The World’s Greatest is Dead - Chapter 170

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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 170
Shin Chang, the Divine Spear—Jeok Ho-myeong.
A one-eyed man with a blindfold covering his left eye, possessing a massive frame nearly eight feet tall and a thick, imposing build.
A figure with luxuriant white hair and eyes so cold they seemed to pierce the soul.
A hero who, alongside Sword Saint Yoo Cheon-gil during the Jeongma War, achieved extraordinary feats.
He was also the current Lord of the Martial Arts Alliance.
His defining characteristic was wielding a spear longer than his own body, befitting his epithet.
He was known for conducting brutal, domineering combat through his overwhelming grip strength.
‘And beyond that.’
Overwhelming martial prowess.
Combined with the support of being called a hero.
‘After Yoo Cheon-gil’s passing.’
He was known as the man closest to being the Heavenly Supreme.
Those who were active during the Jeongma War are called the Celestial Demons.
Among them, he was virtually the only one still active in the present day.
Of course, the current Sect Leader of the Mudang and the Sect Leader of Huashan hadn’t retired either.
‘…But calling them active is a stretch at best.’
Shin Chang alone was the one who actually appeared before people and remained engaged.
That’s precisely why he was called closest to the Heavenly Supreme.
‘Normally, the Sword Emperor would have risen to such heights as well.’
But the Sword Emperor had vanished long ago, right after the war ended.
I knew he was active under the name Chudong, but so few people knew that it was meaningless.
The man closest to the Heavenly Supreme.
A Celestial Demon of the Central Plains.
Shin Chang, Jeok Ho-myeong.
Seeing him, I couldn’t help but break into a cold sweat.
‘There’s no doubt about it.’
His single eye was fixed directly upon me.
There was no mistaking it.
It was far too intense to be a mistake.
A sharp, tingling sensation.
‘…Damn it.’
The murderous aura pouring from him was crashing down upon me entirely.
My body went rigid. To be honest, it wasn’t even about energy—I was merely meeting his gaze, yet my body trembled with fear.
Yes, it wasn’t my mind but my body that was terrified.
As if I had instinctively encountered a predator I could never defeat.
‘…Or perhaps my mind is just as frightened as my body.’
He was already a monster counted among the three strongest in the Central Plains.
‘That damned old man.’
It only made matters worse that he had even learned of the trouble Yoo Cheon-gil had caused.
What did he say again?
‘Right, he said it was Yoo Cheon-gil who gouged out that eye.’
The reason Shin Chang wore an eye patch.
People spoke of it as a consequence of war, or a glorious scar from battling the Demonic Sect’s leader in the past.
But I knew the truth.
Shin Chang’s fiancée had fallen for Yoo Cheon-gil, and a scandal erupted.
As a result, Yoo Cheon-gil gouged out Shin Chang’s eye.
‘…Damn it.’
What kind of ridiculous excuse was that?
‘He must still be furious.’
How could he forget such a thing? Losing his fiancée wasn’t enough—his eye was torn out as well.
If I were in his position, it’s something I could never forget, even in death.
‘That’s why he summoned me.’
The Cheongwol Sect could not participate in the festival hosted by the Martial Arts Alliance.
It was a direct subordinate sect, and because of its close ties with the Martial Arts Alliance, this restriction existed.
The same applied to the Beggar Clan and Shaolin for similar reasons.
The Beggar Clan had a pact with the Martial Arts Alliance to exchange certain information.
Shaolin had its main temple in Henan, making participation in the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering impossible from the start.
‘He broke these very rules to summon me.’
Shin Chang, the leader of the Martial Arts Alliance, had overturned these regulations and allowed the Cheongwol Sect to participate in the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.
And on top of that.
‘I’m the reason.’
He even issued an order—not quite a request—to include me, the Sword Saint’s Predecessor.
‘…This is genuinely terrifying.’
I didn’t even want to imagine what kind of intention drove him to call me.
‘Am I about to get stabbed?’
Now that Yoo Cheon-gil was dead, I—known as his disciple—could become the target of his vengeance.
