Star Instructor, Master Baek-Chapter 472: Thank Goodness

The Viridian Scholar gazed at Baek Suryong worryingly. "Are you sure you'll be alright?"
They left Mount Heng at full speed to avoid being swarmed by nosy martial artists. After parting ways with Blue Eyed Freak, they journeyed together for a few more days.
However, their time together came to an end when they arrived at the edge of the Jingang Mountains. The Viridian Scholar was returning to the Yama Keep with Jang Geol and Gu Gil, while Baek Suryong planned to head straight back to the Azure Dragon Academy.
"You weren't able to sleep well all the way here. Please rest for a few days before you go," the Viridian Scholar pleaded, aware that Baek Suryong hadn't fully recovered from his injuries.
How many times had they changed the bloodstained bandages? Aside from his internal and external injuries, the wound pierced by the Divine Azure Dragon Sword had left a vivid scar.
Still, Baek Suryong hadn't let out a single groan on the way here.
Even now, despite being terribly pale, Baek Suryong simply chuckled and shook his head. "Even if I go to the Yama Keep, I won't be able to sleep soundly because there's too much on my mind. I can sleep when I get home."
"Senior Brother..."
The Viridian Scholar eyed Baek Suryong with concern. Although his Senior Brother was well-dressed and clean, he knew that the man only looked fine on the outside. Unfortunately, since he was being so stubborn, he could not forcefully drag him to the Yama Keep.
"Then please rest here for a moment while I go to the mountain keep and send some guards to escort you."
"I told you I'm fine. I have these two fluffy pals by my side, so what are you worried about?" Baek Suryong reached out and stroked Silver Tiger's head.
"Nyan!" Silver Tiger lifted his head high and puffed out his chest, as if guaranteeing that he would bring Baek Suryong home safely. After that, he patted the fluffy orange fur beneath his feet with his front paw.
"Grr..." The great tiger he was riding on growled, its bright yellow eyes glowing.
Once the Giant Spirit Boss's most cherished pet, it now acted as Baek Suryong's mount in place of a horse. As for the other beasts, Silver Tiger had sent them away once they were deemed useless.
"Can anyone at the Yama Keep match this guy's running speed?"
"That... would be difficult. Fine, I understand." Ultimately, the Viridian Scholar had no choice but to concede. It was impossible for him to overcome Baek Suryong's stubbornness. "Silver Tiger, please take good care of Senior Brother."
He reached out and stroked Silver Tiger's back, and he purred contentedly.
"Let's part ways here. The lengthier the farewell, the greater the grief."
Baek Suryong hopped onto the great tiger's back, and Silver Tiger settled down in front of him.
Jang Geol and Gu Gil also said their final goodbyes.
"Hyung-nim! I'll never forget the martial arts you taught me!"
"Come visit with Suhyeok next time! We'll treat you like royalty!"
Although they had only spent a short time training under Baek Suryong, they had become significantly stronger. They were still lacking in his eyes, but if they continued to devote themselves, one day they would grow into masters representing the entire Viridian Forest, not just the Yama Keep.
Baek Suryong smiled. "Sure. You guys take care too."
"Nyan!"
Silver Tiger tapped the great tiger on the back, prompting it to kick off the ground and dash forward like lightning.
Jang Geol and Gu Gil shook their heads as they watched Baek Suryong disappear into the distance. "Suryong-hyung must be an iron man. His wounds haven't even closed yet, but I didn't see him frown once on the way here."
"Do you think the Ten Supremes are pushovers? You need that much endurance and perseverance to become a peerless master."
"Well, maybe masters can block out their pain?"
The Viridian Scholar sighed wistfully, gazing at Baek Suryong's distant figure. "Senior Brother's human, too. How can a person not feel pain? It's just... I'm worried because he appears to have suffered a deep emotional wound, one that far surpasses his physical pain."
Over the past few days, he had seen Baek Suryong break out in a cold sweat and toss and turn whenever he took a short nap, all the while muttering apologies and begging for forgiveness. Many times, he had wanted to wake his Senior Brother up, but in the end, he buried the memory and pretended he hadn't noticed anything.
I don't know what kind of story Senior Brother has, but...
He stared blankly ahead for what seemed like an eternity, even after Baek Suryong's figure had long since faded from view.
"I earnestly pray that Senior Brother finds happiness after all this fighting is over."
At last, the newly crowned Bandit King returned to the Yama Keep with his brothers.
"Hurry up."
"Nyaaah!"
Baek Suryong spent most of the return trip to the Azure Dragon Academy dozing off on the great tiger's back, yet he still urged the great tiger on. Several times, he almost fell off, but thankfully, Silver Tiger supported him with his small body each time. Otherwise, he would have tumbled ungracefully onto the ground.
This was all because he hadn't been able to sleep soundly since meeting his former trainees.
His consciousness sat on the boundary between dream and reality, past and present. Whenever he closed his eyes, the sight of Number Four glaring at him with bloodshot eyes came to mind.
"GRAAAAAAAAAH!"
The primal howl, a cry that could have been a shout or a scream, was seared into his memory with vivid clarity.
"Do you recognize me?"
He had asked that stupid question in the hope that Number Four had forgotten about him, that he had erased his painful past from his mind. It had been less than a year since he recalled his previous life, but his old students had lived through more than fifty years.
"...But he remembered."
Number Four clearly remembered everything. Not long after they clashed, he noticed that all doubt and suspicion had vanished from his eyes.
There is no problem with training.
