Rebirth of the Thunder God

Namgung Hui, hearing the chirping of the birds, woke up from a sweet sleep.

Perhaps because he had experienced a state of ecstasy last night, the world looked unusually beautiful.

Although he had experienced reincarnation, should he say it felt like he had been truly born again?

The pleasure of clouds and rain.

It was a moment when he desperately understood the meaning of clouds and rain meeting.

Namgung Hui got up from the bed and gently kissed Beak Seolhwa, who was sleeping next to him.

"Hui... You're already up?"

"The early bird catches the worm, you know."

"But it might also be eaten early by other beasts."

"It doesn't matter since I'm the beast. Roar!"

"Pfft. How can something so cute be a beast? And since you're a dragon, you're not a beast. Rather, aren't I the beast?"

"Why are you the beast?"

"Well. Because I'm the one who ate you? Just like this."

Beak Seolhwa, who bit Namgung Hui's cheek.

Although she didn't bite hard, Namgung Hui's face turned red.

And so, although it seemed a warm wind was blowing between the two again, Namgung Hui widened the distance with Beak Seolhwa and said.

"We have to finish what we couldn't last night. You get dressed and get up too."

"What is it?"

"I'm going to try to create some martial arts with you."

Namgung Hui pointed to the manual he had placed by his head and said.

"It's a manual I got from the Wudang Sect, but it was originally in the Shaolin Temple. As the name Nine Yang Divine Art suggests, it's a martial art of extreme yang."

"Since Thunder Ki is also extreme yang, it will be a good match for you. But what kind of martial art are you trying to create?"

"That is..."

Namgung Hui explained that he would create a martial art of Taiji through the inspiration he had gotten from the Two Principles Heart Art.

A divine art that caused a tremendous explosion in an instant by colliding two opposing energies.

Since Beak Seolhwa had also experienced such a phenomenon in her past life, she couldn't help but nod her head.

"The harmony of yin and yang is truly amazing. It seems the saying 'unification of yin and yang' from the Daoist school didn't come out of nowhere."

"So I'm trying to create a new martial art based on your ice art. Can you pass on some of your insights? If it's too difficult, just giving some advice is fine."

"Since I gave you everything last night, what can't I give you? I'll cooperate as much as you want."

And so, Namgung Hui and Beak Seolhwa, this time not with their bodies, but with their heads together, entered a state of samadhi.

Namgung Hui's insights and theories on handling Thunder Ki.

And by incorporating Beak Seolhwa's experience and principles, they were able to create one martial art.

"The Taiji Divine Art is a bit... how about the Sun and Moon Divine Art?"

"Alright. By the way, how is it that the name of the martial art you created is the Nine Yin Divine Art, and this is the Nine Yang Divine Art? There's no coincidence like this."

"Sometimes there are martial arts with the exact same name. Since it's just adding yin and yang after the number nine, it could be similar. Or maybe it's fate?"

"Like you and me?"

"This girl is saying such cheesy things so casually. Because of you, I'm going to become a chicken, not a phoenix. Then is this the end?"

"Yeah. Thanks to you, it ended well. If I had made it alone, it would have been a little lacking."

He had already heard about the Nine Yin Divine Art from the Blood Cult.

Although the incantation was in his head, actually handling it was a separate matter.

In the first place, since ice Ki was an attribute that was the polar opposite of Thunder Ki, it was difficult to learn it easily without Beak Seolhwa's guidance like this.

‘If it weren't for Seolhwa, I wouldn't have been able to make the Sun and Moon Divine Art.’

Since the Sun and Moon Divine Art also contained half of Namgung Hui's principles, there was no great difficulty in starting it.

And although the ice art was a bit difficult, it was said that all streams return to one.

It meant that they were connected in a similar context.

Now he would have to hone and polish it so that he could use it in a real battle.

Since it wasn't urgent right now, he decided to learn it slowly.

‘Alright. With this, I've passed one stage of organizing my insights.’

It wasn't just that he had created the Sun and Moon Divine Art, but he had had time to organize the principles he had realized and learned so far.

Although it was fine for Namgung Hui to ruminate on it alone, still, if there was an advisor of a similar level, it was a much smoother process.

Two heads are better than one, and two hands are better than one.

"Now it's time to eat breakfast and have a meeting of the Righteous Heaven Alliance?"

