The World’s Greatest is Dead - Chapter 266

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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 266
Physician Uiseon is the Sect Leader of Hwasan.
At those words, my mind went completely blank.
“What….”
What kind of insane nonsense is this?
Physician Uiseon….
‘Physician Uiseon is the Hwasan Sect Leader…?’
No matter how hard I tried to comprehend it, it simply didn’t make sense. Where in the world could there be anything more absurd than this?
‘If he’s the Hwasan Sect Leader….’
Then he must be the legendary Plum Blossom Sword—that renowned master.
One of the Celestial Demons, a candidate for Heavenly Supreme alongside Shin Chang, and even a contender for the position of League Leader.
In fact, judging by his reputation, renown, and the support he commanded, it should have been Plum Blossom Sword who became League Leader, not Shin Chang.
‘But he declined.’
He said that Hwasan, which he had already taken under his wing, was sufficient, and that expanding to encompass the entire Martial Arts Alliance would exceed his vessel. That’s how he refused.
He was renowned as a master of great virtue—one without excessive ambition and of benevolent character.
And that man….
‘…is Physician Uiseon?’
The legendary physician who could even resurrect the dead.
The fact that he was the same person as Physician Uiseon left me thoroughly bewildered.
“You’re joking, aren’t you?”
It’s an impossible claim. Yet I pressed for clarification.
[What do you mean?]
Yoo Cheon-gil answered matter-of-factly.
“No…. How could Physician Uiseon be Plum Blossom Sword?”
[Why not?]
“It doesn’t make sense.”
He’s already swamped just mastering martial arts—how could he also become a legendary physician on top of that?
I continued speaking, confronted with this unbelievable fact.
[Ha.]
Yoo Cheon-gil laughed as if exasperated.
[And you seeing ghosts is believable?]
“….”
I was momentarily at a loss for words.
Though confusion struck me briefly, my mouth still worked, and I managed to speak again.
“That’s different from this, isn’t it?”
[There’s no difference.]
Yoo Cheon-gil was resolute.
[The world is full of peculiar people, and he just happened to be one of them.]
Peculiar. It was far too strange to dismiss it so simply.
One thing.
[He preferred saving people to wielding the sword. That’s all.]
Yoo Cheon-gil’s laughter faded as he spoke those final words.
[But he loved the plum blossoms far more.]
“….”
Was that a vow not to smile when speaking of it? I couldn’t discern his intent.
“Much like how you favor the moon, sir?”
If I were to draw a comparison, wasn’t that the meaning? I posed the question with that thought in mind.
[Hm? What are you saying.]
Yoo Cheon-gil tilted his head.
[Why would I favor the moon.]
“Pardon?”
What was he talking about now?
“You always spoke of needing to become the moon, of pursuing the moon. Did you not?”
When had he not droned on endlessly about the moon? What was this contradiction?
[Haha.]
Yoo Cheon-gil laughed at my confusion—a fanatic’s laugh that made me shudder slightly.
[You’re mistaken. I don’t favor the moon. I merely pursue it, and that differs from affection. If I must be precise.]
Whoooosh—!
“…!”
I rubbed my arms. The air had suddenly turned bitterly cold.
[I despise the moon.]
“….”
Despise.
My body went rigid at those words.
[If anything, it’s love and hate intertwined. But that’s hardly the important part.]
It seemed very important to me.
The atmosphere didn’t permit moving past it, yet asking further felt awkward, so I held my tongue.
Yoo Cheon-gil despises the moon.
That single unknown fact occupied my mind.
Strangely enough….
More than the shocking revelation that the Plum Blossom Swordsman was Physician Uiseon, those words kept circling through my thoughts.
Truly strange indeed.

* * *
I returned to my quarters. To be honest, I wanted to continue training, but I didn’t have the luxury of spending more time on it.
‘How could I, after hearing such words?’
Yoo Cheon-gil’s warning that my body was like a bomb waiting to detonate.
The suddenly surging energy couldn’t properly settle within my body, creating a dangerous state.
‘…I mustn’t overexert myself or forcefully increase my power.’
If I absorbed even more energy carelessly, the burden on my meridians would cause my body to explode with a bang.
My body exploding—what a terrifying thing to say.
