WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Episode 9: Guyeo (3)
──────
Unlike vengeful spirits, which lack corporeal souls and thus cannot be touched or perceived, some spirits and goblins were ferocious beasts with tangible forms.
Having a tangible form literally meant they could be touched.
Even so, the corporeal souls of spirits and goblins, formed from cold demonic aura, were themselves demonic poison harmful to living humans. Even trained Taoist occultists found it difficult to touch them carelessly with bare hands.
Yet Mok GyeongUn had grabbed Guyeo with his bare hand.
‘Is he all right?’
As the Taoist occultist who kept Guyeo as a spirit familiar, Sak could not help but be flustered.
Why?
Merely touching demonic poison was agonizing.
Yet Mok GyeongUn showed no sign of discomfort.
Kak! Kak!
‘Damn it!’
Guyeo's pained cries snapped Sak out of her shock.
She swiftly pulled a talisman from her robes.
It was an Edict Ink Spell talisman.
Clack! Clack! Clack!
Forming hand seals rapidly with her left hand, she recited an incantation.
“By the Jade Emperor's edict, divine ink is ground like cloud and mist, and the nine levels align. When divine ink is lightly ground, lightning strikes the chaotic world. Hurry, Hurry, Act According to the Law!”
The instant the incantation ended...
Crackle!
“Urgh!”
Blue sparks burst from the hand gripping Guyeo, and Mok GyeongUn's body convulsed violently.
A small amount of lightning force flowed through every human body.
Edict Ink Spell talismans temporarily amplified that force, paralyzing the target's nerves and causing muscle spasms.
“Guyeo!”
Believing Mok GyeongUn could no longer move from the shock, Sak tried to take back her spirit familiar.
But then...
Clench!
Kakakakak!
Guyeo suffered even more.
What was happening?
‘The Edict Ink Spell didn't work. Is it because he practices Martial Arts?’
Unless someone possessed an unusual constitution, occult arts generally worked well on ordinary people.
But martial artists could handle ki, so talismans and occult arts sometimes failed to affect them.
Since Mok GyeongUn came from a martial family, Sak naturally assumed he had endured it with internal energy.
Contrary to her assumption, however, Mok GyeongUn had not resisted with internal energy.
‘Lucky.’
It had not been intentional.
For a brief instant, Mok GyeongUn truly could not move from the shock.
But even then, he had been using the movement of Adhesion. The lightning force temporarily amplified within his body gathered in his right hand.
Seizing that fleeting moment, Mok GyeongUn instead released the gathered thunder ki into Guyeo.
Kakakakak!
That was why Guyeo was suffering.
‘Guyeo!’
As her spirit familiar suffered more and more, Sak grew desperate and tried to use another occult art.
She rolled up both sleeves.
Heavenly Ox Talismans and Earthly Ox Talismans were attached to her wrists.
Swish!
Sak pulled another talisman from her waist.
Dipper Ox Talisman was written upon it.
She held one end of the talisman between her teeth and formed the Azure Heaven Edict Hand Seal.
Clap!
‘Flour Ox Divine Strength-Borrowing Art.’
This was a method that temporarily doubled one's strength by reciting the Flour Ox Divine Strength-Borrowing Spell.
It had been devised for skilled Taoist occultists to contend with aberrations and spirits and goblins.
Once used, it granted tremendous strength for about one gak.
“I respectfully invoke the Northern Dipper, Great Strength Mountain, the Lords of the Heavenly Ox, Earthly Ox, and Dipper Ox, the Six Ding, Six Jia, and Four Spirit Deities. Grant me great strength to suppress Heaven and Earth. I respectfully request one hundred thousand, great strength to move mountains and overturn seas, enter my form...”
“Demonic Monk!”
“Huh?”
Whoosh!
Sak hurriedly threw herself backward.
The Demonic Monk had appeared before she noticed and swung its skull prayer beads at her head like a weapon.
Having avoided it, Sak bit her lip.
‘A Yellow Spirit... When did it?’
She had been so focused on Mok GyeongUn that she had forgotten about the Demonic Monk.
No, its condition had been poor, so she had not thought it would pose much of a threat.
Sliiide...
But looking at it now, the Demonic Monk seemed much improved.
The wounds on its body had almost vanished.
‘Strange.’
Even a vengeful spirit without a physical body could not recover this quickly.
Though Sak found it suspicious, taking Guyeo from Mok GyeongUn came first.
Then...
Kakakakak!
Guyeo screamed.
Startled, Sak quickly turned toward the captured Guyeo.
The creature that had seemed fine just moments earlier had become noticeably gaunt.
Seeing that, Sak realized something was terribly wrong.
‘Guyeo? W-What is this?’
Mok GyeongUn was only gripping its neck. Why was Guyeo, a spirit or goblin, suffering like that?
It continued to waste away more severely by the moment.
