Chapter 99: Ji-Cheon Man-Geum Rite (1)
As the elevator doors opened, a dim, cavernous hollow greeted Diesel.
At the center of that vast space stood a towering Eastern-style structure roofed with tiles.
‘Sothing like this underground…….’
A building within a building.
It looked like a shrine carefully hidden deep inside a cave.
“Let us go.”
Diesel moved his feet, following Zhou Wei.
As he approached the main gate of the building, he felt overwheld by its imposing scale.
‘It’s much bigger than I expected.’
It was wide enough for an entire truck to pass through.
Zhou Wei briefly looked up at the gate and spoke.
“This is a shrine built solely for the Ji-Cheon Man-Geum Rite.”
Once inside, a corridor appeared, lined with nurous statues standing guard.
“In fact, the reason the ihua skyscraper was built in Hong Kong was entirely because of this structure.”
To think that a gigantic skyscraper had been constructed just for a single shrine.
“This place is where the energies of ‘Earth’ and ‘Gold’ are strongest according to feng shui.”
‘Hmm…….’
At his words, Diesel narrowed his eyes and surveyed his surroundings.
‘The aura is definitely different.’
Perhaps because he possessed Eyes that Perceive the Surreal.
Diesel noticed the strange energy flowing through the area.
‘The connection to the Celestial Realm is especially strong.’
In the real world, there existed unique places—so-called ‘holy sites’—where communion with other worlds was easier.
This place seed capable of maintaining an extrely close exchange with the Celestial Realm from which Taoist power was borrowed.
‘The security is intense.’
In particular, the defenses against the surreal were brutally strict.
Among them, the protection against spiritual abilities was stronger than anywhere Diesel had seen before.
‘Even every grain of sand on the floor is wrapped in miracles.’
The various sculptures and statues placed in the shrine were not re decorations.
All of them either had powerful protective miracles engraved by Taoist priests, or were sacred enough to be called ‘holy relics.’
‘So of these could actually be put to use.’
Diesel continued walking while ticulously examining the miracles overflowing around him.
“This way.”
Following Zhou Wei’s guidance, they passed through a winding corridor.
Then, an ornate hall interior surrounded by red walls ca into view.
‘Huh…….’
Elongated shadows cast by hundreds of candles flickered.
From the enormous number of incense sticks placed on the altar, white smoke rose as if sothing were burning.
Although Diesel had grown up within Eastern culture, the place felt strangely exotic.
What caught his eye most were the ‘characters’ densely filling the hall.
‘I’ve never seen characters with energy this strong.’
Characters that caused miracles.
Naturally, they too had ranks.
To use stronger characters, one had to undergo specially devised training unique to each religion.
Among them, ‘divine power’ born of faith had the greatest influence.
‘At this level, it would take decades of training at least.’
The miracle that the ihua Group secretly protected—the Ji-Cheon Man-Geum Rite.
Could he imitate it?
‘If I could perform this rite at will…….’
The thought crossed Diesel’s mind for a mont, but he soon shook his head inwardly.
‘No. Even if it were possible, it’s best to avoid getting entangled with gods as much as possible.’
Miracles were, by nature, power borrowed from transcendents of other realms.
Most of them were infamous for having extrely difficult personalities.
Thus, if soone without the proper qualification forcibly perford a massive fortune-blessing rite like the Ji-Cheon Man-Geum Rite, it could instead incur the gods’ displeasure.
‘I really have to be careful with miracles from now on.’
Power seized by force like that left serious side effects on Diesel’s body as well.
This was sothing he had learned firsthand in the past while dealing with a ga Corp Agent nad Kaztikan.
“This must be him.”
As they approached the center of the hall, an elderly man who had been praying at the altar stepped forward.
Zhou Wei brought his two furry hands together in a clasped-fist salute toward him.
“Daoist Guanjin.”
“…….”
Daoist Guanjin.
The familiar ring of the na almost made Diesel frown.
If he had heard that na before the world beca like this, he would have turned around and run out without looking back.
But this was a mad world where angels road as assassins and demons worked as nurses.
Managing his expression, Diesel bowed his head to the ‘Daoist.’
“Then I will step out for a mont.”
After performing another clasped-fist salute, Zhou Wei exited the hall.
The Daoist then glanced sideways at Diesel and asked,
“Are you familiar with the Ji-Cheon Man-Geum Rite?”
A clearly displeased expression.
Diesel replied with a similar look.
“Yes.”
“Then there is no need for further explanation.”
Daoist Guanjin stroked his long beard as he spoke.
