The World’s Greatest is Dead - Chapter 187

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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 187
‘The Demonic Cult?’
At Yoo Cheon-gil’s words, my eyes flew wide open. I forced my snow-white, scattered mind back down to earth.
I tried to gather my fragmented thoughts, but it wasn’t as simple as it sounded.
There was no helping it.
‘The Demonic Cult? What kind of insane nonsense is this?’
Yoo Cheon-gil’s words carried that much weight.
How could they not?
The Demonic Cult.
The overwhelming presence that name evoked.
A calamity erased by Yoo Cheon-gil and the other Celestial Demons of the past, along with the righteous sects—a remnant of the blood catastrophe.
A faction that had invaded the Central Plains under the leadership of the Celestial Demon, seeking to dominate it.
That was the Demonic Cult.
They feared not death, moving only at the command of the Celestial Demon.
Even now, reviewing the records of how brutal and savage that conflict had been sent chills down my spine.
‘This man is from the Demonic Cult?’
The young man before me.
Baekcheon-in. That he was a remnant of the Demonic Cult—I couldn’t readily believe it.
The reason was simple.
The Demonic Cult.
‘Yoo Cheon-gil already destroyed it.’
It was a faction that had vanished from the Central Plains after the Great Righteous-Demonic War.
The Sword Saint had severed the Celestial Demon’s neck, and the other Celestial Demons infiltrated the Demonic Cult’s headquarters.
They had eliminated all the absolute masters called Dharma Protectors, and it was known that the Martial Arts Alliance and other righteous sect figures had come forth in force to completely eradicate the remnants.
Thanks to that, the current peace was being maintained, yet now—the Demonic Cult?
‘…If what Yoo Cheon-gil says is true.’
Isn’t this situation completely ruined?
Ignoring the cold sweat creeping down my spine, I stared at him.
An impossibly fierce and venomous aura.
Sensing the malevolent energy settling in my ears, I spoke to Baekcheon-in.
“What business might you have with me, Young Master Baek?”
My voice didn’t waver. I controlled it with all my strength. Pretending everything was fine as I asked, Baekcheon-in smiled and spoke to me.
“Ah, I happened to be passing through. By chance, I happened to spot the Bang Disciple.”
“…Is that so?”
At those words, I looked toward Yoo Cheon-gil. Then he shook his head.
It wasn’t a coincidence.
“Ah, I see.”
This bastard has business with me.
What could a Demonic Cult man possibly want with me?
“Yes. So I’ve come to pay my respects, and I’ve taken the liberty of visiting you like this. Might I sit for a moment…?”
“Of course. I was growing rather bored myself, as it happens.”
I wanted to tell him to disappear quickly, but I couldn’t.
‘What’s his purpose?’
What could this man possibly want from me?
More than anything, I was puzzled by why a Demonic Sect member had infiltrated the Righteous Sect’s Dragon Phoenix Conference in the first place.
“Ahahaha. Thank you for tolerating my rudeness. Then I shall impose upon you for a moment.”
Baekcheon-in pulled over a chair and sat down.
Up close, I could see him more clearly. This man.
‘He’s no ordinary opponent.’
Setting aside the demonic energy rippling through his body.
‘His control over his expression is impeccable.’
Despite harboring hidden intentions within, he maintained such an innocent countenance.
Had I been ignorant of his demonic nature and true identity, I would have simply let him pass.
“By the way, it seems you passed the preliminary rounds. How fortunate.”
“Oh my. I was simply lucky. Seo-pyeong collapsed, apparently due to illness, and I nearly found myself in quite the predicament because of it.”
“Ah. He collapsed, you say.”
Seo-pyeong collapsed?
What could have happened to cause him to lose consciousness? It was puzzling for a moment.
‘But that’s not what matters right now.’
Seo-pyeong’s condition wasn’t the priority at this moment.
Only the man before me.
I focused all my senses upon Baekcheon-in.
“Now that I think of it, I heard you hail from the Baekcheon clan of Hannam.”
