“That’s right… I can’t quite remember when.”
As the tale took an unexpected turn, Jin Suk dismissed the other young men.
“The strength of the third ability?”
“What’s that?”
They had no idea what he was talking about.
Thud
Seol-Hwi brought over a chair and offered it to Jin Suk, who smiled and asked what kind of guest receives such treatment from a patient.
Seol-Hwi helped the man with the bright face to sit down and asked,
“Was it 10 years ago?”
“Hmm. Since it was just after my birthday… I’m certain of it. The memory is clear.”
Jin Suk pondered deeply, then spoke with a grave expression.
Ten years earlier, before Jin Suk had received his sect name, a major incident had occurred within the Wudang community.
A Taoist who had been cultivating for many years had lost his mind, gone mad, and turned into a demon.
Crazy demon.
Someone who lusted for blood or became obsessed with killing because their mind had lost its focus.
If such a person were discovered, they would be executed immediately, and the Murim Alliance would prioritize these ‘demons’ as top targets. This made them officially dangerous.
“A crazy demon within the Wudang Sect, of all places…”
“No, he wasn’t a crazy demon.”
Jin Suk clenched his fists as Seol-Hwi tsked.
He had been young and ignorant back then, barely a ten-year-old boy.
He had believed it simply because all the senior Wudang members had said so.
But Jin Suk, now 20, understood the whole picture.
“That old man was eloquent. And he wasn’t crazed for blood or killing.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because the day before he changed, the old man gave me persimmons. It’s said that having something sweet on your birthday is good fortune.”
“…!”
As Seol-Hwi looked on in shock, Jin Suk nodded.
“That’s right. I’m the witness and the proof. If that old man had truly been a crazy demon… would I be here, alive?”
“There is a difference of one day.”
As Seol-Hwi pointed that out, Jin Suk nodded.
“Right. But the crazy demon you see, it is unlikely for such a dramatic change to happen in such a short period of time.”
“…Continue.”
The crazy demon that causes madness is rare in justice martial arts, but that did not mean they did not exist.
Recluse training involved a warrior forgetting everything and just training, cutting off everything from external life.
It was a training method that involved pitting oneself against the self. There are plausible rumors that those with 10 or 20 years of closed training could be affected.
“If that made sense, someone would die. Ten out of ten people would go insane.”
It isn’t that bad…
Seol-Hwi had been through recluse and closed-door training, so he did not agree with it, but he did not argue against it either.
Actually, he had heard of closed training making people commit suicide after a year alone, let alone 10.
“Actually, just because it’s closed doesn’t mean they can’t come out. Sometimes they go outside to cool off, see the forest and animals. When that old man came out, he came out for me.”
“Hmm…”
It was a couple of days at most.
Jin Suk clearly remembered that time. He boasted to the old man about his birthday coming soon. He extended his skinny arm to show the old man how his body was growing.
The Taoist smiled and then gave him dried persimmons as a gift. If the story had ended there, he would not have bothered remembering it.
“That was the first time I saw a real disciple of Wudang.”
Adults with robes swaying, cloth wrapped around their heads, and stern looks. They said that an evil sect had invaded the village, so the Wudang Taoists evacuated the villagers.
And then a ten-year-old child was shivering there at the sight of the bloody battle happening behind the mountain.
“…I, no, it is a misunderstanding. But the Taoists moved in and defeated them.”
“You mean the old man could be communicated with?”
Seol-Hwi frowned. This was because no crazy demon was open to communication.
If he could be talked to, he was not a crazy demon.
Yet, Wudang had eventually killed him to put an end to this.
“It is odd, so unlike Wudang. Why?”
“That important thing is that it’s not just that.”
Five years later, the year Jin Suk joined the Wudang Sect, another incident occurred.
The North Rock Temple incident.
Most of the Taoist temples in Wudang were known by the same name, but not all Taoists learned martial arts.
Taoism was a fusion of beliefs, the Book of Changes, the Eight Trigrams, and more. Some study the works of their ancestors more than learning martial arts.
The Taoist who managed that among the many was one of those kinds.
And one day, while he was spending his time reading, he suddenly gained enlightenment and went to the Purple Palace.
Many Taoists who witnessed his achievement were shocked, and as a result, they wanted to see his skills.
The demonstration, which initially started with a festive atmosphere, somehow ended up involving the sect leader.
The two sparred and, as a result, the sect leader won, but it was said he was upset with the temple manager.
The incident, which seemed to end there, had a lot happening behind the scenes.
How did a Taoist who managed the books rise to the level of fighting with the sect leader?
Perhaps there was a different training than what was known.
There were not many people who saw the spar, so the details were not widely known.
“He used to say things which sounded like he was drunk. The Taoists who managed the temple had some special strength. There was this talk about the third ability or something around that.”
“Hmm…”
Seol-Hwi nodded. It was unknown whether the third ability that Jin Suk knew and what he knew were the same. It might be the same type but entirely different.
