Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 96

Jangcheon shot him an incredulous look.

He was utterly dumbfounded by the blatant lies spewing from his mouth without a hint of hesitation.

-Since when did you become Yujeong?

-Shut up.

He chided him through telepathy, but all he got in return was a command to shut up.

On second thought, it wasn’t that hard to understand.

His exploits were quite famous.

He didn’t know which sect they belonged to, but there was no need to stir up unnecessary trouble.

“It will take some time for my Bokchung [a type of spirit beast] to get used to this Bile River, so I would like to hear Lady Geum’s insight.”

Lady Geum was staring intently at Sangun with a flushed face.

Then, as Lady Nak cleared her throat, she seemed to snap out of it and opened her mouth.

“It’s nothing much. Walking or flying over the river is not difficult for us, but it is currently blocked by a Geumje [a type of magical barrier].

So, you can cross it by building a bridge or a boat like ordinary people.”

“But won’t it melt away in the Bile River? It’s Hahou Minong’s bile. Unless it’s a bizarre spirit worm like my Tamhwa Ogong….”

That was impossible.

“Even Hahou Minong’s bile cannot melt everything. You can see that from the Tamhwa Ogong right there. You seem to have put a lot of effort into raising it. It seems like you can’t even make a scratch with ordinary treasures.”

“You flatter me.”

As he smiled modestly, Lady Geum took out a turtle shell from her chest.

“It’s the shell of a turtle called Jugwitongchun [a mythical turtle with a strong shell] that I was lucky enough to hunt. I happened to find it dying of illness and got it.”

“Jugwitongchun!”

“You obtained a rare item!”

Jugwitongchun.

Sangun had also heard of that name.

It was a turtle spirit beast among the sea beasts, whose hardness was said to be comparable to diamond.

There were many anecdotes about Jugwitongchun.

The most famous one was the legend that Jugwitongchun, who was ascending to immortality, dropped its shell, which was so huge that it became an island drifting in the sea.

“Although it is not fully mature, the name of Jugwitongchun still holds. This should make it easy to cross the Bile River.

Fortunately, you also have your Bokchung, so there will be no problem moving.”

So said Lady Geum, throwing the turtle shell into the Bile River and making a hand sign.

Then, the shell, which was only the size of her palm, swelled up to dozens of times its size, large enough to carry six people.

That seemed to be its original size.

“Let’s go. It was cumbersome to move with my spirit beast, but I am relieved to have your Bokchung.”

Lady Geum, who greeted him elegantly, got on the turtle shell, and the others also got on.

Sangun and Jangcheon, who boarded together, ordered Tamhwa Ogong to push the turtle shell.

Contrary to expectations, it seemed easy to pass, so everyone’s faces were more relaxed than before.

“By the way, which sect do you belong to? I am Seon Gokryang, an elder of the Taesan Sect of the Five Peaks. You can call me Elder Seon! And this person is….”

Just as Elder Seon was about to speak, looking at Lady Nak.

“I am Nak Suchu from the Hyeongsan Sect of the Southern Peak. Please call me Lady Nak. Lady Geum is from the same Hyeongsan Sect as me.”

“I am Chok Mungyeong from Choksan.”

“I am Yujeong, a guest elder of Cheonjamun [a prestigious sect], from Banggok. This guy is my old colleague and is also involved in Cheonjamun.”

Sangun patted Jangcheon on the shoulder without changing his expression.

“Oh, you were a Cheonjamun elder! I have also used your sect’s Biryong Hall.

It’s an honor to meet you today!”

Elder Seon said with a hearty laugh.

However, the others did not dispel their doubts, so Sangun took out a spirit badge from his chest and showed it.

“I took it out just in case. There are so many scammers in the world, aren’t there?”

Jangcheon looked at him as if he was fed up, but it was only for a moment.

Sangun showed the spirit badge of a guest elder of Cheonjamun that he had received a long time ago.

‘I’m glad I didn’t throw it away.’

The tracking technique that Cheonjamun had placed on him had long been erased with Haebongseok [a type of stone that can erase magical traces].

He had kept it all along, thinking that there would be a time when he could use it.

“Haha, why do you even show that? Please put it away. Don’t you feel sorry for me?”

“It’s better to be sure of everything.”

Even if you don’t know what will happen, there is nothing better than having a clear identity.

Even if they say they believe you, you don’t know what they are thinking inside.

‘At least they’ll have some hesitation.’

There is no need to gain favor, but there is no reason to gain hostility.

The river of bile is just the beginning. There is no telling what kind of traps lie ahead.

Even Sangun, who knows roughly, could die if he acts rashly.

It would be beneficial for him and them to cooperate if possible.

“Now…. Isn’t it shaking?”

“It’s natural for it to shake on the river. It seems that the Taoist is quite nervous.”

“That’s not….”

It was then.

The turtle shell suddenly shook violently, and waves began to crash.

“!”

Everyone’s expression changed rapidly, and they had difficulty maintaining their balance.

How could they not when they were on a small boat on rough waves?

“The owner’s trickery was not just freezing spirit energy!”

Lady Nak shouted sharply.

As she said, the raging waves surged like living things.

Bang!

The waves of the Bile River crashed down around the turtle shell.

“Taoist!”

The turtle shell did not overturn, but it was impossible to be calm when bile was falling on their heads. Sangun immediately sensed and ordered Tamhwa Ogong, and immediately its huge body stood in the way of the bile above their heads.

‘Should I have erased the Geumje and moved?’

Regret washed over him for a moment.

However, to destroy the Geumje, he would have had to strike Hahou Minong’s body.

It was already a body that wouldn’t rot.

The hardness was beyond words.

It could take years.

