Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 440

Tales of a Wandering Swordsman – Part 2, Chapter 149

Even as a war raged far away, claiming lives every moment, the sky above the Water Realm remained flawlessly clear.

Beneath that clear sky.

Cheonbeom stood before a grave.

The occupant of the grave was one of the Munmuseon [elite warriors] under the Munmugwanjang [Military Governor].

Beom conducted the funeral with a more solemn expression than ever before.

The Munmuseon bore the surname Gang, and not only the head of the family and its members but also the residents of the village where they had settled came to the funeral, their eyes reddened with tears.

For three days and nights, the sound of wailing echoed throughout the area, and Beom steadfastly remained in that arduous place.

“How many is this now?”

“The fifth.”

Huhae answered Sabi’s question as he silently watched the funeral.

This was the fifth funeral.

They were personally bringing the bodies of the Munmuseon who had died in the Seon Realm [Heavenly Realm] back to their hometowns to hold funerals.

For someone with the position and status of Munmugwanjang, it wouldn’t be necessary to go to such lengths.

Since they had died in the line of duty, the Sugung [Water Palace, the governing body of the Water Realm] would take care of the compensation.

However, the Munmugwanjang used his own funds to provide even a small amount of help, handing over wealth and staying to oversee the funeral.

His reverent appearance made even Sabi and Huhae, who didn’t usually like Cheonbeom, reconsider him.

They had only seen him as harsh and dismissive, so they never knew he had this side to him.

It was no wonder that the Munmuseon under the Munmugwanjang all followed and were loyal to him like a teacher.

Anyone would follow a superior who went to such lengths for the death of a subordinate.

“I wonder if he would do that for me if I died.”

Sabi muttered, and Huhae also pondered.

“I don’t know about that, but wouldn’t he be happy?”

“Hu brother, why would he be happy if we died?”

“Well… wouldn’t the Munmugwanjang get the heirlooms of the Hu and Gon clans if we died, right?”

“Ah, that’s true too.”

“I wouldn’t die out of spite.”

Their goal was to retrieve the heirlooms and rebuild their clans.

And also, revenge.

“Don’t worry too much. Even if I die, you won’t because you’re smart.”

“Brother is a fool. There’s no such thing as being smart or stupid when it comes to death. When it’s time to die, everyone dies.”

Sabi spoke pessimistically, but Huhae laughed it off.

“If you’re going to chatter, go back.”

“Sorry.”

At Cheonbeom’s sharp words, Huhae and Sabi naturally lowered their heads.

They pouted, but they knew it was wrong to chatter at a funeral.

Time flows.

It was already dawn.

The funeral, which had started in the morning, continued until dawn.

However, it was somewhat quieter than in the morning.

Sabi and Huhae watched the Munmugwanjang, who was looking up at the sky with his hands behind his back.

Then, Sabi suddenly opened her mouth.

“What are you looking at so intently?”

Huhae poked Sabi’s side with his elbow, but she didn’t care.

Her bad habit of not being able to hold back her curiosity hadn’t been fixed even after a thousand years.

At Sabi’s question, Cheonbeom simply opened his mouth to answer.

“I was looking at the sky.”

Sabi also looked up at the sky, following him.

However, the dawn sky was unusually starless today, and it was so black that nothing could be seen.

“I can’t see anything….”

As she muttered, Beom replied as if he had heard her.

“I’m looking because I can’t see anything. I’m hoping that something might appear.”

Sabi and Huhae tilted their heads, not understanding what he meant.

“Isn’t it similar? Death, like that black sky, is usually invisible, so you can’t know what the future holds. You can’t figure out how you will die or how to avoid dying.”

That’s why they are similar.

The sky and death.

Huhae and Sabi didn’t know what Cheonbeom was trying to say.

However, they could sense a certain emotion. His voice was tinged with an unknown fear.

“Are you afraid of death?”

Then, Cheonbeom, who had been looking only at the sky, turned his head.

“Is there anyone who isn’t afraid of death?”

Even in the Lower Realm, there were countless people who wanted to become immortals because they were afraid of death.

