The World’s Greatest is Dead - Chapter 3

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

The Heavenly Supreme Has Died – Episode 003
Bangseong-yeon, eighteen years old.
Upon recovering the memories of my past life, I came to a realization.
At ten years old, I resolved to live this life properly.
From that moment, I established several rules for myself.
-First.
Never reveal to anyone that I possess memories from my past life.
Careless talk could bring untold calamity upon me. I was absolutely determined never to speak of this.
-Second.
Do not draw attention to myself.
I must not foolishly flaunt my past life memories.
My family’s reputation was already in shambles, and I had accumulated enemies without even realizing it.
Especially in my hometown of Yeolyeong, the danger was far greater. I could not afford to use this knowledge to boast and create more adversaries.
Even if I were to do something later, I would endure for now.
I decided to begin my life with that as my purpose.
And then.
The long-awaited third rule.
The most crucial thing I must prioritize for the purpose of my life.
‘It is to never live like my past self.’
I must not live as Kim Min-chul did in South Korea.
Perhaps it was because my grandmother was a shaman.
In my past life, Kim Min-chul saw things he should never have seen.
Those things caught the attention of beings that ‘should not be seen,’ and he lived a wretched life until his miserable death.
So this time, I resolved not to live that way.
But damn it all, when I recovered my past life memories, a problem arose.
The abilities from my past life came with them.
Yes, that’s right.
I could see ghosts.
It was the same in this life after recovering those memories.
Whether it was because I recalled my past life or simply a curse bound to me, reality was what it was.
I could see ghosts.
That alone had drastically increased the difficulty of my life.
Merely seeing them wouldn’t be a problem, but the moment a ghost realized I could see them, everything became complicated.
‘There are far too many of these insane creatures.’
Ghosts are ultimately those who linger with deep resentment or unfulfilled attachments.
If they find someone who might resolve their grudges, they cling to that person relentlessly, doing whatever it takes.
‘And I’ve suffered so much because of them.’
What more could I say of the Central Plains, where blades clash and blood flows?
The number of ghosts here is absurdly high.
Recalling what I experienced in my past life, I desperately wanted this life to pass without incident.
Pretend not to see what I see.
Pretend not to hear what I hear.
‘I’ll live an ordinary life no matter what.’
With that resolve, I deceived my own eyes and lived for several years.
Damn it all, I’ve run into a crisis.

* * *
A frame nearly eight feet tall.
If not for the sound of his voice, I would have mistaken him for a bear.
Curious, I examined him more carefully.
Naturally he wasn’t a bear, and it was certain he was human.
The figure was an old man with white hair dressed in a worn black martial robe.
‘Why does his body look like that…?’
Moreover, for an old man, he possessed quite a muscular physique.
At first glance, he was anything but ordinary.
Immediately, I glanced down at the old man’s lower body.
It was a habit of sorts.
A habit I must never forget.
Most ghosts are semi-transparent.
Whether it’s because they’re spirits or not, once I see them, I can tell they’re ghosts, so pretending not to know comes first.
Occasionally there are vivid ones, but in those cases, checking their lower half works.
Ghosts don’t have their feet touching the ground.
Or they appear with their feet vanished, floating about.
Moreover, they cast no shadow either.
Understanding this, I developed the habit of looking at the legs first whenever I encountered someone unfamiliar.
Thanks to that, I’ve managed to live reasonably well.
There were moments of slight danger in between, but since I never got caught, those are just memories now.
‘Hmm…’
The old man’s legs were firmly planted on the ground.
Confirming this, I exhaled a sigh of relief inwardly.
“Ah… ah, if you swing your arm like that… ah. That’s not how that martial technique is supposed to be done…!”
“…”
An incomprehensible old man, gazing into the window and lamenting continuously.
If he’s not even a ghost, then what on earth is he?
Suspicious.
Far too suspicious.
…Could it be?
My eyes widened as the thought struck me.
‘Is he one of the Martial Alliance executives?’
Whether he’s from the Anhui branch or another branch, I couldn’t tell.
Anyone casually wandering through the Martial Alliance at this hour must be someone of considerable skill.
My father had said as much.
‘Among masters, there are plenty of peculiar ones, so be careful.’
He’d especially warned me to watch out for old men and children.
So should I just avoid getting involved and slip away?
