Star Instructor, Master Baek

TL: FoodieMonster007

That night, the Azure Dragon instructors held a small celebration in their dorm.

"Hahaha! Did you see the looks on those guys' faces earlier?"

"Damn, I see Mr. Namgung in a whole new light now. When he said, 'Leave this to me,' I swear I got goosebumps all over."

"Gulp… Is this the baijiu1 brewed by the Namgung Clan? Are we going to try it or what?"

"Times have really changed. Back when I was at the Vermilion Phoenix Academy…"

Having received three bottles of precious baijiu and snacks as a reward for completing the first day's training with excellent results, Ak Yeonho, Myeong Il'oh, Jaegal Soyeong, and Kwak Duyong chatted excitedly, enjoying the spoils while relieving the fatigue of a long day.

Stories of their exploits poured out.

"Man, you wouldn't believe how surprised I was when the markers suddenly disappeared," Ak Yeonho griped.

Myeong Il'oh puffed out his chest. "Haha! That's when my amazing tracking skills came into play!"

"Hey, don't forget about me! I'm the one who blocked all those hidden weapons with my body!" Kwak Duyong added.

"If I were in your place, I wouldn't have gotten hit at all."

"What did you say?!"

"…Hey, Soyeong. Just how many cups of this stuff have you had?"

"HIC! Yessssh? Wha'd you shay? HIC!"

"Fuck, she's totally wasted."

"Heehee, thish tastes good…"

Perhaps it was because they had spent hours running together along rugged mountain trails, but even Kwak Duyong, who had started out as a loner, seemed to have blended into the group.

On the contrary, it was Baek Suryong who wore a somber expression.

"Suryong-hyung, is something bothering you?" Ak Yeonho asked.

"Hmm? It's nothing," Baek Suryong replied, raising his cup to down the rest of his liquor.

Halfway through, however, he paused, overcome by an unexpected urge to give a pep talk.

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Facing his curious colleagues, he said, "Everyone did well today, but from tomorrow onwards, things are going to get tougher. Did you see the eyes of those Vermilion Phoenix and White Tiger guys when we disbanded earlier? They were literally bursting with hostility."

Everyone nodded. The reason why the Azure Dragon Academy was able to achieve such overwhelming results on the first day was not only because of their efforts, but also because the other instructors had underestimated them and only focused on Baek Suryong.

Ak Yeonho agreed, "Yeah. After today, no one will dare look down on us Azure Dragon instructors anymore."

Myeong Il'oh, Jaegal Soyeong, and Kwak Duyong all nodded with shining eyes.

"Bring it on! We're ready."

"Hmph, I'll take a challenge over an easy win any day."

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"Friends! Let's have another great match with those Vermilion Phoenix guys tomorrow!"

"Look at this guy sneaking in a cheesy comment again. Since when were we friends?"

Now that they knew the Vermilion Phoenix and White Tiger instructors weren't all that impressive, the Azure Dragon instructors were no longer too worried or nervous about this training course.

No, they're all excellent instructors too. It's just that…

The four looked at Baek Suryong, sharing the same thought.

We have Baek Suryong!

When Baek Suryong was an enemy, he was a fearsome lunatic, but when he was a comrade, there was no one more reliable.

Thanks to Baek Suryong humiliating the other new instructors, they were confident they weren't inferior to any of them.

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"That doesn't mean that we'll just rely on you, Hyung-nim. You focus on securing the top spot, and we'll work hard to get good results as well," Myeong Il'oh said seriously.

Ak Yeonho, Jaegal Soyeong, and Kwak Duyong all nodded gravely. At this moment, they felt great pride in being part of the Azure Dragon Academy.

"Why are you stating the obvious?" Baek Suryong laughed, his tense expression easing. Raising his cup in a toast, he announced, "Alright, listen up! We're going to be the stars of this new instructor training course. For the Azure Dragon Academy!"

""For the Azure Dragon Academy!""

The five instructors clinked their cups in a show of camaraderie, ready to launch into a lively, full-blown drinking session, when…

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"Huuuuh? Where did all the liquor go?"

"…I only had two cups?"

"I think Soyeong drank it all…"

"Hehehehe…"

"Hey! Jaegal Soyeong! Don't lie down! Go to your room if you're going to sleep!"

"This won't do. Call someone and get them to bring more liquor!"

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"Eh? If we drink more, it might interfere with tomorrow's training…"

"Don't worry. Even if I have a hangover tomorrow, I'll still be number one."

"Wow, how can a person be so infuriatingly confident…"

And so, the eventful first day at the Namgung Clan came to an end.

SNORE~ PHEW~ SNORE~ PHEW~

In the wee hours of the morning, Kwak Duyong lay sprawled out on the bed, his belly fully exposed, snoring loudly.

"…This snoring is literally a sound arts attack," Baek Suryong grumbled, clicking his tongue as he changed into camouflage wear.

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Well, the only reason he agreed to share a room with Kwak Duyong was because he hadn't planned to sleep anyway. If he had wanted to, he would have suffocated the guy or thrown him out, but tonight, Kwak Duyong's snoring was actually helpful.

