WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
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Chapter 187: Spring Silkworms Spin Silk Until Death (11)
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Wudang Mountain did not reveal its true worth to just anyone.
Not only to the countless incense pilgrims who came to pay their respects, but even to the disciples who belonged there.
For third-generation disciples, the lowest generation, there were countless places on Wudang Mountain they did not dare enter.
The Hall of Manifest Dao was a prime example.
Because it stood within the Sect Leader's Residence, not just anyone could use the training grounds there. A disciple had to become at least second-generation before receiving the chance to train there.
To third-generation disciples, the Hall of Manifest Dao was like a hidden retreat where the immortals of their imaginations trained.
Langmei Shrine was another.
A grove of langmei trees grew nearby, and the langmei fruit borne there was a treasure presented to the Imperial Court. Until one became a second-generation disciple, one did not dare even approach it.
Yet Wudang Mountain also held hidden places that even second-generation disciples could not enter.
The Palace of the Dark Heavens was one such place.
Countless magnificent buildings stood upon Celestial Pillar Peak.
It was a space devoted to the True Martial Great Emperor, whom Wudang worshipped.
Even second-generation disciples were rarely permitted to climb there.
And at the very summit of Celestial Pillar Peak, in the highest place within the Palace of the Dark Heavens, stood the Golden Hall.
The Golden Hall was where the True Martial Great Emperor sat enthroned. Usually, the Sect Leader or elders climbed there to light incense. Even first-generation disciples found it difficult to dare ascend unless they were disciples of the Sect Leader.
That was why Wudang's third-generation disciples dreamed.
“One day, I will pass the Hall of Manifest Dao and Langmei Shrine, climb to the Palace of the Dark Heavens, and even reach the Golden Hall...”
When that day came after years had passed, they would be renowned masters like their teachers. They would understand every principle of the world, and nothing would be difficult for them.
“But then.”
Jin So, a third-generation disciple of Wudang, clenched his teeth.
He was twenty years old, the same age as Yeon Sowol.
He had entered Wudang Mountain before any of the other third-generation disciples. His skill was the best, he was popular, and he acted as their leader.
“We haven't even seen those places. So why has some lay disciple seen them all?”
He was speaking of Yeon Sowol.
They had not yet heard anything official about Yeon Sowol. But as Yeon Sowol had stayed at Wudang Mountain for some time now, rumors about him had gradually spread among the disciples.
Nothing detailed.
Only that a new lay disciple had joined, and the sect elders were treating him with extraordinary favor.
That left Jin So deeply jealous.
“He trains in the Hall of Manifest Dao, and I heard he even ate langmei fruit at Langmei Shrine?”
In truth, Yeon Sowol had not yet eaten langmei fruit.
But that was the rumor.
Every third-generation disciple bore hostility toward Yeon Sowol.
When they first heard that a righteous hero famous throughout Yuezhou had visited Wudang Mountain, they had even been excited. Now, no trace of that excitement remained.
“So what if he made a name for himself in Yuezhou? This is Wudang.”
“That's exactly what I'm saying, Senior Brother. I heard that when he meets our fellow disciples on the road, he just gives them a fist salute.”
“What? A fist salute? Even if he's a lay disciple, aren't we technically his senior brothers?”
“Exactly! He should be bowing deeply!”
“What an ill-mannered brat.”
They were all waiting for it.
Just let them run into him once.
They would teach him how great Wudang's martial arts were.
“Apparently, he doesn't know how strict Wudang is about seniority. Is it because he's a lay disciple?”
“Yes, Senior Brother. As his senior brothers, it's only right that we teach him.”
“Right. If he has come up Wudang Mountain, shouldn't he enjoy Wudang's ancient secret method of physical conditioning all night?”
“Exactly. We need to see what makes that lay disciple so special that he receives such favor.”
That day, after eating lunch together, they had gathered again to fuel their hostility toward Yeon Sowol.
“Ah. You were all here.”
A second-generation disciple came looking for them.
“Oh. Greetings, Martial Uncle. Were you looking for us?”
Jin So sprang to his feet and gave a formal bow. The second-generation disciple casually acknowledged it and spoke.
“Yes. I have an announcement.”
“Yes, Martial Uncle.”
“Martial Granduncle Yeon Sowol will climb to the Golden Hall today with the Sixty-Eighth Patriarch. Make certain there is not the slightest negligence in attending the elders of the sect.”
“Yes. Yes, wait, what?”
Jin So had begun bowing his head obediently, then suddenly jerked it up.
“Whom did you say?”
“Ah, you do not know. We only learned of it recently ourselves. I do not know the exact details, but the Sixty-Eighth Patriarch has decided to acknowledge Martial Granduncle Yeon Sowol's generational standing.”
