Star Instructor, Master Baek

TL: FoodieMonster007

The students who spotted Baek Suryong from afar shouted excitedly.

"MR. BAAAAAEK!"

"I-Is that really you, sir?"

"See? I told you he'd be fine!"

The faces of the exhausted students, who had been dragging their feet like the walking dead, lit up as they instantly transformed into lost puppies wagging their tails excitedly at being reunited with their master.

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WHOOSH!

Hyonwon Kang was the first to arrive, but as soon as he neared Baek Suryong, he screeched to a halt and suspiciously scrutinized him from head to toe.

Baek Suryong blinked in confusion. "What on earth are you talking about?"

"You look way too normal… DIE!"

Hyonwon Kang drew his dao and attacked Baek Suryong.

Dumbfounded, Baek Suryong gaped at the blade swooping down on him. Has this punk finally lost his mind? Well, at least his blade technique seems to have improved. He hasn't been slacking off on his training.

Effortlessly dodging the blade, he circled behind Hyonwon Kang, swiftly pulled out the Black Dragon Pointer, and smacked the boy on the top of the head.

BONK!

"Gah! This tingling sensation… It's definitely the Baek Suryong trademark head massage…"

Lying sprawled on the ground, Hyonwon Kang clutched his head and looked up. Tears welled up in his eyes from the pain, but it seemed he was finally convinced that Baek Suryong was real.

"Sigh, whatever…" Baek Suryong sighed, shaking his head. Wonkang being weird wasn't exactly a new thing.

Meanwhile, Wiji Cheon, Yeo Min, Geo Sangwoong, and Ya Suhyeok also arrived and surrounded Baek Suryong with worried expressions on their faces.

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"Mr. Baek!"

"Are you okay?"

"We were so worried when we heard about the Blood Cult's attack on the Namgung Clan…"

"Were you injured?"

"As you can see, I'm fine," Baek Suryong replied, feeling so moved that he patted their heads… though Geo Sangwoong and Ya Suhyeok were too tall, so he just patted their shoulders instead.

However, halfway through the teary reunion, a sudden thought occurred to him.

Narrowing his eyes, he stared intently at the students. "Wait. You guys. What about class? You do realize you need to meet a minimum attendance requirement to take part in the Heavenly Martial Festival, right?"

"Is class really important right now?"

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"The Blood Cult attacked the Namgung Clan! The Murim Alliance and the academy are in chaos!"

"All classes have been suspended indefinitely."

"We couldn't just do nothing…"

The students chattered like sparrows, making all sorts of excuses for why they were missing school.

Sighing, Baek Suryong calmed them down, saying, "One at a time, please. One at a time."

Hyonwon Kang, who had been groaning in the corner, jumped to his feet and muttered under his breath, "Fuck, I was going to use this chance to finally get one over him…"

For some reason, he seemed to think that Baek Suryong wouldn't hear him, but unfortunately for him, his teacher had a strange knack for catching any insult directed at him even amid a cacophony of voices.

"What was that?" Baek Suryong snapped.

"Eek!" Hyonwon Kang quickly covered his mouth and tried to run away, but Baek Suryong's figure vanished like smoke and reappeared in front of him.

Damn it! He's gotten even faster! Hyonwon Kang screamed inwardly as Baek Suryong approached him.

"No wonder you came running at me with a crazy look on your face. You didn't come here because you were worried about me, but because you wanted to hit me, huh?"

"N-No, that's not it. Of course, helping you was more important… Hitting you was just… an afterthought…"

"Wonkang. Today is the day you die."

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"Gah! That hurts! I said that HURTSSSSS!"

The teacher and student's bickering immediately drew laughter from the other instructors and students.

After teasing Hyonwon Kang for a while, Baek Suryong chuckled and let him go.

I'm home.

Although they hadn't reached the Azure Dragon Academy yet, he already felt as if he was home.

"Haah…" A deep gloom settled over Noh Goonsang's face.

After all the exhausted students had finally fallen into a deep sleep, Namgung Su had told the three senior Azure Dragon instructors the truth about what had happened to the Namgung Clan.

