Survival Guide for the Reincarnated - Chapter 26
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 26
Chapter 1
I had said everything I needed to say.
There was nothing more to say and time was precious.
“I pray you will make a wise choice.”
I struck Seol Woon-hae’s jaw directly.
Crack—!
With the sound of impact, Seol Woon-hae’s body collapsed.
He was completely unconscious.
After standing up from my seat, I spoke in a quiet voice.
“Come out now.”
As soon as those words ended, a man dropped down from the sky.
Though his speed was tremendous, when he touched the ground there was no sound, as if a feather had fallen.
When one reaches the Five Realms of Martial God, they can manipulate Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy, and that was a typical example.
Ordinary martial artists cannot even sense a master of the Five Realms of Martial God walking, let alone dare to notice them.
Those who exist yet do not exist.
That is what the Five Realms of Martial God is.
The man’s appearance was overall ‘ordinary’.
His hair length was moderate, his body was moderate, and his arm and leg lengths were all too moderate. Even the aura and look in his eyes felt ordinary.
Because everything was ordinary, it was rather alien.
Rather than a martial artist, he was more like an assassin.
This man was the head of the White Command Guard, Hyeon Sim.
His realm was Limitless Divine Manifestation, the second stage of the Five Realms of Martial God.
At least here in the Ten Thousand Year Snow Palace, he was a man who could compete with Vice Palace Lord Yang Seol-jin.
That’s right.
The phrase ‘strongest among the strong’ is used for times like this.
He looked at Seol Woon-hae whose limbs were shattered, then looked at me. His gaze was also ordinary.
“You went too far.”
Even his voice was ordinary.
I stared at him quietly and asked.
“Where was it?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m asking where Poison Snake Valley had made their nest.”
“It was Ice White Gorge.”
I see.
“Did you eliminate them?”
Hyeon Sim answered immediately.
“They all committed suicide.”
“Did you let them commit suicide, or were you careless?”
“…That’s a very strange question.”
“There’s nothing strange about it. It’s a straightforward question. Did you let them, or were you careless?”
“I was careless.”
I looked at him quietly. Careless…
“The Cold Spirit Warriors and Twelve Cold Spirits must have all mobilized, yet you overestimated them too much.”
Hyeon Sim’s eyes twitched.
He was not a fool.
According to ‘my memory’, he was quick-witted and had exceptional mental agility.
Having noticed the intent behind my words, he spoke with a slightly displeased tone.
“Are you suspecting the White Command Guard?”
I sheathed the sword I had drawn and asked.
“You were watching from the sky. Am I right?”
“That’s correct.”
“In case something unexpected happened, you would have watched from a point where you could see Ice White Gorge, Cold Spirit Peak, and Clear Cold Valley all at once. I don’t think that was a wrong judgment, but at least this time you were mistaken.”
“…You still haven’t answered my question. Do you suspect the White Command Guard?”
“Is there a reason not to?”
“…”
“I didn’t know that. You have the talent of asking pointless questions when the answer is obvious.”
“…Why is that so?”
“Poison Snake Valley is certainly an excellent sect. Being a branch of the Origin Blood Sect, there’s nothing more to say. But they infiltrated the territory under Ten Thousand Year Snow Palace’s influence far too naturally.”
“…”
“Do you think it makes sense that no one noticed?”
“…”
“The White Command Guard is an organization that protects the Ten Thousand Year Snow Palace. But you see, the enemies of Ten Thousand Year Snow Palace aren’t only outside. They’re also ‘inside’.”
Hyeon Sim’s eyes sparkled.
“You seem to know something. Am I mistaken?”
“Well. You might not know what I know, but if you can’t even sense it, isn’t that neglect of duty?”
“Are you reproaching me?”
“Yes. I am reproaching you.”
At my words, Hyeon Sim spoke as if throwing out the words.
“Shouldn’t you suspect the Baekseol Wiryeong Dan rather than the White Command Guard?”
“I am suspicious of them, but at least regarding this Poison Snake Valley infiltration incident, the White Command Guard’s fault is greater.”
“…”
“I understand that Ice White Gorge is included in the White Command Guard’s patrol area. Isn’t that right?”
Hyeon Sim let out a sigh.
“That’s correct. This incident is certainly the White Command Guard’s fault.”
He was a man who knew how to admit his mistakes.
Such a man seemed to realize the sense of unease he had been missing in our conversation, and blinked for a moment.
“…This is truly strange.”
“What do you mean?”
“Why aren’t you afraid?”
A smile formed on my lips.
A certain moment from the past came to mind.
Covered in blood, as soon as he saw me, he prostrated himself and said this.
-…I greet Lord Hyeon Seol-rin.
When I asked why he called me Hyeon Seol-rin when I had long since left the Ten Thousand Year Snow Palace.
-Now you are the only bloodline I can serve.
From his blood-covered appearance, I read the downfall of the Ten Thousand Year Snow Palace.
His right arm, which had once been the very embodiment of the White Command Guard’s dignity, was brutally broken, and his energy center was already destroyed.
-The Ten Thousand Year Snow Palace is no longer the Ten Thousand Year Snow Palace of those days.
He spoke with a voice filled with deep despair.
-Yang Seol-jin’s tyranny has made not only the Snow Palace sick, but even Snow Mountain itself. Everyone… everyone is dead.
Cough, he spat blood.
-The White Command Guard has been disbanded and all positions have been replaced with Yang Seol-jin’s lackeys. Not a single one of the existing White Command Guard warriors… survived.
