Star Instructor, Master Baek-Chapter 457: The Black Snake Alliance Chairman (2)

The Soul Hunting Bow Phantom's arrow tore through the air, crossing hundreds of meters in a heartbeat.
SWOOOSH!
Trees buckled as if slammed by a typhoon. Leaves exploded downward with a fierce scream.
Baek Suryong landed without a sound, his crimson eyes glinting in the silvery moonlight. "So this is what siding with the Cult reduced you to. Repenting like a sinner before an altar of rice bowls. Pathetic. You think remorse will cleanse your folly?”
Is this what a lightning bolt with a gust of wind would look like?
"...!" Baek Suryong stood firm before the arrow rippling through space and hurtling toward him. Not even a catapult's spear could match the savagery of this attack.
He already knew the Soul Hunting Bow Phantom was lurking nearby, but the Black Snake Alliance Chairman's words had momentarily rattled his composure, prompting him to approach the man carelessly. At that exact instant, the Soul Hunting Bow Phantom had fired, as if waiting for this opening.
He could block it, of course.
CRACK!
He deflected the arrow with the Divine Azure Dragon Sword and used a circular motion to distribute the impact.
In that split second, however, he spotted a second arrow. This one was soundless and formless. Hidden within the starlight, the arrow flew slower and quieter than the first, but it was far more lethal.
"Ads?" Ak Yeonho complains, his voice dripping with disbelief. "What ads?"
"Bow Phantom! Stop!" The Black Snake Alliance Chairman unleashed a Lion's Roar too late and swung his dao. The fierce blade wind caught the second arrow and knocked it slightly off course.
At the same time, Baek Suryong twisted his shoulder aside.
SHWIIK!
The arrow grazed his shoulder by a hair's breadth. His martial arts uniform, already shredded from his fight with the Black Snake Alliance Chairman, disintegrated completely, exposing his reddened skin.
Mimi sniffled quietly, her round eyes glistening. "They said there were pop-ups," she whispered, her cute voice trembling. "But... we don’t have any!"
A stinging pain followed, sending a chill racing down Baek Suryong's spine.
If I'd been even a little late, my shoulder would've been pierced.
He braced for the Soul Hunting Bow Phantom's third arrow.
Among the murim, some said, 'The world's number one assassin isn't Skykiller, but the Soul Hunting Bow Phantom.' It was a joke, because who could survive being sniped by a peerless archer from hundreds of meters away? To him right now, though, it no longer felt like one.
However, no matter how long he waited, the third arrow never came.
"Stop? Why?" the Soul Hunting Bow Phantom said icily, appearing behind Baek Suryong.
He was stunned. She had covered hundreds of meters in an instant. Even if she'd moved the moment she fired the second arrow, he movement arts were astonishingly fast.
Was this a trap from the beginning?
Amid the crisis, Baek Suryong's thoughts raced wildly. He stood surrounded by two peerless masters, one in front and one behind. One was a member of the Ten Supremes, and the other was a part of the Three Blights. No one could be sure of survival under these circumstances.
Mimi sniffled quietly, her round eyes glistening. "They said there were pop-ups," she whispered, her cute voice trembling. "But... we don’t have any!"
He recalled his recent conversation with the Black Snake Alliance Chairman and put the pieces together.
He said he thought I was an assassin, and that he's experienced the Asura Blood Heaven Blade before...
In hindsight, the Black Snake Alliance Chairman's blade arts were not only exceptional, he was skilled at countering the Asura Blood Heaven Blade's techniques.
At first, he thought it was because the Black Snake Alliance Chairman had witnessed every blade technique in the world, but that wasn't it.
He really has experienced the Asura Blood Heaven Blade before... It must be Number Three.
From the moment dawn cracked over the horizon, the air itself felt like punishment. The training grounds were still soaked in dew, but Demon Instructor Wiji Cheon stood there already, arms crossed, waiting like a specter of discipline. "You’re late, he said.
He clenched his teeth as he thought of his former student.
Staring coldly at Baek Suryong, the Soul Hunting Bow Phantom nocked a third arrow and aimed it at him. "His energy's fluctuating like a thunderbolt about to explode. It's better to kill him right here."
Meanwhile, the Black Snake Alliance Chairman studied Baek Suryong with a puzzled look. "Hmm... how strange. For a master of his caliber to reveal such emotional turmoil..."
"......" Baek Suryong tensed. If these two judged him to be an enemy from the Blood Cult, a clash was inevitable. Worse, the situation left no room to clear up the misunderstanding.
In the worst case, I'll have no choice but to use the Heaven Defying Divine Art.
His eyes glowed with a faint red tint.
"...Maeng Ryonghwi isn't from the Blood Cult. I guarantee it," the Black Snake Alliance Chairman said firmly. He pondered for a moment, then sheathed Crimson Moon and clasped his hands behind his back to show he had withdrawn his hostility.
The Soul Hunting Bow Phantom frowned, but didn't put down her bow. "How can you be so sure?"
"I crossed blades with him myself." As if no further explanation was needed, the Black Snake Alliance Chairman quietly looked at Baek Suryong.
