Star Instructor, Master Baek

TL: FoodieMonster007

The surroundings grew silent. Even the chirping of distant insects ceased, and the gentle breeze seemed frozen in place.

"That woman only knows how to smash things apart. Acting or infiltration was never her forte," Moyong Jun said, his voice disturbingly calm as if he weren't an unwelcome intruder at all. Turning to Ryu Seol, he smiled faintly. "Isn't that right?"

"You…" Ryu Seol stared wide-eyed at Moyong Jun, bewildered by his sudden appearance.

Moyong Jun looked no different than usual, but somehow, he didn't feel like the same person. His behavior, speech, expressions, even the way he walked, all of it was unfamiliar to her.

The shell is unchanged, but is that really the Moyong Jun I know?

"Look at yourself," Moyong Jun sighed, seeing how poorly Ryu Seol hid her emotions. "You're all grown up, but you're still so shameless."

"…What did you just say?"

"Look at yourself. What are you even wearing?"

Ryu Seol bit her lip. Having rushed outside immediately after reading the letter from Baek Suryong, she had grabbed whatever clothing she found first and was dressed haphazardly in loose sleepwear with an outer garment thrown over it. It wasn't exactly revealing, but her collarbone was clearly visible beneath the loose-fitting fabric.

She'd been seen in far worse states on the battlefield countless times, yet even now, Moyong Jun didn't miss the opportunity to nag her about it.

Why aren′t you reading this at northbladetldotcom?

"Are you planning to seduce these two? Don't bother. You do realize the handsome fellows here are more than ten years younger than you, right?" Moyong Jun said.

"…You want to die?" Ryu Seol replied irritably, but deep down, the familiar banter made her feel slightly relieved.

With a faint smile, Moyong Jun said, "Go change your clothes first."

He threw a martial arts uniform he'd brought with him at Ryu Seol and pointed to a partially standing wall behind the collapsed building that was enough to hide her from view.

Ryu Seol hesitated briefly after catching the clothes. "You…"

"Go on, change first. I'm not going anywhere."

"…Fine."

As Ryu Seol moved to change, Moyong Jun turned his gaze toward Baek Suryong, who was watching him with an odd expression. "You seem to have many questions."

"Were you watching us this whole time?" Baek Suryong asked.

Moyong Jun nodded calmly.

"Why?"

"I planned to eliminate you when the opportunity arose."

SWOOSH…

A chilly night breeze swept past them.

Moyong Jun grinned. "If I'd known you'd discover me this soon, I would've acted earlier despite the risks."

Y aren′t you reading this at northbladetldotcom?

"As I suspected…"

"Moyong Jun! What do you mean by that?" Ryu Seol demanded, having quickly changed her clothes and returned.

Moyong Jun glanced at her, still smiling. "You know exactly what I mean."

It was basically an admission of guilt. Moyong Jun didn't deny being the traitor or offer any excuses, but he didn't seem resigned either. He just seemed disappointed that he'd been exposed earlier than expected.

"…You were threatened, weren't you?" Ryu Seol said with difficulty through clenched teeth. "That's it, right? They caught you by some weakness. You idiot. Pathetic. Just tell me honestly, and Noona will take care of everything. Who the hell are they?"

"……"

"Are you scared of that old Chairman? Don't worry, I won't let him kill you. If he starts making a fuss, I'll stand by your side and fight back."

"……"

"Or how about claiming you were a double agent? You can say I ordered you to do it…"

"……"

"Say something, you bastard… Answer me!" Ryu Seol screamed, her eyes shaking. As she stared at Moyong Jun, who smiled thinly without saying anything, the horrifying truth slowly dawned on her.

Her friend of twenty years hadn't betrayed the Alliance because the Blood Cult threatened him or held something over his head.

"It was my own, conscious choice," Moyong Jun replied.

"You crazy son of a bitch!" Ryu Seol lunged forward and grabbed Moyong Jun by the collar, her eyes burning with fury. "Why? You already have so much! What more could you possibly want?"

Read this at northbladetldotcom, or else.

The violent qi surging from Ryu Seol was sharp enough to cut through flesh, and most martial artists would've collapsed or fainted from that intense killing intent, but Moyong Jun casually endured her ferocity.

Peeling her hand off his collar, he chuckled. "I wanted to get stronger."

"…What?"

"I crave strength more than anyone else. I especially wanted to surpass you."

Ryu Seol blinked. She could see no falsehood in Moyong Jun's eyes, and besides, strength was the purest desire a martial artist could possess.

