The World’s Greatest is Dead - Chapter 51
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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 051
Upon hearing the message, I headed to Cheongwol Hall—just Sochul Daeju and myself.
An escort wasn’t necessary.
With Sochul Daeju present, why would I need one anyway?
But that wasn’t what mattered.
‘This is incredibly awkward.’
Sochul Daeju neither glanced at me nor spoke a single word the entire way. I already knew he disliked me, of course.
In multiple ways, it was bothersome and weighed on my mind.
‘Tsk.’
Of all people, it had to be Sochul Daeju. If it were anyone else, I could simply ignore them in return.
But this man was problematic.
‘What should I do?’
Having already entered Sowoldae, falling out of his favor would be unwise.
For the sake of the future, I needed to shift our relationship somehow.
‘Yet I don’t have an immediate solution.’
With no suitable approach coming to mind, there was nothing I could do right now.
‘Hmm…’
I walked in silence, thinking carefully.
‘Actually, there are options.’
It’s not as though I have none. I do have a couple of tactics I could employ.
‘But not yet.’
Using them carelessly would carry too much risk, so I’d hold back for now.
For now.
With that thought, I entered Cheongwol Hall.
Inside, Wol Seon-geom was already waiting.
“I greet Moonju.”
“…I greet Moonju.”
As I paid my respects, my body nearly stiffened without my realizing it.
‘…Why does his gaze look like that?’
Wol Seon-geom’s eyes were far too cold.
Even normally they were sharp, but today they were unusually intense.
‘What is this?’
Had something happened to him today? He appeared to be in quite a foul mood.
“…”
Sochul Daeju’s expression, observing Wol Seon-geom, was similarly grave.
The difference between us was that he seemed to understand why Wol Seon-geom was in such a state.
“Sochul Daeju.”
“Yes.”
“A reply from the Dang Clan has arrived, I hear.”
“…!”
At the mention of the Dang Clan, Sochul Daeju’s eyes widened.
‘The Dang Clan?’
In that moment, I found myself drowning in question marks.
‘Where did the Dang Clan come from all of a sudden?’
The Dang Clan was one of the Five Great Families located in Sichuan, renowned for poison crafting and iron forging.
“…You mentioned a response?”
Wol Seon-geom handed him a letter.
Sochul Daeju accepted it cautiously and unfolded it.
“…Huh…?”
As Sochul Daeju finished reading, his face contorted with every negative emotion imaginable.
What on earth was this about? And.
‘Why did he call me here?’
What possible reason could there be for summoning me as well?
Just as I was pondering this.
“This is absurd.”
Sochul Daeju spoke as though he couldn’t believe it.
“To make such demands…!”
“I believe the justification is sufficient in its own way.”
“Moonju…!”
Despite Sochul Daeju’s heated reaction, Wol Seon-geom remained composed.
“There’s nothing strange about it.”
Wol Seon-geom retrieved the letter and added his words.
“They would want to verify as well. That’s the only way to be certain, isn’t it?”
“Even so–!”
They were making a complete spectacle, bantering back and forth.
What was I supposed to do? Should I just pick my nose?
I was genuinely contemplating that.
“That’s why I called you as well.”
“Yes? Ah, yes.”
Wol Seon-geom spoke to me.
It seemed that now that we’d reached Sowoldae, he’d decided to drop all formality.
“…But what do you mean?”
From the flow of conversation, it seemed I was somehow connected to this.
‘What could possibly tie me to the Dang Clan?’
They were one of the Five Great Families under heaven. My own house was crumbling, barely worthy of being called a clan.
Yet the Dang Clan—I had no connection to them whatsoever.
‘Perhaps the Namgung Clan… or.’
Maybe the Moyong, but.
In any case, I had no ties to the Dang Clan.
Wol Seon-geom looked at me and spoke.
“The Dang Clan said they would take on the repairs for Manwol.”
“Pardon?”
Hearing those words, I widened my eyes this time.
Manwol? If it’s Manwol….
‘That old man’s beloved sword.’
A broken-down antique, shattered to pieces.
Though it was forged from celestial steel, with half the blade already gone, it couldn’t be used—it retained only symbolic value as an object.
But.
‘They’re going to repair it?’
And directly from the Dang Clan at that?
“Pardon me… Moonju, what exactly is going on here?”
