The World’s Greatest is Dead - Chapter 36
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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 036
“A disciple of the Sword Saint…?”
“The Sword Saint?”
The three senior disciples stirred at those words. Within Cheonwol Gate, the name of the Sword Saint carried immense significance.
The man who ended the Righteous Demon War, the Heavenly Supreme, and the greatest warrior of all ages.
An unprecedented martial master in the history of Cheonwol Gate, or indeed in the entire martial world.
The Sword Saint, Yoo Cheon-gil.
Nearly a decade and a half had passed since his death, yet Cheonwol Gate and the entire Central Plains still remembered him.
Such was the measure of his greatness as a warrior.
“The Sword Saint had a disciple…?”
The moment I spoke of being the Sword Saint’s disciple, their reactions grew fervent.
Understandably so.
Yoo Cheon-gil had never taken a direct disciple in his entire life.
Though he served as both the Martial Alliance Lord and the Cheonwol Gate Master, he had never accepted a direct successor.
That was precisely why.
“This person is that man’s disciple? How is that even…?”
“Wait, now that I think about it.”
A young man stared at me, suddenly realizing something with a visible start.
“Those eyes… those eyes are the Moon Eyes.”
“Gasp…!”
Eyes tinted blue. He had noticed that I had opened the Moon Eyes.
The three senior disciples seemed unable to fully grasp the situation unfolding before them.
Yet there was a difference among them.
‘The second disciples seem to have known already.’
The second disciples who entered with the Cheon siblings—they already knew who I was.
Of course they did. That explained their reaction.
The large man before me, Hong Kyeong, trembled violently. I spoke while observing his eyes.
“Do you struggle to comprehend words? Or perhaps my voice was too quiet?”
I tilted my head slightly and continued.
“Second disciple Hong Kyeong.”
“Y-Yes, yes!”
Hong Kyeong answered, then startled at his own loudness. He seemed surprised by how forcefully he had responded.
“I ask again. Did you not understand my words?”
“No… That is… That…”
“No?”
“…!”
I stepped forward, and Hong Kyeong faltered, retreating.
I had seized the momentum. All I needed to do was press forward.
I surveyed the surroundings. The second disciples who met my gaze all flinched. Seeing this, I let a faint smile cross my lips.
“Truly pathetic. A renowned family of Hannam with discipline in such disarray. My master would have wept tears of blood to witness this.”
[That bastard certainly has a knack for selling out the dead without hesitation.]
Yoo Cheon-gil picks his nose and chuckles, tears of blood or not.
“Just how far do you intend to drag my sect’s honor through the mud?”
As I contort my expression and speak, a reaction finally comes.
He was deliberating whether to do it or not.
He wavers.
Even if the justification is sufficient, it would be difficult to suddenly treat me as an elder of the sect.
That’s what I was aiming for.
I push forward as is. Once I’ve seized the momentum, I’ll use it to—
“I apologize.”
He turned his head.
“I beg your pardon for my rudeness toward you, my elder.”
Thud.
Cheonhye-in knelt and bowed her head.
“I am Cheonhye-in, second-generation disciple. I greet you, my elder.”
“….”
Narrowing my eyes as I confirmed it.
‘Look at that.’
Not a shred of hesitation. Cheonhye-in rose from her chair and knelt before me without delay.
Seeing this, all the second-generation disciples knelt before me in unison.
The third-generation disciples watched the mood and followed suit.
In an instant, everyone in the restaurant was kneeling before me. Observing this, I fixed my gaze on the crown of Cheonhye-in’s head.
‘Clever.’
Her unhesitating action. It severed the flow.
I could have solidified my justification, but with Cheonhye-in acting this way, I cannot.
‘She was probably aiming for exactly that.’
That woman must have acted with full knowledge.
It was truly awkward. Now I had to change course.
“…Please, rise.”
Whoosh.
At my softly spoken words, everyone lifted themselves up.
Amusingly, a slight heat rose within me at the sight.
Is this the true taste of power? Such a childish thought flickered through my mind.
“While it was certainly improper conduct, given the circumstances, I shall refrain from dwelling on it.”
I switched my tone back to formal speech. Continuing to speak down to them and walking a crooked line would not serve the situation well.
“I hope that when we meet next time, such a situation will not arise again.”
I tried to move forward, creating a suitable pretext to make my exit.
But then.
“My elder.”
Cheonhye-in called out and stopped me. Glancing back, her head remained bowed, her face still hidden from view.
“According to the rules, I’ve come to meet my master, but… there’s something that concerns me.”
“What is it?”
“Well, since it hasn’t been long since I met my master… I worry that some disciples might question my qualifications.”
“Qualifications?”
“Yes. Qualifications.”
I nodded at her words.
“What qualifications are you talking about?”
“Whether my master has the qualifications to call us disciples. That sort of thing.”
“Ha ha.”
I burst into laughter at Cheonhye-in’s words. So that’s it.
“You’re asking if someone like me has the qualifications to be called an elder, is that it?”
“It was merely a concern. If I’ve offended you… I apologize.”
An apology, my ass. She was openly probing.
The justification was sufficient, but she was asking whether I had the strength to be called a master. Cheonhye-in posed the question while maintaining her courtesy.
At those words, gazes poured in from all directions.
Eyes filled with agreement.
Feeling that, I swallowed my aching pride.
‘I heard other sects consider this quite important.’
This place didn’t seem to be like that at all.
‘Well, of course.’
Seeing how they elevated the sect leader by making the strongest person the leader, this wasn’t exactly a normal sect.
‘Whoever they resemble, it’s uncanny.’
