Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 179

Tales of a Wandering Swordsman – Chapter 178

Gugugugugung.

Thud!

The bushes and stone walls moving on their own only deepened the mystery of the Iron Blood Maze. Some distance away, Ilgui, the long-haired man, and Igui stood in silence, waiting.

The silence between the two, as solid as stone, was broken a day later.

“So, you were here.”

A woman descended from the sky, her palace dress fluttering, her voice as beautiful as a song.

It was Chilgui, known as the most beautiful of the Ghost Kings.

Her gestures and movements were graceful, devoid of vulgarity or affectation; she was captivating simply by existing.

Truly a peerless beauty.

She appeared as fragile as a flower swaying in the wind, an image that only drew more attention to her.

“You’ve come.”

“You’re here.”

However, Ilgui and Igui responded with indifference, barely glancing at her as if a pebble had rolled by. [Their lack of reaction highlights Chilgui’s perceived importance and their contrasting disinterest.]

Any woman obsessed with her own beauty might have taken offense, but Chilgui was not like that.

A faint smile played on her lips as she raised a feathered fan to her mouth.

“The Taoists’ movements seemed unusual. Does Ilgui know anything?”

“I know. Would I have summoned all the Ghost Kings here without knowing their intentions? I even investigated in advance.”

Chilgui looked at him, surprised that he had checked beforehand.

“They were constructing a peculiar teleportation array, intending to send most of the Ghost Kings and Ghost Beasts to another dimension.”

“A teleportation array!”

“Wouldn’t that be a disaster?”

If they were all teleported into enemy territory at once, the key figures of the Siphaemancheok [Siphaemancheok is likely a powerful organization or faction in this world] could be annihilated.

But Ilgui shook his head.

“What’s the big deal when I already know? I’ve already taken precautions, so there’s nothing to worry about. No special preparations are needed. We just need to strike back when they’re off guard and arrogant.”

Indeed.

That was a reassuring answer.

Chilgui smiled, satisfied with Ilgui’s response.

However, Igui frowned, as if something still troubled him.

“Where did you get that information? Are you claiming to know everything just because you stick your head in the clouds?”

Ilgui’s face darkened.

“Do you not trust me, Ilgui?”

A strange aura emanated from the bodies of Ilgui and Igui.

Crackle! Crackle!

The powerful energies collided in the air, and a roar echoed with a gust of wind.

Ilgui and Igui glared at each other, locked in a silent battle of wills, but Chilgui remained calm.

Then, she suddenly tilted her head and unfolded her fan.

“It seems they’re gathering one by one.”

A man with two heads emerged from the bushes.

The heads were covered in white hair, and the white fur and tail covering his body were striking—it was Samgui.

He was covered in blood, with a strong smell of animal blood.

Chilgui frowned slightly but didn’t ask any questions.

It was obvious that he had killed some Ghost Beasts for amusement on his way here.

“Am I not too late?”

Following him, Gugui Hori, Ogui, and Sagui arrived.

All the Ghost Kings, except for those who had died, were gathered.

“We already know their plans as if we’ve seen inside their minds, but we can’t afford to waste time.”

Ilgui immediately retrieved a scroll from his chest and unfurled it. A golden staff was depicted on the scroll, and when he touched it, a mysterious light spread out, and seven staves fell to the ground with a thud.

The staves did not appear ordinary.

Clang! The rings attached to the staves jingled with every movement.

Ilgui distributed them to the Ghost Kings, saying, “These are ancient treasures created during the Manbo Era [Manbo Era is likely a historical period in this world], possessing an exceptional ability to bind. They will be helpful when dealing with those guys.”

They were surprisingly heavy.

The Ghost Kings, being spiritual beings, would not be affected by ordinary weight, but these staves were heavy enough to make them difficult to lift and swing.

But that wasn’t all. Ilgui also took out formation plates and threw them in all directions.

He was making thorough preparations.

Watching this, the other Ghost Kings began to take out their own treasures and prepare for battle.

However, Igui kept looking around, a sense of unease growing within him.

“Something’s strange.”

Something was amiss, but he couldn’t pinpoint what it was.

* * *

Meanwhile.

San-gun asked the mysterious voice with a cautious expression.

“Who are you?”

-Would you know if I told you who I am?

The tone was dismissive.

He could only grit his teeth.

After a moment of silence, he heard a clicking of the tongue.

-Name. A name… Hehe, what use is a name to a sinner who has fallen from the heavens? I’ve long forgotten such things. But I suppose a title is necessary?

After pondering for a moment, the voice continued, as if relinquishing something.

-What is there to hesitate about? You are also a seeker of the Dao [Dao refers to the path or principle of cultivation and enlightenment], and so was I, so just call me Senior Gi.

San-gun clasped his hands in the air in a gesture of respect.

“It is proper to greet you face to face, but it seems difficult for you to reveal yourself, Senior, so please understand.”

-Hmph, judging by the way you speak, it seems you’ve been through a lot. You’re quite adept at beating around the bush!

The tone was sarcastic, but not overtly displeased.

San-gun racked his brains, carefully choosing his next words.

But Gi spoke first, as if he knew what San-gun was going to say.

