Wudang Sacred Scriptures

Kwak Yeon raised his head and saw a boy with an exceptionally sturdy build standing before him. It was a boy he knew well.
Seok Jangsan.
He was one of the two most outstanding trainees in the Byeong rank. Everyone assumed he would undoubtedly become a Main Sect Disciple, and the other trainees held him in quiet reverence.

Even the instructors treated him cautiously. After all, he was almost certain to rise as a Main Sect Disciple and become their superior in the future.
Kwak Yeon stared blankly, unsure why Seok Jangsan had appeared before him.
Seok Jangsan spoke without preamble.

"I need your help."
Kwak Yeon doubted his ears. But upon noticing the seriousness in Seok Jangsan’s expression, he straightened his posture.
"I didn’t hear you wrong, did I?"

"No, you didn’t," Seok Jangsan replied with a nod.
"I have no idea what you’re talking about. You’re recognized as the best trainee here. Why would you need my help?"
"I’ve never thought of myself that way. Everyone just judges me based on appearances."

Seok Jangsan’s face twisted with frustration.
"I’ve been watching you for a long time. That’s why I came to you."
Kwak Yeon realized that Seok Jangsan must have circumstances he couldn’t speak about openly. Given that he had approached him in the library at such a late hour, it was clear he wanted to keep this matter secret.

"And if you help me, I’ll help you in return."
"How do you plan to help me?"
"You don’t know how to properly use your tendons and bones. Relying on muscle strength alone won’t let you unleash true power."

Kwak Yeon nodded at Seok Jangsan’s words.
"I know I’m a bit lacking in terms of applying force properly. That’s why I’ve been picking up tips from some of the others."
"What I’m talking about isn’t temporary tricks like that. I’m referring to a training method that harmonizes bones and muscles. That’s why I said tendons and bones, not just muscles."
"If such a training method exists, why haven’t the instructors taught it?"

"Because most of the trainees already learned it."
“…What?”
Kwak Yeon’s eyes widened, and Seok Jangsan continued.

"You came in at the very end. You started after the basics had already been covered."
Kwak Yeon was stunned.
No one among the trainees had ever told him that. Not even Mae Jang-so’s group, nor the newer friends he had grown closer to recently.

"I’ll teach you everything I’ve learned through tendon and bone training. If you master it, passing the promotion test won’t be difficult."
Kwak Yeon, however, was too overcome with disappointment to fully process what Seok Jangsan was saying.
The words of Jang No-ya—the head cook—echoed in his ears, calling it foolish to sacrifice oneself for others.

"You’re different, aren’t you?"
Kwak Yeon fixed his gaze firmly on Seok Jangsan as he asked the question.
"Gratitude should be carved into stone."

Seok Jangsan’s voice trembled slightly as he spoke.
Kwak Yeon didn’t miss the bitter smile that crossed Seok Jangsan’s face when he mentioned ‘our family.’
It was clear that Seok Jangsan, like Kwak Yeon, had his own reasons for leaving home.

"I’m not particularly interested in the tendon and bone training method. But if I can help you, I will."
"Why?"
Seok Jangsan looked at him with surprise, quickly following up with another question.

"Don’t tell me you don’t want to pass the promotion test?"
"Of course, it’d be nice to get promoted. But I’m also wondering if I absolutely have to. My thoughts are complicated."
Kwak Yeon smiled bitterly before asking,

"Anyway, what’s your concern?"
"Promise me you’ll take this secret to your grave."
"I don’t come from a family with lofty mottos, but they did teach me one thing—never betray others."

Hearing that, Seok Jangsan glanced around, making sure the library was empty before speaking.
"I can’t read."
"…What?"

Kwak Yeon blinked in confusion.
"To be precise, I can read and write individual characters, but when the sentences get long, I can’t make sense of them."
Seok Jangsan’s expression was utterly dejected.

"If this gets out, I’ll be kicked out of the training hall immediately. And that’ll be the end of my life."
"You’ve got a body that’s practically built for martial arts. I doubt they’d kick you out just because you can’t interpret text. And saying it’d be the end of your life sounds too extreme."
"You’ve probably heard that Shaolin focuses on external techniques while Wudang emphasizes internal techniques, right? Wudang’s martial arts revolve around internal energy cultivation. That’s why even beginner trainees are made to study meridians and acupoints.

But the instructors only give a broad overview—they leave the deeper studies to us in the library."
Hearing this, Kwak Yeon began to understand the difficulty Seok Jangsan faced due to his limited reading comprehension.
"So you’re asking me to teach you about meridians because it’ll hold you back during the promotion test?"

"If it were just about the promotion test, I wouldn’t have come to you."
Seok Jangsan spoke with a calm determination.
"I absolutely have to become a Main Sect Disciple and a true martial artist. To do that, I need a complete understanding of meridians and acupoints."

Kwak Yeon felt a quiet sense of pride. Seok Jangsan’s request was proof that he acknowledged Kwak Yeon’s abilities.
But the moment Kwak Yeon imagined internal energy coursing through meridians and acupoints, it was as if a refreshing spring had burst forth in a corner of his previously stifled mind.
It was a powerful urge—a longing to experience the sensation of internal energy forming and flowing through his body firsthand.

