Star Instructor, Master Baek

TL: FoodieMonster007

Hell Axe stared at Baek Suryong in disbelief, the absurdity of the request leaving him so dumfounded that he couldn't get angry. "What? You want us to rebuild the Valley of Evil?"

"You destroyed the Valley of Evil, and now you want us to rebuild it?" Wolf Fang Blade glared daggers at Baek Suryong. If Blue Eyed Freak hadn't been held captive by Baek Suryong, he would have drawn his weapon by now.

Unaffected by the two's open hostility, Baek Suryong laughed, "Me? Destroy the Valley of Evil? No way. We only captured the small fry. The smart ones and those with decent martial arts skills already fled, like you guys."

"……" The three gatekeepers shut their mouths. Baek Suryong was telling the truth. Although most of the Valley's villains had been captured and taken away by warriors from the nearby Murim Alliance branch, as Baek Suryong pointed out, those apprehended were merely petty criminals.

Baek Suryong grinned. "Bring those men back and rebuild the Valley of Evil. If you need funding, I'll sponsor you. Through my company, I can also supply you guys with food and other everyday necessities."

Well, the money comes from the Blood Cult's secret vault beneath the Valley of Evil, but they don't need to know that, do they? Sigh, even though I wanted to take it all, it's just too much to pocket…

Despite Baek Suryong's assurance, Hell Axe and Wolf Fang Blade eyed him suspiciously. In their world, there was no such thing as a free lunch. Especially for villains like them, unconditional offers were nothing but traps.

"What kind of nonsense are you spouting?"

"Don't tell me you plan to become the new Valley Lord and make us your slaves?"

"Naturally, I have my own agenda. I have one condition," Baek Suryong admitted, acknowledging their skepticism.

"Hmph!"

"I knew it!"

Baek Suryong smiled and rested his hand on Blue Eyed Freak's shoulder. "The condition is that Blue Eyed Freak here becomes the new Lord of the Valley."

"W-What did you just say?"

"Blue Eyed Freak? The new Valley Lord?"

Hell Axe and Wolf Fang Blade turned to look at Blue Eyed Freak, their eyes wide with shock.

A bewildered Blue Eyed Freak sent a telepathic message to Baek Suryong, [What are you thinking? You want me to become the Valley Lord?]

[I'm giving you a chance for revenge,] Baek Suryong replied, smiling knowingly. Addressing everyone, he said grimly, "Soon the Blood Cult will rise again.

"What…?"

"T-The Blood Cult?"

"Didn't those guys disband a long time ago?"

Blue Eyed Freak, Hell Axe, and Wolf Fang Blade couldn't believe their ears. Guarding the Valley of Evil gave them little opportunity to hear about the outside world, making this news completely unfamiliar to them.

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Baek Suryong explained, "It's not exactly a secret. Everywhere you look, there are signs of the Blood Cult's resurgence. Even the Murim Alliance has been on a state of high alert for quite some time now."

When Go Juyeol had previously visited Baek Academy regarding the Jin Academy incident, he had already revealed that the Murim Alliance was aware of the Blood Cult's comeback. Still, Baek Suryong was confident that no one in the Alliance had more detailed knowledge of the Cult's movements than he did.

It's highly likely that a Blood Cult spy within the Murim Alliance is intentionally obstructing the flow of information, making them untrustworthy. I'll have to form my own forces.

"If the Blood Cult returns, a great war will erupt. The entire murim will become a battlefield," Baek Suryong continued, his expression more serious than ever.

The gatekeeper trio narrowed their eyes. From Baek Suryong's tone, they couldn't easily dismiss his words as nonsense.

"Eventually, all of you will be forced to choose sides. The Blood Cult will attempt to bring all unorthodox sects and martial artists under their control, while the orthodox sects will try to eliminate you before you can join the Blood Cult."

"Ha! Who says they can drag us into their war?"

"We've always lived on our own terms and will continue to do so. No one can force us to do their bidding."

Hell Axe and Wolf Fang Blade protested loudly, but unease flickered across their faces.

