Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 462

Tales of a Wandering Swordsman – Part 2, Chapter 171

碧空不觸滅 (Byeokgongbuchukmyeol).

Byeokgong refers to the blue sky, and Buchukmyeol is written with the characters for ‘not’ (不), ‘touch’ (觸), and ‘extinguish’ (滅). At first, I wondered if it meant ‘extinguishing without touching,’ but Cheonbeom paused, realizing that wasn’t quite right.

‘Byeokgongbu, Chukmyeol, is it?’ he mused.

Looking at it separately, it suggests that if the blue sky is touched, it will be extinguished.

That’s one way to interpret it.

While the previous techniques, and others here, were also secret arts intertwined with various laws, Cheonbeom couldn’t tear his gaze away from Byeokgongbuchukmyeol.

Because Byeokgongbuchukmyeol was unique – the only technique based on the law of time!

As Cheonbeom, who possessed the Simsi myo [a technique to accelerate one’s own time], had many questions about the law of time and regretted his inability to fully utilize it, Byeokgongbuchukmyeol was the technique that could fill that void.

Moreover, Byeokgongbuchukmyeol was deeply connected to space, potentially capable of stopping time within a specific area, not just accelerating one’s own time like Simsi myo.

As a secondary benefit, it seemed to have a strong relationship with time itself, suggesting that mastery could even allow interference with the age of a treasure.

In any case, Cheonbeom felt that nothing could be better than Byeokgongbuchukmyeol.

There were no books on these kinds of laws in the Tongcheon Library of the Water Palace, so Beom’s heart already pounded with anticipation.

[Even if you consume Jakgonggwa [a fruit containing enlightenment], you won’t master all these techniques at once. I’m confident it’s far superior to other training methods learned by word of mouth, but ultimately, the possessor’s mind and enlightenment are what truly matter.]

“Yes.”

[Byeokgongbuchukmyeol is a unique technique I’ve developed over the years, filtering the laws of time according to my will and unifying them. Learning this is akin to inheriting my mantle, so I’ll take you as my direct disciple. Of course, as the owner of the Five Boundaries of Gaegye, I possess everything you lack, so I’ll support your training and raise you as my own son.]

“….”

Cheonbeom pondered.

It was undeniably a tempting offer.

An opportunity to become Wonseon’s disciple and focus solely on training with full support.

For other cultivators, even considering refusing would be absurd.

Bowing down and accepting the teacher-disciple relationship would be the natural response, but Beom hesitated.

[Prudence is a necessary virtue in cultivation. Your rapid progress and strength likely stem from that prudence. But that’s not the attitude to display before me.]

“I apologize for my rudeness. However, I still have obligations, so I don’t believe I can isolate myself from the world and focus solely on training under the Lord of the Five Boundaries.”

The Five Boundaries of Gaegye enjoy a peaceful sky, free from incidents, but beyond its borders, the sky is stained with the colors of the Seonsal War [a war between immortals and demons].

I don’t feel a strong urge to protect the Water Realm, but I can’t ignore the fact that someone with that intention is by my side.

If Beom stays here, Saha will return to the Water Realm alone and fulfill her duty as the Sal Seon General [Demon Subjugation General].

And as the war progresses, Sagi, the Heavenly Outer Army [a powerful warrior], who is her ancestor, will likely appear.

I’ve received his help in the past, and I know he will appear, so I can’t simply stand by and watch. Even though I lack affection for the Water Realm, I still consider it a place to return to.

I have no love, but I have loyalty.

Besides…

‘I can’t completely trust her yet.’

Even though she’s a figure from legends, Beom doesn’t truly know her character.

Many stories exist of teachers who exploit and abandon their disciples.

Too many unknowns remain to become a disciple of the Lord of the Five Boundaries, whom I only met today.

It was a pity, but he had to decline.

[Well, looking at the tangled threads of fate surrounding you, I suppose so. But it doesn’t matter. If you take my Jakgonggwa, you’ll learn the technique that will inherit my mantle, but you don’t have to stay here. Didn’t I say before? I lack talent for teaching.]

She tapped one of the jade boxes floating around her with her pipe and opened it.

[Take it.]

The jade box had the character 蜀 (Shu) engraved on it, and inside was a pipe.

“What is this?”

[Can’t you tell by looking? It’s a pipe.]