Thanks to his stupidly loud snoring, the level of surveillance outside has decreased.

The Namgung Clan warriors were patrolling and monitoring the dorms, but even they couldn't stand Kwak Duyong's snoring.

SWOOSH!

Activating his stealth techniques, Baek Suryong quietly slipped out of the room. By now, the news that the Azure Dragon instructors had thrown a noisy drunken party late into the night and then fallen asleep should have spread throughout the Namgung Clan.

In other words, it's the perfect situation to slip out.

Baek Suryong smirked. The lively celebration, along with the request for the Namgung Clan's servants to fetch more liquor, were all part of his carefully orchestrated scheme.

WHOOSH!

He vaulted over the dorm wall in a single motion, his eyes darting left and right as he crept through the shadows. Pausing briefly to peer up at the sky, he saw the pale crescent moon lingering behind a veil of clouds, its light barely reaching the ground.

It's a dark night, just the perfect occasion for the Rooftop Gentleman to be out and about. Anyway, there's definitely something fishy going on in the Namgung Clan, and I need to find out what it is.

Baek Suryong's eyes gleamed coldly. If caught, he couldn't complain even if the Namgung Clan cut him down on the spot, but this was a risk he was willing to take.

He recounted everything suspicious about the Namgung Clan.

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First, the Erudite Sage had brought out the Blood Cult's demonic arts and asked them to decipher the errors within it. Second, the Blue Sky Sword King's maniacal obsession with him felt unnatural. Third, there was the matter of Cho Maksaeng.

He was convinced. The Namgung Clan was most definitely connected to the Blood Cult in one way or another.

The Blue Sky Sword King is the most suspicious one.

The Blue Sky Sword King Namgung Jaehak, now over eighty years old, was renowned for his role in the war against the Blood Cult half a century ago. His exploits during that turbulent period had earned him widespread recognition in the jianghu, propelling him to the status of an absolute master in no time.

Baek Suryong, however, was suspicious of his illustrious accomplishments.

The strongest of the Ten Supremes and the former head of the world's most prominent martial family. Did he really achieve all that without straying from the path of righteousness?

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Well, it was all speculation for now. Without solid evidence, he couldn't recklessly touch the Namgung Clan.

There must be evidence of the Namgung Clan's dealings with the Blood Cult hidden somewhere, or at least some traces of it.

The Namgung Estate, with its numerous large and small buildings, was vast enough to resemble a fortress. Consisting of four divisions and sixteen units, the number of resident martial artists exceeded a thousand, and including family members who were not trained in martial arts, the total population swelled to several times that number. It was a place that fully lived up to its reputation as the world's most powerful martial clan.

The bigger the scale, though, the more holes there are.

After a while, Baek Suryong arrived at his destination.

【The Heavenly Ears】

A plaque written in bold calligraphy came into view. This was the headquarters of the Heavenly Ears, the place where the Namgung Clan collected information from all over the world.

From the inside of the brightly lit building, he could hear the countless footsteps of people working busily despite the time, gathering and analyzing information for the Namgung Clan leadership.

Baek Suryong stealthily infiltrated the building. It was guarded by martial artists with outstanding skills, but there was no master around who could see through his stealth technique.

As expected, it's chaotic.

He had predicted that the first day of the new instructor training course would be the most chaotic, and his guess proved correct. The Heavenly Ears headquarters was in a total uproar as they tried to sort out the various incidents that had occurred throughout the day.

Going further inside, he listened in on the secret agents talking.

"Who would have thought that the Azure Dragon instructors would be so outstanding?"

"Is the Azure Dragon Hero's martial prowess really in the early stages of transcendence?"

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"Yes. Both the Former Patriarch and the Azure Sky Sword Brigade confirmed that."

"I heard that he's a person with a sinister nature. He might be hiding his true skills…"

"Is that even possible in front of the Former Patriarch?"

Baek Suryong could hear the spies discussing him here and there, but he ignored them and went deeper inside, where the more confidential conversations took place.

"So… Young Master Su rebelled against his brothers. I was really surprised."

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"Should we see it as the Third Young Master officially entering the succession race?"

"I think it's still too early to conclude that…"

"Yeah, becoming the successor is not something that can be achieved just by being ambitious. It's too late for the Third Young Master."

"You never know. If he really leads the Azure Dragon Academy to victory at the Heavenly Martial Festival, the Patriarch might see him in a different light."

"Come on, is that even possible?"

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"Regardless, the main family might fall into chaos because of the succession war."

"…Maybe it's time for us to make a choice too."

"Shh! Hey, watch your mouth!"

Baek Suryong's eyes flickered with interest. He had heard quite a bit about the Namgung Clan's succession war.

Is Namgung Su really interested in the position of Patriarch? He hardly ever talks about himself, so it's impossible to know for sure. Still, if he were to become the Namgung Clan's successor, wouldn't that benefit both me and the Azure Dragon Academy?

Anyway, that's something to think about later…

Baek Suryong expanded his qi senses to the maximum and headed further inside, but the deeper he went, the tighter the security became.

SCREECH!

Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks. His instincts were screaming at him, warning him of impending danger.

Quickly, he activated the Blood Demon Eyes, which not only had the ability to suppress all evil and demonic energy, but also allowed him to see distortions in the qi flow around him.

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Cold sweat ran down his back.

Phew, that was close. I almost walked right into a formation.

If he had foolishly taken another step, he would have been caught in an unknown formation.

It's too bad, but I'll stop here for today.

Baek Suryong turned on his heel. For now, he would focus on memorizing the surrounding topography and observing the flow of qi around the security formations. In the morning, he would seek advice from Jaegal Soyeong about the formations to better prepare for his next nighttime venture.

CREAK…

At that moment, the main gate of the Heavenly Ears headquarters opened, and someone came inside.

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The Namgung Patriarch?

Baek Suryong hurriedly activated the Breath Concealment Technique and pushed his stealth to the extreme. The Namgung Patriarch, known as the Ironblood Swordsman Namgung Cheon, had arrived at the Heavenly Ears Headquarters with his four children in tow.

To be precise, his three sons, Namgung Hak, Namgung Heok, and Namgung Su, followed closely behind him, while his youngest daughter, Namgung Mi, held his hand.

The Heavenly Ears Commander rushed out in a panic, barefoot and flustered. "Greetings, Patriarch. If you had summoned me, I would have come to you. Why go through the trouble of coming here personally…?"

"I know you're very busy, Commander, but could you please spare me a moment of your time?"

"Of course, sir. Please come inside."

Noticing a slight shiver through their held hands, the Namgung Patriarch eyed at his youngest daughter worriedly. "Are you cold?"

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not. Cover yourself with this," Namgung Cheon nagged, taking off his coat and draping it over his daughter's shoulders.

Namgung Mi, who was already wearing thick clothes, pouted her lips in displeasure.

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Perhaps finding her expression quite cute, Namgung Cheon chuckled.

"Daddy, it's too warm now…"

"What if you catch a cold? It's better to sweat than to freeze."

"Ehh…"

Baek Suryong blinked in shock. He had heard that the Ironblood Swordsman cherished the daughter he had late in life like a precious jewel, and it seemed to be true. Unlike the stern demeanor he showed to his sons, the look he gave to his daughter was that of a doting father who became a complete fool in her presence.

"Hmm?" Suddenly, Namgung Cheon stopped walking and glanced at the spot where Baek Suryong was hiding. Narrowing his eyes, he bellowed, "WHO GOES THERE?"

"Huh?"

"What are you talking about…?"

While the eldest and second sons wore puzzled expressions, Namgung Su quietly placed his hand on the hilt of his sword and moved to shield Namgung Mi.

The Patriarch glanced at his sons, then calmly repeated himself, "If you come out now, I will hear you out before deciding your fate."

"…Is it an intruder?"

"Protect the Patriarch!"

Finally realizing the situation, Namgung Hak and Namgung Heok drew their swords and stepped forward as if to protect their father.

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SHING! SHING! SHING! SHING!

Seeing the brothers' response, dozens of Namgung Clan warriors also drew their swords.

Releasing an overwhelming aura that dominated the whole area, Namgung Cheon warned, "I will count to five. If you don't come out by then, I will cut you down. One."

Baek Suryong clicked his tongue in dismay. He's stronger than I thought. I'm confident I can escape, but is that really the best choice right now? Clashing with him will place the Namgung Clan on high alert and make my future scouting activities much harder.

"Two."

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Namgung Cheon placed a hand on his sword hilt and intensified his aura, causing his sons to flinch and shudder.

Should I try to persuade him? Baek Suryong quickly thought of a few excuses for sneaking in here. Although he could think of some plausible reasons, he felt that none of them would satisfy the Namgung Patriarch.

"Three…"

Namgung Cheon's gentle demeanor disappeared, giving way to a piercing intensity that perfectly matched his alias, the Ironblood Swordsman.

GULP!

Someone swallowed audibly.

Namgung Cheon moved his right foot forward and lowered his stance in preparation to strike.

Baek Suryong's eyes widened. Holy shit, he's strong! On par with Skysword, or maybe even stronger!

He had once briefly crossed swords with Skysword, known as the weakest of the Ten Supremes, but the aura he felt from the Namgung Patriarch now was in no way inferior that man.

"Four."

Baek Suryong felt he had to make a decision.

Suddenly, however, he felt a mysterious power enveloping his body.

Huh? What's this?

He widened his eyes, trying to resist the mysterious power.

[Do not resist. I mean you no harm.]

Upon receiving the telepathic message, Baek Suryong hesitated briefly before complying and relaxing as instructed.

"Five."

SWISH!

The Namgung Patriarch's sword cleaved the space where Baek Suryong was standing.

Translator's Note: First it was the Handsome Playboy, and now it's the Rooftop Gentleman… Anyway, manhwa season 3 is slated for release on 29 Dec! ٩(^

1. Baijiu: A colorless Chinese hard liquor with 50-65% alcohol content. Baijiu is now widespread enough that you could probably find a bottle of Maotai or Wuliangye in your local liquor store. ↩