The Price of Renown
Hearing my words, Yoo Chun-gil curled the corners of his lips upward.
His stiff expression softened back to his usual mischievous self.
But my face remained grim.
he asked.
He acted as if he had no idea what I was talking about. I let out a dry chuckle.
"The incident at the Secret Vault. You knew all along, didn't you?"
My journey to Dok-jon's Secret Vault.
And the chaos that ensued there. Could Yoo Chun-gil really have been ignorant of it all? No, I didn't think so.
"You knew everything, but you didn't tell me."
He knew.
He knew they would come to the Secret Vault.
He knew, yet he chose to keep me in the dark.
"Am I wrong?"
Yoo Chun-gil's eyes narrowed further.
Neither denying nor admitting it. That attitude of his was incredibly grating.
Just as I grimaced, preparing to press him further—
Yoo Chun-gil asked.
Why did I think that?
Well, obviously.
"Because of how you acted when you tried to stop me."
At every critical juncture right before things went south, Yoo Chun-gil had tried to hold me back with his words.
That wouldn't make sense unless he already knew what was coming.
Yoo Chun-gil knew the incident would happen.
Which meant he deliberately let it play out.
Why?
I didn't focus on the action itself.
The reason behind it was what always mattered.
So, why did Yoo Chun-gil do it?
The motive behind letting this happen despite knowing the consequences.
I tried to piece it together, and it didn't take long to realize.
The answer was already hidden in the words he had spoken to me in the past.
He...
...had told me to become the World's Greatest.
If so, did becoming the World's Greatest simply mean he wanted me to be strong?
No.
That couldn't be it.
If his goal was that simple, the path he had guided me on so far made no sense.
If he just wanted me to be strong, he would have just made me train.
Why go through the trouble of causing all these incidents?
Yoo Chun-gil clearly had a specific agenda he wanted to achieve through me.
And this incident must be connected to it.
If so...
...what is the closest thing to the truth among the possible reasons?
He knew of the enemy's raid but chose to ignore it.
He stayed quiet even as the battle raged.
Only at the very end did he possess my body to deal with the enemy.
Was there really a need to go that far?
No.
If he had given me a hint to warn the Poison King in some way...
...or if I had known in advance, we might not have stopped it completely, but we could have minimized the damage.
Yet Yoo Chun-gil said nothing.
Why?
I ran through several possibilities in my head, but they all converged on a single conclusion.
"You wanted to hand me renown on a silver platter, didn't you?"
Renown.
Or a reputation.
That was likely Yoo Chun-gil's intention.
'You must become the Young Sect Leader of Cheongwol Gate.'
That was what Yoo Chun-gil had demanded of me before telling me to become the World's Greatest.
Becoming the Young Sect Leader of Cheongwol Gate.
That was my immediate goal, but the crucial problem was...
...I have nothing to my name to claim that position.
I lacked the foundation to even dream of taking that seat.
Awakening the Moon Eye?
Being the successor of the Sword Saint?
Those qualifications existed, but they weren't enough on their own.
The most critical issue was...
...my lack of presence.
My presence and renown were far too weak for someone claiming to be the successor of the Sword Saint.
Compared to the other candidates for Young Sect Leader, not only did I show up late, but my reputation was also the shallowest.
Defeating the Little Blue Sword?
He was just a rising star, not even one of the Seven Great Talents.
He might be comparable to them, but unless he was actually one of the Seven Great Talents, it was meaningless.
Besides...
...even though rumors are spreading that I am the successor of the Sword Saint.
I knew the rumors were slowly circulating, riding on Yoo Chun-gil's legendary name.
But it was still too slow.
Even if the rumors spread to every corner of the land, it would mean nothing if I had no achievements to show for it.
That was why.
Is that why he pulled a stunt like this?
Was that the reason behind Yoo Chun-gil's scheme?
To gain renown much faster.
Palduyeok, was it? He was clearly an extraordinary master.
If word got out that I had defeated such a man, my rise to fame would skyrocket.
If he truly did all this with that in mind...
"...What on earth are you?"
I had to re-evaluate the entity known as Yoo Chun-gil.
"What is your ultimate goal?"
I could understand doing this for the sake of renown.
Or rather, I would try to understand it.
But.
"Those bastards were involved in your death."
The Heaven-Destroying Palace had directly mentioned Yoo Chun-gil's death.
He must have heard it loud and clear.
"Why are you staying so quiet?"
Why was Yoo Chun-gil reacting like this?
He was completely unbothered, calm, and detached.
It was as if the only thing that mattered to him was me.
How could he be like that?
"You clearly asked me to look into the truth behind your death."