“So why this….”

[As I said, I’m a woman with no talent for teaching. So, I created Jakgongsinmok [a mystical tree] and condensed all my techniques and enlightenment into Jakgonggwa to devise an easy way to train disciples. I’m such a lacking teacher, but I still want to give my disciple a token.]

It was a token given in recognition of being a disciple.

The pipe looked quite luxurious, as if made of ebony.

And giving it was essentially telling him to leave.

[It won’t break easily, so use it as you like. It’s a pipe carved from Heukjeong Jinmok [Black Essence Sacred Wood], which I painstakingly cultivated. Smoking tobacco in it will circulate the Heukjeong’s energy through your body, boosting your strength and purifying your mind.]

She seemed to be quite the smoker, and she explained that the pipe was called Heukjeong Danjuk [Black Essence Bamboo Pipe]. Since it was made of Shinmok [Sacred Wood], she kindly shared tips on preparing good tobacco leaves for internal injuries and happily discussed her own blending methods.

[If you have any worries, smoke Heukjeong Danjuk. They’ll soon disappear.]

It didn’t sound like a joke. Beom sensed something deeper and acknowledged that he understood.

[Your senior brother has the same thing, so if fate allows, you might meet him.]

“Do I have a senior brother?”

[I don’t even know if he exists anymore. He’s a heartless guy who never sends a message to see if he’s alive, so I have no idea if he still lives. I gave him Heukjeong Danjuk, but he never smokes it….]

She seemed to be holding back.

As a strange silence lingered, Cheonbeom glanced at her.

[Now go.]

She gave Cheonbeom the Jakgonggwa from Jakgongsinmok and ordered him to leave.

“Don’t you want a bow of gratitude?”

She seemed disgusted by the suggestion.

[I created Jakgonggwa precisely because I hate such formalities. If you feel gratitude towards your teacher, repay me with great success. If you master Byeokgongbuchukmyeol, I’ll bestow upon you my will and the true meaning of the Five Boundaries of Gaegye.]

That’s what the Lord of the Five Boundaries said.

Chokmyeongcheonnyeo waved a fan from her sleeve towards Cheonbeom.

Hoo-oong!

A strong but gentle wind propelled Cheonbeom away, and the scenery blurred in an instant.

[When you go outside, someone will be looking for you. If they ask you something, say yes.]

“What does that mean?”

[You’ll soon find out. Now that I think about it, I didn’t even tell you my teacher’s name. My name is….]

In the fading scenery, her languid expression came into view.

The slowly opening mouth held a faint smile, and Cheonbeom stared at the shape of her mouth as he disappeared from the space.

* * *

Whoosh.

Cheonbeom, ejected from the space, looked around and chuckled wryly.

‘She has a personality that matches her name.’

Sinwi.

The name of the Lord of the Five Boundaries of Gaegye, also known as Chokmyeongcheonnyeo, was Sinwi.

It was Sinwi (神威) [Divine Might].

“Beom-ah! You’re safe!”

It was Saha.

Turning towards her voice, he realized he was in the eastern forest where they had previously admired the various Shinmok.

“Oh, yeah. Are you hurt anywhere?”

He had completely forgotten that Saha had been ejected first.

“Yeah, are you okay? Did anything weird happen to you?”

“Nothing like that. But….”

Cheonbeom casually mentioned that he had become a disciple of Sinwi.

Saha was naturally surprised and smiled, her expression a mix of happiness and uncertainty.

“So, are you going to learn from her here from now on…?”

At her cautious question, Beom reassured her not to worry.

‘I really became a disciple by accident.’

Fortunately, she wasn’t a teacher obsessed with formalities and seemed almost laissez-faire when it came to teaching, so Cheonbeom was free to come and go.

Overall, it was a complete win, a lucky encounter, and he felt quite pleased.

It was still difficult to completely dismiss his suspicions, but seeing that she only said what was necessary and left him alone as if annoyed, it seemed his worries were unfounded.

‘Now that I think about it, she said someone would ask me something when I went outside….’

Was she referring to Saha?

He was slightly doubtful.

“But how can you use Talhyeong [a transformation technique]?”

“It just suddenly happened? I can use Sintong [divine abilities] too… I think the Geumje [restrictions] in the Five Boundaries of Gaegye have been lifted.”

