The King of All Demons
Chiyou. In Chinese mythology, he was the legendary yokai known as the king of all demons. He was the one whom the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan, one of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, defeated by summoning the Responding Dragon. After that, the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan rose to an unparalleled position within Chinese mythology. Even though there were other divine beings comparable to the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors and the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan, the reason he became uniquely revered in Chinese mythology was his victory in the Battle of Banquan against the Flame Emperor Shennong and his triumph in the Battle of Zhuolu over Chiyou. That story meant one thing: Chiyou was an existence so powerful and influential that the title "King of Demons" felt entirely fitting.
I stared blankly at my phone for a moment before hurriedly stepping off the train that had stopped at the station. I headed straight into the restroom and called Kim Kang-cheol.
[That's My Life Is a Beautiful Galaxy~]
Suddenly, the ringtone of a recently popular idol song started playing. I was briefly flustered by it, but the call connected right away.
[Yes, Se-hwan. I picked up.]
Instead of the thin voice from her true form that she'd shown me before, a deep, mature male voice came through the phone. I couldn't help but find it absurd.
"Seriously, why are you putting on an old man's act while using an idol song as your ringtone…"
[Hmm? It's part of keeping up with the younger generation. A CEO who understands MZ generation tastes would be good for the employees.]
Wouldn't it be better to start with the way she talks…?
"…Wasn't this contact line only for talking to me?"
[You're part of the MZ generation too, aren't you?]
She wasn't wrong.
"Anyway, you know why I called, right?"
[Do you not believe my story, Se-hwan?]
"It's not that I don't believe it. How could something like that have come back to life? Chiyou died countless ages ago. We're talking about a yokai who died so long ago that we can't even pinpoint the exact era. Why would he suddenly revive now?"
Chiyou was killed by the Yellow Emperor at least four thousand years ago. The Shang Dynasty, recognized by mainstream academia as China's first state, was founded in 1600 BCE, so the era of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors was at minimum four thousand years ago—possibly even older. A yokai who died in such a distant past. It made no sense for him to revive after thousands of years. I asked because I couldn't easily accept it.
Kim Kang-cheol let out a small sigh, as if she found my lack of understanding frustrating. But her next words told me that wasn't the reason.
[Se-hwan. As you said, this situation is abnormal. The story of a yokai who died thousands of years ago suddenly reviving is difficult even for us non-humans to accept. However, there have been suspicious movements in the Hebei region over the past few months, and those movements have extended to the Korean Peninsula through Manchuria. And think about the statement you heard today. What kind of yokai would spout such nonsense about ruling the world?]
She had a point. While yokai do harm humans, there were almost none who harmed them with the logic of driving out humanity and creating a land ruled by yokai. A few powerful Great Yokai with excessive ambition had harbored such vain dreams before, but all had failed. Chiyou had been one of them. That was why I'd told Chui not to spout nonsense by using Chiyou as an example. …I just hadn't known it was actually true.
Anyway, Kim Kang-cheol was also almost certain that Chiyou had revived. Though she seemed unsure why or how he had come back.
"But you… you already had some idea about this? You were talking like that earlier."
[I knew, but that didn't mean there was anything I could do. I'm not the leader of this country, nor do I represent the yokai. All I can do is personally repel the invaders entering this land.]
"Personally?"
[If I said I was protecting this country by guarding the spiritual veins of the Korean Peninsula… that would obviously be a lie.]
Kim Kang-cheol chuckled. Then she continued.
[It's just a fight over rice bowls. I also need this land to stay intact if I'm going to live well. Besides…]
Her voice changed. The deep, resonant tone that had been pounding into my ears disappeared, replaced by the beautiful voice I'd heard last time.
[I have no intention of getting along with those Chinese bastards.]
"…Ah, is that so?"
…Did the saying "hating the Chinese" apply even among yokai? Because yokai also lived on the same land as us humans, their way of thinking sometimes aligned with ours in odd ways.
"So I get the goal, but what do we do now?"
[For now, Se-hwan, help with yokai extermination like you've been doing. Of course, I'm not telling you to give up your daily life. Just help when you have time while living normally.]
"What about the ones far from Busan? Honestly, using up entire weekends to go to distant places isn't very efficient."
[It's fine, Se-hwan. The ones discovered far away will be handled on our end.]
"You're going to step in yourself?"
[That would be one way. But friends who share my intentions will likely move first.]
Wouldn't it be faster if she moved directly? Yokai as strong as Kang-cheol were hard to find even on the Korean Peninsula.
"Wouldn't you moving be faster?"
