Chapter 176
"As you know, when you browse the net, you can see all kinds of stories. People like to show their stories to others."
Jinseong's fabricated horror story began so calmly.
"In that sense, the internet is like a treasure trove for me. When I turn on my pasokon (personal computer), I can see stories that stimulate my peripheral nerves."
Calmly.
But as if laying out facts.
Jinseong's story was etched into the martial artist's ears with a clear voice.
"So?"
"But one day, a strange post appeared in this treasure trove. I'm not sure how to describe it, it looked like a normal thread format post often seen on horror boards... but something felt strange."
Jinseong said this and slightly frowned.
"Strange?"
"Yes. How should I put this... Um. I haven't been doing these spiritual experiences for long, but after going several times, I developed a sort of spiritual sense. And that sense was telling me that this post wasn't ordinary."
Jinseong's expression was like that of a prophet agonizing over the inability to express an ominous feeling in words.
"So I started reading the post carefully. Well, it wasn't particularly long, so I finished it quickly. The post started with a legend circulating in the area where the writer lived, and that..."
Jinseong trailed off mid-sentence and glanced at the Ksitigarbha. Then he slightly looked at the martial artist as if checking his reaction.
The martial artist frowned deeply as if he had noticed something from Jinseong's behavior.
"You mean it's here?"
"Ahem, yes."
"What nonsense is that?"
"No, why nonsense... There can be a ghost story or two in the area where you live..."
Jinseong slightly pouted and grumbled as if offended by the martial artist's rough response.
"Ahem. Anyway, according to what was posted, there's a mountain in the area where they live that has very ominous rumors circulating. It's a mountain that suddenly appeared hundreds of years ago, and no one enters it because it's said you'll be cursed if you live there."
"And the name of that mountain is Kurotsurugamine?"
"Ah, they didn't say it that directly. Usually, when talking about local ghost stories, it's rare to mention names directly for fear of consequences. The post just described it as having a sharp peak resembling a sword, having black rocks, being eerie because it's densely forested... just that level of description."
He said this and slightly puffed out his chest as if proud.
"But with that level of description, it's easy to find out where it is. I could find it quickly."
"Ha. You're bragging."
The martial artist glared at Jinseong while growling.
Then Jinseong slightly shrank his body as if realizing his position.
"No, it's not bragging... Ahem! I'll continue the story. So, people hadn't lived on that mountain for a very long time, and they didn't even approach it. As a result, bad rumors spread, and a high monk who heard these rumors visited to check if they were true."
Jinseong cleared his throat as if trying to hide his embarrassment and continued the story.
"The monk, who had practiced for a long time, immediately recognized the ominous energy flowing in the mountain. So he knew that a quite large-scale ritual needed to be performed to stop it. But he was troubled because it wasn't just a simple ritual ending with offerings, but a human sacrifice ritual that needed to be performed."
"Human sacrifice...?"
"So after much deliberation, the monk decided to erect Ksitigarbha statues all over the mountain instead of performing a human sacrifice ritual, to suppress the ominousness. He tried to reduce the misfortune and killing intent floating around the mountain by borrowing the power of the compassionate Ksitigarbha."
Jinseong paused speaking as if to catch his breath.
Then he lowered his voice and continued the story.
"But you know what? The monk made a total of 5 wooden Ksitigarbha statues from bodhi tree wood, but strangely, weird things kept happening to just one of the Ksitigarbha statues."
"Weird things?"
"Yes. Strangely, problems kept occurring with the 5th Ksitigarbha. It would fall over due to earthquakes, be split by lightning strikes, be eaten by insects... There was even an incident where someone from a nearby village, who had never come to the mountain before, came up and damaged the 5th Ksitigarbha wooden statue. Someone who had never even thought of coming near the mountain, saying it was ominous."
His voice was eerie.
"And as you know, the number 4 is a very ominous number. It has the same pronunciation as death, right? In a mountain where rumors already circulate that you'll be cursed just by setting foot on it, the 5th statue keeps failing to be completed, so the Ksitigarbha wooden statues are constantly maintained at 4? It's ominous. So, so ominous."
"Hmm..."
