Rebirth of the Thunder God

"Eup, eup!"

As soon as Namgung Hui heard the suppressed groans, he sent a telepathic message to his companions.

-It seems there are kidnapped people.

-Let's rescue them right away.

Beak Seolhwa and Namgung Hui approached the pavilion from which the sound was leaking.

There were no particular presences around.

Only the presences of the people bound inside could be heard.

Beak Seolhwa, judging that there was no reason to hesitate any longer, flung open the door of the pavilion and entered.

"Eup, eup!!"

Eyes that were rather pleased to see a strange doll.

The sight of them struggling as if to say 'save me' made Beak Seolhwa's hands move on their own.

As Beak Seolhwa untied the ropes and even removed the gags from their mouths, the breath of the kidnapped women burst out.

"Hoo-ah...! Thank you. Miss."

"Don't mention it. I'll go and rescue the rest of the people. Please stay here with my friend."

Beak Seolhwa, as if intending to rescue the people herself, entrusted each person she had freed to Namgung Hui.

Namgung Hui, in the form of a woman, would be more reliable than Muchi.

When Beak Seolhwa had rescued all the people, their number was about ten.

As the people gathered, Beak Seolhwa asked them.

"How did you end up trapped here?"

"You weren't sent by my father. Then, where is this...?"

"We came knowing it was Red Cliff Valley."

"That's a relief. We were all kidnapped by the Lord of Red Cliff Valley."

"What were you kidnapped for?"

"I was for cooking, and my friend here is a pharmacist..."

Roughly listening to the victims' stories, it was said that he mainly kidnapped people with skills necessary for daily life, including food, clothing, and shelter.

"But why were you locked up in this warehouse even though you were needed?"

"I was locked up because I burned the ingredients while cooking. My friend here was locked up because she inserted a needle too deeply while performing acupuncture..."

Each of them had made one mistake, and it was said that the Lord of Red Cliff Valley would mercilessly lock them up each time.

He could be called a truly peculiar person.

"Then there must be other kidnapped people in other places besides here?"

"Yes. They're in the Lord of Red Cliff Valley's bedroom, which you can see over there."

"Is there anyone else to be careful of besides the Lord of Red Cliff Valley?"

"Ah. A young man has recently joined. He didn't have much of a presence, though. But the Lord of Red Cliff Valley is a very scary person! He's also an incredible master. He killed a peak master in a single move!"

To be able to kill a peak master in a single move, he must be a Transcendent master.

Of course, that would be the case under the premise that the woman's words were true.

"Okwol. What will you do? Will you face him alone? Or should we attack together?"

"This time, leave it to me. I'll take care of it myself. You rescue the other kidnapped people instead."

"Alright. You won't lose to the Lord of Red Cliff Valley, so I'll trust you and leave it to you."

And even if the young master was the Blood Cult's spy, Hyeokryeon Socheon, Beak Seolhwa would not be defeated by a pincer attack from the two of them.

Since Namgung Hui was planning to join after rescuing the people anyway, he resolved to rescue the other people first.

'I hope Seo Munhye or someone else is here.'

He entrusted the rescued people to Muchi and quietly set off.

Perhaps thanks to the concealment technique Muchi had taught him, only silence flowed even though he was walking side by side with Beak Seolhwa.

'Muchi must be a descendant of the Heavenly Killing Brigade, right? That's why he instinctively follows Beak Seolhwa, the Vice Cult Leader...'

If it was the Heavenly Killing Brigade, they would have learned a heart method and concealment technique superior to the Ghostly Ki Art.

It certainly seemed to be of a higher dimension than the concealment technique of the Black Killing Brigade that Namgung Hui had imitated.

Was the name of the concealment technique the Heavenly Net Silent Art?

As the name 'silent' suggested, not a single sound leaked out.

'When I get the chance later, if I apply it to the Phantom Steps I obtained before, I think I'll get a good result.'

Namgung Hui, for a change, organized the principles of the concealment technique and the movement technique and arrived at the residence of the Lord of Red Cliff Valley that the women had told him about.

Now, he had to be careful even with the sound of his voice, so Namgung Hui sent a telepathic message to Beak Seolhwa.

-Seolhwa. I'll go in this way.

-Alright. Be careful.

