The World’s Greatest is Dead

Several days had passed since leaving Anhui Branch, riding in the carriage provided by the Murim Alliance.

“… Oh, my back…”

After sitting for a long time leaning against the seat, I stepped out of the carriage the moment it stopped and uttered those words.

A valley was visible. It seemed to be the campground where we would rest today.

I went to a rarely frequented gravel field and looked at the carriage. It was still the same grand and large carriage.

At first, I was amazed, thinking how a carriage could be so comfortable, but even that novelty wore off after a few days.

『That’s why I said you should run instead for exercise.』

“You say the craziest things so nonchalantly.”

This old man had been babbling nonsense about not riding the carriage and running from the start.

“How could anyone run that distance?”

Even by carriage, it took several days. Who in their right mind would run that distance?

When I expressed my astonishment, Yu Chun-gil responded.

『If you put in the effort, a day would be enough. If you can’t do it, it’s just because you’re lacking effort.』

He spouted the same nonsense, so I retorted immediately.

“Then why don’t you come back to life through effort? I don’t understand why you’re bothering me because you can’t do that.”

『What did you just say? That’s completely different!』

“What’s the difference? Saying you can solve anything through effort is even more nonsensical!”

『Oh, now you’re even speaking informally?』

“Yo!”

Embarrassingly enough, this had been the tone between us for the past few days. We often ended up fighting whenever there was some downtime.

Truthfully, we bickered under the guise of arguing to relieve our mutual boredom.

While we were engaged in one of those lengthy arguments…

“Wait, so…”

I abruptly stopped talking. Yu Chun-gil pointed somewhere with his chin.

There was only one thing that could mean.

“Young master Bang.”

“Yes.”

Chun Uijin appeared from behind. He was looking at me with a peculiar expression.

“What are you doing here?”

“… Oh, I was meditating for a moment.”

“Meditating?”

“Yes, it’s time to understand the spirit.”

It wasn’t entirely untrue. I was taking time to understand a particularly ferocious evil spirit.

Chun Uijin’s eyes widened slightly at my intentional phrasing.

“Ah… a time to understand the spirit… As expected, Young master Bang is quite knowledgeable in that area as well.”

“… Yes?”

“The Elder of Taoism once mentioned that martial arts and the spirit are closely connected. Are you studying that aspect?”

“Ah… Yes, something like that.”

“Just as I thought…”

“…”

Chun Uijin’s eyes sparkled as if he had misunderstood something. It was really burdensome.

‘Why has he been acting like this?’

I broke out into a cold sweat. He had been doing this since we left the branch.

Whatever I did, he assigned some strange meaning to it or seemed to observe me closely, making even my training a bit awkward.

I didn’t want to reveal my subpar swordsmanship in front of those expectant eyes.

‘What’s really going on?’

I didn’t know why he was looking at me like that, and I didn’t want to ask.

“Ah, anyhow… How much longer until we arrive?”

I changed the subject, trying hard to steer the conversation away.

“I think we’ll arrive by tomorrow at the latest.”

“By tomorrow?”

“Yes, originally, we should have arrived today, but it seems…”

“Ah, I see.”

I understood. Our expected arrival was delayed. It was due to the terrain and the rain.

We had encountered rain and bad terrain along the way, which was entirely understandable.

“I’m sorry…”

Yet, Chun Uijin apologized to me, seemingly feeling responsible.

I was honestly taken aback.

“Why is Young master Chun apologizing? You did nothing wrong.”

It wasn’t the carriage’s fault, nor the driver’s. And certainly not Chun Uijin’s fault either.

Chun Uijin hadn’t driven the carriage himself, so what was there to apologize for?

“… Even so, since I am in the position of escorting Young master Bang…”

“What do you mean, what are we doing? We’re going because we have to.”

He answered while holding back a sigh. He had figured it out over the past few days.

‘This kid seems overly conscious of people’s opinions.’

Chun Uijin cared more about others’ perceptions than expected. It was to the point of being excessive.

Whether it was because it was him or if it was his nature from the start, I didn’t know. But the kid was somewhat…

‘Insecure, given how he looks.’

At first glance, he appeared sharp and cold, but after meeting him, the reality was quite different.

“Anyway, it’s fine. It’s not like something will happen if we’re late.”

I didn’t mind. There was plenty to think about before leaving.

‘Still not enough.’

