Rebirth of the Thunder God

"Pursuit and Kill? The Pursuit and Kill Squad Leader already went inside a long time ago."

"?! "

Namgung Hui was surprised for a moment, but then he recalled another fact and regained his composure.

'That's right. There wasn't just one Pursuit and Kill Squad Leader.'

Even in the Martial Alliance alone, there were three squad leaders under each of the Four Divine Squads.

It wouldn't be strange at all for the Heretic Practitioners' Alliance to also have several Pursuit and Kill Squad Leaders.

However, judging by the gatekeeper's reaction, it seemed that their paths did not usually overlap with other Pursuit and Kill Squad Leaders.

And the Pursuit and Kill Squad Leader who had died at Namgung Hui's hands had been given a different mission.

Namgung Hui stood there with a blank expression, at a loss.

He seemed to be contemplating how to deal with the situation.

At Namgung Hui's appearance, the gatekeeper scratched his cheek as if he were in a difficult position.

"Ahem. You don't have to stare at me so fiercely. It's just a rule in name only, so you can go in."

Fortunately, perhaps because of the fierce face Namgung Hui had disguised himself with, the gatekeeper was scared and stepped aside.

Namgung Hui secretly let out a sigh of relief and entered the black market.

'In my past life, my master also said he had been to the black market. To sell Thunder Liquor.'

At that time, he had heard from his master that there was nothing they didn't sell at the black market.

Although it was said that there was nothing the Myriad Gold Merchant Guild didn't have, in fact, what the Myriad Gold Merchant Guild didn't have existed at the black market.

In the first place, since they handled goods that were not sold legally, it might have been a matter of course.

In particular, the Thunder Burst Bombs of the Thunder Burst Sect that had harmed the Namgung family.

Drugs that made people miserable.

And even buying and selling people as slaves.

Illegal transactions that were strictly forbidden by the country were actively taking place.

'Perhaps the black market is a more evil existence than the Heretic Practitioners' Alliance.'

Namgung Hui had no intention of doing anything about the black market.

His enemies were not just one.

The Heretic Practitioners' Alliance, the Green Forest bandits, the Blood Cult, the Hoicheon Association.

There were more than one or two forces piled up right now.

As Namgung Hui entered the dark marketplace of the black market, it was more crowded than he had thought.

Stalls lined the streets.

Merchants in the middle of soliciting customers.

And the people walking through the marketplace were mostly covering their faces.

Perhaps some of them were figures from the orthodox faction.

'But it has nothing to do with me. I also have my own personal business.'

The reason Namgung Hui had wanted to come to the black market above all else was to restore the diary of the Empty Gate Sect Master from the past, which was his legacy.

If he could restore the unreadable writing, he would surely be able to get a clue about the Hoicheon Association.

But Namgung Hui decided to take care of the matter On Yuha had entrusted to him first.

The diary of the Empty Gate Sect Master would not disappear anywhere, but if he failed to complete On Yuha's request, the top-grade elixir might disappear.

And just in time, Chichi, who was nocturnal, had also woken up. He could just use the treasure detector.

Namgung Hui went into a deserted alley and said to Chichi.

"Chichi. I want you to find a flute that looks like the picture here. It's probably an old bamboo flute that seems to be haunted."

"Kkik? Kiiik. (What flute? To scratch your back? I'll scratch it for you.)"

Namgung Hui laughed at Chichi's silly joke and replied.

"That's not what I'm trying to do. I'm looking for it because I received a request. If I find this one, I'll stop by the sect and give you the few remaining bottles of Thunder Liquor. Two of them, at that."

"Kkik? Kiiik. (What are you doing? Not following me.)"

Chichi had already jumped out of Namgung Hui's bosom and was heading somewhere.

Namgung Hui shook his head at the sight of Chichi and quickly pursued him.

But even after following Chichi for a long time, the detector's steps did not stop.

Namgung Hui, catching up to Chichi, asked casually.

"Chichi. Is this the right way? If we keep going, we'll end up on the other side of the island."

"Kiiik. Kkik. (We're almost there. Just follow me without complaining.)"

As Chichi had said, his steps soon stopped.

In an outlying area at the end of the island.

And it was a desolate place where a small thatched hut stood alone.

"Are you sure that's the place? You didn't just follow the smell of bamboo, did you?"

"Kiiik. Kkik. (Let's go in and see, shall we?)"

As Chichi had said, he could just check for himself.

There wouldn't be any danger lurking in a shabby house like that.

Since there were no guards, let alone people.

Still, Namgung Hui carefully approached the thatched hut.

In case a sharp counterattack might come out at the visit of a stranger.

Since this was not the territory of the orthodox faction, but strictly the sphere of influence of the black path.

-Rustle. Rustle.

As Namgung Hui gradually got closer to the hut, the sound of paper rustling and a person's voice could be heard from inside. And it was a voice that was quite full of years.

"Hmm? I ordered the goods for tomorrow. Have they already arrived?"

Namgung Hui felt sorry for not being able to meet the old man's expectations.

He was also a little worried that the disappointed old man might not give him the flute.

Contrary to that worry, Namgung Hui knocked on the door without hesitation.

"Are you inside?"

"Huh? A voice I've never heard before. I don't know who you are, but please come in for now."

There was no tremor in the old man's voice.

He should have been scared of a stranger's visit.

Well, a person living alone in a place like this would not be scared of such a visit.

As Namgung Hui opened the old and worn-out door, a cloud of dust poured out.

Did this old man not even go outside? The amount of dust piled up was considerable.

The old man who was reading a book inside looked at the fallen dust cloud and said with embarrassment.

"I'm sorry about this. As I grow old alone, cleaning has become quite a bother. It's shabby, but please sit anywhere."

At the old man's suggestion, Namgung Hui looked around the interior.

