Survival Guide for the Reincarnated - Chapter 376

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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 376
If one knew what kind of person the Gate Master of Heaven Gate was, attempting this would be something to try only as an absolute last resort, when no other answer could be found.
“A different approach would be better.”
“A different approach, you say…?”
“What about controlling it from within?”
“From within?”
“Yes.”
Seol Woon-hwi pointed to the Demonic Heaven Person’s chest.
“What if we implant a core near the heart?”
“…A core, you mean.”
“We create an object by condensing twisted Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy and implant it in the heart.”
“…The heart… you say.”
Seol Woon-hwi explained further.
“With that core as the center, the Demonic Heaven Person’s energy would circulate around it.”
“Circulate….”
“Jeon Bi, in your assessment, what is the current problem with this Demonic Heaven Person?”
“The energy is running rampant.”
“Then why is that energy running rampant?”
“…That is….”
Jeon Bi could not continue. Seol Woon-hwi, waiting for an answer, spoke quietly.
“Because the twisted Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy flows in disorder.”
Seol Woon-hwi gestured to the Demonic Heaven Person’s entire body.
“This energy has no direction. It is merely twisted. That is why it cannot be controlled.”
“…Then…?”
“But if we implant the core in the heart, that core becomes the center.”
Seol Woon-hwi clenched his fist.
“Like a Dantian. All the energy would revolve around that point.”
“A Dantian….”
Jeon Bi, who had been pondering, suddenly widened his eyes.
He had grasped exactly what Seol Woon-hwi was saying.
He was startled and astonished.
“…We also considered inscribing Formation Methods within the Demonic Heaven Person’s body and crafting mystical techniques—every conceivable method—but the Supreme Commander’s insight is beyond what we could have dared to imagine.”
This was it.
“Just as a martial artist circulates internal energy around the Dantian, you speak of creating an object to serve as a new secondary Dantian, then transforming the twisted energy into its original form there. Is that correct?”
“Correct. Well reasoned.”
“Thank you.”
“Since the energy is twisted, the core itself must also be made of twisted Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy. And since the energy that emerges outward must be untwisted, the blood vessels within will need to undergo reconstruction as well.”
It was a fundamental question.
“…How would you create that?”
“We would need to extract and condense the Demonic Heaven Person’s energy. Of course, that alone will not be easy.”
“As for materials, do you have any thoughts on the matter?”
“A Demonic Heaven Person’s body is ultimately still a human body. The only differences lie in the blood vessels, thickness, and strength of the physical form. So if we blend blood, bone, and a portion of the heart—these three elements—and compress them, we should obtain the basic form of a core.”
Seol Woon-hwi continued his explanation.
“But that alone is insufficient. We must inscribe mystical techniques into the core.”
“Mystical techniques?”
“We’re engraving a command hierarchy.”
Seol Woon-hwi traced characters in the air with his finger.
“For instance, if we inscribe basic commands like advance, retreat, attack, and halt into the core using mystical techniques, the Demonic Heaven Person will move according to those commands. The system you inscribed was likely embedded in the form of a formation method in the head.”
“…That is… precisely correct.”
“All of that must be concentrated in the heart. Then, even if the head is pierced through or the arm is severed, it will continue moving according to commands. However.”
“If the heart is destroyed, it will die.”
“Whether it’s accurate to say the already dead have died, I’m uncertain, but yes—it will cease functioning.”
“Hah… Truly… remarkable.”
Seol Woon-hwi shook his head.
“It’s not finished. Finally, we must inscribe a formation method.”
“A formation method as well?”
“Yes. A formation method that controls the flow of qi.”
Seol Woon-hwi gestured across the Demonic Heaven Person’s entire body.
“The qi must circulate centered on the core, and that flow must be maintained at a constant level. To achieve this, we must inscribe small formation methods throughout the entire body—much like blood vessels.”
“….”
