heinstantheheardthewordsumanffering,theformlessanxietyinKwakYeon’shearttookonsubstanceandshoweditsface.henitsettoworkwithoutrcy,gougingathischest.
“Wordsaretheartofcallingillusionsintoreality,soonemustalwaysspeakwithcare.”
enowunderstood,vividly,whatyeonhaeaoisthadantwhenhewarnedhimtobecautiouswithspeech.
hemontyoudefineanimaginedthinginwords,itceasestobeanillusionandbecosareality.
KwakYeonhadbeenforcinghimselftobelievethattheSageaoisthadonlybeenabductedandhadnotyetsufferedmisfortune.
Butthebottomofhisheartinsistedotherwise.
ecouldnotdenythathehadborrowedChwiDugae’smouthbecausehelackedthecouragetofaceahorrificrealityhimself.
Fromthemonthesawthroughthattheywerenorekidnappers,thebalefulwordhadbeenturningoverinhismind.
SeeingKwakYeon’sdevastatedcomplexion,ChwiDugaeopenedhismouthatlast,tryingbelatedlytodousethefireofanxietyhehadkindled.
“BrotherKwak,itmaybeleapttoofarwiththatconjecture.”
SeeingtheembarrassedlookonChwiDugae’sface,KwakYeonfeltsorry.
“o.ntruth,wasthinkingthesa.lackedthecourageandsoughtconfirmationthroughyou.fanything,shouldapologize.”
AtKwakYeon’scandidconfession,ChwiDugaefeltsoweightliftfromhisheart.
ChwiDugaeknewthatthewayhespokehismindwithoutwatchingforpeople’sfeelingscausedpain,yethefoundithardtochange.
hathabithadhimforeverclashingwithhismasteraswell.
avingresolvedthatifhecouldnotcurethehabithemightaswellmakeuseofit,ChwiDugaequietlywenton.
“t’sgivingyouasicknessthesizeofajarandhandingoverdicinethesizeofmousedroppings,but—eveniftheyabductedforthatpurpose,theymaystillnothaveperfordauman...no,nothavedonethefouldeedyet.”
BecauseheknewChwiDugaespoketoconsolehim,KwakYeononlynoddedinsilence.
“heywillnothave.”
“Morethanthat,theysurelydidn’tknowtheSageaoistwasWudang’sdisciplewhentheytookhim.fso,theymaybeallthemoreunabletoactrashly.”
herewassosenseinwhatChwiDugaesaid.Buttheoppositewasjustaslikely:theSageaoistmightbeingreaterdanger.
heywouldnotwanttheirdeedknowntotheWudangSect.
avingsaidit,ChwiDugaeinwardlyregrettedit.
Damn,shouldn’thavesaidthat...
hearrowalreadyloosed,ChwiDugaehurriedon.
“BrotherKwak,inanycase,don’tlosehope.hisolderbrotherwillhelpaswell.”
KwakYeonspoketowardChwiDugae.
“’mgratefulfortheheartbehindit.Butshouldn’tyougototheMartialAlliance?”
“Assaidbefore,theeroesAssemblyrunsthewholemonth;there’splentyofti.fgonow,there’snothingtodobutwatchgreenyouthscrossswords.Aboveall,thisissothingcannothelpbutinvestigate.here’ssurelyagreatplotatwork.”
“...”
“Mythought,but—theyseemonadifferentlevelfromthehiddenhandthatstagedthecoupintheaoSect.fcourse,thetwomaynotbeseparateorganizations.”
KwakYeonwasthinkingalongsimilarlines.o—onestepfurther:itmightbetiedtothebalefulqithatwasshroudingtherealmfromtheshadows.
fthisincidentwasapieceofthatbalefulqi,thentheSageaoist’ssituationwasalltheworse,andhisheartgrewheavier.
hisisn’tthetitositandworry.
SettingasidehisconcernfortheSageaoistforthemont,KwakYeonaskedChwiDugae:
“Brother,whatkindofpeoplewoulddosuchathing?”
“Withsolittleinformation,can’tsayforcertain,butthey’renoordinarylot.”
hinkingitfortunatethatChwiDugae—wellversedinthewaysofthemartialworld—waswithhim,KwakYeonlistenedclosely.
