Rebirth of the Thunder God

"Yes. I will tell you. The reason I was waiting for you all. It is because of the Imperial Star there."

"Imperial Star. What kind of nonsense is that?"

The six-tailed fox, with a faint smile, continued.

"It seems you haven't heard yet. I understand. It goes against the law of causality. But here, to some extent..."

"Wait. You're not a sacred spirit beast, but a wicked monster. How do you know such sacred words? Don't tell me this is also a kind of soul-capturing art?"

How could Namgung Hui not know about the law of causality?

The word that Cheongi-ja had repeatedly emphasized was the law of causality.

An absolute law that not even the Four Guardian Gods could be free from.

Since the wicked monster, the six-tailed fox, was uttering it, he couldn't help but be suspicious.

"...It would be difficult to tell you that right now."

As the six-tailed fox's mouth closed, Namgung Hui continued to throw out topics.

"I thought so. Then let's move on to another topic. I heard that there is a monster in this vicinity that attacks martial artists. Since there is no monster other than you that can defeat a martial artist, let's hear your excuse this time."

"I thought a constellation would be different, but you haven't escaped the same human shell."

"It seems that constellation is referring to me, but I am also the same person and a human. I don't want to receive any unnecessary expectations."

"Alright. Your Excellency, the constellation, then I will make my excuse. You humans sometimes hunt animals and spirit beasts, don't you?"

Although Namgung Hui did not hunt spirit beasts, he had hunted beasts countless times.

And besides Namgung Hui, there were quite a few cases where poachers would sometimes hunt spirit beasts and sell them on the black market.

Not only that, he had heard that there were also tribes that secretly tamed spirit beasts and raised them like pets.

"I can't say there aren't. So why did that come up?"

"I was just trying to tell you to think about it from the other's perspective. It's the same for me, either becoming prey or hunting. That's the context."

The law of the jungle.

It might have been an extremely natural phenomenon in the ecosystem for the weak to be eaten.

Because what Namgung Hui was asserting was, strictly speaking, from a human perspective.

"Alright. What you're saying has a point. You were just being faithful to your instincts and eating hostile beings. But if you're going to blend into human society and imitate humans like this, isn't it right for you to be evaluated by human standards?"

"I think there's a misunderstanding here. I have never tried to blend into human society."

"You've set up a base in this abandoned shrine and you're saying you haven't?"

"It will be a rather long story. Would you like to hear it?"

"I'm not particularly free, but for Mungchi's sake, I'll listen."

He had no choice but to listen to the six-tailed fox, even just because of Mungchi, who kept pulling on Namgung Hui's sleeve.

In fact, since he wasn't that pressed for time, he had plenty of leisure.

"Yes. Then from when I gained spirituality..."

The six-tailed fox's story began from when she was a one-tailed fox with a single tail.

The opportunity to gain spirituality was after she had defeated a raccoon spirit beast that had come to eat her.

And so, by consuming the raccoon spirit beast's inner core, she had awakened her spirituality and become a one-tailed fox.

After that, she had stayed near the Kunlun Mountains, accumulating spiritual power and devoting herself to training.

Decades had passed, and her tails had at some point become three.

Until this point, she had not done anything that could be called the actions of a monster, but one day, a turning point arrived.

"Fox spirit! Please save me!"

Although she did not appear in the human world, she had sometimes helped herb gatherers or hunters who had lost their way in the mountains.

Perhaps the words 'fox spirit' had been spread by the people who had received the grace of having their lives saved.

So, hearing that vague rumor, a child had come to visit like this.

As is the case with all living creatures, it is difficult to refuse a child's request.

[Child of man. Originally, I should not help you, but I will make a special exception this time. What can I do for you?]

"My mother and father were captured by bandits. Please, just this once, help me."

It is extremely bad to interfere in human affairs while accumulating spiritual power.

If by any chance the energy of negativity is transferred, the merits accumulated over decades could return to nothing.

But a child's request has a power that is difficult to refuse.

Having no choice, the three-tailed fox moved, and more easily than she had thought, she was able to reach the bandits' hideout.

[The man and woman tied to that wooden pillar must be your parents. Wait a moment. I will save them.]

"Yes."

The young boy, perhaps because his parents were tied up like that, could not stay still.

The three-tailed fox patted the boy's head once and then performed a Daoist art to approach the wooden fence.

"Who... Please enter."

She possessed the bandit who was on guard duty and immediately entered.

Although she was only a three-tailed fox, just by making eye contact, she could make men fall one after another.

And so, she approached the man and woman tied to the wooden pillar and, the moment she touched the rope to untie them.

'I can't put any strength into my body. I've been poisoned!'

Perhaps because something had been applied to the rope, the three-tailed fox suddenly couldn't put any strength into her body.

In the end, her legs gave out, and she collapsed.

"Hahaha! Well done. Sangbong."

A man, perhaps the leader of the bandit group, boasting a huge size, let out a big laugh and was walking with the young boy from a moment ago.

"I brought the fox spirit as you said, mister. Please give me the reward as promised."

"Yes. Since you've properly lured the fox spirit like this, I'll have to give you a hefty reward. Hey! Bring 200 nyang of silver."

At the words '200 nyang of silver,' not only the boy, but also the two parents tied to the wooden pillar, smiled broadly.

A smile that was extremely out of place for someone who had been captured as a hostage.

Only then did the three-tailed fox realize that this was all a planned trick to catch her.

That the boy had lied to lure her.