“Then... did the Sixty-Eighth Patriarch accept him as a direct disciple?”
“Apparently not.”
“What?”
“I do not know the details. But even as a lay disciple, his generational standing has been recognized, and he has been entered as a disciple of the Sixty-Eighth Patriarch. You must therefore treat him with the respect due a Great-Grand Martial Uncle.”
Having said only that much, the second-generation disciple hurried off as though busy.
“...”
“...”
...Great-Grand Martial Uncle?
Lay disciple Yeon Sowol?
Great... Grand Martial Uncle?
The third-generation disciples silently looked at one another.
A few quick-witted disciples immediately slipped away from the group.
“Ahem. Senior Brother, I'll be going now.”
“Ahem! I'll be going too. Ah, I didn't say anything earlier. You all saw that, right?”
The calculation was simple.
They might have taught lay disciple Yeon Sowol a lesson, but Great-Grand Martial Uncle Yeon Sowol was different.
The fact that Yeon Sowol had not been at Wudang long did not even merit consideration.
Was he not, quite literally, now on brotherly terms with the Sect Leader?
A single sneeze from him could turn a third-generation disciple's life into heaven or hell.
“Senior Brother Jin So. Ahem. I'll be leaving first.”
One by one, they grasped the situation and prepared to scatter as though nothing had happened.
“Wait! Where do you all think you're going?”
Jin So, who had led the insults against Yeon Sowol more than anyone, glared fiercely and growled.
“S-Senior Brother?”
“Ahem! I really must go.”
The third-generation disciples hesitated awkwardly.
Jin So shouted at them.
“You're leaving like this? Idiots! A new Great-Grand Martial Uncle suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and you're just leaving? Get a grip. Don't say such nonsense.”
He clenched his teeth.
“What sort of person is our new Great-Grand Martial Uncle? At the very least, shouldn't we find that out?”
His eyes flashed as he swept his gaze around them.
* * *
“Did you bring that ugly stone?”
“Yes, Master.”
Yeon Sowol took the fragment of the wish-granting pearl from his robe and showed it briefly.
Chungdam True Man nodded once, then looked Yeon Sowol up and down.
“Your bearing is exceptionally fine. You put much care into your appearance.”
“I must pay my respects to the former patriarchs and the True Martial Great Emperor. Is this perhaps too much?”
That day, Yeon Sowol had taken out his cleanest clothes and dressed as neatly as he could.
He had tied a reddish silk sword cord over his white martial hero's robes, then draped a blue Daoist robe over them. It bore no patterns and was simply neat, but every detail, from sleeves to hem, fit precisely, neither too short nor too long.
He wore a Zhuangzi Cap as well. He looked like either a Confucian student devoted to study or a deeply cultivated Daoist.
Still, Yeon Sowol was worried because of Chungdam True Man's usual appearance.
Compared to Chungdam True Man, who lived in a shabby thatched cottage and dressed as a humble Daoist, even Yeon Sowol's restrained attire looked rather splendid.
But Chungdam True Man smiled and shook his head.
“No. It is just right.”
Chungdam True Man began walking.
Yeon Sowol followed behind him.
‘This is my first time taking this path.’
When he had first entered Wudang, he had crossed the mountain gate and immediately taken the fork to the right.
The Left Courtyard.
The place where Wudang's senior members gathered to conduct its affairs.
But now they returned to that fork and took the middle path.
They walked among bustling incense pilgrims.
Soon, a stale odor struck Yeon Sowol's nose.
‘Well. I suppose crowds can't be helped.’
The incense pilgrims had washed, ritually cleansed themselves, and put on fresh clothes before coming to this sacred place. But considering the hygiene of this era and the journey they had made to reach Wudang Mountain, the stale odor could not be avoided.
Yeon Sowol casually shook the fragrance sachet at his chest, refreshing its clear scent as he walked.
“If you maintained Loss of Self, it would not bother you.”
“I value Clear Knowing as well, so it's only right that I pay even more attention to it.”
“Ha ha. How did something like you turn up?”
Chungdam True Man chuckled quietly and walked ahead.
Yeon Sowol followed.
Despite the countless incense pilgrims crowding around them, not one gave Yeon Sowol or Chungdam True Man a glance.
No, they seemed unable to notice their very existence.
Even so, whenever their paths crossed, the pilgrims naturally stepped aside and made way.
Yeon Sowol was once again amazed by that mysterious feat.
‘Even now, I don't understand this.’
A mysterious harmony that made people forget their existence even when they stood before them and spoke with them.
Was it because Chungdam True Man had reached the realm of Nonaction that Yeon Sowol still could not even guess how it worked?
Could he one day do the same, despite not walking the orthodox path of the Daoist tradition?
