Rebirth of the Thunder God

Heaven and Earth Opening.

The sky and the earth split, letting out a roar.

Although it was just two people clashing, the surrounding terrain was changing in an instant as if a natural disaster had struck.

"This is crazy! We'll die if we get swept away!"

"Everyone, stick together! We have to stick together to live!"

The bandits were struggling not to be swept away by the raging storm.

But even that was not enough, and screams were heard from here and there.

Although those screams were soon buried by the enormous roar.

Namgung Hui's purple lightning and General Yi's Sunflower Manual clashed, creating a distortion in space.

It wasn't just that space was distorted, as shockwaves spread in all directions, tearing apart the salt rocks and the helpless bandit group.

‘If this goes on, my brother might get hurt.’

Fortunately, as if he had read Namgung Hui's concern, Mungchi had taken Jang Hwang and was watching the fight from a distance.

"Sect Leader. Is that person called General Yi the eunuch Dad was talking about?"

"It seems so. This is the first time I'm seeing him in person, but the energy is similar to the Sunflower Manual I've heard of."

"Perhaps because it was made by an immortal named the Fighting Immortal, it's really powerful. I'm worried Dad might lose if this goes on."

"Don't be silly. I believe in my brother. There must be more ultimate arts he hasn't shown yet. Let's just quietly cheer him on."

Although Mungchi also believed in Namgung Hui, for some reason, his hands kept tensing up.

But even if he were to join in with his injured body, it was obvious that he would only be a hindrance.

A few more thunderbolts fell.

And the distance between General Yi and Namgung Hui widened.

As if they had entered a brief lull, General Yi, having widened the distance, opened his mouth.

"You've gotten much stronger since I last saw you. Did you get some kind of fortuitous encounter? Not only your internal energy, but your achievement is also extraordinary."

"You keep saying what I should be saying. You're the one with an absurd growth rate. When I saw you before, you were barely at the level of reaching the Transformation Realm. But now, you're at a level where you can be called a Profound Realm master. What have you been eating?"

"Tsk. Your way of speaking. I just took what I needed."

"And that 'what you needed' is the inner core of a spirit beast or a spirit herb?"

"Isn't that the same for you? Starting with the Rebirth Pill of the Shaolin Temple, it seems you've eaten all sorts of spirit medicines. That's why your internal energy exceeds 6 Jiazi."

General Yi, who accurately saw through Namgung Hui's internal energy.

Nevertheless, he showed almost no sign of surprise, as if he thought he himself would not be pushed back in terms of internal energy.

"By the way, it seems it will be difficult to settle the match like this."

"Are you scared?"

"Don't be silly. You probably haven't brought out your ultimate art yet, but it's the same for me. I want to catch you here, but unfortunately, I have other priorities."

Namgung Hui, as General Yi was about to stop the fight, took his stance again and said.

"Who said I'd let you go? Where are you trying to sneak off to?"

"I don't fight battles where there's no gain. I've gathered enough information now, so there's no gain in fighting anymore."

General Yi, who obediently admitted that he was not confident of winning against Namgung Hui at present.

Still, by exchanging blows, he had grasped Namgung Hui's internal energy, so he seemed to consider it a gain.

It seemed he wanted to do something more helpful to the Hoicheon Association rather than fighting with Namgung Hui right now.

"Instead of wasting my strength on you, I should finish what I was originally going to do."

General Yi, who had finished his words, drew a huge hand and swung it.

A head that fell with a cutting sound.

He did not understand why he had to die even at the moment of his death.

"A dog that has finished hunting should be disposed of like this. As it happens, since you've also spread the skill-scattering poison, the cleanup will be easy."

The person General Yi had beheaded was none other than Wang Il, the leader of the Mad Wind Group.

Perhaps because he had trusted General Yi, he had met his death so easily that it was in vain.

Of course, although his energy had been depleted due to the battle with Namgung Hui, he was not a talent to die in one blow like this.

The cost of raising that bandit must have been considerable.

No matter how much he had plundered, it was somewhat incomprehensible to dispose of him so easily.

"What on earth is your scheme? Why did you kill a master of the Transformation Realm so easily?"

"The leader of the Mad Wind Group is as famous as a bandit, and his fame has spread to the Central Plains."

As General Yi had said, hadn't the Fist King also mentioned the bandit and given a warning?