"Yeah. It's going to be very busy from now on. You also have to make a plan to infiltrate the Northern Heaven, and I also have to grasp the internal affairs of the Imperial Palace to meet the emperor."

"Then we'll have to part again?"

"It can't be helped. Let's think of it as one step back for two steps forward, a brief separation for a lifetime together."

"A-A lifetime?"

"Is a lifetime not enough? Then let's make it until the next life. First, let's go eat."

At Namgung Hui's words, Beak Seolhwa smiled shyly and nodded her head.

And so, Namgung Hui and Beak Seolhwa, who had left the residence intimately.

At that moment, they ran into Chohwa, who had been working hard since morning.

"Huh? Why are the two of you coming out of the room together in the morning? Don't tell me!"

Chohwa, who stopped her words and suddenly squinted her eyes.

"You had a big fight in the morning? I was wondering why a flashing light was leaking from the room. Still, you two are friends, so you should get along and not fight. Now. Hold hands and make up."

Beak Seolhwa and Namgung Hui, who ended up holding hands in a daze.

Although Chohwa's misunderstanding was so absurd, this wasn't bad in its own way.

[Seolhwa. Let's keep our relationship a secret for the time being.]

[I was about to say that too. For now, we'll have to keep it a secret until we change the rules of the Moon Maiden Palace.]

As Namgung Hui had heard from her.

She had said that after ascending to the position of palace lord, she would completely tear down and fix the palace rules.

Since the Moon Maiden Palace was a sect where the authority of the palace lord was powerful, even if Beak Seolhwa did so, there would probably be no one to find fault with her.

Well, she said it didn't matter even if there were.

Because she planned to acquire enough martial power to ignore them all.

If she became just a little stronger, she might even surpass the palace lord.

Although he had given her the ice crystal for that reason.

"Then is this a reconciliation? I'm busy, so I'll be going now~ You two have a good day~"

Chohwa, who disappeared quickly.

Although she had learned the martial arts of the Moon Maiden Palace, she was fulfilling her duty as a maid.

In fact, Namgung Hui wanted her to remain a maid.

Because he was a little worried about Chohwa as a martial artist.

He planned to raise the power of the Namgung family so that her hands would not be needed.

To do that, the Righteous Heaven Alliance had to be maintained and a system had to be established even a day earlier.

Namgung Hui and Beak Seolhwa, who had finished a simple meal at the public dining hall, headed for the Righteous Heaven Alliance headquarters.

Even though it was early in the morning, the vitality of the Namgung family was more vigorous than ever.

Should I say it felt like they had regained some of their past glory?

If it were this much, it seemed even his sworn brother in heaven would praise Namgung Hui.

"It's really changed beyond recognition. Did it enjoy this much prosperity even when the Martial God was around?"

"At that time, it was even greater than this. The laughter of the women never ceased, and on the other side, the shouts of the men never stopped."

"Well. Since it was a time when the Martial God, who was no different from the greatest in the world at the time, was in power, even that cult leader person acknowledged the Martial God."

"And me? I'm curious how that Heavenly Demon person evaluated me."

"Well. I don't think he talked about you in particular, but I think he vaguely mentioned the Thunder God Sect once. I don't remember exactly what he said, but I'll tell you later if I remember."

It was natural to be curious about the evaluation of the greatest in the world at the time.

Because the words 'greatest in the world' were synonymous with having an extraordinary eye.

As much as that, the evaluation of an absolute being was often objective and absolute.

His sworn brother, the Martial God, also highly evaluated the Sosu Mahu.

Moreover, he remembered that his sworn brother was the first to mention the fact that her roots were in the North Sea.

‘Perhaps the Sosu Mahu is a person from the North Sea.’

‘Since the Sosu Demon Art is of the ice art series, that could be so.’

‘That's also true, but I'm saying it because I remember vaguely seeing her as a child in the North Sea.’

At that time, since the Namgung family's power was extraordinary, there were many cases where they were invited here and there.

They had even been invited to a banquet from the Sun God Palace in the Southern Man.

Because there would be no festival as glorious as the Martial God gracing the occasion with his presence.

And so, while they were recalling the past, they had arrived at the Righteous Heaven Alliance headquarters before they knew it.

Here too, carrier pigeons were coming and going since morning, and the sound of rustling paper being turned over was heard for a long time.