His eyes shining with curiosity, Yeon Sowol watched people part to either side of Chungdam True Man.
After walking for some time, an enormous gate carved from blue stone suddenly appeared before them.
It was three bays wide, with four pillars, and rose five stories high.
At its center, four characters were engraved upon a plaque in vigorous, soaring strokes.
“Mystic Peak That Governs the Realm.”
A northern mountain that ruled the world.
Yeon Sowol quietly looked up at the gate, then abruptly said,
“It's an imposing gate. It looks very expensive.”
Chungdam True Man laughed.
“Expensive indeed. An emperor bestowed this gate upon us long ago.”
“Our sect's prosperity is so great that this disciple is worried.”
“Why would you worry over something good?”
“I have received great kindness from the sect, but the sect is so wealthy. I worry whether I can ever repay such kindness.”
“A lay disciple says the most admirable things.”
As they chatted and passed through Mystic Peak Gate, a third-generation disciple guarding it bowed deeply.
Chungdam True Man lightly nodded and passed by. Yeon Sowol followed.
Peek.
The third-generation disciple, still bowing deeply, slightly raised his eyes to inspect their backs. Then he hastily pulled out a fine brush, dipped it in ink, and scribbled something down.
- Great-Grand Martial Uncle. Exceptionally proper in appearance and bearing. Shows a worldly side, such as commenting on the price of Mystic Peak Gate.
Other third-generation disciples appeared from somewhere, snatched up the note, and rushed off using lightness skills.
* * *
Beyond Mystic Peak Gate, the Divine Way, paved in long stretches of blue stone, continued straight down the middle.
The Divine Way was the road of the gods. Humans were not meant to tread upon it.
Thus, Yeon Sowol and Chungdam True Man, along with all the incense pilgrims, walked along the divided paths on either side.
“...”
As he walked slowly, Yeon Sowol looked around.
Countless incense pilgrims surged through the grounds.
The Divine Way, empty amid them all, looked slightly unreal.
Third-generation disciples moved among the pilgrims, handling errands and maintaining order.
‘Are Wudang's disciples somewhat older?’
The noticeable third-generation disciples were at least in their mid-teens. Most seemed in their late teens, and quite a few looked to be in their twenties.
At Hengshan Sect, So Hye was only in her late teens yet already a second-generation disciple. Wudang's disciples were definitely older.
Perhaps in a few years, these third-generation disciples would advance to second-generation, and Wudang would select new third-generation disciples.
Perhaps that was why they all moved with such quick efficiency.
“Greetings to the Grandmaster and Great-Grand Martial Uncle.”
Whenever they spotted Yeon Sowol and Chungdam True Man, they approached and gave long, formal bows.
Then again.
‘Great-Grand Martial Uncle.’
That did not merely mean he stood at the same generational level as their grandfather. It meant he stood at the same generational level as their great-grandfather.
‘...This is awkward.’
Being treated with extreme respect by people around his own age while they called him their great-grandfather.
If Yeon Sowol had held the mindset of Loss of Self, he would have simply accepted even that. But his present state freely moved between Loss of Self and Clear Knowing, so a trace of embarrassment naturally showed on his face.
“...”
Yeon Sowol glanced at Chungdam True Man.
‘He could have prevented the third-generation disciples from recognizing us...’
It was happening even now.
The third-generation disciples greeted them so conspicuously, yet the other incense pilgrims did not even look their way. Chungdam True Man's mysterious power was at work.
And yet third-generation disciples recognized them, approached, and bowed.
‘Is he trying to introduce me?’
That was the only explanation.
Yeon Sowol slightly nodded in acknowledgment of the third-generation disciples' greetings.
Then his gaze suddenly fell upon their clothing.
‘But they're neat. Even neater than before.’
The third-generation disciple he had met at Mystic Peak Gate had also been neatly dressed. But while running countless errands, it was inevitable that one's appearance would gradually grow disordered.
There had clearly been signs of ordinary daily life in that disciple's appearance.
The disciples greeting him now were different.
Their collars were closed neatly. The way their waistbands held their lapels in place. Even the stains on their shoes and the creases at their ankles. Not a single thing was out of order.
‘Is it just my imagination?’
Yeon Sowol quietly nodded and passed by.
Once they had gone far away, the third-generation disciples who had been bowing slightly raised their heads. They took out fine brushes again and hurriedly scribbled something down.
- It is certain. Great-Grand Martial Uncle's gaze lingered on our clothing. He clearly values neat appearance and proper bearing.
After recording the new information, they scattered busily to spread it.
This happened repeatedly.
The third-generation disciples watched Yeon Sowol. They greeted him. They wrote things down and shared them.
The Palace of Supreme Harmony.
