Rebirth of the Thunder God

Before leaving the Blood Cult, Namgung Hui left letters for the Great Elder, the Demonic Poison, and the Vice Cult Leader, the Demonic Fist, respectively.

There was nothing special in them.

To the Demonic Poison, it was just a message asking him to take good care of the Pungun Merchant Guild and that he was sorry he couldn't see him before he left.

To the Demonic Fist, he asked her to take good care of his friend in case something happened.

He had acted out of the thought that since the Demonic Fist was the current Vice Cult Leader, she would have a lot in common with the previous Vice Cult Leader.

And just before leaving, right now.

"You're leaving already? It seems you've finished all your business."

He was talking with Gwon Cheong, who was now staying in a rather decent hut, no, a house.

"Brother. It seems your living conditions have improved a bit recently. Not only the items you've brought in, but it's also neatly organized. Did someone clean it for you?"

"Ahem! Who else would clean it but me?"

"Brother, you're not such a neat person, are you?"

"No. I've always been a neat person. Don't say another word and know it from today. So, did you stop by to say goodbye before you leave?"

"Yes. And I'd like to ask you for a favor."

Namgung Hui took out a few things from his bundle.

Since they were items that Gwon Cheong also knew well, he smiled brightly and said.

"Hahaha! Isn't this the skin of the White Snake and the White Wolf? It must be a farewell gift for me. I'll use it well..."

"That's not it. You know the friend I introduced you to before? That friend is staying for a while, so I'm going to have a set of clothes made for that friend with these skins."

"Tsk. I was happy for nothing. But why are you asking me for that?"

Namgung Hui gently poked Gwon Cheong's side and said.

"My other companion is the Saintess, isn't she? She fixed your mother-in-law's back and brought you two together, so can't you do at least that much?"

"Mother-in-law...? Ah. You must be talking about the old woman."

"Then who else? If you ask your sister-in-law who is hiding in the corner, I believe she will make it well. Since she resembles her elder, she seems to have good dexterity."

It wasn't that Namgung Hui was just entrusting the expensive leather to her.

Nam Suyeong, the noodle shop owner's daughter, was definitely skilled with her hands.

It wasn't just empty words, as he could see traces of it in the old woman's house.

Not only that. Her touch was all over the various items in Gwon Cheong's house now.

It was definitely an innate talent.

To the point where the artisans of the Tang family would surely covet it if they saw it.

Nam Suyeong, who had been hiding in the corner, cautiously revealed herself.

She, as if she were slightly embarrassed by this situation, covered her reddened face with her hands and continued.

"Y-you want me to sew this?"

"If it's really difficult, I'll look for someone else."

"It's not that it's difficult..."

Nam Suyeong fiddled with her fingers and sent a look of wanting something.

Namgung Hui, as if he couldn't win, took out more of the White Snake's skin and placed it on the table with some silver coins.

"You and your brother can use this, and please think of the silver coins as a commission fee."

Nam Suyeong was more surprised by the silver coins than the White Snake's skin, and she shouted with wide eyes.

"T-two hundred nyang? That's too much!"

"Actually, I think it's too little."

Even in this remote countryside, the value of silver coins was quite heavy.

In the Central Plains and the rest of the continent, the value of silver was actually considered more precious than gold.

It was said that in the Western Regions, the value of silver was only half of that in the Central Plains.

Instead, the value of gold there was said to be twice that of the Central Plains.

Anyway, Since the weight of such silver coins was also valid here, Nam Suyeong quickly took the silver coins first.

"Since the young master says so, I have no choice. I'll take it."

"Yes. I think you'll have a rough idea of my friend's body shape since you saw her before."

"You don't have to worry about that. If I need to take her measurements, I can just do it at my mother's noodle shop."

Namgung Hui, who had finished the satisfactory deal, bid farewell to Gwon Cheong and Nam Suyeong and set off.

As the saying goes, the shorter the farewell, the better.

Although he didn't know if he would visit the Blood Cult again, it was better to leave quickly.

