The World’s Greatest is Dead - Chapter 427

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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 427
Crack—!
With a harsh sound, the Young Master’s face snapped to the side. I had struck his face with a knee full of pent-up emotion.
“Ugh!”
Blood dripped from his nose. The moment the Young Master’s face was struck, sharp sounds rang out from all directions.
Shing—!!
Shing—!!
Swords were drawn from all sides. It was Marin’s faction. They took an offensive stance against my sudden strike.
Rumble—!!!
But we were no pushover. The Celestial Demon had been sitting here all along.
Sochul Daeju drew his sword and raised his momentum, and the other disciples did the same.
At that moment.
“Stop.”
The Young Master spoke.
Drip. Drip. Blood flowed from his nostril. The color of the blood soaking the table matched the color of his eyes perfectly.
“This is a precious place. Refrain from unnecessary actions.”
“….”
At the Young Master’s words, Marin’s men sheathed their swords again.
“Now then, explain yourself.”
The Young Master’s gaze turned toward me. I felt a killing intent so intense it was palpable.
“What exactly are you doing?”
His eyes demanded an explanation, and they made it clear that if I couldn’t answer properly, there would be consequences.
Seeing that, I spoke.
“What do you mean what am I doing?”
Can’t you see?
“You were pissing me off, so I hit you.”
“…What?”
“Ah. This feels better than I expected.”
Maybe it’s because I don’t usually do such things? It was strange, but not unpleasant.
“I think I could do this more often.”
“…Ha.”
The Young Master let out a laugh. By then, his bleeding had already stopped.
“You’re rougher than I thought. What about our friend?”
“He’s the more affectionate type, but it depends on the circumstances.”
“Depends on the circumstances, you say…. So what kind of circumstance is this?”
“A shitty one.”
Energy stirred.
“Hey.”
I was careful with my trembling heart. In case the ring came loose. I had to be careful about that.
“Don’t be cheeky. Do this properly.”
“…What?”
“If you came to negotiate, then observe proper decorum. Everyone knows the problem starts with you sitting there in the first place.”
I hadn’t killed him.
He hadn’t died.
From the moment the Young Master arrived in Hannam and came to this place, his head remained attached to his shoulders.
That alone was the problem.
“You see, in all my years of living,”
I’ve come to understand this about myself.
“I despise men like you the most.”
Those who hold weak standards regarding life itself—I loathe them.
“Those who regard human life as mere insects.”
The sword at my waist trembled faintly, its vibration more pronounced against my hip.
“So I hated martial artists, but to keep people alive, I ended up drawing a blade myself.”
It wasn’t that I wouldn’t kill and would only preserve life. That had been true since I was reborn in the Central Plains and first strapped on a sword.
But at the very least.
“If you cause trouble, you should know to take responsibility for it. You filthy bastard.”
At my words, I heard movement beside me.
Clang. The sound of a hand grasping a hilt. I was about to react when—
“Ah. That won’t do.”
“…!”
A blade was pressed against Marin’s throat.
“It’s rude to interrupt when two people are talking.”
Surprisingly, it was Yoo Yul of the Eunwol Sword who had stepped in, drawing his blade to threaten Marin.
“Just when things were getting interesting too. Wouldn’t you agree, junior?”
“….”
Yoo Yul smiled with his eyes as he spoke. Why is this man like this? Regardless, thanks to him, I held back my movement.
‘I had calculated this.’
I’d anticipated that Marin would move first in this situation. But the Eunwol Sword’s interference threw things slightly off.
‘It doesn’t matter.’
It truly didn’t matter. Not at a time like this.
“What are you talking about?”
The Young Master glared at me as he spoke.
“I came prepared to apologize. What more could possibly be necessary?”
“Wow. This is….”
I stared at him with an expression of utter disbelief.
“Your social skills are completely dead. I’ve never heard anyone say anything good about me either, but you—you don’t even have any, do you?”
“…What?”
At my words, the Young Master’s forehead twitched.
“You ransack someone’s home, set it on fire, destroy everything, cause every conceivable harm, then come back saying you were consumed by vengeance and couldn’t help it. You apologize, so that should be enough, right? But if I’m still unhappy, you’ll even offer compensation? How absurd.”
Laughter escaped me unbidden.
“The Jade Emperor himself couldn’t stomach the sound of that man’s voice.”
Crack.
The Young Master’s face crumbles at my words.
“…I still can’t stand him.”
“Neither can I.”
It had been that way from the start. Beyond the unpleasant aura he emanated, I simply found this man himself distasteful.
Creak.
The Young Master rises to his feet. In that instant.
Flick.
Whoooosh—!!
“…!”
“…!!”
A deep vibration swept across us both. My gaze shifts. It’s Shin Chang.
He lightly flicks the water cup before him with his finger, and a resonant vibration ripples outward.
“Compose yourselves.”
“….”
With those words, Shin Chang rises to his feet.
His massive frame lifts along with the lingering vibration.
“The rudeness Wol-hyeop just displayed, Young Master—I hope you’ll overlook it, considering what you’ve done to us.”
“…League Leader?”
I furrow my brow at those words.
“Tempers seem heated, so let’s postpone the rest of this discussion until tomorrow. That works, doesn’t it?”
Crack.
The Young Master touches his nose. The sound of bone resetting echoes.
“Of course. A day or so is nothing…. I’m grateful for your consideration, League Leader.”
Without responding, Shin Chang exits the conference hall.
“…Hmm.”
As I exhale a sigh in that atmosphere, other martial artists appear.
“We’ll show you to your quarters.”
At the suggestion of preparing accommodations, the Young Master also rises.
“Let’s continue our discussion later as well. There’s much left to say.”
The Young Master speaks as he passes me. His followers all file out after him.
Just as silence settles over the conference hall, it’s Cheon Rijin-an who breaks it.
“Why did you do that?”
I know that question is directed at me. The implication is clear—why would someone like me, who seemed unlikely to cause trouble, suddenly act out?
Hearing that, I laugh awkwardly.
“That’s what I’m wondering too.”
It shouldn’t have happened.
Normally, it wouldn’t have.
“Something about him just rubbed me the wrong way.”
Perhaps it was my distaste for his contemptible attitude toward life itself.
Or perhaps it was simply because he was a man I had always despised.
Or perhaps neither.
‘Could it be that I’ve been influenced by that Old Man without realizing it?’
I cannot say. Or perhaps I know but choose to pretend otherwise.
“….”
Cheon Rijin-an stares at me intently. His gaze is oddly burdensome, and I find myself instinctively averting my eyes.
“…Come down from there. How much longer do you intend to remain atop the table?”
“Ah, right.”
Hearing the rebuke, I quietly descended.
I had remained there after striking the man down.
“Sigh.”
Cheon Rijin-an exhales deeply. Did I perhaps act too rashly and impulsively? He scratches his head awkwardly.
“Well done.”
“Pardon?”
“Go rest now. Should I need anything, I will call for you again.”
Cheon Rijin-an surprisingly offers his praise and walks away.
“…Oh.”
To think I would hear such words from him. It feels strangely peculiar.
And then.
“That was quite spectacular, wasn’t it?”
The moment I step down from the table, Yoo Yul nudges me repeatedly with his elbow.
“I told you I’m a good judge of character, didn’t I? You’re quite the entertaining friend after all.”
“….”
“I’ll admit it.”
There is no benefit to being acknowledged by this peculiar man. If anything, it leaves a bitter taste.
“…How truly grateful I am.”
“Think nothing of it. Ah, but it’s a shame though.”
“What might that be?”
“That person who was about to draw their sword just now.”
“That woman?”
“Woman?”
“Yes. The woman at the entrance who was about to draw her blade, weren’t you referring to her?”
“No, I was speaking of the person I was trying to stop.”
“That’s the same person.”
“Hm?”
Yoo Yul reacts as though he doesn’t understand.
“The mask and build are similar—how can you be so certain?”
Hearing that, I continued my explanation.
“The breathing intervals, the stride length, the spacing of the arms when drawing the sword—they are all identical.”
“….”
Yoo Yul’s eyebrows twitched as he listened to my explanation.
“…You saw all of that?”
“Saw it, more like….”
I observed and remembered it out of habit, you could say.
“Aha ha.”
Tap tap tap. Yoo Yul’s elbow jabbing me accelerated further.
“Just as I thought. You’re an interesting friend.”
“….”
My mood deteriorated even further.