“Fromthefacttheyabductedaoistsandditatingmonkswhohadn’tlearnedmartialarts,they’renotoneswhousedemonicartslikethessence-DrainingDemonicArt.hat’swhysaidumanfferingseemstobetheaim.”
houghthessence-DrainingDemonicArtwasawickeddemonicart,itwasstillrecognizedasathodwithinthewayofmartialcultivation.fcourse,thosewholearneditwerebrandeddemonsanddrivenoutwithoutrcy.
“nanycase,asknowit,theBloodSectthatvanishedahundredyearsagopracticedumanffering.Moreover,theybelievedofferingupthosewhohadcultivatedimmortalbreathworkedbetterthanusingcommonfolk.”
“henhastheBloodSectreappeared?”
“Judgingbytheiractionssofar,itfits—butcan’tdeclareittheBloodSect.”
ChwiDugaeshookhisheadandcontinued.
“fitbringsthempower,outcastsanddeviantswilldoanything—andthemartialworldisfullofsuchn.”
WhenChwiDugaentionedtheBloodSect,KwakYeoncouldhearasubtlefearinhisvoice.
KwakYeontoohadheardthatahundredyearsagotheBloodSectwasanabsoluteterrorinthemartialworld.edidn’tknowwhytheyweresofearso,norwhytheyvanishedallatonce.
eunderstoodthatChwiDugaewasinwardlyhopingthesewerenottheBloodSect.
KwakYeonnoddedreadilytoChwiDugae’swordsandspoke.
“henthere’snothingforitbuttofindoutdirectly.”
****
uardianlderWoljeongZhenrenwaswaitingforKwakYeonandChwiDugaeastheydescendedtotheWuyiSect’sguesthall.
“Ah!You’recomingdown.”
isexpressionwassevere,buthedidnotcompletelyhidethelookofrelief.
twasnojoytohaveoutsiderslingerwithinthesect.hesetwowereuninvitedbesides.
avingshoulderedoffahardburdenuponthem,heplainlywishedtosendthemontheirwayswiftly.
“fyouwouldreachSeonyangCountybeforedark,itwouldbebesttomakehaste.”
WoljeongZhenrenhadalreadyturnedhisbodytowardthemountaingate.
Atthatmont,KwakYeonspokeout.
“uardianlder,beforewedepart,wouldlikeafewwordswiththemmortalodge’snovice.”
“Whythemmortalodge’snovice...?”
WoljeongZhenren’sface,turnedback,stiffenedslightly.
“Doyouantoholdthissecttoaccount?”
AtWoljeongZhenren’sexcessivereaction,KwakYeonfeltastirofforeboding.
“assothinghappenedtothemmortalodge’snovice?”
Atthepointedquestion,WoljeongZhenrenflinched.henheletoutalowsighandspoke.
“t’snotthatweanttoconcealit.Wesimplydidnotsayitforfearofstirringuprumors.”
“uardianlder,knowtheWuyiSect’sposition.heintentionwasgood,andtheresultturnedoutthus.”
AtKwakYeon’swords,WoljeongZhenren’srigidfaceeasedalittle,andhesaid:
“otlongaftertheincident,themmortalodge’snovicewentdownthemountain.hingsweresounsettledthatweonlylearneditafterafewdays.”
“Withouttheelders’leave?”
“Justso.”
odding,WoljeongZhenrenwenton.
“hemmortalhosthadtakenthechildinpersonallyasanoviceandhadnotenteredhimintheregistry,sowehadnoparticularreasontoholdhimbackonceheleft.”
“Wasthereasonthemmortalhosttookhiminasanovicetiedtothatclassictext?”
WoljeongZhenren’seyeswidenedashelookedatKwakYeon.
“owdidyou...?”
ChwiDugaealsostaredatKwakYeoninfranksurprise.
“Kwakaoist,trulyastonishing.”
WoljeongZhenrenbobbedhisheadandcontinued.
“heboyfoundthatclassicwhilegatheringwoodinthemountainsandcatothemmortalhost.esaidhewantedtostudytheclassichimself,sowekepthimfirstasthemmortalodge’snovice.”
