The World’s Greatest is Dead - Chapter 137

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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 137
“It’s complete.”
A voice echoed through the frigid air. Following the Iron Master’s words, I gazed upon what lay before me.
A massive blade. It was Manwol, the sword that Yoo Cheon-gil once wielded.
“The blade had only rusted, so I honed it. The steel’s condition wasn’t entirely poor either, so I performed additional maintenance during the restoration process.”
I examined it from different angles while listening to his explanation. Or rather, I pretended to examine it.
‘…I wouldn’t know what I’m looking at anyway.’
When he mentioned it was temporarily restored, I’d assumed it was completely repaired.
Even now, I don’t notice much difference.
[Well done. Your skill is quite impressive.]
Yoo Cheon-gil, who had been inspecting the blade directly, chuckled and spoke.
“It appears to be well done.”
I echoed those exact words.
[The blade’s luster is excellent too.]
“The blade’s condition is excellent as well.”
[You controlled the tempering of the steel well—the durability and strength are just right.]
“…The durability and strength appear quite impressive.”
After moderating my words somewhat, I noticed the Iron Master’s expression shift subtly.
“Your discernment is not lacking.”
Seeing the corners of his mouth rise, it seemed my words had pleased him.
“Try lifting it.”
“Ah, yes.”
Following his instruction, I carefully grasped the handle.
I tried to lift it with one hand.
Zzzt.
‘Ugh.’
Sharp pain shot through my right arm immediately, so I obediently gripped it with both hands instead.
This insane blade.
‘How in the world did he wield this with one hand?’
And that was when his cultivation level was lower than it is now.
Yoo Cheon-gil had certainly wielded this blade with one hand in my body and fought with it.
‘…It’s impossible.’
Even now, at my peak, it was impossible. Of course, my right arm hadn’t fully healed yet, so that might be a factor. But even accounting for that, something seemed oddly excessive.
“Hmm.”
I lifted the blade and examined it from different angles.
[Channel your inner force through it.]
Following Yoo Cheon-gil’s instruction, I let my energy flow.
화아아아아—!!
“…!”
As my inner force permeated Manwol, the Iron Master’s eyes widened in astonishment.
“…Oh….”
I felt the same way. Manwol held so much qi that it transcended mere brilliance—it shone with radiant splendor.
‘Is this why they say to use a good blade?’
Both the Divine Sword and Manwol were like this.
The level of qi they contained was extraordinary. They say a master doesn’t blame his tools, don’t they?
‘That’s all nonsense.’
With something this good, how could I not appreciate the tool?
I examined Manwol lightly and set it back down.
“…This is wonderful…. Truly.”
I spoke with genuine sincerity.
“…Chuckle chuckle.”
Hearing that, the Iron Master let out a laugh.
“I’m glad it pleases you. Ah, and.”
As he spoke, the Iron Master pulled something from his robes and handed it to me.
What is this?
When I took it, a cold sensation filled my palm.
‘…Is this some kind of wrist guard?’
It looked roughly like a wrist protector of some sort.
“Master. What is this…?”
Curious, I looked up, and the Iron Master spoke to me casually.
“Nothing special—just something I made with leftover material.”
“Ah, I see. Nothing special… leftover material?”
Did I mishear? It sounded like he said he made it from leftover material.
“I made it from what remained.”
“…But even if it’s leftover….”
Heavenly Steel is precious enough to sell by the grain, yet if he fashioned it into a wrist guard, how much material must have gone into this?
“Why are you giving this to me…?”
“Half as a sign of joy. Half as a sign of gratitude.”
“Pardon?”
“The joy is directed toward Yoo the Great Swordmaster, and the gratitude toward you, so accept it without hesitation.”
“I’m not sure what you’re grateful for…?”
At my confusion, the Iron Master chuckled.
“You let me see something wonderful.”
Saying so, the Iron Master pointed with his hand toward my waist. There hung the Divine Sword that Dang Yeeran had crafted.
“A feeling as though something I couldn’t expel has finally been cleared. So accept it.”
“….”
I said nothing in response to those words.
