Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 163

Nangseon Gi Hwan Dam – 162

“How does fighting lead to this… They say a country can fall because of Taoists’ battles, and it seems it wasn’t an exaggeration, Brother Bum.”

One of the Hwaseon Sect disciples muttered.

The man called Brother Bum nodded silently and put his hands behind his back.

His attitude was somewhat disrespectful, but no one pointed out his impudence.

It was strange.

“Where do we go after the search is complete?”

“We must return to the Hwaseon Sect.”

The Hwaseon Sect [a Taoist sect] was located atop Hwaseon Mountain.

Brother Bum.

No, Sangun nodded.

“The remaining half were divided to protect Baeksan and the sacred mountain of Taean.”

The Hwaseon Sect disciples, as if possessed, mumbled various stories with blank faces before resuming their search.

After pondering with his hands behind his back, Sangun suddenly took out a talisman from his chest and threw it.

The talisman transformed into blue petals, riding the wind and seeping into the air.

-Sangun, don’t you remember the old days?

-The old days… Are you referring to the time of the Ilwol Gate?

Although not entirely the same, the situation itself was similar.

Back then, Sangun infiltrated the Ilwol Gate to find Sa Woljehang, and now he infiltrated as a Hwaseon Sect disciple to obtain information and Yeongnaesan [a sacred mountain believed to possess spiritual energy].

It was easy to alter the disciples’ perceptions with simple hypnosis.

-Back then, you were trembling, afraid of being caught by other Taoists, which was both pitiful and cute, but now you are full of *yeoyu* [余裕, Japanese for composure or余裕].

As she said back then, he was constantly nervous, fearing for his life.

It was clearly different now.

-That’s right.

They say everything becomes a memory in the end.

Perhaps because it was four hundred years ago, that time had also become a past memory.

Sangun reminisced about that time and a woman came to mind.

However, he soon calmed himself, realizing that although he had *yeoyu*, it was not the time to leisurely recall memories.

-The Thunder Seon Master and hundreds of Taoist groups have invaded Baeksan, but you are living the good life.

Sangun’s face frowned at Hwaran’s sarcasm, which came without fail.

He was dumbfounded that she brought up the past and then said that.

She shouldn’t have brought it up in the first place….

Sangun cleared his throat slightly and continued without showing any emotion.

-It doesn’t matter. I had already taken measures before leaving Baeksan, so unless all the other Taeseons [high-level Taoist masters] have gathered, Thunder Seon Master alone will be able to hold out for a while.

-Aren’t you going, Sangun?

-Not yet… no.

Nothing is in his favor.

The number of Taoists.

Supplies and wealth.

If combined with the entire Yukdong [a region], it is natural that Baeksan would be lacking.

Fortunately, Baeksan has the Six Spirit Stele Tower, which has contained the spiritual energy of Baeksan for a long time, and secondly, there is the Divine Tree.

And lastly.

‘I also asked Jangcheon for help.’

Baeksan was relieved for the time being.

So, what should Sangun do now?

“Even if I go to Baeksan, it’s obvious they’ve set a trap. And even though my silver skill is excellent, it’s not certain that it will work against Thunder Seon Master.”

He considered joining the group of Taoists heading to Baeksan, but he could be exposed and become endangered.

It would be better to eliminate the Taeseons from other sects here and strike Thunder Seon Master from the rear.

The outcome of this battle will depend on who moves faster and more meticulously.

“Brother Bum, let’s go. I’ve searched the entire area, but there’s not even an ant to be found.”

Sangun nodded and joined the Hwaseon Sect disciples, heading towards Hwaseon Mountain.

* * *

The Sangmun [main gate] of Baeksan.

In the building called the Jipbeopjeon [hall of laws], Yeon-ah, Man-sam, and Taeyanghwari Myeong-hwa were racking their brains.

They were troubled by the numerous disciples who had come to Baeksan.

