Star Instructor, Master Baek

TL: FoodieMonster007

"Ugh…"

"I can't move at all…"

The exhausted students either plopped down on their butts or lay sprawled out on the floor. After the intense game of tag with Namgung Su, which was no different from a real fight, they couldn't even lift a finger.

However, despite their fatigue, a strange sense of satisfaction filled them as they gazed at Namgung Su with awestruck eyes.

He's nonsensically strong.

This is the first time I've felt so utterly helpless against someone other than Mr. Baek Suryong.

As expected of a Star Instructor…

Mean and insufferable as Namgung Su was, they couldn't help but admit his abilities were genuine.

Feeling the students' gazes on him, Namgung Su said without turning around, "It's getting late, so don't dawdle and go straight home."

With that, he left the training ground and vanished into the darkness. Until the very end, not a single thread of his clothes was out of place.

As soon as he stepped beyond the range of the students' qi senses, Namgung Su stumbled.

"Hoo…"

Feeling a sudden wave of dizziness sweep over him, he braced himself against the wall and took a moment to catch his breath. A cold bead of sweat slid down his forehead, and his face, no longer covered by a mask, was as pale as a corpse. The pain he had been holding back surged through him, leaving his body trembling.

Did I overuse the Heavenly Lightning Qi? At least I managed to endure long enough that the students didn't notice anything.

The Heavenly Lightning Sword Technique put a tremendous strain on his body, and until he completely mastered it, these side effects were inevitable.

"I need to… rest a bit," he murmured in a slightly hoarse voice, using the last of his strength to steady himself. After returning to his office, he planned to rest for a while before tackling his neverending backlog of work.

If someone didn't block his path, that is.

"Got a minute to talk?" Baek Suryong asked.

"……"

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"This place is as dreary as ever," Baek Suryong muttered, shaking his head at the sight of Namgung Su's office. The room contained nothing more than the bare essentials, just a few pieces of functional furniture and endless stacks of towering documents. It was far too modest for the office of the academy's most beloved Star Instructor.

Clicking his tongue in disapproval, he added, "You make all that money, so why don't you spruce this place up a bit?"

"State your business and then leave," Namgung Su snapped, but despite his cold words, he personally brewed tea and served it.

Baek Suryong stared at the teacup in front of him in disbelief. "It's not poisoned, is it?"

"…Knowing you, you wouldn't leave quietly even if I gave you laxatives."

"It seems that we have both gotten to know each other better."

"Cut the small talk and get to the point," Namgung Su sighed, taking a sip of tea.

Slowly, the pallor faded from his face, and his posture, which had been slightly off, straightened. Nevertheless, he couldn't hide the slight quivering of his eyelashes.

He must still be in pain, but he's enduring it. What incredible qi control, Baek Suryong noted, though outwardly, he feigned indifference and said, "I listened in on your special lecture. It was impressive in many ways, and I'm sure the students found it very helpful."

"…You came to find me just to say that?"

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"That's part of it." Baek Suryong took out a pill wrapped in paper from his shirt pocket and placed it on the table, then nudged it toward Namgung Su. "This pill was made using a secret family formula. It's more effective at restoring vitality than most medicines."

The truth was, this pill had been manufactured using the secret techniques of the now defunct Blood Cult. It not only accelerated recovery, but also provided powerful pain relief. Developed in an environment where injury and death were commonplace, its effectiveness surpassed even the most renowned elixirs of the greatest orthodox sects.

Namgung Su accepted the pill without hesitation. "I'll consider this as payment for my services today."

"It would be best if you ate it right now," Baek Suryong suggested.

"No, I'm going to first verify if it's poisoned."

"What?"

A faint smile tugged at the corner of Namgung Su's lips. "…Just kidding, I'll eat it."

He swallowed the pill in one gulp, and almost immediately, his eyelashes stopped quivering.

…Did Namgung Su just attempt to make a joke? Him? Baek Suryong was stunned speechless, but the atmosphere between them was certainly different from before. That meant that Namgung Su had begun to recognize him as a fellow teacher.