"You madman." She tightened her grip on his collar and glared at him. "You betrayed everyone just for that? You've clearly lost your mind. Maybe a good thrashing will bring you to your senses…"

"Take your hands off me."

SHIVER!

Ryu Seol instinctively leaped back, sensing a chill run down her spine.

I nearly lost my hand.

Her expression hardened immediately. If she was a fraction of a second slower, her wrist would have been sliced off.

Seeing her alarm, Moyong Jun laughed softly, "You wouldn't know. You can't imagine how miserable it is, facing a wall you know you can never overcome every. single. day."

"What do you mean…?" Ryu Seol asked, confused.

Moyong Jun snorted. There'd been a time he'd gritted his teeth, desperately trying to surpass Ryu Seol. However, as the years went by, the gap only widened further, and before he knew it, twenty long years had passed.

"You probably never noticed, always looking down on everyone else from above," he chuckled darkly.

To hide his inferiority, he'd always smiled carelessly. He laughed and joked, ignoring the burning frustration deep inside him. He made all sorts of excuses to himself, calling her an exceptional monster, a trusted friend, saying there there was no point being jealous of a muscle brain, finding comfort and resignation in mockery.

If you′re seeing this, you are at the wrong place.

He'd smiled and laughed all his pain away… because there was nothing else he could do.

"But that's no longer the case," Moyong Jun said, his faint smile warping into an ugly sneer.

Suddenly, an explosive, razor-sharp aura burst forth from the man whose presence had previously seemed faint.

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

Centered around Moyong Jun's feet, countless blade marks appeared across the ground as invisible blades danced through the air all around them.

"What on earth…?!" Ryu Seol stared at Moyong Jun in shock. In twenty years, she'd never once seen him use a martial art like that.

"Ryu Seol, this is the strength I gained by betraying you."

"…!!"

Meanwhile, watching from nearby, Baek Suryong felt a peculiar sense of unease.

That martial art he's using. Could it be…?

It felt familiar, yet extremely unpleasant.

Baek Suryong stepped forward, his expression turning grim. "Hey, did you learn some demonic art from the Blood Cult?"

He knew it wasn't a demonic art, but he still asked for the sake of asking. He knew… that such a demonic art didn't exist within the Blood Cult, because that wasn't a demonic art at all…

"No, I received something far superior." Smiling, Moyong Jun lightly tapped the sword at his waist. "I was chosen by the sword."

northbladetldotcom welcomes you.

"……"

The instant he heard those words, Baek Suryong finally understood the uneasy feeling he'd been experiencing.

It's the Unlimited Sword.

Although significantly modified from the original technique created by the Sword Saint, the distinctive aura of the Unlimited Sword was unmistakable.

Why didn't I realize sooner?

The Sword Saint Moyong Hon and the Elimination Corps Vice Commander Moyong Jun. Both hailed from the same Moyong Clan. As a blood relative of the technique's creator, Moyong Jun probably possessed an ideal constitution for mastering the Unlimited Sword. That alone justified the Blood Cult's interest in recruiting him.

It's much more stable than when Cheon used it.

Perhaps it was Moyong Jun's natural talent, or maybe extensive experimentation had minimized side effects over time, but the Vice Commander's swordsmanship was more complete compared to Wiji Cheon's when they had first met.

Baek Suryong suspected it was likely both.

"…Still, it's just a fake," he muttered under his breath.

"What did you just say?"

This is a free translation. You should not be seeing ads.

No matter how skilled Moyong Jun had become with the Unlimited Sword, Baek Suryong couldn't understand his apparent confidence.

"You can't possibly believe you'll handle all of us alone?"

The Elimination Corps Commander Ryu Seol was a supreme martial artist. Excluding the Chairman himself, no one within the Murim Alliance could probably defeat her. In addition, Namgung Su was here, and although Baek Suryong had his arms bound and couldn't use inner arts, he was still an excellent external arts master.

If Moyong Jun could take on all three of them simultaneously, he would be the world's strongest.

He's strong, but he's not that strong… which means that he's hiding his trump card.

Moyong Jun shrugged casually. "When did I ever say I came alone?"

SNAP!

With a snap of his fingers, black-clad martial artists swiftly emerged from the shadows, surrounding the trio.

Baek Suryong stared intently at the middle-aged man radiating a particularly strong presence. Even from afar, he sensed the potent aura of deadly venom.

So that's the current Poison Demon. He must have been the one who attacked the Chief.

Read this at northbladetldotcom, or else.

Judging by the weaker poison auras from the others, they appeared to be disciples or students of the Poison Demon, but each was formidable in their own right. He couldn't underestimate them.

Stepping up beside Moyong Jun, the Poison Demon asked, "Are you done reminiscing?"