-As you suspect, I cannot reveal myself. Moreover, I cannot pose a threat to you, so there’s no need to be so wary.

San-gun’s eyes gleamed.

He had a hunch, and it was as he expected.

He had been wondering why the voice hadn’t shown itself all this time.

Was he seriously injured, or unable to move?

If so, there was nothing to fear.

“You said you were a sinner, Senior… What kind of sin could someone like you have committed?”

At least Eternal Yooksa [Eternal Yooksa is likely a high-ranking title or position].

Or perhaps a Divine Beast or a Divine Immortal.

For such a being to be a sinner was puzzling.

Their very existence could be considered a law, so what sin could they have committed to call themselves a sinner?

And he wondered if that sin was related to their inability to reveal themselves.

-You ask breathlessly! Well… Since you’ve inherited that person’s divine power, I suppose I can give you a rough explanation.

What sins do you think Divine Immortals can commit?

Sins committed by Divine Immortals…

It was something he had never considered.

He vaguely knew that there was a higher realm called the Immortal Realm, and that Divine Immortals and Divine Beasts lived there, enjoying eternal life.

He knew nothing beyond that.

‘Because I was sucked in halfway.’

-Well, of course, you wouldn’t know. The lower realm folks just think that everything was created by the heavens and bestowed by the heavens.

“What does that mean?”

-When you cultivate, don’t you seclude yourselves in spiritual mountains with spiritual veins? But you never think to find out the source of the spiritual energy emanating from those mountains.

The source of spiritual energy!

Certainly, he had only regarded it as a means of cultivation and had never thought to find out its source.

‘There was no need to, either.’

-If you want to know my sin, you must know the creation myth of the spiritual mountains.

Everything you take for granted has roots, and if you follow those roots, you will reach all truths!

San-gun’s eyes narrowed.

He was so frustrated by the nonsensical words that his chest felt tight.

“Please explain in a way that’s easy to understand. Have you forgotten how to speak since you’ve been trapped somewhere?”

-What, what did you say…?

“Isn’t that right? If you’re going to hide something, keep your mouth shut, and if you’re going to tell me, tell me properly and easily. I don’t understand any of it, so please explain it properly.”

-This, this guy?! Do I have a reason to do that?

“Then don’t. Frankly, I’m not that curious.”

He wasn’t curious about sins or roots.

What he was curious about was the Geumje [Geumje is likely a type of restriction or curse].

He was trying to appease him a little to find out about the Geumje, but he was just spouting nonsense, so he lost interest.

At this point, he even wondered if the Geumje was really implanted.

“You said there’s a Geumje implanted in my body, is that really true? And if it is, do you also know how to remove it?”

-You noticed the Geumje, but you don’t know how to break it? Of course, I know!

San-gun sighed softly.

How fortunate that it could be broken.

He didn’t know who the owner of the Sword Spirit Island was, but the guy looking for him wouldn’t have good intentions. Besides, if there was a Geumje, it had to be broken.

But there’s no such thing as a free lunch in the world.

He would have to use his head a little.

“But I can’t believe it. I can’t even confirm that a Geumje is implanted, so what does it matter if you know how to break it or not.”

-Hmph, that’s your fate. I don’t care if you live or die, so let’s just go our separate ways. I was going to do a favor for that person’s successor, but you’re too rude!

Veins popped out on San-gun’s forehead.

He was starting to get angry.

But there were many unsettling things about ignoring this and going his own way.

What if there really was a Geumje implanted in his body, and the monster with the Five-Colored Great Sword Divine Power was really an immortal looking for him!

‘I’ll be caught or killed.’

He didn’t know if it was possible for Divine Immortals to descend to the lower realm, but there was nothing absolute in this world.

Who knew if there was a price or method?

Right now, San-gun had the voice of an immortal who had lived in the Immortal Realm.

“What do you want?”

He was too old to believe the word “favor” as it was. Even if he told him about the existence of the Geumje and knew how to break it, there was no reason for him to tell him.

He must have said that because he wanted something.

There was no kindness without a reason, and no malice without a cause.

-You’re quick-witted.

But that’s just common sense in the lower realm. I don’t particularly want anything from you.

So, really out of kindness?

That’s ridiculous.

San-gun snorted.

“I don’t know what Senior Gi’s sin is, or what the root is, but if you’re trapped here and can only make a voice, isn’t it obvious?”

-What does that mean?

“You must be trapped in the Iron Blood Maze and unable to move.”

He committed a sin and fell from the heavens.

There were many things that could be inferred from that, but the most appropriate word was definitely sealing.

“You want to break the seal, don’t you?”

If he was trapped in the name of sin, it might be possible to release him.

Wasn’t that what he was hoping for when he spoke to him!

It was absurd for a Divine Immortal to voluntarily descend to the lower realm and be punished.

He must be being punished by someone!

If so, it might be possible to pardon that punishment.

-A mere fledgling who has only reached the realm of eternity can undo the karma of the fallen from the heavens? Hahahaha!! That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard in hundreds of thousands of years!!

After laughing loudly for a while, he reluctantly sneered.

-Haha! Well, maybe! If you had the Nine Heavens Moon Treasure, which contains one of the laws of creation, one of the laws of all things!!