Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 27

Tales of the Divine Swordsman – Chapter 26

The Mountain Lord generally preferred to keep things small.

He didn’t particularly enjoy flaunting his strength, but somehow, things had escalated to this point.

‘I think I know why, though.’

A soft voice echoed only in his mind.

Ignoring it, the Mountain Lord addressed the man before him. “Your son sent hunters to attack me.”

Baek Jija visibly recoiled.

He hadn’t given it much thought at the time, but looking back, those hunters had been incredibly insolent.

Baek Jija, who had been prostrating like a frog, flinched again. He seemed to finally grasp the gravity of the situation.

“Are you truly… the Mountain Lord?!”

It was difficult to believe, even after hearing it. He had heard rumors that the Mountain Lord had become a spirit, but he hadn’t known he could assume human form.

“Would I lie about something like that?”

At the Mountain Lord’s cold response, Baek Jija trembled and bowed his head even lower. “N-no! Of course not! Who else but the Mountain Lord could wield such divine power!”

“It’s fortunate you understand. I’ve come to return what I received from your son. He is dead by my hand, burned to ashes without a trace, so know this.”

“!!”

“Do you think it’s too harsh?”

Baek Jija remained silent.

The Mountain Lord’s words, so openly declaring the death of his son, ignited a storm of emotions within him.

He desperately wanted to seize the Mountain Lord by the collar.

But he was weak, as fragile as a lamp in the wind, easily extinguished with a single gesture. How could he dare to speak?

“Considering your son sent hunters to kill me, it’s only fair. He tried to kill me, so I killed your son.”

“……”

Baek Jija gritted his teeth, trembling.

He seethed with impotent rage, unable to utter a word despite his son’s murder. But what could he do?

The Mountain Lord turned away, noticing that Baek Jija was trembling not with fear, but with anger.

Behind him, Yeon-ah stood with wide eyes.

“Many monsters will be drawn to Mount Baek now. Why? Because I will no longer be here. If that happens, Baek Village, nestled at the foot of the mountain, will be in grave danger.”

This was true. With the Mountain Lord gone and Mount Baek regaining its natural spiritual energy, many spirits would flock there to cultivate. Among them would be spirits with hostile intentions towards humans. Baek Village would undoubtedly suffer.

The Mountain Lord retrieved one of the Gongjeonggang [a type of magical artifact] he had acquired earlier and handed it to Yeon-ah. He also gave her a suitable sword and a book, both taken from the Sword Immortal he had slain.

“Gongja [term of respect], no, Mountain Lord… All of this…”

“You must protect Baek Village. This is a book of secret arts called the Jinhwa Sword Art (鎭火劍抉) [a fictional sword technique]. Learn from it and protect this place.”

“B-but!”

“Yeon-ah, become my warrior (戰人) [a chosen protector], protect Baek Village, and master the Jinhwa Sword Art to safeguard Mount Baek.”

“Why… why me? I am a woman. I have never even held a sword!”

She had never even held a hoe, let alone a sword, and now she was suddenly being tasked with protecting Mount Baek! It was a complete shock to Yeon-ah.

She couldn’t understand why he was entrusting her with such a monumental responsibility.

“Then what *can* you do?”

“…Pardon?”

“Forget the notion that you are incapable because you are a woman. If you fail, it will be due to a lack of ability, not because of your gender.”

“But!”

Regardless of her feelings, the Mountain Lord looked at her intently and asked, “What was your reason for studying writing?”

“Th-that’s…”

She had believed that learning to write would save her from hunger. She had hoped that it would allow her to support her family and live comfortably on a government salary.

But it hadn’t worked out that way.

As a woman, her literacy had been of little use. Despite her education, she couldn’t overcome her low social status. She had been tricked by a nobleman’s son and ultimately sold into slavery.

“Learning to write didn’t improve your situation, did it? In the end, you changed your fate not with a brush, but with a sword. Or is that not the case?”

That was true. She had killed Baek Ji-jong with a sword, not a brush.

“…But how can I protect the village… and Mount Baek?”

