Chapter 84
Chapter 84
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 84
Chapter Title: Evil Spirit Baek Dong-su (13)
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Yi-hwa felt pity for them and asked in a slightly softened tone.
"Helpers have now come outside to aid us. You're in a dire situation both inside and out. If you seize this moment of chaos to slip away from here and hide far off, it won't be easy for them to track you down. What say you?"
At Yi-hwa's question, the Jibakryeong that had been gauging her reaction hid its body and vanished. The other Jibakryeong followed suit and disappeared.
The corridors and stairs were left only with the Chuk-gwi that blindly obeyed, though their numbers were still considerable.
[The Jibakryeong have fled, but the Chuk-gwi are still swarming. We must ensure dogs and cats aren't abandoned carelessly.]
Yi-hwa sent a telepathic message to Baekho as she eyed the Chuk-gwi lurking beyond the flames, waiting for an opening.
Inside the office, Baekho had overheard Yi-hwa's conversation with the Jibakryeong and felt a slight sense of relief.
[Let's hold out.]
* * *
Four Chuk-gwi spotted Byung-su and Da-hee and turned to approach them.
They were calf-sized dog spirits and cat spirits.
Judging by their size, these Chuk-gwi had been wandering the living world for over a century.
Dong-su, standing behind them, grew curious about the man and young girl who could see the spirits.
'Who are they? They don't seem connected to Nosey...'
Dong-su, not wanting to harm them, stepped forward to restrain the Chuk-gwi lunging toward Byung-su and Da-hee.
While examining the car from which Byung-su and Da-hee had emerged, Dong-su spotted Na-rae inside and assumed they were her companions.
'Friends of my wife? In the world without me, Seol-mi has few people to rely on without family. I can't hurt them. I want to send them back unharmed, but how?'
The male spirit blocking their path stood silently with an air of unapproachable dignity, which Byung-su sensed.
Stepping forward, Byung-su addressed Dong-su.
"Are you the one behind this mess? Our friend is inside. Please call off your spirits."
At the word "friend," Dong-su asked back.
"Friend inside? A friend of Nosey Kim Hyung-il?"
"Whether it's Nosey or whatever, we're with a Taoist named Baekho..."
Only then did Dong-su realize there was an exorcist inside, explaining why things weren't going smoothly.
"A Taoist? That's why it's taking so long."
Byung-su and Da-hee knew this man was Baek Dong-su, who had helped Na-rae after dying a few days ago, so they had no intention of subduing him by force.
"Your wife, Ms. Seol-mi, was badly hurt but seems to still be safe. Whatever grudge you have with Nosey is none of my business, but I can't stand by while people get hurt. We're here to rescue our friend inside, so please stand down."
"Mister, look over there. Jibakryeong are coming out of the building!"
At Da-hee's shout, Byung-su looked up to see noisy commotion from the tenth-floor windows as Jibakryeong fled the building.
As if influenced, the Jibakryeong outside began hiding one by one, gauging the situation.
Dong-su's expression remained impassive as he watched the fleeing Jibakryeong.
'I didn't expect much from them anyway. The Chuk-gwi I have now are plenty, but I'm worried these people might get hurt.'
With a resolute expression, Dong-su looked at Byung-su and said,
"Fine! I had no intention of harming anyone but Nosey Kim Hyung-il, so I'll withdraw today."
At that moment, a clear woman's voice rang out.
"Look at this. Being this soft is a problem."
Emel, who had arrived unnoticed, walked out from behind Byung-su's SUV and spoke.
"Emel!"
Byung-su shouted her name in alarm, but Emel waved cheerfully in greeting.
"It's Reporter Kim again. Anyway, you're the infamous gangster, so I trusted you, but why act so pathetically? Retreat after taking a beating like that?"
Dong-su's eyes sharpened at Emel's mockery.
"That's why your wife gets hurt, your brother dies, and you end up dead. Once you back down, you keep backing down. Don't you get it? Tsk tsk."