Who in the world could dare to be unafraid in the face of death?

“Yes, I am afraid of death. I’m afraid, so I want to avoid it, and I’m afraid, so I want to know it.”

“You have great power. Are you still afraid of death?”

“No matter how great your power, you cannot stop death.”

Whether it’s oneself or those around them.

“No matter how great my power, I couldn’t prevent the death of my daughter, who died because her inner core was damaged during training in the Lower Realm. Everything has its limits.”

Even though he had the power to kill Baekjeolsamu [a powerful enemy], he couldn’t directly prevent her death.

Having great power doesn’t mean you can control life and death.

“You said I have great power. But this power is so meager that I can’t even find the wife I promised to spend my life with. How can I not be afraid of death?”

To think otherwise would be arrogance.

“I’m not afraid.”

However, Sabi said clearly.

She wasn’t afraid of death.

“There’s nothing more empty than the courage of the powerless.”

Cheonbeom muttered, glanced at Sabi, and then walked away with his hands behind his back.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going to Hyoguga.”

“Hyoguga? Are you talking about that Hyoguga?!”

Huhae seemed to know something and was startled.

“What is that place that makes you so surprised?”

“Hyoguga is a place where even the Hyangseon [skilled navigators] are easily seduced by unknown voices, and once you set foot there, you can never return….”

Huhae was terrified that he was trying to go to such a place.

Seeing Huhae’s frightened expression, Sabi couldn’t help but feel nervous.

“If you’re not afraid of death, you can follow me.”

He had properly held the funeral, so now it was time to depart.

“It seems my old friend is there, so there’s no time to delay.”

“But I heard that all the Munmuseon under the Gwanjang-nim [Governor] are recuperating. They can’t go back to the front lines, so are you going alone?”

“You two are with me, so I’m not going alone.”

Although there was little difference.

Just three of them.

The three of them were going to Hyoguga.

The problem was that Hyoguga was close to the Four Realms.

If the Salsun [elite soldiers] were stationed there, it would be like facing a large army.

Huhae’s face was already pale, as if he were in the middle of enemy territory.

“Are you trying to kill us? I can’t follow that order!”

“If Hu brother says so, then so do I.”

Cheonbeom sneered at their bold attitude.

They said they weren’t afraid of death, but they were afraid of Hyoguga.

‘No, death isn’t the problem.’

They just didn’t want to die without getting revenge.

“It’s been a long time since I submitted your names as successors. If they hear that there are successors to the Hu and Gon clans, even the families on the front lines will want to kill you, taking advantage of any opportunity.”

Now there was nowhere to hide, and they were already Museon [warriors] under the Munmugwanjang, so where could they go?

Even if they didn’t follow him, they would have to live in fear of being assassinated.

“I won’t force you, so do as you see fit.”

Cheonbeom went somewhere, leaving Huhae and Gon Sabi with worried faces.

* * *

One month later.

Cheonbeom, along with Huhae and Gon Sabi, was in a strangely foggy mountain lodge.

Beom also wanted to know why they were staying in a strange mountain lodge instead of Hyoguga.

They had used the transfer formation prepared by the Daechenmunjang [Grand Commander] to move outside the Water Realm in a short period, and from there, they had taken a carriage-like Dunbo [a type of vehicle] that they had received to Hyoguga.

However, while heading to their original destination, Hyoguga, they were unintentionally caught in a strange fog and were stranded.

“Hmm….”

“Gwanjang-nim. Is this right?”

“Don’t ask me. I’m not happy with this situation either.”

The mountain lodge where Beom and his party had arrived was filled with all sorts of delicacies and glittering treasures, unlike its exterior.

The space was quite large, and the bedroom and bathroom were in the same place.

Very suspiciously.

And…

“Kyaa, young master, over here, over here!”

“We’re here~”

“Haha, you sly things!”

Beautiful women like fairies, wearing winged clothes, were playing with Huhae.

Three women so beautiful that the modifiers “national beauty” and “exquisite beauty” were not enough were laughing and playing with Huhae.

