Rebirth of the Thunder God

"Jayeon. Please help me."

"Help you? What specifically do you need help with?"

"You roughly know, right? The internal affairs of our merchant guild. The Hoicheon Association is more powerful than I thought."

Although Namgung Hui had made up his mind to help to some extent, he didn't have much time.

First, he had to stop by Guizhou Province to check the trends of the Iron Blood Alliance and track the traces of the Dugu Family Head.

After that, he had to leave in search of the traces of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, and he also had to wait for the results of the competition for the next Young Cult Leader of the Blood Cult, which would be decided soon.

Besides that, he would have to stop by the Wudang Sect to demand the Ten-Section Brocade, and he would also have to stop by the Shaolin Temple to see if the Demonic Cult's sacred artifact was there.

Of course, the problem of the Golden Merchant Guild was just as important as those.

If he could just cut off the Hoicheon Association's main source of funds, it would be like buying a considerable amount of time.

"I don't have much time, so is it something I can help with in a short period?"

"Yes. You're more than enough. They said someone from the Association will be coming soon. You just have to chase that person away."

"By any chance, it's not the General coming like last time, right? It would be a little troublesome if I ran into that person now."

Even if others didn't, the General had a high probability of recognizing Namgung Hui's identity.

If that happened, he might have to face the Association in an all-out war before going to Guizhou Province.

Then, before he could even catch the Dugu Family Head, Namgung Hui's whereabouts and power would be exposed, and he could make the mistake of alerting the enemy by beating the grass.

'That would be troublesome. It's a chance I barely got, so I absolutely can't miss the Dugu Family Head.'

What he had realized after visiting the Blood Cult this time was that their true power was by no means to be underestimated.

There were more masters of the Transformation Realm than he thought, so if they were gathered together, it would be difficult to assassinate them one by one.

The time when the family head was alone like this was the best opportunity.

As it was, since the Dugu Family Head was practically a sworn enemy of the Namgung family, he considered it a chance he must seize.

"Fortunately, that person called the General isn't coming. I heard from Mo Yongyeonhui that he's busy. It seems someone from the Murong family will be coming."

"The Murong family. Then that should be fine."

Murong Junseong's arm was now cut off, so he couldn't show his proper martial power.

In the first place, even with both arms intact, he was a man who was no match for Namgung Hui.

Of course, since there was no law that said the Mo Yong family, which belonged to the Five Great Families, wouldn't dispatch a more outstanding master, carelessness was forbidden.

Murong Junseong was just a talent of the younger generation, and it wouldn't be strange if an elder-level figure or a retired senior came.

"Ah. And has the Guild Leader completely regained his energy?"

"Yes. Thanks to you. Not only has he fully regained his health. He's more energetic than before."

The Golden Merchant Guild Leader was a person whom Seong Sohui, called the Little Saintess, had personally visited and treated.

Namgung Hui had seen Seong Sohui's medical skills firsthand at the Blood Cult, so there was no room for doubt.

However, if there was a concern, it would be Hwang Sujin's father and the former Young Guild Leader.

He would likely know much more than Hwang Sujin, who had just become the Young Guild Leader.

And when the old Golden Merchant Guild Leader retired, her father would inherit the merchant guild.

In the first place, it was with that in mind that Murong Yeonhui had married into the Golden Merchant Guild.

'But her father was poisoned by the Human-Faced Poison, just like Yewol. Unless there's a spare Golden Tortoise Divine Pill, detoxification might be a distant prospect.'

Among the spirit medicines that Namgung Hui had brought from the Imperial Palace's treasury, unfortunately, there was no divine pill comparable to the Golden Tortoise Divine Pill.

If so, it meant that he had to buy time with the Sichuan Tang family's neutralizing agent and find a new antidote, but he wondered if it would be easy to find a spirit medicine with a similar effect to the Golden Tortoise Divine Pill.

No matter how much the Golden Merchant Guild had no shortage of financial power, it would be tough in a short period.

Namgung Hui had gone so far as to give her hope, so he thought it was a bit wrong to back down like this.

