The World's Greatest is Dead

The crowd that had come rushing in was a curious sight. Had there been that many people here? No, even if this was the countryside, the Murim Alliance was still the Murim Alliance, so having that much manpower was not particularly impressive.

The problem was that he had dragged something like that here.

It’s not as if he’s trying to threaten us.

Or was he? Was he trying to threaten us? Judging by the circumstances, he was. That was what made it even more absurd.

What was supposed to change just because he came swarming in like that?

Creeeak.

Peng Dojun and Yu Yeon showed signs of discomfort. It would be one thing if they had simply come looking for us. But if they acted like that, who knew how this side would respond?

“It does not look like you came here just to have a conversation.”

“...N-No. We truly came because we wished to talk.”

“With that many people behind you?”

I sent my gaze to their waists.

“And swords at your sides.”

“Ahaha. That is simply because... we gathered in the middle of carrying out our duties. How could we possibly threaten honored guests from the main Alliance?”

“Of course. Naturally.”

I approached. My body was extremely light, so I was not afraid of anything.

“If you had come intending to threaten us... to threaten me, you would not have come with only that many people.”

“...!”

It sounded arrogant. But I did not bother softening it. I needed to take this attitude deliberately.

“What business do you have? Has the permit to go to Xinjiang finally arrived?”

I tilted my head as I spoke.

At my words, Seomdo’s eyes wavered slightly.

“...The permit... will likely take a little more time.”

“Still?”

Peng Dojun’s face twisted at those words.

“The promised time is almost up, and we’re not exactly in a situation with plenty of room to spare. Still?”

His discomfort was clear.

“Are you the type to handle work like absolute garbage?”

“That is not...”

Seomdo bit his lip slightly and said,

“Something happened, so I came to confirm a few things. I wished to ask you some questions.”

“Ask.”

I spoke first before Peng Dojun could cut in. If I kept leaving him alone, I could see things were going to become troublesome.

I had to give them a chance to speak. At that, Seomdo asked,

“By any chance... did any member of your party move separately yesterday?”

“When yesterday?”

“Just after sunset. Or just before would be fine as well.”

“...Hmm.”

At those words, I narrowed my eyes and asked,

“And your reason for asking that?”

“...That is.”

Seomdo looked extremely troubled, but I was able to hear an explanation.

“There was something we were preparing, and a problem occurred inside. So we wished to confirm...”

“Look at this bastard?”

Rumble. Peng Dojun’s force rose. Energy erupted from him and pressed down on the surroundings.

“Ghk!?”

“Hah!”

I saw the martial artists flinch.

“So right now. You’re saying that because a problem broke out on your side, you came here suspecting us? Not even those unorthodox bastards, but us?”

“...Th-That’s!”

“I can overlook incompetence, but you shouldn’t treat people like this, should you?”

Grrrr. Like an enraged bear, Peng Dojun’s fighting spirit slowly seeped out. The man’s face already looked frightening, and seeing him like that made him look incredibly fierce.

“There are limits even to suspicion. If you act like this, it makes me want to smash everything.”

Crack, crack. Sounds that should not have come from a clenched fist rang out.

At this rate, he really might crush someone’s skull.

“...Stop.”

I sighed and stopped him. Only after hearing me did Peng Dojun withdraw his energy.

“Branch Chief.”

“...Y-Yes.”

“I don’t know what the situation is, but you said it yesterday, didn’t you? That the unorthodox faction was causing trouble in this region. Then you should suspect them first...”

I lowered my gaze.

“So I wonder why you came straight to us like this. Are you doing something suspicious?”

“...No, no. It is not that. This is only for the sake of the confirmation procedure.”

“What do you hope to confirm? If someone among us did go out at the time you mentioned, what exactly are you trying to confirm with that person?”

I stepped down from the veranda and approached him. Even as I narrowed the distance, I kept my gaze fixed on him.

“Please tell me. I’m curious.”

“Moon Hero... That is not—”

“I went out.”

“...!”

I cut him off and spoke.

“I went out. So what are you going to confirm now?”

“......”

The branch chief’s eyes shook wildly. He looked as if he was wondering whether I was telling the truth. I stared at him, curious to see how he would respond.

“...No. We acted far too rudely toward honored guests of the Alliance. I apologize.”

Before long, he lowered his tail.

“I apologize again for being discourteous. I was thoughtless.”

I did not show any particular reaction to Seomdo’s apology. I swept back my hair and thought,

What a shame.

A shame. If I had provoked him just a little more, he might have stepped forward. Then—

I was going to grab him then.

Unfortunately, he did not cross the line.

“We are also watching the unorthodox side closely. We have caused you displeasure from early in the morning. We will have the permit to go to Xinjiang issued within the appointed time, no matter what.”

Seomdo left with his people like that. Peng Dojun seemed displeased and tried to catch them again, but I stopped him.

“That is enough.”

