Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 172

Mountain Lord stared at the ring with a nonchalant expression.

The ring was a dark black color, and it didn’t seem like an ordinary ring.

In an instant, his pupils dilated. As the Dallyeong Geumjeong [a technique to enhance perception] unfolded, he caught a glimpse of the unique energy of the Geumshintong [a type of spiritual energy] emanating from the ring.

“Did you make this?”

“Y-yes, I did!”

The reaction was quite vehement.

Her face, flushed like the sunset, seemed to speak volumes.

“This lady put a lot of effort into making it, so if you wear it comfortably on your hand, it’ll be convenient… and, well, it might even save your life someday!”

It seemed to be a ring made from something similar to the Black Steel that Hori controlled.

“Is there anything else besides that? It doesn’t seem very useful.”

“T-there’s nothing else!”

When he glanced at Hongyeon, she was wearing a meaningful smile, which made him feel uneasy.

‘It doesn’t matter.’

It was just a lighthearted bet.

What was the point of worrying about something like this?

If it was Hori’s request, he was willing to grant it even without discussing a bet.

“Alright, good.”

“Really? No take-backs?”

“Goodness. Who do you think I am?”

The master of Mount Baek.

The head of the Baek San Sect.

Mountain Lord. If he couldn’t even keep his word, how could he face his disciples?

“Great Tiger. It’s fortunate that your mind is still the same, even though your Shintong is so great. No matter how prosperous Mount Baek becomes, could it ever surpass the Ghost Hands of our Honghae!”

Hori wagged her seven tails.

Her excited face seemed to guarantee her victory in the bet from the start.

“Just as Mount Baek has prospered, our Honghae has also become larger since the Poison Flame disappeared! The number of Ghost Hands under me, GuGui, has reached one thousand two hundred, so Great Tiger, you should just admit defeat!”

One thousand two hundred.

The number had increased quite a bit.

When he had heard about it before, it was around nine hundred, but it seemed that many Ghost Hands had joined since the Poison Flame disappeared.

Mountain Lord, who knew that his assistance was hidden in the increased numbers, was genuinely pleased.

“That’s good.”

However.

“It’s too early to declare victory.”

The corners of Mountain Lord’s lips curved upwards as he raised his chin slightly and looked down at her.

“Why? Surely the disciples of Mount Baek…”

Hori’s expression became serious.

She had a look of disbelief on her face.

Mountain Lord said with a triumphant expression.

What was there to hide?

“The disciples of Mount Baek number one thousand six hundred.”

“Wh-what?!”

She exclaimed in disbelief, filled with bravado.

“That can’t be! Just three years ago, I heard it was around four or five hundred, so how could it have become one thousand six hundred!”

“There have been some things happening.”

“Y-you’re not lying, are you…?”

Then, Mountain Lord flicked his finger.

“Snap!”

“Ouch! That hurts, you jerk!”

Hori covered her forehead with both hands, making a face as if she was about to cry.

“Why would I say something that would be found out so quickly? It’s all true, so accept the result.”

Mount Baek had embraced many disciples during the Seondo Competition [a martial arts tournament] with Yukdong.

It would have been strange if the number wasn’t that high.

‘It’s the same as eliminating five sects representing Yukdong.’

For them, entering Mount Baek was more beneficial than dying.

“Let’s go inside for now. If I can’t even offer you a cup of tea, the name of the Mountain Lord of Baek San Sect will be tarnished.”

He ordered the elders and some disciples to respectfully escort GuGui’s group.

Soon, the elders and Baek San Sect disciples guided them to their quarters and accommodations.

After a while.

“It’s been so long! It feels like just yesterday that I was living here, but it’s changed so much!”

Hori looked around Cheonhogun [likely a location within Mount Baek] and shared her brief impressions.

She seemed to be recalling her memories of when she lived in Mount Baek.

Mountain Lord also recalled those events and reminisced about the old days.

It was when he was caught up in the scheme of that idiot from Udunsan and fought with Doseon, barely surviving. At that time, Hori was waiting for him at Mount Baek, probably because she wanted to compete with him.