Namgung Hui, as he came down from the Hundred Thousand Mountains, looked back for a moment and was lost in thought.

'Seolhwa will do well on her own. Anyway, since we can talk with the earring artifact, I'm not too worried. But, the Young Cult Leader and the Great Prince are a bit on my mind.'

He wanted to ask the Blood Qilin again, but she was not coming out of the barrier at all.

Perhaps because she was seriously injured because of Namgung Hui, she was as immovable as a coiled up imugi.

Thinking that it might be better that way, he shook off his thoughts about the Blood Qilin and this time thought about the Mad Dragon, Cheon Museong.

'Is that guy still alive? If he dies, Yeohwa will be sad...'

Since he had a determined look in his eyes, he didn't think he would die right away, but for some reason, it was true that he felt uneasy.

Because he was being held hostage in the gathering village that even Namgung Hui hadn't been able to properly investigate.

Although he didn't know what the Demonic Fist was planning to do with Cheon Museong, it was clear that it wasn't a good thing.

On the other hand, since Cheon Museong also seemed to have a plan, he had no choice but to believe in him.

And so, Namgung Hui shook off even that uneasy feeling, performed the Wind God Steps, and flew away.

For some reason, it seemed as if someone was watching the place where Namgung Hui had left.

But there was no presence, no sound of breathing, only silence.

***

Namgung Hui, who had returned to the Central Plains, enjoyed the surroundings, breathing in the air that was quite different from Guangdong Province.

Certainly, after being in the high and blue Hundred Thousand Mountains, the plains looked new.

Looking at the vast plains, Namgung Hui enjoyed the sense of openness with his whole body.

'Perhaps because I came out of the Hundred Thousand Mountains. I feel like my chest is opening up.'

The people of the Blood Cult would surely envy such a vast land.

It wasn't just because it was wide and open on all sides, but because they wanted such a granary.

Namgung Hui, after finishing his appreciation, immediately kicked the ground and ran.

Although his work in the Blood Cult was over, he still had a mountain of things to do.

In fact, his work in the Blood Cult was not completely finished either.

The Dugu family, the target of his revenge, was still going strong.

He had not properly grasped the military power of any of the leaders.

And even the true intentions of the enemies were still a mystery.

Still, if there was a gain, it was the structure of the leadership and the fact that the Blood Cult was not yet ready to come out into the world.

On top of that, since he could exchange messages with Beak Seolhwa at any time, he thought there would be more information to find out in the future.

'If so, the problem is the Hoicheon Association. Bukgung Jinwu also said that the Association had planned various things while I was away.'

Not only Bukgung Jinwu, but also the Mad Dragon, Cheon Museong, had said such a thing.

Since he was leaving in a hurry, he hadn't heard the detailed story from him, but the core story was to strike the rebellious Princess Juhwayeong.

Since she had even created an organization called the Anti-Heaven Alliance and expressed hostility to the imperial family, the Martial Alliance could not protect her.

It should be seen that the Imperial Heaven had properly caught a case.

Although Namgung Hui had no particular feelings for Princess Juhwayeong, he was interested in the Divine Treasure Fortress that belonged to the Anti-Heaven Alliance.

Hadn't he decided to have them make the spirit pill he had to give to Chichi, so he needed to learn their alchemy?

Even if it wasn't for that, there were many things to ask the Divine Treasure Fortress.

Since he was presumed to be a descendant of the Fighting Immortal, who was a friend of his master, he was not a complete stranger.

Since the purpose of the establishment of the Divine Treasure Fortress was also the recovery of the Sunflower Manual, it would be optimal for training.

On top of that, one of the people belonging to the Anti-Heaven Alliance was the Mount Hua Sect Leader.

The Mount Hua Sect was a sect that could never be seen as a stranger.

It was a place where he had a deep connection in both his past life and his present life.

'Anyway, since I've decided to stop by the Imperial Palace, I'll have to stir things up a bit.'

Just causing some trouble while stopping by the Imperial Palace's secret repository was no big deal.

