Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 358

Nangseon Gi Hwan Dam – Part 2, Chapter 67

To be honest, I had somewhat anticipated this outcome.

Even if other families turned their backs, there would be no reason to ask Tiger for help. And even if they did, it would be more logical to request the movement of Tiger’s direct forces.

However, Hu Hae emotionally appealed to Tiger, emphasizing the urgency.

It was a very flimsy situation, a melodramatic ploy to lure him out.

And it was timed perfectly with Chunbeom’s day off.

It was only natural to be suspicious.

If he had been born and raised in the Upper Realm, he might not have suspected it, but Beom was a non-ascended cultivator from the Lower Realm.

His life had been too arduous to fall for such a simple trap.

“I am the Fourth Rank Civil and Military Commander of the Munmu Palace. Perhaps we should start by introducing ourselves.”

However, there was no room for complacency.

Sensing the surroundings, I could feel the presence of the Earthscale Dragon [a powerful mythical creature] and numerous cultivators, hidden by the formation.

‘An Earthscale Dragon and twenty Upper Immortals.’

And one Fragrant Immortal [a high-ranking immortal being] before my eyes.

The situation was not good.

“Hahahaha! Rumors of the extraordinary abilities of the Civil and Military Commander were widespread, and it seems they were not mere exaggerations! Very well! I have no objection to introductions. I am Peng Gong-yeon of the Peng Clan!”

Peng Gong-yeon laughed loudly, as if he was either dumbfounded or exasperated.

But he soon wiped the smile from his face.

“I have a few questions I wish to ask the Civil and Military Commander, which is why I summoned you here.”

“If that were the case, you didn’t need to call me all the way here.”

“Let’s avoid such unnecessary questions. With your level of perception and wisdom, you must have grasped the situation by now.”

That was true.

“Then let’s do this. I also have a few questions, so let’s take turns asking and answering.”

“Haha, I have no objections.”

“May I ask first?”

“As the elder, I should grant you that much.”

At his words, urging me to ask, Beom glanced at Hu Hae beside him and asked,

“What has become of the Hu Clan?”

“Why, are you worried I might have annihilated the Hu Clan? Are you concerned because it’s a clan with your blood?”

“Please answer the question.”

Even at the somewhat impudent tone, Peng Gong-yeon merely twisted the corner of his lips.

As if to say I would soon regret it.

“It’s as you see. Knowing they had no treasures and that the previous head of the family did not pass on the true meaning, they would have been devoured by neighboring clans within a few thousand years anyway. I merely accelerated their obvious demise. I did nothing more.”

I didn’t expect him to reveal so much information with a single question.

He was quite talkative, contrary to his appearance.

However, I could infer much from his words. First, he knew that the Hu Clan had not received the treasure and true meaning from the previous head.

As a result, most of the Hu Clan’s bloodline was dead, leaving only Hu Hae.

And that was probably only to lure Chunbeom.

“Peng Immortal! What, what are you saying! If I brought this one, you said you would spare our clan! You would save my brother!!”

“It seems the Hu Clan’s future was not so bright after all. The eldest son was decent, but this one is so naive… tsk tsk. They would have been destroyed even without me.”

Hu Hae seemed to realize he had been deceived.

He collapsed, his face blank, as if his soul had left his body.

“Now it’s my turn to ask.”

“Ask away.”

There were only a few things he would be curious about regarding me.

“Do you know why I had this fool coax the Civil and Military Commander to come to Yoongyeon?”

“Is it not because Senior wishes to personally teach me the hierarchy of the Water Realm?”

It would be normal to conceal one’s identity.

But he did not.

As if it didn’t matter if it was revealed.

“Yes, yes, that’s certainly part of it. The power of the current Four Great Clans is clearly growing stronger in the Water Realm. Especially the Ji Clan.”

That meant the Peng Clan was on their side.

On the opposite side were the Woo and Mi Clans.

‘Does that mean they are in conflict with them?’

That was one way to interpret it.

“Rooting out the seeds of resentment is something all clans agree on, but you must know the reason for proceeding so hastily.”

The whereabouts of Gon Sabi, or the Twin Annihilations [a powerful artifact or technique].

There was nothing else.

“It must be because of the treasures and true meanings of the clans belonging to the Five Great Clans.”

“Yes, yes, you guessed it right!”

Peng Gong-yeon clapped and burst into laughter.

“The true meaning is secondary. The most important thing is, of course, the treasure. The Hu Clan’s Twin Annihilations and the Gon Clan’s Film of Illusions. The Gyo Clan is too difficult to deal with….”

‘So they plan to annihilate even the Gyo Clan.’

I suspected as much.

But the important thing was not that.

The fact that someone seeking the treasures had annihilated the Hu and Gon Clans and lured me out.

That was what mattered.

‘Calling me here must mean they are certain of something.’

As expected.

“Hu Ma, the Hu Clan head, told me before he died that the Civil and Military Commander was connected to the previous head.”

So that was it.

When we met at the Great Sky Palace a month ago, he seemed to know something.

I didn’t know how he found out, but since he said it, I couldn’t deny it.

“That’s right. The previous head entrusted me with the treasure and true meaning and appointed me as the clan’s benefactor.”

“Oh! So that was the case! Well, you are a cultivator with the same blood as the Hu Clan, so it makes sense in that situation!”

Peng Gong-yeon muttered excitedly, and even Hu Hae couldn’t hide his surprise.

“You, you mean you possess the Twin Annihilations and my father’s true meaning?”