"This is unexpectedly good medicine… Anyway, it's just as well you asked to talk. I also had something I wanted to say to you," Namgung Su remarked.

"Oh?"

Namgung Su took another sip of tea, then said in a serious tone, "I'll admit it. Since you arrived, the atmosphere at the academy has changed for the better."

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The Azure Dragon Academy had undergone a significant transformation after Baek Suryong joined. With Gongson Su's sponsorship, the academy's financial situation improved immensely, and the students who once looked depressed were now much cheerier.

And not only that. Inspired by the new instructor's accomplishments, even the older instructors, who had been stuck in a rut of drudgery and lethargy, now rallied themselves with renewed zeal.

Namgung Su silently observed the man who had brought about all these changes.

He even managed to dominate Pung Jinho.

Although he didn't know the details, it was common knowledge that even Pung Jinho was now restraining his bad conduct in fear of Baek Suryong. This meant that Baek Suryong's influence in the Azure Dragon Academy surpassed Pung Jinho's, and maybe even his own.

"It's still more of a rumor for now, but there's talk that the Azure Dragon Academy might cause a surprise upset at this year's Heavenly Martial Festival."

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"Oho."

After Baek Suryong and his students visited the Valley of Evil, stories about the Azure Dragon Hero and his students began circulating among the gossipers. This was a good thing for the Azure Dragon Academy, but they couldn't just celebrate blindly.

"Soon, at the new instructor training held by the Namgung Clan, many people will try to verify the truth behind those rumors."

"Verify how?"

"To put it bluntly, they're going to try to humiliate you in any way possible."

"……"

Not long after the midterm exams ended, the Namgung Clan would host the new instructor training for the Five Great Academies. Due to the rumors about the Azure Dragon Hero, all the new instructors from the other academies were bound to keep a close eye on Baek Suryong, eager to find any weakness they could exploit to topple him.

Namgung Su warned, "They'll focus all their attention on you, foolishly believing that by tarnishing your reputation, they can improve their own."

"That's troubling. Maybe I should ask a senior who's been there before for advice?" Baek Suryong replied, but from the grin on his face, he clearly wasn't taking the matter seriously.

"…I knew you'd say that." Namgung Su nodded. He had not raised this topic to warn Baek Suryong. By now, he had realized that anyone who carelessly tried to provoke this man would end up suffering many times over.

He continued, "I have no advice to give you. When I attended the new instructor training, no one had the nerve to mess with a direct descendant of the Namgung Clan, even if I'm a concubine's child."

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"…You're a concubine's child?"

"You didn't know? Well, it's not a big deal," Namgung Su said with a shrug, brushing off the shocking statement as if it were nothing. "What really matters is that, unlike me, you're representing the whole of the Azure Dragon Academy. No matter how much trouble you cause, I'll back you up, so don't hold back and do whatever it takes to make sure they regret looking down on us."

"…So basically, you're saying it's fine even if I beat them to a pulp?"

Namgung Su nodded with a blank expression.

A mischievous grin spread across Baek Suryong's face. He never intended to keep his head down during the Five Great Academies' new instructor training, but now that he knew Namgung Su had his back, he felt emboldened.

"Okay, I've said what I wanted to say. Get out," Namgung Su snapped, dismissing Baek Suryong from his office and turning his attention back to his work.

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Sitting at his desk, he pulled out a worn notebook as thick as his forearm, flipped through the pages and began jotting down notes.

Let's see, the notebook title is… Student Progress Record? Leaning over to peep at the notebook, Baek Suryong caught sight of the title on the cover and some of its contents.

Hyonwon Kang:

Initially showed a lack of motivation and concentration in class, but has recently been training diligently with a clear goal in mind and is expected to make significant progress in blade arts. However, his abrasive personality and disrespectful attitude toward instructors need to be addressed. Regarding the areas of his martial arts that need improvement…

Namgung Su meticulously recorded the details of each student he had just confronted, including Hyonwon Kang, Geo Sangwoong, Ya Suhyeok and Wiji Cheon, in astonishing detail.

