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The Master began to summon experts again after sending Jinseong away.

Unlike before, where it felt like grasping at thin air, it was now easier to track down specialists, as there was a clear goal in mind—‘Mana.’

In no time at all, the Master managed to locate two individuals.

A Local Notable who opened a museum showcasing items seized by ancestors who fought in the Great East Asian War.

A Scholar specializing in folklore studies.

The Master contacted both for consultation.

The first questions centered around whether Jinseong’s explanation about Mana was accurate, if Mana could interact with spirits to cause extraordinary events, the dangers posed if remnants of Mana still existed, and whether it could be easily found if it was indeed present.

The Master secretly wished that Jinseong was wrong and that the matter could be settled by simply slicing the Ksitigarbha into two pieces.

He absolutely did not want ‘the remaining Mana to empower the spirits again and create chaos,’ and while he was in charge of the training grounds, he hoped nothing would happen.

He wouldn’t be able to refute being self-serving.

Even if he was criticized for being overly cautious, he wouldn’t care.

Originally, it was best for things to go smoothly without incident, and the lighter the responsibilities were, the better.

Unfortunately, the Master’s wishes proved hard to fulfill.

“Consultation regarding Mana, is it? Good. You’ve come to the right place. I completed my PhD in cultural anthropology at the University of Rochester in America. At least here in Japan, I pride myself as an authority on Mana.”

“When I was in grad school, my professor often guided me towards Polynesia. Hahaha, it wasn’t easy to communicate at all. Plus, with a mismatched culture and insufficient facilities, I was flabbergasted when told to mingle with them. But over time, I grew to appreciate their simplicity and gained a deeper understanding of their culture.”

“And through that process, I learned about their history, and I encountered countless stories about warriors and shamans from the Polynesian islands. The warriors and shamans used Mana as energy to display special abilities, performing acts that seem utterly barbaric in modern times—ah, that’s not a racist comment; I mean it literally—it was something that real savages would do.”

“Hmm, so the things I saw and heard back then remain vivid in my memory. Hehehe, it’s quite remarkable that it has stuck with me even at this age… I do have a decent recall of that time, but even without that, it was memorable enough to stay clear in my thoughts.”

“Now, let’s get to the main point. Firstly, I’ll provide an explanation about Mana…”

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“Well then, I’ll just leave it at that. If I go any deeper, it’ll never end. Furthermore, the details beyond this are likely known only to specialists, so I think I can skip those.”

“However, this is quite interesting. If Mana interacts with spirits… Hmm, I feel like there was a paper related to this somewhere. Ah, here it is: ‘A Study on the Development of Mana from a Cultural Geographical Perspective’… Here, it mentions the combination of spirits and Mana. To be precise, it discusses cases where the spirits treated as ancestral or guardian souls inhabit a totem that uses Mana…”

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…

“There’s a colossal statue at Easter Island said to host a massive Mana, and it attacked British adventurers who approached to take it. If this is the case, it’s evident that the characteristics of evil spirits possessing objects and Mana can create a clear synergistic effect.”

“And what will happen if remnants of Mana remain? Hahaha. The same problems could arise. Isn’t that obvious? Just because you remove some ants from spilled honey, it doesn’t mean new ones won’t start appearing again.”

The Scholar displayed an opinion similar to Jinseong’s and was quite intrigued by the Master’s questions. Not to mention, when he realized Jinseong had given a similar response, he became academically curious and asked about his identity and contact information.

And the one who runs the museum?

“Mana? I’m not completely ignorant. The items my grandfather and father collected were all related to that subject. However, if you ask me many questions about it, I’d have to decline. I know a bit, but it’s at best an amateur level. If you want proper answers, you should consult a professor who specializes in Mana or a scholar.”

“Let me briefly explain Mana. First of all, it originates from the Pacific…”

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“…That’s all. It’s very basic information, so it might not have helped much… Do you have any other questions?”

“The relationship between Mana and spirits?”

“Oh, of course. When evil spirits or evil ghosts increase in power, there are those who can manipulate energy, right? They can inflict wounds using Qi or utilize magical powers for telekinesis. Mana is the same.”

“But concerning spirits, hmm. Well, it depends on the object possessing them. There are many cases where an artifact that was fine becomes cursed. Likewise, it’s unavoidable that divine objects made using Mana would undergo such events.”