Hu Hae asked in disbelief.

“That’s right.”

Beom answered calmly.

Then Hu Hae’s face twisted like a demon’s, and he shouted.

“Then why didn’t you give it to us right away! If my brother had the Twin Annihilations and the clan’s true meaning, he wouldn’t have died so meaninglessly!!”

He dropped the honorifics.

The one who killed his father and family was right in front of him, but I didn’t know why he was looking at me like an enemy.

But Hu Hae shouted as if it was all Chunbeom’s fault.

“You!! If you had delivered the Twin Annihilations in time, our clan wouldn’t have been annihilated!!”

He shouted with such resentment and bitterness that the veins in his neck stood out.

“Even if I had handed over the Twin Annihilations, it wouldn’t have been much different. I thought it would be safer without the treasure.”

What I hadn’t anticipated was that the clans of the Water Realm, who had been together for thousands of years, would so mercilessly annihilate each other.

I thought they would at least avoid annihilation, with all their talk of tradition.

‘Was I too naive…?’

Or was the Water Realm more ruthless? The result skillfully diverged.

“Civil and Military Commander, since you have been so honest, I will give you two choices.”

“Let’s hear them.”

“The first is to hand over the Twin Annihilations to me and simply leave on your vacation.”

There was no need to hear more.

“What is the second?”

“The second is to resist me, hold onto the Twin Annihilations, and become a cold corpse. There has never been anyone in the history of the Water Realm who has obtained the rank of Fourth Rank within a hundred years of ascending to the Upper Realm. It would be a waste for a talent like you to die in a place like this. Wouldn’t it be better for the Water Realm if you lived, rather than that foolish one?”

He seemed sincere.

Hu Hae clenched his fists in resentment, but there was nothing he could do.

Beom looked down at Hu Hae and then up at Peng Gong-yeon standing on the Earthscale Dragon.

“Thank you for the offer, but I have never broken a promise.”

I couldn’t do that.

“Tsk tsk, what a pity. A young man with such integrity, combined with both literary and martial skills. Your future is bright, yet you choose to walk such a thorny path.”

“Perhaps it’s because I’m young that I choose to suffer. Only by experiencing hardship can I have a comfortable old age later.”

“You’re still young, so you don’t understand. Suffering in youth doesn’t guarantee a comfortable old age. Rather, such experiences often lead to more troublesome things in old age.”

Those words were imbued with profound experience.

But Beom only smiled.

The negotiation had failed.

Hu Hae didn’t understand what they were saying for a moment.

‘Could it be that they are going to fight now?’

But as he felt their energies begin to clash, he knew he was not mistaken.

Hu Hae thought the Civil and Military Commander was crazy. Unless he was mad, why would he think of fighting in a place with that giant Earthscale Dragon and twenty Upper Immortals, and even a Fragrant Immortal?

“I have seen your skills. You killed those Earthscale Dragon whelps quite well, even though they are not easy opponents.”

Thanks to you.

“This one is so angry that I can hardly control him anymore.”

Even now, his killing intent was prickling every corner of my body, making me restless.

“I feel the same way.”

Considering Tamhwa’s appetite, the whelps wouldn’t be enough.

Only the mother would be enough to appease Tamhwa’s sulking.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking. Even if you survive here, which is highly unlikely, the entire Water Realm will be after the Twin Annihilations you possess. Do you know that and still act this way?”

I knew.

Since it had come to this.

I could no longer hide it.

“I know.”

“You know and still act this way?”

“Even if I kill Senior and all the Upper Immortals here to silence them, they will soon find out. Since multiple clans are involved, they will deduce this and everyone will be after the Twin Annihilations.”

Even ten lives would not be enough.

But there was no guarantee that handing over the Twin Annihilations would ensure safety.

In this situation, it was better to….

‘It’s better to assert legitimacy.’

The difference between a rogue trying to steal another clan’s treasure and someone who legitimately inherited it from the head and was appointed as the clan’s benefactor was clear. If this spread properly, even they would not be able to touch me easily.

In any case, that was only possible if I survived.

“Haha, I don’t know if you’re smart or foolish. But I admire your spirit! A man should have that much courage to be called a man! Very well, let’s see the skills of the Civil and Military Commander who received his position through both literary and martial prowess.”

“I will show you a few insignificant skills. Please, do not laugh.”

The Earthscale Dragon and the Upper Immortals rush in, like a moving mountain range.

Over twenty Upper Immortals and Earthscale Dragon whelps.

And even their mother, all charging at me to kill me.

But why?

Chunbeom was not afraid of anything.

Rather, he began to feel excited.

The concept of converting immortal energy into divine power with Sumbong Yeosan [a cultivation technique] had long been reversed.

Even if the surrounding immortal energy was shallow, the amount that could be contained within the body was different. Moreover, with the mysteries of Yoongjeon Gadan [another cultivation technique] mixed in, the immortal energy accumulated in ordinary times could be explosively released.

All thanks to Sumbong Yeosan.

Thus.

I could use divine powers that I had not even dared to imagine.

“There will be much to report to the Upper Realm.”

And then.

Beom’s last pupil opened.

The sixth gate of the Gwaebiyeogak of the Dallyeong Geumjeong [a powerful technique or state of being].

The overlapping pupils from the first to the sixth gate, contained within his eyes, rotated separately.

“Six Fiends Holding Precepts (六怪持戒).”

In that instant.

The sky was twisted into six pieces.