Wudang Sacred Scriptures Chapter 57

Now that he thought about it, the girl's clothing alone was remarkable—

an elegant, luxurious robe radiating wealth.

She was clearly a guest visiting Registration Hall.

And not just any guest—a precious one, allowed to move about freely without restrictions.

At any rate, she wasn’t a guest of Three Spirits Palace.

But still, he couldn’t treat her carelessly.

"Anyway, you'd better hurry on down," Kwak Yeon said.

He did wonder just how important a guest she must be, to be allowed to roam so freely—but it wasn’t really his place to pry.

The girl—who had introduced herself as Jeong—puffed up her cheeks in dissatisfaction.

"I barely made it all the way up here, and you're chasing away just like that? That's a little harsh."

"......"

"Even if you can't offer a cup of tea, shouldn't you at least let catch my breath before throwing out? Isn't that basic courtesy?"

Despite her delicate appearance, she was unexpectedly bold.

"Well... you're not exactly wrong," Kwak Yeon admitted. "But you're still an uninvited guest, aren’t you?"

"I guess so," Jeong said with a shrug. "But it’s not really my fault.

When I saw soone collapsed up here with their eyes closed, I got worried and ca over to check."

Kwak Yeon thought it was a reasonable assumption.

After all, he had been sprawled flat in the middle of the courtyard with his eyes shut.

"...Sorry. I was out of line, calling you a trespasser. I apologize."

"Then... can I stay just a little longer?"

Kwak Yeon hesitated.

He had almost no experience dealing with ordinary people—especially not girls his own age.

In the end, he couldn't bring himself to coldly drive her away.

"Just for a little while. Catch your breath, then head down."

"Is there so kind of treasure hidden here?" she asked.

"Treasure?"

"You seem really desperate to get rid of . Makes wonder."

"It's not that," Kwak Yeon said. "You're disturbing my Daoist cultivation."

"Not martial arts training?"

"......"

"No? That’s weird. You were clearly practicing sword techniques just now.

And I've never seen a Daoist boy who speaks so casually to a stranger."

Though Kwak Yeon could tell the girl hadn't really thought he was dead, he didn’t mind.

Since he wasn't wearing his Daoist robes, it was natural she mistook him for an ordinary attendant.

He didn’t feel the need to correct her—not for a fleeting encounter like this.

"...Well, it’s because you're about my age.

If you prefer, I can be more formal from now on."

"Nah, just keep talking like you are. It's more comfortable.

I’ll speak casually too, if you don't mind."

"......"

"Is that okay?"

Kwak Yeon nodded.

He was more used to informal speech anyway.

"Suit yourself."

At that, Jeong’s face lit up in a wide, brilliant smile.

"Wow! That’s aweso."

"...What is?"

"Down below, everyone treats with stiff politeness.

Honestly, I was a little surprised when you spoke casually to ."

Still smiling, she grew serious.

"I'm really thirsty. Could you bring a drink of water?"

With no other choice, Kwak Yeon went to the kitchen house and ca back with a ladle full of water.

Jeong stood by the railing, gazing down at Registration Hall far below.

"Drink up and then head back.

The people you ca with will start to worry."

"Worry? Inside the Wudang Sect's gates?"

"Even so. If you're gone too long, they'll get anxious."

"They’ll worry, sure.

But not about ."

"......?"

"I an, I won't get lost or anything," she added quickly. "But can’t I stay just a little longer?

When I’m up here... I can finally breathe."

"......?"

"Honestly, I just wanted to run away.

I knew the stairs led to a dead end—I knew I couldn’t actually leave Mount Wudang.

And I knew that even if I ca up here, nobody would really stop ."

Her words stirred sothing painful in Kwak Yeon’s chest.

"Wait... you weren't... sold off here too, were you?"

Jeong blinked.

"Sold?"

"You said you wanted to run away."

"Oh! No, no. I just ant it figuratively.

I ca with my father."

"With your father?