"That's when the monk thought. The killing intent permeating this mountain is too terrible to be handled by wooden statues. It seemed like the misfortune residing in this mountain itself had half a will and was trying to harm people. So he started making stone statues instead of wooden ones, getting a stonemason and good quality stones. And not 5, but 6 of them. So that even if something bad happened, it wouldn't become 4."
The eerie voice wrapped around the Ksitigarbha once and pierced the martial artist's ears, and seemed to sweep over the martial artist's body with a chilly wind and coldness.
"Making the stone statues was difficult, he said. The stonemason suffered incomprehensible accidents and got injured, and they had a hard time due to unseasonal heavy rain and snow. But fortunately, they were able to make 6 stone statues and placed them all over the mountain."
The martial artist felt himself being drawn into Jinseong's words without realizing it.
"After making stone statues all over the mountain, the atmosphere of the mountain definitely improved, he said. Mountain animals that had been hard to find were occasionally seen, and stories about the eerie feeling emitted by the mountain itself or ghosts that were occasionally seen stopped abruptly. But."
Jinseong opened his mouth, looking straight into the eyes of the martial artist who was focusing on his words without even thinking of blinking.
"That peace didn't last long either. Because a statue was broken."
Jinseong gestured towards the Ksitigarbha.
The Ksitigarbha with its neck crushed.
"Just like when making the wooden statues, someone came up and eventually broke one of the stone statues. But the strange thing is, it was someone who normally never even touched alcohol, but they were in a drunken state, and although they weren't particularly strong, they knocked off the head with just an old axe. Yes, as if possessed by a ghost."
"Hmm."
"But fortunately, the monk who had anticipated such an incident had made 6 instead of 5, so nothing particularly bad happened. This is the legend that was posted on that thread."
Jinseong finished speaking and looked at the martial artist. Then he made an expression filled with curiosity enough to overcome the fear that hadn't faded, and asked a question.
"Have you heard of such a legend?"
"Tsk, nonsense. I've never heard of such a thing."
The martial artist answered the question gruffly.
But unlike his gruff tone, there was a sense of unease in his gaze as he looked at the Ksitigarbha stone statue.
"Really? Then I guess the follow-up story is nonsense too...?"
"Follow-up story? There's another story?"
"Ah, yes."
Jinseong nodded.
"Um, before I tell the story, let me ask one question. How many Ksitigarbha stone statues are there on this mountain?"
"Why are you asking that?"
"If the number is different from what I know, it would mean my story is a lie, right?"
The martial artist thought for a moment at Jinseong's words and then opened his mouth.
"Three."
"What? Three?"
"Why. Is the number different?"
"Ah, no. It's the same...!"
Jinseong showed an exaggerated gesture as if surprised.
"Wow, is this real...?"
Jinseong turned his head sharply towards the Ksitigarbha as if unable to hide his joy. And while using this fuss as a disguise, he subtly controlled his breathing to make his face turn bright red.
As if to appear excited by unexpected facts.
"You know, this follow-up story is scary. In the old days when Japan was an empire, you know. The American bastards bombed various places in Japan, right?"
"America?"
The martial artist made an expression as if hearing this for the first time.
"Wasn't America our ally during the imperial era?"
"What? What are you talking about."
Jinseong blinked as if flustered by the martial artist's words.
"Japan was allied with Germany and Italy, wasn't it?"
"Oh, really? Ahem. Continue with the story."
"Anyway, America bombed, and in the process, the Ksitigarbha stone statues were destroyed. As many as three of them."
Jinseong pointed at the headless Ksitigarbha with his finger.
"Including that Ksitigarbha, only three remained. It's fortunate that three remained instead of four, but... You know what? They say people started seeing it at some point."
"Seeing? What?"
Jinseong paused for a moment before answering.
"The fourth Ksitigarbha."
"The fourth..."
The martial artist muttered as if feeling uneasy.
"They say the fourth Ksitigarbha only has a head."
"Only a head?"
"Probably the head cut off from that headless Ksitigarbha over there."
Jinseong spoke calmly as if stating facts.
"They say the fourth Ksitigarbha has a pitch-black body made of who knows what, with a head made of white stone. And they say that if you see that Ksitigarbha, something bad will definitely happen in the near future."
Jinseong grinned.
"As if it's giving a warning."