The World’s Greatest is Dead

I had heard the news.

Three days had already passed since I had fallen asleep.

Just as I had seen then, dong Baek-woo and the members who participated in the search had died.

The attacked squad leader had also died.

Yu Hyung-In would have died if he had been even a little late.

Yun Sochun, Chun Uijin, too, was not in good condition.

I wasn’t an exception either.

Due to the blood flowing from my back and thighs, I was in a state of excessive bleeding. I had recovered some strength and woken up, but I had been sleeping for three days straight.

Luckily, I survived, but it was really a close call.

However, now a problem had arisen.

“… I killed the Mountain Sky Demon and Pungyeon? Me?”

In that crisis, I was the one who saved people. No, to be precise, it was me but also not me.

“How did I do that?”

I looked at the old man and asked. The cause of this result was undoubtedly the old man. If it wasn’t him, there seemed to be no other conclusion.

『What do you mean? What’s the problem?』

“Why did the situation turn out like this?”

Suddenly, what Sword Saint’s successor, what blue eyes, and how did the Mountain Sky Demon die when I couldn’t even remember properly?

When I asked about it, the old man replied indifferently.

『Didn’t you ask for help?』

“Pardon?”

『I only did what you asked me to do.』

“….”

His words brought back memories of the last moment.

『Shall I help?』

At the crucial moment, the old man had said that to me.

And my answer then was:

‘Yes… Please help.’

There was no other choice. Yu Hyung-In was dying beside me, and the Mountain Sky Demon was approaching us with the intent to kill. I had spoken in desperation, clutching at straws.

So it happened.

“You mean this is the result?”

『Didn’t it turn out well?』

“… Turn out well?”

Could I really call this “turned out well”?

“What exactly did you do? How could things turn out like this?”

When I questioned what he did, the old man spoke up.

『What? I possessed your body.』

Possession.

The old man said he had possessed my body and moved it directly. It was an absurd explanation.

‘Possession?’

I had never experienced such a thing before. At least in my previous life, I hadn’t.

Oh, I had heard about it.

‘Those things happen to people with weak spirits.’

In my previous life, my grandmother had said that if one’s spirit was weak, it was easy for ghosts to possess them. But I had never experienced it myself.

That was because my spirit wasn’t weak enough for such things.

And yet…

‘… No way.’

Did it really happen to me now?

To that old man?

‘So in the end, the information was right, and I did something wrong.’

I had heard the explanation from the old man. If it was true that this old man had used my body to handle the situation, then all his words were likely true too.

‘He performed emergency treatment on Yu Hyung-In.’

The one who saved the dying Yu Hyung-In was none other than myself. I had used my energy to stop the bleeding and save his life.

Yet, upon waking up, I had questioned why Yu Hyung-In wasn’t mentioned, which must have left them a bit bewildered.

‘Anyway…’

I frowned slightly as I looked at the old man.

“How exactly did you do it…?”

『Hmm?』

The old man expressed his curiosity, but I was curious too.

‘I am at best third-rate.’

Even if it was a possession, could one kill a peak-level warrior with such a body?

Perhaps, did inner qi dramatically increase during the possession or something?

I asked the old man with a subtle voice, hoping for a positive answer.

『You dream too big.』

The old man said to me with a crumpled face.

『Do you think your inner qi increased while you were struggling to make use of that tiny amount of inner qi?』

Apparently not.

What a pity.

‘So…’

In the end, it meant he had killed a peak-level warrior using a weak body.

How was that possible?

『How else? Because I am incredibly amazing.』

“…”

The self-congratulations were fierce. I barely controlled the urge to pull a face.

It sounded annoying coming out of his mouth, but in reality, it was true.

Thanks to him, I was able to open my eyes safely now.

『Hmm.』

Was it because my reaction was dull? The old man seemed disappointed.

『You don’t seem very amazed.』

“It’s quite amazing. It’s just that I’m not showing it much.”

『No, it’s different.』

He insisted it was different, even though he himself believed it.