"It's busy here since morning too. I wonder if they can spare us some time."

"Still, what can we do? Since our business is also quite important, we'll have to go in."

As Namgung Hui strode in, the hand that had been moving the brush stopped, and a voice was heard.

"Could it be Hui older brother?"

"Yes. It's me. I can come in, right?"

"Yes! Of course. Please come in as much as you want."

As Namgung Hui opened the door and entered, as expected, a pile of documents was piled up high.

Was she handling all this alone?

It seemed she needed a helping hand.

"The Mad Dragon... no. Where is Cheon Museong, and you're working alone?"

"Ah. Actually, Museong older brother wasn't helpful, so I chased him out. He just kept making more work. By the way, to think you even saved my older brother. I'm just incurring a debt I can't repay."

There was nothing greater than the grace of saving a life.

Because a person's life could not be bought with money.

Although some said it was because they lacked money, even the First Emperor of Qin had dreamed of eternal life but had ultimately failed to achieve it.

"And you must have attached other people too. That person called Yewol, who was a gisaeng."

"Ah. That person is also in the middle of work right now. I sent her to the Hao Faction branch with Dam Gihae. Would it be easier to understand if I said it was outside work?"

"To the Hao Faction?"

"Yes. I thought it would be easier for them to gather information first and send it here. There's no reason to send all the information here, is there?"

"Indeed. That's also true. You thought well."

If it were Yewol, who was a former gisaeng, it would not be bad to stay at the Hao Faction.

However, he was worried if she would be safe from the clutches of the Hoicheon Association, but if it were the Hao Faction leader's formation, wouldn't she be protected to some extent?

On top of that, the senior brother, Hae Wicheong, was by no means a weak person.

His talent was on the outstanding side, even more so than the children of prestigious families.

Since Namgung Hui had given him some guidance, he would improve by leaps and bounds soon.

‘I'll have to teach the senior brother some more martial arts. I'll have to make a manual before I leave.’

"So how much of the work I ordered have you done?"

"You're talking about the matter related to the recruitment of the martial world's renowned masters, right?"

"Yes."

"I think about eighty percent is done. Because there are people who won't budge, the rest is taking some time."

"Eighty percent? I thought it would be ninety percent by now. Who are they? The ones who won't budge."

Cheon Yeohwa, as if she had prepared the list in advance, handed over a bundle of paper that had been piled up on one side and said.

"It's the people written here. They didn't even budge at the weakness you gave me. So I also asked Yewol, and she said it was a certain weakness. I was about to punish one of them as an example... no, I was about to punish them, but I stopped. Because Hui older brother told me never to touch them."

"Yes. Even a cornered rat will bite a cat. And you don't know what a person who has nothing to lose will do. You have to wield the carrot and the stick appropriately. Still, it's a little surprising that so many people still haven't bent their will."

One of the things Namgung Hui had been pushing for.

Just as the Hoicheon Association had tried to grab and shake the weaknesses of the renowned masters.

Based on the information he had smuggled out through Yewol, he had planned to plot a similar thing.

Of course, it was limited to those who could be given consideration for the circumstances, depending on the degree.

For example, a private weakness or a love affair that could be interpreted differently depending on the standard.

Weaknesses that were ambiguous to be seen as crimes were examples.

‘Still, I told him to hand over the cases where they had committed a serious crime that could not be tolerated to the Black Tortoise Troupe Leader.’

How surprised he had been when he had heard that the Black Tortoise Troupe Leader had gone missing.

In fact, Namgung Hui had thought he had been retaliated against because of this matter.

But this was Namgung Hui's groundless fear.

At that time, since the Black Tortoise Troupe Leader was active as the Red-Haired Monster, it had seemed like he had gone missing.

Anyway, since the Black Tortoise Troupe Leader had returned, the work that Namgung Hui had entrusted to him would proceed again.

Cheon Yeohwa, who had been staring at Namgung Hui and Beak Seolhwa for a while, clapped her hands and continued.

"Ah! That's right. A few days ago, an urgent letter flew in from the Pungun Merchant Guild."

"Urgently? What is it?"

Cheon Yeohwa whispered softly in Namgung Hui's ear so that only he could hear.

"It's a matter of the Blood Cult.”

(End of Chapter)