Star Instructor, Master Baek-Chapter 462: Squelch!

"Why do you keep following me?"
Baek Suryong looked back at the Black Snake Alliance Chairman with an annoyed expression. He had expected the man to return to the meeting, but he had come back and was now trailing him like a lazy, sauntering tiger.
"I'm bored! The meeting seems neverending..."
The Black Snake Alliance Chairman nodded his chin toward the meeting place at the summit of Zhurong Peak. A simple tent had been set up there. Occasionally, fierce waves of qi and loud shouts erupted from within, shaking the tent as if it were being battered by a gale.
"...I despise tedious negotiations. If I go back, I'll just have to deal with the Bow Phantom's irritation." The Black Snake Alliance Chairman furrowed his brow and shook his head, then moved to walk beside Baek Suryong. "Hey, how about we have a bladesmanship exchange duel?"
"...A what? Don't people usually call it a swordsmanship exchange duel?"
A swordsmanship exchange duel was a contest of martial arts through words instead of actual combat. Baek Suryong, well-versed in both practical application and theory, rarely ever lost such duels.
I've never lost to anyone except my four masters at this. Not that I engaged in them often.
More importantly, he had little interest in such duels, even if his opponent was the Black Snake Alliance Chairman, a man called the world's strongest bladesman.
"Only swordsmen call it a swordsmanship exchange duel. Bladesmen like us should call it a bladesmanship exchange duel."
Baek Suryong lost his desire to play along upon seeing the sincerity in the Chairman's expression, as if he truly believed the nonsense he was spouting. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I've never really thought of myself as a bladesman."
"How could you..." The Black Snake Alliance Chairman stared at Baek Suryong in shock and disbelief. Soon, tragic gravity clouded his eyes. "This won't do. Today, I must guide you into the world of the bladesman."
"Can't you just leave me alone? I have a lot on my mind right now."
"There's no better way to forget your worldly troubles than to focus your mind on something else."
Ugh... This is why one shouldn't get involved with martial arts maniacs!
Shaking his head in resignation, Baek Suryong finally accepted the Black Snake Alliance Chairman's proposal. "Fine, but if you lose this duel, don't bother me again."
That rock over there will do."
The two men sat facing each other on a large rock. It was a duel of words between peerless masters who looked down on the world. If word got out, crowds would gather, hoping to overhear a single phrase, yet the two men remained calm.
"I've discussed the blade with countless bladesmen. I haven't lost once in over twenty years, so don't blame yourself if you lose to me," the Black Snake Alliance Chairman offered comfort in advance.
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.
Baek Suryong raised an eyebrow and smirked at the ambiguous statement, both a consideration and a provocation. "I understand, so stop glaring at me. You probably scared everyone into surrendering by glowering at them like that during your previous exchanges."
"...I'll let you go first."
"I won't refuse. I'll use my movement arts to step left and aim for the Qimen acupoint with Sweeping the Thousand Armies."
"Bold right from the very start, huh? I'll press down with Mount Tai Crushing the Summit and advance one step. Then I'll rotate my waist to deflect it and immediately strike the Xinting acupoint."
Baek Suryong and the chairman of the Black Snake Alliance recited detailed techniques. At the same time, they formed mental images of themselves brandishing their blades.
As time passed, they spoke faster and faster. The movements appeared in their minds as vividly as if they were real. A gleam shone in the peerless masters' eyes, and their shoulders and fingers twitched with excitement.
Namgung Su’s back is turned to you, shoulders tense as he scrubs the already spotless pan. His voice is calm when he speaks, but it cuts like frost. "You fed a thief, he says. "With my food."
"Three steps left. Quchi acupoint. One inch below."
"I take a step back with Iron Plate Bridge, then kick up and aim for the Juque acupoint."
"Hah! Your core strength is incredible!"
"The Coalition Leader's concentration is also amazing. There are hardly any openings."
Their mental images aligned with increasing precision, and eventually, they no longer needed to exchange many words. This was only possible because they were masters of similar caliber.
