Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 382

Tales of a Wandering Swordsman – Part 2, Chapter 91

“Are you really Head Instructor…”

“What else would I be?”

At Beom’s wry smile, Woo-myung’s eyes reddened, and he approached Beom haltingly.

“I heard you were filling my role. How was it?”

“It was a time for me to realize my shortcomings.”

Beom chuckled and looked at the men who had gathered around him in a circle.

Every face was a welcome sight.

Though they had only spent a month together and it had been seventy years since they last met, he couldn’t have been happier.

“Where have you been all this time!”

“We’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

“Head Instructor, no, Deputy Head Instructor Woo-myung has been searching for you like crazy!”

What were these grown men so happy about that they were tearing up like that?

Beom grumbled about them being disgusting but hugged each of them one by one.

Cheon Beom and the disciples of the Martial Palace spent a long time sharing stories, grumbling, and laughing.

There were tales of who had been intimate with whom, how the Yangcheon Martial Hall tried to take back the Superior Treasure [a valuable artifact or reward] given because the Head Instructor didn’t show up, and so on.

“The Yangcheon Martial General salivated whenever he saw the lower-ranking officials of the Martial Palace!”

“Ah, it’s a shame the Head Instructor didn’t see that!”

They laughed and lamented.

Beom listened silently as they gathered in a circle and talked about their hardships and endurance.

Then, he suddenly noticed that the uniforms of Woo-myung and the Martial Warriors were quite dirty.

“But why are you all in such a state?”

At his question, the mouths of those who had been chattering away suddenly shut.

Beom looked at Woo-myung.

“Where were you coming from?”

Where had they been to get so covered in dirt? He asked with concern, but Woo-myung also hesitated.

“As of today, I am Cheon Beom, the Head Instructor of the Martial Palace, Rank 4. Deputy Head Instructor Woo-myung, answer the question.”

“…Understood.”

“Where were you coming from?”

Woo-myung clenched his fist tightly.

Then, one of the warriors forced a smile and interjected.

“Haha, Head Instructor. It’s nothing. Just a brief sparring match with another unit…”

“I asked the Deputy Head Instructor.”

At his stern words, the warrior couldn’t step forward and retreated.

Beom asked again.

“Where were you and what were you doing? Deputy Head Instructor.”

Then, Woo-myung answered.

“We were sparring partners for the Yangcheon and Byeoncheon units.”

At that, the other Martial Warriors lowered their heads as if they had done something wrong.

Sparring was one thing.

That could explain the dirt on their uniforms and the injuries.

‘But looking at their faces…’

They had been beaten against their will.

Cheon Beom’s cheek twitched.

“Lead the way.”

At that, they were startled and tried to stop him.

“Head Instructor!!”

“We’re fine!”

“It was just a simple sparring match!”

“It happens all the time!”

The words of the warriors trying to stop him only made him angrier.

“Has being beaten under the guise of sparring become normal for you in the seventy years I’ve been gone?”

“That’s…”

They couldn’t say a word as if they had become mute from his sharp words.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

It wasn’t their fault.

‘It’s my fault.’

He had made enemies of everyone and disappeared, so how great must have been the pain they had to endure?

They were originally from other units.

They had been fascinated by the power of Cheon Beom, the Head Instructor, and had given up everything to come.

So, it was only natural that they were hated. With Cheon Beom gone to protect them, it was only natural that they were bullied.

‘Was Woo-myung not enough?’

Even if it was Woo-myung of the Woo Clan, they were full of descendants from the Five Great Clans and had connections to many prestigious families.

Subtle bullying wouldn’t have been difficult.

‘It must have been a little at first.’

But it would have gradually gotten worse.

They would have been used to fill their self-esteem.

“The numbers have dwindled.”

The number of unit members had decreased.

There were only about twenty left.

Originally, there had been over forty.

Beom said again.

“Lead the way.”

When he looked straight at Woo-myung, his stoic eyes met Beom’s.

“The Head Instructor will be in trouble.”

“That’s not your responsibility. That’s why my rank is Rank 4, and that’s why you use honorifics with me!”

Beom shouted, telling him to lead the way as if he wouldn’t listen anymore.

“I won’t say it again. Take me to those dog-like bastards.”

He was going to beat them like dogs on Boknal [a Korean day for eating dog meat, implying a severe beating].

* * *

Byeoncheon Palace.

The Martial Generals of Yangcheon and Byeoncheon were seated at the main hall of Byeoncheon Palace, where a table of drinks had been set up since noon.

