Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 589

298. Special Side Story 15

“How boring.”

Leaning against a Heavenly Peach Tree on the edge of the Eastern Emperor’s Territory, Cheonbeom couldn’t shake his boredom.

It had been quite some time since he’d arrived, requesting a guide.

However, for some reason, the Eastern Emperor’s Territory was struggling to find someone to lead him to the Netherworld.

“Isn’t this mess because of the rumors about the Mountain Lord [Cheonbeom’s title] that have spread?”

“What did I do?”

Hwaran, in her woman’s form, sneered, seemingly enjoying his predicament.

“Coming to the Eastern Emperor’s Territory and demanding a guide, even burning True Immortals [powerful celestial beings] when they couldn’t provide one? How can you be so impulsive? You spared the pretty female immortals and burned the men to ashes. I was truly astonished.”

“It was unintentional.”

It was a coincidence.

What could he do if all the True Immortals who attacked him happened to be men?

“I saw it clearly. There was a rather lovely female immortal. You flicked her away with a finger and burned all the others.”

“That was also a coincidence.”

Cheonbeom had devoted himself to cultivation for so long; would he really discriminate between men and women?

That was also a coincidence.

“Wasn’t the realization that there are no coincidences in the world what you gained over the past years?”

“Ahem.”

Since she wasn’t wrong, Cheonbeom had no retort.

He could only,

“It’s unfair.”

Express his frustration.

“What’s unfair about it!”

It felt like his eardrums would burst.

Cheonbeom picked at his ear.

“Are you picking your ear because you don’t want to hear my nagging?”

“I thought something was tickling and blood might be coming out. I’m glad it’s not.”

“I could just die from your spitefulness.”

“What did I do….”

He clearly rode the Great Peng [a mythical bird] from the Western Emperor’s Territory and announced that he was a guest. But for some reason, the True Immortals of the Eastern Emperor’s Territory showed quite a bit of hostility towards Cheonbeom….

“They insulted me.”

So, after dealing with one or two of them, the Eastern Emperor’s Territory’s martial force, the Eastern Emperor Generals or whatever they were called, appeared as if they had been waiting.

Cheonbeom swept them all away.

“They were quite strong.”

Eight Eastern Emperor Generals and about a hundred other True Immortals, was it?

That’s what it seemed like.

“One of those strong Eastern Emperor Generals was quite a beautiful woman. And she is still alive.”

Everyone else died!

“She was lucky.”

Hwaran’s gaze was quite sharp.

“It means my cultivation is lacking.”

“Don’t lie.”

“I am a man who has never uttered a lie in his life.”

“Look at you, not even batting an eye when you say that. It’s hilarious.”

Ahem.

“Ran, if you dwell on the past, your inner demons will rage.”

“My inner demon is the Mountain Lord.”

“That’s quite an honor.”

Sigh.

Hwaran sighed and rubbed her forehead.

“Do you know what I don’t understand?”

“What is it?”

“Why does that one keep sending you glances full of affection after getting beaten by you?”

“Did she? I didn’t notice at all.”

She was probably talking about the Eastern Emperor General, Gong Chu-jeong.

“Does she have some kind of masochistic fetish? I can’t understand it at all!! Why is that? Did you make a pass at her?”

“No, what did I… I didn’t even exchange a single word with her.”

“Originally, men and women don’t need words. Only one thing. A look is all it takes. I, too, was captivated by your deep gaze….”

Cheonbeom coughed at Hwaran’s teasing and got up from his seat, putting his hands behind his back.

“Ran.”

“Yes.”

He was changing the subject, but when Cheonbeom’s expression turned serious, Hwaran became demure as if she had never been angry.

“It seems that my choice was right after all. Otherwise, you would have only half-heartedly listened to my requests until now.”

Only after killing the Eastern Emperor General and the True Immortals did the Eastern Emperor Mother appear, settle the situation, and treat Cheonbeom with the utmost respect.

‘The unexpected one was the Eastern Emperor Mother.’

Unlike the True Immortals of the Eastern Emperor’s Territory, she was not accustomed to conflict.

Looking at her first impression, what should he say?

“A frail woman.”

Perhaps that’s why.

The Eastern Emperor’s Territory seemed to take care of her like a child put out on the street.

The Eastern Emperor Generals sending hostility towards Cheonbeom was also, in a way, worried that he might harm the Eastern Emperor Mother.

“There’s also a frail woman here.”

Hwaran stretched Cheonbeom’s cheeks with a sulky face.

Cheonbeom wondered if he should reply that what was frail about a woman who could cut True Immortals and whatever else in half if she didn’t like something, but he stopped.

“Well, now I can finally depart for the Netherworld.”

“Don’t change the subject.”

“Since they say they’ve finally found a guide… I should go and meet this Fudong Myo Wang [an important figure in the Netherworld] as soon as possible.”

“Don’t change the subject….”

Just as Hwaran was about to snap at him.

A True Immortal of the Eastern Emperor’s Territory made his presence known.

“You’ve come at a good time. Is everything ready?”

“Yes. We have brought the guide, so you can leave as is. We have also completed the other preparations, so there is nothing for the Golden Celestial Lord [Cheonbeom’s title] to worry about.”

“Good. Where is the guide?”

“I will escort you.”

“Alright.”

Hwaran stuck close to Cheonbeom and walked.

“By the way, aren’t you busy, being the last remaining Eastern Emperor General? Doing the work of these underlings.”

“How can we entrust the task of serving the Golden Celestial Lord to just any underlings?”

“You speak so beautifully.”

“…Thank you.”