Baek Suryong snorted. "Do you seriously think you can withstand a massive flood with the meager strength of an individual? If you're lucky, you might be able to hide until the war ends. But then what?"

"……"

"If the Blood Cult prevails, the unorthodox sects will eliminate you for not fighting alongside them. If the Murim Alliance wins, martial artists seeking vengeance for their fallen comrades will target you."

Realizing that Baek Suryong was bluntly laying out the harsh reality ahead, the trio's faces turned grim.

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Seeing their hesitation, Baek Suryong taunted, "I guess you could retreat further into the Valley of Evil and live like sewer rats for the rest of your days. Is that what you want?"

"Shut up!"

"You don't know anything about us!"

Hell Axe and Wolf Fang Blade glared at Baek Suryong, releasing their killing intent.

This should be enough to unnerve them, Baek Suryong thought, choosing not to provoke the gatekeeper trio any further. Now that they had felt the sting of the stick, it was time to offer the carrot.

"Forgive me, I overstepped. My point is that you guys, too, must make a decision. Rebuilding the Valley of Evil will expand your choices… or rather, it's the only option you've got if you want to live with your heads held high."

"You… Are you saying we should enter the Orthodox-Demonic War under the Valley of Evil's banner?" Blue Eyed Freak, who had been listening in silence, asked. His eyes, which had flared with fury during his battle with Baek Suryong, had now regained their usual composure.

Baek Suryong grinned. "Exactly. Would you prefer to ally with the Blood Cult or the Murim Alliance?"

"I would rather die than side with the Blood Cult," Blue Eyed Freak replied without hesitation, grinding his teeth as he recalled his terrible past.

Baek Suryong nodded. "I agree. The Valley of Evil must join forces with the Murim Alliance. It's your only chance at survival."

"Why would those self-righteous hypocrites from the orthodox sects ally with us?" Hell Axe scoffed.

Baek Suryong folded his arms. Hell Axe's skepticism was understandable. Normally, the Murim Alliance would laugh off the idea of joining forces with the Valley of Evil… until they faced the Blood Cult head-on, that is.

"When war erupts, the Murim Alliance will be desperate for any help they can get. If a potential enemy offers to become an ally, they won't be in a position to refuse. At first, they might not treat you as equals, but by the end of the war, everything will be different. The villains of the Valley of Evil will have made significant contributions. And then…" Baek Suryong paused, his eyes gleaming with confidence as he tossed the final bait. "…You can ask to be taken off the Murim Alliance's wanted list as your reward."

"What the…"

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"Ha!"

The gatekeepers could hardly believe their ears. The idea that the Blood Cult would rise again, and even more so, that they could somehow aid the Murim Alliance's war efforts, was ludicrous.

What kind of madness is this…?

Baek Suryong's claims made no sense, yet strangely enough, they didn't feel completely out of reach. Perhaps it was the unwavering confidence in his eyes as he spouted nonsense.

Before they realized it, the three men were already picturing their bright, carefree futures, their names stricken from the Murim Alliance's wanted list.

Baek Suryong studied the men's faces closely. A few days ago, he had asked the Demon Doctor about the backgrounds of the Valley of Evil's gatekeepers.

"Hell Axe is wanted for killing a corrupt magistrate and fleeing. Unfortunately, the magistrate turned out to be a secular disciple of a prestigious sect, and they branded him a criminal.

"Wolf Fang Blade is ruthless, but he only kills martial artists. Those who slandered him exaggerated his brutality. He's actually just a guy who's addicted to duels to the death.

"As for Blue Eyed Freak, little is known. Around a dozen years ago, he showed up here covered in blood and declared himself a gatekeeper of the Valley of Evil. He's an eccentric."

The three were definitely villains. However, considering the severity of their crimes, they were individuals who could be redeemed.

"They're skilled martial artists who couldn't adapt to life inside the Valley of Evil, so they built huts near the entrance and lived there, calling themselves gatekeepers."