Then why do you want to run away?"

"I can’t really explain.

It’s... sothing I can’t tell anyone.

Sorry if that’s disappointing."

"Why would I be disappointed?" Kwak Yeon said dryly.

Jeong chuckled and nodded.

"Fair point."

Then she turned the question back to him.

"But what about you?

When you said 'sold off'... were you?"

"I just ant... I didn't co here by choice.

That's all you need to know."

Seeing Kwak Yeon's darkened expression, Jeong asked gently,

"Then... don't you want to run away too?"

"I do," he said quietly.

"Why not?"

"Because staying here is better.

And besides... I have no intention of ever going back to the family that sold off."

"They sold you?"

Jeong’s eyes widened.

"Then... you must hate them."

"Hate?

What's the point?" Kwak Yeon said with a faint sigh.

"It won’t change anything."

After a pause, he added,

"I don’t know what your situation is.

But if you don't want to leave your family, say so.

Speak up."

"......?"

"I just cried that day.

I regret not even trying to say what I wanted."

Hearing that, Jeong slowly rose to her feet.

"Thanks for listening to .

I was getting tired of talking to myself.

And... sorry for being stubborn."

She started to walk away, but then seed to rember sothing.

"Oh, right!

You were practicing Tai Chi Sword earlier, weren’t you?"

"You recognized it?" Kwak Yeon asked, surprised.

"Wait, are you from a Wudang branch family?"

"Not exactly.

My family’s not officially part of Wudang, but... we’re not completely unrelated either."

She hesitated a mont before continuing.

"Long ago, my family had deep ties with Mount Wudang.

That's why I begged my father to bring here.

I always wanted to see it at least once.

That's why it's hard to leave."

"You can always co back," Kwak Yeon said simply.

"No need to be sad about it."

"For so people, things that seem easy and obvious...

can feel harder than dying for others."

"......"

"Still... I’m glad I ca."

Without looking back, Jeong crossed the Azure Cloud Bridge.

Watching her go, Kwak Yeon felt a strange emptiness stirring inside him.

He wasn’t sure if it was because of the bittersweet words she left behind...

or simply a longing for people.

Then, suddenly, she turned around at the far end of the bridge.

"......?"

"You’ve been up here a long ti, right?"

She held up a pendant for him to see.

"Have you ever seen a symbol like this?"

At the end of the necklace swung a crimson dallion, marked with a blazing fla.

"I haven’t.

Why do you ask?"

"Just thought I’d check.

Like I said... my family’s had ties to Mount Wudang for generations.

I was wondering if any trace of it still remained."

"......?"

"Honestly...

Part of why I climbed up here was because of that.

Even though I knew it was probably useless."

"Is that pendant important to you?"

Jeong’s face darkened.

Seeing that, Kwak Yeon regretted asking.

"Sorry," he said. "I was being nosy."

But Jeong suddenly spoke up, her voice low and serious.

"I heard...

that pendant might be the key to breaking the chains that bind ."

Kwak Yeon felt a pang in his heart at the heavy look in her eyes.

"So...

I guess I was reaching for even the faintest straw."

The girl’s voice trailed off as she turned away, looking small and defeated.

Kwak Yeon felt a heavy weight settle in his chest.

He couldn’t help but wonder—did she carry a curse of fate, just as he did?

Without thinking, he called out.

"If you ever find it soday... what will you do?"

The girl answered without looking back.

"I don’t need to anymore."

"But... you never know."

"Why would you even care?"

Kwak Yeon had no real answer.

Still, his true feelings spilled out before he could stop them.

"Then why did you tell about that pendant in the first place?"

The girl said nothing.

Kwak Yeon continued, voice firm.

"Anyway, if I ever do find it... it’ll be my decision what to do with it.

You don’t need to worry."

Without a word, the girl crossed the Azure Cloud Bridge.

Only then did Kwak Yeon call out, almost as an afterthought.

"Kwak Yeon.

