WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Episode 9: Guyeo (1)
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‘What on earth...?’
Taoist occultist Sak could not hide her confusion.
Unless she had misjudged it, that sensation from moments ago had undoubtedly surpassed the rank of a Yellow Spirit.
That was even more unexpected than the pain of having the Reversal of Malign Force sent back at her.
A vengeful spirit above Yellow Spirit rank?
“Taoist occultist Sak? Are you all right?”
First Madam Lady Seok helped her up as she spoke.
Sak nodded.
Though the Reversal of Malign Force had been returned to her, she had protected herself with a Protective Talisman and avoided a fatal internal injury.
Cough. Cough...
“What happened?”
“The Reversal of Malign Force was sent back.”
“Sent back? What do you mean?”
“Just what I said. Junior martial brother Myo Shin died from a vengeful spirit's malign force. With the Northern Emperor's aid, I sent that malign force back to the vengeful spirit that had unleashed it.”
“And it repelled it?”
“Yes.”
Lady Seok furrowed her brow.
What was this supposed to mean?
Sak was a Taoist occultist more capable than Myo Shin, yet the vengeful spirit had repelled the Reversal of Malign Force she had sent. Lady Seok did not know how to take it.
“...Then you cannot resolve this?”
Swipe.
Sak wiped the black blood from the corner of her lips.
“This is no longer simply a matter of resolving it.”
“What do you mean?”
“This has become far more dangerous than expected.”
Lady Seok asked with concern at Sak's grave tone.
“Dangerous?”
“If it had been merely Yellow Spirit rank, I could have sent the Reversal of Malign Force and exorcised the weakened spirit with talismans. But that has gone wrong.”
“Gone wrong?”
“It is a far more powerful and wicked vengeful spirit.”
Lady Seok asked incredulously,
“Vengeful spirits have ranks?”
“Yes. You may think of them as a measure of their danger.”
“Then that Yellow Spirit you mentioned earlier... How much more dangerous is a spirit above that rank?”
Sak brushed back her disheveled hair and answered.
“Even a Yellow Spirit can directly inflict malign force upon a person and kill them, so it is already highly dangerous. But anything above that would make even Taoist occultists who deal with aberrations wary.”
“Even Taoist occultists?”
“Yes. Vengeful spirits of Green Spirit rank or higher are quite rare.”
“Why?”
“To become a Green Spirit or higher, their resentment must persist for decades, or they must have suffered immense pain. Most vengeful spirits gradually lose their resentment with time and are naturally exorcised.”
“...Then Green Spirits are vengeful spirits that have endured through many years?”
“Yes. Vengeful spirits that have existed for decades are Green Spirits. Even Taoist occultists who specialize in this work cannot handle spirits of that rank easily. In most cases, five or more holders of the lowest Taoist occultist title must risk their lives to exorcise one.”
A Green Spirit was something that those with titles like Myo Shin's could never handle.
Lady Seok cautiously asked,
“Then is the vengeful spirit possessing that wretch a Green Spirit that has existed for decades?”
“Most likely.”
That was Sak's estimate.
She herself had only seen spirits of higher rank twice.
They could practically be called disasters, but she did not believe this one was at that level.
If it had been, Yeonmok Sword Manor would already have been drenched in blood.
Its range could not be compared to that of spirits of Green Spirit rank or lower.
That was why Sak was certain it was a Green Spirit.
“Taoist occultist Sak... Can you handle something so dangerous alone?”
Sak held out her hand.
“...What do you mean?”
“You will need to pay more silver.”
“What?”
“If it is Green Spirit rank, five hundred silver coins will not be enough. Raise it to a thousand.”
“...”
To think Sak would bargain at a time like this.
Before Lady Seok could respond, bodyguard Ho Aeng interrupted in disbelief.
“A thousand silver coins? Do you think that makes any sense? Do you know how many sacks of rice five hundred silver coins can buy?”
“Silver cannot be compared to a life.”
“A life? Ha! You seem to be mistaken because my lady hired you, but this is a martial family. We are not ordinary people...”
“Then you may resolve it yourself, bodyguard.”
With that, Sak turned to leave the warehouse.
‘This bitch!’
Unable to tolerate her any longer, Ho Aeng stepped in front of her.
“Who said you could just leave?”
“Please move.”
“Unless you give back what you received...”
“No. It is fine.”
“What?”
Ho Aeng looked puzzled by the sudden words.
Sak glanced at the claw perch mounted on her shoulder, then muttered soothingly,
“Calm down, Guyeo.”
‘!?’
There was nothing on the claw perch.
Why was Sak talking to herself as though something were there?
Irritated, Ho Aeng asked,
“What is on that claw perch that you keep talking to? You were doing it earlier too, as though something was...”
