The World’s Greatest is Dead - Chapter 129

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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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The Heavenly Supreme Has Died – Episode 129
When was that, exactly?
I wore thick clothing, so it seemed to be winter.
Though it could have been otherwise.
I had just accepted the dissolution of my engagement with the Muyong Clan, and because of that, the Bang Clan was….
[Wait, wait, wait-!]
“…Hm?”
The moment I tried to recall those times, Yoo Cheon-gil hurriedly stopped me.
[I don’t need such detailed explanations. Just summarize it in three sentences.]
“…Pardon?”
[I don’t wish to hear it in such depth.]
“But….”
I was about to explain, and this is what I get? What nonsense.
I stared at Yoo Cheon-gil in disbelief, but his expression was genuinely annoyed.
“…There’s nothing to summarize. It’s a simple matter.”
I scratched my cheek as I spoke.
“I was meddling because of my parents’ lingering attachments, but I simply grew tired of it.”
Muyong Youngsoon’s mother had deep lingering attachments and became a ghost, remaining by Youngsoon’s side.
The Muyong Clan had an unusually large number of enemies, so something had happened to Youngsoon at that time.
Not long after my memories from my past life had returned, I found myself handling matters in that process.
I decided I would meddle appropriately and live my life.
That day was when I resolved such thoughts.
[Is that the reason that young girl is suspicious of you?]
If it was suspicion, it likely referred to the part where she asked what I was looking at.
“…More or less.”
It was the aftermath of what happened then.
[Will there be a problem?]
“…It should be fine for now.”
It was a matter I could brush off. Besides, they weren’t even certain about it anyway.
‘That was truly a mistake.’
I still counted it as my greatest mistake in this life.
How could it not be a mistake?
Yeolyeong had descended into chaos that time, after all.
‘…Because I resolved how I should live in this life.’
I wouldn’t engage in foolish acts regarding ghosts if I could help it.
That was what I had decided before meeting Yoo Cheon-gil.
“Sniff.”
I wiped my nose roughly and moved forward.
“Ah, I’m falling behind on my training.”
There was much to do, like testing out the Divine Sword.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to happen.
Tap, tap. I touched the hilt of the sword tied at my waist and let out a sigh.
“Ah.”
Then I realized something I had forgotten.
Now that I think about it, there was something I needed to ask.
“So… is it really alright for me to use this divine blade?”
[Hm?]
At my question, Yoo Cheon-gil’s expression turned puzzled.
[What are you talking about?]
“Well, it’s the Celestial Demon’s sword… I was just wondering if it’s okay for me to use it.”
[Hehehe.]
After hearing my words, Yoo Cheon-gil’s narrow eyes crinkled with a slight smile.
[You’re a funny one. The one who wielded the blade was the Celestial Demon, but the sword itself bears no sin, does it?]
“I suppose that’s technically true… but there’s still the matter of perception.”
Rumors were already spreading that I was a successor of the Sword Saint.
If word got out that I had repaired and was using a blade left behind by the Celestial Demon…
‘Regardless of anything else, the Cheonwol Gate would definitely rise up in arms.’
The prestigious sect that had produced the Sword Saint itself.
The Cheonwol Gate might very well try to kill me.
‘And if I said Yoo Cheon-gil told me to use it…’
They’d believe that readily enough.
Rather, they’d likely become even more vicious, claiming I was desecrating my dead master, so to me, this divine blade didn’t seem like a good thing at all.
With that in mind, I broached the subject with Yoo Cheon-gil.
[It won’t be discovered anyway. Don’t worry about it.]
Yoo Cheon-gil simply spoke matter-of-factly while picking his nose.
“Still, you never know.”
[Don’t you?]
“No, I…”
[Good grief.]
Unable to bear my worries any longer, Yoo Cheon-gil flicked away the booger from his finger and spoke.
[Those who knew of that blade would have perished at the Celestial Demon’s hands during the war, and even if someone survived, they’d pretend not to recognize it.]
“…Pardon? Why would they?”
