Star Instructor, Master Baek

TL: FoodieMonster007

"Prepare yourself. Your lesson starts now."

The Heavenly Justice Corps, who had previously stirred with mischievous anticipation, instantly froze.

When Baek Suryong volunteered to give Jang Gon a practical lesson despite having his hands cuffed and inner arts sealed, everyone assumed the new Chief Instructor was recklessly driven by pride. Under such conditions, even an unmatched martial artist would struggle to exert a tenth of their true strength.

Everyone anticipated Baek Suryong would accept the humiliation and retreat in disgrace, but that proved to be an enormous miscalculation. Almost half an hour had passed, yet Jang Gon still couldn't force Baek Suryong off his sword.

"Ugh…!" Jang Gon's face flushed crimson with embarrassment as he gritted his teeth and frantically swung his blade.

Unfortunately, no matter how desperately he struggled, Baek Suryong remained planted firmly atop the blade, sticking to it like he was a magnet.

To make things worse, Baek Suryong even had the leisure to offer advice.

"Your strength and blade speed are decent enough, but your technique is too predictable. Try adding variations to at least slightly fluster this instructor standing on your treasured blade."

Baek Suryong stood calmly, hands clasped behind his back, looking down at Jang Gon with an expression of utter indifference. Each time he shifted his feet slightly, Jang Gon staggered, nearly losing his footing entirely.

"H-How the hell is he doing that…?"

"What incredible balance!"

"Who could've imagined Captain Jang would get toyed with like this…?"

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Baek Suryong's movements were so extraordinary, they would've been hard for two martial experts to replicate even after careful rehearsal. One could even say that it bordered on a divine technique in and of itself.

Naturally, that stirred doubts among some spectators regarding Baek Suryong's true condition.

"Did the Chief Instructor really swallow Qi Dispersing Poison?"

"Perhaps he's secretly using inner arts…?"

"If external arts alone can achieve this much, who would bother mastering inner arts?"

Envy and jealousy took root quickly, and whispered slander from a few martial artists steadily spread through the entire Heavenly Justice Corps.

"How pathetic…" Namgung Su muttered, preparing himself to step forward and reprimand them harshly. Before he could open his mouth, however, another voice thundered across the crowd.

"IDIOTS!" The Heavenly Justice Commander scolded his whispering subordinates. "How dare you criticize him even after witnessing such incredible skill? Stop exposing your own incompetence. Watch closely and learn something!"

"I-I'm sorry!"

Faced with their Commander's rebuke, the martial artists quickly fell silent.

The Heavenly Justice Commander clicked his tongue before fixing his gaze back upon Baek Suryong.

This is unexpected, Baek Suryong mused, overhearing the Heavenly Justice Commander’s supportive words. He’s basically giving me free rein to teach Jang Gon however I please.

Baek Suryong looked down at Jang Gon, who was still swinging his sword wildly, refusing to admit defeat.

Yeah. Who cares if I can't use inner arts?

In his previous life, there were more times when he couldn’t use inner arts than when he could, but even then, he’d earned the reputation as the Blood Cult’s greatest martial arts instructor.

Now, after mastering the Eighteen Strikes of the Viridian Forest, he was in a far better situation. Teaching a novice like this was child's play.

"Still unaware of your shortcomings? From this instructor's perspective, they're glaringly obvious. Unless your learning ability is worse than a monkey…"

"I-I'm not done yet!"

"You're not done? That's informal speech."

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WOOONG!

Jang Gon's sword vibrated violently as he attempted to ignite sword qi along its blade.

I'll sever his ankle!

Since Baek Suryong wouldn't get off his sword, he would use sword qi to completely slice off the man's foot. His intentions, however, didn't stop there.

I'll kill him!

Jang Gon's murderous intent surged as he resolved to unleash a lethal technique.

"Jang Gon!"

"What do you think you're doing?"

Both the Heavenly Justice Commander and Namgung Su simultaneously moved to intervene. Never mind using a lethal technique—simply employing sword qi against an opponent unable to use inner arts was already a condemnable action.

