Star Instructor, Master Baek

Chapter 182: Hook, Line and Sinker

TL: FoodieMonster007

Seonwoo Jin carefully reread the contents of the poster, his face drained of color.

How on earth did they find out about all this…?

Every dirty deed he'd committed over the past three years was written there in black and white, even things he barely remembered. Secret beatdowns, blackmail, clandestine visits to brothels and gambling dens, everything.

Could there be a traitor among us?

For a moment, he suspected the BRS executives, but quickly dismissed the thought. Most of the incidents listed were things he'd done with them. If these facts became public, he wouldn't be the only one implicated.

RIIIIIP!

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Before he knew it, he'd torn the poster in half.

Startled, Seonwoo Jin spun around. A few unfamiliar looking students had gathered, their expressions curious.

Feeling a cold sweat break out on his forehead, he hastily explained, "Haha. Since it's such ridiculous nonsense, I tore it down so that it wouldn't upset the students who read it".

"Uh, okay," the students replied skeptically.

Seonwoo Jin felt a twinge of panic. Did they see it? How long has it been up? As martial artists, they could have easily read the poster from a distance if they had wanted to.

Masking his rising anxiety behind a confident front, he said, "You know how it is during election time. People will do anything to sway public opinion. The claims on this poster are such groundless nonsense that I shouldn't even have to address them…"

The students smiled and nodded.

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"Yes, of course. Rumors can't be trusted."

"We only believe what we see with our own eyes."

"Please don't worry about it."

Seonwoo Jin narrowed his eyes. He could see the insincerity in the students' expressions. It seemed that they had read the poster after all.

"So, does that mean the rumors about Candidate Hyonwon Kang are fake too? I saw a bunch of posters about him as well," a clueless student who couldn't read the room suddenly blurted out.

Alarmed, the clueless student's friend nudged him, whispering, "Hey, hey!"

Unfortunately, he remained oblivious. "What? Isn't it obvious both candidates are both putting up posters to smear each other? How are they any different? I'm not part of the Club Union, but this is just plain disgusting."

Enraged at having been lumped together with Hyonwon Kang, Seonwoo Jin could barely maintain a strained smile. "…Haha. Well, I'll be on my way."

As he briskly walked past the students, his face flushed red with shame. He had put a lot of effort into managing his reputation—not just to become the Club Union President, but also because he genuinely cared about how others saw him.

Fuck!

For years he had meticulously controlled his appearance, his clothes, his speech—everything. Now that his weaknesses had been exposed, he just wanted to crawl into a hole and hide.

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Those bastards… They're probably all gossiping about me right now.

Once the thought took root, he couldn't shake it. It felt like every student he passed was mocking him, laughing behind his back, their whispers cutting into his pride.

Clenching his teeth, he cursed inwardly, Hyonwon Kang, you must have a death wish.

After a moment's thought, Seonwoo Jin abandoned his plan to visit the PTA. Right now, it was more important to regroup at the Club Union and come up with a new strategy.

I need to calm down. I don't know how Hyonwon Kang found out about what I did, but there's no evidence. I've covered up my tracks and destroyed everything.

Every time he tried to reassure himself, though, the posters kept appearing before him.

RIP! RIIIIIIP!

Seonwoo Jin tore down every poster he came across. He knew full well that the same poster was plastered all over the Azure Dragon Academy, but he just couldn't bring himself to ignore them.

At some point, his frenzied motions turned into a desperate, aimless hunt for posters, his eyes burning with hatred.

When he found them in isolated areas, he tore them to shreds with fury.

When he found students around them, he took them down neatly, saying, "I swear on my honor that everything written here is false! I will find whoever posted these and hold them accountable!"

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Finally, he ended up hiding behind a deserted building, shredding a poster with all the force he could muster.

"That lowly mongrel… I'll kill him," he muttered.

"Who are you going to kill? Hyonwon Kang?" came a sudden voice from behind him.

Seonwoo Jin wheeled around in shock, only to see Baek Suryong standing there, a roguish smile playing on his lips.

How did he get this close without me realizing it? Seonwoo Jin scowled for a moment, but quickly smoothed his expression and put on a confused face. "Huh? What are you talking about…?"

"Stop pretending. I heard you loud and clear."

"Haha, you startled me by appearing behind me suddenly. I almost swung my sword, thinking you were an assassin," Seonwoo Jin said, his tone deliberately sharp. Sneaking up behind a martial artist was considered highly disrespectful in the murim, so by comparing Baek Suryong to an assassin, he was subtly criticizing him.

