The World’s Greatest is Dead - Chapter 275
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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 275
The carriage preparations proceeded in absolute silence.
It was only natural. Shin Chang’s condition itself was classified as a matter of utmost secrecy.
The very fact that we were departing for Hwasan had to remain hidden.
It was true that Shin Chang had sustained injuries and was undergoing treatment, but the severity of his wounds had to be concealed.
Even this much might not remain secret for long.
‘It’s not so much that his life hangs by a thread….’
From what I’d gathered from the brief explanation.
‘The meridian channels themselves were damaged, wasn’t it?’
Rather than physical injury, it was the dantian within, and the meridian channels that conducted qi from the dantian.
Those had been damaged, leaving him in a precarious state.
The body could heal with time.
‘…But internal distortion cannot be healed.’
Truly, a descent into demonic cultivation.
Or what they call heart demon interference.
Mental afflictions or problems with one’s qi and blood itself, resulting in a vegetative state or an inability to continue as a martial artist.
That was what I’d heard of Shin Chang’s condition.
‘At least he can preserve his life, which is fortunate.’
If Shin Chang could no longer function as a martial artist, it would become a grave problem.
‘…Because the Martial Arts Alliance itself could be shaken by this.’
The position of League Leader is like the symbol of the righteous faction itself.
The League Leader who rose after Yoo Cheon-gil’s passing, following the end of the Righteous-Demonic War.
If word spread that Shin Chang, the Celestial Demon, had taken to his sickbed.
‘Naturally, just as expected, there would be movements to select a new League Leader.’
Supreme masters would compete fiercely for the honorable position.
‘Though replacing a League Leader who can no longer function is only natural….’
What Jegal Jin worried about were the events that would unfold in that process.
‘Chaos has descended upon this era.’
Patcheon Gung.
And the Demonic Sect as well.
Their assault on the main headquarters in Hanan, the very heart of the righteous faction, had already spread throughout the Central Plains.
The main headquarters, once called an absolute bastion, had been breached—this would cause the very evaluation of the Martial Arts Alliance to plummet.
And if that happened.
‘Even the heterodox sects that had barely remained quiet might make their move.’
Not just Patcheon Gung or the Demonic Sect, but if the alliance that maintained the center and demonstrated its strength were to collapse, even the heterodox sects might emerge and cause chaos.
In this situation, for Shin Chang to step down and a new League Leader to be selected.
‘It was no different from announcing that the Martial Arts Alliance was crumbling.’
For Jegal Jin, he would be watching for the cracks.
‘…So that’s why he’s sending me.’
Without anyone knowing.
Someone who could handle affairs while remaining vigilant of those Patcheon Gung bastards.
That was me.
‘Eyes that could distinguish Patcheon Gung.’
While the conspiracy unfolded, I possessed the vision to identify who they were.
For Jegal Jin, using me was the optimal choice.
‘Which is why things have become so troublesome now.’
Sigh.
I exhaled deeply and clutched my chest.
‘…No, that’s not right.’
I should speak truthfully.
‘It’s genuinely beneficial.’
Going to Hwasan now is something I need.
The problem that arose in my current body. Yoo Cheon-gil’s words about living with a bomb attached.
And.
‘To treat this.’
I was told I must meet Physician Uiseon.
‘…Here, Physician Uiseon is Maehwa Ilgeom.’
The Hwasan Sect Leader is the greatest physician in the Central Plains.
‘It’s absurd.’
No matter how much I thought about it, it shouldn’t be possible, yet the circumstances spoke truth, leaving me no choice but to believe.
‘He is the key that can save both Shin Chang and me.’
While rolling this thought over in my mind.
Crackle.
A sound accompanied the presence of someone.
“You came?”
“….”
The woman who appeared at my words.
Yoo Yeon nodded her head.
She was the first senior disciple and current disciple of Maehwa Ilgeom.
‘So that’s why she was called first-ranked disciple.’
Not placed among the Three Disciples, but directly in the position of first-ranked disciple, or so I’d heard.
‘…What has she been doing all this time?’
I was shocked when I learned the snotty girl I knew had suddenly become Maehwa Ilgeom’s disciple.
And that wasn’t all.
“You heard everything, right?”
“….”
Yoo Yeon’s presence was essential for the current schedule.
“The pretext is a journey to deliver goods to Hwasan.”
Not for Shin Chang’s treatment, but for delivering goods between Hwasan and the Martial Arts Alliance.
The premise was that Sowoldae would participate as an escort in that process.
‘Sowoldae is a direct sect of the Alliance, so it works as justification.’
