The World’s Greatest is Dead - Chapter 228

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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 228
A chilling silence fell.
The surroundings grew cold at Socheongeom’s frenzied words.
‘What did he just say?’
The Heaven of our sect. It could only mean one thing.
The Celestial Demon.
A calamity sent from the heavens.
The sect leader called the god and center of the Demonic Cult.
The one who sparked the Celestial Demon War and brought a storm of blood across the Central Plains, and the only martial artist said to have matched the legendary Yoo Cheon-gil in combat.
With a single gesture of his hand, seas and skies would split.
It was said that when he stepped, heaven and earth trembled—such was the bizarre and terrifying perception of the Celestial Demon that had descended upon the Central Plains.
‘Of course.’
He was the very instigator of the war itself.
How many had died because of his actions, and how many more had suffered?
There were countless claims that without Yoo Cheon-gil, the Central Plains would have truly perished.
‘He mentions it with his own mouth?’
A bloodline of a prestigious faction.
Moreover, a bloodline of the Namgung Clan, a renowned sword family called one of the Five Great Houses, had just invoked the Celestial Demon.
As everyone froze at that fact.
“I… I…”
A grating, hollow sound escaped him.
Socheongeom swayed unsteadily.
“I revere the place created by the Heaven of our sect…”
His trembling hand slowly moved the blade he held.
“The angered Heaven shall finally punish all of you…”
I narrowed my eyes watching this.
‘Surely not.’
I could grimly anticipate what he was about to do.
“Tremble with anticipation. The day when Heaven descends shall come!”
A sharp whistle cut through the air—!!
Socheongeom attempted to drive the blade directly into his own neck.
In that instant.
Bang—! Clang—!
Before the blade could touch him, Socheongeom’s sword shattered, and its tip clattered to the ground.
Failing in his attempt, Socheongeom stared with glassy eyes at someone.
It was Daeju who had stopped the suicide.
Daeju, who had been guarding me, moved and destroyed his blade.
“How dare you… interfere with the great cause…!”
Before Socheongeom could finish speaking,
A sharp crack sounded—!
Daeju struck the back of his neck.
“Ugh.”
The unconscious Socheongeom collapsed onto the blood-soaked floor.
Daeju, watching the fallen Socheongeom, spoke.
“Namgung Seong of the Namgung Clan. Suspected of being a remnant of the Demonic Cult. I will transfer him to headquarters for interrogation.”
After uttering those blunt, matter-of-fact words, he gestured to someone.
Then.
Whoosh—! Namgung Seong’s body slowly rose from the ground.
“Void Seizure…!!”
Someone named the technique Daeju was using.
Void Seizure. A power that could lift humans with barely enough strength to move objects.
Then he hurled him toward the entrance.
“Clear the way!”
As if waiting, members of the Martial Arts Alliance appeared. They must have received word already.
But those who appeared hesitated upon seeing Daeju inside.
“D-Daeju, we greet you.”
“I’ve subdued him. Take him away.”
“Yes!”
Maeng-won immediately placed restraints on Socheongeom and took him away.
Drip, drip.
Amid the blood still pooling on the ground, I had to examine the situation with a furrowed brow.
Then, as Daeju approached me, I asked.
“May I ask just one thing?”
“Speak.”
“Why didn’t you stop it?”
At my question, Daeju looked down at me.
“Stop what?”
“That situation. You could have stopped it, couldn’t you?”
It was Daeju who had sent me the sound transmission when Socheongeom was about to draw his blade.
Which meant.
‘Daeju was in a position to stop it.’
Before Socheongeom could act, Daeju could have intervened.
Even now, seeing how he stopped Socheongeom from stabbing his own neck, it would have been entirely possible.
“…Why didn’t you stop it?”
Why hadn’t Daeju stepped in?
To that question.
“My orders were to protect and monitor you. This was not included in those orders.”
So he didn’t intervene? Even as a man was dying?
“Then why did you step in just now?”
How did he prevent Socheongeom’s death?
Daeju answered the question without hesitation.
