Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 218

낭선기환담 – 217

“That guy is a thief who stole my master’s belongings!”

At Chungseon’s cry, all eyes turned to Sangun.

“Master’s belongings?”

“That’s right. Everything here originally belongs to our master, so the things that guy has are also! Our master’s belongings, so what else could he be but a thief!”

Dangchun glanced at Sangun, lost in thought.

The items in this Secret Cave are all bait to lure Taoists [practitioners of Taoism, a Chinese philosophy and religion].

They are objects for that purpose, no different from traps to catch and kill Taoists.

‘But a thief….’

He couldn’t help but chuckle.

However, it was a situation that was too ambiguous to dismiss as nonsense.

There was nothing wrong with Chungseon’s words.

The items here are bait to lure cultivators, but no one encouraged anyone to take the items from the Secret Cave.

It was taken for granted that they were left by an immortal and regarded as a lucky chance, but in a way, it was an act no different from theft.

Dangchun scratched his brow and opened his mouth.

“What is it? If you tell me, I will find it for you right away.”

“That is….”

However, unlike his previous confident cry, his voice trailed off strangely.

Dangchun’s eyes narrowed.

“It seems I shouldn’t hear it. Judging by how reluctant you are to speak.”

“That’s not it. It’s just… the history of the item is not ordinary, so I’m afraid I might be punished if I rashly reveal it.”

Having said that, Chungseon suggested to Dangchun that he had thought of a good idea.

“How about this? If Taoist Dang turns a blind eye for a moment, I will take it from my junior brother’s body myself.

That way, we won’t bother the Taoists any further, and you can safely take your junior brother, so wouldn’t it be beneficial for both of us?”

Unlike Chungseon, who wore a faint smile, Dangchun’s face was full of suspicion.

“Well, I don’t know what benefit that is, but I can say one thing for sure.”

“What is it?”

“My master, Sword Slave, cherishes the junior brother he recently took in.

Thanks to that, I came all the way here to pick him up in person.”

Then Chungseon’s face sank.

It was probably because he roughly guessed what he was going to say next.

“So, no one can lay a hand on such a junior brother.”

“…Your joke is too much.”

A strange tension filled the air in an instant.

Sensing something, Dangchun radiated a will that wouldn’t allow anyone to touch Sangun.

As things turned troublesome, a subtle murderous intent emanated from Chungseon’s body.

“I don’t remember ever making a joke in my life….”

Dangchun maintained a seemingly relaxed attitude and put his hands behind his back.

Chungseon was inwardly dumbfounded.

Anyone could see that Dangchun was at a disadvantage, but he was acting so confidently that Chungseon couldn’t help but laugh.

No matter how strong his backing was, they had the justification, and the backing they were putting forward was more than enough, never lacking.

If Dangchun’s backer was a figure among the top in the Immortal Realm [a realm of powerful, often divine beings in many Eastern mythologies], his master was the famous Sea Dragon in the Water Realm.

He had nothing to lose.

‘Besides, there are two of us.’

Dangchun is alone. Anyone could see that it was not the time to be acting tough, but he was so arrogant that he was dumbfounded.

“Taoist Dang. It seems you have two or three lives to spare.”

As he spat out the words with a thorny voice, Dangchun laughed heartily.

“What kind of immortal would have that? It seems you have misunderstood something… I was just saying that we don’t need to strain ourselves unnecessarily.”

“Then….”

“Junior brother! Come here for a moment!”

As he snapped his fingers, as if caught by an invisible force, Sangun’s figure stood next to Dangchun.

Chungseon’s face frowned.

“The Taoist is saying strange things. You, who will become the sword of the famous Sword Slave in the Immortal Realm, are being called a thief. How can I, as your senior brother, turn a blind eye?

To turn a blind eye to this is no different from tarnishing the name of my master, Sword Slave, so it is right to reveal the truth of the incident clearly.”

Having said that, Dangchun turned his body, scanned Chungseon and Hwaseon, and smiled.

“My junior brother is said to have stolen something, but since you don’t tell me what it is, I had no choice but to call you directly. Originally, the proper way to determine the truth is to listen to both sides.”