They’d recognize the Celestial Demon’s blade but pretend not to? That made no sense.
Why would they pretend not to see it? Unable to understand, I asked again.
[Surely, they’d keep their mouths shut out of sheer embarrassment.]
Kekeke. Yoo Cheon-gil only spouted incomprehensible words.
‘Embarrassment?’
[Ah, of course. They wouldn’t speak of it. But those who do recognize it might cause trouble, so if that happens, I’ll tell you.]
“…So in the end, it’s something that shouldn’t be discovered, isn’t it?”
[It’s not so much that it shouldn’t be discovered… well… there’s no good reason to show it to someone who knows.]
“That’s one way to put it.”
[No, it’s not. There probably aren’t even five people left in the Central Plains who could recognize a repaired sword. It’s not worth worrying about.]
“Hmm….”
I suppose I should count my blessings?
I would have felt cheated if I’d obtained such a fine blade only to be unable to use it, but fortunately it seemed that wouldn’t be the case—
[Ah, but. If the Sword Emperor finds out, you could die. Be careful about that.]
“….”
I couldn’t help but sigh inwardly the moment I heard that.
Of course it would be like that.
“…Damn it.”
The curse slipped out naturally.
What he meant was this:
He’d just said there were barely five people who could recognize it, so there was almost no chance of being discovered. But that also meant one of those five was nearby.

* * *
Someone once said that even tigers come when you speak of them.
“Oh my. Young Master, you’ve returned.”
“….”
The moment I arrived back at my residence, the most troublesome person greeted me.
He was currently known as Chudong, but his true identity was the Sword Emperor Eui Yang-yeon, called one of the Heavenly Outsiders alongside Yoo Cheon-gil.
“…Old Man, you’re here.”
“Ah, my apologies. The horse has been acting up lately, so I had no choice but to step away for a time.”
“Not at all. I assumed you had your reasons.”
I had indeed been wondering about his absence recently.
More precisely, the Sword Emperor had vanished the moment I arrived at the Dang Clan.
‘…What is this?’
Looking at him, I had to subtly avert my gaze.
‘…How many people did he kill?’
The stench of death emanated from the Sword Emperor with sickening intensity.
Demons and ghosts didn’t seem to have attached themselves to him, but he carried a scent that would never fade unless time passed—a scent that clung to him absolutely.
‘At minimum, dozens.’
No matter how conservatively I estimated, it was dozens of people.
If I was being generous, the number could easily reach the hundreds.
‘…Is he insane?’
Cold sweat beaded on my back.
To understand how absurd that number was….
‘That should fade in just a few days.’
Death’s scent doesn’t linger long; it typically dissipates within three days.
The fact that it still clung to him so vividly meant only one thing.
‘He killed all those people recently.’
What in the world has the Sword Emperor been up to?
What could he have done to come back looking so visibly shaken and terrified?
As I observed this and felt my own unease growing,
“Young Master?”
Chudong called out to me. Hearing his voice, I snapped back to attention.
“Ah, yes. Old Man. Did you say something? I’m afraid I was too tired to hear properly.”
Upon hearing my words, Chudong offered a benevolent smile.
“Oh, it’s nothing. I was merely curious whether you’ve been well during our time apart.”
“…Well, of course. The Dang Clan has taken such good care of me that both body and mind have been at ease.”
“Hehehehe. That’s a relief indeed.”
“Hahahaha.”
As we conversed, I concealed the sword at my waist.
“Then I shall prepare and wait for the time of our departure.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Fortunately, Chudong moved toward the stables.
I saw him off with proper courtesy, but my gaze was fixed on what lingered upon his back.
‘…How unsettling.’
So much death accumulated upon him. I had rarely witnessed such numbers even in my previous life.
Though I suppose, given that this world is far more perilous than before, it’s possible.
‘…Even so.’
I understood well that he was an existence I must never entangle myself with.
‘What exactly is the Sword Emperor?’
What purpose brought him here?
‘At first, I thought his reason for following was to serve as protection.’
Yet the fact that only three of us were sent was itself impossible.
