Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 43

Tales of Nangseon – Episode 42

Meanwhile, Hansu of Sumoon, along with his close friend, sought out the Geumeun Hwansa.

The man beside Hansu was a Taoist named Jangbang, also of the Doseon.

“Are they really necessary?”

“Of course. Without them, we can’t head to Cheonyodong. You may not know it well, but the Hwanjin [a complex magical barrier] of Cheonyodong is fused with a large number of Hwanjin, making it impossible to disarm.”

“But will Hwanjin masters of the Doseon level really be of help?”

It was a question of whether Doseon-level masters could be of any use when even bringing Hwanseon, who were skilled in Hwanjin, would be difficult.

Then, as Hansu moved his lips and sent a telepathic message, surprise filled Jangbang’s face.

“I see. If that’s the case….”

“This matter absolutely cannot fail. It’s already chaotic because of the monsters of Seoak. Not only Hwanseon but even Taeseon are stretched thin. If we succeed in this matter during that time, ascending to Biseon won’t be far off, so how can we give up?”

“With the Hangboshinmok [a sacred tree] and the treasures of Cheonyodong, it won’t just be Biseon. We might even ascend to Hwanseon!”

They smiled slyly at each other and entered the Geumeun Hwansa.

* * *

Upon exiting the stone chamber, an unexpected figure was waiting for San-gun.

“What brings you here?”

“Ah, I am Su-gae, one of the Nangseon of Subangbong.”

“Yes, Taoist Su-gae. But what brings you here?”

Then, the old man continued speaking in a measured tone.

He warned San-gun to be careful with his actions, as monsters were gathering in Seoak these days.

He meant that the higher-ups of the great sects were in disarray because of the monsters, so we Nangseon should take care of ourselves.

It seemed that they were Nangseon without backing, and they exchanged information because they resided in the same sacred mountain.

“I understand. I will engrave the Taoist’s words deeply in my heart.”

“Haha, is there really a need for that? We Nangseon should always be careful. Shouldn’t we be extra cautious?”

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, he parted ways with Su-gae. Afterward, he took Hong-ryeon and Ggamanghori and moved to Cheonyogok.

Cheonyogok was located about 10 li [approximately 4 kilometers] to the west. As Su-gae had said, there were Taoists from many sects there.

‘But why are the monsters gathering in Seoak? By now, they should be gathering in the east, where Palgwi is….’

San-gun felt a sense of bewilderment at how the future differed from what he knew and used Myeongeunsul [a technique to conceal one’s presence].

He didn’t want to stir up unnecessary trouble. That’s why he was planning to quietly take only the bibo [a hidden treasure] and leave.

“But how long do we have to guard Cheonyodong?”

A Biseon [a high-ranking Taoist] muttered as if lamenting. Then, the man next to him shrugged and spoke, causing San-gun, who was moving stealthily, to stop in his tracks.

“I know, right? Who would have thought that a monster would escape to this place? If it weren’t for the time when the Geumje [a powerful restriction or seal] was weakening, we wouldn’t have been able to enter….”

“Ugh, aren’t we the only ones suffering because of that? The elders are busy at the front lines and can’t pay attention to Cheonyodong, and the monster is trapped in Cheonyodong’s Hwanjin and can’t move.”

“It’s just a shame for the junior disciples. Because they can’t collect the leaves of the Hangboshinmok, they can’t use Hangbocheontang [a medicinal elixir] to cleanse their marrow. The next opportunity will come in 100 years, but they can’t just wait for that because of their lifespan.”

“No, didn’t a junior disciple say they were going in?”

“What? A junior disciple? How could they try to enter a place with a monster unless they were crazy and wanted to die?”

“Well….”

As the man moved his lips and sent a telepathic message, the Biseon’s eyes widened.

“Crazy. Completely crazy.”

“What can we do when they say they want to go in? The higher-ups have no reason to stop them, so they told them to do as they please.”

Having heard that far, San-gun’s eyes narrowed before he started moving again.

‘A monster is trapped in Cheonyodong….’

The junior disciple must be referring to Hansu.

San-gun thought that he was truly out of his mind and quickly erased the thought.

It was none of his business anyway, and he didn’t want to get involved.

After that, many Taoists were occasionally seen along the path he was taking. However, because Hong-ryeon was with him, he was able to pass them without difficulty and headed to the center of Cheonyogok.

San-gun peered around the trees, looking for something.

An hour later.

“What are you looking for?”

Ggamanghori, curious, followed San-gun closely and asked.

“I’ve only heard about it, so I don’t know well. It’s said that they hid their tooth among the trees in the center of Cheonyogok.”

“A tooth? You’re looking for a tooth?”

“Yes. It’s said to be a tooth that has been transformed into a treasure…. If I find it, I might be able to find the bibo.”

