The World’s Greatest is Dead - Chapter 434

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

The Heavenly Supreme Has Died – Episode 434
After sending Gungwi away, there wasn’t much left to contemplate. I was simply thinking about what lay ahead.
“How will she emerge?”
How Gungwi would manifest now—that was all that occupied my mind. If you asked whether our immediate conversation mattered much, the answer was no.
‘In the end.’
She came to discover and assess that I possessed the Divine Eye. Her mistake was coming in spirit form.
‘No, there’s no mistake to speak of.’
She couldn’t have known. She couldn’t have anticipated this outcome from appearing as a spirit.
Most shamans couldn’t accomplish what I did. I was simply unusual.
‘…What are you, some kind of monster?’
Those were the words Baek Manager had gasped out. He said he’d never seen anyone manipulate a spirit form in such a manner.
Pat, pat.
I brushed off my hands. It was hardly relevant now.
‘My heart remains intact.’
The ring was fortunately still properly sealed. However.
‘…This is precarious.’
Had I overused something I hadn’t touched all year? I could feel the carefully constructed seals growing somewhat thinner and more faded.
This was problematic.
“Tch.”
I’d need to reinforce it once more. To do that.
‘…I should visit the main house.’
Bangga. I felt I needed to go there. If it unraveled any further.
‘Ugh.’
I didn’t even want to imagine it.
Then.
[Let me ask you one thing.]
The Celestial Demon, who had been laughing to himself this whole time, wiped the smile from his face and posed a question. He’d been so delighted at making a fool of Gungwi, continuing to laugh. Was he finally done?
[Do you remember the sacred tree of the Demonic Sect that you saw?]
“I do remember it.”
He seemed to be referring to the sacred tree that had been in Yoo Cheon-gil’s secret chamber. But why? I narrowed my eyes in confusion.
[And you felt nothing upon seeing it?]
“…Felt nothing?”
[Yes. I’m asking if you sensed something.]
“Ah.”
I wondered what he meant, but I answered without much deliberation.
“Are you referring to what was contained within it?”
[….]
The Celestial Demon fell silent. Was that not it? Did he need me to be more precise?
“A Deity.”
What was contained within the sacred tree was a Deity.
No, rather than a deity…
“Obsession? Lingering attachment? Remnants? I’m not sure what to call it.”
Something that had once been a deity. That’s what was contained within it. In the first place, what’s called a divine tree is itself something saturated with spiritual essence.
It’s rare, certainly, but not so extraordinarily precious that I should be shocked.
‘For something like that.’
The spiritual energy contained in the tree was remarkably potent. It was what a deity had left behind. The spiritual essence of an upper-tier deity, no less.
[Truly, what remarkable eyes you possess.]
“You’re too kind. Isn’t that what you mentioned?”
[Indeed.]
“Could seeing this become a problem?”
[No, there’s nothing that could become a problem. Rather.]
His voice trembles with emotion.
[This is an exceptionally favorable situation.]
“….”
What is this oppressive feeling?
[As expected….]
The Celestial Demon murmurs briefly, then suddenly falls silent.
“…Excuse me?”
Why did he stop speaking?
“Excuse me.”
I call out again, but the Celestial Demon doesn’t respond. What’s going on? This is absurd.
With the night now quiet in this unsettling state, I turned toward the bedroom.
For now, I needed to prepare for tomorrow.

