Survival Guide for the Reincarnated - Chapter 320
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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 320
Manager Seong heaved a sigh and lightly recounted the events of the past half-month.
First, a major incident had occurred at the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance, and rumors spread that the current Alliance Leader Mae Wi-dong and Cheon Ui Jung-jeong Seol Woon-hwi’s fates remained uncertain. During this time, certain individuals had turned away those who came to inquire: a masked master of Limitless Divine Manifestation of unknown identity, Juche, the Commander of the Baekseol Wiryeong-dan from the Ten Thousand Year Snow Palace, and the elders of the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance.
“…Wang Mu-ha from the Golden Sword Association also came.”
“Did he just leave?”
“Upon seeing Commander Juche, he let out a relieved sigh and departed.”
In any case, the presence of someone from the Ten Thousand Year Snow Palace meant that I was alive, so it was entirely understandable that Wang Mu-ha, a martial artist of the Martial Alliance who had formed a connection with me through the game of Baduk, would simply leave.
“What about the Ihwa Geom Cheon Jong?”
“A letter arrived, and I sent a reply.”
“What was the content?”
“They inquired whether the Young Master was alive, showing no interest in Mae Wi-dong’s fate. I replied that he was indeed alive.”
Manager Seong spoke briefly to me as I let out a quiet laugh.
“As the sect leader of the Ihwa Geom Cheon Jong, this must be an utterly mortifying situation. Yet the fact that they remain silent until now….”
“It means they’re waiting.”
“…Surely you’re not thinking of starting immediately, are you?”
I struggled to raise myself up.
“Am I not alive?”
“….”
“Rest is something I can do without limit after I’m dead.”
“…At this rate, I won’t live out my natural lifespan.”
I had heard enough of the situation.
“Bring in the people waiting outside.”
“Understood.”
Manager Seong opened the door and stepped out, returning shortly with several people.
There were quite a few familiar faces, and the first to speak was Yeom Wang Hwa Mu-nyeom.
Though his face bore deep wrinkles of age, his eyes remained sharp as ever.
“…It’s not something I should say standing before a walking corpse, but you… are certainly not human.”
I nearly coughed blood as I let out a hollow laugh.
“I am certainly human. My father, who is alive and well at the Snow Palace, would be disappointed to hear otherwise. Senior.”
“Tsk.”
“More importantly, before I lost consciousness, I heard a definite answer to something. Would you mind repeating it?”
Hwa Mu-nyeom sighed.
“Yes, I am the Alliance Leader of the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance.”
“That’s fortunate. I didn’t mishear.”
Two more people entered behind Hwa Mu-nyeom. One was a young man, and the other was a middle-aged man.
The young man spoke in a casual voice the moment he saw me.
“Man, every time I see you, you’re lying down.”
“Sim Mun-ryong?”
“That’s right. The Palace Lord and the entire Murim have gone crazy… What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
The last remark was not directed at me.
He spoke while looking at Manager Seong.
Manager Seong fixed Sim Mun-ryong with a cold gaze.
“I’ve wanted to say something to you for a long time now. Do you have no sense of propriety whatsoever?”
“Why bring it up now, all of a sudden?”
“It’s not sudden—I’ve been pointing this out continuously. I thought if you were a normal person, you’d correct it, but it seems there’s no sign of improvement whatsoever.”
“Hah… Really, why is this man always so angry every time I see him?”
At Sim Mun-ryong’s attitude, Manager Seong shot back sharply.
“If the one rebuilding Huashan lacks dignity, then Huashan itself will lack dignity.”
Sim Mun-ryong’s brow furrowed deeply.
“You’re crossing the line?”
Manager Seong prepared to draw the hidden dagger at his waist, and Sim Mun-ryong likewise prepared to draw the sword at his.
Manager Seong did not hesitate in facing Sim Mun-ryong, who had ascended to the Heaven-Human Realm.
It was the result of what he had witnessed and felt beside Seol Woon-hwi.
