Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 72

Nangseon Gi Hwan Dam – 71

The Guibing Pavilion of Howiikjan.

He stared at the beast’s arm for a long time before letting out a deep breath.

“What’s wrong?”

Hwaran asked while pouring tea.

Sangun stored the beast’s arm in the Gongjeong River [a mystical storage space] and accepted the tea.

“Isn’t the great advantage of Sikmahapil [a technique for fusing with divine beasts] in fusing the body of a divine beast, made into a treasure, with one’s own body?”

“Yes, that’s right. But wasn’t that irrelevant to you, Sangun, a divine beast?”

Transforming the body of a divine beast into a treasure.

But what advantage would Sangun, a divine beast from the start, gain from using it?

“It’s not like a divine beast’s body is stronger than a treasure just because its flesh is tough and sturdy. So, I thought about researching this to try and turn my body into a treasure…”

If it were that easy, the Demonic Path bastards wouldn’t be experimenting with their eyes wide open.

Sangun, having given up, savored the tea.

“By the way, what were you trying to do?”

“What.”

His face was indifferent, but he wasn’t oblivious to what she was asking. As Hwaran narrowed her eyes, he coughed, ‘Ahem,’ and averted his gaze.

“Why did you do such a reckless thing?”

“It’s not like I’m a three-year-old child; do I have to explain everything to you?”

“That’s not what I mean.”

He knew.

That she was worried about him.

That’s why he didn’t say it.

Because she would worry like that.

“It’s over. It’s already in the past.”

“Are you going to brush it off like that?”

“Then?”

It was a ‘so what?’ attitude.

Hwaran, dumbfounded, glared at him, and he shrugged.

His appearance was so mischievous that she wanted to pinch his cheek. So, she did.

“Ah? What are you doing?”

“Your master’s cheeks are so tempting that I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep tonight without pinching them.”

“You’re talking nonsense with great sincerity. Let go now.”

“I don’t want to.”

“…….”

The deeper Sangun’s frown became, the more Hwaran’s lips curled up. If she wanted, she could use force, or use the connection between the Changui [a type of spirit companion] and the tiger to stop him.

But Hwaran knew.

That he wouldn’t do that.

“How long are you going to hold on?”

“Until my anger is relieved.”

“……Won’t the tea get cold?”

“If it gets cold, I’ll warm it up again.”

Sangun rolled his eyes and then looked somewhere, becoming serious.

“What brings you here, Princess?”

Who else could he call Princess? Only Geummyeongjisu. Startled, Hwaran let go of his cheek and turned around.

But there was nothing there.

The door hadn’t even opened in the first place.

Realizing this belatedly, Hwaran bit her molars.

“What’s the big deal about showing that? You startled me more.”

Sangun, grinning slyly, teased her while sipping his tea.

“Really!”

Just as Hwaran, angry, was about to rush at Sangun.

Creak!

The door opened.

Hwaran looked back again.

But the door only opened, and no one came.

“I didn’t say anything.”

He probably opened the door with Heogongseopmul [a technique to manipulate objects remotely]. Otherwise, there’s no way he could be holding back his laughter like that.

Hwaran, enraged, rushed at him.

“Ugh! The tea! Aren’t you going to spill the tea!”

“Then who told you to tease me like that!”

She pushed Sangun down and climbed on top of him. Then, she immediately pinched and stretched both of his cheeks with her hands.

That’s when it happened.

Sangun’s expression turned serious.

“Someone’s coming.”

“Are you lying again? I won’t fall for it this time!”

But this time, it seemed real; she could hear footsteps too.

Startled, she looked at the current situation objectively.

Just thinking about the misunderstanding someone might have seeing a woman on top of a man made her face flush. Hwaran quickly turned into a soul and hid inside Sangun.

“Ahem.”

Sangun got up from his seat and straightened his clothes. After a moment, his mouth opened.

“You’ve been fooled again, Hwaran.”

-……Huh?

Heuk, Heuk Heuk.

Sangun suppressed his bursting laughter.

Hwaran, who had escaped from him, immediately understood the situation. She didn’t know what kind of divine power he used, but he artificially created the sound of footsteps.

“This old man, really!!”

Hyunhyun, she glared and rushed at him, but he didn’t let her catch him this time.

Swish.

His body momentarily blurred and disappeared like a ghost.

-I’m going for a walk, so cool your head!

To think he would use the Cheollimayangbu [an extremely fast movement technique] to escape. Hwaran was dumbfounded.

After a long time of just letting out empty laughter, she plopped down on the bed.

“Just you wait until you get back.”

Hwaran, grinding her teeth, calmed her anger while puffing out her nose.

* * *

Sangun, who had stepped outside the Guibing Pavilion, savored Hwaran’s dumbfounded face.

It had been a long time since Hwaran had shown such a face.

“She’s like a child.”

He didn’t seem to realize who was really acting like a child.

“Come to think of it, how old is Hwaran?”

She had been with him for over a hundred years, but before that, Hwaran was a Gogyedo master [a high-ranking Taoist] and the head of a sect.

He hadn’t heard exactly how old she was, but human Taoists usually don’t live past 3,000 years.

“The lifespan of a Hwanseon [an immortal being] is about a thousand years, so it must be less than that.”

And yet, she’s so childlike.

Sangun wore a warm smile.

But that was only for a moment.

It had been a day since he met the Great Elder, but he still hadn’t received an answer.

It would be quite difficult.

They had caught someone who had stirred up their front yard, and then he suddenly asked for treasures, so it was only natural.

‘I’ve used all the cards I can.’

Gungbiho can’t touch him.

It was something that could shatter his long-cherished wish, so he wouldn’t gamble with that.