Saha’s words were true.

The Geumje that had permeated the Five Boundaries of Gaegye had vanished completely.

‘She said she would fix the Geumje because of me, and she’s doing it now?’

As he prepared to perform a Sugyeol [hand seal] to expand his Shinshik [divine sense] further, he noticed a small wound on one of his fingers.

Concentrating his energy, the wound healed quickly, but Beom was deeply shaken.

‘She took a little blood.’

To think she had cut his finger without him even noticing and taken his blood.

He couldn’t even fathom the depth of her Sintong, and he couldn’t help but laugh at his own naivety.

‘I should have asked for a piece of Phoenix’s feather too.’

She was generous to her disciples, so she might have given it to him if he had asked.

If he had the chance to meet her again before leaving the Five Boundaries of Gaegye, he should ask.

Cheonbeom performed a Sugyeol and spread Shinshik throughout the area, confirming that all the Geumje in the Five Boundaries of Gaegye had indeed disappeared.

He also realized that quite a few gods resided within the Five Boundaries of Gaegye.

There were about three thousand gods, most of whom were now embarrassed that the Geumje had been lifted.

“Hoo….”

Cheonbeom, having grasped the general situation, took a deep breath.

Several things had happened suddenly, and he needed time to organize his thoughts and decide how to proceed.

‘Jakgonggwa is….’

Just in case, it’s best to consume it in a safe place outside the Five Boundaries of Gaegye.

What if he became incapacitated for a long time after taking it here? What if something happened? Maybe it’s Shinwi’s trick, Cheonbeom’s teacher.

He couldn’t be certain yet, so caution was warranted.

‘Besides, if it’s a fruit infused with my teacher’s enlightenment, it will take considerable time to absorb it.’

So, it couldn’t be done here.

He wondered if there was a suitable place, but the area near the Five Boundaries of Gaegye was adjacent to the Bunggye [Demon Realm], and if he encountered them, they would attack him without hesitation, so there was no suitable place nearby.

‘I’ll have to go near the Water Realm camp to train in a suitable place.’

Mi Sepa’s mission had also been completed by Beom, so there was no need to stay in the Five Boundaries of Gaegye any longer.

To be honest, he wanted to stay and ask his teacher about various things.

He was also curious about the connections surrounding him, the nature of the black thing, and the meaning of the halo.

“I’ll find out when the time comes.”

He was curious, but nothing would change even if he knew now.

Cheonbeom looked at Saha, who was waiting quietly for him, and smiled.

“Aren’t you changing into your true form? It would have been perfect to ride.”

“Do you think I’m your ride?! I’ll never change in front of you!”

She turned her head away and sulked.

Her appearance was so endearing that Beom gently pinched Saha’s cheek and released it.

“Let’s go. The Geumje has disappeared, so there will be a big commotion in the Five Boundaries of Gaegye.”

“Why?”

“Well, various kinds of gods have been silent because of the Geumje, but now that it’s gone, will the emotions they’ve been holding back stay still? They’ll explode.”

Kwaang!! Kwang! As expected, loud noises erupted here and there, and a wave of intense energy surged.

It wasn’t isolated to one place.

The energy of the gods was palpable everywhere, and even murderous intent was abundant. Now that the Geumje, which had prevented them from acting as they pleased, was gone, they were starting to fight.

“It’s better to leave.”

All the work is done.

It’s a little disappointing, but there’s nothing more to gain by staying, so it’s best to leave.

Tuk.

Just then.

Someone was approaching, triggering Cheonbeom’s senses.

“Who are you?”

The man approaching Beom was powerfully built and imposing.

He was a man among men, and Cheonbeom swallowed hard as soon as he sensed him.

‘Original God Seon!’

[When you go outside, someone will be looking for you. If they ask you something, say yes.]

The teacher’s words echoed clearly.

Cheonbeom hid Saha behind him, tense, and waited for an answer.

Whatever he said, he would give an affirmative response.

“I smell that bitch on you.”

The man narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Beom, then tilted his head.

“You look like a gigolo… Is that it? That bitch’s gigolo.”

A playful tone and demeanor.

But at the same time, his spirit was incredibly sharp.

If he gave an unsatisfactory answer, it felt like his neck would be severed in an instant.

Cheonbeom hesitated for a moment and answered.

“Yes. That’s right.”