Rebirth of the Thunder God

'Who is it?'

There were almost no people who would approach Namgung Hui's residence while using a concealment technique.

At best, there was Beak Seolhwa, who would surprise each other, but she was not here, but in the Blood Cult.

'Hmm. There is one more. Was her name Yi Sanga?'

The Moon Maiden Palace disciple, Yi Sanga.

Hadn't she secretly snuck into Namgung Hui's residence at that time and said something strange about taking his hair?

Like her name, she was a truly strange child.

But she did not possess the outstanding ki of the person approaching the residence now.

The person who had just arrived in front of the door was beyond the Transcendent realm.

At least, he was a person who had reached the end of the Transcendent realm.

But, perhaps because he had not professionally learned the concealment technique, Namgung Hui could read his presence.

Such an intruder secretly opened the window and met Namgung Hui's eyes.

"...!"

"...?"

The appearance of the flustered intruder seemed to be that of a woman in her thirties.

Her eyes were also slightly slanted, giving off a sharp impression.

Since it was an impression he was seeing for the first time, he couldn't help but tilt his head.

Since the other person had no intention of attacking, Namgung Hui asked first.

"Who are you to come to another's residence so carelessly?"

"Ahem! So you're that guy?"

"To call a precious child of another's house a 'guy' without any prior acquaintance, isn't that rude for a first meeting?"

The woman kicked open the door of the residence and came in, looking Namgung Hui up and down.

As if she were at an exhibition and appraising an item, she looked here and there.

"Hmm... Your face is really handsome. Even that child would be tempted. But you look so frail, I don't know if you can use your strength well."

"No. Who are you to say such rude things? It seems you came here knowing me. Let me know too."

"Yes. You have the right to know my identity. I am the Vice Palace Lady of the Moon Maiden Palace, Na Harin."

"?!"

His eyes widened at the words 'Vice Palace Lady.'

If it were someone else, he wouldn't have to care so much, but if it was the Vice Palace Lady of the Moon Maiden Palace, who was related to Beak Seolhwa, it was a different story.

Since she could be his superior, he would have to make a good impression.

"Ahem. I am the youngest son of the Namgung family, Namgung Hui. It is an honor to meet the fairy of the Moon Maiden Palace."

"What fairy. Because of our Seolhwa, you probably don't even see someone like me as a woman, do you?"

"..."

Although that was not Namgung Hui's intention, it was also true that he could not deny her words.

As Namgung Hui hesitated, the Vice Palace Lady, Na Harin, continued.

"I want to see if you can use your strength properly, will you come out to the training ground behind?"

Since a duel was better than a verbal argument, he readily accepted the proposal.

"Alright. I will guide you, so please follow me."

And so, the training ground that Namgung Hui guided her to had been well-maintained by Chohwa, so there was not a single weed in sight.

So it looked even more desolate and empty.

Since he had not yet moved to a new residence, it was inevitable that it looked a bit shabby compared to the surroundings.

'Well, a training ground doesn't need to be beautiful, so it doesn't matter. It's enough if I can just fight.'

-Chaeng!

Na Harin drew her sword without any warning and rushed at Namgung Hui.

Not only did she not yield the first move, but it was also a one-sided attack without any prior notice.

And the clear sword ki that was formed clearly showed that she was serious.

-Kang! Kang! Kang!

A rather familiar trace of a sword art was seen in Na Harin's sword.

It was the form of the Moon Maiden Sword Art that the Palace Lady, Yu Seolran, had performed.

But the true meaning contained within it was different.

If Yu Seolran's sword contained softness, Na Harin's sword contained a fierce speed.

A sharp and cold fast sword.

It had a different taste from the hot Sun-Shooting Sword Art.

-Ching, ching, ching! Chaeng, chaeng, chaeng!

Namgung Hui, not to be outdone, responded with the same fast sword.

And the exchange between the two went back and forth dozens of times in a moment.

In the midst of the flashing sword light, Na Harin curled up the corners of her mouth as if she were impressed.

"You're really beyond my expectations. It wasn't just that you seduced her with your handsome face."

"What do you mean, I seduced her with my face? Am I some kind of playboy to seduce Seolhwa with my face?"

"A playboy? Oho. Your sword momentum resembles that of a swallow."

Namgung Hui was so flustered that the trajectory of his sword almost went astray.

But a master of the Transformation realm should not be so flustered.

He quickly regained his composure and put some distance between himself and her.

"Isn't it about time to stop the duel? If you're going to use your sword aura like someone else, you'll have to do it outside the house. Because this whole area will be devastated."

"Devastated? Ah, you're talking about the incident where the Palace Lady destroyed the pavilion. Rather, because of that, the Palace Lady is spending a cozy time with someone, isn't she? It was all because of you. To take away two of our palace disciples. You're no different from a traitor."

Since she kept talking about Beak Seolhwa as if she were Namgung Hui's possession, he felt good but also unpleasant.

It was also because she was not yet his person, but Beak Seolhwa was not like that because of him.

She herself hated being bound by the Moon Maiden Palace.

"You keep treating Seolhwa like an object, but Seolhwa is not my possession, nor is she the Vice Palace Lady's."

"No. Seolhwa is mine. I took care of her since she was a child, even her poop and pee. I even taught her martial arts. In other words, since I'm no different from a wet nurse, it's not wrong to see her as mine."

Although it was not enough to see her as Na Harin's possession, if she had raised Beak Seolhwa like a wet nurse, it was a different story.

