Survival Guide for the Reincarnated - Chapter 259

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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 259
“After all, only one person will emerge alive from the Secret Realm, and that one person will monopolize the treasure. It seems an unnecessary situation has been created.”
At Seol Woon-hwi’s seemingly abrupt remark, In Hwa-rang stepped forward.
“I’ve heard quite a bit about the genius young master of Snow Palace’s reputation. Interesting words you speak. Only one person will survive? That means you intend to kill within, yet you state it so openly? Do you expect us to simply stand by? I should kill you right here and now….”
He stopped mid-sentence.
Something felt off. Compared to his reputation as a genius, he seemed far too naive. No, wait.
This wasn’t naivety at all… he had been seen through.
In Hwa-rang let out a cold laugh.
“Impressive. It seems you already know of our secret agreement… or is this merely conjecture?”
“Yes. And now that conjecture has become certainty.”
Both In Hwa-rang and Jeok Yeon-ik burst into laughter.
Why were they waiting for Seol Woon-hwi like this?
It was simple.
They had already joined hands with Jang I-cheong here.
Originally, a Secret Realm doesn’t contain just a single treasure.
If Jang I-cheong takes the treasure at the final gate, and Jeok Yeon-ik and In Hwa-rang take the treasures from the remaining gates,
then ultimately there would be no losers—only victors would exist.
This deal had but one condition.
Kill Seol Woon-hwi before he enters the Secret Realm.
Seol Woon-hwi chuckled softly.
“Whatever promise Senior Jang made, I suggest you consider today simply unlucky and withdraw.”
“…What?”
From the start, Jang I-cheong’s intention to settle matters within the Secret Realm was to avoid public scrutiny.
From Jang I-cheong’s perspective, here on Seong Lim Mountain, there were no witnesses, and there were those whose mouths could be sealed. And if things didn’t go as planned, he could simply kill everyone present.
A master of the Heaven-Human Realm could accomplish such things.
“Small immediate gains often become shackles around one’s ankles.”
Seol Woon-hwi’s gaze remained fixed on Jang I-cheong. Jang I-cheong smiled wickedly.
“Well now, living up to your reputation as a genius young master—you’re trying to drive a wedge between us first. And with mere words, no less.”
Seol Woon-hwi’s eyes narrowed while Jang I-cheong’s smile deepened.
Jang I-cheong’s objective was Seol Woon-hwi’s failure. More than that, to claim all of Seol Woon-hwi’s accomplishments as his own.
For all of that, Jang I-cheong was prepared to do anything.
“How tedious. Truly.”
Jang I-cheong laughed silently.
Seol Woon-hwi turned his head to look at Jeok Yeon-ik and In Hwa-rang.
“Will you not leave?”
“Nonsense. No matter how remarkable you are, you cannot face the Heaven-Human Realm master Jang simultaneously with me in the Divine Transformation Realm and Sect Master Jeok over there. So you’re trying to drive a wedge between us with words, just as Master Jang said.”
This was Jeok Yeon-ik’s words.
“Master Jang, unlike you, is a martial artist of the Righteous Path sect. Would the illustrious Ihwageomseonchong truly speak falsehoods? Our deeds are already known in many places.”
This was In Hwa-rang’s statement.
Tsk.
I clicked my tongue briefly, my gaze turning toward Jang I-cheong.
“You certainly do make things complicated.”
Jang I-cheong didn’t answer, simply shrugging his shoulders quietly.
“I never thought you were someone worthy of respect, but I didn’t expect it to be this bad.”
“….”
“Fine then. Before the gate closes, I’ll indulge you for a moment.”
It was confidence bordering on the shocking.
My physical condition looked terrible to anyone’s eyes, and I didn’t even have Seong Yang-ho, whom I always carried with me, at my side.
What was this unflinching composure all about?
Those present were bewildered by this inexplicable situation, yet they knew what needed to be done.
It was just as everyone except me began drawing their weapons.
“What are you all doing?”
At that thick, commanding voice, everyone’s movements froze.
All eyes turned skyward, and they could see an old man standing leisurely in the empty air.
White hair and a thin frame overall.
Yet the aura emanating from him was unmistakably the Five Realms of Martial God. The spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth pressed down upon them all.
Hwa Mu-nyeom, the Flame King, opened his mouth with a slightly angry tone.
“You understand the importance of this task, yet you insist on settling things outside? Do you all wish to die?”
Jang I-cheong flinched, and I stared at Hwa Mu-nyeom without a word.
“The primary objective is to retrieve the treasures within the Secret Realm, yet you diminish your own value through this ridiculous matter of pride.”
Plainly speaking, this was not directed at me. The proof was that Hwa Mu-nyeom’s gaze was fixed solely on Jang I-cheong.
“Do you think I controlled the surroundings for you to take such risks?”
“…Deputy Leader. This is a matter of honor as a martial artist….”
“Silence.”
The atmosphere was nothing like that moment during our private audience long ago.
Hwa Mu-nyeom was truly angry now. In Hwa-rang and Jeok Yeon-ik, sensing the strange tension, wore puzzled expressions.
“Who exactly is this old master….”
Their curiosity remained unanswered. It couldn’t be answered.
As Hwa Mu-nyeom waved his hand, the two men and all their subordinates began burning.
“Ugh… Ugggghhhhh-!!”
They became ash in an instant.
“Jang I-cheong.”
“…Yes, Deputy Leader.”
“Whether you left Muk Se-hoe and entered Cheon Rim, our purpose remains one.”
