Survival Guide for the Reincarnated - Chapter 321

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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 321
Another record contained details of collaborative work with Ye Won-je.
Collaborative Project with Ye Won-je
-Heavenly Righteousness Alliance jurisdiction: fifteen villages (all completed)
-Ye Won-je jurisdiction: twenty-two villages (abruptly halted mid-progress)
-Total production: one hundred forty-seven Blood Stones
-Innocent civilians sacrificed during experimentation: approximately five hundred
-All work suspended due to Ye Won-je’s sudden death; all evidence concealed successfully
Seol Woon-hwi unfolded the final record.
Effects and Side Effects Following Blood Stone Consumption
-Internal Energy Enhancement: Weak, as extracting Innate True Energy from ordinary civilians proved difficult
-Confirmed Side Effects to Date: Blood Vessel Hardening, Energy Contamination from Demonic Influence (both Natural Energy and Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy confirmed contaminated)
-Additional Experimentation Plans: Suspended (excessive risk)
-Remaining Blood Stones Storage: Kept in this hidden location
Sole Benefit: Through Blood Stone consumption and internal refinement within the body, one can obtain purified Demonic Energy approaching Innate True Energy
After reading all the records, Seol Woon-hwi quietly reorganized them. His expression remained serene, yet only his cold gaze betrayed what lay beneath.
“Young Master….”
Manager Seong called out in a trembling voice.
“Did… did such things really happen?”
“It appears so.”
Seol Woon-hwi’s answer was measured.
And through these documents, what had been uncertain became certain.
First, as initially suspected, it was indeed Cheon Do-ja who killed Ye Won-je.
But I had not known why. Yet seeing this, it becomes clear.
Cheon Do-ja’s thorough distinction between Martial Artists and ordinary civilians is hardly surprising.
I too have been greatly influenced by him, so if nothing else, I share that principle deeply.
It was certain.
All these experiments I am now witnessing were conducted not on Martial Artists but on ordinary civilians.
And it was not Mae Wi-dong alone—he did this together with Ye Won-je.
It is unremarkable that the Thunder Lightning Demon Sect, a branch of the Original Blood Sect, produces Blood Stones. Yet they did so strictly targeting Martial Artists, so why did Mae Wi-dong target ordinary civilians instead?
This had far too clear an answer.
When Martial Artists cultivate martial arts, the Innate True Energy they possessed becomes corrupted in some manner.
Sword Energy, Blade Energy, Fist Energy.
And later, Natural Energy and Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy as well.
None of it remains as it was at birth. It transforms to match one’s identity as a Martial Artist. Thus it is ‘corruption.’
But ordinary civilians are different.
Having learned nothing, pure Innate True Energy is preserved.
Much of what Mae Wi-dong said was false, but some of it was true.
Especially the path he pursued as a Martial Artist.
He sought to create an origin that unified all energies into one.
The Righteous Path, the Heretical Path, the Path of Supremacy, the Demonic Path.
He wielded Demonic Energy as well, and I evaluated his Demonic Energy as “excessively pure.”
This is because of that.
Blood Stones ground from common people, again and again.
If one were to refine those, extract pure Demonic Energy, inject it into the physical body, and cultivate it, then in theory, one would achieve the same appearance as Mae Wi-dong’s.
As a Demonic Person seeking to rebuild the Thousand Year Demon Cult, there was nothing lacking whatsoever.
It was refreshing to encounter someone with such clearly defined values after so long.
I turned my head to look at Manager Seong.
His expression was one of profound shock, which I could certainly understand.
“…So he was a Demonic Person.”
“A Demonic Person indeed.”
“So the deceased Ye Won-je was also such a man.”
“Such a man he was.”
“…Young Master.”
Manager Seong’s expression grew serious.
“…Must the Thousand Year Demon Cult truly be rebuilt?”
It was a question that struck at the heart of the matter.
But as I have said repeatedly, whether the Thousand Year Demon Cult is rebuilt or not holds little interest for me.