‘Especially the change in my hair color.’
While Wol Cheon’s influence played a role, Yoo Cheon-gil determined that the skyrocketing Blue Moon Heart Technique was directly affecting my physical body itself.
He said it would take three years for such energy to stabilize and become docile?
‘…Three years isn’t so bad, really.’
That’s what I honestly thought.
Three years with my realm and power frozen? What does it matter?
‘I’ve already obtained fortune beyond reason.’
A body that started at the third-rate level had reached the peak in less than a year, standing on the threshold of the absolute peak.
What problem could there be if three more years passed in this state?
‘But the Old Man sees it differently.’
Yoo Cheon-gil said he didn’t have that kind of time.
Even though he mentioned three years, the situation was uncertain and unpredictable.
Therefore….
‘Finding Physician Uiseon now is quite advantageous.’
He said it was actually a good thing for me.
‘Hmm….’
The matter of Physician Uiseon was also peculiar.
‘The Plum Blossom Single Sword is Physician Uiseon….’
What were the odds that a renowned physician was a Celestial Demon-level swordmaster?
Could this really be true? It probably was.
‘Yoo Cheon-gil has no reason to lie to me about this.’
If so, then the Plum Blossom Single Sword must truly be Physician Uiseon.
I didn’t know how it was possible, but it was likely the truth.
‘Hwasan….’
A place I’d never been to before.
Given the circumstances, I could go if I had to.
‘But all the way to Shaanxi in this situation….’
I wasn’t sure if that was the right move.
As I pondered this and racked my brain,
[What are you worrying about?]
Yoo Cheon-gil, floating about, spoke.
[It’s something you have to do anyway. What good comes from worrying?]
“….”
[Besides, whether it’s your body or that man Shin Chang’s matter. Isn’t there something else to gain?]
“…Something to gain?”
What else could there be? I asked, puzzled.
[You know, that thing the young girl from Hwasan brought.]
“…What… is it?”
I wasn’t sure what she meant at first, but then it came to me. That robe with white fur.
She seemed to be referring to that.
[Since I saw you carrying it, why don’t you just go and exchange it?]
“…Hmm.”
The black robe I possessed.
Exchanging it for the Sword Saint’s robe that Hwasan Sect held.
Hearing this, I let out a sigh.
So many tasks had accumulated. There were countless reasons I needed to go.
‘…There’s no way I can just take the robe without doing this.’
Since it was an exchange, I would have to go no matter what.
‘Hmm.’
Now that I think about it, it was honestly strange that Yoo Yeon brought that robe in the first place.
‘Why did she bring it?’
Why would she bring a robe? And.
‘…She also….’
The problem with Yoo Yeon I’d discovered from the previous incident.
Recalling this, I shook my head.
‘That’s for later.’
It wasn’t something to think about now.
With that, I swept all thoughts away.
First, sleep.
After sleeping.
‘I need to handle what remains.’
I closed my eyes.
The night, full of contemplation, passed that way.

* * *
The moment dawn broke, I stepped out of my quarters.
My destination was the infirmary.
There was someone I needed to see.
“Oh! Protagonist! Ahahaha!”
The man burst into loud laughter the moment he spotted me.
Seeing him, I narrowed my eyes. Had I come for nothing?
“No, wait! Now I should call you Wol-hyeop!”
The man sat on the bed, waving his massive arms about.
Heuk Taedo greeted me with enthusiasm.
“…How is your body feeling?”
“Of course I’m fine and dandy. Say, while you’re here, do me a favor.”
“…What would that be?”
“These physicians won’t let me leave even though I’m cleared to go.”
“Then perhaps you shouldn’t leave?”
“The rest will heal with some salve.”
“…”
Nonsense. As always, he spouted drivel, so I dismissed it lightly.
“Won’t you help me?”
“Just rest quietly where you are.”
“…Tsk. Father’s the same way—everyone wants to keep me pinned down.”
“…”
Father. At the word referring to Dojol, I raised one eyebrow.
“Oh, speaking of which—you met Father, didn’t you?”
“…We crossed paths briefly.”
“Haha. Looking at your face, Father must have spouted more nonsense. Isn’t that right?”
“…That’s not quite it.”
