Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 574

Tales of the Wandering Swordsman – Side Story 13

*Whoosh.*

A gentle breeze rustled through his hair, disappearing into the vast green meadow beyond.

Opening his eyes, the boy realized he wasn’t on Cheonseonsan [a celestial mountain], where he had been with his uncle.

“Ah, you’ve sent me… back home.”

This place was where he had originally trained with his father, Cheongmyeong.

It was a domain he had created, one that no one could trespass, a testament to his mastery of spatial laws.

‘Even Mother can’t enter the Azure Domain [a personal training space] so carelessly…’

Yet, Geumcheon had effortlessly pierced through his father’s space and returned him here.

He was surprised once again by the marvel of that divine power.

And again, seeing the book in his hand, he was astonished.

“Sacheon went straight to Sangseo.”

Cheonseon had no reason to leave her own Cheonseonsan.

Cheongyeon was a celestial immortal of the Immortal Realm, not the Water Realm.

Naturally, it was right for him to part ways with them and come here.

He always respected his uncle, the master of the heavens, but today he couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret.

“I wanted to be with you a little longer…”

But there was no real reason for them to stay together.

“Cheonseon and Sacheon both seemed to have realized something, and the reason to be together had also disappeared…”

And the inaction and few words he had shown were as precious as gold to the celestial immortals facing a wall in their cultivation.

They wouldn’t have had time for leisurely chats.

‘Daeracheon has been constantly…’

His last words lingered in Cheongyeon’s ear.

*Calling.*

He couldn’t fully understand it, but strangely, Geumcheon’s voice resonated deeply within Cheongyeon’s heart.

His expression, voice, and eyes hinted at a deeper meaning.

“Uncle is also thinking of further cultivation.”

Even the master of the heavens was seeking further enlightenment.

That realization gave the celestial immortals, who were now awakening to the Dao [the natural order of the universe], unparalleled inspiration.

Cheongyeon looked at the book in his hand again.

[Cheongyeon, take this.]

[Yes, yes! But what is this?]

[Show it to your father. Then the worries in your heart will disappear.]

It was an old, worn book.

The title was almost illegible due to age.

“San… Hae… what?”

The last characters were so faded that they were difficult to decipher.

He didn’t understand how showing this book would make his worries disappear.

“Did I have any worries?”

He pondered for a moment, but couldn’t pinpoint any specific concerns.

Cheongyeon decided not to dwell on it. He was told to show it to his father, so he would.

This vast, green meadow was the Azure Domain.

The domain of Great Master Cheongmyeong.

So, naturally…

“Father!!”

*Swish.*

“You’re back.”

He appeared as soon as he was called.

“Father, I have met my uncle.”

“So, it is.”

Cheongmyeong seemed to already know, his gaze fixed on the book Cheongyeon was holding.

Cheongyeon handed over the ancient book and said,

“Uncle told me to show this to Father…”

“Yes. My brother said he would send it to me when this matter was settled. He said that I would also gain something from seeing this.”

“S, such a great thing is it!?”

Great Master Cheongmyeong would gain enlightenment from the book!

Cheongyeon couldn’t help but be surprised.

Cheongyeon had always believed that Cheongmyeong, the absolute being of the Immortal Realm, had already realized everything in the world.

But for him to gain enlightenment and relieve his worries with this item…

‘Is this ancient book a mystical object that grants any wish?’

Cheongyeon couldn’t even begin to guess what secrets the ancient book held.

“Hmm…”

Normally, Cheongmyeong was a devoted father who would prioritize his son’s needs above his own, no matter how valuable the item.

But now, he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the ancient book, reading its contents with intense focus.

The expression on his face was a whirlwind of emotions.

Admiration and praise flickered across his features, followed by a frown and a flush of red, then a soft exclamation of surprise.

Cheongyeon watched his father’s ever-changing expression, unable to look away.

And after a while, Cheongmyeong’s eyes, which had been closed in concentration, opened with a clear and bright light.

“Father…?”

He exuded an aura that felt both familiar and different.