Even as I decided that, my feet were already moving toward him.
“Excuse me, sir.”
If he happened to be an executive, I might as well make an impression. Such greedy thoughts drove me forward.
I called out to the old man.
“Tsk… Using your back like that just sends all the recoil straight to your spine. You need to reduce the weight and make your movements lighter, boy.”
The old man simply ignored me, as though I weren’t even there.
“Sir…? Hello?”
“And why are you gripping the sword like that? You’ll dislocate your wrist later. Tsk, tsk…”
“Sir, can’t you hear me?”
“These young people nowadays have no grasp of the fundamentals, which is why they’re so disappointing…”
“Hey, old man.”
“Huh?”
“…”
He heard that.
At my frustrated outburst, the old man’s gaze snapped directly toward me.
Our eyes met.
The old man’s eyes were an unusual blue color.
“Wait, that’s…”
“…?”
The moment our gazes locked, the old man quickly averted his eyes and began looking around nervously.
It was as though he were checking if anyone else was nearby.
“Sir…?”
I called out to him again at his strange behavior.
Only then did the old man seem to realize I was addressing him, and he looked back at me.
“What is it…? What?”
“Pardon?”
“Can you see me, boy?”
“What do you mean? You’re standing right in front of me, so of course I can-”
I stopped mid-sentence.
‘Wait a moment…’
A sense of wrongness gripped me, and my body went rigid.
This isn’t good.
The instinct I’d developed over a lifetime told me so.
“Oho?”
Emotion flickered across the old man’s face as he observed my reaction.
Seeing that, goosebumps erupted across my skin.
I lowered my gaze.
I looked at the Old Man’s legs. I’d checked before, but his legs were perfectly intact.
They were clearly there… so what’s strange about this?
“Where are you looking?”
“….”
I didn’t answer his question. I immediately turned my back.
I’d been caught.
Caught red-handed, in fact.
I must have made a mistake.
“Hey. Where are you going?”
Ignoring the voice behind me, I tried to keep walking.
“Wait.”
This time the voice came from ahead.
I jumped in alarm and saw it was Yeon Socheon, drenched in sweat.
Yeon Socheon, who had been in the Training Hall, must have heard the commotion and come outside to check on me.
“Uh… well….”
Before I could even make an excuse, he looked at me and asked.
“…What are you doing out here alone?”
Hearing Yeon Socheon’s words, cold sweat dripped down my face.
‘Alone.’
He had just said I was alone.
That meant my suspicion wasn’t wrong.
The moment I realized that.
[Well….]
Behind me, a large face suddenly thrust forward with an eerie sensation.
[So it seems.]
[I am visible after all.]
I was done for.
‘What is this…?’
What on earth is this?
I turned my eyes and looked at the figure’s feet again.
No matter how many times I checked, it was the same.
The Old Man’s feet existed and were clearly touching the ground.
So what is this?
‘What is it.’
This peculiar sensation.
The distinctive alienation I felt when facing a ghost was coursing through my entire body.
I rolled my eyes and calmly looked straight ahead.
Before me stood Yeon Socheon, staring at me with a strange expression.
“…Is there something you need?”
Yeon Socheon asks me with eyes full of caution.
‘His eyes are on me.’
His gaze is fixed solely upon me.
There’s an eight-foot-tall, muscular old man right beside him, yet he only looks at me?
That made no sense whatsoever.
‘He’s a ghost.’
He has feet and a solid form, yet the old man is a ghost.
I was certain of it.
I couldn’t explain how it came to be.
I’ve seen many vivid ghosts before, but never one so perfectly defined down to the tips of his toes.
I needed to keep my wits sharp.
Yeon Socheon, noticing my rigid expression, furrows his brow.
“Say, if there’s something….”
“Now that your night watch is over, you should get some sleep.”
“…Pardon?”
At my words, Yeon Socheon’s expression shifts slightly. Seeing this, I continued.
“It’s been seven weeks already.”
I had to speak without hesitation.
It meant I had to minimize any sign of my own confusion.
“Do you know? It’s been seven weeks since the first rotation ended and the Yeon Disciples started using this Training Hall.”
“Suddenly, what does that have to do with——”
“People should know how to compromise sometimes. How long will this go on? Just go inside and sleep already!”
As I begin to insist, Yeon Socheon, who had been listening quietly, speaks to me.