‘So that’s what happened.’
It seemed his gratitude ultimately stemmed from the fact that I had caused Dang Yeeran to forge a blade.
“There’s something I’d like to ask you.”
“Speak.”
“Why is everyone in this household incapable of being honest?”
“….”
The Iron Master’s eyes widened at my words. Soon after, he burst into laughter.
“Hahaha—! That’s right. Most of them are like that.”
“…I didn’t mean for you to laugh about it.”
“Shamefully true, isn’t it?”
“….”
The Iron Master’s hearty laughter subsided after a moment.
“That’s precisely why I feel even more grateful to you. Whether it were me or the Dang Clan Head.”
“…Pardon?”
I furrowed my brow at those words.
“The Dang Clan Head doesn’t seem like he’d feel that way.”
“Who knows?”
The Iron Master laughed again at my confident statement.
“That’s something you can’t know for certain.”

* * *
I left Iron Fortress with Manwol in hand. As I carried the box outside, a beautifully tinted sky came into view.
‘I’ve obtained Manwol….’
With Dokuou’s permission, I had secured Manwol from the Iron Master. This meant all the important matters at the Dang Clan had been concluded.
‘If things go this way, I can really leave tomorrow.’
Since I’d already informed Do-hyeong and Cheon Euijin, it seemed I just needed to prepare for departure.
‘So I’m finally heading back.’
I could finally return to Hannam.
‘…I haven’t even stayed that long, yet it feels like home.’
Though this place was no less inconvenient than anywhere else, strangely it felt like returning home.
Recalling that feeling, I glanced to my side and spoke.
“Hey. Have you packed everything?”
“….”
At my question, Dang Cheon-il beside me flinched.
“…I’ve… finished preparing.”
“Good? You worked hard. I guess that’s why you’re called a genius—you’re quick.”
“….”
Dang Cheon-il’s expression crumpled. Seeing that, I swallowed my laughter.
I never understood why looking at him was so amusing.
‘Overall, the harvest was decent.’
I had gained much from within the Dang Clan.
Honestly, there was no loss to speak of—only gains.
‘…And quite substantial ones at that.’
From the Great Restoration Pill to the Divine Sword and other top-tier martial weapons, even having the Dang Clan backing me for a time.
On top of that, my realm reached its peak.
‘…I seemed to be second-rate even when I set out.’
What madman ascends from third-rate to peak martial artist in a single year?
Even I couldn’t believe it.
Even now, the fact that I’ve reached the peak still amazes me.
‘What remains now.’
I needed to think about how to use the Great Restoration Pill I obtained from the Dang Clan.
‘I’ll need to return to the Cheonwol Sect and organize what I need to report.’
I could handle that once I departed.
With so much to do, I had to complete my report without any mistakes.
More precisely, it was important that I did it without any harm coming to myself.
“So? You’re heading to Hannam—aren’t you excited?”
“….”
“Answer me.”
“…I am excited.”
“Excited my ass. Your expression screams that you don’t want to go. You need to learn how to act.”
I tapped Dang Cheon-il’s shoulder twice.
His expression grew even more sour.
This guy was terrible at lying.
‘The way he’s forcibly suppressing his nature.’
He should have exploded by now, yet the fact that he’s holding back like this was remarkable.
“Hey.”
“…Yes.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“…Go ahead.”
“You.”
I spoke while watching Dang Cheon-il, who wasn’t looking at me.
“Why are you going this far because of Lady Dang?”
“…!”
Dang Cheon-il’s gaze turned toward me upon hearing my words.
“What…!”
“It’s you, isn’t it?”
I continued speaking, ignoring his shocked reaction.
“You’re the one who allowed Lady Dang to stay in Cheogang. You’re the one stopping the clan from saying anything.”
“….”
“That’s all your doing, right?”
Dang Cheon-il fell silent, his face filled with shock and astonishment.
Watching that, I suppressed my laughter. As I said before, this guy really can’t lie.
“…How…How did you….”
“What am I supposed to do about it?”
It’s something I could deduce just by understanding what had happened.
