The World’s Greatest is Dead

The World’s Greatest is Dead – Chapter 162

We had started the journey towards the main headquarters. The distance from the location of the Blue Moon Sect to the headquarters wasn’t very far.

Even at the longest, it would take two days. Being in the same Henan province, though the actual distances varied, it was certain that they would arrive within two days at the latest.

Today, having passed one day, was around the time the second day had just begun.

“Elder, when do you think we’ll reach our destination?!”

I asked Chu Dong. In the past, I wouldn’t have dared to ask due to a lack of guts, but having spent a few months together, I could now ask such questions.

Hearing my words, Chu Dong, who was sitting at the coach seat, laughed heartily and replied, “It seems we have about two to three hours left.”

“Well…”

Two to three hours, not much time left when considered. Calculating that, I relaxed into the seat of the carriage.

‘… To think I would end up coming here.’

The location of the headquarters was the heart of Henan, a place considered one of the centers, where the Shaolin, one of the Nine Great Sects, resided.

It was the focal point of the righteous sects and could only be visited by the crème de la crème of the Murim Alliance. I found it oddly surreal to be heading there.

『Are you excited?』

I suppressed a laugh at Yu Chun-gil’s question. Excited, he asked?

‘Not a chance.’

I was tense to the point of death.

‘… Am I really going to the headquarters?’

While in Anhui, I felt a sense of relief about becoming part of the Murim Alliance.

Although I had joined under special circumstances, I thought that as long as I obtained what I needed, the rest of my life would be at least comfortable.

‘It would have been enough if it ended there.’

No matter how much, I had not expected this extent.

Suddenly entangled with an evil spirit that demanded becoming The World’s Greatest, or threatened with death if martial arts weren’t mastered, forcing my stage to rise involuntarily, and now, heading towards a place I thought impossible to reach—the headquarters.

‘… Is this really right?’

How did my life end up this way?

‘Tsk.’

I had tried to live a decent life, but I had never imagined it would come to this. ‘Will it turn out well?’

The Dragon-Phoenix Tournament. This was the reason I was heading to the headquarters and, I furrowed my brow, recalled my concern.

‘What could Divine Spear be thinking?’

The current Alliance Leader and one of the few who were active members of Heaven Beyond Heaven.

It was mysterious why he, the Divine Spear, had summoned me.

Surely, ‘He’s not calling me to mess with me, right?’

I doubted that such a supreme master who had reached the peak would use his authority for that purpose.

But, ‘Considering what that old man has done, it’s possible.’

The possibility was enough to make me anxious.

‘Sigh…’

Swallowing a breath laced with worry, I was about to close my eyes when, a voice caught my attention.

“Are you nervous?”

I turned my gaze to see a handsome face. It was Chun Uijin.

“… Lying about it would be dishonest, wouldn’t it? This is my first time participating in such a large festival after all.”

“Ha ha ha. It’s nothing special. Though it’s called a grand festival, there’s no need to be nervous at all.”

“Ah, yes…”

As I replied, I glanced at Chun Uijin’s legs.

“… Then would that statement also apply to Young master Chun?”

“Pardon? Yes, of course!”

Chun Uijin answered confidently, but seeing him, I wore an expression of slight disbelief.

‘Then stop shaking your legs, for goodness’ sake…’

Underneath his composed face, Chun Uijin was shaking his legs furiously—a clear sign of his nervousness contrasting his words.

Although telling me it was fine, it seemed more like he was speaking to himself.

He appeared to be saying it to his own benefit as well. Among everyone in the carriage, Chun Uijin seemed the most nervous. The others, not so much.

‘Everyone seems calm.’

Do Hyung was leaning on the window sill, gazing out, while Chun Hye-In sat in an upright posture with her eyes closed.

As for Tang Chun-il, as usual, wore a dissatisfied expression as he chewed on his tongue.

We traveled for nearly a whole day in that state.

‘Hmm.’

Recalling that, I looked towards Chun Hye-In.

Ever since entering the carriage, she had closed her eyes and remained silent, not even conversing with Chun Uijin, whom she had recommended.

It was Chun Uijin who took heed of her presence.

‘She asked me not to mention it, but I wonder why.’