“Is that just your opinion? No, it’s based on my father’s experiences. There’s a wand made from a child’s skull and tibia displayed in our museum. My father brought it back from Japan as a war trophy before I was born, and it caused quite the uproar. It would make sounds akin to a child crying at night, and it would levitate household items and make them fly around.”

“Yes, that was a poltergeist phenomenon. That’s what happened.”

“My father was taken aback and gathered priests, shamans, and all sorts of people. He confirmed that there was a child’s spirit in the wand and immediately performed a purification ritual.”

“Well, I didn’t see it with my own eyes, so I can’t say for sure… But whether it’s the power of the wand as a divine object or if the vengeful spirit inside it was having a field day using the Mana embedded in the wand.”

“I’m not quite sure which one it was. However, after that day, my father began to manage the wand specially. He didn’t just store it in a glass box plastered with talismans; he regularly performed purification ceremonies and even placed a gold thread to prevent spirits from approaching. Additionally, he regularly changed the gold thread.”

“When I was young, I perhaps did want some attention for that… But now that I think about it, it seems right. If a spirit were to take hold and cause chaos, that’d be a problem, wouldn’t it?”

“Thus, just to be safe, talismans are placed all around the museum, along with gold threads, and salt is laid out as well.”

The words from the Local Notable echoed similar sentiments.

While he couldn’t explain the exact relationship between Mana and spirits, he seemed to believe there was some kind of connection.

Moreover, his vivid recounting of something that happened to his father made it all the more convincing…

“Damn it.”

The Master sensed that he was backed into a corner.

Jinseong and the two experts spoke in unison.

While it was good to have cleared out the spirits, leaving the Mana untouched would lead to more trouble down the line.

It would be prudent to remove it somehow.

“Yeah, that opinion does hold some weight.”

There was logic in it.

No, that definitely must be the truth.

But the problem is, how do you find it?

If he were to use equipment, it would be clear that digging up the entire mountain would be impossible. Besides, searching with Qi would surely take a long time to accomplish.

Using Qi isn’t just about pricking up one’s ears; it’s about awakening all senses utilizing Qi.

If his nerves were on edge, fatigue would accumulate, and utilizing Qi would consume a great deal of energy, so he couldn’t keep it active for long, not to mention that with his current level, he couldn’t stretch his Qi wide.

And utilizing the trainees?

That too was impossible.

Not only would it be nonsensical to have them searching for Mana’s traces when he couldn’t even teach them properly, he knew that doing so could very well end his life.

“If I were to do that, my neck might get sliced off.”

That’s not a metaphor.

It would genuinely mean losing his head, or at the very least losing an arm even if he got off lightly.

Shiheng Style is a martial art of the battlefield, a soldier’s skill, the ultimate martial art of instant death.

It was a method used to hastily train soldiers, turning those filled with deadly intent into machines meant for murder.

Extremely practical martial arts, distinct from the self-cultivation martial arts.

And those who are trained in such combat arts are all overflowing with deadly intent and possess a thirst for blood.

This held true even for Kazuo, the top-tier master of Shiheng Style.

He was relentless, cruel, and explosive.

“Kazuo the Great Master…”

The Master’s expression stiffened at the thought of Kazuo.

After a moment of contemplation, he reached a conclusion.

“I’ll just ask.”

Not to gather manpower, not to scout himself, and not to utilize the trainees, but rather the fourth option.

Simply asking about it.

He believed that nothing would happen if he left it as is.

“Problems might arise, or they may not. Just like how a shell doesn’t hit the same spot twice, the chances of such a problem recurring are exceedingly low.”

It’s best to cover the stench.

The Master opted to quietly seek answers instead of unnecessarily drawing attention to his inability to manage things properly.

The opinions voiced by the three, regarding ‘another similar incident may occur,’ were transformed into mere probabilities, and like the numerous experts who visited before, they inflated the slim chances, scheming to escape from their responsibilities.

“Oh, they said heavy rain would start next week, didn’t they? Once that happens, those hideous faces on the trees will get washed away, and as for the trainees, if they keep their mouths shut, that’ll suffice. As for the experts… I’ll just deduct some from the management fee and express my thanks using my own money.”

He believed everything would turn out fine.

That everything would be forgotten.

That everyday tranquility would persist.

He believed so.

 

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