And protect them from monsters?

“Take up the sword. Protect them with that sword. If protecting Mount Baek proves too difficult, focus on protecting the village. If even protecting the village is too much, protect your family. And if even protecting your family becomes impossible, protect yourself.”

The Mountain Lord’s words seemed strange, the cause and effect not quite aligning.

But somehow, Yeon-ah understood his meaning.

‘Live.’

The Mountain Lord was telling her to live. That was why he was urging her to take up the sword, giving her a purpose to live for by entrusting her with the protection of the village.

To protect herself while protecting others.

“That is the punishment I give you.”

Tears welled up in Yeon-ah’s eyes, preventing her from meeting his gaze.

Hugging the book tightly, she picked up the sword from the floor.

‘It’s heavy.’

A sword too heavy for a fourteen-year-old girl to wield.

She could barely lift it, struggling with both hands.

Could she protect anything while wielding this cumbersome sword?

She lacked confidence. It was too heavy a burden for the young girl.

“Baek Jija, you will remain here. Do not run away. If you leave Baek Village, I will hunt you down. Help Yeon-ah protect the village. Do you understand?”

“……Yes.”

With that, the Mountain Lord fell silent.

Baek Jija’s grand house had been completely consumed by the blue flames, leaving no trace. Only blackened marks remained, a testament to the Baek family’s former presence.

As the Mountain Lord left the gate, he smiled wryly.

‘Why do you do that?’ Hwaran, who resided within him, inquired. Hwaran had awakened after four years.

“I wonder if Mountain Bi has changed as much as that child.”

To him, four years was an insignificant amount of time.

As his power grew, his lifespan naturally extended. It was only four years, at most.

The body of a spirit, not a human, allowed him to experience an immeasurable span of time. In that context, four years was nothing.

‘But it’s different for humans.’

The little girl who had wept over a stolen rabbit had killed a man with a silver knife and attempted suicide in just four years.

Witnessing that, his heart stirred unexpectedly.

It was accompanied by the realization that he had truly become detached from humanity. The disparity in their perception of time would only widen the gap between him and humans.

‘I suppose so. I thought she resembled Mountain Bi and couldn’t help but notice her, but now that she has changed so much, aren’t you feeling lonely thinking that Mountain Bi must have changed as well?’

“No.”

‘What do you mean, no? It’s not like you’re a father with a daughter…’

“Quiet.”

The Mountain Lord quickly composed himself and quickened his pace.

Even though he felt he was wasting time on something unnecessary, his steps seemed lighter.

“Mountain Lord!!”

At that moment, Yeon-ah, clutching the sword and book, came running after him, struggling to keep up.

‘She could have put them down for a moment.’

Smart yet foolish, she truly reminded him of that child.

Come to think of it, something similar had happened before.

‘She had her wild ginseng stolen, so I retrieved it for her.’

He chuckled, reminiscing about the past, and looked down at Yeon-ah.

“What is it? I’m in a hurry.”

“I, I’ll do it! I’ll do as you wish, Mountain Lord! I’ll learn the sword and protect my family! Protect the village! Protect Mount Baek! And… Huk! I… I’ll protect myself!!”

The girl’s face was flushed red, and she looked on the verge of tears. Dewdrops glistened in her eyes, threatening to spill down her cheeks.

“And I’ll wait! I… I’ll definitely wait, so please come back!!”

He doubted if this child was the same one who had killed a man.

And why was she saying she would wait? He had only told her to protect.

‘What a playboy.’

‘Quiet.’

Even as he silenced Hwaran, he couldn’t suppress the smile on his lips.

“Alright, I’ll come back.”

He was going to return anyway. He was the Mountain Lord of Mount Baek.

“Yes!!”

He swallowed a Yeokgeunhwan [a type of magical pill] and transformed into a large eagle, soaring into the sky and disappearing into the distance.

* * *

Three months later, thousands of miles away from Mount Baek, in Banggok, lay Wolcheonseong (越踐成) [a fictional city].