More than that, the decision to include the Cheongwol Sect didn’t make sense in the first place.
‘The higher-ups approved this?’
No matter how high Shin Chang’s approval rating was, the executives of the Martial Arts Alliance wouldn’t lightly overlook granting special privileges to the Cheongwol Sect.
‘For them to approve this.’
Shin Chang must have given them something substantial in return.
Otherwise.
‘He sacrificed something.’
He must have obtained it through some sacrifice.
‘Damn it.’
Did he really want to do something to me that badly?
My anxiety began reaching its peak.
“Shin Chang has come in person….”
“What is the meaning of this…?”
The disciples’ eyes widened at Shin Chang’s unexpected appearance.
It seemed none of them could even comprehend what was happening.
It was certainly strange for someone who should only show his face near the end of the banquet to appear now.
‘Could it be because of me?’
Was it because of me?
I wanted to believe otherwise, but there was no denying it.
‘He’s staring at me far too intently.’
Shin Chang’s piercing gaze was directed solely at me.
The problem was.
“But the figure Shin Chang is looking at….”
“Isn’t that the direction where the Seven Swordsmen are gathered?”
“The Seven Swordsmen? Huh? But….”
The problem was that Shin Chang’s gaze was so blatantly obvious that I wasn’t the only one who sensed the incongruity.
“The Protagonist… Shin Chang is looking at the Protagonist.”
“What? That person is the Protagonist…?”
“He looks younger than I expected.”
“Is that young man truly the Sword Saint’s….”
Naturally, all eyes turned toward me.
And then.
“But why is Shin Chang looking at that young man?”
Questions began to arise about why Shin Chang was staring at me so intently.
At that moment.
“…Could it be.”
Someone spoke as if they had figured something out.
“Did Shin Chang perceive something exceptional about the Protagonist?”
“…Huh? Among the Seven Swordsmen?”
“Otherwise… I have never seen the Alliance Lord come out like this.”
“Indeed… they say he is a genius blessed by heaven….”
No.
That’s not it.
I had to contort my expression at the murmuring around me.
‘You crazy bastards. Please stop.’
The misunderstanding was snowballing. In a very unfavorable direction.
Just as I was forcibly restraining myself from closing my eyes in despair.
Whoosh.
Shin Chang finally turned his gaze away from me and walked toward the platform.
[That bastard. His expression is still terrifying.]
Yoo Cheon-gil spoke while picking his nose, watching Shin Chang.
It was questionable who was calling whom terrifying, but looking at Shin Chang’s face, it seemed understandable.
He really did look frightening.
Thud.
Shin Chang ascended the platform with his massive frame, sweeping his piercing gaze across the disciples.
I felt them flinch with each pass of his eyes.
“Ah.”
Whoooosh–!!
The moment Shin Chang uttered a single word, the air resonated with a heavy weight.
The fine hairs on my skin stood on end.
‘What the–‘
What kind of strange pressure was I sensing in his voice?
I stared at Shin Chang with bewildered eyes.
“Do your best.”
‘Huh?’
Shin Chang spoke only those four words, then descended from the platform and vanished back to where he came from.
“…What?”
My brow furrowed at the sight.
Did he really just leave like that?
‘After saying just that one thing?’
What is this? I was so dumbfounded I couldn’t even react.
[하하하하하하하하—!!!!]
Yoo Cheon-gil burst into laughter upon witnessing this.
[That, that crazy bastard!! Hahahaha–!!! Still the same!!! Hahahaha–!!!]
“….”
My head throbbed. His laughter was so loud it made my entire head ache.
‘Setting that aside….’
Shin Chang truly had left after speaking only those words and didn’t reappear.
Only the Martial Arts Alliance’s guide, left standing alone, wore a bewildered expression before hastily climbing onto the platform.
“Ah, yes. It seems the Alliance Leader expressed his gratitude for attending and his congratulations. We hope you all enjoy the banquet in comfort and joy.”
Where exactly were the words of gratitude and congratulations…?