All sorts of junk and antiques were scattered about in a disorderly fashion.

Was there a suitable place for Namgung Hui to sit in a place like this?

Namgung Hui clicked his tongue inwardly and said to the old man.

"I'm fine. My two legs are perfectly fine, so I'll just stand."

"Youth is indeed good. Yes. What is the reason you have come to such a shabby place?"

Namgung Hui glanced at Chichi in his bosom and continued.

"Is there perhaps a bamboo flute here?"

At the word 'flute', the old man's eyes seemed to flash for a moment, but it disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"This is a place that deals with antiques, but how would I know if you just vaguely say 'bamboo flute'? Is there any other information?"

Namgung Hui, thinking it would be faster to just show him the picture, took out a scroll from his bosom.

When he handed it to the old man, the old man's face changed from moment to moment.

"I see. So that's what happened. Who did you receive this from? The style of painting is that of a woman, not something you would have drawn."

As expected of an antique merchant, he deduced the gender of the artist just by looking at the style of painting.

Since there was nothing to hide, he readily nodded his head.

"It was a request from a woman I saw for the first time. So, is there a flute that looks like that here?"

"A woman you saw for the first time..."

The old man added more wrinkles to his already wrinkled face.

Still, since he wasn't denying that he had it, it seemed there was something.

As the old man was lost in agony, Chichi, who was in his bosom, jumped out.

'Is he trying to find the flute himself? That's a good thing for me.'

But contrary to Namgung Hui's expectation, what Chichi found was not a bamboo flute.

It was just licking a strange-looking black stone.

Just like when it had first met Namgung Hui at the Thunder Sect.

Namgung Hui, approaching Chichi, was about to ask what was wrong, but he soon realized why.

'A stone with magnetic properties. How strange.'

For a mere stone to have magnetic force was a phenomenon he was seeing for the first time in all his past lives.

He had not heard from his master that there was such a stone.

Namgung Hui, looking at the black stone with a curious gaze, the old man smiled and opened his mouth.

"Hoho, that squirrel must be a spiritual beast. To recognize a lodestone. Let's see, I'll show you how to use a lodestone."

The old man rummaged through a drawer and came out with a piece of iron.

He then approached Chichi and held the piece of iron to the lodestone.

And then.

-Clang!

As if he had unfolded a magnetic absorption technique, the piece of iron stuck to the lodestone.

Namgung Hui, who should have been unfamiliar with this phenomenon he was seeing for the first time, felt a sense of familiarity instead.

'It's similar to the attractive force of Thunder Ki. As expected, the reason Chichi covets the lodestone must be in that context.'

Chichi had coveted Thunder Ki since it had met Namgung Hui.

Perhaps the magnetic force dwelling inside the lodestone had also drawn Chichi's greed.

Namgung Hui also became interested at the sight of the lodestone.

"Old man. May I touch it once?"

"Of course, you may. But don't drop it, it breaks quite easily."

Namgung Hui nodded and picked up the lodestone.

It was lighter than he had thought.

The magnetic force flowing arrogantly inside was transmitted through his skin.

'Shall I see how it reacts to Thunder Ki?'

Namgung Hui's Thunder Ki had changed subtly as it merged with the Purple Mist Divine Art.

Hadn't he even changed its name from Thunder Essence Ki to Purple Thunder Ki?

Namgung Hui was very curious about how this would react to the magnetic force, so he immediately sent Thunder Ki into the lodestone.

-Sizzle. Clack!

A strong magnetic force was felt, and it stuck to his palm.

It was strange.

He hadn't unfolded a magnetic absorption technique or a void manipulation technique, yet it felt like it had been sucked in at once.

Namgung Hui did not end the experiment there and this time, recalling the subtlety of the Rain of Ten Thousand Flowers he had recently realized, he pushed the lodestone.

-Swish!

A strong repulsive force occurred.

The lodestone flew towards the old man as if it had been flicked from Namgung Hui's hand.

Namgung Hui, thinking 'oops', was about to protect the old man, but the old man snatched the suddenly flying lodestone in an instant.

'He had learned martial arts. He had managed to hide his ki.'

The martial world was full of strange and talented people.

Even he, who had been the Thunder God, was one of them, and the Palace Lady from the Moon Maiden Palace could also be seen as such.

It wouldn't be strange if a person living alone in such a secret and remote place was such a strange and talented person.

The old man who had received the lodestone put his hands behind his back and said.

"This is a more precious guest than I thought. To think he's a successor of the Thunder Sect."

"...!"

The Thunder Sect was clearly a mysterious sect.

At least, as far as Namgung Hui knew.

He knew that the past sect masters had also lived detached from the secular world and only accumulated training.

Of course, Namgung Hui's master had occasionally come out to the secular world and enjoyed alcohol, but he had never thought he would have gained such fame.

Because he was a person who hated troublesome things.

Then how on earth did an old man who ran an antique shop know about the Thunder Sect?

"Old man. Who did you hear about the Thunder Sect from?"

"Who did I hear it from? I heard it directly from the sect master."

"?"

Namgung Hui was dumbfounded.

No matter how old the old man before him was, he would definitely not be of his master's generation.

Because his master had already had a full head of white hair even when the Thunder God was young.

On the contrary, it would be right to see him as being of a similar generation to himself in his past life.

'And it's not like I would have told him. I've never even been to the black market.'

Namgung Hui thought things would get complicated, but he still felt the need to get to the bottom of it.

There had been someone who had been spreading rumors about the Thunder Sect recently, so it might be a good opportunity to find out.

Just as Namgung Hui was subtly raising his momentum, the old man continued.

"What is your relationship with Lee Jaseong?"

"?! "

It seemed the old man really knew the Thunder God.

Because he even knew the Thunder God's real name.

(End of Chapter)