It was said that Geummyeongjiryung [a powerful spiritual being] had imbued his tooth with spiritual power over many years and used divine powers.

He had heard that the bibo was located where it was, so he was looking at each tree one by one like this.

“Okay! I’ll help you find it!”

“No. There’s no need for that. Could it be that one?”

When he looked at where Hong-ryeon was pointing, there was an old tree, and when he looked closely at the gap, something was shining in the sunlight.

San-gun ran to it and rummaged through the moss covering the old tree, and there was the tooth of Geummyeongjiryung that he had been looking for.

He was overjoyed and immediately began to bow.

“Wh, what is it? Why are you suddenly bowing!”

“If you don’t know, shut up. It’s because I have to do this.”

* * *

At the same time.

The Biseon guarding the entrance to Cheonyodong had grim faces. It was because of the Doseon who had arrived before them.

“Do you really have to go? Even if the junior disciple doesn’t do this, if we just wait 100 years….”

The Biseon glanced back and lowered his voice.

“The lifespan of a Doseon is 300 years, so how can we wait 100 years? Even if I die here….”

As Hansu moved his lips, the Biseon sighed deeply and nodded.

As the Biseon stepped aside, Hansu led the Doseon inside. The entrance to Cheonyodong was a cave where a giant monster had lived, so the entrance was 30 jang [approximately 90 meters] wide, making it larger than most pavilions.

Hansu walked ahead, and when he reached a certain point, he glanced back and nodded. The other Doseon recognized his intention and pushed the backs of two Doseon. They were the Geumeun sisters, who had wrapped their heads in hoods and wore pitch-black sunglasses.

“Do it quickly.”

Geummae bit her lip and glared, but Hansu was indifferent.

Eunmae shook her head next to her, seemingly barely suppressing her resentment.

After parting ways with San-gun, they were packing their bags to leave Sumoon when they were caught by Hansu and his friend Jangbang and forcibly dragged here.

“If you don’t leave Cheonyodong before the full moon rises, you’ll be trapped for 100 years, so you’ll have to quickly twist the Hwanjin. Or… I can help you with this.”

Hansu took out a dagger from his chest and pointed it at the Geumeun sisters. Then, not only Geummae but also Eunmae glared at him with fierce eyes before turning their heads.

“Even if we are Hona-hyeol [mixed blood], this treatment is unfair!”

Geummae threw off the hood and sunglasses she had been wearing and spoke.

Then, her golden bobbed hair and golden eyes shone faintly even inside Cheonyodong, and the other Doseon were startled by the sight.

They had only heard that they were Hona-hyeol, but seeing their appearance with their own eyes was strange.

“Th, that’s right!”

Then, Eunmae also took off what she had been covering her head and eyes with.

Unlike Geummae, she had silver hair and eyes.

However, Hansu’s eyes, looking at them, were filled with contempt, and he brought the dagger in his hand closer.

“Shouldn’t those with the blood of monsters be of help in a place like this? You never know when you might side with the monsters!”

The Geumeun sisters clenched their fists and trembled before turning their heads away.

Then, they bit their thumbs to draw blood and sprinkled the blood droplets where the Hwanjin was.

The surface of the Hwanjin, which had been filled with fog, twisted and distorted strangely.

“Oh, so Brother Han’s words were true! It seems that the Geumeun sisters are descendants of Manbyeongakgwi!”

One of the Taoists exclaimed in amazement and smiled at Hansu. Hansu also raised the corners of his mouth in satisfaction and nodded.

An hour later, a path through the Hwanjin that one person could pass through opened. Hansu led everyone through it.

Except for the Geumeun sisters, eight Taoists were amazed and moved forward through the Hwanjin.

* * *

San-gun wiped the sweat beading on his forehead with the back of his hand.

“I didn’t know I would suddenly have to give 108 bows to an old tree.”

Hong-ryeon chuckled and said, and Ggamanghori nodded in agreement.

It was the same for San-gun.

It wasn’t like he wanted to give 108 bows to an old tree. There was a reason why he had to do it.

He finished the last bow and stood up. Then, a small light burst from the tooth covered in moss, and the old trees split open to the sides, creating a space for one person to enter.

“Oh! The tree opened!”

It was as if someone had grabbed it with their hands and opened only the central part of the tree, revealing another space.

San-gun immediately stuck his head in and peered inside before entering.

Whoong.

The air enveloping his body changed.

“Huh? What is it?”

He tilted his head as if something was strange, but his gaze was drawn to the scene unfolding before him.

-What a mysterious place.

San-gun had the same impression.

The surroundings were a hollow made of gray rock walls, but it was a space filled with various flowers and spiritual herbs.

Self-luminous plants that emitted light were in place, dimly illuminating the inside.

Inside, a giant wolf about six meters in size was fast asleep, and San-gun flinched for a moment when he saw the wolf before calmly walking towards it again.

