Survival Guide for the Reincarnated - Chapter 318
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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 318
Chapter 3
Less than half a year had passed since Seol Woon-hwi departed from the Eternal Snow Palace, yet in that time, the Snow Palace had found stability and its power structure had been perfectly reorganized.
In substance, the organization’s name and such had not changed.
However, most positions were filled with the Young Palace Lord’s people, and no one raised objections to this.
Everyone shared the same will, and those who did not possess it had all, without exception, perished.
As usual, Palace Lord Seol Jung-cheon was playing Go with Hyeon Sim, the leader of the White Command Guard.
Hyeon Sim asked.
“What will you do about it?”
What he meant was clear.
Recently, a marriage proposal had arrived for Bing Seol-ryeong Seol Yeon-hwa.
“Was it the Paedo Gate?”
“Yes. That Paedo Gate which inherited the foundation of the Hebei Peng Family, which collapsed during the Thousand Year Chaos.”
“They fall short of the Five Great Families, and yet they do not possess the influence of the Five Great Sword Sects or the Four Demonic Outer Sects—must we do anything about it?”
“Still, since an official letter has arrived, it would be best to send a response. You know well enough, do you not, that despite the Paedo Gate being merely a sect of that caliber, they have strong connections within the Martial Alliance.”
Gun Mu-gyeol, the Alliance Leader of the Martial Alliance, had deep ties with Hwang Woo-hyeok, the Gate Master of the Paedo Gate.
“Give them a vague response.”
“Understood.”
“And make it clear that we will not accept any marriage proposals concerning Yeon-hwa.”
“What if a sect with the prestige of the Five Great Families brings a proposal?”
“Refuse them.”
Hyeon Sim smiled softly.
He understood Seol Jung-cheon’s heart.
“I have mentioned this several times—I have no intention of arranging political marriages for my children. Do you remember?”
“I do.”
“Then there is nothing more to say.”
Seol Jung-cheon had entered into a political marriage.
Precisely, he had married three wives simultaneously, and later, venturing beyond, he had taken another wife.
What he had come to understand from all this was one thing.
No matter how it was dressed up, a political marriage was the same as treating one’s children as tools.
Seol Jung-cheon no longer needed to do such things.
For he now possessed strength enough that he did not need to use his children as tools.
Come to think of it.
“How is Seol Woon-hwi these days? Is he still with the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance?”
“…Yes. He remains with the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance.”
“I heard he took on a new position called Cheon Ui Jung-jeong.”
“…So he is called. Moreover, he has even founded a new realm called the Three Manifestations Realm.”
“The position of Supreme Commander under the Yang Ling-ju remains vacant—what do you think?”
Hyeon Sim did not answer readily.
More precisely, he had held his tongue from the moment the question about Seol Woon-hwi arose.
Seol Jung-cheon, who had been about to set down the stone, slowly lifted his head.
“Is there some problem?”
“…Palace Lord. I’ve been agonizing over whether I should tell you this or not.”
“Go ahead.”
“…Yesterday, the Cheon Ryong Palace of the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance apparently exploded.”
Seol Jung-cheon’s brow twitched.
“The cause?”
“…Nothing else has been revealed. The Main Headquarters of the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance itself is being thoroughly sealed off by an ‘unidentified master of Limitless Divine Manifestation’, the ‘Dharma Protector of Cheon Ui Jung-jeong’, and four ‘Elders’ of the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance.”
After a moment of thought, Seol Jung-cheon spoke in a subdued voice.
“Hyeon Sim.”
“…Yes.”
“Why are you telling me this only now?”
“…I didn’t want to burden you with worry.”
“Worry, I see. Have you taken measures?”
“I have.”
“Before you tell me, if I find it unsatisfactory, you will face punishment.”
“I accept that.”
“Then speak.”
Hyeon Sim caught his breath, then spoke briefly.