Baek Suryong shrugged nonchalantly, as if he hadn't picked up on Seonwoo Jin's hint. Fixing Seonwoo Jin with a piercing stare, he said, "Sorry. It seems I've picked up some bad habits while training Wonkang's instincts. By the way…"

Drawn into Baek Suryong's intense gaze, Seonwoo Jin suddenly felt a shiver run down his spine. Is it my imagination, or is there a slight red tint in Baek Suryong's eyes? Damn it…

Since his arrival at the Azure Dragon Academy, Baek Suryong's unconventional ways had stirred up all sorts of controversy and attracted a great deal of attention. Most recently, he had even slain the Bloody Ripper in the Valley of Evil, earning the title of Azure Dragon Hero.

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Still, that was it.

He's just a new instructor! No matter how impressive his martial prowess, Baek Suryong's standing at the Azure Dragon Academy is very low. I have no reason to be intimidated by him.

What Seonwoo Jin didn't know, however, was that Baek Suryong's influence went further than most people realized. Had he known about Baek Suryong's connections to Gongson Su and Pung Jinho, he would never have acted so arrogantly.

"Mr. Baek, is there something you wanted to say to me?" Seonwoo Jin asked, feigning innocence.

Baek Suryong smiled faintly. "You've been giving Wonkang a hard time lately, haven't you?"

"We're having a fair competition for the Club Union presidency," Seonwoo Jin replied, regaining his composure and smiling with practiced charm.

Baek Suryong frowned. "A fair competition? Don't those malicious rumors on the posters seem a tad too vicious for that?"

Playing the victim, Seonwoo Jin let out a heavy sigh. "You misunderstand, Mr. Baek. Those posters have nothing to do with me."

"Is that so? Then who's responsible?"

"I suspect it was one of my overly enthusiastic supporters, but I'm not sure yet. I'm also looking into it," Seonwoo Jin explained.

Deep down, though, his mind was racing. I'll create an escape route in case things go south. Now, even if the Club Union is revealed to have put up the posters, I can say that I didn't give the command.

Making a bitter expression, he continued, "Sigh, Candidate Hyonwon Kang must be really angry. It's a shame he didn't give me a chance to explain before retaliating…"

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"You know, you would've made a fine politician. It's a pity you're a martial artist," Baek Suryong remarked impassively, making it hard to tell if he was complimenting Seonwoo Jin or being sarcastic.

Seonwoo Jin smiled back with narrowed eyes. "Thank you, but I'm surprised you're so interested in a student election, Mr. Baek. I was under the impression that you teachers were already very busy with work, so you should prioritize that…"

Baek Suryong raised an eyebrow. Look at this? Is he reminding me that instructors shouldn't meddle in student affairs? Even practically demanding that he doesn't want me to get involved?

"Well, I'll be going now," Seonwoo Jin said, bowing and turning to leave. Since he had made his point so clearly, he assumed that Baek Suryong would definitely have to let him go quietly now.

That was a big miscalculation.

"Wait," Baek Suryong called out.

"Yes…?"

Baek Suryong glanced around as if to make sure that no one was nearby, then whispered, "A friend of mine told me that the Club Union embezzled the Academy's operating funds last year. Is that true?"

"What are you talking about?" Seonwoo Jin's heart skipped a beat, but he managed to keep his expression neutral, masking his unease with a touch of righteous indignation.

Baek Suryong shrugged casually. "I just heard some rumors."

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"I have no idea what you're talking about, and I'm curious why you're bringing this up now," Seonwoo Jin retorted, sounding offended.

Baek Suryong chuckled, "No, I was just thinking that maybe… this is a case of the pot calling the kettle black."

"Again, I don't know what you're talking about. And if there is a dirty pot here, it's not me," Seonwoo Jin insisted.

"Oh? Who?"

As if waiting for this question, Seonwoo Jin replied confidently, "If the Club Union really embezzled funds last year, then the one behind it must be Peng Sahyuk. He was president back then."

Without a moment's hesitation, Seonwoo Jin betrayed Peng Sahyuk. After all, Peng Sahyuk had already left for the Heavenly Martial Academy, and as the heir of one of the Five Great Clans, he wasn't someone Baek Suryong would dare confront.

I've already falsified all the evidence and pinned last year's scandals on Peng Sahyuk.

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Seonwoo Jin felt secure in his plan. As he prepared for the election, he anticipated that someone might investigate the controversial issues surrounding the Club Union, especially since this year's Club Union executives were almost the same as last year's. Therefore, he had enlisted the help of the Rogues' Guild to forge all potentially incriminating documents.

He never imagined that the Rogues' Guild would sell him out.

"Oh? What I heard from my friend is a bit different," Baek Suryong said.

"Different how?"

Baek Suryong's lips twisted into a sinister smile. "Although last year's Club Union President was Peng Sahyuk, the one who actually managed the money was the treasurer. He liked to stay in the shadows, so he handled the finances from behind the scenes. I even heard that he was so thorough, he even made two copies of the account books."

"W-What…?" Seonwoo Jin gasped, the confidence draining from his face.

