Survival Guide for the Reincarnated - Chapter 163

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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 163

Just as I had done.

Even with just the realm of Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown, one can accomplish many things.

“Won Yang.”

“Yes. My lord.”

“Your purpose is revenge. Is that correct?”

“Yes.”

“Then what you must do for that revenge is devotion.”

“…When you say devotion…”

“Not pushing your desire for revenge to the back, but keeping it at the forefront and using it as driving force to forge yourself—that’s what you must do.”

“…”

“Turning the world upside down and solving problems—that’s what I’ll do. You must receive my teachings by my side and evolve your desire for revenge to the next level. If you continue doing that without stopping, Namgung Ho’s head will be placed before you in the not-too-distant future.”

Won Yang nodded with a resolute expression. Then she asked me.

“…Could I learn baduk?”

“I’d like to tell you to sit in front of me, but there’s a guest who arrived first.”

At those words, Won Yang tilted her head as if she didn’t understand.

Then at some moment, her eyes flashed.

She immediately stood up and tried to draw her sword, but couldn’t.

A white-haired, white-robed old man who had approached right in front of her was gently pressing down on Won Yang’s hand as she tried to draw her sword.

I had thought one of two people would come today.

Personally, I thought it would be Father, but it wasn’t.

“Won Yang.”

“…Yes… my lord…”

“Step back. He is a guest, is he not?”

Won Yang, who had been glaring at Cheon Do-ja silently, soon stepped back. Cheon Do-ja didn’t say much either.

He was just smiling as if enjoying himself.

Heh heh heh.

His characteristic laughter pierced my ears.

“Since you said it would be soon, I was preparing in my own way, but I didn’t expect you to come this quickly.”

“Heh heh… My meeting with Young Master Seol kept coming to mind. I was restless to the point where I couldn’t bear not coming, so what could I do? Ah, more than that, I’d like to drop the formalities—would that be alright?”

“That’s fine. Please make yourself comfortable.”

Cheon Do-ja sat across from me.

Looking at him, I spoke quietly.

“Don’t let anyone enter.”

“…Anyone?”

“Anyone.”

“…I obey your command.”

With that, Won Yang left, and I was alone with Cheon Do-ja.

“You came alone.”

“Heh heh… For such an important occasion, I should come alone, shouldn’t I?”

There is no one in this world stronger than Cheon Do-ja.

Originally, coming alone is correct.

However.

“It seems you brought a gift.”

“To resolve conflicts amicably, one should naturally bring gifts.”

Saying that, he placed the ‘two heads’ he had been floating beside him next to the go board.

Both were faces I knew.

Seon Yang-baek, the Valley Master of Poison Snake Valley.

And.

The Poison Monster Cheon Sa-eum.

“Did you need justification?”

“Well… Rather than justification, it was the attitude I had to show as a martial artist and as a sect leader.”

“I see.”

I had thought that someone like Cheon Do-ja would bring someone’s head.

He was strangely similar to Kang Cheon-u, who had been the leader of the Sichuan Sect, but the difference was this.

He had no fear of spilling blood.

“What happened to Poison Snake Valley?”

“I annihilated it.”

“Many poisoners must have died.”

“Do you sympathize?”

“Hardly. I’m just thinking it’s fortunate that I didn’t have to dirty my own hands.”

“Not dirtying your hands… and fortunate… Haha… Just like when we talked before, you surprise this old man every time you speak.”

“How so?”

Cheon Do-ja’s eyes curved into crescents.

“It means you have no hesitation about making the Origin Blood Sect your enemy. Isn’t that right?”

“That’s correct. I have no hesitation.”

“But as everyone says, it’s a suicidal act.”

“For now, that would be true.”

“For now…”

“Since there’s a time for everything, for now I can bow if I must bow, and kneel if I must kneel. But the moment that time comes, I have no intention of missing that opportunity.”

Cheon Do-ja is no fool. He’s a genius among geniuses who has surpassed extraordinary levels.

He certainly caught the intent of my words.

“There’s someone who must be killed, and if they don’t hand him over, you’ll kill them all?”

“Yes.”

“That child who just left must be one who uses the Namgung surname. Is that right?”

“That’s correct.”

“The Head of the Blood Lineage Division of the Origin Blood Sect also uses the Namgung surname. I couldn’t hear the detailed circumstances from him, but I think I roughly understand.”

Cheon Do-ja, who had been quietly handling the black stones, nodded as if his thoughts had been organized.

“Personal grudges are just personal grudges, unrelated to organizational grudges. But… does Young Master Seol think that child who just left will be able to settle her grudge against our Blood Lineage Division’s Head?”

I answered without a moment’s hesitation.

“Yes.”

“…Hmm… Difficult. Really difficult.”

Cheon Do-ja’s eyes gleamed sharply.

“Just who are you?”

“I am a Polar Descendant of the Ten Thousand Year Snow Palace. I’m called Hyeon Seol-rin and currently serve as the General Commander of Yang-ryeong.”

Cheon Do-ja burst into hearty laughter.

“Heh… heh heh heh heh… That sounds like you’re saying you don’t want to tell me.”

“Weren’t you someone who had no interest in worldly affairs?”

“You know me well.”

“If you found out too early, it would become boring again.”