The Black Snake Alliance Chairman admired Baek Suryong's extensive martial arts knowledge, and Baek Suryong was surprised by the Chairman's tenacity and solidity. They competed with words, not blades, but their high levels meant they both gained insight from the exchange.
The duel, which started lightly, continued until the sun reached its zenith. The scorching sunlight beat down on them, but the two men didn't budge an inch, only their mouths moved without rest.
Suddenly, the Soul Hunting Bow Phantom called out, "Coalition Leader!"
The two men were instantly robbed of their immersion.
The Black Snake Alliance Chairman furrowed his brow slightly, then turned to Baek Suryong regretfully. "...Let's stop here."
Namgung Su’s back is turned to you, shoulders tense as he scrubs the already spotless pan. His voice is calm when he speaks, but it cuts like frost. "You fed a thief, he says. "With my food."
"Agreed."
They rose from their seats and turned toward the unorthodox leaders, who all wore grim expressions as they emerged from the meeting tent.
"It doesn't seem like they came to a proper consensus."
"I half expected the meeting to become chaotic... We should count ourselves lucky that today ended peacefully."
All the participants were hegemons of their respective domains. Naturally, their interests clashed, and there were some points on which they could not compromise. Additionally, there were concessions they could not make in their quest to secure even the slightest advantage.
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.
They differed from the orthodox sects, who valued just causes. The unorthodox sects were faithful to their desires, making finding common ground much more difficult.
This was the reason Baek Suryong was cautious about intervening in the finer details, even though they had already agreed on a broad framework.
"We must settle our match next time." With a heavy sigh, the Black Snake Alliance Chairman slowly ambled over to the Soul Hunting Bow Phantom. "Bow Phantom. Did the talks go well?"
"I successfully resisted the urge to pierce all their mouths with arrows. What about you?"
"I had a bladesmanship exchange duel with Maeng Ryonghwi. Still, what a shame... if only I had a spare blade, we could have had a rematch..."
The Soul Hunting Bow Phantom sighed deeply. "Do you think you're here on vacation? Can't you see that someone is suffering a pounding headache from negotiating with selfish scoundrels, while her Alliance Chairman is just leisurely playing around..."
"But you were the one who said I could leave..."
"I told you that you could take a
short
break. We decided to resume negotiations after resting for fifteen minutes. Next time, just sit next to me and at least try to look intimidating."
"...Okay." The Black Snake Alliance Chairman nodded gravely, as if determined to protect his authority to the very end.
Baek Suryong, who had overheard their entire conversation, couldn't help but chuckle dryly.
She's trained him really well, haha...
The Black Snake Alliance Chairman was a man of many facets, contrasting with his initial impression. His reputation as one of the Three Blights and the world's strongest bladesman was merely the tip of the iceberg.
Baek Suryong approached the Viridian Scholar and erected a sound-blocking qi barrier around them. "Has there been any progress in the negotiations?" he asked.
The Viridian Scholar shook his head wearily. "No, not yet. Coming to a compromise won't be easy."
Baek Suryong nodded. He didn't doubt that an unorthodox alliance would be established. The Blood Cult was a common enemy that threatened everyone's interests and represented an unprecedented crisis. Still, they were having a hard time ironing out the specifics.
He contacted Blue Eyed Freak telepathically, only to receive a similar answer.
[Stubborn bastards, the lot of them. No one's willing to concede, and it just ended in a battle of wills.]
Sighing, he turned back to the Viridian Scholar. "Let me participate in the negotiations."
At this rate, he didn't have much choice but to step in personally and reduce the time spent on bargaining. The Viridian Forest and the Valley of Evil were his allies, so securing their support would not be difficult. His plan was to offer the Phantom King appropriate compensation and try to meet the Soul Hunting Bow Phantom's demands.
"...Are you feeling a bit better, Senior Brother?" the Viridian Scholar asked worriedly. He knew that Baek Suryong's mental state had been poor since morning.
