Rebirth of the Thunder God

Namgung Hui quickly turned around and took a defensive stance at the presence he felt from behind.

But to his dismay, the person who appeared from behind was not an enemy.

The moment he confirmed that, his dismay turned into a slight joy.

"What. It's Seolhwa. What are you doing appearing so suddenly? You scared me."

"I'm glad I scared you."

"Don't tell me you did it on purpose?"

"You scared me like this before, didn't you? It's tit for tat."

Namgung Hui shook his head and said.

"By the way, your concealment technique has improved a lot. I really couldn't detect you until you were right next to me."

"I practiced hard to surprise you."

"Hey. It's not because of me. You must have done it to observe the Blood Cult. Muchi. That guy is really good to you. He taught me the concealment technique roughly, but he gave you his liver and gallbladder."

"Huh? How did you know? He gave me a bear's gallbladder secretly at the feast. He said it was good for the body or something. But it was so bitter that I threw it away after eating it."

"You just threw away a bear's gallbladder? Such a precious thing... You should have given it to me..."

As Namgung Hui licked his lips, Beak Seolhwa looked at him and chuckled.

In fact, Beak Seolhwa had not thrown away the bear's gallbladder.

She had secretly put it in Namgung Hui's food and fed it to him.

Did Beak Seolhwa not know that a bear's gallbladder was good for the body?

Of course, it didn't suit her taste, but for some reason, she wanted to give it to Namgung Hui.

"By the way, did the thing you went for go well? And why did you change your appearance now?"

Namgung Hui finally returned to his usual expression and spun around once.

"This time, I'm going to be active under the name of the Sword Demon. How is it? Does it suit me?"

"The Sword Demon. Isn't that a bit of an excessive name for your skills?"

"Tsk, tsk. Don't be surprised when you see my fierce Light-Splitting Sword Art later."

"A sword art that splits light? It smells of a fast sword. It seems to have been influenced by the sword art of the Diancang Sect."

Namgung Hui recalled a satisfied smile and said.

"As expected of Seolhwa. And it also goes well with the movement technique called the Phantom Shadow Steps that I'll be using this time. If the light flashes and even a phantom appears, the enemy won't be able to come to their senses, right?"

"Then shall we test it out with me?"

"Hmm... I'm waiting for a message from the military strategist Bukgung, so I don't know if I can leave my post."

"Where are you going this time?"

"It seems the direct descendants have a separate residence called the Blood Heaven Peak. I'm going to infiltrate there. Ah. Have you heard of the Red-Haired Monster? I'm going with that person."

Beak Seolhwa slowly nodded and continued.

"You're going with the person called the Red Turtle. Then I can rest assured to some extent. And if you're going to the Blood Heaven Peak, you'll be leaving at the hour of the sheep. So there's still about two hours left."

"Oh. You seem to have found out a lot. To think you even know this."

"I also didn't just sit still and ran around here and there. What about you, what did you find out?"

Namgung Hui told her what he had heard about the clan village and Gwangcheon Peak.

And he told her everything, from what had happened to the Mad Dragon, Cheon Museong, to the fact that he was Cheon Yeohwa's brother.

"It's really amazing how fate works. To think that the Mad Dragon, whom I only knew as an enemy, turned out to be the brother of an acquaintance. And he even became an ally."

"The relationship between you and me is also like that. In our past lives, we were like enemies, but now we're at least friends, right? Aren't we?"

"That's right. By the way, if my thoughts are correct, there will probably be a competition for the next Cult Leader at Gwangcheon Peak. The Heavenly Demon Peak used to be used for that purpose. They would gather the candidates for the next Cult Leader and have them compete. The winner there would become the Young Cult Leader."

"But didn't you say there's a Young Cult Leader now? Then there's no need for such a competition, is there?"

Beak Seolhwa shrugged her shoulders and continued.

"I don't know the exact details, but the Young Cult Leader's age is older than I thought, or something might have happened to him. Just like your family did before."

Come to think of it, when the family head, Namgung Uncheon, entered seclusion, the young family head, Namgung Chan, took over as the acting family head and managed the household.

And didn't the young family head also fall ill from overwork later?

