Star Instructor, Master Baek

TL: FoodieMonster007

Translator’s Note: Vice Sect Leader has been changed to Underboss for accuracy.

WHOOSH!

A sharp slice of sword qi cut through the air, severing more than half of the Underboss’s thick beard. Luckily, he had been on the run for so long that he never let his martial arts training slip, especially his footwork. Dodging just in time, he avoided the full force of the attack, though the razor-sharp energy grazed his neck.

Blood trickled down, staining the remnants of his beard red.

Panicking, the Underboss staggered back, retreating with all his might. “Stop him! Throw the nets!” he roared.

Over a dozen steel nets and ropes, tied at the ends like nooses, flew toward Dokgo Jun, momentarily blotting out the sky.

“You lot… You don’t deserve to live,” Dokgo Jun snarled through clenched teeth. The fury in his eyes burning brighter than ever, he advanced, charging straight at the incoming nets and nooses.

Lately, while patrolling the slums, he had seen too much. The streets were filthy and smelly, and people barely survived day to day. He had always known such things existed, but to see it with his own eyes was different. It was raw, heart-wrenching.

Every time he witnessed the atrocities committed by the Scarlet Tiger Gang, every time he heard the tearful pleas of the wronged, every time he saw the blank, skyward stares of children abandoned in the streets, Dokgo Jun had to fight down the urge to kill.

“A martial artist must always remain calm.”

“You are the prodigy of the murim. Carry yourself with dignity, and be cautious of anything that might tarnish your reputation.”

“Never bring shame to the family name by acting recklessly!”

These teachings had been drilled into him by the elders of the Dokgo Clan. As their prodigy, Dokgo Jun was expected to be rational, discerning, and careful in both word and deed. His father, in particular, was strict on this point.

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“Jun, some people look down on our clan because we were founded by freelancers. They underestimate our martial arts, thinking it’s crude and simple. Never let them look down on you.”

“Yes, Father.”

“Good. I trust you. We may be going through some tough times now, but in your generation, we will rise again as the world’s strongest clan.”

“Yes, Father.”

“Haha, what a fine young man you are. That puts my heart at ease!”

“……”

Dokgo Jun believed in his father and the elders. He believed in the Nine Swords of Dokgo, which they had refined and perfected. Trusting that he would one day grasp the true essence of this sword art, he had practiced diligently. Now, however, the swordsmanship he had worked so hard to master felt stifling.

This is so frustrating.

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He had been playing with a sword since he could walk, but never before had he felt such frustration. He didn’t want to swing his sword like this. He wanted to pour all his strength and focus into a single strike.

A fierce battle raged within him, between his impulsive thoughts and the teachings of his family. The steel nets and nooses were closing in on him.

Biting his lip, Dokgo Jun made a decision.

“I won’t hold back any longer.”

With a single slash, he unleashed all the pent-up anger he had been holding back.

ROAAAAR!

In a single slash, the dozens of nets that had darkened the sky were sliced in half, as if the heavens themselves had parted.

Stunned speechless, the men who had thrown the nets stood staring, their mouths hanging open.

“Ha… Haha…” Dokgo Jun laughed, staring blankly at his sword amid the chaos. “So this is… the Nine Swords of Dokgo…”

Suddenly, he felt a spark ignite in his mind, but it was only a small piece of the puzzle.

Just a little more. If I swing my sword just a little more, I think I’ll be able to understand it completely!

Fortunately, there were plenty of enemies in front of him to help with that.

“More… I need more…” he muttered to himself, charging at the terrified foes.

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WHOOSH!

Two heads flew off in an instant. Without a moment’s hesitation, Dokgo Jun dodged a spear thrust from the side, spun halfway around, and slashed through another thug’s waist.

SPLATTER!

Blood soaked his martial arts uniform and hot droplets splashed against his cheek.

These were his first kills. Under normal circumstances, he might have been petrified with shock, but now he was in a trance. With eyes as cold as ice, he searched for his next target.

Sensing an enemy approaching from behind, Dokgo Jun spun around.

“Die!” a high-ranking lieutenant of the Scarlet Tiger Gang shouted, swinging a massive broadsword several times larger than Dokgo Jun’s blade.

Though the sheer weight behind the attack was formidable, the technique was crude. There was no need to confront it head-on. Even so, Dokgo Jun didn’t want to evade or parry. Instead, he met it with a powerful strike.

CRACK!

The broadsword snapped in two. Startled, the thug dropped the broken sword and stumbled backwards.

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Seizing the opportunity, Dokgo Jun closed in and drove his sword into the man’s heart. Without missing a beat, he retrieved his blade and swung it at the next adversary.

SMASH! CLANG! SPLAT!

Wielding his sword as if possessed, Dokgo Jun shattered the weapons of every opponent who crossed his path.

“More… Just a little more…” he mumbled desperately, searching for more enemies to strike.

Though he had seen no progress for months, all those grueling hours of training had not been in vain. The experience allowed him to quickly internalize his newfound insights.

He rampaged like a wolf among sheep.

“What the hell? Is he really poisoned?”

“How are we supposed to fight someone like that?”

“Aaagh! My arm!”

At first, the Scarlet Tiger Gang members fought bravely, but fear soon overwhelmed them, and they began to retreat.

Hiding behind his subordinates, the Underboss shouted furiously, “He’s poisoned! He can’t hold out much longer, so just buy time! Anyone who runs will die by my hand!”

The Underboss wasn’t entirely wrong. As time passed, Dokgo Jun’s movements began to falter. He had suppressed the poison with his inner qi, but the more he exerted himself, the faster it spread.

Suddenly, his vision became blurry, and his sword arm trembled.