‘I was curious why he kept reacting that way, so I thought about it for a bit.’
At first, I thought it was simply disgust.
But the more I observed, the stranger it became.
What Dang Cheon-il showed toward Dang Yeeran wasn’t disgust or contempt.
It was anger, and also a vague concern.
‘Especially.’
What happened at the end.
Looking at the attitude and words Dang Cheon-il showed toward Dang Yeeran after losing the martial competition, it was even more apparent.
And.
“I was simply curious. How Lady Dang managed to remain at the Iron Master’s forge all this time.”
Dang Yeeran, who had been at the Iron Master’s forge for nearly a decade without crafting a single sword.
Yet she continued to stay there without any achievements.
‘No matter how much blood relation there is. Or rather, precisely because of blood relation.’
I saw it as something that shouldn’t be possible.
The direct line of the Dang Clan remaining at the Iron Master’s forge, which is like a symbol, without producing results.
And they didn’t remove her but kept her there.
Moreover.
‘They didn’t even use her for other political purposes.’
For a child of a prestigious clan, the political use would naturally be expansion of power through betrothals, yet Dang Yeeran wasn’t betrothed, or so I heard.
‘…I nearly got entangled because of that.’
But I escaped well enough, so let’s move past that.
“However, the Dang Clan Head isn’t the type to simply overlook something like this….”
It was hard to believe he simply let it slide as his daughter’s stubbornness.
The Dokuou I observed was absolutely not someone who would overlook this.
So then.
“Something must have happened to make him overlook it.”
And if I wondered what that something was.
“I thought—wasn’t it something you did?”
“…Is that all you’re basing this on?”
“All? Do you realize how significant these things are?”
The best evidence was Dokjon’s reactions, though I didn’t need to mention that.
‘Next best was Dang Cheon-il’s attitude and how Dang Yeeran treated him.’
Love and hate mixed together—that’s exactly what it was.
Even when Dang Cheon-il spoke out of line to Dang Yeeran and spewed harsh words.
Dang Yeeran only showed a timid reaction and didn’t get angry.
Though I was surprised when she suddenly beat Dang Cheon-il like catching a rat.
‘Dang Yeeran is stronger than Dang Cheon-il.’
Dang Ye-ran is stronger than Dang Cheon-il.
When Yoo Cheon-gil’s words proved true.
‘But why is he acting so pathetically?’
The question took root.
As I gathered the preceding circumstances and pieced the puzzle together.
‘Dang Yeeran has a reason she can barely afford to be angry with Dang Cheon-il.’
I arrived at that conclusion. So what could that reason be?
I could discern it from Dang Cheon-il’s final words.
‘That statement from Dang Cheon-il back then.’
It bordered on resentment.
‘He said he hated enduring things for my sake.’
Endure what? I couldn’t fathom it. I wasn’t particularly interested in that far.
But.
‘Judging by the feeling of it…roughly.’
Dang Yeeran’s reason for abandoning serious martial cultivation was entangled with Dang Cheon-il, wasn’t it?
That was merely my conjecture.
And since Dang Cheon-il was aware of it as well.
‘Isn’t that why he’s acting this way?’
These siblings had quite the narrative between them.
‘My earlier assessment that the Dang Clan members lack honesty—it all comes down to this.’
Every single one of them was like that.
Truly a remarkable household.
Ah, of course.
‘That bastard’s nonsense isn’t justified by any of this.’
Whatever circumstances existed, Dang Cheon-il’s rotten personality remained unchanged.
“….”
He said nothing in response to my words.
Only the expression on his face—struck at the heart of the matter—confirmed that I was right.
“So, the reason you lowered your head to me like this is for this very reason, isn’t it? That’s what I think. What do you say?”
I regarded Dang Cheon-il with a subtle gaze. He avoided my eyes.
“…Must I speak?”
“No, you don’t have to say anything.”
I wasn’t curious enough to pursue it that far anyway.
As for me.
‘I’m satisfied as long as I can toy with him and use him.’
I was merely curious how far he would listen to my words.
