Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 87

Nangseon Gihwandam – 86

The mountain deity, residing on the peak known as Sawolbong, glanced around.

There, about 100 Sawol wolves were preparing for their respective Heavenly Tribulations of Spiritual Energy [a trial to test their spiritual advancement].

Beside them were Geummyeongokseo and his family.

No other words were necessary.

The mountain deity immediately transformed into a massive tiger and took its place in the center of the formation.

‘The scent of blood is strong.’

Perhaps it was because the formation was drawn with blood essence, but the scent was quite intense. Uniquely, it was a distinctive formation depicting the twelve zodiac signs. It felt more like a painting than a formation.

“We will now begin. Please be aware that no one can move for 100 days from the start.”

Suddenly, looking up at the sky, a nine-tailed fox with its wings spread was looking down at him.

Its eyes held resentment, but he didn’t care.

“Begin!”

Just in time, the preparations for the Heavenly Tribulation of Spiritual Energy were complete.

One hundred Sawol wolves howled softly in their human forms.

Then, the formation drawn with blood flashed, and the massive array was activated.

The Sawol wolves, each emitting a howling sound, scattered their spiritual energy. At first, it was noise, but as one listened, it felt like a song, and the heart gradually calmed.

Soon, the Sawol wolves, sitting in multiple layers, rose from their seats.

Forming a circle, they sang without rest, creating rhythmic steps that resonated.

Gradually, their bodies glowed with a golden light, and the formation also shone with a golden light instead of blood-red, becoming brilliant.

Then, Geummyeongokseo threw the Giryung brush from his chest and made a hand seal. The Giryung brush trembled, and its bristles poured down on the Sawol wolves. Each bristle soon transformed into various musical instruments.

As if familiar with the process, they each took an instrument and began to play.

In an instant, a performance of mystical harmony unfolded, tickling the ears.

It was then.

The golden, brilliant formation shone, and the paintings of the twelve zodiac signs that had been drawn began to rise.

The twelve beasts soon took on the forms of spiritual energy and floated in the air.

They slowly circled and lingered around the mountain deity. Then, the color of the mountain deity’s fur also turned golden.

Soon, his eyelids closed.

He must be falling into his inner world.

Geummyeongokseo, watching this, nodded.

“Please, do not act rashly. You must be responsible for the revival of the clan.”

“Hmph.”

He warned out of concern, but the nine-tailed fox snorted and flapped its wings.

The twelve zodiac signs circled around him and then soared high into the sky.

The various beasts mingled together and soared in golden light, like a dragon ascending.

Rumble.

From the twelve zodiac signs that soared into the sky, dark clouds gathered and covered the sky.

Soon, thunder and lightning flashed.

“Now, return to your places.”

At Okseo’s command, all the golden Sawol wolves returned to their positions.

Then, the sky became a little brighter, but the dark clouds did not disappear.

Soon, gold erupted from the dark clouds.

Kwararararng!!

A roar echoed as if an unknown spiritual beast lived in the clouds.

However, the wolves of Sawol did not fear at all and held their heads high.

Before they knew it, the instruments in their hands had returned to brushes and were stuck between the formations. Then, they abandoned their human forms and returned to their true forms as wolves.

Kwang!!

A streak of lightning struck the ground.

It hit one of the Sawol wolves, but it was only loud.

The Sawol wolf calmly closed its eyes and accepted the lightning.

“I knew it well, but it’s still amazing.”

The nine-tailed fox muttered.

Geummyeongokseo puffed out his chest.

The Heavenly Tribulation of Spiritual Energy, which the Sawol wolves boasted.

Even for the nine-tailed fox, who had lived for thousands of years, it was the first time witnessing it.

It was impossible not to be amazed.

The wolf struck by lightning emitted a mystical spiritual power as if possessed, and it flowed to the mountain deity in the center.

“Lightning strikes once a day. A formation that is completed when it reaches 100 days.”

“If the aptitude is sufficient, the probability of reaching Jinsumyeonghwa [a high level of spiritual attainment] can be increased up to 50%. The ancestor who devised this formation is truly amazing.”