They knew Sangun had sent them, but how could they trust disciples from other sects?

Even accepting one or two would be suspicious, let alone over four hundred people.

However, the really important issue was not the sudden influx of a large number of disciples.

It was the news that a large number of Taoists from the Yukdong Alliance were flocking to Baeksan.

“They say there are close to a thousand. The number of Hwanseons is also in the double digits….”

A gloomy look fell upon Myeong-hwa’s voice as she read the letter.

Yeon-ah and Man-sam were the same.

They didn’t know what to say.

“To think he would start a Seondo War [war between Taoist factions].”

He seemed to have said he would take care of it, but it seems that meant he was going to start a fight.

“Hahaha, that’s Sangun for you. He’s very bold now as he was back then!”

Man-sam suddenly burst into laughter and praised Sangun.

At that sight, Yeon-ah and even Myeong-hwa couldn’t help but smile wryly.

Come to think of it, he had always been at the center of all sorts of incidents.

‘He hasn’t changed at all.’

But it didn’t seem to be this bad before, but how could a disciple fathom their master’s thoughts?

“What will you do?”

Myeong-hwa asked.

Yeon-ah glanced at him and stood up from her seat.

“Either way, our job is just to hold out until Master arrives. Isn’t it simple and clear?”

It’s not simple at all.

They heard that thousands of Taoists and a Seon Master in the later stages of Taeseon, who leads them, are coming.

How can they say it’s simple when they have to defend against them?

“Master’s acquaintance has also come to help, so it will work out somehow. And he said he’s coming soon.”

They just have to hold out until he comes.

“Yongyung Oijin [a powerful formation]. According to Master, if we activate this formation in the Baeksan area with the power of the Divine Tree, even a Taeseon can withstand it easily. It’s Master’s word, so whatever formation it is, it must be accurate.”

It was said to be a ten-thousand-era formation containing spatial divine power, but they didn’t know exactly what it was.

It requires enormous rare items and high-grade spirit stones, but Baeksan is abundant with the treasures and spirit stones that Sangun gave them.

There was nothing to worry about.

“Simple.”

Soon, the air shook and a sturdy man appeared, wearing a subtle smile.

The Baeksan Sect elders immediately stood up and bowed as soon as the man appeared.

“It’s not difficult at all.”

The man read the jade slip and letter containing various formations and was greatly satisfied with a surprised look on his face.

“Since you’ve set up such a stage, I can’t help but help. I rarely get a chance to compete with a Taeseon in the later stages, so I should be grateful instead? Haha!”

The unknown man boasted, telling them to trust him.

* * *

A bright moon hung in the night sky.

The moonlight that flowed out between them, trying to illuminate something, squeezed through the clouds and spread its light.

The top of Hwaseon Mountain, one of the old high mountains dotted with moonlight.

Inside the pavilion of the Hwaseon Sect’s Sangmun.

Hundreds of candles filled the pavilion, and in the center, a man was sitting on a magnificent jade throne.

Hundreds of candles filled the pavilion, and in the center, the Hwaseon Sect Leader was sitting on a jade throne.

The Hwaseon Sect Leader swallowed hard.

His face was somewhat fearful, and his eyes were shaking aimlessly like the candles around him.

The reason was the man with red eyes in front of him.

“Huh, huh… you look fine.”

Even after fighting three Taeseons, there was no sign of injury anywhere.

In other words, he could handle about three Taeseons without a scratch.

The Hwaseon Sect Leader’s strength drained away.

The Taeseons he had faced were those who could be called his equals.

But they were all dead.

It was clear that even the Great Elder of the main sect had been killed by him. However, his desire for revenge disappeared before it could even ignite, and only a smoky haze rose like waterlogged leaves.

The opponent’s killing intent swept through the surroundings.

The hanging candles shook aimlessly and tilted violently due to the killing intent.

It seemed like a lamp before the wind, about to go out, reflecting his own insignificance in the face of the strong wind.

