Star Instructor, Master Baek-Chapter 398: I Am This Kind Of Person

Securing a table at the Scarlet Flower Restaurant was notoriously difficult. Landing a reservation on the top floor, which overlooked the entire city, required more than just wealth. Significant connections and power were also required.
Nevertheless, in this gilded tower, which offered a view of the city worthy of its price, Jin Euihyeop—no, Skykiller—leaned against the railing, raising a jade cup to his lips.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?"
Skykiller gazed at the lights coloring the city's night sky approvingly. Gently glowing sky lanterns drifted about, swaying in the wind. Some even floated toward him, giving him a glimpse of children's wishes written in squiggly handwriting and adults' prayers for health and prosperity.
WHOOSH!
A few lanterns caught in the wind flew toward the tower, but with a gentle wave of his hand, he sent them back outside.
"They say this is the first time in ten years that so many sky lanterns have risen over the city. Tonight will surely become an unforgettable memory for many people."
There was no answer, but Skykiller didn't mind. He was quite accustomed to talking to himself.
"To think that the last thing you see alive is a sight like this... Well, I guess you were rather fortunate, weren't you?"
Skykiller glanced down at a certain spot on the floor, where the nameless rich man who had originally booked this place lay dead, his eyes wide open. There were no traces of blood or signs of an attack on the man's body, but his terror-stricken expression revealed the agony he had endured in his final moments.
"A day like this calls for music."
Skykiller picked up a pipa1 resting against the railing and began to play.
A clear, beautiful melody spread through the night air, and the liquor in the cup on the railing rippled gently to the tune.
As the night deepened, the city lights went out one by one, and so too did the lives of the assassins scattered throughout the city.
Even with his eyes closed, Skykiller could feel the sorcery he had engraved on the assassins activating in succession.
"In the end, it seems no one managed to escape the enemy's net."
He wasn't disappointed. On the contrary, he felt a small thrill sensing the assassins' desperate struggles and their lives extinguishing at the end.
Skykiller loved seeing humans struggle to hold onto life, even if just for a moment longer. Unable to find anything more beautiful, he had become an assassin.
SRRRK.
He kept his eyes closed, focusing on his pipa performance, until suddenly, a shadow emerged from the darkness.
"The First Shroud has fallen," a messenger ed impassively, as he had been trained to do.
Still, Skykiller's keen senses picked up on the messenger's emotional turmoil. He put down the pipa and opened his eyes.
"Even the First Shroud is dead... How surprising."
The First Shroud was a useful man who took care of all sorts of troublesome tasks for him. Unfortunately, since he was also a Blood Cult elder, he wasn't permitted to use sorcery on him. He could only learn of the First Shroud's fate through more traditional means.
"Did Mr. Baek Suryong kill him?"
"No, we've confirmed that he fell victim to a joint attack by the Sword Addict Mae Geuklyom and the Handsome Prince Baek Muheun. Unfortunately, we couldn't approach them to find out more. They seem to have a way of detecting our presence. If not for that, we assassins of Deathshroud..." The messenger hesitated, letting his voice trail off.
Smiling, Skykiller finished the sentence his subordinate couldn't bring himself to say, "...Wouldn't have been killed off without eliminating a single target? For once, the famed assassins of Deathshroud, said to be the best in the world, failed spectacularly!"
"...Yes."
This night would go down in Deathshroud's history as its greatest failure and worst humiliation.
However, Skykiller wasn't interested in such things. The only thing he cared about at that moment was one person.
"How truly remarkable, Mr. Baek Suryong! To think you laid such a deadly trap..."
"......"
"Can't you feel his obsession? That arrogant, selfish obsession to protect what's precious to him at all costs, to not lose a single thing!"
The kneeling messenger shuddered and lowered his head to hide his surging fear.
What a madman.
That was the only word he could think of while looking into Skykiller's eyes. Still, he had to finish his .