Besides, among those I had gathered, everyone except Cheon Euijin was from Sowoldae anyway.
‘With Sochul Daeju himself present here.’
It was more than sufficient to use as a pretext.
‘And with Yoo Yeon included, no one will find it suspicious.’
A disciple accompanying her—there was no problem with that.
No one would ever know that Uiseon was Maehwa Ilgeom.
“Preparations are complete.”
The words echoed quietly through the air.
“Board the carriage.”
“….”
Yoo Yeon nodded at my command and climbed into the carriage.
Watching her take her seat, I had to narrow my eyes slightly.
‘Hmm.’
My eyes narrowed further.
‘…Indeed.’
There was something I wanted to ask Yoo Yeon.
Things I had witnessed in that previous battle.
I had questions I wanted to raise about it.
‘But not now.’
The timing didn’t seem right. In fact, it was already too late. I should have asked long ago, but I hadn’t.
‘It’s not particularly important anyway.’
It wasn’t something I needed right now. And that was because what I wanted to ask Yoo Yeon wasn’t something else—it was….
‘Whether she could kill people.’
Yoo Yeon seemed unable to take a life.
In that battle back then.
I clearly saw her barely managing defense, trembling as she failed to attack.
For someone as overwhelmingly dominant as Yoo Yeon in sparring matches, there seemed to be something wrong in actual combat.
‘But still.’
It wasn’t my place to point it out.
I simply observed.
That was all.
* * *
As I boarded the carriage, the others climbed in as if they’d been waiting for this moment.
“…Hwasan, you say…?”
Dang Cheon-il, sitting beside me with a sour expression, catches my eye.
“…Why suddenly all the way to Hwasan….”
Dok-ryong, Dang Cheon-il, hearing the plan sprung upon him, clearly showed his displeasure.
“Then go back to Sichuan. Can you even face your father if you return?”
“….”
At my words, Dok-ryong clamped his mouth shut.
He had nothing to say. After all, this was his own doing.
“Do you think I want to drag you along? I’d love to abandon you and go. If you’d just remembered what you learned once, you wouldn’t be such a nuisance. Why do you have to forget and cause me trouble?”
As I vented my frustration, Dok-ryong seemed to shrink smaller and smaller.
‘This is so infuriating.’
He’d openly used Manceon Hwau during the martial contest with Heuk Taedo, then forgot about it.
When using Manceon Hwau, he’d reached a state of oblivion—was it that he’d only mastered half of it?
‘…Damn it.’
Because of this, I couldn’t send Dok-ryong back and had to bring him along.
“…But is it really alright for me to go as well?”
And beside that Dok-ryong, Cheon Euijin sits with a flustered expression.
“I heard this is a Sowoldae matter, and I’m not sure if I should be involved in such an important task….”
Cheon Euijin believed it was simply an escort mission, as Jegal Jin had presented it.
“Yes, I’ve already received Moonju’s permission.”
Regarding Cheon Euijin, I’d obtained approval from Wol Seon-geom.
Since he said there was no need to change the composition of the group, I’d planned to simply bring him along.
“Ah, but if you’d rather not go, you can return. I’m not forcing you.”
If he didn’t want to, there was no need to come with us.
At those words, Cheon Euijin’s eyes wavered.
The moment hesitation appeared on his face.
“Go on, just get down.”
Another Sowoldae disciple who’d been quiet.
Cheonhye-in suddenly spoke up.
“…Sister?”
“You won’t be helpful anyway, even if you join the schedule. What good is an injured body? Just return with Moonju.”
She speaks to Cheon Euijin with a cold, piercing gaze.
That’s right. Cheon Euijin was still a patient. Though his realm had broken through and reached its peak, granting him enhanced regenerative abilities.
‘An injury is still an injury.’
He hadn’t fully recovered yet.
“…That’s not——”
“Stubbornness should match your level to be worthwhile. Brother, you’re far too lacking for such an important task.”
She laughs softly as she speaks. I’d always thought it, but she really has no manners.
*Crack.*
Upon hearing this, Cheon Euijin clenched his fists and fire blazed in his eyes.
“…I will go. I can do this, Bang Disciple.”
“Yes…? Ah, yes…”
“I will surely be of help.”
“…Yes, I’m counting on you.”
Since he insisted on going himself, I wouldn’t stop him.
‘That guy too.’
My gaze drifted toward Cheonhye-in.
‘…I can’t tell if she’s acting or being sincere.’
At Cheon Euijin’s words, Cheonhye-in simply gazed out the window again.