I had to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances. Who knew what might happen when they reached the Blue Moon Sect? I had to think even more, and on top of that…

‘… There was the damned training too.’

The pointless routines I did every night. I had to finish this before reaching the Blue Moon Sect.

* * *

A night with the moon rising. It was the time for camping out and keeping the fire lit.

If I was still at the branch, this would be the time to stand guard.

I was standing with my sword, eyes closed.

This was a routine I had been repeating for the past few days.

『Do you feel it?』

I didn’t respond to the old man’s words. There was no need to answer nor to concern myself with it.

The old man would know this as well.

『Focus on your breathing. Your shoulders are unstable.』

Even without responding, I was certain the old man understood my resolve.

『Pay no mind to anything else, just concentrate on the flow.』

The flow. The movement of the energy felt within my body.

Concentrating my breath so my shoulders wouldn’t rise, I observed my inner self.

Something flowed.

It was too faint to feel clearly, but it was there, albeit very minimal.

If at any moment I felt uneasy or lost focus, it would all dissipate—such was the faintness of this energy.

I circulated it throughout my body slowly, ensuring it wouldn’t break.

As I maintained this thought.

『Visualize it correctly.』

The old man spoke as if he had been waiting.

『You’re not maintaining the energy; you’re maintaining the light. Remember the moon that lives within you.』

My first instinct was to curse at the old man. How much more abstract could it be?

‘Damn it. How am I supposed to maintain that?’

Where exactly was the light in this energy? I couldn’t even see because my eyes were closed.

Still, I gritted my teeth and tried. Even if I didn’t understand the words, I could attempt.

I had experienced firsthand what the old man had meant.

Not abstract concepts like light or moon, but…

I just followed what I felt with my body.

‘The speed of moving the energy. The reaction felt within the body at that time. The sense of the muscles and the amount of breathing.’

I remembered everything and mimicked it.

It was the assignment the old man had given me on their first day of travel.

‘I’ll show you once, so learn it.’

Barely ten seconds. That was the duration the old man had taken control of my body.

During that brief moment, the old man did nothing special.

I just kept moving the energy within and, after repeating that, came out and spoke to me.

‘Did you memorize it?’

‘Yes.’

‘Then from now on, keep doing it.’

That marked the start.

‘… Until when?’

‘Tsk, tsk. Of course, until you can do it exactly the same.’

So it had been days.

Until we reached Henan, I had repeated it endlessly. I had cut down on sleep to practice, but it turned out to be tougher than expected.

‘Just because you remember doesn’t mean you can perfectly mimic it.’

Even if I remembered and followed every step, my body did not always keep up.

When I calmed my breathing, my energy wavered, and when I focused on my energy, my breathing would be affected.

Moreover, when concentrating on both, my body loosened.

“It will take some time.”

It seemed it would take quite a while to make this identical to the form shown by the Elder.

“Hmm…”

Thus, I was more conflicted.

“They said I would arrive at the Blue Moon Sect by tomorrow, so what should I do about this?”

The Elder had said it must be mastered before reaching the Blue Moon Sect.

For that, time was too tight.

『Sigh…』

Although I mentioned that this was difficult, the Elder insisted it must be done according to plan.

Also…

『I’ve shown you everything, and you still can’t do it? Tsk tsk. You really lack talent.』

The Elder’s words stung.

“I know, you damned evil old man.”

I already knew I had no talent. If I had any, I wouldn’t have wasted a year rolling around the branch like an idiot.

“Sigh… Damn it.”

Cursing silently, I circulated my energy again.

Was it called the Blue Moon Mind Technique? It was much harder because it was significantly different from the Bang Family’s martial arts I had practiced all my life.

I had barely succeeded in maintaining my energy at this level.

But to shape it naturally like the Elder, I couldn’t even estimate how long it would take.

The one thing I could be sure of was that,

“It’s not going to happen in a few days.”

I felt I could never achieve the speed the Elder desired.

“This won’t do.”

I spoke frankly.

“Hmm?”

The Elder tilted his head and frowned.

『So, are you thinking of giving up?』

“No, I’m not giving up.”

I had absolutely no grasp of this technique. I needed to start from scratch again.

“Please show me again.”

『Haha.』

At my request, the Elder laughed.

『It hasn’t been many days. Even if you try again, it won’t be much different from the last time.』

“That’s fine.”

The important thing was verifying once more.