Cheongyeon sensed that his father had gained enlightenment and advanced his cultivation.

And that thought was correct.

“Hahahahahahahahaha!”

Suddenly, he burst into a hearty laughter, clutching his chest.

“What on earth is that…”

When asked, Cheongmyeong replied,

“The Sanhaebalsango [likely a rare and powerful text].”

“Sanhae… Balsango?”

“It is an early truth of the heavens for you. Yes… my brother also… how can there be such impiety.”

Cheongmyeong uttered incomprehensible words and suddenly unfolded the folding fan he was holding.

*Whirr.*

As he gently fanned himself, the Azure Domain, with its vast green meadow, vanished, and the space itself became limp like seaweed.

*Clack!*

When he folded the fan, the limp space disappeared like smoke, and the familiar scenery of the Heavenly Palace appeared.

A celestial maiden was waiting demurely with her hands clasped together.

Yeon-a was startled and opened her wide, rabbit-like eyes.

“Why…”

Just as she was about to ask if the Azure Domain had disappeared…

“It’s no longer needed, Wife.”

Cheongmyeong said, taking her hands in his. Yeon-a’s face flushed red at the sudden touch, and she blinked her round eyes repeatedly.

“Have you made progress in your cultivation?”

“Yes. I don’t need to be apart anymore, so I came running in one step.”

“Such…”

He didn’t know the details, but he knew that it was all thanks to the ancient book he had brought.

‘That was the worry.’

Seeing his parents’ sudden display of affection, a deep smile spread across Cheongyeon’s face.

* * *

A peaceful time flowed.

And a very long time passed.

That is how peace often is.

It fades its existence with time.

So, when it becomes faint, the world unfolds into chaos again.

But chaos was not necessarily universal to everyone.

A space where a giant peach tree supported the sky like a pillar.

That place was filled with peach blossoms fluttering in the breeze.

Underneath the large tree roots, a man sat at a desk, moving a brush with elegant strokes.

Several women were present beside him, silently guarding his side.

After a while, the golden eyes of the man beneath the peach tree slowly opened.

He was the master of all the Upper Heavens.

The ruler of the Upper Realm.

Great Master Geumcheon. Cheonbeom.

“Hmm… is it time?”

Upper Heaven. From the moment he made the heavens his own, which could now be regarded as the heavens themselves.

He had been constantly receiving its call.

It wasn’t a voice or a gesture, but a persistent sensation.

A sensation that at any moment, taking a step would open a door.

It felt like being swept away by a giant tsunami, yet there was a path within the crashing waves, and he felt compelled to throw himself onto that path.

It was hard to put into words, but the strange sensation spread throughout his body, threatening to consume him if he lost focus for even a moment.

He felt an overwhelming urge to yield to it.

Was this also the will of Daeracheon?

Or was it merely his own delusion?

“Geumcheon. Most of the Lower Heaven’s energy in the Lower Realm has been restored. It still needs adjustment, but it seems that balance will be maintained.”

*Swish.*

Putting the brush down on the inkstone and raising his gaze, he saw the speaker.

It was the First Celestial of the Upper Heaven Sea and Moon.

Jeolma Dae-gun.

“Hmm.”

Ever since Geumcheon had made the heavens his own, Jeolma Dae-gun had been assisting him, managing the other Lower Heavens.

Before, he had clearly expressed his reluctance, but now he was taking care of things without being asked.

‘I wonder what caused this change of heart.’

He was a reliable worker for Geumcheon, handling the smaller tasks among the grand schemes.

They had been together for quite some time.

“But what is that?”

Jeolma Dae-gun held a bundle of rolled-up silk in his arms.

“He asked me to deliver it to Geumcheon.”

Judging by its appearance…

“It’s a memorial.”

A formal petition sent by the lords of the Upper Heavens under his command.

“Read it.”

Opening and reading a few of the memorials, Jeolma Dae-gun began,

“The great master of all the heavens of the Upper Realm, and the one who will oppose the great heavens…”

“Just the main point.”

“Hmm… they say they are having a hard time because there is too much work.”

That was the general consensus.