-What's there to be careful about when I'm just rescuing hostages? You're the one who should be careful and not let your guard down. The Lord of Red Cliff Valley also seems to be a Transcendent master, and the Blood Cult's spy hasn't been caught yet, so he's probably no ordinary fellow.

That being said, Beak Seolhwa wouldn't be defeated by the two of them, but if she were to let her guard down, she could be in big trouble.

Since he didn't know what traps they might have set, there were always variables.

Beak Seolhwa, who had a history of being poisoned in the past, nodded with a heavy expression.

-Then let's see each other in a little while.

Beak Seolhwa sent the telepathic message and immediately infiltrated the residence of the Lord of Red Cliff Valley.

And Namgung Hui also stealthily seeped towards the presence that seemed to be a woman.

And so, when Namgung Hui entered the room next to the kitchen, he saw two women, and one of them was sobbing continuously.

"Sob, sob! Was my food that bad?"

"N-no. It was edible. Haha..."

"Your answer is not very enthusiastic, so it must have been really bad. That's why the Lord of Red Cliff Valley cursed at me like that. Then the rest of what he said must be true too? Will I really not be able to get married?"

"Of course, you're the precious daughter of the Golden Merchant Guild, so of course you'll get married."

"The Lord of Red Cliff Valley said that besides money, my talents are so meager that no one will take me."

"Why do you think so? You have a pretty face, and having that much money is something to be proud of. Have some confidence."

"You, Little Saintess, are skilled in medicine, good at cooking, have a pretty face, and even have more money than I thought. I'm so envious."

Namgung Hui thought it would be okay to reveal himself in the rather peaceful conversation.

He released his concealment and quietly approached them.

"Who is it!"

At Hwang Sujin's sharp tone, Namgung Hui put his index finger to his lips and continued.

"Shh. I came to rescue you. You are Miss Geumhwa Hwang Sujin and Miss Seonhwa Seong Sohui, right?"

"Yes. Were you sent by my grandfather?"

"No. I have no connection to the Golden Merchant Guild Leader. Rather, if I have any connection, it would be with the Little Saintess here."

"Ah... I see."

Hwang Sujin, perhaps thinking she had lost to the Little Saintess in this as well, slumped her shoulders with a dejected face.

Unlike the other Four Flowers of the Martial World, she seemed particularly weak.

He had thought she would have a vicious disposition since she supported the Hoicheon Association, but seeing her girlish side, she didn't seem like a bad person.

'Well, her disposition is a separate matter, but she looks like a fresh young girl, so it's nice to see.'

Rather, Seong Sohui exuded the feeling of a seasoned martial artist who had been through all sorts of hardships.

It was probably because she had watched the deaths of many people and had witnessed the fierce disputes of the martial artists with her own two eyes.

The hardships of time were also deeply ingrained in her hands, and for a young woman's hands, they were quite rough.

Namgung Hui looked them over and asked.

"Is there anyone else here?"

"The rest of the people were all dragged away somewhere, and it's just the two of us here."

"I see..."

It seemed Seo Munhye had really just gone missing and had not been kidnapped.

This was something that needed to be investigated later.

"Alright. Then I'll escape with the two of you right away. Will you follow me?"

At Namgung Hui's proposal, Seong Sohui answered with a slightly troubled expression.

"I... have something to get from the Lord of Red Cliff Valley."

"What is it?"

"It's the Great Luo Sparrow Needle, a very precious item to me."

"?! Why does the Lord of Red Cliff Valley have that, the symbol of the Divine Physician Sect Leader?"

Great Luo Sparrow Needle.

The symbol of the Divine Physician Sect Leader and a needle that was said to never bend.

It had excellent resistance to all kinds of heat and cold.

And it was said that it boasted excellent killing power even if one were to perform a hidden weapon technique with it.

The Great Luo Sparrow Needle, which consisted of a total of 20 large and small needles, could not be carried by anyone other than the Divine Physician Sect Leader.

That meant.

'Has she been designated as the next sect leader?'

And to think that the Little Saintess, who seemed to be only in her teens, had already received the Great Luo Sparrow Needle.

Her medical skills must be at a unique level even among the successive Divine Physician Sect Leaders.

And so, while Namgung Hui was lost in thought for a moment.

-Kugugugung!

A roar was heard from the residence of the Lord of Red Cliff Valley, and the pavilion shook as if it would collapse.

Namgung Hui had no choice but to take the two of them and come out.

"Someone is fighting the Lord of Red Cliff Valley!"

