Rebirth of the Thunder God

Namgung Hui, who had returned to the warehouse, witnessed Dugu Sinhyeong, who resembled the Dugu In he knew better than anyone else.

He had not come to the warehouse alone, but was talking with the Red-Haired Monster while accompanied by a middle-aged man.

"You were supposed to guide an important guest, but you were sleeping at the main gate? What would you have done if the supplies had been damaged by the rain?"

"Lord Asura, I was guarding the main gate alone, wasn't I? If I leave my post, who will guard the main gate? Besides, Hyeokryeon Junwu could have guided them, but he said it was troublesome and left it to me and ran away."

"Tsk, tsk. You're both the same. One doesn't even stand guard and just sleeps. And the other abandons a guest to go to sleep. You two should know that you won't get any special meals."

"No! Lord, how can you do this with food?"

"It's right here. Where else would it be? Get lost. Go and finish your guard duty."

Dugu Sinhyeong pouted as if he were being treated unfairly, but he couldn't argue with a person of the rank of a captain.

Since it was true that he had fallen asleep during his shift, it wouldn't be strange if he were punished right away.

Dugu Sinhyeong trudged back to the main gate, and the Asura Captain shook his head and opened his mouth.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Kids these days don't know how precious food is. In my time, we even dug up and ate grassroots."

The Asura Captain, who had paused for a moment, turned his head in Namgung Hui's direction and continued.

"Are you also with them? Come here for now."

He seemed displeased that an outsider was wandering around freely.

Since this was the innermost part of the innermost part, such a reaction was probably natural.

Despite the Asura Captain's murderous gaze, Namgung Hui calmly walked over and greeted him.

"It's an honor to meet you, Lord Asura."

"Forget the formalities. By the way, where have you been? There's nothing much to see around here."

"Ah. I was late because I had to relieve myself for a moment. I couldn't find the latrine, so I just went to the back mountain and took care of it."

"Hmm... It seems you're right, as there's a foul smell. And I've heard roughly from the military strategist Bukgung. That you're going to have a dance here. Although our factions are different, I'm a person who cherishes our cult members terribly. So I'm telling you, be moderate. If by any chance..."

The Asura Captain paused.

Chaeng!

He suddenly drew his sword and continued.

"If you take the lives of our cult members, you will die. I'm telling you to spare their lives, no matter which faction."

Bukgung Jinwu had said that he could take their lives this time.

The Asura Captain of the moderate faction was opposing this.

Besides, hadn't Namgung Hui already dealt with one of the radical faction forces, Cheon Hojin?

Of course, since he had disappeared without a trace with the Bone-Melting Powder, there was no fear of being caught, but it was not welcome that someone who opposed this had appeared.

Just in time, wasn't he preparing to head to the Dugu family?

But as he opposed it, there were many ways to get revenge on the Dugu family without necessarily taking their lives.

'It wouldn't be bad to make them half-crippled. I just have to make them suffer so much that they regret being alive.'

He secretly missed the Modo-na of the Odo Sect that Dugu Sang had suffered.

If only he could make all the martial artists of the Dugu family bald. He would have been willing to buy Modo-na even if it cost a fortune.

He wanted to get it if he had the chance later, but now that the Odo Sect was said to be under the Northern Heaven, it was a great shame.

Anyway. It was a relief that the Asura Captain had not given him an expulsion order, but rather showed a sign of helping him.

If it had been the Dragon Captain of the radical faction instead of the Asura Captain of the moderate faction, he might have been in a tight spot here.

Well, since he had been notified in advance, there was no way the Dragon Captain would come.

"It seems it will start raining soon, so it would be better to move right after the sun sets. I'll say it again, spare their lives. Do you understand?"

"I will do so. Please don't worry too much."

"...But may I ask one thing before you leave?"

"By all means."

"How many masters like you are there in the Central Plains?"

The person the Asura Captain pointed at was not Namgung Hui, but the Red-Haired Monster.

He, being pointed at, glanced at Namgung Hui and then opened his mouth.

"Although I am lacking, I am called one of the Ten Great Masters. Since you seem to have roughly estimated my realm, I will not mention it separately."

"Hmm... So there are only about ten Transformation masters. Alright. My curiosity has been satisfied, so I'll be going now."

Namgung Hui watched the disappearing back of the Asura Captain, and when he had completely disappeared from sight, he spoke to the Red-Haired Monster.

"He says about ten people. If the hidden masters and recluses appear in large numbers, there will be more than twenty, so should I call this a frog in a well? No. I should say a Blood Cult member in the Hundred Thousand Mountains."

"Hahaha. You seem to know more about the martial world than I do."

"It's because I didn't live as a hermit like you and eavesdropped here and there. It means my information network is quite solid."

"Rather, isn't it the hermit who hears many stories from the surroundings? Well, as far as I know, I've heard that there are hidden masters all over the world. And I've also heard that a new martial arts organization has recently been formed."

Since Namgung Hui had not heard any news from the martial world for a while, the words that the Red-Haired Monster was saying were quite interesting.

So he asked.

"You said a new organization was formed? What's its name? And what's its scale?"

"The name of the organization is the Iron Blood Alliance. To put it simply, you can think of it as a new organization established by the completely ruined Black Market. As for the scale, well... since they've been recruiting recently. It's difficult to estimate accurately."

There was already the Heretic Alliance in the evil faction, and now the Iron Blood Alliance had been formed.

It was uncertain whether Namgung Hui should take this as a good thing.

If the evil faction's military power was divided and dispersed, it would be a good thing for the orthodox faction, but he couldn't just think of it as a good thing.

Because the members who held a grudge against the Heretic Alliance, which had gone over to the Hoicheon Association, could join the Iron Blood Alliance in large numbers.