I sensed two things from her words.
What she said was tactless, that much was clear.
‘But she seems worried.’
Concern permeated her tone of voice.
Despite being ill, she was worried about him coming along.
‘…Yet she’s also picking a fight to make him come.’
There was a sense of her deliberately provoking Cheon Euijin into following.
‘This is absurd.’
She didn’t seem normal either. If that were the case, why weren’t they on good terms?
‘Wol Seon-geom is like that too, and this household isn’t normal either.’
There seemed to be some circumstances at play.
Which is why I should distance myself further.
This had all the makings of becoming troublesome.
‘As for the senior…never mind.’
Do-hyeong was competent enough to handle things on his own.
‘What remains.’
Yoo Yeon, who was looking out the window alongside Cheonhye-in.
‘And Sochul Daeju on the carriage.’
Plus the Sword Emperor who would be driving the carriage.
‘…What a remarkable group.’
One Celestial Demon and one absolute master.
I couldn’t imagine a safer journey than this.
There was one small concern, however.
‘…Youngsoon.’
It was about Muyong Youngsoon.
‘I didn’t tell her I was going. Will that be alright?’
I hadn’t told her I was leaving. Or rather, I chose not to.
Though I had asked Baekwang for something on this matter.
‘…Hmm.’
It won’t be fine. It’ll probably turn out that way.
I know that much.
‘What can I do about it.’
For now, I decided to ignore it and move on.
“….”
My chest grows heavy. I knew all too well what this feeling was.
‘It’s greed.’
Whatever it is, that’s greed.
I shouldn’t indulge in excess.
As I was thinking such thoughts.
-Shall we depart now, sir.
The Sword Emperor, my coachman, spoke.
“…Ah, yes. Please depart.
As I spoke, the carriage lurched forward with a rattling sound.
As I felt it moving slowly.
‘Ah, that’s right.’
I remembered something I’d forgotten.
‘Now that I think about it, where is Father?’
The greatest scoundrel of the Bang family.
My father’s whereabouts.
‘…Where did he go?’
Where could this man have gone that I haven’t seen him?
Is he dead? That doesn’t seem likely.
‘His luck is ridiculously good.’
He’s surely alive somewhere, indulging in his debauchery once more.
If there’s one thing I wish for.
‘…I just hope he hasn’t caused any trouble.’
That Father would simply stay out of it.
With such earnest hope, the carriage heading toward Hwasan set off.
* * *
Whinnnnny—!
A carriage moves through the quiet night.
From atop the Martial Arts Alliance’s hall, Jegal Jin watches it depart.
“….”
Worry was plainly etched across his face.
It wasn’t merely the weight of the grave task he’d entrusted—there was something more.
“…Tsk.”
A short click of his tongue, a bitter taste settling in his mouth.
“Are you troubled?”
A smooth, ingratiating voice came from beside him.
“….”
Jegal Jin didn’t answer. He despised speaking to this man.
But.
“Father-in-law?”
Snap.
At that detestable form of address, Jegal Jin finally swung the fan he’d been holding.
Whack—!
“Ugh!”
The absurdly handsome man struck on the crown of his head let out a groan.
It was Bang Cheon-ho.
“Ouch….”
“Get out of my sight.”
“Why are you like this? You looked lonely, so I came to keep you company.”
“Your presence only makes me more uncomfortable. Disappear from my view.”
“Ahahaha. Father-in-law, you really… still can’t be honest… wait, don’t draw your blade!”
When Jegal Jin, unable to restrain himself, reached for the short sword at his waist, Bang Cheon-ho hurriedly stopped him.
“Goodness, please compose yourself.”
Despite his playful demeanor, Jegal Jin let out a sigh.
“…It seems you’re not worried at all that your son is embarking on a perilous journey.”
“A perilous journey?”
Bang Cheon-ho looked at Jegal Jin as if bewildered.
“That child’s side appears to be the safest place in the world right now.”
“….”
Jegal Jin didn’t respond to those words.
Because they were true.
“If our group were to suffer injury or death, they were destined to perish anywhere. And.”
Bang Cheon-ho speaks, watching the departing carriage.
“Our second son is not so fragile. Even if thrown from a cliff, he’d return alive with an expression of annoyance.”
“…Your faith is unwavering.”
“Of course.”
He spoke with a smile, but.
“He is my son, after all.”
When Bang Cheon-ho uttered those final words, the smile vanished from his face.
Seeing that expression, Jegal Jin turned away.
As always, it was a face he found utterly repugnant.
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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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