Survival Guide for the Reincarnated

Chapter 465

Chief Seong, who was waiting at Yellow Sand Pass, was practically stamping his feet.Four days had passed since Unhwi left.

He had clearly said he had “a method.”

Chief Seong was not incapable of thinking things through, so he had tried to guess what method Unhwi meant.

From Chief Seong’s perspective, the answer could only narrow down to one thing.

The Heaven’s Will Alliance.

The reason was simple.

Could anyone think of Unhwi separately from the Heaven’s Will Alliance?

Unhwi was the one who had created the Heaven’s Will Alliance as it existed now. Hwa Munyeom, its current Alliance Leader, trusted and followed him as well.

With the power of the Heaven’s Will Alliance, whether it was the Jin family or the ruined Tyrant Blade Sect, they could be separated from this matter one way or another.

So Chief Seong had checked.

One day before the Jin family’s party arrived at Yellow Sand Pass, he had sent out a top-grade messenger pigeon.

Its destination was the Heaven’s Will Alliance.

The person meant to receive it was Seo Hyo.

The contents of the letter were brief.

“Has the Blood Heaven Arbiter visited you?”

The reply came two days later.

To be exact, today, one hour ago.

Chief Seong read the letter in his hand again.

“The lord has not visited.”

It was clearly written that he had not visited.

Because sending and receiving letters took time, Chief Seong had wondered whether they had somehow missed each other.

But no matter how much he thought about it, that did not seem to be the case.

This was simply wrong at the root.

Unhwi had never headed to the Heaven’s Will Alliance in the first place.

Then where in the world had he gone?

Chief Seong looked toward the Jin family’s party.

About fifty martial artists.

Jin Muhang was there.

But the man who should have carried the greatest grudge against Unhwi—

Tyrant Heaven Blade Supreme Seok Junseo—

was nowhere to be seen.

Chief Seong dragged a hand down his face.

He had hoped it was not true, but it seemed Unhwi had gone alone to meet Seok Junseo.

It was enough to drive him mad.

Truly.

If he grabbed anyone in the world and asked whether that made sense, they would all answer that it was no different from going off to kill himself.

And they would be right.

It would be the same as facing everything alone.

Choosing such a situation was unmistakably insane.

But the fact that Seok Junseo was absent now meant Unhwi had somehow drawn him out separately.

What kind of move had he used?

What method could lure away only one of two Harmony realm masters?

Chief Seong had no idea.

He could not even begin to guess.

He dragged a hand down his face again.

A sigh escaped him.

The atmosphere at Yellow Sand Pass was strange.

The Jin family’s party over there had arrived two days ago.

And until now, they had done nothing but hold their position.

That much was only natural.

Who had summoned them here?

Unhwi.

And yet Unhwi had not come.

Then it made sense that they had nothing to do either.

Unhwi’s party, a few martial artists from Red Spirit Court, and the merchants.

This was the site of a massacre only a few days ago, so of course there were not many people.

Only an odd silence drifted through the pass.

Then it happened.

Jin Muhang, head of the Jin family, walked forward.

Chief Seong clenched his fist.

“...Are you going?”

At Ju Soa’s quick-eyed question, Chief Seong nodded.

“What else can I do? There’s no one else to go.”

“...This seems really dangerous.”

Chief Seong looked at Ju Soa.

“They must have spent the last two days sharpening their knives. Shouldn’t we send someone else?”

Chief Seong shook his head.

“Is there anyone to send?”

“...”

“Even if this place is under Red Spirit Court’s jurisdiction, what can we do? The one who summoned them was the Young Master, and we are the Young Master’s people... so we have no choice but to go.”

Ju Soa scratched her head.

“If it looks like swords are about to come out, I’ll make an opening somehow.”

Chief Seong laughed softly.

A Harmony realm master.

No matter what Ju Soa, who was only in the Harmony realm’s lower boundary, tried, she would not be able to create an opening.

Likewise, there was no way Chief Seong, who was in the Heaven-Human realm, could kill Jin Muhang.

A man died only when a blade actually pierced him.

And before any blade could sink in, their heads would surely fly.

Still, her heart was warm.

Chief Seong walked forward.

Ju Soa and Wonyang naturally followed behind him.

Chief Seong stood before Jin Muhang.

A Harmony realm master.

The pressure alone nearly stopped his breath.

Jin Muhang looked at Chief Seong, then at Ju Soa and Wonyang behind him.

Seeing the expressions on all three of their faces, as though they had resolved themselves, he let out a deep sigh.

“...What a spectacle.”

Chief Seong’s eyes twitched.

“What, exactly, do you find so spectacular?”

His tone was aggressive.

Jin Muhang turned his head.

Then looked back at Chief Seong.

Mid-forties.

A Heaven-Human realm master.

Seol Unhwi’s closest aide and loyal retainer.

“For someone in the Heaven-Human realm, your spirit is impressive. But in this situation, you still insist on preserving your pride?”

Chief Seong gave a faint laugh.

Strangely, some of the tension left him.

“Am I not allowed to?”

“When I see a man about to die acting arrogant for a moment, isn’t it only natural that such words come to mind?”

“That is what I would like to say to you.”

Jin Muhang’s brow furrowed.

He waved his hand.

Lightly.

It was only a single gesture.

Boom!

Energy exploded in every direction.

The power of the Harmony realm.

Chief Seong was shoved backward.

“Urgh...!”

A thread of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.

An internal injury.

From a mere wave of the hand.

Ju Soa’s face went pale. Wonyang tried to run toward Chief Seong.

But Chief Seong raised a hand and stopped her.

He lifted his head.

