694 - The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

"First, let's figure out how to wake her up." "Is she unable to wake up immediately, like last night?" I asked, gesturing towards the woman lying in the ice coffin. "She expended all her energy recovering while lying there for so long to mix blood with you. Now, it’s up to you." So it was a situation where she used her last bit of strength to send out a distress signal. It's similar to a child wearing a heavy armor, moving once and then collapsing from exhaustion. "Do I need to learn the art of Jiangshi control?" "How much do you know about spells?" "I've overheard some Taoist chants in passing. Probably something like Lin Bing Dou Zhe Jie Zhen Lie Zhen. Yin and Yang merge, and something about urgency following a decree." "It's actually Lin Bing Dou Zhe Jie Zhen Lie Qian Hang." "It seems I've remembered it incorrectly." It's like when you claim to know the Summer Triangle as Deneb, Altair, and Vega, only to be corrected by an expert who assures you it's a great square. "It seems you heard it from a distant land, not the central plains. I’ve heard the teachings of Taoism flowed to Dongying, mixed with esoteric traditions, and resulted in Onmyoji chanting garbled spells." "Ah, I have encountered Japanese during my time in Joseon. I learned origami used by Onmyoji during that time." That's correct. Origination is from Dongying, albeit quite far into the future. Reflecting on when I was questioned about my origami knowledge during the Muyeong Shintu incident, I added a bit to my story, mentioning that I had once met an Onmyoji who handled Shikigami. "If you can't infuse the chant with intent, it's just empty words. However, your lack of surprise upon first seeing a Jiangshi hints at your greater insight than the average person." Fortunately, it wasn't a disaster on the scale of the Great Summer Square. Elder Si Wang seemed fascinated, looking at me with interest over my unexpected stories. "It's nothing much." "For ordinary Jiangshi, using talismans and spells is right. But this Hualangshi is alive. Ordinary methods won’t achieve anything." Elder Si Wang, after briefly looking at the woman with sad eyes, began to explain. "Then what should I do?" "You need to restore her soul and cultivate it to suit her strong body." "Strengthen the soul? What do you mean?" I can understand body strengthening, but how do you strengthen a soul? "First, we need to check how you can utilize your power. Follow me." —— A method to use the power of the Fate Reverser. Honestly, I'm a bit excited. The self-illuminating ability of the Fate Reverser's power through the Shanhaijing map was handy, but it was useless beyond deception. Elder Si Wang, being a spell expert, might find a way to use the Fate Reverser's power. With anticipation in my heart, I sat at the table in the room with the bed. "Here, take this." "Isn't this a talisman?" What Elder Si Wang handed me was a typical talisman with red writing on yellow paper. "Have you ever used one before?" "Ever since the Shanhaijing Map, I've experimented with all kinds of things, but nothing reacted." The household of Jeogal has similar items, and I've tested everything with Xiangmai, but nothing worked. Eventually, I thought about trying a Bao Pai, but after all the hardships with the Shanhaijing map, I couldn't bring myself to touch it. "This talisman is made from una bark flowers that bloom once in several centuries, and it's infused with the cinnabar pride of the Jinzhou Onmyoji family." Elder Si Wang spoke with a tone of pride, convinced that the talisman he handed over would be different. "I've heard of Cinnabar being top-class among the vermilion inks." I nodded naturally, surprised by the red writing made with Cinnabar. Elder Si Wang had a right to be proud. Common red ink used for talismans is called vermillion ink, and Cinnabar is another name for it. Sound familiar from somewhere? Yes, the Jin (辰) in Jinzhou (辰州) Onmyoji and Cinnabar (辰砂) is the same character. Jinzhou Onmyoji family isn't actually in Hebei Province but in Hunan Province. I've mentioned the burial culture and Jiangshi legends in Hunan before, but if you delve deeper, even the ink used for this talisman is related. When Jiangshi rise from their graves, Onmyoji must suppress them with talismans, right? They control Jiangshi with Cinnabar ink from Jinzhou, hence the top-notch Cinnabar is called Cinnabar (辰砂). 'Why do I only get feedback that corrects irrelevant details so well?’ Chancing upon such legitimate historical evidence again, I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or weep. “The talisman can ignite fierce flames with a mere thought. Now, try infusing your power into this talisman.” A special talisman made by Si Wang himself. I cautiously infused the power of the Fate Reverser into it with anticipation. “…There’s no reaction.” As expected, not a stir. "This is a fundamentally different kind of power... Very well. Place the talisman on the metal tray, and let’s try another method." Even Elder Si Wang seemed surprised, strengthening his resolve as he drew a small blade from his sleeve. "Why a dagger all of a sudden?" "Blood is a part of you; it can serve as a conduit to infuse intention. When Cinnabar can’t hold the intention, sometimes blood must be used." "…" A suggestion to use one of the most primal methods of witchcraft known across East and West. Understandable, Elder Si Wang, it's a decent proposal. I regarded the sharp-edged dagger with a less than enthusiastic look. "Why are you hesitating?" "Even just scratching my wrist to write with blood makes me seem like I’m unhinged…." It’s not even blood writing; it’s drawing on a talisman. A successor of the Mangum Jeonjang using a blood talisman—dangerous rumors could spread from this. I am not sure how much blood I’ll need just to test it out, but isn’t this a bit excessive just for an experiment? "…A