The World’s Greatest is Dead - Chapter 59

—————
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 059
‘Who did he say…?’
What did that old man just call him? I had to malfunction for a moment after hearing those words.
‘The Sword Emperor? Did he say the Sword Emperor?’
The Sword Emperor. Yoo Cheon-gil had definitely said that.
Then, who exactly was he referring to as the Sword Emperor?
Surely not.
‘That coachman?’
Was he calling that coachman in front of me the Sword Emperor?
‘No way… surely not.’
Where in the world could something so absurd exist? I forced down my trembling and stared at the coachman.
The old man who introduced himself as Chudong had a hunched back and a frame that appeared considerably diminished.
His face was covered in wrinkles from head to toe, and his body seemed like it had never wielded a sword in its entire life.
‘That person is the Sword Emperor…?’
How could I possibly believe such a thing?
Who was the Sword Emperor? He was a figure even I, who had no interest whatsoever in the Central Plains, knew about.
‘…A hero from the Celestial Demon War.’
The blood catastrophe brought about by the Celestial Demon.
The Celestial Demon, who had declared he would push aside the Martial Alliance and become the supreme ruler of a new world, had invaded the Central Plains leading the Demonic Cult.
As history records, that war had ultimately failed due to Yoo Cheon-gil.
Yoo Cheon-gil had slain the Celestial Demon.
And thus he was called the Heavenly Supreme and the Greatest of All Ages.
However.
‘He hadn’t accomplished it alone.’
Naturally, that war had not been stopped by Yoo Cheon-gil alone. There were several beings who had played active roles against the Demonic Cult at that time.
Among them were the monsters now called the Five Heavenly Kings, of course.
But even apart from them, there were martial masters who had made significant contributions to the war alongside Yoo Cheon-gil.
The Sword Emperor was one of those individuals.
‘Sword Emperor Eui Yang-yeon.’
A figure known to have begun as a wanderer and split the heavens with his sword. Once, he was said to exist at an equal position with Yoo Cheon-gil, the only martial master comparable to him.
‘But as Yoo Cheon-gil slew the Celestial Demon and the Celestial Demon War ended, he vanished without a trace.’
He had suddenly disappeared once the war concluded.
Many wondered where he had gone so abruptly and why he had vanished without any word, but nothing was ever confirmed.
‘So there were rumors he died from an old ailment… or that he was actually assassinated.’
Regardless, the Sword Emperor was certainly dead.
That was merely hearsay, though.
‘And now he suddenly appears here?’
If that coachman is the Sword Emperor, why would he be here out of nowhere?
Doubting it couldn’t be true, I glanced back at Yoo Cheon-gil.
[…What is this guy?]
Yoo Cheon-gil’s expression showed considerable shock as well.
‘…Is this real?’
I forced down my bewilderment and stared at the coachman.
As mentioned before, he was gaunt, and even appeared somewhat shabby.
Moreover.
‘He’s missing an arm.’
The Old Man had no right arm. Could such a person really be the Sword Emperor?
‘What is this…?’
How could this be? As I stared with mounting suspicion, the Old Man called Chudong spoke to me with an awkward expression.
“Though my arm is like this, I am confident in my horsemanship. Please, I beg your trust….”
He seemed to realize I viewed his missing arm unfavorably, despite being a coachman.
It wasn’t an unreasonable concern. How could a coachman function with only one arm?
It was naturally something to find strange.
‘…The Sword Emperor as a coachman…?’
If this Old Man truly was the Sword Emperor, judging by Yoo Cheon-gil’s reaction.
‘Could it be.’
A tingling thought made me glance backward. It was where Wol Seon-geom sat.
‘…So that’s why?’
I wondered why I had permitted these three to depart.
‘…What if Wol Seon-geom already knew this Old Man was the Sword Emperor?’
If he attached himself as both a watchdog and guardian, the pieces fit together.
Only.
‘I don’t know how the Sword Emperor permitted it.’
That could be resolved simply by the fact that it was arranged between the Sword Emperor and Wol Seon-geom. This assumption would require Wol Seon-geom to have known about the missing Sword Emperor.
‘It’s possible.’
Nothing was impossible. Given Wol Seon-geom’s influence throughout the Central Plains, what couldn’t be done?
‘…So ultimately.’
That coachman is indeed the Sword Emperor.
And the Sword Emperor will assume the role of coachman while concealing his identity. That’s what it means.
‘…Insane.’
Just imagining it made me breathless. I would have preferred not to know.
‘Now that I know, I have to worry about this too.’
And of all people, the Sword Emperor.
Cold sweat broke out naturally. Just as tension began to stiffen my mind.
“Young Master?”
“…!”
I came to my senses at Chudong’s—no, the Sword Emperor’s words.
“Are you well…? If this old man truly displeases you….”
“Ah, no. That’s not it. Old Man.”
I waved my hands urgently in denial.
“It’s not simply a matter of the Old Man’s arm. From here onward, the journey to Sichuan would be grueling, and I worried that the Old Man might suffer health complications from the strain. That was my concern. I apologize for the misunderstanding.”
I spoke with complete concentration.
Fortunately, thanks to that, my words came out cleanly and my voice remained steady.
“Ah… Indeed, it seems you pay attention to such matters, young master.”
In that moment, Cheon Euijin nodded with evident emotion, as if pleased by my words.
What is this guy doing now? “Indeed” what. When did I ever do something like this before?
Just like last time, Cheon Euijin was jumping to conclusions on his own.
“Mm….”
Do-hyeong, who patted my shoulder as if satisfied with the answer, was the same.
I was dying from tension right now, and having both of them act like this was unbearable.
“…I see… Thank you for your concern.”
Chudong looked at me with a benevolent smile.
“I’m truly grateful for the concern you show, young master. I, Chudong, have been handling horses for decades. In Anhui, I’ve never seen anyone who handles horses better than I do. Even the great Moonju of Cheongwol Gate knows this, and he dared entrust this task to me.”
“….”
Hearing those words, I became certain.
‘He really is the Sword Emperor.’
This old man is the Sword Emperor.
Or if he’s not the Sword Emperor, he’s definitely a master.
‘Handling horses for decades?’
It’s not a matter of believing or disbelieving that statement.
What mattered was that Chudong had mentioned Moonju of Cheongwol Gate.
Moonju knew of his abilities and dared to entrust him with this.
This meant one thing.
‘The Old Man was indeed brought here by Wol Seon-geom.’
For me, it became certainty.
I was shocked.
Yoo Cheon-gil had said he was the Sword Emperor, so I accepted it. If that hadn’t been the case….
‘I would have simply seen him as a frail old man.’
That’s how little presence he exuded.
I felt none of the distinctive aura that masters possessed.
An ordinary old man. One who, missing an arm, appeared even more ordinary than that.
Yet he appeared only as such, and he’s the Sword Emperor.
‘…A journey with the Sword Emperor.’
Moreover, a journey to Sichuan with the Sword Emperor handling the horses.
It was overwhelming, and I was already suffocating.
“…I… look forward to your care, Old Man.”
Now that I knew.
There was no way to refuse.
Thus I found myself boarding the carriage that the Sword Emperor would drive.