"...While you were waiting, Skykiller, most of the assassins on the mission were killed," he said.
"I know. I intended for this to happen to some extent."
"......"
"More died than I expected, but it's not a problem. This might even be for the best."
"......"
"Are you always this quiet? Well, it doesn't matter. Assassins are generally like that."
Skykiller looked at the assassin kneeling before him.
What was this guy's number again? Sixteen? Seventeen?
After thinking about it for a moment, he decided it was too much trouble to recall the number of a man who was going to die soon. He simply continued rambling, as if talking to himself.
"Listen. Mr. Baek Suryong is a truly amazing person. I've been watching him constantly since the semester began. He always seemed so busy that I never had a chance to talk to him, but I did manage to chat with him a bit during the Azure Games."
Skykiller prattled on cheerfully, as if he were still Jin Euihyeop.
"During the cavalry battle, I was so flustered when Mr. Ak Yeonho kicked off the ground and flew above me... Hmm?"
Suddenly, Skykiller's expression darkened, and he furrowed his brow slightly.
"Well, now. It seems you have a tail."
Skykiller gazed toward the door, and the kneeling assassin shot to his feet in a panic.
"That can't be..."
Skykiller snorted. He could sense martial artists approaching outside the door. Although they were trying their best to suppress their presences, it was impossible to deceive his senses.
"It appears that they are indeed in possession of something that can discern our presence. Martial arts? Sorcery? Drugs? It must be one of those..." Skykiller tilted his head and smirked. "Well, I'll find out if I ask them directly."
He picked up the pipa he had set aside and lightly plucked a string.
JIIIING!
A clear note echoed through the top floor of the restaurant.
"Keoheok..." Coughing, the messenger crumpled to the ground, bleeding from the ears.
Skykiller smiled faintly. "Since things have come to this, I suppose I should get moving. I wonder what appearance I should use to surprise Mr. Baek?"
"W-Why me...?" The messenger stared at Skykiller in disbelief.
Why is he trying to kill me? Is it because I led a tail here? No, even if that's true, don't we need every bit of strength we can muster to deal with martial artists swarming outside?
Skykiller's answer was something he could never have imagined.
"You didn't make for a very good conversation partner, did you?"
"You crazy...!"
KWAAANG!
The door splintered, and the ceiling collapsed as dozens of martial artists stormed into the private dining area.
"Drop your weapons and surrender!"
"Everyone, be careful of hidden weapons and poison!"
Elite martial artists from the Murim Alliance, the Beggars' Gang, and the Constabulary rushed in together, bracing themselves against an attack by assassins. Unfortunately, they were a step too late.
"...Where's the assassin?"
All that remained were the corpses of the rich man, whose eyes were wide open, the messenger, who had died bleeding from his ears, and a lone, abandoned pipa with a broken string.
CRACK!
An assassin's neck was twisted at an impossible angle, but it was only after his limbs went limp that Noh Goonsang tossed the corpse aside.
"Are you hurt anywhere, Mr. Kwak?"
"...I-I'm fine," Kwak Duyong stammered, nodding as he swallowed dryly.
He looked around with a grim expression. Three assassins, their limbs twisted and necks broken, were sprawled on the ground. It was all Noh Goonsang's handiwork.
"What's happening...? Why would an assassin suddenly..."
An assassin had just appeared out of nowhere and attacked him. If Noh Goonsang hadn't arrived in time to help, he would have been in deep shit.
Noh Goonsang replied calmly, "The assassins of Deathshroud are targeting the Azure Dragon Academy."
Kwak Duyong eyes widened. "D-Deathshroud, you say?"
How could he not recognize the world's most famous assassins' guild? Nevertheless, he couldn't fathom why Deathshroud would suddenly target the Azure Dragon Academy.
"Why on earth would Deathshroud target us?" he asked.
Noh Goonsang sighed, "Follow me for now. I'll explain the details as we go."
"I-I understand."
