Translator: Wan ED/PR: Solarin
40. Meaning of blessing (7)
⟨Using active character’s Gwangrim ‘Ritual Tools’ Summoning’.⟩
The dead godly maiden candidate from the ‘Dragon King God’s godly maidens’ scenario, literally possessed a Gwangrim perfect for a godly maiden.
Ritual Tools’ Summoning.
As its name said, it was a Gwangirm, which called forward the instruments necessary for ceremonies.
But that godly maiden candidate of this world still wouldn’t be able to use that Gwangrim, as she wasn’t 17 year old yet.
Paaa….!
As I activated the Ritual Tools’ Summoning following the Player’s Trajectory, numerous shamanistic instruments floated in the air.
From the transverse flute made out of bamboo[1] and cymbal-like percussion instruments from melted brass bowls connected by cotton cloth, to fortune box full of bamboo sticks[2], and gasa with gokkal[3] tied together by the raw silk thread.
Among numerous ritual tools, I unfolded a shamanistic fan, the ritual tool used for byeoksa.
Paang!
After I completely unfolded the fan with almost 100 blades, I saw the dragon drawn between the Sun and Moon.
It was a drawing of a blue dragon, imitating Cheongryong, which alongside with Baek-ho was a divine creature of byeoksa.
⟨Using active character’s skill ‘Byeoksa’.⟩
After I swung the Sun and Moon Cheongryong Fan infused with superpower wave towards the carrier brought by Jang Namuk, the blue dragon came out, passed through the carrier and then disappeared.
The enormous fan shuddered, but not even a little bit of wind blew.
The only thing that this fan blew away were wrongful things.
“This, the hell…! This superpower wave looks completely different from what Uisin usually emits!”
“With byeoksa ritual used by godly maidens, huh?”
Jang Namuk with ‘Eyes of Star Maiden’ and Hwang Jiho through the eyes filled with shining golden mana, were observing my byeoksa performance.
Baek Ho-gun also possessed byeoksa skill, but Baek Ho-gun’s byeoksa’s function was to ‘destroy the wrongful thing’ with a great sword.
But this time, the goal of byeoksa was not to destroy the curse, but to find clues.
If we were to see the wrongful things and its appearance, a byeoksa ritual of different means was needed.
“It’s faint, but it’s taking shape, eh?”
“It looks like the ‘Seed of Curse’ I saw!”
Just like Hwang Jiho said, the superpower wave shaped like a blue dragon held a seed in its mouth.
Covered in the wriggling shinning purple mucus, the Seed of Curse glisten, and the blue dragon summoned by me gradually faded and disappeared.
“Step back.”
Paat!
Hwang Jiho, who checked the Seed of Curse, started to tie it up with barriers with shining gold mana.
I thought that Hwang Jiho was just watching, but it seemed he was thinking of helping.
But this time Hwang Jiho’s help wasn’t needed.
“Don’t unfold the barrier.”
As I spoke to Hwang Jiho like this, I slapped the unfolded Sun and Moon Cheongryong Fan against my empty left palm.
Chiink, tak!
The moment the hand fan completely closed, I activated the derivative skill of the godly maiden candidate.
⟨Using active character’s skill ‘Spirit’s Calming’. ⟩
Brilliant light flowed out of the blue silk and aquamarine[4] hanging at the end of the shamanistic fan, and illuminated the surroundings.
Paang!
Unfolding the fan again, I sent it towards the materialized seed.
Completely different from the first time when I didn’t feel the wind flow at all, this time the wind full of light poured towards the seed.
“Jo Uisin, what was that?”
“I used Spirit’s Calming. It soothes the spirit to reveal its nature.”
Spirit[5] didn’t simply mean divine spirit, or soul, or ghosts.
It was the word which encompassed all essence qi or spirit qi[6] and spiritual beings.
And the spirit, whose ill will resulted in the shaping of that seed, was also one of those things.
Swish.
Through the dust of the disappearing seed, a few twisted faces and a pattern rose like smoke and then disappeared.
The faces were unknown to me, but I recognized the pattern.
‘It was twisted, but it was the symbol of the Demon God of Greed, Avaritia.’
I confirmed that the Seed of Curse was completely purified and lifted the Gwangrim.
I was about to step closer to the seed, but before that, a shinning gold barrier covering the seed lifted it into the air.
“Uisin, just now…. I don’t know what it was, but it was amazing. I had no idea that that dirty seed could become so clean.”
Following Jang Namuk, Hwang Jiho, who pulled the seed towards himself, burst into admiration.
“It’s completely purified, eh?”
“Don’t forget the faces you saw a moment ago. Because that was a ‘memory of ill will’ inside that seed.”
When Jang Namuk opened his eyes wide, with a fierce look and nodded his head, Hwang Jiho suddenly threw a word.
“Well, I know one of those faces.”
“Uh? You’re saying there was your acquaintance among them?”
