Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 326

Nangseon Gi Hwandam – Part 2, Chapter 35

“I’m sorry, but I must decline. I owe my life to the family I serve.”

“Oh… a life debt, is it? What if I were to repay that debt for you?”

“Are you saying you can calculate the value of my life, Elder?”

For a moment, Beom frowned at Gyo Cheong’s arrogance but soon laughed cheerfully.

“Hahaha! Yes, that’s right. No one knows the value of your life debt. You may be just a regular merchant now, but who knows how high you might rise in the future!”

However, Gyo Cheong’s expression hardened, and she warned him.

“If you spout such arrogant words to another Fragrant Immortal [a powerful, respected cultivator], you might find your head separated from your body. You’d best be careful.”

“Thank you for the warning.”

Gyo Cheong nodded.

Judging by the roundness of her lips, she didn’t seem genuinely displeased.

“What was it again? Ah, yes, I was curious whether I had given any hints or not. As you said, I did. When those guys asked, I told them that they needed the Lightning God Technique, not that immortal.”

As expected.

Then it could be said that creating this disaster was also her wish.

There was no way a Fragrant Immortal wouldn’t have foreseen this much.

She could have stopped it.

But she didn’t.

“May I ask why?”

“Why? Are you curious about that?”

“If you could tell me, that is.”

“Well, it’s nothing much.”

Gyo Cheong subtly turned her head and gestured with her chin towards the cultivators of the Gyo Clan waiting behind her.

“I see.”

Beom understood at once.

The ones behind her were the Gyo Clan’s Earth Immortals [cultivators who have achieved a high level of spiritual power].

The ones who would be participating in the Martial Arts Competition.

And everyone here was a competitor they would meet in the Martial Arts Competition.

“I just reduced the numbers a bit since there was an opportunity. It won’t be too noticeable… The Martial Arts Competition should be a bit longer. If there are too many, it gets boring if it takes too long.”

He thought it was a trivial reason.

At least, Beom did.

Gyo Cheong probably thought the same.

The deaths of a few merchants seemed to mean nothing to her.

This incident was just about that much.

Just about that much.

Beom solidified his resolve to not get too close to Gyo Cheong.

“Then, I’ll be going.”

His curiosity was satisfied.

There was no need to be with her.

He didn’t want to be with her any longer.

“Are you leaving already? Are you going to tell those merchants that this happened because of me?”

“There’s no need for that. There’s no point in unsettling their hearts with something that won’t change anything.”

There was nothing to be gained by telling them.

She was the only Fragrant Immortal here.

Several merchants couldn’t rush her and kill her, and there was no fool who would do such a thing to an elder of the Five Great Clans, the Gyo Clan.

The dead have no voice, and the survivors have once again realized the preciousness of their lives, so they won’t do anything like moths flying into a fire.

Beom wouldn’t tell them either.

“Hehe, the Gyo Clan always keeps a spot open for a clever cultivator, so look for me, Gyo Cheong, if you change your mind.”

Gyo Cheong let out an eerie laugh and disappeared with the Gyo Clan cultivators.

‘Those from the Five Great Clans… there’s not a single one I like.’

However, since the Gyo Clan had deep grudges against the Ji Clan, they might get involved someday.

“Well, that’s then, and this is now.”

He had looked around roughly, so it was better to go back now.

There was nothing in particular to do, and he had heard everything he needed to hear.

Beom immediately flew to where the Sa Clan was located. Sa-ha and the Lesser Immortals were working busily.

The Lesser Immortals were building barracks or separate buildings, and Sa-ha was carefully examining the nearby mountain peaks.

“What are you doing?”

“Oh, you’re here? Perfect timing. What do you think of that? That mountain peak over there.”

It was a mountain peak near the village, but there was nothing particularly special about it.

“Why that one?”

“We’re going to be staying for a while, so wouldn’t it be nice to have a place with clear Immortal energy?”

The smiling face was like a different person from last night.

Though she wasn’t a person.