“In other words, you must completely dismantle and reconstruct all the blood vessels and formation methods you inscribed. They must be connected to the core in the heart.”
“…That is an enormous undertaking.”
Seol Woon-hwi nodded.
“It won’t be easy. Procuring materials is difficult, creating the core is difficult, and inscribing the mystical techniques and formation methods is even more difficult. Moreover, all of this must be executed with precision. Even the slightest deviation will result in failure.”
“…But.”
Jeon Bi’s eyes gleamed.
“You’re saying it’s possible, aren’t you?”
“What do you think?”
Jeon Bi’s eyes gleamed.
“First, we should be able to establish a direction. Most importantly, from listening to the Supreme Commander’s words, it feels as though you see the possibility of success as higher than the probability of failure.”
Seol Woon-hwi wore a subtle smile.
Perhaps because he had been directly appointed to the position of Branch Chief by Seo Hyo, his perceptiveness was quite keen.
“Your words are correct. I cannot say whether my theory is the answer, but I still believe it’s an attempt worth making.”
This was more than sufficient—it was overflowing with possibility.
Jeon Bi performed a deep cupped fist salute.
“I shall attempt to procure the materials.”
It was at that moment when Seol Woon-hwi nodded.
Crash!
The iron door swung open roughly as a merchant from Cheon Rim rushed in, gasping for breath.
“B-Branch Chief! An urgent report!!”
Jeon Bi’s brow furrowed.
“Before the Supreme Commander, such lack of decorum…”
“…I apologize, but this is truly urgent!”
The merchant fell to his knees.
“Seong Tae-su Song Hak of Geonkon Castle has died!”
Jeon Bi’s face hardened.
Seol Woon-hwi’s eyes narrowed slightly as well.
Song Hak was well over ninety years old this year.
Moreover, for the past two months his health had deteriorated to the point where he could no longer manage external affairs, and recently he had been confined to his residence, unable to venture outside.
And with physicians coming and going from that residence nearly every day, this signified one thing.
That Song Hak would soon pass away.
Frankly, it would have been unremarkable if he had died yesterday or today, but such urgency meant there was another reason behind it.
“How did Song Hak die?”
The merchant answered Seol Woon-hwi’s question as if he had been waiting for it.
“He was murdered, they say.”
“…Murdered?”
“Yes.”
“Why would anyone bother killing an old man on his deathbed?”
“…There is apparently a suspect in custody, but something is strange about it.”
“What is?”
“The suspect is said to be from Jeokna Kingdom.”
Seol Woon-hwi and Jeon Bi’s expressions hardened.
* * *
A carriage raced toward Geonkon Castle.
Namgung Won Yang, gazing out the window, suddenly spoke.
“Master.”
Seol Woon-hwi, who had his eyes closed, opened them.
“If it is not presumptuous, may I ask one thing?”
“Go ahead.”
“Where has Manager Seong gone?”
Inside the carriage were only Seol Woon-hwi and Namgung Won Yang.
And the coachman leading the horses was not Manager Seong either.
Seol Woon-hwi spoke.
“He went to the Four Heaven Alliance.”
“…The Four Heaven Alliance?”
Namgung Won Yang tilted her head in confusion.
Why specifically to the Four Heaven Alliance…?
But she asked nothing further.
There was always a reason behind what Seol Woon-hwi did.
“Are you not curious?”
“I am curious, though.”
Namgung Won Yang scratched her head.
“If my master wishes to speak of it, he will do so in his own time.”
Seol Woon-hwi let out a soft chuckle.
“I sent him to make contact with Kang Cheon-u.”
“With the Alliance Leader of the Four Heaven Alliance?”
“Yes.”
“May I ask what this matter concerns?”
“You’ll understand soon enough.”
Seol Woon-hwi gazed out the carriage window.
“The time is not yet right.”
“I understand.”
Over these days, I had exchanged numerous messages through messenger birds in secret.
All of it was to suppress the ambitions of the Martial Alliance, including Gun Mu-gyeol’s.
