Survival Guide for the Reincarnated - Chapter 281

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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 281
Seol Woon-hwi let out a hollow laugh.
“It seems discussions have already taken place behind the scenes, as you say, Alliance Leader.”
“Yes. It appears so. Beyond the nine sects turning their blades toward us, the situation within our own ranks is far from normal.”
“By within, you mean…?”
“Our jurisdiction. The four regions that were managed by the four deceased Cheonsu-sa, and now even the Imperial Court of Woon-guk has stepped in.”
It was predictable.
Among the Five Great Sword Sects, the Ihwageomseonchong had pressured the Imperial Court of Woon-guk.
Looking at the situation alone, it was simple.
A complete mess.
A candle that would be snuffed out by the slightest breeze.
That was the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance now.
“And it’s said that the Young Cheonsu-sa of the Suncheon Sword Sect is consolidating the sects of Aesun County and urging withdrawal from the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance.”
Seol Woon-hwi nodded.
I had suspected something was being plotted when they didn’t show their face at the event.
So I had Manager Seong investigate separately, and discovered they were already carrying out orders received directly from the Suncheon Sword Sect.
A sigh escaped me.
Truly, there were far too many people in the Murim who couldn’t understand even when things were explained to them.
“We are already in the same boat. I have assumed the position of Alliance Leader, and the Great Hero Seol has now taken the position of Heavenly Righteousness Arbiter, so let us work together to find solutions. Is there perhaps a method that could resolve all these matters?”
To Mae Wi-dong, whose eyes held subtle expectation, Seol Woon-hwi spoke decisively.
“Setting aside the matter of So Ye-hwa, I honestly didn’t expect the Divine Slaughter Sword Sect and the Heart Demon Dao Gate to interfere ‘now.'”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. From the perspective of the Hondo Maryeom Palace, the Suncheon Sword Sect, and the Black Heaven Demon Prison Palace, since they had already secured solid footholds in the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance, I thought they would keep their distance even if bound together as one organization. But it seems I was mistaken in that regard.”
Mae Wi-dong’s pupils gleamed with light.
From Seol Woon-hwi’s words, he sensed that there was a ‘solution’ of sorts.
That intuition was not wrong.
“First, I will organize the internal situation.”
“How so?”
“First, I intend to have a conversation with the Imperial Court of Woon-guk.”
“Hmm…”
“And I will also place new people in each of the four vacant cities.”
“Do you have suitable candidates?”
“I do. I will compile a list and report it to you shortly.”
Watching Mae Wi-dong nod, I continued.
“And we must also fill the vacant positions among the six Elders, must we not?”
To reiterate, the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance now exists in name only.
Beyond how cold the winds blowing from outside were, far too many had died alongside the previous Alliance Leader, Ye Won-je.
Originally, the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance had six Elders in total, but they all perished as well, so the military force that could be called such in the Main Alliance consisted only of four martial artists who had reached the Four Stages of Heaven and Earth, and approximately fifty martial artists who had reached the Flame Qi Four Stages.
“I have looked into a few candidates, but I remain skeptical.”
“What of the Cheonin Palzwa?”
Mae Wi-dong flinched at those words.
“…Will they come?”
“If the Alliance Leader permits it, I will attempt to persuade at least three of them.”
“Three of them…”
Mae Wi-dong, who had been thinking for a moment, listed the names.
“Dok Go-hyeon, Yu Jeong-hyeok of the Suncheon Sword Sect, and Mo Sa-hyeong of the Han Cheol Sword Sect.”
Mae Wi-dong gazed at Seol Woon-hwi with serious eyes.
“These three would become a great strength for the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance.”
“I will attempt to persuade them.”
“My expectations rest heavily upon you, Heavenly Righteousness Arbiter.”
“I will revitalize it.”
Seol Woon-hwi rose from his seat.
“I intend to begin work immediately.”
“Realizing what one has already conceived is difficult, but I believe the Heavenly Righteousness Arbiter will be fully capable of it.”
