Survival Guide for the Reincarnated - Chapter 296

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

Chapter 296
“You see, I need a worthy Go player to match wits with.”
“Am I insufficient, then?”
“It’s not about insufficiency. I’m simply curious to see who is superior.”
Yu Cheong found Cheon Do-ja’s words genuinely offensive. This had nothing to do with whether Seol Woon-hwi’s talents were exceptional or lacking.
What is fairness? What is justice? What is truth?
“Everyone in the Murim knows his talent for martial arts is extraordinary, yet I cannot discern what lies within those two eyes of his.”
“I have never witnessed it myself, so I cannot say.”
“Not yet twenty years old, and already his eyes contain the heavens.”
“The heavens, you say?”
“You command much and prepare for much, yet it seems you lack faith in those beneath you.”
“Is that how it appears?”
“Otherwise, you would not have cast out someone merely for displaying ambition.”
“Indeed, you see through everything.”
“Heheheh, who do you think I am?”
“The Supreme One of the Murim.”
“Precisely. I am the Supreme One of this vast Kangho Martial World. Hehehehe.”
The smile vanished from Cheon Do-ja’s lips.
“Did Seo Hyo trouble you so greatly?”
Yu Cheong did not bother to answer.
It was true that Yu Cheong had discovered Seo Hyo personally. It was true that his abilities were exceptional.
He surpassed even Yang Seol-jin, whom Yu Cheong had placed in Snow Palace.
Yet he harbored the gravest flaw: his ambition.
Seo Hyo’s ambition was so vast that even Yu Cheong’s brow furrowed. How could a dog on a leash covet the master’s throne?
Moreover, watching him scheme for Yu Cheong’s own position with such fervor that the leash became meaningless—Yu Cheong could not simply let it be, no matter how much he wished to.
“Do you wish to kill him so badly?”
“Killing is no longer the issue.”
Yu Cheong smiled softly.
“If the master dies, the dog on the leash must die as well. Foundation.”
Cheon Do-ja nodded as if the logic was sound. Then, as if he had prepared the question beforehand, he posed it.
“What do you think of Seol San Ma-gun?”
“He is certainly a formidable warrior, but the moment his ambition touches mine, he will become a flower that never blooms.”
“Then the reverse is also possible.”
“….”
“One of your schemes involved Snow Palace.”
“From the moment Yang Seol-jin was exposed, he and I became enemies—this is what you are saying.”
“Hehehehe.”
“Very well. I shall not interfere.”
Cheon Do-ja regarded Yu Cheong in silence.
“I will simply watch how that young man manipulates Ihwageomseonchong, Cheon Rim, and Muk Se-hoe—three organizations—with his own hands.”
“Can you do that for me?”
“Yes. Since the Founder wishes to see the results, I have no grounds to interfere with the matter.”
Yu Cheong exhaled deeply, cradling his face in both hands. As if everything weighed upon him, he dragged his palms across his features before slowly turning his head to the side.
In that moment, smoke as dark as pitch began to seep from Yu Cheong’s eyes—pure Demonic Energy.
Yu Cheong lowered his hands. Unable to bear it any longer, he fixed his gaze directly upon Cheon Do-ja and spoke.
“Founder, it has been quite some time. What say you to a life-or-death duel instead of a game of Go?”
The corners of Cheon Do-ja’s mouth curled upward.
This was that mischievous smile he wore when he was truly delighted.
“My, my… I’ve had so little use for my body that I may have grown quite rusty…”
The Demonic Way Zen Master Yu Cheong smiled, his killing intent laid bare.
“Then today, I shall claim your seat.”
“You have a rather childish side to you, don’t you?”
Yu Cheong did not answer.
From his physical form erupted Demonic Energy potent enough to shake the world.
That energy became a wave, crashing down upon the laughing Cheon Do-ja.
* * *
In the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance Leader’s chamber, Seol Woon-hwi and Mae Wi-dong were in private audience.
“Cheong Pung City… I was taken aback when you said you would go there, but I never imagined you would settle the matter and return in merely two days.”
Mae Wi-dong could hardly be ignorant of Cheong Pung City’s value.
The Heavenly Righteousness Alliance’s control over all paths meant it had no qualms about employing poisons and such methods.
The problem was that their stockpiled poisons were meager and limited in variety.
But if Cheong Pung City fell under their dominion, everything would change. This signified a surge in the Alliance’s military strength—reason enough for Mae Wi-dong to smile brightly.
“And on the way there, we were ambushed.”
At Seol Woon-hwi’s words, Mae Wi-dong’s eyes narrowed.
“Ambushed… you say?”
“Yes. Standard Grade martial artists and an Organ Meridian Formation at the pinnacle of Heaven and Earth Grade—they concealed nothing, yet proved genuinely threatening.”
“My goodness… I am relieved you emerged unharmed. However…”
Mae Wi-dong’s expression, which had trailed off, suddenly turned grave.
“Not once, but twice ambushed? And with an Organ Meridian Formation at that—does this not suggest they knew your movements perfectly?”
“It does.”
“Given your nature, you would not have taken an obvious route, yet they read your path regardless…”
“The probability of an insider’s involvement is high.”
“An insider… The Four Main Gods of Cheon Rim are certainly formidable individuals. That two of them would join the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance without hesitation—though it pains me to say it—makes me wonder if they were deliberately luring you into complacency.”
“You speak of my complacency.”
“Yes. I am deeply concerned. I understand you hold your people dear, but as the saying goes, the area beneath the lamp is darkest.”
Seol Woon-hwi listened in silence to Mae Wi-dong’s words.
“Though I am the Alliance Leader, I speak to you first as a senior of the Martial World: do not trust your people too readily. Suspect them, suspect them again, and continue suspecting even those who have passed your scrutiny. That is the way of the Martial World.”
