When Village Chief Gu-gil arrived at the village entrance with the Taoist Master, the sun was setting.

"This is it, Taoist Master. This is our village, Sosang Village."

"Hmm. Not a very large place. Huh? What's this strong smell?"

"Ugh..."

A foul stench carried on the breeze from the village.

It was the stink that came from the millipedes. When they had left earlier, there had been no wind, so it hadn't been noticeable. But now, with the sunset winds blowing, the stench surged thickly toward them.

As Gu-gil grimaced at the smell, the Taoist Master's worried voice followed.

"This energy is strong. It won't be easy to gather them all in one place."

"I-is that so?"

"Of course. With this stench, there must be a lot of them scattered all over the village."

"Will it be difficult, then?"

Seeing the Taoist Master's serious face, Gu-gil asked with growing anxiety.

After all, back when they had set out from Gaoae, the Taoist had seemed so confident.

But now, seeing him react this way right at the village entrance, Gu-gil couldn’t help but wonder if things were worse than expected.

"Ay, what are you worried about? For the great Taoist Taiheo, nothing is impossible."

"Phew... That’s a relief."

Feeling relieved to hear it wouldn't be difficult, Gu-gil smiled — but his relief didn't last long.

The Taoist's next words made both Gu-gil and the herb gatherer's eyes widen.

"However, I’ll need to use more talismans, so the cost will go up. With so many of them, it'll take a lot more talismans to gather them together."

"Ehh!?"

The news that the price would increase came as a shock.

They had been so happy to get a good price for the fleeceflower root — and now they were about to lose even more money.

Worried and a bit disbelieving, Gu-gil asked:

"But back when we left, you said three silver pieces..."

"I did. But now that I see it, it’s going to need a lot more talismans. And stronger talismans too."

"So if you use more talismans, the cost goes up?"

Considering the talismans he had stuck to the courtesans earlier just for fun, it was hard to understand how that justified more costs.

Seeing their doubtful faces, Taoist Master Taiheo put on a solemn expression and explained:

"You might misunderstand, so let me clarify. Do you know why I put talismans on the courtesans’ bodies?"

"I-is there a reason for that?"

"Of course! Do you think a Taoist who has transcended the mundane world would indulge in such things just for lust?"

"Well..."

Gu-gil and the herb gatherer both nearly nodded unconsciously, then flinched awkwardly.

After all, judging by the sounds they'd heard from the inner rooms of the giru, it had seemed very much like lust.

Gu-gil had seen at least five courtesans in there.

At that, Taoist Master Taiheo clasped his hands behind his back and gazed off toward the distant mountains.

"There’s a reason for everything. Millipedes are weak to feminine yin energy. To drive them away, you have to gather yin energy into the talismans.

That's why I spend money in expensive giru halls, paying the courtesans to gather powerful yin energy."

"But... if you need women, we have plenty of women in our village too..."

Thinking it would be cheaper to use local women, the herb gatherer spoke up — but Taiheo wagged his finger firmly.

No way.

"Do you think I’d waste money on expensive courtesans if there was another way? It can’t be just any woman.

Normally, men are considered to have yang energy and women yin energy — but ordinary yin isn’t enough.

To repel the millipedes, you need strong yin energy. That’s why I use courtesans who have accumulated a lot of yin energy through frequent contact with many men. Anything less won’t do."

"I-I see..."

"So that was the deeper meaning?"

"Of course! And you thought I was just fooling around? Attaching talismans like I did — that’s how you secretly draw out their yin energy. If they realized I was draining their energy, they’d be terrified!"

So it hadn’t been pure debauchery after all — it had a profound purpose.

Gu-gil and the herb gatherer both nodded deeply.

After a short moment, the herb gatherer nudged Gu-gil in the side, and Gu-gil asked cautiously:

"But then... how much will it cost?"

"The village is small, but with this stench, it’ll take twice as many talismans. Normally, I’d have to charge six silver pieces.

But since I know your situation, I can’t do that.

I’ll settle for just five silver pieces. Hah... truly, I’m making no profit at all. I’m sacrificing for your sake."

"Thank you so much, Taoist Master!"

"Truly, thank you!"

It was still a painful expense, but they’d have two silver pieces left over, so it wasn’t the worst outcome.

And the fact that he was giving them a discount — what a blessing.

Gu-gil quickly pulled the silver from his pouch and handed it over to the Taoist Master.

Just in case the price went up again.

"Please, we leave everything to you, Taoist Master."

Taoist Master Taiheo swiftly snatched the silver and tucked it into his robe.

With a confident look, he replied:

"Don’t worry. Also, to use stronger talismans, I’ll need you to catch a white rooster and bring me its blood. Boil the meat well, too. Strong talismans require a lot of energy. Ahem."

"Understood, Master."

With that, Village Chief Gu-gil, the herb gatherer, and the Taoist Master began making their way into the village, the stench growing heavier as they entered.

***

Before telling a bit about the future, there was something I needed to clarify first.

Why had the name millipede suddenly come up?

There was a good reason for it.

What do I mean by that?

I asked Hwa-eun.