CRACKLE, CRACKLE…

Staring at the blazing campfire, Noh Goonsang let out yet another sigh. "You never really know a person, do you? Even though we were friends for decades…"

Noh Goonsang and Blue Sky Sword King Namgung Jaehak had not only been close friends for many years, but they were also comrades who had fought together in the war against the Blood Cult. Even then, he had no idea that the Blue Sky Sword King had done something that an orthodox martial artist should never do.

Who could have thought? That one of the Ten Supremes and the respected former patriarch of the world's strongest clan, the Blue Sky Sword King, would act no differently from an evil unorthodox fiend?

Noh Goonsang took a long moment to process his emotions, before finally saying to Namgung Su, "Thank you for telling us the truth. Revealing your family's secrets couldn't have been easy."

"…No, the truth will definitely come out eventually. My family just needs a little bit more time before they are ready to make an official announcement."

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Noh Goonsang nodded. "Understood. I won't speak of what I heard today, and I trust you two will do the same?"

"Of course."

"…Certainly."

Vice Principal Kwak Cheolwoo and Headmaster Mae Geuklyom, who had been listening quietly, nodded gravely. All three had lived in the same era as the Blue Sky Sword King, so the news came as a great shock to them.

As the mood turned somber, Noh Goonsang tried to change the subject. "Let's stop talking about this now. Anyway, it's good that you all returned safely. And…"

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Noh Goonsang's gaze fell upon Baek Suryong. It was unbelievable. The young man's aura seemed to grow much stronger every time he saw him.

"Mr. Baek, just how much stronger do you want to get?" he asked.

"I had a lucky encounter," Baek Suryong replied.

"Didn't you say something similar a while back?"

Baek Suryong scratched his head awkwardly. "Well, I guess I built up a lot of good karma in my previous life."

"Hohoho!" Noh Goonsang burst into hearty laughter. While he might have envied Baek Suryong's rapid growth in his younger days, he had moved beyond such feelings. Ultimately, martial arts was a battle against oneself, and even the most extraordinary encounter could only be grasped by those who were ready to accept it.

Nevertheless, as a senior martial artist, he couldn't help but want to give Baek Suryong some advice.

"It's good that your inner arts are growing more profound, but make sure to strengthen your physical body accordingly," he nagged.

Normally, a martial artist's external and internal arts developed in harmony over a long period of time. However, as Baek Suryong's Heaven Defying Divine Art was advancing too rapidly, he hadn't had time to train his body to match his inner arts.

The only reason he had been able to keep his body from exploding so far was because he had the world's most powerful external art, the Eighteen Strikes of the Viridian Forest, but even that was a delicate balancing act.

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"Of course, I know you already know that. Still, even though you've mastered such incredible martial arts at your age, I get the feeling that it's not enough for you. Aren't you getting a little too impatient?"

"……"

"Don't rush. A building with poor foundations will eventually collapse, and running too fast is no less dangerous."

"Thank you." Baek Suryong clasped his hands together to express his gratitude.

Of course, he was keenly aware of his own physical condition, but still, it wasn't easy to quell his impatience.

We never know when or how the Blood Cult will reappear.

The Blood Cult had made their intentions clear by attacking the Namgung Clan. In just one simple move, they had demonstrated their unimaginable strength, reminding the murim of a terror it had long forgotten.

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If he hadn't found the flute and intervened, an even greater catastrophe would have befallen the land.

This is only the beginning.

Baek Suryong didn't know when, but the Blood Cult would definitely act up again.

This time, he wanted to stop them.

He wanted to avenge Master Eun and the others who had died while escaping the Blood Cult.

He wanted to protect the happiness he had finally found.

And to do that, he needed to become much stronger.

His impatience was a reflection of that obsession.

Even so, I must not rush.

There was nothing to be gained by rushing. He'd thought he knew that better than anyone, but it seemed that he'd let his emotions get the better of him.

"I will take your advice to heart," he added, sincerely grateful for the reminder.

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"Hoho, I'm the one who's honored to advise a man who may become the world's strongest…"

"Principal, I think that's enough. I'm worried that your excessive praise might make him arrogant," Mae Geuklyom cut in, frowning.