Realm is absolute, yet even that can be overturned.
An absolute state of mind.
Conviction toward victory.
Manager Seong was clearly becoming more like Seol Woon-hwi.
It was a middle-aged man, Juche, who stopped the two of them.
He pressed down gently on both their shoulders.
“Lord Hyeon Seol-rin has suffered grave wounds and is recovering.”
“….”
“Do not criticize each other. Focus on what must be done.”
The two men fell silent and withdrew their hands from their weapons.
Juche lowered his hand and offered a respectful cupped fist salute to Seol Woon-hwi.
“It has been a long time. Lord Hyeon Seol-rin.”
“Indeed. I did not expect Commander Juche to come as well.”
Juche glanced briefly at Hwa Mu-nyeom.
“Hyeon Sim of the White Command Guard specifically asked me to come. He said there is a master of mysterious Limitless Divine Manifestation in the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance. So I came.”
Hwa Mu-nyeom shrugged his shoulders.
Though he had not mentioned it now, the caliber of people in this branch of the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance was extraordinary.
Two masters of Limitless Divine Manifestation, and five masters of the Four Stages of Heaven and Earth.
To put it bluntly, with this much strength, they could easily annihilate one of the Five Great Sword Sects and still have power to spare.
Juche asked briefly.
“Is there something I should know?”
At those words, Seol Woon-hwi smiled enigmatically.
Juche was certainly no fool.
“Please tell the Palace Lord that all is well. As for anything else that needs to be known, I will have Manager Seong prepare it in a letter and send it to you.”
“Understood.”
Sim Mun-ryong was greatly surprised by Juche’s respectful demeanor and manner of speech.
He had known that Juche owed a debt to Seol Woon-hwi, but he had not realized it was to this extent.
Sim Mun-ryong interjected.
“But you’ve been lying there for half a month… are you really…cough, are you truly alright?”
“Proceed as planned.”
“…If I proceed as planned, I think the people here will beat me to death.”
Not only Manager Seong but also the other elders—Seo Hyo, Ya Muk-cheon, and Sa Seol-ran—glared at Sim Mun-ryong with fierce eyes.
“…Wherever you go, you seem to come back with loyal followers. If you had such talent, unifying the Murim wouldn’t even be a dream.”
Having said that much, Sim Mun-ryong waved his hand dismissively.
“It’s enough that you’re alive.”
That was a thought everyone shared.
Seol Woon-hwi was undoubtedly alive.
He had achieved victory against a master of Heaven-Human Unity and completely seized the organization known as the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance.
Clearly, the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance was now effectively under Seol Woon-hwi’s dominion.
This remained true regardless of whether Hwa Mu-nyeom assumed the position of Alliance Leader.
“Seo Hyo.”
“Yes, Lord Cheon Ui Jung-jeong.”
“You must take on the role of Vice Alliance Leader.”
Seo Hyo was greatly startled by those words.
“…Me…you mean me?”
“We cannot leave the vacant position empty indefinitely, and in the current state of the leaderless Heavenly Righteousness Alliance, there is no one but you to assume the role of Vice Alliance Leader.”
“…”
“Who else would manage Cheon Rim?”
Seo Hyo, wiping his face, answered firmly.
“Yes. If you entrust it to me, I will do my utmost.”
“Then it is settled.”
Ya Muk-cheon and Sa Seol-ran gazed at Seo Hyo with bright smiles.
These two held deep trust in Seo Hyo, and the fact that such a person was trusted by Seol Woon-hwi could not have been better.
After observing them for a moment, Seol Woon-hwi looked toward Manager Seong and spoke.
“Could you help me up?”
“No…where are you going again?”
“The Cheonui Library.”
The opening Mae Wi-dong had revealed to Seol Woon-hwi.
It was undoubtedly the Cheonui Library.
Within it lay a secret space, and inside that secret space was something Mae Wi-dong could never deny.
‘A certain truth’ would surely exist there.
This was an undeniable fact.
