The World's Greatest is Dead

We began entering Xinjiang. Honestly, heading into the mountains was not much different from what we had already been doing.

We had been doing it all along. The only problem had been having our time stolen by talk of permits and the like.

But since the branch chief had gone and gotten himself killed while pulling that bullshit, there was no longer any need for a permit or any of that.

Ah, before heading into the mountains, we did check the place where I had found the jade stone.

“...There doesn’t seem to be anything here.”

“There are traces left behind, but I don’t sense anything like the smell of blood.”

“There are no traces, but... hm.”

Those were Cloud Dragon and Peng Dojun.

Meanwhile, Peng Dojun looked at the wall and twisted his face.

“This place feels irritating somehow.”

He had hit it right on the mark. That bastard always had good instincts.

And yet the priest has none.

Cloud Dragon of Wudang, the actual priest, seemed unable to grasp the alien wrongness lingering in this cave.

It’s this disgusting, too.

Ghostly traces filled every corner of the walls. It was a feast of marks and screams left behind by ghosts.

...Those Heretic Cult bastards. What the hell are they trying to do?

My face furrowed on its own. What were those damn bastards trying to do after crossing all the way into the Central Plains? And on top of that, how they had crossed over was another question.

The jade stone, too.

That thing they had called a jade stone. I swept my hair back as I recalled the way it had seeped into me as energy.

Strictly speaking, it was a spirit pill, but to my eyes, it had been an aggregate of souls. The same went for how they had managed to place souls inside a stone that small.

And the way they immediately realized the soul energy had vanished from what I left behind.

That meant they had some way to check. After all, I had left the stone itself behind. How had they seen that the energy inside it was gone?

I did not know, but there had to be a method.

I reached out and ran my hand over the wall.

Grrrrrrr—!!

Gyaaaah!!!

Screams seeped out from within. Creating a soul stone meant inserting soul energy. Then where did the soul energy they inserted come from?

...They must have killed people.

When I remembered that they had been working with the captain in some way, there was a high chance they had obtained something from there.

These bastards, seriously.

They never stopped doing shit like this. It was something I found myself realizing all over again.

I ground my teeth.

“Is there anything else to see?”

“No. Let’s go.”

I turned my back. There was no need to look anymore. I placed my hand against the wall and put a little force into it.

Fwoooosh!!!

Karmic fire ignited. Just as expected. The karmic fire that burned souls spread across the entire cave. It was a flame my companions would not be able to see.

Fwoooosh. Crackle, crackle!

The souls caught fire and shot toward the sky. But no screams came from them.

Rather, there was a sense of peace.

I watched it and quietly closed my eyes.

Sssssss—!!!

Hm...?

I felt energy.

Hah?

The soul energy of the flames burned by the karmic fire entered my body as inner qi. It felt different from when I expelled evil ghosts.

Passing on peacefully.

Was inner qi coming to me because of that? It was the complete opposite of the sensation I felt when I absorbed evil ghosts.

It was peaceful and warm.

“...”

Feeling the effect of the karmic fire once again, I looked at the cave and lowered my head.

May you depart in peace.

I left the words inside myself.

It was something I always did.

*****

We began the mountain passage into Xinjiang in earnest. The coachmen were still Poison Dragon and Sword Emperor, but everyone was busy watching Sword Emperor’s mood.

Mi Yeonhwa’s reaction was especially impressive. Should I say her wariness had grown much thicker? Well, that was understandable.

He was none other than the greatest sword under heaven. Even now, the slash that had cut open the sky remained in my eyes.

So that’s what it is.

Could I reach that place too? The thought came to me on its own.

—My Sky.

I heard Freak Demon’s voice.

—There are two places worth stopping at on the way to the Demonic Cult.

That was the explanation Freak Demon had given when I asked whether there were any villages nearby. One was a small village, and the other was a place directly managed by the Demonic Cult.

Demon Dragon Cave, was it? The name was crude, but he said it was managed about as well as Henan.

I wondered how they dared compare it to Henan, but I could not know for sure.

There was no need to stop midway, so we decided to head there directly.

“We’re going to Demon Dragon Cave.”

[...!]

At my words, I sensed Mi Yeonhwa flinch nearby. She seemed to be wondering how I knew about Demon Dragon Cave, but there was no need to explain that.

I could simply say I had gotten the information.

At my words, Sword Emperor spoke.

“Demon Dragon Cave. It has been a long time since I heard that name.”

“You know the place?”

“Yes. I went there once in the past.”

The past, huh. Had that been during the war, or another time? I was not sure, but something must have happened. I did not ask that far.

“What kind of place is it?”

I was simply curious what kind of place it was. I felt Sword Emperor’s words would be more trustworthy than those of Demonic Cultists.

But then.

“It is a peaceful place.”

Sword Emperor’s answer was somewhat different from what I expected. Peaceful?

“Peaceful?”

Did it make sense for the word “peaceful” to be attached to a place managed by the Demonic Cult? That was a little strange. When I looked at him in confusion, Sword Emperor spoke indifferently.

“Places where people live are the same everywhere. The ones above may be filthy, but that does not mean even the places where people live must be filthy. You know that as well, do you not? Did Henan look only clean to you?”

“...You have a point.”

I could not deny it. If someone asked whether the Murim Alliance was completely clean, the answer was no.

They belonged to the orthodox faction, but they were not perfect justice. That was precisely why Sword Emperor could say such a thing.

