Survival Guide for the Reincarnated - Chapter 322

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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 322
“In the past, the Thousand Year Demon Cult ruled the world through strength. They created a perfect order where the powerful held dominion. Throughout the entire Murim, there was not a soul who did not fear those four characters. However…”
Seol Woon-hwi paused briefly, then picked up a fallen document from the ground and continued.
“Even in such a world ruled by the Thousand Year Demon Cult, there were those who committed such atrocities.”
“….”
“The world of martial artists and the world of commoners must remain separate. Of course, in living through this world, one cannot draw that boundary with absolute clarity. Too many complicated matters arise. But there is one thing we can divide with certainty.”
“What is that?”
“Martial artists toying with the lives of commoners. That contradicts the very logic of a world built on respect for the strong. It is common for the strong to exploit and subjugate the weak, but when they ignore the boundaries between their world and that of commoners, when they massacre innocents—if that becomes justified, then the state loses all meaning, and its ruler becomes nothing but a servant to martial artists, or merely a masked martial artist himself.”
“…So?”
“You understand what I am saying, do you not?”
“….”
“This is the reason Ye Won-je died, but these are not acts that only Ye Won-je and Mae Wi-dong could have committed.”
“…Then….”
“Yes. Someone within the Silent World Society. A martial artist who followed Mae Wi-dong while evading Master Hwa’s gaze and aided in these deeds.”
“Are you certain? Mae Wi-dong may have killed them to destroy evidence.”
Seol Woon-hwi shook his head.
“Given his nature, he would not have killed them directly.”
“…What?”
“This person shares his secrets. They likely hold considerable standing within the Silent World Society. Casting out such a person would not suit his nature. He would more likely have used them.”
“Used them… You are certain of this.”
“Yes, I am certain. And while the Silent World Society was undoubtedly created for the restoration of the Thousand Year Demon Cult, not all its members are demonic people. In fact, I have heard that many come from both righteous and demonic sects.”
Hwa Mu-nyeom nodded.
“There is a corrupted branch. Can you find it and eliminate it?”
Hwa Mu-nyeom’s eyes gleamed.
“Of course. I will find them and reduce them to ash.”
Seol Woon-hwi nodded.
“After you have pruned the rotten branches, please inform me. Then I will prepare for the inauguration ceremony as Alliance Leader of the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance. Will that suffice?”
“It will, but there is something we must address.”
“What is it?”
“If I am to excise the rotten branches of the Silent World Society, there will be more bloodshed than you anticipate.”
“You speak of the weakening of the Silent World Society.”
“Yes.”
“It cannot be helped. What matters is will.”
“Will?”
“I believe one righteous will is worth more than a hundred twisted powers.”
Hwa Mu-nyeom nodded.
“Yes, that is true. I cannot stand alongside those who have participated in such filthy deeds.”
A brief silence fell. After Hwa Mu-nyeom composed his anger, he looked at Seol Woon-hwi.
“I once had a private audience with Mae Wi-dong and spoke of such matters.”
“What conversation was that?”
“Whether you truly wish for the Thousand Year Demon Cult to be rebuilt or not.”
Seol Woon-hwi let out a soft chuckle.
“Do you want a clear answer?”
“I do.”
“Then or now, my answer remains the same. Whether the Thousand Year Demon Cult is rebuilt or not, I have no interest. However, if you ask for my help in its reconstruction, I can provide it.”
“You have no intention of becoming the Cult Leader?”
At Hwa Mu-nyeom’s piercing question, Seol Woon-hwi turned his head.
“Both the Silent World Society and Cheon Rim were ultimately created by the will of a single man. You know this well. The Demonic Way Zen Master Yu Cheong. The one we typically call ‘that person’ or ‘Master.'”
Seol Woon-hwi listened silently to Hwa Mu-nyeom’s words.
“You have a karmic connection with that man. Is that not so?”
“It is.”
“Given your nature, you are not the type to serve beneath that man. Then inevitably, one of the two must die. Yet you say you will help with the reconstruction?”
Hwa Mu-nyeom’s words carried a sharp edge.
Having observed Seol Woon-hwi closely, he had finally discerned it.
“Your true purpose is Yu Cheong. Am I correct?”
“Yes. You are correct.”
I did not deny it. To deny it now would be far too pathetic.
“Let me make one thing clear then.”
“What is it?”
“I regard you very highly. Perhaps even more than Yu Cheong.”
Hwa Mu-nyeom had always referred to Yu Cheong respectfully as “that person,” but at some point he had begun using his name.
“When I saw you wielding the Blood Demon Soaring Heaven Art, I gained some understanding. To speak honestly, I hope that you will lead the reconstruction of the Thousand Year Demon Cult and become its Cult Leader.”
Seol Woon-hwi’s brow twitched slightly.
It would be a lie to say I had never considered it. But I had no particular desire to sit in the position of Cult Leader. I had only planned to offer assistance and then withdraw.
“Are you sincere?”
“There has not been a single moment when I was not sincere.”
“….”
“If you kill Yu Cheong, even if the Thousand Year Demon Cult is rebuilt, can it truly create a proper order?”
“….”
“You are a genius capable of creating a realm like the Three Manifestations Realm. Moreover, with the resolve for mutual destruction, you could even contend with Heaven-Human Unity, the threshold of the Five Realms of Martial God. In the distant future—no, within ten years at most, or five years at minimum—you will become an existence capable of dominating the Murim through sheer power.”
Hwa Mu-nyeom spoke with utmost gravity.
“I am nearly ninety years old, and at this age, one begins to see clearly. Whether a person’s essence is genuine or false.”
“You are saying I am genuine, then.”
“…In truth, you could ask any passerby and they would answer the same. But you are genuinely genuine.”
Seol Woon-hwi ran his hand through his hair.
