An Office Worker Is Good At Exorcism - Chapter 242

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 241
Part 5. It Was a Fox, Not a Tiger (2)
Beep-beep-beep, beep-beep-beep.
Descending from the Mountain, I picked up my phone inside the car.
Without starting the engine, the incoming call tone emanated from the phone resting on my lap, and the screen displayed Kim Jae-sik’s name.
(Hello?)
As Kim Jae-sik’s voice came through, an unconscious sigh escaped me.
Perhaps he was the only person capable of calming the chaos that had ravaged my mind.
“Professor, do you have time to talk?”
(Yeah, Hyung-seok. What’s wrong?)
Detecting the emotion in his voice, Kim Jae-sik spoke with concern.
“No, nothing’s really wrong.”
I lowered my gaze and pressed my lips firmly together.
Then, with a grave expression, I opened my mouth again.
“I’m sorry. Actually, something is wrong.”
(What is it? Why does your voice sound like that?)
“Sigh.”
(Calm down. Breathe, breathe. Relax.)
“…It’s a bit strange hearing a folklore professor speak English.”
(Come on! I’m not even a Korean literature professor. What does it matter?)
We both shared the same desire to ease the oppressive atmosphere.
So the two of us exchanged meaningless jokes out of obligation and continued the call with a more settled feeling than before.
“Jangsan Tiger. I saw it.”
(What?)
Kim Jae-sik asked back as if wondering whether this was another joke, but unfortunately, it was not.
“I definitely saw it. I even confirmed that it had stored prey in the Cave.”
(Ah, wait—you really saw that?)
“Yes.”
Was my dry throat from climbing the Mountain, or was it because the Jangsan Tiger seemed to shimmer before my eyes?
I glanced regretfully at the empty cup holder and continued.
“It’s not an urban legend. It was a distortion of the truth.”
(A distortion? Of what?)
Kim Jae-sik displayed the keen interest characteristic of a folklore professor, and I answered while recalling the vivid scent of the Fox Spirit.
“White Fox. It wasn’t a tiger—it was a fox.”
(Huh.)
Kim Jae-sik let out a sigh that seemed somewhat excited.
(What’s your reasoning? Do you have something concrete?)
“The scent of the Fox Spirit. The habit of storing prey, and its intelligence is quite remarkable. No matter how I look at it, it’s far more fox-like than tiger-like.”
(Mmm, hmm.)
“What’s your take on it, Professor?”
Kang Hyung-seok waited for an answer with his eyes narrowed to slits, and after a moment of silence, Kim Jae-sik finally spoke.
(Ah, I see. Now that you mention a fox, the characteristics do overlap.)
“What characteristics are you referring to?”
(The Jangsan Tiger’s cry sounds just like metal being scraped, right? But a fox can make that kind of sound too.)
Now that I think about it, I have no idea what a fox’s cry actually sounds like.
(You should definitely listen to it sometime. There’s a sound like what a Roe Deer makes—kind of a high-pitched squeal. It’s absolutely spine-chilling.)
“I’ll look into it later. But what about the black face? What could that be?”
(If it’s an old fox, it might have lost fur on its face too.)
A somewhat deflating answer came in response to my serious question.
“Is it possible that a fox’s skin is black?”
(Yeah.)
“…There are more overlapping details than I expected.”
(I was only thinking of tigers when you said “tiger,” but now that you mention a fox, it’s actually quite convincing. If someone mistakenly called it a White Fox in the past, that could have gotten distorted into a tiger.)
White Fox and White Tiger.
They sound identical when spoken, but their meanings are completely different.
Through the process of being passed along by word of mouth, the fox might have transformed into a tiger, and the name Jangsan Tiger could have been added on top of that.
(Actually, I was wondering if a tiger was even the right answer, given that it supposedly deals in sorcery. As you know, tigers were beings of fear and reverence. It’s rare for something like the Jangsan Tiger to inspire only fear.)
“But foxes certainly were.”
(Exactly! The most famous example being the Fox Sister.)
If you were to pick the most grotesque tale from Korean folklore and legends, the Fox Sister would be it.
A fox demon born as the youngest daughter brings ruin upon her entire household, and in the end, she is eliminated through mysterious power—such is the legend.
“Could it be that Fox Sister?”
(I doubt it. The Jangsan Tiger was said to be white, so it doesn’t quite match the Fox Sister.)
“Then….”
(It could be the white fox recorded in the Samguk Sagi.)
Beyond this, I have no certainty.
Kim Jae-sik continued his explanation while Kang Hyung-seok listened with careful, measured breaths.
(In the seventh lunar month of 148 CE, King Chadae of Goguryeo went hunting at a place called Pyeong-yu-won. There’s a record that a white fox followed the king and cried out.)
“Couldn’t it have simply been a white fox? It could have been albinism.”
(No, here’s the thing. King Chadae told Samu about this incident, and you know what Samu said in response? That a white fox is inherently inauspicious.)
And not long after, Samu died.
Then King Chadae himself was put to death.
It happened after witnessing the white fox.
(White foxes have been regarded as ill-omened beings since ancient times. Similarly, there are records of white foxes from the Baekje period too, but none of them are favorable.)
Perhaps because this was his field of expertise.
Kim Jae-sik’s voice grew solemn and heavy.
At the same time, it carried such a powerful energy that Kang Hyung-seok felt transported back to his university days.
(Man, this feels just like old times.)
“I was thinking the same thing.”
