Star Instructor, Master Baek-Chapter 392: Will You Go With Me?

Although Geo Sangwoong and Ya Suhyeok put on an overwhelming performance against the assassins, it was by no means an easy fight for either of them.
"These bastards..."
All of the assassins were tenacious and vicious. The moment they judged that eliminating a target was too difficult, they did not hesitate to attempt a double suicide. They would rush in with their inner arts running rampant, use a colleague's body as a shield to thrust their blades, or try to grab an ankle even as they were dying.
Eventually, the assassins' repeated attacks broke through Geo Sangwoong and Ya Suhyeok's defenses, wounding them. While most of the cuts were shallow, some sections of their skin had turned blue from poison.
Worse, as time passed, more and more wounds appeared.
"Haa... vicious bastards..."
"Make sure you finish them off!"
Geo Sangwoong used his fortress-like frame to block the assassins' attacks head-on. , while Ya Suhyeok crushed their enemies with every part of his body. Amidst the chaos, Bang Baekhyun's sharp sword never failed to exploit the openings the two giants created.
SPURT!
Bang Baekhyun stabbed the heart of an assassin that Geo Sangwoong had pushed away, then immediately pulled the blade out and scanned his surroundings.
"Don't let your guard down. There's a high probability these guys are just bait, and a real Deathshroud assassin is hiding somewhere, waiting for his chance."
As a member of the Murim Alliance's Omniscient Bureau, he knew more about Deathshroud than was publicly known. For example, he knew that only numbered assassins were recognized within Deathshroud. He also knew that some of them were skilled in sorcery and drug manufacturing, and used these skills to create egoless people who could be controlled like puppets.
"Yeah, the surrounding qi has been strange for a while now."
They've set up a formation."
Geo Sangwoong and Bang Baekhyun stood back-to-back. The numerous sky lanterns that had been flying into the night sky were no longer visible. Instead, a black, fog-like substance was enveloping the area.
SSHHHH...
Only an eerie sound could be heard, indicating that they were trapped in an isolated space. In other words, no matter what happened here, no one outside would notice.
"The longer we stay here, the more dangerous it'll get," Bang Baekhyun said determinedly. "We have to find the formation's weakness and escape."
"Can you do it?"
"...If I have enough time to concentrate."
Geo Sangwoong grinned and deflected a hidden weapon flying toward Bang Baekhyun. "Then focus on finding the exit. Hey, Suhyeok! Stop running wild and get your ass over here!"
"Got it."
The three of them stuck together, protecting each other's backs. Bang Baekhyun focused on analyzing the formation, while Geo Sangwoong and Ya Suhyeok protected him.
"Senior! Are you okay?"
"This will heal if I put some spit on it."
Contrary to what he said, however, cold sweat streamed down Geo Sangwoong's body. He was the one who was taking most of the hits to protect the others. Although his body was strong and he had a high resistance to poison, his Eighteen Strikes of the Viridian Forest was still incomplete.
"Hoo..."
Nevertheless, Geo Sangwoong stood firm, especially since the assassins soon noticed Bang Baekhyun trying to break the formation and turned their blades toward him. He took most of those attacks on his friend's behalf, and not a single one even scratched their intended target.
"Sangwoong!"
"Don't mind me, and just find the exit!"
Still, escaping a formation set up by Deathshroud was no easy feat. No matter how outstanding they were, the three of them were still just students.
On the other hand, their opponents belonged to the Central Plains' finest assassin organization. The fact that they were holding on at all was astonishing.
"...I've found it! It's over there!"
"Alright! If we can just get there, we can escape!"
"Let's go!"
The three students made to run, even as the assassins interfered desperately. According to their orders, they had to either kill all three people inside the formation or tire them out and make them easier to kill.
RUMBLE!
Suddenly, just as the three students' wounds were growing worse, a light flashed from outside the black fog. A clap of thunder followed closely behind, and the fog dispersed like it had never been there.
STEP, STEP...
An intruder entered the formation.
The two assassins guarding the core immediately charged at him. Although they had not yet received a number, they had been personally raised by the Third Shroud and were outstanding enough to be comparable to the Twentieth Shroud.
In front of the man who had broken the formation, however, they were utterly powerless.
"So crude."
CRACKLE, CRACKLE!
Lightning flashed from the man's sword, and the assassins' bisected bodies hit the floor. No blood flowed from the blackened corpses, as their flesh was seared by lightning.
Geo Sangwoong found himself swallowing dryly without realizing it.
What is this pressure...?
His senses were overwhelmed by a fearsome presence, as if the man was dominating the space itself.
He wasn't alone. All three students stood and watched the spectacle with their mouths agape. Although this was the unfortunate result of merging the Heavenly Lightning Sword Technique and the Royal Sword Style, there was no way they could figure that out.
"Anyone hurt?" Namgung Su asked, looking around. Fortunately, there seemed to be no major injuries on the students' bodies besides a few skin-deep scratches.
"I'll be fine if I just put some spit on it," Geo Sangwoong, the first to regain his composure, replied.
Namgung Su let out a small sigh of relief. Given his usual reserved nature, this display of emotion was striking.
Geo Sangwoong added, "Thank you for your help... even though we would have gotten out just fine on our own."
Namgung Su nodded. He didn't bother mentioning the Third Shroud, who was waiting to ambush the students if they escaped the formation. Rather, something else bothered him much more.
Frowning, he asked, "I see, but... were you three secretly drinking here? I smell alcohol."
