Rebirth of the Thunder God

-Namgung Hui! Can you hear me?

A welcome voice that suddenly came.

His mind had been complicated because of what had happened at the Kunlun Sect and General Yi, but the moment he heard her voice, all his worries flew away as if they had never been.

Namgung Hui, who had been performing his lightness skill, stopped his feet and answered.

-Seolhwa?

-Hui. Yes. It's me. I finally got in touch. I don't think I can talk for long. So I'll just tell you the key points. In the process of deciding the successor of the Young Cult Leader, the Young Cult Leader died.

A sudden bombshell declaration like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.

He was dumbfounded to hear that the Young Cult Leader, who he thought would have ascended to the position of Cult Leader, had suddenly died.

But the person who was saying this was by no means a person who would make empty boasts.

Moreover, she was a person who knew the internal affairs of the Blood Cult better than anyone.

-How did the Young Cult Leader lose his life? Wasn't he preparing to ascend to the position of Cult Leader?

-To put it simply, the Young Cult Leader's son, the Great Prince, killed the Young Cult Leader and is now trying to ascend to the position of Cult Leader. I'll tell you the detailed circumstances when we meet. I'm actually trying to leave the Blood Cult right now. Then let's talk when we meet.

-Seolhwa. You have to tell me where you're coming so I can come and meet you. Are you coming alone?

-Huh? Why is it working even though it's been more than five times? For now, I'm trying to take as many people as possible. I haven't decided who to take yet, so I'll have to see when I get there.

Perhaps because the Young Cult Leader had died, the situation seemed more difficult than he had thought.

It seemed she was planning to get out as many people as possible who would be in danger if left in the Blood Cult.

Muchi, who had followed her, or the herbalist Gwoncheong, who was on friendly terms with Namgung Hui, and besides that, the old woman who ran the noodle shop or Seong Sohui, who was being revered as a saintess, could also be brought along.

-Seolhwa. The magic tool can now be used for about twelve conversations a day. The range has probably also increased. But what happened to the Little Saintess? Was she revered as the saintess of the Blood Cult?

-Ah... Don't even talk about that person. I don't know who she takes after, but she's as stubborn as an ox. I kept trying to persuade her, but she said she wouldn't leave the Blood Cult. It seems she's really planning to become a saintess.

News that might greatly disappoint the Divine Physician Sect Leader if he were to find out.

What would he think if his daughter suddenly became the saintess of the Blood Cult one day?

Just as the Divine Physician Sect Leader's mother was a saintess, had he been preparing his heart?

Perhaps because it was so sudden, he wouldn't have been prepared.

-The Divine Physician Sect Leader said that the Little Saintess's ability is a prophetic dream. It might be a decision she made after seeing the future.

At the words 'prophetic dream,' Beak Seolhwa's tone softened somewhat.

Because she also knew well about the ability of a saintess.

-Really? Then, as you said, it might be because she saw something. Anyway. I'm going to try to escape soon. So I don't think I'll be able to contact you for a while. The rendezvous point is Hubei Province.

-Why Hubei Province of all places? Wouldn't Hunan Province, which is right above Guangdong Province, be better?

-It seems there's a hideout of the Blood Cult in Hunan Province. If I were escaping alone, it would be different, but since there are people I have to protect, it seems I'll have to take a detour. If it's Hubei Province, where the Wudang Sect is, it should be safe. Then Hui. See you in Yichang, Hubei Province.

Now, as if the ability of the enhanced magic tool had reached its limit, conversation was no longer possible.

Still, since he had been able to talk with Beak Seolhwa for a long time after a while, an indescribable emotion filled his chest.

"What are you smiling so much about?"

"Ah. Brother. It's because this magic tool I mentioned before is working again."

"You said it was a communication magic tool? Then you must have gotten in touch with the White Phoenix after a long time. Did she say everything was fine over there?"

"Instead of talking here. Let's go to a village and have a meal while we talk."

"Oh. Perhaps because you're in a good mood today, we're staying at an inn instead of camping out. Thanks to the White Phoenix, I'll be able to soak my body in warm water for the first time in a while. Hohohot."

***

Like a river flowing a thousand li.

