The World’s Greatest is Dead - Chapter 20

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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 020
When I regained consciousness, the duel was already in its final stages.
“…You must have used sorcery. Therefore, I shall execute you in the name of Namgung.”
Just as Namgung Seong was spouting such nonsense, I snapped awake.
The Old Man’s mockery prompted Namgung Seong to draw his sword aura.
‘Ah…. A sword aura.’
To wake up and immediately see that—it was refreshing.
My first time witnessing it. So that’s what a sword aura looks like? Even seeing it for the first time, I understood.
‘How exquisite….’
Intense and pristine. Yet profound.
I’ve seen sword energy before, but this was entirely different.
It felt as though it could cut through anything. Exactly that. Captivated by its radiance, my gaze was drawn in despite myself.
‘…Wait, what? But why did I wake up?’
Only then did I realize I had regained consciousness.
‘Huh?’
Yet something felt wrong. My mind was awake, but my body wasn’t under my control.
My body was still being operated by Yoo Cheon-gil, this old man.
Namgung Seong moved. The sword aura cascaded down like a landslide unfolding right before my eyes.
‘Damn it. If this goes wrong, I’m dead, aren’t I?’
How could one possibly defend against that? Is this really going to be alright? Doubt crept in.
Then.
“Excellent.”
This damned old man uttered nonsense even upon witnessing the sword aura. It seemed we were truly doomed.
But.
‘What?’
All thought vanished in an instant.
The moment I—or rather, Yoo Cheon-gil—moved my body, it happened.
I channeled force into my hands. I swung without hesitation. Namgung Seong’s blade was already close. At this rate, I’d be too late.
Even knowing this clearly, rather than succumb to fear, I focused on that moment.
The energy flowing from my dantian. Those that had been quiet until now erupted like fireworks exploding.
A single step forward. A waist deliberately stripped of force. A chest thrown wide open and arms extended to trace a circle.
And a wooden sword infused with energy.
When all of it converged in one place, an indescribable ecstasy welled up within me.
What was this? I could not comprehend it. Yet.
‘…I want to try it.’
In that instant, such a thought arose.
‘Ah.’
The moment I thought that, I regained complete control of my body.
It felt as though Yoo Cheon-gil had vanished, and my body was now entirely under my command.
Before me, the sword aura still cascaded down.
I could sense it instinctively. If I hesitated or stopped now, I would die.
So I simply did it.
I maintained my exhaled breath as it was, followed the flow of my energy, and used the muscles I could feel.
It wasn’t particularly difficult. I just had to memorize and replicate the way my body moved.
That was all there was to it.
And so.
A moon unfolded from my hand.

* * *
[…So you just did it and it worked?]
“Yes.”
After I explained the situation in detail, Yoo Cheon-gil wore a somewhat dazed expression.
“That’s really the answer. I caught the flow that was about to break and continued it.”
I felt genuinely wronged.
“I mean, I barely managed to salvage a situation where I could’ve died if I’d made a mistake. Why are you interrogating me about it?”
[….]
Yoo Cheon-gil still didn’t respond to my words. It wasn’t that he had nothing to say—he seemed so lost in thought that he wasn’t even hearing me properly.
“Old Man. Can’t you hear me?”
[….]
“Really can’t hear?”
[….]
“Hey.”
[What’s with this bastard?]
“Well…. The weather’s nice today.”
I immediately averted my gaze from his piercing stare.
Damn old man—if you can hear me, at least respond.
I tried to avoid his eyes, but he showed no sign of letting it slide, glaring at me intently.
So I had no choice but to speak.
“Why won’t you answer me then?”
[Well, I had something to think about.]
“Then you should tell me not to talk to you if you need to think.”
[I don’t spell out every little thing like that… Wait, you? Are you trying to match wits with me? Have you forgotten whose hands your life rests in?]
“Wow.”
I let out a sigh of admiration at the Old Man’s words.
“You really are petty. Resorting to threats when you can’t win the argument. Isn’t that a bit underhanded for someone your age?”
[…Then why are you trying to kneel?]
“Because I have things I need to say, but my life is precious too.”
[….]
This time the Old Man truly lost for words, pressing his lips firmly shut.
After a moment, he shook his head and opened his mouth again.
[No matter how I look at it, this guy isn’t in his right mind….]
“…What?”
Who was he to say that to me? Incredulous, I was about to fire back another retort while still on my knees.
[Yet no matter how I look at it, it’s definitely you.]
“….”
I had to freeze when I saw Yoo Cheon-gil’s expression.
The way he looked at me—his face was radiant with laughter.
But it resembled the smile of a child who’d discovered an amusing toy, and it was terrifyingly exhilarating.

