The World’s Greatest is Dead - Chapter 49

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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 049
It was warm.
Such was the weather that naturally inspired that thought.
‘How lovely.’
The sunlight embraced every street it touched.
A sky unmarred by clouds appeared exceptionally clear, and merely gazing upon it lifted one’s spirits.
It was my favorite kind of weather.
Because it was beautiful? Perhaps, but that wasn’t the only reason.
‘Usually when the weather is this fine, spirits lose their vigor.’
The clearer the sky, the weaker become those dwelling in darkness. That was why I favored clear skies.
On days like this, I could walk the streets with ease.
Without worry. Without anyone’s gaze upon me.
For me, such days were a rare comfort.
‘Tsk.’
But now, I couldn’t simply relax.
It was likely because of the woman walking ahead.
One of the Seven Heroes.
Cheonhye-in of the Wol Dance.
She had sought me out since early morning, insisting on guiding me somewhere, and now dragged me along this path.
She wouldn’t take me anywhere strange.
I had indeed heard she had plans, so she would lead me to her destination.
She wasn’t incompetent enough to cause trouble in a situation like this.
‘That aside….’
As for Cheonhye-in ahead, I could accept that.
‘But where exactly is that old woman?’
The Demon who usually chattered beside me had vanished, and I found myself oddly preoccupied with her absence.
‘What is this?’
She had pestered me through dreams in the dead of night, yet when I awoke, the culprit was nowhere to be found.
Where could she have disappeared to?
Had she truly just vanished?
‘That can’t be. She’s surely scheming something again.’
I would have been grateful if she’d simply gone away, but that old woman seemed unlikely to do so.
It was obvious she was plotting something from the shadows.
‘Sigh.’
Unease crept over me.
Between the spirit dreams and everything else, I couldn’t make sense of it.
‘She’s always so willful.’
Should I just slip away now? While entertaining such thoughts, I suddenly glanced at Cheonhye-in.
It wasn’t intentional. I was simply looking ahead at her.
‘…Hmm….’
For some reason, I found myself taking in the sight of her walking form.
A graceful, meticulous gait that seemed to flutter with each step.
It was quite different from my own stumbling movements.
‘This doesn’t seem like the walk of an ordinary woman.’
There existed a fluid precision within her movements.
No, rather than precision, it was more like….
‘Control and restraint. Or perhaps discipline.’
A sense of complete bodily control. It resembled the distinctive bearing of martial artists who had reached a certain level of mastery.
The kind of natural grace built through arduous, painstaking training.
‘Hmm.’
Fascinating.
The thought suddenly struck me.
Because of that, I kept watching her movements.
As I mentioned before.
‘It’s truly rhythmic.’
Steady breathing. Deep and controlled to avoid any deviation.
Was she breathing from her abdomen? Had she adopted abdominal breathing rather than chest breathing because the dantian was located there?
Her footsteps were not merely consistent—they were precise.
As a result, her arm movements were equally so.
When the legs moved, did the arms simply follow naturally?
Or perhaps.
‘With her breathing as the foundation and her core anchored at the waist, does her center appear so well-balanced?’
I couldn’t see that far into it.
A third-rate nobody… no, now that I’d barely reached second-rate, how could I possibly understand the forms of true masters?
Still.
‘If the pattern is visible to the eye, memorizing it shouldn’t be difficult.’
It was intriguing.
I’d never observed a true master so closely and carefully before.
‘There have been many recently, though….’
But never with such focus. I simply hadn’t felt the need to do so until now.
However.
‘This is enjoyable.’
Watching seemed rather worthwhile.
Then.
“Was my back to your liking?”
Cheonhye-in spoke to me without turning her head as she walked.
Hearing that, I swallowed dryly.
She’d caught me watching.
“My apologies.”
I offered a sincere apology. I had no excuses to offer.
At that, Cheonhye-in glanced over at me. Her eyes held a hint of surprise.
“I didn’t expect you to apologize.”
