Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 457

The deafening noise of war echoed across the sky.

The giant Black Dragon soared above, spewing poisonous mist that disrupted the battle lines. It mercilessly slaughtered the Sal Seon [a type of celestial being] with black iron chains, the Geumsoe [a mythical weapon or artifact].

Of course, the Water Realm’s army wasn’t idle.

With the two Hyang Seon [high-ranking celestial officials] leading the enemy forces sealed away, their army quickly collapsed.

The last remaining Ma Seon [demonic celestial beings] from the Bunggye [a specific faction or location], realizing they were losing, detonated themselves and fled long ago.

Thanks to this, the Misae faction’s army, which had been in dire straits, achieved victory with minimal losses.

The survivors cheered with joy, while the dead remained silent.

Hoohae, among the survivors, also rejoiced and savored the victory.

However, the sight of the two Hyang Seon glaring at each other with palpable killing intent quickly dampened the celebratory mood.

“What? Didn’t we win the war?”

“We did,” Sabi agreed.

“But why are they acting like that?”

“I don’t know. It seems their relationship is… complicated.”

The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife, as if swords and spears would fly at the slightest provocation.

Everyone else was cheering, but their corner looked distinctly different.

Hoohae and Sabi naturally looked to Saha, their eyes pleading for him to intervene.

“Come to think of it, when that guy came back alive from the Chunggye [another realm or location], I heard he accidentally stumbled into Palyeoldo [a prison or restricted area] and exposed the corruption of the Geumbunajang [a governing body or official], which led to his imprisonment there.”

Saha then remembered how he had rejoiced upon entering the Water Palace, only for Beom to leave for the Seon Realm without even showing his face, and how he had cursed Beom for abandoning him after completing his mission.

“Ah… but they wouldn’t actually fight, would they?”

“Surely not. Beom is usually thoughtful. He doesn’t get carried away by momentary emotions.”

Just then, Beom’s fist landed on Misae’s face faster than the speed of light.

*Thwack! Thud!!*

Misae was sent flying, crashing into a distant, unknown island. The army, which had been celebrating their victory, screamed in unison.

“Gasp!”

Hoohae and Sabi stared at Saha, their eyes wide with disbelief.

“It seems like he *is* very much carried away by emotions….”

“….”

Saha smacked his lips, at a loss for words.

And then, Saha shouted in surprise.

“Hey, hey! Stop him! He’s going to hit him again! You have to stop him, or he’ll die!”

Only then did Sabi and Hoohae desperately fly off to stop Beom.

“Let go! I won’t kill him, I won’t kill him, so let me go!”

“You say you won’t kill him, but why are you holding the Ssangmyeol [a powerful weapon]! Why are you acting so unlike yourself!”

“This *is* like me! Let go!”

“There are many eyes watching, so be patient! Be patient!”

After that, Saha had a hard time restraining Beom for quite a while.

* * *

A little later.

Misae, touching his swollen cheek with a dark and bruised face as if he were on death’s door, looked at the man before him with a very unpleasant expression.

“Looking at the army you’re leading, there are many familiar faces. Are they made up of prisoners from Palyeoldo?”

“That’s right.”

Misae and Cheonbeom had temporarily set up a military camp on an unknown island to rest.

Inside the large tent, a map of the area was hung, and Cheonbeom’s group and Misae’s closest aides were also present.

Among them were some familiar faces, including some of the prisoners who had been imprisoned in Palyeoldo with Cheonbeom.

One of them was Hwangon, who had been tricked by Cheonbeom with the Janjanhyeoljeongdo [a magical artifact or game board].

“There were quite a few prisoners who belonged to Palyeoldo, including me, and not many would volunteer for war in exchange for reduced sentences, given the current situation.”

The gist was that Misae, a descendant of the Mi family, one of the Five Great Families, was leading the prisoner soldiers.

“First of all… let me express my gratitude. If it weren’t for you, the damage would have been far greater.”

“I suppose. If I had left you alone, I would have hesitated to let you die.”

“…Should I be thankful for that?”

“Enough with the trivialities. I didn’t help to receive thanks; it just happened that way. You were weaker than I thought, cough.”