The loyal retainer of Snow Mountain, the last survivor of the White Command Guard, bowed his head before me.
-Please… take revenge.
Even while spitting blood, he did not raise his head.
“This Hyeon Sim… is a disloyal body who failed to protect Lord Seol and the Ten Thousand Year Snow Palace. But this one last wish…”
His final words were ultimately buried in blood.
But it was alright.
I reached out and lightly touched his shoulder.
“I was already planning to destroy it.”
At my answer, the loyal retainer of Snow Mountain raised his head and shed tears.
And thus, he met his end.
Even then, his tears still held burning loyalty toward the Ten Thousand Year Snow Palace.
He had risked his life running to protect noble values, but ultimately faced defeat at the end.
Even though he could have fled to a place where there was nowhere to seek help.
He did not turn away and thought only of revenge until the moment of his death.
Hyeon Sim is that kind of man.
I raised my head to look at the current Hyeon Sim.
He asked if I wasn’t afraid.
He is at the Five Realms of Martial God, and I am merely at the Flame Qi Four Stages.
Normally, when an ordinary martial artist sees an existence with such a gap in realm, they should be afraid. Even if the position of Polar Descendants is equivalent to crown princes of a nation, there is a difference in aura itself, so the body unconsciously reacts.
However, that’s the case for ordinary people, and I am an exception.
“Do you think I should be afraid?”
“…I did receive reports that you had changed a lot, but I didn’t know it would be to this extent. And when you drew your hidden dagger earlier, I saw traces of the Ghost Soul Single Dagger Technique. What happened?”
As I’ve said repeatedly, the Flash Void Single Needle Technique I use is originally an improved version of the hidden blade technique from Ghost Soul Gate, an assassin organization connected to the Origin Blood Sect.
I had no intention of hiding it from the beginning, but he was certainly befitting of a master at the Five Realms of Martial God.
I answered his question.
“Do I need to explain?”
“You don’t have to. I just want to continue that conversation from earlier.”
Hyeon Sim is indeed a loyal retainer.
If he learns that an ‘enemy’ of the Ten Thousand Year Snow Palace is in the position of Vice Palace Lord, he would probably take action immediately.
But that’s not my way.
And there was the most important problem.
Why exactly did father die?
Officially, father died of illness.
Father’s death being ‘illness’ – a supreme master among masters who had reached the fourth realm of the Five Realms of Martial God, Great Void Formless, and could easily compete for being the best under heaven.
This was too strange.
So I had conducted my own investigation in my previous life.
Though various factors were mixed together, to conclude: the moment he was ascending to Primordial Sole Existence, inner demons came and he fell into Qi Deviation, and though he recuperated for about a year, he could not recover.
Then he naturally passed away, which is why the official cause of death was illness.
This is something I can resolve.
But the biggest problem is how Yang Seol-jin devoured the Snow Palace.
No matter how laughable the Snow Palace might seem, it’s too large for just one person named Yang Seol-jin to devour.
There are collaborators.
Both outside and inside.
The important ones are outside.
As for the inside, I know from my previous life who assisted Yang Seol-jin, and who didn’t oppose Yang Seol-jin becoming Palace Lord – I know the complete list of all those people.
In their case, there’s no reason to move right now.
When the ‘time’ comes, I can sweep them all away at once.
If I move now, the Snow Palace’s power would be too greatly weakened.
As I said repeatedly, the important ones are outside.
And this must be made clear – it’s not the Origin Blood Sect.
And it’s not the Blood Cult’s branches either.
It’s likely those heavy-assed hypocrite bastards up in the sky, but even that isn’t certain.
Looking at Hyeon Sim, I said.
“I wish for the Ten Thousand Year Snow Palace to be eternal.”
“That’s the same for me as well.”
“Then from now on, please don’t ask anything and grant me two requests.”
“…Do you think this situation is right?”
“It will be right.”
“…Fine. I’ll listen for now.”
Since he says he’ll listen, I’ll tell him.
“First, thoroughly control the White Command Guard. There will be people who have been recruited by outsiders, or people who came from outside. You must sweep through everyone starting from the bottom ranks to root them out.”
Though it’s a patrol area, if it was unintentionally, really accidentally overlooked, it could be passed over with severe disciplinary action.
But if they’re spies, the story is different.
Really, very different.
That’s why Hyeon Sim is asking like this.
“There are spies in the White Command Guard? Are you certain?”
“Yes.”
“Do you have evidence?”
“No.”
“…I heard that when you said Poison Snake Valley had infiltrated the Ten Thousand Year Snow Palace, you also said you had no evidence. Is this the same as that?”
“Yes.”
“Fine. What’s the second?”
“Who is currently assisting father?”
“The Vice Palace Lord.”
“Does the Vice Palace Lord assist alone?”
“Usually, yes.”
“Then please assist as well, General.”
“…Your words are quite strange.”
I smiled.
“There’s nothing strange about it. Two people assisting would be better than one person assisting. Frankly speaking, if the Vice Palace Lord harbors other intentions, the only person who can stop that is you, General.”
“…Do you suspect the Vice Palace Lord?”
“It’s not necessarily because I suspect him.”
With clear eyes, I continued speaking.
“Greed is something that cannot be dared to be controlled, so when one sees something they cannot have, they want it even more. And those who realize such desires usually tend to reach into forbidden territory.”
Hyeon Sim’s eyes deepened.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————