Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 59

Nangseon’s Romantic Tale – 58

“Do you think I’ll just hand over the Bokjwa Token?!”

Maeung’s roar echoed through the main hall.

However, the Mountain Monarch didn’t even flinch.

“Aren’t you afraid of death?”

He sneered, a smirk playing on his lips.

Even a Taoist who has transcended the mundane world is bound to weaken at the prospect of death. It was obvious that the guy was pretending to be tough, but his true feelings were bubbling beneath the surface.

“I am the Law Enforcement Elder of Ilwol. No matter how precious my life is, I have no intention of betraying the sect!”

His spirit was as tenacious as a weed, but his neck trembled almost imperceptibly, betraying his fear. The Mountain Monarch didn’t miss that subtle tell.

However, pressing him too hard at this point would be the worst possible move and could jeopardize everything.

Since he had used the whip, it was only right to offer a carrot.

The Mountain Monarch sighed softly.

“Indeed, you possess the spirit of an elder of Ilwol, worthy of being part of the best sect in Bangok.”

He crossed his arms and pretended to ponder. Maeung narrowed his brows at this.

He had expected to be pressured further, so he couldn’t help but be taken aback by the sudden change in attitude.

“I need the Bokjwa Token. But I don’t know its location, so I have no choice but to rely on you. However, your conviction is so strong….”

The Mountain Monarch reluctantly retrieved a small bottle from his pocket.

It was crafted from glass and contained a red liquid. Maeung’s face changed drastically as soon as he saw it.

“Even though there’s an antidote for Redscale Poison, it’s considered one of the top ten most potent poisons because one of the herbs used in the antidote is particularly rare.”

As the Mountain Monarch said, Redscale Poison is a poison that, despite having an antidote, is still considered one of the top ten most potent poisons. Normally, a highly renowned poison would have no antidote at all.

However, Redscale Poison was an anomaly because it *did* have an antidote, but the reason it was still so feared was that one of the herbs needed for the antidote only appeared once every 1,000 years, making it extremely difficult to obtain.

“Since you’re being so stubborn, I have no choice. How about this?”

“What….”

Maeung’s eyes were glued to the antidote in the Mountain Monarch’s grasp.

He stared at it as if he were completely mesmerized.

“If you hand over the Bokjwa Token, I’ll give you this. That way, you can save your life, and I can get the Bokjwa Token, so isn’t it a win-win?”

Indeed.

As the Mountain Monarch said, it could be considered a good deal. If it went as planned, Maeung could save his life.

Moreover, if he could get rid of the poison within him, he could immediately summon the other elders and capture the guy and Geummyeongjiryung!

Maeung weighed the pros and cons with a serious expression and then opened his mouth.

“What guarantee do I have? I can’t trust you. I can’t even be sure if that antidote is real.”

At those words, the Mountain Monarch chuckled.

He immediately opened the lid of the antidote and levitated a single drop of the red liquid into the air.

“This one drop should be enough to prove its authenticity.”

The drop of antidote flew straight into Maeung’s mouth and disappeared.

Almost immediately, his complexion improved slightly.

The poison that had been taking root in his body and spreading was diluted by about one percent.

“Are you willing to make a deal now?”

“…Just hand over the Bokjwa Token?”

The way he gnawed at his lips seemed to betray his inner turmoil.

“Of course. I’ll hand it over as soon as I receive the Bokjwa Token. If you want, we can even place a *geumje* [a magical oath or binding] on each other to ensure the promise is kept.”

Upon receiving this confirmation, a look of joy began to spread across Maeung’s face.

“Alright. Follow me.”

Maeung turned his back as if he had made a firm decision, and his steps were quick. The Mountain Monarch followed him with a wry smile on his face.

A little later.

They left the main hall and headed towards Horong Peak.

“Ha… I was searching far and wide when it was right under my nose.”

It seemed that the saying ‘the darkest place is under the lamp’ [meaning the obvious is often overlooked] applied perfectly to this situation. These guys had cleverly hidden Geummyeongjiryung’s Bokjwa Token in the Guest Chamber.

Maeung smiled wryly, and the Mountain Monarch clicked his tongue, lamenting that he should have searched here sooner.

The Guest Chamber had a secret passage connected to the basement, and one of the many lampstands hanging on the wall was the key to activating the mechanism.

Maeung approached it, moved his lips silently, chanting a spell, and formed a hand seal.

Then, his spiritual power coalesced into a strange technique, creating a shimmering, miniature full moon before his eyes.

“Hoo….”

It was the sect’s secret art.

As the small full moon entered the lampstand, a change immediately occurred. Metaphysical characters of light appeared on the wall, and ripples, like those on the surface of a lake, spread across the stone.

Maeung gritted his teeth, glared at the Mountain Monarch, and shouted.

“If you covet anything other than the Bokjwa Token in this place, the *geumje* will be activated, and you will die!”

