Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 44

Nangseon’s Romantic Tale – 43

Hansu and his group from Cheonyodong walked through the illusionary formation without hesitation.

However, the further they went, the paler the faces of the Geumeun sisters became. Their blood possessed the divine power to twist the illusionary formation, but its effect wasn’t infinite.

In the first place, blood isn’t something a Taoist uses lightly.

Contained within their vital essence is the true energy and spiritual power they’ve cultivated. The more blood they lose, the more they harm their vitality, potentially leading to a decline in their cultivation level.

“What are you doing? Open the path quickly.”

As the Geumeun sisters hesitated, panting roughly, a cold voice cut through the air.

Geummae clenched her fist, but Eunmae grabbed her hand and shook her head. Resisting here would only put them at a disadvantage.

Such was the treatment of the Huna bloodline.

It was only natural for them to be discriminated against by the yokai [supernatural entities] and despised by humans.

Eunmae shed blood and laboriously formed a hand seal, and once again, a path opened.

However, as soon as the illusionary formation opened this time, a refreshing fragrance poured out like a waterfall.

“Ooh!”

The Taoists exclaimed, and Hansu ran ahead, shouting with joy.

“This is the Hangboshinmok [Tree of Subduing Spirits] that the main sect manages!”

Hansu, laughing and rejoicing, ran toward a tree growing on one side of the rock wall. He picked up a leaf that had fallen nearby. The Taoists, seeing the divine tree for the first time, were surprised by the energy it emitted and the fact that the tree was smaller than they had expected.

The Hangboshinmok had a unique silver color. Its leaves, called Hangbo leaves, were said to strengthen one’s divine sense just by possessing them.

Because of this, everyone’s eyes gleamed.

Hansu, who was picking up Hangbo leaves, smiled bitterly as he sensed their greed. Then, without showing much reluctance, he distributed one leaf to each of the Taoists.

“Is it alright for us to receive such a precious thing? Perhaps the Guimun [Ghost Gate Sect] might take issue with it later….”

“Haha! I didn’t know that Brother Bang was so timid! It’s alright! I, Hansu, will vouch for you, so please keep it! It’s my reward for all of you who braved the difficulties to come here!”

Hansu gave a Hangbo leaf to each person, but he completely excluded the Geumeun sisters. No one said anything about it; instead, they nodded as if it were natural.

“Now that we’ve seen the main sect’s divine tree, all that’s left is to secure Cheonyodong’s treasure. Seeing as we’ve had a good start, it seems like we’ll have a stroke of luck today.”

“That’s right. I heard that even immortals can’t easily escape from Cheonyodong, but to think you’ve secured the descendants of the Manbyeongakgwi [Ten Thousand Illness Evil Ghost]…. I can’t help but admire Taoist Hansu’s skills.”

“Haha, there’s no point in flattering me so much! I’ve already given you the main sect’s treasure; what else are you trying to take?”

Thanks to the Hangboshinmok, the atmosphere was lively, and all the Taoists had smiles on their faces.

They had obtained something that even Taoist immortals rarely got to see, so how could they not be happy?

* * *

Meanwhile.

Hongyeon and Kkamanghori were quite surprised by Sangun’s sudden disappearance.

“Ho, Hongyeon! Sangun has disappeared! He’s not trying to play hide-and-seek, is he?”

Hongyeon narrowed her brows.

“Are you even saying anything worthwhile? Sangun is not one to do such a thing. Please be quiet for a moment. You’re making me feel dizzy.”

“Uh, uh? Uh!”

Kkamanghori, who had been grabbing and shaking Hongyeon’s sleeve, realized his actions and plopped down on the floor.

Then, Hongyeon began to ponder this strange phenomenon.

And after a short while.

“I’ve figured it out.”

“Uh! Already? Uh, where did he go?”

“He seems to have moved to Cheonyodong.”

“Huh? Cheonyodong? This isn’t Cheonyodong, is it? It’s Cheonyogok [Thousand Year Valley], right?”

Although it was located relatively close to Cheonyodong, this place and that place were completely different. In the first place, that place was a cave, and this place was another space secretly created inside a tree.

Kkamanghori couldn’t understand, but once Hongyeon frowned, he pursed his lips.

“First of all, Cheonyodong has several illusionary formations spread out. I heard that many Taoists and divine beasts have set them up since the Manbo era [ancient era], and as time passes, they merge with the spiritual energy of Cheonyodong and transform into one complex illusionary formation.”

“Yeah. So?”

Kkamanghori nodded.

Hongyeon looked at him suspiciously and continued.