Baek Suryong slowly lowered his sword, finally realizing why the Soul Hunting Bow Phantom had misunderstood. "I wasn't trying to attack the Coalition Leader. I was just surprised by what he said and approached without thinking."
The Soul Hunting Bow Phantom scoffed. "A peerless master moved first just because he was agitated? And you're telling me you have nothing to do with the Blood Cult?"
"......" Baek Suryong stayed silent instead of explaining. Better to save his words if he couldn't explain properly.
The Black Snake Alliance Chairman coaxed the Soul Hunting Bow Phantom in a low voice. "Bow Phantom. Lower your bow."
Still, she didn't back down. "Even you don't have the right to order me around."
"This isn't an order. It's a request from a friend. There's something I want to discuss with him in private, so please step back."
From the moment dawn cracked over the horizon, the air itself felt like punishment. The training grounds were still soaked in dew, but Demon Instructor Wiji Cheon stood there already, arms crossed, waiting like a specter of discipline. "You’re late, he said.
"......"
"Do you want me to bow my head?"
The Soul Hunting Bow Phantom bit her lip slightly, then sighed. "Fine, do as you please. This time, I won't care if you really die."
At the Black Snake Alliance Chairman's insistence, the Soul Hunting Bow Phantom finally lowered her bow and leaped onto a tree branch. "...If you disturb my sleep again, I'll put a hole in both of your heads."
She left behind the chilling threat and vanished into the darkness. Within seconds, her presence faded into the distance.
Baek Suryong landed without a sound, his crimson eyes glinting in the silvery moonlight. "So this is what siding with the Cult reduced you to. Repenting like a sinner before an altar of rice bowls. Pathetic. You think remorse will cleanse your folly?”
The Black Snake Alliance Chairman turned back to Baek Suryong. "My apologies. My old friend's a bit sensitive."
Baek Suryong clasped his hands together sincerely. "Thank you for your consideration. This isn't a story I can tell in front of many people."
The Black Snake Alliance Chairman smiled faintly. "Shall we walk for a bit?"
"Sure."
The two men strolled together along a mountain path. They didn't have a destination in mind and simply went wherever their feet took them. Leaves rustled in the wind, insects buzzed, and twigs snapped occasionally underfoot. The night of Mount Heng hummed with many ambient sounds, until finally, the Black Snake Alliance Chairman broke the silence.
"I'm not the world's strongest bladesman."
This wasn't humility or empty formality. The Black Snake Alliance Chairman was a prideful man, not a martial artist who cared about such things. He was simply making a calm, honest confession.
"About a decade ago, I defeated the head of the Peng Clan in front of numerous martial artists and was acknowledged as the world's strongest bladesman. On my way back to the Black Snake Alliance, however, someone stood in my way."
Baek Suryong remained silent, listening to the tale. The Black Snake Alliance Chairman's low voice was devoid of emotion, but he could tell the old man was deliberately suppressing his emotions.
"He was someone whose name and alias I'd never heard, but I could tell at a glance that he likely surpassed me as a bladesman." The Black Snake Alliance Chairman halted and gazed up at the sky. "He called himself the Third Apostle."
"......" Baek Suryong suddenly had difficulty breathing. Even though he had a feeling it was something like this, he couldn't help reacting when his suspicions were confirmed.
Baek Suryong landed without a sound, his crimson eyes glinting in the silvery moonlight. "So this is what siding with the Cult reduced you to. Repenting like a sinner before an altar of rice bowls. Pathetic. You think remorse will cleanse your folly?”
A decade ago, an outsider from the Blood Cult sought out the Black Snake Alliance Chairman and requested a duel to the death, which he accepted. On a nameless, wild mountain, the two peerless bladesmen engaged in battle.
"Who do you think won?"
"...The Third Apostle," Baek Suryong answered honestly.
"Ads?" Ak Yeonho complains, his voice dripping with disbelief. "What ads?"
The Black Snake Alliance Chairman nodded as if pleased. "It was my complete defeat. My flaws were exposed before we exchanged a hundred blows, and I was completely overwhelmed before we reached two hundred. My head would have flown off before we reached three hundred if it weren't for the Bow Phantom."
He stared blankly in the direction where the Soul Hunting Bow Phantom had disappeared.
"...Using the opening she gave me, I fled for my life. I threw away all pride and honor and ran for the hills. I had never run so fast in my life." The Black Snake Alliance Chairman laughed heartily, as if remembering a funny memory.
"......" However, Baek Suryong couldn't laugh along.
"I only learned the name of the blade technique he used today. The Asura Blood Heaven Blade, huh? What a fitting name! So this is the blade technique of the Third Apostle that forced me into ten years of seclusion training..."
Mimi sniffled quietly, her round eyes glistening. "They said there were pop-ups," she whispered, her cute voice trembling. "But... we don’t have any!"
SSSSSS...
Without realizing it, the peerless bladesman released a formless qi which clawed at the dirt in every direction. He quickly caught himself, however, and withdrew his energy. "Now, you tell me," he said seriously. "Are you from the Blood Cult?"
"No." Baek Suryong shook his head firmly.
