Rebirth of the Thunder God

-Clang! Clang! Clang!

The front of the Famous Inn instantly turned into a scene of chaos.

It was a natural result, as over twenty people were swinging their weapons.

Even now, a Lake Chao Sect disciple was knocked away by a palm strike.

The place he flew to was, without fail, a stall.

-Crash! Smash!

Not just the Famous Inn, but the surrounding objects were also shattered.

The merchants who were watching the fight could only suppress their anger with sad faces.

Namgung Hui tried to reduce the damage as much as possible at that sight, but the Lake Chao Sect leader was not someone he could face so leisurely.

Not just anyone could be the leader of a sect, so he was truly worthy of being called a master.

‘And did he eat some spiritual medicine recently? His strength is amazing.’

The distinct veins on his forearm.

The proud internal energy flowing over them.

The clear sword ki forming on his sword.

It clearly showed that his achievements were not low.

Namgung Hui, having lost his sword, was facing him with his bare body.

Without the advantage of a weapon, he couldn't gain the upper hand.

No, it should be seen as a disadvantage.

He had also consumed half a cycle of sixty years of internal energy by performing the Mountain-Shattering Sword Art, so he even felt a sense of powerlessness.

To Namgung Hui, who was cornered, the Lake Chao Sect leader spoke as if in admiration.

"Are you really the guy who was just lying in a sickbed? No matter how I think about it, it's strange. Why are you stronger than the third young master?"

"It's the law of nature that the backwaters of the Yangtze River push the front waters. And you, sect leader, you're not as easy as I thought. You're not like a small-to-medium sect."

"Hah! How absurd. Who do you think you're talking to? Well, there's no law that says you can't eat a spiritual medicine if you're lucky. After all, you're from the Namgung family. I also ate a spiritual medicine recently. But it's a shame that what you ate is about to return to the earth."

"The earth? Weren't you thinking of sinking me in Lake Chao? Then it would return to the water."

"Hahaha! That's a good idea too. If I eat the fish that ate you, does that count as eating a spiritual medicine? Then let's stop the chatter here. I think I've rested enough."

The Lake Chao Sect leader thought of Namgung Hui as a fish he had already caught.

First, the Lake Chao Sect had the numerical advantage.

And above all, it was amazing that he had lasted this long with his bare hands.

On top of that, the Namgung family was far away, and this was the territory of the Lake Chao Sect.

‘And since he's a thorn in the second young master's side, he'll probably praise me if I take care of the fourth young master.’

That's why the Lake Chao Sect leader, Lee Cheongmyeong, had acted so boldly.

Because he had something to believe in.

But Namgung Hui also had something to believe in.

He believed in himself more than anything. To be precise, the martial arts of the Thunder Sect.

‘At this rate, I'm going to lose. I can't help it if there's damage to the surroundings.’

Fist technique, palm technique, kick technique.

Which of the three was the most powerful?

First, if the opponent was a group, it would be the palm technique, the Explosive Thunder Palm.

Then, on the contrary, if the opponent was a small number, it would be the fist and kick techniques.

Fist and foot.

In terms of accuracy and speed, the fist was faster, but in terms of power, the foot was definitely three times higher.

The muscle strength of the foot itself was also three times stronger than the arm.

Of course, the kick technique was harder to hit than the fist technique.

That's why the kick technique was a less popular martial art than the fist technique.

But Namgung Hui was different.

Not only his insight, but the Thunder Sect's Thunder Severing Kick was on a different level from other kick techniques.

Namgung Hui wrapped his entire body in Pure Thunder Essence and awakened his nerves.

Thunder Flow.

A proud stream of Thunder Ki flowed through his entire body.

This was a feat that was only possible after reaching the 6th star of the Divine Thunder Art.

The extremely activated nerves and muscles even made it feel as if time was flowing slowly.

It meant that Namgung Hui could move that much faster.

The kick technique, which was slow compared to the fist technique, was no longer a problem.

-Zap!

A flash of lightning erupted.

A rumbling thunderclap immediately followed.