Since there would be a bounty on bandits and mountain bandits in the Martial Arts Alliance, his portrait would also be hung.

In the government office, the wanted poster of a heinous criminal was hung as large as a door.

"What's the difference between that and disposing of him? Don't tell me you're planning to go around doing good deeds from now on?"

"You have a good sense. Are you a martial artist who has awakened his upper Dantian? Externally, there is a need to do so, as you said. After all, there's nothing like this to win the hearts of the people."

"...To build fame and win the hearts of the people with the lives of your subordinates. It's not a good sight to see."

General Yi's plan was to put up a notice that the Imperial Palace had dealt with the infamous bandit group.

No matter how much Namgung Hui talked, the common people would trust the words of the government office more than his words.

In fact, the head of the bandit was held by General Yi, and there was no physical evidence of the connection between the Mad Wind Group and the Imperial Palace.

"Well. I don't think the people's hearts are that important, but since my older brother says so, I have to follow. Then I have to go and take care of the rest of the work, so I'll see you next time. I hope we can settle the match then."

Namgung Hui thought he had to kill General Yi here and tried to catch him again.

-Chaeng. Chaeng. Sreureung.

Simultaneously with General Yi flying away, his subordinates blocked Namgung Hui's path.

It seemed they were the vice-leader and the executives who were said to have gone to replenish supplies.

‘It seems these guys are not the leader's subordinates. Are they also minions of the Hoicheon Association?’

Still, the fortunate thing was that the existence of the Mad Wind Group had now disappeared from this Qinghai Province area.

But the fact that they were withdrawing like that meant that they had already achieved their initial results.

The work they were doing in Qinghai Province.

That was to control spirit beasts and take their inner cores.

"Since the General has withdrawn, you should also withdraw. The six-tailed fox will get hurt while we're facing you."

As the six-tailed fox was mentioned, Mungchi flared up and shouted.

"You bastards! You still haven't given up!"

"Well. We've filled our quota, but if the Thunder God Sect's successor here doesn't withdraw, we'll have to fight. On top of that, we've come wearing armor that your Thunder Ki can't penetrate, so you'll only get more tired."

They were all wearing the armor that was said to be made of rubber before.

Had General Yi anticipated meeting Namgung Hui?

That material certainly did not conduct Thunder Ki.

Unless he were to burn it to a crisp.

Right now, he didn't have the strength to fight with that much output.

"Dad. Let's go back. It seems there's nothing to gain by catching them."

"...Alright. Let's withdraw."

The bandits who were called the Mad Wind Group were now less than ten.

Perhaps, judging by the General's words, he would not let them live.

The fact that their hands were empty meant that the talk of replenishing supplies was a lie from the start.

On the contrary, they must have been doing the work of moving the supplies seized in Qinghai Province to the Imperial Palace.

‘While the Kunlun Sect was sealed, they must have plundered the spirit beasts. And the fact that the Great Kunlun was closed must have also played a part.’

The practitioners who should have entered the Great Kunlun began to flock to the Kunlun Mountains, and the population of spirit beasts increased in an instant.

Of course, since spirit beasts themselves were precious beings, they couldn't be encountered as often as mountain beasts, but that didn't mean they were a rare sight.

So the Hoicheon Association must have hunted that many inner cores.

And as a result of that, it seemed that spirit beasts were also living in the Hundred Thousand Mountains, which were rich in Ki.

Namgung Hui stared at the remnants of the Hoicheon Association for a moment, then lifted Jang Hwang and returned to Nahi's village.

"You've returned earlier than I thought. But it seems the work you went to do didn't go well. Your complexion is dark. Benefactor."

"Nahi! Was everything alright? No bandits attacked?"

"Mungchi. I wasn't asking you."

"No. So was everything alright?"

"Can't you see? Everything was fine. I don't know if it will be because of you in the future."

"Phew... That's a relief. The bandits lied."

Had he put on a false show of strength to let Namgung Hui go obediently?

As much as that, it seemed they didn't want to clash with Namgung Hui, so they didn't seem to care about the means and methods.

"Nahi. How much do you know about the spirit beasts living nearby?"

"Excluding the monkey here, I know about five or six of them."

"What? You know other guys besides me? I don't."

"Mungchi. Dad is talking. Be quiet."

"Ugh. Alright."

Mungchi moved to a corner of the abandoned shrine with a dejected expression.