Cheonbeom waved his hand dismissively and clicked his tongue.

Misae, as well as his aides, fidgeted.

It was clear he was trying to provoke them.

However, Cheonbeom had a faint smile on his lips, as if he felt refreshed.

“But by the way, I know this place is quite far from where the Water Realm and the Seon Realm have established their defensive lines, so why did you come so far?”

“I can’t tell you.”

His tone was firm.

“Why?”

“There was an order not to tell anyone.”

“Whose order?”

“It’s Daechen Mujang’s [a high-ranking military official].”

“Hmm….”

*Then I can’t ask again.*

“…Is Daechen Mujang well?”

“Of course. He’s someone you don’t need to worry about.”

“Was one hit not enough? I could make you even more bruised this time.”

“Hmm? What are you talking about? Ah, are you talking about that tap from earlier? I thought that was just a lowly greeting from a Suseon [a type of celestial warrior] who came up from the Lower Realm.”

His cheeks were swollen and red, but he pretended not to care.

He was shamelessly brazen.

“The person who was buried underground by that lowly greeting has a lot to say.”

“We won the battle, so we were just looking for a place to rest in advance.”

*’…Did he go crazy after getting hit once?’*

His bluffing was extraordinary.

The urge to punch that annoying face into pulp surged within Misae.

“But where were you guys headed? This place is dangerous to set foot in carelessly. Did you even collude with someone?”

“Bullshit. We were ordered by Daechen Mujang to secure Sal Seon Sinjang [a celestial deity or figure] and were returning after rescuing her.”

“Hmm, I see. The Water Realm’s garrison will take about three months to reach from here at the earliest. I’ll give you a guide if you want. Geonwonhae [a geographical location] is easy to get lost in.”

“Thank you, but I’ll decline. Sal Seon Sinjang knows this area well.”

“Is that so? Come to think of it, I’ve heard stories about Sal Seon Sinjang from time to time. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Misae of the Mi Clan.”

As he greeted her, Saha also nodded lightly.

The aides looked at it with displeasure.

A Hyang Seon greeted her in a welcoming manner, but she only nodded without even getting up, which was impolite.

However, they only showed their dissatisfaction and did not voice it, because of Cheonbeom in front of her.

“Hmm, I don’t think I have a face that would be ignored by a woman.”

Misae joked.

He managed Palyeoldo and associated with many female Seon.

Even Beom had to admit he was a handsome man.

But not now.

“I guess I couldn’t see your face properly because I didn’t have a mirror. Your face looks like the bottom of a shoe that stepped in dog poop after being beaten by me.”

“Pfft! Ah, I’m sorry.”

Sabi couldn’t help but laugh.

His face quickly paled, and he lowered his head, but Beom patted Sabi’s shoulder.

“Even I think it’s a funny face, so you can laugh. Would Misae, a famous Hyang Seon of the Mi Clan, be angry because someone laughed a little at his own face? He should blame his face for looking so funny.”

“Are you done talking?”

“What are you going to do if I’m done?”

*Thud!*

Misae stood up roughly, glaring at Cheonbeom with a murderous look.

“With one order from me, seven hundred soldiers can target you.”

But Beom snorted.

*Seven hundred?*

When he received Sal Geop [a celestial trial or tribulation], even seventy thousand couldn’t stop him.

He didn’t even get angry at the threat of seven hundred. It was just funny.

“Did you think I would be afraid of only seven hundred Sang Seon [mid-ranking celestial warriors]? It seems like I don’t even need to step out.”

“Hoo. Can you swear to that in the sky right now?”

“Why would I swear to the sky over something like this? The sky isn’t even mine.”

Misae was furious.

If his body were in better condition, he would have punched him right away.

Cheonbeom was incredibly annoying.
The urge to knock him down was stronger than the satisfaction of winning the battle.

*’Damn it.’*

Since Misae had been imprisoned in Palyeoldo thanks to Cheonbeom, he had been planning his revenge if they ever met again.

But not only did he receive help, but Cheonbeom had also become a Hyang Seon in just about a thousand years.

At first, he was really surprised.

