Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 460

Tales of a Wandering Swordsman – Part 2, Episode 169

Following Madam Go along a mountain path, a village came into view.

A large number of thatched-roof houses were lined up, and, likely due to the mountains surrounding the village, several caves had been incorporated into the dwellings.

“Various people reside in Gae Gye Oh Gyeong [a secluded village],” Madam Go said, preempting my unspoken questions.

“Thanks to that, the haphazard architectural style is also part of Gae Gye Oh Gyeong’s charm.”

That was certainly true.

Some houses were simple thatched-roof structures, while others were tiled houses of varying styles, and some even lived in caves, suggesting a diverse mix of cultivators resided there.

However, this naturally made me curious.

“Why is that?” Hoo Hae asked, his curiosity piqued.

Madam Go smiled sweetly and answered as a mother would her son.

“There are many stories. Some came fleeing disputes, and others came seeking items from Oh Gyeong Gyeju [the village leader], like the immortals. They’ve settled here for their own reasons, so I don’t know their true thoughts… But Gae Gye Oh Gyeong is a haven where you can live comfortably, even if you’re from the Upper World.”

Haven.

I think I understand what she means.

Gae Gye Oh Gyeong is governed by laws and prohibitions that forbid disputes among its residents.

Even if war rages outside, here, at least, you can live without much worry.

‘It’s not an ideal place for cultivation, but it would be good for stabilizing the mind and body.’

There are people like that.

The cultivation world is a place where cold blood flows, where death can come at any moment. Many become exhausted in mind and body, obsessed with overcoming the Heavenly Tribulation [a trial to achieve immortality], and feel a sense of futility in life.

Cheonbeom thought Gae Gye Oh Gyeong was the perfect place for such people to find peace.

Or it could be a refuge for those wounded from frequent battles, simply waiting to die.

“If they share the same purpose, why are they building houses and living here?” Misefa asked.

“Oh Gyeong Gyeju isn’t someone anyone can meet easily. Besides, those who want to meet him are lined up for miles, so they have no choice.”

“Then do we have to wait like that too?”

“Before Gyeju-nim [term of respect], status or power is of no use, so those who are desperate have no choice but to wait. Gae Gye Oh Gyeong doesn’t hold onto those who leave.”

Madam Go is right.

Oh Gyeong Gyeju, the owner of Gae Gye Oh Gyeong, is a Wonseon [a high-level immortal] who occupies one of the seats of Sangcheon Haewol [a council of powerful immortals].

Even a messenger from Sugung [Underwater Palace] cannot meet him if he doesn’t wish it.

Misefa’s face hardened and darkened.

Cheonbeom, on the other hand, didn’t particularly care, but he also didn’t want to spend too much time in Gae Gye Oh Gyeong.

It wasn’t just that he couldn’t fight there, but also that he couldn’t cultivate because the release of Qi [spiritual energy] was blocked.

It was a place for a mortal-like existence, and Cheonbeom would be bored to death in a month.

“Is there no other way?”

“No. It’s because this is Gae Gye Oh Gyeong that he even considers meeting you. Normally, you can’t meet other Wonseon Taesa [another term for high-level immortals] just because you want to, right? It’s only because Oh Gyeong Gyeju has accumulated virtue that he deigns to meet with his inferiors.”

That’s also true.

Those who are infinitely close to the sky.

They are called Wonseon Taesa, and it would be strange if a mere Hyangseon [a lower-level immortal] could easily meet them just because they wanted to.

Oh Gyeong Gyeju was unique.

‘I have no choice but to wait.’

Soon, after crossing the ridge and reaching the village, Madam Go stopped abruptly.

When I gestured to ask why, she said, “It would be better to wait a moment. You will be confused.”

“What are you talking about?”

The moment Hoo Hae asked, a change suddenly began to occur in his body.

“Huh?”

Hoo Hae’s body began to change unevenly, tearing his clothes and transforming into his true form.

It wasn’t just Hoo Hae.

The other cultivators also transformed into the forms of their original beasts.

Misefa, who was a Hyangseon, also transformed into a Geo Won [a mythical beast], so there was nothing more to say.

“The effects of the prohibitions are stronger in the center of Gae Gye Oh Gyeong than in other places. So it’s hard to maintain Talhyeong [human form].”

“Ha….”

It’s an absurd place.

A place that prevents you from achieving Talhyeong! It’s a truly interesting place.

Chwiiiiiii.

