The Classic of Mountains and Seas, one of the Three Great Forbidden Books that has existed since the time of King Yu of the Xia Dynasty. It is the oldest geography book, and within it are recorded many strange and anomalous accounts.
The Guyeo is one of the evil spirit monsters recorded in the Classic of Mountains and Seas, a creature so dangerous it was described as a Fierce Beast. -Skitter!
Skitter! Skitter! Skitter!
Sssssssssssssssss!
The various insects that swarmed in were too numerous to count. Mok Gyeong-un stroked his chin, looking troubled, and spoke to the Blue Spirit.
"Are these insects the Guyeo?" -No. There is an evil spirit that gets along well with insects.
No, rather than being friendly, it's more like it keeps the insects under its thumb.
"There are so many."
There were truly a great many. In no time, the floor was covered in a black sheet of insects. It was so densely packed there wasn't even room to step, making one hesitant to even get off the bed.
For those with a weak stomach, even looking at it might have been an ordeal. Mok Gyeong-un glanced at the Demonic Monk, who was still sitting propped up. -Creep, creep! The Demonic Monk's wounds were slowly closing up.
Seeing this, Mok Gyeong-un spoke to the Blue Spirit.
"These insects. They must be related to what happened to the Demonic Monk, right?" -Probably so.
"It seems even you don't know for sure, Blue Spirit." -What do you mean, I don't know?
I saved you from a reverse killing curse, and what do I get? You should be grateful. If this master wasn't here, you mortal would have surely died.
"A reverse killing curse?"
Reverse killing curse. He remembered reading about it in the Yin-Yang Fundamental Scripture. Being attacked by an anomaly, that is, a vengeful spirit, is called a killing curse.
He seemed to recall that a reverse killing curse was when that killing curse, with the help of a higher being, was sent back to the vengeful spirit or its host. It was a form of revenge. 'An ordinary person wouldn't know how to do something like that.'
At this point, Mok Gyeong-un's thoughts moved very quickly. Most people would have their thoughts paralyzed or be utterly confused by the swarming insects, but Mok Gyeong-un calmly assessed the situation. 'An Occultist... then is it Madam Seok?'
And he pinpointed the culprit at once. In this situation, the only person who would summon another Occultist to request a reverse killing curse was the Great Madam, Madam Seok. It seemed she wasn't the type to give up easily, just as he had expected.
Mok Gyeong-un shook his head. -What will you do? If you just stay still, you'll become food for the insects. The Blue Spirit gestured with her head.
The legs of the wooden bed, which the insects were touching, were being gnawed away, causing it to sink. -Gnaw, gnaw! The speed was quite fast. The only places free of insects were on top of the bed and the long table where medicinal herbs were placed.
No, there was one more place.
'The lantern.'
That spot was a little different from the others. Insects usually had a habit of gathering towards bright places. They must have approached it unknowingly, only to be pushed back by the heat or burned, leaving a clear, circular area around it.
"Blue Spirit. Can you help?" -Well now.
Why should this master do that?
"..."
Mok Gyeong-un raised an eyebrow and looked at her. At that, the Blue Spirit scoffed, took a long drag from her long pipe, and exhaled as she spoke. -Before, you were circulating your energy, so I helped you out of compassion, but now that you're awake, don't you have the confidence to solve something like this on your own?
At the Blue Spirit's words, Mok Gyeong-un smacked his lips. She was the type to be difficult at crucial moments. He thought she might be starting to act more favorably after answering his questions nicely, but it seemed that wasn't the case yet.
"We're practically in a symbiotic relationship, are you really going to be like this?" -I'll at least let you keep your life.
"Ah."
She was truly a difficult Spirit Guardian to handle. Just then, the Blue Spirit said to Mok Gyeong-un with a sneer. -Hey.
Mortal.
I'll make you a proposal.
"A proposal?" -That's right.
Try to overcome this crisis on your own. If you can break through this situation by yourself, I will seriously consider whether to help you in the future or not. At her words, Mok Gyeong-un clicked his tongue.
