Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 16

Nangseon’s Romantic Tale – Episode 15

Same time.

In a room with a barrier forbidding entry, a faint green light flickered.

“Hooo.”

The man who let out a deep breath was none other than Doseon Nokbang, who had suffered severe injuries in the battle against Sangun.

Having finished circulating his energy, he touched the wounds on his chest and shoulder, his eyes twitching.

Creak.

To be injured not by a monster, but by a Chang Gui [a type of spirit or ghost] controlled by a monster.

Suddenly, the Taoist’s expression turned strange. Even though he was ambushed, he had a Hosingyeonggi (護身靈氣) [a protective spiritual energy], spiritual energy that protected the body like a thin film, yet he was cut.

‘Could it have been a treasure?’

There’s no other explanation.

The Taoist stroked his chin, pondered for a moment, and then got up.

Creak.

As he opened the door, a swordsman guarding the entrance bowed his head.

“Are you alright?”

The Taoist nodded lightly and observed his body. He had suffered minor internal injuries due to forcibly drawing spiritual power, but that was already resolved.

The problem was the consumed spiritual power. Originally, he would have had to circulate energy for three days straight, but he had no choice as the situation was urgent.

‘I have one Spirit Talisman (靈性符) [a magical charm or amulet] left, so it doesn’t matter.’

Nokbang nodded, recalling the last remaining talisman in his possession.

“Did you find him?”

“There’s no news from the pursuit team yet.”

“Useless things.”

Tsk.

Nokbang clicked his tongue, crossed his arms, and pondered for a moment before speaking to the man.

“Follow me. He was hit by Moksinbiso [a type of poisoned dart or arrow]. Whether he extracted it or not, he won’t be able to move easily.”

“Yes, no matter how great the monster’s divine power is, he’ll suffer and die from such a wound.”

“Yes. But there’s something that bothers me a little. That Chang Gui.”

The swordsman, Yoobing, subtly expressed his doubts.

Even if the tiger’s divine power was great, it was still just an Il Tong monster [a monster of a certain rank], and its Chang Gui would naturally be of a lower level.

“The treasure that girl had seems to be a valuable item.”

“!”

“Otherwise, there’s no way it could have injured my body, which was protected by Hosingyeonggi.”

As the Taoist asserted, greed flashed in his eyes, and the swordsman Yoobing, who silently followed him, caressed the hilt of his sword.

A little later.

At the entrance of the village.

A girl with fluttering white hair dashed out of the village like a ray of light.

“Damn it! Bicheong! Find Choa quickly! She disappeared while I looked away for a moment!”

“Hah! Yes!”

Bicheong and Cheongdosan, who had been wandering around the village, were astonished to hear that Choa had gone outside the village and immediately rushed out.

* * *

In the mountains, thick with the scent of blood, two swordsmen were gripping their swords tightly, sweating profusely.

The Chang Gui they had been ignoring suddenly changed its gaze and unleashed a vast aura.

Moreover.

The purple energy scattered in all directions, turning into plum blossoms that fluttered and fell.

‘Crazy… A Hwan Gye [a high-level illusion or dreamscape]!’

How could a Chang Gui use a Hwan Gye, which only Hwanseon [an enlightened being or celestial] could create!

“Do you think you can handle me, Jangpae, with such an illusion!”

“Hey! Wait-”

The moment Yeonpun tried to grab the shoulder of the man charging like a fierce tiger.

Suddenly, dozens of plum blossoms swirled like a whirlwind, brushing past Jangpae.

“Hmph! Such an illu-”

Thud.

“Kueeeuk!!”

Yeonpun frowned and grabbed his hand, while Jangpae was instantly covered in fine cracks and cut into dozens of pieces.

Yeonpun, whose index and middle fingers were cut off, grabbed his hand and shouted in great shock.

“Could she have been a Hwanseon in her past life!”

In the Hwan Gye, filled with hazy purple mist and fluttering plum blossoms.

Yeonpun, left alone, trembled in extreme tension.

[If this lady could use the divine power of a Hwanseon, how could you have been defeated by those things? Although it’s not a Hwan Gye of a Hwanseon, what difference does it make? You’re going to die here anyway.]

Yeonpun dropped to his knees and put down his sword.

He didn’t know what kind of divine power it was, but with the power to show such illusions, there was nothing he could do.

In a place where only flower petals fell endlessly, what could he swing his sword at?

[Do you want to live?]

“Yes…”

…He wanted to live.

He had reached the realm of a swordsman, but he always felt despair.

But even so, he wanted to live.

Even rolling in a pile of dung, this world was better. If he could just live, he could do anything! He wanted to live. No, he had to live no matter what!

“P, please save me! If you spare me, I promise to hide somewhere and live quietly!”

[Ha! You’re begging for life from a ghost you were just calling a Chang Gui?]

Yeonpun bit his lip until it bled.

He always had a loose tongue.

Yeonpun now knelt and banged his head on the floor.

“Please save me! I apologize! If you just save me… I’ll do anything!”

If he could just save his life, he would really do anything.

Yeonpun banged his head repeatedly until he heard her answer.

Just as blood started to flow and his mind became hazy.

Swish.

The purple mists cleared, and the flower petals that seemed eternal disappeared.

The scent of plum blossoms faded, and the thick scent of blood stung his nose again.

A huge tiger was lying in a pool of blood, and a slightly blurred Chang Gui was standing in front of it.

“Will you really do anything?”

