Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 28

The old man introduced himself as Manho. Like the Mountain Lord, he was a Nangseon [a type of Geomseon, referring to their status or affiliation].

“You probably know about the Ilwol Gate, right? They’re inviting Doseons [Taoist cultivators who have achieved a certain level of spiritual attainment] this time and need a Geomseon [Sword Immortal] to help out!”

“Hmm.”

The Ilwol Gate was inviting newly ascended Doseons, so they needed Geomseons to guide or protect them.

“Ilwol Gate is a huge sect recognized even in Wolcheon Seong [a prominent region or city in the Taoist world], so they’re accepting Geomseons like us?”

Ilwol Gate must have quite a few Geomseons, so why Nangseons?

The old man waved his hand, answering my unspoken question.

“It’s not like becoming an official disciple of Ilwol Gate. It’s temporary. They’re a little short-handed, but they can’t use ordinary people, can they? So they’re secretly recruiting Geomseons. What do you think? Are you interested?”

There was nothing to think about.

I was already racking my brain to get into Ilwol Gate.

But to be able to enter so easily, there was no reason to refuse.

‘This old man is suspicious, though….’

I didn’t like his appearance from the start. He looked like he would stab you in the back later.

‘Well, it doesn’t matter, I guess.’

But he was just a Geomseon, and I could kill him if I wanted to. He didn’t seem to have much lifespan left either.

“Let’s do it.”

“Heh heh! How generous! Follow me. There are several others besides you.”

* * *

The day after tomorrow.

The Mountain Lord went hiking with other Geomseons.

The place they were climbing was Ilwol Mountain.

It was so huge that its peaks touched the moon, hence the name.

‘It’s huge.’

Baeksan was also quite large, having been born with the phoenix, but Ilwol Mountain seemed even bigger. From the foot of the mountain, the summit was hidden by clouds and mist.

“Heh heh, even at the foot of the mountain, the spiritual energy is extraordinary. A sacred mountain is indeed a sacred mountain.”

The Manho old man walking next to me admired the spiritual energy of the sacred mountain.

The other Geomseons nodded silently, seemingly no different.

As he said, even at the foot of the mountain, the spiritual energy was dense, so if you climbed to the top, there would be an immense amount of spiritual energy flowing, incomparable to the foot.

A high concentration of spiritual energy was essential for cultivation, so it was a place that any Taoist dreamed of.

‘Somewhere here.’

Sawoljehang [a specific item or location the Mountain Lord is searching for] would be there.

The Mountain Lord constantly glanced around, paying close attention to the area.

“You seem very excited.”

Was it because I was looking around?

The old man chuckled as if looking at a country bumpkin who had come to the city.

“Well, it’s natural to be like that, having come to Ilwol Mountain, the most famous of the famous mountains! Hehehe!”

Then the surrounding Geomseons snickered and glared at him.

The Mountain Lord hesitated whether to hit him but shut his mouth. There was no point in causing unnecessary trouble.

“But Elder, is that true?”

One of the men spoke up.

The other Geomseons were also curious, listening intently.

“Of course. Do you think this old man would go around telling lies? If we do well, we can all be accepted into Ilwol Gate!”

“Oh oh.”

“What kind of great people are they that even someone like us can become disciples of Ilwol Gate?”

“Heh heh, it’s understandable to think that way. Even Doseons are, broadly speaking, beginners who have just started walking the path of immortality. But the people who will gather this time are the late bloomers! Those with outstanding talents among the Doseons, so of course, it’s possible!”

To call Doseons beginners who have just started walking the path of immortality, the old man’s tone made it sound like he was a Biseon [a higher level of Taoist cultivator].

“No, even so, are they accepting us as disciples just for guiding and protecting them?”

“Heh heh, you’ll find out when you go inside!”

Despite the Geomseons urging him to tell them quickly, the old man just laughed and quickened his pace.

-Mountain Lord.

After walking for a while, Hwaran spoke to me.

-Something is a bit strange.

-What is it this time?

-To accept us as disciples just for simple protection… That old man is definitely hiding something.

The Mountain Lord nodded silently.

As she said, there was no way they would accept Geomseons with unclear identities as disciples just for simple protection.

It didn’t make sense.

-But there are occasionally such sects. Geomseons are just strong servants to them anyway.

Most of those who remain as Geomseons are Huchunja [those who started cultivating later in life], and their chances of reaching Doseon are slim. Therefore, the treatment they receive is bound to be poor.