The Hwaseon Sect Leader gripped the armrests of the jade throne tightly with both hands.

“I won’t be easily defeated.”

Unlike the resolute sentence, his voice was trembling severely.

Even after living for hundreds of years, fear is still fear, and it was so difficult to hide his true feelings.

People can be detached in the face of death.

Or be stripped bare.

He had to gather his will.

“Don’t be so afraid. All I want is Yeongnaesan, not to take your life.”

A look of relief appeared on the Sect Leader’s face, but it was only temporary.

“Are you telling me to just watch the sacred mountain of our sect, which has continued its long lineage, collapse in order to save my life? No matter how precious my life is, I would have no face to see my seniors even if I ascended to the Immortal Realm if I did such a thing!”

Whether it’s a beggar begging for his precious life or a king on a throne, it’s the same.

But the difference between the two is whether they have something to bear or not.

In his heart, he wanted to throw everything away and prostrate himself to beg for his life, but he couldn’t.

The first reason was that he was the Hwaseon Sect Leader, and the second was that he couldn’t bear to think that the place he had considered home for hundreds of years would collapse.

The Hwaseon Sect was one of his lives.

It was a place where many relationships were formed, disappeared, and newly created.

He couldn’t abandon it.

“Then you will die.”

“I’ve lived long enough… Unlike animals, people leave their names behind when they die, so I too will leave at least a name. Rather than living a wretched life, being talked about by future generations could also be another life for me.”

This is right.

He didn’t want to be ashamed in the face of death, at least, unlike the Taoists of the Taoist world who became beings against the heavens because they were afraid of death.

The Hwaseon Sect Leader sensed death.

But it was okay.

This was enough.

He couldn’t become an immortal, but what would be the point of becoming an immortal by begging for his life wretchedly?

He didn’t want to live like that.

He had lived like a reed swaying back and forth, but was it because the reed wanted to sway that it swayed?

The reed just wanted to go upwards.

“Come on. It may not be comparable to your divine power, but I too have a power that I have honed with conviction, so I will unleash it without regret for the last time!”

He shouted quite confidently, but strangely, the man in front of him remained silent.

“Why is that?”

He asked, puzzled, but the man looked at the candle with deep eyes.

The candle was different from before.

It stood upright and burned.

It was unwavering.

“Yes…. That’s what it was.”

The man with red eyes.

The Baeksan Sect Leader began to mutter incomprehensible words.

“Even in the Shan Hai [Classic of Mountains and Seas, an ancient Chinese text] I saw, there were occasionally those who were like lotuses blooming in the mud.”

The Baeksan Sect Leader muttered to himself and suddenly asked a question.

“What is your name?”

“…Hwa Gyeolgyeong (化快警).”

“Do you use the Hwa surname?”

“I came to the Hwaseon Sect and took the Hwa of Hwaseon Mountain as my surname.”

The Baeksan Sect Leader stared at him as if piercing through him for a long time before turning his back.

“Where are you going?”

“My interest has waned. I met a human-like person for the first time in a long time, but I can’t act like a beast, can I?”

“What does that….”

With only those words, the Baeksan Sect Leader disappeared without a sound, just like the first time.

“A human-like person….”

Hwa Gyeolgyeong repeated those words endlessly, slumped down. He seemed to have aged several decades in an instant, but he was alive.

“Sect Leader…! Are you alright?”

“Ah, ah. I’m fine, Elder Chun.”

The old monster called Elder Chun looked around and discovered traces of energy.

But before he could open his mouth.

Hwa Gyeolgyeong raised his hand to stop him.

“The Hwaseon Sect will be closed for the time being.”

“Closed! Suddenly?”

“Our ultimate goal is to cultivate to become immortals, not to fight for power.”

It was not necessary.

He didn’t want to waste the life he had barely saved, even if he didn’t know why.

“He would want that too.”