“I’ve sent the Twelve Commanders of the White Command Guard and Juche, the Commander of the Baekseol Wiryeong Dan.”
“Juche?”
“Yes.”
“And the Twelve Commanders—a descendant of Mount Hua Sect?”
“Yes. Sim Mun-ryong. He’s a prodigy among prodigies, having reached the Heaven-Human Realm in less than a year since arriving at Snow Mountain. His Sword Control Technique is so exquisite that even I cannot help but marvel at it. Even now it is impressive, but in the future, he will surely etch his name firmly into the annals of the Murim.”
Seol Jung-cheon gazed at Hyeon Sim without speaking.
Hyeon Sim bowed his head deeply.
“…I apologize. With your meditation periods growing longer lately, I was deeply concerned that revealing this might invite a heart demon.”
“I understand your concern for me well, but you know as well as I do how much I worry about my youngest son who went out to the Central Plains.”
“I do. That’s precisely why I couldn’t tell you sooner. I wanted to handle matters as much as I could on my end, and only inform you after I had confirmed exactly what had transpired.”
“So when do you expect the information to arrive?”
“At the earliest today, but certainly by tomorrow at the latest.”
The distance between the Ten Thousand Year Snow Palace and the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance was far from short.
But if Sim Mun-ryong of the Heaven-Human Realm and Juche of Limitless Divine Manifestation ran at full speed, they could arrive within a day.
Above all, while both were formidable in martial arts, they were especially skilled in lightness of movement, making Hyeon Sim’s measures most appropriate.
Hyeon Sim asked in a quiet voice.
“More importantly…have you made any progress?”
“Not without progress. I was aware that the Ten Thousand Year Snow Palace inherited the advancement of the North Sea Ice Palace, but the martial arts system was surprisingly the opposite.”
“Opposite, you say…?”
“The nature is identical—Ice Snow Energy—but the method of employing the martial arts differs. It’s as if one were unfolding the poetry collection’s techniques through ordinary martial arts…it’s quite complex.”
Hyeon Sim’s expression became subtle.
“You need Hyeon Seol-rin.”
“I do. Even after ascending to Primordial Sole Existence, borrowing that man’s insight remains the same—what can I do?”
I let out a hollow laugh.
Together with Seol Woon-hwi, I had discovered the secret chamber of Seol Heun, the first Palace Lord, at the peak of the Ten Thousand Year Snow Palace.
I had been continuously studying the martial arts and scriptures found in that place.
While there had been some progress, there were also sections where I remained stuck. If Seol Woon-hwi, who stood at the same realm and was someone I could trust above all others, were to examine them, might he not find a better path than I could myself?
This was difficult to express as mere trust.
Absolute trust.
That was what it was.
Above all, it seemed unlikely that Seol Woon-hwi would bury his bones in the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance. Though it was somewhat greedy of me, I harbored a wish that he would handle matters as quickly as possible and return.
Moreover, not long ago, Hyeon Sim had gone to meet Seol Woon-hwi and returned with positive news, so I was placing my hopes on that.
“Once a letter arrives from that side, the Ten Thousand Year Snow Palace will also move….”
Hyeon Sim, who had been watching me trail off for a moment, slowly rose from his seat and drew the sword from his waist.
And in that instant.
Crack—!!
The void froze, and Hyeon Sim’s sword froze in the empty air.
“Do not step forward. This is not your opponent.”
My gaze turned toward the entrance of the Conference Room.
The white-haired elder standing there.
That elder, larger in build than I had imagined, was undoubtedly ‘that person’ I had only heard of in words.
“Hehehehe… so this is it, the Heavenly Snow Domain.”
“I would like to hear your impressions. Would you share them?”
“There is no reason I would not.”
Cheon Do-ja stepped forward and spoke.
“It is wondrous, bearing the will of the heavens, and while it embraces all things, it possesses absolute power capable of freezing all existence in place.”
It was then that I rose from my seat as well.
“I too possess something similar. Would it be acceptable to show you?”