It was impossible not to be interested.

If the aptitude is sufficient, up to 50%.

If not, 30%.

It was indeed a great formation.

A great formation that gathers 100 wolves of Younggyeol [a stage of spiritual development] and leads them to Yeongmyeong [another stage of spiritual development].

If the ones gathered here were not Younggyeol but 100 Yeongmyeong, it could also help when ascending to Yeonggeop [a higher stage of spiritual development].

‘It would be weak, though.’

The nine-tailed fox glared at Okseo and crossed its arms.

“Since he will be the father of my son… I will also lend a hand.”

As the nine-tailed fox flapped its wings, dozens of feathers flew in all directions.

Soon, the scenery flowed away, and a massive illusionary formation was created. A thick mist spread throughout Sawolbong, so neither Taoists nor Yuksas [geomancers or diviners] could approach carelessly.

Thus, a day or two passed, and it became 100 days. The wolves that made up the Heavenly Tribulation of Spiritual Energy all shone with gold but were very exhausted.

Then, the last lightning struck the 100th wolf.

Kwararararng!

As lightning struck the last wolf, the golden wolves trembled in resonance with it.

Then, the golden dark clouds that had dropped all the lightning fell like a waterfall.

The dark clouds that fell on the mountain deity formed a round sphere and enveloped him.

“Hold on a little longer!”

One of the wolves, whose golden light flickered as if it were blinking, soon collapsed from exhaustion.

It wasn’t just one.

One by one, they fell as if they were being deprived of their gold.

And soon, when all 100 wolves were deprived of their gold, the formation flashed.

Woong!

The golden formation, which had been making a sound, soon sank to blood-red and was sucked into the golden sphere as if being absorbed.

The golden sphere that surrounded the mountain deity solidified with a strange blood-red pattern engraved on it.

“Hoo- You’ve worked hard.”

Okseo carefully checked and then looked down at the exhausted Sawol wolves.

“Is it done now?”

The nine-tailed fox suddenly appeared in the air.

“We must leave it to the heavens.”

Only the sky would know what would happen.

“How will you protect this place from now on?”

“Shouldn’t the nine-tailed fox protect it?”

“What?”

“Don’t you have nothing else to do?”

It was a brazen attitude.

“Hmph, the little one has become a sly old fox. It seems like only yesterday that you were running around like a thunderbolt.”

“I am at an age to forget such old things. Speaking of which, the nine-tailed fox has also aged quite a bit… I don’t know if you have a conscience, considering you are thinking of an hermit who is just over 100 years old as a partner.”

The way he sneered was familiar.

It seemed like they had met several times before.

“The little one doesn’t know anything. Originally, women who are ripe are tastier than those who are green.”

The nine-tailed fox laughed at Okseo and showed off her charms.

However, Okseo laughed as if he had heard something ridiculous.

“Haha, I wonder if it’s not ripe enough to be bloated… Oh dear. How did the hermit get involved with such an old hag?”

“Ha! Are you done talking?”

The nine-tailed fox growled.

It was even more so because her self-esteem had been lowered by the fact that the mountain deity took care of himself.

“I’ve only said what I wanted to say. In the first place, how can a woman who has kept her chastity until that age show what is ripe… Oh my.”

He shrugged and shook his head. It wasn’t wrong.

What would a woman who hadn’t even had a wedding for thousands of years know?

As if it was a good thing, Okseo mocked and teased her to his heart’s content.

The fact that his appearance had become younger due to having escaped his form after reaching Yeonggeop also played a part in disturbing the nine-tailed fox’s mood.

The nine-tailed fox bit her lower lip and revealed her murderous intent, but Okseo only smirked.

“You haven’t lost your reckless nature even at that age!”

“What are you talking about when we’re eating together?”

“There are things that you have to eat gracefully. You haven’t forgotten the disgrace you showed me when you came to Howiikjan [likely a place or event] as a drunkard when you were young, have you? What did you say then… The moon is beautiful, so let’s go moon-gazing together and build a relationship of clouds and rain [euphemism for intimacy]?”

