Rebirth of the Thunder God

The moment Namgung Hui was about to cut off Namgung Sang's arm.

-Clang!

Someone rushed into the training ground and interfered.

He was exuding the scent of plum blossoms, and as expected, his attire was also from the Mount Hua Sect.

The opponent who had interfered, Namgung In, stylishly retrieved his sword and opened his mouth.

"Third brother, fourth brother. Why are you brothers fighting so roughly?"

"Brother! This bastard cut off my fingers. We must take this bastard's fingers, no, his wrist!"

"Hah. Accidents can happen when martial artists spar. It's a pity that your fingers ended up like that, but it's not right to cut off the fourth brother's wrist either. And since the Divine Physician Sect is here, you should hurry and take your fingers to them. They should be able to reattach them."

"Ah!"

Namgung Sang hurriedly picked up his fingers and disappeared.

Namgung Hui looked at Namgung Sang's hopeful back and smiled mockingly.

‘I seared it with Thunder Ki, so it won't work as you wish. You shouldn't have raised your sword ki in the first place, tsk tsk.’

"Fourth brother. They said you've recovered, you've changed beyond recognition. It hasn't been long since you got up from your sickbed. Did you have a fortuitous encounter? You've become quite strong."

Namgung Hui finally turned his head and looked at Namgung In.

Since they were half-brothers, he didn't resemble him or his first brother.

Still, he had a rather handsome and likable face.

But it was a face he didn't remember.

But strangely, he also felt like he had seen him somewhere before.

This was not Namgung Hui's memory, but a memory from his Thunder God days.

That's why he couldn't pinpoint exactly who Namgung In resembled.

‘Does he resemble his mother's side? But as far as I know, the Ouyang family didn't have such an appearance.’

The second wife was from the Ouyang family.

In fact, handsome men and beautiful women were rare in the Ouyang family.

Their cheekbones protruded, and their eyes were small.

In contrast, the second brother had well-defined features and could be called a handsome man.

Well, not all appearances are inherited, so it probably wasn't important.

"Is it because it's been a long time? Why are you staring at my face so intently? Have you by any chance awakened to that kind of preference?"

"Ha. I'd rather die. That will never happen, so let's not even joke about such things. But why has the second brother, who should be at the Mount Hua Sect, come all the way here?"

"Well. I came down because the third brother was in danger of being poisoned. You're also related to that, right?"

"Yes. I also ate poison and was on the verge of death, and now I've opened my eyes, so I'm not unrelated."

Namgung Hui finished speaking and stared at Namgung In.

As if he knew that he was also related.

But Namgung In's expression didn't change at all, and he answered calmly.

"You were sick all this time because of poison? This is the first I'm hearing of it."

"It's a fact that O Mujin confessed. Well, since he's being chased right now, it would be difficult to present him as a witness."

"No. Isn't the Divine Physician Sect here? They should be able to examine your body and determine whether you were poisoned or not."

Namgung Hui was about to say that it was impossible.

But, looking at the second brother's wicked smile, he instantly grasped his intention.

‘Ah! Could it be that the second brother called the Divine Physician Sect? To deliberately secure a justification?’

It was natural for the poison ki to be burned away when he was struck by lightning.

There was also the effect of the Pure Thunder Essence, and O Mujin of the Five Poisons Sect had already testified that there was no poison ki in Namgung Hui's body.

Namgung In, knowing that, seemed to be trying to secure a justification with this as an excuse and deal with Namgung Hui.

Come to think of it, the third brother, Namgung Sang, had become bald due to poison.

And there was no evidence that he had fed Namgung Hui poison.

‘If O Mujin is silenced, the witness will disappear completely. He might already be in the other world.’

He was once an enemy, O Mujin, but now he hoped he was alive.

Well, it didn't matter even if he was dead.

It wasn't as if Namgung Hui had no way out.

"Then, youngest. Let's go to where the Divine Physician Sect is together on this occasion. The first brother will be there anyway, so it would be good for us four brothers to gather for the first time in a while."

"Alright. Then lead the way."

And so, Namgung Hui headed for the infirmary where the Divine Physician Sect was staying with Namgung In.

* * *

As soon as he entered the corridor of the infirmary, the thick scent of medicine was already vibrating.

Everyone was frowning at the bitter scent, but Namgung Hui was rather smiling.

‘This is the real medicinal scent of the Divine Physician Sect. The first brother will be fine, fortunately. He might even be healthier than before.’

That's how effective the medicine of the Divine Physician Sect was.

So that was also the reason why the Divine Physician Sect was so high-nosed.

He had heard that they didn't even easily give medicine to the imperial palace.

‘It's a wonder that the Divine Physician Sect is still going strong.’

If they acted so arrogantly, they were bound to be punished, but the Divine Physician Sect had many supporters.

And within the Divine Physician Sect, there were also many formidable masters.

They were probably martial artists whose lives or their families' lives had been saved.

The debt of saving a life would be the greatest of all.

-Knock. Knock.

"It's Namgung In. May I come in? The fourth brother is also with me."

"Please come in."

-Creak.

As the door opened, the medicinal scent scattered even more thickly.

Now, it wasn't just stimulating the sense of smell, but it even made the taste in his mouth feel bitter.

When he breathed in, it felt as if his body itself was being purified.

Namgung Hui looked at the two men lying in front of him.

One was the third brother, who had fallen asleep with his fingers stitched up.

The other was the first brother, Namgung Chan, who was leaning against the bed.

"Fourth brother. I have no face to show you."

"Why didn't you listen to your younger brother? Still, I'm glad your complexion looks good."

"Haha. Brother, you don't seem to see me."

"Yes. Second brother, you're here too. You must have had a hard time coming from Mount Hua. It's been ten years since us four brothers have gathered."