“You should know that the Dang Clan is the place that forged Manwol.”
“…Yes. Roughly speaking.”
Truth be told, I was hearing this for the first time, but I pretended to know anyway.
‘The Dang Clan forged Manwol…?’
Come to think of it.
‘If it’s the Dang Clan, that makes sense.’
Since it was made from celestial steel, I’d wondered where it could have been crafted.
The Dang Clan would be capable of it.
‘After all, no one handles metal better than the Dang Clan.’
Even in the Martial Alliance, whenever festivals were held, the gifts distributed were swords forged by the Dang Clan. Most of the famous blades wielded by renowned masters belonged to the Dang Clan.
That much demonstrated how superior the Dang Clan was at working with metal.
In such circumstances.
“You’re saying you’ll repair Manwol.”
“That’s right.”
The moment I heard that Wol Seon-geom had commissioned the Dang Clan to repair Manwol, the intention became clear to me.
“Is this about restoring its symbolic value?”
“….”
Upon hearing my words, a glimmer of surprise appeared in Wol Seon-geom’s eyes.
“Correct.”
Wol Seon-geom nodded shortly after, affirming my assessment.
With Yoo Cheon-gil’s death, the Cheonwol Gate’s fortunes had begun to wane gradually. Recovering his beloved sword Manwol was a significant gesture.
Naturally, Cheonwol Gate would want to restore it.
But the crucial point was.
“I never gave my permission.”
The ownership of Manwol belonged to me.
“How dare you…!”
Sochul Daeju reacted with anger at my statement, but Wol Seon-geom raised his hand to stop him.
“You’re right. Manwol is yours.”
Knowing that, he’d accepted the commission without my permission?
Was he dismissing me? The thought flickered across my mind for a moment, but I dismissed it.
‘If he were, he wouldn’t make it so obvious and clumsy.’
Though I hadn’t seen him many times, the Wol Seon-geom I knew wasn’t the type to commit such foolish acts so readily.
There had to be another reason, or some hidden intention.
And as expected.
“So, I’d like to make a deal with you.”
Wol Seon-geom spoke to me.
“A deal?”
“Yes, a deal.”
“What sort of deal are you proposing?”
“As you’ve heard, it’s simple. Go to the Dang Clan and repair Manwol.”
“If that’s what Moonju desires… what do I gain from this?”
Since he called it a deal, he must be offering something in return.
What could it be? Anticipation was building within me.
“In exchange, become my shadow once.”
“…I beg your pardon?”
What did that mean? My shadow? Did he mean he’d become my ally?
“I don’t particularly need something like that….”
“The Namgung Clan. Socheongeom.”
“I didn’t think I’d need it, but perhaps I do.”
At Wol Seon-geom’s continued words, I responded with a bitter smile.
‘Damn it.’
I’d forgotten.
‘That was still there.’
Cold sweat trickled down my skin.
What Wol Seon-geom had brought up was none other than this.
‘The fact that I crushed Socheongeom’s manhood.’
Since it was an attack aimed at a vital point after the match ended, if the Namgung Clan raised the issue, I’d be in serious trouble.
To resolve this matter, I had.
‘…asked Cheon Euijin to enter the Cheonwol Gate.’
I’d planned to brush it aside by joining the Cheonwol Gate, which even the Five Great Families couldn’t easily touch.
‘Tch….’
The fact that Wol Seon-geom had deliberately brought this up meant.
‘There was a problem.’
The Namgung Clan had raised an objection.
“I’ll do as you wish. In exchange, I plan to repair Manwol—what do you think?”
“…I believe that’s a fair arrangement.”
I had to accept. The terms weren’t actually unfavorable.
‘It’s broken and useless anyway, so fixing it is a good thing.’
Not that I’d be using it myself, but repairing it is genuinely beneficial. Moreover, this completely resolves the issue with the Namgung Clan.
There was no loss for me.
That’s what I thought.
“However, there’s one condition attached to repairing this Manwol.”
“A condition?”
“That’s the real reason I called you here.”
“What do you mean…”
“Whether you’ve already heard the news or not, the Dang Clan wants the repair of Manwol.”
Wol Seon-geom’s blue eyes turned toward me.
“They’ve set a condition that the Sword Saint’s successor must personally bring Manwol and visit the Dang Clan.”
