yāoguài or yaomo (妖魔) or yaojing (妖精) is a Chinese term that generally means "demon".
Yaoguai are mostly malevolent animal spirits or fallen celestial beings that have acquired magical powers through the practice of Taoism. The evil ones are usually referred to as guài (literally, "freak") or mó (literally, "demon") in Chinese. There are also yaoguai kings (mówáng) that command a number of lessor demon minions.
Not all yaojing are actually demons; some others are of quite unusual origins. In the case of Bai Gu Jing, she was a skeleton that became such a demon. Many yaojing are fox spirits, or according to the Journey to the West, pets of the deities.
Yaoguai greatest goal is achieving immortality and thus deification. In Journey to the West, the demons seek this mostly by the abduction and consumption of a holy man (in this case, Xuanzang).
- Bai Gu Jing - literally, "white bone spirit"
- Niu Mo Wang - literally, "bull demon king"
- Lady White Snake - a powerful white snake who lived near the West Lake in Hangzhou
- Huli jing - fox demon
- Pipa Jing and Jiutou Zhiji Jing - in Fengshen Yanyi