“…Because of that, the points of contact between spaces are heterogeneous…. So, to put it simply, it’s easy to get lost. The spiritual energy fluctuation just now is probably because someone in Cheonyodong is twisting the illusionary formation.”

Hongyeon rolled her eyes and explained in an easy-to-understand way, but Kkamanghori scratched his cheek.

“So…. Anyway, Sangun is in Cheonyodong, right?”

“……That’s highly likely. In the first place, this place itself is a space created using Yumu-gan [a type of mystical wood], so it’s easily affected by illusionary formations.”

It was highly likely to be a product of chance.

Those who were trying to enter Cheonyodong touched the illusionary formation and flowed into that place.

“Then let’s go to Cheonyodong too.”

“Yes, that would be better.”

Hongyeon shrugged her shoulders as if giving up a little and raised Kkamanghori.

* * *

At the same time.

Sangun stood blankly in a corner of the cave illuminated by night-shining pearls and glowing grass.

-Sangun, pull yourself together.

-Is it true that I have entered Yodong [another name for Cheonyodong, meaning ‘Fairy Cave’]?

His voice was incredulous.

-Yes, it seems so.

“Haa….”

Sangun sat down, pressed his temples, and sighed.

Having overheard various stories about Cheonyodong, he thought he should never enter it.

He even treated those who tried to enter this place as fools, but to think that he would end up entering it himself.

His face darkened in the meantime.

He looked around with his divine sense, but he couldn’t properly tell where this place was due to the influence of the illusionary formation.

Sangun got up from his seat and began to walk aimlessly. It wasn’t like someone would come and save him if he stayed still, so he had to do something.

‘Let’s sort out the situation.’

The gently spreading mist was created by the illusionary formation, and Cheonyodong was the only place in the Cheonyogok area where the illusionary formation was so entangled, so there was no room for doubt.

It seemed like the individual space of the Geummyeong Decree [Golden Light Decree, a protective barrier] and the illusionary formation of Cheonyodong were intertwined.

-You said that yokai had sneaked into Cheonyodong, right?

-Yes. But it’s strange. Cheonyodong must be a very important place for the Suwol Gate [Water Moon Gate Sect]. The guards at the entrance say it’s where the divine tree is located.

That’s right.

Judging from their stories, this place was where the divine tree was located, and if a yokai entered, they should find it immediately and kill it.

But why are they just guarding the entrance while leaving it alone?

Sangun was puzzled by that.

It was an important place with a divine tree, but why were they leaving the yokai alone?

-Most of the sects in the Suwol Mountains are gathering in Seoak because of the yokai, so the high-ranking ascetics may not have the spare capacity to pay attention to Cheonyodong.

-Is that so.

If so, it was somewhat understandable.

They must be very nervous, and ascetics with strong divine powers are always lacking on the battlefield. In the first place, a yokai entered through a gap where the Geumje [Golden Restriction] was weakened once every 100 years, and in just fifteen days, the Geumje would close again, and the yokai would have no way to get out for 100 years, so they might be thinking that they can deal with it later.

‘100 years is not a short time, but the yokai can’t run away anywhere.’

One thing that bothered him was.

‘Aren’t they worried about the divine tree being damaged?’

There is something precious enough to be called a divine tree, but they are neglecting the yokai.

That point bothered him deeply.

-There was a Biseon [Flying Immortal] at the entrance, so at least a Satong yokai [Third Stage Yokai] must have sneaked in.

-That’s right. A Yeongmyeong [Life Snatching Yokai]…. If I even make eye contact, I’ll die right away.

No matter how new the Gorun [Whirlwind Wheel] and Guhwando [Nine Transformation Ring] he made, it was not enough to face a Yeongmyeong yokai.

It was not just one stage above, but two stages higher. No matter how much Sangun was, there was no way to deal with it.

Thinking that, he walked through the illusionary formation for about half an hour, and then, for a moment, a sense of coolness settled all over his body, and his mind cleared.

Turning his spiritual power into his eyes to enhance his eyesight, he saw a tree emitting a faint green light. Strangely, the tree was shining in silver.

The light of the night-shining pearls and the tree blended together to create a mysterious light, and Sangun unknowingly exclaimed.

-It’s the Hangboshinmok.

-I wondered what it would be like to be called a divine tree…. It really is a divine tree. Just getting close to it gives off this kind of energy….

But that was only for a moment.

Sangun’s eyes narrowed slightly. The reason was that he saw something moving near the Hangboshinmok.

‘It’s not a person, at least.’

It was a tall yokai over one fathom [approximately six feet] in height, with no hair, two heads, and four arms.

