Survival Guide for the Reincarnated - Chapter 257

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 257
Hwa Mu-ryeong glanced sideways.
Behind one of the pillars supporting the Cheon Ryong Palace, Manager Seong was pouring out every ounce of energy he could muster.
But Hwa Mu-ryeong knew.
Before Manager Seong could even move, this young brat before her would do something.
And whatever it was, it would be fatal.
“…Fine. Since you’ve come this far, I suppose I should play along. Go ahead, speak.”
* * *
I opened my mouth quietly.
“There was a man. For over fifty years, he lived as the Vice Sect Leader of the Hondo Maryeom Palace, but approximately twenty years ago, he retired from the Murim and withdrew from the world.”
Hwa Mu-ryeong’s brow furrowed sharply, but I ignored it.
“This man had exactly three people he could trust. One is Shin Ju-eon, the Flame Sword Sovereign, who still holds the position of Palace Lord of the Hondo Maryeom Palace. Another is his only daughter and a martial artist of the Divine Transformation Realm—Hwa Mu-ryeong, the Crimson Flame Lord.”
And.
“Blood Shadow Divine Lord Dong Yu-seong.”
“…”
“The man who had retired passed his position as Vice Sect Leader to Blood Shadow Divine Lord, who had been his disciple. Because Shin Ju-eon trusted him, he did not prevent Blood Shadow Divine Lord from ascending to that position and accepted it. Ten years passed like this.”
“…”
“Intelligence arrived that Dong Yu-seong had orchestrated a rebellion, and Shin Ju-eon moved as if fulfilling a promise. He first slaughtered all those who followed Dong Yu-seong and killed his family.”
I quietly poured wine into a cup.
“Yes. All those who believed in and followed Dong Yu-seong died in a single day. I don’t know the detailed circumstances, but I can make an educated guess. To Shin Ju-eon, Dong Yu-seong had become a threat. He was eliminated to maintain the system. If I know Shin Ju-eon at all, he is certainly the type to do such a thing. He finds it easier to use his fists than his head, so whenever he schemes, his flaws become glaringly obvious. Just like now.”
Hwa Mu-ryeong stared at me in silence.
“But there was one person who survived alone. Someone Dong Yu-seong trusted and actively recommended for an Elder position. Yes. It was you, Senior.”
Hwa Mu-ryeong’s hand trembled slightly.
“You must have watched Dong Yu-seong die right before your eyes. There was nothing you could do. Yet you didn’t lend your hand to Shin Ju-eon’s schemes either. You were clearly Dong Yu-seong’s person. But how did you survive?”
It was far too simple.
“Though Shin Ju-eon is foolish, he understands gratitude and grudges. Having received numerous favors from ‘him,’ the previous Vice Sect Leader before Dong Yu-seong, Shin Ju-eon simply could not bring himself to kill you. But he didn’t kill you only—he refused to trust you.”
Hwa Mu-ryeong drank her wine in silence.
“Despite being in the Divine Transformation Realm, after losing your position as an Elder, you were confined to a corner of the Hondo Maryeom Palace, serving as an instructor. Only after the Dark Flame Demonic Hand, Woo Rin, the Unit Leader of the Hwasung Division, died did you take that position, and shortly after, you participated in the reconstruction of the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance. This is because Shin Ju-eon finally accepted your ‘loyalty’ to the Hondo Maryeom Palace all those years.”
Before Hwa Mu-ryeong could say anything.
“That’s how it would be known.”
“…”
“In all the stories I’ve told you so far, the most important element is one person.”
“One person?”
“Someone Shin Ju-eon could never bring himself to kill because he owed him favors many times over. Your father, and the man who recommended Dong Yu-seong as Vice Sect Leader.”
“…”
“Flame King Hwa Mu-nyeom.”
Hwa Mu-ryeong’s brow furrowed.
“…You’ve done quite the investigation. There are things even the Beggar Sect doesn’t know.”
“Among those who serve as my hands and feet, there are many who deal in information. Do not assume the Beggar Sect is everything.”
“…So what’s the conclusion of this conversation? My father retired from the Murim long ago, and I’m still a person of the Hondo Maryeom Palace. What does this have to do with Dong Yu-seong’s son…”
“You must want revenge.”
Hwa Mu-ryeong flinched.
“I admire your persistence, Senior, for enduring all these years while waiting for your opportunity.”
“…That’s strange talk. Why would I seek revenge? I am loyal to Hondo Maryeom Palace…”
“There are three things in this world that must never be underestimated. Among them, the one holding the highest value is human emotion.”
“…”
“You harbored secret affection for Dong Yu-seong.”
Hwa Mu-ryeong shot to her feet.
Her face flushed red and pale in turns, and the intent to strike me down right then and there flickered across her features, yet I paid it no mind.
“They say that when a woman harbors resentment, frost falls even in the fifth and sixth months.”
“…Don’t spout nonsense. Why would I harbor affection for Dong Yu-seong? He’s already dead from the rebellion. What I want is Dong Yu-seong’s youngest son. If ‘Han Mu-rin’ were alive, I would go kill him at once and present his head to the Palace Lord as a token of loyalty to gain better martial arts and better spirit medicine. And here I thought the Ten Thousand Year Snow Palace’s genius was something special, but this is all you amount to?”
I listened without interrupting, then let out a soft laugh.
“Are you aware that the Flame King is conducting activities in the shadows?”
“…What?”
“It seems you haven’t made contact yet, but he remains quite active and will likely reach out soon, so if you have questions, you can ask him then. For now, focus only on what I’m telling you.”