In the first place, raiding the Imperial Palace's secret repository could be a very troublesome thing for the Imperial Heaven.

Since such an Imperial Palace was located in Beijing, it was at the opposite end of Guangdong Province, which was at the southern end.

To cross the Central Plains and go to the Imperial Palace, even Namgung Hui, who had learned the Wind God Steps, would inevitably take quite a few days.

And most of all, since there was a place to stop by in the middle, there was no need to just pass by.

Luoyang, located right in the middle between Guangdong Province and Beijing.

Since Eun Seolrin's Myriad Gold Merchant Guild was there, it would be best to stop by and detoxify the Ice Soul Poison.

Namgung Hui, who had decided on his direction, ran towards Luoyang.

Now that he had reached Ascending the Peak and Reaching the Summit and the proficiency of his Wind God Steps had deepened, his running speed seemed to be even faster than the Shadowless Divine Thief.

He was not envious of the Sword-Riding Flight that his sworn brother had performed.

Because there was no need to ride a cumbersome sword and fly.

And so, he ran for two full days and arrived in Luoyang.

He had also heard some news of the Central Plains in between, and a rather interesting rumor was circulating.

"Now, among the Five Phoenixes, there are two Heavenly Phoenixes, right? One is the original Murong Soran of the Murong family, and the other is Namgung Jayeon of the Namgung family, right?"

"Yes. Although there are two Heavenly Phoenixes, they are strictly different Heavenly Phoenixes. Murong Soran is the Heavenly Phoenix who uses the character for 'move'. And Namgung Jayeon is the Heavenly Phoenix who uses the character for 'heaven'. The true Heavenly Phoenix is Namgung Jayeon."

Unfortunately, since Cheonghak had attached the overlapping title of Heavenly Phoenix, people were confused.

If it had stopped there, Namgung Hui would not have been in much trouble.

"Anyway. Be that as it may, taking away one's own title should be seen as a clear act of challenge. So it is said that Murong Soran will challenge Namgung Jayeon to a duel. And hadn't she been thoroughly beaten by the White Phoenix in this martial arts tournament? So it is said that she spent a large sum of money to take a spirit medicine."

If it was the Murong family, it was a member of the Northern Heaven.

Murong Soran was probably known as the sister of the Heavenly Dragon, Murong Junseong.

Although he didn't know her face because he had no particular reason to meet her, according to rumors, she was said to be stronger than Murong Junseong.

Since such a woman was looking for Namgung Hui's alter ego after taking a spirit medicine, it was quite annoying.

Perhaps the Northern Heaven had even figured out that Namgung Jayeon was Namgung Hui.

Well, it didn't matter though.

The Murong family was the family that had stolen the Diancang Sect's Sun-Shooting Sword Art.

Since it was a place where he might have to settle things later, it wouldn't be a big threat even if he turned Murong Soran into an enemy.

"And these days, the place called the Iron Blood Alliance is not to be taken lightly. It is said that the Hwangbo family has gathered a large number of small and medium-sized sects as if they are determined to make a move."

"If it were just small and medium-sized sects, I wouldn't know, but I heard that even the evil faction has joined. Regardless of the faction, it seems that there are many who have accumulated a lot. To the point of leaving their faction and joining like that."

As Namgung Hui had been concerned, it seemed there were many defectors.

This also had a high probability of becoming a variable, so there was a reason to pay attention.

Because no one could guarantee which side that place called the Iron Blood Alliance would take.

'It could be that the Black Market has only superficially become independent. In reality, the Hoicheon Association could have recruited the Black Market and the Hwangbo family.'

Since he didn't have the leisure to pour his mental energy into the Iron Blood Alliance right away, he decided to deal with the matter in front of him first.

Namgung Hui listened to the stories of the passersby a little more and then walked towards the Myriad Gold Merchant Guild.

And when he reached the main gate of the Myriad Gold Merchant Guild, he came face to face with an unexpected person there.

(End of Chapter)