The World’s Greatest is Dead - Chapter 506

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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 506
I gazed up at the Sword Empress who had appeared atop the roof. Her expression was distinctly different from before.
I had anticipated she would notice and appear, and truthfully, I had been hoping for it.
“It has been quite some time.”
“Indeed. It truly has been a while.”
“I never imagined we would meet under such circumstances….”
It was something I genuinely had not foreseen. How had I come to encounter the Sword Empress in this place?
“Why are you with them?”
As I posed the question with curiosity, the Sword Empress regarded me with an enigmatic expression.
“The fact that you find it questionable for me to be with them suggests you know who they are, does it not?”
“No. I do not know.”
“Then?”
“Simply put, I have a sense that this is not the sort of gathering the Sword Empress would typically attend, so I inquired.”
The disparity in their ages was of no consequence to me. What significance could that hold? However, there existed a difference in atmosphere.
The difference between them and the Sword Empress. Or rather, the Sword Empress had always seemed out of place wherever she stood.
“What manner of gathering is this?”
“Merely a social gathering for camaraderie.”
“A social gathering for camaraderie, you say.”
A social gathering for camaraderie. To describe it as such….
“The atmosphere seemed rather tense, however.”
“….”
The atmosphere they emanated was not one of camaraderie. It would be fair to say they held their blades pointed at one another.
Could one truly call such a thing a social gathering for camaraderie? At the very least, I believed the definition of the term did not align.
“Moreover.”
I gazed beyond the window frame at someone. The person I had been searching for was there.
“Hmm.”
Did the Sword Empress know of this as well? I doubted it. If she did…. there would be no reason for her to be present there.
“…And yet, Bang Disciple, why do you take such interest in that gathering?”
“It is because of you, Sword Empress…. Though I suspect you would not believe me if I said so.”
“No. I certainly would not.”
“There are circumstances involved. I did not know you would be among them.”
“Could this be a matter concerning Patcheon Gung?”
“….”
At those words, I stared intently at the Sword Empress. The term Patcheon Gung had emerged from her lips.
The Sword Empress spoke in response to my gaze.
“I have heard tales. I was told that Bang Disciple possesses the ability to discern individuals from Patcheon Gung.”
“…That is not entirely inaccurate, though unfortunately, none of them are from there.”
“Is that so.”
There was a hint of disappointment in her demeanor. Did the Sword Empress hope that a spy from Patcheon Gung was among them?
“Then why?”
“There are circumstances preventing me.”
“Circumstances, you say?”
“Sword Empress, might you share those circumstances with me?”
“….”
The Sword Empress fell silent, then shrugged her shoulders.
“It seems we cannot speak freely with one another, unfortunately.”
She gave up remarkably quickly. Was it because she had lived in this world for so long? Or perhaps….
‘Could there be another reason?’
I was curious, but I decided not to dwell on it. I simply didn’t have time to spare on the Sword Empress right now.
“I wish you well regardless.”
“My, are we ending the conversation already?”
“Is there something more you wished to say…?”
I was trying to wrap things up since there didn’t seem to be much else to discuss. Yet the Sword Empress responded with apparent reluctance. What was this?
“It’s been so long since we’ve met. I’m disappointed it’s ending so quickly.”
“…I appreciate you saying so, but unfortunately I have my own schedule to keep as well.”
“Is it related to that gathering?”
“Something like that.”
I hadn’t lied. It was something she would learn soon enough anyway.
“Hmm.”
The Sword Empress narrowed her eyes, studying me. Her gaze felt heavy. Just as I considered evading it.
“I understand. I hope we can talk longer next time.”
She smiled softly and took a step forward, then leaped back toward the building across the way.
Not long after, I saw her rejoin the gathering through a window gap.
It was her declaration that she would not interfere in my affairs.
Was it consideration on her part? Or indifference?
‘She’s a peculiar person.’
Every time I saw her, she struck me as unusual. She seemed to harbor some purpose, yet I could not discern what it was.
The same held true for the other Celestial Demons.
‘They all—’
Each of them concealed their own convictions and purposes.
I simply did not know what those were.
‘At first glance.’
It seemed as though all of it was connected to a single point.
I rested my chin on my hand, staring only at the window frame. How much time had passed?
‘They’re moving.’
The one I had been watching finally began to move.
Seeing that, I rose to my feet as well.
It was time.