‘Those things happened too.’

In those days, he had almost been killed by Doseon.

It was unimaginable now.

He could tear Doseon to shreds with a flick of his finger, so why wouldn’t he?

Mountain Lord said, “Those were the days,” as he picked up a bottle of alcohol and filled Hori’s glass to the brim.

“But I’m curious how the disciples of Mount Baek increased so much. Is it really true?”

“Then would I be lying?”

Mountain Lord had no choice but to explain the whole story.

The taste of the alcohol was good, the moon was beautiful, and the faces gathered were also pleasant, so he was able to talk about the Seondo Competition like a dam had burst.

“What? You held a Seondo Competition with Yukdong and brought their disciples in as outer disciples?

Do you think I’ll believe that crazy story?!”

But it seemed to be an unbelievable story for Hori.

Her reaction was quite intense.

“Yukdong is a force created by the union of six sects in Taean, and I heard that the total number of Taoists is close to three thousand. Moreover, I heard that their leader, the Thunder Master, has reached the level of Jiseon in his Shintong…”

He had heard that the guy had reached the late stage of Taeseon, but how could he, who was in the early stage of Yeonggeop, have killed them all?

It was absurd.

“But the fact that Mountain Lord is here can be proof of that.”

Hongyeon put down her glass and said.

She also couldn’t hide her surprise, but soon nodded her head, showing an expression that said, “As expected.”

“As expected of Mountain Lord. My judgment was not wrong.”

Mountain Lord just smiled silently and touched the ring he had received from Hori.

It was a ring made of Hori’s Geumshintong, Black Steel, and it was made into the shape of a Bopae [a protective talisman].

When Mountain Lord injected spiritual power into the ring, it suddenly turned into powder and gathered on his finger.

“Hmm… why did you make this?”

It didn’t seem to have any particular use.

“I just made it once. Give it back if you don’t like it. It’s a precious item to me!”

“How can I give back something I have in my hand? Never mind.”

But Mountain Lord couldn’t predict what use it would have.

Hongyeon, who couldn’t bear to watch, opened her mouth.

“It’s for protection. The longer you wear it, the more likely it will be to prevent unexpected attacks, so please keep it with you, even if you think it’s a waste.”

“Was that it.”

It seemed to be a Bopae made with the essence of Shintong, just like how Mountain Lord made armor with his Bongak Cheonghwa.

He didn’t know the details, but it didn’t seem bad to have it.

“But you said you had a request for me if you won the bet, right? What is it? There’s nothing I can’t grant between you and me, so tell me without hesitation.”

But Hori rolled her eyes and seemed hesitant for some reason.

Mountain Lord thought, ‘Here we go again,’ and looked at Hongyeon, hoping she would answer instead.

“She said she wanted to compete with you, but… you defeated the Thunder Master, and she lost the bet, so she’s reluctant to say…”

“Ho, Hongyeon! Why are you telling me everything in detail!”

“I thought you wanted me to tell you instead because you were hesitating.”

“That’s not it! And hesitating! When did I ever do that!”

“If it’s not, then why are you getting angry? Aren’t you ashamed in front of Mountain Lord?”

“Wh-what does it matter! It can happen!”

“Yes. That’s why I told you everything. Because it can happen.”

They started bickering again.

As always, Hori was frustrated, but she didn’t have the gift of gab.

She tried to suppress her anger by tilting her glass, and the anger seemed to turn into intoxication.

“Competition? Come to think of it, Blackie, you used to rush at me, saying let’s fight whenever you were bored.”

Come to think of it, that’s how it used to be.

When Hori was the Black Hori of Geomutsan, and Mountain Lord was the Mountain Lord of Baek San.

Hori often picked fights with Mountain Lord, saying let’s compete.

“What kind of competition is it when you always run away wagging your tail? Just drink your alcohol.”

“When did I ever!! I may have run away, but I never wagged my tail!”