“I lost focus for a moment. It wasn’t intentional.”
“I understand.”
As if it mattered little, Cheonhye-in resumed her quiet pace down the path.
That was somewhat peculiar.
‘What’s this?’
Just moments ago, she’d worn every expression imaginable—as if trying to tease me or test my mettle.
Now she was silent and expressionless.
It had been this way ever since we met after she changed her clothes.
Could it be that the argument inside was the problem? If so—
‘It suits me fine.’
From my perspective, a quiet journey was all the better.
So we walked on again in silence.
‘Cheonhye-in walks as she does.’
But what if someone far superior to her in martial prowess were to walk this way?
The thought suddenly crossed my mind.
‘Someone far superior….’
If we’re talking about that, there’s Wol Seon-geom and Sochul Daeju.
‘…Superior.’
But someone else—someone far more overwhelmingly powerful than them.
From my perspective, only one person came to mind.
Unlucky and foul-tempered as they may be, they’re respected as stronger than anyone else.
‘Hmm.’
I nodded slightly at the thought.
‘Should I try it?’
At that moment, my heart was light and unburdened by concern.

* * *
A residence built upon a somewhat elevated hill within the Cheongwol Gate comes into view.
This was a location that neither outsiders nor even the scholars of the Cheongwol Gate could easily access.
Only the Moonju of the Cheongwol Gate and a select few elders were permitted entry.
Beyond that, only the warriors belonging to Sowoldae could traverse this place.
Seoweol Road.
True to its name, it was created solely for the members of Sowoldae.
A place where only those who carried the moon within them could walk among the elite of the Cheongwol Gate.
Treated with extreme precision, even the elders could not pass through without proper qualifications.
Now, on Seoweol Road, those with such qualifications had gathered in one place, waiting for someone.
The man seated at the head position spoke quietly.
“He’s late.”
At those words, those around him froze.
“Late on the first day—what kind of mess is this?”
The way he spoke, grinding out the words as if barely containing his anger, was somehow more terrifying.
The figures within the space—the warriors of Sowoldae—were all busy reading the man’s mood.
They had no choice. This man was someone no one could treat carelessly except for Wol Seon-geom, the Moonju.
Excluding Wol Seon-geom, the current Moonju and leader of Sowoldae, he was the strongest warrior in the Cheongwol Gate.
The Sochul Daeju.
He waited for someone with his brow furrowed.
“Sigh….”
The Sochul Daeju exhaled deeply, pressing his fingers against his brow.
There was much to say, but what could actually be spoken was limited.
‘Damn it.’
How had things come to this? The Sochul Daeju genuinely wanted to ask.
That a successor of the Sword Saint suddenly appeared and turned the Cheongwol Gate into chaos.
That this successor of the Sword Saint had enlisted in Sowoldae.
That he was the latest arrival even on the very first day.
How could circumstances possibly unfold in such a manner?
The Sochul Daeju was genuinely curious.
Suppressing a sigh that threatened to burst forth, the Sochul Daeju glanced to the side.
“…Duseong.”
“…Yes, Daeju.”
At the Sochul Daeju’s call, the man named Duseong answered immediately.
“What of Seom Seong-gyeong?”
It was a question regarding Seom Seong-gyeong’s absence, and Duseong answered,
“There are no physical issues, but due to the aftermath of the martial contest, problems have arisen with his vital energy, so he is resting.”
“….”
Problems with his vital energy? The moment the Sochul Daeju heard those words, he grasped the meaning.
‘It seems the Demon’s Heart has taken hold.’
It seemed his mind had suffered some damage.
Well, having endured such a humiliating defeat at the hands of a young man who was practically his nephew, it was no wonder his condition was poor.
“Understood. I’ll provide a more detailed report on the matter later.”
“Your command is acknowledged.”
Sochul Daeju withdrew his gaze and looked toward the empty seat where I had been.
Yesterday’s incident had left one position vacant.
