The World’s Greatest is Dead - Chapter 130

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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 130
“What nonsense are you spouting?”
Unable to contain myself, the words burst forth, and Dokuou’s brow furrows in displeasure.
I regretted it the moment the words left my mouth.
‘Damn it.’
Such an absurd statement had escaped me without thinking.
But wasn’t this an utterly bizarre proposal?
‘A betrothal? What kind of insane talk is this?’
Among all the things I’d heard recently, setting aside matters of titles, this was by far the most shocking.
“Nonsense?”
Dokuou seized upon my words, his discomfort evident without reservation.
“No, that’s just it. A betrothal, you say?”
Even hearing it, I couldn’t stop myself.
He was asking me to become betrothed to his daughter.
‘He’s telling me to become betrothed to Dang Yeeran.’
Who could remain silent upon hearing such a thing?
I pressed forward with my words to Dokuou as if burning with indignation.
“That’s correct.”
Dokuou merely affirmed that my understanding was right.
“…That’s correct?”
“Indeed. That is my additional condition.”
“I am to become betrothed to Lady Dang?”
“That’s right.”
“…Why?”
“Hmm?”
“Why do you desire such a thing?”
Though not lavished with affection, Dang Yeeran was Dokuou’s daughter.
She had been treated poorly, and even within the Dang Clan itself, the perception of her seemed unfavorable.
Yet Dang Yeeran was a direct bloodline of the Dang Clan, and it was anticipated that her treatment would change following recent events.
‘After all, she had beaten Dok-ryong as one might thrash a dog.’
From a quiet tomboy of the Dang Clan, she had become another prodigy who defeated her own brother, a Seven-Calamity martial artist.
For now, Dokuou’s assault was being kept quiet, but the moment this affair concluded, it was as obvious as seeing fire that matters would become rather noisy.
Even setting that aside.
‘Dang Yeeran has many uses.’
Dang Yeeran herself possessed utility within the Dang Clan.
‘Considering the meaning a betrothal carries, even more so.’
A bond forged through matrimonial agreement.
It was the simplest and most trustworthy means by which to establish accords with other great families with unbreakable solidarity.
Among renowned clans, such methods were employed frequently to expand their influence.
‘It was the Moyong Clan that was strange, in fact.’
The Mooyong Clan’s attempt to connect with the Bang Clan—which had nothing to offer—was simply absurd.
Normally, among the Five Great Clans, the bloodline members, excluding those destined to become the minor clan lord, were used as bargaining chips to expand influence through betrothals.
“Why me…?”
Why would they attempt to entangle such a precious and important piece with me?
No matter how much I pondered it, I could not comprehend it.
Then.
[That fellow is sharp.]
Yoo Cheon-gil spoke while observing Dokuou.
[His judgment is remarkably swift. I cannot speak to his abilities as a martial artist, but as a clan lord, he is a hundred times superior to that incompetent fool.]
It was rare for Yoo Cheon-gil to praise another.
Hearing this, I observed Dokuou carefully.
“What is the problem?”
Dokuou spoke as though my reaction was rather strange.
“Bang Disciple said he believes he will become the Heavenly Supreme in the future. Given that judgment, I thought this condition would be most beneficial to that aspiration.”
“….”
Upon hearing the explanation, I had to furrow my brow.
Only then did I begin to understand what Dokuou intended.
‘That old man.’
Was that how his deliberation ended?
‘He placed me on the scales.’
He placed me on the scales in his mind. Was this the result of his assessment of the situation?
‘…That fellow’s value.’
Regarding the value that Yoo Cheon-gil had mentioned.
And me, as seen through Dokuou’s eyes.
Did Dokuou judge my value to be that of one who would ascend to become the Heavenly Supreme in the future?
Is that why he sought to bind me to his daughter?
If so, then Dokuou’s assessment of my value is not unfavorable.
‘…Is he testing me?’
It was uncertain.
I wondered if he was scheming something while observing my reaction, yet it did not seem to be that either.
His eyes were filled with sincerity regarding the betrothal with Dang Yeeran.
I deliberated.
‘If his words are sincere, there is no loss for me.’
The conditions were acceptable. By accepting the betrothal alone, I could obtain absurd compensation.
Even setting aside the compensation, the betrothal itself was a favorable arrangement.
A direct bloodline of the Five Great Clans.
Moreover, she was of similar age, with a beautiful face unmarred by any rough edges, and her temperament was not poor.
If I were to marry Dang Yeeran, I would become part of a prestigious family and could live far more comfortably.
“…I must respectfully decline.”
I had to politely refuse Dokuou’s proposal.
“….”
Upon hearing my refusal, Dokuou’s expression shifted ever so slightly before he spoke to me.
“What is your reason?”
“There are several complex factors, but the most fundamental is… that I do not wish to be bound to anyone at this moment.”
“Hmm?”
Even after hearing my words, Dokuou’s expression hardly changed.
Of course, that didn’t mean my answer would waver.
“Are there no other conditions you might propose?”
An engagement be damned.
‘If I become entangled further now, it will only complicate matters.’
I understood that Dokuou viewed me favorably, but that was the version of me Yoo Cheon-gil had created.
Even if that weren’t the case.
‘I have too much to do to become bound to anything,’
An engagement with the Dang Clan might indeed become an important part of my life.
But now it was merely an ambiguous option.
“…Is that so?”
“Yes. I am deeply grateful for your favorable regard, but… unfortunately, I must decline.”
“I understand.”
“…Pardon?”
“I said I understand.”
Before I could continue rehearsing my refusals, Dokuou calmly accepted my rejection.
What is this.
‘Was it merely a casual suggestion?’
No one would propose their daughter’s engagement as a mere throwaway remark. That didn’t seem right.
As if harboring no lingering attachment whatsoever, Dokuou withdrew his gaze from me.
I was content to let the matter pass smoothly, yet an unsettling feeling crept over me.
‘He gave up far too easily.’
There must be something more to this. As I pondered that.
“However, it seems I will have difficulty accepting the conditions Bang Disciple desires.”
At his continued words, I had to bite my tongue inwardly.
‘Ah, damn.’
Observing Dokuou’s demeanor and tone, I realized the truth.
‘The initiative has shifted.’
By refusing the engagement, I had inadvertently ceded the upper hand to Dokuou.
This was not favorable. I needed to sharpen my focus from this moment forward.
‘Was the engagement merely groundwork?’
Had he used the proposal as a tool to seize the advantage in our negotiation?
Such suspicion crossed my mind. If truly so, this man was genuinely repugnant.
‘To think he would even use his own daughter.’
I heightened my concentration.
I faced Dokuou without yielding even an inch of ground.
And so our negotiation began.

