Survival Guide for the Reincarnated - Chapter 323

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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 323
I opened my eyes slowly.
No one was visible. I had made it clear to Manager Seong—let no one enter.
In my current state, even the smallest disturbance could severely hinder my recovery.
Yet this presence I felt now was impossible to ignore, and I trust my instincts implicitly.
This was no uncertain judgment.
It was a conviction more certain than anything else.
“Who are you?”
At my brief question, a monk leaning against the pillar across from me chuckled softly.
“Greetings, Seol Do-u.”
My eyes flashed in an instant.
How long had he been there?
The fact that I hadn’t sensed him at all was almost unbelievable, yet the moment I saw his appearance, everything became clear.
Perceive him? That was impossible.
The monk’s appearance was remarkably plain—a shaved head, an extremely diminutive frame, and a staff carried on his back.
His eyes were gentle, yet they gleamed with brilliant vitality.
His cheeks were hollow and his nose prominent; had it not been for his small stature, he would surely have been a handsome man in his youth.
His body stood at roughly five feet and three inches, yet the overwhelming presence emanating from that small frame was truly formidable.
My eyes narrowed. I had never imagined that this man would come to this place.
And yet.
“Why do you call me Do-u?”
Do-u was a term used in Buddhism.
A companion in following and practicing the Buddha’s teachings.
Though commonly called Dharma Friend as well, anyone could see that I was not a Buddhist.
I did not deeply follow the Buddha’s teachings either.
“Heh heh… surely you’re not asking because you truly don’t know. I generally take little interest in the Murim, but I heard rumors that compelled me to seek you out.”
The monk’s voice was gentle, yet it carried a profound power within—like a great dragon sleeping beneath the still surface of a lake.
“Before that, might you forgive this rudeness of visiting in the dead of night?”
I let out a hollow laugh. When a master among masters who had ascended to Primordial Sole Existence spoke such words, I had nothing to say.
“I forgive you.”
“Heh heh… I’m pleased. Might I sit first?”
“Yes. Please sit. And if possible, would you sit across from me?”
“Hmm?”
“As you can see, my body is in this condition.”
The monk smiled knowingly and sat across from me. Then I continued.
“What brings the Immortal Maitreya of the Maitreya Brahma Heaven Sect to this late hour?”
The Immortal Maitreya’s eyes flashed briefly. He was surprised that I had deduced his identity so easily.
“You knew?”
“Yes. Though your appearance lacks distinctive features, I pride myself on having broad knowledge.”
“Having ceased your activities in the Murim a hundred years ago, few even know the name Maitreya Brahma Heaven Sect in this era, yet you immediately deduce my identity? Truly… you are remarkable, Seol Do-u. As if blessed by the Buddha himself.”
Immortal Maitreya spoke as if in admiration, but Seol Woon-hwi could read the hidden intent beneath his words.
It was a probing attack—testing how much he knew.
“You flatter me. But what brings you to seek me out like this?”
“Heh heh… Even after withdrawing from the world, there are still those who remain active in the Murim. Surely a mere sealed gate is of little consequence.”
Immortal Maitreya laughed with ease, yet Seol Woon-hwi could sense the steely will concealed beneath that composure.
He was showing his hand.
That he knew of the Silent World Society.
That there were those working to rebuild the Thousand Year Demon Cult.
That he knew all of it.
In the past, I hadn’t realized it, but seeing it this way, the information network of the Maitreya Brahma Heaven Sect was truly beyond imagination.
“I suspected as much—your reason for breaking through the seal and coming here was because of Shaolin’s martial arts.”
In that instant, Immortal Maitreya’s expression shifted subtly. He still smiled, but the smile grew sharper.
“Shaolin’s martial arts… What specifically are you referring to?”
“The Yeok Geun Gyeong.”
Immortal Maitreya fell silent for a moment. Tension flowed between the two.
“Heh heh… Indeed, you are no ordinary person, Seo Ha. Then you must already know what I wish to say.”
“Must I speak the words myself?”
“If you know, why not say it directly?”
Seol Woon-hwi paused in thought, then spoke calmly.
“Your words are not my words. And as I have said before, I do not follow the teachings of Buddhism. So before we continue this conversation, I would appreciate it if you refrained from calling me by that name.”
“If I do not call you by that name, then there would be even less reason for you to possess the Yeok Geun Gyeong, would there not?”
Seol Woon-hwi laughed softly. Immortal Maitreya laughed as well.
As their laughter overlapped, the air grew heavier.
Immortal Maitreya slowly opened his mouth.
“You’ve forced my hand. Yes, it is true. The Yeok Geun Gyeong—I am curious about it.”
“The Maitreya Brahma Heaven Sect possesses a scripture comparable to the Yeok Geun Gyeong, or so I understand. Why then do you cling to this relic of the past?”
“Because that relic of the past is the original of the Myriad Laws Return to Origin Scripture.”
The Myriad Laws Return to Origin Scripture.
It was the supreme scripture of the Maitreya Brahma Heaven Sect.
Being both a martial arts manual and a complete record, it was a true Divine Object.
Seol Woon-hwi’s pupils gleamed. Though it was an answer I had anticipated, hearing it directly felt different.
“That differs somewhat from what I know.”
“Hmm? How does it differ?”
“It is rather bewildering that one who reveres the Buddha would speak such falsehoods.”
Immortal Maitreya’s eyes turned cold in an instant. But soon his expression softened again.
“It seems you know something.”
“My ears happen to be sharper than expected.”
“Then why not tell me? I shall listen carefully.”