The Thunder Severing Kick, which felt faster than sound.

It was as if he had stolen lightning and unleashed it.

"Keuk!"

The Lake Chao Sect leader was pushed back three steps in one blow.

But Namgung Hui's attack was just beginning.

At the shower of successive kicks, the Lake Chao Sect leader couldn't come to his senses.

‘What kind of attack is so fast? In that case, I have no choice.’

The Lake Chao Sect leader was also the master of a sect.

Such a sect leader would not be easily defeated.

With a determined expression, he spread his arms wide and received Namgung Hui's offensive with his chest.

‘Is he just going to take it and die?’

The moment Namgung Hui's foot touched the Lake Chao Sect leader's chest.

Namgung Hui realized.

-Thud!

‘He's wearing a protective armor!’

Was he trying to give up his flesh to take the bone?

The Lake Chao Sect leader grabbed Namgung Hui's leg that had touched his chest.

"I'll take your leg first."

-Swish!

The Lake Chao Sect leader's blue steel sword cut at Namgung Hui's leg.

It seemed Namgung Hui would become one-legged in a moment.

-Zzzzt! Zzzzt!

A flash of lightning erupted from the Lake Chao Sect leader's chest.

Even though he was wearing a protective armor, the Lake Chao Sect leader clutched his chest and his eyes rolled back.

His hair was also standing on end, as if he had been struck by lightning.

"Keoheok!"

He couldn't even breathe, and instead threw off the dented protective armor.

Would Namgung Hui just stand by and watch this?

He planted another kick into the bare chest of the Lake Chao Sect leader.

-Crack!

It seemed several of his ribs had broken.

He couldn't breathe anymore, as if his lungs had even been pierced.

No matter how much internal energy one had or how much of a master one was, one had to breathe to live.

"Heok…… Heok…… Spare me……. 300 silver taels. I'll give you 300 silver taels……."

"Is your life only worth 300 silver taels?"

"Five hundred. No, I'll give you a thousand taels. A thousand taels."

"I only accept lump sums, do you have a thousand taels now?"

"I can give it to you as soon as I return to the sect."

"How can I believe that? There's only one thing I can believe right now."

"What is it……?"

"That you're going to die."

-Smash!

Namgung Hui stepped on his heart and crushed it.

Bright red blood flowed, soaking the ground.

The spiritual medicine he had eaten would also seep into the ground like this.

And on the earth that had drunk it, a new life would bloom brilliantly.

Namgung Hui wiped the blood from his foot on the Lake Chao Sect leader and stared ahead.

Baek Seolhwa had also almost finished dealing with her opponents.

Even in that situation, Namgung Hui couldn't manage a smile.

‘She's suspicious. Was the young palace mistress of the Moon Maiden Palace that strong? Did she secretly eat a spiritual medicine at the Tiger Subduing Fortress? No. That still doesn't make sense.’

First, her profound internal energy aside.

Her application of techniques, her composure, and even her experience.

That was by no means something a mere rising star would possess.

Unless, perhaps, the palace mistress of the Moon Maiden Palace had undergone a rejuvenation.

‘No way, she can't be a master of rejuvenation.’

That made even less sense.

Rejuvenation was a realm that even he, in his Thunder God days, had not achieved.

Of course, if he had lived a little longer, he might have tried.

His age at that time was not old enough to undergo rejuvenation.

As Namgung Hui was lost in his imagination, Baek Seolhwa had slaughtered all the Lake Chao Sect members.

The one who was called the young sect leader, in particular, was so disfigured that it was hard to recognize his form, and seeing that, Namgung Hui clicked his tongue again.

‘Is she really a master of rejuvenation?’

Otherwise, such a calm and cruel hand did not make sense.

Even an old master of the orthodox path would not be so ruthless.

"What are you looking at?"

"It's nothing. You've worked hard. Thanks to you, we cleaned up smoothly."

Of course, there was still a mountain of things to clean up.

The bodies of the Lake Chao Sect disciples had to be cleaned up.

