The World’s Greatest is Dead - Chapter 472
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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 472
Seoncheon Sword Muyong Tae, the previous generation head of the Muyong Clan.
When I recall what I know about him, I realize I know very little.
To be honest, he’s someone I’ve never laid eyes on since birth. He was also someone I never paid much attention to.
‘There’s no reason to be curious about him.’
He’d already stepped down from his position as clan head and disappeared. After his retirement, he supposedly lived a leisurely life.
He didn’t even appear at the Muyong Clan’s significant events, they said.
Which meant he was someone whose death or survival didn’t matter to know.
If there was one thing worth knowing about him—
‘That he orchestrated the betrothal.’
He was the one who arranged my betrothal to Muyong Youngsoon.
At the same time, he was the previous generation head of the Bang Clan and was said to be close friends with my grandfather.
That’s all I knew. There was no need to know more.
The betrothal was already over anyway. Since I had no reason to meet the previous generation head, I hadn’t been particularly curious.
‘Why did he call for me?’
Yet this Seoncheon Sword seeks me out. What could the reason be? He never came looking for me even when the betrothal was broken.
‘Nothing comes to mind.’
Nothing particularly stood out. At best, recalling what Muyong Youngsoon said here—
‘My grandfather is quite a peculiar person. He dotes on me excessively. Please don’t be too surprised.’
He dotes on her excessively.
A grandfather who cherishes and cares for his granddaughter. There was nothing strange about that.
And if the reason he came was because Baekwang made Muyong Youngsoon cry like he did—
‘He should have come looking for me when the betrothal was broken.’
There was no reason for him to come now.
‘What could it be?’
A mystery. It remained a mystery even as I rode in the carriage. So I grasped the sword at my waist and asked.
‘Do you know anything about this?’
[About what?]
Asking the Celestial Demon. For now, it was the best option available.
‘About the previous generation Muyong clan head.’
Since I had no information, I asked the Celestial Demon who had been active in the past.
Then—
[Hmm. Muyong Tae.]
The Celestial Demon falls into thought for a moment. This is the first time. I’ve never seen him contemplating like this.
‘Do you know anything about him?’
[Not in detail. A little.]
From what I recall, the Muyong Clan didn’t directly participate in the war against the Demonic Sect.
They didn’t completely refrain from lending their strength, but they were watching from a distance, or so I’ve heard.
Because of that, the Alliance developed a tendency to keep the Muyong Clan at a distance, despite them being one of the Five Great Clans.
‘Of course that would happen.’
There were those who risked their lives to help me during the chaos of war—it made no sense to strengthen the Muyong Clan’s position.
The Muyong Clan was aware of this contradiction themselves.
So I wondered if the Celestial Demon, who hadn’t participated in the full-scale conflict, would truly know much about such a figure.
[He was a strong martial artist.]
‘Hmm?’
The Celestial Demon’s assessment was somewhat unexpected.
A strong martial artist.
The Celestial Demon, who evaluated others quite harshly and sharply, spoke of him in such measured terms?
‘…So he really was that strong?’
[Rather than strength as a martial artist, he was someone I valued highly for his strength as a human being. Of course, he was also respectable as a martial artist.]
‘Ah…’
The more I heard, the better the assessment became.
It was amusing to regard the evaluation of the Demonic Sect’s leader in such a light.
[He is not one to be careless with. Simply observe him with caution.]
The Celestial Demon fell silent then. At that moment.
[If it’s the previous generation head, I know a bit about him too.]
This time Doyang interjected. He knew?
I didn’t respond. Unlike the Celestial Demon, Doyang couldn’t read my innermost thoughts.
[I’ve done some investigating. If we were going to move in the Yeolyeong region, I had to know at least that much.]
Was this from when Patcheon Gung was moving near Yeolyeong and investigating the Muyong Clan?
[They said the previous generation head hadn’t appeared even once in nearly twenty years. But that’s actually a lie.]
‘Hmm?’
A lie? I listened intently to Doyang’s words.
I thought he might be talking about coming and going to Hyeon or something like that, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.
[They said the previous generation head revealed himself just once. Only once.]
When was that? As the question arose in my mind.
[Was it winter about ten years ago? He apparently appeared briefly then and disappeared again.]
‘Winter ten years ago?’
My eyes narrowed. Ten years ago in winter, briefly…?
Wasn’t it just a brief appearance? It didn’t seem like anything particularly remarkable.
[There was apparently some combat on a mountain back then. An entire mountain supposedly vanished. The Muyong Clan suppressed word of it from spreading—from what we’ve gathered, we believe it was the previous generation head’s doing.]
“…”
Erased an entire mountain? Suddenly? The previous generation head did that?
‘Why?’
Why would he do that? If Doyang’s account was true, it was strange. What could possibly warrant erasing a mountain?
Ah. Wait.
‘But ten years ago in winter?’
The timing bothered me. Because.
‘That was when…’
My gaze naturally turned toward Muyong Youngsoon.
‘Isn’t this the day of the engagement annulment?’
The time when I broke off my engagement with Muyong Youngsoon.
That was roughly ten years ago in winter, if I recall correctly.
“…What are you looking at?”
“…”
Noticing my gaze, Muyong Youngsoon, who had been looking out the window, spoke curtly.
“…No, nothing at all.”
It was probably just a coincidence.
It had to be mere coincidence.
I tried to convince myself of this, but as always, my ill premonitions had never been wrong.
* * *
The carriage came to a halt.
On a mountain. A mountain within Yeolyeong, and one managed by the Muyong Clan.
The moment we arrived, I caught the scent of something fragrant.
It was clearly no ordinary hill.
“This is….”
“Mihyang Mountain. That’s what we call it within the clan.”
