Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 318

Clear, sunny blue skies.

Alongside the procession of carriages that cut across the sky, So-seons [lesser celestial officials] bearing the Hwagirin [a powerful clan] crest and flags lined up, riding the clouds.

“Sigh.”

Inside that carriage, Cheonbeom and Saha were seated.

“Why the sigh?”

Saha, seated opposite him, asked.

She had been awkward at first, but after a few days, it seemed like speaking informally had become a habit.

Indeed, words held a strange power; the distance that wouldn’t close when using honorifics miraculously narrowed as soon as they started speaking casually.

He felt a sense of closeness for some reason, as if he had an old friend.

‘Come to think of it, there have been hardly any who spoke comfortably to me until now.’

Maybe Hori was the only one.

He didn’t even speak like that to Jangcheon.

Cheonbeom chuckled and answered her questioning gaze.

“I was worried about Tamhwa.”

“Ah, heh heh.”

The way she covered her mouth and laughed seemed much more relaxed than before.

“You two seemed like a loving father and daughter.”

“Well, we do have a close bond.”

He also thought of Tamhwa as his daughter.

Unlike before, there were no restrictions placed on her, yet she followed him, so how could he not find her endearing? Of course, she couldn’t help but look lovely.

As their relationship changed, so did the way he treated Tamhwa. [He became more affectionate and less formal.]

He never dreamed she would ask for the Yeouiju [a mystical orb], though.

Still, thinking of Tamhwa not wanting to be apart from him made the corners of his lips rise into a full bloom.

“That’s quite the fatherly smile.”

“She’s as good as a daughter.”

“A daughter… If I had a daughter like that, our family wouldn’t have any worries.”

She said it as if she was truly envious.

‘I wonder what my real daughter is doing.’

His wife and children came to mind, but it was a futile endeavor.

The more he thought about it, the more it would only hurt his heart.

Cheonbeom stared intently at Saha.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You can have a daughter, can’t you?”

“Does a daughter come from being alone?”

At that, Cheonbeom’s expression became strange.

A daughter doesn’t come from being alone.

How could there be yin and yang?

It exists because of harmony.

“Are you courting me right now?”

It was a pure question.

However, that question was enough to make Saha’s face flush.

“W-when did I! Are you crazy!”

“If not, then no. Why are you shouting…”

“How can I not shout? Geez! R-really funny! Who said they wanted to have a child with you? Delusions are free!”

“I’m not deaf. Why are you making such a fuss?”

“B-because it’s absurd!”

Saha took out a fan and fanned herself to cool her face, which had turned as red as a persimmon.

It was a stylish fan with a round shape and a Hwagirin embroidered with pink thread.

“That’s a Sangseon [higher celestial official] treasure. I thought the Sa family didn’t have any Sangseon treasures?”

“It’s a keepsake. From my mother.”

“No wonder I thought it had an air of elegance.”

She smiled brightly at the compliment, as if she had never blushed.

Was she simple or pure?

“Ah, by the way.”

“What is it?”

“Beom, don’t you want to have a child with me?”

She covered her mouth with the fan, making a sly expression.

“Why… do you think so?”

“Well, isn’t it like that? I thought you were hinting at wanting to start a family with me.”

Since ascending to Sangseon, her audacity seemed to soar higher day by day.

It was amazing how she could act like a fox at times, even though she seemed so innocent.

“If you really want it that much, I don’t think it’s a bad idea as someone who has to continue the Sa clan’s lineage. Seeing how you treat Tamhwa, you seem to have no flaws as a husband or a father.”

The way she spoke, raising the corners of her lips coyly, was overflowing with allure.

“Enough, such jokes are not to be uttered lightly by a woman.”

As he burst into hearty laughter with a joyful heart, Saha crossed her legs with a sulky face.

“How long will it take to reach Tongcheonsugung [Underwater Palace]?”

“It should take one or two months.”

“That’s faster than I thought.”

“Tongcheonsugung is located in the center of the Water Realm, and… getting near it is easy if you go through the teleportation gate.”