“Oh, that’s correct. How remarkable. You remember my name, and you even know that much… It’s truly an honor.”
“How is your father doing?”
“Pardon? My father, you mean?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
I asked with a smile.
“I’ve heard so many famous tales about the Lord of your Clan.”
“Oh? For instance, what…?”
“The anecdote about how he subjugated bandits on Mount Taecheon and earned the praise of the villagers, for example.”
“Ah… You’re referring to that.”
“You know of it?”
“I don’t know much about my father’s affairs, but I’ve heard of it.”
“Ahahaha, as expected.”
Bullshit.
What I’d just said was a lie. Heard of it? That’s ridiculous.
“When I have the chance to meet the Lord of your Clan later, I hope you’ll convey my respect to him.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that. My father will surely be delighted.”
“Thank you.”
Hahaha.
Laughter punctuated our conversation. I too kept my lips curved upward as we continued talking.
The more we spoke, the deeper my thoughts became.
‘This man.’
No matter how I looked at it, something felt off.
Part of it was that I was conversing with him after learning his identity.
‘There’s something more.’
My sharpened instincts whispered the truth—this man was dangerous.
“My, I never expected to find common ground with Bang Disciple like this.”
“Indeed. Had I known, I should have sought conversation sooner. What a shame.”
“A shame? We can grow closer starting from now, can’t we?”
“Ah, you think so?”
“I heard we’re the same age… shall we drop the formalities?”
Baekcheon-in posed the question, and I answered without hesitation.
“Why not? Let’s do that then.”
Hahaha.
At my response, Baekcheon-in laughed aloud.
“Well, well. Coming to Hanan was the right choice—never thought I’d become friends with the renowned Protagonist.”
“Renowned? I was simply fortunate.”
“Fortunate? I know better—everything you’ve achieved comes from your own excellence.”
“I appreciate you seeing it that way.”
I smiled awkwardly, studying him even as I did.
Was the claim of being the same age true? I knew Baekcheon-in was supposedly my age.
‘But that’s not his real name.’
This man was not truly Baekcheon-in.
Did Baekcheon-in even exist as a real person to begin with?
‘If he does exist, where has the real Baekcheon-in gone?’
Had the true Baekcheon-in vanished while this impostor took his place?
I considered the possibility.
‘But this isn’t the time to dwell on it.’
This wasn’t the moment to uncover such truths. Who was I to worry about others?
‘I’m the one in the most precarious position.’
I had no business concerning myself with another’s secrets.
We continued our conversation for some time. Neither of us drank.
We simply shared two bowls of thin noodles while we talked.
“My, the time has gotten away from us.”
After our lengthy exchange, I was the first to rise.
“Cheon-in, forgive me, but I should retire early. I need rest for tomorrow.”
“Ah! My apologies. I was so caught up I didn’t consider that.”
“No, I enjoyed it too.”
“Let’s do our best in the finals tomorrow. Even if we end up facing each other, I won’t harbor any resentment.”
Baekcheon-in extended his hand as he spoke.
I grasped it without hesitation.
“I’m counting on you, friend.”
“Same here. I’m counting on you too.”
We exchanged smiles and concluded our meeting, then parted ways.
The moment I stepped outside the inn, my expression shifted.
My eyes turned cold as I reached a conclusion.
Every single word.
Hidden daggers kept peeking through beneath them.
Recalling this, I muttered to myself.
‘Is he trying to test me?’
It seemed I had become entangled in something quite dangerous.

* * *
In the inn, after Bangseong-yeon had departed.
Baekcheon-in gazed quietly at Bangseong-yeon’s thin noodles, which had grown cold from barely being touched.
Like his companion’s, Baekcheon-in’s own noodles had scarcely diminished.
Examining the swollen noodles, Baekcheon-in closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, a chilling glint dwelt within his pupils.
And then.
Tap.
He tapped the table with the tip of his index finger, and energy rippled faintly from around Baekcheon-in’s body.
A thin barrier enveloped the surroundings.
