Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 197

Flower Fruit Mountain is truly a mystical place.

Perhaps it’s because it’s a place steeped in legends, or perhaps it’s because it’s been so carefully preserved.

A refreshing scent of grass mingled with a subtle sweetness filled the air.

Deep underground lay the Accumulating Water Abyss.

Within it was a pond, a spiritual pool where simply soaking could easily heal internal injuries.

“How is your body?”

Inside the Accumulating Water Abyss, the Mountain Lord and the Nine-tailed Fox were submerged, seeking to heal her internal injuries.

“It’s refreshing. And warm,” she said, burying her face in his neck with an enigmatic expression.

It was a puzzling statement, but he didn’t press her.

The Mountain Lord embraced her shoulders.

Even in her transformed state, she had become so frail and delicate.

The damp inner garments clinging to her skin clearly revealed her old wounds.

“Did it hurt?” he asked, gently touching the scars that ran from her wrist. Even as he asked, he knew it was a foolish question.

With such scars, how could it not have hurt? How could it not have been agonizing?

When he heard that Cho-ah had been captured by Ji-seon, he had wanted to blame her, but seeing her like this, those feelings vanished.

She must have suffered something worse than death; how could he blame her?

Moreover, seeing her as pale as a corpse and devoid of strength, she didn’t even resemble the Nine-tailed Fox he knew.

‘It’s not just the injuries.’

The woman who was always so confident now flinched at the slightest sound and wore a forced, fragile smile.

Seeing her so vulnerable, how could his heart not soften?

‘At least until we get to the Gold Ring Immortal Realm….’

It was only right to take care of her.

Before leaving Mount Baek, he had made a promise to her, which made him even more concerned.

“Being unwell has its perks. The person who never even glanced at me is now so attentive,” the Nine-tailed Fox said with a weak smile, as he remained silent.

Hair damp with water clung to her cheeks.

The Mountain Lord brushed her hair back, his eyes filled with complex emotions as he replied, “Was I? I think I hugged you quite often, though.”

“I know you didn’t do it because you wanted to. It was because of my persistence.”

Come to think of it, that was a long time ago.

So much time had passed that a young child had become an old man, and that old man’s great-grandchild had been buried in the earth; what more could be said?

“Yes, it was. It was.”

Looking back, it was all memories.

The things he had worried about back then, looking back, were just memories and happiness.

He hadn’t fully enjoyed those good days, so only a bitter smile remained.

Both of them seemed to be reminiscing about those times, and there was silence for a moment.

The sound of water droplets falling in the Accumulating Water Abyss echoed clearly.

“My Lord.”

“Speak.”

“Don’t leave me alone.”

For her, who was left alone to continue the clan, those words carried a great deal of meaning.

‘Was she always this fragile?’

Or had she become fragile?

But paradoxically, the more he saw her weak side, the more the image of another woman flickered in his mind.

It might seem cold, but the Nine-tailed Fox was alive, one way or another, while Cho-ah was still missing.

Even though she had become Ji-seon’s disciple, he couldn’t rest assured, especially not if it was the Echo Sound Immortal he knew.

‘To think she’d be involved with that old hag.’

Echo Sound Immortal. He didn’t know much about her in detail, but he had a general idea of her nature.

‘An old hag deeply involved with Yoo-jung.’

As someone who had become a Ji-seon [a high-ranking immortal] in the brutal Realm of Tao, she was extremely pragmatic. She would kill immediately if necessary and save if it benefited her.

That was a common trait in the Realm of Tao.

Accepting Cho-ah as her disciple must also be part of that.

‘She’s planning to devour her.’

Originally, she had intended to make Yoo-jung her disciple, but….

‘She was defeated by Yoo-jung instead.’

She was a Ji-seon with a tragic fate, having her Han-sound [a collection of grievances and resentments], which she had collected for thousands of years, stolen by him, and ultimately living as an old woman.

How did she end up with Cho-ah as her disciple now….

“My Lord.”

The Nine-tailed Fox’s voice, breaking his reverie, gently burrowed into his arms.

“Do you remember our previous promise?”

Her scent rose sweetly along with her close skin contact.

