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Imagine this.

The feeling when you hear a clacking sound from above while climbing the stairs.

They thought they might run into a caretaker or security guard, so they were always ready to open another emergency exit and hide. If they had mastered stealth techniques or possessed an artifact related to concealment, they could’ve hidden right in front of them… but they had none of that.

And their judgment brought them luck.

With the clacking sound, something began to descend from the upper floor.

The distinct sound of high heels—far too obvious to belong to a caretaker or a guard—was something they never imagined.

Just watching it would drive anyone insane.

When I sensed it, my mind went blank; once I saw it coming down with countless twisting arms, I could only surrender my body to instinctual fear.

A sea urchin.

A sea urchin with human arms instead of spikes!

Such a bizarre being that not even a mad scientist would create!

[Information is wrong; information is incorrect!]

The fearsome energy reminded one of yokai, and its ominous appearance terrified countless people.

That was a ghost.

A ghost that rightfully should be labeled as evil!

Such a powerful entity that one would be hard-pressed to find, even in wide China; perhaps you’d have to go to Jilin Province’s Changbai Mountain in the old North Korea just to catch a glimpse.

And such an existence was in a building!

Strolling down the stairs as if it owned the place!

Does this even make sense?!

[Why does such an evil spirit exist right in the middle of the capital of a nation?!]

What was even more horrifying was the ghost’s location.

This building, the dwelling of Shaman Park Jinseong, was in Seoul.

The capital of the Republic of Korea, where countless people are densely packed!

Does such a dangerous entity exist in the capital city?

In a country that has been desperately using taxes to prevent even ghosts from crossing over the Military Demarcation Line, it allowed such a ghost to exist right in the center of the capital!?

[…Something is wrong. ]

I couldn’t understand.

No matter how rare and important shamans were… could they really allow this?

[Thinking about this country’s obsession with ghosts… something is definitely wrong.]

They were not ignorant.

They had a fair understanding of the state of Unified Korea and had some awareness of its abnormal obsession.

Before the word “Unified” was added, South Korea was a country with an immense fixation on artillery and tanks, and after North Korea collapsed on its own, becoming Unified Korea, their obsession with ghosts became significantly stronger.

Perhaps it was an extension of the fixation on artillery and tanks.

From the time gunpowder was in their hands, this was a country that believed it could repel ghosts using cannon fire—it could be the case that “stronger artillery = stronger exorcism” became a rule.

Of course, that alone doesn’t sufficiently explain their obsession.

Maybe the constraints of not possessing nukes made them desperately seek alternative avenues.

And when heading down untraveled paths, they might distinguish themselves from other nations with nuclear capabilities.

Thus, even without nuclear weapons, South Korea acquired formidable national defense strength.

Even China—despite being a major power—had to bear significant losses due to this… this was an abnormally excessive level of defense for a small nation.

And the money that was poured into that national defense began to be funneled towards dealing with ghosts.

The Military Demarcation Line became the frontline for blocking ghosts, and the observation posts became bases for monitoring ghosts and reclaiming territory.

Alongside ghost monitoring, there was research into their habits and behavior, and how to militarily utilize them, though thankfully, no substantial results seemed to have surfaced…

‘This is bad.’

Now I had to question even the information stating, “The plan to weaponize ghosts in South Korea has stagnated, and it’s only in a hurry to stop ghosts from breaching the border with North Korea.”

[It must be one of two things. Either the Goryeo folks have found a way to control ghosts, or this shaman is deceitfully summoning ghosts from his building without the government’s knowledge.]

If it’s the former, we’d need to overhaul China’s national defense plans.

If it’s the latter, we have to be horrified by the fact that a shaman capable of summoning such ghosts has emerged in Korea.

If I had to choose one, the latter would be better.

The former affects a nation, the latter only an individual.

Individuals can be swayed; perhaps it’s not the worst case.

It could even turn into a boon.

The Communist Party would spare no expense to attract a capable shaman, offering them treasures and positions, just as the ancient Middle Kingdom used to do.