Scritch...
Before Ho Aeng could finish, a faint scratching sound reached her ears.
Ho Aeng turned toward it.
‘Huh?’
Sacks were piled there, and there was nothing else.
Then the scratching came again.
This time, it came from all around her.
Scritch! Scritch! Scritch! Scritch!
Swish.
Ho Aeng tensely reached for the sword at her waist.
The sound was unpleasant.
It came from everywhere, grating on her nerves.
Sak waved a hand and said firmly,
“Guyeo. Stop.”
The scratching that had echoed all around them immediately ceased.
Growing uneasy, Ho Aeng asked in a weakened voice,
“W-what was that?”
Sak shook her head.
“Do not provoke Guyeo.”
She reached toward the empty space above the shoulder-mounted claw perch and made a gesture as though stroking something.
She had done the same thing earlier, but Ho Aeng could not understand what she was doing.
“There is nothing there. What on earth...?”
“Guyeo is very shy.”
“No, what even is Guyeo that you keep...?”
“Guyeo is a native spirit and goblin of Yeo-a Mountain, at the end of Gal Mountain.”
“Spirits and goblins? You mean a demon?”
“Something like that.”
Spirits and goblins referred to supernatural beings.
More precisely, mountain goblins and demons were called Chimae, while demons dwelling in rivers or seas were called Mangnyang.
Since ancient times, people had combined those two names into the collective term, spirits and goblins.
“Guyeo is the spirit and goblin that became my spirit familiar. It may be shy, but it will never forgive anyone who harms its master.”
Fwoosh!
As soon as Sak finished speaking, the torchlight flickered, casting an unusual shadow behind the claw perch.
‘W-what is that?’
Ho Aeng recoiled in terror.
Nothing could be seen on the claw perch, yet a huge shadow swayed behind it. It had a snail-coiled body, a bird's beak, and a serpent's tail.
Its appearance was utterly bizarre.
“If there is nothing else, please move.”
Sak attempted to pass the frightened Ho Aeng.
At that moment, Lady Seok spoke.
“Wait!”
“...”
“Can you really deal with that vengeful spirit, that Green Spirit or whatever it is?”
At the question, the corners of Sak's lips rose as she faced away from them.
She had expected Lady Seok could not refuse.
A Green Spirit was extremely dangerous, but as a Taoist occultist of Skill rank who could command a spirit familiar, Sak could deal with one somehow.
Sak erased her smile, turned with a grave expression, and said,
“The vengeful spirit will be furious now that the Reversal of Malign Force has been repelled. If we do not deal with it immediately, something worse could happen.”
Lady Seok stared at Sak with sharpened eyes.
Then Lady Seok made her decision.
“Fine. One thousand silver coins. You will be paid.”
“Payment in advance.”
“...”
This Taoist occultist woman really seemed mad for money.
* * *
Mok GyeongUn slowly opened his closed eyes.
Everything was different from when he had drawn in vitality aura through a normal energy circulation method.
Instead, the cold, Yin energy he had taken in through a reversed Breathing Technique could circulate freely through his body, as though he had put on clothes that fit perfectly.
Even when it entered his lower abdomen, it did not disappear.
‘Was this the answer?’
This was better than forcing himself to absorb vitality aura that did not suit his body.
Moreover, he could even circulate it.
But there was one problem.
‘There is too little.’
This deathly aura was far scarcer than vitality aura.
It was not even one-tenth as plentiful.
It was like a dried-up spring, so no matter how much he circulated it, he could not fill himself properly.
‘That is unfortunate.’
If he could gather more energy, he felt he could form something called a dantian with this deathly aura as well.
Would it be faster to kill someone suitably and absorb deathly aura with the movement of Adhesion?
‘Hmm.’
Mok GyeongUn briefly considered it.
But it did not seem feasible at the moment.
The more carelessly he killed people, the more restrictions he would face. Even if he killed someone, he would need to calculate everything thoroughly.
Otherwise, he might end up in a difficult situation again, as before.
‘Should I ask them instead?’
The Demonic Monk or Blue Spirit, both vengeful spirits, might know where deathly aura was most abundant.
He looked for the Demonic Monk.
‘Huh?’
The Demonic Monk appeared to be in poor condition.
It sat on the floor, leaning back, wounds covering its body as gray mist rose from it.
Mok GyeongUn did not know why.
Moreover, guard Go Chan lay on the bed in the Medicine house, sleeping in a strange posture as though unconscious.
‘What happened?’
Had something occurred while he was circulating his energy?
As he wondered, a voice echoed out.
“Hmph. You are such a troublesome mortal.”
It was Blue Spirit.
Smoking her pipe and exhaling thick clouds of smoke, she sat on the bed.
