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Ah, 허허실실 (虚虚实实).

Where the empty feels full, and the full feels empty—

A strategy that confuses opponents, making them careless and vulnerable.

What Jinseong used can be considered a part of this.

The little difference lies in using the notion of a celebrity, whom they deem utterly insignificant, to infiltrate. Of course…

The price of that carelessness won’t be delightful.

“But one must not let their guard down.

Grand plans are disrupted by small things, and colossal machines can be damaged by tiny gears and grains of sand. Therefore, it is wise to plan, review it repeatedly, and leave the outcome to the sky.”

Certainly, one must not become complacent.

Other countries are distinctly different from China.

Especially… in terms of magical aspects.

“Hmm. While I won’t delve into exploring the ruins just yet… one never knows.”

Before the rewind, Jinseong had an intense rivalry with China regarding the ruins.

An eternal grudge—

“Those who cannot coexist under the same sky,” as they say.

China, greedily hoarding magic for war,

And Park Jinseong, seeking transcendence through it.

They simply cannot coexist.

Absolutely.

Of course, there are ways to reconcile.

If Jinseong were to bow and enter China, it could be possible.

But would Jinseong ever choose that?

Not when it would mean shackles binding him, regardless of their dispute over the ruins.

Being a shaman, a high-value asset, he’d be viewed with disdain—

hailing from a ‘barbarian’ land, and accused of being a thief nation through manipulation and fabrication, it was evident he would not face kindly gazes.

Moreover, the power holders would undoubtedly see young shaman Jinseong as a mere pawn and would prohibit him from travelling the world to gather magic.

Most likely, they’d ensure he couldn’t leave China at all.

Predictably, he’d face such treatment, yet you think they’d allow him to showcase any magic?

They’d use him as bait, manipulate him to conform, turning him into a dog of power.

And those that showed even slight potential would be suppressed or hidden, under the rationale that it was too dangerous for a foreigner, not even of Han descent, to master magic.

Inevitably, he would be entangled in political strife…

And if a wrong connection is made, the outcome could turn dire.

Well.

In terms of wealth and power, it may not be so bad.

Despite being burdened by a myriad of chains, he could indeed gain wealth and power.

He wouldn’t obtain the highest authority, but depending on his conduct, he might enjoy a position of power for a long time, say, ranking from third to fifth.

But what is the use of that?

If he had hoped for such things in the first place, he wouldn’t have taken up mercenary work.

In a world teeming with power holders and the wealthy.

Not just third in command; places where one could stand truly above all exist in abundance. He could go to a dictatorship or linger as a guest of some of the richest vying for the top spot.

Yet, he chose otherwise, driven by pure aspiration.

A simple desire to master magic and witness its extent.

“What is it that evaluates a person’s life? What is the value of life? How is that value measured, and who assesses it?”

Is it essential to simply fade away like dust after a lifetime of wealth?

Or is it more significant to live in simplicity and leave a mark on history?

Fame.

Wealth.

Power.

What meaning do they truly hold?

In this vast expanse, beyond human comprehension, what value do they bear?

If we view Earth’s history as a single day, human history occupies scarcely 77 seconds of that day.

Then, what is the power of man, the life of a single person?

And the fleeting human fame that is lost in bits of that 77 seconds?

Does any of it hold meaning?

“That is why a person must move forward with their own will, not the eyes of others.”

External evaluations are as such.

So fleeting.

What flows from a human mouth will vanish in an instant as those people age, get sick, and die.

Even recorded memories will fade with the passage of time.

Even if they persist, they remain entangled with human history.

Once humans end, those records vanish too, evaporating amidst emptiness.

No matter the perspective, the end is only emptiness and void.

Thus, only one can truly create value for themselves.

To walk on their own.

At times, accepting help from someone.

Persistently moving forward to achieve their goals.

Feeling happiness and joy when those goals are realized.

And then, continuing to walk again…

Thus, Jinseong cannot maintain a cordial relationship with China.

If he becomes part of China, he loses his ability to walk and settles down.

He could not fulfill the objectives he has held since childhood, even until that moment of immolation, and now, as he is reborn, nothing has changed.