Had there been nothing within it, Mae Wi-dong would have continued to refute and deny Seol Woon-hwi’s words until the very end.
But he had not. He could not have.
What lay in the Cheonui Library was certainly something that threatened the very standing of Mae Wi-dong himself.
“…Could you not rest a while longer?”
“Half a month was rest enough.”
“…I’m going insane, seriously.”
* * *
Half a moment later, Seol Woon-hwi and Manager Seong arrived at the Cheonui Library.
“Young Master, is it really alright for just the two of us to go? I’m a bit worried.”
“In my judgment, this isn’t something everyone needs to know about.”
What could Mae Wi-dong’s secret possibly be?
What had he been doing as the Leader of the Muk Se-hoe?
It was certainly no trivial matter.
It was entirely natural and reasonable for me to examine it first, understand it, and then decide whether to inform the others.
The interior of the Cheonui Library remained serene. The countless volumes lining the shelves were unchanged.
Manager Seong asked with a skeptical expression.
“Is there really something here?”
I didn’t bother answering.
There had to be something here.
Fortunately, the Cheonui Library was situated far enough from the Cheon Ryong Palace that it had sustained no significant damage from my fierce battle with Mae Wi-dong, so I naturally approached that very spot where Mae Wi-dong had made his mistake.
The place where the library’s arrangement had subtly changed.
I examined the wall carefully and pressed one section with my hand. Indeed, the wall slowly gave way inward, revealing a hidden space.
“…It really was here….”
I tapped Manager Seong’s shoulder as his eyes widened.
It was a signal to enter, and Manager Seong, supporting my weight, stepped inside.
It was an enormous chamber.
Within it were several letters and documents, along with strange objects arranged in order. Leaning heavily on Manager Seong, I began examining them one by one.
The first thing that caught my eye was a collection of small spheres with a reddish hue. They were contained in a palm-sized glass vial.
There were exactly twenty of the spheres.
The moment I saw them, my brow furrowed.
Manager Seong asked.
“…You seem to know what they are.”
I couldn’t possibly not know.
I picked up one of the spheres and examined it closely. Inside was a viscous red liquid, and a faint aura was emanating from it.
It was unmistakable.
“Blood Stones.”
“Blood Stones, you say….”
“Spirit Medicine created by condensing human blood and Qi.”
There was one thing that troubled me.
The Blood Stones I knew of were not this viscous.
Given the name “Stone,” they should be hard to the touch, but this was excessive.
And I understood what this signified.
My eyes grew cold.
I immediately picked up a record nearby and examined it slowly.
Record of Blood Stone Manufacturing Process
-First Experiment: Conducted on 20 residents of Bongsan Village near An Sim Gun
-Confirmed that Blood Stone purity is considerably high when extracted directly from living subjects
-Second Experiment: Conducted on 35 residents of Cheongrim Village on the borders of Woon-guk
-Successfully produced Blood Stones of superior quality using improved extraction methods
-Third Experiment Location: Seokgyo Village on the outskirts of Cheonju City (estimated 50 subjects)
-Precautions: Operations proceed more smoothly in villages distant from government troop patrol routes
Manager Seong’s face turned ashen as he stole a glance at the records beside him.
“Young Master, what is this…?”
“Keep reading.”
Seol Woon-hwi picked up another document. This one contained far more detailed information.
Research on Optimal Conditions for Blood Stone Production
-Subject Selection: Robust commoners between fifteen and forty years of age
-Effectiveness improves with greater body weight and complete absence of internal energy
-Extraction Process: Continuous opening of blood vessels over three days, drawing blood along with qi
-First Day: Proceed while subject remains conscious (to enhance purity)
-Second Day: Continue even after subject loses consciousness
-Third Day: Extract to the maximum extent until the moment of death
-Survivors: Twelve out of one hundred test subjects (all became invalids and were disposed of)
-Average Blood Stone Production per person: Three to four stones (all of inferior grade)
-Notable Finding: Blood Stone quality is markedly inferior when extracted from pregnant women
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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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