Star Instructor, Master Baek

TL: FoodieMonster007

It's already been over two hours.

The Blue Sky Sword King marveled at Baek Suryong, who was persistently chasing after him.

TAK! TAK! TAK! TAK! TAK!

Even while staying right on his heels, Baek Suryong effortlessly deflected the hidden weapons that rained down from all directions without missing a beat. It wasn't just the hidden weapons either. He spotted the cleverly laid traps ahead of time and disabled them before they could activate. Even the stealthily scattered poison didn't escape his notice, and he waved it aside with a flick of his sleeve.

When I first heard about him defeating the Bloody Ripper alone, I was skeptical, but he's truly reached the early stage of the transcendent realm.

Although Baek Suryong was trying to hide his skills, at this distance, he couldn't fool the Blue Sky Sword King's eyes.

While it's impressive that he's reached the transcendent realm at that age, it's his situational judgment and adaptability that amazes me more.

The Blue Sky Sword King narrowed his eyes. Leading the pursuit placed Baek Suryong directly in the line of the fiercest attacks. Moreover, he had no allies to cover his back or exchange ideas with. He was all alone, forced to judge, decide, and act in the heat of the moment.

"You're even leaving markers for the Azure Dragon Academy instructors to follow," he said out loud.

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"…So you knew after all," Baek Suryong replied.

"If you thought I wouldn't notice, you're underestimating me too much."

The Blue Sky Sword King found himself increasingly impressed by Baek Suryong's martial arts mastery, his sharp situational judgment, and his unshakable mental strength. Part of him wanted to accelerate, eager to test Baek Suryong's limits, but he held himself back. If he increased his speed any further, the instructors trailing behind would be left in the dust.

If only he weren't such a suspicious character… I would have taken him in as my disciple.

Nevertheless, even for Baek Suryong, the long chase wasn't easy.

"Huff, huff… May I ask you just one thing, Sir?" he asked, panting.

"I believe I made it clear that only the first person to reach the destination has the right to ask me a question."

"It's not that kind of question…"

CLANG!

Baek Suryong frowned as he deflected the arrow that had interrupted him. "Before we set off, you told us to treat this as real combat, right?"

"Yes."

"Then this is a situation where enemies are hiding in the bushes and attacking me."

"So?"

"Since this is 'real combat', shouldn't I be allowed to kill the flies annoying me?"

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"What?"

A smothering wave of killing intent surged from every direction. The figures lurking in the bushes and hurling hidden weapons were none other than the Azure Sky Sword Brigade, the pride of the Namgung Clan. As each member was a formidable master, far stronger than the instructors of the Five Great Academies, Baek Suryong's words had struck a nerve, wounding their towering pride.

He intends to kill us?

Arrogant punk! He doesn't even realize we're going easy on him…

Baek Suryong grinned as if the growing hostility all around meant nothing to him. "This is getting a bit tiresome. If I neutralize the enemies so that they can't ambush me again, I think the rest of the hike will be much easier."

Hmm, if I approve this, won't I get to see more of Baek Suryong's martial arts? the Blue Sky Sword King mused.

He nodded without hesitation. "If you can, go ahead and give it a try. Just keep in mind that the moment you start counterattacking, the attacks aimed at you will only grow more vicious."

Baek Suryong smirked wickedly. "Thank you for giving me permission."

For some reason, the Blue Sky Sword King felt slightly offended by that smile. He sent a telepathic message to the Azure Sky Sword Brigade: [Since he's so confident, I think you can show off your skills a little more. I permit you to use your swords.]

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[Yes, sir!]

From that moment on, their attacks grew even more relentless. The hidden weapons came flying twice as fast, striking from blind spots and targeting Baek Suryong's vitals.

WHOOSH!

A flying dagger glanced off Baek Suryong's cheek, leaving a thin bead of blood where it nicked his skin. His martial arts uniform, torn in several places, bore fresh red stains.

This time, however, Baek Suryong was no longer content with simply evading the attacks. Snatching the incoming hidden weapons out of the air, he sent them hurtling back toward their owners.

CLANG! CLANG!

The clash of deflected projectiles echoed from the bushes as the Azure Sky Sword Brigade fended off the threat.

Baek Suryong sneered, "Is this the best you can do? Scurrying in the dark and throwing hidden weapons? And you call yourselves the Azure Sky Sword Brigade?"

His taunt struck a nerve. The brigade warriors surged toward him, closing the gap in an instant. A barrage of hidden weapons, coins, stones, and even jagged fragments of wood hurtled through the air in his direction like pouring rain.

SHWAAAA!

If the Tang Clan's ultimate secret technique, Rain of a Thousand Blossoms, was unleashed, would such a scene unfold? Baek Suryong wondered as he leaped into the sky and spun in midair.

SWISH!

Caught in the swirling airstream around him, the hidden weapons were flung explosively in all directions. Despite weathering the storm, however, the danger had only just begun. While Baek Suryong was airborne, his movements were restricted, giving the furious warriors the perfect opportunity to strike.

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Let's teach him a lesson!

Your arrogance ends here!

Four black-clad warriors jumped out of the bushes on either side, brandishing their swords.

From behind them, their Captain shouted, "Make him pay for his complacency!"

Baek Suryong's eyes widened in alarm.

It's over now, the Blue Sky Sword King thought. Baek Suryong would end up getting hurt, or at least lose track of him.

Disappointed by Baek Suryong's reckless behavior, his interest began to wane. It's good to be confident, but he carelessly provoked his opponent without considering their abilities. If he doesn't learn his lesson this time, he'll suffer for the whole training… huh?

A knowing smile spread across Baek Suryong's lips.