Only then did a smile appear at the corners of Seol Woon-hwi’s mouth.
“Your words sound as though you are saying one of the two is a traitor.”
“Based on the circumstances, I believe that is more accurate than merely an insider. Would you not agree?”
“Circumstances are merely circumstances, Alliance Leader. And if I may be so bold, while trust is difficult to give, if one does give it, I believe it must be maintained to the very end.”
“Hmm….”
“Without even such resolve, how could we ever accomplish great deeds?”
“….”
“I will bear the full consequences of my responsibility, and it will never diminish the value of the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance.”
“If you’re going to be that stubborn… very well, I’ll say no more. You must have your reasons.”
“Then we should return to the previous matter.”
Mae Wi-dong sensed the shift in Seol Woon-hwi’s tone and set down the teacup he had been about to drink from.
“Among those who know I’m heading to Cheong Pung City, you are included, Alliance Leader.”
Seol Woon-hwi’s position was that of Heavenly Righteousness Commander. While conducting the Alliance’s affairs, he didn’t need to report everything to the Alliance Leader, but naturally, any matter requiring him to be away for at least two days warranted proper notification.
Seol Woon-hwi had departed for Cheong Pung City at the crack of dawn with his two subordinates, and he had reported to the Alliance Leader roughly an hour before departure.
“So you’re saying you truly believe there might be a traitor within the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance itself, not just those two.”
“I’m suggesting we must examine matters from multiple angles.”
Even as he spoke, Seol Woon-hwi’s gaze scrutinized every aspect of Mae Wi-dong.
His tone of voice, his gestures, his unconscious habits.
Seol Woon-hwi’s powers of observation were unparalleled. Yet he could not read Mae Wi-dong’s.
There were two possible reasons for this.
Either Mae Wi-dong’s acting ability was extraordinarily superb.
Or this current demeanor was Mae Wi-dong’s true nature.
I pondered for a moment.
According to my memories from my previous life, the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance would be completely dissolved roughly three to four months from now, and Vice Alliance Leader Mae Wi-dong would go missing.
And he was never found anywhere.
Even during all those long years when I held the position of Blood Heaven Middle Emperor, that was all the record showed.
But I do not ignore my own instincts.
The situation unfolding now.
And the situation yet to unfold.
Everything has its reasons.
“…Hmm… I don’t wish to suspect insiders, but as you know, half a period after you reported to me, I encountered those two people.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. You must have seen them on the way. Great One Hwang and our Heavenly Righteousness Alliance’s pride, Wi Cheon-ho, the Unit Leader.”
To reiterate, the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance was little more than an empty shell.
Those who died with Ye Won-je were the very pillars themselves, so the six Elders that had existed before and the Strike Force and such had become virtually defunct.
Particularly with the six Elder positions all vacant, people needed to be appointed, and it wasn’t for nothing that Mae Wi-dong had mentioned three of the Cheonin Palzwa.
Currently, two of the six Elder positions had been filled.
One was Dok Go-hyeon of the Dok-go Family.
And the other was Hwang Mu-jeong, famous by the alias Sang Hyeon Strong Fist.
Hwang Mu-jeong was a person Mae Wi-dong had brought directly, fifty-eight years old this year, with martial arts cultivation at the Heaven-Human Realm, and as an Elder, he primarily handled internal affairs, record management, and personnel authority over the Cheonui Library.
Wi Cheon-ho was the person overseeing the Wu Yi Squad, the Strike Force remaining in the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance, and he had been a Unit Leader since the time of Ye Won-je, commanding tremendous trust from the Alliance’s members.
Yet his cultivation level was at the Divine Transformation Stage.
Now Mae Wi-dong was saying he had told those two people of Seol Woon-hwi’s destination.
“I merely mentioned Cheong Pung City in passing… Surely you don’t think those two were actually trying to assassinate the Blood Heaven Middle Emperor?”
Mae Wi-dong, observing my expression, scratched his head as if genuinely apologetic.
“However, the Blood Heaven Middle Emperor’s suspicion is reasonable, and it was also my oversight, so I will conduct an investigation.”
“An investigation, you say?”
“Yes. I will ask Elder Hwang and Unit Leader Wi whether they mentioned this fact to anyone else separately, and if not, I will investigate by examining the internal personnel records of the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance and the entire military force organization.”
I shook my head quietly as I listened to Mae Wi-dong.
“There’s no need. I don’t wish to make this matter larger than it is.”
“Hmm… but surely an investigation at least….”
“Elder Hwang is someone the Alliance Leader brought personally, and Unit Leader Wi is a loyal retainer who stood firm even when the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance wavered. Suspecting those two would not serve the organization well, so let us simply let it rest.”
“Hmm… but still….”
“One of the Four Main Gods of Cheon Rim, Dok Ju, targeted me. I deliberated, predicted, and predicted again to the best of my ability, yet failed. I believe it is appropriate to settle the matter at this point.”
“Hmm… are you truly certain about this?”
“Yes, I am. Above all, the nature of Dok Ju’s crude scheme has become clear, and since it failed, it is fitting to move past it here.”
A subtle smile played at the corners of Mae Wi-dong’s lips.

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