“The skills of the Byeoncheon unit’s disciples are getting sharper day by day. It must be thanks to the teachings of Martial General Byeoncheon and the Head Scholar.”

Martial General Yangcheon chuckled and poured a drink, but Byeoncheon waved his hand and humbly declined.

“How could that be? It’s all because they diligently practice cultivation and meditation every day on their own. I haven’t done anything.”

“Haha, there’s no need to be modest. Isn’t it common for the disciples of the Martial Palace to fall like autumn leaves whenever they spar with the disciples of the Byeoncheon unit?”

“Well, that’s because they were poorly taught by someone who was neither here nor there.”

The Yangcheon Martial General and Head Scholar subtly criticized Cheon Beom, who was no longer present.

“Frankly, it’s enough to have our Four Heavenly Units; I don’t know why the unnecessary Martial Palace even exists.”

“I agree. Now that that guy is gone, it wouldn’t matter if they just got rid of it. I really can’t understand what the higher-ups are thinking. Don’t you think so, Martial General Byeoncheon?”

“That’s…”

It was then.

Suddenly, one of the disciples of the Byeoncheon unit entered the dining area.

“What’s going on?”

“You need to come out for a moment.”

He was Ji Heon-wi, who was establishing himself in the Byeoncheon unit.

If it had been another disciple, they would have scolded him long ago, but with the Ji Clan backing him, even the quick-tempered Yangcheon members couldn’t easily say anything.

“Ji Mu-seon. What’s the matter?”

Martial General Yangcheon asked with a smile, but Ji Heon-wi frowned and said.

“The Head Instructor of the Martial Palace has come.”

“Head Instructor of the Martial Palace?”

He had heard that Woo-myung, one of the descendants of the Woo Clan, was temporarily in charge of the current Head Instructor of the Martial Palace.

As it was temporary, he was not treated with the rank of Rank 4 but only received the title.

“That Disciple Woo is really something, why is he keeping the Head Instructor of the Martial Palace position for so long…”

“I don’t understand why a descendant of a prestigious family with such a strong backbone is so inflexible.”

“That’s a characteristic of the Woo family. Isn’t that why they’ve maintained their prestigious position all this time with their steadfastness?”

When Martial General Byeoncheon defended him, the Yangcheon members nodded as if they had never said anything.

“Of course. Yes, yes, that’s right.”

“We’re not criticizing him, we’re just worried about him. What’s so lacking in that promising young man that he’s in such a position…”

The Yangcheon Head Scholar clicked his tongue and shook his head, and the Yangcheon Martial General nodded.

“But why did the Head Instructor of the Martial Palace come?”

“No!”

“What do you mean no, Ji Mu-seon?”

“It’s not that Head Instructor of the Martial Palace!”

Ji Heon-wi shouted as if frustrated.

“It’s the Head Instructor of the Martial Palace with the surname Cheon!”

Clang!!

At the same time, a loud noise suddenly erupted from the training ground of Byeoncheon Palace.

The Yangcheon Generals were startled and stood up, and the Byeoncheon General also quickly got up and ran towards the training ground.

Then, the face they saw was an emotionless gaze dwelling in golden eyes that they never wanted to meet even in their dreams.

“It’s been a while.”

“Oh, no… I thought you were dead…”

The Yangcheon Generals trembled as if they had seen a ghost.

The Byeoncheon Martial General and Head Scholar glared at the disciples who were lying on the training ground.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“It’s nothing. I just gave the disciples of Byeoncheon some teachings. But I am the Head Instructor of the Martial Palace, so shouldn’t I be able to do this much?”

Unlike the words he spat out with a grin, the center of the training ground was blown open as if a meteor had fallen.

Fortunately, no one seemed to be injured, but several disciples had lost consciousness and fainted.

The Yangcheon Martial General and Head Scholar flinched as old memories came flooding back, and they unconsciously widened the distance, while the Byeoncheon Generals questioned his rude attitude.

“Even if it’s for teaching, isn’t that too much!”

“Too much? Aren’t you overreacting? I only showed them a punch.”

Cheon Beom tapped the foundation stone laid on the training ground and clicked his tongue.

“Isn’t the training ground of Byeoncheon Palace too weak? I know that the Four Heavenly Palaces are managed by their respective Four Heavenly Generals.”

He was implying that they had embezzled money. Soon, the faces of the Byeoncheon Generals turned red.

