novelraw Chapter 54 : Chapter 54
Chapter 54 : Chapter 54
Chapter 54 Wudang is Taiji (1)
The next morning.
The group welcomed Ban Cheol-hwi who joined them belatedly.
“Nice to meet you all. I am Ban Cheol-hwi, a scholar-daoist from Mt. Zhongnan.”
“Eh? He looks quite young, but why does he talk like that?”
At Baek-myo’s words, Hyeon-dam also tilted his head.
“Hearing the Youngest’s story, it seems he only reads the books of sages to death. Isn’t that why?”
Hyeon-dam and Baek-myo circled around Ban Cheol-hwi and looked him up and down as if looking at a strange animal.
“Ahem. One who studies etiquette and propriety cannot behave carelessly. Even if it is uncomfortable, I ask for your understanding.”
“Are we uncomfortable? You are the one uncomfortable.”
Ban Cheol-hwi, frowning while watching Hyeon-dam pick his ear, sighed.
“Anyway, since everyone has their own path, I hope we respect each other from now on. By the way, are we going to Wudang?”
“Yeah. They said over twenty third-generation disciples disappeared from Wudang. I don’t know if it’s related to that altar or whatever……. but we have to go and check.”
“Surely that object called an altar will be in Wudang. Before coming to the Murim Alliance, I examined the celestial signs all night. There was an ominous aura of blood cast over Wudang as well. It has to be related.”
Looking at Ban Cheol-hwi’s sparkling eyes, Baek-myo opened her mouth with a disapproving expression.
“Ah…… so you read celestial signs and such? Then can’t you prevent things in advance?”
“My cultivation is still lacking, so I haven’t reached such a realm. It is my dream to become a scholar who can interfere with the celestial signs one day.”
Baek-myo, shaking her head from side to side, smirked looking at Ban Cheol-hwi.
“Well, anyway, it’s refreshing and nice to meet someone like you after only seeing people who fight all their lives. Ah! By any chance, does the celestial signs say anything about when I will get a boyfriend?”
“If you are curious about such things, look for another Taoist temple in the secular world. Since I am not studying that side…….”
Baek-myo, who was giggling, nodded.
“Okay, okay. I get it. Anyway, let’s get along well from now on.”
“I also ask for your kindness, Young Lady.”
Ban Cheol-hwi took out a fan, bowed deeply, and Baek-myo laughed heartily seeing that.
“Good. I like it.”
Baek-myo, who slapped Ban Cheol-hwi’s back, turned around.
“But this person can’t use lightness skills . How do we move?”
“So I called a carriage.”
At Jaun’s answer, Baek-myo opened her eyes wide.
“Huh? A carriage?”
Jaun turned his head and pointed behind him with his finger.
A freight wagon approaching with the Murim Alliance flag fluttering was visible.
“……What is that?”
Baek-myo opened her mouth blankly and looked back at the carriage.
***
“I feel like I’ve become luggage.”
Baek-myo grumbled among the group sitting huddled in the back of the freight wagon.
“There was no carriage available right away, so it couldn't be helped. Still, it’s fortunate that the freight wagon that travels between Wudang and the Murim Alliance once a month is leaving today just in time. Even if it’s a freight wagon, a carriage is a carriage, so it will be much faster than walking.”
At Jaun’s words, Baek-myo glared at Ban Cheol-hwi.
“You there, Mr. Ban. Studying is good, but if you want to travel with us from now on, shouldn't you learn at least some lightness skills?”
“I believe it is a scholar’s duty to go the right way rather than going quickly.”
“……I shouldn't have said anything.”
Grumbling, Baek-myo leaned her back against the carriage and looked up at the sky blankly.
The carriage, picking up speed little by little, left Wuhan and began to run along the official road.
Hyeon-dam, looking around here and there at the open scenery, said.
“Still, it has a certain elegance, doesn't it? Since we only ran through mountain paths every day, we passed by without seeing any of this.”