“How could I refuse a move from the Martial World Supreme?”
Slowly.
Cheon Do-ja’s eyes began to turn crimson.
Blood Boundary Dominance.
Crash—!!
Space compressed, and time tore asunder.
I responded to this terrible power.
First, I seized Hyeon Sim’s shoulder and hurled him backward, then drew the Heavenly Snow Domain to its absolute limit.
Crack—!!
The invisible elements of the void began to freeze in succession.
This was space, and it was time, and also the fragments of both.
Then.
Boom—!!
A tremendous explosion erupted.
In the midst of it, Cheon Do-ja swept his hand through the air.
The explosions that had just occurred froze in place, then extinguished as if time itself were reversing.
Seol Jung-cheon could not hide his astonishment at this incomprehensible technique, while Hyeon Sim was so shocked he nearly fell backward.
The dust that should have risen, the Conference Room that should have crumbled—everything remained perfectly intact.
“…What is this?”
“What else? A hidden ultimate technique of one called the Supreme One of the Martial World.”
“….”
“Hehehehe… Now this is quite unexpected. I thought you would be like your youngest son.”
“What is unexpected?”
“Your expression.”
“….”
“Truly curious. Your youngest son never shows a moment of surprise no matter what I do, yet you have done nothing but express shock from beginning to end.”
Seol Jung-cheon let out a quiet laugh.
“Do you know who I hold in the highest regard in this world?”
“I couldn’t say.”
“My youngest son.”
“With the Supreme One standing before you?”
“You are certainly remarkable, but I do not believe you are as remarkable as my youngest son.”
“Oho… Yet there is one thing we share.”
“….”
“Confidence. Your confidence rivals his own.”
Cheon Do-ja, laughing in that manner, quietly seated himself before the Ice Heaven Go Board.
“They say you play Go best on Snow Mountain. Is that true?”
“It is.”
“Then let us play a game.”
“Before that, I wish to ask something.”
“What?”
“Why have you come? All this way?”
Cheon Do-ja smiled faintly.
“I wish to take your youngest son as my disciple.”
“….”
“Since he keeps refusing, what else can I do? I must obtain permission from his parents.”
Seol Jung-cheon burst into hollow laughter, and Cheon Do-ja did the same.
“…The Martial World Supreme commits such foolishness? I now understand when they say ‘astonishing beyond measure.'”
“What can I do? My desire for him runs that deep.”
“Then I shall give you a clear answer here and now.”
“…Hmm?”
“I refuse.”
“A refusal… This is truly unexpected. As you well know, I have no disciples. For your youngest son to become my disciple means he would become my one and only direct lineage disciple, which means—”
“That would mean becoming the next Cult Leader of the Original Blood Sect.”
“Then this Murim would belong to the Seol clan, yet you feel no desire for it?”
“Whether I desire it or not is of little importance.”
“How can that be?”
“A true parent should never obstruct their child’s future path for the sake of their own ambitions, should they not?”
“…Hmm. Can becoming my disciple truly be called obstructing your future?”
“I fear you have misunderstood my meaning.”
“Hmm?”
“I am saying that no parent, however devoted, should presume to determine their child’s destiny.”
“…Ah…?”
Cheon Do-ja, who had been regarding Seol Jung-cheon with an enigmatic expression, broke into a luminous smile.
“Baduk is played to understand a person, yet before even placing a single stone, I believe I already comprehend who you are.”
“Are you disappointed?”
“Hardly. I am utterly satisfied. Truly, like father, like son.”
This was the highest praise Seol Jung-cheon could receive.
And had Seol Woon-hwi heard it, he would have accepted it as equally supreme commendation.
That is the measure of it.
“Though I have not achieved my original purpose, still, having come this far, I believe I should play one great match before departing—it would set my mind at ease.”
“….”
“And by now, you must have heard news of what transpires at the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance. Does it trouble you?”
Seol Jung-cheon nodded.
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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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