Star Instructor, Master Baek

TL: FoodieMonster007

The Great Bear Gang’s hideout echoed with anguished screams.

“Please, stop! Spare us, we’re begging you!”

“We were wrong! We won’t ever do it again, we swear!”

Two burly men, Mighty Spear and Mighty Staff, the second and third brothers of the infamous Mighty Bear Trio, lay crumpled on the ground, shielding themselves from a barrage of punches and kicks. Already, their bodies were riddled with dark bruises, and blood flowed freely from their broken noses.

“So you knew you were wrong, huh? But you kept doing it anyway?”

“You should be apologizing to the people you crippled, not us.”

Towering over the two battered brothers were two young men, their eyes sharp and unrelenting—Geo Sangwoong and Ya Suhyeok. Their imposing builds made even the hefty Mighty Spear and Mighty Staff look small.

“We’re really sorry!”

All pride long gone, the two men clung to the legs of the martial artists less than half their age, desperation dripping from their every word, but Geo Sangwoong and Ya Suhyeok looked down at them, unmoved.

“You thought your strength made you untouchable, like kings?”

“People like you make life miserable for the rest of us. If you still had a shred of decency, you’d have gone to the mountains to work. But no, you made everyone else’s life a living hell. Useless scum.”

“The mountains? What kind of work…?” Mighty Spear asked, confused.

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Desperate to cover up his slip of the tongue, Ya Suhyeok’s fist met his jaw with a sickening thud. “You don’t get it? This filth needs a harsher lesson.”

Without hesitation, Ya Suhyeok resumed stomping the two brothers, and Geo Sangwoong, who had been feigning restraint, joined in. After everything these men had done to the slums, forgiveness wasn’t on the cards.

“Argh! No more! Please, just stop!”

“Spare us, please, we—”

The beating dragged on, while the students from the Azure Dragon Academy watched from the sidelines, shaking their heads in disbelief. The once-proud Mighty Spear and Mighty Staff had been reduced to nothing more than whimpering wrecks.

Eyes began to turn toward Geo Sangwoong and Ya Suhyeok, filled with a mixture of awe and wariness.

They didn’t even use any weapons…

To defeat those two so overwhelmingly with nothing but their bare hands…

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The fight had been swift. Geo Sangwoong and Ya Suhyeok had intercepted the brothers on their way to launch a surprise attack on the Scarlet Tiger Gang. A few dozen exchanges later, it was over. Now, they were delivering their own brutal brand of justice, dragging the fallen brothers back to the Great Bear Gang’s den for all to see.

“Think of this as payback,” Geo Sangwoong spat, disgusted.

Ya Suhyeok nodded in agreement. “No matter how much I think about it, I can’t forgive you.”

WHACK! POW! SMACK!

Witnessing blow after blow landing with terrifying precision, one of the onlookers mumbled, uneasy, “At this rate, they’re going to kill those thugs. Didn’t Mr. Baek say not to kill unless it was absolutely necessary? Should we stop them?”

Another student shook his head. “Nah, look closely. Those thugs are badly bruised, but no bones seem to be broken. They’re not even bleeding that much.”

“…Oh, you’re right.”

“How do they know exactly where to hit?”

Being well-versed in the outer arts, both Geo Sangwoong and Ya Suhyeok had a thorough knowledge of the human body, which allowed them to easily master the art of inflicting maximum pain without causing fatal injury. To top it off, they were even skilled enough not to grant Mighty Spear and Mighty Staff the mercy that was fainting.

“Those two… they really look like a pair of bears when they work together.”

“Haha, they really do.”

The students, still watching the display, murmured among themselves.

Suddenly, someone suggested, “Hey, how about we call them the Monochrome Bears from now on?”1

Ya Suhyeok’s dark complexion contrasted with Geo Sangwoong’s light skin, making the nickname seem strangely appropriate when the two stood side by side.

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“The Monochrome Bears? Yeah, that works.”

“They’re always together anyway.”

“Let’s call them that from now on!”

None of the students were aware that this playful nickname would one day become famous throughout the murim. Years later, Geo Sangwoong and Ya Suhyeok would regret not objecting in time, but at the moment, they were too engrossed in the beatdown to notice.

Nearby, Hyonwon Kang clicked his tongue, “You two should ease up. Unless you’re planning to beat them to death?”

“Of all people, you’re telling us to hold back?”

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“Senior?”

Geo Sangwoong and Ya Suhyeok stared at Hyonwon Kang in utter disbelief, their jaws dropping in shock. After all, he was surrounded by his own victims—one of whom had been maimed so badly that he wouldn’t be able to feed himself ever again. Then again, this man had kidnapped children and done unspeakable things to them, so no one would shed any tears for him.