Hwang Sujin's eyes sparkled as she saw Beak Seolhwa and the Lord of Red Cliff Valley.

Unlike her dejected appearance until just now, she was excited to watch a fight.

She seemed to have really grown up like a flower in a greenhouse.

'The more I see her like this, the less she fits with the Hoicheon Association. I feel a sense of unease.'

"Then, since it seems dangerous here, would you like to go to where the people are?"

"No! I'll watch from here!"

Just as Namgung Hui was contemplating whether to strike her acupoint.

Thud.

Hwang Sujin's body collapsed, and Seong Sohui immediately caught her.

"Please go. Leave this to me. But please be sure to retrieve the Great Luo Sparrow Needle. From what I heard earlier, it seems you know what it looks like."

"Yes. I know what it looks like, so don't worry and wait. I'll be sure to retrieve it."

Namgung Hui also knew the value of the Great Luo Sparrow Needle well, so he resolved to find it, even if he had to perform the Bone-Separating and Tendon-Grinding technique on the Lord of Red Cliff Valley.

-Kwaaang!

Another roar erupted, and a cold ki rushed to where Namgung Hui was.

When was the last time Beak Seolhwa had emitted so much cold ki?

The Lord of Red Cliff Valley was that much of a great master.

And Hyeokryeon Socheon, who was pushing Beak Seolhwa back with him, was also not at a level to be ignored.

It was a passage that clearly showed why all the other spies had been caught and only he had not been caught until now.

Seong Sohui, sensing that the situation was not ordinary, hurriedly supported Hwang Sujin and disappeared.

Now that there were no restrictions on Namgung Hui, he immediately launched his body with the Wind God Steps.

'Then shall I warm up a bit too?'

Namgung Hui wrapped both his hands in thunder dragons and then scattered them towards the Lord of Red Cliff Valley and Hyeokryeon Socheon respectively.

The thunder dragons, which had their own will, advanced with intent.

Faster than before and more ferocious than before.

And while emitting a purple flash.

-Chajajajak!

As the purple lightning rained down, the two hurriedly twisted their bodies to receive the thunder dragons.

As the thunder dragons twisted their bodies and changed their paths in various directions, the two even swallowed empty air and struggled with all their might.

"This is...! A successor of the Thunder Sect! Then you are? No, why are you a woman?"

"Lord of Red Cliff Valley! That's not a wench, it's a guy. A guy! He must be cross-dressing."

"Hah. So that's what it was? But that's also strange. The one in front of us is a descendant of Sosu Mahu, and next to her is the successor of the Thunder Sect, the enemy of Sosu Mahu? Shouldn't the two of you have a showdown before you attack us?"

"..."

Beak Seolhwa briefly stopped her hands and glanced at Namgung Hui.

Namgung Hui, regardless of Beak Seolhwa's appearance, shrugged his shoulders.

"That's what you guys would wish for. We have no intention of fighting each other for now. We'll have plenty of time to fight in the future anyway. But for you guys..."

Namgung Hui stopped talking and immediately threw an Explosive Thunder Palm.

Like a thunderclap bomb exploding, a 'kwagwagwang' roar erupted.

And because the two of them had dodged, the residence of the Lord of Red Cliff Valley disappeared without a trace.

"You won't have time for that in the future. I guarantee it. So stop with the divisive tactics."

As Namgung Hui glanced at Beak Seolhwa, she let out a sigh of relief.

And so, Namgung Hui briefly showed a smile to Beak Seolhwa and was about to launch his body again, but the Lord of Red Cliff Valley hurriedly raised his hand and shouted.

"It's not a divisive tactic! I really have something to say! You should also know about that descendant of Sosu Mahu."

Namgung Hui briefly stopped his hand and asked.

"If it's your last words before you die, I'll listen. What is it?"

"Sosu Mahu... is actually a person of the Hoicheon Association!"

"Hah... Aren't you tired of this? What kind of sophistry is this? No matter how much you want to live. Do you think I'd want to believe it if you say such an absurd thing?"

"Listen to the end! The previous Sosu Mahu was from the North Sea Ice Palace, that is, from the Northern Heaven of the Hoicheon Association! That necklace is the proof!"

At the thunderclap-like revelation of the Lord of Red Cliff Valley, the faces of Namgung Hui and Beak Seolhwa were stained with bewilderment.