The truth of his demise.
Despite asking me to investigate it...
"...why do you seem so indifferent?"
In reality, Yoo Chun-gil seemed almost entirely detached from it.
Even now.
His eyes looked as if he were listening to someone else's story.
His gaze was fixed solely on me, interested only in my words.
I absolutely detested that.
"What is your goal? You don't actually care about your own death at all, do you?"
He didn't care about his own death.
As I asked, keeping that thought in mind—
Yoo Chun-gil suddenly chuckled.
Watching him, my eyes narrowed instinctively.
He chuckled, but only the corners of his lips turned up; his eyes remained cold and unsmiling.
It was chilling.
A thought that crossed my mind whenever I looked at him.
A cold scent.
The scent of death.
It wasn't just because he was a ghost.
It was a sensation that naturally washed over me whenever I looked at Yoo Chun-gil.
He was always close to death.
Just like me.
"...Ha..."
Dying because of weakness.
A dry laugh escaped my lips at his simple, yet stark philosophy.
"So you really didn't care from the start?"
Yoo Chun-gil clicked his tongue softly and added:
"..."
Something more important than the truth of his own death.
"What on earth is it, then?"
What could possibly make him act like this?
I asked, gritting my teeth.
Yoo Chun-gil looked at me and said:
"...The moon?"
It was incomprehensible.
The Blue Moon Sword Dance, created based on the moon in the night sky.
Did he mean I should master it and grow strong?
I couldn't tell.
Then—
As if reading my mind, Yoo Chun-gil continued.
Yoo Chun-gil's gaze was intense. It practically burned.
"..."
His words pierced right through my defenses.
It was a truth we both knew, even if we had never spoken it aloud.
"...Even if something like this happens again in the process?"
Situations like the Secret Vault, where I was put in direct danger against my will.
When I asked if there would be more situations like that—
Yoo Chun-gil laughed heartily. Unlike before, this was a genuine laugh.
There was a fierce edge to his voice.
Just as I was about to retort—
"..."
Yoo Chun-gil's words forced me to shut my mouth.
Because he was right.
I had already been aware of it.
Even if I hadn't known an enemy of that caliber would raid the Secret Vault.
I knew Yoo Chun-gil was plotting something regarding the vault.
Even when he made a move on the Poison King.
I knew a bigger storm was brewing.
Yet, despite knowing, I hadn't pried too deeply.
The reason?
To be perfectly honest...
...because it would benefit me in some way.
Whatever he did, the end result always ended up helping me.
The Great Pill was one example, and there were countless others.
This time was no different.
If he's plotting something...
...I figured it would ultimately benefit me.
That was why I had chosen to just watch and wait.
In other words...
...I'm just as bad as him.
I was no different from Yoo Chun-gil. I knew that all too well.
So, rather than asking why he did it...
...I had asked what his goal was.
Yoo Chun-gil, who showed no interest in his own death.
I had only asked because I found that strange.
Yoo Chun-gil called out to me.
"...So you're telling me not to ask?"
Yoo Chun-gil stepped closer. He was right in front of my face.
I'll tell you eventually, so keep your mouth shut for now.
That was what he meant.
"So since you helped me get what I wanted, I should just accept it?"
Tap, tap. Yoo Chun-gil's large hand patted my shoulder.
Since he was a ghost, he didn't actually touch me. He was merely mimicking the gesture.
"..."
Having said that, Yoo Chun-gil walked past me.
I stood there in silence, not saying a word.
Then—
Yoo Chun-gil paused and spoke to me.
"...?"
Confused by the sudden congratulations, I looked toward him with a puzzled expression.
But by then, Yoo Chun-gil had already vanished.
"Young Master Bang?"
The only one left there was Dang Ye-ran, looking at me with concern.
"...Are you alright?"
"...Ah."
At her question, I forced my expression to soften.
Of course.
"I'm fine."
Even though I tried to control it, I couldn't completely hide my unease.
"Let's go back. It seems... our walk is over."
I spoke to Dang Ye-ran, trying to hide my discomfort.
She nodded, though her eyes still held a trace of worry.
What was he congratulating me for?
What on earth did Yoo Chun-gil mean by that?
I wondered about it as we walked.
But the meaning of his words became clear before even a single day had passed.
By the time the sun set and evening arrived.
"...What?"
I stopped mid-bite and stared at Cheon Ui-jin.
"I'm a what?"
When I asked with a dumbfounded face, Cheon Ui-jin replied, looking incredibly excited.
"The Little Sword Saint. That is what people are calling you now, Young Master Bang."
"..."
Late that evening.
I had suddenly acquired a title.