Just then, Yeo Min arrived, dragging an unconscious ex-freelancer behind her. Walking over to the center of the training ground, where the other members of the Great Bear Gang already lay scattered about, she casually tossed him into the heap.

“Ugh…”

“Spare us… please…”

“Do you really think you’ll get away with this? Our boss…”

Some of the Great Bear members moaned and begged for mercy, while others made feeble attempts to threaten their captors. Fortunately, the Azure Dragon Academy students’ patrols of the slums had shown them firsthand the atrocities committed by the Great Bear Gang, and they were not about to waver.

“Hey, trash. Shut your filthy mouths or I’ll burn you to ashes,” Hyonwon Kang snarled, his voice dripping with malice.

A shiver ran down the spines of the ex-freelancers, who flinched and started to quiver in fear.

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This guy…

He’s the worst of them all.

Is he really an Azure Dragon Academy student? He acts more like someone from an unorthodox sect.

Mentally and physically broken, the Great Bear Gang was in tatters.

In contrast, the students bore little more than scratches. It was a decisive victory for the Azure Dragon Academy.

“Looks like we got them all.”

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“Except their leader, Mighty Blade. We still need to deal with him.”

The White Dragon Manor students gathered, and Dokgo Jun, who had been watching from the sidelines, quietly slipped in among them.

“Wiji Cheon’s handling it. It should be over soon,” Hyonwon Kang said.

Yeo Min’s brow furrowed in worry. “You don’t think he’ll lose, do you?”

Ya Suhyeok scoffed, “Wiji Cheon? Lose? Not a chance.”

“Right? He’s the strongest among us,” Geo Sangwoong agreed.

Hyonwon Kang grumbled sourly, “Tsk. For now, maybe. I’ll definitely overtake him before long.”

Geo Sangwoong grinned. “You’ve got a long way to go before you can catch up with him. Even Mr. Student Council President here couldn’t defeat Wiji Cheon when he got serious.”

“I’m not going to just let that one slide…” Dokgo Jun grumbled, his eyebrow twitching.

Still, as he glanced around at the Azure Dragon Academy students gathered at the Great Bear Gang’s hideout, admiration flickered in his eyes.

In such a short time… everyone’s gotten stronger.

None of them had achieved the same breakthrough in martial arts as he had, but the shift in their attitudes was unmistakable. He could sense it—their deepened resolve, their growing understanding of why they trained, and their thoughts on protecting the weak. This shift would lay the foundation for their eventual rise as heroes of the Orthodox…

“Hey, Dokgo! Just look at this treasure vault! It’s literally overflowing with gold and jewelry! Don’t you think we should, you know, snag some for ourselves?”

…Never mind. There were always those loyal only to their greed.

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Hyonwon Kang exclaimed excitedly, “Guys! We’ll be feasting tonight! Meat and drinks… Well, I quit drinking, but you all better grab plenty to make up for it…”

“No, you can’t have any of that,” Cheong Cheon interrupted, arriving with the other constables. With an expression as stiff and blank as a stone, he announced, “All assets illegally acquired by the Great Bear Gang will be confiscated.”

Hyonwon Kang’s grin instantly turned into a pout. “Come on, Constable. Do you really need to be so strict? After days of eating that bland, tasteless noodle soup, I’m even shitting noodles now. Can’t we celebrate a little, huh?”

“No,” Cheong Cheon said flatly, his tone making it clear that negotiation was futile.

Still, Hyonwon Kang wasn’t about to give up. “Oh, come on…”

“No.”

BANG!

Suddenly, the front gate of the hideout burst open, and a bloodied figure stumbled inside, instantly shattering the victorious atmosphere.

“What the hell?”

“Who’s that?”

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Dripping with blood, Cheoldu frantically scanned the room. “Where’s Baek Suryong? Where’s Baek Suryong?”

Sensing that something serious was going on, Cheong Cheon and the White Dragon Manor students rushed toward him.

“What’s wrong? Why are you looking for Mr. Baek?” Cheong Cheon asked.

“W-Wiji Cheon… the Scarlet Tiger Boss…”

“What about Wiji Cheon? Spit it out!” Hyonwon Kang barked, grabbing the man by his collar.

“The Scarlet Tiger Boss… kidnapped Wiji Cheon,” Cheoldu choked.

