“…”
Jin Mu remained silent for a long time.
In reality, he was in a different situation from Jin Suk, who had spoken so easily about the odd occurrences. Jin Mu knew he would face consequences if he spoke carelessly, so he chose to be cautious.
“Did your late master speak of that?”
Jin Mu asked after a lengthy silence.
It was proof of the burden and worry within him. His first concern was to learn the source of the third ability mentioned.
Seol-Hwi sensed that he needed to respond with care. Fortunately, he had ample experience and was prepared for such inquiries.
“It isn’t from the master. I was lacking… but I learned from him how to observe the stars.”
“Astrology?!”
Jin Mu appeared shocked. He wondered if this Wudang man was interpreting the stars.
Seol-Hwi continued,
“If I am mistaken, please correct me. First, since Lord Jin Mu is drinking, you’re likely in a dilemma about speaking. Also, with a star that is upright and craves fame, your rivals are probably the other elders of the sect, right?”
“…Hmm?”
Seol-Hwi deliberately gestured towards the sky, speaking as if he were a fortune teller.
“The critical point is the planet Mercury. It represents someone from Wudang who contemplates the future and strives to follow it, but Mars, which enjoys conflict, obstructs the path. Could it be Mount Hua? Yet, with Mars pulling such a stunt, the Mount Hua sect might be colluding with someone, perhaps the Demonic Sect?”
“Y-you…!”
Thud!
This time Jin Mu stood up, visibly flustered. His face trembled, and despite the difficult situation, he could not conceal his shock.
Seol-Hwi narrowed his eyes slightly at the sight.
Thank goodness. My past is really proving to be useful now.
A prophet.
In a way, Seol-Hwi, who could remember his past lives, was in a position to exert influence over others. He was in a place where he could move people by predicting the future.
Seol-Hwi’s informational skills, honed through several reincarnations, were arguably the best.
There were so many failures, but I gained experience from them.
In his last life, Seol-Hwi had been a sect leader in the Qingcheng Sect, and he had closely observed the subsequent activities of the Demonic Sect. Based on that, he now managed to get the upper hand.
“As the seasons change, Wudang’s energy declines. The star has decided to isolate himself due to interference from other stars. Perhaps the sect leader will implement some kind of gate closure. But the clouds are so thick that Wudang isn’t sure if the threat is from within or an unrelated matter.”
“…”
“Master said that teaching astrology and martial arts all held all sorts of meanings. I believe that this is to eliminate the long-standing bad deeds happening in Wudang and move towards an entirely different path. So, help me.”
“Huh…”
Jin Mu was in a daze.
Jin Hwi, the disciple in front of him, was Wudang’s newest disciple who had appeared suddenly. This was because the things he spoke about concerning the stars did not just apply to others, but to himself as well. And in this situation, one thing was certain.
It was no longer a question of “How much do you know?” but rather “What do we do about the problem now?” And a decision had to be made. Was this not the work of Wudang, which had been ongoing for a long time?
Gulp
He took a large sip of his drink.
He could not make decisions so easily, so he wanted to buy himself some time to sort through his thoughts.
“To be honest… I am in a situation where I cannot speak about everything.”
Nod
“I understand. I guess the faith in me is lacking. But on the other hand, I also think this way.”
Seol-Hwi had shining eyes.
“Is it simply because of your trust? Or is it because there is something about yourself that leader Jin Mu needs to hide?”
“…Be careful of what you say now.”
The eyes of Jin Mu shone dangerously as if Seol-Hwi had touched a nerve.
Here, Seol-Hwi gently received it.
“I apologize. I am speaking honestly here. I may pretend to be polite and be suspicious of you. But isn’t it honest to admit that I am equally open to the truth?”
“Hmm.”
“First, let me answer your question from earlier. Why did you let me join among the Fifty Three Taoists?”
And so the topic changed. In fact, the important point was this.
“For half a year now, the Three Great Stars have been approaching the High Star. I looked carefully to see if it was a seasonal change. However, some time ago, I realized that it wasn’t. Right.”
“…A story about catching clouds and stars, please explain it in simpler terms. What does this mean?”
“The High Star is Wudang. And the Three Great Stars represent wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge. It is a star that brings forth great enlightenment, so within the next month, one of the 53 will attain this unknown third ability.”
“…!”
In an instant, Jin Mu’s eyes changed.
No matter how insane the entire fortune-telling was, there were bounds for remarks which could not be ignored.
Moreover, he predicted the future by comparing it to constellations. At the same time, since he was a person who naturally revealed secrets of the current Wudang, one could not help but be concerned about whether what was being said was true.
“These are bold and bizarre words. You will be held responsible for what you say.”
Jin Mu subtly placed the responsibility on Seol-Hwi and warned him not to speak too much.
Of course, Seol-Hwi did not care.
“I will gladly accept any responsibility that I alone can bear. The problem is, unfortunately, it will not just stop there.”
