Chapter 283

Chapter 283

It’s nothing new, but for yokai, names are generally not something they give themselves.

That’s because a yokai’s name isn’t simply created to distinguish them from other individuals. Since yokai don’t form societies, they have no need to distinguish themselves from other yokai, and naturally, names become unnecessary as well.

Heukya, Tuhui, Eupro, Cheongseol, Nakcheon, and so on.

Each of the renowned great yokai possesses their own name. This means they have names even though they don’t need them. And that means yokai with names have elements that clearly distinguish them from other yokai.

In that sense, the yokai that just attacked Qinghai, ‘Gu,’ wasn’t such a powerful yokai.

That’s because ‘Gu’s’ name was merely something he had given himself while fantasizing that he might one day be worthy of having a name.

—Shiiiiik.

A highland area. A plateau covered with short grass.

Flicking his snake-like tongue and twisting his elongated body this way and that, ‘Gu’ twitched his snout. The faint scent of humans carried on the wind.

—Shik. Shiiiiik. There are humans nearby…….

Looking at the inferior yokai following behind him, ‘Gu’ opened his maw wide and drooled. The presence of humans was good news here, unlike in Xinjiang.

In Xinjiang, most yokai avoid humans.

That’s because the region of Xinjiang is extremely special. Since Xinjiang is mostly desert terrain where people can barely survive, most humans wandering around aren’t ordinary humans.

Those who wander outside villages in such extreme lands are mostly people who harbor hatred toward yokai and roam around hunting them. The strength of professional yokai hunters goes without saying.

What about this place?

‘Quality fear, weak humans…….‘

The appearance of humans who are utterly different from the tough yokai hunters who don’t feel even a shred of fear when they see them.

Here, he can obtain fear as easily as twisting a child’s wrist. Normally, he wouldn’t have dared to adapt due to the environment lacking demonic power, but it’s different now, isn’t it?

—Shak. Shiik.

Soon, ‘Gu’ twisted his body this way and that in joy at the thought of encountering humans again and obtaining their fear, then looked around. The scent of humans drifting from beyond where the wind was blowing.

—Shik. Shishik. There are humans over there. You stupid things. Follow me.

—Kieeeek.

Even if the overall level of yokai is low, their numbers are many. With this many, surely the humans will be stricken with fear the moment they see them.

‘Gu,’ who had given orders to the yokai following him, busily moved his body to hunt humans and obtain their fear. The scene that soon appeared.

‘Humans……!‘

On a rock placed in the middle of a plateau thick with vegetation. 

At the sight of a human woman sitting with her buttocks perched without any defenses, ‘Gu’ smacked his lips. They say human fear is the most special among all living beings’ fear, but isn’t a human woman’s fear even more special?

After all, a woman’s thin voice screaming is far more delightful than a man’s thick voice.

That human woman will surely be stricken with fear and scream the moment she sees him. And he will laugh until his mouth splits watching that sight.

Susssseuk!

Predicting the scene that would unfold shortly, ‘Gu’ grinned until his mouth split, lowered his body, and quickly crawled toward the human. And shortly after.

—Shishishishik! Human……!

A moment later, when ‘Gu,’ who had arrived on the rock, opened his maw toward the human.

“Ha, seriously disgustingly slow.”

Seeing the human’s bewitching red eyes, ‘Gu’ instinctively knew that what he had targeted was definitely not human.

“These bug-like bastards are being annoying.”

The next moment, the woman’s hand pierced through ‘Gu’s’ jaw.

Kwadeudeudeuk!

The village that Gangnong guided us to.

“The demonic power that was shaking the vicinity has disappeared.”

“……?”

After explaining the situation to the village chief, while setting up formations around the area with the group, I turned my gaze to Hyung-nim at the story he brought up. Gangnong looking at Hyung-nim as if he had no idea what he was talking about.

“What do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said. Sohyeop Gang. It means the leader of the yokai horde heading this way has met their death.”

“Yokai horde……? Ah.”

After thinking for a moment, Gangnong slapped his knee as if he understood what was meant. And the words that followed.

“You mean things are going according to plan!”

“That’s right.”

What was the plan we originally intended to carry out?

It’s to hijack the Hundred Demons Night Parades spreading throughout Qinghai one by one and cram them under Tuhui.

The Hundred Demons Night Parade currently swarming into the entire Central Plains is literally a disaster threatening humanity’s survival. And conversely, that means this Hundred Demons Night Parade is the most terrifying target for current humanity.

If we can fully draw in that fear and feed it to Tuhui, Tuhui’s demonic power might increase to a level where she can have a proper bout with Heukya. And if not?

Even if she can’t rise to a level where she can fight Heukya, our cards will increase either way. In any case, Tuhui is Heukya’s enemy, and the enemy of my enemy can become an ally.

Anyway, for that reason, we gave Tuhui orders not to accompany us but to take over the Hundred Demons Night Parades one by one, and it seems the first button was sewn well.

“Then, is this village safe?”

—Strictly speaking, it’s not completely safe. Just because Tuhui commands the Hundred Demons Night Parade doesn’t mean she becomes the superior of the yokai.

“……Is that so?”

—That’s right.

I nodded and continued my explanation. After all, what is a Hundred Demons Night Parade?

People tend to think of the Hundred Demons Night Parade as a kind of yokai army, but actually, the Hundred Demons Night Parade is not so much a yokai army as just yokai emerging in groups.