It seemed like the same thing, but it seemed to have a very different meaning to her.

“But why suddenly competition.”

“Ahem. It’s already a thing of the past, so never mind.”

She didn’t seem to want to tell him.

“Never mind then.”

He wasn’t particularly curious anyway.

Mountain Lord took a sip of alcohol and changed his expression to ask.

“How is the Hundred Ghost Night Parade going?”

Then Hori picked up a honey rice cake from the table and said.

“Um, I was going to tell you anyway.”

Hori looked at Hongyeon and gestured with her chin.

Then Hongyeon took out a letter from her bosom and handed it to Mountain Lord.

As soon as he unfolded the letter, it contained several stories, most of which were about the war situation of Siphaemancheok [a powerful group of ghosts].

Mountain Lord quickly read it and found one thing that bothered him.

There was one person who appeared in most of the contents, and his appearance and Shintong were quite familiar.

“A Taoist with Thunder Shintong, and although he is in the middle stage of Taeseon, he has treasures and Shintong with the power to defy the heavens, and three Ghost Kings were seriously injured…”

During the war with Seondomun, the combined attack of three Ghost Kings was thwarted by one Taoist, and they suffered great damage.

Along with the request to be especially careful, the man’s description, position, and name were also written down.

“Yowolmun’s Great Elder. Yoo Jeong…”

A powerful figure who seriously injured three Ghost Kings of Siphae, even though they were all in the late stage of Yeonggeop, which was even more surprising.

“It’s a mess because of that guy. Maybe even in this Hundred Ghost Night Parade…”

He was talking about the guy’s story coming out.

‘It’s been 400 years, so it’s time for that guy to be active again.’

He had forgotten for a while, but this was the world of Sanhae Balsango [the name of the world or a significant event].

Although many things had crumbled like sandcastles in front of the waves due to Mountain Lord’s intervention, the major events that had to happen would happen.

‘That guy doesn’t like Ghost Hands or Youngsoo, so it’s a natural course.’

The conflict between Yoo Jeong and Siphaemancheok was something he had expected from the beginning.

‘The problem is that it’s at this point in time.’

The problem was that Yoo Jeong was active at the time when Mountain Lord was trying to become a Ghost King.

“After this Great Ghost King election. I think they will declare war on Banggok in a big way. If that happens, the Dogye [a realm or region] will be covered in blood.”

“The demons and evil Taoists who smell blood won’t stay still.”

If that happened, a large-scale chaos would be caused, and the war would continue for a long time.

“Becoming a Ghost King at this time is…”

As a Ghost King occupying one seat, he would have no choice but to participate in the war.

“If the game gets bigger, the blood that flows will form a river and the sea.”

“Great Tiger. Have you thought about it carefully? I also have no choice but to participate in the war as GuGui, but you are not yet.”

Mountain Lord was not yet a Ghost King.

Since he didn’t belong to Siphaemancheok, he didn’t have to be involved in the chaos that would soon unfold.

Hori and Hongyeon were saying that with that in mind.

“Certainly…”

If that happened, the story would be different again.

Mountain Lord was trying to become a Ghost King because he had a conflict with the Five Ghosts, and to guarantee the Hundred Ghost Night Thunder Tribulation in preparation for ascending to eternity.

‘But if a war breaks out.’

He didn’t have to worry about the Five Ghosts.

Wouldn’t that guy also be unable to pay attention to him because he was preparing for war?

Rather, it would be possible to take advantage of that gap and cut off that guy’s breath.

‘Moreover, if it’s Yoo Jeong that guy…’

Many things had changed from the world he knew, but if it was Yoo Jeong that guy, he wouldn’t leave Siphaemancheok alone.

And he wouldn’t leave Baek San Sect, where Youngsoo and Taoists were together, alone.

Mountain Lord looked at Hori, who was waiting for his mouth to open.

She was one of the few friends in this world.

How could he repay her for the help he had received?

‘Is this what it means to keep your distance from affection on the path to Tao?’

After hesitating, he made a decision.