『If you are as smart as predicted, you must know the reason.』

“Being told I’m smarter than expected gives me mixed feelings.”

『Child, you seem to already know who I am.』

“……”

His words hit the mark, and I shut my mouth tight for a moment.

『Isn’t that right?』

‘Tsk.’

Yes, it was.

The reason I could stay relatively calm was because I knew the old man’s true identity.

Capturing two peak-level warriors with a third-rate body.

The clarity despite being a spirit, my state of vision, and all the information I gathered after waking up.

Just by combining a few clues, it was clear who the old man was.

However,

‘I just hoped it wasn’t true.’

I sincerely wished it wasn’t true.

If my guess was right, he was someone I absolutely did not want to get involved with.

Despite knowing everything.

『So, who do you think I might be?』

The old man asked cluelessly. Or perhaps he was perceptive and asked on purpose.

“……”

What should I do? Should I answer honestly or lie?

I pondered for a fleeting moment but…

“Sword Saint Yu Chun-gil. The former leader and once the World’s Greatest.”

Contrary to the hesitation, I answered honestly.

There was no point in lying when it wouldn’t be convincing.

“Isn’t that your identity, elder?”

『Keuk keuk keuk.』

The old man burst into laughter at my response.

『Yes, that’s correct.』

He said, his blue eyes glinting.

『I am Yu Chun-gil.』

“……”

Damn.

It was true.

I barely suppressed the sigh that threatened to escape.

『Look at your expression. You seem quite displeased.』

“Yes, I am.”

『Yes, you are…?』

“Ah, my mistake… It came out wrong.”

I was so frustrated that I couldn’t control my tongue.

‘This is true, indeed.’

I groaned as I looked at the old man. His abundant white hair and large build. Even his glowing blue eyes.

The World’s Greatest from Blue Moon Sect.

Sword Saint Yu Chun-gil stood right in front of me.

A historical figure and a hero admired by everyone in the Central Plains.

Even so.

‘Damn it, why did I have to get involved…?’

I wasn’t entirely happy. Rather, it was more accurate to say I was annoyed.

The existence of the World’s Greatest meant that much to me.

Furthermore.

‘He even put a leash on me so I couldn’t refuse.’

Not a single part of my situation was easy.

Woo-woong-!

The dantian below my navel.

The foreign energy I felt there.

As soon as I felt it, I frowned.

“…… Why did you do this?”

There was another qi inside my body, different from the Bang Family Cultivation technique I learned at home.

It was the inner qi of Blue Moon Sect.

Blue Moon Mind Technique.

『Judging by your condition, it seems to have settled nicely. Not bad.』

“Not bad!?”

A new inner qi had filled the space. You couldn’t comprehend how terrifying this was. Changing inner qi was impossible unless you destroyed your dantian entirely, and you could never escape its influence.

Yet, in my body, there was a new force settling in as if nothing was wrong. Normally, this should have caused an internal clash that would drive me into madness. But astonishingly, the inner qi was calm.

Of course, it was obvious.

『There needs to be another inner qi to clash…!』

The qi that had originally settled in my dantian was now gone, replaced by Blue Moon qi.

How could this be possible?

The old man explained brusquely.

『What should I do? I erased it and replaced it.』

“Erased it? Erased it…?”

What kind of madness was this?

『You couldn’t have both, so I cleaned it up and replaced it.』

“What do you mean, ‘erased’? The very idea of erasing it is problematic.”

If you carelessly tried to erase it, the energy would backfire and turn you into a cripple.

How could one even think to erase it?

『Why? Is it impossible?』

“It’s difficult, that’s why.”

『Well, then you should erase it well if it’s difficult.』

“……”

I clutched my forehead, which was throbbing.

Damn, that made sense. If it’s difficult, do it well and erase it. Right, damn it.

Fine, let’s say he managed to erase it because he’s so capable.

“But then… why did you insert a new inner qi into my body without permission?”

Erasing my original inner qi and inserting Blue Moon Sect’s inner qi, for what reason? That was my concern.

