The World’s Greatest is Dead - Chapter 348

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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 348
Seongheon burns the final ember with unwavering resolve.
Everyone watching him exhales in relief.
Hwasan’s most elegant and lofty plum tree has risen. Yet his roots were still needed, and his shadow was still necessary.
Everyone hoped Seongheon’s ancient tree would not fall.
Yes. He is an ancient tree.
I felt it in the eyes of others.
“….”
Jang Moonin. Jang Moonin.
Among those calling out so earnestly, I suddenly gaze upon him.
Scattering vitality. It flows and spreads beyond my grasp.
Like water flowing from a broken dam.
His final moments were revealing themselves.
“Hehehehe.”
Seongheon gently patted the back of Yoo Yeon, who held him in her embrace.
“Why does this old man have to make things so difficult?”
Even as he laughed heartily, Seongheon’s smile revealed genuine joy.
[That grin is shameless. Has he become so pleased just from acquiring a presentable disciple?]
Yoo Cheon-gil speaks such words while looking at me.
[…Tsk.]
‘What are you looking at.’
His tongue-clicking is absurd. Does he wish I would do the same for him?
[Don’t think such creepy thoughts.]
‘I must decline.’
It’s not even amusing. Such tender bonds could never exist between us.
As he continued patting Yoo Yeon’s back for some time.
“Priests.”
Seongheon calls his priests and elders.
“Yes, Jang Moonin.”
“Master….”
“I shall hear what transpired later. Would you kindly step away for a moment?”
“But what…!”
“Why would you do such a thing?”
At the elders’ words, Seongheon looks at me.
‘Hmm?’
I wonder why he’s looking at me.
“I have words to share with Wol-hyeop for a moment. I ask for your understanding.”
Upon hearing he has words for me, the elders flinch. The stratagem works, and they quietly vacate the space.
“…Understood.”
“Please take care of yourself….”
The Elders vacated their seats, and the Disciples reluctantly made space accordingly. Finally, Seongheon spoke to Yoo Yeon, whom he held in his arms.
“You as well.”
“….”
Yoo Yeon’s expression remained as it always was, yet her reluctance showed through in her movements, betraying her true feelings.
Unexpected. I thought she would comply without hesitation.
Just as Yoo Yeon hesitated and began to withdraw.
“Yoo Yeon.”
“….”
Seongheon spoke to her.
“Guard well the sword I have entrusted to you.”
“….”
Upon hearing this, Yoo Yeon nodded and left.
When he spoke of a sword, was he referring to the Maehuajeong Sword?
Such a thought crossed my mind.
‘Wait….’
Something felt wrong.
I widened my eyes and stared at Seongheon. I had no choice but to.
‘The fact that he entrusted the Maehuajeong Sword to Yoo Yeon.’
This is something the current Seongheon should not know. It happened when he was a Saengryeong.
Yet the fact that he knows of it means.
“…Jang Moonin. Surely not.”
Screeeech—!
The door shut of its own accord.
Whoooosh—!!
A barrier unfolded throughout the room.
“Sit.”
A soundproofing barrier spread out, and Seongheon spoke to me. Hearing this, I carefully took a seat.
At the moment when an uncomfortable comfort paradoxically settled in, I asked Seongheon first.
“Do you retain your memories?”
“Yes.”
“….”
He retains memories from when he was a Saengryeong. At those words, I faltered.
‘…How can he possibly have memories?’
I narrowed my gaze with bewilderment. The answer came to me quickly.
And.
“It seems we have reached the end.”
Seongheon himself appeared to understand the answer.
‘…The quality of the soul contained in the Saengryeong and the soul in his current body are not so different.’
If he became a Saengryeong when his body deteriorated severely and he lost consciousness.
Then now, that condition has worsened to the point where it differs little from death itself.
When humans stand at death’s threshold, they often perceive things they should never witness. That is precisely Seongheon’s current state.
Then.
“I owe you so much. Truly, I do. And if the opportunity arose, I always wanted to do this.”
Seongheon speaks and moves his body. Seeing this, my eyes widen like lanterns.
“Sect Leader…!”
Seongheon not only bows his head to me but begins to prostrate himself.
“Please, do not do this.”
I rush toward him and try to stop him, but Seongheon remains resolute.
“Thank you. For saving Hwasan, and for taking the place of this worthless old man.”
“…No….”
“Thank you….”
“….”
Seongheon does not move. There is no choice. I swallow hard and step back slightly. I return his bow.
[Hmph.]
With Yoo Cheon-gil’s snort, both Seongheon and I rise simultaneously.
“Seongheon, Sect Leader of Hwasan, greets my benefactor.”
“…Bangseong-yeon of Cheonwol Sect greets the Sect Leader.”
After completing the proper courtesy, Seongheon offers a dry laugh.
“There is something left for you over there.”
“Something to give me?”
“Yes. Things I was unable to give you in time.”
“….”
I turn my gaze. At the end of where Seongheon points, there is a small box.
“What is that…?”
“Would you like to see?”
I approach and grasp the box. Inside it.
“…!”
There are a couple of books. This is….
“Surely not….”
“Indeed.”
The books are titled the Physician Uiseon’s Secret Records, which means.
“They are what my other self left behind.”
Books containing the techniques of Physician Uiseon.
“…Ah…. But why give this to me?”
But why are you giving this to me? I am bewildered.
Ah, surely not.
“You are not asking me to learn this, are you?”
Are you asking me to study this and succeed Physician Uiseon? That is truly impossible. So I narrow my eyes and ask.
“Aha ha.”
Seongheon laughs loudly.
“That can’t possibly be the case.”
“Phew….”
At least that wasn’t it.
“Then why…?”
I wondered why he was giving me something like this.
“There must be a need for it. Despite my station, I’ve lived with some pretense to my name, so I trust an opportunity to use it will come soon enough.”
“….”
That would certainly be true. There were few who didn’t know of Physician Uiseon. The physician said to resurrect even the dead.
Just selling this alone would fetch a fortune.
“I’m not sure how I’m supposed to use this.”
“Use it however you see fit. I trust you, after all.”
“….”
He trusts me.
At those words, I clicked my tongue inwardly. It was the phrase I found most burdensome.
“And.”
Seongheon pointed behind him with his thumb.
“Don’t forget what we promised last time. Take it with you.”
“A promise?”
“We agreed you’d take it if you defeated my disciple.”
“…Ah.”
Yoo Cheon-gil’s legacy. We had fought over that.
Right. I had momentarily forgotten about that part.
“You can take the black robe anytime, but if possible… I’d like it if you could give it to my disciple.”
“It seems that one can’t be sold.”
“Aha…. Still, I should leave at least one intact, shouldn’t I?”
“….”
“I ask this of you.”
“Yes…. I will do so.”
I was willing to grant this request. Though I wasn’t sure when I would give it.
“Thank you.”
“…It’s nothing.”
My conversation with Seongheon ended there. There was nothing more to say.
Standing before a man whose life was drawing to a close.
The words I could speak were far too few.

