Box of Demons

Chapter 48

But—I felt he didn't speak very enthusiastically this time.

"Therefore, many scholars and insightful individuals investigating the truth behind monsters began to examine the prototype of this so-called monster. Folklorists, anthropologists, philosophers, and even psychologists and psychopathologists have all raised this point. They..."

It's said that monsters originated from humanity's fear of darkness or natural phenomena, or that they originated from the fear of death—these statements may not be entirely wrong, but they're not entirely correct either. Because they're ridiculous, utterly self-evident. It's like drinking miso soup and, wanting to know what's in it, finding radish and then holding it up and shouting, "It's radish!"—it's laughable. No matter how much radish is in the soup, it's still miso soup, not radish. No matter how much radish is added, it doesn't explain the overall composition of miso soup. The same logic applies to monsters. Even the most foolish people in the past could distinguish between natural phenomena and monster phenomena. Scholars' claims, in a sense, are as if saying that ancient people were all fools, unable to distinguish between radish in vegetables and miso soup with radish.

"So when is the demon going to make its appearance?"

Natsukizu came in and caused trouble. Natsukizu hates lengthy explanations. However, because Kyogoku-do often uses phrases that Natsukizu likes...

He liked the boring metaphor, so he didn't dislike it that much.

Kyogoku-do ignored Natsuki's meddling.

"For example, there is a kind of monster called the 'Water Monster,' which is a monster that causes a sudden flood if people call out 'Here you go, here you go.' According to the views of the scholars and experts just now, this phenomenon is just an ordinary flood."

Indeed, if monsters are born from a fear of natural phenomena, then such monsters are merely ordinary floods. But if that's the case, then the phenomenon of floods and the phenomenon of water monsters lose their distinction, and it could be said that all floods become monsters.

"It was natural for ancient people to feel fear towards natural phenomena that they could not defend against through human means, therefore..."

It's normal to fear floods. But a flood is just a flood; no matter how terrible, it won't turn into a monster. Only through a ritualistic question-and-answer process does it become a monster. The occurrence of natural phenomena is inherently natural, but the dynamic process of transforming them into something non-natural is the true nature of monsters. The [monster archetype] is not the primal emotion of [terror] or [fear] itself. Rather, monsters arise from processes that deviate from these emotions. A monster is established only after acquiring [form] and [name]. Therefore, a nameless monster cannot be called a monster.

"This is really hard to understand."

I don't quite understand.

"Then, things got backwards. There were cases where monsters that were not considered monsters in a certain region were only passed down by name. Monsters that were actually monsters in the place of origin but were given the name of monsters were only passed down by name, which caused chaos. Sometimes they were also given completely new forms and properties."

"Do demons and monsters belong to this category?"

"That's exactly why it's so tricky. I'm not good at dealing with these kinds of monsters."

After finishing his sentence, Kyogoku-do scratched his chin.

"So there are monsters you're not good at dealing with."

"For example, during the Edo period, the northern country's 'Mouryou' was considered one of the three wonders of the era, alongside the Kamaitachi of the east and the River God of the west. This indicates that the Mouryou was quite a well-known yokai in Japan at the time. The River God is the Kappa, and you certainly know the Kamaitachi, but the Mouryou is less well-known. It's not that it was very popular then and has been forgotten now, because there weren't many written records from that time. Furthermore, while it's said that the Mouryou was a specialty of the north, was the name commonly seen there? Not at all. Instead, the so-called Mouryou worship existed only in the Shikoku region. Although it was a variation of a spirit worship similar to the worship of vengeful gods, the very fact that it involved worshipping the Mouryou is noteworthy. As for the fact that it only has a name and no image, this is because the image of the Mouryou in its birthplace on the mainland was already quite vague, so there's nothing that can be done about it."

"Was it originally an ambiguous monster?"

Kyogoku-do crossed his arms.

"The meaning of the word 'light' itself is problematic."

"Meaning of characters? In Chinese characters?"

