Rebirth of the Thunder God

"To think there's still someone who... cough! remembers the Four Suns Sword Art..."

Now, 60 years after the death of the Thunder God.

There were almost no one who remembered the Diancang Sect, which had met its demise.

In the first place, the Diancang Sect was at the bottom of the Nine Sects and One Gang, and its location was the distant Yunnan.

In a way, it was located in a remote place that could be seen as the outer martial world, so it was often despised.

In fact, it was outside the interest of the Martial Alliance, and there was almost no support.

Namgung Hui, who was not without a connection to the Diancang Sect, recalled the memories of the past and uttered a person's name.

"What is your relationship with Zhongli Guang?"

"!? How do you know my master's name?"

Namgung Hui, thinking he had a lot to hear from the other party, first stopped the bleeding from his chest.

He cauterized the wound with Thunder Ki and pressed the acupoint to stop the bleeding.

"Let's move first."

"...Alright."

Namgung Hui carried the Pursuit and Kill Squad Leader on his back and moved to a very secluded cave.

It was a mountain path that even hunters avoided, as it was a path that a fierce bear used to frequent.

He laid the Pursuit and Kill Squad Leader in a corner of the cave and continued the conversation.

"If you're a disciple of Zhongli Guang, you must have been the head disciple?"

"Even if you're an enemy, it's a little unpleasant for a young brat to call my master's name so casually. Why don't you show some respect for the elder of a sect?"

Namgung Hui snorted at the Pursuit and Kill Squad Leader's words, but he thought it was a natural reaction since he didn't know his true identity.

'It feels like just yesterday that Guang was calling me 'big brother'. So much time has passed already.'

Not only in terms of martial arts, but also in terms of seniority and age, the Thunder God was older.

To use honorifics for Zhongli Guang was like having thorns in his mouth.

But since he had something to hear from the other party, he willingly met the Pursuit and Kill Squad Leader's expectations.

"Yes. The story of Sect Leader Zhongli Guang is a story that has been passed down in my sect. If you are also his disciple, you wouldn't be ignorant of the relationship with the Thunder Sect, would you?"

Originally, people who were ostracized tended to become close.

The Moon Maiden Palace Lady from two generations ago had also become close in that context.

And the Diancang Sect, a frontier sect, had also built a friendship for that reason.

The Pursuit and Kill Squad Leader, as if he had also heard of that fact, nodded his head slightly and continued.

"Yes... I did hear it from my deceased master. But I know that was 60 years ago. My master's memory was also hazy. Anyway. I don't trust the people of the orthodox faction. My master's words must have been colored by nostalgia, and the Thunder Sect would be no different."

"Nostalgia? What kind of nonsense is that? Anyway. What on earth happened to you that you betrayed the orthodox faction and joined the Heretic Practitioners' Alliance?"

"Are you asking because you don't know? Well. If you're the youngest son of the Namgung family, you would have been lying in bed, so you might not know this fact. Is it a matter of course? The people of the Central Plains had no interest in our Diancang Sect. Especially the Namgung family, which is famous for being arrogant."

A thick resentment was pouring from the end of the Pursuit and Kill Squad Leader's words.

The Namgung family and the Diancang Sect had no particular enmity, so it was strange.

"No matter what you think of the orthodox faction, I, as a successor of the Thunder Sect, do not think of the Diancang Sect as strangers. So tell me what happened."

The Pursuit and Kill Squad Leader looked up at the sky for a moment and then answered with a sorrowful tone.

"Alright. Fine. I should at least vent my old feelings before I go. 60 years ago. During the great war between the orthodox and demonic factions, our Diancang Sect suffered a blow close to annihilation."

"I know that too. It's a well-known fact that the Kunlun Sect and the Diancang Sect were attacked by the Demonic Cult first."

"Then I'll just tell you what happened 10 years later. During the period of mopping up the remnants of the Demonic Cult after the great war, our Diancang Sect was invaded by the Demonic Cult again. They needed a refuge, and they chose our Diancang Sect as that refuge. They thought that if they hid in our sect, as it is dark under the lamp, they wouldn't be caught. That's how much the orthodox Martial Alliance had no interest in us, so it was a perfect fit."

"What does that have to do with having a grudge against the people of the orthodox faction?"

"I was just about to say. Don't interrupt and listen. Although our Diancang Sect is on the frontier, it was a sect with martial power superior to that of a small or medium-sized sect, to the point of being included in the Nine Sects and One Gang. We also accumulated strength through a 10-year seclusion. Nevertheless, it was difficult to deal with the remnants of the Demonic Cult. Well, we were able to annihilate them after losing half of our disciples."

"Wait. That's different from the story I know. As far as I know, the pursuit team of the Martial Alliance found the safe house of the Demonic Cult and annihilated them. I even heard that they released the ten poisons of the Sichuan Tang family in the safe house."

"What? You didn't know at all. Yes. The deadly poison of the Sichuan Tang family and the White Tiger Squad and the Azure Dragon Squad of the Martial Alliance smashed and annihilated everything."

