Rebirth of the Thunder God

The figures that had been waiting for him began to appear one by one.

There were three of them in total.

One middle-aged man and two rather young-looking women, and as they had emerged from the Namgung family, they were naturally people Namgung Hui knew well.

To be precise, it would be more accurate to say that they were people he couldn't help but know.

"Father. I have been away for too long, haven't I?"

The person who suddenly appeared was none other than the head of the Namgung family, Namgung Uncheon.

And although he didn't know why they were together again, next to Namgung Uncheon, the Moon Maiden Palace Lady, Yu Seolran, and the Vice Palace Lady, Na Harin, were entering one after another.

Namgung Uncheon stroked his stylish beard and said.

"Away for too long. How many times have I heard that this year? And you didn't even show your face to this father at the martial arts tournament. How very disrespectful."

"I have no excuse for that. But if I may make one excuse, I was unable to greet you because of the successive incidents."

"You said you had no excuse, but you're making up excuses brilliantly."

"And you, Father, for someone who is so brilliant, your complexion is very good. Have you recently remarried?"

Flinch.

"Ahem! There's nothing you can't say to your father."

"What do you mean, there's nothing I can't say? I still have more to say. Father. Your unfilial son, Namgung Hui. I have safely finished my work and returned home."

Namgung Hui finished his words and lightly approached Namgung Uncheon, embracing him tightly.

Namgung Uncheon also smiled warmly as he looked at his son in his arms.

He then patted his son's back and said a word.

"Yes. My son. Welcome back. And I'm so glad you're healthy. This father was very worried that you might have gotten hurt somewhere."

"Yes. Father. Your son has returned safely without a single injury."

Yu Seolran, who was watching the heartwarming reunion of father and son, smiled warmly and then hardened her expression and asked Namgung Hui.

"Hui. It's a welcome thing that you've returned safely, but why did you come alone? I've looked for Seolhwa, but she doesn't seem to be in the family."

Namgung Hui, thinking that what was to come had finally come, answered Yu Seolran's question.

"Seolhwa said she had some business to attend to, so she's on a short trip."

"Don't tell me you two fought during your trip?"

Namgung Hui recalled the incidents where he had fiercely exchanged blows with Beak Seolhwa and even had a misunderstanding.

Although the process was somewhat chaotic and there were some embarrassing things, the ending was satisfying and proud.

Namgung Hui recalled the sweet memories for a moment and opened his mouth.

"We did fight, but we ended it on good terms. Rather, I can say that we've become closer than before."

"Looking at your dazed expression, it seems so. But where would Seolhwa go alone in the Central Plains? It's not that I don't trust you, but it's also true that I don't understand."

Her question was valid.

If Beak Seolhwa's past life didn't exist, there would be no reason for her to stay in the Blood Cult.

In fact, Namgung Hui also wondered if she really had to stay and observe the Blood Cult.

But in her past life, she had lived in the cult her whole life and had even risen to the position of Vice Cult Leader, which was no different from the second-in-command.

For her, who had only seen a fragmentary side of the Blood Cult, it might have been a difficult task to abandon them.

That was why Namgung Hui did not say anything and just trusted and waited for Beak Seolhwa.

And Beak Seolhwa must have sent Namgung Hui to the Central Plains alone because she trusted him.

'She probably thinks I'll convince the Palace Lady well.'

If so, no matter how much he couldn't see a way, he had to meet her expectations somehow.

Namgung Hui rotated his upper dantian to the extreme and sought a way.

A situation for Beak Seolhwa that the Moon Maiden Palace Lady could fully understand.

'Should I tell her the truth? Then Father would surely scold me first for leaving a girl alone in the dangerous Blood Cult. If so...'

"Actually, we found a secret cave on our way. Unfortunately, I couldn't become the owner of that secret cave, but Seolhwa did. She said she would stay there for a while and go into seclusion. Perhaps because it was made by a strange person, the inside was rich with wall-breaking pills and even things to drink."

Perhaps because a bad situation had turned into a good one.