“Although I haven’t been able to protect you properly, I believe I’ve done my best in my own way.”

He made a bitter expression, as if he himself was saddened by it.

“So, I think it’s time to receive that reward. I know your heart, so if I receive what was promised, I’ll go somewhere remote and live quietly, as if I don’t exist.”

The promised thing was, of course, the Mountain Lord’s affection. He realized once again her position and situation, wanting his affection even in her current state.

Though weakened, her skin was soft, and her tense face was beautiful.

The Mountain Lord caressed her cheek.

“Is there a need for that?”

It was a meaningful statement.

The Nine-tailed Fox looked up at the Mountain Lord.

His face, looking down at her with sorrowful eyes, was filled with longing and regret.

“Recover your strength first.”

She had many more questions, but he was right. If she wanted to do anything, she had to recover her strength first.

* * *

One month later.

The sun had risen in the sky, but strangely, it was as dark as if twilight had descended.

The sun was dark in the middle, as if a hole had been punched through it, and its surface was red.

The Gold Ring Eclipse, which appeared once every thousand years, was spreading widely across the sky.

As the golden ring dominated the sky, a subtle wave enveloped the earth.

Mysterious undulations appeared everywhere in the sky, and faint landscapes were visible.

The space itself became unstable, and cracks formed randomly.

It was an ominous-looking sky.

“Oh! How cool!”

But it seemed that not everyone felt that way. The Mountain Lord’s gaze turned to Hori.

“Why… why! What!”

As attention focused on him, he seemed flustered and shouted for no reason.

He averted his gaze and looked to the side.

Beside him, several people were watching the Gold Ring Eclipse, waiting.

The Three Fiends, Four Fiends, Nine Fiends, Ten Fiends.

Five Fiend Kings, including himself.

And hundreds of their respective Fiend Leaders.

All of them were heading to the Gold Ring Immortal Realm.

“Where is the entrance we’re entering?”

As he asked, the Three Fiends pointed with a faint smile, as if they had been waiting for the question.

The Three Fiends’ finger pointed to a small waterfall nestled between the mountains.

But it was no ordinary waterfall.

“A waterfall…?”

It was a waterfall that flowed upwards, not downwards.

That sight itself was strange, but the fact that the waterfall itself was a gateway to the Gold Ring Immortal Realm was even more surprising.

“Look closely.”

As he said, upon closer observation, a faint golden ring was visible on the surface of the water flowing from the waterfall.

That must be the entrance to the Gold Ring Immortal Realm.

“There are hundreds of thousands of entrances to the Gold Ring Immortal Realm, but I can guarantee that this is the safest one!

It’s one that we’ve carefully selected from the entrances we’ve found over the past hundreds of years!”

As he said that, the Ten Fiends laughed heartily, his voice booming.

“Is there any reason to delay! I’ll take the lead!”

The Ten Fiends pounded his chest and stepped forward. However, he couldn’t hide the fact that he was subtly watching the Mountain Lord’s reaction.

When the Mountain Lord smiled silently, the Ten Fiends cleared his throat and jumped into the waterfall.

Water droplets splashed everywhere, and the Ten Fiends disappeared without a trace.

“Then.”

Following him, the Four Fiends and Three Fiends also led their forces and jumped into the waterfall.

“Come back safely. I’ll be waiting,” said the Nine-tailed Fox.

Despite not feeling well, she insisted on coming to see him off.

She was nourishing her body with Jeongyang [a type of medicinal herb], but her complexion was still not good.

The Mountain Lord’s heart was not at all at ease.

His gaze, which had been on the Nine-tailed Fox, soon reached So Sojeo.

“I have a favor to ask.”

“Don’t forget my gift.”

He couldn’t leave the Nine-tailed Fox alone, nor could he take her with him.

So, he had no choice but to ask So-mang to take care of her.

‘I can rest assured if it’s So-mang… and I have a lot to talk about with Blackie.’

There were countless things to do, but it was always right to deal with the dust first [addressing immediate concerns].

If he did things step by step, someday Mount Tae [a metaphor for a great burden] would become dust, and dust would become Mount Tae and return to him [the burden would be lifted and then return in a manageable form].