* * *
A day had passed.
When I opened my eyes, it was roughly dawn. I always wake at the same time, yet the unfamiliar ceiling still greets me.
I rose. The surroundings were quiet.
Normally, I’d hear snoring from both sides, but now there’s no one.
Is this acceptable? I briefly questioned it but didn’t dwell on it long.
‘Whether it’s acceptable or not, I don’t know. For now, let’s enjoy it.’
If it’s not, so what. That’s a problem for later.
I changed clothes and stepped outside. The dawn air brushed against my nose. I moved while savoring it.
After walking a bit, I spotted people already awake.
They were among the few in the Anhui Branch doing dawn training.
My attention immediately fixed on them.
-It’s the Bang Disciple.
-It’s the Bang Disciple.
“….”
At the words that reached my ears, I scratched my cheek.
Yeah, I’m the Bang Disciple, you bastards. I spat the unheard words inwardly.
Perhaps because dawn was quiet, I heard it all too clearly.
-The one who defeated Socheongeom….
-Defeated isn’t even the word. He apparently just crushed his groin….
-…ugh….
“….”
This doesn’t seem like the right place to train. I’d expected as much, but in just one day, things had changed far too much. I felt it keenly.
I turned my steps toward elsewhere.
[Why move around? Just train here.]
It was Yoo Cheon-gil’s voice from behind me.
“…If I stay, I won’t be able to concentrate because of him. And he won’t be able to either, so what’s the point of me being here?”
Just now, he’d stopped what he was doing to watch my expression, so it made more sense for me to step back.
Yoo Cheon-gil, looking at me that way, made a subtle expression and spoke.
[I’ve been curious since yesterday. May I ask?]
“No.”
[Why do you seem to have no reaction at all?]
“…Didn’t you just tell me not to ask?”
[Did it feel like you had a choice in the matter?]
“….”
Damn it.
I exhaled deeply. My appearance has been a mess since morning.
“What reaction?”
[Well, you’ve gotten some attention and people treat you differently now, so I was wondering why you don’t seem to feel anything about it.]
I scoffed at such trivial words and replied.
“…Do I really need to feel something about it?”
[There’s nothing wrong with it.]
“That’s right. There’s nothing wrong with it. There’s nothing wrong with it, but….”
I need to feel these things depending on the situation. Especially for me.
“It’s not something I achieved with my own hands. I feel uncomfortable and don’t want to enjoy it.”
[Hmm?]
“Rather, I feel anxious. It’s like standing on a stick with a vast sea below me.”
[You don’t look anxious for someone in that situation.]
“Well, I’m just pretending. There’s no point in saying I’m anxious since it won’t help anyway.”
A life where I couldn’t even speak of my anxiety even when anxious. Live that way your whole life and you become skilled at it.
Not showing myself. That was my greatest ability.
[Hmm. Is that so?]
Yoo Cheon-gil laughs strangely after hearing my words. He’s been doing that since yesterday.
Why does he keep laughing like that?
It’s incredibly awkward.
‘This is exactly why I try to avoid getting involved with demons.’
Damn it. Of all demons, I had to get tangled up with one like this.
[Don’t curse under your breath.]
“…I didn’t.”
As I mentioned before, the demon was quick to pick up on things. Very much so.
What should I do? It seemed like dawn training was out of the question.
‘I probably wouldn’t have lasted long anyway because of the muscle soreness.’
But since I always did it, I felt uncomfortable.
If I can’t do dawn training, what should I do? There wasn’t much time gap until morning training anyway.
While I was pondering this, someone approached me from a distance. A handsome face that had been putting me in a bad mood since morning had arrived.
“Ah, Bang Disciple. You were here.”
It was Cheon Euijin.
“Good morning. Were you looking for me?”
“Ah, yes…. I went to your quarters but heard you weren’t there….”
I had only just come out. It seemed we had missed each other in the meantime.
“What is it?”
“It’s not that… Would you have a moment to spare? There’s something I’d like to show you.”
At Cheon Euijin’s words, I paused to consider. As it happened, my schedule was clear, so it seemed manageable.
“Of course. By all means. Where should we go?”