Such a Namgung Hui, with a slight sense of guilt, asked.

"That's a relief, but how is your father's poisoning?"

"Ah. As you said, I got a neutralizing agent from the Sichuan Tang family and am using it. The effect is better than I thought. And when I used your alias, I mean, the name Namgung Jayeon, the Family Head was incredibly nice to me. Are you perhaps marrying into the Tang family?"

At the word 'marrying,' he was reminded that he was in the form of a woman.

Well, her words weren't exactly wrong.

The family that had been mentioned most often as a marriage partner was the Sichuan Tang family.

Perhaps the reason he had gained the Tang Family Head's favor by using the name Namgung was not without this stake.

But this matter was a finished story.

"No. Am I crazy to marry into the Tang family? I hate such a stuffy place. By the way, I've been running around here and there to find an antidote this time, but unfortunately, I couldn't find anything to cure your father."

"Why are you looking for something for my father? That's my problem to take care of. Thanks to you, I've bought some time, and I have some shame. And the Divine Physician Sect Leader gave a positive answer, so there will be a good result. Don't worry."

"Hmm... His daughter, the Little Saintess, said she didn't know. Will it be alright?"

"Rather, since it's a problem his daughter gave up on, it seems the father, the Sect Leader, is trying to solve it. Since even the Divine Physician Sect couldn't detoxify it, it seems his pride was piqued. On top of that, the Tang Family Head also showed some interest."

Namgung Hui, hearing Hwang Sujin's words, nodded his head without realizing it.

As far as he knew, the Divine Physician Sect Leader was a very unique person and was also very curious, so he could have shown great interest in this Human-Faced Poison.

As for the Tang Family Head, he was actually a person who was not without a stake in this Human-Faced Poison.

Since the person who had gone over to the Hoicheon Association from the Tang family had provided the recipe for the Human-Faced Poison, it could be seen that he had some responsibility.

'If the two of them put their heads together, there's no law that says they can't make an antidote. Anyway, if there's a neutralizing agent, it doesn't matter how long it takes. Then I can stop worrying about it.'

He felt as if a nagging tooth had been pulled out.

The fact that only Namgung Hui knew how to detoxify it had made him feel guilty.

He felt that emotion even more because he had only treated his own person, Yewol.

Of course, he didn't need to feel such an emotion for Hwang Sujin's father, whom he didn't even know, but this was also a feeling of his emotions becoming more diverse and his meddling becoming wider as his realm developed.

He wondered if this was the importance of emotions that his sworn brother had spoken of.

Namgung Hui, holding his lightened yet heavy heart, stood up from his seat.

"Then you should slowly return to your work, and I'll go and greet the guest from the Murong family that you mentioned."

"Do you know who's coming?"

"There's someone I have in mind. And it seems they're calling me just in time."

"Calling you? I don't hear anything."

That was because only Namgung Hui could hear it.

They were sending a Ki wave, subtly provoking him.

To show such a detailed movement of Ki, it was safe to see them as a true supreme master.

'Of course, such a trivial skill doesn't directly translate to martial power, but most of those who possess such a skill belonged to the strong.'

The free control of Ki was like the minimum qualification for a master.

Even in battle, such a detailed application of Ki was important enough to decide victory or defeat.

The envoy from the Association who had just met his death at Namgung Hui's hands would not have lost his life so easily if he had learned such an application method and accumulated more experience.

"Anyway. They're calling me now, so I'll be back. You should finish your backlogged work. I'll stop by before I leave, so don't worry."

"Oh? You found out? I was worried you would disappear without a word."

"Don't worry. I'm at least a person who would say goodbye to a friend."

"Are we... really friends?"

"Then are we family?"

"Hahaha. Becoming family wouldn't be bad either. But unfortunately, there's no suitable match for you in our family."

"Forget it. I'd better go before the other party gets tired of waiting and breaks your house. Good luck."

"Be careful~"

Namgung Hui nodded and left the reception room.

Feeling the sharp Ki wave being shot at him, he began to walk towards that place.