He was smiling.

Jin Muhang looked taken aback.

“...You must be insane.”

“Do you truly think so?”

“...”

“I was just thinking.”

“...Thinking what?”

Chief Seong grinned.

“You cannot kill me. Am I right?”

Jin Muhang’s fist clenched.

“It hurts a little... but if you’re controlling your strength this much... then whatever the reason may be, it means you ultimately judged that waiting was the correct choice.”

“...”

“Then let me ask you this. Seok Junseo. Where is he now?”

“Do you think you are in any position to question m—”

“I think I am entirely in that position. And since you immediately changed the subject, it seems you do not know either. Am I right?”

“...”

Jin Muhang did not answer.

He could not.

Because Jin Muhang also had no idea where Seok Junseo had gone.

“Then I’ll ask you now. Where did Seol Unhwi go?”

So that was what he had come out to ask.

Thinking that, Chief Seong answered with complete honesty.

“I do not know.”

“...You do not know?”

“Heaven may be above us, but one cannot know its movements, can one? It is the same thing.”

“...Madman.”

Jin Muhang turned away.

“Let me ask one more thing.”

Jin Muhang did not bother reacting to Chief Seong’s voice behind him.

It was not worth answering.

Nor did he wish to exchange more words with a mere underling.

But the words that followed forced him to turn back.

“The sand here at Yellow Sand Pass does not come off easily once it gets on your clothes.”

“...”

“It seems you will be kneeling soon. If that sand gets on you, it will not be easy to brush off.”

Chief Seong’s smile remained unchanged.

“I only wanted to ask whether you were aware of that.”

Jin Muhang ground his teeth.

He wanted to kill him on the spot.

But he could not.

Because Seok Junseo had not returned.

Jin Muhang was not slow-witted.

Unhwi was not here.

Seok Junseo had also left midway.

Those facts connected.

The two of them must be settling matters somewhere, and he did not know how that would end.

He had to act according to the result.

But nothing had been decided yet.

So he could only remain still.

Jin Muhang clenched his teeth and turned away.

He returned to his place.

Chief Seong watched his retreating back.

Then wiped away the blood.

Ju Soa approached him.

“...Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine.”

“I said I’m fine.”

Chief Seong wiped the blood from his mouth with his sleeve.

“You’re surprisingly stubborn.”

Chief Seong shrugged.

This time, Wonyang approached him.

“Chief. Did my lord truly...”

“He did not go to the Heaven’s Will Alliance.”

“...What?”

“I confirmed it with Seo Hyo. The lord did not visit the Heaven’s Will Alliance.”

Wonyang’s face hardened.

“Then where...?”

Chief Seong jerked his chin toward the Jin family’s party.

“Seok Junseo is not there.”

“...”

“And the Young Master is not here either.”

“...Surely...”

“That ‘surely’ is probably correct.”

Chief Seong sighed.

“The Young Master went alone to meet Seok Junseo. And there, he must have fought a duel to the death. By now... one way or another, it should be over.”

Ju Soa closed her mouth.

So did Wonyang.

All three of them were thinking the same thing.

It was madness. That was true.

But because it was Unhwi—

he would surely return.

Then—

A commotion rose from behind them.

Murmurs spread.

“O-over there...”

“What is that...?”

Chief Seong and Jin Muhang turned their heads almost at the same time.

Dust was rising in the east.

A horse was galloping toward them from within it.

It was enormous.

No ordinary horse.

An Iron Sand Horse.

A famous steed that could only be obtained in the Great Desert.

A man rode atop it.

He was covered in blood.

His entire body was soaked with it.

His black robe had been dyed red.

It was impossible to tell whether it was his own blood or someone else’s.

He held the reins with one hand.

With the other hand—

With that other hand—

“Ha...”

Chief Seong’s eyes widened.

Jin Muhang’s eyes widened.

The Jin family martial artists’ eyes widened.

Every person at Yellow Sand Pass stared wide-eyed.

Something was clenched in the man’s hand.

Gripped by the hair.

A human head.

A severed head.

And whose head it was—

Jin Muhang recognized at once.

Seok Junseo.

It was the head of Tyrant Heaven Blade Supreme Seok Junseo.

His breath stopped.

The horse entered Yellow Sand Pass.

It was not slow.

Nor was it fast.

At a steady, dignified pace, it cut straight through the gathered crowd.

The man did not avoid them.

Instead, the Jin family martial artists avoided him.

They opened a path.

No one ordered them to.

Their bodies moved aside on their own.

Instinct.

The weight that emanated from that man—

It was neither aura nor killing intent.

It was simply this:

his very existence was heavy.

As the man passed beside Jin Muhang, he silently looked down at him.

Their eyes met.

Only for an instant.

Yet Jin Muhang flinched.

Despite himself.

A Harmony realm master.

A man who aspired to become the strongest head among the Five Great Families.

And yet he felt overwhelmed by a young man barely past twenty.

...This.

This could not be.

It must not be.

The man dismounted.

Then walked toward Chief Seong.

“You suffered an internal injury.”

Those were his first words.

While holding Seok Junseo’s head.

While drenched in blood.

He had noticed Chief Seong’s internal injury.

Chief Seong smiled brightly.

Unhwi had gone alone to meet Seok Junseo?

That could happen.

He had not gone to the Heaven’s Will Alliance?

Well, that was hardly surprising.

If everyone could predict Unhwi’s actions, that person would have to be greater than Unhwi himself.

And as far as Chief Seong knew, no such person existed in this world.

He answered at once.

“Yes. I suffered an internal injury.”

Then he pointed at Jin Muhang with one finger.