Emel leaned down to peer into the SUV, then gripped the underside with one hand.
"All of you, so weak you run and retreat at the drop of a hat. Pathetic, really."
As Emel looked through the window, Dong-jin panicked.
"Gasp! Th-that... from the hospital..."
"Hello. You recognize me. Yes, that's right—the woman who fell down the hospital stairs and smashed into the floor. I was covered in blood then; so embarrassing."
As Dong-jin and Na-rae recoiled from the window, Emel waved them off.
"No, no, you can't run away. I'm looking for a little knife—do you happen to have one? Looks like I'm in luck today. Ho ho ho."
While speaking to Dong-jin, Emel lifted the SUV by its underside with one hand and flipped it over.
Boom! Crash!
With a deafening roar, the SUV flipped onto its roof. Emel peered in at Dong-jin and Na-rae, who had their heads slammed upside down into the ceiling.
"First, I need to flip the car so you can't escape. Now, shall we talk leisurely?"
"No! Reporter Park!"
"Auntie!"
Shocked, Da-hee and Byung-su cried out and rushed over.
From behind them, Dong-su shouted,
"Don't touch that woman!"
Byung-su and Da-hee turned to see the Chuk-gwi behind Dong-su leaping forward all at once.
'Damn, this side's gotten urgent too!'
Byung-su spun to block the charging Chuk-gwi.
The Chuk-gwi vaulted over his head and pounced straight at Emel.
A calf-sized cat spirit rammed into Emel as she peered into the SUV.
Emel flew several meters.
Dong-su had unleashed the Chuk-gwi to save Na-rae.
A horde of animal spirits piled onto Emel, who tumbled across the ground from the sudden cat spirit attack.
"You insolent beasts!"
Emel ground her teeth beneath the pile of Chuk-gwi and roared.
* * *
She shook off the cat spirit, but calf-sized dog spirits then swarmed her.
"Damn it!"
Emel yelled furiously and launched herself backward into the air.
A massive serpent spirit flew through the sky and lunged at her.
Emel lightly stomped the serpent spirit's head with her left foot and used the recoil to soar higher.
Furious at Dong-su for attacking her with the power she had granted him, she spun in midair and dove toward him like an arrow.
As she plummeted like a shot, reaching for Dong-su's throat with her right hand, Byung-su hurled himself at her and struck her side with his left hand.
"Aaagh!"
Fire erupted where the Byeokryeokjang talisman on his palm struck.
"Get in here!"
Da-hee urgently shouted, aiming a water bottle at Emel.
Da-hee thrust the water bottle inscribed with a sealing talisman toward Emel, who rolled on the ground from the talisman strike to her side.
"Argh! You little brat!"
Emel felt her spiritual energy dissipating and being sucked into the bottle.
In panic, she kicked off the ground and flew back several meters before finally preserving her energy.
She could have easily subdued Dong-su alone, but Byung-su and Da-hee complicated things.
From the earlier attack by Da-hee, her spiritual energy had been siphoned, and white smoke billowed endlessly from her entire body.
'That little girl is dangerous. With so many enemies now, I should retreat. I'll deal with them one by one later.'
She feared Da-hee's sealing technique.
"I'll take my leave for today. Dong-su, you'll get your punishment separately, so look forward to it."
Emel stomped on the back of a lunging cat spirit and leaped to the rooftop behind the building.
"Ganging up on one weak woman—aren't you ashamed?"
"Shut up! Get down here!"
Ignoring Byung-su's bellow, she smiled slyly and said,
"I'm alone today, so I'll withdraw. See you next time."
With that, Emel vanished from the rooftop.
Once she was gone, Dong-su worried more about Seol-mi in the hospital than revenge on Nosey.
He feared Emel would harm her, making him anxious.
"Your friends will be fine. I'll deal with Nosey later, so go back to them today."
Dong-su finished speaking and led his Chuk-gwi away.
