Chapter 171

Chapter 171

What kind of existence are divine beasts?

Some say divine beasts are at the opposite extreme from yokai, but in reality they’re not such simple beings. Originally, divine beasts didn’t exist in this world.

A world where emotions become sustenance.

Among them, yokai who feed on fear—the strongest and easiest emotion to gather—flourished abundantly from ancient times, while those who fed on other emotions were naturally culled. However.

Just as a black dot stands out on white paper, likewise a white stain on black cloth also stands out.

Though they started as merely a subspecies of yokai, a certain race that realized standing at the opposite extreme from yokai was most advantageous for survival eventually evolved their bodies to consume emotions opposite to yokai. That is the birth of divine beasts.

Also, this is why there are so few divine beasts in this world.

“…U-understand? Di-divine beasts are extremely rare. Even searching the entire world, there are only a few…!”

“Hmm.”

After surgery ended and inside the cave with lantern light, Seohwa frowned while listening to Shinui explain the origins of divine beasts while looking at Choil who still hadn’t awakened. Then spoke.

“I roughly understand. But what does divine beasts consuming emotions opposite to yokai have to do with their small numbers?”

“Th-think about it. The side dishes are really lacking in nutrition, but you still need to fill your stomach. So what do you do?”

“Well… I’d have to eat a lot.”

“R-right. You have to eat a lot. But there’s only enough food for one person and next to you is someone just as hungry as you…”

“I’d have to share, so I couldn’t eat my fill…?”

“You know the answer, so why are you asking…?”

Shinui frowned and continued.

“Fe-fear is one of the strongest emotions in the world. Have you ever heard that people feel tremendous pleasure when gambling?”

“Ah… I’ve heard that once you fall into gambling, you can’t return.”

“Th-that’s simply put, because it’s an act dangerous to oneself. Because you feel fear about losing money, when you win you feel tremendous joy. Added to earning money is the relief of not losing money.”

Depending on the stakes, a great merchant wealthy enough to control a region wouldn’t find much enjoyment in a gambling house where only commoners’ money changes hands. That’s because whether they win or lose doesn’t greatly change their situation.

And thinking in reverse, it becomes this: Even positive emotions only deepen when negative emotions are added.

“Emotions like love and trust seem strong at first glance, but in reality they’re not that deep… They’re insignificant compared to emotions like fear and hatred.”

“The reason a mother throwing herself into burning flames to save her crying child receives applause is because such behavior is never common. It’s proof that generally fear stands above any other emotion…”

Interest. Enjoyment. Love. Trust. Affection. Friendship, and so on.

Even combining all other emotions animals possess can’t match fear alone. So divine beasts had to increase the types of emotions they consume while simultaneously reducing the number of beings who consume.

“At-at most, divine beasts existing in the present world don’t exceed five. Most were yo-yokai, killed by yokai or mistaken for yokai and killed… The remaining divine beasts I know are three total.”

“The Sangwi elder endlessly wandering the demon realm beyond Qinghai, Xizang, and Xinjiang that people don’t even dare touch, and that child you mentioned. And… me. Only th-three.”

“…You were a divine beast?”

“Y-yeah. I changed my eye color with magic arts. Magic arts only divine beasts can use…”

“Then the talk about a disciple…”

“A d-disciple who will receive the transmission of my medical arts and magic arts. Shinui’s medical arts can’t even be entered without being a divine beast… Understand?”

Beolteok!

“Yes! I understand clearly!”

“Hieeeek!”

Ppaaaaak!

“…Choil?”

The moment Shinui’s words ended, Choil suddenly stood up and shouted, and startled Shinui reflexively punched Choil’s cheek with her fist. Struck by Shinui’s fist, Choil spun once and collapsed flat on the floor with a thud.

“F-fuck. You scared me…! Suddenly getting up and…! A-are you okay? The surgery went well anyway…”

“Ah. Yes. It hurts a bit and there’s some blood.”

At Shinui’s question, Choil laughed awkwardly while touching his slightly swollen cheek and staggered to his feet again.

“My body condition is pretty okay! Except for being a little weak.”

“I-I see…”

“But more importantly, Seohwa nuna. And physician-nim. The situation is seriously bad, right? From what I heard, I understand that Choa became a yokai.”

“Similar. More than that… Choa?”

“Yes. She’s my younger sister, so Choa. I named her.”

Choil grinned and leaned against the wall, continuing his question.

“Then the reason she became a yokai is…”

“Probably your death was the trigger. Fortunately you didn’t die though.”

“Then wouldn’t it be better to hurry out and show that I’m alive?”

“…I wish it were that simple.”

After a brief pause, Seohwa looked at Shinui and asked.

“Can you reverse it?”

“No matter how I think about it, a divine beast that fell once can’t return to normal just by its own will.”

She doesn’t know how difficult returning to normal is, but corrupting the divine beast took place over several years. Then wouldn’t returning from corruption have similar difficulty?

“Can we reverse it just by showing Choil’s face? No.”

Is there even a way to reverse it in the first place?

At Seohwa’s question, Shinui pondered deeply. And soon the answer flowed out.

“Th-there is a way to reverse it.”

“But it won’t be easy…”

At Shinui’s hesitating appearance, Seohwa reflexively made eye contact with Choil and nodded, then spoke.

“It’s fine. What matters is that there’s a way to reverse it.”

“…Even if your life is at risk?”

“I can accept the risk.”

“Then…”

After a brief pause, Shinui slowly reached out to rummage through her bag and pulled out a dagger. A bone dagger with a sharp point carved with strange patterns.

“Th-the method is simple. You take this and stab that little divine beast.”

