Star Instructor, Master Baek-Chapter 476: Isn't This Too Much?

Baek Suryong admired the blurred slashes aimed at him.
Hyonwon Kang stared at Baek Suryong reluctantly. "...Are we really doing this?"
Only a few days had passed since Baek Suryong had returned looking like a corpse, shocking everyone. He knew a peerless master recovered at a pace beyond common sense, but in his eyes, there was no doubt that Baek Suryong was a patient in need of rest.
How could he call me out for a sparring match in that state?
As a result of focusing on energy circulation and recuperation for several days, his internal and external injuries had recovered significantly.
"Aren't you overdoing it? If your wounds reopen, are you going to chew me out using that as an excuse?" he grumbled, clearly unwilling to comply with the ridiculous request.
"How about we spar using only technique, without inner arts?".
Baek Suryong narrowed his eyes. His student's words sounded half like concern and half like an insult. "Since when did the guy who's always scheming to land a hit on me become so timid?"
"What's the fun in landing a hit on a sickly patient?"
"A sickly patient...?"
Smirking, Baek Suryong drew Crimson Moon from his waist.
VWOOONG!
The crimson black blade hummed with a low cry, pleased to return to the world after so long.
"Enough talk. Come at me. Let's see how much you've improved."
"!!!" Hyonwon Kang's mouth fell open at the sight of Crimson Moon's elegant form. It was a legendary weapon once wielded by the world's strongest bladesman as if it were part of his own body, after all.
"Tsk!" Baek Suryong clicked his tongue. "Wonkang. You're drooling."
"Ssshlurp!" Hyonwon Kang hurriedly wiped the corner of his mouth with his sleeve.
Baek Suryong pointed Crimson Moon straight at Hyonwon Kang, smiling provocatively. "Pretty blade, isn't it? Do you want it?"
That held true even though Hyonwon Kang already possessed the finely crafted Black Dao.
"......" Hyonwon Kang didn't answer, simply swallowed dryly.
Baek Suryong grinned. Although the boy said nothing, that visible gulp was already enough of an answer.
Baek Suryong was hardly surprised about that.
Every martial artist desired a good weapon. That held true even though Hyonwon Kang already possessed the finely crafted Black Dao.
In that sense, Crimson Moon was a peerless legendary blade comparable to the Divine Azure Dragon Sword. Moreover, it's color and style matched the Asura Blood Heaven Blade perfectly.
He knew a peerless master recovered at a pace beyond common sense, but in his eyes, there was no doubt that Baek Suryong was a patient in need of rest.
"Defeat me and I'll pass this blade down to you," Baek Suryong taunted.
Hyonwon Kang's skills had improved more than expected, but that wasn't the reason he was surprised.
Hyonwon Kang's eyes sparkled. "...Really?"
He adjusted his stance slightly.
Still, he did not fall for the provocation as easily as he used to. Instead of rushing in recklessly, he raised his Black Dao to a middle guard and slowly assumed his starting stance.
"How about we spar using only technique, without inner arts?"
Baek Suryong flinched and turned around.
"Oh? You're confident that you can beat me with only your technique?" Baek Suryong chuckled and nodded without hesitation. This was actually better for assessing the results of Hyonwon Kang's training.
Of course, he knew that wasn't Hyonwon Kang's primary intention. The punk had likely proposed this method to avoid overexerting him, seeing as he had not fully recovered.
Such needless worry.
Baek Suryong flicked the tip of Crimson Moon haughtily. "Give it everything you've got, okay?"
Hyonwon Kang focused, then abruptly sprang into action. An afterimage resembling a stretched-out version of him lingered before he abruptly appeared in front of Baek Suryong.
"...!" Hyonwon Kang froze in shock as the domain of the Asura Blood Heaven Blade shattered.
SWISH!
He couldn't control the finer details of his technique yet. Baek Suryong, who had not fully recovered from his injuries, might get swept up in the domain and get hurt.
A few strands of severed hair scattered in the air.
Baek Suryong narrowed his eyes slightly as he tilted his head back to dodge the blade. "You..."
He's managed to control the killing intent of the Asura Blood Heaven Blade.
Of course, Hyonwon Kang's achievement paled in comparison to the Third Apostle's, but the fact that he had reached this level on his own was nonetheless astonishing.
Grinning, Baek Suryong rushed at Hyonwon Kang.
Hyonwon Kang grinned proudly at his teacher's surprise. Feeling as if the results of his training had been acknowledged, he yelled, "You'd better surrender quickly if you don't want to get hurt!"
The Black Dao tore through space like the claws of a beast, each stroke fluid and alive.
FWOOSH!
Even though the sun had not yet risen, a red glow blanketed the sky. The sight of the Black Dao raining down powerful, wild slashes was like a black meteor shower streaking across the crimson horizon.
Baek Suryong admired the blurred slashes aimed at him. "Hah! Since when did this punk get this good...?"