Realizing something was wrong, the Blue Sky Sword King yelled, "Be careful!"

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Unfortunately, he was a step too late. As the four men closed in, Baek Suryong reached into his shirt pocket, pulled out several hidden weapons, and hurled them.

THUNK! THUNK! THUNK! THUNK!

The hidden weapons struck with precision, lodging firmly in his attackers' limbs.

"Ugh!"

"Argh!"

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Everything happened in an instant. The four seasoned warriors tried to retreat immediately, but to their horror, their bodies refused to respond.

"Poison!"

"When did he steal those?"

The poison wasn't lethal, but a type designed to temporarily paralyze the body. It was the same poison that was coated on the hidden weapons they'd fired at Baek Suryong earlier.

"Who's the complacent one now?" Baek Suryong mocked, approaching the staggering men at lightning speed.

TAP! TAP! TAP! TAP!

In the blink of an eye, he sealed their paralysis acupoints and took the smallest among them as a hostage.

"Don't come any closer," he snarled, pressing a dagger against the hostage's neck, his eyes darting around with fierce intensity.

The warriors fixed him with murderous glares, but Baek Suryong's lips curled into a calm, almost amused smile.

"Unless you want to see your comrade die, you'd better back off," he warned.

"Are you crazy?"

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"How dare you take a hostage!"

The unexpected turn of events threw the Azure Sky Sword Brigade into disarray. They had considered countless scenarios, but none of them had expected one of their own to be taken hostage.

The Captain stepped forward, his glare fixed on Baek Suryong. Barely holding back his killing intent, he demanded, "How dare you take a hostage? Stop this nonsense and release him!"

Baek Suryong laughed, "Do I look like I'm joking? You didn't hesitate to throw hidden weapons at me, but now that the tables have turned, you're upset?"

"You insolent bastard…" the Captain snarled, his anger boiling over as he drew his sword.

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When he saw the eerie calm in Baek Suryong's eyes though, he froze, unable to strike.

"Hahaha!" The Blue Sky Sword King suddenly burst out laughing. Looking at Baek Suryong with genuine admiration, he asked, "Did you provoke them with the intention of taking a hostage from the very beginning? No, from the moment you asked me for permission to kill the enemies earlier, was it all a trap?"

He was already impressed by Baek Suryong before, but this time, it was different.

Baek Suryong nodded seriously. "That's correct."

"Well, this is quite troublesome," the Blue Sky Sword King sighed deeply.

Who would have thought that after getting permission to kill the enemies, he'd take one of the warriors as a hostage?

He had been completely fooled by this cunning young fox.

Baek Suryong grinned. "This way, it won't be my fault even if the hostage ends up dead."

"How dare you! Do you really think you can harm a Namgung Clan martial artist and live to tell the tale?" the Captain roared.

The Blue Sky Sword King placed a hand on the captain's shoulder to calm him. "That's enough, Captain. Mr. Baek Suryong has a point."

"Former Patriarch!"

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"Are you telling me to go back on my word?" the Blue Sky Sword King said coldly. As a member of the Ten Supremes and the Former Patriarch of the Namgung Clan, he couldn't take back his words carelessly.

Realizing that he had been completely outsmarted, the Captain gritted his teeth. "Grr…"

The Blue Sky Sword King turned back towards Baek Suryong. Suddenly, he wanted to test the young man's resolve.

"Mr. Baek, what would you do if they ignore the hostage and continue attacking you?" he asked.

Baek Suryong replied without hesitation, "First, I'll cut off the hostage's left arm. If they still come at me, then I'll cut off his right arm. Finally, I'll slit his throat and escape without hesitation. This is 'real combat', after all."

GULP!

The hostage swallowed dryly, trembling in fear. Would he really go that far? What if he really does?

"It was you who told us to treat this like 'real combat', Blue Sky Sword King. Shouldn't you take responsibility for any accidents that happen? Or do you expect only us instructors to risk injury?" Baek Suryong said pointedly.

"Hoho… You're right. I did say that." The Blue Sky Sword King let out a wry smile as he surveyed the scene. "Captain, please step back for now. If you can't figure out a way to save the hostage, I won't allow you to lay another hand on this boy."

"…Former Patriarch, if you give the order, we'll proceed with the mission," the Captain said solemnly, his gaze fixed on Baek Suryong.

The Blue Sky Sword King shook his head firmly. "I said, that's enough, Captain. I won't risk losing anyone from the Azure Sky Sword Brigade over something so stupid. Focus on finding a way to rescue the hostage without needless sacrifices."

"…Yes, sir."

The Captain glared at Baek Suryong for a moment, then commanded his subordinates to withdraw.

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When the Azure Sky Sword Brigade had disappeared into the bushes, the Blue Sky Sword King turned to Baek Suryong, who was slinging the hostage over his shoulder.

A paralyzed person was as limp and heavy as a log. Even for most martial masters, running while carrying another person was a tall order.

"It won't be easy carrying someone while using movement arts," he remarked.

"Don't worry, I can manage. Just knowing that I won't be ambushed until we reach the destination is worth the trouble," Baek Suryong replied calmly as he sealed the hostage's sleep acupoint, knocking him unconscious.

"Don't let your guard down until the end. It may seem like you've won for now, but the Captain is a tenacious man."

"I'll keep that in mind."

With that, the Blue Sky Sword King resumed running, and Baek Suryong followed with the hostage slung over his shoulder.

All the way to the finish line, not once did the Azure Sky Sword Brigade attempt to obstruct him.

Translator's Note: Would you rather have 6 chapters total this week ending on a Namgung Su high, or 7 chapters and a massive weeklong cliffhanger?