Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 42

Romance of Nangseon – Episode 41

Geum-mae and Eun-mae hesitated before speaking.

“We will, if you help us.”

“What can I do to help?”

He seemed a little troubled, fidgeting with his hands on the table as he spoke.

“One of the Suyeolmun’s [a Taoist sect] Doseons [a high-ranking Taoist priest] is oppressing us and subtly threatening us. That’s why we demanded such an unreasonable compensation from you.”

The story about the Geum-eun sisters had been mentioned in passing, so San-gun didn’t know the details. Geum-mae continued, as if he was listening intently, nodding.

“If you stop him from taking us to Cheonyodong [Cave of the Celestial Woman], you’re welcome to participate in the production of Hwanjinpae [a type of magical artifact]!”

“Cheonyodong?”

San-gun’s brow furrowed at the mention of Cheonyodong from Geum-mae’s mouth.

“Yes, it was the residence of a great monster called Cheonyo [Celestial Woman], and it’s a famous cave left after she ascended to immortality.”

Many Taoists gathered, aiming for Cheonyo’s hidden treasures, and a bloody storm raged.

It was famous as a maze-like place, and once you got lost in the mix of various powerful Hwanjins [magical formations], you could never escape until you died.

The main character, Yoo-jeong, had accidentally entered this place around the level of Hwanseon [a high level of Taoist cultivation] and suffered greatly before getting out.

“Suyeolmun’s Doseon wants to take you to that dangerous place?”

Even Hwanseon had a hard time and barely escaped. What could a Doseon do in such a place that he would try to enter?

“Yes. He says he needs a Hwanjin master to enter….”

Geum-mae, perhaps finding it difficult to speak, trailed off and glanced at Eun-mae before biting her lip.

‘Well, Geum-mae and Eun-mae’s blood is special.’

However, as far as San-gun knew, Cheonyodong had a strong Geumje [restriction spell] placed on it, so he knew it couldn’t be entered carelessly.

No matter how many stories there were about hidden treasures sleeping there, it was not a place for a Doseon to enter recklessly.

Besides, it was a place that he couldn’t enter even if he wanted to.

“Cheonyodong is managed by the sect, so you won’t be able to enter.”

“Yes, several great Seonsas [Taoist masters] of the Manbo era have placed strong Geumje on it. But once every 100 years, the Geumje weakens for about fifteen days, and they say that time is now.”

‘I see. So….’

It seemed that one Doseon was aiming for the hidden treasures of Cheonyodong and was being greedy.

He had no fear. Even Hwanseons couldn’t escape death if they were unlucky, but a mere Doseon was trying to set foot there.

San-gun nodded as if he understood and fell into thought.

According to Geummyeongjiryung’s words, it was located close to Cheonyodong. He said he would give him the hidden treasure hidden there.

San-gun pondered for a moment before getting up from his seat.

“Gongja-nim [Master]?”

Geum-mae looked at him as if asking why he was suddenly doing that, but San-gun turned his head and narrowed his eyes.

“We have a guest.”

Geum-mae and Eun-mae also stood up and turned their heads, and they saw Ggamanghori with a man.

“San…. Daeho! Let’s go to Cheonyodong!”

San-gun stared at Ggamanghori with cold eyes and then looked at the man standing next to him.

“You must be San Hyeong [Brother San]. I am Han-soo from Suyeolmun.”

He seemed to have mistaken him for someone with the surname San after hearing Ggamanghori’s words.

Most Taoists abandoned their surnames when entering the Seondo [Taoist immortal] world, but there were many who didn’t, so it was nothing special.

San-gun greeted him with a polite bow.

“Yes. Nice to meet you.”

Han-soo’s eyes twitched.

He seemed a little displeased that he didn’t reveal his affiliation.

“I’ll get straight to the point. Do you know about Cheonyodong?”

“Yes, I heard it from the Samae [junior apprentice sisters] here.”

“Yes? Samae?”

Han-soo raised his voice, startled by the word Samae. Ggamanghori tilted his head, and Geum-mae and Eun-mae also widened their eyes.

“I know that Geum-eun Dosa [Taoist masters] are Nangseon [members of the Nangseon sect]….”

“Ah, it’s because it’s a Myeolmun [destroyed sect] that has already been destroyed.”

“I, I see….”

The rise and fall of a sect was a daily occurrence, so Han-soo also kept his words to himself.

He understood that they were Sajaejigan [close relationships between disciples] if it was a Myeolmun.

“San Hyeong. Then how about we do this.”

“Let’s hear it.”