Baek Suryong walked toward the bookstore without much thought.
To think he's wielding the killing intent of the Asura Blood Heaven Blade on his own, without being taught.
Once again, he was reminded that Hyonwon Kang was a genius who shared the same blood as Master Crazy Demon.
Looking at the eyes of the boy completely immersed in his blade arts, though, another bladesman came to mind.
Black Snake Alliance Leader, perhaps I'll be passing down Crimson Moon sooner than I thought.
His teacher was clearly right in front of him, looking no different than usual.
Baek Suryong smiled with satisfaction. One day, Hyonwon Kang would undoubtedly claim the title of the strongest bladesman, previously held by the Black Snake Alliance Chairman.
"...But not today."
While he was surprised and pleased to see his student's progress, Hyonwon Kang still wasn't ready to become the master of Crimson Moon.
"You've improved quite a bit," he acknowledged.
He immediately made up an excuse.
"Ha! For someone who says that, you seem to be having a hard time just dodging!"
"...Do you really think so?"
Smirking, Baek Suryong strode into the domain of the Asura Blood Heaven Blade that Hyonwon Kang had created. It was a space where formless killing intent raged, where one's skin could be cut just by entering.
"It's dangerous to enter so recklessly...!"
Startled, Hyonwon Kang tried to withdraw his killing intent. He couldn't control the finer details of his technique yet. Baek Suryong, who had not fully recovered from his injuries, might get swept up in the domain and get hurt.
"Watch out, Wonkang!"
SHWAAAA!
Hyonwon Kang muttered as he toppled backward, blood streaming from both nostrils.
Crimson Moon split the red sky in two, dispersing the fierce killing intent with a single strike.
"Ssshlurp!" Hyonwon Kang hurriedly wiped the corner of his mouth with his sleeve.
"...!" Hyonwon Kang froze in shock as the domain of the Asura Blood Heaven Blade shattered.
"Who's worrying about whom right now?"
Baek Suryong smiled with satisfaction.
CLAAAANG!
The second attack came crashing down from above. Hyonwon Kang immediately raised his blade to block, but despite being slightly taller, the impact hit him with the force of a giant several times his size.
"Ugh!" As he staggered backward, he stared blankly at Baek Suryong as if seeing a monster.
His teacher was clearly right in front of him, looking no different than usual. Still, as the most sensitive of the Five Young Azure Dragons, he could feel that something was different about Baek Suryong.
Something... has changed about him.
"Who's worrying about whom right now?" His shadow stretched long behind him.
Baek Suryong gained more than just serious injuries from the battle at Mount Heng. He had met and fought the current era's strongest bladesman, the Black Snake Alliance Chairman, and they had discussed the way of the blade intensely for a few hours. Through this encounter, he had experienced the essence of the Ultimate Blade Technique, a peerless blade technique on par with the Asura Blood Heaven Blade.
Not only that, but he had also witnessed the Third Apostle's Asura Blood Heaven Blade. Although he hadn't clashed with the Third Apostle directly, he had watched his former trainee engage in a earth-shattering battle with the Black Snake Alliance Chairman.
Consequently, his understanding of bladesmanship was bound to expand.
It was for this reason that he could overwhelm Hyonwon Kang despite his weakened state and without using a shred of inner qi.
Furthermore, there was another detail that only Hyonwon Kang, who had learned bladesmanship from Baek Suryong, could notice.
"That just now, that wasn't the Asura Blood Heaven Blade, was it?"
Baek Suryong nodded readily, then glanced at Crimson Moon. Now that he had wielded it himself, he understood why it was classified as a legendary weapon. "I tried imitating the Ultimate Blade Technique, but it's harder than I thought."
"What the fuuuuuck?!" Hyonwon Kang's jaw dropped.
How could any bladesman not have heard of the Ultimate Blade Technique? That was the signature martial art of the Black Snake Alliance Chairman, the world's strongest bladesman!
Feeling incredibly wronged, he shrieked, "I-Isn't this too much?! You're already strong, but now you're even learning things like that on your own?!"
Well, technically, Baek Suryong said he had merely imitated it, but it was all the same to him.
"Are those your last words?"
Grinning, Baek Suryong rushed at Hyonwon Kang.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
His teacher was clearly right in front of him, looking no different than usual.
The Black Dao and Crimson Moon clashed fiercely for a moment, but the subsequent bout was completely one-sided. Within seconds, Hyonwon Kang was pushed onto the defensive and completely outmatched.
CLAAAAANG!
Seeing his Black Dao knocked right out of his hand and soar through the air, Hyonwon Kang muttered dumbly, "Fucking crazy son of a bitch... I thought he was on the verge of death, but he came back even stronger..."
"Tsk, tsk. How could you use such vulgar language in front of your teacher?"
SMACK!