Jang Hwang, as if he felt sorry for Mungchi, smiled and comforted him.

"How can I contact them?"

"I can go and find them, or I can call them here. Since we have a friendly relationship, I think I can introduce you to them, benefactor."

"Then call them all. Right now."

***

A moment later.

Only two of the spirit beasts that had gathered after hearing Nahi's summons.

"As expected. This is all that's left."

"...I'm sorry. Benefactor. I'll contact them again..."

"That's enough. They probably won't be able to reach your call forever. Nahi. I'll explain from now on, so have your friends sit here too."

Perhaps because they were wary of humans, the spirit beasts that Nahi had called were keeping their distance and just watching.

Although Nahi had said something to them, considering what had happened in the area, the spirit beasts' attitude was understandable.

But things wouldn't be solved by just being wary like that.

Rather, there was a high probability that they would just be defeated one by one.

As Nahi forcefully dragged them over, Namgung Hui began to explain step by step.

"...And so. A place called the Hoicheon Association is hunting and trying to tame spirit beasts. They were the ones who were after Nahi's fox bead, and the ones who tried to control Mungchi were also the guys from the Hoicheon Association."

"Then are you saying that the friends who couldn't be contacted all had their inner cores stolen?"

"Unfortunately, that's probably the case. So, there's a need to unite the spirit beasts. It seems you'll have to be the central point, Nahi."

"Me?"

Namgung Hui pointed at the still dejected Mungchi and said.

"Then shall I ask that guy? Well, Mungchi, who listens to me well, is not bad either. If so, you'll also have to listen to Mungchi's words..."

"N-No. I'll do it. Just give me the order."

"Good. If it's a charming spirit beast like you, other spirit beasts will easily follow. If they don't listen, join them with Mungchi's force or your charm. So that they don't get their inner cores stolen by the Hoicheon Association."

If the inner cores of the spirit beasts flowed to the Hoicheon Association, that meant an increase in the enemy's power.

And from what Namgung Hui had felt, the inner cores of spirit beasts had a better compatibility with the Sunflower Manual than most spirit herbs and spirit medicines.

Although he would have to ask the Divine Treasure Fortress for the principle, he thought that the reason General Yi had become stronger in a short period was largely thanks to the inner cores of spirit beasts.

"I understand. I will follow your orders."

"Anyone who hears that would think I'm making you work. I just hope you spirit beasts don't get hunted anymore. And since I also have the protection of the Blood Qilin, if you're really in a bind, sell the Blood Qilin's name."

Nahi also showed a startled expression upon hearing the words 'Blood Qilin'.

"As expected of a constellation, you are worthy of receiving the protection of the Blood Qilin. I should have told my friends that from the start."

The wolf spirit beast and the raccoon dog spirit beast, who had been forcefully keeping their seats, also straightened their posture when the words 'Blood Qilin' came out.

[Ahem. You should have told us from the start.]

[Hmph. If it's a friend of the Blood Qilin, the story changes. If so, it seems we can trust the human's words more.]

"Do as you please. Well, you guys too, if you have friends, spread the word far and wide. Although I doubt how many are still alive."

Although they hadn't been wiped out, if the Hoicheon Association was even thinking of withdrawing like that, it meant they had smuggled out enough inner cores to be satisfied.

But since they couldn't just be complacent, there was a need to unite them.

And when he was short of hands, he could also use them as a force.

Because if the Kunlun Sect fell and the surrounding area turned into ruins, the ones who would suffer the most damage would be none other than the spirit beasts living there.

After that, Namgung Hui gave Nahi a few pieces of advice and prepared to leave.

"Dad. Go safely. I'll be a little stronger when we meet next time."

"You should. That's why I taught you martial arts."

Before leaving the village, Namgung Hui had taught Mungchi a useful fist and leg art.

Although he couldn't teach him the martial arts of the Thunder God Sect, there were plenty of martial arts that Mungchi could use.

And so, after finishing his business in Nahi's village, he crossed Qinghai Province in an instant with his lightness skill.

A somehow desolate journey.

Perhaps because of that atmosphere, Jang Hwang did not strike up a conversation.

But as if this silence were boring, someone suddenly whispered in Namgung Hui's ear.

-Namgung Hui! Can you hear me?

It was Beak Seolhwa, who was in the Hundred Thousand Mountains, who had spoken to him through the magic tool after a long time.

(End of Chapter)