[I have to manage the Ghost Gallery, and I can't step away from running the company. Besides…]
She chuckled and said,
[Maybe it's because of my age, but moving even once or twice makes my body ache.]
"…Ah."
[It was a joke. Don't act like you understood. I'll kill you before that happens.]
……Why did she get worked up even when I understood?
"Are those guys trustworthy?"
[Hmm, they are trustworthy. Why do you ask?]
"…From what I've seen, even strong yokai aren't all reliable. Same goes for spiritual beasts."
[Oh? Haha, I see. Still, understand, Se-hwan. Seol-hwa isn't the type, and the Tiger Demon King has been steeped in yoki for a while, so her body probably hasn't loosened up yet.]
"I didn't even say who. You guessed exactly."
[Do you have anyone else besides the ones by your side? Ye-ryeong only just started joining us.]
Listening to Kim Kang-cheol, I felt there was definitely a problem. We might face yokai like Chui or even stronger ones soon… Was it okay to leave Baek Seol-hwa and Jang San as they were? Jang San had clearly loosened up after what I saw at Hwangji Pond… or maybe she just hadn't let her guard down. Either way, she fought well. But Baek Seol-hwa's personality was one thing, and because she'd lived by helping spirits and gathering spiritual energy, she probably hadn't had many chances to fight anywhere. She might have fought evil spirits occasionally, but…
'She probably never encountered evil spirits that were particularly strong.'
[Se-hwan.]
"What?"
[It's about Seol-hwa. Her name is…]
"Baek Seol-hwa? Why her?"
[Ah, so her name was Baek Seol-hwa. Thank you for telling me. What I wanted to say was that she needs to get a bit stronger. If you keep exterminating yokai from now on, there will clearly be many times when the current her won't be useful. Besides, there will be times when we have to split into pairs or move separately, won't there? At those times, the current Seol-hwa won't be able to help you.]
"…Yeah, I know. But how is she supposed to get stronger?"
[Why wouldn't there be a way, Se-hwan? It's quite simple.]
"What?"
[Seol-hwa is a yokai who has lived by receiving spiritual energy little by little through abnormal methods. However, her true nature is that of a gumiho. What is a gumiho? Among fox yokai, they are the highest-ranking species, and if they accumulate power over a long time, they can reach the ranks of Great Yokai. Seol-hwa has already lived a thousand years, so her body must have fully matured after living that long. If she just consumes spiritual energy through proper methods, the yoki she will possess will be considerable.]
"……"
Listening to Kim Kang-cheol, my expression hardened. A moment later, forgetting that I was in a public restroom, I shouted out loud.
"You… are you crazy?! Are you telling me to give Baek Seol-hwa spiritual energy… through proper methods right now?"
[Is that such an impossible thing?]
"Why should I do that?! No, of course I won't!!"
[Hmm, I thought it was a good method. Ah, is it because it's dangerous if you have intercourse with her? It's fine. If you ask Seol-hwa in advance, given her personality…]
"That's not it. I just don't want to mix bodies with her in the first place! Why would I with a yokai of all things……"
Excitedly saying that, I suddenly startled myself. I'd forgotten that the person I was talking to was a yokai. Since I'd lumped all yokai together in disdain, she might feel offended…
[…Hmm, I see. I'm sorry, Se-hwan.]
"…Huh?"
Unexpectedly, what came back was an apology.
[I thought you weren't the type to indiscriminately exterminate yokai and that you'd listen to their circumstances and help when necessary… It seems I was mistaken. I thought you were a human who didn't dislike yokai.]
"……"
[I guess that wasn't the case. You're human, and as an exorcist… you can't help but feel that instinctive disgust toward yokai. I'm sorry for speaking so carelessly.]
"No…"
[I understand. So don't worry about it.]
Kim Kang-cheol didn't get angry. Instead, she said my reaction was normal and apologized for her own misunderstanding. She was silent for a moment, then spoke as if finding it curious.
[Yet you still helped yokai. Hmm, Se-hwan. You're a finer human than I thought. It means you judge and treat even disliked beings objectively and rationally. Since you've treated not just Seol-hwa but two more people that way… it clearly wasn't just a whim.]
…No. It had all been whims. All of it… was whims that happened because some foolish yokai had shattered my preconceptions.
[However, Se-hwan. There is one thing I want to tell you.]
"…What?"
[They will want to help you. It's only natural since they received help. And that goes for Seol-hwa as well. How frustrating must it be for her to be unable to help you because she lacks power?]