Furthermore, China will not easily abandon magic.

They will analyze and utilize the magic they have collected, expanding their territory, and aspire to once again anchor themselves as “the center of the world.”

“Well. Eventually, China too has ceased collecting magic…”

But everything has an end.

China’s obsession with magic could not surpass Jinseong’s ardor for it.

Ultimately, it became Jinseong’s sole journey to explore the ruins.

Could this not be a manifestation of a pure heart’s singular passion, moved by heaven to aid him?

Right.

The ‘heaven’ they so cherish.

Thus, it will unfold again, perhaps even more swiftly than before.

So,

“허허실실. The full appears empty; that is what Chaine must do. Gazing discreetly into Beijing and Shanghai, all hidden within symbols and trinkets.”

What feels full appears empty.

“And it is essential that what is empty feels full… Yes. It doesn’t have to be substantial to draw attention—it simply must compel.”

What is empty appears full.

For that,

“I must go to India.”

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India.

The Giant Nation that battles China for the title of the most populous country.

A bizarre land that melds the past and present.

A nation where wealth disparities defy imagination.

A country with a class system even in the 21st century.

Yet it boasts no royalty, holding immense pride in its democracy.

A land of countless ethnicities, cultures, and languages mixed together.

Once it begins to chatter, it can babble endlessly.

Truly, India is a bizarre nation indeed.

If America is nicknamed the “melting pot,” India could be likened to a half-melted furnace—

Mixed, yet not mixed; seemingly whole, but still a blend—such an extraordinary feeling.

Using cows to drag satellites, while researchers, engaged in AI, return home and cook with dried cow dung used as firewood. Such bizarre coexistence is a hallmark of this land.

But besides this peculiarity, there exists another feature:

It is in a conflict with China.

India has consistently created friction with China.

Not just minor disputes; real skirmishes have occurred.

Not merely gunfire, but genuine battles have taken place.

The 1962 India-China border war stands as a prime example.

When Britain defeated the Qing dynasty, they declared the McMahon Line, intentionally inciting tensions between China and India during India’s independence.

As intended by the British, China found the maintenance of this line displeasing, ultimately leading both sides, constrained by their unstable domestic and international situations, to war.

However, this conflict, which began to stabilize domestic issues, could not end due to the same instabilities, resulting in a slight victory for China.

In the aftermath, it seemed the embers had finally cooled…

Yet, regrettably, that was not the case, and five years later, another dispute arises at the border.

Unlike the war of 1962, during this confrontation, the Chinese army faced significant losses, with the famous warrior group, the Kunlun Sect, nearly annihilated.

Historians say the severe losses of Kunlun Sect were not merely due to martial arts prowess but stemmed from incompetent commanders, military corruption, and the vile miscalculations of power holders attempting to conceal failed policies.

In reality, the Kunlun Sect warriors fought under the Communist Party’s orders without proper supplies, suffering through the grueling border with meager rations of wall-jumping food made from substandard materials that were half-rotten.

Moreover, young, inexperienced commanders drove them into unnecessary peril.

And the most decisive reason for their inevitable defeat?

It was their weaponry.

Astoundingly, calling their arms ‘weapons’ would be embarrassing.

During the Great Leap Forward, the party enforced the use of “earth furnaces” at homes, commanding the manufacture of farming tools and weapons with assigned quotas.

The Kunlun Sect’s weapons fell into this earth furnace.

The craftsman’s creation melted down and became scrap metal, utterly useless even as farming implements.

Scrapped metal.

Yes, literally worthless—more useless than properly processed wood, turned into absolute trash that must never be used as a weapon.

Fighting with this scrap metal… the outcome was predictable.

They might have managed to withstand when confronting opponents of significantly lesser skill, but facing adversaries of equal… or even slightly lower caliber, this scrap metal would shatter like glass.

Along with their master’s life, shattered to pieces.

The renewed border conflict resoundingly placed India in a victorious position.

Devastatingly overpowering more significant numbers of soldiers and capable individuals, as well as critically damaging renowned martial artist factions to near extinction.

Yes.

That’s how it all began.

The relentless and lengthy tussle between China and India that continues to this day.

 

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