A hopeful smile appeared on the faces of Yu Seolran and Na Harin.

"Oho. A secret cave? Do you happen to know whose it was?"

"I don't know that well, but looking at the scale and facilities of the secret cave, it was not just strange. Perhaps we'll know when Seolhwa returns?"

This was a story that Namgung Hui had to discuss with Beak Seolhwa separately using the communication artifact.

That way, they could make up a plausible story about the martial arts they had brought from the secret cave.

'Besides, there's also the martial art that Seolhwa created, and if she gets caught with the Sosu Demonic Art later, she can just make up an excuse.'

Who would scold her harshly if she said she had learned it without knowing it was a demonic art?

The Sosu Demonic Art was only a demonic art in name, but it was a profound martial art second only to the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.

In the first place, since its roots were from the North Sea Ice Palace, it was difficult to see it as a complete demonic art.

Yu Seolran, as if she had finished understanding, slowly nodded and said.

"So you returned because you didn't want to wait alone. Since the secret cave is so great, there's no guarantee when she'll come out."

"Yes. Seolhwa also told me not to wait and to go on ahead. She asked me to deliver a message to her master, that is, the Palace Lady. But Palace Lady. How long are you planning to stay at our family?"

Yu Seolran, as if she had decided to be brazen now, curled up the corners of her mouth and said.

"Why? Are you uncomfortable with me being here?"

"That's not it, but I was just wondering if you really needed to stay at our family. Shouldn't the head of a sect be protecting their own sect?"

The head of a sect usually does not leave their own sect.

In the martial art world, didn't the palace, which symbolized the king, not leave a certain range?

Coincidentally, the Moon Maiden Palace also had the character for 'palace' in it.

If such a representative general went out, they would be an easy target, so it was common to stay in the safest palace.

Even the Heavenly Demon, who was so strong, had a reason or a fateful battle when he left the Divine Cult.

"Haha. Yes. Your question is very valid. But unfortunately, I'm going to step down from the position of Palace Lady soon. Didn't you hear from Seolhwa?"

Since it was the first time Namgung Hui had heard of it, he couldn't help but tilt his head.

"Yes. It's the first time I've heard of it. Are you perhaps thinking of retiring?"

"If it's retirement, it's retirement. I'm thinking of washing my hands in a golden basin and leaving this martial world."

"Washing your hands in a golden basin...!"

Washing your hands in a golden basin.

Literally, it means to wash one's hands in a golden basin and leave the martial world.

The original meaning was to settle all grudges and favors in the martial world on that day and not to ask about them at all after that.

Although the detailed rules changed slightly depending on the time, since it was the day to resolve all grudges and favors, it was common for the parties involved in the grudges and favors to have a duel.

In the early days of the golden basin hand-washing, there were also many cases where a group of people attacked and assassinated the old master who was preparing for the retirement ceremony.

That was why there was also the job of guarding the retiree before the golden basin hand-washing.

But since this was also a condition that was too favorable to the retiree, it was later fixed to a one-on-one duel format.

That was why Namgung Hui was surprised.

For the Moon Maiden Palace Lady to settle all her grudges and favors.

It also meant that she would take on all the grudges against the Moon Maiden Palace and retire.

Those who had a grudge against the Moon Maiden Palace would all challenge her.

Of course, there wouldn't be many who would challenge the Moon Maiden Palace Lady, who had the demeanor of a hero, but still, there were those who clearly held a grudge against her.

'There's the Green Forest Alliance and the Heretic Alliance. Since there are many Moon Maiden Palace members who have been harmed by bandits and have escaped from brothels, their relationship can't be good.'

Hadn't even Beak Seolhwa suffered a bit from poisoning when she had just come out to the martial world?

At that time, her internal energy was low and her countermeasures were somewhat sloppy, so she had been hit like that, but anyway. It was a well-known fact that they gritted their teeth at the Moon Maiden Palace.

Even if the rule in the golden basin hand-washing was a one-on-one duel, the current rule would be to accept the duels of all challengers.

