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 me, 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 me 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 mentioned, 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 nickname—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 performed 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 someone 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 me even in my previous life. Woo Hyuk had never mentioned 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 seemed uneasy, letting out a series of sighs.
“It’s not exactly something 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 somewhat 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 time with his master.
“So, you’re planning to go to Sichuan with me?”
“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 me once I decided to head to Sichuan.
I’d already spoken to Paejon. He mentioned he had business in Sichuan anyway, so he didn’t mind joining me.
Paeucheol also had something he wanted to do in the region, so he’d likely come along too.
And as for Tang Soyeol, her family, the Tang Clan, dominates Sichuan. If she came along…
‘Wait, would the Poison King come as well…?’
The thought sent a shiver down my spine, but it couldn’t be helped.
By some twist of fate, now seemed like the perfect time 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 time 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 something 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 time.
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 me, 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 time on my hands, I planned to head to Sichuan.
If Woo Hyuk joined me, 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 momentarily dumbstruck by Woo Hyuk’s words. My father agreed?
“When?”
“Uh? Last night, after you passed out, I asked him.”
“…”
That confirmed 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 came.
‘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 meeting Wudang’s Demon Immortal intrigued me.
‘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 me:
“Find Namgung Myeong.” This implied that Namgung Myeong also had left some 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 me to:
“Find Thunder Fang.”
He had asked me to find his cherished sword. I wasn’t sure what he meant 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 meant 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 come, 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 me 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 seemed 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 remembered 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 seemed. I was about to greet her when she looked at me and burst out laughing.
What?
“Why are you laughing the moment you see someone’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 something?”
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 me. A bruise had formed. Gu Hee-bi was laughing so hard she was clutching her sides.
“Who did this to you? Tell me, 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 seemed she wasn’t up for dealing with the one who’d hit me 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 seemed I was right.
As I passed Gu Hee-bi, she called out to me.
“Brother.”
“Hm?”
“Did something happen between you and the family head?”
“Isn’t it obvious? He hit me.”
“...No, I mean besides that.”
She seemed quite curious for someone who had just laughed about my bruise. This was unexpected.
“Why do you ask?”
“It’s just… the family head seemed to be in a good mood this morning.”
“What does his mood have to do with me?”
“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 moment 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 seemed to acknowledge my presence. His flowing robes stilled, and he withdrew his energy, turning to face me.
“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 me this black eye.
“I see you’re awake.”
“Go ahead and laugh.”
“...What do you mean?”
He was trying to act ignorant, but it was far too late for that.