Kwak Duyong was bewildered, but he obediently followed Noh Goonsang.
The scenes he witnessed next were unforgettable.
Worried, he fully extended his senses to search for assassins, but instead detected violent clashes erupting throughout the Azure Dragon Academy.
RRRRRUMBLE!
Lightning even struck one side of the academy.
Kwak Duyong's jaw dropped as he beheld the celestial display of wrath.
On the other hand, Noh Goonsang nodded in relief. "I suppose this means we don't have to worry about Mr. Namgung Su over there. Let's head this way."
"What in the world is going on!?"
Noh Goonsang briefly explained the current situation. "It seems that the Blood Cult commissioned Deathshroud to eliminate Baek Suryong. Consequently, a considerable number of assassins infiltrated the academy and the city. In fact, one assassin even disguised himself as an Azure Dragon Academy instructor."
"Who was it?"
"Jin Euihyeop."
Kwak Duyong's eyes widened in absolute horror. "M-Mr. Jin Euihyeop was an assassin? Since when?"
"We're not entirely sure, but at the very least, the 'Jin Euihyeop' who participated in the Azure Games yesterday was a fake."
"I-I drank with him without even knowing..."
Kwak Duyong shuddered, feeling a terrible chill run down his spine. He had drunk himself into a stupor the night before, unaware that the person next to him was an assassin!
Noh Goonsang patted his shoulder reassuringly. "Don't be too hard on yourself. No one knew he was an assassin until he disappeared."
"Then the real Mr. Jin Euihyeop is..."
"Dead, probably. Perhaps for a much longer time than we guessed."
A heavy silence ensued.
Kwak Duyong trembled with shock and dismay. Everything was crumbling down all at once. There was the news of Deathshroud's attack, the death of his good friend Jin Euihyeop, and the fact that he had been on good terms with an assassin until yesterday.
Noh Goonsang looked at him sympathetically. "I'm sorry for not telling you sooner. In Mr. Baek Suryong's defense, he couldn't trust anyone except for a select few."
"...So I wasn't included in those few trustworthy people."
"Don't be too upset. We plan to use this opportunity to rid the world of Deathshroud. A perimeter has already been set up to root out the assassins."
Kwak Duyong swallowed dryly and asked, "What about the students?"
"The other instructors are protecting them. We're heading that way now, too..." Noh Goonsang hesitated. Kwak Duyong's mental state didn't seem normal. He was in no condition to fight assassins. "If it's too much for you, would you rather seek refuge with the Murim Alliance?"
"I..."
An assassin leaped from the darkness, lunging for Noh Goonsang.
CRACK! SWISH!
As if expecting the attack, Noh Goonsang caught and twisted the man's wrist. At the same time, Kwak Duyong's blade sliced cleanly through the assassin's neck.
THUNK!
The assassin's head rolled across the ground.
Noh Goonsang stared at Kwak Duyong in surprise. "...You?"
Kwak Duyong gritted his teeth. His body was still trembling, but he kept his gaze firm as he declared, "I-I'm also an Azure Dragon Academy instructor. I can't just stand by while the students are in danger!"
"That's an admirable mindset. I'm seeing you in a new light."
"A person's true nature comes out in a crisis. I, Kwak Duyong, am this kind of person."
"Hoho! Is that so?" Noh Goonsang chuckled. Normally, he would have teased Kwak Duyong for his cringey boast, but now was not the time to dwell on such paltry matters.
Who knows how many more assassins are lurking around the corner?
"Follow me. Don't let your guard down, as there might still be assassins left in the academy."
"Understood."
Working alongside Noh Goonsang, Kwak Duyong helped calm the startled students and root out any remaining assassins.
Suddenly, Kwak Duyong asked casually, as if in passing, "...By the way, where is Mr. Baek Suryong?"
Translator's Note:
Squeezed out one more chapter. See you next week!
Pipa: A Chinese musical instrument kind of like a lute. ↩