“Very well. As I understand it, the Myriad Laws Return to Origin Scripture of the Maitreya Brahma Heaven Sect is not the original of the Yeok Geun Gyeong. The Myriad Return Origin Transmission, which was born from reinterpreting the Yeok Geun Gyeong, consisted of two volumes—an upper and lower volume—and one supplementary text.”
Immortal Maitreya’s eyes widened. He had not expected him to know such details.
Seol Woon-hwi continued speaking.
“The Ten Thousand Ghosts Original Scripture, created using the upper and lower volumes, generated increasingly severe side effects over time. To resolve them, the Eminent Monk synthesized the All Methods Return to Origin Scripture by blending not only Buddhist martial arts but also Daoist techniques.”
“Seo Ha, you seem to know far more than I expected.”
Immortal Maitreya’s voice carried a note of wariness.
“Merely a modest talent of mine.”
“Whether modest or grand, one shouldn’t be able to know such details. Did ‘he’ have a hand in this?”
Seol Woon-hwi fell silent for a moment. He could hardly be unaware that the ‘he’ Immortal Maitreya spoke of was Cheon Do-ja.
And this matter had nothing to do with Cheon Do-ja’s intervention. However.
“I would prefer not to speak of it.”
….
Immortal Maitreya regarded Seol Woon-hwi intently.
It was remarkable that someone would conduct themselves with such confidence before one who had ascended to the Primordial Sole Existence, but what was even more remarkable was that this confidence seemed entirely natural.
“Seo Ha, having come this far, I cannot return empty-handed.”
“I understand completely. However, I cannot simply hand over the Yeok Geun Gyeong.”
“Do you have the will to give it?”
“To be honest, not in the slightest.”
Immortal Maitreya’s eyes sharpened for an instant. Yet Seol Woon-hwi showed no sign of intimidation.
“I merely say so because you are a master far superior to me. To speak candidly, I would prefer you not covet the Yeok Geun Gyeong.”
“Hah… yet as one who serves Buddhism, wouldn’t it be strange if desire did not arise?”
“The Yeok Geun Gyeong is something I obtained from the Eminent Monk, and under no circumstances do I intend to give it to anyone. However, the martial arts recorded within it are another matter entirely.”
Immortal Maitreya’s expression grew intrigued.
“If you wish to trade with me, I ask that you bring something capable of tempting me. Then I shall trade.”
Immortal Maitreya gazed at Seol Woon-hwi intently.
The Primordial Sole Existence is a realm where masters contend for supremacy in the Martial World—masters of such caliber that they could shatter the heavens and erase mountains. Yet this one came forward with such boldness? When I heard rumors, I did not fully grasp it, but seeing it directly, the audacity is extraordinary.
It was truly astonishing.
“Hah… very well. I shall return soon.”
“Will you proceed with the trade?”
“Of course. How many martial arts are recorded?”
“Five in total, but only two are available for trade.”
“Two… that is meager.”
“I consider it quite generous.”
Immortal Maitreya fell into thought. Even two would possess considerable value if they were from Shaolin’s sacred teachings.
“If you find it disagreeable, you need not proceed.”
“Hah… very well. Two. We shall trade, Seo Ha.”
His continued use of the title “Seo Ha” was his stubborn insistence.
Immortal Maitreya saw Buddhism reflected in Seol Woon-hwi’s bearing. Of that, he was certain.
“Is there anything you desire? Speak freely.”
“Nothing comes to mind at present.”
“…So you truly meant I should discern it myself?”
“Yes. It is not enough merely to match my preferences. It must also align with my tastes.”
“This… well, how amusing. Young Dou is assigning homework to a distant senior. Very well, I understand.”
Smoke rose from where Immortal Maitreya sat. It was the faintest wisp, and when it reached the level of his face, there came a soft sound—and his physical body vanished.
A movement technique of absurd caliber. Seol Woon-hwi watched in silence at the place where he had disappeared.
The Immortal Maitreya I had seen in my previous life was certainly a man one could reason with.
He was renowned for being unpretentious despite his realm, and showed no shame in displaying his own desires.
Above all, he handled everything rationally. If an opponent possessed nothing of value, he would tear out their throat, dismember their limbs, or seize it by whatever means necessary.
Such was his nature.
Had I been intimidated by the difference in realm and remained silent, Immortal Maitreya would have shown no disappointment and would have tortured me on the spot.
And he would have added this as well.
This is the law—accept it.
To survive in the Murim, one cannot afford a single moment of carelessness.
With the reputation I had built and the multiple cards in my hand, I could at least open a “stage for dialogue,” and escaping crisis through it was something to be grateful for.
But if this continues beyond once or twice, I become no different from an administrator rather than a true martial artist.
A sigh escaped me.
I had grown, and grown considerably, yet I remained weak. It was an undeniable truth, and I needed to advance further.
Before a Primordial Sole Existence like Immortal Maitreya, I was merely insignificant. No matter how much I possessed memories from my previous life, no matter how well I could wield the Blood Demon Soaring Heaven Art, I was powerless before an absolute difference in strength.
And so I yearned all the more.
I had to become stronger.
At minimum, I needed to recover the power of my previous life.
Ten years at most.
I intended to reach that height within that time.
As I was about to resume the lotus position, another sigh escaped me.
“You won’t even let me rest.”
This time, the voice came not from the pillar, but from behind me.
It was a presence distinctly different from Immortal Maitreya’s.
Sharp and cold, yet somehow familiar.
“Surely you should spare a thought for me, who has waited more than a fortnight.”

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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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