Even if I rubbed my eyes and looked again, they simply weren’t there.
That was truly the end of my encounter with Shin Chang.
Within the awkward atmosphere that had been created.
The first day of the Yongbong Conference and the banquet began.

* * *
A banquet, truth be told, was nothing particularly grand.
It was simply the usual affair—food and tea laid out while people engaged in idle conversation and cultivated relationships.
Among such networking gatherings, the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly was the most prestigious.
Naturally so.
The Dragon-Phoenix Assembly consisted of individuals personally selected by the Martial Arts Alliance and recommended to prestigious families and sects.
In other words, they represented the future leaders of the Central Plains’ orthodox sects.
This was far more than mere networking among a few families.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Jin Yuyong of the Hanan Jin Clan.”
“…Ah, yes.”
“It’s truly an honor to meet the successor of that legendary Sword Saint.”
“That’s not quite right.”
Because of this, I found myself drowning in an exhausting schedule.
Damn it all—I had become the center of attention the moment this banquet began.
The successor of the Protagonist, whose reputation had spread across the entire nation.
Especially now, when rumors about the Seven Tribulations were swirling with exaggeration, the disciples would naturally be salivating.
Someone they absolutely had to make connections with.
That was how they saw me.
“Ah, I….”
Observing them like this.
“Ah, you must be Young Master Jeong Seokryul of the Hubei Jeong Clan. It’s an honor to meet you.”
“Pardon?”
“Your Lord of the Clan must be doing well, I trust?”
“Uh… You know our Lord of the Clan?”
“Of course. How could I not know of that remarkable Overlord Crossing Martial Cultivation Sword master? I haven’t met him personally, but I’ve certainly heard much of his reputation.”
“Ah… yes, of course.”
“And you, Young Master, are from the Shaanxi Yu Clan, correct….”
As each person approached, I pretended to recognize them one by one.
The moment I acted as though I knew them, everyone reacted with surprise.
Of course they would. They must have wondered how a complete stranger could know so much about them.
‘Know them? Not a chance.’
I knew nothing. I was simply doing my best to appear knowledgeable.
[…What a shameless fellow.]
Yoo Cheon-gil spoke to me with an expression of utter disgust.
I naturally ignored him without hesitation.
‘This is all part of social grace.’
Before arriving, I had gathered advance information on those expected to attend.
Not just the Seven Tribulations, but as many as possible.
Though I would only be here for a few days, that was more than enough time to memorize them.
Of course, there were several whose appearances were ambiguous, so I couldn’t identify everyone correctly.
‘Still, it matters to at least pretend to know.’
Since what ultimately mattered was how I appeared in their eyes, it was equally important to exploit that perception.
I did what I could.
I was confident in this approach.
‘I’ve rolled around in a past life.’
Was I really going to fail at social maneuvering against mere disciples?
As long as the information I was given remained intact, it was child’s play.
Rather, those around me and our own people often found my behavior strange.
‘How does he know such things?’
That gaze was unmistakable.
Or else.
‘Why is he bothering to do that?’
That kind of look.
‘You wouldn’t need to do this.’
With just the modifier ‘Sword Saint,’ people would naturally flock to me.
So why would I bother with such things?
‘But I have to.’
Unlike them, I needed to.
To maintain the facade with false talent.
I had to solidify the foundation beneath it all.
‘Neat long hair. Downturned eyes. Slightly dark skin with a green martial robe and a neck ornament.’
As I continued conversing with the disciples.
“Ah. So you’re from the Hanan Ritual Sect….”
“How pathetic.”
A sharp voice cut through.
I dropped my smile and turned around.
There stood a smug-looking man with the symbol of the Shaman emblazoned on his chest.
Mudang Unryong Seo-pyeong.
He glared at me with obvious displeasure and spoke.
“Such vulgar conduct. The name of the Sword Saint weeps.”
He growled as he spoke.
Hearing that, I thought.
‘What did you just say?’
“Who is this X-Person anyway? Ah.”
Oops.
“What?”
“…I misspoke.”
I made a mistake.

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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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