A drop of cold sweat trickled down his smooth forehead. The treasurer Baek Suryong was talking about was himself.

How on earth… does he know about the double account books? Who did he hear it from? One of the executives? Or the Rogues' Guild?

Seeing Seonwoo Jin's visible panic, Baek Suryong smirked. While Seonwoo Jin was impressive for a student, he was little more than an amateur to him. From the beginning, this match hadn't been fair.

"Don't stress yourself too much," Baek Suryong said gently.

"I have no idea what you're talking about…" Seonwoo Jin denied, clenching his teeth.

Watching Seonwoo Jin's mental struggle, Baek Suryong decided it was time to take a step back. After all, even a cornered mouse would bite a cat. Who knew what a desperate person might do?

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…Moreover, it'll be more fun to see him try to worm himself out of this. Then, just when he thinks he's escaped, I'll set a trap to finish him the little rookie off, heheh.

Hiding his true intentions, Baek Suryong spoke seriously, "Let me set something straight. I have no desire to use this against you. If I did, I'd have already handed the two account books to the Principal."

"Like I said, I don't know anything…"

"If you agree to one request, I'll let this matter slide quietly."

"……" Seonwoo Jin fell silent.

With this, the boy has practically admitted that he was the Club Union treasurer who had embezzled school funds. Baek Suryong smiled in satisfaction.

"Take down all the posters in the academy. Stop throwing mud at each other and compete fairly from now on," he suggested.

"…Is that all?"

"Would you rather I ask for more?"

"……" Seonwoo Jin studied Baek Suryong dubiously, examining his face for any hint of insincerity, but of course, Baek Suryong's expression was inscrutable.

Sighing deeply, Baek Suryong continued, "What good will come from continuing to dig up each other's murky pasts? As it stands, even the winner will have to endure constant criticism."

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"……"

"Still, it's a shame that Wonkang hasn't fully recovered from his internal injuries. Otherwise, I'd have suggested that you guys settle this dispute with a duel. After all, that's the way of us martial artists, right? Sigh… Unfortunately, that's impossible in his current condition."

"…?"

"Anyway, my condition is simple: take down the posters and stop digging up or fabricating Hyonwon Kang's past. That's it."

"……"

"So? What's your answer?"

After a tense silence, Seonwoo Jin agreed reluctantly, "…I'll take down the posters. Not that I put them up in the first place."

Baek Suryong patted him on the shoulder. "Wise choice. I'll get my kids to take theirs down too."

With his head bowed, Seonwoo Jin added, "…Like you said, Mr. Baek, I also hope for a fair competition."

"That's what I want too."

"…Then I'll be going." Seonwoo Jin bid Baek Suryong farewell and left.

Watching the boy's receding figure, Baek Suryong mumbled to himself, "Fair competition, my ass."

He could see it clearly from the look on Seonwoo Jin's face. Fair play wasn't an option for this guy. Behind that handsome smile lurked the vicious heart of a viper.

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Hmm? Why do my ears feel itchy all of a sudden?1 Anyway, since I've thrown the bait, he should bite soon… and when he does, I'll get him hook, line, and sinker.

As soon as Seonwoo Jin returned to the Club Union, he unleashed his fury, destroying everything in the meeting room.

"GET OUT!" he roared to the executives, chasing them out. He couldn't trust any of them anymore.

When he was finally alone, he collapsed into a chair, seething with rage. Looking down, he saw that his hands were still shaking from the humiliation he'd suffered at Baek Suryong's hands.

At the moment, both he and Hyonwon Kang had suffered a heavy blow to their reputations, but it was he, the honor student, who was the most affected.

I can't let things continue like this! I have to restore my reputation somehow. And crush that son of a bitch while I'm at it.

Suddenly, Baek Suryong's earlier words echoed in Seonwoo Jin's mind.

"Still, it's a shame that Wonkang hasn't fully recovered from his internal injuries. Otherwise, I'd have suggested that you guys settle this dispute with a duel. After all, that's the way of us martial artists, right? Sigh… Unfortunately, that's impossible in his current condition."

…Hyonwon Kang hasn't recovered from his internal injuries yet?

Seonwoo Jin remembered hearing that Hyonwon Kang had sustained serious injuries in the Valley of Evil, wounds so debilitating that they had hindered his training. Though he had seemed fine the last time Seonwoo Jin had seen him, common sense dictated that no one could fully recover from such a brutal encounter within such a short time.

"This is it! That guy can't fight at full strength right now!"

Piecing together his thoughts, Seonwoo Jin summoned the executives back to the room.

"Shall we arrange a public duel with Hyonwon Kang?" he asked slyly.

Seeing the fire in their leader's eyes, none of the executives dared to voice any objections.

Weekend Translator: That's all for this week! See you next week.

1. Suryong's ears feel itchy because he's a pot calling the kettle black. ↩