The more Namgung Hui talked, the more confused he became.

At first, he had said that the members of the Diancang Sect had annihilated the invading remnants of the Demonic Cult.

But then he said that the pursuit team of the Martial Alliance had annihilated them?

Suddenly, a hypothesis flashed through Namgung Hui's mind.

"Wait! If the Diancang Sect had annihilated the Demonic Cult members... then the ones the pursuit team of the Martial Alliance poisoned and smashed were..."

"Yes. It was our Diancang Sect."

"!!!"

Namgung Hui, despite his guess being correct, couldn't help but show a very surprised expression.

And rightly so, Namgung Hui had never thought that they would dare to wield their swords against the same orthodox faction.

And to a sect that had no connection to any grudges.

"It seems they mistook you for Demonic Cult members."

"Ha! Not at all. No matter how little interest they had in us, do you think they couldn't tell the difference between the masked Demonic Cult members and the martial robes of the Diancang Sect? Yes. Even if there was a misunderstanding, they wouldn't have failed to recognize the Four Suns Sword Art. And they, thinking that their achievements had been stolen, tried to annihilate us and take back the credit. And they also took the Diancang Sect's Four Suns Sword Art and the Taiyi Divine Art as a bonus. They might have come for this in the first place... Cough!"

Was it because he had told a long story?

Now the energy of his final moments was gradually fading.

Namgung Hui's confused mind was still not organized.

He also didn't like the guys from the orthodox Martial Alliance, but he didn't think they were so cheap as to betray their allies.

As Namgung Hui was lost in agony, the Pursuit and Kill Squad Leader, feeling the end of his life, concluded his words with a calm tone.

"Be careful... The ones who have learned the Four Suns Sword Art besides me are surely..."

-Thud.

And so, the Pursuit and Kill Squad Leader, whose name and age were unknown, breathed his last.

With this, the last descendant of the Diancang Sect disappeared from the world.

Now, the ones who knew the Four Suns Sword Art were.

'It must be the ones who annihilated the Diancang Sect. This is a very uncomfortable feeling.'

It was not just any other sect, but the Diancang Sect that had fought alongside them in the great war.

And he was one of the few close friends who had called him 'big brother' and followed him.

Zhongli Guang. That man, like himself, had never had a girlfriend, so they had gotten along quite well.

At least, that's what Namgung Hui thought.

'I can't avenge you, but if I see any traces of the Diancang Sect, I'll at least pretend to help.'

From now on, anyone who has learned the Four Suns Sword Art is Namgung Hui's enemy.

Even if they belong to the orthodox Martial Alliance.

Even if it doesn't bring him great benefits.

He had no intention of forgiving those who had annihilated his friend's sect and even taken their divine art.

At least, that was the martial world he had dreamed of and created with his sworn brother.

Namgung Hui, unable to leave his friend's disciple as food for the mountain beasts, decided to dispose of his body.

He first searched his bosom for an identification tag to find out his name.

As expected of a Pursuit and Kill Squad Leader, a tag that indicated his identity came out.

A jade tag more luxurious than that of the elder of the Heretic Practitioners' Alliance he had seen before.

"'Pursuit and Kill'. This will be useful in its own way."

He might be able to use it when infiltrating the Heretic Practitioners' Alliance.

It would be better to stop by the black market with this jade tag on this occasion.

'The black market opens tomorrow evening, as it happens.'

Namgung Hui had planned to stop by the black market if the repair of the Thunder Sect finished sooner than expected.

But if that work was delayed, it would be like leaving the closing formation open for no reason, so he wouldn't be able to leave.

Then it seemed it would be better to postpone the repair of the Thunder Sect and stop by the black market first.

And it would be better to use this identification tag to enter the black market before the Heretic Practitioners' Alliance found out that the Pursuit and Kill Squad Leader was dead.

Namgung Hui, who had nodded his head, searched the rest of the Pursuit and Kill Squad Leader's belongings.

A purse, a name tag. And a booklet.

Although it didn't look like it had been written long ago, it was full of handprints.

It was a passage that showed how often he had opened this booklet.

But the name of the booklet was not the Four Suns Sword Art, contrary to Namgung Hui's expectation.

The name written there was Hou Yi Shoots the Sun.

Namgung Hui, unable to contain his curiosity, immediately opened the booklet and read it.

A moment later. Namgung Hui, who had finished reading it once, nodded his head.

This, like the Emperor's Sword Form he had seen before, seemed to be a sword intent rather than a martial arts secret manual.

It didn't seem to be written entirely by the Pursuit and Kill Squad Leader, and it felt like a combination of Zhongli Guang's insight and the Pursuit and Kill Squad Leader's enlightenment.

'It contains the subtlety of the extreme 'fast'. This will be helpful in its own way.'

The Emperor's Sword Form, which had a soft and majestic momentum.

The Twenty-Four Forms Plum Blossom Sword Art, which had ever-changing and diverse forms.

Hou Yi Shoots the Sun, which was a simple sword path but pursued the extreme of 'fast'.