"Yes. Talking about the monsters of the mainland could take days and nights, but they are still easier to understand than the monsters of Japan. First of all, you can tell the era in which they fell from grace just by looking at their shape. For example, a monster with a human face and an animal body is older than one with an animal face and a human body. The Chinese people are a nation with an extraordinary penchant for recording things. Whenever a dynasty changed, they would carefully record the deeds of the previous dynasty. As for research and classification books like the Classic of Mountains and Seas, they are impeccable."

Furthermore, the fact that Chinese characters are a logographic script is also very helpful for research. Even if the pronunciation is the same, the Chinese characters used as names will directly represent the meaning.

This reveals its significance, therefore it is entirely distinguished from the original. That is, one only needs to look at...

The nature of a name can be understood to some extent by the Chinese characters used in its name. But it's much more difficult to understand the meaning of "魍魉" (wǎngliáng).

"Why?"

"Wang was forcibly associated with a strange god of mountains and rivers, while Liang was regarded as the spirit of mountains, rivers, trees and rocks. But this explanation is quite unconvincing."

As mentioned earlier, the character 魍魉 has many alternative names, and it is also written with the insect radical, sharing the same character as 蛔 in 蛟娴. It is also often written with the ghost radical removed, resulting in 罔两, which then acquires a different meaning. Have you read the *Zhuangzi*?

"remove?"

Natsume and Toriguchi gave the same irreverent answer at the same time. While they were thinking about some boring homophonic jokes, I quickly added, "I've seen it once before, but I don't remember Laozi and Zhuangzi as well as Confucianism, so I don't remember it very well."

"You're really useless. The *Zhuangzi* is very important; there's a famous passage in the *Discourse on the Equality of Things*—"

Kyogoku-do remembered, and sure enough, he began to recite it.

The netherworld asked the shadow, "You walked before, now you stop. You sat before, now you stand. Why do you have no independent will?" The shadow replied, "Is there something that happens on my own? Do I wait for the wings of a snake, a fish, or a cicada? How can I know why it happens? How can I know why it doesn't?" and so on.

"Ah, I've heard of it."

"Kiseki, Kyogoku, how come you two can remember these sentences that sound like scriptures? A normal person wouldn't know that, right? Um—"

"My name is Bird Mouth. I've never heard of it before, and even if I did, I wouldn't understand what it means."

"It's okay if you don't understand. In short, here '罔两' is interpreted as the fainter part of a shadow, that is, the more indistinct part of the shadow. The word '罔两' also carries this meaning. On the other hand, if it's written as '罔象,' it's different. Here, it means a monster born in water. The *Huainanzi* says: 'Mountains produce the 'Hanyang.' Water produces the 'Wangxiang,' trees produce the 'Bifang,' and wells produce the 'Fenyang,' each referring to a mountain monster, a water monster, a fire monster, and an earth monster, respectively. Du Yu's commentary on the *Zuo Zhuan* also mentions that 'Wangxiang' is a monster of mountains and marshes. Then, the Japanese pronunciation of the water monster 'Wangxiang' is 'mizuba,' which is a water deity in Japan. You've read the *Kojiki*, right?"

No one responded.

We who received pre-war education were, of course, forced to memorize the Kojiki, but probably no one dared to read it with such disrespect as Kyogoku-do.

"Hehe, when Izanami gave birth to the fire god Koyuuto and was burned to death, the goddess Mizuha was born from the urine she shed in her agony. This is the name of a goddess, and there are many ways to pronounce it, such as 'minauha' or 'mirume'."

Wait. Removing the character for "woman" leaves us with an image, which is essentially a demon—doesn't that sound strange?

Kyogoku-do tilted his head in a rare gesture of puzzlement, clearly finding the demon quite troublesome. "Professor Origuchi pointed out that Mizusō is a deity associated with purification rituals. But is the demon related to purification? I remember there's a shrine that enshrines the goddess Mizusō separately—I think it's the Mitsuha-no-Mikoto Shrine—I remember that shrine is in Mima-gun, Awa Province—hmm, this is, Mima-saka..."