『You said you’d do anything, didn’t you?』

“Ha……. So the Elder wanted to implant a new inner qi in me?”

『It wasn’t about wanting it; it was a necessity.』

The way he spoke while nonchalantly scratching his ears was annoyingly rude.

Couldn’t I punch him?

Moreover, do you know what’s even more cruel here?

“If you’re going to erase something, erase it completely!”

Although they erased and placed new inner qi, minute traces of the Bang Family cultivation technique still remained.

It was just enough not to cause a direct conflict. However, if the threshold was crossed, it was enough to explode immediately.

It could explode at any moment.

That ambiguous statement was the most dangerous.

『Hoho. Oh my.』

Despite such words, the old man just awkwardly laughed.

『It seems I left a little bit by mistake.』

A mistake?

What nonsense.

Anyone could tell it was no mistake.

It was a leash.

“You implanted a bomb that could explode at any moment.”

Even a minor event could cause a clash of inner qi.

If that happened and it overflowed, I wouldn’t be able to control it and would immediately fall into qi deviation.

That meant I would just die.

『But don’t worry, child.』

The old man said, addressing my worries.

『Those traces can be erased. If you don’t like it, you can erase the inner qi I implanted.』

“…… Are you kidding?”

If it were that easy, I would have done it already.

Also, there wouldn’t be anything surprising about what the old man did.

『You’re looking at it too difficulty. If you can’t do it yourself, I can always do it for you.』

“……”

Ha.

I laughed out loud at his words. Just as he implanted the inner qi in my body, if I desired, he could erase those traces as well.

I frowned and asked the old man.

“When?”

『Well……? Maybe after you’ve finished all the tasks I asked?』

Same conclusion as the first thing he said.

『Also, it won’t easily cause conflicts as you fear. As long as you continue to cultivate your inner qi.』

That was such a comforting statement.

The leash was pulled tight.

“Of all things, why inner qi?”

The inner qi that our family practiced had disappeared.

I wasn’t very concerned about that.

It was not something I’d miss much.

Moreover, the Blue Moon Mind Technique was one of the martial arts known as divine techniques.

Especially since it was structured by the World’s Greatest himself, its value was immense.

If I compared them, it was a much better situation than before.

“There are too many witnesses.”

There were too many witnesses related to this matter.

Everyone thought I was a hidden martial artist of Blue Moon Sect.

But the puzzling thing was.

“Then why did I become the Elder’s disciple?”

『Ah, that.』

The old man answered my question.

『I told that kid directly.』

“Excuse me?”

He told Chun Uijin?

Ah.

Was it during the time he was possessed?

“…… Why?”

『Just? I felt moved a little.』

That was hilarious, honestly.

“You’re joking.”

『Child, you just said what you thought out loud……』

Felt moved, my foot.

‘This sly old man.’

It wasn’t just an act; he was tightening the leash more.

Although I hadn’t spoken to him many times, I could tell.

‘He is cunning. Not just a brute force type.’

Unlike martial artists who only saw through with sheer strength.

He was incredibly crafty.

‘Maybe, this old man was orchestrating this entire situation.’

It’s uncertain how it was possible since ghosts can’t interfere in the living world.

But I felt an inkling.

Since he noticed I could see him, up until now.

For some reason, I felt that the old man must have done something.

Then, my curiosity led to a more fundamental question.

“What do you want from me?”

What could that old man want from me, doing all this?

『What I want, you say……』

“You passed away a long time ago from natural causes, so why show up now……”

『Who told you that?』

“Excuse me?”

『Who said I died of natural causes?』

“That was what the Murim Alliance officially announced…… Ah.”

I trailed off, taken aback.

The piercing gaze from his eyes and the feeling his words conveyed stirred me.

‘Oh no.’

This was not good.

『I did not die a peaceful death.』

Not a peaceful death.

That meant.

‘Murder……?’

It meant someone murdered him.

The World’s Greatest Sword Saint, Yu Chun-gil, was killed by someone.

I suddenly swallowed dryly hearing that.