Alarmed, Hyonwon Kang shook him harder. “Kidnapped? What do you mean, kidnapped? And the Scarlet Tiger Boss? What’s he got to do with this? Wasn’t Cheon fighting the Great Bear Boss?!”

Geo Sangwoong rested his big hand on Hyonwon Kang’s arm, his voice calm but firm as he reassured, “Wonkang, calm down. You’re strangling him so badly that he can’t talk.”

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“Fuck…” Hyonwon Kang let go, stepping back with a scowl.

Cheoldu, gasping for air, continued, “…It happened so fast. The Scarlet Tiger Boss appeared out of nowhere. He said he wanted to teach Wiji Cheon the way of the Killing Sword, and asked him to become his disciple. When Wiji Cheon refused, the Boss immediately attacked him, and then…”

The mere memory of the fight made Cheoldu tremble violently. The boss’s sword qi flowed from his claws, his wild hair whipped in the wind, and his yellow eyes burned like flames. His terrifying laughter echoed as he toyed with Wiji Cheon.

He’d been fighting in the slums all his life, but he’d never seen such pure, untamed violence. Even Mighty Blade, who had tried to flee in the chaos, had been sliced to pieces—his life ended just for getting in the way.

“……” Silence hung heavy in the air as Cheoldu’s words sank in.

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In a strained voice, Dokgo Jun finally managed to ask, “So… Wiji Cheon lost?”

“He was being overwhelmed, but he stubbornly refused to go down. That’s when the Scarlet Tiger Boss…” Cheoldu lowered his head, gritting his teeth. “…He threatened to kill us, one by one, unless Wiji Cheon threw down his sword and surrendered. And then he…dropped it immediately.”

“That idiot…”

“Ugh.”

“That’s so like him.”

Even though Wiji Cheon often lost himself in the heat of battle, he was, at heart, a kind and gentle soul.

Cheoldu glanced down at his own body, littered with cuts and gashes from the boss’s claws. He had barely escaped with his life. Taking a deep breath, he continued, “The moment Wiji Cheon let go of his sword, the Scarlet Tiger Boss sealed his acupoints. Wiji Cheon tried to fight back, but the Boss dragged him back to the Scarlet Tiger Gang’s hideout… We’ve got to move quickly. The Scarlet Tiger Boss may not kill him right away since he wants Wiji Cheon as a disciple, but who knows what that lunatic might do…”

“Understood,” Cheong Cheon said, signaling the officers to take Cheoldu to the physician. “Rest now. We’ll handle it from here.”

Turning to the students, he added, “As you’ve heard, Wiji Cheon has been kidnapped by the enemy leader. I’ll contact the constabulary for reinforcements. Has anyone seen Baek Suryong?”

The students exchanged glances, then shook their heads.

“He’s probably at the inn…”

“Maybe he’s already gone after Wiji Cheon. He’s always a step ahead of us.”

“I hope so, but…”

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Despite their overwhelming victory over the Great Bear Gang, unease rippled through the students.

“Should we just wait here? Mr. Baek will take care of it.”

“We need to contact the academy quickly. This is bad.”

“Mr. Baek will save him. If we do something stupid and mess things up…”

“Right. If even Wiji Cheon couldn’t handle that guy…”

SLAM!

A door shattered under the force of Hyonwon Kang’s kick, silencing the murmurs.

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He glared at the group, eyes blazing. “Cowards! Our junior just got kidnapped, and you want to sit here and wait for a teacher? With that attitude, you dare call yourselves martial artists?”

“……” The students, many of them seniors to Wiji Cheon, averted their eyes in shame.

Hyonwon Kang scoffed, “Pathetic. Whether Mr. Baek shows up or not, I’m going after my junior.”

“I’m going too,” Dokgo Jun said, stepping forward.

Geo Sangwoong, Ya Suhyeok, and Yeo Min quickly followed suit.

“We have to save him. He’s our cute junior, after all.”

“Seriously, what a troublesome kid.”

“He’s the best cook among us though.”

With Hyonwon Kang leading, the White Dragon Manor students, along with Dokgo Jun and the Azure Dragon Twins, marched out of the Great Bear Gang’s front gate.

“Fire! Fire!”

Suddenly, a massive fire erupted in the distance, originating from the direction of the Scarlet Tiger Gang’s hideout.

1. Monochrome Bears: This is a play on words, no racism intended. Since “Bears” sounds the same as “Warriors,” I will alternate between Monochrome Duo and Monochrome Bears depending on the hanja in the raws or the person speaking. Baek Suryong and the kids would obviously shamelessly call Geo Sangwoong and Ya Suhyeok bears, while strangers would be more polite. ↩

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