At that time, a vacuum was created, and the second young master, Dugu In, wielded power as he pleased.

So, to prevent such a situation from happening, the family head, Namgung Uncheon, had proposed a strategic marriage to Namgung Hui.

So that the lineage would not be cut off.

In that context, it was not a sudden thing for the Young Cult Leader competition to be held now.

As Beak Seolhwa had said, since the position of Cult Leader was vacant and there was a problem with the Young Cult Leader's personal safety, it was right to designate the next Young Cult Leader in advance.

'Then this would be the best time to cause trouble.'

"We've talked enough. Then shall we have a duel for about an hour?"

"Alright. I'll take a look at your martial arts before you go."

"Thanks."

If a trace of the Namgung family or the Thunder Sect's martial arts were to be revealed in Namgung Hui's martial arts, it would be truly difficult.

Since Beak Seolhwa's insight would be able to see through it, he thought of it as a final check and engaged in the duel.

Half a shichen. It was a rather long time, but the duel with her felt unusually short to Namgung Hui.

* * *

Knock, knock, knock.

"Are you there? I came because the military strategist sent me."

"I'm coming out."

Namgung Hui checked his disguise in the hand mirror, then opened the door and went outside.

Then the Red-Haired Monster was also getting on the carriage, as if he had finished preparing to leave.

Namgung Hui also followed him onto the carriage and spoke.

"Red Turtle, what mission did you receive from the military strategist?"

At Namgung Hui's question, the Red-Haired Monster answered with a telepathic message.

-I received a mission to assist you.

-Assist me? What kind of mission did you receive, knowing what I would do?

-I heard that you would be causing a ruckus at the Blood Heaven Peak. He told me to train with you then.

Namgung Hui felt something was off.

Should I say that the other party was being too accommodating to him?

Even if a top ten master was being polite, it was a personal tendency. It was quite strange for him to be so one-sidedly at a disadvantage and follow the other party.

'What kind of weakness was he caught with? To be dragged around one-sidedly like this? And that military strategist Bukgung Jinwu is also very suspicious.'

Namgung Hui was inwardly disappointed that he hadn't asked about Bukgung Jinwu before parting with Beak Seolhwa.

It wasn't that they had met after a long time.

He was curious about what she had been eating and doing all this time.

Thanks to that, the half a shichen passed by quickly.

In addition, he had spent a lot of time talking about Seong Sohui.

Beak Seolhwa also showed a rather surprised expression at the words that Seong Sohui was the great-granddaughter of the Demonic Physician.

It seemed she also didn't know that the Saintess had given birth to a child, just like the people of the clan village.

'Not only did she get married. She had a child? That's really unexpected...'

'What kind of person was the Saintess?'

'She was just a celibate. Perhaps because she wasn't on good terms with her parents, she didn't want to become a parent herself. But to think she married the son of the Divine Physician Sect Leader, it's a long life to see.'

'By the way, if so, Seong Sohui would also know this fact, but she hasn't said a word to us all this time. On top of that, she's scheduled to be revered as the Saintess, so I'm quite curious why she hid it from us.'

'That's right. Even if she doesn't have the ability of a Saintess. If she's the great-granddaughter of the Demonic Physician, it's a different story. She could officially inherit his medical skills. Even if she doesn't have the ability of a Saintess, her medical skills are enough to be revered as a Saintess.'

After that, various stories about Seong Sohui were exchanged.

In the end, Beak Seolhwa decided to investigate Seong Sohui and concluded the story.

Since he didn't have time because he had even fought a duel, he couldn't talk about Bukgung Jinwu.

Besides that, he had also told her that there was a great master at Gwangcheon Peak.

Since there were many stories that had piled up, one shichen was not enough.

'Well, it's not just today. When we meet next time, I'll have to talk with some more time. I hope we can have a meal together too.'

He didn't know how much Beak Seolhwa had found out about the moderate faction, but she didn't trust Bukgung Jinwu.

Since Namgung Hui also agreed with this, he nodded and listened to her words.

And then, he heard a completely unexpected piece of news.

'Do you remember Seomun Hye?'

'Of course I remember. How could I forget that person? But why Seomun Hye all of a sudden?'

'If I didn't see wrong, I think Seomun Hye is here in the Blood Cult.'

