Star Instructor, Master Baek
Chapter 361: I Just Kept Myself Busy

TL: FoodieMonster007

The next day, Baek Suryong had planned to leave the North Sea Ice Palace early, but he found himself unable to step out of the main gate. Before him, gifts brought by the martial artists of the North Sea Ice Palace were piled up like a mountain, blocking his path.

"No… I told you I can't possibly carry this much," he groaned, his expression troubled.

"Thank you for letting me know who my father's true murderer is."

"I will never forget the debt I owe you for healing my daughter."

"It's not much, but please accept my family heirloom…"

Upon hearing that Baek Suryong was leaving, people rushed to express their gratitude, bringing gifts ranging from elixirs and North Sea jewels to fur clothes and dried fish.

[The weather in the North Sea may be cold, but the warmth of its people is second to none.]

[That's easy for you to say. I'm the one who has to carry all this.]

Baek Suryong was grateful, but he refused all the bulky and emotionally burdensome items. Even then, the remaining gifts looked as if they would fill an entire cart.

In the end, he had to acquire a new, enormous backpack that made him look like a great turtle with a massive shell.

"I'm not some traveling peddler…" he sighed, picking up the backpack.

Suppressing a laugh, Eun Hwiryong said, "Please understand. They are doing this because they are extremely grateful to you."

"I understand, but…"

His words trailed off as he looked around. This was the North Sea Ice Palace, Master Eun's homeland. Although she herself had not been particularly fond of this place, there were still many people who remembered her here, including her old friends and relatives.

Their closed-off culture might gradually change as a result of their alliance with the Murim Alliance. Moreover, if Yeo Min becomes the Empress later…

He shook his head. That was too distant a future to consider now.

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"I will really be on my way now," he said. "I'll need to hurry if I want to return to the academy before school reopens."

"…Send my regards to my niece."

"Yeo Min will surely be happy to know she has family."

Grinning, Baek Suryong bid a final farewell to the gathered martial artists, then executed his movement arts and dashed off into the distance.

WHOOSH!

In an instant, the North Sea Ice Palace receded behind him. The sounds of thanks, promises to never forget his kindness, and hopes to meet again also quickly faded away.

Unlike when he first arrived, the snowflakes that touched his cheeks no longer felt bitterly cold, but pleasantly cool.

[The faces of those you left behind looked bright.]

Baek Suryong smiled. "It must be because they regained their freedom after being oppressed by the Seol Clan for so long."

The Divine Azure Dragon Sword trembled in agreement. […Perhaps a heaven-defying fate is not necessarily a bad thing after all.]

"What are you talking about?"

[Even those with the ability to see the heavenly order cannot read the future of someone with a heaven-defying fate. However, this also means that someone born with such a fate has the power to alter the fates of others. I think watching you do that is very meaningful…]

TWANG!

Baek Suryong flicked the Divine Azure Dragon Sword with his finger. "Enough of that, just cast the distance-shrinking sorcery. I have a long way to go and many stops to make."

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[I have said it several times, but you need to respect me more…!]

Baek Suryong retraced the path he had taken to the North Sea Ice Palace. Although he had little time before the start of the school term, he didn't head straight to the Azure Dragon Academy.

First, he headed for the Black Tortoise Academy in Shaanxi , where he found Seol Sinwoo waiting for him, looking haggard.

He briefly explained the events that had transpired at the Ice Palace.

"So it ended that way…" Seol Sinwoo sighed. "I cannot thank you enough for what you did."

"Don't worry about it."

They did not talk for long. Baek Suryong relayed the message that the North Sea Ice Palace had forgiven Seol Sinwoo, after which he made his way to Artist Pung Wol's manor.

"Who… don't tell me?" Geomno's eyebrows twitched. At first, he didn't recognize Baek Suryong's dyed hair and altered appearance, but he soon recognized his aura.

Baek Suryong grinned. "It hasn't been that long, but it feels like it's been ages since we last met. Is Artist Pung Wol inside?"

"Yes, he is, but… he's definitely going to cause an uproar when he sees you…"

STOMP STOMP STOMP STOMP STOMP!

Just then, Artist Pung Wol came running toward them as if his feet were on fire. As Geomno predicted, the moment he saw Baek Suryong, he skidded to a halt, his eyes wide with amazement. "You, your hair color…!"

"Ah, this." Baek Suryong fiddled with his snow-white hair. "I dyed it with sorcery, but I was in a hurry and forgot to change it back. Hang on a moment. I'll ask her to undo it…"

"No! Stop! Don't undo it!" Artist Pung Wol shrieked.