Geo Sangwoong's face instantly paled. He stammered, "M-Mr. Namgung, about that..."
Despite being unfazed even when confronted by assassins, his heart now pounded with anxiety.
Will the notoriously strict Namgung Su let this slide? If I accumulate any more demerit points, I won't be allowed to participate in the Heavenly Martial Festival!
Namgung Su muttered, "...Was it a ploy to lure the assassins?"
"...Pardon? Y-Yes, that's right!"
"That was a wise decision. Well done."
""...!!""
Namgung Su came up with a mysterious excuse that the three students had not even thought of. He even praised them with a faint smile.
Of course, by an ordinary person's standards, it was just a slight curl of the lips. To the Azure Dragon Academy students, however, it was more precious than a flower that only bloomed once a century.
Unfortunately, the smile disappeared in an instant, as if it was just an illusion.
Namgung Su added coldly, "There might be another ambush, so leave the academy and take shelter with the Beggars' Gang or the constables."
I doubt they'll send other assassins after the same students, but better to be safe than sorry.
"Is Mr. Baek okay?" Geo Sangwoong asked worriedly.
"There's no need to worry about that man," Namgung Su snapped briefly, then kicked off the ground.
In the blink of an eye, he vanished into the distance.
The students stared blankly at the spot where he had been for a minute before finally coming back to their senses.
"Even if it's the same praise, it feels strangely good when it comes from Mr. Namgung Su."
"I think I saw Mr. Namgung Su smiling for the first time in four years."
"Did you see the lightning flashing from his eyes earlier? I almost pissed myself."
They left the academy together. Thanks to the sky lantern festival, few people remained at the Azure Dragon Academy.
Walking side by side, the two giants gazed at the sky lanterns rising outside the academy.
"I wonder if the others are okay. Especially that punk Wonkang..."
"Well, what could happen? It's not like he's alone."
"True. I have some wine left from earlier. Want to finish it?"
"Fufu, sounds good."
Bang Baekhyun shook his head as he listened to the pair forget all about the assassins and nonchalantly talk about drinking again.
The festival was special for everyone, but for some, it was an especially heart-pounding day. One such person was a boy who had decided to confess his feelings.
"Ahahaha! Wasn't the SRS performance hilarious?"
"Y-Yeah."
"I still can't believe it! Who would have thought they'd make Wiji Cheon cross-dress?"
"Haha... Jicheon's expression was a sight to see."
"It was obvious he didn't want to do it, but it didn't affect the quality of his sword dance at all. And what's with him being even prettier than Yoo Yiran?"
"......"
SMACK! THUMP!
Yeo Min slapped Hyonwon Kang's shoulder, laughing so hard that tears welled up in her eyes... without knowing the state of the young man whose heart felt like it would explode.
Ah, damn... She's too close!
There were a lot of people at the festival, so they had to walk shoulder-to-shoulder, but that didn't make the proximity any less uncomfortable.
Get a grip, Hyonwon Kang. You hang out with her like this every day and even live in the same house! Why are you like this?
In his defense, Yeo Min was not wearing her usual training outfit, which he saw every day, but rather a pretty dress. A hairpin adorned her hair, contrary to her usual ponytail. On her waist, she even carried a fragrant scent pouch.
Likewise, he was also wearing his best clothes, since unlike the first day, there was no need to fight on the second day of the Azure Dragon Festival.
Unfortunately, all this only made him more nervous.
Yeo Min tugged at his sleeve. "Let's go look over there this time."
"Uh, y-yeah..." Hyonwon Kang mumbled, letting himself be dragged around like a broken wind-up doll.
Yeo Min furrowed her brows. "What's wrong with you today, Senior?"
"...What?" Hyonwon Kang blinked in a daze.
Yeo Min leaned closer to observe his face. "Why are you so out of it?"
Hyonwon Kang flinched, but of course, the thing he was hoping for (?) didn't happen.
Yeo Min merely whispered in his ear, "Don't forget why Mr. Baek told us to stick together in pairs."
"......"
"Never walk around alone. Don't let your guard down, as you don't know when you might be targeted by assassins."
As Baek Suryong had advised, Hyonwon Kang and Yeo Min found themselves paired up. Of course, this was what Hyonwon Kang wanted, and he was also the one who invited Yeo Min to watch the performance today.
The fact that everyone knew what he was plotting... was something only Hyonwon Kang was unaware of.
In any case, Hyonwon Kang was grateful for this opportunity to spend the second day of the Azure Dragon Festival alone with Yeo Min.
"Look at this. Does it look good?"
"Oh, this is delicious."
"Ma'am! This is a complete rip-off!"
"Well, I never! This young lady..."
Hyonwon Kang stared blankly as Yeo Min tried on accessories, ate snacks on the street, and haggled skillfully with the vendors.
She's so pretty.
Countless people hustled and bustled on the street, but in Hyonwon Kang only had eyes for one person.
Suddenly, Yeo Min sighed deeply, "Hey, why have you been so restless lately?"
"Well... you see."
"Do you need to poop?"
"That's not it!" Hyonwon Kang denied immediately.
He attempted to muster his courage, but in the end, he couldn't bring himself to look Yeo Min in the eye.
Instead, he looked at the sky awkwardly as he muttered, "Will you go with me to the Silver Scale Lake for the sky lantern festival?"
Yeo Min opened her eyes wide for a moment, then smirked faintly and nodded. "Yeah. Let's do that."
Just then, the festival began, and the first lanterns rose into the sky.