Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 85

The next day.

San-gun woke up early and quietly left Cho-ah, who was still sound asleep. Outside the stone chamber, a man in tattered clothes was waiting for him.

“What’s the matter?”

“I came to deliver something and offer a word of caution.”

‘Perfect timing.’

He had been planning to seek him out anyway.

“Master Jangcheon, I was just about to come find you. This works out well.”

“Is that so? First, take this.”

San-gun caught the stone tossed to him, tilting his head and narrowing his eyes.

“What is this?”

“It’s a petrified remnant of the Myriad Poisonous Flames. You should be able to track his location with it.”

It was likely the concentrated essence of the poisonous flames extracted from San-gun’s body. Being able to track him with this wouldn’t be a bad thing.

“But you were going to come find me? I didn’t think the Six Arts and we were on such good terms.”

Those were loaded words, hinting at past grievances.

It seemed he was still mindful of being used last time.

San-gun let out a good-natured laugh.

“Haha, let bygones be bygones. Don’t hold it against me too much.”

“The victim always remembers for a long time.”

‘What a petty guy.’

But he was the one who needed him, so what could he do?

As he smiled wryly, Jangcheon snorted and asked, “So, what’s your business?”

* * *

“You’re talking about the data on Symbiotic Fusion with a Demon?”

“Yes.”

Symbiotic Fusion with a Demon.

If he could get his hands on the data to achieve it, there would be many ways to use it.

San-gun couldn’t achieve Symbiotic Fusion with a Demon himself, but it could serve as a stepping stone to creating a secret technique related to it.

Like the nameless demon who turned the body of a divine beast into a treasure.

However, Jangcheon didn’t erase his suspicion, looking at him with doubtful eyes.

“Denied.”

His brow furrowed involuntarily at the answer.

But he didn’t show it.

“May I know the reason?”

“The Grand Dharma Lord said that you are a member of the Six Arts being watched by him. He said that at best, it would cause chaos in Goseon [ancient Korean kingdom], and at worst, bring a storm of blood to the Daoist world.”

“It’s not like it’s that big of a deal…”

‘That damn old man.’

“Anyway, I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”

It was incredibly frustrating.

If he could obtain the *g訣* [secret formula/technique] related to Symbiotic Fusion with a Demon, it was clear that the time it would take for him to reach the late stage of the Spirit Core realm would be shortened.

He absolutely couldn’t give up easily.

“Are you sure about that?”

“There’s nothing to be sure about.”

He had a confident attitude.

San-gun raised one corner of his mouth.

“I made a deal with Grand Dharma Lord Tal. The first is to deal with the Myriad Poisonous Flames, and the second is to escape Goseon.”

“I wish you would leave quickly.”

He was trying to scratch his nerves, throwing out venomous remarks with a smiling face. But who was San-gun?

“But there’s a coincidental matter, you see.”

“…What is it?”

“The Grand Dharma Lord didn’t exactly set a deadline, you see. So… I was thinking of ascending to the Spirit Manifestation realm here and then leaving, but the later that time comes, the later the promise will be fulfilled, you see.”

Jangcheon’s face wrinkled.

“It won’t be good to incur the wrath of the Grand Dharma Lord. I urge the Six Arts member not to act rashly.”

“I want to as well… But if I don’t have the Symbiotic Fusion with a Demon that the Daoist Master just refused, what can I do? My cultivation is only in the middle stage of the Spirit Core realm now… I don’t know how long it will take to reach the Spirit Manifestation realm. Haha.”

San-gun smiled slyly.

But Jangcheon pursed his lips, seemingly suppressing his anger.

“Would that be all? I’ll inevitably have to wander around Goseon to focus on my cultivation… Ah, this is truly a coincidence.”

Was this adding fuel to the fire?

Inwardly, he felt a sense of satisfaction, but outwardly, he sighed deeply as if he was truly regretful.

“…To the Grand Dharma Lord.”