Feeling the blowing wind, Hyeon-dam looked back at the passing scenery as if it were fascinating.
“Well. Except for my butt hurting a bit, I guess it’s not bad.”
Baek-myo also answered, looking leisurely at the passing surrounding scenery.
As the group focused on the quietly passing scenery, Ban Cheol-hwi rummaged through his bundle, took out a book, and opened it.
“What are you doing?”
“I intend to read a book.”
At Baek-myo’s question, Ban Cheol-hwi answered quietly.
“When it’s rattling like this?”
“Before relying on Mt. Zhongnan, when I lived in the mountains, I read by moonlight. So what is the big deal about rattling a little. As long as the text is visible, this much is no problem at all.”
Baek-myo looked at Ban Cheol-hwi, who answered without taking his eyes off the book, with a peculiar expression.
“You live diligently. I envy that passion.”
Ban Cheol-hwi raised his head and looked at Baek-myo.
“Surely you also have something you dream of, Young Lady?”
At Ban Cheol-hwi’s words, Baek-myo tilted her head.
“I do not know what dream you dream of, Young Lady. However, a dream is something that quickly drifts away if you don’t approach it even for a day. If you didn’t walk yesterday, you must run today, and if you couldn't run today, you might miss the dream forever tomorrow.”
Ban Cheol-hwi continued speaking, looking at Baek-myo with clear eyes.
“Even if one walks a little slowly, the life of a person who chases their dream day by day shines. This Ban Cheol-hwi only strives a little every day so as not to lose that light in this given life.”
“…….”
Baek-myo stared blankly at Ban Cheol-hwi.
“……Amitabha.”
When Ban Cheol-hwi’s voice, which calmly filled the carriage, stopped, Hyeon-dam quietly uttered a Buddhist chant.
Feeling something from Ban Cheol-hwi’s words, the group all fell into silence.
Baek-myo, who was staring intently at Ban Cheol-hwi with narrowed eyes thinking about something, raised her hand and pointed to the book Ban Cheol-hwi was holding.
“……But why are there only pictures in that book? What dream are you chasing with pictures?”
“Ah, this is a book about how sages managed their scholar's caps and how they wore them. From old times, isn't appearance life for a scholar?”
Ban Cheol-hwi, looking at the picture drawn in the book, carefully adjusted the scholar's cap on his head, smiled at Baek-myo, and turned his eyes back to the book.
“……What is this?”
Watching Baek-myo turn her head towards him with a disapproving expression, Jaun smiled with a bitter expression.
****
The freight wagon, which had run for a long time since morning, arrived at the foot of Mt.
Wudang only after the sun had completely set.
The group, having spent a day in a small village, gathered early in the morning and began to climb up to Wudang.
“It feels like almost the first time visiting a sect of the Murim Alliance without any special incident.”
“Yeah. It totally feels like going on a trip. Getting close to Mt. Wudang makes me feel a bit nervous too.”
“Excuse me, Senior. We are also going because there is a special incident…….”
As if not hearing Jaun’s words, Baek-myo and Hyeon-dam looked at each other and talked with expectant eyes.
Unlike the light steps of Baek-myo and Hyeon-dam, Ban Cheol-hwi was struggling to chase after the group, wiping the sweat beading on his forehead.
Before they knew it, the group reached the middle of the mountain, and a worn-out gateway with 'Divine Dragon Explores the Sea' written on it began to be faintly visible in front of the large main road.
“Oh oh. It’s over there! Beyond that is Wudang’s territory, right?”
At Hyeon-dam’s words, Baek-myo nodded and looked back at Ban Cheol-hwi.
“Do you feel any celestial signs or anything like that?”
At Baek-myo’s question, Ban Cheol-hwi, who was panting, stopped walking for a moment and looked around.
“Huff huff. Celestial signs are not something felt just like that. Huff. I only read fragments that the heavens show occasionally. Phew. Besides, in my current state, even if there was something, I wouldn't be able to feel anything. Are we really almost at the Wudang Sect?”
