Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 306

Nangseon Gi Hwandam – Part 2, Episode 15

“Tamhwa. I didn’t expect this betrayal.”

Bum glared at Tamhwa, his eyes filled with bitterness.

But Tamhwa shook his head, a newfound resolve hardening his features.

“If this, too, becomes a stepping stone for your growth, then so be it.”

After all, disciples are meant to surpass their masters, and children are meant to exceed their parents’ achievements.

“This is also fate, I suppose.”

Cheonbum casually placed one hand behind his back and beckoned Tamhwa forward with his left.

Instantly, Tamhwa’s figure blurred, and a fist shot out with incredible speed.

Koo-oong!!

“Your hand packs quite a punch. But that alone won’t be enough to defeat me.”

It was a fierce blow, but it failed to connect. Cheonbum effortlessly caught Tamhwa’s fist in his palm.

Whoosh.

A chilling wind swept through the area.

Bum and Tamhwa’s hair danced in the wind like swaying reeds.

Now is the time to end this fight!

It was at that moment a voice cut through the air.

“What exactly do you think you’re doing?”

A woman’s sullen voice echoed nearby.

“Can’t you tell just by looking?” Cheonbum retorted.

“I’m asking because I genuinely don’t understand.”

“As a man, I am guiding Tamhwa down the true path of martial arts.”

“Isn’t San-gun [a title roughly translating to ‘mountain lord,’ often used for powerful or respected figures] the one on the losing end, considering the current situation?”

“…No, I am not.”

Rumble, rumble.

Inside a spacious carriage.

On the table sat a Janjankyeongjeongdo [a magical painting or scroll that can simulate battles], depicting Cheonbum and Tamhwa.

That’s right.

Tamhwa and Cheonbum were merely clones conjured from the Janjankyeongjeongdo, exchanging blows in a simulated, spirited fight.

It was a close match, but Tamhwa held a slight advantage.

And Cheonbum was clearly displeased.

“You didn’t actually think you would lose, but now that you’re witnessing it firsthand, you’re feeling rather upset, aren’t you?”

“Of course not. A man should possess a magnanimous spirit. How could someone as great as I am be upset about losing to a child? That’s simply not the case.”

He denied it, attempting to appear nonchalant, seemingly forgetting his earlier outburst about Tamhwa’s supposed betrayal when his clone was being pushed back.

This left Tamhwa tilting his head, utterly bewildered as to what he had done wrong.

“What did I do wrong?”

“It’s nothing, Tamhwa. It’s just that your master has a heart as small as a flea’s liver, so don’t worry about it.”

Hwaran, embracing the sulking Tamhwa, glared at Cheonbum and snapped.

“Petty.”

“…Come on, I’m telling you, that’s not it! I am a celestial being from the Upper Realm. Would I really scold him just because I was slightly pushed back by Tamhwa?”

He continued to clear his throat, betraying his embarrassment.

But that was definitely the reason.

He was undoubtedly ashamed.

“Then what is it, if not that?”

“It’s to inject some excitement into things, that’s all. There’s a saying, ‘Practice like a real battle, and approach a real battle like practice.’”

“So you make the child look like a traitor? I should tear this Janjan or Jinjin thing to pieces.”

“Ah! Hey, hey! The Janjankyeongjeongdo is innocent!”

Cheonbum hastily rolled up the Janjankyeongjeongdo and clutched it protectively in his arms.

The journey to Sangseo was lengthy, and there was little more entertaining than this. It also aided in training, and such items were not easily obtained. The clone within the Janjankyeongjeongdo was essentially himself, leading him to develop a fondness for it.

Like a video game from his previous life.

“Hmph!”

Hwaran turned her head away, feigning displeasure, and hugged Tamhwa tighter.

Her posture resembled that of a sulky mother.

It seemed she was acting this way because he was constantly engrossed in the Janjankyeongjeongdo, neglecting to spend time with her.

“Hwaran… would you like to join in as well?”

“No, thank you.”

She refused firmly.