Viewed differently, I have no intention of stopping it, and if asked to help, I could assist.
I have maintained this stance consistently, and it does not change even now in this situation.
“There are those among my people who desire it.”
“….”
“The path a martial artist walks is far too diverse, and if such isolated examples were to become representative of the whole, would that not itself be hypocrisy?”
“…It is difficult.”
“Manager Seong.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“In the Murim, there is benevolence and there is righteousness. All things are relative. Not all who belonged to the Thousand Year Demon Cult were Demonic People, and such acts are sometimes committed even by those wearing the mask of the Righteous Path, not merely Demonic People.”
“….”
“What we must do is simply walk forward.”
“Walk forward, you say….”
“It means we must not hesitate in doing what must be done.”
“….”
“If there is something wrong, we correct it. If there are those who have committed crimes, we purge them and uproot them.”
Above all else.
“We could instead unite all those Demonic People under one banner and manage them, thereby preventing such incidents.”
“….”
“In a world of Respect for the Strong, to command order means this: who shall we confine within the fence, and how shall we manage them?”
I looked around at my surroundings.
“In this case as well, do you truly believe only two men—Ye Won-je and Mae Wi-dong—orchestrated all of this?”
“…That cannot be. For something of this magnitude, there must certainly be collaborators. It is well-known that Ye Won-je was massacred along with the Six Elders… They would all be involved.”
“Think about it differently.”
“Pardon?”
“Ye Won-je clearly died alongside his people. But Mae Wi-dong was alive. It’s certain that Cheon Do-ja killed Ye Won-je, so why didn’t he kill Mae Wi-dong?”
“…Wasn’t it left to the Young Master?”
“Your perception has sharpened considerably.”
“….”
“Then consider what comes next.”
Manager Seong scratched his head.
“There’s someone in the Muk Se-hoe who helped with this.”
Seol Woon-hwi shook his head.
“Your question is flawed.”
“…Then, could Hwa Mu-nyeom be involved in this matter?”
That was the correct question.
Seol Woon-hwi smiled faintly and leaned his back against the wall.
“Go and bring Hwa Mu-nyeom here.”
“…Only Hwa Mu-nyeom?”
“I’d prefer to bring Juche as well, but I need to be certain. If possible, only Hwa Mu-nyeom.”
“…If he’s involved in this matter….”
“Then I’ll need to recommend someone else as the Alliance Leader of the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance.”
Manager Seong nodded while scratching his head, then stopped at the door as he was about to leave the library.
“Young Master, but…are you truly certain about this?”
“What do you mean?”
“This seems even more vicious than the Poison Snake Valley experiments from before. No matter how much of a reincarnator you are, Young Master, this….”
“I haven’t experienced many things like this myself, but there are countless atrocities happening in this world that we know nothing of. However, if we let ourselves be consumed by anger and emotion every time, we cannot make rational judgments.”
“….”
“What matters now is what we can do. Isn’t that right?”
“You’re right, Young Master.”
Seol Woon-hwi was truly different.
That composure, unshaken even in such circumstances.
It was truly worthy of respect.
“Go quickly and return.”
After Manager Seong left, Seol Woon-hwi surveyed the Cheonui Library alone.
Up to this point, those who desired the reconstruction of the Thousand Year Demon Cult could be divided into exactly two categories.
One consisted of those who overreached in their desire to become the central pillar.
These were individuals like Mae Wi-dong, who reached into the forbidden realm to gain greater power.
They created Blood Stones from commoners, extracted pure Innate True Energy from those Blood Stones, and then refined pure Demonic Energy from it?
This was something not just anyone could conceive of, and not just anyone could attempt.
How Mae Wi-dong came to know the method of manufacturing Blood Stones could be inferred from the unfolding circumstances.
Yu Cheong of the Original Blood Sect has many people under him.
Jeong Do-cheon of the Thunder Lightning Demon Sect is likely also his subordinate, so he must have learned it from him.
