Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 581

290. Special Side Story 7

Jin-myeong, who spent most of his time in Seo Hwang-ryeong’s library, was none other than Nangseon, whose pen name was Geumcheon, and whose real name was Cheonbeom. He suddenly pulled a hairpin from his pocket.

He glanced between the Daechen Eunhasu Mirror [Great Universe Galaxy Mirror, a magical artifact] and the hairpin, which was inlaid with pure white and blue jewels, and muttered as if lost in thought.

“I might be able to see her.”

But what would he do after seeing her face?

His heart ached with longing already, but how could he possibly calm the overwhelming emotions after seeing her?

He had ascended to Daeracheon [a higher realm], fearing nothing.

“I’m afraid.”

He was afraid.

The piercing longing.

The warm affection he couldn’t suppress.

But even so.

“Shouldn’t I overcome this, too?”

If he couldn’t overcome this, whatever it was, he couldn’t truly live in this world.

He placed the hairpin on the mirror-like surface of the Daechen Eunhasu Mirror.

Then, a golden plate etched with layers of letters turned with a click, and a faint light emanated from the concave Milky Way.

Soon, it projected a scene as if displaying a vision.

White hair fluttering clearly even in the quiet night sky.

A delicate face and blue eyes.

It was Cho-ah.

* * *

Ttak. [Sound of a cup being placed]

Toasting the moon in the night sky, one glass.

As she sipped another, she realized there were quite a few empty bottles of alcohol.

“Mother.”

“Seon, is that you?”

“You seem to be drinking too much today.”

Now grown, Cheonseon and Cho-ah shared similar appearances, so much so that they could be mistaken for sisters at first glance.

However, the subtle mystery in their eyes remained distinct.

“I may be overdoing it. Your father sometimes indulged in his emotions. He used to say he was so altruistic and cold-blooded.”

Pfft.

“He wasn’t that cold-hearted.”

As if reminiscing about the past, Cho-ah pursed her lips with a longing look.

“Wasn’t he?”

“Yes, he was. But he was so cool even then. I was even more captivated by that part of him.”

Even now, if she closed her eyes, she could see it.

The memories of those days.

The beautiful past.

“He was like this even in Hacheon [Lower Heaven]. Your father always looked up and suddenly disappeared, leaving his wife and children behind.”

“Mother…”

“I was always busy chasing after his back. He had a fast stride. To keep up with him, I had to chase him several times harder.”

“Do you regret it?”

“No. I have never regretted it. It’s the same now.”

From the days of Baeksan’s [White Mountain, a significant location] immaturity.

Even when she met him again by Wolmo Janyeo’s [Moon Demon’s Daughter] side after ascending to Sangcheon [Upper Heaven].

Even when she had to send him away again.

Even now, as she longed for him endlessly.

“I have no regrets. He’s someone I miss even when I see him, except that I always want to see him.”

“Is that why you’re doing this?”

The bottles of alcohol scattered around.

But even that couldn’t get her drunk, so what could she fill the tiring night with?

“Soon, if you leave, you might be able to see him. Unlike before, your father opened up the sky and went up, so it goes without saying that the Cheonjiwon energy [Heaven and Earth Origin Energy] has become abundant, and the path to ascension is also optimistic….”

“But isn’t that just wishful thinking from those who haven’t ascended?”

“…Yes.”

What good are the opinions of those who haven’t ascended?

Even Cheonbeom, who ascended to the sky in the first place.

There was no way to know whether he had truly ascended to Daera [Great Heaven] or not.

Now, it was even ambiguous whether there was a sky above the sky.

Even before that, she wasn’t even sure if she could ascend, so how could she not stay up all night?

“What conviction did my husband have to go up like that?”

“He had a lot of books and convictions from other Sangcheons….”

“All of that might have been just an illusion.”

“…Mother.”

“I’m sorry. I said something unnecessary.”

“No. Soon…”

Would there be a hundred years left?

The time she would remain in Sangcheon.

“The Cheonbeom [Heavenly Calamity] that your father blocked is gathering and threatening my life… It’s quite complicated.”

Ascension and Cheonbeom.

And life and longing.

“I don’t have much time, but you’ll be fine. One of the reasons your father went to Daera was for the great cause of turning everything into nothing and recreating the sky.”