Covering his mouth and laughing, Okseo looked around, startled.

There, Okseo’s children, who seemed to have peeked at their father’s secret, were smiling bitterly.

“W, what nonsense! When did I say such a thing! Ahem! W, well, that’s enough, let’s go down. You’ve all worked hard, so take a rest!”

“Where are you running away to?”

“Running away! I just have important things to do as the leader of the Sawol wolves!”

Leaving the chuckling nine-tailed fox behind, Okseo disappeared with gritted teeth.

The nine-tailed fox, who had landed on Sawolbong after everyone had disappeared, looked at the golden sphere and sat down in front of it.

“I’ll protect it for a few years. Please don’t make my efforts go to waste. You are the one who will become the cornerstone I will build.”

The nine-tailed fox placed layers of illusionary formations and prohibitions, guarding the place tightly.

* * *

Time flowed like water, and 30 years passed in the blink of an eye.

During that time, many things happened in Goseon, but it was generally peaceful.

The Sawol wolves were no different, but the story of the woman who was the talk of the town was quite interesting.

“It’s been 30 years already.”

“She prays every day without fail.”

It was two Yuksas guarding the gate.

They muttered that it was almost time for her to come, and someone really did approach.

She was a woman who was all white from head to toe.

She was said to be the hermit’s partner, and her beauty was so great that she competed for the top spot among the Sawol wolves.

Not only that, but she came to pray every day without fail, so her heart was also very beautiful.

She bowed to the gatekeepers and began to climb Sawolbong.

“She could just fly up.”

“That’s why she’s so devoted. She goes up as soon as she opens her eyes in the morning and comes down in the evening for 30 years….”

At this point, even those who didn’t like humans showed respect to the hermit’s wife.

Geummyeongokseo, feeling sorry for her, personally gave her a flying treasure, but she stubbornly refused.

“What did she say? She said that if she didn’t do this, the day would be too long, so she declined….”

“Oh my…. The hermit should wake up soon.”

Even those who were on the mountain deity’s side were moved by Choa’s devotion and began to curse.

While the gatekeepers were talking like that.

Choa had already reached the top of Sawolbong and held the spirit badge in her hand.

It was a spirit badge that was not affected by the illusionary formations and prohibitions placed by the nine-tailed fox.

Soon, when she entered the mist, she saw a giant tiger with wings.

The tiger was lying still, but when she appeared, it gently opened its eyes.

[Have you come?]

“Yes.”

The conversation between the two was not long.

Even though they could have become close during that time, their attitude was as if nothing had happened.

For Choa, she was a thorn in her side, but she kept her mouth shut because she was protecting the mountain deity, and the nine-tailed fox had no interest in her.

Choa stared blankly at the golden sphere where the mountain deity was supposed to be.

She wasn’t saying anything.

She was just looking.

And looking again.

Until the sun rose to the middle of the sky and disappeared over the mountain again.

She just kept looking blankly.

Her daily routine was just this.

She tried to cultivate, but her mind was so disturbed that it was difficult.

That’s why she was still in the middle stage of Biseon [a stage of cultivation] even after 30 years.

No matter how talented you are, if you don’t work hard, you will be slow.

In the first place, it was difficult to cultivate here due to the nature of the cold energy handling technique.

“Then I’ll be going.”

[Alright.]

The sky had already darkened.

She had been told to stay here, but she didn’t listen.

She could guess the reason.

‘She must want to sleep in the same bedroom where she was with her husband.’

The Bokchungs [items or objects] and other Boksu [another term for items or objects] that he left behind were also there.

The nine-tailed fox looked at her lonely back and closed her eyes again.

But then.

Suddenly, Choa’s steps stopped.

At the same time, the flow of spiritual energy became agitated as if it were having a seizure. The nine-tailed fox widened her eyes as big as lanterns. Before she knew it, the light of spiritual energy was floating all over the sky, brightly illuminating the night sky.