The World’s Greatest is Dead - Chapter 350
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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 350
I checked the letter and moved immediately. It seemed I needed to finish before nightfall.
To be honest, I didn’t really want to do this either.
If I had my way, I would have ignored everything.
“Tsk.”
But something had become entangled, leaving me no choice. I suspected this too was Seongheon’s intention.
“…There she is.”
I found her. At the place where she always trained. I could see Yoo Yeon sitting there.
“Why are you sitting on the ground?”
“….”
At my words, Yoo Yeon turned her head. Her expression was vacant. The kind of face that revealed nothing of what she was thinking.
“What are you doing?”
“….”
Hearing my words, Yoo Yeon turned her head. She glanced back at where she had been sitting, then blinked her eyes.
What was she thinking about? Had she been shocked by Seongheon’s death? Yet she appeared perfectly fine, which made it all the more strange.
“….”
Watching her like that, I let out a sigh.
“Are you alright?”
I asked the question along with my sigh. Still, there was no response.
I recalled the afternoon. The image of Yoo Yeon blankly attending Seongheon’s funeral came to mind. It was the same then. She had worn that exact expression.
“….”
Something was gripped in her hand. The Maehuajeong Sword. She was clutching that worn blade.
Was she alright? From her appearance, she seemed fine, but I suspected otherwise.
I quietly sat down beside her.
I didn’t particularly enjoy sitting on dirt, but I had to sit down regardless.
I raised my hand and awkwardly patted her shoulder.
“…You’re not alright. I’m sure of it.”
This was truly awkward. I had barely ever offered comfort like this in my life.
‘Why would he make me do this.’
In the letter Seongheon had given me, there was a request to comfort Yoo Yeon.
I knew she would grow angry just from me getting close, yet suddenly comfort? I had thought this was something he would never ask of me.
Even as I wondered why he would ask such a thing of me, I still had to do it.
It wasn’t as if I was doing it for free.
While I was patting Yoo Yeon’s shoulder with such thoughts.
“….”
Yoo Yeon quietly looked at me. Was she telling me to stop? I paused for a moment, thinking that might be the case.
Then Yoo Yeon looked at my hand. Since she was staring intently, I patted her again. She quietly watched my patting hand.
Was it working? Was it providing comfort? I couldn’t tell. I hoped it was, when—
Thump.
Yoo Yeon drew closer and buried her face against my shoulder, leaning into me.
“…Hmm….”
This wasn’t part of the plan. What should I do? I glanced at Seongheon cautiously. He was glaring at me with his brow furrowed.
What do you want from me?
[You’re the one who made me do this, so why that expression?]
[Emotions are separate entities by nature, which is why they’re called emotions.]
[Damn it, I’m hearing all sorts of nonsense. Keep it reasonable.]
[Ugh….]
It was fortunate that Yoo Cheon-gil said something, or I would have died feeling wronged.
Anyway.
“…Hmm….”
I patted the back of Yoo Yeon as she burrowed into me. I had no time to think that this was all I knew how to do.
Patting and patting.
While I was doing so with such an awkward touch.
‘Hmm?’
I felt something against my chest. It was damp.
Surely not.
“Are you crying?”
“….”
Was Yoo Yeon crying? Was she? Crying? I looked at her with startled eyes. Not wanting to show her face, she pressed herself deeper into me with her clenched hands.
“…Uh….”
I heard sounds.
“Uh uh…. Huh….”
[….]
Seongheon gazed at it with pitying eyes.
“Kuh uh… uh….”
Yoo Yeon, who couldn’t make sounds, finally let out sobs.
“Ah uh….”
[I’m sorry.]
Seongheon murmured words no one could hear.
[I wished to give you something better. Yet I could not.]
“Uh uh….”
[Still, I’m grateful that I could give you spring before I go.]
“Huh uh uh….”
“….”
I didn’t know what to do or how to help. So all I could do was continue patting her back.
[I was happy. Inappropriately so. Absurdly, I was.]
Seongheon continued speaking. It seemed he didn’t care whether Yoo Yeon heard him or not.
[I hope you will be the same in the days to come.]
He smiled. At that bitter smile, I looked at him.
Whoooosh.
Was this truly the end? Seongheon’s body began to glow softly.
‘…Is that light?’
The radiance of ascension. Perhaps his attachments were never that deep to begin with? The fact that he could shed his lingering regrets so easily with merely this meant his attachments were certainly not profound.
[Child.]
Seongheon gazed at me.
I could not bring myself to respond.
[Thank you.]
“….”
I nodded. Truthfully, I had done nothing of significance.
I had merely come to his side and patted him gently.
[Are you leaving?]
Yoo Cheon-gil asked Seongheon.
[I must. There is nothing good to gain by lingering in this place.]
Seongheon spoke with a smile.
[I trust you understand as well.]
[Hmph….]
[Cheon-gil.]
[What.]
[They say attachments are as meaningless as they come… but I do not think so.]
Fwoosh.
Seongheon’s form scattered into fragments. It resembled petals dancing on the wind.
[All humans carry attachments, and it is precisely because of them that we can choose the path we wish to walk.]
[Ha.]
Hearing these words, Yoo Cheon-gil let out a hollow laugh.
[When did you not say everything was meaningless? Has your mind changed now that you are dead?]
[Indeed. It seems my mind changed only after death.]
Whoosh.
