Rebirth of the Thunder God

"The one I met was not the General, but the Black Tortoise Troupe Leader, Im Daepung."

Namgung Hui suddenly felt a sense of welcome at the unexpected name of the Black Tortoise Troupe Leader.

At first, he didn't think highly of the Black Tortoise Troupe Leader, but for some reason, he was starting to like him.

Although complete trust was still difficult, since he was out of favor with the Hoicheon Association, it would be reasonable to see him as an ally.

The rumor of his disappearance that had been circulating recently seemed to be just a groundless rumor.

Since On Yuha had also heard such news, she narrowed her eyes and said.

"As far as I know, the Black Tortoise Troupe Leader has gone missing."

"That may be so now, but the one I met in the past was the Black Tortoise Troupe Leader."

"Alright. Let's say that's true. Why did the First Senior Brother meet the Black Tortoise Troupe Leader?"

Hae Wicheong glanced at Namgung Hui for a moment and then said.

"I met him for a moment because of the youngest junior brother. He said he had a few things to ask me, so I just gave him some trivial information."

"If it's trivial information, you can tell me. What was the information?"

Although On Yuha was prying into every little thing, Namgung Hui was also curious about what information had been leaked about him.

As On Yuha and Namgung Hui's gazes turned to Hae Wicheong, he smiled a bitter smile and opened his mouth.

"Although it's trivial information, it's a very private matter, so it would be difficult to tell you."

"Then there's no guarantee that you met the Black Tortoise Troupe Leader, is there? Since it's a made-up story, there's no information you can tell me."

"Why would there be no proof that I met the Black Tortoise Troupe Leader? Here. This is the item that the Black Tortoise Troupe Leader asked me to give to the youngest junior brother."

Namgung Hui looked at the unidentified bead that Hae Wicheong handed him and asked.

"What is this?"

"I don't know that either. Because the Black Tortoise Troupe Leader said the junior brother would know if I gave it to him."

Namgung Hui once again looked at the red bead in his hand.

It didn't seem to be a precious gem like a night-shining pearl or a cat's eye stone.

But it was strangely bothersome.

No. Holding this, for some reason, it felt as if his ki was not leaking out.

[Huh? Because you're holding that. I really can't feel your presence at all.]

Come to think of it, Hae Wicheong also seemed to have erased his presence with this bead, not by using a concealment technique.

Whether it was intentional or not, as the bead fell from him, Hae Wicheong's ki was clearly revealed.

Although Hae Wicheong, who was still insensitive to ki, seemed not to know it.

Namgung Hui, who was looking at such a bead, could find a trace of the Black Tortoise Troupe Leader inside the bead.

'Flying Eagle. He's talking about the Flying Eagle Divine Art. This is a signal that no one can know except for the Black Tortoise Troupe Leader and me.'

The Black Tortoise Troupe Leader who had stolen the Flying Eagle Divine Art, the divine art of the Diancang Sect, from the Black Market.

Hadn't a slight misunderstanding almost arisen with Namgung Hui because of that?

Although the misunderstanding was not completely resolved, the Black Tortoise Troupe Leader had also said that he was collecting the martial arts of the destroyed sects in his own way.

Not for his own benefit like the Hoicheon Association, but to remember the disappeared sects.

He didn't know if that was the truth or a pretense, but anyway, he could be sure that it was the bead left by the Black Tortoise Troupe Leader.

"This is definitely what the Black Tortoise Troupe Leader left for me. Thank you. First Senior Brother."

"I'm glad you recognized it. Junior Sister. Are you still going to doubt me until the end?"

"And there's more. What did you steal from our master's residence?"

"What are you talking about? Why would I steal something from our master? I could just ask for it."

"That's because. It's an important item, isn't it?"

Hae Wicheong shook his head as if he was fed up.

If Namgung Hui hadn't been there, it would have been quite a headache.

"For now, let's put aside the matter of the sect and deal with this person. Since he's a member of the Hoicheon Association, shouldn't we do something about him?"

The only conscious person among the members of the Hoicheon Association.

He had been watching the conversation between the senior and junior brothers for a while.

He had been stealthily stepping back as if to escape if he had the chance, but Hae Wicheong had caught him.

"Ahem! If you let me go like this, I won't report it to the Association."