The cultivators, who had suddenly transformed into their original forms, were endlessly embarrassed, but the really interesting thing was just beginning.

[Uh….]

Their original forms were infinitely large, but before they knew it, they began to shrink to the size of ordinary beasts.

Misefa also changed from a Geo Won to the size of a mortal, and the others were at a similar level.

Among them, Saha, who was a Hwagirin [a fire kirin], had a particularly vivid red color and was beautiful, and Gonsabi changed from a fish, Gon, to a Bung [a large bird], but its size was so small that it only looked like a hawk.

Of course, Hoo Hae only looked like an ordinary tiger with wings.

In an instant, nearly a hundred cultivators transformed into the forms of beasts, and they were dumbfounded. But their gazes converged on one place, and that was because of Cheonbeom.

Among the cultivators of the Water Realm, he was the only one maintaining Talhyeong.

“Were you a human?”

“No. You can think of it as somehow resisting.”

“Yes? Th, that can’t be! This is a place where even Wonseon Taesa cannot escape the influence of the prohibitions….”

Madam Go asked if he was a Wonseon Taesa who had hidden his realm, but Cheonbeom laughed and shook his head.

“It just seems that there is a part where the prohibitions here and my constitution conflict.”

“Th, still….”

She looked suspicious, but when Beom closed his mouth, she couldn’t ask any further.

‘Hmm….’

Cheonbeom, who was making excuses, was also a little surprised, but it seemed to be because of the Geumhyeol [a unique energy] he had created.

Beom looked around alone in human form, stroked Saha’s back, who had turned into a Hwagirin, and quickly climbed on.

[Hey, where are you climbing! You can’t just climb on a woman!]

Saha was so embarrassed that she grumbled for a long time.

“Madam Go, how long do we have to wait?”

“Well, the person who has waited the longest here has been waiting for about four hundred years, so it’s hard to say when.”

When I asked why they had to wait so long, she said that Oh Gyeong Gyeju, the current owner of Gae Gye Oh Gyeong, had entered seclusion.

She said that if he came out of seclusion, they wouldn’t have to wait that long, but no one knew when that would be.

It was the seclusion of a Wonseon Taesa, so the flow of time could not be compared to the standards of Sangseon [another level of immortal] and Hyangseon.

“I’ll designate a place for you to stay first, so how about starting by relieving your fatigue there?”

“…I’ll do that first.”

Soon, Madam Go designated one side of the eastern forest, and Cheonbeom’s group stayed there for a while.

“There’s really nothing here.”

It was really just the forest itself with nothing else.

[Are you ignoring us because we’re from the Water Realm?]

Hoo Hae grumbled in the form of a Biho [a winged tiger], with many complaints.

“That’s not it. Those who live in thatched-roof houses there are said to build their own houses and live there.”

It seems right to take care of your own place to stay. Besides, there are over a hundred divine beasts, so it doesn’t matter as long as there is land to lie down on.

“Misefa, you should rest here with the Sangseon. I’ll take a look around for a while.”

Misefa nodded slightly and began to take care of the Sangseon.

“Let’s go.”

[Do you have to ride on top like that?]

“It’s comfortable, why not?”

Saha was very embarrassed.

It seems she’s not used to carrying someone because it’s her first time.

“It’s boring alone.”

When I tapped her, she knew and started walking, whining.

Beom climbed on Saha and admired Gae Gye Oh Gyeong.

The village where the buildings were built was surrounded by mountains on the east, west, and north.

However, the shape and energy of the trees growing on each mountain were slightly different.

I couldn’t examine it properly because of the prohibitions, but Beom felt that most of the trees here were not ordinary.

‘Sinmok, Divine Tree.’

I couldn’t be sure because I had to judge only by appearance, but I felt that way.

Many of the characteristics were similar to those found in the Geoncheongi Wood [a type of divine wood] obtained in the Immortal Realm.

“Hmm….”

Beom looked around, flipping through the Geoncheongi Wood manual in his hand, one by one.

“Gyo Ji Chi Wood.”

It may look like an ordinary hunting tree on the outside, but the leaves smell sweet and taste bitter. If you boil and eat this, your eyes will clear as if you are opening your eyes.

“If you make a barrier with this as a stake….”

Beom coughed, stopping reading the explanation.

[What happens if you make a barrier?]

Saha, who had been listening quietly, asked.

Beom’s face became mischievous.

“It’s easy to conceive. Are you interested?”

[What kind of Divine Tree is that….]

She’s just embarrassed and grumbling.