Hwaran’s murderous intent seethed at the sight of Gong Chu-jeong, who was looking ahead as if to hide her flushed cheeks.

-I’m going to kill her.

Cheonbeom turned his gaze away, pretending not to notice, and continued walking.

* * *

The Netherworld (冥途天).

Just from hearing the name.

He imagined that the sky of the Netherworld would be quite dark, and the surroundings would be damp and filled with the stench of rotting corpses.

Even if it wasn’t like that, he thought it would have an eerie atmosphere.

In the first place, it wasn’t even a sky.

The Netherworld was underground in the Great Firmament [a high-level celestial realm], and it was good to express it as underground.

Therefore, Cheonbeom thought that there was only turbid qi [a type of energy associated with the dead].

“I thought that turbid qi had its own will, so it would be quite a dirty place, but it’s not exactly like that.”

“Yes. Turbid qi is ultimately the thoughts of old beings mixed with celestial qi…. If you look at it purely, it’s not that evil.”

To Cheonbeom’s eyes, the Netherworld was quite a mysterious place as he followed the guide.

Shining immortal plants bloomed beautifully in various places along the path, and things like fireflies gathered around them, creating a picturesque scene.

The color of the turbid qi was a subtle green.

It had a color that shone like jade.

“However, because it is a collection of the thoughts of old beings, if the power of consciousness is not strong, the three aspects (三位) [likely referring to mind, body, and spirit] will be separated by the turbid qi that has lived for countless years.”

That’s why it’s only safe inside the protection of the special lantern that the guide is holding.

“It’s atmospheric, so walking isn’t boring.”

“Yes. That is so.”

“How much further do we have to go to reach the Immovable Fortress where Fudong Myo Wang is?”

“It will take another thousand years to walk.”

That’s quite a long time.

“A thousand years is long. Is there no other way?”

“I don’t think there is. Finding the path is also about barely shaking off the interference of the turbid qi, so if we use slow steps, we will quickly get lost….”

That means there is no other way.

“Hmm. Is that so.”

Cheonbeom stroked his chin as if he was puzzled and took out a Buddhist staff from his chest.

The Buddhist staff rang with a white and clear tone, but the sound was not loud, but it had depth and spread widely throughout the Netherworld.

It was Hwadam transformed into a Buddhist staff.

Cheonbeom placed the Buddhist staff on the ground and tapped it.

Then, jade-colored turbid qi began to rise from the ground, which had been dyed black.

“What are you….”

When the guide asked with a puzzled expression, Cheonbeom replied calmly.

“If turbid qi is ultimately the remnants of dead and disappeared immortals and celestial qi mixed with thoughts, then it can also be said to be a type of energy.”

Of course, it is difficult to handle carelessly because it is a mixture of the thoughts of huge beings and has been aged for a long time, but Hwadam might be able to make it his own somehow.

It’s not as good as Tamhwa, though.

Hwadam also had a precedent of roughly eating Tam’s blood, and he has been taking in a lot of energy since ascending to the Great Firmament.

‘If the lacking mental strength is corrected by me and filtered out, it will be fine.’

If that’s not enough.

This time, Cheonbeom took out the sword.

A long, black sword.

It was Naraka.

“Evil with evil.”

He just needs to get drunk.

And if he gets used to this.

“It will be easier to walk through the Netherworld.”

Then, getting lost will not happen so much.

Anyway, the lantern that the guide is holding will show the way to Fudong Myo Wang’s Immovable Fortress.

Cheonbeom’s lips loosened at the feeling that things would be easier than he thought.

“Walking for a thousand years means it’s a distance that wouldn’t take even a year to fly.”

“If you really become like that, the Golden Celestial Lord might become the new Myo Wang [a ruler of the Netherworld] of the Netherworld.”

A new Myo Wang.

“The Myo Wangs of the Netherworld originally understand the turbid qi of the Netherworld, separate the thoughts from it, and then change it into new celestial qi and send it to the Great Firmament. It’s something someone has to do.”

“So, the Myo Wangs use the bright ‘Myo’ character [referring to the meaning of the character in their title].”

A necessary task.

However, for that, they cannot come out of the underground of the Great Firmament and work only for that their whole lives. For an immeasurable amount of time, only for that.

“They were respectable beings.”

He just thought they were rulers governing the region.

“Golden Celestial Lord. May I dare to ask you something?”

“Ask. You’ve had a face that you wanted to say something ever since I first saw you. Speak without reservation.”

Then, the guide hesitated and asked him one thing.

“Do you perhaps have a woman in your heart?”

Hwaran’s voice began to stir in Cheonbeom’s ear.

“……Why are you asking that suddenly?”

“Ah, I think my question caused a misunderstanding. It’s not that….”

Cheonbeom waited quietly without urging her at her hesitant appearance.

“There is someone I serve.”

“And.”

“That person has a man in her heart, but I cannot understand what she is trying to do, so I would like to ask you, Golden Celestial Lord.”

It was a sudden question, but Cheonbeom did not blame her.

“The person I serve desperately wants to see her husband. So, I was going to tell her husband….”

She paused for a moment and continued.

“But she is reluctant to have him come to her.”

“……Is that so.”

“Yes. So, when I asked why.”

[I don’t like it anymore. That he always comes to me first. So, this time, I will go directly. I will become a woman worthy of the position he has risen to.]

“Do you understand?”

The guide asked him if he understood her heart.

Why she was doing that.

So, Cheonbeom nodded.

And then, one word to her.

He conveyed one word to her with a deep heart.

“Tell her I’ll be waiting.”

That this time, what he is waiting for in the sky.

It will be himself, not his wife.

“Whenever it is, I will be waiting.”