“What is this?”

“It’s the Donghwa Dagger… It temporarily connects the stabbed target with yourself.”

“Ah, yes. And then?”

“And then absorb that little one’s demonic power.”

“…What?”

“I told you…? Your life would be at risk.”

A divine beast that became a yokai isn’t in its right mind. To restore that divine beast to sanity even for a moment, there’s no choice but to remove the demonic power.

“That brat Baek Riyun’s martial arts reached the extreme with lightning arts. The demonic power won’t even think of crossing over…? C-compared to that, the energy cultivation you learned is Eumhan-gigong with roots similar to demonic power…”

“I t-told you it wouldn’t be easy…? You’ll die or become a cripple with nine-point-nine out of ten probability if you receive demonic power… Even I can’t guarantee revival…”

If it were at least a divine beast that was a subspecies of yokai, maybe. Humans, a completely different species, cannot accept demonic power. If you accept demonic power into your body, only destruction remains.

“G-got it? Now let’s find another way. They say even a blank sheet is better when held together… Something will come up…”

If it really doesn’t work, she’ll have no choice but to give up the divine beast. She’s a disciple she waited a hundred twenty years for, but she can’t push her to die in her place.

“So let’s do that…”

“No.”

As Shinui tried to put away the bone dagger, Seohwa bit her lip. And Seohwa gripped the bone dagger in Shinui’s hand.

“Thinking more won’t produce any solution. I don’t know about divine beasts, neither does Choil, and even Master doesn’t.”

“Then…”

“You said nine-point-nine out of ten, right? The failure probability.”

A nine-point-nine out of ten failure probability. That means there’s a one-point probability of success.

“I won’t leave everything to one-point probability. Even so, that’s too small a probability.”

“I need to increase that one-point.”

The best option isn’t betting everything on foolish odds, but choosing the best move possible in that situation.

“At least to three-tenths.”

Having made her decision, Seohwa stood up and looked directly at Shinui. At the same time, a falling declaration.

“I’ll increase the probability to three-tenths.”

“How…?”

“That’s simple.”

At Shinui’s words, Seohwa smiled faintly while storing the bone dagger in her breast pocket and continued.

“Can I ask just one thing?”

“Wh-what?”

“If Master used that dagger on a yokai, what would happen? Would it be dangerous?”

“How would it…? Since demonic power avoids lightning energy, it probably wouldn’t cross over… There probably wouldn’t be any danger…”

“What if lightning energy transferred instead?”

“Lightning energy would devour the demonic power. But that dagger is one-directional, so only if the user stabs directly would it have meaning…? D-don’t tell me?”

“Yes.”

Perhaps.

“There might be a way.”

Grinning, Seohwa stood up.

“Let’s hurry out.”

“I need to get Master’s permission too.”

I’m tired.

Kagagagagagak—!!!

“…Ahak! Are you sane?”

Watching the shadow that greatly deviated from its original trajectory after twisting the axis of power balance, I reflexively pressed my tired eyes. Eyes with a sense of pressure as if capillaries burst from unfamiliar excessive internal energy use.

—A. Aaaaaaa…!

‘It shows no sign of running dry.’

I clicked my tongue watching the mass of demonic power burst out along with repeated screams. Though I didn’t necessarily think it would, I had hoped the demonic power would run dry after using this much.

‘Roughly… half a shichen?’

Half a shichen since Seohwa went inside.

Thanks to the gamble succeeding, I still have strength remaining, but I can feel fatigue accumulating in my body. Though I could endure as much again as I’ve endured, it’s a burdensome situation to continue this indefinite waiting.

‘If I endure another half shichen and things go wrong, could I cut it down then?’

Will I have stamina remaining until then?

Pajik! Ppajijijijijik!

I continued thinking while imbuing lightning energy into the sword blade to deflect the shadow’s attack. And at that moment, lines of light shooting up from all directions.

“…What’s this?”

Magic arts?

“It’s Shinui-nim’s Gusokbu. Master!”

Before I could even question it, an answer came and I lowered my gaze from the tree branch tip. Seohwa standing at the edge of view gasping for breath, having arrived before I knew it.

“Heok… Heok.”

“You came. You’re faster than I thought.”

“Su-surgery finished quickly…!”

“How’s Choil?”

“Saved him. He’s coming from behind with Shinui-nim…!”

“That’s fortunate.”

I was worried something might go wrong, but it seems things went well.

“How long does the Gusokbu last? If it’s Shinui-nim’s Gusokbu, as I know it’s probably a precious item that can only be made once a year.”

“Even accounting for that, she said it couldn’t bind for even one gak.”

“I see.”

Well, that much time would be more than enough to escape. As protection, it’s sufficient.

“Then let’s try what we can try now. If we show that child Choil’s face, there should be some reaction.”

“…About that. Shinui-nim said it probably won’t come back.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Probably because it’s not in its right mind, it won’t even recognize him… And she told us a way to restore sanity, but.”

“She told you, but?”

“That method is… a bit.”

Watching Seohwa hesitate, I chuckled. Having crossed the line between life and death several times, what couldn’t I do at this point?

“Don’t hesitate, just say it. We have to try everything we can.”

“It-it’s certain in theory, but it’s a bit ambiguous…”

“What is it that makes you so hesitant?”

“Are you really okay with it?”

“I’m fine.”

“Then…”

After a brief pause while gauging my reaction, Seohwa smiled awkwardly. And soon took out a dagger from her breast pocket.

“Master. Please get stabbed by my blade.”

“Just a little is enough. Okay?”

…It seems.

Seohwa has lost her mind.