Chun Hye-In had requested not to disclose that it was her recommendation to include Chun Uijin, even considering it as part of the terms.

Thus, I hadn’t bothered to explain it to Chun Uijin, but ‘It doesn’t seem like they have a good relationship.’

It was already known that the relationship between the siblings was poor. Yet, Chun Hye-In wanting to bring Chun Uijin to the Dragon-Phoenix Tournament baffled me.

‘Is there something to it?’

I wondered if there was any hidden intent. But, ‘Right now, is not the time to worry about those things.’

I was too preoccupied to concern myself with that. Removing my gaze from Chun Hye-In, I looked at my hand, which held a stack of letters.

These were the items sent by the Virtuous Moon Sword before our departure.

The item was also one that ‘he’ had requested.

“It was something I received by asking the faction.”

These detailed pieces of information were on the seven demonic swords, currently the most notable figures in the Central Plains.

They were deeper than what was commonly accessible.

‘I examined them page by page.’

‘Depending on the time, around two or three hours remained.’

That should be enough to memorize everything. Just as I thought that and tried to read further,

Yu Chun-gil’s voice echoed.

『Look outside the window.』

Listening to the words, I frowned.

‘Outside the window?’

Why was he suddenly asking about looking there?

Turning my gaze outside the window,

‘There was nothing out of the ordinary.’

Absolutely nothing particularly strange caught my eye.

What was I supposed to see? Was this some kind of prank? Just as I was about to retract my head,

“It seems you noticed too.”

“What?”

I heard Chun Hye-In’s voice.

Noticed? Noticed what?

I looked at Do Hyung, unable to comprehend, and he had already been observing the outside.

Clank.

He placed his hand on the sword hanging at his waist.

What was going on?

I wondered if I was the only one not understanding, but luckily Chun Uijin and the Poison Dragon also seemed clueless.

“Coming.”

Do Hyung spoke.

And then,

“Masters! There’s something ahead!”

Chu Dong shouted. His words made me peer out the window again.

It was then that I finally saw it.

‘That…’

There was a carriage up ahead.

Moreover, it was enormous.

The carriage provided by the Blue Moon Sect was already remarkably large, but this one surpassed even that.

Three black horses were aligned in front of the pitch-black carriage.

And then,

‘That crest.’

The flag fluttering atop the carriage, with a black dragon drawn on a white background.

Anyone from the Central Plains wouldn’t fail to recognize it.

That was…

‘…the Peng Family?’

The undeniable power in Hebei.

A renowned family of the righteous factions and one of the five great families of Central Plains.

It was the emblem of the Peng Family in Hebei.

* * *

The Peng Family of Hebei was one of the righteous families located there and was named among the five great families, serving as a pillar of the righteous factions.

Renowned for their profound mastery in the outer martial arts, they were steeped in brutal rumors, such as being,

‘Ignorant.’

Or excessively aggressive.

Despite being seen as a respected family, they nevertheless carried somewhat violent associations.

‘… Why is it here?’

Why, indeed, was such a Peng Family carriage here of all places?

As I curiously stared out the window, our carriage approached closer, gradually slowing down.

There was a presence. Which meant there were people, so that meant,

‘They were blocking the path, knowing we were approaching.’

What was this? A feeling of unease crept over me.

『The Peng Family.』

Yu Chun-gil spoke, seeming rather amused.

『The Blade God. From that very family.』

At Yu Chun-gil’s words, I secretly swallowed hard.

The Blade God, Peng Sul-hyuk.

A master from the Peng Family and a member of Heaven Beyond Heaven, he fell during the war with the Demonic Cult.

Hiiing.

Our carriage came to a complete halt.

As soon as it stopped, Chu Dong disembarked, dragging his small frame towards the Peng Family’s side.

“Uh, excuse me… We need to pass. Could you kindly allow us through?”

He asked cautiously, but just as he thought there would be no response,

The coachman from that side spoke.

“Apologies, but our master has not given permission, so we cannot move.”

‘What kind of nonsense is that?’

The gibberish made its way to my ears. Was that a real response?

Without permission, they couldn’t clear the way?

Who did they think they were, bandits?

As I knitted my brows in irritation and was about to alight from the carriage,

Creak.

