Star Instructor, Master Baek

“I was waiting for you,” the stranger said.

Hyonwon Kang’s hand shot to his blade, his eyes ablaze with feral intent. “What do you want?” he demanded, his voice low and threatening.

“Huh?” Namgoong Seok halted abruptly, taken aback by the sharpness in Hyonwon Kang’s tone. He swallowed hard and stepped back almost reflexively, a sheen of sweat forming on his brow. I’d heard that this guy was famously unhinged, but this is something else…

Rumors of Hyonwon Kang’s erratic behavior were widespread, and his uncle, Namgoong Su, often mentioned that he was talented but lazy. Seeing the man in person, however, shattered any preconceived notions.

Can a lazy martial artist really exude such an aura? Namgoong Seok wondered.

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“Hey, are you deaf?” Hyonwon Kang snapped, breaking Namgoong Seok’s train of thought.

Namgoong Seok stiffened. As intimidating as Hyonwon Kang was, he, a descendant of the great Namgoong Clan, would not allow himself to be cowed. “I have no business with you. The person I need is behind you,” he retorted boldly.

“What…?” Hyonwon Kang’s demeanor instantly morphed into something demonic. Gripping the hilt of his blade, he growled, “What business do you have with Gramps?”

“Wiji Cheon?” Hyonwon Kang asked, visibly easing up a bit, although he still seemed suspicious.

In the tense atmosphere, Wiji Cheon stepped forward, a puzzled look on his face. “Yes? Why were you waiting for me…?”

Despite Hyonwon Kang’s unexpected actions, Namgoong Seok was undaunted. “This year’s top entrant will be me,” he declared.

“What?”

“Don’t act so high and mighty. You might have defeated Cho Maksaeng, but I won’t go down as easily.”

Wiji Cheon blinked, genuinely confused. “When did I ever…”

“Are you just pretending or are you laying the groundwork to save face later? You must have heard the whispers,” Namgoong Seok scoffed.

Recently, he had been very irritable. Everywhere he went, the name ‘Wiji Cheon’ reached his ears. ‘The Azure Dragon Academy’s best talent of the decade,’ they praised, ‘a boy like a sleeping dragon,’ they alleged.

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Even Namgoong Jaehak of the Ten Kings, whom Namgoong Seok admired, had mentioned Wiji Cheon during lunch earlier that day.

Damn it…

He, Namgoong Seok, the scion of the illustrious Namgoong Clan who always lived up to the towering expectations and burdens of his lineage, should have been the center of attention.

“Starting from your year, the Azure Dragon Academy will change,” his uncle Namgoong Su had even assured him.

For the longest time, he had believed himself unparalleled in talent and effort among his peers, unrivaled in what was considered the worst of the Five Academies… until Wiji Cheon appeared.

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“I’ve never been arrogant or assumed that I would be the best,” Wiji Cheon said gingerly.

“Hmph,” Namgoong Seok snorted, convinced that Wiji Cheon was frightened by his challenge. “It’s good that you know your place. I find it pathetic that you’re backing down so soon, but…”

“…But I think I can beat you,” Wiji Cheon added.

“What?” Namgoong Seok’s eyes widened, shocked by the sudden reversal.

Hyonwon Kang chuckled, “Pfft, wow, just look at him go…”

“Ah, to be young…” Gongson Su mumbled.

Meeting Namgoong Seok’s gaze, Wiji Cheon calmly replied, “You started it, buddy. My teacher says that if someone throws the first punch, I must return it twofold.”

“B-Buddy?” The rude term irked Namgoong Seok more than the content of Wiji Cheon’s reply. Could it be…

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“You… don’t know my name?” Namgoong Seok asked.

Wiji Cheon smoothly sidestepped the question. “Also, there’s something I can only do as the top entrant.”

“Hey…!” Namgoong Seok shouted, his frustration mounting.

Gongson Su looked curiously at his tuition mate. “Cheon, may I ask what is it you want to do?”

“…The freshman representative speech.”

“Oho?”

The top entrant at the Azure Dragon Academy every year received the honor of delivering the freshman representative speech at the entrance ceremony. It was an opportunity to lay out one’s ambitions before the instructors, peers, current students, and the esteemed seniors of the murim.

“…I have something I want to say from that podium,” Wiji Cheon stated resolutely.

Gongson Su and Hyonwon Kang’s jaws dropped in shock. The very idea of Wiji Cheon, a normally quiet and reserved boy, wanting to address a crowd was unthinkable.

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To Namgoong Seok, however, Wiji Cheon’s words seemed like a direct provocation. “No. You won’t get to say anything, because I will take both the freshman and the graduation speeches,” he argued.

“…I’m not interested in the graduation speech.”

“How insolent…!”

The two boys glared at each other, their stares fiery and unyielding.

Rubbing his temples in annoyance, Hyonwon Kang turned to Namgoong Seok. “Look, if you’re done here, can you move? I’m a bit on edge today.”

“You should be the one to leave.”

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“What the fuck?”

Hyonwon Kang, the Azure Dragon Academy’s worst delinquent, posed menacingly. He tilted his head, his eyes wild as he looked down at his opponent and cursed like a thug on a collection run, “Who are you to talk shit every time a senior speaks, eh? You want to die? Go back to your mommy, you still wet behind the ears midget…”

“A-Are you some kind of hoodlum…?!” Facing such vulgarity, Namgoong Seok, brought up in a prestigious family and accustomed to the refined circles of the nobility, found himself at a loss for words.