"Don't interrupt my class," Baek Suryong warned coldly, stopping both martial artists in their tracks. Tapping Jang Gon's blade lightly with his toe, Baek Suryong vaulted upward.

Instantly, Jang Gon lurched forward, completely losing his balance. His sword, belatedly charged with sword qi, swung through empty air. Though Baek Suryong’s movement appeared similar to the inner arts technique known as the Thousand Ton Stomp, he had instead utilized a subtle external art, skillfully exploiting Jang Gon’s momentum against him.

Baek Suryong landed gracefully behind Jang Gon, then calmly approached as Jang Gon spun around, red-faced with humiliation.

"First, I'll punish you for speaking informally to me, your Chief Instructor."

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"What…?"

Baek Suryong’s foot blurred in an instant, striking Jang Gon squarely in the face with a roundhouse kick.

"Guhuk!" Jang Gon stumbled backward, blood streaming from his nose, but Baek Suryong wasn't finished yet.

"You mocked and provoked your superior without knowing your place, so here's another blow."

Baek Suryong’s whip-like leg slammed into Jang Gon's ribs, knocking the wind out of him and sending him doubling over, gripping his side in agony.

"And this one is just because I don't like your face."

CRACK!

His knee shot upward, brutally smashing into Jang Gon's jaw and nearly knocking him unconscious.

CLATTER!

Jang Gon's sword dropped to the ground. The anger on his face disappeared instantly, replaced by overwhelming terror.

"P-Please stop…" he begged weakly, the lifted his gaze… only to meet Baek Suryong’s icy stare.

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He froze. Those dark, terrifying eyes were unlike anything he had ever seen.

"You should've stopped when I gave you the chance earlier."

"…!!"

Baek Suryong showed no mercy. Using only pure external arts and nothing but his legs, he dominated Jang Gon entirely, pummeling the young captain with countless rapid kicks until he was reduced to a battered mess.

"Did you think I was joking? Did you think I only became Chief Instructor through connections? Or maybe because my arms were bound, you thought you could kill me easily?"

"T-This is a misunderstanding! I just lost my temper for a moment…"

"So, you're saying you let your emotions control your actions?"

"Y-Yes! That's right!"

Baek Suryong paused momentarily, nodding thoughtfully. "I see. I'm afraid you have an anger management problem. Good thing we caught it early, otherwise you might have suffered qi deviation. After all, a captain of the Heavenly Justice Corps couldn't possibly harbor killing intent against a fellow Alliance member, right?"

"N-No, that's not it…"

"No? Then you genuinely meant to kill me?"

"I-I just…have trouble controlling my emotions…" Jang Gon stammered in fear.

Baek Suryong approached with a cold grin. "Don't worry. Lucky for you, I'm a specialist at treating qi deviation."

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"H-Help…!" Jang Gon glanced back frantically, calling out to his comrades for help.

However, Baek Suryong used his foot to turn the captain's face back toward him. "Listen closely. Even if I kill you right now, nobody here will complain. Everyone clearly saw you try to kill me first."

"T-That was a mistake…"

"Then you should be relieved that I'm not like you. I don't make mistakes."

Jang Gon's earlier action had constituted blatant insubordination, and it wasn’t the sword qi that angered Baek Suryong. He’d never forbidden his opponent from using inner arts techniques.

No, what genuinely provoked him was Jang Gon's killing intent.

Jang Gon could make excuses, but Baek Suryong could tell that wasn't just a reckless threat. It was a strike infused with absolute resolve to kill, something far beyond a mere foolish mistake born of hot-headed impulsiveness.

I don't know if you're acting alone or if someone else pushed you into it, but…the reason isn't important.

Even in his past life, Baek Suryong never forgave trainees who challenged his authority. Today would be no exception. Until Jang Gon was battered beyond recognition and on the verge of death, he would keep thrashing him.

"I-I'm sorry! Please forgive me just this once…" Collapsing to the ground, Jang Gon curled into a pathetic heap, begging desperately. All traces of his pride vanished entirely, replaced by total submission to the new Chief Instructor he had grossly underestimated.

Finally, Baek Suryong ceased his assault. "Stand up immediately. Now."

