Survival Guide for the Reincarnated - Chapter 282

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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 282
Woo Hwang-seok spoke with a firm expression.
“I dare to make a request of the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance’s leader. Could you find it in yourself to forgive our Cheonsu Temple Master’s rudeness?”
So Ye-hwa was about to flare up, but Woo Hwang-seok shook his head.
Woo Hwang-seok was no mere first-generation disciple.
The current Sect Master of the Suncheon Sword Sect had three disciples in total, and Woo Hwang-seok was one of them.
In other words, he was a direct lineage disciple of the Sect Master.
Seol Woon-hwi asked him.
“As you well know, I have just begun my first duties as the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance’s leader. It is only proper that I set an example, and the Cheonsu Temple Master’s rudeness provides an excellent justification to demonstrate my resolve not only to the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance but to the entire Murim.”
“…I acknowledge that.”
“But if I were to overlook such rudeness, wouldn’t there need to be an appropriate price for doing so?”
Woo Hwang-seok’s eyes trembled slightly.
Something.
A feeling was coming over him.
When he thought about it, Seol Woon-hwi’s actions all had reasons behind them.
Even if they hadn’t, even if everything had begun from mere coincidence, the result was that he somehow made it his own.
This moment was no different.
Had he known that So Ye-hwa would commit such an act?
Had he, at some meeting long ago, deliberately provoked her to create this stage, to make her commit a hasty mistake?
He didn’t know.
In the end, only one thing came to mind.
Seol Woon-hwi had no qualms about killing So Ye-hwa, and now that the fact that both the O Dae Geom-jong and Sa-ma Oe-jong were attempting to establish a new alliance had been exposed, So Ye-hwa was nothing but a hostage.
He clenched his teeth.
Woo Hwang-seok knew what Seol Woon-hwi wanted.
Woo Hwang-seok had left an indelible debt with Seol Ho-ryeong, the Young Palace Lord of the Ten Thousand Year Snow Palace.
Having given him the one and only Great Restoration Pill in this world, there was nothing more to say.
That would undoubtedly prove to be an enormous help to Woo Hwang-seok’s life in some way in the future.
He turned his head to look at So Ye-hwa.
Woo Hwang-seok valued the bonds between people.
So Ye-hwa had been Woo Hwang-seok’s benefactor, and he owed her greatly.
He could not lose her.
“…I once gave the Great Restoration Pill to the Elder Brother of the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance’s leader.”
A subtle smile bloomed at the corners of Seol Woon-hwi’s mouth.
“And?”
“…The Young Palace Lord of the Snow Palace promised that he would provide great assistance in the future, and I still remember that promise.”
“I see.”
“Though it may not be proper courtesy, could you overlook this matter in light of that promise?”
Seol Woon-hwi rested his chin on his hand.
“Hmm… this is quite a difficult matter. As the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance’s leader, I face a very significant task ahead, yet I cannot simply ignore my Elder Brother’s debt either….”
Woo Hwang-seok closed his eyes tightly and assumed the posture of a five-body prostration.
“I humbly request your consideration!”
“…Disciple! Stop this at once. What are you doing….”
“Please, remain calm.”
Seol Woon-hwi, who had been quietly observing the exchange between Seo Hyo and Woo Hwang-seok, carefully poured the Divine Ginseng Smoke into the cup before him, then spoke in a low voice.
“I am not without human compassion, so I will give this matter some consideration.”
An odd silence settled over the room.
Woo Hwang-seok remained in the position of Five-Body Prostration, Seo Hyo clenched his fists in frustration, and Seol Woon-hwi sat with his eyes closed, saying nothing.
After roughly half a quarter of an hour had passed, Seol Woon-hwi opened his eyes.
“Very well. The bond between master and disciple has moved my heart. I will set two conditions. First, I will completely forgive the debt owed to the Young Palace Lord of the Ten Thousand Year Snow Palace from this moment forward. From now on, never again mention the debt regarding the Dae Hwan Dan to the Young Palace Lord. The promise itself ceases to exist from this instant. Do you understand?”
“Yes. I understand.”
“And second, the members of the Suncheon Sword Sect must not set foot outside Aesun County from today onward.”
“…What?”
“The Nine Gate Society has been internally reviewed but has not yet been established. To respond in any manner necessary, the members of the Suncheon Sword Sect must become my hostages.”
“….”
“Do you object?”
“…Is this the way of the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance Lord?”
Seol Woon-hwi laughed.
“My original method was to kill all of you and display your heads outside as a warning.”
Everyone flinched at those words. Even Manager Seong was no exception.
“If I did so, the enraged Sect Master of the Suncheon Sword Sect would lead the core members of the sect to attack. By killing them all in that confrontation, one of the Nine Gate Societies would be eliminated, leaving me to face only eight.”
Everyone fell silent.
No one could speak.
Was this even a human being?
“From my experience, that would be the most certain method. However, since I am neither of the Origin Blood Sect nor of the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance, it seems more appropriate to proceed with some leniency, does it not?”
Though Seol Woon-hwi spoke thus, no one believed he was being lenient.
The implication was clear—if circumstances turned unfavorable, he would extract every advantage from those he held hostage. The greatest problem was that Woo Hwang-seok was a direct disciple of the Sect Master.
By holding Woo Hwang-seok, he could restrain the Suncheon Sword Sect.
That was the caliber of person Woo Hwang-seok was.
In this moment, Woo Hwang-seok clearly understood that Seol Woon-hwi was truly a terrifying man.
Beyond completely forgiving the debt owed to the Polar Descendants, he would extract tangible benefits in any way possible.