By offering help to fulfill the shaman’s goals, they might even win them over…

Yeah… it’s not bad.

Thinking about it, having someone capable of summoning such a ghost enter China is definitely a good thing.

They might even lead an assault on North Korea, which they wouldn’t have the guts to eat.

The justification? Easy to fabricate.

Was the debt owed when North Korea was alive just a handful?

They could offload the debt piled high like a mountain, along with rights, and even sell off parts of Changbai Mountain.

To the extent of selling off what they called the spirit of the nation…

Surely, the Communist Party would find a justification without much effort.

And if they used that justification to devour the entirety of North Korea?

Then the balance of power in Asia would shift back toward China, no doubt.

Just like back in the day, the Mandate of Heaven would once again fall into the hands of the Middle Kingdom.

Truly, the Central Plains are the heart of the world.

The core of the world, earning the name Zhonghua.

If the Mandate of Heaven were in their hands, what would they have to fear?

The North, West, East, and South would all tremble and respect them.

After all, the center is inherently the most stable and essential.

Whether a nation or an individual, the principle remains unchanged.

Perhaps it means that the grand and the small are not different.

The Universe possesses no distinctions in size.

The human body is a microcosm.

Since the universe resembles it, naturally, all things in the world must establish their centers.

Martial arts similarly.

The center of the body is the dantian, the core.

“Now, let’s get to the center.”

C…e…n…ter…

* * *

Thoughts are an ocean.

Thoughts are a swamp.

Thoughts are open fields and prisons.

Thoughts have no fixed form, and their effects are all over the place.

So, what defines thought?

What is the organ that prompts thinking?

In ancient times, people thought the heart was the thinker.

Others believed that the soul inspired thought.

In certain places, they believed that the insect inside the body was the essence of thought, while in others, they considered a tiny white rat to be the driving force.

Some believed a very tiny person inside them was what initiated thought.

But now everyone knows:

Humans think with their brains.

So if that’s the case…

What if we helped that “thought” a little?

What if we could assist the brain in thinking deeper, in concentrating its mind?

What if we could make the fleeting thoughts more concrete, delve into the topic endlessly, and aid enlightenment?

If it helped gain benefits.

If we could assist in making formless thoughts more vivid, what would happen then?

“Normally, if you don’t practice meditation and focus on cultivating your mind, it results in this. Therefore, the harmony of vital energy and spirit is key, and the balance of body, spirit, and soul is important….”

The answer is right in front of me.

The poor souls consumed by thoughts.

The two warriors were swept up in the countless thoughts swirling in their heads, buried beneath them and unable to organize information. Though they had their perception on, they couldn’t make sense of the incoming signals, and the never-ending chaotic thoughts overwhelmed them just like the way one forgets all critical class information while daydreaming.

These thoughts deepened, making them increasingly insensitive to external stimuli, and ultimately, they failed to notice even the bizarre occurrences happening right near them.

Look at them.

Those two warriors submerged in their thoughts, ultimately overrun.

With countless insects writhing on the wall, layering upon each other to take the form of a human face, floating in the air until it almost brushed against them—they didn’t even recognize it.

Can one even call such individuals perceptive warriors?

This is the importance of the mind.

They failed to notice the oddities because they hadn’t contemplated their minds through meditation.

Not knowing how to govern their minds, they ended up being swept away by the spirit they needed to manage.

If they had detected the oddities.

If they had felt a sense of incongruity upon seeing countless thoughts spring up and strange phenomena drawing near them…

If only they had, then they wouldn’t have been captured so easily.

“Poison and medicine are one body. Frail measures taken, neglecting the mind led to this….”

Had it been so, they would’ve noticed the trap that tied their feet down, sprouting a powder that aids in attaining enlightenment.

They would have come to realize the simple fact that medicine could be poison.

Then, they could’ve attempted to escape.

Of course, they still might not have succeeded.

“Let’s go, ego. To the underground. Let’s bloom the flowers….”

Let’s go.

Together, led by the hand of Park Jinseong, whom you longed to meet, to the underground…

 

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