In any case, she was his Spirit Guardian, so if his life was threatened, she would have no choice but to help. For her to make such a proposal was a laughable matter. Unlike the Demonic Monk, perhaps because her rank was higher, she was truly stubborn and had a strong sense of self.
"Well, I have no choice. The one in need has to make concessions. Let's try the easy way first." -The easy way?
In response to the Blue Spirit's question, Mok Gyeong-un raised his voice and shouted.
"Is anyone there?"
Outside the Medicine Hall were the outer hall guards. Receiving their help was the easiest way, rather than solving it himself.
"Guards?"
But no answer was heard. The shadows on the paper screen of the door clearly showed them standing... 'Hmm.' ...but their heads were slightly tilted to the side.
It seemed they had lost consciousness. It appeared something had been done to them. -What did you expect?
"... Right."
Mok Gyeong-un shrugged. -Thump, thump! Just then, a shadow approached the paper screen of the Medicine Hall's door. Judging by the shape of the shadow, it seemed to be a woman.
On the woman's right shoulder was a shoulder perch, and upon it, a bizarrely shaped shadow could be seen. It was a peculiar shadow with the beak of a bird and the tail of a snake. -To come in person, she must be overflowing with confidence.
"Is that it?" -Hoo.
Yes.
That is the Guyeo. The bizarre shadow on the shoulder appeared to be the Guyeo. The Blue Spirit, who was puffing smoke from her long pipe, scoffed and muttered in a displeased tone. -Now, of all things, there's even a servant who carries that damn bird bastard around as a Spirit Guardian.
"You seem to dislike it." -I absolutely hate insects.
The Blue Spirit really seemed to hate insects, as she shuddered for no reason. Her dislike for insects was unexpected. Surely she wasn't refusing to help just because of this, without showing it?
I believe not. -Gnaw, gnaw! In no time, the bed had sunk nearly halfway due to the insects. This was not just his bed; the same was happening to the bed where Go Chan was.
At this, Mok Gyeong-un bit the area of his wrist below the back of his hand. -Crunch! -What are you doing?
"You could call it a temporary measure." -A temporary measure? -Drip!
As blood flowed from his bitten wrist, Mok Gyeong-un scattered it in all directions. -Spat, spat, spat, spat, spat! Then, a strange sight occurred. When Mok Gyeong-un's blood touched them, the insects made bizarre noises and had seizures, then began to frantically avoid the spots where the blood had scattered.
The Blue Spirit watched this with curiosity and asked. -Why are they acting like that?
"I ate a lot of poisonous herbs since I was young, so my blood is toxic." -Your blood is toxic?
At these words, the Blue Spirit stared at him as if dumbfounded. Having toxic blood was almost the same as being a Poison Man. The more she learned about this fellow, the more bizarre a human he was. -Spat, spat, spat, spat, spat!
Mok Gyeong-un continued to scatter his blood from below the bed to the surrounding area. Seeing the insects recoil in fright and avoid the blood gave a hint as to how strong the poison was. Before long, the insects could no longer approach Mok Gyeong-un's surroundings.
On the other hand, the bed where Go Chan lay was in a perilous state. -Gnaw, gnaw! Mok Gyeong-un tried to scatter his blood to keep them away as much as possible, but since it wasn't near Go Chan's bed, the insects were flooding in through the blind spots.
At this, Mok Gyeong-un threw the wooden pillow from his bed at Guard Go Chan. -Thwack!
"Heok!"
Go Chan, hit on the head by the wooden pillow, woke up in surprise. Having woken up, Go Chan casually looked around and was horrified.
"Wh-what is this?"
An incredible number of insects. Those insects were covering the surrounding floor and were even crawling up onto the bed. A startled Go Chan lifted the blanket and frantically brushed the insects off.
To such a Go Chan, Mok Gyeong-un said.
"It's dangerous, so keep fending off the insects."
"Y-Young Master? What in the world is..."
"I don't know either. But I'd advise you not to come down from the bed."
'This is crazy.' Go Chan found this situation utterly baffling. But for now, he had to do as Mok Gyeong-un said, brushing off the insects to keep them at bay.