Namgung Hui put the red bead in his robes and asked.

"Why did you say you came here? You were talking as if you had an important meeting. It doesn't seem to be just for a spirit medicine trade..."

"I came here for a spirit medicine trade. But, since it's an item that would cause a big controversy if it leaked, that's all."

[Oh! Really. A very delicious smell is coming from that human's robes.]

Since the Sword Spirit was crazy about spirit medicines, it confirmed that there was a spirit medicine in the man's robes.

Following the treasure detector Chichi, was the Sword Spirit a spirit medicine detector?

Anyway. If such a spirit medicine existed in the enemy's robes, he just had to take it.

"W-what are you trying to do!"

The man, as Namgung Hui approached him, bared his teeth like a cornered rat.

But even so, he was no match for Namgung Hui.

Namgung Hui subdued his paralyzing acupoint and rummaged through his robes.

A heavy wooden box was felt.

Strangely, a scent he had smelled somewhere before was also leaking out.

The moment Namgung Hui took out the wooden box from his robes, not only Namgung Hui, but also his companions were surprised and their eyes widened.

"A Small Rejuvenation Pill!! No, why is this with the Hoicheon Association?"

"I thought he was asking for a large sum of money, but the item was a Small Rejuvenation Pill. This is worth a cat's eye stone."

At the words 'cat's eye stone,' On Yuha once again let out a cry of surprise.

Her eyeballs were as big as lanterns, as if they were really going to pop out.

"No. Senior Brother, where did you get the cat's eye stone... Don't tell me it's our master's?"

"Again, again. Your suspicion has flared up. I borrowed this from the third junior brother for a moment."

"The third junior brother must have stolen it from somewhere and given it to you. So you came here to exchange stolen goods for stolen goods."

Only then did On Yuha understand why this meeting had taken place.

She looked at Hae Wicheong with a slightly less suspicious gaze.

And so, as the Small Rejuvenation Pill was in Namgung Hui's hand, the martial artist of the Hoicheon Association shouted at the top of his lungs.

"If you take the Small Rejuvenation Pill, you'll have a hard time!! I guarantee it!"

Namgung Hui also fully sympathized with him.

It wasn't just any spirit medicine, but the Shaolin Temple, which was currently the most powerful single force.

Of course, since they were hardly active at the moment, people might think that the underlying strength of the Shaolin Temple was not the same as before, but Namgung Hui could not underestimate the Shaolin Temple.

'Just looking at the Divine Dragon, he was a peerless martial talent. The Shaolin arts he had learned might not be all of it. Anyway. I can't look down on the place that raised such a Divine Dragon.'

Besides, the fact that they had the leisure to make a Small Rejuvenation Pill and leak it to the outside meant.

That the disciples of the Shaolin Temple had already taken the Small Rejuvenation Pill to some extent.

Because unless there was a surplus, it would not be circulating in the market like this.

"Yes. I might be chased by the Shaolin Temple. Since this is not a legitimately obtained Small Rejuvenation Pill. But that's only possible if there's a witness and some evidence left, isn't it? You also made this secret meeting so that you wouldn't leave any, right?"

Unless it was a spirit medicine that left a special ki like the Purple Mist Divine Pill on the user.

Once it was eaten and digested, it could not be traced.

In the first place, unless a Thousand-Li Tracking Scent was applied, it would be impossible to track.

'But the fact that he's so confident means there's something. Don't tell me it's really a Thousand-Li Tracking Scent?'

Namgung Hui, knowing that Chichi was better than him in this sense of smell, sent a telepathic message to Chichi and asked.

[Chichi. Is there a Thousand-Li Tracking Scent or any other smell on this wooden box?]

[Hmm... I don't think so.]

[So that's it. Thank you for checking.]

As Chichi buried himself in his robes again, the member of the Hoicheon Association opened his mouth again.

"Hahaha! Then go ahead and open the wooden box and take the Small Rejuvenation Pill. If you can."

Only then did Namgung Hui understand the man's words.

So. He had set up some kind of device on the wooden box so that it could not be taken obediently.

The wooden box looked a little different from the one Namgung Hui had received when he got the Small Rejuvenation Pill.

It was a little bigger, and it seemed some device was planted inside.

"Don't tell me it's made to explode if I open it by force?"

