Rebirth of the Thunder God

"Here. This is the guests' lodging. Since there are only three outsiders, you can use it as you please."

"But as the Little Saintess may know, I'm a man, so is it okay for me to use a room right next to hers?"

At Namgung Hui's question, Muchi tilted his head.

"What does that matter? If it's the two of you, can't you use one room? You've been using it well so far, what are you talking about?"

"No matter how close our friendship is. Our genders are clearly different. Don't you know that men and women should not sit together after the age of seven?"

"Muchi doesn't know such things. If you're really worried, I'll stay with you."

Namgung Hui was not only uncomfortable with Muchi's large build, but he was also slightly displeased that another man would be staying here.

"I'll pass on that. You have a family, so don't cause any unnecessary misunderstandings and just go home."

"Hehe. Alright. I really missed my wife. Then everyone, rest well. I'll come back later."

Unlike other guest rooms, the Blood Cult seemed to have no servants or maids.

It could be because outsiders rarely came.

Or it could be that they didn't let people in, in case Namgung Hui's party's identity was revealed.

Seong Sohui entered the room at the very corner, Beak Seolhwa in the middle room, and Namgung Hui next to her.

The room was not very spacious, but since only the necessary things were placed, it didn't feel small.

The leather spread on the bed was also quite soft and cozy.

Namgung Hui put his bundle on the floor and lay down on the bed.

He closed his eyes and awakened his ki sense with the Purple Thunder Ki to observe his surroundings.

The electric field gradually expanded its area, extending its sphere of influence.

He could clearly feel Beak Seolhwa's breathing right next to him.

The same went for Seong Sohui's presence beyond her.

Namgung Hui searched thoroughly for any other presences, but he couldn't feel any watchers or suspicious presences.

Still, light footsteps were heading this way, as if someone was approaching from afar.

The level of martial arts was not very high.

However, a sense of urgency was felt in the footsteps.

Since there seemed to be no hostility, Namgung Hui decided to just watch.

A little while later, the owner of the footsteps arrived at the guest room and announced his presence with a cough.

"Ahem! Is the Saintess inside?"

Was it the time for verification that Bukgung Jinwu had mentioned?

Seong Sohui opened the door and walked out.

She looked at the white-bearded old man in front of her and greeted him.

"Nice to meet you for the first time. Are you the one sent by the Military Strategist?"

"That's right. May I come in?"

Although the old man's martial arts were not high, he was undoubtedly a master compared to Seong Sohui.

Namgung Hui, wondering if he should go inside to act as a guard, also came out.

"Little Saintess. Shall I go in with you?"

"No. I'm fine. Don't worry about me and get some rest."

At the dismissal, Namgung Hui nodded with a bitter smile.

And so, leaving Namgung Hui behind, the old man entered the room with Seong Sohui.

As soon as the door closed, the old man grabbed Seong Sohui's hand and said.

"Are you really the Little Saintess of the Divine Physician Sect?"

The white-bearded old man whose attitude had suddenly changed.

At the old man's attitude, Seong Sohui just smiled brightly.

"Yes. Grandfather. You have a lot to say, don't you? Please sit down for now."

"No. I need to set up a soundproof formation for a moment. Wait."

The old man set up a few sticks in front of the door, drew some pattern on the floor, and then smiled with satisfaction.

Then, surprisingly, even though the old man's mouth was moving, no sound came out.

The same went for Seong Sohui's mouth.

Namgung Hui, who was eavesdropping on this, realized that a formation had been set up and smacked his lips.

He wondered if he should open the door and go in now, but the affectionate attitude of the two at the end made him hesitate.

At that moment, a telepathic message came to Namgung Hui's ear.

-Hui. Come into my room.

At Beak Seolhwa's call, Namgung Hui first turned his attention away from Seong Sohui and entered Beak Seolhwa's room.

"Why did you call me?"

"That old man just now. I think I know who he is."

"Indeed, he's quite old, so he might be someone we know. Who is that person?"