It was then, as they were fighting a desperate battle with the insects. -Thud! The door of the Medicine Hall opened and someone came inside. Seeing this, a startled Go Chan shouted.
"Young lady over there! It's dangerous, you shouldn't come in!"
The one who came in was a woman with one white eye. She was Occultist Sak.
"Dangerous... Huh?"
Go Chan's eyes widened. As Sak took a step inside, the insects parted to the left and right, making a path for her. Of course, that was because her Spirit Guardian was controlling these insects. -Creep, creep!
A strange light shone in her two different-colored eyes as she entered. She had intended to slowly apply pressure and instill fear, but she didn't know what he had done, for the insects could not approach him. What did he do?
While she was wondering, Mok Gyeong-un spoke to her.
"Are you an Occultist?"
At this question, Sak furrowed her brow. Looking at the 17-year-old handsome youth standing on the bed, he did not seem to be possessed by an anomaly no matter how she looked at him. If he were possessed by a Green Spirit-rank vengeful spirit, he wouldn't look like that either.
'Is it that one?' Sak's eyes turned to the large Demonic Monk sitting propped against the wall behind Mok Gyeong-un. In her black eye, she saw nothing.
But in her other eye, the white eye, she could see. A vengeful spirit. '... A Yellow Spirit?'
Her white eye narrowed. Through the white eye, she could somewhat gauge the rank of an anomaly or a vengeful spirit. But looking at that injured vengeful spirit, it was a Yellow Spirit-rank no matter how she looked at it.
'That can't be right.' A Yellow Spirit-rank could not repel a reverse killing curse. That meant it wasn't the Yellow Spirit, but the one presumed to be its host, Mok Gyeong-un, who did it.
But no matter how she looked, he was not someone skilled in occult arts. Then who in the world repelled the reverse killing curse... -You seem young, but you must have some skill. A voice echoed in her ear.
At this, Sak turned her head to the side. -Throb! At the sight of something blood-red in the hazy boundary, the capillaries in Sak's white eye burst.
"Huk!"
Startled by the intense pain, she squeezed her white eye shut. What was that just now? Her white eye, which could see the world beyond, could not contain that existence.
No, it wasn't the white eye. To be precise, she herself could not accept that existence being perceived through the white eye. It was at that very moment. -Guyeo-guyeo-eoooooooo!!!!
Suddenly, the Guyeo, which had been sitting quietly on her shoulder, let out a monstrous shriek.
"Guyeo! Calm..." -Guyeo-eoooooooo!!!!
At the ear-splitting shriek, Sak finally couldn't bear it and covered her ears. She looked at the Guyeo with a bewildered expression. The Guyeo was staring at something with eyes full of alarm, so terrified that it could not control itself.
'The Guyeo is this frightened? What in the world...' -Guyeo-eooooooooo!!!!! -Rustle-rustle-rustle! Along with the Guyeo's shriek, the insects on the floor shot upwards wildly.
Their orderly appearance was gone. The winged insects flew up and surged towards Mok Gyeong-un and Go Chan like mad.
"Y-Young Master!"
A flustered Go Chan didn't know what to do. Just then, Mok Gyeong-un reached out his hand towards the nearest lantern. And while reciting an incantation in his mind, he performed the Binding technique.
'A close distance.' If he focused within a distance of one zhang, he could pull a distant object with the Binding technique. The lantern's position was right at that borderline distance. -Shudder!
The base of the lantern trembled. Then, it was sucked into Mok Gyeong-un's hand. -Fwip! Seeing this, Go Chan's eyes widened.
It was astounding that Mok Gyeong-un, who had not even formed his dantian yet, could display such a miraculous feat. But that too was only for a moment. -Fwip! Mok Gyeong-un leaped over to Go Chan's bed in a single bound.
Then, he swung the lantern fiercely at the flying insects. -Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Even the rampaging insects seemed to feel the heat from the lantern and scattered in all directions. However, influenced by the Guyeo's continuous shrieks, they madly tried to find an opening and fly in.