“Y, yes! I’ll do anything!”

Yeonpun subtly pushed his sword aside.

His fellow disciple’s flesh was right next to him, but now was not the time to worry about such things.

He swallowed hard, and the second, third, and fourth seconds he waited for her answer flowed like eternity.

“Alright. If you want it that badly, I’ll spare you.”

Ah.

“But! There’s one thing you have to do for me.”

“I’ll do anything!”

The Chang Gui, with dark energy flowing unpleasantly from various parts of her body, smirked.

“Are you skilled in alchemy?”

Alchemy?

Why alchemy all of a sudden?

Yeonpun frowned for a moment, but when her eyes narrowed, he became as small as a bean and replied.

“Y, yes, I can!”

“Hoo.”

She smiled with satisfaction, told Yeonpun the recipe for the elixir, and handed him the ingredients.

Hwaran had also made elixirs because of Sangun, so all the tools were in Gongjeonggang. Hwaran threw them to him and ordered the man.

“Make it. As quickly as possible.”

The man hurriedly took out a Geumchangyak [a type of healing ointment] from his pocket, applied it to his hand, and wrapped it in cloth.

“But to make an elixir-”

“Shut up and do it. It’s for you to eat, so you must be extremely careful!”

* * *

Thud!

When they came out, the sun was at its zenith, but already the sunset was painting the sky.

Nokbang, with his robes fluttering, pressed his lips tightly, and Yoobing followed the traces of the pursuit team.

How much time had passed?

“Taoist!”

Yoobing called Nokbang.

At Yoobing’s call, as if he had found something, Nokbang rushed over.

“It’s him.”

And the footprints of other pursuit teams as well.

Nokbang nodded silently and took out a green Spirit Talisman from his pocket.

As they slowly followed the traces, the scent of blood that stung the tip of their noses was so strong that it made them want to vomit.

When he turned his head slightly, there were corpses scattered everywhere in the bushes.

“They are hunters and martial artists summoned from the village.”

Tsk tsk.

Nokbang, clicking his tongue, crossed his arms and pondered for a moment before speaking to the man.

Using the Spirit Talisman was fine.

However, he had to be careful because he had just healed his internal injuries.

If he rashly drew spiritual power, he would be in more danger.

Most Taoists were also skilled in swordsmanship, so it was a natural choice.

Rustle.

After passing through the dense bushes and passing a huge tree at the corner.

“Hehe.”

A tiger as big as a house was lying down.

It was lying in a pool of blood with its eyes closed, as if it had already died.

There was even a stake stuck in the tiger’s back, so Nokbang finally breathed a sigh of relief and lowered his sword.

There was a mangled lump of meat in front of it, and Yoobing said it was Jangpae’s.

“Yoobing. Go and check.”

“…Yes.”

Yoobing slowly approached and cut off the tiger’s head with a single blow.

Strangely, it was cut off with a single blow, and Yoobing was also surprised.

He thought that the monster that had seriously injured Nokbang would have a very strong body.

Yoobing tilted his head and looked back at the Taoist.

“Yes, he’s dead. He’s dead. But… why aren’t those guys visible?”

Even though the tiger was dead, why weren’t the guys he had sent showing their faces?

After a while, Nokbang’s face was suddenly distorted.

“T, that wicked bastard…!”

Those guys had taken Dobonghwan [likely a valuable item] and the treasure that the Chang Gui was holding and ran away!

“This is why we shouldn’t accept outer sect disciples!”

Nokbang turned red in the face and tore at his hair.

“Ugh!! Damn it!”

“Yeonpun’s body is not visible. Perhaps…”

“That damn bastard!”

Nokbang stamped his feet and got angry, then took Yoobing and returned to the village.

They couldn’t have gone far, but his body was also important, and the possibility of catching him increased if there were more people.

And a little later.

As the sky darkened, a young girl with fluttering white hair wandered through the dense bushes.

The girl was silent.

“…”

She slowly approached the tiger with its head cut off, picked up the head that was bigger than her body, and put it back on the body where it should have been.

And when she let go.

Thud. Roll.

“Ah…”

The girl repeated the act several times before collapsing.

“Ah ah…”

Words did not come out.

Before she knew it, tears welled up in her blue eyes, and the tears streamed down her plump cheeks.

Plop plop.

The falling tears made ripples in the blood-stained puddle.

Her crying face reflected in the pool of blood was faintly visible.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!”

Choa screamed at the top of her lungs.

She screamed and screamed until her throat was torn and no sound came out.

The sun hid beyond the mountains, and the girl’s resentful screams echoed far and wide in the gloomy mountains.

When her throat was hoarse and only a metallic sound came out, the girl grabbed her arm.

Then, suddenly, she crawled into the tiger’s arms and grabbed its fur with both hands.

Her hands were covered in blood-stained fur, and her face rubbing against the fur was also stained with blood, but Choa didn’t care.

And how much time had passed?

“Heo…”

Cheongdosan and Bicheong sighed as they saw the tragic scene.

After walking a little further, they saw Choa, curled up and asleep in the arms of the tiger with its head cut off.

To see such a terrible scene and still crawl into the tiger’s arms and sleep.

Cheongdosan sighed deeply and said to Bicheong.

“Bring Choa.”

“…Yes.”

Bicheong carried Choa on his back, and Cheongdosan turned his back for a moment, bowed his head to the dead tiger, and went down the mountain path again.

The rustling night breeze was unusually cool today.