However, there were people who were interested in or tempted to study the teachings of Wudang. Only one thing was known, and from that, another question invariably arose.
“Why did you reveal such an important thing to me?”
“… Uh?”
“Honestly, it’s like we just met now. I saw your face clearly for the first time yesterday. Then how can you tell me all of this?”
Seol-Hwi did not feel comfortable. Whether it was the third ability or something else, the existence of a different type of power other than Wudang was something one could not carelessly speak of.
Then why?
What made Jin Suk trust him enough to reveal all of this?
For Seol-Hwi, that was the question.
“Well, like you said, this is the first time we’ve met.”
But oddly, Jin Suk only responded with a shrug.
“If one knows another in Wudang, you can’t help but talk. If this happens, someday one person will catch you and get punished.”
“…Then me?”
“You, well. You are the one who was hit by an adult in the first month, right? Actually, it’s the same with Myung disciples. Should I spill everything? If that happens, you can stick with us, and I can say that I never spoke of anything like that.”
“…”
Seol-Hwi, who opened his mouth to speak, closed it and then nodded as if it made sense.
It was not known whether it was fortunate or not, but another day passed.
When Seol-Hwi was in the office, someone came to see him — the one who had admitted him here.
“How are you?”
“I greet Leader Jin Mu.”
“Right, from what I heard, it seems like you got a bit too excited from day one.”
Jin Mu frowned and then smiled.
“I am sorry for causing trouble.”
“Not at all, after listening to the story, I realized the disciplinary person who was there is the one who has a strong will too. This might be a good chance for you to come to your senses.”
“Well, it is true that I caused a mess for no reason. I was the one who asked to be put into training with those I cannot match against.”
Seol-Hwi bowed his head.
Less than 15 days after stepping into the sect, he had strongly requested the classes.
In fact, if one looked at the lineup, it would be absurd. Seol-Hwi’s master was the elder of the Hae disciples. There was the long line of elders waiting for it.
If one saw it this way, it had to be the Myung disciples. Now that they were in a situation where he had to get along with the fellow disciples, it was natural for fights to occur.
“Right… in any case, I will take some time to consider all this. And the sajaes all have standards of opinion because they are independent.”
Jin Suk looked down and nodded, and Seol-Hwi got up and returned the nod.
“I will not tell anyone you are faking it, so let’s go out. And be my drinking partner for today.”
“Hey. You thought you could hide from me? It is clear that the qi and blood flow are normal, their proper place, and the expression intact, and even the dantian safe.”
“I will follow!”
Leader Jin Mu, who suddenly remembered to divide the labor, thought so.
The flat library was built below the Purple Palace. Next to it were temporary barracks.
Originally, it was a place to stop by for a quick bite after welcoming guests. It was one of the two best places to eat in the Wudang Sect.
Leader Jin Mu visited that place with Seol-Hwi and then brought out simple food with alcohol.
Swish!
Then, as soon as he sat down, he took the bottle cap off, drank, and burped.
“…”
“Is the seat uncomfortable? Do you think this Taoist has been not right?”
As Seol-Hwi had a sullen look, Jin Mu teased him.
“It isn’t. In the scriptures, the pill of longevity and immortality is referred to as the Taoist way. If one can protect the Tao on their own, then it doesn’t matter whether it is a boat or a fleet of ships.”
“Haha! A wise answer to a foolish question! Right. If you can protect yourself, alcohol wouldn’t matter.”
Leader Jin Mu laughed loudly and took a sip from his bottle. He was the one who brought him here, so of course, they drank.
“…”
“…”
Gulp. Kuak.
Jin Mu, who had brought Seol-Hwi out for drinks, simply gulped it down without a word. He did not ask Seol-Hwi if he wanted to drink or offer any snacks.
Gulp. Gulp.
The silence stretched on.
“…”
“…”
For a while.
Just when Seol-Hwi was sure he could no longer sit in silence, thoughts of impatience began to creep in.
“I have a few questions…”
Jin Mu finally spoke up. Perhaps he needed the alcohol to be honest.
“Ask anything.”
“What is the reason you joined the 53 Taoists?”
The long silence had been broken, and he laughed.
At first, when he learned he would join the disciples, he thought there was no reason not to give a child a chance. But now, for some reason, that decision did not seem so simple anymore.
“Before I answer, I have a question as well. May I ask it now?”
“Uh? Yes, go ahead.”
“I heard there is something called the third ability… do you know anything about it?”
“…!”
Clack
The bottle rolled away.
Jin Mu looked shocked. The question was so unexpected that his surprise was natural.
Even though Seol-Hwi was new to this world, it was strange for him to ask about it. To be precise, Jin Mu did not expect a recent outsider to inquire about such matters.
But from Seol-Hwi’s perspective, he had to ask this question.
He had heard that this man, Jin Mu, was someone who had meddled with things he should not have.