It was unlike the rural villages that were only vaguely aware of Taoists [followers of Taoism]. Here, even ordinary people showed respect to Taoists without surprise.

The Mountain Lord arrived in this place, looking distinctly nervous, sitting alone in an inn and eating dumplings.

‘If you keep looking around like that, you’ll attract attention even if you stay still.’

‘I can’t help it. This is a really dangerous place.’

It might be a haven for Taoists and ordinary people, but for the Mountain Lord, who was not human, there was no place more perilous. There was no guarantee that someone wouldn’t seek to capture him for revenge if his true nature as a spirit was revealed.

Would he be fortunate if it was just revenge? He might be summarily executed.

He had ventured into such a dangerous place. Walking down the street felt like walking on thin ice.

‘If a Biseon [a high-ranking Taoist immortal] or Hwanseon [another type of Taoist immortal] appears, you’ll sense them, Mountain Lord. You can avoid them in advance.’

‘I can’t overestimate my abilities when there are so many divine powers in this world. Besides, they can conceal their cultivation, so caution is essential.’

‘But how are you going to infiltrate the Ilwol Gate [a fictional Taoist sect] while being so wary?’

That was the problem. He had come to this dangerous place to obtain the Sawoljehang [a fictional artifact or technique]. But even though he had reached Wolcheonseong, sneaking into the Ilwol Gate was a completely different matter.

Wolcheonseong had more ordinary people than Taoists. But within the Ilwol Gate, most were naturally Taoists. It was like walking into the lion’s den.

‘Even so, I have to do it. I should be able to sneak in disguised as a Sword Immortal [a type of Taoist practitioner]. Even if I encounter someone, it will likely only be Doseons [a mid-ranking Taoist immortal] or Biseons, so I shouldn’t be discovered.’

‘……What compels someone as timid as you to do this?’ Hwaran asked with concern, but the Mountain Lord scoffed.

‘I’m not timid. I’m just cautious.’

‘Yes, I suppose so.’

‘You little brat.’

“Here are your noodles.”

“Hmm.”

The Mountain Lord slurped the freshly served noodles. As if he had never been agitated, he finished the bowl in no time.

But he couldn’t continue like this. He had already spent two days in Wolcheonseong without making any progress. He needed to enter the Ilwol Gate as soon as possible.

‘Otherwise, that bastard will take it.’

The Mountain Lord left the inn.

To the north of Wolcheonseong lay the Ilwol Gate, a massive sect based on the towering Ilwolsan [a fictional mountain].

He wanted to rush there immediately, but…

“There’s no justification, no justification.”

He couldn’t simply barge into the Ilwol Gate and demand to be accepted as a disciple.

A sect with such prestige wouldn’t accept someone with an unclear identity.

It might be different for a smaller sect, but the Ilwol Gate was one of the most prominent sects in the region, with a history so rich that its pride soared to the heavens. It was impossible.

As the Mountain Lord pondered his next move, arms crossed, an old man called out to him.

“Hey, you there.”

“Are you a wandering immortal (浪仙) [a Taoist without affiliation]?”

He was only revealing the power level of a Sword Immortal, so the old man must have assumed he was a wandering Sword Immortal.

“……That’s right.”

The old man smiled, his wrinkles making him resemble an ancient monster.

‘The lifespan of a Sword Immortal is said to be 150 years.’

He looked to be around that age.

“You look like a wandering immortal looking for something to do, don’t you?”

“Who are you, old man?”

“Are you curious about this old man’s honorable name (尊姓大名) [a polite way of asking someone’s name]? Hehe, I’m called Manho (瞞狐) [a fictional name, possibly meaning ‘deceiving fox’].”

‘What a strange old man.’

To refer to his own name as his honorable name.

“So, what’s your business?”

“Tsk, you have no manners. This old man has kindly given his name, so shouldn’t you give yours in return?”

“I’m Daeho, Daeho (大虎) [a fictional name, possibly meaning ‘great tiger’]. Tell me what you want.”

The old man finally offered a feeble smile and began to speak.