Byung-su and Da-hee pulled Dong-jin and Reporter Eun Na-rae from the overturned car after Dong-su and the Chuk-gwi vanished.
* * *
"I really didn't kill Evil Spirit Dong-su or Maegwi-pa boss Bang Il-seok."
"Then why take Ms. Seol-mi?"
Na-rae pressed, and Nosey earnestly defended himself.
"Yes, I arranged for Dong-su's wife to be brought this time, but I had no intention of harming her. Think about it—why would I hurt the woman I'm using as insurance against Dong-su?"
Nosey pleaded politely with Na-rae.
"Please believe me. I'm a victim too."
'Nosey's words have some merit. He may not be a good person, but he might not be involved this time. At least the accident with Ms. Seol-mi seems unrelated.'
As Byung-su studied Nosey's face and organized his thoughts, Na-rae asked,
"Will Ms. Seol-mi be okay?"
Her expression was deeply worried.
She was likely concerned about retaliation from the escaped Emel.
"Baek Dong-su went there, so she should be fine. Still, just in case... Na-rae and I will check the hospital. Reporter Park and Da-hee, go home with Baekho."
"That sounds good."
Da-hee agreed with Byung-su.
"Hey, what about me? What if Dong-su comes back?"
"Dong-su won't come today."
Na-rae curtly told the sullen Nosey.
It was late at night when Byung-su and Na-rae arrived at Da-hee's house.
Baekho, Mi-hee, Da-hee, Reporter Park, and Yi-hwa were already settled.
Mi-hee had judged that Emel wouldn't harm the Jun-su family tonight and come home.
Byung-su and Na-rae felt relieved after seeing Dong-su standing guard outside Seol-mi's hospital room.
The group already gathered had been discussing Emel-related matters before Byung-su and Na-rae arrived.
Yi-hwa looked around and said,
"I don't care much for that Nosey fellow whether he lives or dies, but that Won-gwi Dong-su is pitiable, so it would be best to keep him from committing more sins."
Byung-su responded to Yi-hwa.
"He'll likely focus on guarding Ms. Seol-mi's room for a while, so he won't act rashly against Nosey."
Yi-hwa nodded solemnly and said,
"That's fortunate, then. Later, you two, Reporter Eun and Reporter Kim, try to placate that Won-gwi Dong-su."
"Understood. I'll make him listen even if I have to."
Byung-su and Na-rae were used to Yi-hwa's lowered tone toward them and felt no dissatisfaction.
Yi-hwa had become a spirit at twenty, making her seem much younger than Na-rae.
Now Yi-hwa turned to Baekho.
"The hospital where Jun-su is has police guarding it, so no immediate great danger seems present. What do you think, Baekho?"
"Well? We can't enter either, so there's not much more we can do to protect them. That evil spirit Emel doesn't seem to have any lingering attachment to Jun-hee anymore."
The hospital where Jun-su was admitted was under tight security with investigators from the regional task force and armed police, restricting even general visitors.
"Then, for now, we'll check in occasionally. When Jun-su's mother is discharged, how about you buy that house with the Gwi-mun?"
Yi-hwa thought Emel was targeting the Gwi-mun in the Jun-su family's house and wanted Baekho to purchase and guard it.
"Yeah, I'll buy that house."
With the Jun-su matter settled, Yi-hwa told Byung-su,
"It would be best to track down that evil spirit Emel and strike first before she causes more trouble. Reporter Kim, you'll need to hurry."
"I asked the motel owner, so we'll hear back soon."
"Motel owner?"
"He used to do people-finding work. My friend Sang-in thinks he knows something about Emel, so Sang-in commissioned him to track her whereabouts."
Yi-hwa nodded at Byung-su's answer and urged Na-rae,
"Reporter Eun, you'll have to work hard. She'll definitely come to the hospital for revenge. Keep a close watch—if you spot that evil spirit, we all attack and finish her off."
"Don't worry!"
Despite Na-rae's resolve, Emel was no easy opponent.