“A TC Group’s person. He has a position high enough to be acquainted with the head of Hwang Myeong Group, eh?”
Hwang Jiho activated the device and opened a photo.
The gentleman-like middle-aged man, who was reciting an inaugural speech and responding to reporters’ interviews, was one of the faces that appeared during the byeoksa ritual.
“…. Sihu’s relative!”
Jang Namuk, who said that, gritted his teeth and made an expression full of despair.
It seemed Jang Namuk couldn’t even imagine how one’s relative, linked by blood, could harbour such ill will that they would hurt them.
“The pattern that appeared the last was the symbol of the Demon God of Greed, Avaritia.”
“Now that I hear it, it seems to match that symbol. It was pretty twisted and faint, so I couldn’t recognize it very well, eh?”
“Demon God? Are we talking about one of the Demon Gods of 7 Deadly Sins that the Demons worship? Besides Sihu’s close relative, even a higher being is involved?”
“Probably not really. If the higher being was directly involved, there is no way that it would end with just this degree of injury, right?”
Even when he heard those words, Jang Namuk’s mood didn’t get better.
Jang Namuk stared at the carrier with a distressed face and then spoke.
“Who should we report to about this situation? Police? Association? Military School? If not them, Sihu’s parents-nim first?”
“No, don’t inform them.”
At my words of not informing them, Jang Namuk made a confused face but promptly calmed down and spoke:
“… It was also like this during Son Mingi incident. Your suggestion was difficult to understand, but the final result turn out to be good. You have some idea, like during that time, huh?”
Confusion and suspicion disappeared from Jang Namuk’s eyes, and they were filled with trust.
“What should I do?
I was worrying about how I should persuade him.
I couldn’t imagine he would trust me so simply.
I checked Tao Sihu’s personal items, that the seed hid during the byeoksa process, as I spoke.
“The To tribe’s head said that Tao Sihu’s face shows a death mark. It’s a freaking death mark, so it’s strange that it ended up with this degree of injury.”
“Right? As it ended with only this much, we can’t consider it as him just being lucky, huh?”
“When you return the items we checked just now, check the situation again. If something similar happens, inform me straight away. And substitute all items and bring them to me.”
“Then in the meantime, Sihu will keep…!”
“Right, he will keep getting hurt, little by little. But he won’t die.”
Jang Namuk tightly closed his eyes and then nodded.
As he looked at Jang Namuk, Hwang Jiho said a word:
“Moon Rabbit is sensitive to death. She may not know when the death will come, but if Moon Rabbit says she sees a death mark, there is no way it can be blocked with such purification.”
Hwang Jiho pointed at Jang Namuk’s eyes.
“Shall I hide those eyes for you and help you observe that human with a death mark? You won’t know by what kind of means the death will strike.”
“Uh, I put protection on those glasses from the beginning.”
I guess Jang Namuk’s sensitive reaction every time Tao Sihu stole his glasses, wasn’t simply because of vision problems.
“The light of ‘Eyes of Star Maiden’ will gradually get stronger. This degree of protection won’t be able to hide the starlight. Give them to me.”
“Uh?”
As if he interpreted Jang Namuk’s doubtful ‘uh?’ however he liked, and understood it as a conveyance of permission, Hwang Jiho stole his glasses.
After Hwang Jiho’s fingertips stroked the rim of the glasses, a magic circle was engraved on them.
The golden light sparkled a few times, and then the magic circle began to turn invisible.
“Hmm, as I’m planting the magic that can’t be seen from outside, the immediate effect isn’t good, eh?”
“Hey, what did you do?”
“Right now, even if the level rises two times, it will be able to hide everything from a decent human.”
Hwang Jiho did Jang Namuk a favor.
Was it because he liked the usage of ‘Eyes of Star Maiden’?
After asking Jang Namuk to put the glasses on, and activate the skill for a test, he decided to reinforce the magic circle.
Jang Namuk looked puzzled, but he seemed to think ‘Uisin’s friend is a bit strange, but he is amazing huh!’, and let it go.
After that, we talked about Tao Sihu and the Seed of Curse for awhile and then decided to part ways as the hour was getting late.
“It’s difficult to permit you entry to the main building beyond the maze garden, but if you want to stay overnight, you can stay in one of the side buildings here as much as you want.”
As if Hwang Jiho really liked Jang Namuk, he gave such suggestion, but Jang Namuk shook his head.
“I told my parents-nim that I’m going out to talk with Uisin for a while and then going back. I have to go.”
“Okay? If so, then I’ll have the secretary guide you till the main entrance.”
“Ah, I’ll go with you.”
I tried to convey that I was going to guide Jang Namuk out, there was no need to trouble yourself with calling the secretary, but…
“Jo Uisin, you’re staying here.”
Hwang Jiho spoke firmly.
***
The scent of blood thickened.
“If you reply to my question, I’ll also reply.”