Moyong Jun pointed at Baek Suryong and Namgung Su. "As promised, kill those two. I'll handle Ryu Seol myself."

"I use poison. In a chaotic battle, accidents happen."

Moyong Jun nodded. "…Understood. I've waited too long for this day, so I'll fight Ryu Seol somewhere else."

"Think you can kill her alone?" the Poison Demon asked skeptically.

Moyong Jun's eyes filled with madness. "No one knows Ryu Seol better than I do. I'm the only one who can kill her."

Goosebumps ran down the Poison Demon's arms. "Fine. Just remember, if you take too long, we'll intervene."

"Don't worry, that won't happen." Ending his exchange with the Poison Demon, Moyong Jun called out to Ryu Seol, "Follow me, Ryu Seol. There's a perfect place to kill each other nearby."

"…You insane bastard. If you want to fight, we can do it right here," Ryu Seol stubbornly refused.

Y aren′t you reading this at northbladetldotcom?

Unfortunately, Moyong Jun knew her better than anyone. "If you don't follow me, I'll go straight to the Heavenly Justice Commander and kill him first. Then, I'll set fire to the Chairman's quarters and slaughter everyone I encounter."

"You crazy bastard…!"

"The choice is yours."

Having said all he needed, Moyong Jun stepped backward, then swiftly turned and activated his movement arts.

Baek Suryong nudged Ryu Seol with his shoulder. "Go after him quickly. That lunatic will do exactly as he says if you don't."

"Can you two handle this? Especially you…" Ryu Seol glanced anxiously at the cuffs restraining Baek Suryong's hands. Although Baek Suryong's external arts were superior to most martial artists, in a situation where his inner arts were sealed and his hands bound…

"Of course. The two of us are more than enough here," Baek Suryong replied calmly, confidently.

Ryu Seol nodded, felt an unfamiliar sense of trust. Right. If it's this guy…

"I'll return soon, so hold on until then," she said, determination flashing in her eyes.

She had to stop Moyong Jun. She had to stop him from causing a terrible disaster.

WHOOSH!

Using her movement arts at full strength, she vanished into the darkness after Moyong Jun, and the Poison Demon didn't attempt to stop her.

Namgung Su's expression hardened grimly. "…Baek Suryong, do you really have a plan?"

"Of course I do."

Now only Baek Suryong, Namgung Su, the Poison Demon, and his black-clad martial artists remained.

"Azure Dragon Hero, I heard you killed our Cult's Eighth Elder, so I was curious to see your face," the Poison Demon said leisurely, brimming with confidence. His opponent had his hands cuffed behind his back and couldn't use inner arts. Killing him would be as easy as stepping on an insect. He mocked, "How does it feel seeing me in person? Better than the rumors?"

Although the man with the golden eyes, the Lightning Dragon Hero, looked rather formidable, he was just one person… No, something felt off. Baek Suryong must have known how disadvantaged he was, yet he showed no sign of fear. Rather, he was smirking confidently.

"…What's making you so confident?" the Poison Demon asked, feeling a creeping unease.

Instead of answering, Baek Suryong calmly turned sideways, showing off his steel handcuffs. "How do you think I ate while wearing these cuffs?"

"…Didn't the Lightning Dragon Hero feed you or something?"

northbladetldotcom welcomes you.

"Are you freaking insane?"

"Have you lost your mind?"

Namgung Su and Baek Suryong simultaneously snapped back irritably.

"Sigh…" Baek Suryong decided actions would speak louder than words.

CLANK!

A faint sound echoed as the cuffs opened and fell to the ground.

Baek Suryong casually flexed his wrists, revealing a thin metal wire concealed between his fingers. "Who needs keys when I can remove these anytime with a single wire?"

"Just freeing your hands won't change anything…"

"Oh, and about that Qi Dispersing Poison I took." Baek Suryong smirked, instantly unleashing the inner arts he'd voluntarily suppressed. "The pill must've expired a long time ago because it had no effect."

ROAAAAR!

His blue martial arts uniform fluttered wildly, his hair rising skyward as a monstrous wave of qi burst forth in every direction.

"You bastard, you could use inner arts all along…!" Namgung Su raged, realizing he'd been tricked for days.

"Sorry for deceiving you, but can we discuss this later?"

"Deploy the Myriad Poisons Formation!" the Poison Demon shouted.

northbladetldotcom welcomes you.

Baek Suryong turned toward the clearly shaken Poison Demon and his followers, smiling coldly. "We should beat the fuck out of these bastards first."

---

Translator's Note: Eid Mubarak! See you next week!