Kyogoku-do suddenly shut his mouth.

"Mimasaka, is that the doctor from Hakodate that Natsu-nii just mentioned?"

"No, it's alright, it was just a coincidence."

His expression was very unpleasant. Kyogoku-do usually always had a sour face, so it wasn't very noticeable, but I knew he was clearly unhappy right now.

Natsume's face fell. He put on a mocking expression.

Then Kyogoku-do continued, "Never mind. In short, when 'chī měi' and 'wāng liáng' are mentioned together, people often regard 'chī měi' as mountain spirits and 'wāng liáng' as water monsters. The Nihonki also adopts this view, recording 'chī měi' as mountain gods and 'wāng liáng' as water gods. The Yamato Honshō says that the water tiger is a type of monster called 'wāng liáng'."

"Is the Water Tiger the same as the Kappa?"

"That's right—then it can be considered the same as the Kappa, the king of water monsters in our country. In other words, in our country, the 'Mōryō,' also known as 'Wangxiang,' has unknowingly been given the characteristics of a river monster. In addition, 'mizuha' sounds similar to 'water leaf' and 'sweet tooth,' so plant monsters can also be categorized under it. As a result, the four 'chīmèi mōryō' encompass all the demons and monsters of nature... I guess so..."

The ending was somewhat ambiguous.

"Why are you speaking so vaguely? When you encounter this kind of topic, don't you usually analyze it cleanly and efficiently, like cutting through a mess with a knife? That's the true nature of Chuzenji Akihiko."

I made an unnecessary attack; it seems Kyogoku-do has been trying to hide something all along.

"Alas, it was only after I finished speaking that I realized the image of the 'Wangchi' in Chinese folklore differs considerably from that described by Ganggua. It's long-winded, but I must reiterate it: this kind of confusion exists in China as well. The Records of the Grand Historian recounts a story where someone dug up a jar in a region, and a sheep jumped out of it. Just as everyone was discussing it, Confucius appeared and said, 'I have heard that the strange creatures of wood and stone are called Kui and Wangliang, the strange creatures of water are called dragons and Wangxiang, and the strange creatures of earth are called Tanyang.' I never expected that Confucius, who was not known for speaking of strange and supernatural phenomena, would be so clear about monsters. Kui is a one-legged monster, and Tanyang is hermaphroditic. The 'Wangliang' mentioned here can be said to refer entirely to monsters."

"Can all monsters be categorized as demons?"

"That's exactly what started it. Perhaps because everyone thought that Confucius couldn't be wrong, the idea that Wangliang was a monster of wood and stone spread widely. Even though Confucius also included Wangliang in the section on monsters of rivers and lakes, the impression of dragons was stronger here. So even now, some dictionaries with historical records still write Wangliang as a monster of wood and stone, meaning it is both a spirit of mountains and rivers and a monster of water and wood and stone. This is equivalent to breaking down the original clear boundaries of the monster world. Moreover, most monsters in China have been given specific forms, but the description of Wangliang is very vague. The Shuyi Ji says it looks like a pig, that it has a long nose, and that it looks like a turtle. The description itself is completely fragmented."

So, the demon doesn't have a specific image?

The problem is—it just exists.

Kyogoku-do sighed, pressing his hand to his forehead.

"What's really troubling is that, besides being a general term for monsters, there's another system developing in the legend of Wangliang. One myth mentions that Wangliang were the children of ancient Chinese emperors."

"Child? Is a demon human?"

"Many of the rulers in the Chinese mythological era were not human. Zhuanxu, the great-grandson of the emperor, was an extraordinary person. This heavenly emperor had three children who died at birth, one of whom was named Wangliang."

"Is the child a demon?"

"Hmm, the other two are the Malaria Demon and the Child Demon. This wraith is said to grow to look like this: about the size of a three-year-old child, with red eyes and long ears. Its body is reddish-black, and it has a full head of black hair. It can mimic human speech to bewitch people—"

"It's very specific."

