Rebirth of the Thunder God

"Now, come in."

As soon as Cheongi-ja's words fell, the door slid open, and a middle-aged man in a eunuch's attire appeared.

A man who resembled the General he had seen at the Full Moon Pavilion before.

Namgung Hui's eyes widened in surprise, but he soon shook his head and denied reality.

'He resembles the General who was with Yewol, but he's a different person. Not only can I not read his ki, but his appearance is also subtly different. More than anything, I can't feel the Thousand-Li Tracking Scent I applied back then...!'

Of course, since the General was so smart, he might have noticed the existence of the Thousand-Li Tracking Scent and erased it, but to Namgung Hui, the General before him and the General at the Full Moon Pavilion felt like completely different people.

"If you've come in, sit down."

"..."

The middle-aged eunuch sat down opposite Namgung Hui, keeping a moderate distance.

He hadn't uttered a single word since he came in, but his presence was extraordinary.

It made the air heavy, making it difficult to even breathe.

"Elder, who is this person?"

"He is the General you have been so eagerly looking for."

"Is he really the General?"

"Well, well. Let's all greet each other. This must be the first time you've met in person."

"I've seen the General before, but he's not the same person."

"Perhaps you saw a different General. There isn't just one General. There are two. They're twins."

"Ah...!"

Only then did he recall the information about the General that the Black Tortoise Troupe Leader had given him.

He had just passed it off as them having twin brothers, but to think they were both active as Generals.

Then he had no idea who to consider the real General.

'Well, I'll know if I talk to the General in front of me now. Looking at his ki, it seems he hasn't even learned martial arts.'

If it came to it, he could just subdue him here.

He didn't know if Cheongi-ja had invited him, but if he could eliminate a figure of the General's level, it was worth getting a scolding from Cheongi-ja.

The General stared at Namgung Hui for a moment and then opened his mouth.

It was definitely a different voice from the one he had heard at the Full Moon Pavilion before.

"Hidden Dragon. Have you no thought of joining our Hoicheon Association?"

"A recruitment offer right off the bat? A smart General like you should know well that I would never join."

"That's something you don't know. As you get closer to the truth, your thoughts might become similar to ours."

"The truth? Isn't that about the Hoicheon Association plotting things behind the scenes? Then if you're so confident, why don't you tell me the truth or whatever it is now."

"The time is not yet right. When that time comes, you will also understand my words. And then I will ask again, whether you will join the Hoicheon Association."

Was it because of the General's attitude?

A fierce hostility should have arisen towards him, but he didn't feel that way.

Was it because Cheongi-ja had calmed his mind and body?

Or was it because of the General's subtly flowing atmosphere?

He didn't know for sure, but he could assert one thing.

'He's no ordinary fellow. He dominates his surroundings just by being still.'

It wasn't an absolute master revealing his ki.

Or a master of formations unfolding a formation, but to exude such an atmosphere with just his existence itself had to be seen as a natural talent or disposition.

Usually, people like this were said to be destined to become emperors.

Or perhaps they should be seen as a constellation sent down from heaven.

Still, Namgung Hui had no intention of standing on his side.

Namgung Hui's thoughts would remain the same in the future.

And the Hoicheon Association, which interfered with his happiness, was no different from his main enemy.

Namgung Hui, exuding a thick killing intent, said.

"Then you should have come to persuade me when that time comes. Why did you come now? Do you not value your life?"

"I came because you can't kill me. If you hear what I'm about to say."

"Seeing you so confident, are you planning to tell me some great news? Let's hear it from that fine mouth of yours."

The General opened his mouth with a bitter smile.

"The Young Palace Mistress of the Moon Maiden Palace, Beak Seolhwa. Her identity is none other than Sosu Mahu."

"!!!"

Namgung Hui was so surprised that he couldn't even speak.

Instead, his body reacted on its own, and he grabbed the General by the collar.

"What did you just say? Beak Seolhwa is Sosu Mahu?"

Even though he was being held by the collar, the General calmly continued.

"By now, you must have felt a sense of unease somewhere. It's no use trying to deny it. You must have been thinking about it subconsciously."

Thud.

Namgung Hui, letting go of the General's collar, collapsed onto the floor in a daze.

At the General's words, it was as if a forbidden box that had been firmly locked had been opened.

The facts he had been trying to deny until now flashed before his eyes like a revolving lantern.

A cruel hand that was not befitting of a young martial artist.

And the hand techniques and ice arts that could not be found in the Moon Maiden Palace.

More than anything, the traces of the Sosu Demonic Art he had witnessed at the Namgung family estate were definitely not something that could be imitated with the Purple Mist Divine Art.

And yet, the reason he had tried to deny the situation was because he thought of her as a true friend and did not want to lose their current relationship.

