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Rise had finally managed to get a decent sleep, washing away all her accumulated fatigue.

Was it thanks to that?

Right after waking up, she moved passionately, gathering information, and managed to collect valuable intel through the wealthy individuals and politicians connected to Shiheng Style and the head of the security company.

“I’m quite satisfied.”

Fortunately, the information that Rise had diligently gathered perfectly suited Jinseong’s taste.

“Especially the information about the training location of the Shiheng Style and Yatadoarangkryu warriors was truly gratifying.”

Jinseong praised Rise, who was kneeling in front of him, handing over the paper filled with details. Rise perked up her fox ears, transformed into a physical form, and expressed her joy.

“Indeed. Warriors often train in nature.”

Jinseong glanced at the paper in his hand.

It was densely covered in writing, and at the very top, three bold Chinese characters stood out.

黑劍峰

In Japanese pronunciation, it is Kurotsurugimine.

In Korean pronunciation, it is Heuggeombong.

“A mountain of black swords.”

『A mountain stretching from Kagoshima to Nansatsu. It stands at 1,760 meters high, with a sharp peak resembling a sword, and a gentle slope filled with thick trees below. According to records, it was originally a non-existent mountain but suddenly appeared around the third year of the Shoan era.』

『According to legends, a gigantic dragon swimming across the sea from the continent caused it by smashing its tail, and a massive sea monster that could easily swallow an island came ashore and collapsed, leading to accumulated soil and growing trees on top of its lifeless body.』

『Local people named it Kurotsurugimine (黒劍峰) because the sharp black rocks resembled swords, and they considered it ominous, believing the sharpness it produced was like a sword raised towards the sky. They thought it resembled an irreverent figure presenting a sword to their lord. Thus, residing within Kurotsurugimine was seen as having the spirit of the mountain intending to challenge their lord.』

…

…

…

『Only after the Greater Japanese Empire came to rule the world could people officially reside within it. However, shortly after the establishment of the village, the empire was defeated by the U.S., and since its spirit was believed to have touched His Majesty the Emperor, the village became abandoned, and residents scattered to Kagoshima and Nansatsu.』

『In the now-empty Kurotsurugimine, numerous Buddha statues were erected to suppress the spirit, trees were densely planted to restrain the earth’s energy, and wooden poles resembling tree shapes were established.』

『Currently, it is managed by the Shiheng Style and its affiliated warriors, who also use it as a training ground. Entering without permission or harvesting any products inside can lead to legal punishment.』

『With dense trees, it is nearly a primeval forest, making it difficult to maintain a sense of direction, so getting lost inside is easy. Additionally, there could be feral beasts like wild boars inside, so entering is not recommended. In fact, there have been constant occurrences of people who ventured in to prove their bravery but ended up lost, with cases where even corpses couldn’t be found….』

…

…

…

“It’s a mountain used for training.”

Jinseong gazed silently at the photo of Kurotsurugimine printed on the paper.

The mountain’s shape was quite strange.

It looked as if a large rock shaped like a sword was abruptly thrust into a hastily piled hill, almost to maintain the mountain’s standard.

The portion with growing trees had a gentle slope, only for the black rock peak to protrude awkwardly among them. It resembled a sword stuck into a tomb, which was chilling, and also comical, as if a sharp stick had been poked into a mound of sand.

But despite its oddly striking appearance, inside was truly a primeval forest.

The ground, so densely covered with trees that sunlight barely reached it, was teeming with undergrowth. A photo that seemed to have been flipped with a shovel showed it filled with centipedes and nameless insects. Moreover, the trees that appeared to have rotted were densely sprouting mushrooms, and in a photo taken in the shade, the glow of what looked like animal eyes flickered in the darkness.

And flipping to the next page, a flood of images of Ksitigarbha appeared.

Once lovingly crafted Ksitigarbha figures now appeared eerie due to poor maintenance, some growing mold, others covered in moss, while some were half-broken.

And turning the page again revealed a location that looked like a training ground.

It was a concrete building seemingly constructed in the early 1900s, and it showed signs of having weathered the passage of time poorly. However, unlike the building’s shabby exterior, the inside seemed quite tidy, well-maintained for the warriors’ training facilities.

Flipping the page again….

“A solar energy facility?”

One side of the mountain filled with solar panels emerged.

It was as if, suffering from hair loss, panels were densely arranged among the thickly grown trees in what resembled a forest.

“The largest solar power facility in East Asia at the time…. Hm.”

A brief explanation lay under the photograph.

At that time, Japan was deeply concerned about environmental issues and took advantage of it to establish solar power facilities. Moreover, despite strong opposition from locals, they pushed through the construction and filled one side of the mountain with panels.

“They didn’t recover the investment costs, but somehow the discontent was patched up,” Ra said with a smirk as he turned to Rise.

“Once built, a mood likely developed not to stir the pot unnecessarily, right?”

“Yes.”

Rise nodded her head in agreement with his words.

“Actually, not everyone opposed the construction at the time. It’s true there were concerns about environmental destruction and calamities descending upon the village if the mountain was recklessly tampered with…. However, there were also many who were pleased, claiming they could use electricity cheaper. Plus, the Shiheng Style actively intervened to stop violent protests.”

“Hm.”

“Efforts for violent protests certainly occurred. There were those wanting to throw Molotov cocktails, some brought heavy machinery to block construction, while citizens banded together to make barricades to block the road. However, the government learned from the Narita International Airport construction struggle. With the help of the Shiheng Style, they suppressed residents attempting violent protests and manipulated the mass media to portray anyone opposing construction as non-nationals.”

Rise said with a wry smile.

“Thanks to that, the construction wrapped up smoothly, and the individuals who became the center of the protests were ostracized, ending up leaving for other regions.”

Jinseong continued to flip through the papers while listening to Rise’s words.

On the back of the paper bundle, there were exposé articles stating that the solar panels were of Chinese origin and articles describing the immense embezzlement festival involving politicians and construction firms related to the project.

Jinseong smiled at Rise’s words.

“Yes. A good idea came to mind. Good, excellent material you’ve provided. Truly wonderful.”

Jinseong praised Rise extravagantly before standing up.

And with light steps, he exited the shrine.

* *

“Isn’t it a bit ominous?”

Jinseong smiled as he gazed at the solar power facility.

The solar energy facility resembled the one he saw in the picture.

However, one thing differed: the soil.

In the photograph, it appeared brown, but in reality, it was a dirty yellowish soil typical of barren lands. It was so crumbly that if he picked it up with his hand, he couldn’t feel a single drop of moisture; applying a slight pressure caused it to fall apart and drop to the ground. Moreover, even without much effort, the ground could be easily dug up, and whether due to the lack of moisture or other reasons, the soil felt lighter compared to when he was digging in other areas.

‘Good, good.’

Jinseong smiled in satisfaction. Then, with a gesture as if there was nothing else to see, he abruptly turned and walked towards the forest.

As he stepped deeper into the woods, the blazing sun became shrouded in the shadows cast by the trees, and the arid air of the solar energy facility was met with a damp, oppressive atmosphere that enveloped him entirely.

The smell of mold.

The scent of rotting leaves.

The aroma of mushrooms.

The stench emitted by insects.

The odor of decaying wood.

The pungent scent of animal droppings.

All sorts of smells.

And the dampness of the shadows that concealed those producing the odors.

The moisture from all things decaying greeted him.

Jinseong inhaled deeply, as if welcoming the humid air, and without hesitation, he boldly walked over the ground that had no pathways, continuing his steps into the shadows, deeper into the woods.

 

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