Masterful. He had blocked the sound from leaking out.
“This has become troublesome.”
Baekcheon-in spoke in a languid voice, and a voice responded from somewhere.
-What is the matter, sir?
Upon hearing the response, Baekcheon-in opened his mouth with cold eyes.
“It concerns the Lord of the Clan Baek.”
Those words about bandits on Mount Tae-cheon, whatever the details.
Recalling this, Baekcheon-in brushed back his hair.
Could that be true? Something felt off about it.
Though I possessed some information, I couldn’t have known such things.
And besides.
“I killed the Lord of the Clan Baek, so now there’s no way to find out.”
Even if I tried to gather more remaining information, the Lord of the Clan Baek was already dead and buried in the earth.
So I was reluctant to determine whether it was truth or not at this moment.
What if it wasn’t the truth?
“The Protagonist. Did that bastard try to probe me?”
Bangseong-yeon.
It meant he was suspecting me.
Where? If I’ve drawn suspicion, where exactly did I slip up?
“Hmm.”
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t figure it out. It was enough to make a ghost weep.
I’d taken every precaution to avoid detection, yet my schemes had been exposed to that bastard’s eyes?
While I was pondering this, a man spoke to Baekcheon-in.
-Young Master.
“Speak.”
-Shall we kill the Protagonist?
At the bloodlust-laden words, Baekcheon-in laughed.
“Hahahaha.”
After laughing heartily, he immediately turned serious.
“No, not yet.”
Not yet.
He wasn’t in a state to be recklessly touched, and there was more to learn about him.
I’d engaged him out of curiosity about the very existence called the Protagonist, but I couldn’t touch him now.
“If I touch him now, it’ll become quite troublesome.”
Regardless of anything else, the Cheongwol Sect.
Among them, Wol Seon-geom could move.
If that monster personally intervened, there was a high likelihood our plans would go awry.
I should show interest but refrain from directly touching him for now.
Besides.
“Right now, I need to focus on something other than the Protagonist.”
Baekcheon-in had another objective.
No, not just Baekcheon-in—the entire Celestial Demon Sect had a different purpose in mind.
“Still no word?”
As Baekcheon-in asked with narrowed eyes, the man who had been silent for a moment answered him.
-My apologies.
“Tsk.”
At the word that there was nothing, Baekcheon-in clicked his tongue briefly.
“Where on earth could he have gone?”
I’d thought he would surely be in Hannam, yet we still haven’t found him there.
That continued to irritate Baekcheon-in.
“I even borrowed the hands of those Patcheon Gung bastards, yet they bring back nothing worthwhile.”
We went all the way to Sichuan for nothing but to raise the Protagonist’s reputation.
Useless lot.
Baekcheon-in had to suppress his irritation.
“Where could he possibly be?”
I heard that the Cheongwol Sect had recovered the Sword Saint’s beloved sword Manwol, repaired it, and was keeping it in storage.
Manwol.
The cursed blade that severed the neck of the previous sect master.
At the news of its recovery, Baekcheon-in’s face flushed with rage.
Crack.
A harsh sound erupted from his clenched fist.
It couldn’t be helped.
If Manwol had been recovered, then the opposing divine weapon should also appear.
How could that remain so silent?
“Where exactly.”
Baekcheon-in spoke with a sharp voice, as if grinding his teeth forcefully.
“Where is the key to the Celestial Demon?”
The thing the Demonic Cult, including the current Baekcheon-in, sought above all else.
The divine blade of the Celestial Demon.
Or the weapon called its key.
It was to find this that Baekcheon-in had come here.
“Achoo–!!”
Bangseong-yeon, who had been walking for some time, suddenly sneezed.
“Ugh, my nose itches.”
Bangseong-yeon scratched his reddened nose and glanced back.
“What? Is someone talking about me…?”
He paused mid-step, scratching his head.
At that moment, the divine blade at Bangseong-yeon’s waist emitted an extraordinarily subtle vibration.
So faint that no one.
Not even Yoo Cheon-gil could have noticed it.

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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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