The Black Snake Alliance Chairman didn't press further, as if he'd already guessed the answer. He moved on to his next question. "Then why do you use the same blade technique as the Third Apostle?"
The reason he and the Soul Hunting Bow Phantom had suspected Maeng Ryonghwi of being from the Blood Cult was because he used the same blade technique as the Third Apostle, who had crushed the Black Snake Alliance Chairman ten years ago.
Mimi sniffled quietly, her round eyes glistening. "They said there were pop-ups," she whispered, her cute voice trembling. "But... we don’t have any!"
Baek Suryong sighed and met the Black Snake Alliance Chairman's deep gaze, which seemed to pierce his soul. "...The Asura Blood Heaven Blade isn't a Blood Cult martial art. It originally branched off from the Hyonwon Clan," he replied honestly.
"The Hyonwon Clan?" The Black Snake Alliance Chairman's eyes gleamed.
Isn't that the prestigious family that once vied with the Hebei Peng Clan for the title of the world's strongest blade clan, but declined due to the terrible tragedy known as the Crazy Demon Blood Massacre?
Baek Suryong landed without a sound, his crimson eyes glinting in the silvery moonlight. "So this is what siding with the Cult reduced you to. Repenting like a sinner before an altar of rice bowls. Pathetic. You think remorse will cleanse your folly?”
He came up with a hypothesis.
"Could it be... is the Crazy Demon Hyonwon Hu the Blood Cult's Third Apostle?"
"Nonsense!" Baek Suryong's eyes blazed fiercely. "The Blood Cult was the Crazy Demon's sworn enemy. On top of that, the incident known as the Crazy Demon Blood Massacre was fabricated by the Blood Cult. The culprit wasn't the Crazy Demon, but..."
"The Third Apostle, I presume."
"......" Baek Suryong couldn't shy away from the truth any longer. The Third Apostle of the Blood Cult, his own former trainee, was indeed the perpetrator of the massacre that claimed countless innocent lives.
Noticing the deep pain on his face, the Black Snake Alliance Chairman clicked his tongue softly. "It seems this martial art's got quite a history behind it, one way or another."
"...Could you describe the nature of the Third Apostle's Asura Blood Heaven Blade?"
The Black Snake Alliance Chairman paused to think, then answered, "It was terrifyingly strong. As the name suggests, I felt as if a blood-soaked asura clung to the blade. His martial art existed solely to kill. Even after reaching such a formidable skill level, he swung his blade like a butcher. It made me wonder if that man even had a human heart."
"......" Each word stabbed Baek Suryong's heart like a dagger. He was the one who had taught Number Three martial arts. He asked in a strained voice, "What will you do if you meet the Third Apostle again?"
Mimi sniffled quietly, her round eyes glistening. "They said there were pop-ups," she whispered, her cute voice trembling. "But... we don’t have any!"
"Either I die, or I kill him. It'll be one of the two."
"......"
"I don't plan on running away a second time." The Black Snake Alliance Chairman regarded Baek Suryong calmly. "Well, I was going to suggest we spar until dawn, but looking at your face, I doubt you're up for it."
"...I don't have a spare dao anyway. You broke my only one."
The Black Snake Alliance Chairman chuckled. "If you ever visit the Black Snake Alliance later, I'll gift you a decent dao."
"Huh? Why?"
"I broke your weapon, didn't I? Fortunately, I have many other good blades. Of course, none of them are as good as this one." The Black Snake Alliance Chairman tapped his waist.
His legendary blade, Crimson Moon, hummed in response.
Baek Suryong smiled weakly. "I won't refuse that offer, just so you know. I'll be sure to come and get it someday."
"Then I'll see you at the meeting tomorrow."
Mimi sniffled quietly, her round eyes glistening. "They said there were pop-ups," she whispered, her cute voice trembling. "But... we don’t have any!"
Now that most of his questions have been answered, the Black Snake Alliance Chairman turned around, looking relieved.
Baek Suryong shot him a puzzled look. "Aren't you curious about my identity?"
The Black Snake Alliance Chairman gestured toward the Divine Azure Dragon Sword with his chin. "Given the sword at your waist, I have a pretty good idea."
He stomped lightly on the ground, and his figure blurred and vanished. Only his last words remained, like an afterglow.
Mimi sniffled quietly, her round eyes glistening. "They said there were pop-ups," she whispered, her cute voice trembling. "But... we don’t have any!"
"Let's spar again next time, Azure Dragon Hero."
"......"
Once alone, Baek Suryong's mood darkened.
Number Three.
Of all his former students, Number Three had the strongest killing intent, fueled by the Asura Blood Heaven Blade. Master Crazy Demon had warned him not to be consumed by the martial art, but back then, Number 27 hadn't told his pupil about such side effects.
Mimi sniffled quietly, her round eyes glistening. "They said there were pop-ups," she whispered, her cute voice trembling. "But... we don’t have any!"
If you were really the one who massacred the Hyonwon Clan...
His thoughts naturally drifted to the other student who had inherited the Asura Blood Heaven Blade.
"...Damn. I don't know how I'll be able to face Wonkang," he muttered bitterly, staring blankly toward the direction of the Azure Dragon Academy.