"That's…"
Suddenly, I remembered. The image of my mother, who could only cry and grieve because she couldn't do anything when I was seriously injured. Mother wasn't an exorcist; she was a doctor. Of course, there was no way for her to treat my wounds. So even my mother, a powerful exorcist, had shown helplessness in that situation. She could only apologize and grieve while looking at my injured self, praying to the heavens and earth. That was the feeling of someone who wanted to do something but couldn't do anything. If that kind-hearted girl felt that emotion, thinking about how much guilt she would feel… didn't sit well with me.
But…
"…No matter what you say, I absolutely can't sleep with her."
Give my first time to a yokai? I absolutely couldn't do that. No matter how pretty Baek Seol-hwa was or how good her figure was… no matter how perfect she was outwardly, she was still a yokai. A yokai I hated so much. I couldn't let a yokai take my virginity.
[Then at least do some skinship.]
"…What??"
[Yokai can obtain spiritual energy through that method as well. Of course, contact in places with yin energy is most effective, but…]
"Let's stop there."
[I was being too forward.]
A sigh escaped me naturally. But rationally thinking about it, I felt Kim Kang-cheol wasn't wrong. Even if we didn't go all the way, if I could fill that girl's power with appropriate skinship…
'Then later we could split into 2v2 teams and move around.'
It seemed like we could definitely see good results. I'd already decided to hold hands moderately anyway…
'Anything more than that… hugging…?'
This… probably wouldn't be a problem either. In the past, Jeong Se-a had hugged me whenever she felt like it, so I had some immunity to that kind of act. The one I was worried about wasn't me, but Baek Seol-hwa's side.
After finishing organizing my thoughts, I spoke to Kim Kang-cheol over the phone.
"…I'll at least consider it."
[Understood. You really worked hard this time, Se-hwan. If more information comes in, I'll send it via text.]
"Yeah. Then I'm hanging up."
I hung up the phone and let out a deep sigh while thinking about what lay ahead.
#2
"Something like that happened?"
When I got home, evening had already arrived, but instead of preparing dinner, I sent a message in the group chat to call everyone over. It wasn't something I could discuss just anywhere, so I called them all to my house. It was better than going to their places.
When Baek Seol-hwa, Jang San, and Ha Ye-ryeong all came rushing over, the house felt quite cramped. Two or three people had been fine, but with four people, it was definitely narrow…
"So this is Se-hwan's house."
"It's small, right? Compared to Jang San's house, this is just a storage shed."
"It's because San's house is so spacious. This place is fine too."
Thanks for saying that.
"So why did you gather everyone like this, Yoo Se-hwan?"
"Why do you think? I already said it in the chat earlier."
"I'm not asking because I don't know the topic. I'm asking why you're saying something here that could be said in the chat. Is there something we need to do right away?"
At Baek Seol-hwa's question, I nodded.
"I thought you'd run away if I said it in the chat."
"Huh? Run away?"
"What do you mean, Se-hwan?"
While talking about how we'd exterminate yokai from now on, I was also planning to discuss strengthening Baek Seol-hwa's power. But if I brought it up in the chat, Baek Seol-hwa would definitely cause a scene, block me, and stop taking my calls from then on. So it was better to call them over without them knowing and bring it up while everyone was gathered.
Just as I was about to bring it up, Jang San suddenly laughed and said,
"Se-hwan, I'm always welcome, but do we have to do it all together like this?"
"What are you talking about now…"
"Wasn't that it? You're having trouble resolving your sexual desires, so you're asking us for help. But I prefer doing it just the two of us…"
"…You, just get out."
"Jang San, are you crazy!? What the hell are you saying!?"
Seeing Baek Seol-hwa react even more intensely than me, I wondered if I should even bring it up. Of course, the current topic was even more explicit, and Jang San was a woman. If she reacted like that to same-sex talk, what would happen if I said it…
'…I probably wouldn't like the outcome.'
Seeing Baek Seol-hwa's reaction, Jang San smirked and said,
"Then why don't our shy gumiho do it instead?"
"…?"
"Wha… what are you talking about!?"
…Did she know something? Or had she caught on? I had no idea how she'd figured it out, but Jang San was subtly saying what I'd been planning to say.
"Don't be so frustrating, Baek Seol-hwa."
"What do you mean I'm being frustrating!? You're the weird one for suddenly saying something like that…!"
"Do you really not know why I'm saying this?"
"Why should I resolve Yoo Se-hwan's… s-s-s-sexual desires!? You perverted tiger! If you like it so much, you do it!!!"
"Haah, you're really an idiot. Of course that was a joke."
"…What?"