“In truth, this is the first ti an outsider has beco the principal of the Ji-Cheon Man-Geum Rite.”
“…….”
“So I must ask…….”
The Daoist’s eyes narrowed.
“What exactly did you do?”
A question that felt downright rude.
As if realizing that himself, he hurriedly added,
“The Ji-Cheon Man-Geum Rite is a miracle that once turned a holess man without a single penny into the chairman of a ga Corporation. And it is also the one rite the ihua Group has never sold. Do you know why?”
Why they did not sell it.
Diesel already knew the answer, but he deliberately remained silent.
The Daoist stroked his beard repeatedly as he continued.
“Wealth is like two people sharing a blanket. When one pulls more of it, the other naturally gets less. While one spends a warm and cozy night, the other trembles in the cold as they sleep.”
A zero-sum ga of money.
When soone gained wealth, soone else lost it.
The founding chairman of ihua must have understood that principle of the world all too well.
If they were to recklessly distribute a miracle as powerful as the Ji-Cheon Man-Geum Rite to just anyone, their own position could be shaken.
Was that judgnt correct?
Considering that the ihua Group had confidently secured a place among the top ten ga Corporations, it might not have been wrong.
“That is precisely why I am even more curious.”
The hand stroking Daoist Guanjin’s beard sped up.
“As to how you managed to persuade the chairman.”
Along with that,
A gaze imbued with so kind of power began sweeping over Diesel’s entire body.
‘…….’
Diesel read sothing in that look.
‘Spiritual Projection.’
A powerful vision that pierced through a target’s soul and fate.
The gaze of a religious practitioner honed through long years of training bored into Diesel.
‘Is he insane?’
To use Spiritual Projection so openly?
It was no different from pointing a gun at soone.
But just before the Spiritual Projection could pierce Diesel’s fate—
Whoosh……!
A single mask appeared between them, blocking the Daoist’s gaze.
“Ugh……!”
A form engraved with a burning dokkaebi.
‘A spirit of the Shamanic Realm.’
Among the spirits commanded by shamans, a Ghost Mask specialized in protecting its target.
It seed that the protective asure Chae Seol-ah had said she placed on Diesel for his protection was that spirit.
‘She really did attach an expensive one.’
Judging by the deep crimson color, it was no ordinary spirit.
If ranked, it was a high-grade body of at least Type-9.
“Hmm, hmm…….”
Daoist Guanjin, having failed in his Spiritual Projection, awkwardly cleared his throat and fiddled with his beard.
As if shalessly pretending nothing had happened.
In response, Diesel openly twisted his expression and stomped straight toward the Daoist.
“Hey.”
“Mm……?”
“What do you think you’re doing right now?”
“Y-yes……?”
“Is suddenly using Spiritual Projection like this the ihua tradition?”
“…….”
For a Daoist capable of conducting the Ji-Cheon Man-Geum Rite to recklessly spam Spiritual Projection like this.
Diesel walked right up to Daoist Guanjin and grabbed his beard like he was yanking out weeds.
“Ghk, ghk……!”
“Looks like you spent your whole life training and never learned basic manners.”
As Diesel put strength into the hand gripping his beard, the Daoist let out a shriek.
In an instant, manners were installed.
“I-I’m sorry! I committed a mistake! Please forgive !”
“…….”
“P-please, at least the beard……!”
“Why did you pull such a rude stunt?”
“T-th-th-that is…….”
“Speak properly. Stutter one more ti and I’ll rip it all out.”
Pressed by Diesel, Daoist Guanjin squeezed his eyes shut and spoke.
“I was wondering if I could find out what your secret thod was…….”
“A secret thod?”
“I myself asked to be granted the Ji-Cheon Man-Geum Rite and was rejected……!”
He used Spiritual Projection for such a ridiculous reason?
Part of him wanted to just burn everything down right there, but……
“Whew…….”
If he caused any more trouble here, things could go wrong.
No matter what, this was the man who had to conduct the rite.
Instead, Diesel yanked the beard hard, like pulling down a slot machine lever.
“Ghk……!”
With a ridiculous sound, the Daoist’s body nearly toppled forward.
Looking down coldly at that sight, Diesel issued a weighted warning.
“You’d better watch how you conduct yourself.”
“Kh, khm…….”
Daoist Guanjin cleared his throat and stroked his beard.
Without giving him a mont to recover from the pain, Diesel spoke.
“Explain.”
“…….”
“What are you doing? Staring blankly.”
“B-by explain, you an…….”
