Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 186

When the sand dust swirled into a storm and vanished like a whirlwind.

Holding a severed arm, San-gun surveyed the carnage he had wrought.

The area was devastated, reduced to scorched earth by a massive explosion. The slash that extended beyond the ridge had split the ground, creating a precipitous cliff.

“Cough!”

Trickle.

Blood flowed, and San-gun’s face appeared gaunt, as if his vitality had been severely depleted. He looked on the verge of collapse.

“Just an arm…”

San-gun gazed at the arm in his hand with conflicted emotions.

At the last possible moment, he had managed to sever Yoo-jung’s arm, but he had failed to kill him.

“I wish it had been his neck instead…”

The bastard had escaped into a spatial rift by a hair’s breadth.

Leaving only this arm behind.

However, the corners of San-gun’s lips quirked upward for some reason.

The reason was the item clutched tightly in the severed hand.

A lamp in the shape of a cow.

The Cheon Yang Ji Bo [Heavenly Yang Earth Treasure] possessed by Il-gwi.

Gogu Cheonwoo (Ancient Hill Heavenly Cow).

He had taken it.

“Kuh-heuk…”

Thud.

He knelt on one knee.

Having exhausted most of his spiritual power, his entire body trembled uncontrollably.

‘I almost died.’

The power of Gogu Cheonwoo was not to be underestimated.

He didn’t know the exact mechanics behind its divine power, but the ability to distort space and control that giant hand was formidable.

He raised his left hand and examined Hye-yeon Hwaegeom [Sword of Transcendent Karma].

The scabbard was cracked in several places, on the verge of breaking.

He frowned at the damage but quickly dismissed it.

He could have died; surviving at this price was a victory.

Besides, he had obtained Gogu Cheonwoo.

By any measure, it was a gain.

Having sorted out his thoughts, San-gun immediately sat in the lotus position.

His complexion was so pale he looked fragile, as if a mere touch would kill him.

“Ma-yoo! Stop!”

Just then.

A man’s voice rang out, and a cloth fluttered in the air.

The man who removed the black cloth was O-gwi, one of the Ten Seas and Ten Thousand Cheok’s Ghost Kings.

“…O-gwi.”

The woman who had been hiding in the shadows stepped forward, positioning herself between O-gwi and San-gun.

“It’s okay.”

“O-gwi-nim…”

When O-gwi shook his head, the woman named Ma-yoo reluctantly stepped back.

“Beom hyung [older brother]. No, Yuk-gwi.”

“What is it? Does seeing me half-dead make you feel confident, or something?”

At his sharp words, O-gwi knelt down, his face somber.

“…What are you doing?”

San-gun’s eyes narrowed.

“Since that day, Yuk-gwi, you have become my simma [karmic burden]. It’s only natural! Especially since the Geumdon statue, the treasure of the Geumdon tribe, was taken away. It’s only natural!”

“So.”

San-gun’s voice was cold.

He didn’t even use honorifics, making it all the more pointed.

“That’s why you resorted to such a petty tactic as attaching Ma-yoo to me, searching for my weaknesses. You even chased me here, waiting for my strength to be depleted.

To kill me.”

San-gun’s killing intent subtly expanded.

It felt as if it were wrapping around O-gwi’s body and neck like a tangible snake.

O-gwi’s Adam’s apple bobbed.

“But why are you doing this?”

Without killing him.

“…I’m afraid.”

“Afraid?”

“I’m afraid of you. Thinking about it, I’ve been like that from the beginning, but I’ve always turned a blind eye to it.

But after arriving here and witnessing your skills, I realized it clearly.”

O-gwi swallowed hard and said.

“I can’t beat you.”

San-gun frowned.

“So what do you want me to do? A Ghost King kneels before me, someone who hasn’t even been in Yeonggeop [Realm of Eternal Return] for a hundred years. What do you want?”

“I don’t want anything. Anyway, killing you is impossible…”

“Haha…”

San-gun let out a hollow laugh.

“Even if you look at my current condition?”

San-gun’s condition was clearly poor. His face was pale, and his energy was scattered, as if he had suffered severe internal injuries.

He looked like he would struggle even against a Yeongmyeong [Spirit Manifestation] right now.

“Even in that state, I can’t be sure. The fact that Yuk-gwi’s simma has arisen within me is already proof enough.”

O-gwi shook his head firmly.

“So it would be better to let go of my resentment and reduce my simma.”

One of the easiest ways to get rid of simma is to eliminate its cause.