And the broken objects around them had to be compensated for.

And above all, the Famous Inn, which seemed difficult to operate in the future, might have to be rebuilt.

‘What's the point of me controlling my strength? Those guys broke it like that.’

And Namgung Hui suddenly wondered if he had killed the Lake Chao Sect leader too easily.

He had definitely mentioned the second brother, and the content was quite unsettling.

‘How dare the Namgung family be handed over to the second brother? My brother is still alive and well.’

That was something he could check soon enough.

To do that, he had to clean this place up quickly.

Namgung Hui smiled awkwardly at the merchants who were loitering around and said.

"I'll compensate for everything, so please cheer up. And where is the owner of this inn?"

"I am the owner of this inn."

Namgung Hui let out a deep sigh and then, with a determined expression, took out a lump of gold from his pocket.

When the glittering gold suddenly appeared, not only the inn owner but also the merchants who had gathered around widened their eyes.

"This should be more than enough to compensate for everything. You can also rebuild the inn."

"It's, it's too much, benefactor."

Namgung Hui was now elevated to the status of a benefactor.

Namgung Hui also didn't dislike that title.

Namgung Hui firmly placed the lump of gold in the inn owner's hand and continued.

"Since I gave you gold, shouldn't I be a gold-person instead of a benefactor?"

"Huh? What do you mean by that……?"

"It was a joke. A joke. Everyone seemed so stiff. Ahem."

But perhaps the joke had gone too far, as the people seemed to have become even stiffer.

For a moment, it felt as if a cold chill was spreading, as if Baek Seolhwa had performed an ice art.

Namgung Hui cleared his throat and looked around.

The collapsed Famous Inn.

The overturned ground.

The destroyed stalls and buildings.

And the merchants looking at Namgung Hui.

The emotions contained within them were not so bad.

Of course, there was fear.

But hope, relief, goodwill, and envy.

All of this was blended together and was directed at Namgung Hui with a warm gaze.

‘It's not as much as sixty years ago, but it's still a similar gaze to when they looked at my sworn brother.’

It could be because they were dissatisfied with the Lake Chao Sect's behavior all this time.

Or it could be because he had compensated them with a lump of gold, Namgung Hui didn't know for sure.

But it was okay.

All of this would have a positive impact on the Namgung family's reputation.

And by showing the gold like this, he could also announce the well-being of the Namgung family, so he inwardly thought of it as an opportunity.

‘And I'm also firmly grasping the justification in the battle with the Lake Chao Sect.’

No matter how much of a small-to-medium sect it was, the Lake Chao Sect was a sect that had taken control of the entire Lake Chao area.

To have brought such a sect to the brink of annihilation in one day.

The Martial Alliance would surely come to investigate.

Well, he didn't know if they would believe that two rising stars had annihilated it, but anyway, in that process, they would surely ask the surrounding merchants about this and that.

There, the goodwill towards the Namgung family would work in their favor to some extent.

And above all, Namgung Hui was upright.

He had no shame when looking up at the sky.

Even if it wasn't chivalry, he believed he had done the minimum duty.

‘I believe my sworn brother would think so too.’

Namgung Hui looked up at the blue sky for a moment, then turned his body and said.

"Then let's go home."

It was a day when the sunlight shining down was unusually clear.

* * *

By the time the sun was setting in the evening.

Namgung Hui's party, although later than expected, finally arrived at the Namgung family estate.

Now, if they just got out of the carriage, they would finally be stepping on the land of the Namgung family.

Namgung Hui lightly stepped down from the carriage and asked Chohwa.

"Chohwa. Didn't you say you had something to say at the inn earlier?"

"Ah! That's right. The family head just came out of seclusion yesterday."

"Is that so? That's really great news. I should go and hold a banquet."

"But I don't think that will be possible."

"Why? Didn't we always hold a small banquet when the seclusion ended?"

Chohwa cautiously glanced at Namgung Hui's face and then opened her mouth.

"Th-that's……. This time, the young lord collapsed."

(End of Chapter)