‘Then, why did the Murim Alliance announce it that way?’

A sinister feeling crept from all directions.

Originally, I would have backed out before feeling like this.

It seemed I was in really deep trouble.

“…So, are you asking me to take revenge instead?”

At that moment, I found myself unable to back out.

The conspiracy was so burdensome that just hearing about it weighed heavily on my shoulders.

It was clear that if the old man was indeed murdered, the entanglement wouldn’t be just trivial.

Finding myself involved with this situation was like being told to just go die.

『Hahaha, how could I ask such a scary favor? Child, didn’t you say that you wouldn’t accept something like revenge?』

“Yes, that’s right. I did say that.”

Phew… What a relief.

At least it wasn’t about revenge.

『Forget about that. For now, you just need to become the head of the Blue Moon Sect.』

“Yes, that does seem better… What did you say?”

Relief turned into shock as I froze in place.

“Elder. Just now… what did you say?”

What did that old man just say?

The head of where…?

I looked at the old man with trembling eyes.

My blue eyes met his similarly blue eyes.

When our eyes met, an inexplicable thudding began to rise in my body.

Thump.

My heart began to beat faster.

『Child.』

The old man called out to me.

『Have you ever seen a blue moon in your life?』

I didn’t answer.

I knew that the old man’s question wasn’t about the Blue Moon rising in the night sky.

『If you don’t know, you will. From now on, that’s the name you need to assume.』

It was something I definitely didn’t want to know.

And I wanted to remain ignorant about it for as long as possible.

But,

This conversation remained in my head for many years to come.

I got mixed up in such a terrible situation with the unlucky death of “The World’s Greatest”.

Every time such a thing happened, I would remember.

And there were so many such incidents that I had no chance to forget.

* * *

The next day arrived.

I spent the night wide awake.

Listening to various things and contemplating them, and suddenly it was morning.

“Ah… I’m exhausted.”

I desperately wanted to sleep. But Yu Chun-gil, the old man, kept me up with his words.

Was it because the conversation was interesting? Not at all.

It was distressing.

Too distressing.

I couldn’t sleep because it was too distressing.

‘I’ve heard… way too much.’

Even a single sentence would have made me run for the hills, but instead, I listened to such conversations all night long.

It felt like I was going to throw up.

I thought so much that my head hurt, and I felt like something was going to come up, but this was purely because of my mood.

My body was actually fine.

If it had been seven weeks ago, I might have actually thrown up.

‘…But now, I can’t do that anymore.’

I slightly circulated my inner qi through my body.

And it became more certain.

‘I advanced to a new level.’

From third-rate to second-rate.

I truly reached a new level.

‘Or should I say… it was forcibly raised?’

It wasn’t something achieved through my own effort.

It was due to the actions of that damn old man, Yu Chun-gil.

What did he say again?

‘He said my level was a mess, so he raised it slightly?’

I was left speechless listening to that.

So this could be raised just like that, huh.

I thought I would live my whole life as a third-rate. Thanks a lot. Damn it.

“Haa…”

I let out a deep sigh.

Then.

Knock, knock!

As if waiting, a sound came from outside the door.

-Young master Bang… It’s Chun Uijin. Have you awoken?

“Yes.”

It was probably Chun Uijin who had been waiting until morning.

-May I come in?

“Would you stay out if I said not to come in?”

-What?

“I’m joking. Come in.”

Feeling the overly anxious reaction, I gave permission.

Creak.

The door opened, and Chun Uijin entered.

Looking at him, I spoke.

“So… as for the conversation we were supposed to have yesterday…”

I went straight to the point, meaning to get right into the main topic.

“Ah, Young master Bang…”

Chun Uijin quickly stopped me.

Perplexed, I looked at him.

“That… before that…”

“Yes?”

“The branch manager said there is a guest here wishing to see you.”

“A guest?”

I tilted my head at his words.

As I questioned with a puzzled expression, Chun Uijin replied.

“They are from the Namgung Family.”

I frowned at hearing something entirely unexpected.