Thunder Fang .
A blade called the Fang of Thunder, one of the world’s most renowned and treasured swords.
It was wielded by Namgung Myeong, the Thunder Sword of the Namgung Clan, who saved the world from the Blood Disaster. It’s no wonder it has such a reputation.
And Thunder Fang held personal significance for , as well.
The Demon Sword Empress, Namgung Bi-ah, also wielded Thunder Fang.
Because of that, I’d seen Thunder Fang up close on many occasions. Although she never let touch it, I was able to observe it closely.
The blade had a unique quality that almost made it seem transparent, and yet it was impossibly strong—a mystery unto itself.
It had another distinct characteristic that set it apart from other swords, but that wasn’t important right now.
What mattered here was this:
Why did a treasured artifact of the Namgung Clan, almost a symbol of the clan, end up with a martial artist from the Wudang Sect?
Wudang’s Demon Immortal, Kyu-do.
He is the current owner of Thunder Fang, the prized sword of the Namgung Clan.
As Woo Hyuk ntioned, Kyu-do is indeed a well-known figure. Originally affiliated with the main sect of Wudang, he is now said to roam the martial world for reasons unknown.
He’s known as a benevolent figure. When the Demonic Gate failed to contain the monster outbreak and demons attacked a village, Wudang’s Demon Immortal was there, eliminating the monsters and saving the villagers before disappearing.
But his nickna—Demon Immortal—also includes the word “demon” because of his eccentric and inexplicable behavior.
He would randomly mutter to himself angrily, disrupt trading posts he had no connection to, or practice his swordsmanship alone in the air, leaving the area in disarray. He perford so many incomprehensible actions that people started calling him the Demon Immortal.
Though his heroic deeds paint him as a noble figure, his bizarre behavior makes him soone people don’t want to keep close.
That was Wudang’s Demon Immortal, Kyu-do.
And yet…
‘So that person is Woo Hyuk’s master?’
This was news to even in my previous life. Woo Hyuk had never ntioned it, and it wasn’t a story that circulated in the martial world.
“Oh, I wasn’t planning on sharing that.”
Even I was surprised by this revelation, and Woo Hyuk seed uneasy, letting out a series of sighs.
“It’s not exactly sothing I brag about, you know?”
Hearing that, I could understand a little better.
…So he kept it a secret because he was embarrassed?
I can see how that would be a hard thing to admit openly.
“But… you’re heading to Sichuan to find this master of yours?”
“I don’t have many places to stay if I wander around, so it’s better to say I’m going to stay with my master.”
It made sense. Although the Wudang Demon Immortal was sowhat of an outcast from Wudang, he was still affiliated with the sect, and Woo Hyuk could create a reasonable pretext by claiming he was going to spend ti with his master.
“So, you’re planning to go to Sichuan with ?”
“It’s great, right? Friends travel together!”
“Friends, huh? There are plenty of others coming along as well.”
While we hadn’t had in-depth discussions yet, there were a few people who’d likely accompany once I decided to head to Sichuan.
I’d already spoken to Paejon. He ntioned he had business in Sichuan anyway, so he didn’t mind joining .
Paeucheol also had sothing he wanted to do in the region, so he’d likely co along too.
And as for Tang Soyeol, her family, the Tang Clan, dominates Sichuan. If she ca along…
‘Wait, would the Poison King co as well…?’
The thought sent a shiver down my spine, but it couldn’t be helped.
By so twist of fate, now seed like the perfect ti to go to Sichuan.
The Wudang School of Martial Arts had decided to temporarily close due to an unforeseen incident, which sped up the graduation process.
The next major event I’d been keeping an eye on was expected to happen in about 2-3 years.
If possible, I needed to enhance my strength further before that ti arrived.
Now that I’d reached the Hwahyeong state, my top priority was…
‘Getting the White Demon Stone.’
A demon stone from a White Demon, the highest level of monsters, was sothing I had long known about but had postponed acquiring until I reached the level where I could best absorb it.
In this era, where even the strongest demons rarely reached blue grade, a White Demon Stone was incredibly valuable.
Most demon stones lose their energy shortly after the creature dies, but the one I sought had retained its energy over ti.
I wasn’t sure how it managed to maintain its energy, but it was clear that the energy contained within it far surpassed any elixir.
For , being able to absorb the White Demon Stone’s energy would be like obtaining the ultimate elixir.
Although I had reached the Hwahyeong state, it was still an incomplete Hwahyeong. I needed the White Demon Stone now more than ever.
So, with ti on my hands, I planned to head to Sichuan.
If Woo Hyuk joined , it wouldn’t make much difference as long as he didn’t cause trouble.
“Permission is necessary, though. I don’t think our clan leader will—”
“Oh, Gu Family Head already agreed.”
“…What?”
I was montarily dumbstruck by Woo Hyuk’s words. My father agreed?
“When?”
“Uh? Last night, after you passed out, I asked him.”
“…”
That confird that my duel with my father had taken place last night.