A mountain with a beautiful fragrance. Quite a straightforward name indeed.
“The entire mountain is planted with medicinal herbs and flowers bearing a unique fragrance. Please don’t touch anything. It’s private land managed by my grandfather.”
“…I won’t.”
A mountain maintained like this was obviously off-limits to anyone.
Especially a mountain managed by the Previous Generation Head? Absolutely untouchable.
“Young Lady.”
Someone greeted us as we descended. A middle-aged man dressed in Muyong Clan martial attire.
But.
‘He’s strong.’
I felt it immediately. A master. My instincts were telling me so.
“…It’s been a long time, Ju Howee.”
“You must have had a long journey. Thank you for coming.”
“How is my grandfather?”
“He awaits you at the summit.”
“I’ll head up now.”
“Understood. I shall guide you.”
The man spoke while bowing his head. Then.
‘…Huh?’
I felt a sharp gaze directed at me. It was clearly a look of displeasure.
“Let us proceed.”
It was brief, but I definitely sensed it.
Ju Howee led the way up the mountain, with Muyong Youngsoon and me following behind.
The mountain was neither rough nor difficult to climb.
The path was well-maintained.
“You must be working hard.”
“Not at all…”
Along the way, I could see those who managed the mountain.
“Who are they?”
“They’re herb gatherers employed by the Muyong Clan.”
“Herb gatherers?”
“Yes. Rather than harvesting herbs, they plant and maintain them.”
That appeared to be the case.
They were planting things taken from cloth pouches at their waists or removing unnecessary weeds.
‘There are quite a lot of them.’
Their numbers were considerable. They seemed genuinely devoted to the mountain. Somehow.
‘A mountain shouldn’t smell like this.’
Instead of nature’s scent, the air was filled with the fragrance of medicinal herbs and other aromatic plants.
With so many people managing it, this is what happens? I looked at it with curiosity.
‘Why go to such lengths.’
Why cover the mountain so thoroughly with herbs and specific flowers? It was peculiar.
“You must be working hard.”
“Not at all.”
I continued climbing the mountain. The herb gatherers became fewer as we neared the summit.
The same was true for the herb scent. At some point, the fragrance felt from below had grown noticeably fainter.
“You must be working hard.”
When Ju Howee spoke again.
“Not at all.”
An old man planting herbs answered.
“…”
Seeing that, I stopped walking.
“What are you doing?”
Muyong Youngsoon, who had been walking ahead, called out. I scratched my cheek. What should I do?
I hesitated for a moment. It was only an instant. I couldn’t delay any longer.
I made my choice.
“Greetings to you.”
I turned my back and bowed to the old man gathering herbs.
“I am Bangseong-yeon of the Bang Clan. I have come to meet the Previous Generation Head of the Muyong Clan.”
“…”
At my words, Muyong Youngsoon and Ju Howee’s bodies stiffened.
“…”
Then the old man gathering herbs stopped his hoeing motion, holding his tool still.
“What is it?”
I straightened my body. As the contracted frame unfurled, it became clear this was no mere herb gatherer.
Moreover, he was tall. His face gave it away.
He bore a striking resemblance to Baekwang.
Cold eyes. An old man whose very presence radiated chill. It was him.
‘…Muyong Tae.’
The previous generation head of the Muyong Clan. The true identity of the old man gathering herbs.
In that instant.
Crack—!
“…!”
The old man’s hand seized my collar.
“Grandfather…!!”
Muyong Youngsoon rushed forward urgently at his action.
“Why, why are you doing this…!”
“Stay still.”
Muyong Tae spoke while looking at me. His gaze was piercing. His aura was so overwhelming that my insides trembled.
“You. How did you know?”
“…Cough.”
I pushed back against his aura. The pressure was no joke.
“Explain yourself. How did you recognize me?”
“…It was simple.”
The reasons were not particularly complex.
“There were four clues in total.”
“Four?”
“Yes. First, the higher we climbed, the fewer herb gatherers there were….”
The altitude increased and the terrain grew steeper. It was far too demanding terrain for herb gatherers without martial training to traverse.
“Second… you did not return the greeting of Ju Howee.”
Ju Howee, the Muyong Clan’s guard and martial artist. When he offered his greeting first, all the herb gatherers showed proper respect.
But this old man did not. Though he received the greeting, he turned away and did not show his face.
Could anyone do that, no matter how busy? I did not think so.
And third.
“The herbs you’re carrying are far too valuable.”
“What?”
My eyes turned toward Muyong Tae’s waist. The herbs contained in cloth. Seeds and plants were listed in various arrangements.
“That herb. It’s Baekseonccho, isn’t it?”
“….”
Baekseonccho. I knew this herb well. None other than what Muyong Youngsoon frequently sent.
The item she would send to my father and Chongwan, saying it was good for health.
I had drunk it so often that I remembered both its scent and appearance.
“It’s not something of trivial value. I doubt you’d have an ordinary herb gatherer collect such things… and finally.”
My eyes met Muyong Tae’s gaze directly.
“Your aura is far too formidable for a mere herbalist.”
“Ha—!”
Muyong Tae laughed upon hearing my words.
“…Arrogant bastard.”
An ominous premonition struck me at that laughter.
“You’re the spitting image of that cursed wretch. So you truly are his grandson?”
‘Damn it all.’
Hearing his words, I understood. His voice dripped with resentment and fury.
I had miscalculated one crucial thing.
‘Why—’
It was something I could have easily grasped by recalling Baekwang and my Father.
‘…I had assumed they were friends?’
It seemed.
The Previous Generation Head and my Grandfather must have had a terrible falling out.
Cursed Bang Clan members, every last one of them.
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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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