The Upper Heavens of the Upper Realm numbered over two hundred, and Geumcheon had eliminated half of the lords.

Therefore, he needed to find and appoint suitable lords for the remaining Upper Heavens, but until then, he had entrusted the responsibilities to the current lords.

And he had forgotten…. about it.

“Unlike San-gun, the other lords are having a hard time handling it.”

Hwaran was already there, casually cutting off a branch of the peach blossom tree swaying in the breeze.

Then, she poked him with it.

Geumcheon ignored her and directly examined the memorials.

The content was consistent: they were struggling under an overwhelming burden that exceeded their capabilities.

“Are the others similar?”

“Yes. Similar content. They were originally people who struggled with even one heaven, so it’s natural for them to submit memorials like this.”

Two or three.

At most, they were suddenly managing four heavens, which was proving too much.

Even if they were lords, it was difficult to expand their capacity quickly, so it was overwhelming.

“Then you can just create new lords and transfer them.”

“But if you appoint the wrong person as a lord, they will become intoxicated with their power and exhibit excessive greed, ruining the Upper Heaven. There has been a precedent for that before.”

Even if they were lords, they were still at the level of the First Celestial.

They hadn’t reached Daeracheon, but they were connected to the Upper Heaven and became one with it.

Originally, they had to be in harmony, but if they became intoxicated with the power of the Upper Heaven and acted as they pleased, it would lead to disaster.

“Come to think of it, that was the case…”

There was one individual who had been appointed as a lord and acted recklessly, drunk on his newfound power.

He competed with another lord, and they both suffered injuries, their celestial energies becoming entangled, requiring significant effort to restore balance.

“One of those guys also committed considerable rudeness to Geumcheon.”

“Hmm… was that so?”

“Don’t you remember? Well, come to think of it, it’s been quite a while… Ah!”

Jeolma Dae-gun exclaimed, as if he had forgotten something.

“Why is that?”

“You didn’t destroy the lord who was rude at that time. Why didn’t you?”

Geumcheon was a man of decisive action.

He was even more so when it came to the other lords, and he would swiftly eliminate those who challenged him to prevent any future problems.

But strangely, he had sealed the power-intoxicated lord without destroying him.

Jeolma Dae-gun hadn’t paid much attention to it at the time, but now, observing Geumcheon’s attitude, he couldn’t help but feel subtly concerned.

“Was that so? I don’t remember well.”

Cultivators didn’t simply forget things.

Would Geumcheon, who was practically the master of the Upper Realm itself, forget his memories like an ordinary person?

Only then did Jeolma Dae-gun realize that Geumcheon was feigning ignorance.

“He was a lord with quite mysterious purple eyes. The uniqueness of his divine power was also impeccable… but he was a man who said something strange.”

Jeolma Dae-gun paused for a moment, resting his chin and pondering, then turned his head to Geumcheon.

There were a few of those individuals, and each time, Geumcheon had refrained from destroying them.

He sealed them away.

With a strangely bitter expression.

He wouldn’t have pitied those who were running wild because they were intoxicated with their power, so there must be a reason.

“I also remember what some of them said.”

Strangely, most of them looked at Geumcheon and initially appeared happy, but soon became extremely angry.

“Did you know the Sanhaebalsango?”

At that, Geumcheon’s brow furrowed slightly. Ran, who was touching the peach blossoms of the peach tree behind Geumcheon, smiled playfully.

“Come to think of it, the names of the books that you mentioned were traces of the True Immortal that you found when you were governing the celestial energy of the Lower Heaven belonging to another Upper Realm a long time ago…”

Geumcheon glanced at Ran and frowned.

However, Geumcheon soon retrieved a book from his robes and tossed it to Jeolma Dae-gun.

*Thud.*

At first glance, it looked like an ordinary book, but it radiated a power that was difficult to fathom.

Its name was also…

Sanhaebalsango.

“That’s what they were talking about.”

“…Yes.”

Geumcheon briefly opened the Sanhaebalsango, then took out several more books from his robes and threw them down.

“That’s…”

“The same book.”

Sanhaebalsango.