“He agreed?”
“Yeah. I just asked if I could go along with you, and he said it was fine…”
The fact that Woo Hyuk even dared to ask him outright was amusing, and the fact that my father agreed without much thought was baffling.
“So, we’re good?”
“…Well… do as you like.”
I didn’t have a reason to refuse, so I agreed. If any issues arose, I’d handle them as they ca.
‘In any case, this is fortunate.’
Though I had grumbled about it, hearing Woo Hyuk’s plans wasn’t a bad thing. The thought of eting Wudang’s Demon Immortal intrigued .
‘Things are falling into place.’
I had business with the Wudang Demon Immortal anyway. Specifically, I needed to deal with Thunder Fang.
At one point, the Heavenly Sage had said to :
“Find Namgung Myeong.”
This implied that Namgung Myeong also had left so part of himself behind in this world. When I visited the Namgung Family, I even heard a voice I believed was his.
He had told to:
“Find Thunder Fang.”
He had asked to find his cherished sword. I wasn’t sure what he ant by that, but it was clearly related to Shin Noya.
‘The only issue is that Shin Noya hasn’t shown up yet.’
That old man kept disappearing, much to my frustration. In any case… if Woo Hyuk needed to see Wudang’s Demon Immortal, that worked in my favor.
It ant I could address Thunder Fang as well, killing two birds with one stone on this trip to Sichuan.
Having worked through that thought, I addressed Woo Hyuk.
“You can co, but there’s a condition.”
“A condition? What condition?”
As he tilted his head in confusion, I spelled out my terms.
“When we get to Sichuan, introduce to your master.”
“…Huh?”
“If you agree, we can go together.”
Woo Hyuk’s face twisted into an expression I’d never seen before.
He seed unusually reluctant, but I wasn’t going to back down on this.
After a long hesitation, he finally nodded, clearly unhappy about it.
It was a deal.
After finishing my conversation with Woo Hyuk, I realized I had no more business with him, so I grabbed him and tossed him out the window.
The building was quite high, but I knew he wouldn’t die from that.
I rembered him yelling about needing his shirt as he flew out. He’d figure it out.
Reflecting on this, it was satisfying to finally be able to deal with him like this. In my previous life, I couldn’t do anything about his antics, but now I could.
Creak.
I stepped out of the room and headed downstairs, making my way to where I knew my father would be.
“Hm?”
As I descended, I spotted Gu Hee-bi coming up the stairs. She was probably returning from her morning training.
She still kept up her training diligently, it seed. I was about to greet her when she looked at and burst out laughing.
What?
“Why are you laughing the mont you see soone’s face? It’s unsettling.”
“Hehe… It’s just that… Haha!”
She couldn’t hold back and laughed even harder.
“What’s wrong?”
“Pfft… Brother, what happened to your face?”
“My face?”
“You… Hahaha… Did you get into a fight or sothing?”
I touched my face as she spoke. A sharp pain shot through my eye area.
Why does it hurt so much…? Oh.
“You’ve got a nasty bruise around your eye. You look ridiculous.”
“...”
So it was the injury from when my father hit . A bruise had ford. Gu Hee-bi was laughing so hard she was clutching her sides.
“Who did this to you? Tell , and I’ll deal with them.”
“The family head.”
“...”
“Well? You said you’d deal with them.”
Gu Hee-bi turned away, avoiding my gaze. It seed she wasn’t up for dealing with the one who’d hit after all.
Amused, I let it go and moved on.
“Never mind that… Where’s the family head?”
“...Training hall.”
“The training hall?”
I’d guessed he might be there, and it seed I was right.
As I passed Gu Hee-bi, she called out to .
“Brother.”
“Hm?”
“Did sothing happen between you and the family head?”
“Isn’t it obvious? He hit .”
“...No, I an besides that.”
She seed quite curious for soone who had just laughed about my bruise. This was unexpected.
“Why do you ask?”
“It’s just… the family head seed to be in a good mood this morning.”
“What does his mood have to do with ?”
“Never mind.”
Without elaborating, Gu Hee-bi turned and went back upstairs. I gave her a strange look before heading on my way.
My destination was the training hall.
Behind the inn, there was a clearing that had been turned into a training ground for martial artists staying at the inn.
Usually, other martial artists would be around, but the inn had been reserved by Mi Buin, so it was empty.
Besides, even if there had been others, not many could endure the intense heat that filled the area.
‘It’s stifling.’
The mont I stepped onto the training ground, I felt a suffocating heat. I traced the source of the heat and found what I expected.
It was my father.
The heat gradually subsided as he seed to acknowledge my presence. His flowing robes stilled, and he withdrew his energy, turning to face .
“You’re awake—”
“...?”
He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes twitching slightly as if he were trying not to laugh.
‘...Is he holding back laughter?’
Of all people, he was the one who gave this black eye.
“I see you’re awake.”
“Go ahead and laugh.”
“...What do you an?”
He was trying to act ignorant, but it was far too late for that.
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