Wudang Sacred Scriptures Chapter 26

"That thod... you were the one who taught it to back in the Byeong-rank training hall."

At Kwak Yeon’s words, Seok Jangsan looked bewildered.

"The only thing I taught you there was the Tendon and Bone Training thod."

"Exactly. That’s what I’m talking about."

"Hey! That’s just a thod to develop micro-muscles. Using them is a whole different issue!"

"No, it’s the sa thing."

"Huh?"

"The thod stimulates the fine ridians to move micro-muscles. That’s the key principle."

Kwak Yeon explained how, by training micro-muscles through the Tendon and Bone Training thod, the fine ridians naturally expanded and strengthened. Then, he continued.

"So in reverse, stimulating the fine ridians should also allow us to control micro-muscles."

Seok Jangsan thought for a mont, then his half-lidded eyes widened in shock.

"You... are you actually a genius? How do you even co up with these things?"

Kwak Yeon smirked.

"If I were a genius, then all the geniuses in the world must have frozen to death already. But I’ll take the complint."

"I’m not just saying this to flatter you. You’re seriously... wait a minute, that look in your eyes—"

Seok Jangsan suddenly recoiled, a grimace forming on his face as he stared at Kwak Yeon's gleaming, eager eyes.

"You’re planning to tell the others about this again, aren’t you?"

"Why are you even asking? Of course I am."

"Huaah!"

Seok Jangsan let out a deep sigh before suddenly shouting.

"Hey! Didn’t you already get scolded by the Lord last ti for doing this?!"

Determined, Kwak Yeon went straight to Instructor Hyeonmun and voiced his thoughts.

"I do not permit it."

Instructor Hyeonmun cut him off instantly.

"Do you know why I never taught you the principles behind these martial arts?"

"...?"

"Because I wanted you to realize them on your own. If soone spoon-feeds the answers to you, you will inevitably grow dependent and complacent. Right now, in the Main Sect, you are only laying the foundation."

Kwak Yeon still looked doubtful, so Instructor Hyeonmun studied him for a mont before speaking again.

"You’ve studied the Daoist Scriptures, so you must have heard this before: ‘Dao ke dao, fei heng dao; ming ke ming, fei chang ming.’"

"Yes, I have."

It was the very first verse of the Tao Te Ching, sothing deeply etched into his mory from the scripture-reading sessions in the Byeong-rank training hall.

"What does it an?"

"It ans that the Dao is vast and profound, and the mont one tries to define it with words, it ceases to be the true Dao and can no longer be conveyed."

"Exactly. Advanced martial arts are like the Dao—you must reach them through self-realization. The question is, do you really think that spoon-feeding these children will help them in the long run?"

"Ah... If anything, I’d just be interfering with their future developnt."

At Kwak Yeon’s realization, Instructor Hyeonmun nodded.

"However, demonstrating the results of your training is acceptable. That can serve as both motivation and a catalyst for their own discoveries. In truth, that is the role of a teacher."

"...!"

"Don’t be discouraged or disappointed. One day, the others will co to understand your intentions."

At last, Kwak Yeon fully grasped Instructor Hyeonmun’s lesson. When he left the hall, he felt a new sense of clarity.

"Kwak Yeon!"

"...Yes?"

"As I’ve told you before—don’t stop moving forward."

It was only then that Kwak Yeon truly realized sothing.

Instructor Hyeonmun cared for them deeply.

If he had only intended for them to reach the level of ordinary martial artists, he would have simply explained every concept to them outright.

****

The adaptation of the Tendon and Bone Training thod to the Taiji Sphere Technique proved incredibly effective.

By consciously expanding his fine ridians along the flow of the iron sphere, Kwak Yeon managed to activate his micro-muscles in response.

As he loosened the micro-muscles pressed beneath the weight of the iron sphere, its rotation remained uninterrupted.

Of course, he couldn’t perfectly control them from the start. He frequently dropped the sphere in the beginning.

But as he gradually adjusted, he beca more proficient in directing his micro-muscles.

At last, Kwak Yeon reached the point where he could train with a wooden sphere—significantly lighter than the iron one.

"Wow! Congratulations!"

Seok Jangsan bead with genuine happiness.

"You finally graduated from iron spheres!"

"Stop making such a big deal out of it. It’s just the first stage of Taiji Sphere mastery. You already moved on to cloth spheres a while ago."

"Oh? Are you jealous?"

Kwak Yeon’s face reddened slightly.

"I’m human too. Of course I’d be jealous."

"Hah! So you are human. I was starting to think you were so enlightened monk."

"Even as a taphor, that’s a little off. This is the Daoist sect, not a Buddhist monastery."

"Does it matter? It’s not like I plan on becoming a Daoist priest anyway."

Kwak Yeon remained silent.

Unlike Seok Jangsan, who had a family to return to, Kwak Yeon had to remain in Wudang no matter what.

Becoming a direct disciple still felt like a distant dream.

Seok Jangsan read the emotions on his face and spoke up.

"Co on, at least smile today. They say ‘a good start is half the battle,’ right? Now that the dam has been broken, the road ahead should open more easily."

"...?"

"After trying what you told , I finally understood why controlling the fine ridians is so important. Once you reach the tenth level of the Taiji Sphere Technique, you can even manipulate the spheres using wind."

"Using wind to move the spheres?"

Kwak Yeon, unfamiliar with higher-level martial arts, grew intrigued.

"Explain that in more detail."

"Imagine if we had imnse internal energy. By channeling it through the fine ridians and exhaling energy outward, we could generate rotational wind currents to move the spheres."

"...!"

"Now you understand why Wudang disciples are required to train in the Taiji Sphere Technique? It’s to fortify the pathways for circulating inner energy throughout the body."

Kwak Yeon had only vaguely thought about it before, but now he understood it clearly.