“There must be an owner.”

“The Bang Clan manages it, but you can use it if you pay a reasonable price. We just have to wait about half a month.”

“How much for using it for half a month?”

“One geun [a unit of weight, approximately 500-600 grams] of spirit stones.”

“…That’s awfully expensive, isn’t it?”

It was an Immortal mountain where Immortal energy flowed.

Therefore, it was common sense to pay that much to use it.

But was this really Sa-ha, who only had four geun of spirit stones in her possession?

She was hesitating over a whopping one geun of spirit stones for just half a month.

“Our Sa Clan can do this much for the family’s merchant!”

She wouldn’t have even dared to think about it if she hadn’t swindled thirty geun of spirit stones from the Gon Clan.

Her pockets were quite full, so she was hesitating. But even so, it was too much of a rip-off.

“We don’t need it.”

“What? Why!”

“I appreciate your sentiment, but it’s okay. Such extravagance is unnecessary.”

“It’s not extravagance. Ha, I’m always receiving help, so the Clan Head can afford this much on her own.”

“It’s okay. Don’t spend it here and save it for something else.”

Something might be needed when they entered the Water Palace.

There was no need to spend money on something unnecessary. He understood her desire to do something for him, but this wasn’t it.

“If you want to do something for me that much, then be my drinking buddy.”

“Are you going to drink from broad daylight?”

“Yes.”

If there were good and bad things he learned upon entering Dogye, it was alcohol.

There was nothing like alcohol to sort out unsettling emotions, and there was nothing like alcohol to blow away confusing thoughts.

That was why they jokingly said that the best thing in Dojung was the way of alcohol.

“Why, do you not want to?”

“It’s not that I don’t want to, but…”

She trailed off.

He wondered why and asked.

“I drank too much yesterday….”

It seemed she didn’t want to drink.

Beom couldn’t help but laugh, and Sa-ha got annoyed for no reason.

“Then just sit in front of me.”

“If it’s just that, then…”

Beom looked around to see where he could have a drink.

However, the surroundings were devastated by the dawn raid, so there was no suitable place.

After thinking about it for a while, he realized that there was a gazebo in his Gongjeong River [a personal dimension or space] and immediately pulled it out.

“You carry around all sorts of things.”

“Well, I have some things like that.”

It was a gazebo he had brought from the Golden Ring Immortal Village.

It was also a place where he often spent time with his wife when he was staying in the Gongjeong River for a while.

“Ah, it smells nice.”

As soon as she got on the gazebo, she sniffed and raised the corners of her mouth. The gazebo’s deep wood scent flowed out pleasantly.

Beom soon took out several bottles of alcohol.

He also had several bottles of alcohol from Yongma Valley.

The Hwang Clan’s Clan Head, Hwang, had also collected famous liquors, so there were many different kinds of alcohol.

Sa-ha looked at the bottles of alcohol as if she was fed up, but she silently approached and poured a drink.

“I’ll pour the drinks for you, so drink as much as you want.”

“Okay.”

Beom leaned his arm on the gazebo railing and waved his arm because there was only a desolate landscape around him due to the dawn battle.

Then, a thick fog rose, and the scenery changed within the fog.

The scenery, which had been burned to nothing, disappeared, and it turned into the middle of a deep mountain with clear streams and lush forests.

It was a divine power attached to this gazebo.

Beom looked at the changed scenery and happily tilted his glass.

One glass, two glasses went down his throat, but no words flowed between Sa-ha and Beom.

Beom just tilted his glass, and Sa-ha just refilled the empty glass.

When they had emptied a bottle without a word.

Cheon Beom spoke up.

“You were quite drunk yesterday.”

“There was a bit of a situation because of some nasty guy.”

“But why did you come into that nasty guy’s bedroom and fall asleep?”

Then Sa-ha’s mouth didn’t open as if it had been glued shut.

She lowered her face, but she couldn’t hide her reddened ears.

“I thought you were an assassin.”