All these insights were engraved in Namgung Hui's mind and were being combined into one.

Namgung Hui, who had gained enlightenment, closed his eyes and began to extend the Thunder God Sword.

If he had used a cutting-oriented form before, he now used a stabbing-oriented form and moved the sword from a line to a point.

As the complicated sword path became simple, the purpose also became clear.

A practical-oriented martial art actually focused only on taking the opponent's life.

In that respect, the Diancang Sect's group pursued the extreme of practicality to the point of being considered strange.

The result was the fast sword, the Four Suns Sword Art.

The reason the Diancang Sect was once classified as between the orthodox and demonic factions was also largely due to the cruel nature of this Four Suns Sword Art.

After stabbing the sword several times, Namgung Hui withdrew the Thunder God Sword with a satisfied smile.

'It's a good match with the Wind God Step too. Of course, a fast sword is not a panacea, but it's a good thing that I have another useful martial art.'

Namgung Hui put Hou Yi Shoots the Sun in his bosom and picked up another keepsake, the name tag.

Now there were no more descendants of the Diancang Sect, but he thought it was right to at least remember his name.

[Zhongli Qiu]

'Did he have a son late in life?'

It seemed he was Zhongli Guang's blood relative. As expected, when he took off the mask, he also resembled Zhongli Guang's face.

Namgung Hui had a moment of silence and then buried him deep in the ground.

'I feel a sense of guilt.'

No matter how they had met as enemies, the one who had killed his friend's son was Namgung Hui himself.

He didn't blame himself severely, but it was unavoidable that he felt a bitter feeling.

Namgung Hui, as if to shake off that feeling, immediately unfolded the Wind God Step and flew away.

He moved his feet diligently, as if to shake off all the gloomy and uncomfortable feelings.

* * *

Hangzhou was cool during the day.

And hot at night.

It wasn't that the sun rose at night and the moon rose during the day, so why did this phenomenon occur?

It was closely related to Hangzhou's nightlife. Hangzhou, a city of entertainment, was particularly crowded at night.

Drunkards exhaled hot breaths.

And the songs and dances of the courtesans heated up the atmosphere.

And Hangzhou during the day was not without people.

Nevertheless, the reason it felt cool during the day was because one looked for sights while feeling the cool breeze of the West Lake.

Eating at an inn overlooking the West Lake.

Enjoying a boat ride on the West Lake.

All were the cool daytime culture of the West Lake.

The time Namgung Hui arrived in Hangzhou was around noon.

It was a time when the inns were crowded with customers, as it was not long after noon.

Namgung Hui, who had also run to Hangzhou all night, looked for a quiet inn to have a meal, but there was no place that was not full.

It seemed he had no choice but to request to share a table.

'First, I should change my face.'

It was written in the Compendium of Formations he had learned from the Hao Faction Head before.

The face also changes its impression significantly if you draw a few dots and a few lines.

Moreover, the Hao Faction Head's face-changing technique resembled the subtlety of a formation, so it made him look like a completely different person.

It was a necessary measure in case the members of the Heretic Practitioners' Alliance could recognize him.

Since Zhejiang Province was the territory of the Heretic Practitioners' Alliance, it would be better to change his face completely.

Namgung Hui, who had finished his face-changing technique in an alley, entered a relatively deserted inn.

There were a few empty seats where he could share a table.

Even if there was a table with no one, a busy inn like this would not let him eat alone.

Namgung Hui, understanding this completely, called a waiter and requested guidance.

"I'd like to have lunch."

"Did you come alone?"

"Yes. I'm alone."

The waiter scanned Namgung Hui with his characteristic eye movement.

What kind of person was this?

What kind of character did he have?

And how much money would he spend?

He seemed to be trying to grasp everything at a glance.

'Judging by his clothes, he's not without money. And his skin is also pale, so he must be a scholar. The scabbard of the self-defense sword he's wearing is also extremely flashy, so he seems to be very vain. People like this like to spend money in front of others, so it would be good to take him there.'

The waiter gave a small nod and opened his mouth.

"Young Hero. Then please follow me. I will guide you to your seat right away."

And so, the place he was led to by the waiter was a window seat with a good view of the West Lake in the inn.

There, two women were sitting demurely at an empty table, as if they had just sat down.

"Misses. Would it be alright if this young master shared your table?"

The women turned their heads and looked at Namgung Hui.

But the gaze of one of the women was not ordinary.

She stared at Namgung Hui's face as if she had seen him somewhere before.

But since Namgung Hui's face was changed.

And since this was the first time he had walked around with this face, he felt a little strange.

Namgung Hui also looked back at her.

'I've never seen this face before either. I wouldn't have failed to remember the owner of such an extraordinary appearance.'

"Alright. Please have a seat, Young Master."

Namgung Hui, having nothing to be reluctant about, readily sat next to them.

But as soon as Namgung Hui sat down, the woman who had been staring at him suddenly reached out her hand towards Namgung Hui's face.

And at a very fierce speed.

(End of Chapter)