Rebirth of the Thunder God

But contrary to the Sect Leader's expression, Namgung Hui was perfectly calm.

'Taking the Purple Mist Pill leaves behind something called Purple Qi, but I converted it to Thunder Energy long ago.'

This was also something he knew from listening to the Sword God.

Any other outsider would have eaten it without knowing this fact.

It didn't matter even if he didn't know. Because Namgung Hui had already converted the energy of the Purple Mist Pill into Thunder Energy.

Of course, now that it had changed into another property, Namgung Hui had to give it a new name.

The Mount Hua Sect Leader examined Namgung Hui's body for a long time.

Soon, he slowly opened his eyes, returned to his usual expression, and continued.

"Hoho, then where did the Purple Mist Pill go? Did it end up in the enemy's hands after all... Ha!"

The Sect Leader let out a sigh that could have collapsed the ground.

If Namgung Hui had eaten it, it would have at least fallen into the hands of the orthodox faction, so even if it was a bit of a waste, there would be no loss of power.

The thought that the Purple Mist Pill had fallen into the enemy's hands was particularly painful.

Namgung Hui felt a pang of guilt, but he believed that the annotation on Purple Mist Ten Thousand Li would be worth that much.

The thought that the Sect Leader, who was already a master, would become even stronger made his fists clench.

It was then.

As the Sect Leader was staring blankly somewhere, a Mount Hua Sect disciple suddenly ran into the open space of the Purple Mist Hall.

"Sect Leader! The Purple Mist Divine Sword has disappeared!"

"...! So, that was the purpose of this explosion. This is strictly my mistake. How could I not have known until a thunderclap bomb was planted in the Purple Mist Hall?"

At the words "Purple Mist Divine Sword," Namgung Hui's eyes flashed.

A name of a sword he knew well.

The treasured sword that the Sword God had carried.

The Purple Mist Divine Sword was such an outstanding treasured sword that the word "divine sword" did not sound exaggerated.

It was only natural, as it was made with a mixture of Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron.

There were probably only a few treasured swords in the Central Plains that could compare to the Purple Mist Divine Sword.

At best, the Dragon's Fang Sword, which was offered as a prize in the Martial Alliance tournament?

'But why would they store it somewhere else? Shouldn't the Sect Leader naturally carry it with him?'

In any case, even if there were no casualties, if the Purple Mist Pill and the Purple Mist Divine Sword had disappeared, the state of the Mount Hua Sect could be considered the worst.

But suddenly, a question arose in Namgung Hui's mind.

He knew the area well from running around with the Plum Blossom Sword God.

As far as he knew, when Namgung Hui entered, no one was leaving the Mount Hua Sect.

The back gate was still firmly locked.

The only way out was the completely destroyed main gate.

The other exits were all no different from cliffs, so even if one attempted to escape, they would inevitably be seen from above.

'It wouldn't be impossible for a lightness skill master superior to me, but how many of them would there be? It would have to be someone on the level of the Shadowless Divine Thief.'

The Shadowless Divine Thief also knew the value of his own life, so there was no way he would steal the Purple Mist Divine Sword, which was useless to him.

It would be more profitable for him to rob corrupt officials or martial arts families.

The Sect Leader, as if he had noticed that, opened his mouth with a serious expression.

"It seems there is still a spy among the disciples. There are too many suspicious points."

First of all, the fact that a thunderclap bomb was planted in the Purple Mist Hall itself didn't make sense.

The Purple Mist Hall was not a place that anyone could approach in the first place.

It was a place that only direct disciples could enter.

Lay disciples could hardly even peek in.

Moreover, all such lay disciples were currently outside.

'It must be a spy from the Association. It's the same as what happened at the Myriad Gold Merchant Guild.'

There were also spies who had been deployed 10 years ago in the Myriad Gold Merchant Guild's General Manager's office.

And a whopping three of them at that.

If a spy had entered the Mount Hua Sect 10 years ago, what was happening now was not impossible.

And if it was a direct disciple, they could have secretly planted a thunderclap bomb.

At the Sect Leader's command, the disciples all gathered in the Mount Hua Sect's plaza.

Those with broken legs from being crushed by rocks.

Those with broken arms from flying debris.

All the injured, one way or another, gathered.

"We will investigate the whereabouts of everyone for the past half-day! You, from the third-generation disciples, speak one by one."

Starting with the young disciples, they recited their whereabouts in order.

Naturally, since the Mount Hua Sword Discussion event was in progress, the whereabouts of many matched.

There were witnesses for everyone, and most of them were together.

But one disciple was hesitating and couldn't answer.

"Um... that is..."

As the disciple continued to hesitate, a Mount Hua Sect elder shouted.

"You brat! Can't you speak quickly!"

"I... I wet the bed because I was playing with fire. So I was washing the blanket..."

Looking at the disciple's chapped hands, it seemed he had been soaking them in cold water for a long time.