(Hah! Back then, I really should have forced you into graduate school.)
It was the moment when Kang Hyung-seok’s body trembled at a sound far more terrifying than the Jangsan Tiger.
(You know Jeon Woo-chi, right?)
Kim Jae-sik’s question came at him like a sudden gust.
“Jeon Woo-chi?”
(You know, the one they made movies about. A Taoist master.)
“Ah, yes.”
(In the Hanjukdang Seobpil, there’s a story about Jeon Woo-chi’s youth.)
“I see….”
Jeon Woo-chi had captured a white fox drunk on alcohol.
Later, when the fox awoke and realized it was bound, it begged Jeon Woo-chi for mercy and saved its own life.
(Here’s the important part—Jeon Woo-chi was still learning to read at that time. So how could he have understood what the fox was saying?)
“That’s….”
Kang Hyung-seok furrowed the space between his brows.
Now I understood what Kim Jae-sik was trying to say.
“You’re saying the fox spoke in a human voice.”
(Exactly! Just like the Jangsan Tiger.)
The Jangsan Tiger, the White Fox, human speech.
And the story of the white fox recorded in the Hanjukdang Seobpil.
(This fox was incredibly clever and cunning. It even deceived Jeon Woo-chi with its sorcery. Anyway, this fox gave Jeon Woo-chi a book. That book was the White Fox Scripture.)
Kang Hyung-seok raised one eyebrow.
“A book?”
(Yes. That’s where it all began. The story of the Taoist master Jeon Woo-chi.)
Tap, tap, tap.
Kang Hyung-seok drummed his index finger against his knee while pressing his lower lip against his upper teeth.
On the surface, it sounded like an amusing old tale.
Yet the Jangsan Tiger was firmly lodged in my mind, and though the story was unfamiliar, its structure felt strangely familiar.
‘A book received from a fox, mysterious power.’
(Sounds like a fox orb, doesn’t it?)
As if Kim Jae-sik had seen through my innermost thoughts, he spoke, and a bitter smile spread across Kang Hyung-seok’s lips.
“Yes. I was thinking the same thing.”
The only difference was whether it was a book or an orb—the essence was identical.
There were countless legends related to fox orbs.
One who obtained the orb gained mysterious power, so the fox orb could be called the fox’s inner orb.
It was intriguing that such a thing had been transmitted in the form of a book.
“What happened to the White Fox Scripture?”
(It disappeared. There are accounts saying the fox took it back.)
Kim Jae-sik’s voice grew lighter as he approached some conclusion.
“That makes sense. The fox orb.”
(It’s like a life force. For a fox.)
Something that must never be lost.
The Fox Spirit’s Yeouiju.
Its origin, its heart, its very essence.
Kang Hyung-seok fell silent for a moment, then nodded.
“Thank you, Professor.”
(My voice sounds lighter now.)
“It feels like I’ve found a thread to pull.”
And I truly had.
The situation had been nothing but vague, and while Kim Jae-sik’s words weren’t a solution, they were a crucial thread.
I could now dimly grasp what needed to be done and how to do it.
(Though I’m not sure if this will actually help.)
“Yes?”
(When Jeon Woo-chi captured the White Fox, you said the fox was intoxicated, didn’t you?)
“Yes, yes.”
(Alcohol might be useful too.)
Liquor still produced in Damyang, Jeollanam-do.
The White Fox had greedily stolen a spirit drink called Jesebalseonju.
“…Thank you.”
(Um, Hyung-seok.)
“Yes.”
(Do you happen to know what I mean?)
I understood exactly what Kim Jae-sik wanted, so I let out a laugh that felt like exhaling.
“Yes. If I manage to obtain fur or anything else, I’ll definitely bring it to you.”
(Even better if it’s pages from the White Fox’s scripture.)
“I’m not sure if we can obtain that much.”
(Even Jeon Woo-chi became a great master just by learning the basics of that book? The value must be absolutely immense.)
“You understand, Professor.”
If that is the power and life of the White Fox and Jangsan Tiger, then it must be destroyed.
I must finish what Jeon Woo-chi could not complete all those ages ago.
(So if I can obtain even a single page, I’m asking for your help.)
“I’ll do my best.”
(Yes! Absolutely. Absolutely!)
“Yes.”
Kim Jae-sik had devoted considerable time to me, no longer even his student, and provided invaluable information.
What more could I ask for if I could obtain even the book’s cover?
When I answered readily, Kim Jae-sik ended the call without hesitation.
(And get some sleep! Your voice is heavy with exhaustion. You’ll go before me at this rate.)
“Professor, what are you saying…”
(Anyway, let’s hang up. Get at least a little rest!)
“Yes. I’ll head inside.”
Kang Hyung-seok ended the call.
The car fell silent.
I placed my phone on the passenger seat and leaned the back of my head against the headrest.
Through the windshield, the Village comes into view.
With the sun hanging in the sky, it appears peaceful and ordinary.
Shhhhh.
I exhaled a deep breath through my nose, my weary eyes slowly closing.
The conversation with Kim Jae-sik had brought me some solace, it seemed.
My body, which hadn’t slept a wink during the Mountain climb, sank deeply into exhaustion.
‘Master, I beseech you.’
Grant me the strength to capture Jangsan Tiger.
Prevent him from claiming any more lives.
Please, hear the prayer of your humble disciple.
With my head bowed as if in prayer, I surrendered to sleep, consciousness slipping away into profound darkness.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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