Does he update this notebook every day after class?

After observing Namgung Su for a while, Baek Suryong remarked, "There's one more thing I want to ask you before I go."

"Why are you still here?" Namgung Su replied without looking up from his work.

Baek Suryong asked, "Hey, why are you so obsessed with success and failure?"

Still focused on writing, Namgung Su answered, "…It's not me who is obsessed with success and failure, but the world. This world is unforgiving toward failures, and the stakes are even higher for martial artists, whose abilities often mean the difference between life and death."

"Is that why you call students who lack achievement or motivation 'failures'?"

"Yes, it strengthens their mental resilience."

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"They're still kids. Don't you think that instead of getting motivated, they might fall into despair and never recover?"

"If a few words are enough to make them break down mentally, they might as well quit learning martial arts altogether."

Baek Suryong sighed, "Well, I can't say I completely disagree with you."

In his previous life as a Blood Cult martial arts instructor, Baek Suryong had trained recruits in an environment far more brutal and unforgiving than anything the orthodox sects could fathom. Back then, his approach was designed to push his trainees to their physical and mental limits, granting him a unique understanding of the subject.

However, it was that very experience which made him feel that there was something wrong with Namgung Su's method, as if he were staring at a reflection of his former self.

Smiling bitterly, he muttered, "…I'm sure quite a few students hate you."

"I don't do this job to be liked by students," Namgung Su replied firmly, finally taking his eyes off his work to look at Baek Suryong. "Also, I have no intention of discussing educational philosophies with you. Leave my office at once."

"Okay." Shrugging, Baek Suryong stood up. Neither of them could ever fully understand the other, but learning a little more about Namgung Su was enough for now. "…By the way, when are you going to use your reward?"

Namgung Su shot a threatening glare at Baek Suryong. "Out. Now."

Placing a hand on the doorknob, Baek Suryong kept talking, "Among the Four Heavenly Kings, you took the most name tags. An agreement is an agreement."

Earlier, Baek Suryong had promised a reward to the Four Heavenly King who collected the most name tags, and that turned out to be the Cold-Blooded Asura Demon King, Namgung Su. The reward was that he would grant them one wish, within reasonable limits.

"You won fair and square, so I'm asking when you're going to use it," he continued.

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Namgung Su scowled. "I have nothing I want right now, aside from you leaving my office."

"Are you going to use your wish for that?"

"Don't even dream of it. I'll hold onto it and use it later."

"Tsk. That's a shame." Clicking his tongue, Baek Suryong glanced at Namgung Su one last time. The man seemed exhausted and weighed down, likely due to the immense pressure of living up to everyone's expectations as a Star Instructor.

"If you ever have any worries, feel free to come and talk to me," Baek Suryong said half-jokingly.

Namgung Su snorted. "How presumptuous. What helpful advice could I possibly get from a novice like you?"

Baek Suryong grinned and opened the door halfway. "Then, see you after the new instructor training! Let's go grab a drink then."

Namgung Su tilted his head in confusion. "What do you mean? I'm going there too."

"…Huh? Why?"

"I'm going there as an assistant instructor. Did you think they'd only send the new instructors to the Namgung Residence?"

"No, I guess not… But are you really coming with us?" Baek Suryong asked again, looking disappointed.

Namgung Su frowned. "What's that expression? Are you unhappy that I'm tagging along?"

"No, it's just that…" Baek Suryong paused. How should he explain this feeling? It felt like planning a fun trip with friends, only to have a strict senior tagging along to watch over them.

I was hoping to eat some good food and maybe do some sightseeing along the way…

Seeing Baek Suryong's uncomfortable expression, Namgung Su smirked. "You were thinking of enjoying some leisure time on the way? We'll be travelling day and night to arrive exactly on schedule, so you can forget about that."

"Fuck…"

A few days later, the date for the Five Great Academies' new instructor training was confirmed.