Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 279

Nangseon Gi Hwandam – 278

“Geummyeongji River… is that you?”

But there was no one to answer that question.

The question instead returned like a dagger, piercing his sorrowful heart.

Her cheek, which he touched, was icy cold.

Her chilly body held not a trace of warmth; how cold must she have been all this time?

All those long years.

How did she endure that frosty heart?

How did she bear the heart that poured down like a torrential rain? How did she live without a single complaint, watching that forgetful bastard live so well?

Why did she only watch?

She could have cursed, she could have screamed.

Did she hate him that much? Did she resent him that much?

Did she endure and persevere so thoroughly, so that he would regret it more later, so that he would hurt more?

‘You heartless person.’

How is he supposed to resolve this debt, when she burdens his heart so?

The reunion he had waited for was not like this.

If they met again, there were so many things he wanted to ask, so many things he wanted to repay.

Why didn’t she get caught sooner, giving him a chance to vent? Why did she keep it all bottled up until this happened?

Even in death, her stubbornness remains unchanged.

“Looks like you’ve become a very precious Jiangshi [Chinese hopping vampire or zombie]?”

Guieom Nachal asked, as if she found it strange.

“…Can it be fixed?”

Beom did not answer the question but asked in return.

Could it be fixed?

Then she answered.

“Is there anything difficult about it? In the end, it’s just that the tens of thousands of souls haven’t properly mixed. It’s just a matter of making them one.”

There was a way to fix it.

Beom clenched his fist without realizing it.

“What is the method?”

But Guieom Nachal, instead of answering, smiled slyly and drew a curve at the corner of her mouth.

He frowned, wondering why.

“There is one condition, though.”

“You should know that you are not in a position to make demands of me.”

Kugugugu!

Once again, Cheonbeom’s spiritual pressure crushed the surroundings, and Yehu’s expression distorted.

But she raised the corners of her lips while narrowing her brows.

“Even if I… fix this Jiangshi, isn’t she going to die anyway?”

Then Cheonbeom’s eyes narrowed.

She was right.

There was no good reason to keep Guieom Nachal alive.

She was someone who could harm him, his wife, and later, the disciples and blood relatives of Baekseon.

Was there any need to leave behind a source of trouble by keeping alive those who had a bad relationship with him?

He didn’t know now, but later, after Cheonbeom ascended to immortality, a bloody storm might rage for no reason. That’s why Hwanmang also tried to break the cycle of resentment by not killing (不殺) [a Buddhist principle of non-killing].

“I can’t let you live.”

“I didn’t ask you to save me. I just need you to grant me one request.”

“Request?”

“Yes, they say you even grant the requests of the dead, so can’t you grant the request of the living?

It’s my last request before I die.

If you help me fulfill my long-cherished wish, I will die cleanly.”

It seemed good to hear what the request was before deciding.

“What is that request?”

Guieom Nachal Yehu smiled and replied.

“Please kill my father.”

Her expression seemed endlessly joyful.

* * *

In the misty clouds of a certain mountaintop.

“Seonsa Yewoon [a Taoist immortal]. Is what you say true?”

Several figures were seated inside a secretly hidden pavilion.

All four of them were called gods on earth.

“Why would I gather such busy people and tell a lie? The words of this Yewoon speak only the truth under the heavens without an inch of falsehood.”

Then their reactions varied, half with surprise and half with disbelief.

“I can’t believe it. No matter how great he is, to fight against three Jiseons [Earth Immortals] and butcher two of them so mercilessly!!”

“I agree. It’s absurd. Are we called gods on earth for nothing? Even Hwanmang Seonsa, who ascended to immortality, possessed powerful strength, but he didn’t have such overwhelming divine power.”

The Baekseonpa’s head that Yewoon was talking about had power almost like a god in the Upper World.

But when he heard about him, he was only less than a thousand years old.

How could someone who lived such a short life show such divine power?

Objectively speaking, it didn’t make sense.

“Don’t you all know very well? In this world, there are often stories that don’t make sense.”

“That’s… cough.”

“That’s true….”

They were all people who had lived for thousands of years, so they knew better than anyone that nothing was impossible.

They were people who had lived a long time and had many mysterious experiences.

That was what the gods on earth were.

“It’s a story that has nothing to do with me. It seems better to quietly cultivate and hope for ascension than to talk about these things. Hwanmang Seonsa has ascended to immortality, so we should also prepare for ascension soon.”

The man who cleared his throat fluttered his robe, scattering the wind, and disappeared.

“Cough….”

But the other Jiseons seemed to be contemplating what to do.

Yewoon’s tongue flew and pierced those people.

“Seonsa Pi is a Yeongwon Yuksa [Eternal Corpse], so he wouldn’t know what our worries are.”

It seemed that the man who had just disappeared had the surname Pi.

“That Pi guy originally lives as he pleases, so that’s probably why. In the first place, Yeongsu [a race with long lifespans] have twice the lifespan as us, so they must have plenty of time.”

“Moreover, the Baekseonpa’s head is also the same Yeongsu, so he can react like that.”

“So….”

One of the Jiseons glared at Yewoon and subtly probed.

“Are you saying that the person you’re looking after will soon become a Jiseon, and if that happens, he will become an opponent to the Baekseonpa’s head?”

Yewoon smiled gently.