“….”
“Though the methods to achieve that purpose may differ, your current actions prioritize your personal desires over the value of that purpose—meaning they are unacceptable under any circumstances.”
“….”
“Don’t become any more pathetic. Since you’ve started, end it like a true martial artist. Do you understand?”
With nothing left to say, Jang I-cheong clenched his teeth. Only his trembling fists spoke to his feelings—but this was entirely of his own making.
After glaring at Hwa Mu-nyeom for a moment, Jang I-cheong turned and entered the Secret Realm.
With only the two men remaining, Hwa Mu-nyeom gazed at Seol Woon-hwi and spoke.
“Did you anticipate this situation?”
“For someone who has ascended to the Heaven-Human Realm, he is a martial artist of rather modest caliber, so I assessed the probability of him attempting some scheme to be quite high.”
“That sounds as though you were certain.”
“Yes.”
“And you were equally certain that someone from the Muk Se-hoe would be present?”
Seol Woon-hwi nodded.
“…So that’s why you came alone?”
If there were people to watch one’s back and others to manage any complications that arose, coming alone would be the correct choice.
Yet that was merely obscuring one’s own insufficiency with something else.
Had he manipulated the Muk Se-hoe, Hwa Mu-nyeom would have been disappointed in Seol Woon-hwi, but he was not that sort of man.
“The reason I came here alone is that it mattered not what Jang I-cheong had prepared.”
Hwa Mu-nyeom’s eyes narrowed.
“It would not have mattered even if those he had recruited were waiting in ambush. Before the Muk Se-hoe could intervene, I had precisely five methods to resolve the situation, and I regret only that I could not demonstrate them to you.”
From his perspective, Seol Woon-hwi’s physical body appeared truly peculiar at this moment.
It seemed as though he had ascended to the Four Stages of Heaven and Earth, yet also as though he had not.
There was a sense that something fundamental was different.
“Jang I-cheong is no trivial opponent. No matter how much you are called a genius, Jang I-cheong has lived fiercely enough to earn the alias of Manhwa Geom-je throughout the Murim. Whether it is the beginning or the end of something, whatever it may be, he schemes with meticulous precision.”
“….”
“Even should he fail, he is the sort who produces results in some manner—are you prepared for that?”
It was subtle.
“It sounds as though you are concerned.”
“You observed well. I am concerned.”
“Is there a reason?”
To that question, Hwa Mu-nyeom did not answer.
“Soon the gate will close. Out of an abundance of caution, I tell you this: Jang I-cheong may retrieve the treasure.”
“That sounds as though you are offering to settle the friction between myself and Jang I-cheong.”
“You saw through it immediately.”
Seol Woon-hwi laughed softly.
“Are you not viewing the friction with Jang I-cheong far too gravely?”
“….”
“No matter how formidable a master of the Heaven-Human Realm may be, when a blade enters the neck, death comes all the same. Senior.”
It was not an incorrect statement.
“So I shall accept only your sentiment.”
Seol Woon-hwi slowly moved his steps toward the entrance of the Secret Realm, and just before entering within.
Hwa Mu-nyeom spoke once more.
“It seems you have bound together my daughter and Yuseong’s youngest son as one…how far are you looking ahead?”
Seol Woon-hwi turned his head.
“Do you wish for an honest answer?”
“I do.”
“I am gazing upon the ‘end’.”
“….”
“My people desire the annihilation of a certain organization. The more cards I hold in my hand, the more I can fulfill my people’s dream.”
Hwa Mu-nyeom’s eyes widened considerably.
Those words meant….
“Yes. The Flame King, of course, and Hwa Mu-ryeong, his one and only daughter, are cards I can use.”
“…Your audacity alone could contain the entire realm. You dare use me, the Flame King, as a card? Me, the Vice-Leader of Muk Se-hoe?”
“Before being the Vice-Leader of Muk Se-hoe, you are Hwa Mu-ryeong’s father. Surely you won’t ignore your daughter’s deepest wish.”
“….”
“If you wish to ignore it, please tell me beforehand. I will exclude your daughter from the plans I am orchestrating.”
A hollow laugh escaped him.
“To exclude my daughter is to bestow a favor upon me… So you’ll use me one way or another?”
Seol Woon-hwi smiled faintly.
“I favor those with keen perception. They don’t require me to repeat myself more than once.”
“….”
“If you desire a deeper conversation, I will arrange a separate meeting after we emerge from the Secret Realm.”
“…It seems you’re planning something dangerous. You’ll need to survive to manage the aftermath—are you confident?”
He glanced briefly toward the Secret Realm.
“It appears to be closing soon. Whether I am confident or not, I will demonstrate to you shortly.”
“….”
“May I go?”
“…Go.”
Seol Woon-hwi entered the Secret Realm without a moment’s hesitation.
Before I could even count to three, the Secret Realm sealed itself completely.
Inside were only Jang I-cheong and Seol Woon-hwi—two souls alone.
Yet the probability of both returning alive was zero.
Only one would emerge.
Hwa Mu-nyeom crossed his arms, and a man approached him and spoke.
“…It has begun, they say.”
“Is that so.”
What had begun was unmistakable.
The battle to determine who would seize hegemony over the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance.
Now, the Ihwa Alliance centered on Jang I-cheong and the Cheon Rak Bu centered on Seol Woon-hwi clashed at Seongchakju.
“Will you not go to observe?”
“I will go. You, take two members of the current unit and wait here for whoever emerges.”

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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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