Saha, as if reminded of something, took out a map from her chest and unfolded it in the air.

“Since we have nothing to do while moving, I’ll take this opportunity to tell you about the geography here, along with the other major families.”

“Do I really need to know?”

The number of families in the Water Realm alone exceeds hundreds.

How could he memorize all of them?

“It’s never bad to know! If you accidentally offend someone because you don’t recognize them, you could commit a great discourtesy.”

“Me? Saha, you don’t seem to know me well, but I handle things even if I cause problems.”

He doesn’t create problems in the first place, but if a disturbance arises, Cheonbeom is the one who takes care of subduing it.

“So I don’t need something like this.”

“Beom, I’m doing this for you. If you make enemies of several families, neither you nor I will benefit, right?”

That was true.

Beom, who was frowning because he was annoyed, reluctantly looked at the writings summarizing the most powerful families.

“The Five Great Clans? Are these the most famous families?”

“Yes, you only need to be careful of the Woo, Gyo, Gon, Hoo, and Mi clans, the Five Great Clans of the Water Realm.”

The Five Great Clans have each reigned for tens of thousands of years.

In their families, there are dozens or hundreds of Sangseons, and even Hyangseons [high celestial officials] and Wonseons [highest celestial officials] are enrolled, making them truly great families.

In short, they are terrifying places where you can’t even pick up your bones if you get on their bad side, so Saha repeatedly urged him not to treat the Sangseons, as well as the So-seons, who bear the surnames Woo, Gyo, Gon, Hoo, and Mi carelessly.

“Even the So-seons?”

“You have to be careful because there are So-seons among the descendants of the Five Great Clans.”

There was an incident where a non-ascended cultivator, unaware that he was a So-seon from the Five Great Clans, injured him while drunk.

“I think it was the Mi clan.”

The So-seon was actually a descendant of the Mi clan, and as soon as they learned that he had been harmed by a non-ascended cultivator, the Mi family was turned upside down and searched the entire Water Realm to find the cultivator.

“And then?”

“And then, the cultivator was immediately caught by the Mi clan and beheaded.”

It was a terrifying story.

After going through many twists and turns to ascend, he ended his life in vain after accidentally offending a So-seon.

“Anyway, the power of the Five Great Clans is unmatched even if you gather dozens of other families in the Water Realm, so be careful, and be careful again.”

There was also a reason why the Mi clan among the Five Great Clans was a bit unusual, but the other families were said to be not much different.

Cheonbeom shook his head as if he was disgusted and closed his eyes.

“It would be best to just participate in the Martial Arts Competition without doing anything.”

“That would be the best-case scenario…”

Saha smiled bitterly.

The man before her might think so, but Saha did not.

‘Even if you try to do that, they probably won’t let you be.’

She couldn’t guarantee victory in the Martial Arts Competition, but even getting close to it would bring Sangseons endless glory and attention.

Naturally, attention would be focused on him, and he would be the talk of the town, so Beom’s words of not doing anything could not be fulfilled.

‘I must always be by his side…’

Even if a problem arises, she would somehow be able to smooth it over.

Beom spoke as if there was nothing to worry about, but he nonchalantly caused surprising things to happen and dealt with them casually.

It was definitely great skill and cunning, but even if it worked in a small, remote area, it would be a bit difficult from now on.

Saha prayed in her heart.

‘May it be a safe journey.’

May there be no harm to him or her family, even if there are no achievements in the Martial Arts Competition.

And then it was.

Thump!

The carriage shook.

“What’s going on!”

“Y-you need to come out for a moment, Clan Lord!”

Saha, who was narrowing her brows, wondering what was going on, tilted her head and stood up.

“I’ll be back for a moment.”

“Should I go out too?”

“No, Beom, stay here.”

He nodded, thinking it was nothing serious, and Saha opened the carriage door and went out.

How much time had passed since then?

She had been gone for a long time, and he was starting to get worried.

“Did something happen?”

