Star Instructor, Master Baek-Chapter 474: What's Wrong with Him?

Ultimately, everyone agreed to keep Baek Suryong's return a secret for a while. If the fact that he came back with serious injuries became known to the outside world, all sorts of absurd rumors would spawn endlessly.
Baek Suryong gathered the students and instructed, "Only those here right now and the people who absolutely need to know will be informed. It'll eventually be made public, but I need a few days of peace and quiet to recover."
""Yes, Mr. Baek!""
The Five Young Azure Dragons nodded solemnly, swearing to keep the secret even if a sword were pressed to their throats. Mischief and fussing around were only possible when the injury was moderate.
Still, they couldn't help but be worried. Their teacher looked unusually thin and fragile sitting on the bed in his pajamas right now.
He looks like he's suffering...
Is he really okay?
What on earth happened?
The Five Young Azure Dragons were unaccustomed to seeing Baek Suryong in such a weakened state. Although they had witnessed him get injured several times before, this time was different.
Previously, he would always grin no matter how severe his injuries were, but today he seemed mentally exhausted and out of sorts. Since it was the first time seeing him like this, everyone was flustered.
It doesn't seem like he's suffering because his body's hurt...
Did something bad happen?
"Father-in-law. What do you think?"
Geo Sangwoong and Yeo Min were the only ones who guessed that there was more to Baek Suryong's troubles than just physical pain. The others simply looked on, unsure of how to proceed.
Hyonwon Kang scratched his head and spoke timidly. "Uhm, I caused a big commotion at dawn. Will it be okay?"
He was the one who ran out saying he would bring a physician as soon as he saw the collapsed Baek Suryong. In the process, he caused quite a stir when he practically kidnapped a sleeping physician.
Baek Suryong smirked. Although he did not witness the chaos firsthand, he could imagine what it was like. "Don't worry, there won't be any big problems, Wonkang. Dad managed to pacify the physician you brought and send him home. I also asked the Beggars' Gang and the Rogues' Guild to suppress the rumors."
"That's a relief."
With the help of the two largest information organizations in the world, the Beggars' Gang and the Rogues' Guild, controlling the spread of rumors wasn't difficult. Of course, they could not hide the fact that Baek Suryong had returned forever, but a few days was no big deal.
In a few days, my body will be mostly recovered.
Baek Suryong looked around at the students huddled in the room and nodded in satisfaction. They had all grown a little in the short time he was away. "You guys go back to school now. There's a limit to skipping class. Are you planning to be absent all day?"
"But...!"
"Wouldn't it raise some eyebrows if all Five Young Azure Dragons didn't show up to class?"
Baek Suryong froze when he saw the person behind his father. Mae Geuklyom, who had not yet returned to the Azure Dragon Academy, appeared in the doorway, having just finished making his grandson's bed.
"Ugh..."
Eventually, the kids reluctantly went back to school. Even after leaving the White Dragon Manor, though, they kept glancing back, worried about their teacher.
Baek Suryong saw the students off to the front gate, then turned around and chuckled to himself. "Hah! It's too early for those little chicks to worry about someone else."
"It's not that I don't want to drink it..."
"Says the overgrown chick who returned injured, worrying the little chicks," Baek Muheun, who had come out of the kitchen at some point, grumbled.
In his hands, he held a medicinal decoction.
Baek Suryong scrunched his nose at the terrible odor emanating from the brew. "Wait, don't tell me that's..."
"It's the medicine the Beggars' Gang gave us last time. Here, drink it all down in one gulp."
Baek Suryong backed away in horror and disgust. "There are many other types of medicine. Why this one of all things?"
Baek Muheun snorted and held out the decoction. "So, are you saying you don't want to drink the decoction your aging father brewed himself?"
"It's not that I don't want to drink it..."
Folding his arms firmly, he said in a no-nonsense tone, "Stop complaining and just drink it."
Not even the world-famous Azure Dragon Hero could escape the stern gaze of his grandfather and the devoted nursing of his father. In the end, Baek Suryong drank the pungent decoction without further objection.
"Ugh...!"
Even though he wasn't picky about the taste of food, the beggars' medicine made his eyes water and his nostrils flare.
"What on earth did those damned hobos put in the medicine?!"
"Father-in-law. Look at the strength going into Suryong's eyes. It seems the Beggars' Gang medicine is indeed effective."
"Feed him three meals a day starting today. Ask the Beggars' Gang for a little more medicine too."
"I should fatten him up while we're at it. Look how thin the child has gotten!"
"...I should ask Mr. Namgung to teach me how to cook chicken. He eats particularly well whenever Mr. Namgung cooks."
"We're always indebted to Mr. Namgung, aren't we?"
Although they had been growling at each other like dogs and monkeys just a few months ago, the father-in-law and son-in-law were somehow completely in sync right now.