“Information about the Ji-Cheon Man-Geum Rite.”
“Ah, ah…… understood.”
“Don’t stutter.”
“Yes……!”
The Daoist began explaining while carefully watching Diesel’s expression.
“The effects of the Ji-Cheon Man-Geum Rite last about one month. The effect is a dramatic rise in fortune related to wealth, though there may be individual differences.”
“Differences?”
“Since it is a blessing bestowed directly by an Immortal, the effect changes depending on who receives it.”
Was that why the ihua Group’s chairman position changed so frequently compared to other ga Corporations?
If one failed to please the Immortal—a transcendent—even a chairman seed to be boldly replaced.
‘Maybe the chairman is just a figurehead, and the ones taking real profit are separate figures behind the scenes.’
“So if you fail to please the Immortal, the Ji-Cheon Man-Geum Rite might end with nothing more than winning the lottery once.”
If the minimum was winning the lottery……
He couldn’t help but anticipate what the maximum might be.
‘Just who is the transcendent capable of influencing the real world this strongly?’
This was clearly impossible at the level of an ordinary ‘god.’
When Diesel asked out of curiosity, Daoist Guanjin suddenly shut his mouth.
“I’m sorry. That part…….”
“It’s classified, is it?”
“Yes……. It’s also a matter that puts my life at risk.”
Judging by his expression, it didn’t seem like a lie.
‘Well, I’ll find out soon enough anyway.’
“……Then, may I proceed?”
When the Daoist asked cautiously, Diesel nodded instead of answering.
“Then before we begin, may I ask one thing. To conduct the Ji-Cheon Man-Geum Rite, one must 반드시 know the ‘True Na’…….”
“No.”
“Pardon……?”
“Just do it.”
“Uh, uh…….”
Perhaps because it was an unexpected situation, Daoist Guanjin couldn’t continue speaking.
Then he barely opened his mouth again.
“T-then the miracle won’t be properly bestowed…….”
It wouldn’t work properly.
But Diesel said firmly,
“It doesn’t matter. I’ll take responsibility.”
“…….”
Tell this guy my True Na?
That would never happen.
‘I can just engrave the True Na myself and insert it.’
Modifying miracles was an ability Diesel had possessed ever since he opened his eyes in this world.
“……I can’t take responsibility?”
“Tsk. You really talk too much.”
Daoist Guanjin glanced at Diesel one last ti, then slowly climbed onto the altar.
He respectfully bowed toward one of the statues, then picked up the wooden tablet placed in front and began murmuring sothing.
‘Hmm…….’
From that action, characters imbued with powerful force appeared.
Despite his frivolous behavior, his skill itself seed solid.
Judging by it, the other characters scattered throughout the hall also seed to have been engraved by this Daoist.
‘If I only consider the power contained in the characters…… I’d believe it if soone said it’s roughly at the very end of Level 6.’
Soon, he struck sothing like a wooden fish, rang a small gong, and prostrated himself.
An act that would normally require dozens of people acting simultaneously.
But the Daoist’s special miracle supported all of it.
‘An avatar.’
From sowhere, illusions wearing the sa clothes as Daoist Guanjin appeared and skillfully moved to their respective positions.
Then they moved in perfect unison, literally as one body.
When a long, continuous ‘chant’ finally ended—
The surrounding atmosphere suddenly changed.
‘…….’
A ceiling so high its end couldn’t be seen.
Beyond that pitch-black darkness, sothing began to writhe.
‘Is it connecting to the Celestial Realm.’
An act of calling a portion of another world into the real world.
But sothing was missing.
Among the countless sentences floating in midair within the hall, one empty spot stood out.
Daoist Guanjin also seed to know it, as he kept glancing nervously at Diesel.
‘That’s where my True Na goes.’
Diesel secretly raised a finger and engraved characters.
『Lee Hajin』
He waited for the empty space to drift close to him, then smoothly inserted it.
Then—
“……!”
Suddenly, a vivid blue bird of prey burst out of the air.
‘This is…….’
A brilliant radiance erupted afterward.
Soon, the pitch-black scenery forming the ceiling transford into the edge of a tranquil pond.
From it erged fluttering robes.
“H-huk……!”
Daoist Guanjin stared at the sight with an expression of utter disbelief.
‘An Immortal…… ca personally……?’
And not just any Immortal.
A being seated at the very highest position among those said to rule the Celestial Realm.
Recognizing the presence, Daoist Guanjin muttered in a voice on the verge of fainting.
“Q-Q-Queen Mother of the West……!”
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