That was before Namgung Hui had collapsed, so it was a natural thing to say.

And the banquet that was held at that time had also been the starting point of Namgung Hui's collapse.

Namgung In, with a smile that was hard to read, asked the physician from the Divine Physician Sect.

"How are the third brother's fingers?"

The physician in a white robe shook his head.

"If it was just a simple sword cut, we could have reconnected the nerves, but since it was crushed by sword ki like this, all we can do is reattach the form. Of course, this is also a very difficult surgery."

A ripple appeared on Namgung In's face, which had maintained a calm expression until now.

"So. You're saying the third brother won't be able to move his fingers?"

"Yes. Unfortunately."

-Grind!

Namgung In ground his teeth.

With that expression, he did resemble someone from the Ouyang family.

The twitching of his cheekbones seemed to clearly reveal his anger.

"Brother. What do you think about the youngest cutting off the third brother's fingers?"

"I heard from the Firmament Guard that it was a sparring match initiated by the third brother. And the third brother was the one who used sword ki first. The youngest was just protecting himself, wasn't he?"

"Is that so? I understand for now."

"Come on. It's been a long time since we've gathered, is there a need to be so grim? I'm curious if everyone has had dinner."

"Everyone must have eaten. By the way, where is the Divine Physician Sect leader? The youngest was said to have been poisoned, let's determine whether that and the third brother's poisoning are true."

Namgung Chan stared at Namgung In for a moment.

It felt as if he was looking into his inner thoughts to see what his scheme was.

When Namgung In also stared at Namgung Chan, it seemed as if sparks flew from their eyes.

It was then.

"The sect leader has arrived."

The Divine Physician Sect leader, who had been away for a moment, had returned to the infirmary.

As the door opened, a middle-aged man with unusually clear eyes entered.

He had a rather benevolent impression, and his voice was also extremely calm.

"I've been to see the family head, and the number of guests has increased. Seeing that you resemble the young lord, this person must be the youngest young master. And here, seeing the Mount Hua Sect attire, you must be the second young master."

Namgung Hui looked at the Divine Physician Sect leader with a surprised gaze.

The former sect leader was so arrogant that he was not familiar with people's personal details, but the current Divine Physician Sect leader didn't seem to be that arrogant.

"Are you surprised that I know you? Of course, I came to see the youngest young master, so it's natural that I would know."

"You came to see me?"

"Where would you find someone who has been struck by lightning? Ahem! It's a bit much to say this, but you're a precious research subject. And I can't examine the body of a woman, the young palace mistress, in detail."

The current Divine Physician Sect leader also seemed to be quite peculiar.

So the reason he had come to see Namgung Hui was to satisfy his intellectual curiosity by examining his body.

Well, it wasn't a bad thing to explore as a physician.

"You can examine me as much as you want. However, it's after my brother has recovered."

"Hahaha. You don't have to worry about that. He'll be walking around perfectly fine by tomorrow."

As Namgung Hui and the Divine Physician Sect leader were having a friendly conversation, Namgung In interrupted with a displeased expression.

"Sect Leader, my younger brother was poisoned and became bald. Could you please testify for certain who did it?"

"I just told the family head about it. The Hairless Disciple of the Five Poisons Sect. That's for sure."

"As expected. Then we can punish them if we just catch the one who instigated it."

"However, this poison is vicious, but its fatality rate is almost non-existent. The ones who died from the Hairless Disciple all committed suicide."

Namgung In frowned and said.

"Then are you saying it's difficult to punish them?"

"Our Divine Physician Sect is also in a cooperative relationship with the Martial Alliance. So when they sometimes ask for advice, it would be difficult to see this as a serious crime."

"No! A person has gone bald, and if that's not a serious crime, what is? Would you just stand by if you went bald, Sect Leader?"

"Ahem! Well, this is not something I decide, but a matter for the Martial Alliance to decide. It's no use arguing with me. Rather, on this occasion, to the Shaolin Temple……."

"That's enough! Then please examine the youngest's body. He said he was poisoned, but no matter how I look at it, it doesn't seem like it."

The Divine Physician Sect leader, now able to examine Namgung Hui's body, smiled and nodded.

"Alright. Then, Fourth Young Master, would you please lie down on the examination table over there?"

The Divine Physician Sect leader pointed to an empty bed.

The beds in the infirmary were structured with all sides open for easy examination.

"Alright. I had something I was curious about anyway, so this is great."

Namgung Hui obediently lay down on the bed.

He didn't particularly like the Divine Physician Sect leader's sly gaze, but he lay down readily because he wanted something.

"Then I will begin the examination. Fourth Young Master. Please relax your whole body."

"Yes."

Namgung Hui had already relaxed.

He even helped the Divine Physician Sect leader to examine him easily by relaxing his muscles as much as possible.

The Divine Physician Sect leader gently took Namgung Hui's pulse.

As soon as he took his wrist, he widened his eyes and said.

"Ho-oh. A rare, no, a physique I've never seen before. To think there is such a perfect physique, the legendary Heavenly Martial Body is this……."

"Sect Leader. That's enough with the flattery. If the youngest was a Heavenly Martial Body, would he have been so sick? Just finish the examination."

Namgung In even subtly raised his aura and urged him on.

But the Divine Physician Sect leader, as if he was used to such intimidation from martial artists, even smiled and began the examination.

"Oh-ho. Oh-ho. Indeed……."

As the Divine Physician Sect leader continued to exclaim in admiration, Namgung In, who couldn't stand it anymore, shouted.

"No! Just say it properly. What can I know if you just mumble like that?"

"Ah. I'm sorry. But you've gotten the answer you wanted, so rest assured."

"The answer I wanted?"

This time, the Divine Physician Sect leader smiled slyly and answered.

"The Fourth Young Master was also poisoned."

(End of Chapter)