Star Instructor, Master Baek

TL: FoodieMonster007

After making sure Mae Geuklyom was truly gone, Baek Suryong released his bone-contortion technique and stretched, sighing, "Man, I was terrified he'd catch on… I'm definitely not doing that again."

Luck had been on his side tonight. If the ever-perceptive Mae Geuklyom was his normal self, no matter how well Baek Suryong disguised himself, his grandfather would have seen through the ruse. But tonight, Mae's mind was elsewhere, and he'd drunk more than he usually allowed himself, dulling his judgment.

Forgive me, but if I'd asked you directly, you'd never have told me the truth.

Prideful as Mae Geuklyom was, he would never show his weaknesses, especially not to family.

I'll have to explain this to Jicheon's grandfather later too, Baek Suryong thought, chuckling wryly at the thought of Wiji Yeol's face when he learned that he suddenly had a new a drinking buddy. Still, given that it was his request, Wiji Yeol would probably play along.

"Honestly… who would have thought that both my grandfather and father were such tiresome folks," he muttered to himself, glancing up at the same crescent moon that Mae Geuklyom had gazed at mere moments before.

Deciding to give Mae Geuklyom and Baek Muheun some private time to have a long overdue talk, he delayed leaving for the rendezvous point. He could have easily hid somewhere while they talked, but somehow it didn't feel right.

"Well then… they should be done by now. Time to get going."

When five minutes had passed, he jumped over the wall, the cool night air whipping past him as he sprinted toward the appointed location.

It wasn't long before he arrived at Silver Scale Lake, so named because the moonlight glinted off its surface like a thousand silver scales. Baek Suryong normally wasn't one to care for scenery, but this time he was truly mesmerized. This place seemed like the kind that lovers would visit.

Suddenly, a memory of Baek Muheun gazing at him warmly and his younger self listening to his father attentively surfaced in his mind.

"I proposed to your mother in front of a beautiful lake called the Silver Scale Lake."

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"Really? Tell me more!"

"Again…" Baek Suryong murmured, his head pounding as his mind swirled like a kaleidoscope.

What the hell is going on…?

The pain faded quickly, but the constant influx of memories that weren't his disturbed him deeply. Still, he had no way to make sense of the situation at the moment, so he shook off his worries with a sigh and surveyed the lake.

Oh, there they are!

The lake wasn't very big, so it didn't take him long to spot Mae Geuklyom and Baek Muheun. The two men stood side by side on the lake shore, separated by an awkward ten meters, gazing out at the waters.

Approaching them silently, he hopped up on a tree branch close to them. Judging by their lip movements, they seemed to be talking, but he couldn't hear anything.

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They must have erected a qi sound barrier. I wonder what they're talking about…

Although he had deliberately arrived late to let them have some alone time, now that he saw them together, his curiosity threatened to get the better of him.

If I try to penetrate the barrier, they'll notice immediately… But wouldn't it be okay if I just took a closer look?

With a quiet breath, he activated the Heaven Defying Divine Art, awakening the Blood Demon Eyes. His vision instantly sharpened, piercing through the darkness and revealing his father's and grandfather's expressions as clearly as if it were broad daylight.

From his vantage point, Baek Suryong caught fragments of their conversation by reading their lips. For the most part, Mae Geuklyom was the one doing the talking, and thankfully, he looked calm. Baek Muheun, on the other hand, seemed agitated, occasionally even raising his voice as if he was struggling to hold back his feelings.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?! No, even if you wanted to hide it from me, couldn't you at least have told Yakbing about it?" Baek Muheun cried, his face streaked with tears and his fists clenched tight enough to draw blood.

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Mae Geuklyom's response was easier to read. He simply repeated the same words, slowly and painfully, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

For the first time in decades, the old swordsman begged for forgiveness. From his son-in-law, who had harbored resentment all these years, never knowing the truth. From his daughter, who had left this world believing that her father had despised her until her last breath.

Sheesh, they've been piling up their feelings for so long, it's not possible to fully reconcile in one night. Still, this is a good start. With time, their relationship will improve, Baek Suryong thought, smiling warmly.

Time crawled by, and little by little the tension faded. In its place, a subtle warmth blossomed, and for a brief moment, a faint smile passed between the two men.

Watching the heartwarming scene, Baek Suryong quietly deactivated his Blood Demon Eyes and turned to leave. However, he had barely taken his first step when an unnatural chill swept through the air and the sound barrier surrounding the two men shattered.

"What was that, you scoundrel?!" Mae Geuklyom roared, drawing his sword.

"Shut up! You're the one who started it, Father-in-law!" Baek Muheun retorted, his own weapon in hand.

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SWOOSH! CLANG! CRASH!

Before Baek Suryong could register what had happened, his father and grandfather charged at each other, their swords clashing in a blinding shower of sparks.

