Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 40

Nangseon Gi Hwan Dam – 39

“What? This is a Tamhwa Ogong?!”

-Tamhwa Ogong… I’ve never heard of it. Does Mountain Lord know about it?

-Ah, yes. Hwaran. Do you know about ‘Tam’ (Greed, a powerful and destructive entity)?

-Of course. Isn’t it a Calamitous Fiend (天災惡獸) [a being of immense power that brings misfortune] that wanders through the realms of existence and non-existence, devouring everything?

-Tamhwa Ogong inherited the blood of that ‘Tam.’ It possesses less extraordinary power than Tam, but instead, it devours the extraordinary powers of others and metamorphoses its body, becoming stronger with each passing day.

Whether it is truly a child of Tam is unclear, but Mountain Lord has heard of the extraordinary abilities of Tamhwa Ogong.

‘To think there would still be a Tamhwa Ogong in the human realm.’

Mountain Lord paused in thought before opening his mouth.

“Then it would be best to leave it as it is.”

“Yes. Once only one remains, it will soon begin to metamorphose.”

Just as the cannibalism ended, only one remained. The creature devoured the other Tamhwa Ogongs, curled its body into a ball, and spewed golden silk from its mouth, creating a cocoon.

“Mountain Lord. Did the Tamhwa Ogong perhaps eat a Geumjang Jiju (Golden Shield Spider)?”

“No. It ate a Geumjang Jitae (Golden Shield Earthworm).”

“I see. So that’s why the Geumjangsa….”

Mountain Lord watched the Tamhwa Ogong, which had created a perfect golden cocoon, for a moment before leaving the stone chamber.

“I wonder how it will transform.”

He didn’t know how long it would take, but if left alone, it would soon metamorphose and tear through the cocoon.

Even that cocoon alone was made of Geumjangsa [a type of extremely durable silk], so if used to refine Mountain Lord’s treasures, it could certainly create a powerful treasure.

“At first, I thought this was a disaster, but to think it was a Tamhwa Ogong.”

Such a fortuitous opportunity was rare indeed.

Gathering his thoughts, he took out the Guhwando [a damaged ring-shaped treasure] from Gongjeong River and showed it to Hongyeon.

There was a golden crack in the middle of the Guhwando. He wanted to repair it but didn’t know how, so he intended to ask her.

“That’s the treasure from back then. Hmm…. I think I can fix it.”

“Really? Oh, really? I’ll give you all the materials you need!”

Hongyeon examined the Guhwando from every angle, then smiled and told Mountain Lord the necessary materials.

“Hmm. I don’t have any Boyeoncheol (Treasure Flame Iron) [a rare metal that absorbs and amplifies spiritual energy] right now, so I’ll have to get some.”

The materials needed to repair the Guhwando were the inner cores of spirit beasts and a metal called Boyeoncheol.

He had plenty of inner cores, but Mountain Lord didn’t have any Boyeoncheol, so he had to acquire it.

“Ah, do you perhaps have any knowledge of Hwanjinpae (Illusory Formation Talisman) [a talisman used to create illusions and conceal objects]?”

Mountain Lord asked, showing the inner core and byproducts of Ohyuk Chohak.

Unfortunately, Hongyeon didn’t have any knowledge of Hwanjin either, so he left the training cave with disappointment.

“Myeonghwa gave Dobonghwan, so they’ll be focusing on their training for a while, and Tamhwa Ogong is in a cocoon, so I’ll have to go get Boyeoncheol and make Hwanjinpae.”

The reason he came to Subang Peak was also to create treasures.

At the same time, he had to find the hidden treasure of Geummyeong Jiryung, so it didn’t matter.

Boyeoncheol wasn’t a rare iron, so if he was lucky, he could obtain it in the near future.

Mountain Lord fiddled with the Gongjeong River in his grasp and turned around, sensing someone’s presence.

“Where are you going?”

It was Ggamanghori, tilting her head with her arms crossed.

“I have somewhere to go for a while.”

“Then this lady will go with you.”

“Hmm…. Alright.”

Ggamanghori and Hongyeon had helped him quite a bit, so he couldn’t be stingy.

-Mountain Lord. Don’t forget about Sanbi.

-Don’t talk nonsense again.

Mountain Lord went down Subang Peak, bickering with Ggamanghori and Hwaran.

