Survival Guide for the Reincarnated - Chapter 310

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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 310
“Shin Gang, this vengeful specter, will come to kill Yeon Song-baek and assume the position of sect leader. Naturally, we must reset our relationship, correct?”
“Ah, so you intend to use Yeon Song-baek’s corpse as a vessel for all the misdeeds committed thus far?”
“Yes. In exchange for removing your mask, I believe that much is sufficient.”
Shin Gang fell silent.
It was no accident that I had destroyed the Ihwa Geom Cheon Jong’s branch office. This was merely one of several preparatory moves designed to tarnish the name Yeon Song-baek.
Words escaped me.
Was this truly human?
Shin Gang stood at a crossroads of choice.
Would I continue wearing the mask I had donned for twenty years, or would I remove it completely through Seol Woon-hwi?
Shin Gang’s expression hardened.
“I will write you a new story. In return, all you need do is grant me what I desire. What more could possibly be necessary?”
Shin Gang set down the teacup.
“And if I refuse?”
“Then we both become weary.”
“If I kill you and those dogs here in this very place?”
“You will have to wear the mask you’ve worn for twenty years for the rest of your life.”
…
“Unable to use your true name, you will continue living as Yeon Song-baek.”
“What if I negotiate with Mae Wi-dong instead?”
“Do you trust him? Alliance Leader Mae?”
…
“You… how much do you know?”
“You keep forcing me to repeat myself. I know ‘everything.’ And let me be absolutely clear on this point: once this moment passes, I can say with certainty that such an opportunity will never come to you again in all your remaining years.”
And.
“Whether you have already received it or not, a letter will reach you. Or perhaps it already has.”
“You speak of a letter you sent?”
“It is from the one who made me a hunting dog.”
“… So you truly did know.”
Though the words seemed sudden, Seol Woon-hwi grasped their meaning instantly.
“Yes. I know why you took no action while the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance claimed Cheon Lim.”
“… A frightening one, indeed.”
“To hear such words from someone who hid the truth for twenty years—it is not unpleasant.”
Shin Gang drank the final cup of tea.
In conclusion, it was not unfavorable.
How much longer must I bear the name Yeon Song-baek?
I longed to reclaim the name Shin Gang. Yet the path to that reclamation demanded countless undertakings.
Cleanup was a secondary concern; first, I had to eliminate those who knew my secret.
But if I joined hands with Seol Woon-hwi, the story would progress smoothly, and removing the mask would become far easier.
Above all, I could preserve the connection through Sang Ji-hyeok and advance matters more readily by his hand.
But the most crucial element was missing.
“The Cheon Geuk Sword—while it may not rank among the Ten Greatest Blades of the realm, the divine weapon of Ihwa Geom Cheon Jong that rivals it must absolutely rest in my hands.”
Shin Gang, risen from death, would slay Yeon Song-baek and settle the grudges of the past, then become the new sect leader.
Though it was the same person in the end, this was no mere whim—it was a man’s lifelong aspiration.
Fabricating and spreading such a narrative was hardly difficult.
Whether through Cheon Rim or the Beggar Sect, it mattered not—once released, it would take root.
And if Seol Woon-hwi lent his support, and all the reasons for the war between the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance and Ihwa Geom Cheon Jong were attributed to the dead Yeon Song-baek’s responsibility, and the new sect leader Shin Gang joined hands with the Cheon Ui Jung Jeong of the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance to negotiate…
It would be truly flawless.
Truly impeccable.
But the cornerstone of this entire narrative was the lost divine weapon of Ihwa Geom Cheon Jong.
Without it, Shin Gang’s resurrection would lack legitimacy.
“Without the divine weapon, this narrative becomes uncertain and will become a weakness later. I may even need to erase the sect with my own hands, and when that time comes, I will claim your head as well.”
“Understood.”
“The divine weapon—where is it?”
It was at that very moment Seol Woon-hwi was about to answer.
A voice came from beyond the door.
“Young Master.”
It was Manager Seong.
Seol Woon-hwi asked.
“Did you find it?”
“I have found it.”
Seol Woon-hwi spoke while keeping his gaze fixed on Shin Gang.
“Come in.”
The door opened with a soft creak.
Seol Woon-hwi’s words reached Manager Seong’s ears as sweat continued to trickle down his forehead, which he had not bothered to wipe away.
“Present it to our ‘Senior’ here.”
“…Understood.”
Manager Seong set down a long sword covered in cloth before Shin Gang.
As he drew back the cloth with trembling hands, a blade radiating brilliant luminescence was revealed.
The characters “Cheon Geuk” inscribed clearly on the sword’s hilt burned themselves into Shin Gang’s eyes.
“…Cheon Geuk… a sword indeed.”
Shin Gang lifted his gaze to meet Seol Woon-hwi’s.
He showed no outward reaction, yet goosebumps erupted across his entire body.
Just when had this man begun envisioning this scenario in his mind?
To put it plainly, this was a move that could be called a “divine move” for Seol Woon-hwi alone.
“…So the ‘Shin Gang’ who was believed dead meets Seol Woon-hwi of the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance, who is currently in conflict with Ihwa Geom Cheon Jong, and together they pursue a ‘great enterprise’—this would be the first step of the entire plan, yes?”
“Yes.”
“You restore Shin Gang’s honor, and in the process, you end the friction between Ihwa Geom Cheon Jong and the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance… and in return, you gain full authority over Cheon Rim?”
“In the process, we need something that binds us mutually.”
It meant they would truly share the same boat.
As Seol Woon-hwi, I would gain everything I sought, and as Shin Gang, I could resolve my long-cherished wish.
My vision brightened.
“A blood oath—will you write it?”
At my words, Shin Gang laughed brightly.
“Excellent!”
