Star Instructor, Master Baek-Chapter 390: Bait and Switch

"When did he disappear?" Baek Suryong asked, narrowing his eyes.
Jin Euihyeop disappeared? Jin Euihyeop disappeared? This can't be a coincidence. Just as these guys began to suspect him, he vanished? And right before I arrived, at that?
Myeong Il'oh replied with a look as if he had seen a ghost. "I don't know. I was definitely keeping an eye on him, but at some point, he just disappeared."
"Let's go inspect the area."
Baek Suryong and friends headed to Jin Euihyeop's last known location. There, they found Jaegal Soyeong, her eyes bloodshot from a lack of sleep, examining the scene carefully.
"What happened?" Baek Suryong asked.
Jaegal Soyeong bowed her head. "I think I was affected by sorcery. I'm so sorry. I should have been more vigilant..."
She clenched her lips in frustration. As a member of the Jaegal Clan, who were renowned for their skill in formations and sorcery, she was frustrated and embarrassed that she had not noticed the opponent's spell.
[There are traces of extremely high-level sorcery being used], the Divine Azure Dragon Sword asserted, defending Jaegal Soyeong.
Baek Suryong recalled the information he had gleaned from the Fifth Shroud the previous night.
Skykiller is definitely skilled in sorcery.
His gaze turned solemn as he looked at the spot where Jin Euihyeop had been sitting. His peers were by no means weak. For someone to suddenly disappear without a trace while they were on high alert...
"At least it's not the real Jin Euihyeop," he remarked, finding some relief.
His colleagues nodded gravely. The Jin Euihyeop they knew wasn't particularly skilled in martial arts or sorcery.
If he truly is Skykiller... then he participated in the Azure Games all day yesterday without killing anyone. An assassin simply enjoyed himself and then got wasted with the instructors at the after-party? Seriously?
No matter how confident Skykiller was in his disguise and abilities, a normal assassin would never act so recklessly.
"Did he leave any traces behind?"
"We're still looking... but there probably aren't any."
Baek Suryong nodded. If 'Jin Euihyeop' was skilled enough to vanish without a trace, it was highly unlikely that he would leave any evidence behind.
He recalled Noh Goonsang's description of Skykiller.
He's a madman who carves his alias into the bodies of his victims. That means he's anything but normal, huh?
It seemed that this generation's Skykiller was someone who enjoyed showing off his work to the world.
"Examine it again, this time extremely closely. He may have left something behind on purpose."
Sure enough, a moment later, Ak Yeonho found a piece of paper stuck under the table.
"Hyung-nim, this is..."
Baek Suryong took the paper and examined it. "It's written in blood, but I don't know whose."
The three of them flinched.
The letter left by the missing Jin Euihyeop contained a long message written in crimson ink.
I had a really good time. I'm sad that today is the last time we'll be drinking together.
The sloppy handwriting, as if written while drunk, exuded a sense of self-importance and arrogance.
Dear Mr. Baek Suryong, I believe that you, at least, will discover this letter before it's too late.
"Before it's too late?" Baek Suryong grit his teeth. Skykiller had predicted that he would come here and discover this letter.
It was truly a pleasure to see you mingling with the students. I could feel your affectionate concern for one another. Unfortunately, no relationship can last forever. Where there are meetings, there are also partings. Isn't that why relationships are so precious?
The messy red handwriting looked like the scribbles of a drunk person, yet it evoked an unnerving, ominous feeling.
The pain of loss can cause people to become discouraged, but it can also make them more mature. Which one are you, I wonder? What about your students?
Baek Suryong crumpled the letter in his hand. Only through sheer willpower did he manage to restrain himself from burning it with True Samadhi Fire.
"Hyung-nim..."
"Orabeoni..."
His colleagues, who had read the letter alongside him, frowned. Although there was no explicit threat written in the letter, its meaning was clear.
Skykiller was going to kill Baek Suryong's students.
