Survival Guide for the Reincarnated-Chapter 34

“...You’re justified in feeling confident.”

“You mean me?”

“That puppet has been putting on an act all this time, hasn’t he?”

“Does it seem that way to you?”

“It does. You’re no longer the fool we once knew. But it doesn’t matter. No matter what you’ve done, you won’t reach me.”

A faint smile rose on Seol Unwi’s lips.

“Forgive me, but how many exchanges have passed for you to make such a judgment already?”

“......”

“That’s what most people would call arrogance.”

Unlike before, Jang Muhwi no longer reacted so easily.

No longer seeing Seol Unwi as a mere scarecrow, Jang Muhwi now had to act like the true master of the Jang Sword Gate.

“Come.”

“Gladly.”

The moment the words left his mouth, Seol Unwi’s sword thrust toward Jang Muhwi’s chest.

Jang Muhwi twisted his body with a fluidity almost like water, narrowly avoiding the attack. It was a movement almost impossible for a man nearly seven feet tall — but he pulled it off.

A master of the Samhwa Meditation Hall realm should be capable of at least this much.

However, there was something he hadn’t anticipated.

Seol Unwi’s sword.

The blade halted abruptly in midair — then slid sideways. Jang Muhwi frowned and shifted his stance, and the sword sliced through empty space with a whispering hum.

Immediately, he spun his body and swung his longsword.

Chaaaang—!

Seol Unwi’s sword was deflected — but it was only once.

The next thrust came immediately. Jang Muhwi blocked it with the flat of his blade, but a chill ran down his spine.

A bad feeling.

An instinct told him he had to move. It was the right call.

He lashed out with his foot, aiming for Seol Unwi’s side—

Sshrrk—!

In that instant, Seol Unwi’s sword slashed across Jang Muhwi’s shoulder.

Blood poured from the torn fabric in heavy streams.

Had he not kicked Seol Unwi away just in time, the wound would have cost him his entire left arm.

It was chilling.

Was this truly the same fool from before?

Swallowing hard, Jang Muhwi closed the distance in a heartbeat and swung his sword.

Whoooosh—!

Stepping with Snow Cloud Step, Seol Unwi evaded with minimal, almost imperceptible movements. And that was just the beginning.

Jang Muhwi’s following strikes shattered the ground, tore the walls apart, and reduced luxury furnishings to rubble.

Yet even amid that devastation, Seol Unwi’s movements remained smooth, efficient — not a single wasted motion.

Dodge. Dodge again.

Jang Muhwi’s eyes suddenly flashed.

An opening.

Seol Unwi, twisting his body mid-step, had exposed his abdomen.

Without hesitation, Jang Muhwi lunged.

But—

Whooosh—!

Once again, he struck only air.

Seol Unwi had already retreated far out of reach.

The ghostly speed of it left Jang Muhwi both impressed and — for the first time — faintly afraid.

He tightened his grip on his sword.

He had to press the attack.

The boy was exhausted — that much was clear. If he kept the pressure up, gaps like the one just now would continue to appear. All he needed was to seize them.

Yes. That was the way.

He charged forward and thrust his sword toward Seol Unwi’s head—

Seol Unwi avoided it again, simply tilting his head aside.

But Jang Muhwi’s eyes remained unwavering.

It had been a feint.

The true attack came the next moment. His foot shot out like lightning toward Seol Unwi’s knee, aiming to cripple his lower body.

And then—

KLANG—!!

The deafening sound of steel against steel.

Seol Unwi’s sword sheath had intercepted Jang Muhwi’s foot.

‘...He read it?’

At the same moment, a flash of light streaked across.

Slash—!

Blood sprayed from Jang Muhwi’s right shoulder. Gritting his teeth, he twisted his body and swung his leg.

BAM—!

Seol Unwi’s fist slammed into his shin.

Yet the force behind the kick was stronger than expected — Seol Unwi was knocked sideways, while Jang Muhwi quickly pressed his wounded shoulder and staggered back two steps.

Though brief, they had already exchanged dozens of attacks and defenses. The ground around them was littered with footprints and bloodstains.

“...How entertaining.”

There was something uncanny about it.

An undeniable difference in realms still separated them — Samhwa Meditation Hall against Yang Radiance Appears.

And yet, in this short clash where neither had even used formal sword techniques, it was Jang Muhwi who bled first.

What made the difference?

He shook his head.

It didn’t matter.

It was time to unleash his strongest technique.

Jang Muhwi took another step back — and his aura changed entirely.

Seol Unwi’s eyes gleamed.

At last.

The moment he had been waiting for.

“Face this. And remember the instant you die.”

Jang Muhwi roared and charged, his longsword cleaving through the air.

Long Cloud Heaven-Sundering Sword.

Fifth Form: Soaring Cloud Piercing Heaven.

His sword body soared upward with the force of a spear that could pierce the sky itself.

The pressure of his sword energy shredded the air around him — but by then, Seol Unwi was ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) already moving.

Just before the technique could fully form.

Just before the gathered energy could collapse onto him.

Seol Unwi’s sword touched Jang Muhwi’s shoulder.

Thunk—!

With a wet tear of flesh, Jang Muhwi’s shoulder split open.

“Gah!”

Jang Muhwi staggered — but a grim smile twisted his lips.

Sometimes, one must sacrifice flesh to claim the bone.

From their earlier exchanges, Jang Muhwi had discerned Seol Unwi’s habits.

No matter the situation, he would always try to act quickly.

Exhausted or not, faced with a technique like Soaring Cloud Piercing Heaven — which required time to unleash — he would inevitably attack during the buildup.

And he had.

This was the true art of battle.

Long Cloud Heaven-Sundering Sword.

Seventh Form: Peerless Heavenly Cloud.

Jang Muhwi’s second form exploded forth.