The Peng Family’s carriage door opened first.

And then,

Thud-!

A massive foot stepped out, stomping the ground with authority.

“Whew.”

With a deep sigh, someone hefty struggled out from the carriage.

Creeeak.

“Ah, dear.”

As they bowed their head while emerging, there came a noise from the carriage door. It cracked.

“…… This is troublesome. You’ve broken it again.”

The figure spoke as they emerged.

As I watched him, I widened my eyes.

‘He’s big.’

He was large—too large.

His stature matched that of Yu Chun-gil.

He wasn’t just tall; he was altogether enormous.

The figure was a young man in black martial attire, so large that even a sizable door seemed small in comparison.

“Pardon me.”

His face had bold features, with a handsome, rugged appearance.

The young man with broad shoulders stood sturdily as he spoke to Chu Dong.

“I have some business over there, so it seems I have inadvertently blocked the way.”

‘…… That guy?’

Watching the young man talk to Chu Dong, I realized something.

I felt like I knew who he was.

His appearance matched exactly what was described in the letter I had read.

That guy, for sure.

“Ho……”

“Black Greatsword!”

“Huh?”

Before I could say anything, someone beside me bolted from the carriage.

It was Tang Chun-il.

What’s with him?

I looked at Tang Chun-il in bewilderment, but he had already stepped out of the carriage.

“You!”

“Huh?”

The young man reacted to the abrupt emergence of Tang Chun-il.

“Oh, what is this.”

After confirming it was Tang Chun-il, he smiled brightly.

“So, you’re the foolish one from the Tang family. I didn’t expect to see you here. How delightful.”

‘…… Wow.’

He threw out a threatening remark.

Calling him a fool.

‘What brutal objectivity.’

I felt slightly more fond of him.

“…… You bastard!!”

Tang Chun-il’s face twisted at the young man.

The young man’s identity was someone from the Peng family, quite a renowned individual.

Black Greatsword Peng Dojin.

He was one of the Seven Geniuses of the Central Plains.

‘I wondered why that guy acted like that.’

It turned out he had a bad relationship with the Poison Dragon, Tang Chun-il.

Understandably so.

‘…… Was it said he won with one strike?’

It was that giant who had crushed the Poison Dragon in the last Dragon-Phoenix Tournament.

“How curious. Why are you here?”

“…… You wretched thing. I’ll kill you!”

“Oh.”

When Tang Chun-il tried to unleash his energy, Peng Dojin nodded in impressed acknowledgment.

At that moment.

Bang-!

Tang Chun-il engulfed himself in his aura and rushed forward.

His presence became faint. He had coated himself in his poison martial arts and charged forward.

Was he going to fight suddenly?

In the midst of the unexpected situation, as confusion began to rise.

“What a bothersome thing.”

Peng Dojin spoke as if it were troublesome.

“You are still.”

Whoosh-!!

He clenched his fist.

“A fool.”

Effortlessly.

Thud–!!!

“Gah!”

He slammed down on the rushing Tang Chun-il’s face.

Tang Chun-il, hit directly in the face, was driven into the ground.

Oh, damn.

‘Is he dead?’

It seemed his cheek was shattered.

The sight of him trembling, embedded in the ground, was unsightly.

Furthermore.

‘He destroyed him in one strike……?’

The Black Greatsword had crushed the Poison Dragon with a single blow.

The skill difference was starkly apparent.

It could not even be called a bout. The situation had been concluded as swiftly as a whisper, leaving the air silent.

Thud.

Stepping over the fallen Tang Chun-il, the Black Greatsword approached me.

“I have some questions.”

He seemed utterly uninterested in or unfazed by the fight with Tang Chun-il just moments ago.

“This seems to be the Blue Moon Sect’s carriage. I wondered if the person I’m looking for might be inside.”

As he drew nearer, my eyes narrowed.

His presence was extraordinary.

Yet, the bigger problem was with what he was about to say.

“The… what was the name… Ah, yes.”

He spoke the words.

“Bang Sung-Yun.”

‘Huh?’

“Little Sword Saint Bang Sung-Yun. Is he there?”

The Black Greatsword who had just crushed Tang Chun-il.

Was looking for me.