“I understand what you mean. However, I cannot give you a definitive answer at this moment.”
“….”
“I too have duties to fulfill, and I have no intention of remaining with the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance indefinitely. Yet you speak of the distant future and the position of Cult Leader of the Thousand Year Demon Cult? Since no one knows what lies ahead, it would be absurd to make such a promise here without consideration. However.”
“However?”
“I will give it serious thought.”
Hwa Mu-nyeom understood.
“It is hardly surprising that you are not an easy man to deal with, but the fact that you say you will give this matter serious thought—it stirs this old man’s heart.”
Hwa Mu-nyeom chuckled softly, and I laughed as well.
“Let us do well going forward.”
“Yes. But is there something you wish to ask me?”
“There is. I spoke of accepting the position of Alliance Leader of the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance, but I find myself in a situation where I must first settle matters concerning the Silent World Society. Since I do not know when that will conclude, is it not correct that I should resolve it as quickly as possible?”
It was a reasonable question.
However.
“For now, there is a matter I must handle first.”
“What matter?”
“Resolving the friction with the Ihwageomseonchong.”
When Hwa Mu-nyeom tilted his head in confusion, I continued.
“I am speaking of the need for justification.”
“Justification?”
“You are a figure who has stood above the Murim, walking a righteous path, and once stirred the martial world under the name Yeom Wang.”
“That is true.”
“If such a person suddenly becomes the Alliance Leader of the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance as if they had been waiting for this moment, how would the world perceive it?”
“They would find it strange.”
“Exactly. It could appear as though everything had been planned from the beginning.”
I continued my explanation.
“A process like the Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage is necessary. You must appear to be continuously persuaded, again and again, until you reluctantly step forward.”
“Persuasion, you say…?”
“Originally, I intended to propose the position of Vice Alliance Leader, but since the Alliance Leader died suddenly, you must naturally ascend to the position of Alliance Leader, and in this process, Cheon Ui Jung-jeong persuaded you repeatedly—such justification is what is needed.”
Hwa Mu-nyeom’s expression showed admiration.
“Ah… I see what you mean. What a meticulous fellow you are.”
After that, a peculiar silence settled between us.
The two men regarded each other without speaking.
It was Hwa Mu-nyeom who broke the silence.
“That… Han Mu-rin, I am thinking of teaching that fellow a martial art. Would it be alright if I borrowed him for a moment?”
“Please do so.”
Hwa Mu-nyeom scratched his head and spoke briefly.
“…Let us go.”
“Yes, Senior.”
* * *
News of the death of Mae Wi-dong, the Alliance Leader of the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance and the Gentleman of So Cheon, struck the entire Murim like thunder.
When he had killed Jo Tae-hwa, the Vice Sect Master of the Ihwageomseonchong and the Diamond Sword Master, I thought he would step forward as Vice Alliance Leader, but perhaps impatience was the problem. The detailed circumstances spread through the Beggar Sect and Cheon Rim, and everyone was shocked.
Cheon Ui Jung-jeong Seol Woon-hwi plays Go exceptionally well. Beyond being called a Go genius, many of those who have played against him have elevated their own realm. Standing before such a person, Mae Wi-dong, the Alliance Leader of the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance, could not remain idle.
He requested a match from Seol Woon-hwi, and I did not refuse. It was during three days and nights when the two men were locked in their match. Mae Wi-dong attained enlightenment and was beginning his breakthrough toward Limitless Divine Manifestation when a heart demon consumed him.
I rushed forward to save him and desperately tried to stabilize him, but I failed, and in the process, I suffered severe internal injuries.
The problem was Mae Wi-dong. Mae Wi-dong had exploded.
This was truly a catastrophe beyond words.
Just as the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance was about to soar, a heart demon appeared, and worse—the new Alliance Leader had barely held his position for two weeks before exploding.
Everyone sympathized with Seol Woon-hwi.
He had clearly done his best.
That he was a genius was obvious, and he was a monster who had even founded the Three Celestial Realms, but how could anyone suppress a martial artist at the level of the Five Realms of Martial God?
This was not Seol Woon-hwi’s fault—it was entirely Mae Wi-dong’s.
Mae Wi-dong had become a cautionary tale, consumed by his own impatience, yet everyone wondered: what would become of the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance now?
Would Seol Woon-hwi, the Heavenly Righteousness Arbiter, take the Alliance Leader’s seat?
The Vice Alliance Leader position was also vacant—how could this be resolved?
Could he possibly be bringing in masters of the Five Realms of Martial God from the Ten Thousand Year Snow Palace?
Everyone began to focus on the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance once more.
And most critically: how would the matter with the Ihwa Geom Cheon Jong be resolved? This was the true crux of it all.
In the depths of night, Seol Woon-hwi circulated his energy, dedicating himself to recovery.
Though he said nothing, during those two weeks lying in bed, I had crossed the line between life and death countless times.
Ruptured blood vessels were merely the beginning—the tendons and meridians in my limbs convulsed violently, and blood poured from the seven orifices. It was a wound that should have been fatal, yet I survived for two reasons.
One was my recovery ability.
After consuming the Ten Thousand Year Fire Pear, my body’s already heightened regenerative capacity had been pushed to its limit upon encountering the Void Manifestation Qi, and it continued to work even now. The other reason was experience from my previous life.
I knew from experience how to treat certain wounds for optimal recovery, so before losing consciousness, I had managed to take appropriate measures.
That is why I survived.
If Mae Wi-dong had known this, he would have coughed blood from sheer frustration—but what could be done? He had already soared into the heavens.
As I slowly steadied my breathing and circulated the Void Manifestation Qi, my brow suddenly furrowed.
Something was wrong. The flow of the air had subtly changed.
As if someone had entered this space.

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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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