"O-Okay…"

The instant Jang Gon scrambled to his feet, Baek Suryong delivered one last powerful kick, smashing into his chin.

BOOM!

Jang Gon's body flew into the air, then crashed heavily onto the ground. Broken teeth sprayed out, mixed with blood, and Jang Gon instantly lost consciousness, barely breathing.

"Good. We'll stop here for today," Baek Suryong announced, turning toward the martial artists of the Heavenly Justice Corps. His breathing was somewhat ragged from fighting intensely without inner arts, but nobody dared ridicule him. "Anyone else interested in receiving instruction?"

A heavy silence hung over the area. In the face of the overwhelming power demonstrated by the Chief Instructor, not a single person dared to speak up.

Baek Suryong slowly swept his gaze across the martial artists of the Heavenly Justice Corps, then grinned. "Now these are the faces you should have when meeting your Chief Instructor."

Baek Suryong could clearly sense the change in their attitudes. Before, they had looked at him with disdain and mockery, but now their eyes were filled with awe and fear of a supreme expert they could not hope to defeat.

Martial artists never really listen until you clearly prove your strength.

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Whether it was the Murim Alliance or the Blood Cult, the essence of all martial artists was fundamentally the same. Ultimately, the murim was a place filled with people striving to become stronger through martial arts, and admiration for absolute strength was instinctual.

"If anyone here wishes to receive instruction, you can seek me out anytime. However, if you approach without showing proper courtesy, I won't show any to you either, as you've all clearly seen."

"……"

Jang Gon had become an unmistakable example. Still, having swung the stick fiercely, it was now time to offer a carrot.

"On the other hand, if you come to me with proper respect, I promise to sincerely guide you. I'll even stake my name on it—I will make you stronger."

""…!!""

Nobody dared reply, but Baek Suryong could feel the excitement ripple through the martial artists of the Heavenly Justice Corps.

They had personally witnessed the skill of the Azure Dragon Hero, whose abilities they had previously only heard about in rumors. Even while restrained and unable to utilize inner arts, Baek Suryong had completely dominated a Captain of the Heavenly Justice Corps using only his legs and external arts.

The Chairman was right to promote him to the Ten Supremes.

Could our Commander pull off what the Azure Dragon Hero just did?

If I could receive personal instruction from someone like him…

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The Chief Instructor had clearly proven himself, and he'd openly promised to teach anyone who came to him respectfully. Any martial artist aspiring to become stronger couldn't help but feel tempted.

However, none dared openly express their enthusiasm, not in front of the Heavenly Justice Commander who was glaring scarily at Baek Suryong.

"Commander, are you trying to burn a hole in my face with your intense gaze?" Baek Suryong remarked casually. "Also, you should manage your subordinates better. I nearly misunderstood and thought someone ordered him to attack me."

"…I apologize for Captain Jang's reckless actions, even though it was purely his own impulse," the Heavenly Justice Commander replied coldly, drawing a clear line between himself and the incident.

Baek Suryong chuckled softly, "Of course. Actually, you'd better hope that's true."

"……"

If Baek Suryong lodged a formal complaint about Jang Gon's behavior, even the Heavenly Justice Commander wouldn't be able to avoid responsibility completely. However, Baek Suryong had no intention of pressing the issue further.

He's an interesting man.

Baek Suryong smirked, then turned around and deliberately muttered just loud enough for everyone present to hear him clearly, "Since there might be too many applicants, I guess I can only instruct five people a day, on a first-come-first-served basis…"

What? Only five a day, first-come-first-served!?

The instant those words left his mouth, several martial artists nearly lost control, tempted to rush forward immediately.

Baek Suryong calmly glanced toward Namgung Su. "Let's go. We still need to check on the Elimination Corps' training."

With this, he was certain that at least a few martial artists would undoubtedly seek him out later that day, and among them, some might even provide useful information.

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Walking alongside Baek Suryong, Namgung Su stared at him peculiarly. "…I've thought this several times already, but it's really fortunate that you were born in the orthodox."

"Oh yeah? I think so too," Baek Suryong replied shamelessly.

"……" Namgung Su shook his head, speechless.