"But let’s be real—even reaching the third or fourth level feels impossible right now. When will I ever get to the tenth?"

"No, Kwak Yeon, you’ll get there. You don’t even have inner energy yet, but you’re already controlling your muscles using fine ridians. Once you do develop inner energy, your progress will be insane."

"Wouldn’t the sa apply to you?"

Seok Jangsan shook his head.

"I’m trying to use the sa principle, but I haven’t reached the point of expanding my fine ridians like you. I just rely on my natural athleticism to move my micro-muscles—that’s how I made it to the third level."

"...!"

For the first ti, Kwak Yeon realized—his thod might actually be unique.

"Instructor Hyeonmun wasn’t just making empty warnings when he said you’d only confuse the others. You’ve been shaping your vessel all this ti—through relentless daily training of the Celestial ridian Map. That’s why."

Seok Jangsan let out a quiet sigh before continuing.

"Honestly... I should never have stopped following your lead back then."

Seok Jangsan was now two full steps ahead of Kwak Yeon. And from the vantage point of progress, one could clearly see the path already traveled—just like standing at the peak of a mountain.

So if Seok Jangsan was expressing regret, he truly ant it.

Ah... so all my ridian studies actually had an effect.

Kwak Yeon had simply assud that utilizing the Celestial ridian Map allowed him to recover from fatigue faster.

He hadn’t realized he had been shaping his own vessel all along.

One rarely perceives the changes happening within themselves. And since Kwak Yeon had never been the type to compare himself to others or take pride in superiority, he had been completely oblivious to his own growth.

But Seok Jangsan had been by his side all this ti, observing closely, sharing thoughts without reserve—so he had noticed.

Regardless, Kwak Yeon now felt a spark of hope.

"Thanks."

He was truly grateful to Seok Jangsan, who constantly recognized his efforts and encouraged him.

Seok Jangsan clapped him on the shoulder.

"Friends don’t say ‘thanks.’ I just told you what I saw. Honestly, I should be the one thanking you. If it weren’t for your teachings, I’d still be stuck training with a wooden sphere."

Feeling a lump rise in his throat, Kwak Yeon forced his voice into irritation.

"Enough with the flattery. It’s not like I figured it all out by myself."

"Co on, you know my part in «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» this wasn’t even a tenth. Most of it was you."

Noticing Kwak Yeon’s eyes redden slightly, Seok Jangsan quickly changed the subject.

"Anyway, what do you think about Ha Gang?"

"Ha Gang? Why bring him up all of a sudden?"

"He’s been training alone for a while now."

"Yeah. He’s always been quiet, and after... well, everything that happened, it’s no surprise."

"And yet, he’s keeping up just fine."

"He must’ve been training hard on his own."

"That’s one way to see it. But to ... sothing feels off."

"...?"

"Even back in the training hall, Ha Gang never stood out much, but he steadily advanced—almost like he always had luck on his side. That’s been bothering ."

Kwak Yeon tilted his head.

"Is that really sothing to worry about? If anything, shouldn’t I be the one who seems more unnatural?"

Seok Jangsan smirked.

"You? You’re way past unnatural—you’re a research subject. That’s why I’m sticking around you."

"Haaah... I swear, I’ll never win an argunt with you."

Seok Jangsan’s expression grew serious again.

"I’ve seen monts where Ha Gang seed to be trying to look ordinary."

"...?"

"You know, it’s actually really hard to seem average on purpose. I tried it myself when training with the Taiji Sphere Technique, but I got caught instantly."

"You think Ha Gang is hiding his talent? That doesn’t make sense."

Seok Jangsan couldn’t give a concrete answer.

His suspicions had only started a few days ago, ever since he noticed Ha Gang’s sharp, instinctive reaction when he lightly tapped his shoulder.

It hadn’t seed like a conscious movent—more like a deeply ingrained reflex.

That realization had sparked a chain of questions about Ha Gang.

But in the end, it was only a personal hunch, so Seok Jangsan decided to drop the matter.

"I’m not making any claims. Just saying it feels a little odd."

"Let’s not overthink it. If you get into the habit of doubting people, it’ll only lead to trouble."

"Hah, and now the Buddha himself speaks. Fine, whatever. Just know that Ha Gang is keeping up well—so there’s no need for you to worry about him."

Kwak Yeon, who had indeed been unconsciously keeping an eye on Ha Gang, remained silent.

Yeah... I’m in no position to be worrying about others.

From that day on, Kwak Yeon diligently practiced with the wooden sphere in front of the new disciples.

He didn’t explain anything with words.

Instead, he let them observe his movents and posture, hoping they would take sothing from it.

Three days later, he saw Ha Gang set down his iron sphere and pick up a wooden one.

Maybe Seok Jangsan was right. That kid might really have talent.

****

"You’re looking sharp."

Instructor Hyeonmun, the Lord of Wudang’s Main Sect, was bewildered by the sudden visit of Great Elder Unhak Jin-in. Even more so because he was accompanied by the Precepts Hall Lord.

"It’s all thanks to the guidance of Grand Elder Taesabaek."

Unhak Jin-in responded indifferently.

"I’ve heard that this batch of new disciples has been advancing quickly."

"They’ve just completed Taiji Sphere training and are beginning Nine Palms Strength training. Remarkably, not a single one has failed."

"Reaching Nine Palms Strength in just six months... that is quite unexpected."

"May I ask what brings you to such a remote place, Grand Elder?"

Unhak Jin-in closed his eyes without answering, and it was the Precepts Hall Lord, Hyeoncheol Daoist, who finally spoke.

"Brother Hyeonmun, we’ve received intelligence from the Murim Alliance."

"...?"

"Among this year’s new Wudang disciples... there is a spy from the Demonic Cult."