“…So what’s your conclusion?”
“Han Mu-rin is alive.”
“…Han?”
“He used his mother’s surname as a disguise, I’m told. Let me speak plainly. Han Mu-rin’s purpose is to annihilate Hondo Maryeom Palace, and I will annihilate Hondo Maryeom Palace for my people. Join us, Senior.”
Hwa Mu-ryeong said nothing for a long while.
It was Hwa Mu-ryeong who broke the silence that had settled.
“…Today, I heard nothing.”
“I understand.”
“For the conclusion you desire to come to pass, I must see ‘him’ with my own eyes.”
I gazed at Hwa Mu-ryeong without speaking.
“Unless I confirm it with these eyes, there is no alliance or any such thing. Do you understand?”
“I understand perfectly.”
As Hwa Mu-ryeong turned to leave, I tossed out a final remark.
“I will send a letter soon.”
Hwa Mu-ryeong paused and looked back at me.
“I will receive your answer through action.”
“…You’re a dangerous one. Strange too.”
“I cannot see you out. My health is not as good as it appears.”
Hwa Mu-ryeong gazed at me in silence, then turned and departed from my residence.
Only then did Manager Seong approach me.
“Is it… true?”
“What are you referring to?”
“You said she harbored affection? If I’m not mistaken, Hwa Mu-ryeong is…”
“She’s forty-two this year.”
“The Flame King had his daughter late. But then… Dong Yu-seong died ten years ago…”
“She was thirty-two. Han Mu-rin was only eight at the time.”
“The ages don’t match, do they?”
I shook my head.
“The connection between Dong Yu-seong, Hwa Mu-nyeom, and Hwa Mu-ryeong is not a twenty-year bond. It’s a connection that has persisted far longer than that.”
“….”
“From Dong Yu-seong’s perspective, Hwa Mu-ryeong was nothing more than a younger sister. While he married, bore children, guided them, and devoted himself to Hondo Maryeom Palace, Hwa Mu-ryeong could only watch from the shadows.”
The information Seo Hyo had sent covertly contained considerable details—intelligence even the Beggar Sect was unaware of.
“Not once did Hwa Mu-ryeong ever leave Dong Yu-seong’s side, or so I’m told.”
Beyond that, there were numerous other pieces of evidence.
Though not something I needed to voice aloud, approximately eleven years ago, the relationship between Hwa Mu-ryeong and Dong Yu-seong had fractured once.
The matter was simple: one night, Hwa Mu-ryeong made an advance on Dong Yu-seong, and he refused her.
After that, they turned away from each other—a separation that lasted a full year.
This information had never been known to the world.
According to Seo Hyo, it was classified in the highest-grade archives of Cheon Lim, which suggested several things.
The Palace Lord of Hondo Maryeom Palace had kept Hwa Mu-ryeong alive partly out of deference to the Flame King, but also because he had witnessed firsthand that the relationship between Hwa Mu-ryeong and Dong Yu-seong was not favorable.
And there was the matter of ‘someone’ within Cheon Lim who knew of Muk Se-hoe’s existence and was concealing their movements.
No matter how I examined it, Cheon Lim and Muk Se-hoe were separate organizations.
Even if they shared the same objectives, they were absolutely not the same entity.
This pointed to one conclusion.
Within both organizations existed Yu Cheong’s trusted subordinates, and those subordinates were coordinating the movements and future directions of both groups.
Layered upon each other—doubly, triply bound.
To exert influence over the Central Plains while confined to the Origin Blood Sect, this was the only way.
Only through such arrangements could everything move within my grasp.
That trusted subordinate was unlikely to be Jang I-cheong.
In the case of Ihwageomseonchong, it would have to be someone of the rank of sect leader or vice sect leader, and for Muk Se-hoe, it would need to be a vice leader or the leader themselves.
The Flame King was unlikely to be that person.
That left only one possibility.
The leader of Muk Se-hoe, whom I had never laid eyes upon, was orchestrating things behind the scenes to ensure the movements of Muk Se-hoe and Cheon Lim did not collide.
If I were to remove him, what would happen then?
Could I seize control of Muk Se-hoe?
In any case.
This conversation with Hwa Mu-ryeong had confirmed my suspicions.
Hwa Mu-ryeong had admired Dong Yu-seong all along, and from the moment she witnessed his death, she had sworn vengeance.
It was regret. It was remorse.
Manager Seong, who had been scratching his head, asked me a question.
“…Will you arrange a direct meeting with Han Mu-rin?”
I fell silent for a moment before speaking.
“I must arrange it. I need to prepare, and above all, there are many considerations for annihilating Hondo Maryeom Palace.”
I continued quietly, looking at Manager Seong.
“If I have multiple cards I can play, I can achieve not merely minimal damage, but the optimal outcome.”
“…Isn’t your mind growing weary, Young Master?”
I let out a soft chuckle.
There was much to consider, but this much was manageable.
For my people, and for myself.
That Flame King Hwa Mu-nyeom hailed from the Mixed Path Demon Flame Palace, and that his sole daughter was Hwa Mu-ryeong.
This was a card I could play to great effect.
I rose slowly from my seat.
“I will begin the final stage of the Tri-Sage Frozen Flame Seal. Ensure that all access to my residence is strictly controlled.”
Manager Seong’s eyes widened in alarm.
“What? So suddenly? Shouldn’t you rest a bit longer…?”
“I have rested enough.”
Manager Seong released a deep sigh.
Today.
I would complete the Tri-Sage Frozen Flame Seal.

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