“…I haven’t heard that the Training Hall has a separate owner?”
That’s right. The Training Hall has no owner.
If anything, one could say the Martial Alliance is its owner.
“Owner or not. Originally, those in their first year of service aren’t supposed to use the Training Hall.”
“Yes…?”
Yeon Socheon’s eyes widen at my words.
Since they were already large, the effect was quite striking.
“I…have never heard such an explanation before….”
“Of course not. Everyone’s too busy watching the Yeon Disciples’ moods. Who would tell you?”
“….”
The very fact that one could use the Training Hall from the second year onward was unreasonable.
And they simply weren’t applying that rule to Yeon Socheon alone.
“From the start, it doesn’t make sense that you entered as the newest member and were assigned to the first rotation of night watch. I’m in my first year, just before the second rotation, or perhaps the second one….”
“That is…I’m simply following the orders that came down….”
“Orders? It’s all just hesitation from watching the Yeon Disciples’ faces. You’re receiving such special treatment that it’s starting to feel natural to you, isn’t it…!”
Oh no.
I stopped mid-word and clamped my mouth shut.
The more I spoke, the more my anger flared, and I’d crossed the line.
This was something I should have kept buried inside.
Originally, I’d planned to exchange a few pleasantries and be done with it, but I’d gone too far.
I glanced cautiously at Yeon Socheon, and sure enough, his expression had hardened into stone.
‘I’m screwed.’
A man who might very well have the Namgung Clan backing him.
I’d been far too reckless with a martial artist who could toy with second-rate warriors as easily as breathing.
What if he decided to run me through with his blade?
The chilling thought sent cold sweat trickling down my skin.
“…Special treatment….”
Fortunately, Yeon Socheon didn’t draw his sword. He simply repeated my words quietly to himself.
Though I’d become the kind of person who shows up in the dead of night spouting nonsense, I didn’t think too deeply about it and moved my legs.
“Ah… anyway. I came to tell you as someone with more experience. That’s just… how it is.”
I didn’t even know what I was saying anymore.
I spoke and immediately started moving.
I felt eyes on me.
Were they Yeon Socheon’s, or the old man’s?
I ignored it.
Would pretending ignorance work at this point?

* * *
[You fool.]
Of course not.
Damn it, it wasn’t working as expected.
[You fool.]
Still, I ignored it.
I’d returned to the Sect Dormitory.
Yoo Hyeong-in, who’d gone in earlier, was already asleep.
I squeezed into the space beside him without any fuss.
[Are you really going to pretend you didn’t hear me now?]
“….”
I can’t hear anything.
I don’t hear anything.
[Heh heh. Look at this one.]
In the dead of night, the old man’s voice echoed coldly.
My pounding heart felt unbearable.
Was I afraid that the ordinary life I’d barely managed to build would crumble?
For that very reason, I absolutely could not get entangled with him.
The old man’s blue eyes gleamed in the darkness as he looked down at me from above.
I didn’t look at him.
I closed my eyes tight, afraid my gaze might waver.
[So late in coming. Are you trying to ignore me?]
“….”
[I never thought anyone could see me. Open your eyes. Let’s just talk for a moment.]
Nonsense. It’s the same trick ghosts have used since time immemorial.
They claim to have some grievance, begging me to listen. Pleading for me to help ease their resentment.
Help them once out of sympathy, and it becomes twice. Twice becomes ten times.
I’d experienced this countless times before.
I’d done everything in my power to avoid it this time.
‘What is this old man?’
Of all things, I had to encounter a ghost with a physical form.
It was something I’d never experienced in my past life, let alone in this one.
Because of this, everything had gone wrong. Terribly wrong.
‘If that old man mentions me to other ghosts…’
I might spend this entire life surrounded by spirits, just like in my previous existence.
They’d swear they wouldn’t say a word, then the moment I helped them, they’d go around telling everyone.
Dead men’s mouths were filthier than anything alive.
So for now, I would ignore him.
I couldn’t let my nose be pierced again in this lifetime.
[Ahem, ahem.]
I made a deliberate effort to fall asleep.
Falling asleep wasn’t particularly difficult.
Sleeping through loud noise was my specialty.
[Hehehehe.]
I heard the old man’s laughter.
[Yes, that’s how it comes out, isn’t it?]
Playfulness seeped through his deep voice.