This was the first category, and the second category consisted of people like Seo Hyo.
Those who refrained from touching the forbidden realm and instead sought out tasks they could accomplish through their own efforts.
Now I needed to verify something.
Whether Hwa Mu-nyeom belonged to the first category or the second.
If he was of the first type, I would need to reestablish my relationship with him.
Seol Woon-hwi waited quietly for Hwa Mu-nyeom.
* * *
Not long after, the door opened and Hwa Mu-nyeom entered.
He seemed slightly puzzled at being summoned alone and asked.
“Is there something you wished to discuss separately?”
“Please look at this.”
Seol Woon-hwi opened the secret space again, revealing the Blood Stones and records within.
Hwa Mu-nyeom’s eyes widened.
It was remarkable that such a space existed within the Cheonui Library, but what truly mattered was its contents.
A glass vial containing something resembling a crimson pearl.
At first glance, it was clearly no ordinary object.
“What is this…?”
“A Blood Stone.”
Seol Woon-hwi answered calmly.
“It is created by condensing human blood and vital energy. It is the same as what the Thunder Lightning Demon Sect, a branch of the Original Blood Sect, has been creating over hundreds of years.”
“…Thunder Lightning Demon Sect…? Original Blood Sect?”
Hwa Mu-nyeom tilted his head and picked up the Blood Stone to examine it closely. Even with his discerning eye, he could quickly tell this was no ordinary object.
“…This… surely the Leader didn’t create this?”
“Who else would create something like this within the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance’s domain?”
With those words, Seol Woon-hwi handed over one of the records. Hwa Mu-nyeom took it and began reading.
His face, which had been expressionless at first, gradually began to harden as he read.
“Near Ansim County… Bongsan Village….”
Hwa Mu-nyeom’s voice grew quieter.
“What is this…?”
“Continue reading.”
As Hwa Mu-nyeom read the second record, his hands began to tremble slightly.
“Three days… sustained… while maintaining consciousness….”
Hwa Mu-nyeom could not continue. The more he read, the more his face contorted.
“This… heaven and earth condemn this… God help us. Ye Won-je…? This bastard did this with Mae Wi-dong….”
Hwa Mu-nyeom’s voice trailed off as he hurled the record to the ground.
“These insane bastards!”
This was the first time Seol Woon-hwi had witnessed such a violent reaction from Hwa Mu-nyeom, yet he remained surprisingly composed.
He watched Hwa Mu-nyeom quietly. In Seol Woon-hwi’s eyes, Hwa Mu-nyeom’s attitude did not appear false. It seemed genuine.
Crash—!
Hwa Mu-nyeom struck the wall with his fist. Stone dust scattered down.
“…So this was the true face of Muk Se-hoe.”
“To be precise, it was Mae Wi-dong’s true face.”
“….”
“I’m certain in my heart, but I’ll ask you one thing directly.”
“…Ask away.”
“Are you involved in this matter?”
Hwa Mu-nyeom’s brow furrowed sharply. Had Seol Woon-hwi’s condition not been as it was, he would have seized him by the collar as he had done before.
“…I am consumed with rage right now.”
“It certainly appears so.”
“In a situation where I harbor fundamental doubts about whether the Thousand Year Demon Cult is truly what I believed it to be, your question only deepens my displeasure.”
Hwa Mu-nyeom stepped forward.
“I speak with absolute certainty. I knew nothing of this matter. Foolishly, despite bearing the title of Vice Leader, I failed to perceive even a hint of it.”
“….”
“Whatever answer you may be certain of, even if I desire the restoration of the Thousand Year Demon Cult, it is not my intention to walk the path of a demonic being.”
Seol Woon-hwi, who had been contemplating for a moment, slowly nodded.
“I understand. I did think that Senior Hwa was likely uninvolved in this matter.”
“….”
“I’m merely mentioning this just in case… but… cough.”
Seol Woon-hwi, who had coughed up a small amount of blood, took a short breath and continued speaking.

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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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