The Mountain Monarch readily nodded in agreement. He didn’t know exactly what was down there, but there seemed to be other treasures besides the Bokjwa Token.

It wasn’t that he wasn’t tempted, but he couldn’t risk ruining the entire plan for personal gain.

Only after receiving confirmation did Maeung guide him into the passage. After descending for a while, they came to a huge cavern.

Old books were stacked on shelves lining all sides of the cavern walls, and there were many precious items on display.

Among them, there was one item in particular that the Mountain Monarch couldn’t take his eyes off of.

“This is….”

It was a pagoda the size of a palm.

It was a six-story stone pagoda that looked like a mere ornament, but the spiritual energy contained within it was immense.

“Didn’t you say you only needed the Bokjwa Token? As I said before, the *geumje* will be activated, and you will be the first to die, so forget about it.”

Maeung said with a snort.

As he spoke, the stone pagoda was floating in the air, and when the Mountain Monarch examined it with his *Dallyeongeumjeong* [a technique for sensing spiritual energy], he could detect several layers of strange *geumje* spells protecting it.

‘To think I’d see the Six Imprisonment Pagoda here….’

A flicker of greed flashed in the Mountain Monarch’s eyes, but it soon faded.

He couldn’t jeopardize the mission for simple personal gain. The Bokjwa Token came first.

“There’s no deceit in this deal, right?”

Maeung’s Adam’s apple bobbed nervously.

He was already standing in front of the *geumje* barrier where the Bokjwa Token was suspended. In the place where Maeung stood, several Bokjwa Tokens were gathered together.

Among them, only one Bokjwa Token, bearing the inscription ‘Geummyeongjiryung,’ was bound in the air.

The Mountain Monarch silently took out the antidote from his pocket and displayed it. Since they had sworn an oath by placing a *geumje* on each other, it was understood that his inner core would be damaged if he didn’t keep his promise.

Maeung released the *geumje* on the Bokjwa Token and glared at the Mountain Monarch.

The Mountain Monarch returned his glare.

Once the items held in each other’s hands were exchanged, the *geumje* would naturally dissolve.

Maeung would obtain the antidote and immediately begin detoxifying himself.

It wouldn’t be a complete detoxification in an instant, but it would be enough to give him an edge.

‘To kill that bastard.’

Maeung’s eyes gleamed with malice.

He slyly raised his hand and levitated the Bokjwa Token into the air.

The Mountain Monarch mirrored his action.

They glared at each other, but the items floating in the air slowly moved to cross paths.

Maeung’s heart pounded in his chest.

Beads of sweat formed and dampened his forehead, trickling down his cheeks.

The antidote was slowly approaching.

And when it was finally within his grasp.

‘I got it!’

Maeung looked at the Mountain Monarch with undisguised glee.

The *geumje* was naturally released.

The energy that had been enveloping each other’s blood and inner core dissipated like the wind. Now it was time to make him pay the price for mocking him.

Maeung’s hand opened the cap of the antidote.

The fragrant liquid tickled his nose.

A steel needle with an eerie light suddenly appeared in his other hand.

The *Bonseon Beopbae* [a type of magical artifact] that Maeung himself had refined.

Its power was no less than a treasure, and it would pierce through the Mountain Monarch in an instant.

Just as he was about to launch the steel needle with confidence.

A man’s voice echoed softly.

“Wail, Redscale.”

*Thud.*

Maeung’s face turned as white as a sheet at the sudden sound of something snapping.

“Didn’t we make a promise!”

He protested, feeling utterly betrayed.

However, the Mountain Monarch merely smirked.

“I said I’d give you the antidote, but I never promised not to spread the poison.”

That was true.

How could he have overlooked such a simple, yet crucial, detail! Maeung’s face was now etched with despair.

The Redscale Poison that had been dormant within his body surged forth like a tidal wave. The poison spread along his blood vessels, unfolding in a spiderweb pattern and consuming his body from the inside out.

‘It’s, it’s okay! I have the antidote in my hand!’

He gulped down the antidote in one desperate breath.

Maeung’s face turned red and blotchy, and blood vessels burst on their own, and his flesh began to swell grotesquely.

But at the same time, the swelling also subsided slightly.

It was thanks to the antidote, which was slowing the poison’s effects.

However, the Mountain Monarch was not about to let him recover.

“Did you think I’d let you off that easily?”

The Mountain Monarch, who was now holding the Bokjwa Token, reached out from the shadows.

*Thud!*

His hand gripped Maeung’s neck with brutal force. Maeung, whose eyes were bloodshot and shedding tears of blood, shouted with a ghastly appearance.

“Aren’t you afraid of the heavens!!”

The rotten smell emanating from the blood flowing from his seven orifices was pungent and sickening.

Maeung’s eyes, wide with terror, trembled endlessly. The fear that had gripped him bound him and revealed the stark reality of his impending death.

“What is there to fear from the heavens?”