Baek Suryong sighed inwardly.
Fuck, I'm going to suffer for a while.
Of course, he knew it was all self-inflicted.
The Beggars' Gang Jiangxi Branch Manager, the Strongman Wang Son, visited the White Dragon Manor secretly as soon as he received contact from Honorary Beggar Baek Suryong.
"How could that be...?!" Wang Son stared at Baek Suryong in disbelief.
"Who dared hurt a Beggars' Gang brother?" he bellowed with rage as soon as he laid eyes on the wounded Baek Suryong.
Seriously, not that brother nonsense again!
Baek Suryong sighed deeply, feeling uncomfortable because the brotherhood seemed to grow stronger every time he received help from the beggars. Nevertheless, now was not the time to be picky about cold rice or hot rice.
He explained the circumstances to Wang Son. Of course, since he couldn't divulge the whole truth, he had to mix in a significant amount of fiction.
"First, I should tell you why I went on a trip in the middle of the semester. Suddenly, a small hint about martial arts enlightenment popped into my head..."
He made up a story about how he left the Azure Dragon Academy on a whim to seek enlightenment in the deep mountains, when he coincidentally came across some suspicious martial artists.
"They were all unorthodox martial masters."
"...Unorthodox martial masters?" Wang Son's eyes sparkled. He was the one who had visited Baek Suryong last time and tipped him off about the unorthodox forces' peculiar actions.
Could a huge incident that the Beggars' Gang doesn't know yet about be happening in the murim?
"...Is that important?" Baek Suryong tilted his head in mock confusion.
Without realizing it, he leaned closer to Baek Suryong.
Baek Suryong immediately flinched and held his breath. "...Y-Yes. Each and every one of them was an extraordinary master, at least on par with a major sect leader. I decided to hide and continue watching, and lo and behold, they turned out to be the unorthodox sect leaders you said you were keeping an eye on the other day."
"Hoh!"
Although Baek Suryong was badly injured, his silver tongue and quick wit remained undiminished. Additionally, it wasn't difficult to deceive the Beggars' Gang, who trusted him like a brother.
"Could you let me finish my story before asking questions?"
Unknown to him, however, Wang Son's thought process was quite different from what he expected.
Why does he look so pitiful, like a beggar who had a dumpling snatched from his mouth?
Wang Son's eyes became teary. "T-Then! Did you fail to achieve enlightenment because of them?" he stuttered.
"...Is that important?" Baek Suryong tilted his head in mock confusion. "How does my enlightenment compare to whatever sinister plot the unorthodox leaders gathered to hatch?"
Baek Suryong's heart skipped a beat.
Is there a loophole in my story?
Upon closer inspection, it was evident that certain parts of the story lacked coherence. Since it was common for martial artists to suddenly go into seclusion or embark on a journey for enlightenment, though, he judged that it was sufficiently convincing.
Fortunately, the reason Wang Son was astonished turned out to be the exact opposite of what he worried about.
Isn't the Azure Dragon Hero already a peerless master? To him, even the smallest clue to enlightenment should be more precious than a miraculous encounter, yet...
He looked at Baek Suryong in awe and reverence. As a martial artist, he understood just how important a flash of enlightenment was. Typically, when one encountered such a situation, they would avert their gaze and immerse themselves in training.
Although it was shameful, he would have done so himself. However, the Azure Dragon Hero postponed his chance at enlightenment, which may never come again, and spied on the unorthodox leaders instead. He even deemed it unimportant compared to uncovering their plot.
Naturally, he couldn't help but be amazed.
"Hmm...it seems so." Baek Suryong nodded with a grave expression and feigned ignorance.
This man is truly a great hero! He's different from those who only talk about justice and chivalry!
"Anyway, the masters of the Black Snake Alliance, the Viridian Forest, the Valley of Evil, and even the Mount Mo Sect attended the meeting," Baek Suryong continued, unaware of the misunderstanding racing through Wang Son's mind. As he approached the climax of his tale, he paused for dramatic effect, then announced grimly, "The purpose of that meeting was to form an Unorthodox Alliance in response to the threat of the Blood Cult."
"A-An Unorthodox Alliance, you say...?!" Wang Son's voice trembled. This was too serious of a matter for him, a mere branch manager, to handle. "Is that really true, Azure Dragon Hero? It's not that I don't believe you, but..."
"Yes, I heard it directly from their mouths."
"T-Then did you get injured fighting them...?"
"Could you let me finish my story before asking questions?"
"Ah, yes. I apologize."
Baek Suryong resumed telling his story. He shared the rough outline, appropriately adapting the story as he went along. At some point, though, Wang Son didn't just listen attentively, he took out a notebook and started writing furiously, afraid of missing even the slightest detail.