A place with “palace” in its name was one made up of at least several dozen buildings, and its status was exceedingly lofty.
The Palace of Supreme Harmony was as far as outsiders were allowed to climb.
Incense pilgrims from across the world spent their time there, traveling through its grounds, burning incense, offering prayers, receiving instruction from Daoists, and seeking their counsel.
But the Palace of Supreme Harmony held a different meaning for Yeon Sowol.
“Phew... This incense...”
Countless sticks of incense burned by pilgrims rose into the sky all around them.
Yeon Sowol quietly drew a breath through his nose.
It was as rich as the scent of milk, as clear as pine, with a faint and mysterious floral fragrance.
The stale odors from before were entirely driven away by that fragrance, and Yeon Sowol felt extremely pleased.
“It is called Ascending White Incense. Everyone who burns incense at the Palace of Supreme Harmony uses it.”
“Ah. It smells wonderful.”
“If you like this, you will like the Purple Agarwood Incense at Purple Firmament Palace even more.”
Yeon Sowol's cheeks reddened slightly.
Seeing that, Chungdam True Man chuckled again.
“You truly do not seem like a Daoist. Though you are not one.”
They passed the Palace of Supreme Harmony and continued up the mountain.
Outsiders could not go beyond it, so the mountain path was now quiet.
Only Wudang disciples came and went.
But then.
“Greetings to the Grandmaster and Martial Granduncle.”
“Greetings to the Grandmaster and Martial Uncle.”
Unlike the second-generation and first-generation disciples.
“Greetings to the Grandmaster and Great-Grand Martial Uncle.”
Whenever third-generation disciples passed by, they carried a refreshing scent.
It was not that the second-generation or first-generation disciples smelled bad. But the third-generation disciples definitely carried a fresh, pleasant fragrance.
‘They did not smell like this earlier.’
Yeon Sowol suddenly looked at the third-generation disciple standing before him with lowered eyes.
The disciple seemed about Yeon Sowol's age.
His appearance and clothing were exceptionally neat, and he smelled wonderful.
“Your name is...?”
When Yeon Sowol suddenly asked, the third-generation disciple bowed deeply and answered.
“My name is Jin So, Great-Grand Martial Uncle.”
Chungdam True Man spoke from beside him.
“He acts as the leader among the third-generation disciples.”
Jin So lowered his head further, as though overwhelmed by the honor.
Yeon Sowol smiled awkwardly.
“Thank you.”
“Pardon?”
“Have you not been looking after me? You figured out what I like, paid more attention to your clothes, and even paid more attention to your scent.”
“H-How did you...?”
Indeed.
Yeon Sowol thought that he would not have noticed in the past.
But the mindset that moved between Clear Knowing and Loss of Self no longer overlooked such things. With Loss of Self, he saw everything as it was. With Clear Knowing, he pushed himself to interpret it as far as possible.
That was enough to roughly find the answer.
The third-generation disciples were making a great effort for the Great-Grand Martial Uncle they had just met.
It was embarrassing, but telling them to stop would be even more awkward.
So Yeon Sowol merely gave a slightly sheepish smile and clasped his hands.
“Thank you very much for your consideration.”
Chungdam True Man added from beside him.
“How admirable.”
Jin So's face turned so red it looked ready to burst.
With an overwhelmed expression, he lowered his head even more deeply.
“Not at all! It is an honor!”
He remained bowed until Yeon Sowol and Chungdam True Man had completely passed from sight.
Only then did he raise his head, look around at his fellow disciples, and show off.
“What did I tell you? We did well to follow my lead, right? We made an impression on not only Great-Grand Martial Uncle, but also the Sixty-Eighth Patriarch!”
“Just as expected...!”
“Senior Brother really is different!”
“Heh heh. Hyeoncheon Josun Celestial Worthy...”
Jin So proudly recited a Daoist invocation and looked up at Celestial Pillar Peak.
Its summit was hidden so completely by clouds that it could not be seen properly.
As a third-generation disciple, he still could not go there.
But.
‘If I keep this up, one day I will climb there too. Perhaps even sooner!’
Lay disciple Yeon Sowol and Great-Grand Martial Uncle Yeon Sowol were completely different.
If the former was a rival, the latter might be a new opportunity.
A supreme opportunity, at that.
He had to make a good impression no matter what.
‘Still, I think I fastened the first button well.’
Jin So turned around happily.
He took the small notes from his sleeve and read them over once more. Then he took out another note and wrote several new lines.
- Great-Grand Martial Uncle. He is embarrassed, but does not reject kindness. He possesses the keen insight to understand our circumstances at once. Do not carelessly try to use your wits before him.
Jin So was a Daoist who knew how to recognize an opportunity.
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