He recalled the young face staring blankly at him with eyes devoid of emotion. No, they weren't actually empty, but rather hiding a multitude of feelings that could never be revealed.
"Do you resent me?"
If the four children had answered him honestly back then, would the future have been any different?
"Yes, I massacred the Hyonwon Clan."
Besides Number Four, Number Three's smug sneer also haunted him. His presence was so ominous that one might call him the incarnation of an asura. At least during their meeting, while Number Three exuded terrible killing intent, it wasn't strong enough than it would be if he were recognized.
"You, I hope we meet again."
Baek Suryong was certain that Number Three would keep his promise and that neither of them would back out of a fight.
Anyway, he had many dreams since that day, though thankfully, none of them were induced by the Blood Demon's sorcery. Rather, they were dreams created by the fatigue accumulated from the big fight, the guilt that had accumulated in his heart over time, and the mixed-up memories of the past and present.
Most of the dreams were unhappy, but sometimes they were happy. Number One and Number Two were in them, too. There were moments he wished he were real but had never happened, and times when he hoped he would never wake up from the dream again.
However, each time that happened, he forced his eyes open. For the first time, he was relieved to feel pain from the wound, because it helped him distinguish between dreams and reality.
"Hurry up."
Always, whenever he returned to reality, the landscape had changed. He was undoubtedly moving toward his destination.
Meanwhile, the Heaven Defying Divine Art and the Eighteen Strikes of the Viridian Forest healed his body. The Heaven Defying Divine Art, which boasted the most bizarre energy in the world, repaired his internal injuries spontaneously. At the same time, the Eighteen Strikes of the Viridian Forest, the greatest outer arts technique in existence, boosted his vitality.
Of course, he still needed proper rest to fully recover, but just closing his eyes and sleeping improved his condition slowly but surely.
"Purr... purr..."
Additionally, each time he drifted off to a deep sleep, Silver Tiger would purr and lick his cheek, worried that he might never open his eyes again. Only when he opened his eyes and stroked the restless furball's head did it relax and snuggle up to him in relief.
[...Are you alright?] The Divine Azure Dragon Sword asked repeatedly, casting sorcery to keep him warm.
Baek Suryong chuckled weakly, "Being cared for by the two of you makes me feel like a child again."
[You survived a hard battle. It's okay to spoil yourself a little.]
"Spoiling myself, huh..." Baek Suryong closed his eyes again. "I've never done that before, so I don't know how to do it. Regardless, I'm starting to feel better, so let's pick up the pace."
[Why are you in such a hurry?]
"Because I'm afraid that something might happen to the people I care about while I'm not around."
How many days did I spend traveling in that hazy daze?
Baek Suryong arrived in Nanchang at the crack of dawn, but he couldn't enter the city with a house-sized tiger in tow. He released the great beast in a nearby mountain, promising to return later, and then immediately sprinted toward the White Dragon Manor with his movement arts.
WHOOSH!
When he arrived in front of the White Dragon Manor, he suppressed his presence and climbed over the wall sneakily, not wanting to wake the students who should still be sleeping soundly at this hour.
"Snore~ Phew~"
Suddenly, he passed by a room with the door slightly ajar. Peeking inside, he saw Hyonwon Kang lying spread-eagled, completely passed out from an exhausting day.
"......"
He silently observed Hyonwon Kang's sleeping face from outside the door for a while, before entering the room and gently draping the blanket, which had been kicked away, back over the boy.
"Wonkang..."
A glance was all he needed to see that Hyonwon Kang had trained harder than he had instructed him to.
Lightly stroking his messy hair, he stared at his student's face and mumbled in a barely audible voice, "I'm sorry."
Hyonwon Kang stirred at the faint whisper, but remained asleep. Since the voice and touch were so familiar, he was not on guard at all.
Baek Suryong tiptoed out of the room. He closed the door, crept out to the yard soundlessly, and looked around.
Nothing had changed. Everything in the White Dragon Manor was the same. He checked on Geo Sangwoong, Ya Suhyeok, and Wiji Cheon and found them sleeping soundly. He also detected Yeo Min's steady breathing from outside her room.
"Thank goodness. Everyone's safe. Nothing happened."
Only after confirming that all of the students were safe did he finally heave a sigh of relief. He had feared that something might have happened here too, so he had urged the great tiger to hurry despite his fatigue and injuries.
"Nyan!" Silver Tiger jumped out of his arms and hopped up to the roof.
[You... are normally surprisingly clever, but sometimes extremely foolish. Go to your room and sleep already!] the Divine Azure Dragon Sword cried out from his waist.
Meanwhile, Crimson Moon hungrily soaked in the moonlight on the other side of his waist.
Baek Suryong chuckled and looked up at the night sky, sporting a much more relaxed air. "I was going to sleep soon anyway. I have to go back to work starting tomorrow..."
STUMBLE!
"Ah..."
Just as all the tension left his body, Baek Suryong slumped to the side. Only now, after returning to the White Dragon Manor, had he realized that he had reached his limit, both physically and mentally.
Fortunately, before his body hit the ground, a hand gently supported him.
"Mr. Baek!"
Voices shouting his name erupted all around him. Although he had dreamed so many dreams that he was a little disoriented, he didn't doubt for a second that the approaching presences were real, even with his eyes closed.
"I'm just a little tired, no need to make a fuss..."
His voice trailed off. In the end, he couldn't even force his eyelids, which felt like they weighed a thousand tons, to open, and passed out.
The next day, he opened his eyes at noon, only to immediately come face-to-face with a pair of terrifying eyes.
Translator's Note:
Home at last!