* * *
The carriage preparations were in their final stages, mere moments before departure.
It was a situation where they could depart immediately without raising any suspicion.
Wol Seon-geom observed this from a window within Cheongwol Hall.
There was no need to crane his neck or strain to watch.
After all, if he wished it, he could perceive anything he desired.
-I am grateful for your assistance, Old Man.
Wol Seon-geom’s hands stilled upon hearing Bangseong-yeon’s response.
He had been processing a stack of correspondence one by one, and in that moment, his eyes gleamed with light.
He has accepted.
Fortunately, everything proceeded without complications.
‘As expected.’
No matter how brilliant or exceptional one might be, there was no possibility they could discern the true identity of that old man.
The only concern had been if Bangseong-yeon would dismiss him for being one-armed and refuse outright.
‘But that did not come to pass.’
Instead, Bangseong-yeon had shown deference toward the old man.
With this, the most pressing worry had been resolved.
And for good reason—the old man had spoken certain words to Wol Seon-geom.
‘If I find him displeasing, I shall simply kill him.’
If things went awry, he would simply execute him.
It was a chilling statement delivered with genuine conviction.
It was more than mere words. Wol Seon-geom knew how weighty that old man’s tongue was, and that he never spoke frivolously, so he was certain the threat was sincere.
In that respect, the beginning was not unfavorable. As he contemplated this,
“Are you truly certain about this?”
Wol Seon-geom’s gaze shifted toward that delicate voice.
Standing before him was Cheonhye-in, regarding him with concern.
Upon seeing her, Wol Seon-geom asked with a cold expression.
“Certain about what?”
“Sending only those three people. It seems like something quite important, yet I wonder if such a small group can truly accomplish the task properly.”
At Cheonhye-in’s words, spoken with genuine worry, Wol Seon-geom felt an inward smirk.
His daughter’s playfulness was somewhat amusing.
Something quite important?
That phrasing was hardly innocent.
‘She must already know everything.’
That brilliant child surely understood long ago why those three were journeying to Sichuan.
He was well aware of how many eyes and ears he had positioned around her.
What amused him was that Wol Seon-geom pretended not to know.
And what delighted him was anticipating that she already knew he knew, even as she spoke.
“Are you saying my decision displeases you?”
“Not at all. I am simply concerned.”
“What do you mean?”
“That incompetent child—won’t he just be a burden there? Won’t he become even more foolish? Is that your concern?”
“….”
At Cheonhye-in’s words, Wol Seon-geom recalls his own son.
That pathetic boy who couldn’t even meet his eyes until the very end.
Remembering this, Wol Seon-geom’s brows furrow slightly.
Seeing that, Cheonhye-in spoke with a sigh.
“Moonju always has a plan, as he always does. We simply don’t know what it is, and we trust that whatever you decide is right. Isn’t that so?”
Wol Seon-geom didn’t answer. He merely stared at Cheonhye-in with a grimace.
The meaning in his gaze was unmistakable.
-Don’t cross the line any further.
A chilling warning.
Even as she perceived it, Cheonhye-in didn’t stop speaking.
“I understand you’re pleased with your new plaything, but I do hope you won’t let it steal all your attention.”
She smiled even under her father’s icy gaze. As she always did.
“No matter how hard he strives, he’ll never catch up to me, and in the end, he’ll fall from your favor just like that child. It’s inevitable.”
There’s a certainty in her conviction.
Creak.
Cheonhye-in grasped the doorknob behind her. Wol Seon-geom hadn’t yet ordered her to leave.
But Cheonhye-in didn’t care either way.
“Father, don’t expect anything else. If you’re going to have hopes, place them only on me, as you always have.”
Speaking thus, Cheonhye-in stepped out of the room, yet Wol Seon-geom said nothing as he watched her go.
“Then I shall live up to your expectations, Moonju.”
Whatever they may be.
Cheonhye-in swallowed her final words and left the room.
“….”
After Cheonhye-in departed, Wol Seon-geom stared at the closed door for a moment.
Then he slowly closed his cold, fading eyes.
In that state, he quietly reflected on what Cheonhye-in had said.
Some time later.
-Depart-!
Whiiii-neigh–!
The sound of the carriage departing echoed.
“Hmm….”
Wol Seon-geom sighed and realized something.
Among all the words Cheonhye-in had spoken before leaving the room,
there was only one truth in everything she had uttered.

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