“Huh, you…”
“The Three Great Stars are the stars that Tae Gong-kang saw before he passed away. A dangerous star that provides great enlightenment, but the cost is one life in return. If this is left alone, a huge disaster will strike. If you miss the time to stop…”
“…?”
As Jin Mu stared, Seol-Hwi responded.
“Most of them will die from the 53.”
Jin Mu’s expression contorted at Seol-Hwi’s words. He could not understand them, and they left him clueless about what to do next.
“Can you bear those words?”
“You will see for yourself. There are just a few days left. No, it wouldn’t be shocking if it happened tomorrow.”
Seol-Hwi looked at Jin Mu and continued,
“You are cautious with information about this sect. I get it. If you find it difficult to speak, you can go ahead and continue. I just came here to prevent something from happening.”
“…”
An overly confident expression.
Jin Mu was confused.
Who was this kid, and what would happen to Wudang?
“Just take a look now. If you have faith in me, then I might come talk to you again.”
Seol-Hwi got up and left, leaving Jin Mu in agony as the story of that day came to an end.
It was the third day since Seol-Hwi had returned to his classes.
‘The one with a broken dantian?’
‘Is it alright for him to be here?’
The youngsters all looked scared and shocked at his rapid recovery rate.
The one who had hit Seol-Hwi at the time probably did not believe in his recovery, so much so that he yelled at Seol-Hwi to go and get treatment.
“You are really alright?”
Myung Kang, the training supervisor, came forward and, even after hearing Seol-Hwi say he was fine, only nodded after checking his wrist.
“Truly… this is shocking.”
Eventually, Seol-Hwi received his consent and was able to attend the class. The class proceeded without any major issues.
After the first class, the second class began, and it was not as intense as the physical training.
Naturally, there were no more conflicts, accidents, or wounds, and then it was time to eat. There was nothing special about the food.
After eating wild greens and whatever else he could find around the mountain, Seol-Hwi went to bathe under the tree.
“I cannot believe that you joined the Immortal Star troops just because you had no place to join. That is disappointing.”
When someone spoke to him, he looked up at the familiar face. Jin Gu.
The man’s face was full of dissatisfaction, unlike the expression he wore when they first met.
“Hmm.”
Seol-Hwi did not respond.
They spent some time in silence. Finally, after he passed, Jin Suk’s group appeared.
“How long was he here?”
“Was he trying to talk to you?”
“What did he want to say?”
Jin Myung, Jin Sam, and Jin Mu asked, and Seol-Hwi smiled as he answered,
“He said he was disappointed.”
“Idiot.”
Jin Suk was puzzled.
As expected, there was a lot of opposition against Jin Gu, who was skilled. But such hostility held no malicious intent.
It might not be Jin Suk who did that.
In his twenties and with a competitive spirit.
If you were not burdened with malicious emotions, then it could be a stepping stone for growth. As time went by, they might even share a good relationship, laughing and drinking together.
“He’s doing that again.”
Buzz
While he was gathering his thoughts for a moment, it seemed like someone was having a fight.
A crowd was gathering, and one of them was shouting at another.
“You pushed me now?”
“Hm, you started the fight first.”
“This bastard…”
It felt like a general scuffle.
As they were moving around for the meal, they bumped into each other, and one of them lost their balance and fell. The guy got up and pushed the other one, and then the fight began.
“Who is he?”
When Seol-Hwi asked, Jin Mu answered,
“Jin Gang.”
“Is he good at fighting?”
“In the top three. He’s strong and has a strong will, too. But he’s hot-tempered, so even if you just pass by him, he’s likely to pick a fight.”
Jin Suk interjected and said,
“He tends to tire himself out. Even if he tries to use strength, he should at least choose the right time and place.”
“Hmm.”
It appeared he had a bad temper.
“Whoa!”
“Uh? Are they really fighting?”
“Ah!”
As they spoke, the four walked past.
Jin Gang, who was pushed, threw his punch faster, and the Taoist fell again with a burst lip.
“I will definitely kill you!”
Jin Kang threatened Jin Song, who bowed.
But his face showed hatred, not surrender.
Seol-Hwi read those emotions clearly.
“Now, why don’t we head to the mountain instead of doing this now?”
The fight ended there.
“Why there?”
Jin Sam looked confused, but Jin Myung explained,
“There’s this old man there, the one we met before who said he would teach us skills for the baton if we saw him again.”
“Uh, him, the one who stepped back.”
He seemed to be a well-known figure in Wudang. Upon hearing “old man,” Jin Suk’s face lit up.
“I am sorry, but I need to step away for a while.”
Seol-Hwi interjected at that moment.
When questioned, he looked down and replied,
“I have somewhere to be. I’ll be back soon.”
Seol-Hwi had been worrying since the day before. He had now made up his mind.
“No, you…”
Sensing the subtle energy, Jin Suk examined Seol-Hwi, who nodded in confirmation.
“Right. I want to see it for myself.”
The tomb of Bukam.
The resting place of someone with the third ability.