Having said that, Dangchun gestured to Sangun and continued.

“If you have stolen something, take it out.”

It was an tone as if scolding a child.

For a moment, he might have felt bad for being treated like an immature child, but for some reason, Sangun curled up the corners of his mouth. But it was fleeting, and he answered with a bewildered look as if he didn’t know what was going on.

“Stolen something? Senior brother, I swear to the heavens that I have absolutely no memory of stealing anyone’s belongings! It’s a clear slander!”

His expression and voice seemed to say that he couldn’t be more wronged.

At the brazen words, Chokman cursed with his eyes, and Dangchun smiled inwardly at the sight, but Chungseon’s eyes calmly sank and sparkled as if they were cold.

“Your little game is too much….”

“What do you mean by game! I have no choice but to believe my junior brother’s words. If you are really wronged, you must tell me what my junior brother stole and show evidence of it!

If you don’t, it’s no different from falsely accusing Sword Slave’s sword, so my master, as well as the Immortal Realm, will never overlook this fact.”

As he threatened, the situation suddenly escalated.

Both the junior brother and the senior brother were quite eloquent.

Chungseon felt that things were getting complicated. It was not simply a matter between individuals, but it was about to turn into a conflict between the Immortal Realm and the Water Realm among the various realms of the Upper Realm, so his head was already aching.

But.

‘I’m not the type to back down at this level.’

It is no exaggeration to say that he has experienced all kinds of hardships, both on land, at sea and in the air, is none other than a god.

He was different from those who were born as gods.

It would take three days and nights to explain what hardships he had to go through to get to this position.

He is not the type to back down at this level.

“Since you put it that way, I have no choice but to reveal it. The disciple of Dang Su-seon [likely a title or name of a powerful immortal] took the divine beast’s feather that my master cherished.”

With those words, Chungseon looked at San-gun and roared as if sternly rebuking him.

“A puppy knows no fear of a tiger! That saying fits you perfectly! The phoenix energy I feel from you is proof! Stop talking nonsense and quickly spit out what you stole!”

At those words, not only Dang-chun but also San-gun’s face distorted.

“Really?”

Dang-chun asked, but San-gun did not answer. It was because he saw desire in his eyes.

“Oh ho, this rascal!”

Chungseon rebuked, and Dang-chun scratched his brow in silence, as if deep in thought.

As he said, now that he carefully examined him, he could feel the subtle phoenix energy emanating from San-gun’s body.

A mysterious and wondrous energy.

He could feel the pure and untainted power of innate energy.

‘So, he was trying to hide it.’

Dang-chun had intended to give it away casually if it was nothing special and take San-gun with him.

However, if what he possessed was a phoenix feather, the story was different.

Even after living for tens of thousands of years, innate energy is something that cannot be touched. Immortals in the Upper Realm may be immortal, but they are not indestructible.

They are also those who explore and strive for the endless path of Tao [the fundamental nature of the universe; the Way], so there is no one who would refuse a phoenix feather.

‘With that, my consciousness might not disappear….’

In any case, he cannot afford to lose the divine object bestowed by the heavens before his eyes.

However, it was ambiguous.

‘It’s disadvantageous, what should I do….’

They are outnumbered, and the justification is on their side.

If he insists, he will surely be attacked and forced to fight.

If that happens, of course, he will be at a disadvantage and will not be able to avoid death.

‘I might be able to take one of them with me….’

Even if he could kill both of them, what good would it do if he died? Once he dies, it’s over.

However, no matter how much he racks his brain, he cannot find an answer.

The place itself is their lair, and moreover, Hwaseon and Chungseon are not easy opponents to deal with, so it was even more so.

‘It’s a pity, but it’s best to retreat here.’

Dang-chun closed his eyes tightly as if he was cutting away his own flesh, even though it was not his own, and opened his mouth.

“Disciple….”

Just as he was about to tell him to hand it over.

Suddenly, San-gun stepped forward and threw a punch at Chungseon.

Startled for a moment.

When he opened his fist, a clear blue feather bloomed with flames.

“Oh!”

The blue flames and pure innate energy that spread instantly made Chungseon, Hwaseon, and even Dang-chun widen their eyes.