"On the one hand, it expands in the form of a bizarre monster, and on the other hand, it depicts a concrete image as if it were a real, tangible stake. The Shuowen Jiezi quotes this description of the Wangliang, saying it is one of the hundred works of Huainan, although this passage does not appear in the Huainanzi that has been passed down to this day. The Classic of Mountains and Seas also records the same statement. Therefore, the Wakan Sansai Zue, which is based on the Classic of Mountains and Seas, also adopts this statement, so its appearance is very clear. If a picture is drawn based on this description, what is drawn is simply a rabbit demon, like a wild beast. No one knows what the Wangliang is. Although no one knows, it has unknowingly become a wild beast."

"A wild beast?"

"As a result, this became the only specific form that the demon was given."

Kyogoku-do opened the "Night Parade of One Hundred Demons" on the table for us to see.

There is a demon painted on it.

A little devil poked its upper body out of the grass.

Two protrusions, which were neither horns nor ears, grew from his dark, bushy hair.

Their cute, round eyes held no malice. Their mouths, revealing their teeth, looked like they were smiling.

It's not scary, it's just disgusting.

because.

The beast dug out the coffin, pulled out the dead man's body, and devoured his flesh.

The demon ate the corpses with a blank expression.

"this--"

"That's right. In the end, the Wangliang is both a spirit of the mountains and rivers, a water god, and a monster of wood and stone, but inexplicably it has been fixed in this form! So it is a monster with a mysterious name. The most familiar image of the Wangliang in folklore is this, a little devil that eats corpses. The Wangliang retains various characteristics and a righteous name in history. However, the image that people in our country are familiar with is similar to what the West calls a ghoul, so there is no monster more difficult to deal with than it."

"W-Why did it change like this? This is so abrupt!"

"Not necessarily. The *Compendium of Materia Medica*, in its section on 'Beasts and Strange Creatures,' states that the *wangliang* (魍魉) feeds on the liver qi of the dead. It was also mentioned earlier that the *wangliang* has another name, Fangliang, which is said to be a monster that emerges from tombs. The prototype for the 'scattering beans to drive away ghosts' ritual—the Fangxiangshi who chases away the filth—was originally an official responsible for expelling Fangliang. The *Miscellaneous Morsels from Youyang* mentions a monster called Fushu that eats the brains of corpses. Fushu dies if pierced by cypress wood, and the *wangliang* is said to fear both cypress and tigers, indicating that these are the same monster. Even the legends are so intricately intertwined; it's truly baffling what's what."

"I really don't understand."

Bird said dejectedly.

"If you want things to get even more chaotic, I have plenty of material to talk about."

Although Kyogoku-do seemed to be joking, his eyes were very serious.

"There is a monster called a train, written as 'fire' and 'cart'. It is a monster that comes from hell to take away bad people. When a bad person dies, a train burning with raging flames appears from nowhere and takes away his body. The body that is taken away is torn into pieces and scattered everywhere."

I vaguely remember hearing about trains as monsters, but I didn't know they would do such a thing.

Kyogoku-do continued.

"Another explanation is that metal objects like crowbars are placed next to recently deceased bodies to prevent stray cats from..."

Beasts or demons enter corpses. There's also a story in the *Er Nang* about a demon transforming into a human and taking up a public office.

At this point, Kyogoku-do looked around at everyone present.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh."

Natsumi smiled, a very happy smile.

"It seems like it's better to avoid these stories if you want to understand the spirits of the demons?"

Jin laughed even louder after he finished speaking.

"That's true. It's a really troublesome problem—"

Kyogoku-do was in a state of distress, holding his head in his hands.

"Isn't this an exaggeration? Is it really necessary to be so troubled? It's true that the demons are difficult to understand, but that's just a cultural difficulty, isn't it? We're discussing a real-life dismemberment murder case right now. What's the connection between the bottleneck in our investigation of demons and this incident?"