For someone like Kwak Yeon, who had devoted himself to studying the twelve primary meridians, the secondary channels, the extraordinary vessels, and even the acupoints, such a desire was only natural. He had simply lacked the opportunity until now.
With eyes gleaming, Kwak Yeon looked at Seok Jangsan and said,
"I’ll gladly accept your help too."

"Didn’t you just say you didn’t need it earlier?"
"I just found a reason why I absolutely have to become a Main Sect Disciple."
A clear smile appeared on Kwak Yeon’s lips.

From that day forward, Kwak Yeon began teaching Seok Jangsan about the body’s meridians, while Seok Jangsan instructed Kwak Yeon in the tendon and bone training method.
With the promotion test drawing near, the trainees were each engrossed in their own training, allowing the two to meet without worrying about prying eyes.
“Ah! So that’s why the twelve meridians are connected to the six viscera and six bowels, not just the five viscera and six bowels!”

Seok Jangsan exclaimed in amazement after hearing Kwak Yeon’s explanation about the structure and function of the heart.
“If it weren’t for you, I’d have never understood that the heart pairs with the pericardium to form a set of six viscera. But how do you know so much about internal organs? Isn’t studying meridians and acupoints already overwhelming enough?”
Kwak Yeon looked a little embarrassed.

“I only focused on meridians and acupoints at first. But when the others started asking me questions, I realized my knowledge had gaps. For example, I learned about the circulation and flow of meridians, but I had no idea where it all began.”
“You’re not training to be a doctor, so that’s natural. Just studying meridians and acupoints is already an enormous task. Well, I’m glad I’m benefiting from all your studies.”
Hearing this, Kwak Yeon gazed at Seok Jangsan with admiration.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Honestly, I’m impressed by you. When they say someone understands ten things after learning one, they’re talking about you.”
Kwak Yeon wasn’t just flattering him.

Seok Jangsan’s ability to comprehend and retain information was unmatched.
In less than ten days, he had completely grasped the basics of meridians and acupoints, and now he was even taking an interest in studying the origins of the meridian system within the internal organs.
It was almost unbelievable that someone with such exceptional intelligence could struggle with dyslexia.

‘Maybe the heavens gave him that one flaw because he’s so overwhelmingly gifted in everything else.’
Even as he entertained that thought, Kwak Yeon felt a pang of bitterness.
Would Seok Jangsan have even spoken to him if not for his dyslexia?

That idea left him feeling slightly melancholic.
And if the heavens were truly fair, why hadn’t they given him even one of the many talents Seok Jangsan possessed? The resentment lingered in his heart.
“That’s because you’re an excellent teacher.”

Seok Jangsan’s words made Kwak Yeon shake his head.
“I’m not just saying it to be nice!”
“I’ve never once spoken empty words. That’s why I came to you.”

Seok Jangsan looked directly at Kwak Yeon and continued.
“When you explain things, the human body comes alive in my mind. The twelve meridians weaving between muscles and bones, the twelve primary channels, the collateral vessels, the extraordinary meridians, and the acupuncture points nestled within them—it’s like gazing at a star map in the night sky.
It’s something only someone with deep understanding could describe. I truly respect you for that.”

The sincerity in Seok Jangsan’s eyes made Kwak Yeon feel self-conscious.
“I owe you an apology. To be honest, I’ve been jealous of your talents all this time, and it left me feeling bitter. But hearing you say that makes me feel ashamed.”
“You’re more straightforward than I expected. Apologizing for something you didn’t even need to.”

“No, I had to!”
Kwak Yeon shook his head firmly.
“If I don’t, I’ll keep feeling guilty every time I look at you.”

Seok Jangsan stared at Kwak Yeon for a moment before speaking.
"Honestly, I should be the one feeling guilty. I’m receiving so much help from you, but you’re not getting the same in return."
Kwak Yeon shook his head vigorously once more.

"The tendon and bone training method you’re teaching me is incredible. It’s just that this disciple’s body is too weak to fully take advantage of it yet. But I’m getting used to it now, aren’t I? You saw it earlier yourself."
"If you keep working that hard, you won’t have any trouble passing the Byeong rank promotion test. After that, with your foundation solidified, you’ll improve even faster. And I’ll keep helping you so we can advance to the Main Sect together."
"Yeah!"

"But what’s with that face? Is there something else on your mind?"
"It’s nothing."
Kwak Yeon didn’t want to tell him about the instructors’ disapproval. He didn’t want to burden Seok Jangsan with unnecessary worries.

So he quickly changed the subject.
"Earlier, you said something about how you ended up here because you couldn’t make empty promises. What did you mean by that?"
Seok Jangsan’s expression darkened, and Kwak Yeon immediately regretted asking.

"That was a careless question. I’m sorry."
"You don’t need to apologize."
Seok Jangsan shook his head and gave a bitter smile before continuing.

"I’m an illegitimate child of the Seok Clan in Chang’an."
Kwak Yeon was stunned by the revelation.
Though he lacked extensive knowledge of the martial world, he was aware that the Seok Clan was one of the four major branch families tied to the Wudang Sect.

In name, they were merely secular families, but in practice, they functioned as extensions of the Wudang Sect itself.
The core members of these branch families were all legitimate disciples of the Main Sect.