The World’s Greatest is Dead

The room was filled with heat.

Breathing was still hard, and it seemed like even inside steel, it would have been quite hot.

I quietly watched the woman in front of me.

‘… What’s wrong with her?’

I looked at her with considerable confusion.

In front of me was Tang Yelan, who had become stiff as if broken.

She was really as stiff as a rock.

If someone else saw her, they might think time had stopped, but her trickling sweat droplets indicated otherwise.

Even her pupils were visibly trembling.

In other words, she was just frozen in place…

‘… Why so suddenly?’

We had been having a fine conversation, so why did she suddenly act this way?

It was puzzling.

At the same time, it was disappointing.

‘Seems like she doesn’t want to do more.’

The sound of the hammering that had been echoing until now.

I wanted to hear more of that.

But it seemed I couldn’t hear it anymore, and that was disappointing.

‘… It’s been a while.’

The sound that resonated straight into the soul.

Sounds that carried such essence in their action that they stirred your insides.

Usually, you heard such sounds from artisans who had repeated the same work for decades.

Tang Yelan’s actions contained such resonance.

Even more so.

‘It was the strongest sound among anyone in the Iron Workshop.’

Among the numerous artisans, it was an exceptionally strong sound.

It was so intense that I couldn’t help but be drawn to it.

That such an intense sensation came from that delicate woman.

That was fascinating.

‘In my past life, there were people who possessed such things too.’

People whose every action was imbued with conviction.

Many people called them once-in-a-lifetime geniuses.

But Grandma used to say it wasn’t about talent.

‘It’s about having the essence of the soul.’

Whether actions contained the essence determined talent, she used to say.

In many ways, it was true.

‘Whatever the case, that’s not what matters.’

Be it talent or the soul’s essence, those capable of such feats inevitably rose to great heights.

At least those I had seen did.

That’s why I had asked to have a sword made.

‘Hope it wasn’t a rude request…’

Maybe it was.

Was that why she stiffened up like that?

If so, I needed to take my words back immediately.

“No, if you don’t want to, you don’t have to—”

I tried to speak quickly, but suddenly Tang Yelan grabbed my wrist tightly.

“I-I’ll do it. I’ll definitely do it.”

“Pardon…?”

“I’ll make your sword no matter what.”

“Oh, no, that’s not necessary… you can just do it… as much as you can…”

It was a casual request, but she responded so fervently.

Her eyes were filled with such determination, it was almost intimidating.

“I… I’ll definitely accomplish it.”

“Yes… yes… please do.”

I wasn’t sure when it would be, but if possible, it would be nice to receive one.

That was the intention behind my words…

I couldn’t foresee what ripple effects those words would cause in the future.

* * *

I left Tang Yelan. With the wind blowing outside, I could finally breathe easily.

If I had stayed just a bit longer, I might’ve actually fainted.

“Whew…”

I came out and wiped the sweat. In my hand was a cloth that Tang Yelan had given me while inside.

She handed me her spare towel, telling me to use it when I stepped outside.

Since there was no reason to refuse, I had obediently taken it.

‘Should I return it later?’

Even if not directly, I should probably return it.

Judging by the embroidery, it didn’t seem like an ordinary towel.

‘…Right. A member of the Tang family wouldn’t use just any ordinary towel.’

This towel would likely carry quite a hefty price.

So wouldn’t it be better to sell it rather than just return it? It was a fleeting thought.

Even I found myself to be quite petty.

‘… It’s all because I’ve lived without much.’

The child of a ruined family was usually like that.

Moreover, my father and hyung were a mess.

Wasn’t it because of them that I had such pathetic thoughts?

I tried to comfort myself by blaming others.

“……Ugh…….”

But that didn’t make me feel any better.

So, I continued to wipe away the sweat.

What was peculiar was that the towel gave off a refreshing scent, as if something fragrant had been sprayed on it.

Was the fragrance still lingering even in this heat?

It was truly fascinating.

‘Hmm.’

As I looked at the towel, I thought of its owner.

It was Tang Yelan, who had carefully handed me the towel last.

‘……Could it really be?’

Was she truly stronger than Poison Dragon of the Seven Geniuses?

The words Yu Chun-gil had casually uttered kept echoing in my mind.

‘If she’s really that strong, then why?’

Why had she remained silent despite Poison Dragon’s blatant disrespect?

‘Is it just because she’s kind-hearted?’

She did seem kind.

She appeared innocent, unlike the typical bloodline of a renowned family.

It didn’t seem like everyone in the Tang family was like that.

‘Tang Yelan seems a bit unique.’

She seemed to possess her own distinctiveness and peculiarities.

Perhaps that was why she could pour such passion into her blacksmithing work.

‘If she also possessed martial talent comparable to Poison Dragon…….’

She was a truly perfect individual.

Thinking about it naturally brought back the words Tang Yelan had said.

‘Would you marry me?’

She had asked me out of the blue on a dark night.

At the time, I thought she was crazy and wanted to avoid her.

‘……Should I?’

I found myself amusingly contemplating it.

I indeed felt drawn to her.

‘Her background is just too good.’

The most highly esteemed among the renowned families: the Five Great Families.

Among them, her wealth matched that of the Murong family of Liaodong.

Even just considering Tang Yelan herself, her potential seemed endless as she seemed to put her very soul into her blacksmithing work and also possessed martial talent.

‘If I marry Tang Yelan, wouldn’t my path ahead be bright and wide open?’

Would it matter if I became a son-in-law by marriage?

Looking at my future, it was quite a favorable story, but…

“……Tch.”

I quickly dismissed such thoughts.

They were silly delusions. Besides…

‘If I wanted to do something like this, I should have done it long ago.’

