The World’s Greatest is Dead - Chapter 369

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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 369
“So it is you.”
At those words, the tendons in my arm tensed. I struggled desperately to draw my blade, but it wouldn’t budge an inch.
It felt as though an enormous boulder was pressing down upon it. Who is this man?
The figure before me had black hair tied back roughly, and the wrinkles visible on his face suggested he was well past sixty years old.
Moreover, his body was extraordinarily massive. At a glance, he rivaled even Shin Chang and Yoo Cheon-gil—those possessed of enormous frames.
“It’s definitely you. Isn’t it?”
“…Who are you, sir?”
Bewildered by this stranger’s behavior, I asked for his identity.
[Ha. Look at this guy.]
Yoo Cheon-gil’s eyes gleamed as he gazed at the old man.
[He really came. The one who should be confined to Seo-an actually made it all the way here?]
Seo-an.
At that word, my eyes widened. An old man who had come from Seo-an to this place—there could be only one person I could think of.
“…Paewang.”
“Correct.”
At my words, the atmosphere around us froze.
“Paewang, you say…?”
“Paewang Muk Yeok-seong…!? How does the supreme master of Seo-an come to be here?”
A single epithet was enough to ripple through the surrounding atmosphere.
As one of the Five Kings of All Under Heaven and one who had earned the title of king through martial prowess, perhaps such a reaction was only natural.
The problem was.
“Great Warrior, why do you suddenly act this way toward me?”
It was the reaction he showed upon appearing before me. At my question, Paewang’s eyes narrowed.
“Why, you ask?”
Crack.
“…!”
A sound emanated from the hilt Paewang gripped. Was it actually cracking? Just as I reacted in alarm—
Whoooosh—!!!
Crash-crash-crash-!!!
A surge of inner energy swept between Paewang and me. Its force was overwhelming.
“Paewang.”
The source of that energy was Sochul Daeju. He unleashed a powerful sword force as he spoke to Paewang.
“It is an honor to meet one of the Five Kings of All Under Heaven. However, it seems you are overstepping bounds. This is the Cheongwol Sect.”
Crash-crash-crash—!! The energy continued to swell in intensity. All the disciples faltered before the momentum Sochul Daeju released.
“I would ask why you conduct yourself in such a manner within the Cheongwol Sect.”
Hostility and killing intent intermingled. Intense pressure continued to erupt from him. Paewang simply stared at Sochul Daeju.
“Daeju. It seems you’ve gained something in the time we’ve been apart.”
Perhaps Paewang had sensed something within Sochul Daeju’s aura. A glimmer of interest flickered in Paewang’s eyes.
“A fine momentum indeed.”
“I appreciate the compliment. However.”
The tip of Sochul Daeju’s blade pointed toward Paewang.
“You must explain yourself regarding the intimidation of my disciples within the Cheongwol Sect.”
“And if I refuse?”
“Then….”
The ground trembled beneath Sochul Daeju’s feet.
The earth itself shook where he stood.
“I will have no choice but to act according to the laws set by the Cheongwol Sect.”
“Fine words indeed.”
Paewang loosened his body as he spoke. Surely not.
‘Is he really about to start a brawl here?’
Were Sochul Daeju and Paewang truly about to fight? The prospect of absolute masters clashing stirred curiosity among the onlookers.
These madmen.
‘What kind of interest is that to show at a time like this?’
We were about to become the eye of a storm, yet it was clear that all martial artists were nothing but crazy men.
I needed to distance myself as well. The moment I thought this.
“Enough.”
A blue flash descended as he spoke.
The moment he appeared, the heavy air created by their killing intent became light in an instant.
Wol Seon-geom. The Moonju of the Cheongwol Sect had appeared and positioned himself between Paewang and Sochul Daeju.
“Moonju….”
Sochul Daeju tried to speak upon seeing Wol Seon-geom.
“Paewang. This seems to be a different matter.”
But Wol Seon-geom spoke first.
At his words, Paewang unclenched his fist.
“It was getting interesting. What a shame.”
“Did I not say I would only accomplish my purpose and leave?”
“You did. But I was curious, you see.”
Paewang’s gaze turned toward me.
“I couldn’t help but wonder who this brat was that the finicky Sword Saint raised. I simply had to see for myself.”
He approached me.
Seeing this, Sochul Daeju moved to intervene again, but this time Wol Seon-geom stopped him.
“It’s you, isn’t it? You’re the one who should be tested.”
“Pardon…?”
“You’re the best among them. You were the fastest. That one was decent enough, but….”
Paewang glanced briefly. The figure who received that look was Do-hyeong.
“Still, it’s you.”
“….”
“Answer me. Are you Wol-hyeop?”
“…Yes, I am.”
“As expected.”
The fastest here? Was he referring to the aura Paewang had unleashed earlier? It seemed I was the only one who reacted to it.
“You’ve created something quite impressive.”
His demeanor was as if appraising an object. His intrigued gaze swept over me repeatedly.
“…Quite impressive indeed. Then….”
Whoosh.
‘Huh?’
The fine hairs on my arms stood on end. I sensed something from Paewang. Before any tingling aura could even wash over me.
[Half a step back to the left. Hold your sword diagonally.]
At Yoo Cheon-gil’s urgent command, my body moved immediately. That was when it happened.
Crash—!!
A fist struck the blade I held diagonally.
Booooom—!!!
“Ugh!”
One knee buckled as I staggered. I bit down hard, spitting blood. Paewang must have thrown a punch at me.
From that impact, the leg supporting me suddenly lifted off the ground. Realizing the danger, I tried to quickly spin my body away.
Tap.
Someone fixed my flying body in place. It was Wol Seon-geom. He caught me and dissipated the impact.
“You don’t seem to understand instructions.”
A chill ran down my spine!
A killing intent flowed from him that was incomparable to the aura Paewang had been releasing. The air froze, and even the disciples nearby tensed up.
“What are you doing?”
As Wol Seon-geom glared at Paewang with sharp eyes, Paewang looked at his own fist and smiled with satisfaction.
“You blocked it.”
“….”
“You. You blocked this.”
Was blocking it really so remarkable? Paewang continued to examine only the cross-section of his fist.
“I like it. The Sword Saint found quite a capable one.”
“Paewang.”
His words no longer mattered. Wol Seon-geom released me and was approaching him.
Then Wol Seon-geom flicked his hand. I was completely focused on how he, without a sword, would act against Paewang.
Crack—!
“Huh?”
“Wha…!?”
Suddenly, the sound of bones twisting echoed. Looking to see what happened, Paewang had suddenly grabbed his own right arm and broken it in an unnatural direction.
“It’s an apology. I’m sorry. I had something to verify, but I was a bit excessive.”
“….”
Everyone fell silent at the sight of him breaking his own arm as an apology. He truly seemed insane.
‘…What the Old Man said was real.’
A stubborn and incomprehensible man.
What Yoo Cheon-gil had mentioned about Paewang turned out to be true.
Though calling him taciturn seemed a bit off the mark.
Wol Seon-geom looked at me then.
“What would you have me do with him?”
“Pardon?”
“I asked what you would have done with Paewang.”
….
What would I have done with him? Was he actually going to do whatever I wished?
If I asked him to kill me here, would he do it? Such a thought crossed my mind, but.
“…I’m fine as things are.”
That was the only answer I could give in this moment.
To suddenly ask Wol Seon-geom to fight Paewang would have been madness.
“I understand.”
Upon hearing my words, Wol Seon-geom withdrew his aura. Then he turned and walked away.
“Follow me. I will tolerate no further discourtesy.”
“Yes. I apologize for the rudeness.”
Paewang moved to follow Wol Seon-geom. Was he truly leaving like this? He was nothing short of a whirlwind of a man. As Paewang slowly disappeared from view.
“Ah.”
He whispered while looking toward me.
-We’ll meet again later.
At those words transmitted through sound transmission, I flinched. A chill ran through me.
‘What kind of person is he…?’
Paewang, who was supposed to be nominated as a candidate for League Leader in my stead.
My first meeting with him left me with nothing but an unsettling feeling.