Growing desperate, Sak took out a wooden Dagger covered in talismans and tried to throw it at Mok GyeongUn.
But...
Sliiide...
The Demonic Monk blocked her path.
Sak ran to the side, formed a hand seal with one hand, and began reciting an incantation.
“The sun and moon flow on, ghosts and demons travel together, wherever I seek, nothing shall fail...”
But before she could finish...
“Gasp!”
Sak clutched her chest in intense pain.
Immediately realizing where it came from, she looked at Mok GyeongUn and Guyeo.
“G-Guyeo!”
Sak's eyes shook wildly.
Guyeo had wasted away until it was nearly dried up.
It could only emit faint groans, as though it were a breath away from death.
Kak... Kak...
She could not understand the situation at all.
It was strange enough for an ordinary human to grab a spirit or goblin barehanded. But Mok GyeongUn was not even using occult arts or sorcery, so why was this happening?
“S-Stop!”
She cried out urgently.
Mok GyeongUn did not even acknowledge her. He still gripped Guyeo's neck as the creature withered away until it was skin and bones.
Instead, he looked engrossed in something.
Blue Spirit was the only one who could guess why he was acting this way.
“Ha!”
She could see it clearly.
The energy of Guyeo, a spirit or goblin, was being absorbed by the movement of Adhesion.
The demonic aura forming Guyeo was cold Yin energy, the opposite of life-nurturing energy. It contained the energy of death.
‘There is far more of it.’
The movement of Adhesion had only been a means to capture Guyeo.
But once he began absorbing its energy through the movement of Adhesion, Mok GyeongUn realized at once.
Guyeo held far more death ki than a human he had killed.
At this rate, he might acquire enough in one go to form his dantian.
That was why he continued draining Guyeo's energy.
Guyeo could control insects, but aside from that, it possessed no exceptional physical abilities for a spirit or goblin. It had no way to escape the movement of Adhesion.
Ueoooh...
With all its energy absorbed, Guyeo was on the verge of death.
Then...
Thud!
Sak dropped to her knees and cried out to Mok GyeongUn in a desperate voice.
“Please let that child go.”
Guyeo was a precious spirit familiar to her.
She could not lose a spirit familiar that had been like family to her for four years.
Sak shouted,
“If you let Guyeo go, I'll abandon the commission!”
Mok GyeongUn paused the movement of Adhesion and turned toward her.
Then he looked at Sak with intrigued eyes.
‘She's giving up over something like this?’
It was unexpected.
Guyeo was not even human. It was a spirit or goblin.
He had not expected her to kneel just to save a spirit familiar.
‘Hmm.’
Was that bird's beak really so precious to her?
Mok GyeongUn gave a faint laugh, then spoke.
“You said this was a commission?”
“Yes.”
“Whose commission is it?”
‘Ah!’
Sak realized her mistake.
In her desperation, she had said she would abandon the commission.
The most important rule in this line of work was to keep the client secret until the end.
But she had slipped up.
“I'll ask again. Whose commission is it?”
“That is...”
Trust was important in this business.
To betray it meant...
“Perhaps you do not wish to save this thing after all. Then...”
As Mok GyeongUn prepared to use the movement of Adhesion again, Sak finally answered.
“Lady Seok... The First Madam of Yeonmok Sword Manor commissioned us.”
Mok GyeongUn smirked at her answer.
He had already guessed who commissioned it.
He had only asked to confirm it.
“Just as I thought.”
“...”
Sak's expression darkened, perhaps from self-reproach at revealing her client.
Mok GyeongUn asked another question.
“Are you acquainted with the Taoist occultist Myo Shin?”
“...”
Kak!
Guyeo, which was barely clinging to life, suffered again.
Startled, Sak hurriedly answered.
“Y-Yes!”
“You are slower to answer than I expected. From now on, if you do not answer, I will simply deal with this thing.”
Grit!
Sak clenched her teeth at Mok GyeongUn's words.
Though she was young, she had considerable experience as a Taoist occultist. Yet this was the first time in her life that someone had threatened her through her spirit familiar.
The Pavilion Lord and other Taoist occultists would laugh if they found out, but Sak had no family. Guyeo and money were everything in her life.
“I-I'll answer properly, so please don't do that.”
“We shall see. I will continue asking questions, so answer them. Did you receive payment for the commission?”
“Yes.”
“How much?”
“One thousand silver coins.”
“You were paid quite well.”
“...”
“What exactly was the commission?”
“Third Young Master Mok GyeongUn was possessed by an aberration and had killed people, so we were to forcibly exorcise it.”
“That does not sound like all of it.”
“They said it would not matter if he died during the exorcism. And... we were to take the martial arts book from you.”
“Ah.”
Mok GyeongUn smirked.
As expected.
Lady Seok had thought the force he used to control his spirit familiar was unknown, so rather than taking a reckless step herself, she had likely commissioned another Taoist occultist.