She had tried it once before, but she had quickly lost interest, and he had teased her relentlessly, which seemed to be the reason for her current behavior.

Cheonbum regretted his actions.

‘I should have teased her less.’

Hwaran was Cheonbum’s sword spirit, but her martial arts skills were not particularly refined.

Just because her physical strength was immense didn’t automatically make her a skilled fighter.

This was partly due to her martial arts being at the level of a Taoist practitioner.

Regardless, Cheonbum had gleefully teased Hwaran, and now he found himself in this predicament.

“Damn it.”

“What!?”

“Ah… sorry.”

He had inadvertently spoken his thoughts aloud.

“San-gun.”

Hwaran’s expression turned serious.

Cheonbum sensed impending doom.

When Hwaran acted like this, her nagging intensified tenfold.

And it would drag on endlessly.

He might have to endure the same lecture dozens of times for one or two hours.

In desperation, Cheonbum glanced at Tamhwa, who was still nestled in Hwaran’s arms.

Tamhwa seemed lost in his own world.

Staring blankly at the refreshments in the carriage, he appeared hungry once more.

“Tamhwa, are you hungry?”

“Yeah!”

Tamhwa was perpetually hungry.

He needed to divert Hwaran’s attention to Tamhwa to escape this crisis.

“It won’t work. Don’t try to interrupt me.”

But as if anticipating his move, Hwaran grabbed Bum’s shoulder as he attempted to rise and firmly pushed him back down.

A wave of despair washed over him.

‘Okay. Let’s just run away.’

Running away wasn’t always the solution.

Simply avoiding the immediate crisis solved nothing in the long run.

Cheonbum knew this all too well from past experiences.

‘But sometimes it helps.’

Time had a way of changing things.

Even mountains and rivers transformed over a decade.

Her nagging would eventually fade with time as well.

So, he decided to make a run for it.

“San-gun. San-gun is now a celestial being of the Upper Realm. As such, you must always maintain a dignity befitting that status. But what is this ‘damn it’… Where did you pick up such vulgar language?”

Hwaran shook her head in disapproval.

“And there’s no need to get caught up in these trinkets when I’m here….”

She muttered, seemingly complaining, then suddenly narrowed her eyes.

He was already gone.

“This guy, really…!”

Hwaran, a vein throbbing on her forehead, rolled up her sleeves and gathered her energy.

“Do you think you can escape me just by running away!”

With a pop, tens of thousands of swords materialized from the carriage in a cloud of smoke.

The swords, flying in all directions, soon transformed into flower petals and fluttered in the wind.

As their numbers filled the sky, golden flowers rained down.

After the commotion subsided and the golden petals vanished.

Tamhwa, who had remained seated, stared intently at a bead nestled among the refreshments.

The bead shone with a golden light, resembling a golden candy.

Tamhwa reached out to grab it and put it in his mouth, but then startled, nodded, and instead placed it in his pocket.

* * *

Sangseo.

Located on the southern border of Sugye, it was once the thriving home of the prestigious Hwagirin family, but now it had fallen into decline, with only a small village remaining.

Even that was frequently attacked by Seonchung [a type of monster or bandit], resulting in numerous deaths, casting a dark atmosphere over Sangseo.

Still, as part of the Upper Realm, it retained a certain grandeur, despite its dilapidated state.

“But there’s nothing particularly special about it.”

A few quaint tiled houses dotted the misty mountain peaks, and a reasonably large pavilion stood among them, but compared to Yongmagol, it was insignificant.

A drop in the ocean.

The impressions of the celestial beings who had accompanied them to Sangseo were similar.

Tango-mal openly expressed his dislike, while Chochan conveyed it more subtly, but their overall sentiment was that it was outdated.

The surviving Seon [a type of spiritual being or cultivator] from Yongmagol were even contemplating whether they should relocate elsewhere.

That’s because Sangseo was truly a place devoid of anything noteworthy.

There was no other way to describe it.

It was literally that.

“First, I will show you to your accommodations. It may not be sufficient, but we will do our best to serve you, so please bear with us.”