* * *
Shortly after Paewang caused a disturbance and left, everyone was too preoccupied with his sudden appearance to conduct any proper training.
Sochul Daeju seemed to think there was nothing he could do in this atmosphere, so he canceled the training altogether.
Instead, everyone shifted to individual cultivation on their own.
Thanks to that, I was able to return to my quarters and rest.
“Ahhh… that was good sleep.”
I lay down and got up as if making up for lost sleep. It seemed about two hours had passed.
I rose from the bed.
Then Yoo Cheon-gil beside me looked at me with curiosity.
[You can sleep after experiencing something like that?]
He was asking if I could sleep after what Paewang had done to me?
“Well, nothing actually happened anyway, and thinking about it won’t change anything. First, I need to get rid of this fatigue.”
Not sleeping just wastes time. It was better to rest even a little rather than that.
‘That way my mind can work better too.’
This was the best way to clear my head and think things through.
“Phew.”
Looking around the room, it seemed Do-hyeong hadn’t returned yet.
Seeing that, I thought while waking up.
‘Paewang, huh.’
A muscular old man with black hair. From the way he looked like he’d found me, I tried to figure out what kind of person Paewang was.
“…Old Man.”
For that, I needed Yoo Cheon-gil first.
[What is it.]
“I’ll ask just in case. You don’t have some kind of history with Paewang, do you?”
[History?]
“Like stealing his fiancée or something… or taking his eyes. That sort of thing.”
[Listen here, do I look like someone who’s done something to everyone I’ve met?]
“Based on what I’ve seen so far, you seem like you definitely have.”
[…]
This time Yoo Cheon-gil had nothing to say and closed his mouth.
[I didn’t do anything to that one.]
“Really…? You’re sure?”
[If you don’t believe me, why ask in the first place.]
“Well, I have to ask anyway. If it’s not the case, then that’s fine…”
[Oh, that’s right.]
“…What is it?”
I asked anxiously, wondering what he meant.
[You know that thing from before.]
“That thing?”
[The item I put in that warehouse.]
“If it’s an object…”
My thoughts circled back. It came to me soon enough.
“Ah…”
There was indeed something. An object that looked like an ornamental clasp. When Yoo Cheon-gil saw it, he said.
‘He said he stole it from Paewang.’
He had said that object belonged to Paewang.
‘That is problematic, though…’
Honestly, I hadn’t given it much thought. It didn’t look particularly impressive at first glance, and I assumed Paewang wouldn’t have come all this way just to retrieve it.
“There’s nothing else besides that, right?”
[No. If there were anything else, that would be a real problem.]
So you do know about it?
I exhaled a breath of relief.
“Thank goodness. As long as that clasp isn’t some important family heirloom or anything like that, we can just overlook this part and move on-”
[Oh, how did you know?]
“…What?”
My eyes narrowed. What did you say?
“…How did I know what?”
[That clasp, I mean.]
Yoo Cheon-gil spoke as if fascinated.
[That thing. It’s a sacred treasure passed down through generations in that bastard’s family. He must have suffered quite a bit losing it. Kekekeke.]
“…”
Swish, swish.
After hearing those words, I found myself rubbing my face repeatedly.
‘Ah, damn it…’
It had been a long time since I felt such a strong urge to exorcise a demon.

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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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