“There have been discussions regarding the Demonic Cult. This warrants interrogation for the sake of the Alliance.”
“….”
He blocked it because it posed a threat to the Martial Arts Alliance.
Upon hearing those words, I understood.
‘This place too cannot truly be called righteous.’
It was not a place purely steeped in justice.
I had known this long ago, yet I came to realize it anew.
As expected.
The world of men seems all the same everywhere.
Utterly rotten, at that.
* * *
I heard the details of what had transpired.
They said it had happened quite suddenly.
Socheongeom had apparently descended to the first floor and swung his blade.
An attack bordering on an ambush.
Because of it, one waitress and two martial artists inside had perished.
Their necks were severed with such precision that revival was impossible.
Everyone was shocked by the sudden turn of events.
Within the righteous faction.
And it had occurred within Hanan itself.
Moreover, he was of the bloodline of the Five Great Clans.
Such a person drawing his blade. And furthermore.
‘He mentioned the Demonic Cult.’
Such a person had mentioned the Demonic Cult. Drawing his blade alone was already unthinkable.
He had spoken of an existence already exterminated, one people even hesitated to mention.
Because of this, the entire Hanan region erupted in chaos.
Socheongeom of the Namgung Clan was a remnant of the Demonic Cult.
He killed people while proclaiming the Celestial Demon would come.
An endless series of impossible events. Could there be anything more shocking than this?
And the real problem was.
‘If this happens, the entire Namgung Clan becomes the problem.’
The Namgung Clan. And it was a direct bloodline member who caused this incident. If he had merely caused a disturbance, it would be one thing. But he spoke of the Demonic Cult.
That was the problem.
Though he was now imprisoned, with Socheongeom having become this way.
‘Naelyong, of course.’
Naelyong in Hanan, of course,
would also become a problem for the Namgung Clan itself in Anwhui.
‘The Alliance itself must have already moved.’
They had certainly sent word to the clan. If it was serious enough, they would have dispatched their full force to the Namgung Clan.
‘Will even the Sword King move now?’
The Sword King, Lord of the Namgung Clan, would have no choice but to act in such circumstances.
‘What in the world is happening?’
Why had Socheongeom suddenly become like this?
Was it the influence of the Demon? Even so, it felt wrong.
‘It’s too simple to call it merely the Demon’s influence. The words that man spewed were strange.’
The sect’s heaven and such nonsense.
How could that be?
‘That’s not the Demon’s influence.’
The possibility of some other force at work was far greater.
I lifted my head and looked toward Yoo Cheon-gil.
“Do you know what it is?”
[….]
I asked the question, but no answer came. Yoo Cheon-gil seemed lost in thought, his face continuously furrowed.
“Old Man. Give me an answer.”
[….]
“You look like you know something. Tell me quickly, would you?”
After pressing him several more times, Yoo Cheon-gil finally responded.
[It’s the influence of Magi.]
“Magi?”
[Yes. Those tainted by Magi typically lose their minds and rampage like that. It seems he was affected by it as well.]
“…Magi, you say.”
I knew of it. The martial artists of the Demonic Sect, commonly so called.
It was an energy used by those called Marins—something fundamentally different from ordinary inner energy.
‘It causes such a state?’
Socheongeom, consumed by madness as though gripped by frenzy, had lost himself and gone berserk.
And the Demons clinging to him had grown into a more powerful form.
‘Is that the influence of Magi?’
It could affect not just humans, but even ghosts?
‘…If that’s the case.’
Why had that Magi suddenly influenced Socheongeom?
‘Could it be.’
One man flashed through my mind.
‘Baekcheonin.’
Baekcheonin, whom Yoo Cheon-gil had said was a remnant of the Demonic Sect—could he have orchestrated something?
‘I can’t think of anyone else.’
The Demonic Sect.
They should have been completely eradicated by Yoo Cheon-gil and the Orthodox Sects.
‘What could their purpose be?’
What possible goal could drive them to appear now?
‘If I do this, I can’t afford to hold back anymore.’