And for some reason, a faint smell of urine was also emanating, so it seemed he had indeed wet the bed.

The Mount Hua Sect elder had an embarrassed expression, as if he had shamed him in front of everyone for no reason.

"Ahem! Alright. Then, next!"

The next one was no different.

Since they were all practically together, their answers matched.

"Hmph. We won't be able to catch them like this. There must be someone who planted the thunderclap bomb inside..."

At least, it was certain that there was a collaborator.

Because the Purple Mist Hall was not a place anyone could enter.

Just as the interrogation ended, someone was entering through the Mount Hua Sect's mountain gate.

They were none other than the disciples who had gone down pulling the carts.

It was Sa Ilcheon and his group.

Sa Ilcheon looked at the desolate Mount Hua Sect and shouted in surprise.

"No! Master. What on earth is this? Don't tell me the loud noise from earlier was...!"

"It is as you say. A thunderclap bomb exploded shortly after you went down. It's a good thing you all weren't hurt. You were lucky."

The Mount Hua Sect Leader didn't seem to suspect Sa Ilcheon at all.

Well, since he wasn't there, it was reasonable not to think of him as the culprit.

'If the fuse of the thunderclap bomb was long, it wouldn't be impossible for it to explode after a moment, would it?'

Come to think of it, he wondered how many people had actually seen a thunderclap bomb.

In the first place, since the government strictly prohibited gunpowder, one couldn't even see it legally.

At best, one could occasionally see it in the black market.

He had no idea what it was like now, 60 years later, but it seemed it wouldn't be as common as back then.

As Namgung Hui was staring intently at Sa Ilcheon, a strange footprint stood out at his feet.

'There's water on his feet? Don't tell me!'

Namgung Hui thought of Sa Ilcheon, who had landed lightly in front of Eun Seolrin.

At that time, his shoes were not just clean, but stiff.

Moreover, there was not even a stream on the path they had taken.

'Then I'll have to check.'

Namgung Hui, nodding his head once, slowly opened his mouth.

"Sect Leader. May I say a word?"

Now that the Purple Mist Divine Art was fully recovered, there was no longer any hostility in the gaze directed at Namgung Hui.

"Yes. Young Hero Namgung. Please speak."

"In my opinion, I think we should investigate all the personnel who just went down as well. A thunderclap bomb also exploded at the Namgung estate not long ago. A thunderclap bomb can be adjusted to explode after a moment."

"Is that really true?"

The Sect Leader tilted his head, as if hearing it for the first time.

"Yes. Naturally, if you just pull out the fuse long enough, you can adjust it as much as you want."

"How do you know that?"

"I have a friendship with the artisans of the Sichuan Tang family, so I overheard it."

"I heard that the artisans of the Tang family did visit the Namgung estate recently. Yes. Then, as they say, one should look before they leap... All disciples who have been to the midway point of Mount Hua, gather!"

As the Sect Leader's command fell, the personnel who had brought the carts secretly glanced at Sa Ilcheon.

Sa Ilcheon, as if it were no big deal, gave a slight nod and walked in front of the Sect Leader.

He was so confident that even Namgung Hui thought he had nothing to do with it.

But.

'The water on his shoes cannot be hidden. As expected, it's not just a matter of wetting his throat at a stream. He completely submerged his feet in deep water.'

Namgung Hui's head nodded on its own.

It seemed he had deliberately gone down to get the supplies.

Moreover, he hadn't followed even after having a war of nerves with Namgung Hui.

Namgung Hui had inwardly hoped he would follow so they could have a lightness skill competition.

He had wondered why he had given up so obediently.

'It seems he hid the Purple Mist Divine Sword somewhere. Or he might have already handed it over to a spy from the Association.'

If he had brought it down on the cart, he wouldn't have been noticed by those around him.

If he had then loaded it onto another cart, there would have been no witnesses.

He must have made the thunderclap bomb explode while he was away on purpose, so as not to arouse suspicion.

He was a rather thorough fellow.

'Still, since the Myriad Gold Merchant Guild employees were there, he wouldn't have been able to openly hand over the Purple Mist Divine Sword to someone else. The Mount Hua area is also heavily populated, so he wouldn't have just carried the flamboyant Purple Mist Divine Sword.'

Seeing that attitude, his suspicion that he had hidden it hardened.

If he had contacted an outsider, he would only arouse more suspicion in the current situation.

And so, the Sect Leader examined them all, but no suspicious traces were found.

Their destination was, of course, clean, and the goods loaded on the cart were all from the Myriad Gold Merchant Guild.

Sa Ilcheon glanced at Namgung Hui with a "see, I told you so" expression and calmly opened his mouth.

"Master. Then may we go and finish organizing the supplies?"

"Go ahead."

It was then.

-Flash!

A thought flashed through Namgung Hui's mind.

"Sect Leader. May we also take our leave? I think I should escort the Young Guild Mistress back."

It was mentally tiring for a commoner who didn't know martial arts to be in such a place.