In a way, it was a foolish thought and a lingering heart.

Because he did not want to return to the relationship of his past life and engage in a bloody battle.

Namgung Hui suppressed his welling emotions and continued.

"Even if that's true, what does that have to do with me sparing you?"

"Look here, Hidden Dragon. Think about it. Our Hoicheon Association has never harmed the Namgung family. The Lake Chao Sect and the Hebei Paeng family were just using the Association's name. We never gave any orders. The attempt to kidnap the Young Guild Leader of the Myriad Gold Merchant Guild this time was also not our doing. In the first place, do you think our Association would plot things so clumsily? Not at all. They were rather trying to curry favor with us by kidnapping the Young Guild Leader of the Myriad Gold Merchant Guild and offering him. If you're really suspicious, ask Cheongi-ja next to you."

Namgung Hui turned his head and asked Cheongi-ja.

"Is that true?"

"Unfortunately, it is. And the Hebei Paeng family officially declared that their actions were done independently, so the Martial Alliance only gave a light punishment to the members who caused the accident. This is the reality of the current Martial Alliance."

As Namgung Hui shifted his gaze back to the General, the General continued to speak.

"In your eyes, all of this may seem like the evil deeds plotted by our Association, but that is not true. It's something that happened because the current martial world is corrupt. Don't forget that one of the goals of our Hoicheon Association is to cut out this corrupt martial world."

The General's words sounded as sweet as sugar-coated candy.

But Namgung Hui, due to some unresolved points, regained his senses and shook his head.

"It's no use trying to delude me like that. This time, as you said, the Paeng family acted independently, so let's treat it as a separate matter. Besides that, starting from dragging in the Heretic Alliance, the Green Forest Alliance that commits all sorts of evil deeds, the Black Market. And besides that, there are cartloads of other groups I don't know about."

"They say to keep your enemies close. We..."

"Enough with the sophistry. Let's see what happens if you keep flapping your mouth."

"Well, I've said all I have to say, so I'll accept your order to leave. And the offer I made earlier, our Hoicheon Association will be waiting for you. You still have the jade plaque of the Association, right? Bring that and knock on the door of the Association anytime, and we will welcome you warmly."

The General, perhaps because he had said all he had to say, stood up from his seat and left the tea house.

Even though Namgung Hui could have stopped him, he couldn't show any action until he disappeared.

Because, as the General had confidently predicted, his mind had become quite complicated.

"Hoho. There is a saying, 'the labor of the saddle and horse, a temporary labor for eternal peace.' Just as you put a saddle on a horse to ride far, a moment of hardship will bring a long peace for the rest of your life. Your mind may be complicated and dizzy now, but I believe you will wisely overcome it."

"But, elder. Are you also a member of the Hoicheon Association?"

"No. I am a person who is as wary of the Association as you are. I probably know the terror of the Association better than anyone..."

A sense of bitterness was mixed in Cheongi-ja's tone.

Cheongi-ja, who rarely showed his inner thoughts, seemed to have a bad history with the Hoicheon Association.

Namgung Hui, seeing Cheongi-ja's appearance, swept a corner of his chest and continued.

"That's a great relief. It's getting late, so I'll be on my way. I enjoyed the tea."

"If it's for your peace of mind and body, I'll brew it for you anytime, so stop by again when you have time."

"Yes. Then, I'll be on my way."

Namgung Hui politely cupped his fist and left the tea house.

The sun had long set, and darkness had come, and the passing wind was chilly.

Even though his body had reached the state of being impervious to heat and cold, he walked, clutching his collar against the wind that pierced him from within.

"Kiik. Kik? (What's wrong?)"

Perhaps because he had touched Chichi while clutching his clothes, Chichi came out of his robes and spoke.

"It's nothing... something happened. Chichi, what would you do if I were a cruel and atrocious demonic head?"

"Kiik. Kik? (As long as you give me Thunder Liquor, I don't care.)"

Pfft.

Namgung Hui, dumbfounded by Chichi's shameless and obvious answer, let out a laugh.

Come to think of it, Chichi's words weren't exactly wrong.

When had Namgung Hui ever confronted demonic heads because he was a righteous hero?

It was just because of the orders passed down in his sect.

And after deciphering the diary of the first cult leader, hadn't his thoughts about the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult changed?

Of course, the early Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and the later Heavenly Demon Divine Cult had very different colors.

Among them, there were innocent people, but there were also some who were not.

The Left Guardian, the Right Guardian, the Radiant Left Emissary, the Radiant Right Emissary, the Grand Duke. And the Vice Cult Leader.

They were close to the axis of evil.

Because they had killed many innocent people.

At least, the Vice Cult Leader, Sosu Mahu, who was his sworn enemy, hadn't killed many Orthodox Faction members because she was dealing with Namgung Hui.