“Surely Vice Dharma Lord Tal wouldn’t bother the Grand Dharma Lord with such trivial things as the secret techniques of the demonic path.”

He cut off even the words that might come out.

Was this what they called a checkmate?

Jangcheon pondered for a long time before gritting his teeth and expressing his agreement.

“Thank you. Thanks to you, I can cultivate more easily!”

He couldn’t help but feel a sense of refreshment in his heart, even though he thought it would be difficult to build a friendship with him now.

* * *

Several days later.

San-gun received documents related to the Symbiotic Fusion with a Demon and descended into an underground area.

It was a place where temporarily created prisoners were imprisoned.

There were many people, but most of them died before they could last more than half a month.

“The Grand Dharma Lord has placed a direct restriction on this place, so anyone other than those who are allowed will have their spiritual power frozen and their limbs gradually stiffen. That’s why most of them commit suicide or die from illness.”

It seemed to be a restriction closely related to the divine power of Illusion.

As he marveled at it and approached the place he was being guided to, he saw a huge tiger.

A pair of wings were broken or bent, and the blood-stained fur made him frown just by looking at it.

It was truly a miserable sight.

The wounded beast was crouching, but its eyes were still alive.

“I didn’t know I would meet you so soon either, Demon Fox.”

She was the Great Elder Yoho of the Gungbi Foxes.

‘She would have died otherwise.’

When he gave Huanmang a hint about the Gungbi Foxes’ scheme, there was one thing he asked for.

Great Elder Yoho.

He asked him not to kill her.

Fortunately, Huanmang didn’t forget his request, and thanks to that, only she survived.

Having lost both her brother and her clan.

[Is it you?]

Suddenly, she spoke telepathically.

San-gun looked at Jangcheon next to him.

Jangcheon soon left the spot.

[I was wondering why only I was spared. I tried to figure out whether I was spared to set an example for the other clans or what, but I couldn’t figure it out. But… it was you.]

“Your situation is quite pitiful, but I didn’t come here to chat.”

There was no time to talk about this and that.

“What was the reason you gave me the Reversing Heaven’s Tribulation? That’s what I came to ask.”

Of course, he could have asked about Jangchungjitae as well, but he didn’t ask because he could guess the intention behind giving it to him.

The only thing that bothered him was the Reversing Heaven’s Tribulation.

The reason for that favor.

That was all he was curious about.

[Did you save me because of that?]

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. The reason you didn’t die is probably because Seon Master Huanmang showed mercy.”

He feigned ignorance, but Yoho had an expression as if she roughly understood.

[There are many things I want to ask, but let me answer that first.]

Yoho, who closed her eyes as if organizing her thoughts for a moment, looked up with a deep gaze.

[Our ancestor had two pairs of wings and a pair of horns a long time ago. However, as generations changed, the two pairs of wings became one pair, and the sturdy horns disappeared. You can easily see that from my current appearance.]

As she said.

She, the last remaining Gungbi Fox, had no horns and no two pairs of wings.

[That’s why I gave you, a tiger with horns, the Reversing Heaven’s Tribulation.]

“You gave me Jangchungjitae too, though.”

It was a very sarcastic tone, but she only smiled bitterly.

[I won’t make excuses. The elders expressed different opinions, and I had to make a decision. After much deliberation, I ended up giving you both, and that’s all there is to the story.]

It was an unsatisfactory answer.

But it was also understandable.

A clan that lost the horns of their ancestors.

And since they couldn’t even learn the related arts, it was understandable.

He had personally confirmed the performance of the Reversing Heaven’s Tribulation, which he had briefly learned and used.

‘Although the opponent wasn’t good.’

[If you came back alive, I was going to prostrate myself and apologize and receive the appropriate punishment. That’s why I asked you to come visit me once.]

Now he roughly understood.

“You wanted my horns. But you wouldn’t ask me to tear off my horns… So, in the end, you were going to use me as a stud?”

