? So now you have to comply.”
Kwak Yeon finally lost his temper and raised his voice.
“Miss Joo! I am not your grandmother’s grandson! Why should I obey such absurd orders?”

“……”
Joo Yeoryeong widened her eyes at him, then finally spoke.
“If you don’t…”

She bit her lip, then finished quietly—
“…you’ll die.”