“Stop teasing me. I get it.”

When he chuckled, her lips stuck out a foot.

She said she didn’t even want to look at him, but she poured alcohol into her glass and drank it in one gulp.

“You said you didn’t want to drink.”

“It’s because of you!”

She huffed and made a nasal sound.

“I couldn’t sleep a wink because of you.”

“Was the bedroom too small because of me? I’m so sorry about that!”

Beom smiled and shook his head.

“How could any man sleep comfortably when you crawl into his bedroom half-naked like that? Your bare skin was all visible.”

“…You pervert.”

“You showed it to me.”

“You perverted bastard! You bad guy!”

“You should quit drinking. What are you going to do if an unmarried maiden barges into a man’s room like that? If it wasn’t for me, who knows what might have happened to you.”

“You eunuch.”

“What?”

“Hmph!”

The two glared at each other before bursting into laughter and laughing for a long time.

They laughed heartily and laughed and laughed.

Sa-ha said that.

“I know why you called me. Beom, you’re outwardly prickly, but you have a kind side, so you’ll always have many connections around you.”

And I’m one of them.

“But the most important thing for you is to spread your wings without being tied down. That’s the right mindset for a cultivator and the shortcut to immortality, so you’re not wrong.”

So.

“I’m okay. Don’t worry.”

Beom put down his glass.

There was no subject, but that much was enough between them.

“Is that so.”

“That’s right.”

She seemed relieved.

“It’s only natural that you go your way, and I’ll also go my way. That’s the business and mission of cultivating, and it’ll be both a blessing and a curse.”

When she thought about it that way, it wasn’t a big deal. And that was all there was to the story.

“I’ll protect my family and the auspicious signs, so you spread your great path.”

I’ll support you with all my might.

Beom stared at her intently before raising the corners of his mouth.

Thwack!

“Ouch!”

He flicked her forehead once.

Then, he hugged her tightly.

“What are you doing!”

Beom hugged her and patted her.

He patted her back.

As if to soothe her.

Sa-ha was flustered but soon became a little sad. Pat, pat.

His gesture of patting her back was like praising a commendable child.

The smell of alcohol was rich.

Was she getting drunk from the scent of alcohol he was giving off?

Her whole body was flushed and hot.

But this hug was not what she wanted.

The hug that soothed her was the opposite of what she wanted.

Sa-ha broke away from his arms.

“Don’t get the wrong idea. Even if I know you’ll leave someday, and no matter what form it takes, I’ll wait.”

“You never know what might happen in this world.”

“Even so, I’ll wait.”

“Don’t wait.”

It was a heartless word.

But Sa-ha became even more stubborn.

“Whether I wait until I die or not, it’s my business! It’s all my will and my wish.”

Sa-ha, who was going down the gazebo steps, suddenly saw that the surroundings, which were shrouded in fog, were full of cherry blossoms.

‘It’s annoying.’

Sa-ha walked out into the fog, ignoring her surging emotions.

After she left, Beom blankly stared before turning his head at the sound of a glass being filled.

“You’re so heartless. How could you do that?”

It was Hwaran.

“Hwaran, you’ve come.”

“Don’t lean on the railing like that and come here.”

Hwaran hugged Beom and laid him down on her lap.

“You’re unusually kind today.”

Without even teasing him.

“I’m also a modest woman who knows how to distinguish between time and place.”

“Are you being considerate?”

“I’m always a kind-hearted sword spirit who is considerate of my lord.”

What a load of bull.

“If you’re such a kind sword spirit, then why don’t you try to soothe my heart too.”

“I can’t do that.”

Hwaran flicked Beom’s forehead.

“Why did you hit me?”

“Why did you push her away?”

“….”

He couldn’t answer.

But Hwaran seemed to know.

“Are you afraid?”

“No.”

“You must be afraid, I understand.”

“I’m not.”

“Are you afraid that if she gets involved with you, she might die again trying to save you like before? Are you afraid that she might disappear in vain?”