“You bastard think you’re in a position where you can request something and make a deal?”
Even when faced with Baek-ho’s cold face, the impostor opened his mouth again.
“I don’t believe the words that you bastard lost your True Name because you were blinded by games[7]. Baek-ho, your True Name…”
At the word ‘True Name’, the hand movements of Baek-ho, who was about to slice the impostor’s flesh again, stopped.
“… Did you use it to bestow a blessing?”
***
As Hwang Jiho granted many favors today, I decided to obediently follow him.
And there were many things I wanted to ask about.
‘Where should I start?’
There were many things to ask about.
I was thankful that Hwang Jiho granted Jang Namuk a favor, but there was something I was bothered about.
On the road heading back, after sending off Jang Namuk at the front of the mansion, I asked Hwang Jiho:
“Are you not planning on hiding your identity anymore?”
He wasn’t doing that when facing the class children, and when facing Jang Namuk today.
It seemed that, unlike at the beginning, he didn’t try to hide that he is a geezer or a tiger.
‘At the beginning, his acting as a teenager was quite good, and he used a teenage-like speech tone. But he used informal speech because he hated if he was suspected because of me.’
As I recalled Hwang Jiho, from the beginning of the school, calling me ‘Uisin[8]’ like all the class children, a terrible shiver went down my spine.
“Is there a reason to hide it?”
“You weren’t like this at the beginning of 1st year.”
“If it was discovered that this one is a Jin among humans, it would be annoying, right? And I hate annoying things.”
“Now?”
“Because it doesn’t seem like it’s going to be annoying even if I was discovered.”
I had no idea what was the difference.
Was this geezer being fickle?
When I had such guesses, Hwang Jiho threw a question.
“There is something I’m curious about. Jo Uisin, can you also use my power?”
“No.”
“It doesn’t seem like it’s a Gwangrim that is simply replicating powers, eh? Jo Uisin, when you broke the Fantasy Auction, you used the Yong tribe’s descendant’s Gwangrim, but… It in the first place, replicating Gwangrim is impossible.”
Hwang Jiho fell into thoughts.
Even though there were many things he was curious about, as if he thought it would be rude to ask about Gwangrim anymore than this, he changed the topic.
“There is something that bothers me about the thing that you said before.”
“What?”
“When you said that Jeok-ho would only wear black clothes, was it one of the ‘things you knew about’?”
Before, when I was mediating between Jeok-ho and Kim Sinrok, I said something like that.
— Jeok-ho is a Person, who would only wear black clothes for the rest of His life if something happened to teacher Kim Sinrok-nim.
It seemed that as Hwang Jiho kept reasoning out my identity, he didn’t think those words were a simple excuse.
“Yeah.”
“… It’s something like this, eh?”
Hwang Jiho spoke with a sunken face.
“I see, if you weren’t in that place that day, Kim Sinrok would have died and something like this would have happened, eh?”
The silence continued for a while.
To cut the awkward silence, I asked:
“I heard that unlike humans, Jin people falls into ‘deep sleep’. I want to know what it is.”
*~*~*
[1] bamboo — to be exact, from ‘쌍골죽 (ssangguljuk)’. It’s a type of bamboo with deep, double groves. Different from common bamboo, this one had more ‘flesh’ inside, and the inside canal is about 16 mm (much smaller than usual), making it ideal for making wind instruments. But these days this type of bamboo is quite rare and expensive.
[2] bamboo sticks — referring to the counting rods (생명주), which are also used in fortune-telling.
[3] gasa and gokkal — gasa or kasaya is a robe worn by Buddhist monks, gokkal is a conical hat worn by monks.
[4] aquamarine — literally ‘blue jade’ in raws.
[5] Spirit — when ‘spirit’ is used in this chapter it refers to ‘ryeong 靈’.
[6] essence qi or spirit qi — essence qi refers to 정기 (精氣) and spirit qi refers to 영기 (靈氣). Probably. I didn’t have hanja, so I’m guessing a bit. Both should refer to the qi which builds and moves the ‘universe’.
[7] games — the ‘amusement, entertainment, playing’, the same word which is used in Yong Jegeon’s category. 유희 (Yuhwi).
[8] Uisin — to be precise, it’s Uisin-a. -a or -ah?, it’s an affectionate suffix used for friends who are the same age or younger, or for children. I’m not transcribing it because… Well, I’m not quite sure the reason why I decided against it before. Right now, my main concern is that romanization for ‘아’ is ‘a’ which doesn’t sound good in English, when put at the end of the name like this, so I probably would have to use something like ‘ah’. But as I have never seen it being transcribed to English, I’m not sure how correct it would be, and have no point of reference, haaa…
Translator’s note: Hahahah… Ah, this chapter… I’m at a loss for words.
(It seems this translator will be using ‘-ah’ in the future. But it’ll take a few chapters for you to see it, because this translator is a bit into the future with their translation… talking about the future.)
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