Hyonwon Kang was slapped across the face by the flat of Crimson Moon's blade, signaling the end of the sparring session.
"Damn it... One day... I'll definitely crush your ass..." Hyonwon Kang muttered as he toppled backward, blood streaming from both nostrils.
THUD!
Baek Suryong nudged the fallen Hyonwon Kang aside with his foot, then turned to face the other students, who were looking at him with sparkling eyes.
"So? Who's next?"
Before he could even finish speaking, the remaining four Five Young Azure Dragons surrounded him.
"Mr. Baek! Please spar with me too!"
"I was here first! It's my turn!"
"...At this point, can I even be called human?"
"Hey! Have you no respect for your elders? As the senior, I should go first!"
"It's dangerous to enter so recklessly."
"How does seniority affect the sparring order?"
At first, the students watched the duel between Baek Suryong and Hyonwon Kang anxiously. However, after seeing that their teacher was in better shape than expected, their anxiety turned to anticipation. Now, they were just itching for a fight.
"Why do we need to decide the sparring order? Just come at me all at once like you always do."
Chuckling, Baek Suryong shifted Crimson Moon to his left hand and held the Divine Azure Dragon Sword in his right. He did this not only to prepare the students for the threats that could come at any time, but also for his own growth.
I have to become stronger than I am now.
"Hah! Since when did this punk get this good...?"
If he could simultaneously wield both the Unlimited Sword and the Asura Blood Heaven Blade, his overall martial prowess would advance to the next level.
"Ssshlurp!" Hyonwon Kang hurriedly wiped the corner of his mouth with his sleeve.
"Damn it! Let's go with Beat Up Baek Suryong Formation Number 1118!" Hyonwon Kang shouted as he wiped his nose, having regained consciousness at some point and scrambled back to his feet.
As if waiting for his cue, the Five Young Azure Dragons moved into position. The look in their eyes was quite something to see.
"Pfft!" Baek Suryong laughed. His body wasn't in perfect condition yet, but he finally started to feel like he had returned home.
A long distance away, out of the range of his senses, a humongous shadow secretly stalked Baek Suryong.
The giant rubbed the scar on his chest as he silently watched the martial arts instructor enter the old bookstore.
Even with support from the Beggars' Sect and the Rogues' Guild, it was impossible to completely suppress the rumors about the Azure Dragon Hero's return. The news spread slowly through the city, eventually becoming widespread enough that Baek Suryong could occasionally sense presences lurking outside the White Dragon Manor.
Baek Suryong walked toward the bookstore without much thought.
"Hoo..."
He himself was the most surprised by his recovery rate, which could only be described as miraculous. Having reached the Eighth Star, the Heaven Defying Divine Art rapidly healed his internal injuries, while the Eighteen Strikes of the Viridian Forest repaired his external ones.
Most of the minor cuts had now disappeared, and only the wound that had pierced his chest left a distinct scar.
Baek Suryong was hardly surprised about that. The wound was not only incredibly deep but also influenced by the lingering energy of the legendary weapon, the Divine Azure Dragon Sword.
"......"
After tracing the scar with his finger for a moment, he put on his coat and went outside. It was late, and all the students were asleep. He completely concealed his presence and tried to leave the house quietly.
"Where are you going at this hour?" a voice rang out from behind him.
Baek Suryong flinched and turned around. Baek Muheun was standing there with his arms folded and a frown on his face.
How did Dad find me out?
He immediately made up an excuse.
"I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd go for a short night walk," he said, chuckling awkwardly and scratching the back of his head.
Baek Muheun sighed deeply. He glared at his son for a moment, then nodded. "...I understand. You must've felt stifled being stuck at home all the time. Just don't go too far."
"Geez. It's not like I'm a child..."
Grinning, Baek Suryong leaped over the wall, since the sound of the gate opening might wake the students.
As it was late, the streets were empty. He wandered wherever his feet took him, lost in thought.
The Blood Demon's goal. My former trainees. The Azure Dragon Academy and the Heavenly Martial Festival.
He mulled over the various worries and thoughts he had yet to make a decision on, one by one. Some were easily resolved, but no solution came to mind for others.
Suddenly, a lit shop in the distance caught his eye. It was strangely captivating.
Is there a place open at this hour?
He approached the shop, only to see that it was a small, old bookstore.
He was suddenly reminded of the old bookstore where Master Eun's portrait had hung, where the worn interior showed the passage of time and the smell of old books. The old man who had looked after that bookstore alone was an old acquaintance of Master Eun.
Baek Suryong walked toward the bookstore without much thought. As it happened, there was a book he wanted to buy.
"I don't know if they'll have it, but..."
If he could find a related book, he planned to learn from it, even if just a little at a time.
"......"
The giant rubbed the scar on his chest as he silently watched the martial arts instructor enter the old bookstore.
Translator's Note:
Merry Christmas! Has Santa(?) snuck up on Suryong!?