His sword split the sky like a rending cloud, the energy pouring down like a waterfall.

It took only half the time to unfold compared to the previous technique.

At this rate, Seol Unwi’s body would be shredded to pieces.

But at that moment — Seol Unwi’s eyes flared.

Clouds flow from east to west. Waterfalls fall from high to low.

His sword moved.

A single line of swordlight pierced through the cascading waterfall of energy — threading through like a needle through a tiny eye.

Seol Unwi’s sword did not aim at Jang Muhwi.

It pierced the very heart of the energy Jang Muhwi had unleashed.

The principle was simple.

What happens when a mass of gathered energy loses its core?

BOOOOOOM—!!

It exploded.

The chaotic energy from Jang Muhwi's disrupted technique lost its direction and control, ripping through everything around him in a frenzied blast — and yet, none of it even grazed Seol Unwi.

“What... what is this...?”

Realizing the true meaning of what had just happened, Jang Muhwi was overwhelmed with shock — and could do nothing to stop the next attack.

Slice—!

With the sickening sound of flesh tearing, Jang Muhwi’s right arm, still clutching his longsword, was severed cleanly from the shoulder.

Thud—!

In the same breath, Seol Unwi’s sword plunged deep into his abdomen.

Jang Muhwi’s body crumpled without resistance.

Seol Unwi spoke, his voice calm and detached.

“Your sect’s ancestors must have created your sword art while watching the clouds.”

There was no anger or mockery in his tone. It was simply a statement.

“But clouds follow the wind. And the wind follows natural law.”

“How... how can someone barely at the stage of Yang Radiance Appears ‘dismantle’ my techniques, a master of the Samhwa Meditation Hall?!”

“I’ve seen similar martial arts before.”

“Impossible. The Long Cloud Heaven-Sundering Sword exists only within our Jang Sword Gate—”

“Did you really believe that sword arts inspired by clouds existed solely in your sect?”

“......”

“I’ve been thinking this for a while now,” Seol Unwi said quietly, “but you're truly arrogant.”

“You... you dare...!”

Seol Unwi stepped closer.

“For years, you exploited the Snow Compression Branch and played with me as if I were a toy.”

Jang Muhwi glared at him, bloodshot eyes full of hatred.

“What did you buy with all the money you extorted from Seolap?”

The question, thought to have been settled earlier, struck Jang Muhwi off guard once again.

“...There’s no such thing.”

He could have easily extracted the truth through torture, but there was no need.

No — more precisely, there was no point.

Because just now, even without meaning to, Jang Muhwi’s body had already betrayed a reaction.

Seol Unwi could already guess where it was hidden.

But more importantly—

“Suddenly remembered something.

A great sage once said: first deal with others through courtesy, and only afterward by force.”

“Shut your mouth! I don’t want to hear it!”

Seol Unwi ignored him.

“The one who repays kindness with betrayal will be judged by the heavens, and the one who forsakes duty will be judged by man.

Master Jang, if you etch those words deep into your heart, perhaps death will not feel so unjust.”

“...Who the hell was that sage? I’ve never heard such nonsense in my life.”

To that, Seol Unwi answered without hesitation.

“It was me.”

“What...?”

“I said those words before ripping the head off Gun Mu-gyeol, the leader of the Martial Alliance — while he was still alive.”

First deal with others through courtesy, and only afterward by force.

The one who repays kindness with betrayal will be judged by the heavens, and the one who forsakes duty will be judged by man.

Lastly — leave this world like a warrior who defined an era.

Gun Mu-gyeol had praised those words as wise and admirable —

And Seol Unwi had responded by tearing his head clean off.

Just as he did now.

Seol Unwi’s hand closed around Jang Muhwi’s throat.

****

Seol Unwi had moved silently.

The heavy blizzard worked in his favor, muffling his steps even further.

As a result, news traveled slowly.

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At the exact moment Seol Unwi was dueling Jang Muhwi, word spread —

The heads of Cheongun Sword Gate and Hyeoncheon Palace had already been slain.

And now, Jang Muhwi was dead too.

In the blink of an eye, three of the Four Great Houses had lost their leaders.

The sheer absurdity of it left everyone trembling in fear.

What kind of assassin could accomplish this?

What level of monster could slay three masters of the Samhwa Meditation Hall realm in such a short span?

It was natural to be terrified.

And the one most paralyzed by fear was Han So-cheon, the acting sect master of the Juryung Sword Gate.

He was terrified.

There was no doubt who was responsible for this massacre: Seol Unwi.

Who else could it possibly be?

Seol Unwi had never cared about money.

While other sects might have negotiated, the Juryung Sword Gate had demanded two million gold taels.

Not silver taels — gold.

Two million gold taels could buy an entire city and still leave enough to spare.

If the Juryung Sword Gate had possessed such wealth, they would have long since abandoned this rural backwater and marched into Zhongyuan proper.

And in the letter he received yesterday, Seol Unwi had given them exactly one day.

Now, just past midnight, the slaughter had begun —

Everything fit perfectly.

Now, only Han So-cheon remained.

“Acting Master, please don’t worry too much.”

Han So-cheon turned at the voice.

It was Hwang So-pyeong, the leader of the Juryung Sword Gate’s Sword Spirit Corps — known as the Soaring Light Sword.

He, too, was a master of the Samhwa Meditation Hall realm.

If Bing Seolgyeon, the Snow-Crystal Sword, was the strongest martial artist aside from the sect master,

then Hwang So-pyeong was second.

“Surely that man has some reason.

After all, now that word of the assassinations has spread throughout the land, he wouldn’t be foolish enough to attempt another strike tonight.

Besides — my elite Sword Spirit Corps and I will be taking turns guarding you personally.”

Those words offered a sliver of comfort.