* * *

Hongyeon, left alone in the training cave after Mountain Lord left, floated the Guhwando in the air and stared at it with cold eyes.

She tapped her lips with her finger, then suddenly took out a silver ball from her sleeve.

After injecting spiritual power into it for a moment, the treasure trembled and suddenly unfolded with a snap! The unfolded shape resembled that of a lotus flower.

“Now, come here.”

Purple smoke rose from the lotus flower and enveloped the Guhwando. The nine rings of the Guhwando clattered and shook violently.

About an hour passed with an ominous energy flowing out.

[Aaaagh!]

Suddenly, a man’s scream echoed loudly through the cave from the Guhwando.

A red light flashed, and a man with two horns, wrapped in purple energy, was transferred to the lotus flower. Hongyeon narrowed her eyes as she looked at it.

“Samgwi?”

[You! Who dares to disturb Samgwi!]

Surprisingly, it was the spirit of Samgwi, who had been killed by Mountain Lord!

Hongyeon watched in astonishment, then raised the corners of her mouth and chuckled.

“The famous Siphaemancheokgwi’s [Ten Thousand Blood Demon Ghost’s] Samgwi is left with only his spirit. How have you fallen so low?”

Samgwi gnashed his teeth and glared at Hongyeon as if to kill her.

Hongyeon sneered as if it were ridiculous, formed a hand seal, and chanted a spell, causing the purple energy emanating from the lotus flower to envelop his spirit.

[Aaaagh! Wh-what is this!]

Soon, Samgwi grabbed his head and began to suffer.

He knelt inside the lotus flower, unable to maintain his form as if his spirit would scatter at any moment.

“I cannot allow someone as cunning as you to be near the person who will become my master’s husband. If I erase the ‘Baek (魄)’ [the corporeal soul] from your Honbaek (魂魄 – soul and spirit), only a simple ‘Hon (魂 – soul)’ [the ethereal soul] will remain, which will be of great help to the treasure. Originally, the Hon ascends to the heavens, and the Baek descends to the earth, so isn’t this a natural principle?”

[Kuh… Let’s make a deal! I have something I must do! I absolutely cannot die before I finish it!]

“A deal? What is it?”

Hongyeon scattered her energy as if she had been waiting for the word ‘deal.’ As she looked at him, Samgwi frowned as if he felt wronged.

[I will give you the Gyeol (訣 – incantation) [secret incantation] of my unique art, the Pacheon Mageok (破天魔格 – Heaven-Breaking Demonic Grid) [a powerful demonic technique], and the Cheonnyang Jibo (天梁地寶 – Heaven-Supporting Earth Treasure) [an extremely rare and powerful treasure]!]

Then Hongyeon’s eyes widened in surprise.

“You must be in quite a hurry. To offer the Cheonnyang Jibo, which has been passed down only to the successive Sipgwi [Ten Ghosts]. Isn’t that an unparalleled treasure left behind by one of the divine beasts who ascended to the spirit realm? But it doesn’t seem like you have the unique art, let alone the Cheonnyang Jibo…. You’re not lying, are you?”

[Do you take me, Samgwi, for a fool! If you spare my life, I will tell you the location of the Cheonnyang Jibo! But even if you know the location, you can never obtain the Cheonnyang Jibo unless I go with you, so you cannot kill me!]

Samgwi smiled bitterly and twisted the corners of his mouth.

What is the Cheonnyang Jibo! It is a treasure among treasures that even the Jiseon (地仙 – earthly immortals) [immortals who have achieved enlightenment on Earth] at the end of the Taoist path would desperately seek!

He would tell her its location, so she would never be able to harm him!

“I have listened well to the story of the fallen Samgwi.”

Hongyeon smiled contentedly and brought her finger to Samgwi’s spirit.

[Y-you’re going to spare me, right?]

“Don’t worry, I won’t destroy your soul. Even so, I can’t just prevent you from reincarnating.”

Instead.

“My intention to extract the Baek has not changed. What is the Baek of the Honbaek? It can be said to be the experiences or memories of your life.”

If she extracted only that and read his memories, she could achieve what she wanted without having to spare Samgwi’s life.

[Wh-what! You… Do you think I’ll just stand by! Before you separate my Honbaek, I’ll erase the Baek… Kuh-ahhh!!]