He only stopped writing when a certain name was mentioned.
"Did you just say the Unorthodox Alliance Chairman's name is Maeng Ryonghwi?"
Baek Suryong's eyes narrowed as he assessed the situation.
"Yes."
Wang Son tilted his head. He couldn't remember ever hearing the name Maeng Ryonghwi before. Even after racking his brain, he couldn't recall any similar names.
"I'm not the most knowledgeable person, but as a Beggars' Gang branch manager, I thought I was familiar with all the major experts. However, this is the first time I've heard the name Maeng Ryonghwi."
Could the Unorthodox Alliance Chairman really be a totally unknown master? Would the Blade Demon, the world's strongest bladesman and formerly the unorthodox's strongest, acknowledge another person as Chairman?
Baek Suryong fibbed, "...I've never heard of him before either, but his martial prowess was real. He was more than qualified to assume the role of Unorthodox Alliance Chairman."
"Can you tell me more about Maeng Ryonghwi's appearance, the martial arts he uses, his personality, etc.? Even trivial things are fine."
"Well, his appearance's on the handsome side... and he seems to mainly use blade techniques..."
Baek Suryong was careful with his descriptions of Maeng Ryonghwi. It was obvious that the Beggars' Gang would analyze his words very carefully.
"Hoh! To think such a great villain would appear in the unorthodox sects! The orthodox murim has even more to worry about now."
Well, I can't say that I'm Maeng Ryonghwi...
Due to the Black Snake Alliance Chairman's crippling injury, he had unexpectedly taken on the role of Unorthodox Alliance Chairman. Still, if he ever needed to step forward in that role, he planned to do so under the guise of Maeng Ryonghwi.
Dear Master Maeng, I'm going to make a name for myself with the name you gave me!
Baek Suryong briefly recalled Master Maeng's boisterous laughter, then shook his head and pushed the distracting thoughts aside. He had yet to recount the most important part of the story.
"Listen closely now. Suddenly, as the conference was proceeding... the Blood Cult appeared and attacked the unorthodox leaders. I too got swept up in that fight and was injured badly."
THUD!
Wang Son dropped his brush. He had thought that there was nothing more that could surprise him, but he was wrong.
"Now even the Blood Cult..." he muttered blankly, before recalling a recent incident. His eyes grew wide. "Could this be related to the natural disaster at Mount Heng a while ago?"
Baek Suryong nodded grimly. "Yes, but that was no natural disaster."
Wang Son recalled the urgent message he had received about Mount Heng becoming a complete ruin. According to the , not even a fight between a dragon and a phoenix could have caused such destruction, so it must have been the result of a fierce clash between peerless masters.
The Beggars' Gang kept their senses sharp to find out who fought and why, but only now was the full story revealed through Baek Suryong.
The Black Snake Alliance Chairman, the Soul Hunting Bow Phantom, and the Azure Dragon Hero. Three of the current Ten Supremes took part in that epic battle, but more surprising was the fact that they were not fighting each other.
"There were only two Blood Cultists, but they drove three of the Ten Supremes, including me and the unorthodox leaders, to the brink of death. If we were unlucky... all of us would have died there."
Baek Suryong then added that the Phantom King had died and that most of the others had sustained serious injuries. However, he did not mention that the Black Snake Alliance Chairman's qi center was shattered.
"To think the Blood Cult was that powerful..." Cold sweat dribbled down Wang Son's pale face.
As if he had been waiting for that moment, Baek Suryong reached out and grasped his large, grubby hand. "Branch Manager, I think special measures are needed to fight the Blood Cult. We have to consider the possibility of an alliance between the orthodox and unorthodox. If necessary, I'll arrange that meeting."
He took a letter out of his pocket with his other hand and handed it over. It contained a summary of what he had told Wang Son so far.
Deep down, he hoped Wang Son would realize the seriousness of the matter and lend even a little support to his cause rather than just acting as a messenger.
"Please deliver this letter to the Beggars' Gang Chief and the Murim Alliance Chairman..."
"Don't worry!" Wang Son's hands quivered as he tucked the letter securely deep his shirt pocket, his eyes glittering solemnly. "I'll meet with them in person and deliver the letter. I'll make sure to clearly pass on the information you uncovered by risking your life, Azure Dragon Hero!"
"...T-Thank you." Baek Suryong smiled faintly at the more intense-than-expected reaction.
"Once again, I'm impressed by your spirit of chivalry, Azure Dragon Hero. It's an honor to live in the same era as you."
"...Pardon? Ah, thank you."
Wang Son was overcome with emotion, to the point that he was on the verge of tears. Biting his lip hard, he sprang up from his seat. "Since time is of the essence, I'll take my leave now. Take care!"
He clasped his hands in farewell and rushed out the door, looking ready to sprint all the way to the Murim Alliance.