“Let’s go, Blackie.”

“This lady is not Blackie!”

“Shut up and follow me.”

“Aaaagh!”

Hori, grabbed by the back of the neck by the Mountain Lord, screamed and struggled before disappearing into the waterfall. Soon, his back disappeared into the water droplets.

The Nine-tailed Fox, who had been seeing him off with regretful eyes, immediately turned around.

“So Sojeo, I heard you owe my Lord a lot, is that right?”

Startled!

As So-mang stammered and rolled her eyes, the Nine-tailed Fox gave a deep smile.

“My realm has declined, and I need a lot of help, but you’re the only one by my side right now.

I’ve received a lot from my Lord, but I can’t properly digest it with my current physical condition.

I need your help.”

“Ah… that, that’s….”

But So-mang trailed off, unable to answer properly.

The fastest way to regain a fallen realm is to share vitality.

But it was her vitality, which was like her life, and if something went wrong, she could suffer great internal injuries, not to mention it was a matter of life and death, so it was difficult to give a simple answer.

“Surely you wouldn’t take my Lord’s wealth and refuse to help to this extent.”

“Yes, yes?! Steal, steal! Madam, you’re going too far!”

The Nine-tailed Fox’s tightly closed lips twitched at the word “Madam.”

“If you want to repay my Lord’s grace, shouldn’t you do that much?”

“Ah… that’s…. I, I’ll do it later….”

So-mang’s eyebrows furrowed, and a look of joy appeared on the Nine-tailed Fox’s face.

If she could share her vitality, it would be much easier to regain her realm. It would shorten hundreds of years, so wouldn’t it be natural?

“Is it necessary to go that far? I know you’ve been through a lot of emotional distress, so I don’t think you need to take such a risk so urgently. It’s a matter of slowly raising your original realm over a hundred years, so why….”

It was a method that could endanger not only So-mang but also the Nine-tailed Fox.

It was scolding her for being so impatient when she could just rest and heal for about a hundred years. In the first place, unlike humans, the Nine-tailed Fox was a spirit beast, a Yuksa [a type of immortal being].

Her lifespan was roughly four thousand years, so there was no need to rush.

But the Nine-tailed Fox was firm.

“There is no time.”

It was a word with many meanings.

Only So-mang, who didn’t understand him, tilted her head in confusion.

* * *

At the same time.

Magok, a demonic region in the northeast.

Even in a place called the sanctuary of the demonic people, there was a sense of busyness.

“Is it true that all three major factions of Magok are heading to the Gold Ring Immortal Realm?”

“If so, there’s no doubt that a bloodbath will ensue. We must be careful.”

The Gwigung Sect, Yohyang Sect, and Bulcheon Sect of Magok.

Factions with hundreds of demonic people will arrive in the Gold Ring Immortal Realm all at once.

Since the Gold Ring Immortal Realm opens once every thousand years, they must have made thorough preparations.

And that was the same for the Taoists of the Immortal Path.

The smell of blood was already in the air.

“It’s a good thing! The Five Swords or whatever they’re called have ruined the reputation of the demonic path, so it’s good to properly show the power of demonic arts this time!”

“Huh, why is such a guy wagging his tail like a dog? If you think so, you should head to the Gold Ring Immortal Realm!”

At his friend’s words, an unknown old man took out his eyeball, rubbed it with his hand, and put it back in.

“Unless I’m crazy, why would I go to such a dangerous place? No matter how large the Gold Ring Immortal Realm is, it’s a place where all sorts of guys flock to, so unless I’m crazy and want to die, I wouldn’t go!”

“Which of the guys belonging to the Realm of Tao isn’t crazy? How can you dream of immortality without such obsession and desire!”

At the scolding, the old man seemed embarrassed and took out the opposite eyeball to wipe this time.

“Ah, I don’t know! I’m busy, so get out of here!”

The Eyeball Old Man issued an eviction order, and the other old men grumbled and disappeared.

Soon after.

A man came out from behind the old man.

“The Gold Ring Immortal Realm. Are you interested?”

The old man looked at the man’s loose sleeve and said. At the old man’s words, the man pondered with a cautious look, then raised the corners of his lips.