“If we can pick our noses without using our hands, wouldn’t it be easier to do so?

We just need to buy time until that guy Yujeong becomes a Jiseon. If we do that, he said he would take care of the rest. If Yujeong succeeds in his plan, we, as fellow Jiseons, will be happy, and if he fails, we can withdraw.”

“Well, from Baekseonpa’s point of view, even if we interfere a little, it wouldn’t be grounds for killing us all, so there’s nothing bad for us.”

“But even if that Yu guy becomes a Jiseon, does he have the skills to deal with him? I know he’s quite talkative, but….”

It didn’t seem like there was any chance of winning.

“I don’t think there’s much chance of winning either, but he will be able to inflict serious injuries.”

“Hmm? In other words….”

“There’s nothing easier to catch than a tiger with its teeth pulled out.”

“There’s no reason to go that far….”

“Aren’t you curious about how strong that guy is?”

“So there’s something, huh.”

Yewoon moved his lips with a meaningful look.

Then all the Jiseons in the pavilion opened their eyes wide and were surprised.

“Bo, Bokchung became a divine beast?”

“That doesn’t make sense…!!”

“But why didn’t he betray him!”

“I don’t know about that. He must have other treasures besides that.

Divine objects from the Seon World [World of Immortals].”

Saying that, there was no way they wouldn’t be tempted.

“There are many points to consider, but… he seems to have some thoughts based on what he’s saying.”

If Bokchung, who became a god, still follows his master, it’s obvious what will happen when that master is killed.

Looking at him saying that even though he knows that, wouldn’t there be a way?

“If an existence from the Seon World comes down to the In World [Mortal World], they will be subjected to the pressure of Cheonchik [Heavenly Punishment]. It’s so powerful that even the gods will die. It might be different if it’s a god with countermeasures, but as I’ve seen with my own eyes, the Oryong [Five Dragons] that the Baekseonpa’s head is carrying didn’t have any special countermeasures.”

Then that was it.

The rest depended on what Yujeong did.

“If we can have the divine object and Oryong that he has… it might make ascension a lot easier.”

* * *

At the same time.

“How did it go?”

By Beom’s side, his wife, Choa, was considerate of his feelings.

“It was resolved smoothly.”

Was there any reason to give a detailed explanation?

There was no need to make her worry unnecessarily.

“Are you leaving again?”

Why did the word ‘again’ sound so heavy? He felt sorry for no reason.

“Then, shall we go together?”

He asked, but she refused.

“My place is here, right? That way, my husband will be at ease, right?”

Beom smiled silently.

He brushed the flowing white hair behind her ear.

Having such a deep and beautiful wife, how could he not be strong?

“I’m sorry.”

“Why would you say sorry between husband and wife? And….”

Choa placed her hand on the back of Beom’s hand and caressed it, saying.

“It’s all because of them, isn’t it?”

Those were very meaningful words.

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know. I’m your wife and the mistress of Baekseon.”

Her tone implied that there was no way she wouldn’t know.

“It’s not like that. I’m just trying to eliminate my grudges and future troubles.”

“Even so, I know that you’re trying to pave the way for our future with that thought. You’re worried about the Dogye [future generation] after you ascend to immortality, aren’t you?”

It seemed she knew.

“Did you know?”

“Why wouldn’t I know? My other half is my husband, so of course I know.”

That’s right.

There was no way she wouldn’t know.

The things he was continuing to do were to get rid of his regrets, and later, they were for the sake of his wives, children, disciples, and the well-being of Baekseon.

It was to prevent harm from coming to those left behind when he ascended to immortality when the time came.

‘The rise and fall of a sect is not something I can control….’

Still, wouldn’t it be better to do that than to leave with regrets before leaving?

“…Okay.”

There were many things he wanted to say.

Many questions filled with worry and affection came to mind, such as whether she would be able to live well even after he left, or whether she would have any difficulties in ascending to immortality without him.

‘There’s no need to do it now.’

He knew her potential best. If only looking at potential, Choa’s potential was better than Cheonbeom’s.

Even now, Choa could immediately ascend to Jiseon, but she was putting it off a little.

If she ate Sip Saengdan [Elixir of Reincarnation] and regained the memories of her past life, a stepping stone to immediately ascend to Jiseon would be prepared.

But Beom stopped her from doing so.

He was worried that if she regained the memories of her past life like Hori, her original self would be overwritten and she would become a completely different person.

Knowing her past life was a dangerous thing that could lead to losing herself, so Choa was cultivating with other spiritual herbs and Seon herbs that he had prepared.

Even so, she would be able to ascend to Jiseon in about five hundred years, and Choa’s lifespan was still long enough, so he told her to proceed step by step without having to ascend urgently.

Even for her sake.

Cheonbeom had to eliminate future troubles.

‘Yujeong.’

The time had come to put an end to his bad relationship with him.

After that, Cheonbeom left Baekseon.

One year passed.

Mado, which is adjacent to the North Sea.

Cheonbeom, who was sitting in a corner of the pavilion there, narrowed his brows while holding a glass of alcohol in his hand.

“Yehu. What is all this?”

By his side, many beautiful women were wearing thin clothes and exuding the scent of powder.

Most of them were female Seons who had entered Mado, but their behavior was closer to that of courtesans than female Seons.

Guieom Nachal Yehu was playing the geomungo [Korean zither] among them.