"Oho. You're not a complete idiot. Yes. If you try to open it by force, it will go 'bang!' and explode. Of course, I'm the only one who knows how to disarm that device."

Since Namgung Hui had the Bone and Muscle Separation technique, a sneer just came out.

'Let's see how much of the Bone and Muscle Separation he can endure.'

As Namgung Hui was about to perform the Bone and Muscle Separation on the man, the Sword Spirit quickly sent a telepathic message to Namgung Hui.

[Wait! There's a bug in that person's head.]

[A bug? Ah. Are you talking about the Insanity Gu? If so, if I carelessly torture him, he'll die.]

Namgung Hui did not know how to remove the Insanity Gu like the Demonic Physician.

Of course, he could try to kill it by bursting it with Thunder Ki as a test.

But if that failed, the Small Rejuvenation Pill would become a picture of a rice cake.

'The bug of the Demonic Physician I removed at that time is different. The sensitivity of the lower dantian and the upper dantian is on a different level. If so... this is the only way.'

[Sword Spirit. Are you sure other people can't see you?]

[Of course. For the past 100 years, you're the only one who has heard my voice, let alone seen me.]

[Then can you just eat the spirit medicine?]

[Huh? I think that's possible. But can I eat that? It seems that person called your senior brother was going to eat it...?]

[It's okay. It's stolen goods anyway, and he hasn't paid for it yet, and there's no one else to eat it but you.]

[Alright! Then I'll eat it~]

The Sword Spirit stealthily came out of the scabbard and swallowed the Small Rejuvenation Pill.

The Sword Spirit, who was chewing on the Small Rejuvenation Pill with relish.

But since Namgung Hui was the only one watching, he misunderstood Namgung Hui who was looking at him.

"Haha! The look of despair on your face is quite a sight. And torture won't work on me. Don't waste your time and just let me go. Then I won't retaliate."

"Shall I? But it's a bit much to just let you go. Even if it's not a Small Rejuvenation Pill, leave something behind. As the price of your life."

It was unlikely that a spirit medicine broker would only have a Small Rejuvenation Pill.

He would surely have items that were less valuable than that.

Even if that wasn't the case, he might have a large amount of silver.

"...Alright. It's not a Small Rejuvenation Pill, but I'll give you another spirit medicine. This should be enough for my life. If you release my paralyzing acupoint, I'll give it to you right away."

Namgung Hui nodded and released his paralyzing acupoint.

Then, after turning his stiff body, he suddenly put his hand in his crotch.

"Ahem! It may be embarrassing to see, but there's no safer place to store things than here. Don't look at me with those eyes."

Namgung Hui also understood.

Because bandits usually hid their silver like that.

But still, since a spirit medicine was something to be eaten, he couldn't help but feel uneasy that it was stored in such a dirty place.

As the man was about to throw the spirit medicine to Namgung Hui, Namgung Hui was startled and raised his hand.

"Wait. That spirit medicine is not for me to have, but for my First Senior Brother. Please give it to my senior brother."

"Well, it's the same whether I have it or not, it's the price of my life. Here, take it."

As the man threw the rolled-up spirit medicine to Hae Wicheong, he frowned as if he had no choice and snatched the spirit medicine.

"I'm a free man now, so I'll be going."

"Yes. Goodbye. And give my regards to the General."

Although he didn't know if he would open the wooden box, he was just happy thinking about how flustered he would be when he saw that the Small Rejuvenation Pill was empty.

And so, as the member of the Hoicheon Association disappeared, On Yuha, as if she had been holding it in, poured out a barrage of questions.

"Senior Brother! I looked through the ledger and it seems our master had a cat's eye stone, did you really get it from the third junior brother?"

"Then would I lie and get caught?"

"Hmm... So that's it. Then I'll have to show you my last resort."

The moment On Yuha was about to take something out of her robes, Namgung Hui grabbed her arm and said.

"This is the territory of the Hoicheon Association, so let's move to another place and talk. Although I'm busy, I'll accompany you this time. I also have something to say."

Namgung Hui, thinking about the points that had been bothering him, deduced why this situation had occurred.

And surprisingly, a certain assumption came to mind.

The clue, coincidentally, was inspired by the fourth floor of the Imperial Palace's secret repository.

'I think I know who the traitor is.'

(End of Chapter)