-Even so, it’s suspicious.

-Yes. It’s suspicious.

-Are you still going?

-Yes.

Since I was confident in protecting myself, the Mountain Lord didn’t care.

It was unlikely to be a sacrifice to the demonic arts, and Ilwol Gate, called a prestigious sect, would not have joined hands with monsters.

Besides, what could they be plotting in a place where only Doseons gather?

‘It’s not like there aren’t any crazy people….’

It wasn’t the time for the Demonic Sect to move.

With the war breaking out in the west, there was only one reason to gather the Doseons of each sect.

-Mountain Lord, think again-

-It seems like you’re the one who’s scared, not me.

-Isn’t it because Mountain Lord is clumsy that I’m like this?

The Mountain Lord had nothing to say to that. After all, it was his fault that Hwaran couldn’t manifest [fully realize her spiritual form].

-But don’t worry. I have a rough idea of what they’re going to do.

-Really?

-Yes. Don’t all famous mountains in the Taoist world have one thing in common?

-Famous mountains all have…. Ah.

Hwaran exclaimed softly, as if something had just occurred to her.

-Are you perhaps talking about Yeongnaesan (靈內山) [Mountain Within a Mountain]?

-Yes. All they are is late-blooming Doseons. If they’re gathering in one place, it can only be the opening of Yeongnaesan.

-I see. I wondered why the late bloomers were gathering at this time. So that old man….”

“Oh, we’ve arrived!”

The Manho old man exclaimed in joy, having reached Ilwol Gate.

The Mountain Lord hesitated, stopping as he was about to step over the gate with its subtle spiritual energy.

-It’s a Geumje [a spiritual barrier or seal].

-Well, it would be.

Not only the spiritual creatures but also ordinary people cannot cross this gate carelessly.

A relatively simple Geumje.

But if you try to break it, the Taoists cultivating in the nearby peaks will rush out.

“Heh heh. Wait here.”

The Manho old man took out a silver shining spirit tablet from his chest and stood in front of the gate. Suddenly, the spirit tablet emitted a subtle light and shot towards the gate.

As the beam of light entered the gate, the empty gate rippled like a wave on a lake and disappeared.

“It’s done! Let’s go in.”

The Mountain Lord’s eyes gleamed as he looked at the spirit tablet the old man put in his chest, and he followed him inside.

* * *

Unlike ordinary sects, Ilwol Gate, being of a certain stature, creates two gates called the Upper Gate and the Lower Gate.

The buildings built according to height are where Taoists of corresponding realms perform their duties. The Lower Gate is for Geomseons and Doseons. The Upper Gate is where Biseons and Hwanseons [an even higher level of Taoist cultivator than Biseon] reside.

The Mountain Lord was in the Lower Gate, silently observing the surroundings.

If high-level Taoists were here, they would have tried to run away immediately. But only Biseons occasionally showed their faces in the Lower Gate, so that wouldn’t happen.

-Still, I can’t help but be nervous.

-That’s what I’m saying.

I thought the Lower Gate would be relatively shabby compared to the Upper Gate, but surprisingly, the Lower Gate was also very grand and beautifully built.

The area was also wide, and there were many buildings of unknown use. But I couldn’t wander around freely, so I had to postpone satisfying my curiosity.

“Oh. You’re here? Then let’s go right away.”

Whether there was someone who came to greet the Geomseons, the man immediately turned his back after glancing at the dozen or so Nangseons.

“Ahem.”

Unpleasantness settled on the faces of Manho and the other Geomseons. It was natural since they were being openly ignored by a Geomseon of the same rank. But no one could open their mouths properly. It was a clear demonstration of the difference between having backing and not.

“Let’s go.”

Following him, we arrived at a training ground. Other Geomseons who had been waiting in advance were standing in rows.

There were roughly a hundred Geomseons.

Usually, a Geomseon would be a general in the country, but it was ironic that they were gathered here. Even though they were treated well among ordinary people, they were treated poorly here, so how could it not be so?

“Oh. It seems like everyone’s here.”

One of the Ilwol Gate Geomseons, who seemed to be the leader, went up to the platform and opened his mouth.

“As you know, Doseon from each sect are visiting the main gate. The reason is that Yeongnaesan is being opened, and you will each be in charge of their protection and other miscellaneous tasks.”