The Sect Leader, knowing that full well, readily nodded his head.

"Please do. I was actually feeling uncomfortable myself. It's not like I'm showing a good side."

There was nothing good about revealing one's shame to an outsider.

They weren't even from the same nine great sects, and if it was a merchant guild, they would surely react sensitively to such a sight. And in a bad way.

Although Sa Ilcheon glared at Namgung Hui, he said nothing else.

It just seemed like a "I'll see you later" look in his eyes.

Namgung Hui smirked at Sa Ilcheon's appearance and thought.

'I don't think it will go as far as later. Let's see when we go down.'

"Then, Young Guild Mistress. Shall we go down?"

"Yes."

Eun Seolrin had many questions, but from the looks of it, it seemed Namgung Hui had something to say separately.

So she obediently decided to follow his words and go down the Mount Hua Sect.

"Then, Sect Leader. I will see you later at the Martial Alliance tournament. May there always be peace in the Mount Hua Sect."

"Yes. I too will look forward to the revival of the Namgung family."

And so, Namgung Hui left the Mount Hua Sect with Eun Seolrin.

Outside the mountain gate, as Namgung Hui offered her his back, Eun Seolrin asked.

"Young Master. You'll have to explain."

"For now, someone else might be listening, so I'll explain when we get to the midway point."

He didn't know about others, but the Sect Leader might be listening.

Because he was a master of that caliber.

Eun Seolrin, tilting her head, looked inside the Mount Hua Sect and said.

"He can hear from here to there?"

"Then would you like to try cursing the Sect Leader once?"

Without even needing to do so, the Mount Hua Sect Leader flinched.

He had clearly been listening and reacted.

At that sight, Eun Seolrin's eyes lit up with interest as she said.

"A martial arts master is truly amazing. To be able to hear from this far. I should have learned martial arts too."

"If you had, you wouldn't have become the Young Guild Mistress of the guild. For now, let's just go down."

And so, Namgung Hui and Eun Seolrin went down to the midway point where they had encountered the Mount Hua Sect disciples.

Having come down to the midway point, Namgung Hui began to explain his thoughts.

A moment later.

Eun Seolrin, having heard Namgung Hui's words, slowly nodded her head.

"So. What you're saying, Young Master, is that Young Hero Sa Ilcheon is the culprit. He stole the Purple Mist Divine Sword in advance and then detonated the thunderclap bomb later to avoid suspicion."

"Yes. That's correct. And he would have loaded the Purple Mist Divine Sword on the pretext of a transaction with the Myriad Gold Merchant Guild and hidden it somewhere. It would be too dangerous to smuggle it out now."

"Well, even our guild employees wouldn't have been able to move it right away. Then he would have hidden it in the cart and then hidden it on the mountainside on the way. But how are we supposed to search this vast Mount Hua?"

As she said, Mount Hua was a vast, rocky mountain area.

It was difficult to climb in the first place, and there were so many crevices in the rocks that it was easy to miss unless one was the person who had hidden it.

No matter how much of a master one was, searching every single crevice would take over a fortnight.

Since Namgung Hui had to participate in the Martial Alliance tournament, it had to be considered impossible.

But.

"Chichi. It's time to earn your keep, no, your alcohol money, for the first time in a while. Come out."

"Kkiik. Kkik! (What alcohol money when you haven't even bought me any alcohol!)"

"Alright. Once this is over, I'll buy you a Seobongju. It's a very famous liquor in the Mount Hua area."

"Kkik? Kkik. (Really? Alright. What do I have to do?)"

"You remember the Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron you saw before? You just have to find the sword that's mixed with it."

Chichi had a knack for recognizing precious things, so he believed it could probably find the Purple Mist Divine Sword.

The Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron had also been caught by Chichi's senses, so the Purple Mist Divine Sword, which was mixed with it, would not be able to escape Chichi's senses either.

Chichi, nodding its head, seemed to have felt something and immediately started running somewhere.

Its movements were so fast that Namgung Hui, in order not to lose Chichi, hurriedly picked up Eun Seolrin and ran.

"I'm sorry. That fellow moves so fast."

"I-it's fine."

Fortunately, Chichi didn't go that far.

To a point roughly between the midway point and the Mount Hua Sect.

It was a terrain that Namgung Hui also knew well.

'Jade Maiden Peak. It's been a while since I've been here too.'

Chichi pointed to the bottom of the valley and said.

"Kkik. Kkiik! (It's in the water over there!)"

Looking at the tip of Chichi's foot, Namgung Hui could also faintly see something.

Namgung Hui, without delay, jumped into the water and retrieved the scabbard.

As expected, it was the Purple Mist Divine Sword he was seeing after a long time.

"Young Guild Mistress. It seems we have to go back to Mount Hua..."

"Kyaaak!"

Namgung Hui had to stop talking because of the scream Eun Seolrin suddenly let out.

(End of Chapter)