Gulp.

“This is….”

The phoenix feather.

“Amazing… it has a life force as if it will come alive at any moment.”

Dang-chun clicked his tongue in amazement. This level of innate energy.

If an ordinary immortal had it, it would be an amount of innate energy that would be the envy of many.

It is astonishing that such an amount of innate energy is just one of the phoenix’s feathers, and even that is not a complete feather.

“There seems to be an error in your words. Chungseon called me a thief… can you take responsibility for that statement?”

“What? How dare a mere cultivator, not even an immortal, say such insolent words…!”

He revealed his anger, but only for a moment.

Chungseon glanced at Dang-chun once and then answered confidently.

“Of course, I can take responsibility.

If I cannot take responsibility for the words I speak, how can I be a cultivator or an immortal?”

He answered and glared at San-gun, warning him.

“As a senior who entered cultivation before you, I will tell you that being so arrogant is a good way to die, so it would be better to learn etiquette first.”

It was a sarcastic remark, but San-gun did not even blink and retorted.

“It seems that Chungseon is the one who needs to learn etiquette. I am not a thief who stole something, but rather I have found my own item.”

“Found your own item?”

“Yes, it is definitely my item.”

“How absurd. I feel sorry for you, Dang Su-seon. It seems that your disciple has unfortunately gone mad.”

However, San-gun smiled and spread out his other hand, releasing flames.

It was blue flame.

Bongak Cheonghwa [likely a specific type of powerful flame].

“Bl, blue flames! Don’t tell me you have inherited the flames of purification!?”

It was insignificant compared to the flames spewed by the phoenix, but the essence was the same.

Not only Chungseon but also Dang-chun were astonished and more surprised than expected.

An unexpected reaction.

However, there is nothing wrong with it.

“I am the rightful successor of Bongak Cheonghwa and the one who carries on the will of the phoenix, so this feather is also as good as mine. Therefore, rather, Chungseon can be said to be the thief!!”

In an instant, joy and sorrow crossed paths.

“Hahaha!! It seems there was some misunderstanding.

In my opinion, it seems that Chungseon should hand over the phoenix feather to the rightful successor, the disciple? That way, you won’t be called a thief!!”

Unlike Dang-chun’s laughter, which was loud and clear, Chungseon’s face was as distorted as ever.

His face, which was originally red, took on an even darker red hue.

He seemed quite angry.

A thick murderous aura emanated from his body, and the atmosphere began to shake.

It was then.

Whoosh!

In an instant, Chungseon’s figure disappeared.

“Cough!”

He suddenly appeared and grabbed San-gun’s neck!

“If you had just messed around moderately, you would have saved your life… you are inviting death.”

In a moment of desperation.

Dang-chun released his energy and folded space, but Hwaseon blocked him with a venomous face.

“Oh no!”

Chungseon’s grip tightened, and San-gun’s neck was squeezed as if it would burst.

For a moment, his head seemed to spin, and his vision turned white.

Chungseon tried to kill him at once but stopped when he saw San-gun’s face.

Strangely, the guy who was about to die was….

“Why are you smiling?”

He was smiling.

San-gun smiled weakly and looked down, and when Chungseon’s eyes followed.

Whirr, the phoenix feather shone alone and changed its appearance, rushing in.

“Aaaagh!!”

The flame, which seemed gentle and cozy, turned tyrannical in an instant and devoured Chungseon. San-gun, who had been caught by Chungseon, fell far away, coughing and exhaling.

And…

The boy transformed from the phoenix feather.

Bong had a satisfied smile on his face as he held the fragment Chungseon possessed in his hand.

“Now is the time!!”

As San-gun shouted, suddenly the entire space began to ripple with red energy.

Soon, a huge hole opened in one corner of the space, and Bong, as if he had been waiting, flicked his finger there, scattering divine power and moving his lips as if chanting a spell.

“Dragon Vein? No, it’s not like a Dragon Vein….”

It’s big.

And it was too big.

As if it would devour everyone….

“No way!!”

Dang-chun’s gaze turned to San-gun.

San-gun also looked at Dang-chun.

And….

He grinned.