She raised Mok GyeongUn's chin with the tip of her pipe.
“Are you really a living human?”
“Do I look dead to you? My heart is beating perfectly well.”
“If you were truly alive, you should have drawn in vitality aura instead of deathly aura and used a proper energy circulation method.”
“Was something wrong with what I did?”
Blue Spirit snorted.
It was not a matter of right or wrong.
She was simply curious about something that defied reason.
“Do you feel as though your heart might burst, or your head might split open?”
“No. Why?”
“How strange. How very strange. You are the first mortal like this I have ever seen.”
“Is that so? May I ask something as well?”
Blue Spirit put the pipe back in her mouth, drew deeply, then exhaled with an annoyed air.
“Puff. What do you want to know?”
“It is nothing much. How can I gather more deathly aura?”
“What are you planning to do with it? Are you truly intending to form a dantian with that energy?”
“You are exactly right.”
Blue Spirit's red lips twitched at his answer.
She greatly disliked the mortal who had bound her, but she was also curious.
If he formed a dantian with deathly aura rather than vitality aura and controlled it, what form would that power take?
‘Deathly aura within a living human...’
It was quite interesting.
Blue Spirit tapped her pipe with a finger.
“Fine. I will tell you. There is one easiest way.”
“What is it?”
“Kill.”
“...Kill?”
“When any living thing, whether person or beast, dies, its vitality aura changes into deathly aura. What you absorbed was likely something like that.”
At first, even Blue Spirit had found it hard to believe.
A living human could not absorb deathly aura in the first place.
Mok GyeongUn lightly smacked his lips.
“That is unfortunate. It would likely be faster that way, but it would become quite troublesome. So I do not think I can kill recklessly for the time being. Is there another way?”
‘Unfortunate...’
The more Blue Spirit learned of him, the more certain she became that he was unlike ordinary humans.
His way of thinking was entirely different.
“If that is difficult, change the place and time.”
“Place and time?”
“A place like this Medicine house exists to save people. How much deathly aura do you think you can gather in a place overflowing with vitality aura?”
“Oh.”
Mok GyeongUn nodded in understanding.
Blue Spirit shook her head and continued.
“The time when vitality aura reaches its peak is before dawn, before the sun rises. It is when life stirs into being, so vitality aura is abundant. What is the opposite?”
“Perhaps around sunset?”
Blue Spirit snickered.
“No.”
“No?”
“You might think so, but there is a separate time when deathly aura is abundant.”
“When is it?”
“From the Hour of the Rat until midway through the Yin hour. It is called the hours of the dead.”
“The hours of the dead? That sounds fitting.”
“The peak comes at the beginning of Chou hour, within that period. Deathly aura is most abundant then.”
“Then I should seek that time. As for the place, somewhere overflowing with cold Yin energy would be best. A graveyard, for example.”
“Your mind does work, mortal.”
Blue Spirit's red lips curled up.
Then, as though she became conscious of her expression, her face immediately turned solemn.
Mok GyeongUn snickered inwardly at the sight, but did not show it.
“Thank you for telling me. But could you tell me why guard Go Chan and the Demonic Monk are like that?”
He had been wondering about that as well.
“You are curious about that quickly enough. That mortal was trying to stop you from...”
Blue Spirit almost revealed that Go Chan had been trying to stop Mok GyeongUn from killing himself through reversed energy circulation.
She quickly changed the subject and pointed her pipe toward the Demonic Monk.
Then,
Guyeouououye...
A strange sound came from outside.
It sounded somewhat like a bird's cry, but from another angle, it resembled a fox's call.
As Mok GyeongUn wondered about it, a scratching sound came from somewhere nearby.
He turned toward it.
‘What is that?’
It seemed to come from the left side of the bed, but there was nothing there.
Scritch! Scritch!
This time, the sound came from the right.
He looked there as well, but again, nothing seemed to be there.
Then,
Scritch! Scritch! Scritch! Scritch! Hissssssss!
The sounds erupted from all around him.
Mok GyeongUn turned toward them and saw black shapes already filling the floor.
They were insects.
All manner of insects, so numerous that they could not be counted.
“What is this?”
“Something more troublesome than expected has found you, mortal.”
“What?”
“It is Guyeo.”
One of the Three Great Forbidden Books of the Central Plains, the Classic of Mountains and Seas, recorded the following:
Deep within Yeo-a Mountain, at the end of Gal Mountain, dwells a ferocious beast called Guyeo.
It has a bird's beak, owl-like eyes, and a serpent's tail.
Guyeo avoids people.
Its cry sounds like it is calling its own name.
Wherever Guyeo appears, insects swarm. Not a single grain of rice can be harvested, and the land eventually becomes barren.
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