The World's Greatest is Dead

“A favor, is it?”

The Young Cult Leader looked at me with an interested gaze. His attitude said he had not expected me to ask for something like that.

“Yeah. A favor.”

“What favor?”

“You’ll hear me out?”

“I will consider it, at least. But it is interesting, is it not? To think my friend Bang would have something to ask of me.”

His red eyes hid behind a smiling squint. I had felt this last time too, but the pressure coming from him seemed to be growing stronger and stronger.

Cold and sharp. How could killing intent be that vicious? It was fascinating every time I saw it.

“You told me to meet someone, didn’t you?”

“I did.”

“Then I’ve got something on my end too.”

“...What do you mean?”

“Find someone for me.”

“Someone?”

The Young Cult Leader narrowed his eyes. His face said he had no idea why I would suddenly ask him to find a person.

Who was I asking him to find?

Since he seemed curious, I told him.

“It won’t be bad for you either.”

“Who is it, exactly?”

“I heard there’s someone going around these days impersonating the Heavenly Demon.”

“...”

The Young Cult Leader flinched at my words.

I could feel him trying to hide his reaction, but it was already too late.

“...Someone dares impersonate the Heavenly Demon?”

“Funny, right?”

“Where did you hear that information?”

“Come on. Telling you that would put me in a bit of a bind... Anyway, I’m trying to find someone connected to it. And since this is about the Heavenly Demon, of all people... the Azure Moon Sect can’t exactly sit still.”

I mentioned the Azure Moon Sect. It was an implicit way of saying the Azure Moon Sect stood behind me.

Well, honestly, what else did I have behind me besides them?

When I said that, the Young Cult Leader’s brow tightened.

“How strange. If that is the case, I do not think this is something you should ask of me.”

Mentioning an impersonator of the Heavenly Demon in front of the Young Cult Leader was strange in itself.

Especially for him.

Since he already met him.

The Heavenly Demon had appeared by borrowing my body. The moment I brought this up while making him remember that—

I become a suspect in his head.

I knew that was dangerous. There was no real need to bring this up and make things play out that way.

But I did it anyway.

[Why did you do that?]

The Heavenly Demon sounded puzzled too. He seemed to think it was unnecessary.

Because this is exactly what I need to do.

Better to disturb the board than leave it alone. It was something I had to do before leaving for Xinjiang.

“If it’s about the Heavenly Demon, it’s better to tell the Demonic Cult. You’d have more information than we would.”

“What a ridiculous thing to say. You do not know how we will handle it, and we are not comrades. Even to your eyes, is that not strange?”

“Come on, that’s...”

I smiled as I spoke to him.

“Isn’t it the same as what you did to me?”

“...”

“You showed one of your cards, so I’m showing some sincerity on my end too.”

“Sincerity...?”

The Young Cult Leader laughed as if he found my words amusing.

“A fine word. Yes, sincerity is good. So, what do you want me to do?”

“There’s talk coming from Guangxi. I’d like you to find one person there.”

“...Guangxi?”

The Young Cult Leader tilted his head at the sudden mention of the region.

“An unexpected place. Are you saying the one impersonating the Heavenly Demon is there?”

“Who knows? I’m only saying that’s where the source of the rumor is.”

“So you want me to find the person impersonating the Heavenly Demon in Guangxi?”

“No. Even if I asked you to find that person, it’s not as if they’d be easy to find.”

“Then?”

Then what?

The Young Cult Leader looked like he truly could not understand, so I gave him the answer.

“Go to Guangxi and find one person.”

“...Is that not what you just said?”

“That’s not what I mean. Not the impersonator of the Heavenly Demon. I’m saying I want you to find the person who spread the rumor.”

“...What?”

The person who spread the rumor?

“His name is Do Woochun. Find him.”

“You even know his name.”

“I looked into a few things myself.”

“...Do Woochun. Is he the one who claimed the Heavenly Demon exists?”

“To be precise, it wasn’t that he said the Heavenly Demon exists.”

I stared straight at him as I spoke.

“He was the one who said that the person with the qualifications of the Heavenly Demon is not the current Young Cult Leader.”

GRRRRKKKK—!

At those words, fighting spirit spilled out from the Young Cult Leader’s body. It was power mixed with the killing intent unique to the Heaven-Slaying Star.

“What an amusing thing to say.”

A cold, muddy gaze wrapped around empty space. It was edged as if pressing down on the very path before it. He had not drawn his sword, but I felt a sword from him all the same.

As expected.

Seeing that, I understood.

This bastard was hiding his strength when we fought last time.

I knew he had not used his full power. Both he and I had known that anyway, but confirming it for certain mattered.

“I am not unaware that you have some intention here.”

The Young Cult Leader smiled. More eerily than before.

“It irritates me greatly, but since you have also made a move, I will play along.”

“I’m grateful.”

“Guangxi’s Do Woochun. I will remember it. However.”

Creeeeak.

The sword trembled, and the unit leader near me reacted to that killing intent. It could have turned into an explosive situation at any second. I raised a hand to stop the unit leader.

There was no need. That bastard had enough sense not to clash here.

As if to prove that, the Young Cult Leader gradually pulled back his energy before long.

“If I discover something strange there... it will not end pleasantly. Are you fine with that?”

“What strange thing could you discover? I’m simply passing along information.”

“...Very well. I will do that.”

With that response, the Young Cult Leader nodded.