[Chunsam, I see you're as energetic as ever.]

"Who is it!? Who in the world dares call me by that forbidden name…!" Artist Pung Wol glared around with wide eyes, but the moment he sensed a familiar energy emanating from the Divine Azure Dragon Sword at Baek Suryong's waist, his jaw dropped. He stammered, "M-Master?"

[Long time no see, Chunsam.]

"Why are you a sword…"

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[This is not a conversation to be had while standing outdoors.]

"But I don't think you can sit down anywhere in that form…"

[Are you teasing me, your master?]

"Ahem!" Coming to his senses with a start, Artist Pung Wol cleared his throat. "For now, come inside, Master. I will escort you."

Baek Suryong relayed what had happened at the North Sea Ice Palace to the two of them.

Unsurprisingly, the two old men were enraged by the full list of Seol Suryeon's atrocities. When they heard that Baek Suryong had cut off Seol Suryeon's head, they clenched their fists in triumph. At the part where he became the Grand Warden of the North Sea Ice Palace, they both stared at him, dumbfounded.

"How on earth did you accomplish so much in such a short time?"

"…It's hard to believe, but since it's you saying it, it must all be true."

The three talked for a while, but when Artist Pung Wol suggested he stay the night, Baek Suryong shook his head.

"My apologies, but I must leave. There is one more place I need to stop by before I return to the academy."

"No! At least have a meal before you go."

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"I suppose that's fine…"

Artist Pung Wol's expression was strangely desperate, but Baek Suryong happened to be hungry, so he decided to eat before leaving.

When everyone sat down at the dining table laden with a feast, however, Artist Pung Wol picked up a brush instead of chopsticks.

"…What are you doing?" Geomno asked.

"Don't mind me, just eat your food…"

Geomno snatched the brush from Artist Pung Wol's hand. "You damn punk. What are you doing at the dinner table, making our guest uncomfortable?"

Artist Pung Wol instantly threw a tantrum like a child whose candy was taken away. "Give me back my brush, you old bastard! Look at that white hair! That beautiful white hair! How can I not paint after seeing this?!"

"How old are you? Have some self-control…!"

[Chunsam, I did not teach you to be so shameless…]

In the end, Baek Suryong could only leave after Artist Pung Wol had completed a painting of him with white hair.

"Well then, I'll see you again someday."

"Travel safely! And take good care of that face!"

After leaving Shaanxi, Baek Suryong arrived in Wuhan, Hubei, home of the Murim Alliance. This time, he made sure to change his hair color back to normal.

"I am Baek Suryong, Chief Instructor of the Murim Alliance," he said to the gate guard, revealing his identity as soon as he entered the city and showing them the alliance member token that Ryu Seol had issued him before he left.

The eyes of the gate guards immediately widened.

"T-The Azure Dragon Hero?"

Unknown to Baek Suryong, while he traveled around Shaanxi and the North Sea Ice Palace, the Azure Dragon Hero's fame had skyrocketed in Wuhan.

"The Azure Dragon Hero?"

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"You mean the Azure Dragon Hero who killed two Blood Cult Elders?"

"Those who have seen him in person also call him the Handsome Divine Dragon…"

"Whew! No wonder I thought he looked extraordinary from afar."

The murmuring grew even louder once Baek Suryong entered the city proper. Before he knew it, news of his arrival had spread like wildfire.

"Azure Dragon Hero! I wish to request a duel!"

"I wish to invite you to my family's home. Please grant me the honor of a chat…"

"I adore you!"

Overwhelmed by the enormous amount of attention pouring in from all directions, Baek Suryong used his movement arts to flee and leaped onto the tallest nearby building.

"It wasn't this bad before…" he muttered to himself, cold sweat dripping down his back.

He glared daggers at the main cause of his predicament, the culprits who had spread the news about his arrival. As expected, it was the Beggars' Gang.

"The Brother of Beggars, the Azure Dragon Hero has returned to Wuhan!"

"The hero who saved the Murim Alliance! The man who shares his rice bowl and blanket with the beggars!"

"Honorary Beggar Baek! Honorary Beggar Baek!"

…Should I take that as an insult or a compliment?

Baek Suryong trembled with rage as he stared at the beggars who were running all over the neighborhood, spreading all sorts of rumors about him.

"Fucking beggar bastards…"

[Aren't they your brothers?]

"Don't you dare say that again."