Namgung Hui's steps, as if there was nothing more to hesitate about, crossed Qinghai Province in one go and were now approaching Guizhou Province.

"I just had a bath, but I'm already covered in dust again. It seems there was no point in taking a bath."

"Brother. Didn't we cross quickly because of that? If we had stopped at an inn every time, it would have taken at least half a month longer."

"Hoho. Did anyone say anything? Well, this older brother knows well that you're in a hurry."

Namgung Hui chuckled at Jang Hwang's silly words and put him down on the floor.

"Now that we've arrived in Guiyang, let's stretch our stiff bodies and walk slowly."

"I was just getting antsy. This is good. But to think we're already in Guiyang. We really came quickly."

As Jang Hwang said, Namgung Hui had really run fast.

He had even performed the opening of the electric poles from time to time and overworked his legs.

Originally, such a hasty mindset was bound to be poisonous, but perhaps because other things had also been added to that mind, Namgung Hui had even achieved some results.

‘I've obtained a clue to the third stage of the opening of the electric poles. I think I'll be able to surpass the Mad Extreme soon.’

Not only that, but as his mind became calm, the various principles that had been complicatedly intertwined were also organized to some extent.

The Purple Thunder Divine Art, the Purple Mist Divine Art, the Supreme Purity Formless Divine Art, the Heavenly Thunder Emperor Divine Art, the Two Principles Heart Art, etc.

The numerous heart arts he knew were intertwined and were leading Namgung Hui to the next realm.

The Ten Thousand Flowers Rain, the Flying Thunder Sword, the Heavenly Thunder Sword Art, the Emperor Sword Form, the Thirteen Flashes of Thunder, etc.

The trajectories of the sword arts also took their place in Namgung Hui's mind.

A refreshing wind brushed past Namgung Hui's head.

The swaying breeze scattered his hair, and his worries also quietly left with the wind.

"Now, all that's left is to go to the Iron Blood Fortress and settle the score."

"Yes. Let's go to the Iron Blood Fortress right away."

When Namgung Hui and Jang Hwang visited the Iron Blood Fortress again, it was so crowded with people, even more so than before, that there was no room to set foot.

Had the Martial Arts Alliance or the Heretic Faction lost the people's hearts so much?

Regardless of the orthodox or heretic faction, the place was bustling with people.

Still, since Namgung Hui had the pass he had received from the Fist King before, he presented it and immediately entered the fortress gate.

"Phew... There are really a lot of people. I wonder if there will be even more next time we come."

"As we go in first, everyone is glaring at us. At this rate, I'll get a hole in my back."

"Next time, I'll have to ask them to make a passage through the back door."

Namgung Hui also sincerely thought that if there were a back door, he could arrange a meeting with the Fist King more closely.

Hadn't there been a need to maintain a close relationship with the Iron Blood Fortress now?

Although the Fist King's inner thoughts were still a mystery, his power had become even more desperate.

‘To face the Hoicheon Association or the Blood Cult, I must maintain an alliance with the Iron Blood Fortress. The Fist King also has no reason to refuse us.’

As Namgung Hui entered the inner fortress, the gatekeepers who had seen him before immediately cleared the way.

"The Fortress Lord is currently greeting a guest, so please wait in the guest hall. You can use the room you used before."

"Alright. Thank you for your hard work."

Namgung Hui had now returned to the form of Jang Cheol.

Since he had already had a big fight with General Yi, his disguised identity was no longer very meaningful.

Although he had been worried about a possible pursuit, General Yi did not seem to have that intention.

Although he didn't know if this was a good thing or if it was because of some scheme.

Namgung Hui and Jang Hwang chatted while waiting for the Fist King.

"Brother. Didn't you say you had to stop by the Wudang Sect? You said they would compensate you with one martial art?"

"Yes. I'm thinking of demanding the Ten Section Brocade as that compensation. And I'll have to think of a way to use the Two Principles Heart Art legally."

"To give up both, each one's name value is not to be taken lightly. The Ten Section Brocade, as you said, is because they don't recognize its value. But for fist users, it is undoubtedly the strongest martial art."

Even Jang Hwang, who didn't know much about martial arts, said this much.