“I will find him and confirm it while you are away. That will suffice, yes?”

“I like that answer.”

Scrape. I rose to my feet. I had scattered Do Woochun’s name and planted an impression of him in the Young Cult Leader’s head. That was enough.

I turned around just like that.

“...Will you be all right?”

The unit leader asked worriedly, and I gave a small laugh.

“Yes. There was nothing strange about it.”

I moved on. No one stopped me.

Not the Demonic Cultists around us, and not the Young Cult Leader either. He had probably ordered them not to.

“I need to go see the strategist for a moment.”

I whispered that to the unit leader as I passed. My next destination had just been decided.

*****

“What is it?”

I had come to see Thousand-Mile Divine Eye. He looked puzzled at my sudden visit.

“I’d like to ask you for a favor.”

“A favor? Out of nowhere?”

“Yes.”

“What kind of favor?”

“Could you handle one matter in Guangxi for me?”

“...What?”

Thousand-Mile Divine Eye’s eyes widened.

*****

After saying a few things to Thousand-Mile Divine Eye, I went outside. Once I was out, what I did next was head toward the center of the Murim Alliance and gather some people.

Not long after the summons ended, everyone arrived. Each of them had a different look on their face, which made it entertaining in its own way.

“...What is this about all of a sudden?”

The first to ask was Poison Dragon, who looked utterly soaked in exhaustion. His face made him look like he was about to die from sheer fatigue. Of course he did.

Guess it’s not going well.

I had given him training to do. He had nearly grasped Ten Thousand Flowers Rain and was preparing for the final stretch.

Along with that, he was also doing the physical training I did. No wonder he was tired.

And then—

“...What is this now...?”

Cloud Dragon was there too, looking troubled. After him, I gathered Peng Dojun and Yu Yeon. Once I confirmed everyone was in one place, I spoke.

“This is everyone going to Xinjiang.”

“...!”

Everyone flinched at the mention of Xinjiang.

“Um... That is...”

Cloud Dragon raised his hand as if troubled by what I had said, but I ignored him. We did not have much time.

“You’ve already made up your mind to go, so let’s just go.”

“Excuse me...?”

“We leave in three days. I heard there isn’t much in particular to prepare... so just take care of your own things.”

The explanation was simple. Apparently, there really was nothing to bring. I had looked into it myself too.

A sword and a body.

If we needed anything, that was probably about it.

Then Poison Dragon quietly raised his hand.

“What exactly are we doing once we get there...?”

“It probably won’t be that different from the Assembly Hall here. If I had to say, we’ll be participating in the Demonic Cult’s younger-generation training or... I assume they’ll give us something to do there.”

“We are joining the Demonic Cult’s education methods?”

Discomfort appeared on his face. Well, of course. They were orthodox faction people, so if someone suddenly told them they were going to the Demonic Cult to do something, that was the reaction they would have.

“...Well, their side is participating too.”

“Even so. Something involving the Demonic Cult...”

“Sounds good to me.”

Peng Dojun cut in and reacted.

“That means we can see how strong those bastards are, doesn’t it? Not bad. Three days? If anything, it’d be better to go a little earlier.”

This man had been digging in his heels about not going before, but now that he could go, he seemed happier than anyone.

He really was insane. This was not just anywhere. We were going to the Demonic Cult. What kind of person looked forward to that?

I let out a quiet sigh.

“We can’t move it up. Three days is the best we can do.”

The departure timing, contact with the Demonic Cult, and our safety were all considered in that schedule.

Delaying it was possible, but making it faster was not.

We also needed to arrange personnel.

Because we have to contact each family and ask permission.

Honestly, “permission” was not the right word. This was closer to a notice.

There was enough justification. Elite forces chosen from orthodox faction noble families were heading to the Demonic Cult as an envoy delegation.

From the perspective of noble families and prestigious sects, it was an extremely important matter. Especially if direct bloodline members were going, they would go for the sake of reputation too.

Separate from that...

It was still dangerous. Unlike getting permission, I understood their discomfort.

Honestly, I was the one who wanted to go the least.

Damn it.

How did things turn out like this? The moment I narrowed my eyes, the Divine Sword trembled faintly.

[Heh heh.]

The Heavenly Demon laughed in the most obnoxious way possible.

Damn it. He was probably thinking some bullshit about fate again.

What a beggar-ass human being.

Ah, right. He wasn’t human. He was a ghost.

“Anyway, we leave in three days. Prepare on your own and gather when it’s time.”

After ending that notice that was not quite a notice, I turned my back.

It seemed like the others were going to react somehow, but I did not care.

Clink.

I quietly set my hand on my sword.

What is this?

Something had felt strange for a while now. I had finished everything I had to do today.

But my chest kept itching.

What the hell is wrong with it?

It was a sensation I had felt since waking up, but it had grown even stranger after facing the Young Cult Leader a moment ago.

It itched. Scratching it did not make it better.

It felt like something inside me kept tickling me. Or else—

Something...

Like it was trying to scratch its way out?

...Unpleasant.

I clicked my tongue at the irritating sensation.

I wanted to swing my sword. Along with the itch, that instinct kept making me toy with the blade.

[Heh heh heh.]

The Heavenly Demon laughed again.

I felt this every time, but that laugh of his, the one that sounded like he knew something, was just like Yoo Cheongil’s.

Which meant it was absolutely fucking awful.

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