To the bewildered Baek Seol-hwa, Jang San said,
"Why do you think Se-hwan called us? He was going to talk about the yokai extermination that Jju-tak requested from now on."
"Th-that's right…"
"But like you said, it's something that could be discussed in the chat, so why did Se-hwan call us here?"
"…Because she's an idiot?"
Are you her?
"That's not it. There's a reason. There's something that needs to be said in person rather than through chat."
"…Is that it?"
Baek Seol-hwa asked while looking at me, so I nodded to confirm.
"What is that story? What does it have to do with resolving sexual desires…"
"Your power."
"…Huh?"
"The yoki you possess is so little that you don't look like a gumiho who's lived a thousand years. You only managed to reach that level because you've lived a thousand years. If you hadn't lived that long, it wouldn't have been possible at all."
That was true. Just looking at Ha Ye-ryeong, who'd lived about half as long as Baek Seol-hwa, gave the answer. Of course Ha Ye-ryeong was born as a spiritual beast, but she'd accumulated yeong-gi through normal methods… so she possessed the power befitting a spiritual beast who'd spent five hundred years in a place rich with yeong-gi. On the other hand, the yoki Baek Seol-hwa possessed fell far short of what one would imagine from a gumiho who'd lived a thousand years. The fact that Baek Seol-hwa still possessed a considerable amount of yoki was truly the result of the years she'd lived supporting her.
"But from now on, Se-hwan will likely face strong yokai. Same for us. And if you don't have proper power at that time, how will you be able to help?"
"Ugh… th-that's……"
"Se-hwan is helping you too. But you're not going to help Se-hwan?"
"I'll help! Of course I'll help…"
"Then you know what you need to do, right?"
"B-but that's…"
"That's enough, Jang San."
Unable to watch any longer, I stopped her. I felt like Baek Seol-hwa was about to cry.
"I wasn't planning to go that far either."
There was no need to push her too hard. Baek Seol-hwa looked at me with a face flushed bright red. Then she muttered somewhat gloomily,
"…Is that what you were going to say?"
"I was going to say that you need to gather spiritual energy more reliably. I'm not saying we should do anything right away."
"Then why did you call us over to talk…?"
"If I'd brought it up in the chat, you would've blocked me, right?"
"……"
…This girl isn't even denying it.
"…I'll take it that you understand the necessity too."
"…I-I understand."
"Good. Remember what we decided last time? If I can't help you, we agreed that I'd take some of your spiritual energy for both our sakes."
"U-uh……"
Baek Seol-hwa seemed to have roughly caught on to what I was about to say next. The way her cheeks, already red, and even her ears turned red was proof.
"Let's do that more often and take more."
"…Are you okay with that?"
"Of course, only to the extent that it won't interfere. I still have to go to school…"
I glanced at Baek Seol-hwa. Her eyes avoided mine. Her gaze was cast downward, and her lips only hesitated as if wanting to say something. It seemed like a very difficult request for her after all.
"Hey, Baek Seol-hwa."
"…Yeah?"
"If you don't want to, you don't have to. I wasn't planning to force you. I was just saying it would be nice if we could."
"…Huh?"
"Kim Kang-cheol's request was given to me in the first place. You're not obligated."
"…I'm not an idiot, Yoo Se-hwan. I remember that much. It was a request made to all of us."
"You're just an extra. I'm the main one."
"…Do you have to say it like that?"
"It's the truth. So one extra person dropping out wouldn't matter… If you don't want to do it, you can drop out."
Having her tag along like this would only be a burden. So it was right for Baek Seol-hwa to drop out. Of course, that didn't mean cutting ties with Baek Seol-hwa. It just meant I couldn't bring her along when I needed to exterminate yokai, but I had no intention of turning a blind eye to my responsibility. I could continue helping spirits pass on with Baek Seol-hwa while also exterminating yokai. I'd be a bit busier, but if I worked a little harder moving around, it would be fine. Compared to when I was in my third year of high school and running around learning exorcism…
"…Are you throwing me away because I'm useless?"
"What?…No, Baek Seol-hwa. That's not what I meant…"
Had I made her misunderstand too much? It seemed like this idiot needed a more detailed explanation. So I was about to add more explanation when Baek Seol-hwa suddenly spoke.
"I-I don't like that. I can… do it too. So…"
And before I knew it, Baek Seol-hwa's hand was gripping my forearm. She looked up at me with her lips tightly bitten and her ears and tail slightly drooping.
"…Don't throw me away."
Her eyes trembled with such anxiety, as if she was extremely uneasy about something.