* * *
The gathering had not ended. Only my objective continued to move.
I slipped out of the building and headed toward a place with fewer people, and the path grew increasingly winding.
Where was I going? I didn’t question it. It didn’t matter where.
Following in this manner, a forest appeared—a sparse clearing just outside Hyeon.
Upon arriving there, the woman who had been walking stopped in her tracks.
Then she turned around and met my gaze.
I was not surprised. I had not attempted any concealment, and besides, her emergence was my doing in the first place.
“Who are you?”
The woman asked.
“Who are you to keep sending me your aura?”
“My apologies. I did not expect you would sense it.”
“….”
The woman frowned. She was right. After discovering her, I had continuously released my aura toward her.
Extremely subtly, at that.
“…If you meant to jest, I’m not particularly pleased.”
“It wasn’t quite a jest. I merely had something to confirm.”
“…Confirm?”
“Yes. Confirm.”
She had sensed the aura. That meant her cultivation level was likely higher than appearances suggested.
How much higher, I couldn’t say. Given that I was suppressing my presence entirely, I couldn’t make a proper assessment.
Moreover.
‘If things go as expected, she’s also concealing her cultivation, so this question would be meaningless anyway.’
I postponed judgment regarding cultivation. There was little point in confirming such things.
“What exactly did you wish to confirm?”
The woman’s face showed discomfort as she asked. Seeing that, I spoke to her.
“There was something I needed to recognize.”
“What…?”
“If I may ask—”
“Yes.”
“Are you Marin?”
“…What?”
At my question, the woman reacted as if I had spoken nonsense. Her face showed clear bewilderment. But it wasn’t the confusion of being caught. It was more the expression of someone hearing complete gibberish.
“…What are you even saying? Marin?”
“Yes. Marin.”
On the surface, her expression was genuinely negative. Even displeasure quickly rose to her face.
“I don’t understand what kind of rudeness this is. Young Master, do you know who I am to say such things?”
“Ah, I was too busy to investigate that far. Would you mind introducing yourself?”
“What did you just say?”
The woman’s expression became utterly incredulous. Her face showed she couldn’t comprehend what I was saying.
But I was being sincere. I simply didn’t have enough time to dig up information about that side.
“…I am Mee Yeon-hwa of the Sanseomi Clan. Might I ask who you are, Young Master?”
‘The Sanseomi Clan.’
I’ve heard of them before. If someone from there is called Mee Yeon-hwa—.
‘Well, I don’t know about that.’
I’d never heard that particular name. The woman appeared to be around twenty years old. Not knowing her alias meant she wasn’t a widely renowned female warrior.
“The Sanseomi Clan…. You are indeed of a distinguished noble house.”
“Thank you for the compliment. So you have no identity to reveal, Young Master?”
“No. Fortunately, I can tell you as well.”
I removed what I was wearing. As my face became visible, Mee Yeon-hwa’s eyes widened.
“…White hair and blue eyes…. Could it be Wol-hyeop…?”
“You recognized me. I’m somewhat embarrassed.”
“…Why is Wol-hyeop here?”
Her eyes showed genuine surprise at my presence. By appearances alone, it seemed authentic.
“As I mentioned earlier, I have some business to attend to.”
“Is that the absurd business you spoke of—thinking I’m a Marin?”
“Exactly. Miss Mi. Are you a Marin?”
“…I cannot fathom how you reached such a conclusion, but I am a martial artist of the righteous path. I do not understand why you persist in such rudeness. Even if you are Wol-hyeop, this is offensive.”
Mee Yeon-hwa’s expression twisted with displeasure as she voiced her indignation.
I thought she was quite the actress.
What should I do? Continuing to ask seemed like it would only repeat itself.
“Whether you jest or harbor some hidden intention, I do not know. But I will lodge a formal complaint with the Martial Arts Alliance and Cheonwol Sect directly.”
Mee Yeon-hwa began to move. It seemed she was about to leave me behind. That would be rather inconvenient.
Clang.
I drew my sword and unleashed a blade strike.
Crash—!!
“…!!”
The floor was sliced open. At the sight, Mee Yeon-hwa’s body went rigid. She turned back to face me, her eyes filled with shock.
“…What… are you doing? Surely you’re not threatening me…?”
“Will you report this as well?”
“O, of course…! How could you, Wol-hyeop!”
“You’re really good at this. I’ll admit it.”
“What are you saying…?”
“With acting that convincing, it’s no wonder you haven’t been caught. Fascinating. I’d actually like to learn from you.”
“You keep spouting nonsense…!”
“Your right thigh when you walk.”
“Pardon?”
I continued, ignoring the confusion that spilled from her lips.
“When you walk, that area moves slightly faster. And when standing, you sometimes tap your right thigh with your middle finger.”
“…What are you talking about…?”
“That characteristic likely means she injured her thigh at some point in her life, or is conscious of it. It’s not exactly a common habit, after all.”
“….”
“Beyond that, her breathing patterns and mannerisms are identical. Habits can overlap in trivial ways, but when multiple distinctive traits converge like this, it points to the same person.”
A sharp wind swept through. It felt cutting and heavy.
The woman before me bore the same weight in her expression.
As the atmosphere shifted abruptly, so too did her demeanor transform.
Her face hardened, her eyes narrowing with a fierce intensity.
And the aura radiating from her shoulders matched that transformation.
“So.”
I continued, meeting her gaze.
“Stop pretending we’ve never met. Do you understand?”
We are already acquainted.
Did we not see each other at that conference?
“You were even angry with me, weren’t you?”
I remember the woman who had nearly drawn her sword against me then.
I remember her habits and the essence of her presence.
The Marin who had shown me hostility then stands before my eyes.
Under the name Mee Yeon-hwa of the Sanseomi Clan.
“….”
When I spoke those words plainly, Mee Yeon-hwa suddenly moved. She swept her hair back from her forehead with her hand.
Then.
“Ah.”
Crack—!
With the sound of something shattering.
“…How irritating.”
Her mask had shattered.

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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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