In fact, since the martial artists of the evil faction had a bat-like corner, they were people who could switch factions at any time as long as their own interests were guaranteed.

That's why the Iron Blood Alliance, founded by the Black Market with its outstanding financial power, would be able to recruit enough martial artists.

'On top of that, if they're trying to abandon the Black Market and establish a new place, it's unlikely to be clumsy. Still, it's strange. Wasn't the Black Market a member of the Hoicheon Association?'

Well, it didn't feel like they were a member of the Hoicheon Association like the Heretic Alliance.

Should I say it was an atmosphere of being independent and monitoring each other?

That monitoring role was also at the level of a captain of the Heretic Alliance.

And because of that, hadn't he also entered into a strange confrontational relationship with Eon Jiyeon, who was a Black Spirit?

If they were trying to break away by changing their name like this, it might be difficult to even see them as an evil faction.

'I'll have to watch this place over time.'

"Ah. And the group that joined the Iron Blood Alliance was not just the evil faction. The Hwangbo family. The family head of that place was appointed as the first alliance leader. So there's no law that says there won't be orthodox faction members among the members who join in the future."

"That seems to be a matter that cannot be overlooked. Was there no word from the Martial Alliance?"

"It seems there are words coming out from within, but it seems the alliance leader has not said anything."

At first, Namgung Hui didn't pay much attention, thinking that the military power of the evil faction was being dispersed.

But if the military power of the orthodox faction was being dispersed, it was a completely different story.

And if it was the Hwangbo family, a military power comparable to the Five Great Families, he couldn't help but pay attention even if he wanted to.

Wasn't it a family he had watched with favor as a fellow fist user in his past life?

His heart was not at ease to think that such a force could become an enemy.

'The Hwangbo family didn't seem to have any connection with the Hoicheon Association, so it's a shame. Wait, could it be an opportunity instead?'

There was a high probability that the Black Market had established the Iron Blood Alliance to escape from the clutches of the Hoicheon Association.

If so, the appointment of the Hwangbo family as the first alliance leader would also be separate from the Hoicheon Association in this context.

There were many members of the orthodox faction who had been recruited by the Hoicheon Association.

Since Namgung Hui held that list, it could be said that it was perfect for negotiating with the Iron Blood Alliance.

'By the way, a lot of organizations with the word 'alliance' have been formed. The Anti-Heaven Alliance founded by Ju Hwayeong, the Iron Blood Alliance jointly established by the Black Market and the Hwangbo family. Another organization might come out at this rate.'

"It seems it will start raining soon, so shouldn't we also prepare?"

Namgung Hui, at the Red-Haired Monster's question, shook off his thoughts about the Iron Blood Alliance and resolved to focus on the Dugu family in front of him.

"The place I'm going to hit is the residence of the Dugu family. Since there are about 10 people, let's split them in half and take 5 each."

"Will you take their lives?"

Namgung Hui stroked his chin and then shook his head.

"I don't think there's a need for that. Instead, I'm going to make them half-crippled or half-dead so they can't be a military force. Red Turtle, you can do as you please. Whether you kill them, spare them, cripple them, or just subdue them."

"Hmm... Alright. I'll take care of it."

As the Red-Haired Monster finished speaking, as if waiting for it, rain began to fall from the sky.

The Blood Heaven Peak, covered in dark clouds, was visited by pitch-black darkness.

And the chirping of the birds and the sound of the wind were buried in the patter of the rain.

The perfect time to plot a conspiracy.

As long as a loud noise did not occur, there was no way the sound would leak out, and because of the thick darkness, there was no way their movements would be revealed.

"Follow me."

As the Red-Haired Monster nodded, Namgung Hui threw his body in the direction of the Dugu family that Cheon Hojin had pointed at.

Footprints were clearly left on the rainy street.

But Namgung Hui and the Red-Haired Monster were both masters who had reached the Transformation.

There was no way such people would leave footprints on the ground.

-Hwikhwikhwik.

Like a fish in water, they passed through the raindrops in an instant and arrived at the base of the Dugu family.

It was certainly easy to recognize because it was at the highest point.

And since it was completely separate from the other New Six Demonic Families, it seemed good to cause trouble.

However, since it was located in such a desolate place, it was clear that if someone approached, they would be spotted from the outside.

-Is that the target?

-That's right. But if we approach like this, our appearance will be discovered. Do you know how to perform a concealment technique?

-It's not my specialty, but I can do it as well as others.

-Hmm... I'll perform the concealment technique first, so you can try performing it too.

Namgung Hui first hid his presence with a concealment technique, and the Red-Haired Monster followed suit and performed a concealment technique.

But unlike Namgung Hui's expectation, the Red-Haired Monster's concealment technique was quite outstanding.

To the point where it was not inferior to the Blood Severing Great Art that Muchi had taught him.

Rather, it seemed to have fewer side effects and was perfect for use at this time, as it assimilated with the darkness.

-How is it? With this, there should be no problem with the operation.

-It's enough. Rather, it's better than my concealment technique. Then I'll enter like this. I'll take the left, and Red Turtle will take the right.

-Alright. I'll just deal with five and join you at the warehouse earlier.

Now that it was raining, they wouldn't bother to go to the warehouse to take out the supplies to prevent the food from getting wet.

At a time like this, the warehouse would serve as their hideout and gathering place.

Namgung Hui nodded and then threw his body towards the residence of the Dugu family.

And so, the moment he reached a close distance and heard their conversation.

"Seomun Hye? Isn't that woman an orthodox faction member?"

"It would be more accurate to say 'was'. Because the Demonic Phantom has accepted her as a disciple."

Because of the unexpected name that suddenly popped out, he couldn't enter right away.

(End of Chapter)