Survival Guide for the Reincarnated - Chapter 98
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 98
“Where is Father?”
“…He’s not here.”
“Didn’t you tell him?”
“I didn’t. You said to make sure it absolutely doesn’t reach Father’s ears, no matter who else finds out. You said you’d just die if I didn’t do that. Crazy bastard.”
If you knew even a little about the man called Seol Mu-ryun, you could understand this completely.
Why this situation had occurred.
It all started from Seol Mu-ryun’s mistake of secretly stealing the Thousand Year Poison Snake.
If that mistake were made public, it would inevitably damage his dignity as one of the Polar Descendants.
So handling the problem before it became public was the most ideal method.
“Youngest… he’s not going to die like that, is he?”
Among the Polar Descendants, the person who cherished family the most was Seol Yeon-hwa. That was undeniable.
Her worry was evident even in her gestures and tone of voice, so there was nothing more to say.
“Don’t worry.”
At Woon-hwi’s firm words, Seol Yeon-hwa raised her head.
“Second Brother’s pride and life will not be harmed today.”
Seol Yeon-hwa stared blankly at Woon-hwi, who looked utterly reliable, then smiled softly.
Really.
Even though she kept seeing it, she couldn’t get used to it.
“Please rest.”
Woon-hwi entered the residence interior, leaving only Seol Yeon-hwa and Cheon Pung in the courtyard.
Seol Yeon-hwa turned her head.
Cheon Pung grinned.
“You are truly beautiful.”
“…Thank you.”
* * *
As soon as I entered the residence, I frowned.
The stench of rotting blood and… pus struck my nose with an intensity beyond imagination.
I looked straight ahead.
Second Brother was lying in the center, surrounded by three physicians.
Around them were scattered enormous amounts of medicinal materials and spirit pills… and dozens of cotton cloths stained with blood and various medicines, showing strange colors.
It was quite a sight.
I narrowed my eyes.
Second Brother’s complexion was very pale as he lay there, and his chest rose and fell greatly with each breath.
Certainly, he had definitely swallowed the Thousand Year Poison Snake’s inner core.
I walked over silently and spoke.
“Physicians, please step aside.”
“…But…”
“Since you are surely people that Second Brother trusts, people who don’t want this to reach the Palace Lord’s ears, I’m speaking to you politely like this. This is a matter of life and death, so please step aside.”
The one who responded to my words was Second Brother, who was lying down.
He opened his eyes with difficulty and spoke to the physicians.
“…Everyone leave.”
“…Commander…!”
“…Cough… Leave.”
The physicians hesitated for a moment then went outside, leaving only Second Brother and me inside the residence.
I immediately moved to Brother’s side and checked his pulse.
The internal energy flowing through his meridians was extremely chaotic, and his pulse was irregular. Most importantly, his blood had a dark blue tint.
Not only his blood vessels, but even his blood was contaminated.
If I had come just one day later, all his blood vessels would have rotted beyond recovery.
“You’ve pushed yourself too hard.”
“…Can you… treat me?”
“I can treat you.”
“…Then… please do.”
It was the first time.
Second Brother and I had never had many conversations like this.
Not in childhood, and not even until the moment he died.
To be honest, I don’t know about Second Brother. I know almost nothing.
That was as far as it went for now.
Since I don’t want to clean up a corpse either, I intend to treat him.
I quietly drew up my Heo Hyeon Energy and gently flowed it into Brother’s blood vessels.
“There’s something you should know. First, the Thousand Year Poison Snake is not a simple spiritual creature. It’s a condensation of heaven and earth created by a thousand years of time.”
Pure white smoke began flowing from Brother’s body.
This happens during the process when Heo Hyeon Energy transforms into Ice Snow Energy.
Right now, I was freezing Brother’s blood vessels.
“Swallowing the inner core of a condensation of heaven and earth without refinement is something that should only be attempted by those who have reached at least the Five Realms of Martial God.”
“…I am in the Harmony Realm… isn’t that enough?”
“No. The energy of great nature and the energy of heaven and earth are different. But their origin is the same.”
Perhaps because the pain had disappeared, Brother looked at me with clearly opened eyes.
“The principle of all things in heaven and earth is one. I will transform the Thousand Year Poison Snake’s energy residing in your blood vessels into something that exists somewhere between the energies of great nature and heaven and earth. Naturally, its efficacy will also be somewhere between Heavenly Poison Immunity and Ten Thousand Poison Immunity…”
“…Is that… possible?”
“Yes. It’s possible. You probably thought that I, who first reported the infiltration of Poison Snake Valley, would provide you with an answer. Am I right?”
“…Correct.”
“I’m providing that answer now. Your judgment to call me instead of Father was correct, but you were very foolish.”
As if not denying it, Brother closed his eyes.
Anyone could see he was in a very peaceful state, with the pain itself having disappeared.
That was right.
I had frozen all the areas where pain could occur, so if there was still pain, it would mean there was a problem with my internal energy circulation, but there’s no way I lack that level of control ability.
And.
“From now on is the important part.”
“…”
“If you had only swallowed the Thousand Year Poison Snake’s inner core, it would have been possible to dissolve it without pain, but you chewed and ate the Thousand Year Poison Snake raw.”
Brother opened his eyes and spoke with a pained laugh.
“Ha… haha… I thought… you would know.”