‘This is troubling.’
With personnel already stretched thin from recent events, the situation was deteriorating.
‘…What in the world is Moonju thinking?’
Rather than focusing on matters here, it seemed Moonju had taken an interest in Bangseong-yeon instead.
‘…Truly.’
This was far from ideal.
That Moonju had taken an interest meant he had glimpsed considerable value in that young man.
‘…Of course, it’s not as though there’s nothing there.’
I admit it.
Recalling the martial contest, I couldn’t help but acknowledge it.
The presence he displayed was certainly worthy of such regard.
However.
‘That said, I cannot approve.’
Even if Bangseong-yeon possessed considerable value, Sochul Daeju could not accept it.
‘He is arrogant and disrespectful.’
Though he appeared otherwise, such an impression unmistakably emanated from him.
‘Moonju said his disrespect was merely confidence born of value, and his arrogance merely his manner of expression.’
Sochul Daeju found such reasoning difficult to accept.
‘And to arrive late on the very first day…?’
It wasn’t merely tardiness—it was outright absence.
Truly absurd. How little must he regard Cheongwol Gate to behave in such a manner?
‘Does he truly believe himself comparable to the Master?’
Calling himself the successor to the Sword Saint, did he fancy himself the Sword Saint reborn?
Already displeased with the man, this situation only deepened that displeasure.
With so much to dislike about him.
‘Yet he dares enlist in Sowoldae?’
To join the very battalion under my command.
‘….’
Sochul Daeju’s eyes gleamed coldly. In fact, he considered this fortunate.
‘Whoever you may be.’
Within Sowoldae, he was the law.
‘If you dare display such conduct here.’
Regardless of how Moonju reacted, he would not remain idle.
At that very moment, Sochul Daeju made his resolve.
“Daeju, Cheonhye-in has brought the new recruit from Bang…”
The member paused mid-sentence, unable to find the right words. It seemed he didn’t know how to address me.
Hearing this, Sochul Daeju rose to his feet.
“Let him in.”
“Yes, sir.”
So he’s arrived.
‘I’ll make him regret this.’
If I catch even the slightest opening, I won’t hold back.
This time, I’ll use his late arrival as an excuse to wring tears from him.
I’ll make him beg to be allowed to leave.
With such resolve, Sochul Daeju waited for Bangseong-yeon.
Thud.
Footsteps echoed from beyond the corridor.
Thud.
The approaching steps drew closer to the door.
Creak.
The door opened and someone entered.
The first to enter was Cheonhye-in.
The moment Sochul Daeju saw her, he opened his mouth to shout.
“You…!”
Or rather, he tried to.
But Sochul Daeju couldn’t utter a sound.
“…!”
His body went rigid the instant he saw Bangseong-yeon following behind.
Thud.
Bangseong-yeon appeared as he entered after Cheonhye-in.
The moment everyone in the room saw him, their eyes widened.
Bangseong-yeon, dressed in Sowoldae’s martial robes, was different.
Hands clasped behind his back, his spine and chest held perfectly upright.
His measured gait and the serene absence of any sound in his breathing.
Combined with his calm, settled gaze and presence, the entire room was overwhelmed in an instant.
He had merely appeared.
Simply by stepping into the room.
Yet somehow, everyone felt as though a sharp blade was watching them from behind their backs.
It was a sensation none of them had felt until moments ago. Everything had changed—from his gait to the subtle aura he emanated.
‘How is this…’
How could he exude such a presence?
Had he been concealing his power all this time?
As countless thoughts flickered through his mind, Sochul Daeju couldn’t tear his eyes away from Bangseong-yeon.
The fact that Bangseong-yeon had arrived late…
That he had intended to use this as a pretext to give him a beating simply because he displeased him.
Now Sochul Daeju could not remember any of it.
‘How could this be….’
From Bangseong-yeon, the presence and form of the Sword Saint was bleeding through.
Sochul Daeju had to swallow hard at the thought of it.

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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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