* * *
After sending the Marin away, I returned to the dormitory.
My mood was considerably sour. Beyond the unease I’d felt moments before, I could sense the atmosphere of the league itself rapidly cooling.
“The martial artists are to be pitied.”
Their senses heightened to extreme vigilance, stretched taut to their limits.
It was evident they were tense, wondering if something else might erupt at any moment, and that tension, mingled with the martial artists’ inner energy, had even altered the very air around us.
‘Is this really okay?’
I questioned whether this situation was truly acceptable.
“Hmm.”
I collapsed onto the floor and leaned my back against the wall.
‘…What’s going on.’
The appearance of the Marin was one thing.
But alongside that, there were two things that bothered me.
One of them was.
‘You did that, didn’t you.’
I questioned the Celestial Demon.
[What are you talking about?]
At his words, I furrowed my brow. His feigned ignorance irritated me.
‘Don’t play dumb. I definitely felt it back then.’
Just before I lunged at that Young Master, something had pierced through my irritation like kindling catching fire.
It was so subtle I almost missed it.
‘…What did you do?’
That sensation had come from the Divine Sword.
[Tsk tsk-.]
The Celestial Demon laughed at my accusation.
[…You have good instincts. I thought you wouldn’t notice.]
‘What did you do?’
[Don’t worry. I didn’t force your actions or anything. I merely provided a stimulus.]
‘A stimulus?’
[I merely gave a gentle push to your willingness to act.]
‘So you’re saying you pushed me from behind?’
[It’s different.]
‘How is it different?’
[Even if I had done nothing, you would have accomplished it in the end. You know that, don’t you?]
“….”
I found myself at a loss for words against that observation. I couldn’t bring myself to deny it.
[I sensed your desire to act. So I merely added a little encouragement. Would it help if I called it assistance instead?]
“…Tsk.”
[Trying to blame me for something you already knew—it seems you’re not pleased with that interpretation.]
“…Fine.”
I shook my head. He was right. Even without his push, I would have done it.
I could only acknowledge the truth of his words.
Rather.
‘I dove in headfirst because I thought he was pushing me.’
I knew there was no denying this reality.
I exhaled a long sigh.
‘But then….’
There was another problem beyond this. Setting aside what the Celestial Demon could accomplish—
‘What am I supposed to do about that?’
I focused on what lay before me. It had begun, perhaps, right after my encounter with the Death King.
Something had been following me ever since.
Ssssshhhhh.
Enormous eyes gleaming from within the shadows.
The same thing that had clung to Yoo Yul was staring at me.
It had been doing so all along.
Pretending not to notice, I kept turning my gaze away.
[…Disgusting wench.]
The Celestial Demon whispered quietly.
His voice dripping with utter revulsion.

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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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