Sighing, Baek Suryong headed for the Murim Alliance headquarters. Countless martial artists were searching for him with fiery determination, but fortunately, no one could keep up with him.

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WHOOSH!

Soon, he landed in front of the Murim Alliance main gate.

Looking a little nervous, the guards greeted him in unison, ""Greetings, Chief Instructor!""

Since he had a history of breaking down the gate, they had thoroughly memorized the Azure Dragon Hero's face in order to prevent another tragedy.

Baek Suryong walked past the highly disciplined guards and entered the Murim Alliance… only to run into a certain someone.

"…Baek Suryong."

"Namgung Su?"

Baek Suryong's eyes widened. Sharp eyes and a cool impression, check. An indifferent voice with almost no change in pitch, check. Though he had used Namgung Su as a reference when acting as Seol Ryonghwi, the original was indeed different.

"Why are you still here?" he asked incredulously. "Didn't you go to the Namgung Estate?"

"…I took Mimi home and then came back here."

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"Why? Don't tell me… did you want to go back with me?"

Namgung Su's eyebrows twitched. "No way in hell. I came here to request the teachings of Master Jaegal Seon, the Thunder Dragon Swordsman."

Baek Suryong immediately understood. Jaegal Seon, the head of the Jaegal Clan, was a famous master of lightning arts. It seemed that Namgung Su had been further developing his Heavenly Lightning Sword Technique by learning from the old master during the vacation.

Still, he asked, "But why are you at the Murim Alliance and not the Jaegal Clan?"

"The Murim Alliance requested that I instruct their members, so I have been teaching them for two hours a day."

Baek Suryong glanced behind Namgung Su. Indeed, there were martial artists sprawled out in exhaustion all over the training yard. "I guess an instructor is an instructor no matter where they are, huh…"

"By the way, what's with your appearance?" Namgung Su demanded, frowning at the sight of Baek Suryong's giant turtle shell-like backpack. "Did you start a side business as a peddler?"

"…It's a long story, so I'll tell you all about it later. For now, I have to deliver an important letter to the Murim Alliance leaders."

Namgung Su nodded and stepped aside. "Fine. There will be plenty of time to talk on the way back anyway."

The way back? Isn't that the same as saying that we're traveling back to school together?

Baek Suryong looked at Namgung Su uncomfortably. He didn't particularly dislike the idea, but traveling with Namgung Su was weirdly stressful, to say the least.

"Miss Jaegal Soyeong will be going with us too," Namgung Su added.

"Oh, phew… Alright, I'll see you later."

Leaving Namgung Su behind, Baek Suryong made a beeline for the Chairman's office, planning to meet Acting Chairman Ryu Seol and deliver the letter from the North Sea Ice Palace.

However, a second unexpected person was waiting for him there.

"Wahahaha! Look who it is! If it isn't the hero of the murim who goes around cutting the throats of Blood Cult members wherever he meets them!"

The man with the strongest fists in the world, the Fist King Yayul Hwang, welcomed Baek Suryong with a broad grin, while Ryu Seol stood sullenly behind him and gave Baek Suryong a simple nod in greeting.

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Baek Suryong tilted his head in confusion. "Chairman? You've returned?"

"Yes, I finished my tour a few days ago. Take a seat. It seems we have much to talk about."

Baek Suryong sat down in the seat Yayul Hwang offered.

Yayul Hwang regarded him with a strange glint in his eyes. "Hmm… Every time I see you, you're stronger than you were before. Now, it's not just a matter of the last rank…"

Baek Suryong widened his eyes in horror. "Please watch what you say. Do you know how much I've suffered because of one thoughtless word from you, Chairman?"

This damn old man! So many flies are already buzzing around me as it is. Does he want to make it worse?

Yayul Hwang chuckled, "Okay, I'll hold back. Anyway, there must be a reason you've returned to the Murim Alliance. I assume you have news from the Black Tortoise Academy?"

"More than that." Grinning from ear to ear, Baek Suryong delivered his message.

As expected, the news he brought was enough to shock even the sly Murim Alliance Chairman.

"What? The supposedly closed-off North Sea Ice Palace was actually in contact with the Blood Cult for decades?!"

"The North Sea Ice Palace has ended its seclusion?"

"They want to form an alliance with us?!"

The Murim Alliance Chairman Yayul Hwang shot up from his seat and stared at Baek Suryong with a flabbergasted expression. "You, how on earth did you manage to cause so much chaos in such a short time?"

BOOM!

Baek Suryong set down his heavy backpack on the floor. "It's nothing much. I've just been running around and keeping myself busy."

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