That’s my na."

He ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ stood there a mont, thinking.

'Did she hear ?'

The distance between them was considerable.

Why had he blurted it out like that?

Did he not want to remain just so naless boy she would forget?

If that was the case... he should have called out louder.

Kwak Yeon shook his head.

'What does it matter?'

He stood there, watching until she disappeared from sight—

and only then realized: she hadn't even taken a sip of the water he had brought her.

Maybe she hadn’t co for water at all.

Maybe she just needed a place to breathe.

A mont to steady her heart.

Kwak Yeon felt a strange, aching emotion stir within him.

Was it a sense of shared sorrow?

Their fates weren’t exactly the sa... but close enough.

Whatever burden she carried, he could only hope she would find a way to endure it.

****

Clatter, clatter.

An ornate carriage, lavishly decorated, rattled down the mountain, moving steadily away from Mount Wudang’s shadow.

"You seem reluctant to leave," her father said from across the carriage.

"Shall we stay another day?"

The girl, who had been gazing out the window the entire ti, firmly shook her head.

"No, Father. We’d only trouble the Daoists by staying longer."

"The Daoists have no reason to feel troubled," her father said warmly. "We made a very generous donation, after all."

They had stayed at Wudang Sect as honored guests and were now making their departure.

"And how was the Grandmaster?" she asked.

"Not well," her father replied. "He forced himself to et us because of our status, but it was clear he was gravely ill."

"I feel bad...

If only I hadn’t begged you to bring here."

"For your sake, I would climb even to Mount Kunlun itself," her father said gently.

Mount Kunlun—the fabled ends of the earth.

That was how deeply he loved his daughter.

After a mont of silence, the girl asked quietly,

"Father... what would you do if I said I didn’t want to go?"

Her father’s eyes rested on her, steady and kind.

"I would hope... that you wouldn’t say such a thing."

"......"

"Sothing happened up there at Three Spirits Peak, didn’t it?"

"You knew I went up there?"

"Why else would you have insisted on visiting Wudang Mountain?"

The girl gave a small nod and spoke lightly,

"Nothing happened.

That’s why I’m sitting here like this."

"Then let it go.

The past is nothing more than a legend."

"But... isn’t it said that traces of our family’s old bond remain in Wudang’s martial arts?"

"Those are only stories.

Whatever ties once existed vanished long ago."

"Then... are you saying I have no choice?"

"It is the will of our ancestors.

I only ask that you honor it."

"And if I stubbornly refuse?"

Her father smiled gently again.

"Then... I would hope you wouldn't."

The girl knew.

This was not a simple request.

It was a destiny laid upon her shoulders.

'If I were to refuse... what would Father choose?'

Without a word, she turned her head away, catching sight of the ring on her finger—

the crimson fla engraved there burning bright.

Outside the carriage window, the dark, rocky peaks of Mount Wudang receded into the distance.

Kwak Yeon's voice rang sharp in her mory:

"If you don’t want it...

say so.

Don’t live with regret like I did."

In the depths of her blue eyes, the mountains blurred like a faraway dream.

****

Kwak Yeon passed by Registration Hall.

It was noticeably quieter today—

the important guests had clearly departed.

Jeong, the blue-eyed girl, must have gone with her father.

To stay in Registration Hall, the heart of Wudang Sect, and to be received personally by the ailing Grandmaster...

such a status could only belong to soone of royal blood—or soone even more rare.

Perhaps she truly was royalty.

To Kwak Yeon, that girl had belonged to another world altogether—

like a celestial maiden who had briefly wandered down to earth before ascending back to the heavens.

Thinking of it that way, he almost wondered if she had been a real celestial being after all.

'No. What ridiculous thoughts.'

He shook his head, trying to erase the lingering sadness tied to her image.

'It was just a passing encounter.

A random eting by chance.

I’ll never see her again.'

Kwak Yeon turned his steps toward True Martial Hall, moving briskly onward.