The World’s Greatest is Dead

『How have you been?』

It was around the time when evening was approaching.

While staring quietly at the ceiling, Yu Chun-gil suddenly popped up and asked me this out of the blue.

I frowned as I looked at him.

“……Where have you been all this time, coming here now?”

He had disappeared since noon and only showed up when the sun was about to set?

I looked at him incredulously, and he gave me his signature smile.

『I just took a little stroll around the area.』

“A ghost flying around talking about a stroll, huh.”

A stroll, my foot.

I clicked my tongue, and Yu Chun-gil chuckled.

『I had to check on something for a moment. I didn’t go far, so don’t worry.』

“Worry? What kind of nonsense is that?”

I didn’t have anything else to worry about, so why would I worry about that old man?

If there was any worry, it should be about me, not that old man.

Think of what I went through without him around.

“I came back after almost dying from all this hardship, just to see you appearing leisurely…….”

『Oh, come now. I had my reasons too.』

“Didn’t you just say you went for a stroll?”

『That was a metaphor. I was handling some significant matters too.』

“What did you handle, then?”

『That’s a secret~』

“…….”

Yu Chun-gil answered, poking his cheek playfully.

Just watching him made my stomach churn.

If only he were actually dead.

He already was, technically, but if he had died three more times, that’d be nice.

“……Seriously, if your limbs were torn apart, it would be preferable.”

『I can hear you.』

“I said it purposely so you could hear.”

Tsk.

I clicked my tongue and got up.

As I rose, Yu Chun-gil smiled slyly and asked.

『So, did you do well?』

“……How do I look?”

『Well, you’re alive, so you must have done well.』

“…….”

That was a rather ruthless way to confirm. So, if I hadn’t done well, I might have been dead?

‘……I guess.’

I couldn’t really deny it. My encounter with the Poison King was terrifying enough to justify such a statement.

Perhaps it was a miracle that I was still alive.

It still didn’t feel real.

‘How did I manage that?’

What kind of guts did I have in front of one of the Five Kings of the World?

I was fortunate that it turned out well; otherwise, I might truly have died.

Sometimes, I felt that I wasn’t normal.

Which madman would pull such a stunt in front of the Poison King?

Especially within the Tang clan’s territory.

『Well, any case, you’re saying nothing major happened.』

I felt irritated seeing the old man chuckling without knowing how I felt inside.

“……Nothing major, my foot.”

『Hmm?』

“Grandpa.”

I sighed and started explaining to Yu Chun-gil.

I talked about my encounter with the Poison King.

* * *

『Hmm.』

After listening to my explanation, Yu Chun-gil floated in mid-air, holding his chin.

I adjusted the explanation to keep it short, just focusing on the main points.

I explained that the Poison King needed the Full Moon and the Sword Saint’s successor, and that an old man’s ghost was attached to the Poison King.

After hearing everything, Yu Chun-gil seemed contemplative, nodding slightly.

『A ghost, huh……?』

“He seemed to hate you quite a bit, Grandpa.”

Judging by his expression, it was almost like an evil spirit.

Yu Chun-gil seemed slightly surprised by my words.

『That’s ridiculous.』

“What part of it is?”

『Who in the world would hate me……?』

“…….”

Has he lost his mind?

Looking at him with half-disgust, Yu Chun-gil laughed heartily.

『Just kidding. Why so serious?』

“Of course, it better be a joke.”

If he were serious, I wouldn’t hesitate to turn everything upside down.

『Hmm. I wouldn’t know who he is until I see for myself.』

Yu Chun-gil stroked his beard and then said.

『If he’s indeed the one who created the Full Moon, as he claimed, then I know who he is.』

“……Who is it?”

I cautiously asked, and Yu Chun-gil looked at me with a smirk.

『You ask as if you don’t already know.』

“……”

『Your guess is correct.』

Biting my lip slightly at Yu Chun-gil’s words, I asked, “Is it the Poison Sovereign?”

『Correct.』

Yu Chun-gil nodded, and hearing that, I couldn’t help but let out a sigh.

It was really the Poison Sovereign.

‘I had my doubts…’

Was it truly the Poison Sovereign?

I furrowed my eyebrows at the thought.

Who was the Poison Sovereign?

He was the head of the previous Tang family and one of the heroes who fought against the Demonic Cult during the Great War between righteousness and evil.

The poison he emitted was strong enough to cover an entire region. In terms of slaughter, he exuded a presence even more intense than the Sword Saint.

At the same time…

‘He was also known as a divine craftsman.’

Not only had the Poison Sovereign reached the pinnacle of poison techniques, but he was also a master of metallurgy.

The weapons crafted by the Tang family were all produced within a place called Cheolgang. The weapons created in Cheolgang were rated into four grades.

Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Special.

Even receiving a Silver grade was enough for the weapon to be considered a famous sword or a treasured item in the Central Plains.

Yet, the weapons made by Poison Sovereign usually received at least a Gold grade.

To give a sense of the level, ‘They said a Gold grade weapon could bridge at least one level difference in training?’

Such claims were likely exaggerated. The difference in levels wasn’t as simple as giving someone a good weapon to bridge the gap.

Ah, of course.

‘I’ve never actually seen such weapons, so I wouldn’t know.’

Still, it was a bit hard to swallow.

Anyway,

‘Poison Sovereign was an incredible artisan who could easily create such weapons.’

A person who reached the heavens not only in poison techniques but in other fields as well.

That was the Poison Sovereign.

And now…

‘That ghost is the Poison Sovereign?’

The ghost that had been glaring at me from behind the Poison King.

If Yu Chun-gil’s words were correct, that ghost was indeed the Poison Sovereign.

‘I heard he was dead.’