The scattering petals drifted past Yoo Yeon like a gentle caress.
“….”
Yoo Yeon, who had been weeping, suddenly lifted her head from my embrace. Though she could see nothing, her gaze seemed to follow something.
[If you wish to remain, I shall not object, for it is your choice.]
A petal descended and settled upon Yoo Yeon’s crown, fluttering softly. It was as if someone were gently stroking her hair.
[I only hope you make a choice you believe to be right. I could not do the same.]
[….]
Yoo Yeon gazed into the empty air.
Where Seongheon stood.
‘…She shouldn’t be able to see.’
How could Yoo Yeon, unable to perceive ghosts, see where Seongheon was? Was it mere coincidence? As doubt began to surface.
[You can see me.]
Seongheon smiled as he looked upon Yoo Yeon.
[Mine.]
[Spring has come.]
With that, all the petals scattered and vanished like leaves.
‘Spring, you say.’
Why would he suddenly speak of spring in this season? I couldn’t comprehend it.
Then.
Whoooosh—!!
The petals that had enveloped Yoo Yeon suddenly surged toward me.
‘What?’
Why were they coming at me all of a sudden? Before I could even react, the petals burrowed into my body.
…They’re entering? Wait.
Shiiiiing—!!
“Ugh!?”
The petals enveloped my entire body like mist. It wasn’t a sensation of energy or anything like that.
[This is all I have to give.]
Seongheon’s voice brushed past my ears.
[I hope you use it well.]
“What is….”
All the petals had been absorbed. From what Seongheon said, it seemed intentional, but I couldn’t tell what remained.
As I stood there dumbfounded.
“….”
Yoo Yeon reacted.
Looking at her face, I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Ha. Look at those eyes. They’re completely swollen.”
Her eyes were puffed up several times more than usual.
Unable to suppress my laughter at the sight.
Suddenly—! Yoo Yeon sprang to her feet and dashed off somewhere.
“Hey? Wait!”
Where was she going all of a sudden? I couldn’t even catch her. She was far too fast.
“…What is this, really?”
And she took the black one with her again.
Sigh.
I scratched my cheek.
“…She’ll figure it out on her own, I suppose.”
If she left, there was no need to force her back. With that thought, I nodded.
[….]
At that moment, Yoo Cheon-gil was watching Yoo Yeon as she rushed away.
“We should be going as well.”
I had fulfilled the request. I moved forward. As I continued walking, Yoo Cheon-gil did not follow.
“Old Man?”
[Do what you think is right?]
Yoo Cheon-gil suddenly muttered to himself, then let out a quiet laugh.
[Not one of us could do it. Weak to the very end, that man.]
“What did you say?”
[Nothing at all.]
Yoo Cheon-gil spoke and gazed into empty space.
[…Damn him.]
I didn’t bother asking who he was addressing.
I already knew the answer.
* * *
A day passed like that.
Just a day after Seongheon’s funeral, a problem erupted in the Hwasan Sect.
“…Maehua Daeju is dead?”
The news was that Maehua Daeju had died in prison. Upon hearing this, I rushed to the jail.
It was true. Maehua Daeju had already stopped breathing.
But.
“Suicide, you say?”
“Yes…. That is correct.”
“…Maehua Daeju took his own life?”
I had to furrow my brow at the claim that he had committed suicide.
‘Suicide?’
He ended his own life directly?
I examined Maehua Daeju after hearing the account. There were no signs of struggle, they said.
There were no traces of intrusion, nor any other irregularities.
The more I investigated, the more the conclusion pointed to suicide.
Yet.
‘…Could it really be suicide?’
I was skeptical. His tongue wasn’t bitten off, and there were no contusions. Judging by the blood pooling at his wrists, it seemed he had used that method to end himself.
‘I can see bite marks.’
It meant he had bitten through his own wrists to death.
‘Hmph.’
Was that even possible? No matter how mad a person was, could someone actually die that way?
Had Seongheon’s death been such a shock? No, I remained skeptical about Maehua Daeju’s death.
“So you’ve concluded it was suicide, then.”
“…Yes, that is so.”
I nodded at Yeo Hyeok’s response and examined the wall.
Whoooosh.
Energy stirred. Seeing it, I narrowed my eyes. I found it.
‘A spirit’s trace….’
As expected. The traces were scattered throughout the place.
There were no visible marks upon Maehua Daeju’s body, but the traces I perceived were not of that nature—they were upon the floor itself.
‘…Footprints.’
I could see them clearly. Spiritual imprints that others could never perceive. Their meaning was unmistakable.
‘Murder.’
Maehua Daeju had not taken his own life.
Someone had come, slain him, and departed.
Which meant only one thing.
‘…A master capable of evading Hwasan Sect’s sentries.’
Gwima, perhaps?
If it were Gwima, such a feat would be possible.
‘The question is how they made it appear as suicide.’
The arrangement of the surroundings was the problem.
As doubt began to form in my mind.
[It’s him.]
Yoo Cheon-gil spoke with his expression hardened.
‘Him?’
Who?
Yoo Cheon-gil seemed to have discerned something as he gazed upon Maehua Daeju’s body.
[Few in the Central Plains possess such capability, but among them, only one could execute this so flawlessly.]
Only one.
[Amjeon.]
“…!”
[It appears to be his handiwork indeed.]
At the name that fell from Yoo Cheon-gil’s lips, my eyes widened like lanterns.
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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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