The second is to relieve the resentment and gradually erode the simma.

It takes a very long time, but he had heard that it was possible to get rid of the simma that way.

‘I heard it could take hundreds of years… Did you decide to endure it?’

For those who walk the path of cultivation, hundreds of years is not a short time. It’s a time when they don’t have enough time to devote themselves to cultivation.

He had decided to spend that time on simma, a significant decision.

“Tsk.”

However, San-gun clicked his tongue as if he didn’t like it at all.

Then, the surrounding scenery and his figure flickered like a mirage.

Soon, San-gun’s figure reappeared a little further away, with a red-haired woman guarding his side.

It was Hong-yeon, who had followed O-gwi.

And Gwi-yul appeared like a ghost from behind O-gwi.

O-gwi and Ma-yoo were chilled to the bone, breaking out in cold sweat.

“I have nothing to say since you’ve made your decision.”

San-gun shrugged and took out Hwawoonbanhong [Crimson Cloud Platform] from Gongjeonggang [Dimensional Storage] and mounted it.

“If you want to live long, don’t forget that mindset.”

O-gwi, who stared blankly at San-gun disappearing on the fire cloud, slumped down.

“The end of cultivation is eternal life, like immortality, so you could say you’ve taken a step forward just by surviving…”

O-gwi stared at the sky like a stone statue for a long time, as if he had transcended.

* * *

San-gun, returning to Yongjeon [Dragon Battlefield], was greeted by the other Ghost Kings.

Naturally, many people approached him, full of questions.

They seemed curious about the suddenly appearing Hwagirin [Fire Qilin] and his connection to it.

However, San-gun forced a smile and sent them away, claiming he wasn’t feeling well.

The Ghost Kings, apologizing for being rude, disappeared one by one, soon leaving only Hong-yeon around San-gun.

“Please tell me now.”

Hong-yeon bit her lip, clutching the silver cocoon in her arms.

She seemed impatient.

San-gun nodded and began to explain.

He told her that his Sajae [martial sister] possessed the Yeokcheon Gongbeop [Heaven-Defying Art] and a secret technique that used the reversal of growth to create a divine power similar to reincarnation when facing a life-threatening crisis. Hong-yeon’s face was filled with surprise, then joy.

“Then she will come back to life?”

“I’ll lose my memories, though.”

He didn’t know what would happen in the future, but since she had reverted to a complete child state, her memories would also regress.

‘Even if I lose them, they won’t disappear completely, so I might be able to find them if I have a chance.’

It is the reversal of growth.

The original realm and memories do not completely vanish.

Whether he could find them depended solely on himself.

“You can build up your memories again.”

However, Hong-yeon was deeply grateful just for her being alive, as if she didn’t care about the memories.

“It’s better than dying.

I know better than anyone else because I served Master. She would have chosen to survive even if she lost her memories rather than die without conveying anything.”

It was a firm belief.

Hearing that, San-gun’s heart seemed to lighten.

“And if it’s Master, she won’t change even if she loses her memories.

She won’t be much different from before.”

A small smile bloomed on San-gun’s face, which had been troubled.

If it’s Hori, it’s likely.

She is originally kind-hearted and likes to take care of those around her.

‘I’ll just have to fill in the memories again.’

When he touched the cocoon, he could feel the beating heart inside.

“Then please rest. I’ll have to look for related scriptures, too.”

“Okay.”

After Hong-yeon left, silence lingered in Yukgwigeok [Sixth Ghost Residence], which had become San-gun’s residence.

However, he did not let his guard down because of a girl.

“How long are you going to hide?”

Then the air rippled, and a small girl appeared.

“You’re holding me captive, so what can I do?”

It was an acrimonious remark.

The girl was So So-jeo, who had been attached to Yoo-jung, and was a hostage that San-gun had captured while chasing him.

Looking closely, she had restraints on her wrists and ankles.

“I have a lot of questions to ask, but let’s do it next time.”

“Why don’t you just let me go?”

Of course, that’s impossible.

“I don’t intend to hold you for long, but it depends on what you know and what kind of being you are.”

San-gun had many questions for her.

He hadn’t recognized her when he saw her before, but now that he saw her up close, he could.

‘I can feel the energy of Hon-gwae [Chaos Calamity].’

She was no ordinary Taoist.

He had put on the restraints he had obtained from Tae-seon’s Gongjeonggang, so she wouldn’t be able to escape easily.

“Ha… how long will I…”

It was a meaningful tone.

But now was not the time.