I had assumed the Cheonwol Munchu had made separate arrangements to employ the Sword Emperor as our guard.
‘But he never appeared.’
Even in the crisis, the Sword Emperor was nowhere to be seen.
His movements had been sparse for days, and his sudden appearance now was equally strange.
‘His purpose was not to protect us.’
He seemed to have some other objective entirely.
‘Tch.’
What could it be? What reason would drive that monster to work as a mere coachman?
That part was truly perplexing.
‘…Don’t dwell on it.’
It’s too dangerous and unsettling to probe further.
My instincts warned me as much when I looked upon the Sword Emperor.
“Sigh.”
As I exhaled and barely managed to redirect my thoughts, someone entered from the direction the Sword Emperor had gone.
“Pardon the intrusion.”
He appeared to be a member of the Dang Clan household.
The moment I saw him, I understood why he had come.
‘Faster than I expected.’
This was—
“The Dang Clan Head requests an audience with you.”
Evidence that Dokuou’s deliberation had concluded.

* * *
I turned my steps and headed back to Dokuou’s residence.
“We meet again.”
Only a few hours had passed since our last conversation.
When he mentioned deliberation, I had assumed it would take at least a day, but Dokuou summoned me back far sooner than I anticipated.
“Have you reached a decision?”
“I have.”
Dokuou nodded at my words.
“Ordinarily, I would have called you back slowly the next day. But I thought it would be better for you if we concluded this matter as quickly as possible.”
“I am grateful for your consideration.”
He was right. From my perspective, ending this quickly was indeed preferable.
“The terms you mentioned earlier—priority trading rights for steel and exclusive trading rights for lower-tier weapons, correct?”
“Yes.”
I nodded, but my thoughts ran differently beneath the surface.
‘He’ll refuse regardless.’
Even if I had wagered the Manchen Hwau, it was obvious he would reject this.
There was no way Dokuou would accept such terms unless he had lost his mind—
“I accept.”
“As I thought you would. Then, regarding other conditions… What? What did you say?”
I trailed off mid-sentence, staring blankly at Dokuou.
What did he…?
“…What did you just say?”
“I said I accept the terms.”
“…Why?”
“…?”
Dokuou furrowed his brow at my reaction.
“Do you object?”
“…No, it’s not that I object. I’m just wondering why you would accept this.”
“Wasn’t this what the Bang Disciple wanted?”
“It is, but…”
These terms were simply unacceptable by any reasonable measure.
To put it bluntly, he would be surrendering more than half of the Dang Clan’s revenue streams.
And he was agreeing to this?
Just because of the Ten Thousand Heavens Flower Rain?
‘No, it’s not just that, but…’
No matter how I thought about it, this was something that shouldn’t happen.
I turned the matter over in my mind again and again.
Unless Dokuou had lost his senses, this shouldn’t be possible.
He was actually accepting this?
So, unable to believe it, I was staring intently at Dokuou when—
“However, there is a condition.”
‘…Phew.’
At Dokuou’s words that another condition was attached, I could exhale a sigh of relief inwardly.
I knew there was more to it. It was somewhat reassuring, at least.
‘…But, he’s not reducing the price—he’s adding a condition?’
Still, the strangeness didn’t change.
Whatever condition he added, I saw it as the Dang Clan taking a loss.
‘What kind of condition could be so significant?’
What condition could possibly make him accept this?
Listening attentively to Dokuou’s words with interest—
“Bang Disciple.”
“Yes, Lord of the Clan.”
“I heard you broke off your engagement with the Muyong Clan.”
“…Yes. Well… that’s correct.”
Why was he bringing that up now?
Frowning at the uncomfortable feeling—
“Then, how about becoming engaged to the Dang Clan this time?”
“…Eh…?”
“Become engaged to my daughter. That is the additional condition.”
Dokuou spat out those words while looking at me.
My body went rigid, and my tongue wouldn’t move properly.
My mind felt blank as well.
So that was it.
“What kind of nonsense is that, sir?”
I couldn’t hold back any longer.

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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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