“Can you handle those words!!”

The Byeoncheon Head Scholar, who was furious, shouted while pointing his finger.

“I’ve been hearing that a lot today.”

Beom glanced at the Martial Warriors waiting behind him and replied.

“I wouldn’t have come this far if I couldn’t handle it.”

The playful atmosphere from before had changed, and now his aura had shifted.

It was the aura of a ferocious beast that would kill anyone it caught.

“You’ve been using the disciples of the Martial Palace quite a lot in the seventy years I’ve been gone. After checking, I found out that you’ve been harassing them with all sorts of things.”

When they were bored, they would make them sparring partners for their units, or they would arbitrarily pass on tasks that came down from above.

Byeoncheon and Yangcheon, as well as Yucheon, often treated the Martial Palace unit like their subordinates.

If he remained still even after hearing all the facts, how could he be Cheon Beom?

If his child got slapped once, Cheon Beom was the type to return it tenfold to the child and their parents.

Beom immediately took out the Twin Annihilation and spun it around before slamming it into the training ground floor!

“Twin Annihilation!!”

“So that rumor was…”

The Yangcheon and Byeoncheon members who saw the Twin Annihilation in person couldn’t hide their surprise.

Beom crossed his arms with a triumphant air.

“Let’s make a bet.”

A bet!!

At the word bet, the Yangcheon Martial General and Head Scholar shrank back as if remembering bad memories.

“A bet…”

“I’ll bet the Twin Annihilation.”

The Twin Annihilation!!

“Is that really true?”

“I, Cheon Beom, the Head Instructor of the Martial Palace, have never uttered a lie.”

The Yangcheon Generals glared at him as if they wanted to kill him for his brazen words.

“What are the terms of the bet?”

“I want the Yangcheon and Byeoncheon Generals to spar with me once.”

“Sparring? Are you saying you want to spar against the four of us?”

“Why, are you scared?”

“Head Instructor of the Martial Palace! Watch your words!!”

But Beom didn’t care.

“Say it if you’re scared. I won’t force you. I was willing to give up the Twin Annihilation if you could land a punch on my face in a spar…”

Cheon Beom glanced at Yangcheon and Byeoncheon and clicked his tongue.

“I didn’t know that the Four Heavenly Generals were such cowards. Surely you don’t think you can’t land a punch on my face while fighting four against one, do you?”

“Even if you are a Head Instructor of the Martial Palace who is proficient in both martial arts and scholarship, I will not tolerate any further provocation! I, Martial General Byeoncheon, accept your bet in my name!!”

The Yangcheon members were startled by Martial General Byeoncheon’s words, which he had accepted in a fit of anger.

“M, Martial General Byeoncheon. Are you confident?”

“The Head Instructor of the Martial Palace’s skills are… well, it’s hard to say this…”

The Yangcheon General hesitated as if telling him to think again, but Martial General Byeoncheon shut him up with a single word.

“At best, the Head Instructor of the Martial Palace is only a Superior Immortal! Besides, he’s even willing to fight four against one, so if we refuse, the name of the Four Heavenly Generals will be tarnished!”

“But if we lose, the rumor that we were crushed four against one will spread throughout the palace!”

“Martial General Yangcheon. When did you become such a coward? Surely you don’t think you can’t even land a punch on the Head Instructor of the Martial Palace while fighting four against one?”

“B, but…”

“Hehe, just trust me.”

“That’s right, there’s no one who doesn’t know what kind of cultivator Martial General Byeoncheon is.”

The Byeoncheon Head Scholar soothed the Yangcheon General.

“Martial General Byeoncheon is being considered to rise to the next Five Great Generals!”

“Yes, even fighting one-on-one with the Head Instructor of the Martial Palace, the Twin Annihilation will be in my hands!”

The disciples of Byeoncheon were also elated by Martial General Byeoncheon’s confident demeanor.

That sight changed the Yangcheon General’s mind.

‘Yes, if we can get the Twin Annihilation with one effective hit…’

‘If we just hit him once…’

That thought dominated his mind.

It was a whopping four against one.

Even if he was the Head Instructor of the Martial Palace, he was still a Superior Immortal.

Fear was bound to be imprinted and exaggerated over time.

“Yes, we haven’t neglected our training for the past seventy years!”

“That’s right! Head Instructor of the Martial Palace! If you think of me from seventy years ago, you’ll be in for a big surprise!! It won’t end with a simple punch!”

Their momentum soared.

Beom smirked.