Han-soo suggested that they go to Cheonyodong with the Taoists he had gathered.

Cheonyodong was a place strictly managed by Suyeolmun. But this time, they were able to enter the place, so they would give them proper compensation, and if they were lucky, they could get the Bogeo [treasure] there.

In a normal situation, San-gun would have thought it wasn’t bad either. But he politely refused and sent him back.

Even when asked if he would reconsider, San-gun was firm.

“The Samae have to rebuild the sect with me. It’s a shame.”

Then he gave up and forced a smile. But it was obvious that Han-soo’s heart was twisted, even without asking.

“Keukeukeuk! I feel so relieved that Gongja-nim is helping us!”

Geum-mae slapped the table with her palm and laughed heartily.

“Y, yes. Hehe.”

Even Eun-mae, who was relatively timid, covered her mouth with her sleeve and laughed. How much had she suffered from Han-soo that even Eun-mae was laughing like that.

Ggamanghori didn’t know what was going on, but he laughed and enjoyed himself as they laughed.

“But it would be better to leave this place if possible.”

How nice would it be if chasing him away once was the end of it, but things in the world didn’t go that easily.

Besides, Han-soo seemed to know the specialness of the Geum-eun sisters.

“Yes. We were also worried about it. I think we should do that. There’s no way Han-soo Dosa wouldn’t harbor resentment, and it’s hard to see that he gave up with that.”

“Y, yes.”

San-gun looked at the sisters clenching their fists and told Ggamanghori to return.

“You?”

“I will stay here and participate in the production of Hwanjinpae. I have to be here for three days, so keep that in mind.”

“What? Then I too…”

“Here, take this and deliver it to Hong-yeon.”

San-gun handed her a gray stone.

“What is this?”

“It’s Boyeoncheol [a type of rare metal]. You’ll need it to repair the Guhwan-do [a magical ring] that you entrusted to Hong-yeon. He said one lump would be enough, so take it quickly.”

Fortunately, there was Boyeoncheol here, so he got permission from the Geum-eun sisters and got a lump.

He had to get Guhwan-do back to its original form as soon as possible so that he could rest assured even if something happened. The more powerful Bopaes [magical treasures], the better.

“Go quickly.”

“Okay….”

But Ggamanghori lingered for a long time and kept looking at San-gun.

When asked why.

“You’re not going anywhere this time, are you?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Last time, you went somewhere first and I couldn’t find you for a long time!”

“That’s because you….”

San-gun closed his mouth and nodded, trying to say that he had left first because he was late. He didn’t want to start later by talking about this and that.

“Okay. I’m not going anywhere, so go and come back. I entrusted Guhwan-do, so where would I go?”

“Hmph, that’s all I wanted to know!”

With that, Ggamanghori disappeared to Subangbong, and San-gun devoted himself to the production of Hwanjinpae with the Geum-eun sisters who were waiting.

* * *

Three days later.

The Geum-eun sisters and San-gun were looking at a piece of metal floating gracefully in one corner of the workshop.

It was a Hwanjinpae in the shape of a round wheel, with a blue jewel embedded in the center.

San-gun and the Geum-eun sisters looked at each other and nodded.

“It’s called Gorun (苦輪) [Wheel of Suffering].”

“Gorun…. Not bad.”

San-gun fiddled with the Hwanjinpae named Gorun and called Hwaran.

-Hwaran. What does Gorun mean?

-……You have a thick face. Were you pretending to know when you didn’t?

-Just tell me without saying unnecessary things.

-The agony that torments the body and mind rolls like a wheel, so there is no rest.

-……I see.

-You can ask again if you don’t understand.

-No, I understand. It means that agony continues endlessly.”

San-gun, who roughly understood, nodded with satisfaction and praised the Geum-eun sisters.

As he participated directly, he could fix any parts that needed repair. It was a very satisfying three days as he broadened his knowledge of Hwanjin through them.

“Then thank you, Gongja!”

During these three days, San-gun built up quite a bit of friendship with them while making Gorun.

They are the Geum-eun sisters who will become great Seonsas in the future, even if they are nothing special now.

It was not bad for San-gun to get closer to them.

“Leave right away in case he comes again. Thank you.”

“I understand! See you next time!”

“N, next time….”

He conveyed his gratitude and headed straight to Subangbong.

Hong-yeon and Ggamanghori greeted him as if they had been waiting for him at Subangbong.

“Is Guhwan-do all fixed?”

“Here it is.”

When he received the Guhwan-do that Hong-yeon handed him and examined it, the cracks that were originally there had disappeared without a trace and it was clean.