Seol Woon-hwi nodded and spoke in a quiet voice.
“And I wish to confirm something.”
“What do you mean?”
“Is it correct that you are entrusting me with full authority?”
Mae Wi-dong’s pupils gleamed.
“That is correct.”
“Then, whatever results emerge, please endure as a pillar of the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance.”
Mae Wi-dong laughed.
“I wish to hear the detailed plan, but that would spoil the enjoyment, so I shall remain silent and persevere.”
“Thank you.”
“I am looking forward to this. Truly.”
Seol Woon-hwi moved.
He intended to begin with Aesun County, where So Ye-hwa served as Cheonsu-sa.
* * *
Im Sang, the County Governor of Aesun County, let out a sigh.
“…Is it truly alright for us to do this?”
So Ye-hwa smiled faintly.
“Why? Are you worried?”
“It’s strange that it isn’t forbidden…independence from the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance…”
When an event was held at the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance, there was one person who was uniquely absent—and that was So Ye-hwa.
Despite holding the position of Cheonsu-sa, she had been absent, and in such circumstances, she was even plotting to withdraw from the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance.
This was truly a grave matter, yet Im Sang, the County Governor, had decided to share the same boat as So Ye-hwa.
This was absolutely not an action undertaken without foundation.
“Do not worry…”
So Ye-hwa stopped speaking.
As her gaze turned to the side, she sprang from her seat and drew the sword from her waist.
This was only natural.
Crash—!!
Because I felt Seol Woon-hwi’s presence as he burst through the door, shattering it to pieces.
And behind him stood Manager Seong and Han Mu-rin.
So Ye-hwa’s brow furrowed sharply.
“What kind of outrageous behavior is this!”
At So Ye-hwa’s cry, Seol Woon-hwi let out a soft laugh.
“Senior So Ye-hwa. It seems you’ve grown far too accustomed to accepting the courtesy I extended to you at the Cheon-ui Jeon.”
“…What?”
Seol Woon-hwi kicked off from his seat.
Seeing this, So Ye-hwa, her brow creased, immediately drew her sword and swung it.
It was not an attack born of killing intent, but rather a restraint to intercept Seol Woon-hwi’s charge.
Crash—!!
Seol Woon-hwi’s palm, striking upward from below, sent her sword flying skyward.
Immediately, Seol Woon-hwi’s foot stirred the ground.
There was no time for her to do anything.
Space opened between So Ye-hwa and Seol Woon-hwi.
It was far too wide.
Seol Woon-hwi’s eyes gleamed.
Tathagata Divine Palm.
Boom—!!
The moment Seol Woon-hwi’s palm touched So Ye-hwa’s solar plexus, she flew backward and crashed into the wall.
Cough.
The sheer volume of blood she spewed forth made it clear the injury was severe or worse.
Seol Woon-hwi spoke quietly.
“Manager Seong.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“Bring her along.”
Manager Seong smiled inwardly as he watched Seol Woon-hwi straighten his robes with composure.
Seol Woon-hwi’s growth rate was beyond words.
Now he could suppress someone like So Ye-hwa—who had only recently ascended to the Divine Transformation Realm—within two moves, let alone anything else.
Manager Seong immediately seized So Ye-hwa by the hair as she lay on the ground and hurled her before Seol Woon-hwi.
Seol Woon-hwi brushed his hair back and sat down quietly.
“It is an honor to meet you for the first time, County Governor Im.”
Im Sang swallowed hard.
“I am Seol Woon-hwi of the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance.”
“I… am pleased to… meet you… I am Im Sang.”
Seol Woon-hwi regarded Im Sang in silence for a moment. His gaze was so cold that Im Sang felt as though he had been drenched in ice water, though he realized only slightly too late what that sensation truly was.
It was fear.
Fear of another, by nature, stands out most acutely in situations where one dreads suffering harm at their hands, and such was Im Sang’s condition.
Breaking the silence, Seol Woon-hwi continued speaking.
“I hear you’ve taken a hand in something quite entertaining.”