Of course, it’s true that the direction is set by the strongest yokai. Yokai have a habit of instinctively following the pressure of superior yokai. But if you ask whether that means they can command the entire group like a human army, that wasn’t the case.

—Tuhui will probably soon pass in front of here leading the yokai. We need to complete the formation by then.

“……What happens when the formation is completed?”

“You’ll be able to see outside from inside, but you won’t be able to see inside from outside.”

Hyung-nim, who immediately took Gangnong’s words, smiled and answered. Then Gangnong let out a contemplative sound.

“I’ve heard there are such formations…… Then, won’t it be impossible to go in and out?”

“It’s enough to install a formation that detects demonic power and filters out only yokai.”

“……! Is that possible?”

“Yes. For other illusion art practitioners or sorcerers, it would become more difficult the more conditions are added, but I’m not bound by such things. My method is ambiguous to even call sorcery in the first place.”

“Heoeo…….”

I gave a bitter smile at Gangnong’s appearance, looking at Hyung-nim with suspicious eyes as if he couldn’t believe it. It’s hard to accept from a common sense perspective.

“Once the installation is finished, unless someone deliberately damages the axis from inside, even formidable great yokai won’t easily be able to detect the village’s location. You’ll be able to confirm it right away.”

“……What should I do?”

“What should you do.”

At Gangnong’s words, I briefly made eye contact with Hyung-nim and nodded. There was only one thing to do right now.

“The formation can finish installation soon. There’s no need to help with that part. So.”

“So?”

“Please bring the villagers. To this place.”

“……You mean the villagers?”

“Yes. We need to show them the yokai marching.”

“Ah……to make them feel fear?”

“That’s also a purpose, but…… the biggest purpose is one. To make them feel a sense of crisis.”

“A sense of crisis?”

“That’s right.”

The Great Seal was destroyed and yokai were released. Soon yokai will come swarming.

No matter how much you tell people that, people won’t easily believe it. Because they haven’t seen it with their own eyes.

“People tend to believe positive things about themselves even without seeing them with their own eyes, but they only believe negative things about themselves after experiencing them directly. Aren’t there people who readily commit obviously dangerous acts?”

“That’s because of that tendency. Because most people only think as positively as possible unless they experience it directly.”

Most people who live diligently unconsciously paint their future positively.

That can be called positive if you put it nicely, but it can also be called optimistic if you put it badly. Unless they witness the yokai directly, there will surely be people who go out as usual and die to yokai.

“It’s a necessary procedure to prevent such things.”

“Don’t bring children who are too young. They might be left with bad memories.”

“……Understood. I’ll bring them right away.”

In the meantime when Gangnong, who finally realized the seriousness of the situation, went to call the villagers, Hyung-nim, who confirmed the completion of the formation, patted his waist. Hyung-nim’s appearance, pretending to wipe away sweat that isn’t even flowing as if he had done hard labor.

Watching that appearance, I confirmed that no one’s eyes were on us and quietly approached behind Hyung-nim and spoke. There was something that didn’t sit right with me.

—Hyung-nim.

“Hm?”

—What do you plan to do?

“What do you mean?”

—I mean this formation. It can’t be a fundamental solution, can it?

“It can’t be a fundamental solution? Why do you think so?”

—We avoid dying immediately by installing the formation, but in the end, won’t we just be isolated and waiting to die?

Most villages can’t be self-sufficient within the village. Because people can’t live on rice alone.

No matter how diversely they farm, in the end, there are limits to the types of crops that can be cultivated in a small village. That’s why even villages located in such remote areas absolutely need exchange with the outside. But if yokai run rampant, all that exchange will be cut off.

—At most, we can endure for half a year. There’s no better solution at the moment, so I’ve been keeping my mouth shut, but no matter how I think about it, I don’t think Hyung-nim would resort to tactics that are merely stopgap measures.

“Hahaha. Aren’t you overestimating me?”

—I believe it’s not an overestimation. Am I wrong?

“……You’re hard to deceive.”

At my words, Hyung-nim let out a chuckle and slowly turned his gaze toward me. And then Hyung-nim, speaking in a low voice.

“You mentioned half a year. That this village will endure for half a year.”

—Yes.

“The reality is different. This village will probably collapse before even three months pass. That’s because being sealed off due to natural disasters or unavoidable circumstances is different from being sealed off because of yokai.

Fear drives people into a corner.

“The first two weeks will probably be fine. But after a month passes, people will realize their situation, and after two months, they’ll fall into despair. And by the time three months pass, people lose hope for the future. Humans are animals that vulnerable to despair.”

After a brief pause, Hyung-nim, who looked straight at me, spread his folding fan.

“As you think, I don’t resort to tactics that are merely stopgap measures. If we can’t endure for three months, wouldn’t it be fine to finish everything within three months?”

—……Is there such a method?

“There is. Only one. A probability where we can survive like that. So.”

Watch. That’s your role.

I too quietly turned my gaze, confirming that Hyung-nim, who turned his head with a bright smile, was looking outside the formation. In the distance, demonic power gradually intensifying beyond the swaying vegetation.

“They’re here.”

Hyung-nim, who roughly perched on a rock at the village entrance and gently waved his folding fan at the slowly intensifying earth tremors. At the end of his gaze.

A hundred demons were climbing the mountain.

Together with Tuhui, who was emanating terrifying demonic power.