Rebirth of the Thunder God

"Cough!"

But the one who coughed up blood was not Namgung Hui, but the chief of the Tiger Subduing Fortress.

He wiped the blood flowing from his mouth and asked Namgung Hui.

"What kind of sword art is this? I've never seen this martial art in the martial world."

"Heavenly Thunder Sword Art. The technique's name is Flash."

"Lightning flash. It suits you well……."

-Thud……!

The chief of the Tiger Subduing Fortress didn't even finish his words and slammed his head into the ground.

Seeing the hole in his chest, it was an instant death.

-Gulp.

The bandits, now less than twenty, lost their will to fight.

Baek Seolhwa was already a handful, and with their leader down, their morale was broken.

This is why the vanguard is important.

In that silence, a bandit threw down his weapon and shouted.

"Shit! Run……."

"Where do you think you're going?"

Baek Seolhwa did not let the bandits go.

She bound their steps with a frost-like cold chill.

It felt as if the atmosphere was stiffening.

Whether the bandits' feet were really frozen.

Or whether they were scared, they couldn't move an inch from their spot.

Then the result was as clear as day.

-Slash. Slice!

With Namgung Hui joining in, the bandits could not escape annihilation.

When he cut off the head of the last bandit, the sword Namgung Hui was holding shattered to pieces.

-Clang.

"As expected, the sword doesn't last long."

Thunder Ki, with its powerful might, also placed a huge burden on weapons.

That was why there had been no sword art in the Thunder Sect until now.

But Namgung Hui was planning to solve this soon, so it wasn't a big problem.

After all, he could make do with his bare body even without a sword.

"The sword art you just performed doesn't seem to be from the Namgung family. Is that also a martial art of your sect?"

"You'll get hurt if you know."

Namgung Hui returned the words Baek Seolhwa had said to him.

"Tsk! You're going to be petty like that?"

"Petty or not, I told you the name of the martial art earlier. What does it matter if it's from my sect or my family?"

Namgung Hui also found it difficult to define.

It was a sword art created by melting his sworn brother's insight, the Emperor Sword Form, and combining it with the Thunder God's insight, so he himself couldn't define whether it was from his family or his sect.

"Right. That's not what's important."

"Anyway. We've taken care of all the bandits, so let's just take the spoils and leave. The smell is so bad, I can't stay here for long."

The exterior of the Tiger Subduing Fortress was plausible, but the inside reeked of a foul stench.

Would bandits care about hygiene?

It seemed they vomited and relieved themselves anywhere.

Vomit and filth were piled up in layers everywhere.

It was a passage that clearly showed the debauchery of the bandits.

Namgung Hui, leaving such filth behind, looked for a place where there might be silver.

Not the place where the bandits lived, but the buildings that looked like warehouses.

Perhaps because they were from the Green Forest, who plundered a lot, warehouses were scattered all over the place.

It was then.

-Rustle. Rustle.

Namgung Hui, who was looking around, suddenly felt a presence, suppressed his own, and approached.

Could it be a hiding bandit?

Namgung Hui, with a faint internal energy wrapped around his fist, quickly threw open the door of the building.

"Mmph, mmph!"

A man with his whole body tied up in ropes appeared.

He looked to be about forty, and grime was streaming down his face.

This person also seemed to have contributed to the thick stench.

Namgung Hui untied the gag in the man's mouth and asked.

"How did you get caught?"

"Ah. Ah. Uh. That……."

The man, having been gagged for quite a long time, couldn't speak properly.

By the time Namgung Hui had untied the ropes on his arms and legs, he was finally able to speak.

The man rolled his eyes for a moment and then opened his mouth.

"Phew……. I'm actually the cook of the inn down there, and these bandit bastards, what do you know, told me to be their exclusive chef. So I was dragged here by force, but they seemed to have gotten tired of my food and locked me up like this."

"Ah. You were the cook of the Mount Huang inn. Then are there other people who were captured?"

"Of course there are. There are probably more than ten people besides me."

"Let's go out together for now."

As Namgung Hui helped the cook out, Baek Seolhwa also seemed to have found something and was heading somewhere with a very serious expression.

Namgung Hui also followed her and looked inside the building, and couldn't help but harden his expression.

‘Are they kidnapped women?’

The atmosphere was heavy from the start. They looked as if they had been severely tortured.

First, it seemed best to leave the matter of the women to a woman, so Namgung Hui turned his body around.

‘Should I search the bandits' pockets?’

He had to clean up the bodies anyway.

If he left them as they were, there was a high probability that a plague would break out.

The ground was already full of filth.

If an epidemic spread, it would not be good for the Namgung family either.

"Please rest here for a moment. I have to go and clean up the bandits' bodies."

"Benefactor. Then I will go and gather some wealth from inside the mountain fortress. I've heard where they hid their wealth."