"The Demonic Physician. He must be over a hundred years old by now. It's just surprising that he's still alive."

Namgung Hui was not unaware of the title 'Demonic Physician.'

There had only been two physicians who were said to be comparable to Hua Tuo and Bian Que.

The first Divine Physician Sect Leader, who was called the Divine Physician.

And the Demonic Physician of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

Perhaps because he was a person who had mastered medical arts, he was living a long life.

"Most of the elders went to the Demonic Heaven, but that person managed to remain in the Blood Cult?"

"Not all elders would have the same intentions. But the Demonic Physician has another symbolism beyond just being a physician."

Since it was a story Namgung Hui was hearing for the first time, he asked with aroused curiosity.

"What symbolism does the Demonic Physician have?"

"He's the father of the previous Saintess. That alone carries a different weight."

"Speaking of which, what on earth was the role of the Saintess in the cult? It's not like she inherited the position of the Cult Leader like the Young Cult Leader. And it doesn't seem like her martial power was outstanding like the Vice Cult Leader's."

"You know what the Sacred Fire is, right?"

"I know. It means the blue flame that the Divine Cult worships, right? You told me before."

Beak Seolhwa smiled and said.

"I asked just in case you forgot. The reason why such a Saintess handles the Sacred Fire is to communicate with the god."

"Does a god really exist?"

Of course, in Daoism, there were those called the Three Pure Ones or the Three Gods.

First, the Primordial Heaven-Honored One.

The incarnation of the Dao, a god who existed before the world, and also called the Primordial Heavenly King.

The Daoist title that Daoist priests recite is the name of this god.

Then, the second, the Morality Heaven-Honored One.

Laozi, the human who wrote the Tao Te Ching, became a god and assisted the Primordial Heaven-Honored One.

He is also called the Grand Supreme Elder Lord.

The story of him subduing Sun Wukong, or the Great Sage, Heaven's Equal, with the Diamond Cutter is famous among the common people.

Third, the Numinous Treasure Heaven-Honored One.

In reality, he is the least known god among the Three Pure Ones. The Numinous Treasure Heaven-Honored One, also called the Grand Supreme Dao Lord, is in fact a faint existence.

Because he symbolizes the chaos at the beginning of the universe.

And means the Taiji itself that Daoism speaks of.

In a way, he could be said to be a more sublime god than the Primordial Heaven-Honored One.

Namgung Hui had heard and knew the history of these gods, but the god of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was something he was hearing for the first time.

He had heard the name Asura, who was called the Demonic God, but to be honest, he was not only doubtful of his existence, but he also questioned whether he could be called a god.

At Namgung Hui's suspicious expression, Beak Seolhwa brought her face close and said.

"Will you believe it if it really exists?"

"Well... If you say so, I have to believe it."

"Really? But you don't look like you believe it."

"No. I believe. I'll believe it. Can you just tell me quickly?"

"Alright. You must have heard the name Asura."

"Yes. Since the Asura statue was the symbol of the Cult Leader, I couldn't not know. But isn't Asura a demonic god and an evil god?"

At the question of an evil god, Beak Seolhwa nodded.

As Namgung Hui looked at Beak Seolhwa with a surprised gaze, she opened her mouth with a bitter smile.

"Asura is an evil god. But what's important is why he became an evil god. He came from the Heavenly Kingdom. He was chased by the Thunder God, Indra."

Thunder God. Coincidentally, it was the same as his old title.

"He wouldn't have been chased for no reason. Did he commit some sin?"

"The one who committed the sin was not Asura, but Indra. Because Indra raped Asura's daughter. So Asura became an evil god and challenged Indra. But Indra, who was a higher god, just crushed Asura, who was only a demigod."

To Namgung Hui, it was a rather unfamiliar and shocking story.

Such a realistic and specific story.

Even if it were a baseless story, it was an interesting content that could not help but be tempting.

"Interesting. So is that why the members of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult disliked the title 'Thunder God' so much?"