* * *
I found my way to Cheon Euijin’s quarters. While not quite as lavish as my own, it was remarkably refined.
Two teacups appeared on the table, and hot water poured in a gentle stream.
“I apologize that this is all I have to offer.”
“Not at all. Besides, I’ll need to eat something soon anyway.”
I’d never been particularly fond of tea to begin with.
“By the way, you have no servants?”
The quarters seemed to be used solely by Cheon Euijin, despite their size. He’d prepared everything himself, including the tea.
“Yes. I needed to keep my identity hidden while moving about… and the rest is mostly handled by the escort…”
He trailed off into silence. The escort—that damned dog of a man. That’s why he’d stopped.
Cheon Euijin forced a smile and continued.
“I’ve sent word, so people should arrive shortly.”
People from Cheongwol Gate, presumably. That must be it.
‘The Gate Master’s direct descendant has faced assassination threats before…’
More than that.
‘I’m here.’
With me—the successor of the Sword Saint—present in this place, they would certainly have taken action on their end.
“So, what is this matter you wished to discuss?”
“Ha ha…”
As I moved straight to the point, seemingly unconcerned with our previous conversation, Cheon Euijin laughed awkwardly.
Seeing that, I offered an apology.
“My apologies. I’m simply like this by nature.”
“No, no. It’s I who’ve been rude since dawn.”
Summoned at such an early hour for something important—I was curious what it could be. He wouldn’t have called me just to share tea.
“The reason I wished to see you is nothing complicated.”
Cheon Euijin, eager to satisfy my curiosity, approached a box placed to one side. It had been there since I entered the room.
“I thought it best to show you this first.”
“Show me… what?”
Just as I wondered what he intended to reveal, Cheon Euijin withdrew something wrapped in cloth from the box.
[Hmm.]
Upon seeing it, Yoo Cheon-gil exhaled softly. His reaction made me narrow my eyes.
‘He seems to know what it is.’
The old man appeared to recognize it. What on earth could it be?
Cheon Euijin handled it with the care one reserves for treasures. Then he carefully unwrapped the cloth…
“…Huh?”
As the object finally revealed itself, I let out a rather foolish response.
There was no other choice.
What Cheon Euijin showed me was none other than a sword—or rather, what ‘used to be’ a sword.
Countless years had passed, and not only had the blade completely deteriorated, but what appeared to have originally been a tachi had been snapped in half, leaving only a small fragment of metal clinging to the hilt.
What is that?
Why would he show me such garbage?
“Bang Disciple, surely you understand what this is?”
“…No, how would I possibly know about such a decrepit antique….”
[It’s my sword.]
“Of course you do. It’s the Sword Saint’s cherished weapon, is it not?”
[This madman….]
Who’s the real madman here?
Thank goodness I changed the subject quickly—otherwise, how could anyone possibly recognize that as the Sword Saint’s weapon?
But then.
‘…Wait. The Old Man’s weapon?’
Once I understood the truth, my mind turned ice-cold.
‘The Sword Saint’s cherished blade. Cheon Euijin. Cheonwol Gate… Anhui….’
I fit the scattered pieces together.
“The reason I showed this to Bang Disciple is….”
I reached the conclusion instantly.
“You’re right.”
“Pardon?”
“What Heavenly Supreme is thinking is correct. I also came to Anhui to find this. It was the Sword Saint’s dying wish.”
[…What?]
Yoo Cheon-gil reacted as if my words made no sense, his face showing utter bewilderment.
But.
“…As I thought…!”
Cheon Euijin’s eyes widened as if his suspicions were confirmed, and watching both that pathetic excuse for a sword and Cheon Euijin, I became certain.
This might actually.
‘Be something I can use?’
If handled correctly, it seemed it could work in my favor.

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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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