His relationship with Dang Yeeran? The love-hate sibling bond between them?
Honestly, I wasn’t particularly interested.
Simply.
‘Dang Cheon-il values Dang Yeeran more than I anticipated.’
Even if it meant diminishing his own pride somewhat.
‘That’s all I need.’
For humans, a leash becomes more important than pride.
For Dang Cheon-il, Dang Yeeran is that leash.
That alone was sufficient for me.
[…Look at that expression. The face of someone who’s discovered an amusing plaything.]
I erased my smile at Yoo Cheon-gil’s words.
‘A plaything, you say.’
I’ve gained an important ally.
I genuinely believed that.

* * *
A day had passed.
People moved busily through the hectic schedule from morning onward.
The Dang Clan members were all moving about, loading luggage onto carriages, and I nodded while observing from a distance.
‘…Hmm….’
They were loading the Cheonwol Sect’s belongings to return to Hannam.
Seeing that made it feel somewhat real.
‘So we’re leaving now.’
I finally managed to return.
Though not particularly long in duration, this journey to Sichuan somehow felt exceptionally prolonged, and now it was finally coming to an end.
‘What a relief.’
It was genuinely a relief.
‘I didn’t want to be detained any longer.’
I thought I’d be held here for several more days. After all, Dokuou had been attacked, and because of that, I’d been spending time under surveillance.
I thought I’d only be released once matters were resolved to some degree.
‘…Thanks to Manceon Hwau, things worked out well.’
Because I said I would inform Dok-ryong about Manceon Hwau, I was able to return to Hannam with ease.
Dokuou had shown me a consideration that wasn’t quite consideration.
“Hmm.”
Among those carrying luggage in the distance, one figure stood out with a particularly fierce appearance.
Dang Cheon-il was mixed in among the servants, carrying luggage alongside them.
His face was full of displeasure, yet he worked without complaint. Rather, the servants were busy reading his mood.
Naturally, this was something I had ordered him to do.
“…What exactly is this task…?”
Cheon Euijin expressed doubt about the fact that Dok-ryong, the supreme martial artist of the realm, was carrying luggage.
“Don’t concern yourself. He says he enjoys it.”
“…Pardon?”
“Such things exist.”
I waved my hand dismissively.
“Ah, you’ve heard that he’s coming with us, haven’t you?”
“…Yes, I’ve heard about it, but….”
“That’s how it’s been decided.”
I’m going to Hannam with Dang Cheon-il. Cheon Euijin’s expression was far from pleased at this fact.
It seemed that the behavior he’d displayed was the problem.
“You don’t need to worry. I’ll make sure to keep him on a tight leash.”
“A leash, you say?”
“Yes. A leash.”
I was planning to bind it very tightly.
So he wouldn’t dare bark anywhere he went.
‘Is my senior still talking with Dokjon?’
Do-hyeong seemed to be having final words with Dokjon, and most of the luggage was already loaded.
While I was observing that.
“Young Master…!”
From far away, Dang Cheon-il’s leash—
No, I saw Dang Yeeran running over.
At this, Dang Cheon-il stopped short in the distance.
“Ah. Lady Dang.”
“…You’re…leaving, I heard.”
“Yes. The schedule suddenly became this way.”
“…Isn’t it too sudden?”
“I’ve been here long enough.”
If it were up to me, I would have wanted to leave much sooner.
“The sword—I’m truly grateful. I’ll use it well for the rest of my life.”
“…Ah….”
“Hmm?”
Dang Yeeran had rushed over so hastily that her hair wasn’t properly arranged. Seeing this, I reached out my hand slightly.
I tidied up her disheveled hair a bit.
At this, Dang Yeeran was startled and smoothed down her hair.
“Did you just wake up?”
“…Ah, yes…. Yes….”
“It is quite early.”
It was a time when the sun hadn’t properly risen yet.
“I was going to leave since it was too early to say goodbye, but I’m glad we got to meet like this.”
“….”
“It’s been enjoyable. Lady Dang.”
“…You’re really leaving.”
“Yes.”
At my words, Dang Yeeran’s lips moved slightly. It seemed like she wanted to say something.
