Survival Guide for the Reincarnated - Chapter 12

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 12

It was very useful information.

I turned my head to look at Yang Deok-su. I approached him with his fear-filled expression.

“This is Seol-ap’s mine, so what kind of nerve did you have to mine here?”

“…That…”

“It seems you didn’t just mine but also sold it to pocket money. You must have done this risking your life, naturally.”

“…I was… following orders…”

I struck out with my foot just like that.

Kwaaaaang-!

A thunderous sound erupted as Yang Deok-su’s chest caved in deeply. He flew backward and crashed into the wall, coughed up blood while trembling, then went limp.

I turned my head again. I could see the miners and porters.

The total number of miners was forty-eight.

There were twenty porters.

“I wish to employ all of you.”

Everyone was greatly surprised, as if this wasn’t what they had expected to hear.

“This is a fight between martial artists anyway, a fight between those in charge. You’re not martial artists, you’re just ordinary people living day by day.”

Even though I act recklessly, I maintain certain lines.

That line is this:

Murim people and ordinary people.

Those who must take responsibility and those who don’t need to.

These people just worked for money.

There was no need to kill them all.

“It seems the Blue Cloud Trading Company of Seol-ap is looking to hire porters and miners… Those who are interested should move to the right.”

Among them was someone with considerable backbone.

A man with an impressive thick beard stepped forward and asked me:

“What happens if we don’t step aside? Will you kill us like Manager Yang over there?”

I let out a small laugh.

“I promise. I will not kill you.”

“…”

“Ah, come to think of it, I didn’t mention this. If you move your registration to Seol-ap today, I’ll give you three silver coins each.”

The time it took to decide was short.

All the porters and miners moved to the right.

I quietly looked toward the back and gestured.

“Won Yang, come here.”

Among the branch members, the one with the smallest build had a frame so small it was hard to believe he was a man.

That’s right.

A woman disguised as a man – what more proof do I need?

She seemed to want to appear as a man, so I had been referring to her as such, but now I needed her.

Won Yang was one of the two men I had been observing earlier.

Should I say she was exceptional?

She was shining. A gem I hadn’t seen in a while.

I said to her:

“Take those Han-reung Jade Crystals piled up there and go to the Blue Cloud Trading Company.”

“And should I distribute three silver coins each from the branch’s funds?”

I smiled.

“Unlike someone else, I don’t need to say things twice with you. How refreshing.”

Cheon Pung flinched, and Won Yang, taking the Embracing Fist stance, turned around and began moving with the miners and porters.

I watched quietly then opened my mouth.

“The rest of you follow me.”

Cheon Pung asked.

“Where are we going?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

My gaze turned toward the snow-covered hill.

“We’re going to Seol-han Mine.”

Over that hill, then over the next hill and small mountain, lies Seol-han Mine.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes, sir!”

* * *

Seol Woon-hwi and the branch members arrived at Seol-han Mine.

And there they witnessed a very unexpected scene.

Seol Woon-hwi wore a strange smile, while the other branch members were flustered.

They had good reason to be.

First, there were traces of flight everywhere.

Not a single person carrying a sword remained, and all that was left were about a hundred people and what appeared to be five to six hundred geun worth of Han-reung Jade Crystals, which weren’t even properly loaded onto carts.

The porters and miners sat down in resignation, and several had injuries on their faces and bodies.

Among them, a scholarly-looking man with long hair who seemed relatively unharmed looked at Seol Woon-hwi and smiled faintly.

“It’s an honor to meet the star of Snow Palace, who has recently emerged as the new ruler of Seol-ap.”

“Star of Snow Palace?”

“Ah, it’s a new title I created. Do you not like it?”

“Whether I like it or not, if others are going to call me that, I don’t particularly intend to object.”

Seol Woon-hwi stepped forward and faced the man.

“What’s your name?”

“Han Seok-hyeon.”

“Your position?”

“I’m a low-level manager of Cheonha Trading Company.”

“A low-level manager… I’d like to hear an explanation of the current situation.”

The man who introduced himself as Han Seok-hyeon spoke calmly.

“The one who was here as administrator is Jo Wol-woon, a chief manager of Cheonha Trading Company. He had stationed warriors from Jang Sword Gate and Ju-ryeong Sword Gate here, but their numbers were small. You probably know why.”

I know.

It was obvious.

Until now, no one had touched Seol-han Mine or Cheong-ryeong Mine.

Seol-ap? There were already insiders collaborating, so there was no need, and the mines’ location is between Yang-ryeong and Seol-ap.

Having twenty Jang Sword Gate warriors at Cheong-ryeong Mine was unusual – normally there would be at least ten, or at most twenty stationed there.

They monitor whether the miners work properly and also watch to ensure they don’t steal ore.

“To summarize briefly, we heard that Jang Sword Gate was massacred at Cheong-ryeong Mine. Chief Manager Jo Wol-woon immediately ordered a retreat… and that’s the current situation.”

“Couldn’t escape in time? Or…”

“We were abandoned.”

“But you seem surprisingly calm about it.”

“If you have no expectations, you can’t be disappointed, right?”

“That’s true.”

Han Seok-hyeon smiled faintly and said:

“Please take all these Han-reung Jade Crystals. And…”

Han Seok-hyeon trailed off for a moment, then continued in a small voice.