Perhaps because he was a cook, he seemed to have easily overheard their conversations.

After all, when alcohol is involved, mouths become loose, so he must have heard it while serving side dishes.

When Namgung Hui nodded, the cook limped and moved his feet.

That person also seemed to have been beaten quite a bit by the bandits.

In that state, the stolen wealth would not be light, so it seemed he wouldn't be able to sneak it away.

Namgung Hui immediately searched the bandits' pockets, but as expected, nothing came out of the small fry.

On the contrary, it seemed they had only been drinking recently, as vomit was stained here and there on their collars.

He even searched their underwear just in case, but only a thick stench greeted Namgung Hui.

Still, there was a small achievement.

50 silver taels came out of someone who looked like a vice-chief.

Namgung Hui, being a man who knew how to be grateful for small things, felt a sense of pride.

‘The vice-chief from last time was broke, so this is a relief.’

The ones who had chased Baek Seolhwa all the way to the Thunder Sect seemed to belong to this Tiger Subduing Fortress.

Looking at the style of their clothes and the slightly empty mountain fortress, it certainly seemed that some members were missing.

Of course, there would be quite a few who had gone out to search for Baek Seolhwa.

Namgung Hui finally began to search the chief's pockets.

Even though Namgung Hui was not a thief, his expectations soared.

‘I shouldn't get a taste for this.’

But what could he do? He had to take the spoils.

When Namgung Hui thoroughly searched the chief's pockets, a whopping 100 silver taels and a wooden plaque that seemed to be the chief's symbol came out.

It didn't stop there, two scrolls that looked like letters also came out, and seeing that their materials were different, they seemed to have come from different places.

Namgung Hui immediately unfolded the letter and read it.

[Moon Maiden Palace's young palace mistress out]

[Destination estimated to be Mount Huang]

[Alliance postscript]

‘This is the Heretic Alliance reporting Baek Seolhwa's location.’

Namgung Hui already knew this, so it was no big deal.

He tore it to shreds and scattered it.

Then he unfolded the next letter.

Unlike the one from the Heretic Alliance, its material even felt quite luxurious.

Although only a few characters were written, the handwriting was also very elegant.

[Capture the young palace mistress alive, must]

[Assembly]

‘The Assembly comes out here too? It must be the same place as the elder of the Heretic Alliance from before.’

But he couldn't understand why these guys didn't put anything in front of the name Assembly.

Wouldn't the members of the organization get confused by the name?

Just the assemblies that Namgung Hui knew of were the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly, the Martial Arts Assembly, the Mount Hua Assembly, etc.

Countless meetings came to mind.

When Namgung Hui finished searching the chief's pockets, the same luxurious jade plaque that had come out of the Heretic Alliance elder also came out.

‘I'll just ask the Hao Faction.’

He had to go to the Hao Faction anyway.

Not only to sell the information about the leader of the Heretic Alliance, but also to repair the formation of the Thunder Sect.

And so, Namgung Hui took all the spoils and gathered the bodies in one place and burned them.

By the time the pungent smell was vibrating, Baek Seolhwa appeared, leading the women.

"Did anything come out?"

"Not much. Nothing but 150 silver taels."

"What?! 150 silver taels? That's nothing?"

It didn't seem like a lot of money for the young palace mistress of the Moon Maiden Palace, but Baek Seolhwa's reaction was quite intense.

It seemed that 150 silver taels looked like a huge sum of money.

Since she was broke right now, it might be a natural reaction.

Namgung Hui, at Baek Seolhwa's appearance, split the silver exactly in half and handed it to her.

"Spoils should be divided in half. And someone else will be coming out of the warehouse soon."

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.

The Mount Huang inn cook appeared, pulling a carriage.

It seemed to be the goods that the Tiger Subduing Fortress bandits had stolen, but fortunately, the carriage was in good condition.

As expected, the bandits didn't seem to damage the goods.

"Benefactor! I found the safe, but I have no idea how to open it."

"I'll have to take a look."

"Then I'll go and check the carriage. You go ahead."

Baek Seolhwa seemed to want to check the carriage because she had to put the women in it.

And since there was a considerable amount of wealth loaded on it, there would be a need to organize it.

And so, Namgung Hui nodded and headed for the warehouse that the cook was leading him to.

No. It looked more like a building where people lived than a warehouse, and seeing that it was fitted for one person, it seemed to be the chief's home.

The magnificent tiger skin spread out on the bed turned Namgung Hui's guess into a certainty.

The cook skillfully pushed the bed aside and opened the floor.

As he said, a huge safe appeared, and it looked quite sturdy just by looking at it.

This too must have been stolen from somewhere.

But how did he know there was a safe under the bed? Could it be……?

‘Was the chief a man-lover……?’