"Hoho, does it matter? Do you think your grandson could get any more cocky than he already is, Sword Addict?"

"That's true, but…"

Baek Suryong sulked. Are these two old men praising me or insulting me?

Just then, Namgung Su, who had been listening quietly, asked, "What about the academy?"

"It's in chaos."

As news of the Blood Cult's resurrection had spread like wildfire, the entire murim was now on edge. The Murim Alliance had even contacted all of its affiliated sects and clans, as well as the Five Great Academies, issuing them advisory letters.

Noh Goonsang sighed softly, "We received an official notice from the Murim Alliance. They asked us to suspend all outdoor activities and cooperate in rooting out any spies that might be hidden among the instructors and students. Many families have also requested us to send their children home. I'm afraid we won't be able to hold classes properly for a while, maybe even a month…"

Pung Jinho must be trembling in fear right now, Baek Suryong thought amusedly.

Namgung Su furrowed his brows. "Then, is there a possibility that this year's Heavenly Martial Festival will be cancelled?"

Baek Suryong stiffened.

Thankfully, Noh Goonsang shook his head. "I doubt it. Even if the Murim Alliance Chairman wanted that, the Principal of the Heavenly Martial Academy wouldn't allow it."

Since most of the high-ranking members of the Murim Alliance were his former students, the Principal of the Heavenly Martial Academy wielded authority comparable to that of the Murim Alliance Chairman.

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Mae Geuklyom nodded in agreement. "As long as an all-out war with the Blood Cult does not break out, the Heavenly Martial Festival will proceed as planned."

Vice Principal Kwak Cheolwoo added, "In fact, they'll probably make it even more extravagant than in previous years. The Murim Alliance chairman simply hates the idea of bowing to pressure from the unorthodox sects."

The other two nodded in agreement.

Baek Suryong sighed in relief. At least the Heavenly Martial Festival wouldn't be cancelled just because the Blood Cult reappeared. This was good news for the Azure Dragon Academy, who had staked everything on this year's festival.

…Hmm?

Suddenly, an idea struck him.

"Um, Principal?" he asked abruptly, "Could I delay my return to the academy for a bit?"

"All of a sudden?"

"Yes. If I can't continue my practical lessons when I get back anyway…" Baek Suryong glanced at the sleeping students, a mischievous grin slowly spreading across his face. "…I thought it might be a good idea to take the kids out for some training while we're out here."

"Training? Where?" Noh Goonsang asked curiously.

Baek Suryong pointed into the distance.

Noh Goonsang looked where he was pointing. In that direction was Mount Tianzhu, the mountain devastated by the clash between two supreme masters.

"I was thinking of taking them to the mountains."

"The mountains?"

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Baek Suryong recalled a story Maeng Ho'ak once told him. It was one of the Bandit King's more interesting tales from a lifetime of roaming the mountains.

"Sometimes, a natural disaster will destroy a sacred mountain. The spirit beasts that live in hiding within those mountains will then begin to migrate in search of a new home. Normally, even I would have a hard time finding them, but when they migrate, they have no choice but to move around, so it's much easier."

Lucky me, remembering that story at a time like this! Though it may not be so lucky for the kids…

"I thought I'd give the kids some field experience, and maybe even try to catch some spirit beasts."

"Hoho! A spirit beast hunt? That sounds fun," Noh Goonsang chuckled lightheartedly, seeming to think that Baek Suryong was joking. After all, catching a spirit beast wasn't easy, and even encountering a spirit beast in the mountains was a miraculous encounter in and of itself.

After a moment's thought, he nodded. "Alright, I'll grant you permission, but don't take too long. Come back within two weeks. I think we'll be able to resume classes normally by then."

"Thank you." Baek Suryong bowed his head slightly, grinning from ear to ear.

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"By the way, shouldn't you ask the students for their opinions first?"

"Why bother? They're fast asleep. I'll just 'persuade' them when they wake up tomorrow."

"…Okay, that works!"

Unfortunately for the students, their fate was sealed by the Principal's nonchalance.

"Oh! Sometimes though, the spirit beasts who suddenly lose their homes will transform into demonic beasts."

That night, all of the students had nightmares.

It was probably because they were exhausted.