“…!”
I frowned the moment I heard it.
It was obvious what “the Sword Saint’s successor” meant without even thinking.
“…Me?”
They’re telling me to take Manwol and go to the Dang Clan?
“That would become your task, wouldn’t it? What do you think?”
“….”
What do I think, what do I think…
“Just to be sure, but if I were to refuse? Can I say I won’t do it?”
“Who knows.”
“That’s a frightening answer.”
“I suspect it would take you further from what you dream of achieving in this place.”
“….”
In the end, it meant I had to go no matter what.
‘My first mission is a long-distance journey from the start?’
And to Sichuan no less? A place I’d never been to, and besides…
‘The rumors about it lately haven’t been very good either.’
Since I’d heard a few rumors about Sichuan recently, I didn’t want to go if I could help it.
‘What should I do…”
How should I handle this? The one being who might know the answer wasn’t by my side right now.
‘It seems like an important mission, but is it really right to leave Cheonwol Gate now?’
And it’s even dangerous.
Honestly, if it weren’t dangerous, I wouldn’t think it was bad…
“If you agree to go, I’ll assign personnel and you should depart within the near future.”
‘Huh?’
While I was deliberating, something came to mind at Wol Seon-geom’s words.
Assign personnel?
The moment I heard that, I spoke.
“Moonju.”
“Speak.”
“Do you remember the bet you made last time?”
There was one condition I’d wagered on—whether I could enter Sowoldae or not.
If I succeeded in entering Sowoldae, Wol Seon-geom agreed to grant me one favor within his capabilities.
“I remember.”
Fortunately, he did answer me.
Hearing that, I smiled and spoke.
“Could I use that now?”
“….”
Wol Seon-geom’s brow furrowed.
* * *
After Bangseong-yeon left upon hearing the request.
With just the two of us remaining, Sochul Daeju immediately spoke to Wol Seon-geom.
“Moonju, this is absurd…! How could it be anything other than your Manwol?”
Sochul Daeju grew heated, as though this matter alone could never be overlooked.
“I should go instead of Bang Disciple.”
“Impossible.”
It was a firm refusal.
“….”
Despite Sochul Daeju’s reaction, Wol Seon-geom merely regarded him calmly.
“He has already entered Sowoldae—why do you still call him Bang Disciple?”
He pointed out the title, but Sochul Daeju remained unmoved.
“…I cannot accept it.”
“Accept what?”
“That he is a member of Sowoldae—”
“No.”
Wol Seon-geom cut off Sochul Daeju’s words.
“That’s not what you cannot accept. It’s not that you cannot accept that friend who entered Sowoldae.”
Wol Seon-geom’s gaze shifted toward Manwol, positioned at the center of the room.
“You cannot accept that he is your master’s successor. That is what troubles you.”
“….”
Sochul Daeju did not refute. He could not.
For his words were indeed correct.
“Sochul Daeju.”
“Yes….”
“I know you respect your master, but this is an official matter. Surely you’re aware the Dang Clan set this condition directly?”
So don’t act emotionally. Wol Seon-geom’s voice carried a chilling warning laced with inner force.
“…My apologies.”
Sochul Daeju immediately lowered his head. He knew well that any further words would cross the line Wol Seon-geom had drawn.
Yet he had not truly accepted it in his heart.
Still, a sense of lingering displeasure remained.
Wol Seon-geom made no further comment.
He understood what lay in the other man’s heart.
“Sochul Daeju.”
“Yes….”
“Today, the Martial Alliance’s escort Daeju fell by my hand.”
“…!!”
There was no time to dwell on such grievances.
The Sochul Daeju’s face, which had been expressing displeasure moments before, transformed in an instant.
“…What do you mean by that…?”
“He was from Pacheongung.”
“What…! How could a Daeju…!!”
Sochul Daeju clenched his fists and furrowed his brow. His eyes burned with contempt.
“It suggests the leadership of the Martial Alliance may be deeply involved as well. Listen carefully.”
Clatter.
Wol Seon-geom rolled a small, unidentifiable bead from his hand toward Sochul Daeju.
Sochul Daeju caught it instinctively.
Wol Seon-geom spoke upon seeing this.
“You have work to do—something separate from the Manwol matter.”
And it is a task of utmost importance.
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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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