Words failed him.
Creating a new realm at such a young age and defeating Heaven-Human Realm martial artists demonstrated extraordinary talent in martial arts—this required no further explanation.
But what was truly frightening was not his talent in martial arts.
It was that ability to extract tangible benefits from any situation.
That judgment.
That was what was truly terrifying.
Woo Hwang-seok took a short, deep breath and spoke.
“…Your words are correct, Lord of the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance.”
“I see.”
Seol Woon-hwi turned his head to look at Seo Hyo.
“It seems I may have misunderstood something.”
“…What?”
“Surely someone of Senior Seo Hyo’s standing as Cheonsu-sa wouldn’t hand over all of Aesun County to the Nine Gate Society or wherever. I fear I may have overstepped my bounds somewhat.”
“….”
“You must have been saying here that the Suncheon Sword Sect would withdraw from the Nine Gate Society’s affairs.”
My jaw fell open.
It’s true that because these people are held hostage, the Suncheon Sword Sect cannot move freely. But that cannot be the whole picture.
Because they are hostages.
The Suncheon Sword Sect cannot work together with the Nine Gate Society.
“That must be what you were saying. Am I correct?”
So Ye-hwa couldn’t answer easily, but Woo Hwang-seok was different.
He spoke quickly.
“That’s correct. We were making it clear that the Suncheon Sword Sect would merely have its name listed but would not actively participate.”
“I see. How fortunate.”
At my gentle smile, Woo Hwang-seok felt a chill run down his spine.
I looked at So Ye-hwa and spoke.
“I apologize for my rudeness, Senior.”
“…You… right now…?”
My smile ended there. I furrowed my brow and rose from my seat.
So Ye-hwa naturally stepped backward, and I walked slowly toward him.
I spoke quietly.
“Haven’t you grasped the situation yet?”
“….”
“I’ve spared your life, preserved your honor to some degree, and shown you courtesy. So why do you keep speaking down to me?”
“…That’s….”
“Do I look like your subordinate?”
So Ye-hwa, unable to answer easily, didn’t even feel my hand closing around his throat.
His breath caught sharply.
“So Ye-hwa.”
“…Gah… Cough….”
“If you’ve survived by another’s grace, shame should be your natural response. Yet you’ve proven this shameless? A martial artist should act like one—accept the circumstances given and judge correctly which battles to join and which to avoid. To be blunt, this game is not one for someone like you to meddle in. Do you understand?”
“….”
“A martial artist should act like one—accept the circumstances given and judge correctly which battles to join and which to avoid. To be blunt, this game is not one for someone like you to meddle in. Do you understand?”
I slowly released my grip, and So Ye-hwa collapsed to the ground. He lifted his head.
So Ye-hwa looked up at me with trembling eyes, his expression filled only with fear.
I smiled gently.
“Please take good care of Aesun County. I hope the things I mentioned are observed carefully. Senior.”
“…Y… Yes, I understand.”
“Then that settles it.”
I glanced briefly at Woo Hwang-seok and spoke curtly.
“Senior Woo Hwang-seok.”
“…Yes.”
“You must never forget what happened today.”
Woo Hwang-seok lifted his head.
What could he mean by that?
Was it gratitude for surviving as a hostage?
Or was it a warning to stop acting recklessly and remain confined to Aesun County?
Or perhaps it was an instruction to clearly understand that there was no debt owed to Seol Ho-ryeong of the Ten Thousand Year Snow Palace?
“There will be no second chance. Do you understand?”
At Seol Woon-hwi’s resolute words, I became certain.
All three meanings at once.
“…I understand.”
Seol Woon-hwi nodded and turned his gaze toward Im Sang, the County Governor of Aesun County.
“You seem confused about whether the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance will collapse or not, so let me be clear.”
Im Sang was certain that the next words would be about the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance not collapsing and to conduct himself well from now on, but he was wrong.
“First, fulfill your duty.”
“My duty… you say?”
“Aren’t you the County Governor? Isn’t governing Aesun County together with Cheonsu-sa here your primary responsibility?”
“…That’s… right.”
“What more could be necessary?”
He was truly an incomprehensible man.
When Im Sang nodded, Seol Woon-hwi smiled softly.
“I hope we meet again in better circumstances, County Governor.”
“…Likewise.”
“Then rest well. I apologize for the intrusion at this late hour.”
Seol Woon-hwi turned without hesitation, and Manager Seong and Han Mu-rin followed in his wake.
What needed to be done was clear.
The Nine Gate Society or whatever it was had to be destroyed.
Woo Hwang-seok and So Ye-hwa were hostages.
As long as I held those two, I could separate the Suncheon Sword Sect from the Nine Gate Society.
But that was all.
This was merely a temporary measure.
This hardly qualified as actual progress.
Once outside Aesun County, Seol Woon-hwi stopped in the middle of the main road.
A small smile naturally formed at the corners of my lips.
It was a fundamental question.
Was causing the division of one or two organizations truly the best way to destroy the Nine Gate Society?
No.
First, I had to sever the thread connecting Cheon Rim and Woon-guk’s Imperial Court.
Then, who would know that thread best?
“It’s been a while, Great One.”
Seol Woon-hwi extended his hand as he watched Seo Hyo approach with an awkward smile.
The gesture clearly conveyed a demand, and Seo Hyo scratched his head.
“My, your temperament seems a bit more impatient than before?”
With those words, Seo Hyo withdrew a bundle of documents from his robes and handed them to Seol Woon-hwi.
“Information regarding the Prime Minister connecting Cheon Lim and the Woon-guk Imperial Court—the Bureau of Scrutiny.”

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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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