'How frustrating...! To think I acted out of goodwill. All that returns is a cold betrayal.'

No matter how much the three-tailed fox regretted it, her situation did not improve.

Rather, the bandit leader just approached and sent her an unpleasant gaze.

"This one is really as beautiful as I've heard. Hahaha! I've heard that even the rich in the Central Plains tame and raise spirit beasts. There's no reason I can't do it."

"That's right. If it's the leader, you've completely taken control of this area. Rather, it feels a little late. Hehe."

"You're good at flattery. Still, I don't feel bad. I'll catch another wench for you soon and make her your plaything."

"Thank you!"

And so, the bandits smiled broadly and approached right in front of the three-tailed fox.

Their disgusting bad breath felt like a great torture to the three-tailed fox, who had a sensitive sense of smell.

The one called the leader roughly grabbed the three-tailed fox's face.

"Looking at you up close, you're a real monster. I'd be possessed just by making eye contact. If I hadn't used the poison of the Five Poisons Sect, it would have been absolutely impossible to capture you. Let's have a taste."

The moment the leader extended his evil hand and was about to molest the three-tailed fox's body.

-Puhuk!

Something frighteningly sharp pierced through the leader's chest.

Should it be called a slender, jade-like hand?

But the heart that was beating in that hand was truly terrifying.

[You brought this upon yourselves. I am also throwing away decades of merit, so do not resent me.]

-Wagjak!

The three-tailed fox, who bit into the heart as it was.

At that, another tail grew, and she instantly evolved into a four-tailed fox.

But since there was so much turbid Ki, her eyes were dyed a sinister red.

And she, who had been only divine, began to look like a monster.

Spiritual Corruption.

She had now become a being called a monster, which could no longer be called a spirit beast.

As her spirituality was corrupted, a momentary emptiness filled her heart.

Anger boiled.

To think she had shown goodwill.

Was a cruel betrayal all that returned?

And so, having lost her reason and entrusted her body to her emotions, she burned down the bandits' hideout and massacred them.

Among them was the young boy who had deceived the four-tailed fox, and his parents were also included.

Although it might be considered an excessive use of force, that would be by human standards.

In the first place, it couldn't be evaluated by human standards, and since she had been attacked first, revenge was only sweet.

Her growth also showed an excellent effect, to the point that she even regretted not having taken blood and accumulated spiritual power like this from the start.

After that, she had sometimes attacked bandit groups or martial artists and accumulated spiritual power.

That was her current form, having become a six-tailed fox.

However, she did not kill people indiscriminately.

Even if she ate ordinary people, the effect was insignificant, and she had heard that a master would be dispatched from a place called the Martial Alliance.

Of course, if she could even eat such a master, it would be a huge nourishment for her, but she did not overestimate herself.

In the first place, since she had been given a much longer lifespan than humans, she thought that if she slowly accumulated it, she would at some point reach the nine-tailed fox.

As her long epic came to an end, Mungchi's eyes reddened, and he began to sob, and the rest of the people, as if they understood her feelings, nodded their heads and sent her a sympathetic gaze.

But Namgung Hui, still maintaining a crooked posture, just asked her back.

"Yes. I understand your situation is pitiful. I won't say anything about the past. However, the appearance of this village now is not explained."

Rather, if she had lost faith in people, it was an extremely contradictory appearance to be with humans like this, no matter how much they revered her.

"I was just about to explain that. Please listen to the rest."

The six-tailed fox's explanation continued.

As she dealt with the bandit groups, the bandit groups in the vicinity of her base had disappeared.

Namgung Hui had thought that the reason why bandits were not seen around the Yarlung Zangbo Mountain was because of Mungchi, but it seemed that was a miscalculation.

Since she had dealt with every bandit she saw, it would not be strange even if a sinister rumor had spread.

There was a high probability that the Fist King had also heard this rumor.

His real subordinate might have been attacked.

"So, people started to gather around my base, avoiding the bandit groups. That became one household, two households, three households... It grew like this and became a village. I have never asked them to offer sacrifices. Does this shrine really look like a shrine that serves a god?"

As she said, this place was just an abandoned shrine.

It was difficult to see it as a shrine that served a god now.

Rather, it would be more appropriate to see it as a haunted house where a monster lived.

However, because of the six-tailed fox's alluring appearance, even such an abandoned shrine looked classic.

"Yes. Alright. I admit that a once-divine fox spirit was betrayed by humans, but is not tormenting them. But there's still something that isn't explained. The Imperial Star you first mentioned. What does that mean? How do you, who have fallen to a monster, even know the law of causality? I would like to hear an explanation for this. And I hope you don't say that the time is not yet right. Because I don't think I can stand it this time."

The most suspicious part for Namgung Hui.

Both Mungchi and the six-tailed fox.

They knew words and concepts that even humans did not know well.

When he first heard it from Mungchi, he had thought there must have been a special connection, but since he also felt it from the six-tailed fox, he couldn't just pass it by.

This was like...

'It's as if they're trying to control Mungchi and the six-tailed fox.'

If Mungchi wouldn't talk, he would have to hear an explanation from the six-tailed fox in front of him.

Namgung Hui tapped his elbow, waiting for the six-tailed fox's mouth to open.

"Alright. The time is not yet right, but since you want it so much, I will speak..."

Kudangtangtang! Deureureuk!

Suddenly, the door was roughly opened, and the six-tailed fox's royal guards rushed in and shouted.

"Spirit! It's an attack by a bandit group!"

(End of Chapter)