If he did, Cheonbeom too.

The divided skies too.

Everything would be recreated into one, and everyone could have a place under the livable sky.

The tiger of the sky had been rising higher and higher for that purpose.

“Don’t worry about us. Sacheon, me… and Cheongak are all taking care of ourselves.”

The son between Hwayang and Cheonbeom.

It is said that Cheongak is already making a name for himself in the Four Realms.

So.

“Don’t worry about your children, just focus on your ascension, Mother.”

“Yes. You don’t need me anymore?”

“That’s not what I mean.”

“Huhu. When you were young, you had a cute side, but now you’re all grown up and can’t even understand jokes.”

“Mother….”

“Yes. I’ll go to bed soon, so you should do your work too. You haven’t been on Hyangseon [Fragrant Ship, a celestial vessel] for long, so you said you don’t have enough time to train.”

“…Then please have that and go to bed.”

“I know, go away.”

Cheonseon looked at her mother with lingering eyes and turned around.

After she left, Cho-ah, who was left alone, got up from her seat, looked at the dark sky, and raised her glass.

“I wonder if my love is watching.”

This heartbreaking heart.

But she would only indulge in these weak feelings today.

“Tomorrow, I have to prepare.”

Less than a hundred years left.

She had to go to Daera before facing Cheonbeom. She didn’t need to open the sky like him, so it wouldn’t take much effort.

The key would be whether she could accept the Dao [the natural order] of Daera or not.

So, for the next hundred years, she would have to form a Dharma array [magical formation], empty her body and mind, break the vessel [spiritual container], and prepare to create and fill it again.

So, only today.

Just for today.

She decided to get drunk.

Everyone had their own way of getting rid of their troubled worries.

However, the common thing was that only by worrying a lot and being troubled a lot could they establish their convictions and goals.

“I miss you, especially today.”

So, she had to go see him.

Once again.

She had to follow him up.

To where my sky is.

* * *

Seo Hwang-ryeong’s library.

After taking a proper bath again, Gu-yeong headed to the library with a refreshing feeling. While staying in Seo Hwang-ryeong for a while, that guy didn’t come out of the library, as if he had glued himself to it. If he wanted to meet him, he had to go to the library, which was a hassle.

He would be in the library again today.

“Hey, Geumcheon. What are you looking at?”

As expected.

A man standing tall among the densely lined books and looking at the large Daechen Eunhasu Mirror.

The pine-like man stood there upright.

“Gu-yeong.”

“What’s wrong?”

As he approached, wondering, something was reflected and disappeared in the Daechen Eunhasu Mirror.

‘It looked like a woman.’

Was it an illusion?

“I heard that you manage Cheonbeom in Daeracheon, is that right?”

“Hmm? That’s right. Under the management of Daera Sangje [Great Heaven Emperor], Jinseons [Ascended Immortals] with various laws create their respective jurisdictions and inflict Cheonbeom. Not everyone can continue to live forever.”

The Dao is circulated.

It must be circulated.

If you endure Cheonbeom, you become stronger.

If you don’t get stronger, you die.

Death is circulation.

Eventually, it moves to another possibility and is tested again.

In the end, only those who ascend to the sky remain.

“Why did the sky create such a system but block Sangcheon?”

“I don’t know. How can I know all the will of the sky? I’m not the sky. That’s why I asked you to spread rumors that I would kill the Samcheong [Three Pure Ones, high-ranking deities].”

That’s right.

It’s not wrong.

But before that.

Cheonbeom had something to do.

“I heard that the Jinseons who manage Cheonbeom are divided according to the branches of Cheonbeom?”

“…That’s right. There are all kinds of Cheonbeom, such as Noegeop [Thunder Calamity], Hwageop [Fire Calamity], Jigeop [Earth Calamity], Mokgeop [Wood Calamity], etc. Isn’t there also Salgeop [Slaughter Calamity]? They’ve created some pretty crazy things. Enduring such things won’t be easy. Of course, Jinseons don’t have Cheonbeom, but.”

“Do you know where they gather?”