“This isn’t my home, after all.”
“….”
So I stopped her.
Dang Yeeran flinched slightly at my words, then composed her lips.
What had she been about to say?
I was curious for a moment, but I dismissed it.
There would be nothing good in hearing it anyway. Whatever it was.
“Lady Dang.”
“Yes….”
“By chance, do you have no intention of pursuing activities as a martial artist?”
“…Pardon?”
Dang Yeeran was taken aback by the sudden question.
“…Do you wish for me to pursue a career as a martial artist?”
“No, that’s not it. It’s just….”
“….”
“I thought it was a waste, so I asked. You don’t need to worry about it.”
Talent enough to easily suppress Dang Cheon-il, the seventh-ranked master.
It seemed wasteful that she wasn’t cultivating it and instead devoted herself purely to metallurgy.
That’s why I had asked so casually. I knew Dang Yeeran had her own reasons for not pursuing it, so I was just asking lightly.
“…I’ll think about it.”
Dang Yeeran spoke with a contemplative expression upon hearing my words.
“…We’ll be able to see each other again next time, won’t we?”
“Hmm….”
Next time.
Well.
Would we have reason to meet again?
“If I happen to return to Sichuan, then we would meet.”
Otherwise, there probably wouldn’t be an opportunity.
I spoke with that honest sentiment.
“…I see.”
Dang Yeeran nodded with a somewhat dejected expression at my words.
‘Looking at it this way.’
She resembles her older brother.
That face that cannot tell a lie.
The emotions she harbors are so plainly visible that one cannot help but notice.
‘It won’t do.’
I had to pretend not to know.
To dwell deeply on emotions I could not reciprocate would be a luxury.
“…Next time, I’ll definitely see you again. I’ll come visit you.”
“Yes. That’s fine.”
I thought of it as something like, let’s grab a meal sometime.
A direct descendant of the Dang Clan, and moreover a woman who wouldn’t even walk the path of a martial artist—she would have no reason to come see me.
-Everything is ready!
I hear the voice. Upon hearing it, I spoke to Dang Yeeran.
“It seems we’re all set.”
The carriage preparations were complete. At last, it was time to depart.
As I spoke, Dang Yeeran fidgeted with her hands.
“…Please travel safely.”
“Yes. I hope you fare well too, Lady Dang.”
I meant it sincerely.
Rarely did a bloodline member of a prestigious clan appear so normal.
I genuinely hoped she would live well.
So without hesitation, I turned my back and walked toward the carriage.
I felt her gaze but ignored it.
As I approached the front of the carriage, Do-hyeong was already there waiting.
“Senior. You’ve arrived?”
“Yes.”
Do-hyeong nodded and handed me a letter.
“The Dang Clan Head asked me to deliver this to you. He also sends his apologies for being unable to see you off due to pressing matters.”
“I see.”
So he couldn’t come to see me off.
‘Something must have come up.’
I thought he would visit at least once more because of Manceon Hwau.
It seemed something quite urgent had occurred.
‘Well, it doesn’t matter.’
Whatever it was, it was fine.
I took the letter and boarded the carriage.
Dang Yeeran seemed to be watching me from outside the window, so I deliberately sat far from it.
‘…Let me catch my breath first.’
I closed my eyes as if exhausted.
My mind was too tired to think further. Now I needed to rest, even if just for a moment.
With that thought, I steadied my breathing until the carriage began to move.
‘…It really wasn’t easy.’
It had been quite a grueling schedule.
Perhaps I could rest a little on the way.
And.
‘…Maybe I can finally escape the attention.’
Being called the Protagonist and whatnot, I had grown mentally fatigued from being so unnecessarily known throughout Sichuan.
Once I left this place, things might improve.
Perhaps I could finally spend my days in peace again.
I held onto such hopes.
But I did not know.
What I had done was far more radical and shocking than I had anticipated.
And just how exponentially deep and wide a rumor could spread once it escaped into the Central Plains—I had no conception of it.
At that moment, I
remained utterly ignorant of it all.

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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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