“...You’re letting that go? Aren’t you even irritated?”

“What is there to be irritated about?”

I laughed lightly as I spoke.

“I’m the one they’re actually looking for.”

“Hm...?”

“I’m saying I’m the one who messed up what they were doing.”

“...What?”

Peng Dojun’s eyes widened. Since his expression asked what I meant, I added more.

“Those bastards are cooperating with Sky-Crushing Palace.”

“...!”

Peng Dojun reacted to my words. Yu Yeon and Cloud Dragon nearby did the same.

Poison Dragon was training, so I did not see him.

“It seemed like they were up to something, so I went inside, caused a bit of chaos, and came back.”

“Hah.”

Peng Dojun’s face twisted at my words.

“You went and did something that fun all by yourself...?”

“...Is that the problem?”

Was that really the problem right now? How absurd. I laughed dryly and stared at him. Was that the problem?

“Isn’t the problem that Sky-Crushing Palace is cooperating with that side?”

“Well, sure. But if you found out, doesn’t that mean you’ll handle it?”

“......”

What was this? Was I supposed to thank him for trusting me? It was a bewildering conclusion.

“So. Now that you know, what are you going to do?”

The discomfort from a moment ago had vanished, leaving only interest behind. What was with that face? It was as if he was about to come along to do something fun.

“...What are you hoping for?”

“You’re going to go do something, aren’t you?”

“Mm...”

I had been thinking about it. I had wondered whether there was any need to do anything in particular, but—

“I suppose I will go.”

The current incident set my direction. Going to Xinjiang was one thing, but—

I need to know what they were doing.

They called it a jade stone, didn’t they? That gem. Why would they need to do something with it in a cave?

Since Sky-Crushing Palace was mixed into this—

I need to know what there is to know.

I could no longer leave it alone.

I looked up at the sky. It was still early.

“We go when the sunset comes.”

I set the time. At those words, several people nodded.

The moment had come when I had one more thing to do today.

*****

As Seomdo moved after leaving the residence, his face twisted all over, one of his subordinates asked him,

“...What should we do?”

“...What do you mean, what should we do...!”

Seomdo shouted in anger. His condition was already far too poor.

“Damn it. Of all times.”

He had been told that there had been an attack during the process of refining the jade stone. When he rushed up there, the two sentries on guard had been killed.

The intruder seemed to have entered through the mechanism in the back.

There was a mechanism in a place like that?

It was a space even Seomdo himself, who had managed the place for years, had not known about. How had they known about such a thing and infiltrated?

On top of that, the problem was—

Why did they not touch the jade stone?

They had not touched the jade stone, only killed the sentries inside and vanished. If they had known about the mechanism and entered, then they must have been after the jade stone.

What on earth was this?

“What kind of bastard are you...?”

Seomdo said, grinding his teeth. He had to struggle to find the culprit. No matter how one looked at it, the situation was turning strange.

There had been a few bothersome bastards recently, but those people did not have enough to make them act like this.

If he were to name suspects here—

There is no one but them.

The bastards who had come down from the main Alliance headquarters. The ones who had suddenly demanded a permit, saying they had to go to Xinjiang.

Was he called Moon Hero? Seomdo had been told to be careful of him, but he had not expected to see him so soon.

Arrogant brat.

He was just a somewhat handsome little bastard, yet he was unbearably arrogant. The circumstances pointed only to him and his group. After all, the incident had happened right after they appeared.

If he is the culprit...

Why had he not touched the jade stone?

He must have checked it, so why was he acting so unconcerned?

Seomdo could not know. He could only be on guard.

“...First, send word to the Palace.”

“Understood. What about the permit they demanded?”

“Issue it. But we will have to delay the time we hand it over.”

He had to keep them here until he confirmed things. And if—

If they really are the ones who did this...

It would be better to handle them here. This was none other than the jade stone. It was something created over the last several years by drawing and gathering energy.

If the Alliance noticed and took it away—

Not only would the Palace slaughter us all...

A great many things would be twisted out of place.

“...I only hope nothing happens.”

Seomdo wished and wished for that. But the incident had already occurred.

Not only that—

“......”

Seomdo did not know that someone had been hiding in a tree and watching them as they moved.

An old man straightened his bent back and watched them with cold eyes.

Sword Emperor kept flicking his finger, lost in thought.

The things he had sensed as soon as he arrived made him wonder whether he should kill all of them and erase them.

But—

Not yet.

Sword Emperor did not move. For one thing, Bang Seongyeon’s name had come from their mouths.

And the fact that they had already recognized that boy meant—

That boy has recognized it too.

He was certain that even if the brat lacked martial talent, his head was exceptionally sharp, and he must have noticed as well.

So he would watch.

And if a problem occurred—

I will kill them all.

He would simply massacre this entire area.

Thinking that, Sword Emperor turned away.

And soon, sunset arrived.

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