Although the Wudang Sect had recently increased the proportion of sword users, at one time, the fame of the Ten Section Brocade, including the Wudang Cotton Palm, was also quite high.

"You're so busy, I don't know if you'll have time to raise the Righteous Heaven Alliance in the future. You have to learn martial arts, check the enemy's movements, and meet all the people you haven't been able to meet."

"Isn't that why I recruited you, brother?"

"How much help can I be?"

"No. With your ability, brother, you can at least sort out the gems from the stones, can't you? And you can also eavesdrop on conversations."

The ability to read the memories of objects was close to a cheat-like ability.

Of course, although that was only possible if the soul remained, even just that could be used in infinite ways.

Besides that, the sorcery of the Maoshan Sect, such as the corpse art, would surely be helpful.

‘Right now, being able to eavesdrop on the conversations that went on here was also quite helpful.’

-Knock, knock, knock.

Finally, as if the Fist King had finished entertaining his guest, a knock was heard from outside.

"Come in."

"Haha. Sorry for being late."

"It is I who was late. Well, as you ordered, I dealt with the monster, and I also brought back the manual you asked me to recover."

The Fist King, who was examining the items Namgung Hui had put out, frowned slightly and said.

"Hmm... From what I see, none of them look that great. It means they are not items worthy of that notoriety."

"That's because the monster the Fortress Lord ordered was a completely different being from what you said, and the bandit group that had learned martial arts was actually a minion of the Hoicheon Association. So the only things I could recover were just these."

"...In the end, was it the work of the Association?"

"The monster was also a spirit beast that was trying to protect the village from the plunder of the Hoicheon Association."

"Since you said there are many spirit beasts in Qinghai Province, it's a perfectly possible thing. But what's strange is why the Association is forming a bandit group. It doesn't seem to be a bandit group that mainly attacks merchant guilds."

Namgung Hui summarized the content and said that it seemed they were doing such a thing to capture the inner cores of spirit beasts.

"The more I know, the more ferocious they are. Not only do they rob humans, but they even plunder spirit beasts. They might be beasts in human skin."

"But Fortress Lord. What happened to the Dugu Family Head? Did he also return after completing his mission?"

"Although you came first, he will also be back soon. And don't worry so much. He, too, will know well that this is a test I'm giving him."

A lifeline to come up to the sunny side.

He could also prepare a suitable disguised identity.

While the Blood Cult was undergoing rapid changes, pioneering such a path was a golden opportunity for the Dugu Family Head as well.

"What mission did the Dugu Family Head receive?"

"Hmm... Well, it wouldn't matter if I told you. I asked him to go and meet the Black and White Twin Elders of the Heretic Faction. To deliver my letter."

The Black and White Twin Elders.

Hadn't Namgung Hui treated their granddaughter before?

It was doubtful if they, who were meritorious retainers of the Heretic Faction, could turn to the Iron Blood Fortress.

"To recruit them, ordinary conditions won't do."

"They have a granddaughter they raised like a precious gem. That granddaughter happened to have an incurable disease, and the spirit medicine I sent is more than enough to treat it. I sent a ten-thousand-year-old ginseng king, after all."

"..."

A ten-thousand-year-old ginseng king.

A ginseng that was among the best of the spirit herbs. It was full of yang energy, so if the granddaughter of the Heretic Faction leader ate it, it would surely be helpful.

However, since Namgung Hui had already finished that treatment, the Fist King's purpose could not be achieved.

‘Still, to provide even a ten-thousand-year-old ginseng king, the Fist King's resourcefulness is amazing.’

"I see. By the way, to think you even had a ten-thousand-year-old ginseng king. The Fortress Lord's generosity is extraordinary. If it were me, I would have consumed it myself."

"Hahaha! I have to present at least this much to recruit a big shot like the Black and White Twin Elders. And since your mission ended rather blandly, I'd like to ask you one more thing. Would you listen?"

Since Namgung Hui was planning to cooperate with the Fist King, if the conditions were right, there was nothing he couldn't do.

"Yes. Please speak."

"Alright. Then I'll ask you right away. The Hidden Dragon of the Namgung family, Namgung Hui. Deliver this letter to him.”

(End of Chapter)