‘That place is my friend’s grave. You must never defile that place. It would be best not to touch a single hair on my friend’s body. A Geumje that you don’t know will be unleashed and devour you!’

He said it was his friend’s grave, but he didn’t expect the corpse to be there as if it were still alive without rotting.

A place full of luminous plants.

The wolf lying prostrate in the middle, with its eyes closed, looked as if it was simply sleeping.

“Woah! What’s that!”

Ggamanghori was surprised to see the dead wolf and shouted.

“This place was a tomb.”

Hong-ryeon noticed it at once and looked around.

San-gun nodded silently.

In front of the wolf was a small stone coffin. When he opened the stone coffin, there was an Ansiseok [a stone tablet] and a wooden box.

When he opened the wooden box, there was a round Seondan [a spiritual pill] with a jade color inside.

He knew at a glance that it was an ascending Seondan because a clear fragrance was spreading out.

“It’s an Okjubakdan.”

“Okjubakdan?”

“Yes, it is an ascending Seondan that is made by refining the inner core of a Chucheoljiju [a rare spiritual insect] and combining it with a hundred kinds of spiritual herbs. It is cumbersome and takes a lot of work to make, but it is an excellent Seondan for reaching Yeonggyeol [a state of spiritual enlightenment].”

San-gun had also heard of Okjudan.

It was made from the inner core of Chucheoljiju, which only eats loaches called Cheongchueo that live only in ponds with spiritual energy, and it suppresses the agony of ascending to Yeonggyeol and is supplemented with a hundred kinds of spiritual herbs.

However, because Chucheoljiju only feeds on Cheongchueo, it is difficult to survive on its own, so it was a spiritual insect that was difficult to find these days.

Cheongchueo still lives in ponds with spiritual energy called Yeongseojisu, but even that was difficult to see these days, so it was a Seondan that could not be made even if one wanted to.

-Geummyeongjiryung’s words were true.

-It must be true. Otherwise, all that’s left is to protect the Yeongnaesan of Ilwol and die.

He would have taught San-gun this place with the feeling of wanting to grab at straws.

Otherwise, he would not be able to escape Ilwol and would die of old age from revenge.

San-gun put the wooden box in Gongjeonggang [a spatial pocket] and infused the Ansiseok with spiritual power.

Then, with a buzzing sound, the Ansiseok emitted light.

As the light shot to one side of the hollow and created letters, San-gun silently read them.

As he read it indifferently, his eyebrows gradually narrowed before his face brightened with joy.

-This wolf is Geummyeongjiryung’s….

-It must have been a spiritual beast he loved.

“Hong-ryeon. Is there a Geumje on that wolf?”

At San-gun’s sudden question, Hong-ryeon examined the wolf in detail and shook her head.

“There is no such thing.”

“I see.”

San-gun smiled and thought.

‘He must have been threatening me because it was a spiritual beast he loved.’

In any case, the contents written on the Ansiseok were good news for San-gun.

This wolf was a spiritual beast named Unryeong, who liked humans and disguised herself to travel the world before being bound to a Taoist.

However, they had a limitation called lifespan.

A Doseon lives for 300 years, but she, who was Yeonggyeol, lived for over a thousand years, so it was natural.

The Taoist was troubled and left on a journey to extend his lifespan. Unryeong believed that he would definitely return and waited her whole life before dying of old age herself.

Geummyeongjiryung did not want her to die, so he went through all sorts of hardships to make a Seondan for her, but she received it and died without taking it.

Behind the passages filled with Geummyeongjiryung’s lament and desperation was the Gugeol [the essence] of the disguise technique that she had created independently.

It was a message that she hoped that someone who would find this place someday would use the Biundungap [a special artifact] she had left behind.

‘Biundungap.’

Disguise techniques can’t help but be detected by those with higher cultivation than oneself. It was a secret art that was essential for San-gun, a disguise technique that she had created independently out of concern for that.

San-gun took the Ansiseok and got up from his seat.

After looking at the wolf named Unryeong for a while, San-gun shook his head as he thought of Cho-a, whom he had parted ways with at Ilwolmun.

‘Lifespan. Lifespan.’

Hona-hyeol have a longer lifespan than ordinary humans, but even so, it cannot be compared to spiritual beasts.

Even with San-gun’s current level, he had 900 years of lifespan left, and he would gain nearly 2500 years of lifespan if he reached Yeonggyeol and Yeongmyeong [another state of spiritual enlightenment].

Even if he became a Hwanseon, which is the same level as Yeongmyeong, humans can only live for a thousand years, so it could be said that they live more than twice as long.

San-gun turned away from Unryeong with a slightly bitter look.

And just as he was about to go out the exit.

He felt a strange wave of spiritual energy engulfing his body.

Swish!

In an instant, San-gun’s figure disappeared.