Just as he was about to get up.

Koo-oong!!

A violent roar was heard.

“!”

Something unusual seemed to have happened.

As soon as Cheonbeom stepped outside, a dark black mist filled the entire area.

“What’s going on!”

He thought it was nothing serious, but the surroundings were completely obscured by the black clouds, making it impossible to see ahead.

Even though it was the middle of the night, it couldn’t be this dark.

“I-it’s a Cloud Bandit! You must flee!”

“Cloud Bandit (雲盜)?”

Cloud (雲) for cloud, bandit (盜) for thief.

“Are they pirates, bandits, or something?”

“Yes! That’s right!”

His head spun for a moment.

What kind of thieves hide in the clouds and commit robbery!

He was so dumbfounded that he was speechless.

“Well, it makes sense.”

Why were pirates and bandits called by those names?

They were pirates because they made the sea their territory, and bandits because they made the mountains their territory.

If they made the clouds their territory, then that would be Cloud Bandits.

“What a great name.”

Cheonbeom burst into laughter because he was dumbfounded, but it wasn’t something to laugh about.

“Gather! Protect the Sangseons, protect the Clan Lord!!”

The Sa family’s So-seons all took up their weapons and guarded the carriage and goods, preparing for the Cloud Bandits who might appear at any moment.

Koo-oong! Kwang!

Seeing the flashing red lights between the black clouds, it seemed that Saha was already facing the Cloud Bandits and fighting.

“Hmm…”

He looked around with divine sense, but he couldn’t properly examine the area because the black clouds that hung in all directions were not ordinary magic.

“Should I clear the black clouds first?”

Because of these black clouds, the So-seons didn’t seem to be able to use their full strength.

He immediately formed a hand seal and spread his grasp.

Then, a purple lightning flashed, and the Water-Wood Divine Art appeared from within his split palm, and the image of a Lightning Bird soared.

Koo-roo-roong!!

The So-seons guarding the carriage were startled by the thunderous sound.

Beom moved his lips and turned the Lightning Bird into hundreds of lightning spears.

“Go!”

The Inflexible Lightning Spears were instantly fired in all directions and took their place within the black clouds.

Beom, who had closed his eyes for a moment and felt something, suddenly opened his eyes and shook his hand.

Kwajijijijijik!!

Kwajaak!

Purple lightning storms raged in all directions, and a lightning festival broke out in an instant.

“Kuaaaak!”

“Ugh!!”

“A-avoid it!”

Screams echoed from all directions, and the black clouds disappeared in an instant.

Cheonbeom waved his hand to create wind, pushed away the poison of the Inflexible Lightning Spears, and shouted.

“Capture them.”

The Sa family’s So-seons’ morale soared as if piercing the sky, and they rushed out in an instant.

Most of the enemies had already died from Cheonbeom’s lightning, and there were only a few left.

Beom ignored them and looked around.

Koo-oong!!

The sky far away turned red.

“Saha!”

Saha was engaged in a battle with a man and a woman, barely holding on as she was being pushed back.

Looking at them, it seemed that those two were the leaders of the Cloud Bandits.

‘Both are Sangseons.’

He didn’t know how Sangseons were acting as Cloud Bandits.

But right now, they were enemies that had to be defeated.

Swoosh.

His figure disappeared without a sound. And soon.

Kaang!

“Beom!”

He blocked the Cloud Bandit’s spear and appeared beside Saha.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m okay.”

In her hand was the fan that was said to be her mother’s keepsake.

The two Hwagirins embroidered on the fan popped out and circled around her.

Hwagirins made of red flames.

It seemed to be a Sangseon treasure that controlled them.

Even Cheonbeom, who had mastered the Hwasintong [a fire manipulation technique], thought its power was not bad, but Saha’s skill in handling it was awkward.

Saak was better at handling the Hwasintong.

‘I have a lot to teach her.’

But first.

“What the hell are you guys?”

He was curious about the identities of the guys who were acting as Cloud Bandits despite being Sangseons.