“Of course. There is a Cheonseo [Heavenly Bureau] that manages only Cheonbeom separately. It’s called Cheongongseo [Azure Palace Bureau], located on the clouds of Bukgongcheon [Northern Palace Heaven], which is called the highest sky in Daera… But why?”

The highest sky in Daera.

A sky higher than the moon and higher than the sun.

Cheongongseo in Bukgongcheon.

A great palace built on clouds, filled with three natural energies by receiving sunlight, moonlight, and starlight all over its body.

Cheongongseo.

“I have to go there first.”

“Cheongongseo?”

“I have something to do.”

“Not just anyone can enter there. It’s a place that manages Cheonbeom from the Outer Heavens… It’s not possible without a specific procedure. Even Seo Hwang-mo [West Yellow Mother] of Seo Hwang-ryeong is no exception. Not to mention….”

It is not a place where a Jinseon who has just ascended can set foot.

“But even so.”

He had a reason to go.

“I have to go.”

“How… how are you going to go? That place is protected by various Geumje [Forbidden Magic] and mysterious Dharma arrays, so you can’t approach it by ordinary means. It’s a very secretly operated place.”

“I have a way.”

As he clenched and opened his fist, he held a bizarre sculpture in his hand.

A human figure was carved on a round jade, and Gu-yeong quickly realized that it was not a simple jade.

“That, is that the guy from then?”

“He’s the guy who flew a magic weapon at me, drunk on the nonsense you spread. I’ve dealt with all the other guys, but I thought this guy might be useful, so I left him here.”

It had been quite a while since he had spread rumors about a rookie Jinseon who would overthrow the Samcheong and the sky.

While he was dealing with the guys who occasionally came looking for a guy named Geumcheon Jin-gun [Golden Heaven True Lord], he had sealed a pretty arrogant Jinseon.

“Is that the way?”

“It will be the way.”

As Cheonbeom’s jade resonated and echoed, light leaked out and the jade burst, and a person fell out.

“Y-you bastard!! Do you know who I am! Do you know who my father is!!”

“Who is your father, you son of a bitch?”

As Gu-yeong retorted bluntly, the Jinseon, whose face turned red, shouted.

“Proudly, Taecheon Geopseon (兌天怯仙) [Heavenly Calamity Immortal], who was appointed to Cheongongseo in Bukgongcheon! If you harm me, my father will come soon… Eup! Eup!”

Cheonbeom, who flicked his finger to silence the Jinseon, looked at Gu-yeong.

“It seems like a way has been found.”

“Geez… you handle things so easily. So, what are you going to do there?”

At Gu-yeong’s question, Cheonbeom raised the corners of his mouth.

“I’m going to ask for a favor first.”

“A favor?”

What favor?

No, is that how a guy who asks for a favor treats the son of Taecheon Geopseon?

“If it doesn’t work out, there’s nothing I can do.”

“……? You don’t mean.”

Soon, Gu-yeong’s face turned pale.

“Are you going to destroy Cheongongseo? Are you really going to do that!?”

“Do you think I’m crazy?”

“Of course! If you do that, the order of the sky will be disrupted….”

Many things would creak and not circulate. The laws and truths of the sky would be distorted.

Cleaning it up would also be a huge task.

“Wasn’t that what we were supposed to do?”

“Hmm…? That’s true. Then, should we kill this guy? I heard him say that if we do something to him, Taecheon Geopseon will come running.”

“So, I’m thinking of doing that now… What do you think?”

“Eup! Eueup! Eueup Eueup!!!”

He couldn’t speak because his mouth was sealed, but judging from his furious reaction, it didn’t seem like a wrong idea.

“Then, should we beat him up first? He looks like a fat pig, so it would be fun to hit him. Ah, is it okay to kill him?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

Udeuk, Udeuk. [Sound of cracking knuckles]

The unknown Jinseon’s face turned white at the sight of Gu-yeong loosening his hands.

“Eup! Eueup!!”

Only then did he realize that something was wrong, and he suddenly began to bang his forehead on the ground with his hands and feet tied.

Soon, Cheonbeom released the Geumje of his mouth.

“P-please save me!!”

“That’s not what I want to hear.”

“I’ll take you there!! I’ll take you to Cheongongseo, please just once…!!”

The road to Cheongongseo in Bukgongcheon seems to be quite smooth.