For some reason, he seemed to know why Beak Seolhwa was reluctant to the Vice Palace Lady.

'She must have felt like a nagging mother. Since she probably hadn't heard such nagging much, she must not have been used to it.'

But it was not a good look to resist by force.

Not only was there no justification, but with Beak Seolhwa's personality of being polite to her elders, she would not have been able to do so.

But it was a mountain she had to cross someday.

Now, Beak Seolhwa was not in her childhood when she couldn't control her poop and pee.

And since she had even awakened her memories of her past life, it was not wrong to see her as a completely different person from that time.

"Seolhwa is not a one or two-year-old child. Isn't it time to let her go? How long are you going to raise her in your skirt?"

"Oho. Still, he's my woman. This guy has some guts. Then shall we go outside and have a real match?"

Namgung Hui didn't want to go that far, nor did he need to.

He shook his head and floated his sword up into the sky.

"Is there a need to go that far? There's such a clear gap."

Namgung Hui made the Thunder God Sword, which had floated up into the sky, swim in the air and circle around Na Harin.

It was an attitude of letting her feel the Sword Control, but Na Harin, as if she didn't believe in the Sword Control, sneered and scolded Namgung Hui.

"Hahaha! What kind of trick is this? Did you think I would fall for such a trick? How can a guy who is only twenty perform the legendary Sword Control? If you had just shown me your sword aura, I would have looked at you favorably..."

As she said, it was extremely rare for a master to be able to perform the Sword Control.

Even in the previous generation, there was no one who could use the Sword Control except for the Azure Sky Martial God, Namgung Cheonhu, and the Plum Blossom Sword God, Wi Jinmyeong.

Even Wi Jinmyeong did not actively use the Sword Control because he could not bring out its proper power.

'Brother. Why should I use an inefficient martial art that consumes a huge amount of internal energy? The Plum Blossom Sword Art alone has various attack routes that are no less than the Sword Control, and its power is even stronger. And isn't the true taste of the hand something you feel when you cut directly?'

Wi Jinmyeong's words were also quite reasonable.

And when performing the Sword Control, the sword was far from the body, so the possibility of being exposed to danger also increased.

If he was fighting multiple enemies and his back was empty, a sword would surely fly at him right away.

Anyway. Na Harin, as if she didn't believe in the Sword Control, rushed towards the Thunder God Sword.

It seemed as if she was going to blow away the sword with just one swing.

-Kang!!!

Rather, her body was pushed back by a strong repulsive force.

Only then did Na Harin, who had realized something was wrong, look at the Thunder God Sword with a complicated expression.

"I don't know what kind of trick this is, but the repulsive force is considerable. Well, good. I'll push it back with force too!"

This time, she even drew her sword aura and swung it towards the Thunder God Sword.

She was definitely a martial artist who had reached the wall of the Transcendent realm.

Her sword aura soared over a foot, and the blue and clear sword aura clearly revealed that her internal energy was profound.

But.

-Kaang!!

The intense sound of friction that rang out again and the tingling pain felt in her hand told her that the Thunder God Sword was not floating in the air with a simple trick.

No. Even if it was a trick, if it could neutralize the sword aura of a Transcendent master like this, wouldn't that also be an amazing skill?

"I-is this really the Sword Control?"

"Really. Have you only been deceived? And if you do more, my residence will be destroyed, so let's stop here."

As Namgung Hui retrieved the Thunder God Sword and put it into the scabbard without even touching it, Na Harin's two eyes, who had been watching this, grew even larger.

[Kyahaha! Fun! It's fun. Give me another ride later~~]

The Sword Spirit, which was dwelling in the Thunder God Sword, burst out laughing as if it had enjoyed flying in the air.

[If there's a chance later, by all means. But the next time I perform the Sword Control, it will be when I meet a really tough opponent. It means it won't be a situation to laugh like this.]

As Namgung Hui calmly finished sheathing his sword, Na Harin's expression gradually changed.

At first, it was a look of suspicion.

Then, it was a look of bewilderment.

And then, it was a look of astonishment.

It was because she had finally acknowledged Namgung Hui's Sword Control.

"Yes. Seolhwa wouldn't have chosen you just for your face. If you have such strong martial power, even I would be tempted."

"I'm glad you know now. Vice Palace Lady. I'm sorry, but I also have business to attend to, so I have to leave. Can we postpone the rest of the greetings for next time?"

Namgung Hui was worried about On Yuha and Dam Gihae, whom he had brought to the family.

He hadn't left them any particular words and had just entrusted them to Chohwa.

He had to firmly tell them what to do here and why he had brought them.

Since Namgung Hui didn't have much time, he had to hurry for his own sake.

"Yes. I've also gotten the answer I wanted, so I can stop here. No. I have to go and complain to the Palace Lady. To think she would describe such martial power so vaguely. Just you wait."

Perhaps because her relationship with the Palace Lady was quite good, her tone when mentioning the Palace Lady was quite bright.

Unlike her sharp impression, a warm breeze was blowing in a corner of her heart.

That was not just because she was thinking of the Palace Lady, but because she had gotten a satisfactory answer from Namgung Hui.

'This is why people have to be strong.'

Namgung Hui, who was looking at the disappearing Na Harin, finally moved his steps towards the guest hall.

And in the guest hall he arrived at, he did not see On Yuha and Dam Gihae, whom he was looking for, but came face to face with unexpected people.

They were the Plum Blossom Sword Masters of the Mount Hua Sect.

And there were ten of them.

(End of Chapter)