“How can they become so close so quickly? Even a neighborhood mutt wouldn’t become friends with someone so quickly.”

Sabi sarcastically criticized Huhae’s actions with a blank face.

“Those women are strange too. How can they be so affectionate to a man they’ve just met?”

They were sisters living in this mountain lodge and called themselves the Moyeong sisters.

Huhae had no reason to reject the women who approached him so warmly, and after talking and eating with them a few times, he was now blindfolded and playing tag with the three Moyeong sisters.

“I knew Hu brother was a fool, but I didn’t know he was this thoughtless.”

Sabi showed a cold reaction to Huhae, who was reveling in women. Her attitude was as if she had lost all affection for him.

Cheonbeom silently raised his glass.

“Oh my, young master, why are you drinking alone so tastelessly? I, Moyeongjeong, am here….”

One of the Moyeong sisters approached Cheonbeom and held up a bottle of alcohol. Beom averted his eyes from Moyeongjeong’s bare skin, which was faintly visible through her thin clothes.

It was hard to tell if she was wearing clothes or just draped in them. Her face was pure white, but her behavior and gestures were no different from those of a seductress, so it was understandable that Huhae was so smitten.

“Miss, there are a few things I’d like to ask you. Can you answer them?”

At his question, Moyeongjeong moved even closer to Beom, leaned her head on his shoulder, and said.

“I’ll tell you if you call me Jeong.”

“Miss Jeong.”

“Eung, just call me Jeong.”

As she said that, Moyeongjeong traced Cheonbeom’s chest with her finger and smiled shyly.

It was a beautiful smile that would captivate any man at first sight.

The blush on her face and her attitude, as if she couldn’t hide her feelings even though she was embarrassed, seemed to capture the hearts of many men at once.

However, Beom had no change in expression.

“We were trying to go to Hyoguga, but we lost our way after being caught in a strange fog.”

“Oh my! Hyoguga? What are you doing in such a dangerous place….”

“Everyone has their own reasons. Do you know the way?”

“Of course. I’ll guide you myself tomorrow when it’s light. So let’s have a good time today.”

Moyeongjeong shared a drink with Cheonbeom and gave him a strange look.

At that look, Cheonbeom downed his drink and then lifted Moyeongjeong up in his arms.

“Oh my!”

He whispered in Moyeongjeong’s ear, who seemed surprised, and she let out a shriek as if tickled.

“Is there a quiet room?”

A place where no one would come in.

Moyeongjeong replied with even greater joy.

“Of course, young master.”

With that, Cheonbeom and Moyeongjeong, the eldest of the Moyeong sisters, exchanged glances and disappeared into a secret room.

The expression on Gon Sabi’s face, who was left alone, became even more rotten.

“No matter how high their level, all men are the same.”

As she spent her time filled with deep disgust.

Suddenly, a woman’s moan began to be heard from somewhere.

“Ha….”

Sabi, who had a dumbfounded face, suddenly became serious.

The woman’s moan was getting louder and louder.

The reason was simple.

“That’s not a moan….”

It was a scream.

Sabi’s pupils shook violently.

It was almost a dying scream, and she couldn’t just sit still. How sadistically were they intertwined to make such a scream!

It was so loud that the mountain lodge was about to collapse.

“A, are you going to catch the woman!!”

She jumped up and ran to the place where the scream was coming from and opened the door.

“Kyaaaaak!!”

What she saw was Moyeongjeong screaming as her whole body was on fire.

“Gwanjang-nim! What is this….”

“It’s as you see it.”

“What, what do you mean as I see it!”

All she could see was Moyeongjeong burning to death in golden flames.

“They are Jeonggwi.”

“Jeonggwi?”

“They are ghosts who steal men’s essence to increase their training.”

“!!”

Jeonggwi, known as the Guiseon [ghostly immortals] of the Four Realms.

They were vicious Guiseon of the Four Realms who seduced men, stole their essence, and used it to increase their training.

“My missing friend and these Jeonggwi may be related.”