“...”

“...”

The younger-generation prodigies, unable to join our conversation, kept subtly watching for cues. It was probably because they had learned he was not just a coachman, but the greatest sword under heaven.

Poison Dragon’s dead eyes were especially funny. After all that swagger, he had finally ended up like this? What a hilarious thing.

I gave a faint laugh and leaned back.

*****

We continued on like that for a long while, until night.

I was about to train with Sword Emperor as usual. Since there was no longer any need to watch anyone’s reaction, I thought it was convenient.

“I am Peng Dojun of the Peng Family. I greet the great senior Sword Emperor.”

Peng Dojun suddenly popped out and greeted him.

What the hell was this bastard?

When Sword Emperor sent him a faintly interested look, Peng Dojun spoke.

“I would like to receive a lesson.”

“Hm.”

It was a bold statement. At those words, Sword Emperor tilted his head slightly.

“Blade God’s grandson.”

“That is correct.”

Blade God Peng Seolhyuk. A man who had died during the war. He must have been one of Sword Emperor’s comrades.

“You resemble him.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

“You think that was a compliment?”

“Yes.”

A bold answer. Even after learning that Sword Emperor was Sword Emperor, Peng Dojun did not seem particularly intimidated.

Sword Emperor looked at me.

“What do you want me to do?”

“Pardon? Me?”

“Yes. This is currently the time I use to train you. May I spare the sword for him?”

“Ah, yes. That’s fine.”

I never expected him to ask me something like that.

At my answer, Sword Emperor nodded and pointed his sword at Peng Dojun.

“Come.”

The moment permission fell, Peng Dojun’s body shot upward. Wrapped fully in ink-black hard aura, he charged at Sword Emperor, but...

The result was obvious.

“Gah.”

Peng Dojun was flung back and slammed into a tree. As he sprawled out with a thud, Sword Emperor spoke.

“Not bad. So this is what the Heavenly Martial Body feels like. You are certainly sturdy compared to your realm. However, reduce the habit of trusting your exceptional body and charging in like an idiot. Joints and muscles that are flexible despite your size exist not to easily pass off impact, but to create a sharper offensive.”

“...Thank you.”

After lightly giving Peng Dojun his lesson, Sword Emperor looked elsewhere.

“Come out.”

“...”

This time, Yu Yeon, Cloud Dragon, and Poison Dragon appeared. I knew they had been watching in secret. No, not really in secret. Strictly speaking, they had been openly watching.

“There is not much time. I have something to teach today.”

Sssss.

A faint pressure rose from Sword Emperor’s body.

“Come all at once.”

Even if they were younger-generation prodigies, martial artists were still martial artists.

At the fact that a being beyond heaven was giving them instruction, all three focused and rushed in.

Watching that, I took one step back.

...Something about this.

It was strange, seeing all of them become so passionate.

Sword Emperor accepting it was unexpected too.

I had thought he was the kind of man who would find this annoying and refuse.

Several more days passed like that.

Days of training, repeated over and over.

We moved during the day and swung swords with Sword Emperor at night.

“Be careful with how you use energy.”

“...”

My body could not use large amounts of energy. Whenever I tried to use energy past a certain point, Sword Emperor would strike me. Thanks to that, it actually helped with practicing compression.

Another day passed. Then two more.

Xinjiang was an extremely barren land. We traveled for a long while through a space made entirely of forests and cliffs.

“That must be it.”

Sword Emperor said that while driving the horse. I could see something in the distance. Buildings had been constructed around a massive mountain range.

Demon Dragon Cave.

We had finally arrived at the county managed by the Heavenly Demon’s Holy Cult.

*****

Demon Dragon Cave.

It was a place personally established and managed by the Heavenly Demon from two generations ago, and could be seen as an urban center under the Heavenly Demon’s Holy Cult.

Most of its people could not leave Xinjiang, and countless people had been born and raised there.

Apparently, most Demonic Cultists who entered the Heavenly Demon’s Holy Cult came from Demon Dragon Cave. It was said to be strange, if anything, for outsiders to enter.

That was true.

Who would come all the way here?

What I had realized after traveling for months was that coming to Xinjiang was an extremely demanding schedule.

I felt like I somewhat understood why the Young Cult Leader had reached Henan once and then had not returned.

If you went out from here, returning would also take ages. I understood wanting to get everything done before going back if you had some kind of scheme.

“Who are you?”

When we arrived at the entrance, the gatekeepers stopped us.

The one who moved first was Mi Yeonhwa.

Wrapped in a cloak, she approached and took a black token from inside her clothes.

“Gasp...!!!”

The gatekeepers who saw it were shocked and immediately showed proper respect.

“...We greet a great one of the Demonic Cult.”

[Open the gate. These are people I must bring in.]

At Mi Yeonhwa’s words, the gate opened at once. It seemed the Eight Demons title still had an effect.

Are we going to the Holy Cult now?

Not bad. It felt as if the long journey had reached its end.

Thinking that, the carriage moved. I did not board it. I meant to get down and walk.

The carriage entered, and the party entered.

I watched them and was just about to enter as well.

Craaaackle—!!!!

“...?”

Before I entered the gate, lightning energy burst.

“Huh?”

“...Hm?”

I stopped in the middle of entering and looked at my hand.

Heat was burning.

What is this?

...What the hell was this now?

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