At the moment, a more precise direction was crucial.

『Hmm…』

At my response, the Elder seemed to ponder for a moment.

“Hmm?”

The Elder then lifted his head and looked somewhere.

“Why, what’s the matter?”

『Nothing, I thought I saw a fox.』

“A fox?”

Why a fox all of a sudden? I followed the Elder’s gaze but saw nothing.

Only a dense forest beyond a gravel path was visible.

Then.

『Alright.』

The Elder said to me.

『Although it may turn out the same as last time, I’ll show you again out of generosity.』

“What do you mean, generosity? You’re doing this for your—”

『If you don’t want it, then forget it.』

“…I’ll do my best to learn.”

I vowed to exorcise the Elder someday, for this was not about putting him to rest, but rather, exorcism.

I forced a smile while making a firm resolution.

『Kekeke.』

The Elder also laughed in response and slowly seeped into my body.

No matter how many times I experienced it, it was an odd sensation.

My body didn’t feel like my own, which I still did not like.

The fortunate thing was,

“At least I don’t lose consciousness now.”

I could keep my mind intact, and although I hadn’t tried it yet.

“I think I can reclaim my body if I want to.”

I felt an inexplicable certainty that I could take back my body if need be.

“Clench.”

My hand tightened into a fist. Simultaneously, my eyes closed.

Buzz—!

Energy swirled within my stomach.

I focused on it. Speed was the priority.

‘It’s three times faster than me.’

The energy moved several times faster and, unlike my unstable efforts, it flowed smoothly.

‘There’s almost no unnecessary force.’

The toes merely supported the body. Was it breathing that sustained the energy?

The muscles paved the way to facilitate the movement without discomfort.

‘How is this possible?’

To maintain energy, my muscles had to strain. Additionally, my breathing was too weak to support it effectively.

What was the difference? I couldn’t tell.

As always, I only remembered.

‘The breathing is slightly faster and deeper than my memory. Ah, if the inhalation is deeper, the shoulders don’t rise.’

I started to recognize the differences one by one.

‘What does such a meticulously created path of energy signify?’

A finely crafted path of energy.

It was forming some shape within the body.

It was different from the messy paths I created. The vision was almost like…

‘A circle… No, that’s…’

The moon?

Whoosh—!

As realization dawned, my eyes snapped open. But it wasn’t mine.

Yu Chun-gil opened his eyes. He looked somewhere.

‘Grandpa?’

I wondered what he was doing after showing me so well.

But Yu Chun-gil’s lips moved faster than my thoughts.

“If you have something to say, come out.”

‘Huh?’

It was an abrupt statement. What was he talking about…?

‘… What?’

A chilling thought struck me.

‘No wonder this old man agreed to my request so easily… Don’t tell me?’

Swish! My body turned, directing the wooden sword towards where I was looking.

“I hate being watched secretly. It’s better to come out before I kill you.”

‘Hey—!’

“Or do you want me to come to you?”

His lips curved into a smile.

“If you wish, I can do that.”

With those words, he took a step forward.

Whoosh—!

“Crazy…!”

I regained control of my body. I clamped my mouth shut, stopping myself from saying anything more.

I glanced to the side. Yu Chun-gil was smiling that fearsome smile at me.

『Get a grip.』

I couldn’t even utter the curse that was at the tip of my tongue. I already sensed the presence ahead of us.

『The foxes are coming.』

I calmed my breath and wiped away the cold sweat.

Then, I looked ahead.

There, I saw them.

Numerous individuals were approaching me.

Wearing white martial arts uniforms embroidered with blue patterns.

All of them had swords at their waists, and their appearance altered the air’s flow.

There were just under ten people, from what I could see.

Their robust auras made my body instinctively tense.

These folks felt different from the martial artists I had seen at the branch.

The middle-aged man at the forefront spoke to me.

“Are you the Young master Bang of Liaodong Bang family?”

“… If… I am…?”

Yes, it’s me. Please spare me.

I almost said that out loud without realizing it but held back.

Thanks to the mess the old man created, I couldn’t afford to look weak.

The middle-aged man watched me after hearing my response. More specifically, he closely examined my eyes.

Thud—!

All of a sudden, everyone kneeled simultaneously.

“The small moon of the Blue Moon Sect greets the Sword Saint’s successor.”

In the not-so-late night.

The Blue Moon Sect had come looking for me.