* * *
After writing the blood oath, Shin Gang stepped outside.
I couldn’t say how long it had been.
Had the air ever felt this refreshing?
Then Shin Gang’s gaze turned toward the corner.
A man of enormous build.
“Were you the Unit Leader of the Wu Yi Squad?”
“Yes. I am Wi Cheon-ho. I failed to greet you earlier, so I offer my respects now.”
I regarded him briefly as he performed the cupped fist salute.
“I accept your greeting. But are you not displeased?”
“Displeased, you say…”
“I too have ears, and even when I wish not to hear, rumors reach me.”
Shin Gang smiled enigmatically.
“Recently, word spread that two new Elders would be appointed to the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance and that a new strike force would be established—yet it all came to nothing. Is that not so?”
“…That is correct.”
“The Wu Yi Squad guards the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance steadfastly, yet those in the Cheon Ui Jung Jeong seek to create a new military force, and Mae Wi-dong has accepted it—did your will not factor into this matter?”
“These are decisions made by those above me. How could I presume to speak against them?”
Shin Gang chuckled softly.
“A loyal subject indeed.”
“…”
“Let us go.”
Unwilling to engage in lengthy discourse, Shin Gang turned and began walking.
He departed, soon disappearing from view.
Han Mu-rin approached Wi Cheon-ho, who now stood alone.
“A gathering with wine has been prepared inside.”
“Is everyone already seated?”
“Yes.”
Wi Cheon-ho paused in thought, then slowly shook his head.
“Many of the Wu Yi Squad’s martial artists are wounded. Some have suffered serious injuries, so I must attend to them first—would you convey this to the Cheon Ui Jung Jeong?”
“Then…I understand.”
Han Mu-rin performed the cupped fist salute and entered the residence.
Wi Cheon-ho, watching his departure, turned away.
As he had told Han Mu-rin, he went to check on the wounded of the Wu Yi Squad.
Upon emerging shortly after, Wi Cheon-ho gazed toward the residence where Seol Woon-hwi was.
There would be Seol Woon-hwi, Han Mu-rin, and Seong Yang-ho.
He turned to look back. Through the crack of the open door, his eyes met those of a Wu Yi Squad member.
The two exchanged glances like people conducting a secret meeting in the dead of night.
When Wi Cheon-ho gave a quiet nod, the squad member nodded in return.
Wi Cheon-ho headed toward Seol Woon-hwi’s residence while the squad member slipped out discreetly through the back entrance.
No one witnessed it.
Or so they believed.
From beneath a towering pine tree on the outskirts of Ansim Tower, sharp eyes watched Wi Cheon-ho and the Wu Yi Squad member in turn.
Seol Woon-hwi does not suspect the innocent.
There is no such thing as coincidence in this world.
That is all.
That night, at the hour of Zi—between eleven at night and one in the morning.
Far from Ansim Tower, a premium messenger bird took flight toward Cheonsu.
* * *
Shin Gang returned directly to Ihwa Geom Cheon Jong and walked through the garden in silence.
Two days had passed, yet the smile blooming at the corners of his mouth had not faded. He was in that good a mood.
Seol Woon-hwi.
When he became an enemy, and when Ihwa Geom Cheon Jong suffered damage, and when Cheon Rim was taken.
In all those moments, Shin Gang’s mind held only one thought: Seol Woon-hwi must die.
But meeting him in person—it exceeded imagination.
That man’s true worth cannot be judged by rumor.
His achievements? Such things are meaningless.
One must see him directly. Only then can one feel his value.
His intelligence network was clearly beyond anything Shin Gang could have imagined.
Just finding the Cheon Geuk Sword proved it.
A divine object of Ihwa Geom Cheon Jong that Shin Gang himself had failed to find in twenty years—and yet Seol Woon-hwi had pinpointed its exact location and prepared in advance.
But that was not all.
He quietly withdrew a letter from his breast.
Fine paper bearing an engraved mask with horns.
This mask was the emblem of Muk Se-hoe.
In fact, all martial artists belonging to Muk Se-hoe wear that mask without exception.
The important thing was that this letter had arrived at Ban Gak Hall.
Seol Woon-hwi had said it.
Whether he had ever received a letter like this,
and if not, he would receive one soon. It happened exactly as he predicted.
–
It has been a long time.
Sending a letter so directly is, to my recollection, a first, so I shall be blunt.
Cheon Ui Jung Jeong Seol Woon-hwi must be eliminated.
Initially, the reason we approached Seol Woon-hwi was because he was open to the reconstruction of the Thousand Year Demon Cult.
But you see.
Observing him from close quarters, he seemed to harbor little genuine interest in the grand cause of rebuilding the Thousand Year Demon Cult.
As you well know, it is improper to bring the Muk Se-hoe—an organization that must remain silent—into the open.
Rather, he seeks to dismantle the existing order and construct his own kingdom.
What troubles me most is the velocity of his growth. He has already reached a level beyond our control, and it won’t be long before he becomes a threat even to us.
Though his rise has elevated the prestige of the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance, what comes after is something we can shape ourselves.
His youthful arrogance and self-righteousness are transforming him into an unstoppable monster. If we orchestrate a situation where those we consider our greatest enemies eliminate him—
The rest, I’m certain you understand.
And we possess both the ability and the means to control and engineer that very scenario.
The time is ripe.
The illegitimate son of the Ten Thousand Year Snow Palace.
Through his sacrifice, the Ten Thousand Year Snow Palace will emerge into the Central Plains, confront our enemies, and severely weaken their forces.
Yes, precisely.
The foundation for reconstruction has been laid.
I beseech the Sect Leader to handle this matter. This is not a request—it is imperative.
The Master remains silent, yet surely the Master has also judged that the time is opportune.
I await the Sect Leader’s wise judgment.
–

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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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