In the end, she was saying that she wanted him to plant seeds for their clan.

The absurdity was natural.

[Of course not. I wouldn’t ask for such a rude thing.]

“You would have asked for a political marriage, then.”

[Yes. I was going to take responsibility and carry the seed of the Six Arts member.]

“…Excuse me?”

She didn’t hesitate to say embarrassing things.

As expected of a divine beast who had lived for thousands of years.

“Ahem. I see.”

[Even though I look like this, I’m still a virgin, so it wouldn’t be bad for the Six Arts member either. You could have enjoyed luxury just by giving your seed!]

But that was also a thing of the past.

Hoiikjan had burned down.

The Gungbi Foxes were extinct.

She was the only survivor.

[Great Tiger, Six Arts member.]

“What is it?”

[I haven’t given up yet.]

Her eyes were fierce.

She hadn’t given up.

Was it about revenge?

Or was it about the seed?

Maybe it was both.

Anyway, it was good that the story was fast.

“What can you give me?”

[There are many other secret techniques or hidden treasures that our ancestors created.]

That was certainly an interesting sound.

[I’ll give you everything, thinking of it as a dowry.]

* * *

As a result, Yoho was freed.

San-gun was happy because he could learn all the secret techniques of the Gungbi Foxes, and she was happy because she was free.

Moreover, they could plan for the future, so there was nothing bad for each other.

He told her to go her own way since he had received everything he needed, but Yoho didn’t accept and stayed by San-gun’s side.

It wasn’t bad to have an eternal Six Arts member by his side, but the glares were stinging.

“It can’t be said to be a flaw if a man enjoys romance.”

For someone who said it didn’t matter, her face was frozen like a winter pond.

San-gun silently interpreted the secret technique *g訣* [secret formula/technique] written on the jade slip.

“But that person said strange things. Something about seeds.”

“It’s nonsense, so don’t pay attention to it.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

That’s what women’s hearts are like.

They always want to be reassured.

San-gun answered Cho-ah’s words, which were chirping like a lark, without showing any annoyance.

When he nodded while looking at the jade slip, Cho-ah chattered again.

Most of the words were incoherent, and she didn’t expect an answer.

The two watched the sun set and watched the sun rise.

Cho-ah lived with a smile hanging heavily, as if she was satisfied with that.

How long had they lived like that?

“I’ve waited long enough now.”

Yoho appeared and shouted.

“What is it?”

Cho-ah said, folding her arms.

Their relationship didn’t seem very good.

“How long are you going to waste your precious seed? The Seonja [Taoist immortal] can’t even conceive, so for the sake of an efficient relationship, please embrace me first.”

“W-Waste it!”

Cho-ah retorted fiercely.

It wasn’t wrong, but it wasn’t good to hear it outright.

“Shouldn’t we create an heir as soon as possible? Furthermore, since the Madam can’t conceive, it’s only right that the Husband pours his seed into me.”

She was still talking about that.

She was a woman who didn’t know how to give up.

“Hmph, isn’t there a reason why my husband doesn’t visit you in your chambers? You shouldn’t be questioning it with that.”

She was asking if her beauty was lacking.

“Surely not. Although it has lost its light now, there were men who didn’t mind traveling thousands of miles to see my appearance when Hoiikjan was thriving. Furthermore, your husband, who is also a tiger, wouldn’t be any different. Besides, the Husband wants to see his son, even if he doesn’t show it on the outside.

My mother gave birth to ten children at once, so I will also cultivate diligently….”

San-gun escaped using Shukuchi [instantaneous movement technique].

She was a very attractive woman, but there were many things that had to be prioritized over that.

First, reaching the peak of the late stage was the priority, and then the leap to the Spirit Manifestation realm.

Everything was a problem after that.

How could he be immersed in women when he should be focusing on cultivation?

Now that he had most of what he needed, he had to focus on cultivation with peace of mind.