“…That… is….”
“I understand. As an official, you couldn’t ignore the Imperial Court’s will or the prestige of the O Dae Geom-jong.”
Im Sang found himself unable to answer easily.
Seol Woon-hwi looked down at So Ye-hwa, who lay collapsed on the ground, groaning.
“I can comprehend it. Who wouldn’t endure such a vicious woman’s scheming without succumbing to it? However…”
Seol Woon-hwi’s eyes turned cold.
“Do you truly believe it will succeed?”
“…What… are you asking?”
Why had So Ye-hwa tried to make Aesun County independent?
Nothing in this world happens without reason.
No matter how implausible or absurd it may seem, there is always a reason behind it.
“I don’t know the specific name, but did you truly believe that a force uniting the O Dae Geom-jong and Sa-ma Oe-jong could possibly replace the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance?”
Im Sang’s eyes widened.
“How… could… you know…?”
“It’s obvious.”
There was no need to explain it in such detail.
“The O Dae Geom-jong and Sa-ma Oe-jong answered the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance’s call because there are many scraps to be had here. But now friction has arisen with the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance. What choice do you think ordinary martial artists would make in such a situation?”
“….”
“Especially for organizations of the caliber of the O Dae Geom-jong and Sa-ma Oe-jong, they have justification on their side, so their intentions will inevitably converge on one thing.”
Seol Woon-hwi withdrew Divine Ginseng Smoke from his robes and inhaled it.
One thing.
It was far too simple.
“Erasing the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance from the world and establishing a new organization in its place.”
So Ye-hwa, who had been writhing on the ground, opened her eyes wide.
She spoke in a suppressed voice.
“…The Nine Gate Society.”
Seol Woon-hwi let out a soft laugh.
“Five sword sects and four martial sects, thus the Nine Gate Society?”
So Ye-hwa rose from her position, trembling.
“…That’s right.”
Seol Woon-hwi lit the Divine Ginseng Smoke and regarded So Ye-hwa quietly.
She was raising her sword with trembling hands, but he felt no inclination to respond.
Manager Seong, standing behind Seol Woon-hwi, exhaled a sigh and drew his hidden dagger. The moment So Ye-hwa moved, her head would fly skyward.
“An example is necessary, but there’s something I need to extract first.”
“…What?”
“So please, remain still if you wish not to increase your debt.”
It was just as So Ye-hwa, her expression bewildered, was about to say something.
The door burst open.
I turned my head. There was a man before me, and behind him, dozens of armed men and women had drawn their weapons, aiming them in my direction.
Judging by their attire, they were unmistakably from the Suncheon Sword Sect.
That was when it happened.
The man who had opened the door approached me with long strides, then dropped to one knee.
Manager Seong’s expression turned puzzled, and So Ye-hwa’s brow furrowed.
“What are you doing right now—”
The man cut off her words.
“It is an honor to meet you. I am Woo Hwang-seok, a First Generation Disciple of the Suncheon Sword Sect.”
“I see. Though I suspect this is not our first meeting.”
“….”
“On the first day the envoy groups gathered at the Cheon-ui Jeon, our eyes met, did they not?”
“…I am embarrassed. That you would remember such a thing.”
I needed to address this matter.
Who was Woo Hwang-seok?
This required delving into the past—there was a time when I was at Yang-ryeong that Seol Ho-ryeong, the eldest of the Polar Descendants, had come to meet me.
At that time, Seol Ho-ryeong had tried to give me a Great Restoration Pill, and the source of that pill was none other than Woo Hwang-seok.
Woo Hwang-seok had been the champion of the Dragon Phoenix Gathering held by the Martial Alliance, and Seol Ho-ryeong had obtained the item from him with a modest sum of money and a promise of future assistance in whatever form it might take.
No matter how I considered it.
The fact that I owed a debt to Seol Ho-ryeong, the Young Palace Lord of the Ten Thousand Year Snow Palace, was troublesome in many ways.
The very reason I had not killed So Ye-hwa was because of this.

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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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