He had placed not only Aejeoksa [a binding oath] but also Geumje [a powerful curse] on each other, so Gungbiho wouldn’t be able to touch Sangun.

What was important now was whether they would willingly hand over the treasures.

“That’s what’s important.”

The treasures he had requested.

It wasn’t like he was asking for anything great.

He had only asked for some elixirs and rare items.

“I can’t keep Hwaran like that forever.”

He couldn’t keep her like that forever.

If Hwaran wasn’t a Changui, she would have chased after him right away.

But the reason she didn’t was probably because she was mindful of what happened with Geummyeongjisu.

“I hope she doesn’t think of herself as a burden.”

She was probably starting to feel it too. Unlike before, Sangun had become stronger.

From the moment he could transform into a human, there was less and less she could do.

So, even if she didn’t show it on the outside, she might have been carrying an unnecessary burden in her heart.

“I can’t let it be like that.”

Anything else would be fine, but he couldn’t let Hwaran be like that. To him, she was something he couldn’t trade for anything.

As he was walking, deep in thought, a familiar figure caught his eye.

“Ah.”

She was picking fruit from a large tree. The fruit shone with a crimson color. Sangun looked back and forth between her and the fruit before putting his hands behind his back.

“Is that a Jajeondo (Purple Peach)?”

Geummyeongjisu.

She gave Sangun a sulky glance and then straightened her posture.

“Yes. It’s only used for food now, but if you make it into infused liquor with other elixirs, it becomes a beneficial Seonju (immortal wine) for cultivating.”

Nodding, he approached the tree and picked a Jajeondo, putting it in his mouth.

It was sweet and sour, and very delicious.

Because it was a place full of spiritual energy, the sweetness was also high, making it a great snack.

‘I should bring some to Hwaran.’

She must be very upset, so she would be very happy if he brought it to her. It’s not like she needs to eat anything, but it’s not like she can’t taste it.

“Eunja.”

“What.”

She narrowed her brow and hesitated for a long time. Wondering why, he stored the Jajeondo piled up in his hand in the Gongjeong River, and she continued.

“…I don’t understand.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Seeing that he didn’t understand, she took a small breath.

“Does Eunja intend to be at odds with Gungbiho?”

Wondering what she was talking about.

“How could that be? What good would it do for me, a mere Nangseon [a celestial official], to be at odds with Gungbiho, one of the Four Great Clans?”

“Then why did you commit such rudeness?”

“…What are you trying to say?”

Sangun answered the question with a question.

There was no point in rambling on; it was already in the past, and there was no reason for him to be interfered with by her. As he quietly watched, she bit her lip.

“I don’t know what you’re trying to say, but it’s already in the past, and it won’t happen again, so let’s move on. It’s not like we’re close enough to have casual conversations.”

As he spoke as if drawing a line, her eyes changed sharply.

“As Eunja said, we are not close enough to have casual conversations! But we are acting together for a single goal! So, at least you should have given me a heads up before starting anything! You are the Eunja of Sawolrang, and I am the daughter of Sawolrang, so I have a duty to help you! Am I wrong!?”

He was dumbfounded by her sudden outburst. But his daze was only temporary.

Sangun’s face also frowned.

“You’re not wrong. But how could I have given you a heads up about the story with the Great Elder! He was the Great Elder who had disguised himself as a troublemaker in the first place, so was there any time to do that? I just did what I could in my own way. As a result, it’s not like you were harmed!”

“Ye, yes, but…!”

“That’s enough! As I said before, it’s already in the past, so stop.”

As he cut her off, she clenched her fist and trembled.

Sangun glanced at her strangely, wondering why she was doing this.

But Geummyeongjisu didn’t seem to be relieved.

“Is your usual tone so Pomanmurye (暴慢無禮) [violent, arrogant, and rude]?”

Meaning that his actions are violent, arrogant, and rude. Sangun naturally flared up at her abusive language.

“What?”

“Isn’t that right! Are you still being petty about what happened last time, even though you’re a man!”

“When did I do that! I’ve already erased the past a long time ago!”

“Then you shouldn’t be doing this to me! Do you think you’re anything special just because you rejected the marriage proposal!!”

Why is she shouting so loudly?

He was speechless with absurdity, and it was so noisy that his ears were about to fall off.

“It’s you, Geummyeongjisu, who’s being petty about the past! How long are you going to bother me with the marriage story!”

“Bother? Did you just say bother!? Me? Me, the third princess of Sawolrang!?”

“Yeah! Would you be able to marry someone you’ve never met! You should think about my position!”

“What!! Are you done talking!?”

“What if I’m done!”

“You…! You kind of bastard!!”

“You’re the dog!”

She, who had been continuing the argument with a voice that would burst her throat, unleashed her energy.

Suddenly, her body swelled up, and silver fur sprouted out, and in an instant, she transformed into a giant wolf.

She seemed to have lost her mind with anger.

As she revealed her true form, Sangun responded to it. As he released his transformation and revealed the form of a giant tiger, she rushed at him, saying that’s right.

Shortly after.

Bang!! Kwaaaang!!

A earth-shattering roar erupted.

The Gungbiho around them fluttered their wings in surprise, and those who were curious gathered, wondering what it was.

But that was only for a moment.

A wolf and a tiger suddenly appeared.

The divine beasts, the size of houses, were engaged in a melee, causing the cliffs to collapse and the earth to shake, making it extremely dangerous.

Those who were watching hesitated at the increasingly violent fight, and when one of the peaks was half-destroyed, they began to try to stop them.

But it was not enough to stop the two madmen who had lost their minds.

In the end, it was only when the elders came that they were able to stop them, but they could not prevent one of the peaks of Howiikjan from collapsing.