Chapter 61
Chapter 61
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: The Virgin Ghost Yi-hwa and the Evil Spirit Emel (5)
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They arrived at Jun-su's house around three o'clock, and sunlight poured in so brightly that no lights were needed.
Aside from the darkness at the entrance, there were no peculiarities.
It was the eerie, unsettling darkness just as Jun-su's dad had described.
[It's a ghost gate.]
Yi-hwa sent a telepathic message to Baekho.
A ghost gate was a door ghosts used, which could appear at the southwest-facing entrance.
Baekho and Yi-hwa entered the house and sat on the sofa, their eyes meeting those of the woman watching them as if she owned the place.
Her hair shimmered red, her skin was excessively pale, her nose sharp and straight, her jawline sleek, her eyes large and clear, her full lips plump and red.
She had an exotic beauty.
The woman had tied up her reddish hair in an elegant bun, wearing a black suit and black shoes that gave her a neat yet sophisticated air.
It was Emel, whom Byung-su had encountered the night before.
If they had brushed past her outside rather than at Jun-su's house, she would have seemed entirely human, with not a trace of spiritual energy.
[How rude, wearing shoes inside the house.]
Baekho sent a telepathic message to Yi-hwa.
The dead often appeared in their living forms, so wearing shoes wasn't uncommon.
But no aura of the dead or evil spirit emanated from Emel.
Yi-hwa, too, was in her living form, dressed in fine hanbok with flower shoes, her hair pinned up with a silver hairpin.
[I see. She's wearing shoes like me. Taller than I expected.]
Yi-hwa's cold telepathic message reached Baekho.
Even seated on the sofa, Emel's eye level matched Yi-hwa's, revealing her considerable height at a glance.
Behind Emel, four minor ghosts clung fearfully to the window like flies.
No animal ghosts were visible nearby, however.
Emel, meeting the icy gaze of Yi-hwa, simply smiled brightly without rising.
Knowing Jun-su's family couldn't see them, Baekho showed no reaction.
He had gone around pasting talismans on doors, but now in the living room, he flung open the window and stuck one on the sofa.
Then he walked toward where the four minor ghosts stood.
Emel, seated on the sofa, merely watched as Baekho attached the talisman there, remaining seated.
"What are all these pests doing here? Move aside, you lot! The adults are working."
When he slapped a talisman on the window where the minor ghosts clung, flames erupted on their bodies.
Feeling their soul energy being whittled away, the minor ghosts screamed in agony and fled outside.
The sudden flames and men's screams from midair startled Jun-su's family into hiding in the master bedroom.
For them, it was the only safe haven in the house.
Emel remained seated on the sofa, staring at Yi-hwa without a hint of disturbance.
Baekho ignored her and headed to the master bedroom.
Only Yi-hwa stayed in the living room, coldly watching Emel.
Entering the master bedroom, Baekho didn't paste talismans like in the other rooms. Instead, he asked Jun-su's mom,
"That vanity looks awfully expensive. When did you buy it?"
Jun-su's mom thought, 'Baekho may be a shaman and a man, but he's interested in pretty vanities.'
Baekho, in his mid-thirties with a sturdy build, didn't look the type remotely interested in vanities.
"My late father bought it for my birthday two years ago. It's the most valuable piece of furniture in the house."
"Ah! I see. What a splendid vanity."
Baekho lavished praise, then only attached talismans to the bedroom door and threshold, nowhere else inside.
"The four minor ghosts fled out the living room window just now. No animal ghosts in sight at the moment. Just that one woman left. I'll come back in a week for the ritual, so for now, stay gathered in this room—even for bathroom trips, go together."
Baekho's slightly halting yet honest voice surely reached Emel on the living room sofa.
"Grandma, it might be best if you stay here until I return. Having one more person could help."
"Got it! That's what I planned anyway. At my age, what do I have to fear from ghosts or demons?"
Baekho chuckled heartily at Grandma's words and glanced at Yi-hwa.
Yi-hwa, staring at Emel from the living room, smiled back at Baekho.
Emel, who had been staring blankly at Baekho and Yi-hwa ignoring her presence, finally rose from the sofa.
Standing straight, Emel's head nearly brushed the ceiling—she was enormous.
She simply stood there quietly, making no special moves.
As Emel rose, Yi-hwa pulled out her silver hairpin from her updo and held it before her chest.
Yi-hwa's fine hair cascaded down to her mid-back.
A silver glow emanated from the hairpin in her right hand, transforming it into the shape of a long, sharp sword.
Yi-hwa's silver hairpin was a sacred relic from her master, which could take the form of a sword by channeling her energy at will.
[You bitch! Move one step, and I'll slice open your gut!]
Yi-hwa's chilling telepathic message reached Emel.
[Such frightening words from such lovely lips. You said you'd return in a week, so I planned to wait. No need to worry—we value our promises.]
Emel sent a gentle telepathic message to Yi-hwa and Baekho.
[Yi-hwa, there's a ghost gate in this house. We don't know what that bitch might summon. Protecting Jun-su's family while dealing with her would be tough. Let's call it here for today.]
Baekho sent a message only to Yi-hwa.
Emel stood smiling as before.
[At least tell us your name! What is it, you wench?]
Yi-hwa sent a telepathic message audible to Baekho as well.
[Long ago, when Mongolians came to our lands, they called me Emel. I liked it better than my previous name, so I use it still.]