KwakYeoncouldtellthatevenwithintheWuyiSecttherehadbeenuneaseaboutthemmortalodge’soverlycleanstate.
Whenthemmortalodge’snovicevanishedofasudden,theywouldhavesuspectedallthemore,butwithhimalreadygonetheyhadsimplyburiedit.
WhenKwakYeonkeptsilenceafterhearingWoljeongZhenren’sanswer,thestifledChwiDugaeasked:
“Zhenren,youanthere’snowayatalltofindthenovice?”
“AllweknowisthenaokSangchil,thathe’ssixteenorseventeen,withabroad,flatface.fwegototheibraryPavilionandsearchtheregister,wemightatleastlearnhishovillage.”
“nthatcase,atleast—”
KwakYeoncutin.
“Brother,that’senough.”
“m?”
KwakYeonjoinedhispalmstowardWoljeongZhenrenandbowed.
“uardianlder,’msorrytohavetroubledthetemple.hankstoyourparticularcare,wewereabletofindtracesofmyseniorbrother.hankyou.”
Withaperplexedlook,WoljeongZhenrenreturnedthebowandsaid:
“Kwakaoist,’msorrytohave[]laidahardburdenuponyou.PleasereporttoMountWudanginfullthatthisisbeyondoursect’sabilitytohandle.”
“will,ofcourse.wouldaskthatyoukeepmyseniorbrother’stravelpackinyoursafekeepingforati.”
“hatweshalldoasamatterofcourse.nanycase,weearnestlyawaitthedaywhentheSageaoistandallfellowaoistsreturnthroughthisgatewholeinbody.”
****
“What—earnestlyawait?”
osoonerhadtheypassedoutthroughtheWuyiSect’smountaingatethanChwiDugaegrumbled.
“ruly,ifheisn’tatalkingaoist—whataslicktongue.owcanhe,inthissituation,say‘wholeinbody’...mm!”
ChwiDugaeswallowedthewordsfastandlookedatKwakYeon.
“BrotherKwak,it’snotthatdon’twishforit.t’sjustthatthesightofthatoldaoistbeingsobrazengalls.heyhidthenovice’sflighttosavetheirownskins.”
KwakYeonnoddedreadily.
“owcouldnotknowyourheart?Andwhenyou’rewith,speakfreelyofanything.”
edidnotbothertosaythathelikedhowChwiDugae,unlikehim,spokewithoutreserve.
Whenhewasdowncast,hisfaceshowedit;whenhedislikedsothing,hecouldnothelpbutshowit.efoundhimselfstifling.
vennow,hewantedtoshoutatthetopofhislungsandcallforhisseniorbrother.
willfindyou.ndure.
nlythenwouldthebalefulfeelingease.
Butintheevent,heonlypileditupinhisheart.
“BrotherKwak,whydidn’tyouaskthenovice’shovillage?”
Perhapsemboldenedbybeingtoldtospeakfreely,ChwiDugaeopenedatonce.
“venifit’safabrication,youneverknow.”
“owoftendocoincidencesstackupsomanytis?here’snoreasontowastepreciousticonfirmingwhat’saforegoneconclusion.”
ChwiDugaehadtoconcedethatpoint.
Awood-gatheringboyfindsanoldclassicinahiddencave,seeksoutthemmortalhost,andvolunteersasanovice.hen,whentheboyhappenstobeaway,theentiremmortalodgevanishesasifspiritedaway,andafewdayslatertheboyfleesthemountain—itcouldneverbecalledcoincidence.
ChwiDugaewasconvincedthenovicehadactedasaninsiderandhelpedmakeithappen.
henovicemusthavegiventhemmortalodgeaoistsasleepingdraught,sononeawoke.
venso,heaskedontheoffchancebecausetheyhadnoproperwaytopursuetheculpritsatonce.
thadbeenoversevenmonths;trackingbytraceswasimpossible.
ChwiDugae,frustrated,grumbledagain.
“BrotherKwak,ifwe’retosaveti,doyouhaveaway?”
KwakYeonnodded.
“do.”
“...?”
ChwiDugae’sroundeyesflashedopen.
ehadonlybeengrumbling;hehadnottrulyexpectedananswer.
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