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“Ugh…” he groaned, blearily raising his blade to meet his enemy’s weapon.

CLANG!

…And for the first time since the battle began, he failed to break it.

Dokgo Jun frowned. “Fuck…” he started, then caught himself.

Did I just swear? Must be Hyonwon Kang’s fault… How is he doing?

Worried, Dokgo Jun turned around to check on Hyonwon Kang. Since he had less inner qi, it would be much harder for the delinquent to endure the poison.

Fortunately, Hyonwon Kang was standing, unharmed, next to the unconscious woman.

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Who is that with him?

A tall man stood beside Hyonwon Kang, hands clasped behind his back. Unfortunately, it was too dark, and Dokgo Jun’s vision too blurred from the poison to make out the man’s face.

Just then, Hyonwon Kang shouted in panic, “Idiot! Behind you!”

“So, you think you can underestimate us, huh?” a voice filled with killing intent rang out from behind Dokgo Jun.

“Ugh!!” Dokgo Jun barely managed to block the surprise attack, stumbling backward several steps from the force. This attack carried far more qi than any he had faced until now.

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The Underboss of the Scarlet Tiger Gang and a bald giant stepped forward.

Licking his blade, the Underboss sneered, “You did this to my men? I’m going to at least take an arm off to settle the score.”

“Hyung-nim, let’s just kill him.”

“Child, if you kneel, I won’t kill you. You don’t really think you can beat us in that state, do you?”

“I am not a child,” Dokgo Jun said, wiping the blood from his cheek with the back of his hand. Right now, his appearance was pitiful. He was panting heavily from fighting against many foes while poisoned, and although he had no serious injuries, his body was covered with numerous cuts.

Still, he had no intention of compromising or backing down. Retreating against thugs was not an option for someone who represented the Azure Dragon Academy.

Standing tall, Dokgo Jun raised his sword, aiming it directly at the Underboss’s forehead. Despite his exhaustion, his blade did not waver as he declared, “I am the Student Council President of the Azure Dragon Academy…”

The Underboss gulped. For a moment, Dokgo Jun’s slender sword seemed more massive than any broadsword. How does a dying brat have such presence?

Taking a moment to catch his breath, Dokgo Jun continued, “I am the Sword Dragon Dokgo Jun!”

The Sword Dragon’s blade began to dance once more.

“Damn it…” Hyonwon Kang stood with his mouth hanging open, watching Dokgo Jun. He desperately wanted to join the fray, but slowing the spread of the poison through his veins drained him of all his strength. Of course, he could force himself to fight, but in his condition, he knew he would only get in the way.

He didn’t want to admit it, but he had to. Dokgo Jun was much stronger than him, and it wasn’t just the amount of inner qi. Dokgo Jun’s swordsmanship, his footwork, even his dedication to outer arts training… everything was on a higher level.

I thought that I had caught up.

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Hyonwon Kang clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white, but his eyes, locked on Dokgo Jun’s fierce battle, were not those of someone defeated or disheartened.

There will always be people stronger than me.

He had already suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Peng Sahyuk, endured daily beatings from Wiji Cheon, and hadn’t even come close to laying a finger on his monstrous teacher, Baek Suryong. To him, Dokgo Jun was just another obstacle to overcome.

Just you wait and see. I’ll beat you one day.

Strengthening his resolve, Hyonwon Kang continued to watch Dokgo Jun’s battle, mentally rehearsing how to block, dodge, or counter each and every one of those overwhelming blows. Even just imagining it felt like valuable training.

Suddenly, he noticed Dokgo Jun looking over with a worried expression, even though the Underboss and the bald giant were lunging at him from behind.

Startled, he shouted, “Idiot! Behind you!”

Luckily, Dokgo Jun barely managed to block the attack and only ended up stumbling backwards, though his movements were noticeably slower than before.

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“Those cowardly bastards!” Hyonwon Kang snarled, drawing his blade. Weakened by poison, he struggled to even stay upright, but he couldn’t just stand by and watch his classmate die.

Just as he was about to leap into the fray, however, a voice from behind stopped him.

“Wait a little longer.”

Hyonwon Kang whipped his head around. To his surprise, Baek Suryong was standing there with his hands clasped behind his back, calmly watching Dokgo Jun.

“Mr. Baek? When did you get here?”

“I was here from the very beginning,” Baek Suryong replied coolly.

Hyonwon Kang’s jaw dropped in disbelief.

“Don’t interfere yet. That kid can do more,” Baek Suryong added, keeping his eyes glued to Dokgo Jun as the boy desperately fought off the Underboss and the bald giant.

Still, as wounds began to accumulate on Dokgo Jun’s body, Hyonwon Kang’s anxiety grew.

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“What if he dies out there? Aren’t you a teacher? This is just irresponsible…” he said, but his voice trailed off as he noticed Baek Suryong tapping the ground lightly with his toe.

Despite his relaxed posture, Baek Suryong was clearly ready to intervene at any moment if Dokgo Jun’s life was truly in danger.

“Do you really think I’d let him die? A moment of enlightenment doesn’t come easily. When this fight is over, Dokgo Jun’s martial arts will grow significantly,” Baek Suryong said.

“……”

“Watch closely. It’ll be a great help to you too.”

“…Yes,” Hyonwon Kang mumbled quietly, reluctantly turning his attention back to Dokgo Jun.

THWACK!

“Ow! What was that for?!”

“You answered too politely. It didn’t sound like you.”

“What the fuck!?”

Amid Hyonwon Kang’s grumbling, the student and teacher continued watching Dokgo Jun’s battle together.

However, as the fight was nearing its end, they noticed that something was very wrong with Dokgo Jun.

Translator’s Note: Look forward to mass releases this weekend!

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