'What? Seomun Hye? Why is she here?'

'I don't know that either. It's a problem I have to find out from now on. I roughly know where she is, so I'm going to try to tail her.'

Namgung Hui secretly thought that Seomun Hye's disappearance was his fault.

If she hadn't overheard his conversation with Beak Seolhwa at that time, she wouldn't have run out of the Namgung family like that.

It seemed that moment was quite shameful.

Namgung Hui just let it go, but for the person involved, it would be a great humiliation.

Besides, since she had disappeared from the Namgung family, not only Namgung Hui but also the Namgung family would be responsible.

Perhaps by now, the Seomun family head was nagging Namgung Uncheon.

Still, since the family was much better off than before, the Seomun family head wouldn't be able to raise his voice too much.

Rather, he might use this as an excuse to push for a marriage, saying that he should take responsibility for his daughter.

Anyway, Namgung Hui left the matter of Seomun Hye to Beak Seolhwa and was now on his way to the Blood Heaven Peak in a carriage.

Like other peaks, the Blood Heaven Peak was also steep, so he had no choice but to get off the carriage soon.

Now, people had to pull the cart up themselves.

Still, the good thing was that he didn't have to climb a cliff or carry a pack and go into a narrow valley.

In the first place, they wouldn't have built a residence in such a remote place.

Because they just needed a spacious and secret space for closed-door training.

And so, after walking for a long time with the members of the Blood Cult, he arrived at the Blood Heaven Peak.

The members of the Blood Cult had all learned a considerable amount of martial arts, so they were fine with this much of a mountain hike.

For their basic physical strength to be so different from that of the orthodox faction members, he was secretly worried and at the same time admired.

"Stop!"

As they reached the estate, a guard martial artist stopped the party, raised his sword, and walked forward.

As expected of a place where the direct descendants stayed, the level of the guard martial artist was also clearly different.

No, rather than a guard martial artist, it seemed the direct descendants were taking turns standing guard.

"You've arrived earlier than scheduled. Why didn't you come on time?"

"The military strategist said it might rain this evening, so we hurried up. It would be troublesome if the food got wet..."

-Jjak!

Suddenly, the direct descendant martial artist in front of him slapped the Blood Cult member's cheek.

Everyone was so dumbfounded that they just stared at him.

"How dare you talk back! Whether the military strategist ordered it or not. You bastards have broken the promise!"

Why was he making such a fuss just because they came early, not late?

Not only Namgung Hui, but all the Blood Cult members seemed not to understand.

The same went for the Red-Haired Monster who was watching from the side.

He, displeased with this situation, stepped forward and opened his mouth.

"What's wrong with coming early?"

"Who are you?"

"I am the Red Turtle, who came at the invitation of the Bukgung family head."

"The Bukgung family head. Do you have proof?"

The Red-Haired Monster took out a pass from his robes and said.

"This is a pass issued by the Bukgung family. Since the family head's seal is on it, please check it."

As he said, since the seal was stamped by Bukgung Jinwu, it was genuine.

Since the direct descendant martial artist also recognized it, he could not speak carelessly.

Because to find fault here was no different from rebelling against the Bukgung family head.

He ruffled his hair and continued.

"Tch! I was about to get off work in half a shichen, but it's become troublesome. That's why I said I didn't like coming early. Tsk."

Now he understood why he had said he didn't like coming early.

It would not be pleasant to be in charge of such a complicated task right before getting off work.

It was not a simple task, and he had to count the food and supplies they would have to eat for a while.

And so, the direct descendant martial artist opened the main gate and let the cart in.

The supplies were unloaded from the cart one by one, and he began to count the items while looking at the document that the Blood Cult member handed him.

And then.

"Hyeokryeon Junwu. It's time to change shifts."

"Oh. You're earlier than usual. What's up with you. Dugu Sinhyeong."

The martial artist who had come to change shifts, Dugu Sinhyeong, walked out, and Namgung Hui's appearance was by no means unfamiliar.

The reason was.

'What. Dugu In should be dead. No. I killed him myself, so how is he alive?'

In front of him, Dugu In, who had died in the Namgung family, had appeared again.

(End of Chapter)