“Please hit me in the face once. Very hard.”

Seol Woon-hwi’s eyes lit up. He hadn’t expected such a proposal.

“I heard you killed the person in charge at Cheong-ryeong Mine. Is that true?”

“It’s true.”

“The person in charge here is definitely me right now. Everyone else ran away.”

“So, you want me to spare you?”

“Yes. I may be the person in charge, but I’m ultimately just a low-level employee. I firmly believe that keeping me alive would be more beneficial to you than killing me.”

He couldn’t help but smile.

A merchant doing business with his own life.

“This is the best option. Me being unconscious would be proof that I resisted, and the Han-reung Jade Crystal being stolen would be proof that I fulfilled my responsibilities. I need to survive to plan for what comes next.”

Han Seok-hyeon, who had been lost in thought for a moment, added:

“Besides, those sword-wielding bastards had no intention of protecting us and ran away without looking back. Do you know what they said at the end?”

“What did they say?”

“They told us to bring all the ore over there. If they had time to say that, they could have at least taken some ore themselves. What complete thugs, right?”

“Hearing that, it seems your expectations weren’t completely unfounded.”

“I won’t deny it. I thought it was okay to push the porters and miners hard. If something happened, they were the people who would protect us. I thought that was natural, but I was mistaken.”

“If you see the world too beautifully, you’re bound to be disappointed in the end.”

“Is that so?”

“It’s not a matter of mindset, but that’s how the world is. Reality is brutal and reeks of blood.”

“…Is your world such a world, Branch Leader?”

“It is such a world.”

“Isn’t it difficult?”

“Do I look like I’m struggling?”

Han Seok-hyeon, who had been staring intently at Seol Woon-hwi, shook his head.

“I don’t know. I wouldn’t dare judge, as you’re someone whose depths are too profound…”

“Me?”

“I understand it’s been six years.”

“If you’re talking about the years I lived as a scarecrow, that’s correct.”

“Your appearance during those six years and your current appearance are too different. As if… you were prepared.”

Seol Woon-hwi let out a bitter laugh.

“Prepared… Do I seem that way?”

“You’ve already made enemies of Ju-ryeong Sword Gate and Jang Sword Gate, and on a larger scale, Yang-ryeong County, but seeing how you don’t seem to care, you must have a plan.”

It seemed there was a big misunderstanding.

“I don’t know what kind of plan that is. But there must be your people in Yang-ryeong as well. Since you’ve clearly planned everything, it would be ridiculous for me to wag my tongue in front of someone like you. I’ll speak directly. I simply want to live. Please take all the Han-reung Jade Crystal here and spare our lives.”

He had no intention of killing them from the start.

All the ones who deserved to die had run away, so who would he kill?

More than anything, Seol Woon-hwi liked this man called Han Seok-hyeon.

Setting aside his misconceptions, in this situation, he hadn’t lost his composure.

Should he say it was admirable? Even while begging for his life, he was already preparing for the next stage, and moreover, he knew how to draw a clear line between his trading company and Ju-ryeong Sword Gate.

“They’re the bastards who abandoned us anyway. Just take everything. Ah, but before you take it, as I mentioned earlier, please hit me hard.”

“Creating justification?”

“Yes. I want to create a situation where we were simply robbed.”

Woon-hwi, who had been watching quietly, asked casually:

“You’ve been asking me to spare you, but you haven’t mentioned what you can give me.”

“Ah…”

“What can I gain by playing along with your tune?”

“I’ll provide you with information constantly.”

“Information?”

“Yes. About what’s happening inside Cheonha Trading Company or in Yang-ryeong.”

“Didn’t you judge that I already have people planted in Yang-ryeong?”

“I still think that way, but when judging information, cross-verification is basic, isn’t it?”

Surprisingly, Woon-hwi was beginning to see Han Seok-hyeon as ore.

That kind of unrefined ore.

“I’ve been screwed over by those Yang-ryeong bastards for a long time, so I’ll really tell you everything.”

The principle of drawing a clear line between loyalty and profit.

The insight to think not just about simple survival but about future plans.

Cheonha Trading Company.

The name was impressive, but Seol Woon-hwi had never heard of such a trading company. However, the name Han Seok-hyeon was worth remembering.

“Are you satisfied with the general manager position?”

“Until today I was quite satisfied, but not anymore.”

Seol Woon-hwi, who had been staring at Han Seok-hyeon, said casually:

“One hit won’t be enough.”

“Pardon?”

“I need to show that you could really die from this beating, don’t I?”

Han Seok-hyeon gave a bitter smile.

“Indeed… skill is required even to create justification.”

Seol Woon-hwi approached.

Han Seok-hyeon squeezed his eyes shut. Seol Woon-hwi whispered in his ear:

“Seol-ap Branch has only one general manager.”

He opened his eyes.

“If you want to play in bigger waters, let me know.”

Before he could open his mouth.

Crack—!!

Seol Woon-hwi’s fist mercilessly struck Han Seok-hyeon’s face, and his body collapsed.

Seol Woon-hwi said:

“Collect the Han-reung Jade Crystal.”

As soon as those words fell, the branch members began moving swiftly.

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