‘Coming with Yeongmyeong’s body might have been a painful choice. I couldn’t help it because Chukji [a movement technique] was blocked, but this….’

The Three Evils would have stationed an eternal intruder of the same level as themselves and set a trap.

So, naturally, it would be a bit overwhelming for him and the Hwanseons [immortals], who were Yeongmyeong.

“Kkeueueueueuk!!”

“Oh no!”

Lady Nak groaned.

Tamhwa Ogong blocked it, but it couldn’t block all the bile. It seemed that it had splashed on Lady Nak by bad luck.

She groaned, holding one of her arms, and the flesh was melting away, and the bones were already melting as well.

Her face turned pale and she was sweating profusely.

“Q, quickly…!”

“Just bear with it a little longer!”

“Taoist! Can you hurry up?”

Sangun nodded silently.

Tamhwa Ogong had adapted enough to the Bile River, so he intended to increase the speed.

“Let’s go!”

As he ordered, Tamhwa Ogong supported the turtle shell with its head and moved.

It wasn’t as flexible as a snake, but swimming wasn’t difficult.

Not only that.

It spat out the bile it had swallowed, increasing the speed, and soon reached the edge of the other side.

However, the Three Evils’ Geumje created the last wave of the Bile River as if not to miss its prey.

A huge wave, incomparable to the previous ones, opened its mouth like a snake.

At this point, even if Tamhwa Ogong was there, it would be impossible to block it!

“I, is there no way!?”

Elder Seon asked in dismay.

The others were the same.

They were only looking at Sangun.

He cursed inwardly.

He couldn’t use spirit energy.

That was the biggest problem, but Tamhwa Ogong didn’t care.

Tamhwa Ogong digests what it eats and makes it its own.

The Geumjangsa [golden threads] was the same.

Creating it requires spirit energy, but spewing out what has already been created has nothing to do with the level of spirit energy.

“Tamhwa!!”

As he shouted, golden threads spewed out from Tamhwa Ogong’s mouth and wrapped around the turtle shell.

This cannot block the bile.

But it would be possible to throw themselves away! Tamhwa Ogong immediately wrapped the turtle shell of Jugwitongchun with Geumjangsa and threw it.

Kwaaaaaaa!!

In a flash.

The wave of bile crashed down like a tsunami, and the turtle shell crashed! Crash! Crash! It collided with the rock wall and was thrown far away from the Bile River area.

* * *

“Aigo….”

Perhaps because he was getting old, the word ‘aigo’ [an expression of weariness or pain] came out like a habit.

“I think I’m still alive.”

He reached out his arm while lying face down and raised his upper body. But he grabbed something squishy in his hand. As he wondered what it was and fiddled with it, a sharp voice stabbed him.

“You’re being lecherous.”

“Ah….”

He was surprised and froze, but soon got up from his seat.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were underneath. Are you okay?”

“…….”

Lady Geum glared at him with a cold gaze, straightened her clothes, and got up.

“Let’s get out first.”

“Yes.”

It seemed that they had escaped the influence of the Bile River.

As the spirit energy in his body circulated, his face brightened as if he was finally relieved.

Lady Geum made the turtle shell small, put it in her sleeve, and looked around.

There were some Yagwangju [glowing pearls] embedded, creating a faint light, but it was still difficult to see around because it was dark.

However, if a Hwanseon cared about such things, how could they cultivate the Tao [the path to enlightenment]?

They searched their surroundings with their senses, looking for the other members.

It wasn’t difficult to find them.

It seemed that they had been scattered when they fell here and bounced off.

“Where are you going?”

“Ah, I’m going to check on my Bokchung. It seems to be still playing in the Bile River.”

“…I understand.”

Lady Geum said she understood and disappeared into the darkness.

Sangun sighed softly and looked around, then went near the river of bile.

There, Tamhwa Ogong was swimming leisurely in the Bile River.

“Do you like it that much?”

Tamhwa Ogong moved its body vigorously as if it liked it, splashing water.

‘Not bad.’

He didn’t know how the bile was still there, but it was good for him.

The others couldn’t take it even if they wanted to, but he was different.

“Drink a lot. It seems like there will be many places to use it.”

If he had Tamhwa Ogong, it wouldn’t be bad to study the bile.

If that were to happen, he could refine it into a powerful weapon.

“It doesn’t matter since Tamhwa can use it even if it’s not me.”

It was then that he was넋 놓고 [넋 놓고 is a Korean idiom that means being absent-minded or spacing out].

Suddenly, Tamhwa Ogong’s energy began to change noticeably.

“What is it.”

Perhaps because he was quite embarrassed, he twisted his body and made a fuss.

Thanks to that, the Bile River splashed here and there, so Sangun had to keep his distance.

Then, he curled up into a ball, and only then did he know why he was doing this.

“Is he doing Jinsumyeonghwa [a type of transformation] by any chance?”

Just as he was wondering whether to be happy or not, Tamhwa Ogong’s Jinsumyeonghwa began. Golden light was subtly sprinkled from his body, and then it shone brilliantly, sucking in the surrounding spirit energy.

“Last time he made a cocoon, but this time he’s trying to molt.”

The Jinsumyeonghwa of spirit worms is different from that of spirit beasts.

They have no intelligence.

Instinctively, they make cocoons, molt, or pupate.

He doesn’t know why.

What is certain is that.

“Spirit worms shed their skin three times.”

When they shed their skin three times.

They gain intelligence and a second appearance.

It is the same context as when a spirit beast ascends to eternity and sheds its skin to obtain a new body, and it is collectively called Talhyeong (脫形) [shedding form].

“It’s good to get stronger, but….”

He doesn’t know how long it will take.

He couldn’t put it in Gongjeonggang [a storage space], so there was nothing he could do.

“What to do….”