“It’s hard for immortals to have children, so it would be a Divine Tree if it’s a Divine Tree.”

There are differences, but I’ve heard that there are immortals who naturally have lower cultivation if they have children.

So I heard that they don’t marry and only focus on cultivation for the rest of their lives….

‘It’s not very important.’

Cheonbeom broke off one of the branches of the Gyo Ji Chi Wood, put it in his arms, and looked around elsewhere.

Even if it wasn’t a Divine Tree, most of the trees here were not easy to see.

Since there was nothing else to do, it was quite fun to observe each one and study the Geoncheongi Wood.

[Beom, how about this?]

“That’s… wait a minute. Ah, Jakmyeon Sinmok. Let’s see, um! Jakmyeon Sinmok is unique in that it doesn’t have fruit at the end of its branches, but fruit comes out of its roots, and later the fruit comes up from under the ground and bears fruit, and if you go in the direction the fruit comes up….”

Something was written, but the letters were blurred and could not be seen.

“Eyes that can see the truth. It guides the way to Jinmok Bocheon [a legendary treasure].”

He flinched.

When I turned around, there were three girls looking up at him.

The girls had identical faces.

‘Are they triplets?’

They had no expression on their faces, unlike children, so I wondered if they were puppets, but it was ambiguous.

There was no way to confirm because of the prohibitions.

“There is someone who wants to meet you.”

“Who is it?”

“He told me to tell you that you will know if you meet him.”

“What if I don’t want to?”

“We won’t force you.”

After thinking for a while, Beom thought it would be okay and accepted.

Then the three unknown girls went through the forest path, telling them to follow them.

Beom followed the girls silently with Saha, and the scenery changed quickly each time they turned in the forest.

The scenery changed quickly from forest to sea, from sea to desert, and from desert back to forest, and at some point, a palace with a neat appearance came into view.

On the walls around the palace, there were girls armed with the same faces as them, and Beom seemed to know where this place was and who the girls’ owner was.

“Please come in.”

In front of the large gate, the girls knelt down and bowed their heads.

The gate was made of metaphysical patterns. You could tell at a glance that it was not an ordinary gate.

When I tapped Saha’s back, who was uneasy, she moved forward.

The moment I took a step through the gate.

Whoosh.

The scenery changed.

Soon, Cheonbeom and Saha, who had entered a certain space, were floating in the air.

It was a dark landscape, but I could see what was there because of the candles floating in the air.

It was a strange place. The objects in all directions swam like schools of fish, and their sizes constantly changed, growing and shrinking as if they were in the water.

Tak.

Then I heard a sound, the sound of hitting wood with the palm of my hand.

When I turned my head, someone slowly appeared in the strange space.

However, I couldn’t see it properly because of the white smoke that appeared with it.

“Who are you?”

When I asked, an answer came from the fog.

[Don’t you know the answer?]

With the sound of exhaling, the smoke became thicker.

[I am the one you are looking for and also the one who will give you the answer.]

Beom got off Saha’s back, showed courtesy, and clasped his fists.

“I greet Oh Gyeong Gyeju, the owner of Gae Gye Oh Gyeong. My name is Cheonbeom, and I came as a messenger from the Water Realm.”

After a brief introduction, the white smoke cleared and Oh Gyeong Gyeju’s appearance was revealed.

Oh Gyeong Gyeju was a woman with a pipe in her mouth and wearing a disheveled palace dress.

At first glance, she even looked seductive, and her hair was green.

[No. You didn’t come as a messenger from the Water Realm.]

“What do you mean….”

[You came for that black woman, didn’t you? So you brought that.]

Swoosh!

Oh Gyeong Gyeju gestured and took out a small jade box from Beom’s arms.

Soon, she opened it with a languid face and nodded her head.

Inside the jade box was a feather fragment with blue flames rising from it.

Beom didn’t know what she was talking about, but decided to stay quiet for now.

Tak. She hit the pipe on the palm of her hand, put tobacco in it again, lit it, and took a deep breath.

[But what’s inside you looks bigger than this, don’t you want to give it to me?]

“….”

[I’m just kidding, so don’t make such a scary face. I don’t have a hobby of taking children’s things.]

She showed a languid smile and took another puff of her pipe.

The smoke became even thicker.

“I heard you were in seclusion.”

[You must be wondering why I called you. There’s no other reason. It’s just that it’s fun that you avoided my prohibitions, and I called you because the relationship you have is interesting.]