Baek Suryong forced a smile and nodded. "I'm fine now."
His mind had been troubled by thoughts of his former students, but the task at hand was more important.
I need to completely isolate the Blood Cult.
Once the unorthodox sects had formed an alliance, he planned to persuade the Murim Alliance and the orthodox murim to form an unprecedented alliance between the two groups. Only then could they minimize the damage.
After all, no matter how powerful the Blood Cult was, it was still just one organization. If the orthodox and unorthodox murim joined forces, they could surely win.
No, we must do more than simply win. We must completely, utterly overwhelm them.
He had to corner the Blood Cult and perfectly control the flow of battle to end the war as quickly as possible.
Only then... can I prevent those kids from committing more sins.
He clenched his teeth tightly. He didn't care if his actions were hypocritical, he just didn't want any more blood on the hands of his former trainees, whom he would one day have to face.
Unfortunately, unless one was a god, predicting and preparing for everything was impossible. An unforeseen circumstance arose without warning.
WHOOSH!
Baek Suryong and the Black Snake Alliance Chairman simultaneously drew their weapons and whirled around in the same direction. The Divine Azure Dragon Sword and Crimson Moon glittered brilliantly in the sunlight.
"What are you doing?!"
"What's going on all of a sudden?"
Namgung Su’s back is turned to you, shoulders tense as he scrubs the already spotless pan. His voice is calm when he speaks, but it cuts like frost. "You fed a thief, he says. "With my food."
Startled, the unorthodox leaders and their bodyguards either retreated or drew their weapons. Evidently, none of them had sensed the approaching danger yet.
Nevertheless, silence soon fell over the conference area. Starting with the Soul Hunting Bow Phantom, the leaders' faces began to stiffen one by one.
"It's coming," the Black Snake Alliance Chairman whispered.
All sound ceased. The chirping of mountain birds, the rustling of grass, and the trembling of leaves faded away. Time itself seemed to stand still.
Namgung Su’s back is turned to you, shoulders tense as he scrubs the already spotless pan. His voice is calm when he speaks, but it cuts like frost. "You fed a thief, he says. "With my food."
From below Zhurong Peak, an alien presence revealed itself.
SQUELCH. SQUELCH.
Though it clearly had a human form, it did not look human at all. The blade hanging from its side loomed ominously large.
Should this entity be called a phantom with a blade? An inexplicable, surreal phenomenon was walking toward them. It wore blood-red robes that must have originally been black, and left distinct, bloody footprints with every step. There was no expression on its face, as if it were a wooden doll.
""...!""
The unorthodox leaders held their breaths and instinctively tensed. In the face of the dense and subtle killing intent that felt like it was carving away at their flesh, none of them dared open their mouths rashly.
Sadly, martial artists below a certain level could not perceive the threat.
"Who are you?!" one of Blue Eyed Freak's subordinates shouted, stepping forward.
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 was a peak master from the Valley of Evil, and he would not miss the chance to show off his martial arts in front of the others. He strode toward the uninvited guest, the qi gathered at the spear's tip swirling fiercely as he threatened him with his spear.
"We clearly told everyone to stay down. Where did you come from? If you don't get lost..."
"...Shut up!" Blue Eyed Freak hastily shouted at his impetuous subordinate, but he was too late. The creature had already swung its blade.
PWAAAK!
The man who had stepped forward crumbled into dozens of pieces alongside his shattered weapon. The sickening metallic stench of blood wafted on the wind.
SQUELCH!
Standing in the pool of blood he had created, the Third Apostle muttered, "...Black Snake Alliance Chairman."
Everyone froze like stone statues.
Only the Black Snake Alliance Chairman stepped forward, the corners of his mouth curving up into a smile. "Third Apostle."
Darkness erupted from his body and stained the sky. Despite it being broad daylight, the world plunged into shadow.
Translator's Note:
I have caught the flu, and so has half my office. Updates might be slower, but I'll still work on them when I'm awake.