“Don’t worry. It’s not like I’m doing this for the first time, so I’m confident that I can separate them without a single mistake.”

Hongyeon smiled softly and began to divide Samgwi’s Hon and Baek into two.

After that.

For a while, the sound of a man’s screams faintly spread and disappeared in the training cave.

* * *

A massive seven-story pavilion located on the edge of the Sumyeong Mountain Range.

It was bustling with people.

The first floor was crowded with a large number of Taoists. They were all gathered to sell or exchange their goods, resembling a marketplace.

At that time.

Men wearing the white robes unique to the Ice Palace.

And a Taoist completely covering his face with a bamboo hat and white cloth appeared, leading a Geomseon (劍仙 – Sword Immortal) [a cultivator who specializes in swordsmanship].

“Baekryeon Seonja (白蓮仙子 – White Lotus Immortal) [a title of respect for a female Taoist], this way.”

The Doseon (道仙 – Taoist Immortal) [a high-ranking Taoist] wearing white robes was Baekryeon Seonja.

She followed the Geomseon’s guidance and ascended the stairs to the third floor of the pavilion, which, unlike the first and second floors, was lined with a large number of treasures.

The Doseon managing the third floor was diligently explaining the secrets and extraordinary abilities of the treasures to various Taoists.

She glanced at the place and hurried to the fourth floor.

Only then did the space she wanted appear. This place was a space for crafting or refining various treasures.

Baekryeon immediately approached the owner and handed over a Gongjeong River.

The owner of the fourth floor was a middle-aged man with a plump impression, who scanned Baekryeon’s Gongjeong River with a new-fashioned device and nodded.

“Do you wish to refine a Hwanjinpae (幻陣牌 – Illusory Formation Talisman) [a talisman used to create illusions]?”

At that time, the Geomseon next to him bowed politely and said.

“Yes. Baekryeon Seonja is in silent practice, so please understand.”

“Hmm! I see. Ohyuk Chohak…. You’ve brought something quite rare. This horn is……. I don’t know what it is, but it’s quite rare. I understand! You’re a Taoist of the Ice Palace, so I’ll start right away!”

If she was a Taoist of the Ice Palace, she had a strong backing, so there was no reason to refuse. The owner rubbed his fingers while glancing at Baekryeon Seonja.

“The refinement of the Hwanjinpae will take about fifteen days. The payment can be spiritual stones or byproducts of demonic beasts.”

The currency of the Taoists is the rarely found spiritual stones. Spiritual stones are stones full of spiritual energy that are created in spiritual mountains under specific conditions.

They are used to maintain Hwanjin and, in emergencies, to replenish spiritual power by circulating the spiritual energy of the spiritual stones into the body.

In any case, spiritual stones are indispensable items for Taoists and are also used as currency.

“If you pay with spiritual stones, you’ll have to give about a hundred.”

“Isn’t that too expensive?”

The common price for refining a normal treasure is about 50 spiritual stones.

“Oh ho! Expensive! Sumyeong Mountain, the most prominent of the Sumyeong Mountain Range, is occupied by our Sumyeong Sect! We’re doing business with the nameplate of the sect, so that’s only natural! Or are you saying that the Ice Palace doesn’t even have the ability to pay a mere hundred spiritual stones?”

In short, it was the value of the name.

He completely ignored the Geomseon’s words next to Baekryeon, who was protesting that it was too expensive. The owner looked at the Taoist wrapped in white.

In any case, the decision-maker would be the Taoist named Baekryeon, so there was no reason to argue with a mere Geomseon.

“It’s still too expensive! Let’s make it 70!”

“Oh ho! Where does a Geomseon think he is…….”

At that time.

The transparent sword hanging from Baekryeon’s waist was drawn with a swoosh.

Then, a cold air spread out in an instant, rapidly lowering the surrounding temperature.

“Kuh, cough. Even so, there’s nothing I can do! This is a directive from Sumyeong! We’re busy because the demonic beasts are causing a ruckus! No matter how much you ask to lower the price, I can’t do it!”

Clang.

Baekryeon put the sword back in its sheath, threw the spiritual stone pouch, and turned around.

“Cough! I’ve received it for sure! I’ll definitely do a satisfactory refinement!”