Besides, the energy seemed to be stronger than what he originally had.

“It seems to have become a Bogeo?”

“I have something to tell you about that.”

But suddenly, Hong-yeon took out a talisman and floated it in the air.

It was a Bangeumbu (防音簿) [Soundproof Talisman], a talisman that created a simple barrier to prevent sound from leaking out.

‘Is it to the point where I have to do this?’

This was San-gun’s training cave, so he wondered if it was necessary to do that.

But as her story began, San-gun’s face hardened and his blood began to drain.

He sighed softly, smiled bitterly, and then stroked his chin, pondered deeply, and nodded.

“There’s nothing to worry about now, right?”

“Yes. The soul that lost its hundred was put into Guhwan-do and refined, so it became a Bogeo. I didn’t expect it either. It seems that it was a guy with high Sinshik [spiritual awareness], so it benefited Guhwan-do. Besides, there’s nothing bad about knowing the location of the Dokmuntongsul [unique magical skill] and Bibo [secret treasure].”

-Even if you don’t know the Pacheonmageok [Heavenly Demon Great Art], it’s Cheonyangjibo [Heavenly Sun Supreme Treasure]! Even if you have it, you won’t be able to use it properly, and you’ll be easily targeted by other Goge Seonsas [high-level Taoist masters]!

San-gun listened to the main Gugeol [incantation] of Pacheonmageok from Hong-yeon and memorized it carefully with Hwaran.

There was no time right now. He was going to take a closer look next time and learn it if there was anything he thought was okay.

‘Anyway, there’s nothing bad for me. I was chilled to the bone when I heard that Samgwi [a type of ghost] was hiding in Guhwan-do, but thanks to that, Guhwan-do became a Bogeo, and I knew the location of the guy’s Dokmuntongsul and Cheonyangjibo, so there’s nothing bad.’

But San-gun could have been reversed by the guy and had his body taken away or suffered great harm. Thinking about it, he couldn’t help but reflect.

‘I thought I was being careful in my own way.’

There are countless Sintongs [magical abilities] in the world that he doesn’t know. Originally, he was a guy with the realm of Yeonggeop [a high level of cultivation], so it was strange if he died so easily.

San-gun once again reflected on the past and vowed to move more carefully.

‘What would have happened if I hadn’t entrusted Guhwan-do to Hong-yeon….’

It was something he didn’t even want to imagine.

As he was organizing his thoughts, Hong-yeon was looking at him as if she had something to say.

“I heard you’re going to Cheonyodong?”

“No.”

Although many treasures were sleeping in Cheonyodong, he didn’t want to take the risk and go. Rather, it was enough to obtain the Bibo of Geummyeongjiryung, which was secured.

“Oh? Weren’t you going to Cheonyodong?”

San-gun narrowed his eyes and looked at Ggamanghori before sighing.

“Why would I set foot in that dangerous place? There’s no reason to go. Blackie.”

He shook his head and entered the Seoksil [stone chamber] prepared in one corner of the training room.

There was San-gun’s Bokchung [a type of magical insect], Tamhwaogong [another type of magical insect], and as soon as he entered there, he forgot Ggamanghori’s stupidity and drew a Hosun [smile] on his lips.

Tamhwaogong had shed its previous dull color and transformed into a golden appearance.

He ate Geumjangjitae [a type of magical herb] and perfectly absorbed its Sintong. Tamhwaogong was gnawing at the golden cocoon he had made, and when San-gun gestured for a moment, he perked up his head and ran to San-gun.

The length is about 3 feet.

The width was about the size of a strong man’s forearm.

It was a little grotesque because it had the appearance of a centipede, but he didn’t care.

The Sintong that this guy had was extremely special, so he couldn’t help but look pretty. When San-gun pointed to one side of the Seoksil, golden threads spewed out of Tamhwaogong’s mouth and instantly destroyed the Seoksil wall.

“Hoo.”

San-gun enjoyed it and ordered again, and this time he wrapped the broken debris with Geumjangsa [golden silk] and made it into a cocoon and brought it in front of San-gun.

Seeing the Geumjangsa that didn’t break even with ordinary Sintong in front of him, San-gun’s mouth was hung on his ears.

He immediately took out Guhwan-do and struck it down, and it only got a little scratched and didn’t cut off.

When he raised the flames of Bongakcheonghwa [a type of magical fire], it melted a little, but it was clear that this would be of great help.

San-gun put Tamhwaogong in Gongjeonggang [a magical container], took a look at the Taehwari [a type of magical fruit] and Mansam [ginseng], and left the training room.