---

Thus, Jinseong endlessly tangled the man’s mind, over and over again.

Like a Zen riddle, he bombarded him with questions without pause, throwing out another inquiry before the first could elicit a response. Layering question upon question, he deftly controlled the pace of the conversation, and just as outlines of his own answers began to form, he would toss out another question, burdening the man’s heart further.

Over time, the man became drenched as if caught in a drizzling rain, naturally being dragged along in the conversation led by Jinseong.

And at the end of it all.

Finally, the man began to ‘converse’ as Jinseong intended.

Not a one-sided monologue, but the absolutely ordinary exchange of words back and forth.

“The conditions needed for existence are not what truly exists. Similarly, the values that require conditions to maintain or shine are not actual values. They are merely illusions.”

“An illusion, you say?”

“A mirage rising in the middle of the desert appears bountiful. There are tall trees, lush green grass, and what looks like refreshing water. But no one thinks those things actually exist. That’s because the mirage is a projection of an oasis that truly exists. The mirage is certainly visible and exists in sight. However, can we truly say it exists in the real sense if it can only exist with a real oasis nearby and vanishes futilely when approached? Do you really think this mirage is akin to the oasis?”

“Hmm….”

“Yet while conditions are needed, the mirage undeniably exists, and it conjures empty hope, but it doesn’t lack a good influence. A mirage can only exist because there is a real oasis, so the appearance of a mirage signifies that an actual oasis is nearby. Therefore, while the mirage isn’t real, it can evoke hope as if it were. This is the utility of the mirage.”

The man, who had firmly refused to engage in conversation, slowly started to speak with Jinseong.

Of course, it was still filled with awkwardness to call it a real conversation, but the back-and-forth definitely represented a dialogue.

“The value of a person is akin to this. Many seek to find value in people by drawing from external sources. They bring along the group’s shine, trace paths walked, haul in mere numbers in the form of money, and drag along the social status of the person. Once they’ve plastered these external things onto the skeletal framework like mud, they begin to evaluate a person’s value. This person has this much value, that person has that much value, that person’s value is less than this one’s, this person’s value is more than that one’s. But can that truly be said to reflect real value?”

“Probably not.”

“There was once a famous advertising phrase: be the only one rather than number one. While it emphasizes one’s uniqueness, it carries the message to shine on one’s own rather than measuring height against others. However, this often ends up being just talk, as it’s easy to say but incredibly difficult to practice.”

Jinseong began to speak about value to the man, who was slowly accepting his words.

“For that reason, I do not force you to practice this. I don’t tell you to go along with that attitude in life. Even the moon floating in the sky shines with the light of the sun. How could it be easy for a person to shine on their own? If it were possible, that person would be like the sun, capable of competing with the stars twinkling in the night sky. Hence, instead, I wish to speak of something else.”

This talk about value was to shatter the man’s pride.

“I spoke earlier of the mirage, and I labeled it an illusion, and discussed its utility. Now I want to talk about value.”

“….”

“I said that when people assess a person’s value, they draw from outside sources. And you replied that it’s wrong to judge someone’s worth this way. Yet what you must understand is that society, which is built by people coming together, is maintained by those very things.”

Money.

Honor.

Status.

Power.

These cannot make up the entirety of a person’s value.

They cannot represent a person’s essence.

But if one asks whether they hold no value at all, then the answer is no.

“What is society? It is a community formed by a gathering of many. Small communities come together to form larger communities, and those large communities together create society. Naturally, there will be distinctions between the superior and inferior, among the wealthy and the poor, and differences in the frequency of names that pass among their lips. This is only natural.”

“….”

“Scholars say that humans are social animals. Then what does it mean for an animal to form a society, to form a flock? There is a leader, those who support the leader, those who simply follow, and those who receive protection. Based on their roles, there will be differences in their status and strength within their group.”

Ants.

Lions.

Birds.

Fish.

Naked mole-rats.

All are the same.

Classes exist, and roles exist.

“Thus, humans, who do not escape from the realm of animals, form flocks, divide roles, and draw lines of class. Those above gain power, while those below are subjugated. If that were all, humans would simply be like any other beast, yet what makes them great is the ability to advance just a little further.”

Humans are animals.

Thus, they cannot escape the limits of animals.

However, they can surpass other animals significantly.

That very thing is the power of thought.

“Humans do not wish to merely consume life by playing their roles like beasts. They continuously think, strive to find their value, and repeatedly leave behind their marks and continue to do so. And as those records gather and shine like stars, it forms this grand era, which is the strength of humanity.”

Jinseong looked at the man once more and asked.

“You must remember this: you are human, and you are bound by human limitations. Therefore, all the more you must think. You must consider that your value might very well be nothing. The stacked records may reflect an illusion like a mirage, leading people to wander, while the shining records of humanity may deceive one into thinking they themselves shine.”

That would surely be foolish.

Just as seeing one’s enormous shadow cast by the light and thinking oneself to be as immense as that shadow.

“That is pride.”

* * *

“Society has presented its own standards of evaluation and wanted to measure a person’s height based on these standards. This has changed through the ages. In some eras, lineage was the standard, and in others, combat ability. In some eras, knowledge was the measure, and in others, money was the gauge. And these standards have been layered upon the body like flamboyant clothes, causing individuals to roam about in a state more splendid and inflated than their original form.”

“….”

“This is not inherently wrong. But if one perceives those layered clothes as their own body, that would indeed be a mistake. To elevate oneself endlessly and take that inflated self for granted— what else can that be called if not pride?”

“….”

“To find one’s true value, it’s necessary to strip away these standards. Remove money, remove honor, remove status. Exclude the values society deems important from your being, act without consciousness of people’s eyes, and you must continually shed and empty out the excess fat that clings to you. And when that shedding has occurred, what will shine brilliantly is value.”

“….”

“Only after seeing that value will you realize what is truly yours and what is merely clothing. From that, your steps and consciousness will change, allowing you to live more rightly in the world.”

* * *

As time passed, the man’s awkwardness diminished.

“You think you are superior to others. For what reason?”

“Because I am an Onmyoji.”

“Are Onmyoji superior to others?”

“Because Onmyoji are those who make Yin-Yang arts their profession.”

“Then let me ask. Anyone can practice magic as a profession. Magic is something anyone can use. If both a farmer and an Onmyoji use that to make a living, is there a hierarchy between the two?”

“That’s different. A farmer grows plants and uses it solely for their own advancement, but an Onmyoji uses Yin-Yang arts for everyone’s sake. Those willing to bear the costs of mastering Yin-Yang arts are those ready to disdain their own benefit for the greater good.”

“If the willingness to endure the costs makes something noble, then isn’t the commitment of citizens working hard to better the world as noble?”

And within that conversation, Jinseong began to carve the man.

He chiseled away at the man’s inflated ego, trimmed the pride gained from belonging to a group, and began to inset independence instead of loyalty to the group.

It wasn’t a difficult task.

The man before Jinseong was a mere novice who had just become an Onmyoji.

Moreover, he wasn’t even one with a firmly established ego like a typical Onmyoji, but rather one with a mindset as soft and malleable as tofu.

 

---