*’I remember he hadn’t been Seungseon [ascended celestial being] for long….’*

It was an extremely fast rate of advancement.

He had clearly seen countless Sang Seon collapsing before Seung Seon.

But among them were geniuses, and Misae had also risen to Hyang Seon at an extremely fast rate, but this was the first time he had seen someone become a Hyang Seon faster than himself.

*’It seems like he’s not just a Hyang Seon in name only, so he’s a guy who can be used in many places if he does well.’*

His power was quite strong even when he was a Sang Seon.

Misae calmly evaluated Beom, setting aside his personal feelings.

The energy he subtly exuded was comparable to his own, who was in the middle stage of Hyang Seon.

Misae was a Suseon who belonged to the stronger side even among Hyang Seon.

Even weakened, he wasn’t someone who would easily allow ordinary punches.

But as everyone knew, Misae had allowed Cheonbeom’s punch and been sent flying to this remote island.

It was ironic, but Misae roughly gauged Cheonbeom’s power with that blow.

*’He’s an annoying guy, but his strength is real.’*

In a battlefield where you don’t know when, where, or how you’ll die, the presence of a strong Suseon could reverse the tide of the war.

Therefore, Misae needed Cheonbeom’s power, even though he didn’t want to.

*’The success rate of the mission is low.’*

But it could be different if he was there.

If the possibility of success increased even a little, he had to grasp at straws.

“Hey, then why don’t you make a bet with me?”

“A bet?”

Beom smiled at the sudden suggestion.

*Why do these Seon like to make bets so much? If they want something, they should just ask for it, but they always insist on making bets like this.*

His intentions were obvious.

“Since you’re so confident, shouldn’t we bet something appropriate?”

“Like what?”

“Janjanhyeoljeongdo.”

Janjanhyeoljeongdo is a method of competing by pouring blood into it.

Misae meant to bet by putting the blood of seven hundred soldiers into Janjanhyeoljeongdo to compete.

Honestly, there was no need to accept this bet. Beom didn’t particularly want anything from him, and if he did, he was just curious about Daechen Mujang’s secret orders.

*Curiosity.*

*That’s all.*

Besides, Misae made an absurd bet, pitting his seven hundred soldiers against Beom’s group.

Who would accept such a bet?

It was a bet that only a crazy person would accept.

“Are you scared now?”

It was a cheap provocation.

Beom sneered.

The years he had experienced were too numerous to be swayed by such a simple provocation.

“The power of the Bokchung [a type of celestial being] you have is considerable, so it doesn’t seem bad?”

It seemed he was talking about Tamhwa.

“She’s not a Bokchung. She’s my daughter.”

Beom’s brow furrowed deeply.

“A bet, I’ll accept it.”

“Daebu-nim [a term of respect, like ‘father figure’]!”

Hoohae and Sabi shouted in surprise.

“Various experiences are definitely helpful for Suseon. Besides, it wouldn’t be bad to gain experience with a large number of troops before participating in the war.”

Unlike Gyeongjeongdo [another type of game or competition], Janjanhyeoljeongdo doesn’t move automatically by the clone but requires the intervention of the main body to move.

Hoohae and Sabi had never experienced war properly.

Since they didn’t have experience in large-scale battles, it would be very helpful to them.

“Since you ignored our soldiers first, you must have the skills to match. Of course! Since the numbers are not fair, you also participate. I will also enjoy it together.”

If Misae also participated, there was no need to decline.

“I’ll do that.”

“Da, Daebu-nim, wait a minute… shouldn’t you make a more careful decision!?”

You could also use your treasures in this Janjanhyeoljeongdo.

*’I didn’t have a chance to use Guhwando [a powerful treasure], but this is a good opportunity.’*

*I’m getting interested.*

It was a sudden bet, but it was set in motion quite quickly.

They collected the blood of over seven hundred Suseon, set the rules of Janjanhyeoljeongdo, built a formation, and sat in meditation nearby.

Except for a few Suseon who were on guard, they were all sitting in meditation, preparing to control the clone of Janjanhyeoljeongdo.

Tamhwa even stepped out in Cheonbeom’s group, so it was worth a try.

“Well, shall we start?”