All with the same name, same material.

Books containing the same energy.

Geumcheon’s eyes, as he looked at them, flickered like a candle flame, filled with an indescribable emotion.

“The contents are different, but they mostly share similar storylines.”

“…What do you mean?”

“That guy also… saw this.”

Jeolma Dae-gun’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

It was difficult to understand what Geumcheon was trying to convey.

What on earth was this book?

“May I take a look?”

Just as he was about to reach out his hand…

*Thud.*

Geumcheon covered the book with his hand, as if to say no, and shook his head.

“You will surely regret it.”

“…Why?”

“The True Immortal’s book does not distinguish between ordinary people and cultivators.”

“What does that…”

“I was almost drawn in by the power of the book myself, so if you were to see it, it’s obvious what would happen.”

Even so…

“Do you want to study it?”

The pursuit of the unknown.

Something that cultivators would rarely want to miss.

But the weight of each word Geumcheon uttered was significant.

Jeolma Dae-gun withdrew his hand from the Sanhaebalsango.

“You made the right choice.”

Sometimes, there are truths that are better left unknown.

“I also…”

Geumcheon closed his eyes.

Long ago, the words his daughter had spoken naturally surfaced in his mind.

-So I want to know. What kind of prank were you subjected to, Father.

A prank.

Perhaps.

-What on earth made you hate Daeracheon so much.

Geumcheon, opening his eyes again, looked at the several Sanhaebalsango books in front of him.

‘Hate…’

Then or now.

The feeling of hatred didn’t arise.

Just…

“All that remains is curiosity.”

What were you trying to accomplish with this kind of thing?

What is the purpose of creating beings like me and placing expectations on them?

What will be the end result of this curiosity?

‘I’m just curious.’

*Whoosh.*

Rising from his seat, he ignited all the Sanhaebalsango books.

“Huh! Why…!”

“You said they were traces of the True Immortal!”

“My lord…”

The books engulfed in flames quickly lost their shape and burned to ashes.

Among them was the Sanhaebalsango that he had once read.

‘What I want is the truth. Or is it *the* truth?’

How can I stop when the answer remains unclear?

The right time has come.

“…What should I tell the lords?”

“There is no need to tell them anything.”

These were the words of the master of the Upper Realm.

How could anyone listen carelessly?

But he couldn’t help but ask.

“Then…”

“You will soon find out.”

Geumcheon, rising from his seat, took a step forward.

Then, the heavens and the earth turned upside down, and a blinding light erupted.

“Ugh…!”

Cho-a turned her head away from the intense light.

She was a First Celestial who could withstand staring at the sun for extended periods, but she couldn’t endure the power contained within this light.

But Geumcheon raised his head and stared directly at the light.

It was as if the sky was tearing open.

But not just once.

Opening and opening again.

The sky continued to open without end.

As if looking into a kaleidoscope, all things in the world took shape, disappeared, and were recreated.

*Kugung!!*

Each time the sky opened, various forces descended and pressed down on Geumcheon.

Pressing down.

As if to crush him and extinguish him.

But he endured, waiting for all the heavens to open.

After a while…

[What is your name?]

An unknown voice echoed in his ears.

It was an ambiguous voice, sounding both masculine and feminine, but the energy contained within it possessed a power that dwarfed all the heavens he had experienced.

How could he describe the power contained in that small voice?

He resigned himself to the fact that he could only think of one thing.

Daeracheon.

And Daeraseon.

Geumcheon smiled bitterly and replied,

“My name. I never imagined you would ask such a thing…”

He paused for a moment.

He had many names.

Originally, Beom.

After that, Daeho.

Next, San-gun, Cheonbeom, Geumcheon, and so on.

Apart from these, there were countless nouns that referred to him.

When friends called him.

When his wife called him.

When his blood called him, he was addressed by different names, but all were references to him.

So he pondered and answered,

“I.”

The faint smile that played on his lips reflected his emotions.

“A mere wandering swordsman.”

Tales of the Wandering Swordsman (浪仙奇幻談)

Side Story (外傳)

The End