After getting the information he needed, Baek Suryong secretly helped the Demon Doctor escape from prison and ordered him to lay low for a few days before returning to the Valley of Evil.

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Originally, I intended to leave the Valley of Evil to the Demon Doctor… but considering his martial prowess and character, Blue Eyed Freak is far more suited to be the Valley Lord.

"Hell Axe, Wolf Fang Blade, I understand both of you have your own troubled histories. I'm ready to put that aside and help you win your freedom," Baek Suryong said, locking eyes with Blue Eyed Freak. "But none of this will be possible unless you, Blue Eyed Freak, take the position of Valley Lord."

Hell Axe and Wolf Fang Blade looked at Blue Eyed Freak with hopeful expressions, but said nothing. They clearly wanted him to become the new Lord, but they didn't want to pressure him.

Still, Blue Eyed Freak hesitated. Glancing down at his trembling hands, he thought, Me? Go to war against the Blood Cult?

When he was a child, he had no idea that the training facility he stayed at was run by the Blood Cult. For an orphan like him, they provided food, shelter, and martial arts training. He was satisfied with that.

It wasn't until his fellow trainees began to die, coughing up blood, that he realized something was terribly wrong.

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"Tsk. Three more corpses today."

"I thought this one showed promise…"

"It's not easy finding a vessel for the Heaven Defying Divine Art. That kid tried too hard and exploded."

"From now on, let's have the less talented ones learn the Blue Eyes Demonic Art instead. We'll need shadows to serve our Lord, after all."

Even now, fragments of his instructors' conversations sometimes haunted his dreams. Still, knowing he was a tool, he'd trained when ordered, took elixirs when ordered, and killed when ordered.

Until "that incident" happened.

One day, a blood-soaked boy with a scar like a worm on his lip stormed into his dormitory and cut down the instructor who rushed at him. His sharp eyes sweeping over the trembling, cowering children, he'd shouted, "Let's get out of here! I won't force any of you though. Only those who want to escape should come with me."

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Practically hypnotized, Blue Eyed Freak had followed the boy without thinking, but soon they were forced to part ways. The Blood Cult pursuers had caught up, and the boy had decided to stay behind to stall them.

"Run. Survive. If fate allows, we'll meet again. Oh, and whatever you do, don't go to the Murim Alliance. They've got Blood Cult spies there. If they catch you, they'll torture you so badly you'll wish you were dead."

After that, Blue Eyed Freak had fled in a haze. For years, he lived as the boy had warned. Committing countless crimes to survive, he finally found his way to the Valley of Evil.

Even then, peace eluded him. The fear of being hunted never left him. Every day, he stood guard at the entrance, waiting for the Blood Cultists. That was how he came to be the gatekeeper.

Blue Eyed Freak stared intently at Baek Suryong's face. For a moment, the face of the boy who had saved him so long ago overlapped with the young man's.

Feeling as if he was in a dream, he began, "By any chance, are you…"

"Am I what?"

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"No, it's nothing." Blue Eyed Freak shook his head. The faces weren't the same, and Baek Suryong didn't have a scar on his lip.

He's not that boy. Even so, just when I was getting tired of waiting, just when I was on the verge of giving up…

Though he had mistaken Baek Suryong for the Blood Demon and lashed out in a final act of desperation, his true enemy was his own exhaustion, born of endless suspense and mounting anxiety. No matter how long he kept watch, the scarred boy never reappeared in the murim. Now though, Baek Suryong had arrived in his stead.

A successor of the Heaven Defying Divine Art, determined to destroy the Blood Cult.

"Do you need more time to decide?" Baek Suryong asked.

"No, I don't." Blue Eyed Freak clenched his fists, his vivid blue eyes locking onto Baek Suryong. As it turned out, gathering his courage wasn't as hard as he'd imagined. "I accept your proposal. I'll take the position of Valley Lord, and when war breaks out, I'll go to the frontlines and crush the Blood Cult."

Wicked grins spread across the faces of Hell Axe and Wolf Fang Blade.

It was the birth of a new Valley of Evil.

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