*Crack!*

The Mountain Monarch, who had crushed the Bokjwa Token in his grasp, said, his red eyes gleaming with malevolent satisfaction.

“Those heavens are the ones I will create today.”

*Whoosh!*

His grip turned an eerie blue, and lightning crackled in all directions. The cavern was filled with deafening thunder.

It was *Bongak Cheonghwa* [a powerful lightning technique] containing pure lightning energy.

“Ilwol…! Ilwol will not let you get away with this!! Your limbs will be twisted! You will spill blood! You will dry up and die!! Ilwol will avenge me! You…! You…!”

Maeung shouted at the top of his lungs, completely engulfed in the *Bongak Cheonghwa*.

The Mountain Monarch sneered.

It was as if Maeung had completely forgotten that he had been poisoned with Jaun Poison first.

“You talked so much about what righteousness is and what honor is, but in the face of death, all you have is a petty curse against me.”

He tried to mask his actions with righteousness and spout platitudes about honor, but in the end, when faced with death, all he could do was spew a pathetic curse.

On the outside, he wore the facade of a Taoist, but if you peeled back one layer, he was nothing more than a pile of filth riddled with messy greed.

Was this what a Taoist of this era truly was?

It was utterly ridiculous.

“Yo…You… bas…….”

Maeung’s body collapsed in an instant.

In a state where spiritual power was severely limited, even a *Hwanseon* [a type of immortal] was no different from a powerless mortal. His face, distorted like a demon’s, could only spew curses.

The Mountain Monarch silently looked down at him and shook his hand dismissively.

*Koo-oong!!*

At that moment, a huge tremor spread throughout Ilwol.

It seemed that Geummyeongjiryung was rampaging because he couldn’t wait any longer.

The Mountain Monarch quickly looked around and took out *Gongjeonggang* [a magical artifact, possibly a sword or container].

“I should take everything I can get.”

His red eyes were now fixed solely on the Six Imprisonment Pagoda.

* * *

A crow landed on the Main Gate of Ilwol.

The crow soon transformed into the shape of a human, who was Yoojeong, a figure well-known among the monster spirits.

As soon as he stepped onto the grounds within the Main Gate, he trembled at the oppressive spiritual pressure that weighed down on his whole body.

“What happened here?”

When he scanned the area with his divine sense, he could feel the chaotic energy of a *Hwanseon* fluctuating wildly, and soon an earth-shattering roar erupted. Yoojeong was flustered by such a commotion erupting from Ilwol, which was renowned as the best sect in Bangok.

Suddenly, a huge wolf monster spirit appeared in the sky and roared.

“Geummyeongjiryung?”

And next to him was a man wearing a black robe, with familiar blue flames swirling around his body.

In the midst of his bewilderment, he suppressed his own energy for the time being. He had a strong feeling that interfering rashly would only bring about great disaster.

As expected, *Hwanseons* emerged from the peaks of Ilwol and began to fight Geummyeongjiryung, throwing treasures and unleashing powerful techniques.

[Kuhahaha! I want to relieve my thousand-year grudge, but I’ll postpone it to the next time, thinking of my benefactor, so you better wipe your dirty necks and prepare for what’s coming!!]

The roaring cry of the monster spirit spread throughout the world. Soon, the enraged roars of the *Hwanseons* poured down like rain.

“No matter how much you are in league with monster spirits, you can’t possibly handle four *Hwanseons* at once!”

[Who said I could handle it! Worry about your disciples’ lives instead!!]

Then, powerful spiritual energy surged from Geummyeongjiryung’s side. The ground shook violently, and the surface cracked.

Soon, sharp lightning bolts shot up from all directions. The lightning transformed into wolf heads and soared like dragons.

The *Hwanseons* defended themselves without difficulty, but the disciples who belonged to Ilwol were not so fortunate.

“You cowardly bastard!!”

[What’s the point of talking about cowardice when you’re the ones who call me a monster spirit! Kuhahaha!]

Geummyeongjiryung’s protective shield wrapped around a Taoist next to him, then he transformed into a streak of light in the blink of an eye and shot across the sky.

“You bastard!!”

Then the four *Hwanseons* also activated their protective shields, turned into streaks of white light, and chased after him.

“Hoo….”

He had witnessed something quite interesting.

Originally, he was going to hold the guy who was impersonating him accountable. However, the guy had a monster spirit in league with him, and there were even *Hwanseons* chasing after him, so he would inevitably get caught up in complicated matters.

Rather, he was now more interested in the devastated state of Ilwol.

Right now, the Six Imprisonment Pagoda, which Bangok’s best sect boasted about, would likely be defenseless.

“I heard that Ilwol’s sect leader can’t leave his seclusion unless he completes 100 years of cultivation with the secret art he’s learning….”

Now was the perfect opportunity.

“I’ll acquire one of the Seven Immortal Treasures today.”

He muttered to himself and turned his steps towards Ilwol.