Survival Guide for the Reincarnated

Wonyang looked at Unhwi and said,

“My lord... the former master of the Tyrant Blade Sect has been sighted.”

Silence settled over them.

Unhwi’s eyes shifted.

“...Tyrant Blade Sect?”

“Yes. Retired Master Seok Junseo. They say he was seen to the northwest.”

After saying that, Wonyang fell briefly into thought.

Northwest.

What was there?

She searched her memory and unfolded the map of the martial world in her mind.

The answer came immediately.

The Jin family.

Unhwi, who had been watching her quietly, asked in a calm voice,

“Tell me what you think.”

Wonyang nodded with a firm expression.

“If it’s northwest, then the Jin family is there.”

“It is.”

“...Seok Junseo is the former master of the Tyrant Blade Sect, the one who served as its retired master. My lord destroyed the Tyrant Blade Sect, and at the time, he was in closed-door training...”

Unhwi smiled.

Encouraged by that smile, Wonyang continued at once.

“...I think this is the move Alliance Leader Gun Mugeol has played.”

“Be specific.”

“As you said, my lord, Gun Mugeol brought even the fallen Tyrant Blade Sect under the Murim Alliance by still including them among the Five Great Sects. And Gun Mugeol owes you a debt.”

The situation was truly strange.

“To lessen that debt, Gun Mugeol would have had no choice but to try something. And someone like Seok Junseo would make a very useful piece.”

Unhwi nodded.

More than anything, there had been no report that Seok Junseo had broken his closed-door training.

In other words, all of this had ultimately taken place in secret.

Unhwi was no fool, so he had placed several people near the mountain where Seok Junseo had entered closed-door training, but none of them had contacted him.

That did not mean they were dead, either.

Someone had approached without their knowledge and brought Seok Junseo out.

Naturally, that someone had to be Gun Mugeol.

“...As far as I know, Jin Muhang of the Jin family is close enough with Seok Junseo to call each other brothers. But then that same Jin family came into conflict with Red Spirit Court of the Blood Heaven Sect, and just then, my lord entered the Blood Heaven Sect and even took the position of Blood Heaven Arbiter...”

A chill suddenly ran over Namgung Wonyang’s skin.

Honestly—

She had not known.

But as she spoke, everything began to connect.

Unhwi smiled faintly.

“Your thinking is correct.”

Unhwi lifted his cup.

“Do you think there was truly no one who predicted I would go to the Blood Heaven Sect?”

That was impossible.

There had to be someone.

That was how the world worked.

Especially someone like Gun Mugeol, who prepared and acted on multiple assumptions.

Gun Mugeol had predicted it.

Because he had predicted it, he had begun setting things in motion from the moment Unhwi destroyed the Tyrant Blade Sect.

He had predicted that Unhwi would not return to the Heaven’s Will Alliance.

And if that was the case, then he had also predicted that Unhwi’s destination would ultimately be the Blood Heaven Sect.

Of course, someone must have given him information during that process.

Unhwi had not known it from the beginning, either.

He realized that Gun Mugeol had already laid the board a month ago during his conversation with Jeong Docheon.

Jeong Docheon had clearly said it.

Gun Mugeol had come to Peach Blossom Garden.

Together with the Undying Maitreya.

Of course, he probably had not imagined that Unhwi would take on the absurd position of Blood Heaven Arbiter.

He would only have predicted that Unhwi would sit in a position that bore responsibility.

A Harmony realm master with a clear grudge against Unhwi, and a position from which Unhwi could not possibly flee because he had to take responsibility.

Gun Mugeol had created that situation.

It was obvious.

Unhwi would have to fight a duel to the death against a Harmony realm master.

“...Isn’t this... dangerous?”

“It is.”

Namgung Ho of the Blood Spirit Regiment had also been a Harmony realm master, but this situation was different from then.

This time, they would have to face Seok Junseo, [N O V E L I G H T] a Harmony realm martial artist, and Jin Muhang of the Jin family, another Harmony realm master.

An inescapable trap.

That was what Gun Mugeol had laid.

Ju Soa, who belatedly understood, widened her eyes.

“...What did you say earlier? That we’ll live and you’ll die, Blood Heaven Arbiter?”

“I did.”

“I think that was wrong. Aren’t we all going to die?”

Unhwi let out a hollow laugh.

“Trust me.”

“...I do. Well, honestly, dying together doesn’t sound all that bad.”

Unexpectedly, Ju Soa was not frightened.

“Dying as martial artists wouldn’t be so bad, would it?”

“No. It wouldn’t.”

Ju Soa had already been dyed too deeply by Unhwi in many ways, so death itself was not what frightened her.

What frightened her was failing to die as a martial artist.

That alone.

Of course, even with that resolve, they still needed to respond somehow.

Ju Soa drained her cup and continued.

“Is there no way?”

“For example?”

“Something like making Seok Junseo or Jin Muhang turn back.”

Unhwi looked at Wonyang and jerked his chin slightly, as if telling her to explain.

Wonyang immediately continued.

“They’ve probably already finished that discussion.”

“What discussion?”

“Do you really think revenge is the only thing Seok Junseo wants?”

“...”

“He must be thinking of raising the Tyrant Blade Sect again. If he kills my lord, then that alone will greatly increase the possibility of the Tyrant Blade Sect’s revival. People will gather to him, and they will praise him.”

Namgung Wonyang looked at Unhwi.

“...Is that what you were thinking?”

Unhwi quietly nodded.

“It’s highly likely.”

“...”

“If his only goal were truly revenge, he would not have broken his closed-door training in that manner. He must be heading to the Jin family because he is looking beyond revenge.”

In truth, that much was enough.

Ju Soa looked at Namgung Wonyang and said,

“...You’re pretty good.”

“What?”

“Your deductions are sharp. After rolling around under our Blood Heaven Arbiter, your brain seems to be working better.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Ju Soa smiled faintly and turned to Chief Seong.

“What do you think, Chief?”

Chief Seong stroked his chin.

“...It makes sense.”

“Right?”

“It is unlikely that Seok Junseo appeared at this exact moment by coincidence. He must have known in advance that Young Master would clash with the Jin family and moved accordingly. And behind him would be Gun Mugeol.”

Chief Seong looked at Unhwi.

“...Young Master, no matter how we look at it, in the end, you’ll be facing two Harmony realm martial artists. Shouldn’t we call for people too?”

Unhwi set down his cup.

“Do not worry.”

“...You have a plan in mind, don’t you?”

Unhwi nodded.

Chief Seong’s expression brightened.

“As expected of you, Young Master.”

“First, we will change our destination.”

Originally, he had intended to return to the Blood Heaven Sect, but the situation had changed.

“We will go to Yellow Sand Pass first. All of you should head to Yellow Sand Pass.”

Perhaps the wording sounded odd, because Chief Seong blinked.

“...Why does that sound as if we’re splitting up?”

Unhwi slowly rose from his seat.

“There is somewhere I must go separately.”

At the sudden statement, everyone tilted their heads.

“Where are you going?”

“Didn’t you ask whether there was a way?”

“...”

“I’m going to put that way into action.”

He swept his hair back.

“Do not worry. Wait for me at Yellow Sand Pass.”

“...”

“That is an order.”

“...As you command.”

And so Unhwi stepped outside alone.

The sun had already set.

Night had fallen, and the moon was visible.

Unhwi silently mounted the Iron Sand Horse.

This was a battle he could not avoid.

A madman obsessed with revenge would chase him to the ends of the earth.

Then how should such a man be handled?

It was simple.

Remove him before he had the chance to chase.

That was the best plan among all plans.

So now, Unhwi intended to remove him.