“Never mind. Father’s antics are nothing new—don’t take it to heart. He’s simply a narrow-minded man brimming with greed.”
“…”
His assessment of his own father was remarkably harsh.
His eyes were equally unwavering, suggesting complete sincerity.
“…It seems you and Lord Peng don’t get along well?”
“Hm? No, we’re close.”
“But then…”
“Being close and respect are separate matters. As a father, I love him—as a clan lord, I simply don’t respect him.”
“…”
Truly rational and straightforward judgment.
“Anyway, they say you’re called Wol-hyeop now. How does it feel to be a hero?”
“It’s just as it is.”
“Hahahaha! Your expression says it all. I knew you’d be like this.”
“What am I?”
“Aliases and titles matter little, do they not? Only the deeds one accomplishes hold true weight. Is that not so?”
Well, that wasn’t quite it either.
But since Heuk Taedo already seemed to think of me that way, I decided not to deny it.
Let him believe what he wishes.
“What a shame… If my body were sound, I would have liked to cross blades with you once more.”
His eyes held genuine regret.
“No, that would be impossible anyway. The Sword Demon… When I recall that battle with that monster, I realize how much I held back during our sparring match.”
“….”
The tale of when Yoo Cheon-gil fought the Sword Demon.
I’d heard that he severed the Sword Demon’s neck using my body.
Heuk Taedo had also sustained injuries during that encounter and was receiving treatment, or so I was told.
“How can one become so formidable?”
Heuk Taedo asked with genuine curiosity.
“…I wish I knew.”
I wanted to know as well.
Surely we used the same body and wielded the same energy.
Yet somehow, with my body, that monster called the Sword Demon was slain.
I found that truly perplexing.
“Perhaps such things simply come to pass through continuous effort.”
I gave up trying to understand.
Through continuous effort. Yes, through continuous effort.
Yoo Cheon-gil had said it. That he would make me the Heavenly Supreme.
So if I simply do as that man commands, surely one day it will come to pass.
That was the meaning behind my words.
“…Through continuous effort… Is that so.”
Heuk Taedo nodded at my words.
“So you’re saying that through relentless, unwavering effort, one eventually gains something.”
“….”
“Indeed. You truly are different.”
When did I ever say anything about relentless effort?
No matter how I thought about it, I never said such a thing.
I shook my head at Heuk Taedo, who had once again misinterpreted things entirely on his own.
Then came his words.
“Next time will be different. You can count on it. I too… shall give it my all.”
Heuk Taedo spoke to me with a rather solemn gaze.
“….”
Next time will be different? He intends to exert even greater effort than now?
How much more formidable does he wish to become?
Then I want to tell him to stop. That I am not of such caliber. That he need only put in reasonable effort.
I wanted to say that, but.
“Yes. Please, do try.”
I spoke with an arrogance that didn’t suit me.
I still don’t understand why I said it then.
“Ahahaha-!!”
Heuk Taedo laughed loudly upon hearing my response. It seemed to be an answer he liked.
“P-please, Young Master Peng. There are other patients as well… so if you could keep your voice down….”
“Ah, my apologies.”
The Physician urged restraint, and Heuk Taedo covered his mouth with his large hand.
Every time I saw him, I felt it—though he seemed a bit simple-minded, he didn’t appear to be a bad man.
In short, he was simply an odd fellow.
Watching such a Heuk Taedo, I found myself smiling faintly without thinking.
Then I tried to speak about the original purpose of my visit.
“And, Heuk Taedo.”
“Hmm?”
“About Moryong Sojeo, I wanted to say—”
Just as I was about to speak.
“Wol-hyeop. So you were here.”
“…Hmm?”
Someone appeared from behind and called out to me.
I stopped speaking and turned my head.
“Huh?”
An unexpected figure stood before me.
A man of considerable height, though his frame appeared quite lean.
He wore gray martial robes and bore an expressionless countenance that reminded me of someone.
His name was surely….
“It is a pleasure to meet you. I am the Younger Master of the Jegal Clan… Jegal Hyeong-yeon. Might I have a moment of your time?”
Jegal Hyeong-yeon.
The current Younger Master of the Jegal Clan, and.
‘…my mother’s older brother.’
In other words, he was my maternal uncle.

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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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