* * *
By the time my conversation with Dokuou had concluded, the sun was already setting.
We had needed to discuss matters for at least two hours. And as a result.
“Damn it all.”
Stepping out of his quarters, I couldn’t help but curse.
There was no helping it.
“…He’s airtight. Completely airtight.”
One side had been determined to extract concessions by any means.
The other side had fought to defend its position with equal resolve.
But looking at the results.
“I barely managed to extract anything.”
Dokuou held a slight advantage in the end.
“Ah…. If only that initial stumble hadn’t happened, I could have extracted more.”
It was infuriating. So I found myself gnawing at my fingernails in frustration.
[Why did you hesitate from the start? If you’d just accepted it outright, everything would have been fine.]
Yoo Cheon-gil spoke to me with exasperation.
Hearing that, I had to laugh at the absurdity.
“It’s easy for you to say, isn’t it? A betrothal isn’t some trivial matter. How could I agree to it so easily?”
[She didn’t seem like a bad prospect. Wasn’t Dang Yeeran someone you found acceptable?]
“…That’s beside the point.”
No matter how excellent Dang Yeeran might be as a person, a betrothal was an entirely different matter.
Because I hadn’t heeded his words, the negotiation had become somewhat difficult.
‘Not now.’
A betrothal was absolutely out of the question.
Perhaps someday, but I had no intention of becoming entangled with anyone at present.
Which made it all the more regrettable.
‘…I’m truly frustrated about this.’
Who would have thought he’d press the matter of betrothal so insistently?
By refusing it, the advantage shifted entirely to Dokuou’s side.
Because of that, the negotiation proceeded in a way that left me unsatisfied.
‘I did manage to secure the commission reward and other terms.’
But the most crucial element I’d been pursuing was the trade agreement involving the Eternal Celestial Rainfall.
‘It’s insufficient.’
What I obtained through it fell short of what I had anticipated.
‘Not exclusive trading rights, but priority trading rights.’
I had demanded exclusive rights over lower-tier martial weapons.
In the end, all I secured was priority trading rights.
This wasn’t entirely unfavorable. At least I’d gained something.
The problem was.
‘…the first matter is the issue.’
I’d demanded priority trading rights with Cheogang, but what I received wasn’t priority trading rights, but rather.
‘Simple trading rights.’
Rights that merely allowed me to conduct trade with Cheogang.
This wasn’t terrible either.
Cheogang wasn’t a place where one could easily establish trade agreements.
Being able to trade at all would be beneficial for the Cheonwol Sect.
‘But it’s regrettable.’
Still, I regretted it. Had I pushed further, I could have extracted something better.
My failure to do so became a source of frustration.
‘But at least I obtained this much.’
It was far from insignificant.
I decided to focus on that alone.
Beyond that.
‘Regarding Pacheongung….’
I’d heard some of what Dokuou had learned about Pacheongung in the past.
Mahyeok-chang was said to be someone Dokuou had personally killed in the previous war.
The fact that he appeared alive was troubling.
And the betrayal of those in the Dang Clan whom Dokuou trusted most was also a problem, he’d said.
So, for now, he’d made efforts to search through the three clans’ surroundings and those nearby to find spies.
‘When caught that way, they either took their own lives… or had already disappeared, it seems?’
This meant Dokuou hadn’t reaped much harvest either.
‘What exactly is Pacheongung?’
What kind of organization would embed spies among the Dang Clan members?
And what truly was their objective?
‘It doesn’t seem they came simply to see me.’
There must have been other purposes….
‘Dokuou could have been their target.’
That possibility was certainly sufficient.
‘But I mustn’t be certain of anything.’
Since nothing concrete had emerged yet, I couldn’t afford hasty judgment.
Given that even the Heavenly Supreme himself moved directly yet struggled to grasp their tail.
The information I possessed was woefully insufficient for my assessment.
‘At least it seems they’re definitely an ominous organization.’
The way they mentioned Yoo Cheon-gil, the scheming I sensed beneath their words, and the dangerous aura they clearly emanated—all of it pointed to that.
‘I really didn’t want to be entangled with them….’
Judging by appearances, I was already entangled, and the frustration was unbearable.
“Ugh….”
Nothing ever works out right. Scratching the back of my head with that thought, I continued forward.
[Found you.]
A familiar voice reached my ears.
It was Dokjon’s voice.
“Master. You’ve arri—”
Hearing that, I immediately turned my gaze toward Dokjon.
“…Ah.”
[Tsk tsk….]
I had to widen my eyes at the sight of Dokjon’s condition.
“…Master.”
Dokjon was translucent.
Originally, only his feet had been slightly transparent, but now his entire form was transparent.
This meant.
“Are you departing?”
It meant Dokjon was fading away, and.
More precisely.
‘Ascending to enlightenment.’
It meant he was achieving spiritual transcendence.

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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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