But that didn't mean that innocent blood hadn't flowed on her hands.

The previous sect leader of the Lake Chao Sect was also a man close to a good person at that time, but he was killed by Sosu Mahu's hands.

Perhaps the corruption of the Lake Chao Sect was because the reward for the past sacrifice was so shabby that they had turned their backs.

A heaviness settled in his chilly chest.

The pressure tried to awaken his heart demon, but...

"Namgung Hui! Why are you so late? Don't tell me you stopped by a brothel before leaving?"

"..."

Namgung Hui stared at Beak Seolhwa without a word.

"Why is your expression so sad? Did something happen?"

"..."

"What is it? Say something. Don't be so frustrating."

"Beak Seolhwa. You... no, it's nothing."

"Hey! Are you going to keep being so frustrating?"

Beak Seolhwa suddenly poked Namgung Hui's side with her hand.

Now, as if she had no intention of hiding it, the mysteries of the Sosu Demonic Art were imbued in it.

Namgung Hui, knowing that being poked by that hand would not end with simple pain, instinctively grabbed Beak Seolhwa's hand and stepped back.

"Namgung Hui. I don't know what happened, but you're one of my few friends, so why don't you tell me?"

"Beak Seolhwa. You said you had something to tell me after we get back from the Blood Cult, right? I'll tell you then too."

"...Alright."

Beak Seolhwa, realizing that Namgung Hui's atmosphere was unusual, took a step back.

Namgung Hui also decided to deal with the matter at hand for now.

'Beak Seolhwa, no, if Sosu Mahu really has a plot, she'll reveal her inner thoughts at the Blood Cult.'

Now was the time to infiltrate the Blood Cult together, even to thwart such a conspiracy.

Namgung Hui took out the disguise materials from his luggage and approached Muchi.

"Muchi. You're tall, so when you disguise yourself, you have to walk with your back hunched like a hunchback. Got it?"

"Husband. You're scary when you're angry. Don't be angry. The fairy's heart will ache."

"...Enough with the nonsense. I'm going to disguise you now, so stay still."

"Alright."

Muchi was a patient man.

Was it because he had been thoroughly trained?

He followed Namgung Hui's instructions perfectly and never broke his unmoving posture.

At this rate, there seemed to be no problem in getting to Guangdong Province.

"All done. From now on, you're Chunsam. Got it?"

"Chunsam. Got it. For some reason, it's a name I feel attached to."

Now that he had transformed Muchi into a hunchback, it was Beak Seolhwa's turn.

Her unparalleled beauty had now become widely known by winning the martial arts tournament.

Even if she just walked around in plain clothes, she would capture the gazes of the martial masters.

"Beak Seolhwa. It's your turn now."

"Hui. I roughly know how you feel, but can't you be a little gentler with your tone?"

"Gentler...?"

"Not necessarily gentle, but a little softer. It feels like there's a distance when you attach my surname to my name every time."

"...Alright. Seolhwa. Come closer. I'm going to disguise you now, so don't move."

Beak Seolhwa brought her face close.

Had he ever seen her face this close?

At this distance, no matter how much of a master Beak Seolhwa was, it seemed he could take her life in a single move.

But for some reason, he didn't feel that way at all.

Instead, he found himself savoring Beak Seolhwa's face.

Long eyelashes.

Clear eyes that seemed to hold a lake.

Red and captivating lips.

A sharp, straight nose like a sword.

A jawline more slender than an egg.

All of them were exquisitely harmonized, as if they had been crafted by a god.

Gulp.

The sound of Beak Seolhwa swallowing her saliva was clearly heard.

Unlike Muchi, she was not patient, and she was fidgeting as if she was uncomfortable somewhere.

Namgung Hui, at that sight, came out of his reverie and began to move his hands.

The makeup skills he had learned, albeit clumsily.

He began to draw graffiti on Beak Seolhwa's fine canvas.

A moment later.

"With this much, you won't be able to hear that you're pretty anywhere you go. Even the Palace Lady won't recognize you. Chunsam. Come here."

"Chunsam. Coming."

"How is it? Seolhwa's appearance."

"Where did our fairy go? Did you eat her up in the meantime?"

"Chunsam is even joking, how unexpected. Seolhwa. You also have to use a pseudonym from now on. I'll be I Jayeon. What will you be?"

"I'll be... Seol Okwol. I'll go with that."

"It's a name that suits you well. Then, since the preparations are over, we'll cross over to Hubei Province overnight. Everyone, follow me."

"Alright."

"Got it."

And so, Namgung Hui's party flew towards the stormy Hubei Province.

On the ground where they had stayed, the warmth lingered for a moment and then disappeared, leaving only a cold chill.

(End of Chapter)