Star Instructor, Master Baek

TL: FoodieMonster007

He wants me to become the Blood Demon?

Baek Suryong stared at Wiji Yeol, baffled. The memory of his four masters dying tragically in battle was still fresh in his mind. They had been kidnapped by the Blood Cult, used like disposable pawns, and then mercilessly killed while trying to escape.

He sometimes wondered if their ghosts still roamed the earth, unable to pass on because of their resentment. Every time that thought struck him, he felt his blood run cold.

No, I shouldn't take my anger out on Wiji Yeol. He doesn't know anything about my previous life.

Baek Suryong clenched his fists so tightly that the veins on his hands bulged, but he managed to hold himself back. If Wiji Yeol had known the truth about his past life and still had the audacity to say what he did, he would have torn the old man's mouth apart without caring that he was Wiji Cheon's grandfather, but he didn't know anything.

"I already told you, I'm not interested," he repeated icily.

Still, Wiji Yeol refused to back down. Falling to one knee, he begged, "You are the true successor of the Heaven Defying Divine Art. Just that alone will convince thousands of cultists to follow you!"

"…Stop."

"Enough!"

"First, we'll crush the wicked Apostles and reclaim our Cult. Then, we'll unite the murim and bring the world to its knees… Gah!"

Irritated, Baek Suryong grabbed Wiji Yeol by the collar and yanked him close. "If you say one more word about me becoming the Blood Demon again, I won't let it slide even if you're old. So, for your grandson's sake, please shut up."

"Ugh! Cough…!"

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Fear etched itself into Wiji Yeol's face and he gasped for breath as Baek Suryong glared at him with killing intent. Still, the old man managed to force out one more question, something that meant more to him than his life.

"…If you become the Blood Demon, you'll be able to seize all the wealth, fame, and power in the world. And yet you're saying you're not interested in any of that? Why? I can't understand…"

Becoming the world's strongest and uniting the murim under one banner was something every martial artist had dreamed of at least once. Among all the martial artists in history, the Blood Demon, who possessed both the greatest divine art and led the murim's largest sect, was the one who had come closest to that goal.

If Baek Suryong became the Blood Demon, he would be able to have anything he desired.

Despite that, he still claims that he isn't interested at all? Is that really true?

Wiji Yeol found it hard to believe. Anyone who stumbled upon the Heaven Defying Divine Art would have been tempted, so what made Baek Suryong so different?

Baek Suryong tightened his grip on the old man's collar. "Because… I hate the Blood Cult more than anyone else in the world."

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"…Why do you hate them so much? Please enlighten this foolish old man."

"You stubborn geezer…" Baek Suryong let out a weary sigh. He couldn't talk about his four masters, but he had plenty of other reasons to loathe the Blood Cult. "First, the Blood Cult is a hive of insane religious fanatics who believe that this filthy world should be cleansed with blood."

"……"

"Second, they kidnap children, brainwash them with bizarre propaganda, and teach them suicidal demonic arts. That's not something sane people do."

"……" Wiji Yeol bowed his head.

Hmm…? Baek Suryong noticed a subtle but unnatural change in Wiji Yeol's expression, but he continued, "Third, maybe this is some twisted karma from a previous life, but I've had the misfortune of crossing paths with Blood Cultists several times. On each occasion, their cruelty and disregard for ethics was revolting."

"…That's not wrong."

"I refuse to be the leader of such a group. The world's strongest? I'm not interested. World domination? Hah! My time is far too precious to waste on something so stupid."

"Hoho… Stupid, huh…? Our Cult's long-cherished wish…"

Baek Suryong scoffed. "I want to live peacefully, teaching kids, eating well, and sleeping well. That's my goal in life. If the Blood Cult gets in the way of my dream, I'll annihilate them."

"Hohoho…"

Noticing that Wiji Yeol had somewhat regained his composure, Baek Suryong released his grip.

Wiji Yeol collapsed to the floor, panting heavily.

"This is your last warning, Elder. Quit trying to tempt me," Baek Suryong said gravely. If Wiji Yeol continued, he would really murder the old man.

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Wiji Yeol whispered cautiously, "Everything you just said… Do you really mean it?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"Yes. What reason do I have to lie now?"

"Phew…" Wiji Yeol let out a long sigh of relief.

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Baek Suryong laughed hollowly in realization. "I thought something was weird… Were you testing me?"n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"I'm sorry," Wiji Yeol apologized, smiling weakly. "However, you've already deceived me once. I needed to confirm your true intentions, so I acted like a loyal cultist who longed for the Blood Cult's revival."

"Damn you…" Baek Suryong cursed, but he was actually more relieved than upset. I'm just glad that the old man isn't one of those loony fanatics.

"…By the way, what would you have done if I said I wanted to conquer the murim?" he asked.

Wiji Yeol wiped the blood from his forehead and stood up. Staring at his newly crafted sword, he smiled faintly. "I would have left you with that sword as my final gift and run away with Cheon."

"…I had no idea you were such a good actor." Baek Suryong shook his head in disbelief. Wiji Yeol had seemed fully committed to the Blood Cult, but he was actually planning to flee? He had almost been scammed.