“There are many rooms. Please stay in a comfortable place, and I will visit you later.

At least we’re not strangers. I have to resolve the feelings I had when I met you in Ilwol [Sun and Moon Sect] 400 years ago.”

San-gun was truly surprised that the Sibi [Servant] he had seen when he stayed in Ilwolmun was actually a person of Yeonggeop level.

When he replied playfully, saying that he would resolve the feelings of those days, So So-jeo glared at him and disappeared with a flutter of her skirt.

* * *

A nameless forest near Banggok [Fragrant Valley].

In the middle of it, a huge formation and a large number of Taoists were seen waiting.

The heads and elders of different sects held their heads stiffly, and the low-ranking Taoists held their breath, afraid of making a mistake.

Just then.

Among the gathered Taoists, the person in the palanquin emitted a strange wave.

Then, the Taoists wearing white clothes flocked to it, and after a while, one of them shouted proudly.

“The Great Elder of Ilwolmun has failed!”

Distraught, the Taoists flocked in, causing a round of arguments.

Some said it couldn’t be true, while others worried that the bastards would come to Banggok again.

However, everyone shut their mouths at the old woman’s cold eyes that emerged from the palanquin.

After a while.

A boy with Cheonjamun [Thousand Character Classic] inscribed on his back clicked his tongue and disappeared in a ray of light.

Since the plan had gone wrong, there was no reason to stay any longer.

When Cheonjamun Jangmun [Sect Leader] left, other sects also departed one by one.

Since the affair had failed, they had to prepare for the aftermath.

The Ghost Hands, who were suddenly attacked, would not remain still.

Most of the sects left.

What remained was a group wearing white clothes.

An old man in shabby white clothes from Bukhaebinggung [North Sea Ice Palace] clicked his tongue.

“I knew that Yoo Seonsa [Immortal] would mess things up since everyone was praising him. His talent is not bad, and his skills are excellent, so I was going to make him your spouse, but I have to think about it again.”

The old woman was so wrinkled that it was impossible to guess her age.

When the old woman glanced back, a woman with her face covered by a bamboo hat bowed her head deeply.

She was a woman of Tae-seon Hukyeong’s [Grand Celestial Dark Mirror] realm, and with good fortune, she would be able to reach Jiseon [Earth Immortal].

“Let’s go, too.

Since that bastard failed, Ilwol will have to take responsibility. They were recruiting Nangseon [Wandering Immortals] from all over the place, but in the end, they only made the Ghost Kings look good… Well, I don’t need to get involved in worldly affairs now.”

The old woman’s appearance distorted, and she suddenly disappeared into the air.

Soon, the woman in the bamboo hat also glanced at the sky, and the space distorted, and she disappeared without a trace.

* * *

30 years later.

A bustling festival was held in Yongjeon, which formed the main axis of Siphaemancheok [Ten Thousand Blood Seas].

Overcoming the wounds of 30 years ago, many Ghost King candidates received Baekgwi Yaroegop [Hundred Ghost Night Exorcism] and rose to Yeonggeop.

Because of that, there were no vacancies in the ten thrones of Siphaemancheokgwi [Ten Thousand Blood Sea Ghosts].

There was no reason not to be happy since the power of the Ghost Hands had become even more solid.

Besides, today was the day when all the Ghost Kings gathered. Of course, it was a festival.

“Time flies so fast.”

“It’s already been 30 years.”

It was fast.

Only 30 years had passed since he had healed his internal injuries, consumed the Yongyeomsam [Dragon Flame Ginseng] he had been cultivating with great care, and practiced for a while.

Thanks to that, San-gun lightly rose to Yeonggeop Junggyeong [Middle Stage], so 30 years could be considered a short time.

“That’s right. You have risen to Junggyeong after only 30 years of cultivation, so your talent is extraordinary, and others are secretly jealous of you.”

It was Chil-gwi [Seventh Ghost].

The hand that caressed San-gun’s arm with a subtle tone was unusual.

Hong-yeon sighed as she looked at the fox sleeping on her lap.

“How is Hori doing?”

“It’s the same. She eats, poops… and doesn’t do anything in particular. If you have time later, would you please take a look at her?”

“Is something wrong?”

“No, she’s been nagging Yeongsuhaeng [Spirit Beast Training] lately, saying she doesn’t know why she has to do it…”

“That’s going to be difficult.”

San-gun stroked Hori’s head as she slept.

Then, Hori, who had opened her eyes wide, growled.

She seemed angry because he woke her up.

“What should I do with this guy…”