Mok GyeongUn stared at Sak.
Then he asked,
“Do you have other companions?”
After hesitating for a moment, Sak answered.
“...Yes.”
She had considered denying it, but decided to answer. If Mok GyeongUn knew there were other Taoist occultists besides her, he might not act rashly.
Perhaps her assumption was correct.
“Hmm. Companions... Do your companions know you are doing this?”
“They all know.”
She quickly told him.
She thought that if he knew they were a group, Mok GyeongUn would be more cautious.
And her expectation seemed partly correct.
“This has become quite troublesome.”
Mok GyeongUn found it very troublesome that Sak had companions and that they all knew what she was doing.
He had killed Myo Shin, and then Sak, another Taoist occultist, had arrived.
If Sak died, there was a high chance another Taoist occultist would come.
“Do they also know that I am the target of the commission?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm.”
Seeing his reaction, Sak thought things might work out.
She had promised to abandon the commission, but this man was extremely dangerous.
Her white eye was injured, so she could not assess him precisely. Still, he did not seem possessed by a vengeful spirit. It seemed he truly controlled one.
‘...Is he really keeping it as a spirit familiar?’
Keeping a vengeful spirit as a spirit familiar should have been impossible.
She would need to discuss what to do afterward with the Pavilion Lord, but for now, she hoped Mok GyeongUn would fear future repercussions and release both Guyeo and her.
Then Mok GyeongUn, who had been rubbing his chin, spoke.
“There truly is no other choice.”
‘Haa.’
Sak sighed inwardly in relief.
What a relief...
Clench!
Kakakak!
At that moment, Guyeo screamed in agony.
Startled, Sak cried out,
“I-I answered you! Why are you doing this?”
“Ah... The more I think about it, whether I let you go or not, it seems more Taoist occultists will come after me either way. Is that not so?”
“...”
Sak could not bring herself to answer.
She wanted to deceive him, but he was too clever to fool.
“Your silence tells me I am right.”
Mok GyeongUn smiled.
“Then say goodbye to this bird's beak.”
With that, Mok GyeongUn used the movement of Adhesion in an attempt to absorb Guyeo's remaining energy.
Sak's eyes reddened as she shouted,
“Stop! Stop! I'll do anything, so please do not kill that child!”
At her plea, the corners of Mok GyeongUn's lips curled into a cruel smile.
* * *
The front courtyard of Hyehwa Hall.
Lady Seok stood with her hands behind her back, waiting endlessly.
This time, the matter had to be handled properly.
If that arrogant Mok GyeongUn truly sided with Second Young Master Mok EunPyeong and handed over the martial arts book, the situation could be reversed.
That was why she hoped the Taoist occultist Sak would resolve this well.
“My lady, the air outside is cold. Would you not rather wait inside?”
So Hwa, one of the maids, spoke to her.
Lady Seok shook her head.
“How can I do that when I do not know how things will turn out?”
If something went wrong, she intended to clean it up immediately.
If it could not be done, then none of them should be allowed to have it.
Just then...
“My lady, the Taoist occultist is coming.”
Ho Aeng, her bodyguard, pointed toward the entrance of the compound.
Sak was visible there.
“Ah!”
Lady Seok's face brightened at the sight of Sak unharmed.
That meant the commission had apparently succeeded.
“Congratulations, my lady.”
“Do not get ahead of yourself.”
Once Sak reached the front courtyard of Hyehwa Hall, Lady Seok intended to bring her inside and quickly ask how she had completed the task and whether she had obtained the martial arts book.
But Sak stopped midway after passing through the entrance.
Lady Seok found it strange.
As she watched, Sak took something resembling a talisman from her robes.
‘What is she doing?’
Unable to bear it any longer, Lady Seok gestured for Sak to come over.
“What are you doing over there? Come here and tell me...”
Before she could finish, Sak shouted loudly.
“First Madam! Ghost Shadow Pavilion cannot kill Young Master Mok GyeongUn as you requested!”
‘!!!’
She shouted so loudly that Lady Seok, Ho Aeng, and even the maids could not hide their shock.
What was she doing?
‘This bitch has gone mad.’
But Sak was not finished.
“Young Master Mok GyeongUn is not possessed by an aberration! Therefore, do not bring such commissions to this pavilion again! If you commission us again...”
With those words, Sak formed a hand seal and recited an incantation.
“My command is like thunder. You move like lightning, cross ten thousand li in a breath, appear and vanish throughout the four seas, and reach wherever directed...”
Sensing that something was wrong, Ho Aeng urgently tried to rush toward Sak to seize her.
At that very moment...
“Urgh!”
“Ah!”
The two maids Lady Seok had brought from her maiden family clutched their chests in agony.
Their faces turned dark red, and the veins on their foreheads bulged as though they would burst.
Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried