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Grinning wistfully, Wiji Yeol explained, "Although I was born in the Blood Cult and received a religious upbringing, I was never a staunch believer. My true passion is blacksmithing."

Baek Suryong nodded. He knew that Wiji Yeol was someone who cared only about forging metal. If the old man had been raised in an ordinary family, he would have died peacefully after a life spent hammering iron.

Most importantly, he was too upright for a place governed by the law of the jungle.

"…I realized that the Blood Cult's teachings were wrong a long time ago, but as the eldest son of the Wiji Clan and its eventual patriarch, I never considered rebelling. I just closed my eyes to what I didn't want to see," Wiji Yeol added bitterly.

This was a confession that had been eating at him for years, one he had never intended to voice. Until now, that is.

"After the fall of the Blood Cult, I was enraged that my clan had been destroyed. However, as time passed, I saw what the Blood Cult really meant to the rest of the world, and I realized how many people had died while I turned a blind eye to everything. Honestly, I think the cult reaped what it sowed."

Baek Suryong gazed at Wiji Yeol intently. "Then, do you hate the Murim Alliance?"

"…Of course I do, but Cheon's happiness is more important than my grudge." Wiji Yeol glanced toward Wiji Cheon's room. At the thought of the peacefully sleeping child there, he smiled warmly. "If that child had been raised in the Blood Cult, he would never have known happiness."

There was a time when he wanted his gifted grandson to avenge his family, but those feelings had faded. He himself had been born into the despised Blood Cult, but Wiji Cheon hadn't.

Now, his only wish was for his grandson to live a peaceful and blissful life.

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"I want to protect my grandson's smile. To do that, I need to sever my remaining ties with the Blood Cult," he said firmly.

Baek Suryong nodded. "I agree."

"So I will join the Blood Cult."

"…What?" Baek Suryong's eyes went wide with shock.

Wiji Yeol continued, "I will infiltrate the Cult, find out the extent of their forces and what they are planning, and pass that information on to you."

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"Are you saying you'll become a spy?"

Wiji Yeol nodded calmly.

"No! It's far too dangerous." Baek Suryong shook his head. He couldn't allow it.

"Despite appearances, I am quite valuable. The cultists won't kill me on a whim," Wiji Yeol argued. He was one of the world's greatest blacksmiths. Considering his worth, he felt that the Blood Cult might detain him, but they wouldn't kill him thoughtlessly.

"That's not the point. People will be suspicious if the Wiji Clan Patriarch who ran away suddenly returns," Baek Suryong rebutted.

Wiji Yeol grinned. "Have you forgotten how I just tricked you with my acting? You're the smartest and most perceptive person I've ever met, so if I can deceive you, I can definitely fool them."

"Elder…"

"Thanks to you, I've achieved my lifelong dream." Wiji Yeol's gaze fell on the sword in Baek Suryong's hands. It was his life's greatest accomplishment, a legendary weapon he couldn't recreate even if he tried. "I have no more regrets. The rest of my life is just a bonus now, and I want to use it to make amends for my past mistakes, as well as for my grandson's future."

"……" Baek Suryong could see Wiji Yeol's determination. Trying to talk the old man out of it would be pointless. Sighing, he asked, "What about Cheon? How will you explain this to him?"

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"I'll just cook up some excuse. He's a naive child, so he'll easily believe anything I tell him."

Adamant, Baek Suryong tried one last resort. "…I forbid it. That's an order from the Cult Leader."

Wiji Yeol chuckled, "Were you listening just now? I don't believe in the Blood Cult's doctrines anymore."

"Ugh…"

Nothing worked. In the end, Baek Suryong gave in and nodded. The old man's sheer stubbornness was even harder to deal with now than when he was pretending to be a Blood Cult zealot.

"Fine. I'll let you go, but only after we make thorough preparations for your infiltration and escape."

"You're not just saying that to stop me, are you?"

"No, because there's no point. After all, I can't stop you from running off on your own, can I?"

After a brief argument, the two men reached a compromise. Wiji Yeol would leave in ten days, and Baek Suryong would complete the necessary preparations within that time.

They talked until the first light of dawn spilled through the window.

"I should return to the smithy before Cheon wakes up. He'll be surprised if he sees me here."

Wiji Yeol stood up, and Baek Suryong escorted him to the door.

Right before leaving, Wiji Yeol looked back at Baek Suryong. "By the way, have you thought of a name for the sword?"

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Baek Suryong fell silent for a moment, but a name came to him surprisingly quickly. "The Azure Dragon Sword."

Wiji Yeol beamed. "The Azure Dragon Sword, eh? It suits you well. Someday, be sure to break the Blood Demon Sword with the Azure Dragon Sword, got it?"

"…Sure." Baek Suryong placed the Azure Dragon Sword back into its box and handed it to Wiji Yeol.

"Give me a few days. I'll finish the scabbard soon."

A few days later, the sword scabbard was finished. The black ivory surface shimmered with a faint blue sheen, and the words "蒼龍劍 (Azure Dragon Sword)" were carved on it in bold, sweeping characters.

After that, the day finally came for Wiji Yeol to leave the White Dragon Manor.

Translator's Note: Flags, flags, so many flags…