If so, if the Heretic Alliance Lord and the Green Forest Alliance Lord applied for a duel in a wheel battle, no matter how strong the Moon Maiden Palace Lady was, she would surely suffer a fatal injury.

As if she had read Namgung Hui's worries, this time Namgung Uncheon spoke with a rather dark expression.

"Ahem, I've never heard of this before. Palace Lady. Do you really have to wash your hands in a golden basin?"

"If I don't take it on, when will this chain of resentment be broken? Given Seolhwa's personality, if this ring of resentment grows, it will only grow bigger. It will never be broken. This is a problem that I must resolve in my generation and pass on the palace."

If this chain of grudges and favors was safely broken, it would be one thing.

But usually, the golden basin hand-washing was a peaceful retirement ceremony in name only, and more than half of the retirees were killed by avengers.

And among the remaining half, only four-tenths barely survived and could not avoid serious injuries.

Only one-tenth succeeded in retiring with a whole body.

Considering that all those who held a golden basin hand-washing were old masters who had made a name for themselves in the martial world, the success rate was very low.

But Namgung Hui, listening to the conversation, couldn't help but ask because of the content that was strangely bothering him.

"But Palace Lady. You said Seolhwa would inherit it. Are you perhaps mistaken with the Vice Palace Lady, Na Harin, next to you?"

"What you heard is right. Hui. I plan to pass on the Moon Maiden Palace to the Young Palace Mistress, Beak Seolhwa. The Vice Palace Lady here has also agreed, so there's no need to look at her."

"...!"

The golden basin hand-washing was surprising enough, but for Beak Seolhwa to become the next Palace Lady, he couldn't help but be dumbfounded.

The Blood Cult was a problem, but he wasn't too worried.

Looking at her attitude and behavior, she was as good as Namgung Hui's person.

But if she became the head of the Moon Maiden Palace, it would be a different story.

Wouldn't it be difficult to make her the vice-leader of the new alliance he was creating?

Namgung Hui himself was not the young family head, and since he had nothing much to be responsible for in the Namgung family, he was free to create a new organization.

But if Beak Seolhwa became the Moon Maiden Palace Lady, would she be able to pay attention to the organization that Namgung Hui had created?

'She might be stuck in the Moon Maiden Palace in the deep mountains and valleys.'

Yu Seolran, who saw Namgung Hui's gloomy expression, burst out laughing and continued.

"Hahaha! Don't worry too much. Seolhwa must have had her own thoughts when she accepted. Well, Hui probably knows better than I do. Since you said you became close on this journey."

Recalling his last farewell with Beak Seolhwa, he thought she would not abandon him so coldly.

'Anyway, I can just ask her through the communication artifact. I'll have to contact her when I have time.'

And it wasn't just that Namgung Hui was pessimistic about the golden basin hand-washing.

The ones who were likely to apply for a duel with Yu Seolran were, as mentioned before, the Green Forest Alliance Lord and the Heretic Alliance Lord.

Among them, the Heretic Alliance Lord was someone Namgung Hui knew well.

Hadn't he just faced him and exchanged blows a while ago?

To be honest, he was confident that he could win if he poured out all his ultimate techniques against the Moon Maiden Palace Lady, but the Heretic Alliance Lord was still an unknown.

Because an old master had many hidden things and the depth of his underlying strength was unknown.

That was why Namgung Hui couldn't help but speak with a hardened expression.

"Palace Lady. Still, how about reconsidering the golden basin hand-washing?"

"Why do you keep urging me to withdraw? Do you not trust me that much?"

"To be honest, yes. I don't trust you. Look there. Isn't Father also looking anxious?"

Yu Seolran's gaze immediately turned to Namgung Uncheon.

The expression on Namgung Uncheon's face there was not just a spectacle, it was a masterpiece.

How long had it been since Namgung Hui had seen his father's gloomy expression?

Yu Seolran, who was looking at Namgung Uncheon's face, immediately made a proposal to Namgung Hui.

"Then. Hui, will you try to break my will?"

(End of Chapter)