"Hwa-eun, you’ve seen plenty of millipedes, right?"

"Yes. They sometimes appear in large numbers even at the Tang Family estate, causing all sorts of trouble."

"Millipedes are pests that harm people, aren’t they?"

"That’s right. They appear suddenly in huge numbers and make life difficult. I really don't like them."

Hwa-eun agreed emphatically.

In my previous life, millipedes were familiar by name but not really seen as pests harmful to humans.

They were rare enough that it was uncommon to encounter them.

But seeing how strongly Hwa-eun reacted, it was clear that in this era, they were truly seen as a serious pest.

If someone were to ask me what pests cause harm to people, I'd say it depends on the time and environment.

As times changed, living environments changed too, and the pests that troubled humans evolved accordingly.

For example, when agriculture developed and grain began to be mass-produced, insects that infested grain became recognized as harmful. When people started raising livestock, fleas became a pest by infesting the animals.

Even when we were kids, head lice were common among schoolchildren — but with the development of pesticides and sanitation, head lice have practically disappeared.

So in my previous life, cockroaches were the most hated insects, especially by women, along with mosquitoes, flies, lovebugs, and swarming mayflies.

But in this era, it's a bit different.

Of course, cockroaches, flies, and mosquitoes were still serious pests here too. In addition, pests that had disappeared in my previous life — like fleas, bedbugs, and head lice ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) — were still prevalent and problematic here.

And on top of that, there was one more major pest that seriously degraded living conditions in ancient societies: millipedes.

Phylum Arthropoda, subphylum Myriapoda, class Diplopoda — commonly known as millipedes.

In Korean, they’re called "noraegi."

"Do you know why millipedes suddenly appear in huge numbers and cause so much trouble?"

"No. Only you would know something like that, So-ryong."

"These creatures live by eating decaying plant matter. So if you gather and pile up fallen leaves during warm weather, they will soon start to appear in huge numbers."

"Oh, now that you mention it, I remember. There were always a lot of them where we piled up leaves."

In my previous life, millipedes were rare.

But here, in this era, they’re found everywhere near people's homes.

They can even swarm in such numbers that they seriously impact people's quality of life — and there’s a reason for that.

Millipedes survive by feeding on rotting plant matter. Without it, they can't survive or reproduce.

In modern cities where greenery is limited, millipedes didn’t thrive, so people didn’t even consider them pests.

But in this era, cities and villages are full of plants and trees. Leaves are always piling up, and compost heaps are common — making it the perfect environment for millipedes to breed in huge numbers and become a major pest.

They can multiply quickly and cover entire houses in no time.

And even though just swarming around isn’t enough to classify them as pests, millipedes defend themselves in two ways:

curling up to protect their legs and emitting a foul-smelling secretion.

The real problem lies in that secretion.

It’s not lethally toxic to humans, but it releases a horrendous stench.

You might ask: "Well, it’s a defense mechanism. They would only release it when threatened, right? So why is it a problem?"

The answer is: millipedes are absurdly jumpy.

They’re so skittish that even if they bump into each other, they panic and release their stink. When they swarm in large numbers, they constantly set each other off, filling the surroundings with a nonstop wave of foul odor.

Imagine dozens of them getting startled and farting stink bombs everywhere.

That’s basically what happens.

Their name, "noraegi," comes from the same root as stinkbugs — because they release a terrible smell.

Although the chemical compounds behind the smells are different:

millipede odor is mostly benzoquinone and phenol, while stinkbugs mainly emit decenal and octenal.

Thus, stinkbug odor smells like sharp cilantro, but millipede stink smells like concentrated rotten eggs.

It’s similar to the smell given off by Yeolbi, my low-ranking "bomb dust beetle" back home.

Since the underlying chemicals are similar, the comparison fits.

Imagine living in a village where that kind of stink fills the air — how could anyone live?

"So if you just clean up fallen leaves and rotting plants, millipedes wouldn't be much of a problem, right?"

"Exactly, Hwa-eun. The best way to eliminate millipedes is to burn them and thoroughly clean up any rotting leaves. Burning them would be best."

Answering her question, I transitioned to the main point.

This was a bit of a story about a future eastern country.

Or maybe it was happening right now.

"In the eastern country, during the spring, people would thoroughly clean their houses and even put up talismans."

"Talismans? To drive away millipedes?"

In my previous life, our ancestors had a similar issue.

To deal with millipedes, they would clean their homes in spring and put up talismans.

These were called "Millipede Talismans."

The phrase written was: "Hyangnang Gaksi, Leave Swiftly for a Thousand Miles."

It was a tradition popular in Joseon times.

Back then, people in Joseon referred to millipedes found in homes as "Hyangnang" or "Hyangnang Bride."

Much like the "Snail Bride" folklore, millipedes entering homes were anthropomorphized — treated as brides who meant no harm.

They put up the talisman as a polite request:

"Since you mean no harm, please leave without causing trouble."

It was a charming cultural practice, and I remembered it because I once did a broadcast about it.

"Hello, everyone! Today, I brought you an amazing talisman. Stick this up, and it'll wipe out all the pests!"