Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 591

Part 2, Chapter 300. Special Side Story 17

Her snow-white hair flowed with a glossy sheen, as if imbued with moonlight.

“To welcome such a humble one as myself with such hospitality, showing no discrimination between noble and common, you truly seem to be the benevolent ruler of the East Sea, as the rumors suggest.”

Her demure words and the face that framed them belonged to a woman of beauty and loveliness, perfectly suited to be described as *Nokbinhong’an* [a classical term for a captivatingly beautiful woman].

‘Could this delicate woman really be the one who threatened me?’

The Dragon King of the East Sea was dumbfounded.

Hospitality? Showing no discrimination? After acting in a way that left him no choice but to act this way, how could she be so brazen!

He was so taken aback that words failed him.

“Are you truly the one who brought the East Sea to this state?”

“Yes, I am Cheon Cho-ah, who froze the East Sea and sent a letter to Geumjeong, the one you call the King of the East Sea.”

The woman introducing herself as Cho-ah was showing great deference, saving the Dragon King’s face, but she was by no means in an inferior position to the Dragon King, Geumjeong.

Because the Dragon King was currently,

Forced to suppress his anger and send a reply to her threatening letter due to the frozen East Sea.

“Let us sit first. This situation is a first for me, so you are a guest who has come to the Dragon Palace. Hospitality must come first. We can talk later.”

“I am overwhelmed by your magnanimity.”

“Partake.”

At Geumjeong’s gesture to eat,

Cho-ah picked up her chopsticks and looked at the delicacies laid out on the table.

As befitting the Dragon Palace, the table was filled with dishes made from various seafood.

Unidentifiable fish, crabs, and seaweed seasoned with fresh dressings.

Surprisingly, meat dishes were also readily available.

Cho-ah paused, gazing at the dishes before picking out one item.

Amidst the array of splendid dishes, she deliberately chose to taste the acorn jelly.

“Hmm, why did you choose that dish first among all these offerings?”

She replied to his question.

“This is acorn jelly, made by boiling and solidifying seaweeds called ‘Umook’ [a type of seaweed]. I know there are many other delicacies here, but Umook holds a special memory for me, so it caught my eye first.”

She put the *Umook* in her mouth, swallowed it, and smiled sweetly.

“The *Umook* of the East Sea has a deep flavor.”

“A special memory… well, everyone has a memory associated with food. Tell me, what kind of memory is it? No matter how old I get, I still enjoy hearing other people’s stories.”

“Long ago, my partner and I… secretly left home. We wandered around, calling ourselves *Nangseon* [wandering adventurers].”

In the mountains, we were herb gatherers.

At the sea, we were fishermen.

We saw and experienced many things together, gaining memories and realizations.

“Then, we stayed on an unknown island for a while, and by chance, my partner carefully examined a seaweed called *Umook*. He boiled it, solidified it, and made acorn jelly for me. So, it’s a dish with very special memories for me.”

“I see. You spent a pleasant time.”

“Yes, we did. That time is an irreplaceable memory.”

Cho-ah looked at the *Umook* with a faint smile, as if savoring those days.

“I have a wish to continue making memories with that person.”

“So, you froze the East Sea?”

At Geumjeong’s sharp question, her chopsticks stopped.

She calmly put down her chopsticks and looked straight at the Dragon King of the East Sea, Geumjeong, nodding her head.

“Yes, I did.”

“Hmph… I’ve never seen such a brazen woman. Are you not afraid of death? How dare you threaten me and the East Sea, come to the Dragon Palace alone, eat the food I offered, and still say such things!”

Koo-oong!

As Geumjeong slammed the table with his fist,

As if waiting for it, the Dragon Palace soldiers pointed their spears at her neck.

“If I were afraid of death, I wouldn’t have done such a thing. I am not afraid of death.”

Even with the spears at her neck, her eyes showed not a hint of fear. Geumjeong’s brow furrowed.

“Then what are you afraid of?”

“Not being able to stand by his side is the most frightening thing for me.”

“‘Him’! Are you referring to your partner?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

“…Why did you come to the Dragon Palace? You must have known you would die?”

“Even a *Daera* immortal [a high-ranking immortal] cannot foresee their own death.”

It was as if she was saying, how could she have known her death? But Geumjeong soon realized it was a lie.

“A mouth that speaks falsehoods. No, you knew. You knew I couldn’t kill you.”

“Why is that? Why can’t you kill me, a mere *Jinseon* [a lower-ranking immortal]?”

She smiled and gave an ambiguous answer, causing Geumjeong’s brow to narrow.

“A fox-like woman. The East Sea is still frozen, and my soldiers are still frozen as well. Even with my limited knowledge, I could tell.”

Even if he killed her here,

The frozen East Sea would remain the same.

It was a magical formation created with autonomous techniques.

Because it was a formation that accumulated and gathered power on its own, even if he killed her, it would not be undone.

“You’re acting so confidently because you’re sure of it, aren’t you? Or is that not the case?”

“If the Dragon King of Dongryeong says so, then that must be true.”

“…You said you were doing this to make more memories with your partner.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Then your partner must be Geumcheon Jin-gun. Am I correct?”

“……Yes, that is correct.”

“Haha, he has already conquered the world. To have a woman like you.”

Geumjeong shook his head in disbelief.

But soon, his eyes turned hostile as he glared at her.

“But have you not considered that I might capture you and lure Geumcheon Jin-gun into a trap?”

“I have considered it.”

“And yet you came to meet me?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

Not a moment’s hesitation.

Geumjeong was amazed by her spirit.

“I would like to hear the reason.”

“Because I have confidence.”