For all their poetic sensibility with their blue moon, they were dreadfully violent.
“If you’re curious about my qualifications, I can show you anytime.”
I put force into the corner of my mouth, which I’d raised slightly.
It was a way to smile naturally.
“But.”
I spoke while meeting Cheonhye-in’s gaze. From her, I felt a subtle provocation.
“Only if you have the qualifications to witness it.”
I spoke and walked out.
Sharp gazes pierced my back the entire way out.
* * *
Right after Bangseong-yeon left, the oppressive atmosphere lingered. No one could bring themselves to speak.
Everyone was watching. Watching only one person’s expression.
Cheon Euijin especially. He gazed at his sister with trembling eyes.
Gulp.
He swallowed hard. His throat was so parched it felt rough.
Then.
“Ha….”
Cheonhye-in let out a laugh. Everyone around her flinched at the sound.
“Hahahaha–!”
She laughed loudly, as if something was hilarious.
Her laughter was so intense that tears began to form at the corners of her eyes.
“Ah…. Really….”
After laughing for a while, Cheonhye-in’s smile vanished in an instant.
“Amusing…. How intriguing.”
Within her expressionless gaze, her moon-like eyes gleamed. Cheon Euijin quietly bit his lip at the sight.
It was dangerous.
Whenever his sister had that look, someone inevitably fell apart.
And always in the most gruesome way.
* * *
“Insane, insane.”
I cursed the moment I stepped out of the restaurant. I couldn’t hold it in any longer.
“Seriously terrifying.”
I went there just to get a free meal, and this is what happened. It would have been better not to eat at all.
[Ha, what a fool you are.]
Yoo Cheon-gil let out a hollow laugh at my reaction.
[You put on quite the show of anger and arrogance in there, yet the moment you step out, you’re completely different.]
“I couldn’t exactly grovel in there, could I?”
Pretend to have what you lack.
Pretend to lack what you have.
It was an absolute rule when dealing with people.
Especially in that situation.
[So, what changes by pretending?]
“I’m not sure yet.”
What changes—I don’t know yet. But one thing.
“We’ll find out starting now.”
I was certain something would change.
That’s why I deliberately provoked Cheonhye-in in that restaurant.
[Hmm.]
Yoo Cheon-gil’s reaction suggested he didn’t quite understand, but that was all.
It was always like this. His attitude was as if to say, “Go ahead and try.”
‘The more I see, the more absurd it becomes.’
What kind of attitude was that, rolling around because of him?
‘I swear, one day I’ll definitely exorcise this demon.’
It was a fervent wish.
“…Setting that aside. May I ask you one thing?”
[What is it.]
“Old Man. Can I defeat the Heavenly Supreme?”
[Hmm?]
Yoo Cheon-gil reacted oddly, as if the question was unexpected.
[Why do you ask such a thing?]
“I feel like I need to know, at least.”
From the feeling of it, it seemed I needed to grasp the situation.
It felt like something would blow up soon.
[Hmm.]
At my question, Yoo Cheon-gil pondered for a moment.
[A month.]
He suddenly brought up a timeframe.
“A month?”
[Roughly that long—you’d need to refrain from possession to make it worthwhile.]
Hearing that much, I understood.
He’d mentioned it before. To maintain possession for a long time, you need to spend time without it.
It seemed that period would take a month.
“…A whole month?”
[Yes. Your body is so pathetically weak that you’d need at least the First Heavenly Scripture.]
“But I defeated them without even using half of Socheongeom’s power. Do I really need the First Heavenly Scripture?”
[Heheheh.]
Yoo Cheon-gil laughed as he spoke.
[Don’t compare that incomplete wretch from the Namgung Clan with her.]
His words were resolute.
‘…Is the difference really that great?’
No matter how much she was one of the Seven Heroes.
Was Socheongeom’s level of martial power truly incomparable to the Heavenly Supreme?
‘This is troublesome.’
If an urgent situation arose, I lacked the means to resolve it.
It seemed something would happen soon. I needed to find a solution before then.
“…Hmm.”
If this won’t work, I’ll think of another method. Just as I was making that judgment.
[Well, it’s not like there’s no way at all.]
I perked up my ears at Yoo Cheon-gil’s words.
“Is there something else?”
I asked hopefully.
[It’s simply impossible because you’re currently too weak. If you raise your level a bit, things would be different, wouldn’t they?]
I had to feel immediate disappointment at his response.
“…If becoming stronger were that easy, I wouldn’t be living like this.”
As if growing stronger were as simple as eating a meal.
“That requires something like Spirit Elixirs. Do you take me for a fool?”
Those were things that couldn’t be obtained even with money.
“Unless I plundered some prestigious clan’s secret vault….”
[I have a hidden storehouse I secretly prepared during my lifetime. There should be some Spirit Elixirs there.]
“Respected Elder, I’ve always trusted you without a shred of doubt.”
[….]
“As expected, you had everything planned out, didn’t you? Truly admirable.”
[…Really… How can you be so shameless and straightforward.]
“I hear that compliment often.”
[It’s not a compliment.]
“Let’s go. Even if the end of the world were hell itself, I’m resolved to walk it with you, Elder.”
No matter what hardships await, I can overcome them.
“With you, Elder, and the Spirit Elixirs.”
[Did you just say Spirit Elixirs?]
“Let’s hurry. Spirit Elixir meal awaits.”
[What do you mean by Spirit Elixir meal… Calm yourself. Your eyes have gone wild.]
Yoo Cheon-gil seemed to be saying something.
But I couldn’t hear him now.
My Youngsoon was waiting for me.
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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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