-It’s a Samtong yokai [Third Enlightenment Yokai].

“Heo…. I wondered what was there, but it’s a…. Keu, this is good. My vitality was already damaged!”

The yokai looked at Sangun with a gleam in its eyes, as if it was a good thing, and took a deep breath, puffing out its chest.

Instantly, it spat out a few grains of millet from its mouth.

Sangun tilted his head at the sight of the millet grains passing him by.

“What are you….”

Thud! Just as he was about to say something.

The millet grains scattered on the ground instantly grew into vines and rushed in.

Vines rushed in from all directions.

Sharp thorns were even growing on the surface, and it seemed like poison was applied to the foul-smelling vines.

However, Sangun twisted up the corners of his lips and stomped his foot.

쿵 [thud].

With a dull noise, the ground beneath his feet shone blue, and Bongak Cheonghwa [Azure Flame of Bongak] soared up.

“Hmph! How do you think you can handle my Mokshiryeon (木弑憐) [Wood Slaughtering Pity] with that kind of fire!”

His confidence was great.

After all, he was a Yeonggyeol [Spirit Connection Stage] who had achieved Samtong, and Sangun was a Yeonghwa [Spirit Transformation Stage] of Itong [Second Enlightenment], so his confident attitude was understandable.

Whirrr!

However, Sangun’s blue flames burned away his confidence.

It burned all the dozens of sharply flying vines to ashes.

The unnamed yokai was shocked as the Mokshiryeon was erased without leaving a single speck of dust, as if it couldn’t believe it.

“What! How can a Taoist immortal!”

It seemed that he didn’t even recognize that he was a divine beast because his divine sense was being disturbed.

“It can happen.”

Sangun shrugged his shoulders and ridiculed him. As soon as he made Cheongyeom [Azure Flame Bird] into a bird and sent it flying, the yokai panicked.

“Hup!”

Faced with the unusual Cheongyeom, he took out something that looked like a stone from his chest.

Light burst out from the stone and instantly covered the yokai’s body, and it seemed like a defensive treasure made of metal.

-It’s a treasure made of Gyeongcheolmok (硬鐵木) [Hard Iron Wood].

-Gyeongcheolmok?

-It’s a tree that is said to be as hard as iron. It is especially strong against flames, so it is often made into treasures.

Sure enough.

The Bongak Cheonghwa that Sangun flew hit the guy’s Gyeongcheolmok, but it didn’t seem to have a big impact.

It was melting little by little, but that was it.

‘It withstands Bongak Cheonghwa?’

Sangun, who thought it was strange, soon took out a wheel-shaped metal from his chest. It was the Hwanjinpae [Returning Formation Plate] that he named Gorun, which he made with the Geumeun sisters.

He floated it above his head and formed a hand seal, and the blue stone embedded in the center emitted a subtle light.

Shoook shooook shooook!

The blue sword energy that jumped out of the blue stone was embedded in various places on the ground.

As the sword energy created a cloud of mist, Sangun raised the corners of his lips and took out the Guhwando.

He threw something golden from his chest into the mist; it was Tamhwa Ogong [Jade Flower Monkey King] who had transformed anew after eating Geumjangjitae [Golden Store Earth Essence].

As Tamhwa Ogong entered the mist and disappeared, Sangun threw the Guhwando with all his might.

Swoosh!

The Guhwando, which was moving through the air, rang incessantly and was shot at the guy’s Gyeongcheolmok.

Thud!

The Gyeongcheolmok, which seemed like it would block anything, was split like tofu. Of course, the screams of the yokai inside echoed loudly.

“Kueuk! How dare you my Gyeongcheolmok!”

The yokai, who had revealed himself, was frowning, and two of his four arms were cut off and spraying blood.

Sangun lightly sneered at the sight.

The guy soon started to run away at the eerie smile. But Sangun didn’t chase him and waited for a while with his arms crossed.

After a while, the yokai’s screams erupted again from within the mist.

Sangun chuckled and said.

“Even if it’s a Yeonggyeol, there’s no need to be afraid.”

He had no reason to fear the early stages of Yeonggyeol because he wielded Bongak Cheonghwa as a divine power, possessed Bogu [Mystic Mirror] and Hwanjinpae, and even a powerful Bokchung [Hidden Soldier].

After a while.

Tamhwa Ogong brought a golden cocoon from the mist.

The sight of him wriggling with his whole body tied up was quite disgusting.

His face was completely bloodless, and he was even stuttering.

“P, p, please save me! I, I’ll do anything!”