"Guard Go Chan, your dagger!"
"Yes?"
"Dagger!"
At Mok Gyeong-un's shout, Go Chan fumbled at his waist. But the dagger he always carried for treatment was lying on his folded upper garment below the bed. At this, Go Chan bent over and quickly reached his hand down. -Skitter, skitter!
"Hiiik!"
The insects swarming from the floor were clinging to his clothes and the dagger. After a moment's hesitation, Go Chan endured it and grabbed the dagger. Thanks to that, the clinging insects bit Go Chan's hand furiously.
One might think an insect bite wouldn't hurt much, but when dozens of them cling and bite, it's a different story.
"Aaargh!"
Go Chan lifted his hand, which was holding the dagger, shaking it wildly. Mok Gyeong-un swung the lantern at his hand. -Fwoosh! The insects still clinging to his hand were terrified and fell off.
"H-here you go!"
In that opening, Go Chan passed over the dagger. Mok Gyeong-un took the dagger, gave him the lantern, and said.
"Keep swinging it."
"Y-yes!"
Go Chan swung the lantern at the flying insects. In that gap, Mok Gyeong-un drew the dagger, -Schlick! '!?' and drew the dagger across his own forehead. It wasn't deep, but it was enough to cut the skin and draw blood.
'Wh-what is this?' Go Chan couldn't hide his bewilderment. Why would he suddenly injure his own body?
But that wasn't all. Mok Gyeong-un cut himself here and there with the dagger, creating wounds. -Schlick!
Schlick!
"Young Master, what are you doing!"
Despite his shouts, Mok Gyeong-un did not stop injuring himself. '... Has he gone mad?' Even Occultist Sak, who was trying to control the Guyeo, was momentarily captivated by Mok Gyeong-un's actions.
To suddenly injure himself, what kind of act was this? Just as she was thinking how absurd it was. Mok Gyeong-un, now covered in blood from the wounds all over his body, looked at her and curled the corners of his mouth into a grin. -Chill!
The sight was so gruesome that Sak frowned. In her work as an Occultist, how many things more frightening than this had she seen? But this was a completely different feeling.
It was at that very moment. -Thump! Mok Gyeong-un kicked off the ground and ran towards her. 'What is he doing?'
This was truly a suicidal act. To injure himself all over and then jump into the place where the insects were rampaging and charging. Is he crazy and wants to die?
She was just thinking that.
But, -Fwip-fwip-fwip-fwip-fwip-fwip!
In that moment, an unbelievable sight unfolded. The insects that touched Mok Gyeong-un had seizures and fell to the floor. Most of the nearby insects also did their best to avoid touching Mok Gyeong-un.
As a result, a path was naturally created. 'Why are the insects...?' She couldn't understand it at all.
If he injured himself like that, the unique smell of blood should have made them swarm him even more, but it was strange. But there was no time to be surprised now. Mok Gyeong-un had come right up to her.
"Guyeo! Block him!"
Sak shouted as she threw herself backward and tried to take a talisman from her robes. At that, Mok Gyeong-un threw the dagger he was holding at her.
'Damn it!'
She was startled and tried to twist her body to dodge it. Just then, the Guyeo, which had been uncontrollable with fear, sensed its master's crisis, flew up from the shoulder perch, and knocked the dagger away with its talons. -Thwack!
Clang!
Then, it let out an eardrum-shattering shriek at the enemy threatening its master. -Guyeo-eoooooo! With the shriek, the insects churned and created a whirlpool from the floor. It seemed like a major disaster was about to happen.
It was right then. -Swoooosh! -Guyeo-eooo? The shrieking Guyeo's body was pulled forward and then sucked into Mok Gyeong-un's hand. It was the Binding technique. -Eoeoeo-gackgack!
Its throat caught, the Guyeo gagged in agony.
"Hoo. Now it's quiet."
Mok Gyeong-un looked at the captured Guyeo with a satisfied expression. Seeing this, Sak's eyes widened. '...
Impossible.'
How can he catch an evil spirit that isn't even his own Spirit Guardian with his bare hands?