* * *
The final day of the gathering. The same people assembled as yesterday. We had to finalize our decision based on what was chosen in the night.
“Have you decided?”
The Young Master asked me the moment the discussion began.
All eyes turned toward me. Ah, they’re really concentrating on my words like this?
‘They didn’t actually give me decision-making authority, did they?’
No, surely not. Even so, they wouldn’t go that far for me.
While I was thinking that.
“Speak.”
Cheon Rijin-an urged my response. So it’s real. I hesitated, my eyes darting about. The fortunate thing was that I had already thought something through.
“…My thought is.”
I bought time with a moment of silence, then continued.
“I believe we could proceed with the discussion.”
“What?”
Cheon Rijin-an seemed surprised, as if this differed from his own thinking. But my answer didn’t change.
“We could proceed with the discussion?”
“…Yes. Why wouldn’t we be able to?”
“What do you mean.”
“Exactly as I said. If the Demonic Sect truly desires peace, and the conditions are as they are, I don’t think it’s entirely unfavorable.”
“….”
“If what they’ve proposed is truly necessary for the League, then wouldn’t we need it even more to overcome the widespread distrust and anxiety currently plaguing the League?”
“By that logic, attacking the Demonic Sect would be the more correct choice.”
“No.”
I shook my head firmly.
“In the end, war won’t dispel the anxiety. That’s something else entirely.”
It had been years since the last war. And now another war?
Especially when the Demonic Sect had broken through and revealed that Hanan itself had problems. At a point when faith in the League had drastically diminished. They wanted to attack the Demonic Sect now?
‘It’s not a bad option.’
It’s a reasonable approach. Regardless of the Demonic Sect’s current military strength, it would be a hundred times better than doing nothing.
But.
“If we can avoid it, wouldn’t that also be acceptable?”
“…So you see avoidance as the answer?”
“More like a different choice than avoidance.”
It was hollow words. Like candy with no filling, but that’s how I saw it. Of course.
‘It’s not the true answer.’
Not as an answer for the direction I want. Just a path I thought might help.
“So, you’re saying we should accept the meeting with the Demonic Sect.”
“No, that’s not it. That’s just my opinion.”
Why are they speaking as if my choice is the right answer? That’s rather troublesome.
“At least, the Young Master is staking his life on it.”
“You’re openly stating it as collateral right in front of people.”
“They come in as hostages, of course, and if we place them in an educational institution among the Disciples, wouldn’t that serve as sufficient justification?”
“…Justification?”
“Yes.”
I tapped the table lightly with my fingers.
“At the very least, when an incident occurs within those walls, wouldn’t that provide ample justification to take the Young Master’s head?”
The air itself shifts—!
The atmosphere changes at my words. The wind feels heavy. It’s the aura emanating from the Eight Demon Fists. He’s drawing up something akin to killing intent.
At that sight, Sochul Daeju and the martial artists around him grip their blades.
“Hahaha.”
The Young Master laughs at that moment.
“…Still, with people right here in front of us, is it really wise to speak so openly?”
His crimson eyes gleam with a sinister light. Yet I don’t flinch watching it.
After all, I have the Celestial Demon backing me up.
“That’s the condition I’ve laid out for you to use. Why would I need to soften my words?”
“No reason not to. It’s refreshing, actually.”
“I’m helping your side right now. Be grateful for it.”
“Hahaha…. Helping us?”
A subtle killing intent flickers in his gaze.
“Geomseong’s Predecessor aiding the bloodline of the previous Celestial Demon?”
“So what of it.”
I smile wickedly as I speak.
“Why should we be fighting to the death right here and now?”
“Unfortunately, that’s not possible.”
The Young Master smiles slightly.
“We can’t spill blood in such a fine place. That’s truly unfortunate.”
“If you want, we could fight as much as you’d like?”
“Stop scratching at my patience.”
Energy flows from the Young Master’s eyes.
“Because no one desires it more than I do.”
At the genuine killing intent, everyone around us grimaces.
“Of course. Just joking.”
The Young Master immediately changes his expression, adopting a bright smile. I wanted to slap that face off. A joke? That sounded nothing like a joke.
“Ah, and one more thing. Should you accept this…I would hope that just as the Demonic Sect sends Disciples first, the Orthodox Faction would also send a representative later.”
The Young Master speaks. Since he’s decided to go first from the Demonic Sect’s side, someone must come later for the agreement.
At those words, the Young Master points to me.
“For that part, wouldn’t it be fitting if Wol-hyeop came—”
“Bullshit—!”
Crash—!!!
A thin, gaunt arm strikes the table. Someone rises to their feet, leaving the barely-trembling dining table behind.
It was Cheon Rijin-an.
“How dare you…!”
‘…Why are you angry?’
I hesitated upon witnessing Cheon Rijin-an’s fury. His words held merit on the surface. Since the Young Master had made his move, it wasn’t unreasonable that I, playing the opposing role, would eventually head toward the Demonic Sect.
‘Even if I didn’t want to go, what could I do about it?’
There was no justification for escape in this situation.
With Cheon Rijin-an exploding like this, I too was bewildered. He was the most rational among us, yet he hadn’t calculated even this much? That couldn’t be right.
“Are you calling that reasoning?”
“…Is there something unreasonable about it?”
“Wol-hyeop is the symbol of the Orthodox Sect. At a moment when the Orthodox Sect is willing to accept the situation arising from the incident you caused, and you dare to quibble over Wol-hyeop?”
“Hmm.”
The Young Master regarded Cheon Rijin-an with a troubled expression. Then he turned to look at me.
“It seems you’re quite beloved.”
“I’m rather well-regarded, it appears.”
Just as I was exchanging words like a casual banter, Shin Chang stepped forward.
“Sit down.”
“…League Leader!”
“I said sit.”
“….”
Cheon Rijin-an finally ground his teeth and took his seat.
“I’ve heard all the conditions regarding the accord. Let us proceed with discussions among the Elders toward acceptance.”
“You cannot make a decision immediately? I have spent three days in this place.”
“I cannot decide at once, Young Master. I believe you acted knowing this as well. Should we accept, you would find it difficult to leave Hanan.”
His words were correct. The moment the Young Master accepted the accord’s conditions, he would become bound to Hanan.
The same held true if the talks had fallen apart.
Once arrived in Hanan, one’s feet become shackled. The only difference would be whether one’s head remained attached.
“Should the conversation with the Elders come to pass, there is a high likelihood it will unfold as you desire.”
“I sincerely hope that will be the case.”
The Young Master nodded while regarding Shin Chang.
“Because I earnestly wish for it.”
He spoke while looking at me. Why did he suddenly turn his gaze toward me? Just as I found that stare uncomfortable.
The talks finally concluded.
As the Young Master rose from his seat, my gaze turned backward. My eyes fixed upon the Eight Demon Fists.
‘Gungwi isn’t here?’
The aura of Gungwi that I had sensed before was absent. This meant they had switched her out again.
‘What is this?’
Was it a problem that I had shot out flesh? The fact that she didn’t come seemed odd, when suddenly—
Uuuuuuuung—!!
“…!”
My head turned. Sensing the foreign aura, my gaze directed toward that place, where—
‘What is this.’
An arrow of flesh was being shot at Cheon Rijin-an. Seeing that, my body moved of its own accord.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————