“Hmm… But what if I judge that it’s better to know now?”

“If such judgment arises, then I would have misjudged you.”

“Heh heh… Interesting. Really interesting.”

I met Cheon Do-ja’s eyes.

“I’d like to make a wager.”

“A wager?”

“Yes.”

Cheon Do-ja, who seemed to be thinking deeply, spoke as if tossing out the words.

“When you played games with Wang Mu-ha of Geum Do-gi-hyeop and others, you apparently said this: that you didn’t particularly need anything, so if they thought of something later, they should take care of it then. Is that right?”

“Yes.”

“Then are you thinking of wagering the same thing with me?”

He shook his head.

“I have something specific I want from you, Elder Cheon.”

“What would that be.”

“First, there are two things.”

“…Two things…”

“Yes. Two requests. If I lose, I’ll tell you who I am and everything I’m hiding. But if I win, you must grant my two requests without fail.”

“Hehe… One thing versus two things, isn’t that unfair? Especially when you’ve brought such a gift.”

“You must consider the difference in our positions and levels of mastery. I’m a junior far below you, while Elder Cheon is already someone who resides in the heavens, are you not.”

“That doesn’t sound bad to hear.”

“What will you do?”

Cheon Do-ja smiled and placed a black stone in the very center.

“Let’s do it. A wager game of baduk.”

“Good.”

I also picked up a white stone and placed it down.

In my previous life, I learned baduk from this man.

I wanted to resemble this man, and I pursued the path he walked.

Today.

I intend to try defeating this man.

* * *

Thunk.

Woon-hwi’s white stone settled in the upper right corner. Cheon Do-ja placed a black stone in the lower left corner without the slightest hesitation. Following that, Woon-hwi’s white stone went to the upper left corner, and Cheon Do-ja’s black stone to the lower right corner.

As stones were exchanged without particular words, only the sound of stones touching wood echoed in the residence. Thunk, thunk, thunk.

After twenty moves, a smile appeared on Cheon Do-ja’s lips.

“Hehe… Who did Young Master Seol learn baduk from?”

Woon-hwi briefly fingered a white stone before answering.

“I learned from my other father, who exists in this world yet does not exist.”

“Another father…”

An interested light flashed in Cheon Do-ja’s eyes.

“Young Master Seol’s baduk resembles mine. As if… like someone who has watched me play for decades.”

Woon-hwi silently placed a white stone near the center. It was positioned to threaten three of Cheon Do-ja’s black stones.

“Even with this move?”

Cheon Do-ja’s eyes narrowed.

“Oh my… This move is…”

He stopped speaking and fell into thought for a moment. Though he had played baduk his entire life, this was the first time he felt pressured. His black stones were already in a precarious situation.

“Hehe… Truly remarkable insight at such a young age.”

Woon-hwi looked at Cheon Do-ja expressionlessly.

“I am merely placing stones.”

At Woon-hwi’s sharp gaze, Cheon Do-ja truly felt this moment was so very ‘happy’.

“The stone is very sharp, but couldn’t I escape like this?”

The black stone Cheon Do-ja placed completely reversed the momentum on the go board.

“I had hoped you wouldn’t place it there, but you truly live up to being the Central Plains’ greatest player.”

“Hehehe… I merely escaped. More importantly, I lost one territory… Now I must take two of Young Master Seol’s territories using this stone as a base.”

“Please take them. But you’ll have to give up other territory in return.”

“Hehehe…”

Quietly, Woon-hwi placed a stone, and Cheon Do-ja also placed a stone.

As they passed forty moves, the situation on the go board became even more complex.

Cheon Do-ja’s black stones formed powerful territory on the left and center, while Woon-hwi’s white stones built solid positions on the top and right.

To anyone watching, it looked evenly matched.

Cheon Do-ja, who had been thinking for a moment.

“If I place this stone…”

Saying this, he placed a black stone in the upper center.

“Here, what would you do?”

It was excellent and sharp.

At this moment, seven of Woon-hwi’s white stones were in danger.

In human terms, at least seven hundred people were facing a crisis of death.

Frankly speaking, when Woon-hwi played baduk, he didn’t just think of ‘stones’.

Though he spoke of placing stones, in reality he was placing people.

This was Cheon Do-ja’s teaching.

The simple teaching that one must see stones as people and people as stones to move this world and notice the world’s changes eventually became an enormous enlightenment.

Comparing one stone to a hundred people was all too appropriate.

Nevertheless, Woon-hwi’s gaze did not waver.

As if he had already anticipated that move, he placed a white stone in the center right.

At that moment, Cheon Do-ja’s eyes widened greatly.

“…Hmm…?”

It was a strange move.

Should I say there was no reason for this move to be placed here.

A move that shouldn’t be made.

What people commonly call a self-destructive move, it was clearly that…

Why such a move?

“Hmm…”

Cheon Do-ja, who had been quietly thinking over and over, suddenly burst into laughter.

“Ah… Hahahaha! How can this be! How did you think of such a move? This is really… Hehe… Oh hehehehehe…”

One had to look at the entire go board anew to read the true intention of that move.

Should I say it was a truly unthinkable move.

“This one… here… and this one here…”

Cheon Do-ja muttering thus was smiling, but his eyes were cold and his brain was spinning madly.

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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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