Since the interior of the Golden Merchant Guild was so wide, the wave of Ki was transmitted from quite a distance.

To be able to detect Namgung Hui from this distance and accurately shoot a Ki wave.

'He might be a master on par with the General. Rather, the possibility that he will show a more outstanding aspect than the General, who has become strong in a short period, cannot be ruled out.'

Namgung Hui, while admiring inwardly, couldn't help but narrow his eyes on the other hand.

Such a skilled movement of Ki not only had to be supported by profound internal energy, but the insights possessed also had to carry a considerable weight.

In other words, it meant that there had to be experience and the seniority to have accumulated it.

But as far as Namgung Hui could guess, the person shooting the Ki wave now was by no means of that age.

That person was...

"Namgung Jayeon. You're late."

Because it was the talent of the younger generation named Mo Socheon.

Although Namgung Hui had already felt that he was a master, it was honestly surprising that he was showing such a skill.

This is why the martial world is interesting.

Because you had to measure it to know if it was long or short.

The Ki of Mo Socheon in front of him was comparable to that of the envoy from the Association who had lost his life a while ago, but it was clear that Mo Socheon's actual martial power would be far superior.

"You said you had business with me last time. The reason for that must be because your name is not Mo Socheon, but Murong Socheon, right?"

Just as Hwang Sujin had realized that the existence of Lee Jayeon was Namgung Jayeon.

It was highly likely that the Murong family had also realized the existence of Namgung Jayeon.

If so, it was not difficult to deduce that the one who had cut off Murong Junseong's arm was Namgung Jayeon.

And since she was also misunderstood as trying to take away Murong Soran's title of Heavenly Phoenix, it was a situation where the Murong family couldn't possibly like her.

'It's a nuisance that Cheonghak attached the same title.'

The innocent-looking Cheonghak wouldn't have done this with that in mind.

Although there were some suspicious points, Namgung Hui's mind was not generous enough to worry about Cheonghak as well.

That was why he decided to turn his attention away from Cheonghak and focus on Murong Socheon in front of him.

"Well, my name is not Murong Socheon, but since the fact that I'm a Murong is unchanged, I'll just let it slide. As I said before, I have business with you, Namgung Jayeon."

"That's why I came out like this. That business must be referring to this, right?"

Sreung.

As Namgung Hui drew his sword, Murong Socheon also nodded his head and drew his sword in response.

"As befitting a person of the Namgung family, you're straightforward, which is good. Then let's see if your skills are also straightforward."

The place where Murong Socheon had called Namgung Hui out to was a quiet and spacious training ground, so Murong Socheon threw himself at Namgung Hui without a moment's hesitation.

A fierce stance unfolded right in front of him without any warning.

A terrible and swift sword decision aimed for Namgung Hui's glabella.

It was a familiar form, so it felt bad.

The Sun-Shooting Sword Art of the Diancang Sect.

The ultimate technique of the Diancang Sect, which had been annihilated and disappeared, was newly unfolded under the name of the Murong family.

-Chaeng, chaeng, chaeng!!

Now, as if to claim it as its own, it roared intensely.

Namgung Hui, as if in response to that cry, faced him with the same swift sword, the Light-Splitting Sword Art.

-Chichiching!

In a fleeting moment, dozens of exchanges came and went.

The sword light flickered so fast that the sound couldn't keep up.

It wasn't just the arms holding the swords that were moving so swiftly.

Namgung Hui and Murong Socheon fought, moving around here and there, unfolding their footwork so dazzlingly that their feet were invisible.

-Chae! Chae! Chaeng!

A hot heat was transmitted from the overheated atmosphere.

The two, having finished their probing battle to some extent, now stopped their hands and feet and stared at each other for a moment.

In that confrontation, the one who opened his mouth first was Mo Yong Socheon.

"You... you're still hiding your skills. Good. If you defeat me, I will give you the answer you want."

"Do you know what I want?"

"The Hoicheon Association. I will tell you everything I know about that place."

(End of Chapter)