Baek Suryong thought for a moment, then said, "...Keep an eye out for anything suspicious inside the academy. If any problems arise, come to me, Namgung Su, the Headmaster, or the Principal. Don't trust anyone else."
If 'Jin Euihyeop' was Skykiller, he could have disguised himself as a student, instructor, or civilian.
His colleagues nodded solemnly.
"What are you going to do, Hyung-nim?"
"I have to keep playing tag."
Baek Suryong parted ways with his colleagues, then secretly rendezvoused with Baek Muheun and showed him Skykiller's letter.
Baek Muheun, his face still hidden by the black bamboo hat, sighed softly. "...Do the kids know?"
Baek Suryong nodded. "I told them that the Blood Cult sent an assassin after me, so they could be targeted too. I've trained them well in dealing with throwing knives and ambushes."
Baek Muheun scowled. He could tell that his son was putting on a brave front and doing his best to hide his anxiety. "Skykiller is no ordinary assassin. I think it would be best to gather the students in one place and protect them."
"......" Baek Suryong hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. "That might actually be what Skykiller wants me to do. While I'm distracted by the students, he could assassinate someone else."
Baek Suryong spread his aura throughout the Azure Dragon Academy like a net. Because of the festival, countless people freely entered and exited the grounds.
Despite being a master who had made it onto Murim's Ten Supremes list, even he found it difficult to pick out the assassins among them.
Now that we've spooked them, it's even harder to find them.
After he had tracked down and killed the assassins present at the Azure Games, the remaining members of Deathshroud had gone into hiding, taking great care to suppress their presence.
"If any of them reveals their killing intent or attempts an ambush, we'll detect it immediately."
"You, surely..." Baek Muheun's eyes widened as he realized the meaning of his son's words. "Are you planning to use the students as bait to lure out Skykiller?"
A heavy silence fell.
Baek Muheun stared at his son in disbelief.
Strictly speaking, though, Baek Suryong was not using the students as bait.
"Mr. Baek has ambushed us so many times that I don't think we'll be caught off guard by a mere assassin."
"That's right. We've been attacked while eating more than once."
"If you're worried, why don't you give us more training to prepare for assassins?"
"How about using us as bait to lure out the assassins?"
When the students heard that the Blood Cult had sent assassins, they had all looked at each other and asked to be trained for an emergency.
Seeing the determination in their eyes, he had reluctantly agreed.
"...Gathering the students in one place will keep them safe for the time being, but that's not a long-term solution," he explained.
If he were to watch over his students personally, not even Skykiller would dare touch them. However, that would only cause them to grow up like flowers in a greenhouse, eventually turning into his greatest weakness.
None of the five wanted such an outcome.
"You..." Baek Muheun was just about to tell his son to give up, when he noticed the overflowing confidence in his eyes. "...Are you ready?"
"Of course. Do you really think I would expose my students to danger without a backup plan?" Baek Suryong smiled wryly as he met his father's gaze. "Instead, I need your help with something."
"If there's anything I can do to help, I'll do it."
"Thanks, Dad."
Mae Geuklyom, Noh Goonsang, and Namgung Su were already on Deathshroud's radar. The only interference they hadn't planned for was Baek Muheun.
In other words, he was Baek Suryong's most versatile card. Depending on how he was used, he could play a decisive role in eliminating the opponent's general or rescuing allies from danger.
《The Monochrome Bears' Fortune Cookie Shop》
A large banner hung above the street stall with two bears holding up their front paws at either end. The festival pop-up stall was so crowded with customers that there was no room to stand, and a long line of people stood waiting for their turn.
"Five cookies, please!"
"Give me some mooncakes and candied fruit!"
"You ran out of tanghulu? But I've been queuing for ages!"
Geo Sangwoong and Ya Suhyeok were overwhelmed by the crowd.
"Everyone! I'm sorry, but we can only sell five per person!"
"No cutting in line! Hey, furball! Stop bringing in more customers!"
"Nyaa!"