For that, I needed Kang Cheon-u.
Since much had already changed from my previous life, there was a possibility that Kang Cheon-u’s current state might differ as well.
So I continuously verified through messenger birds how far his enlightenment had progressed, but there was a problem.
At this rate, Kang Cheon-u might waste more than half a year just reaching the Primordial Sole Existence.
This was not part of my calculations.
The moment Gun Mu-gyeol ascends to the Primordial Sole Existence, Kang Cheon-u must also be at that realm.
If not, Gun Mu-gyeol might immediately kill Kang Cheon-u and ignite a righteous war.
That is the kind of man he is.
So I sent Manager Seong.
With everything necessary for Kang Cheon-u to ascend to the Primordial Sole Existence from his current state.
If even this fails, there is no choice left.
The Ten Thousand Year Snow Palace will truly have to march into the Central Plains.
Namgung Won Yang asked nothing further.
Absolute trust.
That was what existed between us.
Thus the carriage continued its journey for two days and arrived at Geonkon Castle.
The carriage halted before the fortress gates, and the coachman’s voice came from the driver’s seat.
“Supreme Commander. They are conducting an inspection.”
Seol Woon-hwi, buried deep in his seat, spoke softly.
“Do not hurry. Proceed slowly.”
“Yes.”
The death of someone—especially Song Hak, the fortress lord of Geonkon Castle—could not be cause for celebration.
He was a man with such deep reputation and respect.
Waiting was the right course, and the inspection was necessary.
Namgung Won Yang, gazing out from the carriage, murmured quietly.
“There are quite a lot of people.”
A crowd had gathered in front of the fortress gate.
Their expressions were anxious.
“I heard the Fortress Master was assassinated.”
“…Good heavens.”
“They say it was an official from Jeokna Kingdom who killed him?”
“Wasn’t it the Guard Captain of Jeokna Kingdom’s queen, not an official?”
“I heard it was the guard of the prince, not the queen?”
“Regardless, aren’t we heading toward war with Jeokna Kingdom?”
“…Sigh…”
The murmuring was so loud that it reached Seol Woon-hwi’s ears.
“Pay it no mind.”
“…Yes.”
The Coachman was no fool, so he would have shown the guards the credential tablet symbolizing Yang Ryeong-ju’s Supreme Commander authority.
That should be enough to pass through the first checkpoint without trouble.
The carriage naturally began moving again.
The inspection was rigorous.
From the presence alone, it seemed there would be at least three checkpoints.
That was when it happened.
“Stop right there-!!”
With those words, the door burst open.
A middle-aged man stood there.
A sword hung at his side, and exhaustion was plainly visible on his face.
Seol Woon-hwi quietly observed that familiar face.
Mak So-hong.
Unit Leader of the Heavenly-Earthly Sword Squad.
He had been Song Hak’s right hand and the messenger through whom Song Hak had communicated with Seol Woon-hwi during the process of creating Yang Ryeong-ju.
Once a Unit Commander, Mak So-hong had been promoted to Unit Leader in just six months, and Seol Woon-hwi offered him a cupped fist salute.
“Commander Mak. It has been a long time.”
Mak So-hong found it somewhat curious. Before, whether as a messenger or otherwise, he had spoken casually, but now being shown respect seemed a bit strange—though he understood it.
Given the circumstances, Mak So-hong was a man who served Song Hak.
If one respected Song Hak, then showing respect to Mak So-hong in such a moment was quintessentially Seol Woon-hwi.
“…It has been a long time, Young Master Seol.”
Mak So-hong offered a deep cupped fist salute.
“Thank you for coming like this.”
“It is only natural. Master Song Hak…”
Seol Woon-hwi let his words trail off.
Mak So-hong’s expression darkened.
“…Yes. He has passed away.”
“It is most regrettable.”
“…I too find it regrettable, and difficult to believe.”
Mak So-hong let out a sigh.

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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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