Was it around five years ago? I’d heard the news that the greatest star of the Tang family had fallen.

It was impossible not to hear it. One of the remaining Divine Craftsmen in the Central Plains and the most skilled at creating top-tier weapons in the current Tang family had disappeared.

Just that news alone had caused a stir in the Central Plains.

『He claimed he’d live until the walls were covered in poop, but in the end, he died. Serves him right for not living a good life. Hah!』

Yu Chun-gil burst into laughter at the news of the Poison Sovereign becoming a ghost after dying.

……I thought they were close, but I wondered if it was okay for him to laugh like that.

After laughing for a while, Yu Chun-gil quickly wiped off his smile and looked at me.

At that moment.

Chills.

The sight of Yu Chun-gil’s blue eyes sent chills down my spine.

『So, you found that guy’s secret records, huh?』

“……Something like that.”

I replied, trying to hide my fear and averting my gaze.

『Hmm.』

Yu Chun-gil seemed deep in thought, mulling over something.

After a brief moment.

『Good.』

“What?”

Smiling brightly, he spoke to me.

『I was already planning to get something from the Tang family; might as well take that too.』

“…….”

I was stupefied by his audacious statement.

How could he say such things so nonchalantly?

Taking something from the Tang family? I asked Yu Chun-gil with a very astonished expression.

“From where and how do you plan to take it?”

『…….』

I was extremely curious.

Genuinely curious, I asked, and Yu Chun-gil looked at me with a peculiar expression.

『Young one.』

“Yes, elder?”

『Usually, one wouldn’t ask that first—ah, wait, your title changed again?』

“You’re mistaken.”

At my words, Yu Chun-gil made an odd face.

Then, shaking his head slightly, he continued speaking.

『I need to think about it for a bit; I’ll tell you later.』

“Why not tell me now? It’s better if I also know and prepare. Surely, there are no secrets between us.”

『Hmm.』

That made sense. Yu Chun-gil nodded as if in agreement with that thought.

『Alright. If you tell me your secret, I will tell you—』

“Let me know once you decide.”

『Alright.』

We had reached a mutual agreement.

‘What a scary old man.’

It was truly impossible to let one’s guard down.

The old man’s recent words had been related to a previous event.

He must have been referring to how I used that technique on Broken Heaven Palace or whatever it was called.

Extracting the soul from the body after killing to extract information.

Even after witnessing that, Yu Chun-gil had never asked me anything.

He merely gave a chilling smile and looked at me once.

That made it even scarier. It would have been better if he had at least confronted or questioned me.

But Yu Chun-gil did not do that.

‘He didn’t care about what I had.’

Regardless of any circumstances, whether I spoke or not, it did not matter to him.

That was Yu Chun-gil’s attitude.

It was the same at that moment.

Yu Chun-gil used it as his rationale.

He knew I had secrets.

He wouldn’t pry, so I shouldn’t dig into his matters either.

His rationale was so clear that I couldn’t argue.

‘… Tsk.’

I moved my raised body. Staying longer seemed meaningless.

It was about time. Do Hyung and Chun Uijin were likely already there, so I needed to go soon as well.

“Well then, please stay here. It might cause unnecessary problems if you come along. I will be back shortly.”

『Hmm? Where are you planning to go?』

Yu Chun-gil asked, looking at me.

I replied while getting dressed.

“…… A welcoming banquet, I suppose.”

I had to attend something very uncomfortable.

* * *

I got dressed and went out. As soon as I stepped outside, a guide from the Tang family was waiting for me.

“It’s an honor to meet you.”

“No, the pleasure is mine. Please take care of me.”

After a brief exchange of polite greetings, he began to guide me.

Following him, I thought.

‘Come to think of it, where did the Sword Emperor go?’

Chu Dong, who was pretending to be a coachman.

It was also a mystery where he had gone.

I hadn’t seen him since he parked the carriage.

‘It’s convenient not having him around, but it’s also quite bothersome…….’

His sudden disappearance was bothersome in its own way.

‘What could it be?’

I still didn’t know about the Sword Emperor.

During the whole journey, I had tried to observe and understand him, but his intentions remained unclear.

‘Would I know if I saw him more?’

I wasn’t sure, honestly.

I just hoped nothing would happen, even if I didn’t find out anything.

As I walked, I soon saw a building ahead.

The building looked much larger than the Blue Moon Sect’s hall.

It might be comparable to the training hall used collectively by the warriors of the Blue Moon Sect.

The building was full of lit lanterns, and I could sense many people inside.

As we got closer, the guide spoke.

“Young master Bang Sung-Yun of the Blue Moon Sect is entering.”

Seriously. Did he really need to announce it so loudly? Although it was a bit embarrassing, I didn’t show it.

Creak-!

The door opened, and I glimpsed the interior.

It was a quiet yet bright atmosphere.

The long tables were laden with food.

As I looked around, I saw Do Hyung and Chun Uijin sitting at the center of the table.

Over there?

There was an obvious empty spot.

I slowly approached it.

As I walked, I scanned my surroundings.

‘Why did they go through all this trouble…….’

I just wanted to sleep, but they insisted on having this welcoming banquet.

I couldn’t skip it; that would be inappropriate.

Just as I was cautiously moving to sit in the empty seat—

Crash-!

Suddenly, the sound of something breaking reached me.

I naturally turned my head toward the sound.

“……Ah…… No–!”

There was a beautifully dressed noblewoman looking at me with a shocked expression, her hands trembling.

What the…?

I stared at her, trying to figure out what was going on.

“Ba….”

Ba?

“Bang orabeoni……?”

“……Pardon?”

With her words, the noisy surroundings suddenly fell silent.