“Confidence. Why? This is the first time you’ve seen me, how can you be so sure without even seeing me?”

“I don’t know what would happen to this place if I, who single-handedly threw the East Sea into chaos, were to involve my husband.”

She was saying that if he captured her and called Geumcheon Jin-gun here, the East Sea would be devastated.

Geumjeong was momentarily taken aback by her answer, but he quickly suppressed his anger.

“Besides, I am not the kind of woman who wants to be a burden to my husband, so I will not be captured by the Dragon King.”

Her continued bold answer caused his anger to turn into laughter.

“Hahaha! When has there ever been such a bold woman in front of me? Interesting. Then may I test you?”

He wanted to see with his own eyes what she believed in.

“I want to test whether I am someone who can step back.”

“With what will you test me?”

The Dragon King of the East Sea, Geumjeong, stroked his beard for a moment, pondering, before snapping his fingers as if a good idea had come to him.

“I want to see how far your skills, which froze the East Sea and troubled me, can go.”

“You mean…”

“I know why you froze the East Sea without me having to say it. It must be because of your husband. You must have heard the rumors that we are hostile to Geumcheon Jin-gun and are gathering troops. So your request must be to stop that.”

Therefore.

“If you want to stop us, try to stop us with your abilities.”

The Four Seas (四海) [the East, West, South, and North Seas].

Try freezing all the seas.

“If you do that, it will be easier for me to persuade my brothers as well.”

But. If she failed to do so.

“You must become my person. What do you say, will you accept?”

“It is not a difficult task.”

“Haha! Is that so! Then you are saying you will accept my offer!”

“Yes, I will.”

At this, Geumjeong curled up the corners of his lips and shook his head.

“For an immortal who has reached *Daera*, every word is like a *Geumje* (禁制) [a sacred vow or binding agreement] that binds them.”

A kind of deal.

But he did not set a time limit.

“Myoseon, who has just ascended to *Daera* without shedding the energy of *Hacheon* [a lower realm]. This is not a place where you can do as you please just because it is full of power.”

“…”

“I will set the deadline to today. What do you say to that?”

Geumjeong had gained a talent who could freeze the sea at any time. The imbalance of power in the Four Seas would be tilted towards the East Sea.

Moreover, he had taken the partner that Geumcheon Jin-gun cherished as a hostage.

It was truly killing two birds with one stone.

How could he not be pleased?

“From today, you are my person, so you cannot take a single step outside the Dragon Palace.”

He was not particularly fond of taking another man’s woman. But what did it matter? This could also be considered a form of amusement.

Geumjeong’s words became shackles that bound Cho-ah’s hands and feet.

“Guards, step back now.”

But strangely, there was no change in their expressions. They did not listen to his orders and did not move.

“What are you doing? Hurry…”

Geumjeong, who found it strange, asked about it.

“The Dragon King’s test has already been completed. There is no need to consider it until today.”

The answer was not given by the soldiers, but by her instead.

“What does that mean?”

He frowned and asked what it meant, and she told him something that made no sense.

“Before coming here. I had already frozen all the seas of the Four Seas.”

She had already frozen the Four Seas.

What did that mean?

“So you don’t have to set the deadline to today.”

Geumjeong frowned, wondering what kind of strange things she was saying, but then he was startled and shouted.

“What… such nonsense!”

Cho-ah’s face, which had been devoid of change, changed as Geumjeong’s face was filled with embarrassment.

The face of the woman, like a pure forget-me-not, instantly turned into a bewitching smile.

“The Dragon King gave a test and set a deadline. I have completed all of that, so may I also make a proposal that I did not mention?”

“…….”

Geumjeong’s eyes were filled with despair.

He had tried to grasp everything with a few words.

But his loose tongue had put him in a position to lose everything.

“I will not melt the Four Seas.”

She suddenly rose from her seat and said.

“From ancient times, my husband has detested the dragon race.”

Koo-deuk!

The Dragon King, Geumjeong, who broke the handle of the jade throne, shouted.

“Capture her! Guards, what are you doing!”

But it was useless.

No one listened to him.

Before he knew it, all the *Jinseon* in the Dragon Palace except for Geumjeong were frozen and unable to move.

Her unique *Hun-beop* (혼법, magic) [a type of magic] that combined *Hanbing* (한빙, cold ice) [cold ice magic] and time, so subtle that no one could notice.

It was *Hansibinghon* (寒時氷魂) [Freezing Soul of Cold Time].

Extreme cold freezes everything.

What is frozen does not break, and even its time stops.

Only those who are stopped remain where she has passed.

“What…!”

“My *Hansibinghon* spreads through the body simply by breathing through the nose and mouth. One breath. It seeps into the body at any time by exchanging words with me.”

Not only the soldiers gathered around.

Even the Dragon King, who had been constantly exchanging questions and answers with her.

Was in a position where he could not escape *Hansibinghon*.

“As expected of the Dragon King who governs the East Sea, it took quite a long time.”

Cho-ah, who seemed quite exhausted from exchanging unnecessary questions and answers to avoid being noticed, tucked her hair behind her ear.

“Now, there will be no more foolish people who dare to point their spears at my husband.”

The reason they were trying to raise an army was because Geumcheon Jin-gun was away. But even if he was absent, if the Four Seas were frozen and the leader, the Dragon King of the East Sea, was dead, then no one would dare to step forward.

“It was a pleasant meal.”

Soon, even the face of the Dragon King of the East Sea,

Geumjeong, was completely stained with defeat and stopped like that.

In the Dragon Palace where she had disappeared, only those who were frozen white with frost remained, stopped in eternal time.