"Perhaps that influence was not absent. That's why the scene where Indra and Asura fought began to be called a 'scene of carnage'."

"That's unfortunate."

Namgung Hui thought that Asura's situation and the first Cult Leader's situation were similar.

The feeling of being betrayed by the absolute being he had trusted.

And those who had been unjustly chased to the frontier.

The raped daughter was also similar to the Moon Maiden Palace disciples, so a feeling of sympathy naturally arose.

"Yes. I'll believe in the existence of Asura. But why did you bring up such a story and mention Asura?"

"That's to explain the rest of the Saintess's abilities. The Sacred Fire is a medium to communicate with Asura. No one but the Saintess can handle it."

"I see. But why did Muchi say that the Saintess's ability was the power to deliver death or something?"

"Because that's also true. The Saintess is given various abilities, and they are different for each Saintess of that generation. The power to deliver death that Muchi mentioned is also one of them."

Namgung Hui, at the continued exciting story, did not even realize how close he was to Beak Seolhwa.

"Then what are the other abilities?"

"First of all, the previous Saintess could read the memories embedded in objects. And the Saintess before her was said to have had prophetic dreams. Besides that, abilities such as the ability to detect lies or abilities belonging to the category of supernatural powers were given."

"It's similar to what happens when the upper dantian is opened. Perhaps it's because of the spiritual contact that it affects the upper dantian?"

"That's right! Exactly. As expected, Hui is smart."

At Beak Seolhwa's praise, Namgung Hui's shoulders shrugged up.

"But didn't you say the Sacred Fire was also lost now? Even if the Little Saintess is the real Saintess, there's no way to verify it, right?"

"No. The Sacred Fire can actually be created by any Saintess. Perhaps the Demonic Physician is one of the few who knows that method, so he called her to verify it."

"Indeed, since he was the Saintess's father, it wouldn't be strange if he had heard it from the previous Saintess. But the verification process is taking longer than I thought. Shouldn't we go?"

Beak Seolhwa shook her head and said.

"You can trust the Demonic Physician."

"Even if I can't trust the Demonic Physician, I'll trust you and believe him. But what happens if the Little Saintess really becomes the Saintess of the Blood Cult?"

The Divine Physician Sect was a sect that strictly belonged to the Orthodox Faction.

Even if they took care of patients regardless of whether they were from the Orthodox, Unorthodox, or Demonic factions, the faction they belonged to would not change.

If the Little Saintess, who was the next Divine Physician Sect Leader, were to be recognized as the Saintess of the Blood Cult, he was worried on one hand about what kind of chaos would ensue.

"I'm curious about that too. I don't think the Divine Physician Sect Leader would give up his daughter."

And so, while waiting for the meeting between the Demonic Physician and the Little Saintess, a moment of silence passed.

Only then did Namgung Hui realize that he was so close to Beak Seolhwa that their noses could touch.

"..."

"..."

They looked at each other and hesitated.

But they didn't move away.

Namgung Hui. And Beak Seolhwa. Because this distance was not bad.

But there was someone who was suffocated by that distance.

"Jjaekjjaek-!"

Feifei, as if it were suffocating, popped out from Beak Seolhwa's robes.

It was definitely bigger than when Namgung Hui had seen it before.

Since it was in its growth period, it wouldn't be strange for it to grow bigger day by day.

On top of that, since it was the chick of the Snow Mountain Roc, the best among the spirit beasts, it wouldn't be incongruous even if it transformed into an adult in an instant.

Namgung Hui moved a little away from Beak Seolhwa because of Feifei.

At that moment, the sound of a door opening echoed in the corridor, as if Seong Sohui and the Demonic Physician had finished their verification work.

In time with that sound, Beak Seolhwa and Namgung Hui nodded and followed them out.

And then, the Demonic Physician, who had met them in the corridor, looked at Beak Seolhwa's eyes and, as if he were startled, dropped the stick he was holding in his hand.

(End of Chapter)