Most people nodded, but some tilted their heads, wondering if there were words they didn’t know.

“What is Yeongnaesan?”

“Ah, that’s right. There may be some who don’t know. Yeongnaesan means a mountain within a mountain…. To put it simply, if the place we are now is called Oesan [Outer Mountain], there is another Naesan [Inner Mountain] inside.”

Yeongnaesan, which only ancient mountains with high spiritual energy among sacred mountains possess.

It is said to be full of various rare spiritual herbs, spiritual insects, and spiritual creatures that are not easily seen.

Usually, they set a time and enter once in a while to harvest spiritual herbs.

But if the time is not good, they may call the descendants of other sects to take charge of collecting and hunting.

The really precious spiritual herbs may have been collected in advance or had Geumje placed on them, but even those that are not are somewhat helpful to the Doseons, so it was not bad.

“Isn’t it dangerous?”

“Hahaha! You’re so scared! If it was really dangerous, would we send Doseons to Yeongnaesan?”

“Hahaha!”

-They’re lying.

-That’s right.

Yeongnaesan is a place that even Biseons can consider dangerous.

Taoists may have already entered Yeongnaesan and dealt with the powerful spiritual creatures, but it is still dangerous.

There will also be those who are hiding, avoiding their eyes.

-Yeongnaesan is a place where Geomseons are beheaded with their eyes open.

Even if a spiritual creature appears, it is difficult for a Geomseon to deal with it.

Moreover, if the time is not good, they will be reduced to cannon fodder, which is exactly what the Geomseons here will be.

Some people know that fact and still go in, while others don’t, so it was a pitiful situation.

“Then I’ll tell you each of your residences, so please rest today to relieve your fatigue.”

* * *

The next day.

The Doseons of each sect gathered. Including the Geomseons protecting them, there were easily over a hundred people gathered to enter Yeongnaesan.

In the midst of all this, the Mountain Lord was in a gloomy mood, lost in thought. It wasn’t because of them but because of what happened last night.

In the early morning when everyone was asleep, I came out of the Lower Gate alone and searched the surrounding area thoroughly. Of course, it was to find Sawoljehang.

But Ilwol Mountain itself was so big and wide that even the mountain near the Lower Gate was too vast to find it.

It wasn’t a simple treasure, so I had to look around with my own eyes to find it. Because of that, the Mountain Lord stayed up all night but couldn’t find it in the end.

-I doubt if this is really the right place.

-It’s right. I can’t tell you the details, but it’s definitely here.

But since I didn’t know the exact location, the Mountain Lord was just as frustrated.

Whether they knew my feelings or not, the festive place became busy to go to Yeongnaesan.

Hundreds of people passed through the Lower Gate and followed the road, and there was a huge cave with a strange formation drawn on the floor.

It looked like a huge talisman drawn on the ground, and it was probably the teleportation formation I had only heard about.

‘How fascinating.’

But that was it.

In the first place, he was not interested in Yeongnaesan. He was only going because he had no choice but to stay in Ilwol Mountain, so it was even more so.

The Doseon he was assigned to was a person who was being considered as the next successor of the Ice Palace. Perhaps because it was the Ice Palace, it was full of people wearing all white.

There were a total of four people who appeared to be Doseons.

The shortest of them seemed to be the successor of the Ice Palace.

It was difficult to see his face because he was wearing a bamboo hat covered with white cloth, and it was impossible to tell whether he was a man or a woman.

-It seems that he has reached Doseon at a young age. Otherwise, they wouldn’t call Doseon the next successor.

-Originally, there are as many next successors as there are grains of sand. In the end, it’s just a matter of whether they become Taeseon [Great Immortal] or not.

After all, they were just being considered, and unless it was confirmed, they were just Doseons with excellent talents.

“Baekryeon Seonja-nim [a respectful title], let’s go in.”

The name of the person called the successor of the Ice Palace seemed to be Baekryeon.

Baekryeon Seonja nodded and walked into the teleportation formation.

Thud.

Baekryeon Seonja, who was walking well, fell while walking where there was nothing.

The Mountain Lord felt a strange sense of déjà vu from that sight.

“Ba, Miss Baek! Are you okay?”

The startled Doseons hurriedly picked up Baekryeon Seonja and were flustered, not knowing what to do.

Baekryeon Seonja got up as if nothing had happened and nodded.

‘…….’

The Mountain Lord narrowed his eyes and took in the sight.