Emel meant "fear" in Mongolian.
* * *
Mi-hee welcomed her brother warmly after his long absence.
Da-hee would be late, busy with school and academies until after ten.
"Not even flinching at the talismans—that's no ordinary thing."
"Whoa, seriously? Bro, does that mean the talismans had zero effect?"
Baekho told Mi-hee about Emel from earlier that day.
"The talismans aren't completely ineffective. They can steadily erode evil energy bit by bit. But earlier, she wasn't emitting any, so they had no impact."
Yi-hwa, listening quietly, spoke to Baekho and Mi-hee with gentle confidence.
"She controls her energy masterfully and keeps her emotions in check. But if she lets out even a hint of evil energy, the talismans all over the house will react and strike her, even if slightly."
Yi-hwa's words rang with certainty.
"Yi-hwa's right. The ghost gate in that house worries me, though. Who knows what that evil bitch Emel might call in... Yi-hwa, is it really a ghoul like you thought? She looked perfectly fine."
Baekho followed up with a question.
"She reacted when I threatened to gut her. I'm certain, but we'll know for sure once we cut her open."
Mi-hee interjected into their conversation.
"So, what's the plan going forward?"
"Told them I'd come back in a week for the ritual."
"A week for the ritual? Isn't that too late? She might rampage more now that you've been there... Will it be okay? Can we trust that evil spirit to keep her word?"
Mi-hee asked worriedly.
"No ritual—who even knows how? We're going back tomorrow morning. Gotta prep for the exorcism tonight, so Mi-hee, lend a hand. The ghost gate means we'll need lots of talismans. Da-hee might be needed tomorrow too. Jun-su's family should hold out tonight. Luckily, something in the master bedroom will protect them."
As Baekho eased Mi-hee's concerns, Yi-hwa continued.
"Tomorrow, after the kids go to school, Baekho and I will head to Jun-su's. He'll text Grandma the plan, so when school ends, you bring the kids and Grandma here."
"Lull her into complacency, then strike. Okay, got it!"
Yi-hwa finished explaining the plan to Mi-hee.
"Once the kids are safe, we'll keep her pinned down until you and Da-hee arrive. Then you handle the ghost gate while Baekho and I send her to the afterlife."
She spoke confidently, but Yi-hwa felt uneasy too.
'Tonight, Jun-su's family has to hold out. All we can do is trust the master bedroom's guardian spirit.'
Yi-hwa was convinced the woman calling herself Emel was a ghoul, so she doubted she'd honor the promise.
'If they just endure tonight, we can finish that evil bitch, whatever it takes.'
* * *
Alone in the living room after Baekho and Yi-hwa left, Emel surveyed the talismans stuck around her.
'This is awkward. I didn't want to rush, but I need to deal with this family before that Taoist and virgin ghost return.'
Promises with humans meant nothing to Emel.
Unlike demons who valued contracts, ghouls delighted in deceiving and tempting humans.
The week-long wait was a lie from the start.
Dusk had fallen, darkness settling in.
Jun-su's family huddled in the master bedroom as Baekho instructed.
About an hour after Baekho left, Grandma Jun-su got a text.
It was from Baekho.
[I'll visit tomorrow morning. Don't tell anyone else. Stay awake tonight.]
Grandma felt her anxiety ease a bit upon reading it.
Knowing drowsiness hit after dinner, they had arranged sleeping spots in advance.
The two kids in the center bed, Grandma by the door, Jun-su's parents beside her.
As soon as dinner ended, sleepiness came as expected.
The kids knew Baekho, the self-proclaimed Taoist, had chased off four minor ghosts that day, so they felt less fear than usual.
After putting the kids to bed, Grandma and the couple fought off sleep.
Since Baekho left, they sensed something in the living room harboring hostility toward them, making sleep impossible.
But in the end...
Jun-su's dad, who had driven to Seoul, nodded off first.
Grandma and Jun-su's mom began dozing while sitting up.
Crackle. Pop, pop, crackle.
Grandma and Jun-su's mom woke to the sound of something igniting and the smell of burning.
Opening their eyes, they saw a tall woman in the living room trying to cross the talisman-pasted threshold.
A familiar white dog was biting her leg, blocking her.
With the white dog guarding the threshold, Emel peered into the room from the living room.
The dog's white fur had caught fire from the talisman crossing the threshold, and flames had spread to Emel's black clothes, blazing fiercely.
White smoke rose as their spiritual energies burned.
Looking closely, Grandma recognized it as her late husband's beloved white pup.
The pup whimpered in pain from the flames but clung to Emel's leg.
Knowing Emel would harm the family if she entered, it guarded the threshold even as its body burned away.
The pup wasn't an evil spirit, but its spiritual energy made the talisman ignite it too.
The once-white body charred black, and Emel's burning clothes revealed her pale flesh underneath.
The room filled with thick smoke from their smoldering forms, reeking of foul stench.
"What're you doing, you old hag? Call that young Taoist now! He's probably still nearby!"
Her late husband's voice echoed from the master bedroom vanity mirror.
Hearing him, Grandma snapped to and groped for her phone.
Having fallen asleep in her clothes, it should be in her pants pocket.
But it wasn't there.
Panicking, as she searched frantically, the aflame Emel laughed and raised her burning hand, pointing at something on the vanity.
It was Grandma's phone.