Tilting his head even more, Hyonwon Kang bellowed, “Hoodlum? Did you just call me a hoodlum?”

“D-Don’t come any closer!” Truly shaken, Namgoong Seok reached for his sword’s hilt.

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Grinning mockingly, Hyonwon Kang approached him, taunting, “Oh dear. Shall we see the skills of an aspiring top entrant? You know, I just needed a place to vent my stress. I was planning to dismember just one person today. Just one… fufufu.”

“Are you insane?” Namgoong Seok gasped, stunned by Hyonwon Kang’s apparent madness.

“…Cheon, Senior Wonkang seems to have a lot pent up.”

“It seems so…”

“Fufufu… You, come over here, you damn brat!” Hyonwon Kang roared, reaching to grab Namgoong Seok by the collar.

“Stop!” A voice, infused with inner qi, echoed sharply.

Gasps erupted from the crowd, who watched the escalating standoff with bated breath.

“It’s the Student Council President!”

“Dokgo Jun!”

“The Azure Dragon Academy Student Council!”

Led by Dokgo Jun, the Student Council members including Tang Soso and the Azure Dragon Twins made their way through the crowd.

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“I was wondering why it was so noisy over here…” Dokgo Jun eyed Hyonwon Kang wearily. Over the last three years, they had met in the exact same situation more times than he could count. “Hyonwon Kang. Just when I thought you seemed to have calmed down, you’re causing trouble again.”

“Hey hey, this guy started the trouble this time.”

“…The afternoon exams are starting soon, so break it up. You too, Namgoong Seok,” Dokgo Jun stated, his voice calm yet firm, his qi gathering in preparation for a potential confrontation.

I have to suppress the situation as quickly as possible…

However, the anticipated clash didn’t occur.

Hyonwon Kang abruptly turned around and conceded, “Fine. Grandpa! Wiji Cheon! Let’s go inside, we’re going to be late!”

“Huh?”

“Okay?”

“What’s with those faces? Aren’t you taking the exam?” Hyonwon Kang sighed in exasperation, the intimidating air he had displayed moments before dissipating into thin air as he ushered Gongson Su and Wiji Cheon towards the academy building.

Namgoong Seok gaped blankly, bewildered. “What…”

Before he could finish his line, however, Hyonwon Kang glanced back at him and grinned slyly, saying, “Make sure you pass. We’ll be seeing a lot more of each other.”

“Hyonwon Kang!” Dokgo Jun called out immediately.

“Alright, alright.” Hyonwon Kang shrugged nonchalantly. “Excuse me then.”

As Hyonwon Kang vanished into the Azure Dragon Academy, Dokgo Jun furrowed his brows, a thought crossing his mind. Could it be… did he stir up this chaos just to defuse the situation?

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It was an unforeseen tactic, but given Hyonwon Kang’s cunning smile, it seemed plausible. With the arrival of the Student Council, the commotion had been neatly resolved.

If Hyonwon Kang orchestrated all this… then he has certainly changed. Moreover, these two boys have already surpassed the freshman level. And even though they’re not as well known, I’ve noticed a number of other promising kids among this year’s applicants.

“…This year will definitely be different,” Dokgo Jun resolved, clenching his fist as he gazed up at the grand signboard of the Azure Dragon Academy.

The crowd buzzed with anticipation.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats. The sparring exam will begin shortly!” Kwak Cheolwoo, the Vice Principal of Azure Dragon Academy, announced, his qi-enhanced voice resonating powerfully across the academy grounds.

The entrance exam was a celebrated event in the local murim community, akin to a grand festival. In particular, the sparring exam—a showdown between current Student Council seniors and new applicants—was especially eagerly awaited, as it offered a glimpse into the Academy’s present and future, garnering the attention of even prominent murim figures.

Around the ten duel arenas set up in the main martial hall, the applicants tried various ways to calm their nerves.

“Hoo…”

“I’m so nervous I could lose my mind…”

“I can do this. I can do this. I can do this!”

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Seeing the youthful faces filling the stands also evoked a blend of emotions among the spectators.

“Excuse me, is this your first time watching the entrance exam?” a chatty old man asked the man beside him.

“Yes, it is,” the man replied, smiling. He had a very common face, too common to be memorable.

“I thought so. I’ve been coming here for over thirty years, so I can tell.”

“Is that so?”

“I’m no martial arts master, but I have an eye for talent. I can tell who will pass, who will fail, and who might become a master in the future.”

“I see.”

“Everyone says the Azure Dragon Academy is the weakest of the Five Great Academies, but things will change from this year onward,” the old man continued enthusiastically, undeterred by the lackluster response. He just needed an audience for his musings.

“Why do you think that?”

“It’s all about the flow. The Azure Dragon has been coiling for ten years, gathering the energy to ascend to the heavens. I know a bit about geomancy too…”

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“……”

“Just watch. This year, the Azure Dragon Academy will stir up a storm across all of murim.”

“…That’s intriguing.” The man nodded, neither agreeing or disagreeing.

The old man didn’t quite comprehend his nonchalance, but it was a welcome change from those who grimaced and walked away, annoyed by his prattle. “By the way, what’s your name?” he asked.

The unassuming man grinned wryly. “I’ve forgotten my name, but my colleagues call me Seven.”

Observing the old man warming up in the arena waiting area, Seven’s smile widened.