single drop from your fingertip will do." "Oh, I see." You should've said that earlier. —— “Imagine a massive flame. Focus all your will into manifesting fire at your fingertip.” With Elder Si Wang's instructions, I closed my eyes and envisioned a roaring flame. As I focused, a pleasant scent wafted to my nose. Was Elder Si Wang burning incense? It was an aroma perfectly suited for concentration. Picture fiercely burning flames. Flames that could melt even an android, a fiery fist capable of incinerating magma, a sword of flame capable of consuming the underworld, and black flames that could scorch one's very soul just by sight. The fiery intent naturally kindled my energy. Golden energy. My heart pounded. A heart. The Fate Reverser's power coursed from my shoulders, down my arm, like ripples of flame. When the energy reached my fingertips, I gently touched the blade with the tip of my finger. 'It's done.' It felt as satisfying as scoring the perfect three-point shot after thousands of practices. A drop of blood. As if scripting red letters on yellow talisman paper, the edges of the crimson blood were encased in a golden hue as it dropped. The talisman, imbued with energy, eagerly absorbed the blood, reacting differently than before. It ignited. YW9peUx5cktZYXhyU2hzY1VsMkQ0ZlJyS0lLdWNxRWNaOGlRZ3RUL2tKY011U3pPV2VnQUlvcGY5dlVSWXZxMA A flame ignited. A great flame. A great flame... "Hmm..." I let out a bitter smile at the ambiguous sigh that echoed in my ears. "If kids were playing with fire, they'd make a bigger flame than this." It did ignite, for sure. The problem was it produced nothing more than a small blue flame, akin to a lighter. "This is indeed the smallest flame I've ever seen." "You mentioned the flames should fill the entire metal tray. It seems we’ve hit a snag right from the start." I was told we didn't have much time. It’s troubling how confidently I predicted and yet ended in this manner. As I awkwardly scratched my head in embarrassment, Elder Si Wang, rather than being frustrated, lifted the tray with an intrigued look. "However, this is also the first time I've seen someone succeed instantly." "Sorry?" "I’ve never seen anyone set a flame using only their will, having no prior knowledge of spells..." Contrary to my expectations, Elder Si Wang chuckled at me as if he was pleasantly surprised. "You’re overly complimentary... Huh?" As I tried to stand, my legs gave out beneath me. What? My whole body feels as exhausted as if I'd been practicing martial arts for hours. Perhaps the poison hasn’t fully detoxified yet? Elder Si Wang caught me by the back of my neck, as if he predicted this, before tossing me onto the bed. "It’s dizziness from using intent for the first time." "Is that so." By the time I realized, the sun was setting outside the window. I thought I’d closed my eyes for just a moment, but apparently, I’d been focusing for quite some time. Feeling accomplished, I smiled contentedly, aware of Elder Si Wang's gaze silently watching me. "Well done. Let’s call it a day now. Get some rest." Though I hadn’t known him long, Elder Si Wang's expression as he left the room seemed content. — "You really did call for Kang Yoon Ho." The man who had shifted from an intruder to a guest was now asleep, and as darkness settled over the mansion, Eon Woo Jin revisited the room with the ice coffin. "You were calling so desperately for help, yet I never heard your voice even once?" The woman in the ice coffin, as always, didn't respond to Si Wang. "It was... It was my failing." He thought he had done his best, but in the end, he couldn't reach her. She kept calling for help, yet, trapped in his obstinate pride, he failed to listen. Silently, Si Wang lowered his head in self-reproach. Had it been a few days earlier, he might have lamented and cried out. He wasn't sure when his end would come, leaving him unable to finish what needed to be done. Under such despair, the old man's mind wandered to a black-haired young man. "The man you've chosen. He isn’t lacking after all." He was indeed a man of character. He had even read prayers for the deceased. Being acknowledged as the son-in-law of the picky Jeogal household, his abilities couldn’t be lacking either. "The power of Yeowa Lang Lang has been passed on..." Si Wang recounted all that Kang Yoon Ho had said today. 一 Doesn’t the matter of Yeowa Lang Lang resemble the art of Jiangshi control, albeit slightly? Though it seemed he didn’t tell the whole truth, it didn’t feel like he was lying. The power he possessed was verified. Neither Qi of Heaven and Earth nor internal energy. If not for Yeowa Lang Lang, the power was inexplicable. ‘If the power is truly of Yeowa Lang Lang… perhaps.’ Yeowa Lang Lang, the goddess who molded humans. The explanation Kang Yoon Ho hastily concocted about the Fate Reverser’s power resonated well enough with Si Wang. However, even Kang Yoon Ho seemed to overlook one legend. "Yeowa Lang Lang is also the goddess who binds men and women together." A divine bond decreed by a goddess. Eon Woo Jin, after speaking, frowned for reasons beyond his understanding. "Indeed, he lacks talent in the arts of sorcery." Si Wang quietly lifted the metal tray Kang Yoon Ho had used earlier. A peculiar golden aura. Certainly, the power wasn’t ideal for use in sorcery. Yet... "To think you would melt metal with a flame imbued with intent..." The metal tray that had been perfectly intact until today now had a hole right through it, through which Si Wang could see his reflection. "You might truly be connected." Even if the power was unsuitable for sorcery, the one who needed it most stood before him. Perhaps. Just perhaps. 一 When was the last time you spoke with that woman, Elder Si Wang? "Today, it seems I long to hear your voice more than ever." The elder, looking younger than his years, quietly bowed his head, overwhelmed by the emerging glimpse of hope and his profound longing.