"Benefactor. Was there anything like a wooden plaque on the chief's body? I think I heard that it's the key to the safe."

He had thought the wooden plaque looked a little strange, but it seemed it had such a use.

Was it not stolen, but a safe provided by the Green Forest?

Anyway. Namgung Hui needed to open the safe, so he readily took out the wooden plaque.

"Do I just stick this in the groove here?"

"Yes. Shall I open it for you?"

Namgung Hui stared at the right arm he was holding out.

"Are you right-handed by any chance?"

"Huh? Yes. I am……."

He seemed a little flustered, as if he didn't expect Namgung Hui to suddenly ask such a thing.

Did he think it was too random of a question?

Namgung Hui smiled meaningfully at the cook's appearance.

"You. Who are you?"

"What do you mean by that? I'm the cook of the Mount Huang inn……."

"You're not, are you? I've looked at the kitchen of the Mount Huang inn, and the cook there was left-handed. You just said you were right-handed."

"Damn it!"

The self-proclaimed cook, who had been cautiously watching, turned around and started to run away.

No, he's running away without even explaining the whole story?

Namgung Hui, finding him very suspicious, subdued him first and then asked.

"Let me go!"

"No. Why are you suddenly running away? Are you a bandit by any chance?"

"……."

"So that's it. I thought you knew too much about the chief's safe."

"I know it well because it was originally mine."

"You were the original chief? Then how did you end up like that?"

The self-proclaimed cook now says he is the self-proclaimed chief.

Looking at his serious expression, it didn't seem to be a lie.

The self-proclaimed chief slumped to the floor and opened his mouth.

"A rebellion. What else could it be? It's a common thing in the Green Forest."

"Then why did they let you live? It would have been easier to just kill you."

"That's because there's still something to get from me."

"Do you know the incantation of some peerless divine art?"

"No."

"Then did you hide a treasure map?"

"No."

"Then why?"

The former chief continued with a bitter smile.

"Actually, there's another lock inside that safe. Of course, I have the key."

The dying former chief put on a triumphant expression.

Like the chief of the Tiger Subduing Fortress, he seemed to have judged that Namgung Hui couldn't rashly kill him.

Namgung Hui was about to search his pockets, but he didn't think he could find what even the Green Forest members couldn't find.

‘Should I ask him to give it to me in exchange for his life? No. Making a deal with a bandit doesn't suit my taste. In that case…….’

He could just try Thunder Ki torture.

The Green Forest members probably didn't know about that level of torture.

It wouldn't be too late to try it and then think again.

The moment Namgung Hui approached the former chief.

Suddenly, Chichi, who was in his pocket, jumped out and stuck to the man's face.

"Squeak. Squeak! (There's something in his mouth here!)"

"Is that so?"

Namgung Hui grabbed the man's mouth and looked into his stinking mouth.

"I don't see it."

"Squeak. (Here.)"

When Chichi lifted his tongue, a real key popped out.

A very thick stench came out and pierced his nose, but Namgung Hui willingly pulled out the key.

"It's mine! Give it back! You son of a……."

-Thwack!

Namgung Hui, having no more business with him, immediately threw a punch.

Then he picked up a liquor bottle lying around in the room and poured it all over the key.

"Now the smell is a little better. Phew……."

After pouring some liquor on Chichi as well, Namgung Hui walked towards the safe.

‘What's so great hidden in there that he would gamble his life for it?’

Namgung Hui put the wooden plaque in the groove and opened the safe.

Actually, it seemed that this large safe could be opened with force somehow.

Of course, if there were manuals or important documents inside, they might be slightly damaged, but would bandits keep such things?

-Creeeeak…….

As expected, when the safe opened, there were no books that looked like manuals.

Instead, it was full of glittering gold bars.

Namgung Hui first looked for something that this key would fit into.

There must be something more valuable than gold bars in there.

Enough for the former chief to risk his life.

"Squeak! (Here it is. Here.)"

This time too, Chichi found the object.

Could it be that it was Chichi's talent that found the gap in the Thunder Sect's formation?

Anyway, what was important was what was inside the box in front of him.

Namgung Hui picked up the heavy box.

It was about the size of a human head and was made of a very sturdy material. It made him wonder if this safe was actually a warehouse and this box was the real safe.

The former chief had called it a warehouse in the first place.

‘I could get some money just by selling this box.’

It seemed that at least sword ki would be needed to break it with force.

And to open it without damaging the contents inside, it might be impossible even with the realm of a transcendent master.

But Namgung Hui had the key, so that wasn't a problem.

-Click.

Fortunately, the key fit very well.

A place that made such an exquisite and sturdy safe…….

A few places came to mind, but that wasn't what was important now.

Namgung Hui carefully opened the box.

And the moment the box was fully opened, Namgung Hui's eyes also widened.

‘Why is this here?’

(End of Chapter)