If Socheongeom truly fell by Baekcheonin’s hand.
‘This isn’t something I can ignore lightly.’
I couldn’t remain idle any longer.
Just as I was moving.
‘They’re moving too.’
The Demonic Cult was stirring in Hanan, which meant they were making their move as well.
* * *
A day after the incident with Socheongeom.
Just as I’d anticipated, the rumors had already spread throughout Hanan.
“I heard Socheongeom drew his blade at an inn.”
“Ah, I heard too. They say he severed someone’s neck…?”
“…How terrifying. How could such a person…?”
Everywhere I went, the same words echoed.
“Well, you see….”
“…What? Right now… the Demonic….”
“Hush! Don’t speak of it…!”
The Demonic Cult. Socheongeom was a remnant of the Demonic Cult, and from his own mouth came mention of the Celestial Demon’s resurrection.
That fact alone provoked a response both intense and hushed.
Half the people acted as though they dared not even speak of it.
The other half trembled with anxiety, demanding the Martial Arts Alliance’s response.
As such conversations continued to unfold.
“This is absurd. The Demonic Cult, out of nowhere? There are limits to nonsense.”
In the waiting room prepared within the Alliance, Heuk Taedo spoke with sharp disapproval.
“Socheongeom. That bastard seemed like an oddity, but I didn’t think he had that kind of nerve.”
An objective assessment. Heuk Taedo’s evaluation of Socheongeom wasn’t much different from what he’d said of Dang Cheon-il.
“Whatever. I’m satisfied as long as I can compete. Isn’t that right?”
To Heuk Taedo’s words, the figure beside him—Geombong—responded with silence.
I watched them, then glanced to the side.
It was Do-hyeong. Do-hyeong had his eyes closed.
I was currently sitting in the Martial Arts Alliance’s waiting room, passing the time.
My expression was thoroughly displeased.
‘They’re really going through with this…?’
The Dragon-Phoenix Tournament continued on. I could only feel the absurdity of it.
‘…Shouldn’t we take a break after something this serious happens?’
And it wasn’t just anything—it involved the Demonic Cult.
The incident Socheongeom caused was no small matter, and he was currently imprisoned in the Alliance undergoing interrogation.
Yet even so, the Dragon-Phoenix Tournament didn’t stop.
What was the Martial Arts Alliance’s intention in proceeding with this?
I raised the question, but the answer was simple.
‘Is he trying to draw attention?’
If things have escalated, then attention must be diverted. There’s nothing quite like the Dragon Phoenix Assembly to scatter people’s focus.
He’s simply proceeding without hesitation.
‘…Indeed.’
Will this work? I can only harbor doubts.
“Hey, Socheongeom.”
I lifted my head at the voice. It was Heuk Taedo.
“How’s your body holding up?”
“My body?”
“You looked off yesterday. Are you alright?”
Heuk Taedo’s instincts were sharp as always. He’d noticed me wincing from muscle soreness yesterday.
“I’m fine. But it seems like I should be the one asking you that.”
Who was worrying about whom? Heuk Taedo’s condition wasn’t particularly good either.
From his martial contest with Dang Cheon-il, his entire body was wrapped in bandages.
“This? Ah, it’s just irritating. Don’t worry about it. It won’t become a problem.”
“….”
What was he worried about? I desperately hoped it would become a problem.
“Sigh….”
I exhaled and turned my gaze elsewhere.
Heuk Taedo wasn’t particularly important anyway.
Especially not in times like these.
I shifted my eyes to observe the young man sitting in the corner.
Baekcheonin.
The moment I looked at him, he looked back at me.
Then.
Grin.
He smiled and waved his hand. Always the same reaction. So I responded in kind, but.
“….”
Something about him felt different from before.
Very distinctly so.
‘Really.’
Was this his doing? While I was pondering that.
“First match participants, please come forward.”
Maeng-won entered and gave the announcement.
The moment those words were heard, the two people inside rose to their feet.
Geombong Yoo Yeon and Miraculous Sword Baekcheonin.
The first match was between these two.

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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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