“Yeah. We’re here. We’re going ahead?”
Baek-myo and Hyeon-dam started to go up ahead with quick steps first.
“Cheer up a little more. It’s right there in front.”
At Jaun’s words, Ban Cheol-hwi looked up ahead with bleary eyes.
“Huff. We finally arrived. Phew. Oh my. Next time, either go ahead first or something. It’s so hard to follow like this.”
Ban Cheol-hwi, tapping his waist, mustered his last strength and climbed the mountain path.
[Sword Dissolving Pond ]
Baek-myo and Hyeon-dam, who arrived beforehand, were waiting for the two in front of the stone monument engraved with 'Sword Dissolving Pond'.
“Here, here!”
Baek-myo pointed to the Sword Dissolving Pond with an excited face.
“This must be the place where even the Emperor has to get off his horse and put down his weapon when he comes!”
“Ay. If the Emperor comes, the Wudang kids would all run out and carry him in, what are you talking about.”
“Tsk tsk. How unrefined. Haven’t you even read books? They say the previous Emperor also got off his horse out of respect for the Wudang Sect.”
“Those are all just words to sound good, and you believe that. Look at that wooden bridge in the pond over there. How could anyone cross that on horseback without anxiety?”
Hyeon-dam tapped the Sword Dissolving Pond monument with his hand and pointed to the lake spread out in front.
Ban Cheol-hwi, arriving late, looked around and sighed.
Then, with heavy steps, he approached the flat stone slab placed next to the lake and bowed his head deeply.
“What are you doing?”
“Wudang is a holy ground of Taoism. Instead of chattering like that, put down your weapons here. Don't you all know what the Sword Dissolving Pond is for? Show at least the minimum courtesy.”
“Weapons? I use my fists.”
“I use my feet?”
At the two’s words, Ban Cheol-hwi shook his head from side to side.
Ban Cheol-hwi, approaching the stone slab once again, took off the scholar's cap he was wearing on his head and bowed deeply at the waist.
“A descendant of Quanzhen and a humble student of Mt. Zhongnan steps on the land of Wudang today. Possessing only shallow knowledge, I pay my respects like this, so may the Celestial Worthy please look down upon me.”
“Primordial Celestial Worthy .”
“Primordial Celestial Worthy.”
As Ban Cheol-hwi straightened his back, two young Taoists wearing Taoist robes slowly walked out from the forest path next to the Sword Dissolving Pond, chanting a Taoist name.
“We don’t know how long it has been since we met someone who pays such deep respects to the Celestial Worthy.”
The Taoists, who bowed with clasped hands to Ban Cheol-hwi once again with gentle faces, turned their heads to look at the group.
“Welcome. I am Dam-hyeon, a second-generation disciple of Wudang.”
“I am Dam-hu, a second-generation disciple of Wudang.”
Jaun, watching the two, took a step forward and bowed with clasped hands in return.
“We came to help after receiving Wudang’s request for support. I am Han Jaun.”
“We have already heard the story but……. You are younger than we expected.”
Hiding their slightly stiffening expressions, the two Taoists glanced over the group.
“Do the others not have any items to leave at the Sword Dissolving Pond?”
At the Taoist’s words, Baek-myo and Hyeon-dam shrugged their shoulders. Jaun fidgeted with the dagger in his bosom and then took it out.
“I didn’t bring any special weapons separately, and this dagger is everything but…….”
The Taoists, who looked once at the dagger Jaun took out, shook their heads left and right.
“This is a place to put down carried weapons and show respect to Wudang. It is fine to carry in a self-defense item of that level. And we have already sufficiently received that respect from that person over there.”
At the words of the Taoist who looked at Ban Cheol-hwi once and smiled, Jaun also put the dagger back into his bosom.
“You must have suffered climbing the rough mountain path. Please follow us.”
The two Taoists began to move their steps toward the wooden bridge over the pond spreading widely ahead.