Hearing that, I couldn’t help but tremble with unease.
Nine years had passed since my reincarnation.
I was now facing the second greatest crisis of my life in the Central Plains.
…What am I going to do?

* * *
As night gave way to the approaching dawn.
The Young Man sat upon his bed with a troubled expression clouding his features.
This quarters had been prepared by the Martial Alliance. A space for his use alone.
A spacious chamber for a mere disciple to occupy.
Fine bedding. All arranged for him.
Gazing upon these surroundings, the Young Man recalled something.
‘Perhaps I’ve grown so accustomed to this special treatment that it feels natural to me now.’
A boy whose name he did not know.
A Martial Alliance disciple who was his contemporary had spoken those words to him.
Remembering them, I furrowed my brow.
‘Special treatment.’
Those words had embedded themselves deeply in my chest.
After repeating the phrase endlessly in my mind, I—Yeon Socheon—parted my lips.
“Pung Yeon.”
At my softly spoken words, someone appeared behind me.
A man dressed in black martial robes with a pallid complexion.
“Yes, Young Master.”
Pung Yeon, my bodyguard.
A master martial artist assigned to me by my family.
“Is that statement true?”
“What statement do you refer to, sir?”
“…That disciples cannot use the Training Hall until they’ve completed their first year here.”
To my question, Pung Yeon responded in an even tone.
“That is correct.”
“!”
At his answer, my eyes widened.
Simultaneously, I attempted to say something, but Pung Yeon spoke first.
“However, that is merely an irregularity found in any organization. It is not a directly established rule, so there is no need for you to concern yourself with it—”
“Yet everyone else abides by it, do they not?”
“There is no reason for you to adhere to such rules, Young Master.”
Such rules existed for those who needed to follow them.
A precious being such as yourself had no such obligation.
Pung Yeon closed his mouth before he could speak further.
He knew well that his master disliked such words.
“Could it be that the words of that disciple we met earlier troubled you?”
“….”
Tsk! Pung Yeon clicked his tongue silently within his mind.
“Young Master. Those are merely the words of someone beneath your notice.”
An unnamed disciple of the Martial Alliance.
At best, he was merely a third-rate martial artist.
For seven days and nights, I noticed him loitering about the training hall my master used, and at first it bothered me.
But after learning a bit more, there was no need for concern.
What was it again?
He was supposedly a blood relative of some obscure clan located in Yeolyeong.
Yeolyeong is where the Moyong Clan, one of the Five Great Families, is situated.
I wondered if he might be from there, but that wasn’t the case.
Of course.
If he were of Moyong blood, he would never have come to Anhui.
The Namgung Clan and Moyong Clan are on extremely poor terms, after all.
“It seems he was the one using the training hall during that time until now. Young Master, he likely only spoke up because he disliked you using it. If it troubles you, I could handle it separately….”
At Pung Yeon’s words, Yeon Socheon regarded him with cold eyes.
“Pung Yeon.”
“My apologies.”
Pung Yeon immediately lowered his head beneath that frigid gaze.
“Though your words came suddenly and caught me off guard, there is nothing wrong with what he said.”
Whether it was impropriety or vice, these were things everyone upheld.
Yet I had taken special treatment for granted. Perhaps his words were correct after all.
“…I will speak to the Daeju separately about this matter later.”
“Young Master…. But.”
“Though I came here with purpose, I must still uphold what must be upheld.”
I wanted to live a life without shame.
I came out into the world for that reason, but if I act like this, it all becomes meaningless.
“Please respect my wishes in this.”
“…Understood.”
Pung Yeon acquiesced without further protest to his master’s stubbornness.
Yeon Socheon withdrew his gaze and asked about something else.
“What of what you were searching for?”
What I was searching for.
At this question, Pung Yeon spoke as if he had been waiting for it.
“I found a trace.”
Yeon Socheon reacted to those words.
“In the mountains north of Anhui City…. It appears his sword is there.”
“….”
At Pung Yeon’s words, Yeon Socheon nodded.
And a spark of fervor began to kindle in his previously calm eyes.
‘…Finally!’
The reason I came all the way to Anhui.
The greatest of all ages and the Heavenly Supreme.
The traces of the Sword Sage, Yoo Cheon-gil, the previous master of the Martial Alliance.
It meant I had finally uncovered information about him.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————