* * *
Beneath my back, where I barely cling to life, the light gradually dims as Seongheon speaks.
“My disciple.”
“….”
In the quiet space, Seongheon calls out softly.
At those words, Yoo Yeon looks at him.
“Did I not tell you to go rest?”
“….”
Yoo Yeon shakes her head slightly. She meant there was more to say.
“Heh. It is difficult to sleep when another is present. Go now. The night grows late.”
The day had passed so quickly. Since morning, visitors had come and gone, all hoping to see me awake. Everyone prayed for my recovery and awaited it eagerly.
Given the grave crisis that had befallen Hwasan, all wished for me to rise from my sickbed as soon as possible.
The physician says this is surely a miracle.
“Only if you rest can this old man heal, yes?”
“….”
Hearing my words, Yoo Yeon hesitates. Watching her wavering hands, I smile.
“Aha ha….”
When was the last time I saw this taciturn, cold child stumble so uncertainly?
I felt a warmth bloom quietly within.
So I grasped Yoo Yeon’s wrist.
“My disciple.”
The old man calls out to his spring.
“….”
The cold spring finally looks upon her shadow.
“Do you remember what this old man once said?”
What did he mean? The shadow had hidden so much that I could not pinpoint a single thing.
“Did I not say this place is cold, so let us go to spring?”
“….”
I remember.
It was what he said when I first saw him.
“Has this place become your spring?”
“….”
Yoo Yeon nods her head.
One.
“It should not be.”
Seongheon shakes his head instead.
“This place must not become your spring.”
It is insufficient for that.
The spring that will come to Yoo Yeon cannot be merely this.
My spring is.
Even this place, which was everything to me, had to be merely that.
“I came from where the plum blossoms bloom.”
Time had been thus.
Living and having lived, I spent my days cradled in the embrace of plum blossoms.
“I dwelled buried in their fragrance, and in the end, I shall return to the bosom of the plum blossoms.”
To live without a single shred of regret—such was my resolve. One.
“Yet if there is one regret in such a life….”
It would be the child before me.
“My disciple.”
My spring.
The spring who drew this old man from the winter he had created for himself.
“Find your own spring.”
I hope your spring is not this place. I hope your spring blooms fully, beyond this old man’s greed.
“….”
Yoo Yeon did not answer, did not respond.
Find your spring.
Those words had already brought something to mind.
Neither shadow nor something worthy of being called a season.
If anything, he suited winter or autumn far more than spring.
At the word spring, Yoo Yeon’s eyes narrowed.
Why did she recall him now, of all moments?
And at her changed expression, the old man laughed.
“It seems you recognize your spring after all.”
“….”
“Go now. This old man needs a bit more rest. From tomorrow, I shall be busy again.”
“….”
“Will you not go?”
At Seongheon’s words, Yoo Yeon stirred uncertainly.
Though her body moved toward the exit, her gaze remained fixed upon Seongheon.
“Go.”
At his measured command, Yoo Yeon finally stepped outside, and only then did Seongheon’s expression fade.
He sat at the desk beside him and took up his brush.
“…Where….”
In the solitude of the empty room, he slowly began to write.
The single plum tree beyond the residence had already shed all its leaves.
Perhaps all the leaves would fall before night departed.
That.
Seongheon knew better than anyone.

* * *
“Wake up.”
“….”
I hear a voice.
I scratch my ear. Who is it? Light seeps through the narrow gaps of my barely-open eyes.
It seems to announce that morning has come. I ignore it. I want to sleep longer.
But.
“Come on, wake up already?”
“Ugh….”
Faced with continued urging, I have no choice but to open my eyes.
I rise, pressing my brow.
“Why are you doing this….”
I stop mid-sentence. It’s Seongheon.
“…Jang Moonin. What brings you here?”
“What brings me? It’s morning, so I came to see you.”
He speaks with a faint smile. This is absurd.
“You could just see me later….”
I stop mid-sentence.
I look into Seongheon’s eyes and feel something amiss.
My gaze drops.
“…Ah.”
Now I understand.
“Hehehehe.”
The laughter grows increasingly faint.
[I told you, didn’t I?]
At the otherworldly voice, irritation vanishes from my expression.
Seongheon’s legs are translucent. What this means is singular.
[I came to bid farewell.]
The greatest plum blossom tree that existed on Hwasan has finally fallen.
Hwasan’s sect leader and Celestial Demon.
Maehwa Ilgeom, one of the heroes who saved the world.
It meant his tree had finally withered.

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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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