Park Jinseong’s belongings from the mansion were thus transferred to the building.
Sometimes they were handled with utmost care as if dealing with dangerous materials, other times they went through processes to add other elements, and at times, they were carelessly thrown into the cargo truck like cheap items.
After all the belongings were moved, the first thing Jinseong did was not to organize them.
He conducted a ritual to commemorate the move to his new home. However, being cautious to attract the attention of others, he performed it inside the building, blocking the windows with every method to make it dark and uninviting to outside observers.
“When the spirit of spring is abundantly present, and I have relocated my foundation and rooted myself here for a while, it is fitting to offer a ritual. With the blessing of the Buddha and the protection of the deities, through the care of my ancestors and the blessing of the great ones, I am humbled by this grace and endlessly grateful.”
The inside of the building was dark and empty.
The materials and divine objects Jinseong brought were scattered around, creating a grim atmosphere, and the energy they emitted pervaded the building, showcasing a foreboding ambiance akin to a haunted house.
Surely, those with weak hearts might see illusions or faint on the spot.
Moreover, the vacant space conjured strange emptiness, evoking terrifying imaginations. Thanks to the blocked windows, the inside was shrouded in pitch-black darkness, creating an environment where it wouldn’t be surprising for a ghost to pop out at any moment.
Gazing into the deep darkness, I felt as if faces were subtly forming in the void, and staring into the shimmering light filtering through the blocked windows made it feel like I was about to transit into another world amid static noise.
At the heart of this eerie darkness, Jinseong was reciting his prayers with incense lit.
“To this point, I have managed to maintain my body with countless blessings and protections, and with great care, I have been able to prepare this home without major issues. For this immense grace, I give my utmost gratitude, and I now recite this prayer.”
A small flame was floating in the darkness, drawing white smoke around it.
The incense burned itself, burying in the darkness, while on top of it, the red flame flickered like a firefly, dancing in the shadows. That floating firefly exhaled a fragrant scent, filling the room with aromatic smoke, twisting and curling in the air.
Though no breeze stirred in the building, the incense leaned left then right, intertwining before ascending in a straight line, displaying an uncanny movement like a real firefly dancing.
And below it lay various items arranged neatly on a plate.
A glass filled with pungent strong liquor that overwhelmed the nose.
A bowl containing water so clean and clear it could be mistaken for empty.
A dried twig from a willow tree.
Vegetables reeking of garlic.
A misshapen piece of bread, seemingly baked from flour tossed together.
Each item was as lackluster as the last.
“May all things done here proceed smoothly. May the fierce energy surge forth like a flood, causing blessings to rise. As trees root in the ground and thrive, so shall the master prosper. May flowers bloom splendidly, spreading fragrance, and may all beings drawn by that scent bear fruit. Thus, may the fruit ripen into sweet produce, and may the seeds scatter and fill the world with life.”
Jinseong recited his prayers before those items.
“Fill this building with peace so that all may dwell calmly and safely. Let those of good hearts be protected and empowered in their prayers, and grant them wisdom from which guidance springs for their futures. Let those with evil hearts pay the price, unable to disrupt the peace, and let radiant light fall as judgment befalls their sins.”
The prayer had a solemn yet strangely eerie tone.
Its content differed somewhat from a normal prayer.
While usual prayers focus on ‘grant us good fortune and peacefulness,’ what Jinseong was doing was infused with a sense of incongruity regarding fortune.
“Let the light rise above and the heavy, vile things fall below. As is the way of the world, let it be so. Just as light spends ages in the vast sky accompanied by eternal history, let darkness wriggle in the depths, expanding and emerging when light is absent. Let it remain fearful of the light, dwelling underground and unable to spread, that death may not run rampant. Thus, may everlasting peace take hold where the light resides.”
Jinseong then reached out, grasping the bread and cutting it in half.
He took one of the cut pieces and held it over the incense.
Whoosh.
Instantly the bread ignited as if it had consumed oil.
The burning bread disappeared without a trace, leaving only a fragrant and savory aroma behind.
“It is said that all evil must dwell in cold and hot places. Let darkness settle and seep into the earth, proliferating as it clusters and scatters, emerging when light is absent, shrouding once more. Thus let it remain in fear of the light and fail to rise, ensuring that death does not prevail. Let light bring everlasting peace.”
Jinseong picked up the remaining piece of bread.
He then dropped it to the floor as if it were something filthy, ruthlessly stomping it until it was crushed.
The bread splattered against the ground, and Jinseong spat on it.
The spittle melted the bread away.
As if his saliva were acid, it lost all semblance of form, becoming a sticky liquid that slowly seeped into the building’s earthen floor, disappearing in an instant.
The liquid left barely a trace behind.
With no stickiness or distinctive color, it was absorbed entirely into the ground.
But it left a mark, black like the spores of mold.
The mold branched out into six sections from a central point, forming a shape reminiscent of a flower.
“Just as the lotus blooms and spreads fragrance to benefit all, let it be so here. May the scent blooming from the building become blessings that spread to all, transforming into the fragrance of flowers. May the beautifully blossomed flowers carry their scent for miles, and may all that is drawn to it become nourished. If winged beings are beneficial, let them grow under the light; if not, let their wings grow heavy, burying them in darkness. Thus may the towering building grow like a tree and turn green, embracing the rejuvenation born of sunlight.”
At that, Jinseong paused momentarily.
Then he pulled out the incense and set fire to the items arranged on the table.
Whoosh.
The unimpressive twig ignited.
The vegetables emitting a strong odor caught fire as well.
The liquor flared in flames as it burned.
Only the pure water remained untouched by flames.
Jinseong slowly brought the incense to the pure water before speaking again.
“Bearing the burden of the magic karma, I, Park Jinseong, complete the ritual with my wish in this twisted time; thus, this prayer shall surely gain power.”
He dipped the incense into the pure water, and in that moment, the incense extinguished in an instant. With it, the formerly clean water began to taint, black ash sinking and the water clouding, losing the purity it once held.
Jinseong grinned, as if delighted, stirring the incense to further pollute the water. Once it was sufficiently sullied, he overturned it.
Splash!
The tainted water spilled to the ground, filled with a chilling aura, turning dark. Then, just as the bread had melted and vanished, it seeped into the ground, disappearing completely.
And with that, the building was shrouded in darkness once again.
The incense that provided even a bit of light extinguished completely, and the faint light seeping through the windows diminished as if clouds had gathered outside.
And at the heart of that darkness, Jinseong’s eyes were glimmering.
Those eyes trembled like fire, radiating light as if burning in the dark, flickering and twitching like insects wriggling in the air.
Jinseong slowly moved, filled with light in his eyes, and began to unpack one of the items, pulling out several kitchen knives.
The condition of those knives was far from good.
They were rusted, dull, broken, bent, and utterly unusable.
Jinseong clenched the air and levitated the knives into the air before dropping them all to the ground at once.
Thud!
The outcome was astonishing.
Every single knife stood upright.
Seeing that, Jinseong smiled, satisfied.