When the stall first opened, only flies could be spotted buzzing around it. After all, the two biggest Azure Dragon Academy students stood in front of it, shouting at the top of their lungs. Their aggressive sales tactics made everyone feel pressured to buy something, so people steered clear of them.
Fortunately, an unexpected savior appeared.
"Nyan!"
A small and cute snow-white cat, or rather, Silver Tiger, began bringing customers in.
It ran around the Azure Dragon Academy, naturally drawing people's attention. Even the most cynical and sensitive people melted in front of the adorable, furry creature that rolled over and acted cute.
"Oh my!"
"So cute!"
Following their instinct to pet the adorable creature, people mysteriously found themselves inside the Monochrome Bears' Fortune Cookie Shop.
By the time they started to hesitate, the largest student at the academy had already blocked the entrance.
"Hahaha! Welcome, guests! Would you like to try a cookie?"
"Um, we were just..."
"Just try it first!"
Initially, the customers' faces paled, but after tasting the cookie Geo Sangwoong had practically forced into their mouths, their expressions changed.
"Hmm?"
"It's delicious...?"
"What kind of cookie is this?"
Most of the people who tasted the cookies were willing to buy them.
Of course, that alone wasn't enough. Some customers had discerning tastes, some didn't like cookies, and others were only interested in Silver Tiger.
Seeing this, Ya Suhyeok came up with a brilliant idea.
"For each bag of cookies, you can pet this guy once. He's a white cat that brings good luck!"
Despite being demoted from tiger to cat, Silver Tiger happily devoured the cookies that Ya Suhyeok gave him, not caring who stroked his back.
"It's so soft..."
"If I buy two bags, can I pet him twice?"
"Then I'll buy ten!"
Customers began lining up in front of the stall. At first, it was just to see Silver Tiger, but word quickly spread that the cookies were delicious. As more people came to hear the rumors, the line grew longer. Then, even more people came out of curiosity, causing the line to lengthen further.
"I'm sorry! We're out of cookies, so we'll have to close for now. Please come again next time!"
In the end, all of the cookies that Geo Sangwoong had prepared sold out in less than two hours.
After packing up the stall, he checked the money in his thick wallet and grinned from ear to ear.
"Hahaha! This is a huge success! Our profit is three times the investment!"
Silver Tiger was a big help at first, but later on, the product itself was sufficient. Geo Sangwoong had prepared high-quality cookies, and including inspirational quotes or fortunes inside them was also a winning business strategy.
Eventually, even when Silver Tiger wasn't around, people kept coming back for the cookies.
"Wow, they really love it."
Suhyeok was also in a good mood after earning some pocket money. Still, he looked at Geo Sangwoong, who seemed much happier than he was, with a slightly puzzled expression.
"Senior, you're already rich, so why are you so happy about earning a few coins?"
How much could they have earned from selling cookies? For Geo Sangwoong, the son of the Golden Dragon Trading Company, it was probably just pocket change.
Nevertheless, Geo Sangwoong's elation stemmed from something else entirely.
Smiling broadly, he explained, "To be honest, this is the first time I've ever earned money on my own."
"Hmm?"
Geo Sangwoong gave Ya Suhyeok exactly half of the proceeds and put the rest in his pocket.
"As you know, I was lost for a long time..." he said wistfully, a proud smile crossing his lips.
Two years ago, he had participated in the Heavenly Martial Festival, where he was struck by the Heavenly Martial Academy's Fist Tyrant Cho Il's Soul Reaping Demonic Art. As a result, he had fallen into qi deviation without realizing it and became addicted to binge eating and gambling, wasting nearly two years of his life.
Not only had he given up on martial arts, he had lost hope in life itself, living aimlessly from day to day until Baek Suryong showed up.
"I always felt guilty toward my parents. That's why, I decided to learn how to run a business properly and help them out when I graduate."
"But you're bad at math..." Ya Suhyeok mumbled.
Geo Sangwoong laughed awkwardly, "Hahaha! It's never too late to learn, right?"
"Are you done with your business?" someone suddenly asked.
It was a familiar face.