“Hmm.”

“I understand.”

Tango-mal and Chochan were not particularly pleased, but they had little choice.

Yongmagol had already fallen, and while they could join another family, they had been moved by Tamhwa and Cheonbum’s martial prowess and had chosen to follow them.

‘I don’t really like it….’

‘There’s no other option.’

For the time being, they would assess the situation in Sangseo, and if it didn’t improve, they could simply leave.

“I will be in your care for a while.”

Hwamaebong of Sangseo.

Hwamaebong, meaning the peak where fire sleeps, was surprisingly lush and green, contrary to its name.

Saha flew to the pavilion of Hwamaebong to prepare a welcome for the celestial beings.

Upon her arrival, many Seon paid their respects and welcomed her, but most of them were children under the age of fifteen.

Many adults had perished in battle or had been revived.

The Seon followed her instructions and designated the residences for the celestial beings.

“Celestial Being. What should I call you?”

“Tamhwa is fine.”

“Yes, Tamhwa-nim [a respectful suffix]. May I ask where that person is?”

“Tell me if you have something to say.”

Saha paused for a moment.

Although he appeared to be a child, Tamhwa was the one who had single-handedly destroyed Yongmagol.

She was the transformed form of Oryong [likely a dragon spirit or deity] and a celestial being in her own right.

She couldn’t dismiss him based solely on his appearance.

“I do have something to discuss, so if you have time, could you please ask him to come to Hwamaebong?”

“Huh? Um… okay!”

Tamhwa nodded enthusiastically.

Saha was slightly puzzled, but she paid her respects and stepped back.

But then Tamhwa grabbed her hand.

“Do you have anything to say?”

“This. He wants you to have it.”

In her hand was a golden bead.

Saha had no idea what it was. Since it was a gift from a celestial being, she gratefully accepted it and returned to her residence.

“Haa-”

Saha placed the golden bead on the table and sighed deeply.

She had much to contemplate.

The Seon brought from Yongmagol.

And the Hwang family who had perished there.

The destroyed Yongmagol.

She had come to terms with many truths and accomplished many deeds in a short time.

But she had to lead Sangseo and become a true celestial being.

She had recovered her missing soul and reattached the vessel, and now she had to fill that vessel with the Great Dao [a fundamental principle or path to enlightenment].

“Why are you sighing so much?”

“Oh my!”

Saha, startled, looked at the woman sitting at her desk in her room as if she had seen a ghost.

The woman who had appeared without a sound was the sword spirit who was always with him.

It was Hwaran.

‘She should have made a sound….’

If she had suddenly appeared like that, she would have fallen if she had a child.

“I had some concerns about this and that. It’s nothing for Seonja [a respectful title for a cultivator or spiritual practitioner] to worry about.”

Saha attempted to reply with a forced smile, but Hwaran remained expressionless.

“You asked San-gun… no, the celestial being to accept you as a disciple, I heard.”

“…”

“And you were rejected.”

“Yes. That’s right.”

“May I ask why?”

“I felt that there were many things to learn from him, and he was more than capable of guiding me.”

Although she had been rejected outright.

“Do you know why?”

“It must be because I am lacking.”

“No. My master believes that if you are lacking, you can always improve.”

“Then why….”

“He must have wanted to return to a horizontal relationship, not a hierarchical one.”

Want to go back?

Saha pondered the meaning for a moment and then recalled the connection from her previous life.

He had called Geummyeongjisu [likely a name of a past acquaintance or lover] his friend.

So, herself, who was her reincarnation….

“He wants to be friends.”

“…I’m curious why you’re telling me that.”

“He is a lonely person.”

“Yes?”

“I know that you are not Geummyeongjisu. Even if you are reincarnated, her memories are just her memories.”

Hwaran smiled and rose from the table.

“Anyway, now that he has come here, Sangseo will only have things to smile about. He has made up his mind. Our master.”

Hwaran said this and picked up the golden bead from the table.

“Right?”