Survival Guide for the Reincarnated - Chapter 109

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 109

Woon-hwi’s voice was calm, but there was firmness embedded within it. He continued speaking.

“Ruling a region doesn’t just mean taking its resources and gaining profit. It comes with the duty to protect that place, safeguard its people, and maintain order.”

Woon-hwi’s gaze turned to Ju So-ah, who was kneeling.

“You should have drawn your swords and fought. Even if you couldn’t win, even if you faced death, that was your duty. You also abandoned your rights.”

He looked at Won Yang, then at Han Mu-rin.

“At that moment, or at least during the five days I was absent, Yang-ryeong belonged to the Sichuan Alliance. And I didn’t accept you to set you up as puppets. Yet you just watched with your eyes wide open as those Sichuan Alliance warriors conducted inspections and imposed control.”

The coldness in Woon-hwi’s eyes remained.

But it wasn’t born from blind rage, but from unwavering conviction in principles.

“The disappointment I feel toward you isn’t because you don’t share my way of thinking. It’s because you abandoned the basic sense of responsibility you should have as warriors, and furthermore, as human beings.”

That’s why it’s about duty and rights.

Woon-hwi was clearly angry.

It wasn’t simple emotion. It stemmed from principles, beliefs, and responsibility, and was also a firm philosophy created by the wisdom and experience gained from his previous life.

At least among those present here, Won Yang had experienced this side of Woon-hwi once before.

That day when he returned to Yang-ryeong with Sim Mun-ryong.

Woon-hwi had discovered that the Yang Family Villa in Yaksu was smuggling Black Heaven Pills and soon became certain they were spies of the Original Blood Sect.

Even so, he avenged the grudges of those corpses.

He had made his priorities clear.

Whatever they had really done to betray the Snow Palace, they were still Snow Palace people, and those people had died.

In upholding the values of the massive organization called Snow Palace, he prioritized ‘responsibility’ above all else.

That was all.

“Han Mu-rin.”

“…Yes. Branch Master.”

“Was your desire for revenge against Hondo Maryeom Palace so weak that it could be broken by mere threats from the Sichuan Alliance?”

“…”

“To be precise, it wasn’t even the Sichuan Alliance. Just a few sects from Jeok An. Was that all it took? Your grudge?”

“…No.”

Woon-hwi turned his head.

“Won Yang.”

“…Yes… my lord…”

“Namgung Ho is the leader of the Blood Spirit Corps, which can be called the Original Blood Sect’s elite military force. With one command from him, five masters of the Five Realms of Martial God, forty warriors of the Four Stages of Heaven and Earth, and five hundred warriors of the Flame Qi Four Stages move. His own realm is Limitless Divine Manifestation. He’s even a master among masters who’s only half a step away from Dao Transformation Authority Truth.”

“…”

“The Namgung Ho you want to kill is that level of person. Yet you got scared of guys who aren’t even as good as three or four of his subordinates before you could even reach him.”

Won Yang gritted his teeth and bowed his head.

He had nothing to say.

“And Ju So-ah.”

“…Yes.”

“Why exactly are you here?”

“…What?”

“I saved you in the Secret Realm because I pitied you.”

“…”

“You nearly died from the betrayal of someone you’d spent a long time with, and I saved you because I pitied you. I did suggest you stay under me for a year, but now I’m wondering if that choice was wrong.”

She bit her lips hard.

There were many excuses.

Manager Seong was bedridden, and Woon-hwi, the branch master, was also away.

In that situation, although the sects from Jeok An had withdrawn, the warriors from Cheolmyeong Hall dispatched by the main Sichuan Alliance remained.

She had judged it better to observe rather than antagonize them, but it was a wrong judgment.

She should have made them leave somehow.

She truly regretted it.

“Didn’t you say you didn’t want to live shamefully as a warrior?”

“…Yes.”

“Your actions during the past five days?”

“…”

“Weren’t those shameful?”

She finally bowed her head deeply.

Woon-hwi, who had been quietly looking down at the branch members, asked briefly.

“What exactly should I do with you all?”

“…”

“Forgiving you wouldn’t be difficult. But there’s no guarantee the same thing won’t happen again. That’s the extent of my disappointment in you.”

Won Yang was the first to act.

He assumed the position of prostration.

“…Please give us a chance.”

That’s what he said.

Then Han Mu-rin did the same, and so did Ju So-ah.

Cheon Pung, who had been reading the mood, sighed twice inwardly and also pressed his head down in the same prostrating position.

“A chance…”

If he wanted to cast them out, he could.

But since they asked for a chance, he could give them one.

“One hundred people.”

At Woon-hwi’s brief words, everyone raised their heads.

One hundred people…? What one hundred people?

“Like here in Yang-ryeong, there are several transport routes in Jeok An as well. The number of trading companies that travel those routes is large. Massacre all the merchant caravans related to the sects that entered Jeok An five days ago.”

Everyone’s eyes widened.

“Kill at least one hundred people and return. You have until noon tomorrow.”

They had no intention of defying him.

Everyone assumed the Embracing Fist position.

But unfortunately, Woon-hwi’s words weren’t finished.