“It was beyond foolish—it was insane. Since even your blood is contaminated, I’m going to purify all of that blood now.”
“…Is that… possible?”
“It’s possible. And there’s one reason why I’m talking at such length.”
Really just one reason.
“From now on, you’re going to be in real agony. You’ll hurt so much that you’ll think dying would be better. Pain so intense that you’ll bite your tongue, harm yourself, and try to gouge out your own eyes will hit you, but you must endure it. Can you do it?”
“I am… a Polar Descendant. I can do it.”
“Understood.”
I didn’t particularly use pressure point techniques.
The price for stupidity should be paid by oneself.
I wanted to see Second Brother’s will.
Why.
Did Father consider my second brother, not my eldest brother, as the next Palace Lord?
I plan to find out everything today.
“I will begin.”
Ice Snow Energy penetrated into my brother’s body.
Since the Thousand Year Poison Snake’s spiritual energy had already seeped deep into his blood, simply freezing his blood vessels would not be enough.
The blood itself had to be changed.
This was like changing the flow of a river.
Purifying the blood contaminated with the Thousand Year Poison Snake’s spiritual energy and transforming it with new qi.
Ordinary people couldn’t even imagine such a method. Only a divine physician with the highest medical skills or a poison master from Poison Snake Valley would think of such an approach.
Naturally, the difficulty was extremely high.
As Ice Snow Energy penetrated toward my brother’s blood vessels.
“Ugh… Uugh… Uuughh…!”
My brother’s screams began echoing through the residence, and his body started trembling as if convulsing.
I carefully observed my brother’s condition.
I could see dark blue veins showing through his skin.
They were slowly turning white.
The white smoke that had covered the residence earlier was now even thicker.
“Kraaaak!”
The screams were growing louder.
My brother’s back arched like a bow.
Dark blue blood poured from his mouth.
He immediately clenched his teeth hard enough to break them, but couldn’t stop it from leaking through the gaps.
Surprisingly.
My brother never bit his tongue or harmed himself.
I was a bit amazed.
Wasn’t my brother’s willpower beyond imagination?
Enduring this level of pain while maintaining consciousness meant there was something beyond simple pride as a Polar Descendant.
“Brother.”
My brother glared at me with eyes whose blood vessels had all burst. No, he looked at me.
“About half of the Thousand Year Poison Snake’s spiritual energy has been converted now. But it will be more painful from here on.”
“…It’s fine. Continue.”
My brother’s voice trembled, but it contained strong will.
“You don’t lose consciousness even with that level of pain.”
My brother clenched his teeth silently.
I was worried that his teeth might break if he continued like that much longer.
I had to increase the speed to preserve those teeth.
Ice Snow Energy penetrated even deeper.
The dark blue energy flowing through my brother’s blood vessels began changing one by one. It was like poisoned river water becoming clear.
“Kruuugh…!”
My brother’s hands gripped the floor. Blood seeped from under his fingernails, but he still didn’t lose consciousness.
“Right now, the Thousand Year Poison Snake’s spiritual energy and Ice Snow Energy are colliding inside your body.”
“…Don’t speak!”
My brother cut off my words.
“If I collapse from this level of pain…! Wouldn’t that be laughable!”
I pondered the meaning contained in my brother’s words.
The position of Palace Lord, that position he so desperately desired.
I had thought it was simple power or honor, but it seemed like something… different.
Before long, the dark blue energy completely disappeared from my brother’s blood vessels.
The dark veins showing through his skin all faded, and his breathing found stability.
The light that softly settled in my second brother’s body was very pure light, like freshly fallen first snow.
I briefly checked his pulse.
Very stable.
After confirming that, I slowly withdrew my hands and said.
“You should be fine now.”
“…What did you do?”
My brother slowly opened his pain-stricken eyes. His voice was tired but clear.
“I converted the Thousand Year Poison Snake’s spiritual energy. Now it has become part of you, but how much you can absorb it and how you restore the blood vessels that were once damaged – everything depends on you.”
“Part of me…”
My brother raised his hand while lying down.
Veins with a faint blue tint were protruding quite prominently, making them look hideous, but there was no problem for now.
I was curious.
“Why exactly did you make such a choice?”
“…”
“The physicians of the Main Palace Ice Cold Medicine Hall are very skilled. Among them, the hall master Man Ryang’s skills are excellent enough to serve as the hall master of the Main Palace Medicine Hall.”
“…I know you don’t get along well with him.”
“Even though I don’t get along well with him, I don’t doubt his skills. If it were Man Ryang, you could have consumed the Thousand Year Poison Snake’s inner core relatively smoothly without hovering between life and death.”
“…But I would have had to give up the blood.”
The Thousand Year Poison Snake’s blood has only one effect.
The effect of strengthening blood vessels.
From any perspective, the Thousand Year Poison Snake was definitely an incredible spiritual creature.
“…Seol Woon-hwi.”
“Yes, second brother.”
“Do you think I covet the position of Palace Lord?”
My brother’s voice was deep. Like a deep valley in Snow Mountain.
I also became serious.
Why doesn’t Father announce it even though he considers my second brother as the next Palace Lord?
Though I don’t know my eldest brother’s true intentions exactly, I could be certain of one thing at this moment.
“No. From what I can see, second brother is not coveting the position of Palace Lord.”
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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