There had been other opportunities.

It was just that I hadn’t chosen them.

“Hoo.”

Instead of thinking pointless thoughts, I continued to wipe my sweat.

I was sweating too much. The sweat itself and the extreme heat had worn me out.

‘……I really should learn to handle this.’

The method to expel heat using inner qi.

I felt I had to learn it somehow.

I didn’t know when I might go to a workshop again, but it would definitely be beneficial to know.

The problem was.

‘The one who should teach me keeps disappearing.’

The old man known as my teacher in the world had come to Sichuan and would disappear frequently, which was incredibly frustrating.

Lately, I had been training mostly by myself.

Especially at night, when no one else was around, I wielded my sword alone.

Training swordsmanship under the moonlight wasn’t bad, but…

‘Seems I don’t really have much talent this lifetime either.’

I felt it every time I swung my sword.

‘My sword lacks spirit.’

It didn’t contain the kind of spirit that Tang Yelan’s actions had just shown.

Even if it wasn’t that…

‘I don’t know what to do.’

I couldn’t figure out where to begin or how to proceed.

The old man hadn’t really taught me much about swordsmanship either, so it was natural that I didn’t know what to do.

‘If he was going to teach, he should have taught me properly.’

Every day I had only trained in the basics; no advanced sword techniques were taught.

What I had learned was limited to the first and second forms of the Blue Moon Sword Dance.

Even that was something I memorized from Yu Chun-gil’s movements rather than something taught to me.

‘……What does he want me to do?’

It felt like he was going to teach me something but never properly did.

I couldn’t understand what the old man wanted from me at all.

“Well”,

When had I ever understood the old man’s actions?

Trying to understand the intentions of an evil spirit itself was a strange thing.

So it made me wonder even more.

‘……How long do I have to do this?’

“I… How much longer did I have to live like this?”

I just wanted to live a peaceful life, but I was gradually being drawn into a storm.

The scariest part was…

‘…my perception was becoming duller.’

My sense of being swept into the storm was fading.

I had come to Sichuan and had a conversation with the Poison King, and even heard the absurd story about the Poison Sovereign’s legacy, yet I was moving as if nothing bothered me.

‘Am I truly going insane?’

There was no other explanation for my behavior.

After trailing Yu Chun-gil for so long, I felt like I was losing my grip on reality.

‘Damn old man.’

Regardless of what happened around him, he acted as if nothing mattered.

He reacted as if everything had a reason, effortlessly dealing with any incident that arose.

Witnessing this made even the most chaotic situations feel trivial.

‘… This is absurd.’

I, who once wouldn’t cross a bridge without tapping it ten times, was changing.

“Do I need to run away?”

I seriously considered fleeing before something worse happened.

“Hmm.”

Although finding a way to escape seemed somewhat possible, I wondered if it was better to search for it than to live like this.

‘It’s better than doing nothing.’

Since the old man had no intention of revealing his plans, I couldn’t just stay idle.

When push came to shove, I had to be prepared for anything.

I contemplated this as I continued walking.

Saaaaaaa—-

Suddenly, a chill ran through my body.

“……”

Despite feeling it, I didn’t show any reaction.

I kept walking, maintaining my expression and posture.

I knew better than anyone not to show any difference.

Sigh.

A sigh escaped from deep inside me.

‘… What trouble now?’

I thought this as I looked at something standing at the entrance to the forest path.

A small figure with angry eyes, a head full of white hair, and a wrinkled, thin face.

It seemed like just an ill-tempered old man at first sight, but I knew who he was.

‘The Poison Sovereign.’

He was the former master of the Tang family and, like the Sword Saint, an acclaimed hero of the Great War.

There was a tale that with a wave of his hand, demons would melt away, making him a revered figure in the art of poison.

‘He passed away from old age a few years ago.’

And now…

‘He has become a lingering ghost.’

For some reason, he hadn’t moved on and remained attached to the Tang family grounds.

‘… He really looks ill-tempered.’

They call the Poison Dragon his reincarnation, but I couldn’t speak to his talent; his appearance certainly matched.

Even Yu Chun-gil acknowledged this.

When the Poison Dragon aged, he would likely look just like this.

‘Oh, how scary.’

I avoided looking directly at him because I felt I wouldn’t be able to meet his eyes if he were alive.

Fortunately, ‘He’s still better than Yu Chun-gil.’

Unlike Yu Chun-gil, it was easier to recognize that the Poison Sovereign was a ghost.

At least his legs were somewhat transparent.

‘That old man is so vivid it’s baffling. Anyway, this degree of transparency is what I’d expect from a ghost.’

Although the Poison Sovereign was quite distinct as well, his lower legs appeared partially see-through.

In contrast, Yu Chun-gil looked no different from a living person except for the lack of a shadow.

‘Even in my past life, someone like him was extraordinary.’

I rarely encountered ghosts of the Poison Sovereign’s caliber in my past life.

Initially, ‘Spirits like him usually don’t leave regrets behind.’

Those who had completed everything they wanted in life had neither regrets nor lingering attachments.

‘That made it even scarier.’

What regrets could such beings hold to remain as ghosts?

It was a thought I didn’t want to dwell on.

‘Let’s just move on…’

Getting involved with one of them was already enough.

So, I decided to ignore him as much as possible.

Step by step, I walked slowly towards the forest path.

The chill grew stronger and stronger, but I had to ignore it too.

‘I’ll just pass quietly.’

If I pass by quietly and don’t give any signs, surely—

『Child of the Blue Moon Sect.』

Excuse me…?

『I’m aware you can see me. Stop for a moment.』

“……”

Hearing those words made my heart nearly stop.

TL’s Corner:
Busted!