Among them, only Cheon Pung was keeping his head up.

The fact that he had been away with Woon-hwi could be a reason, but judging from his actions so far, Cheon Pung followed Woon-hwi deeply.

No, beyond following, he deeply yearned to become like Woon-hwi.

Though he might be somewhat overly simple, Woon-hwi valued that quality most highly.

That’s why Cheon Pung would have drawn his sword against them whether it worked or not.

That was certain.

“Ju So-ah.”

“…Yes.”

“I strip you of your deputy branch master position.”

“…Yes…”

“From now on, Cheon Pung, you are the deputy branch master of Yang-ryeong Branch. You take them and cut off Jeok An’s transport routes.”

Cheon Pung grinned and stood up from his position.

“Thank you for entrusting me with this important responsibility!”

No matter how he thought about it, this was right.

“Depart immediately. And on your way, bring Yang So from Seol-ap and Han Seok-hyeon from Cheonha Trading Company.”

Cheon Pung assumed the Embracing Fist position.

“Under-stood!!”

“I deeply believe you’ll meet my expectations.”

“I won’t disappoint you, Branch Master.”

* * *

His laughter wouldn’t stop.

“…Hey. Are you happy?”

At Ju So-ah’s question, Cheon Pung blinked as if dumbfounded.

“Hey?”

“….”

“What? The discipline in this branch is a complete mess. I’m the deputy branch leader, you’re a branch member—don’t you understand that?”

“…Our Cheon Pung has really grown up, hasn’t he?”

“I was always bigger than you though?”

Ju So-ah let out a sigh. This was… she didn’t know what to say about this.

Just recently, this was the guy she’d been beating up while teaching him, and now his rank was higher than hers.

Unless you were a prince of a nation or a direct descendant of a massive sect like the Polar Descendants, it made no sense for a higher-level martial artist to serve a lower-level one like a master.

But if someone was another’s ‘subordinate,’ the story was different.

Cheon Pung, having become deputy branch leader, was ultimately in a position representing Woon-hwi, the branch leader.

“That’s why you shouldn’t have caused such trouble in the first place.”

“…You wouldn’t have been any different… would you.”

Having taught Cheon Pung, Ju So-ah was certain.

Cheon Pung was a madman.

His intelligence level wasn’t the same as Woon-hwi’s, but rather, he was excessively simple, which made him somewhat similar to Woon-hwi’s behavior.

Before scheming or thinking, he had firm standards about what was right and wrong.

Cheon Pung would have judged the Sichuan Sect warriors conducting inspections as ‘wrong,’ and immediately drawn his sword.

He doesn’t think about what consequences might follow afterward.

That’s the kind of guy he is.

Cheon Pung smiled and put his arm on Ju So-ah’s shoulder.

“You can’t possibly not know how soft-hearted our branch leader is.”

“…Whose heart is… what?”

“Geez, our branch leader is such a delicate person—you really don’t know that? Really?”

He seemed to have some major misconception, but Woon-hwi was definitely not delicate.

Where on earth did this misconception start from?

Unaware of Ju So-ah’s such doubts, Cheon Pung continued speaking.

“Our branch leader, you see, suffered more than I did when I was hurt. If you saw his pained expression in the carriage back then… Keuheu… I have to be a source of strength for him. Yeah, that’s right.”

“…Are you in your right mind?”

“I am in my right mind though?”

“….”

“And if you follow my words well, who knows. I might appoint myself as branch leader and you as deputy branch leader again.”

“…Are you serious?”

“Ahem, speak respectfully.”

“…Are you serious, sir?”

“I am serious though.”

It was Won Yang who interrupted their conversation.

“So, what should we start with now?”

“Can’t we just go to Jeok An and massacre every merchant group we see?”

“…What if there are other merchant groups not affiliated with Jeok An?”

“We’ll have to go and ask them politely.”

“You think they’ll answer just because you ask?”

“Hey, Won Yang. There’s no one who lies when a blade is at their throat.”

When Won Yang seemed at a loss for words and closed his mouth, this time Han Mu-rin spoke up.

“Let’s go to the Beggar Sect and buy information.”

“The Beggar Sect?”

“Yes. There’s always a reason why the branch leader assigns tasks, and he didn’t suggest the number one hundred for nothing. First, we should go to the Beggar Sect and obtain a list of merchant groups returning to Jeok An today and tomorrow, then plan the optimal route and proceed to massacre them one by one. Cheon Pung… no, Deputy Branch Leader.”

A bright smile bloomed on Cheon Pung’s lips.

“Yeah, that’s exactly what I was thinking.”

“….”

“Let’s go to the Beggar Sect first.”

Watching Cheon Pung walking ahead, Ju So-ah let out a deep sigh.

She thought she roughly understood why Woon-hwi had made Cheon Pung the deputy branch leader.

That guy was a lone wolf. His personality and temperament were naturally that way, but if given proper advice and direction, he could move faster than anyone.

Looking at it this way, Woon-hwi’s heart did seem genuinely soft… she wasn’t sure.

“Ju So-ah. Aren’t you coming?”

“…I’m coming.”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————