Huh…? Why are they fighting again?

Baek Suryong's jaw dropped. Moments ago, the two had seemed to be on the verge of reconciliation, yet here they were, viciously attacking each other like sworn enemies. Worse, as time passed, their swings became sharper, narrowly missing each other's vital points.

Unable to watch any longer, Baek Suryong leapt down from his perch, exclaiming, "Seriously, what the hell?!"

CLANG!

Timing his movements perfectly, he slipped between them just as the recoil from their powerful blows pushed them apart, his blue coat flaring behind him.

"Enough! Have you no shame? Mom is probably… Argh!"

Unfortunately, Baek Suryong's desperate plea was cut short as he quickly dodged the two swords thrust at him.

"What in the world…?" he started, flabbergasted, but his voice faded when he caught sight of his smirking father and grandfather.

"You little rascal… I knew you would secretly spy on us!"

"You must have had a blast watching us lay our souls bare, eh?"

Fuck, it was a trap! Baek Suryong's eyes widened as he stammered, "W-Wait! I was just—"

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Unfortunately for him, his father and grandfather had no intention of hearing him out.

""Enough excuses!""

The two master swordsmen attacked in perfect harmony, their movements sharp and relentless like predators closing in for the kill. Flustered, Baek Suryong didn't even get a chance to draw his sword before Mae Geuklyom's attacks surrounded him, striking with the precision of a venomous snake, each thrust aiming to pierce a critical point.

Damn it, they're serious! Baek Suryong thought, stumbling backward with hurried, erratic footwork.

At that moment, Baek Muheun, who had been waiting for an opportunity, grabbed his son from behind. "Father-in-law, now!" he shouted.

"D-Dad?"

"Understood. Hold him tightly," Mae Geuklyom said in a low voice, sheathing his sword and swinging it around like a club.

Baek Suryong's face paled. "G-Grandpa~ You wouldn't beat up your only grandson with that sword, would you?" he pleaded, putting on his best puppy dog eyes.

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However, the old man who had shed tears for his daughter was nowhere to be found, and in his place stood the infamous Azure Dragon Academy Headmaster Mae Geuklyom.

Eyes glowing with unprecedented ferocity, Mae Geuklyom said, "Since the day you set foot in the academy, you've been nothing but trouble. You deliberately ignored orders, broke into the Valley of Evil without a second thought, and got yourself seriously injured. If you were a student, I would have already disciplined you harshly many times over."

"But…"

"Sure, things worked out fine in the end, but do you have any idea how worried I was about you, you insolent punk? That's why, I swore that one of these days, I was going to knock some sense into that thick head of yours."

Baek Suryong immediately protested, "What kind of excuse is that? You just want to beat me up, don't you?!"

His opinion was thoroughly ignored.

Baek Muheun chimed in, "That's right, Father-in-law. Ever since our Suryong became a martial master, he's been utterly insufferable. I think he needs to be taught a lesson about respecting his elders."

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"I agree. You hear that, boy? I even have your father's permission now." Mae Geuklyom grinned and slowly approached Baek Suryong, raising his weapon.

Faced with the impending doom, Baek Suryong squirmed and thrashed around, shouting, "What the fuck? Since when did you two become so chummy?!"

That night, a young man's screams echoed loudly across the shimmering surface of the Silver Scale Lake.

As soon as the three men returned to the White Dragon Manor, Mae Geuklyom retired for the night. Left to their own devices, father and son sat down across from each other.

Rubbing his bruised eye with an egg, Baek Suryong glared at his father, groaning, "Ugh… Do you feel good giving your only son a black eye?"

Baek Muheun, also rubbing a bruised eye with an egg, immediately retorted, "What about you? Do you feel good giving your fifty-year-old father a black eye?"

"What are you talking about? I wasn't the one who hit you, it was Grandpa. All I did was dodge his attack. Anyway, you deserve it after ganging up on me with him."

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"Wait, now that I think about it… With his skill, couldn't he have held back at the last moment? Then, does that mean he hit me on purpose?"

"He totally did. I saw him sneering secretly after hitting you."

"I knew it!"

Father and son muttered complaints back and forth, glowering at each other, until suddenly, both of them burst out laughing at the same time. Seeing each other sitting there, rubbing their eyes with eggs, was just too funny.

"So… have the kids at the Baek Academy grown a lot?" Baek Suryong asked, still chuckling.

"Don't even get me started. That boy Jang nearly fainted when he heard you became an instructor at the Azure Dragon Academy…"

After chatting about trivial matters for a while, Baek Suryong suddenly remembered something.

"Right. Didn't you say you had something to give me?" he asked.

"Ah, I nearly forgot." With a strange gleam in his eyes, Baek Muheun pulled out a thick, untitled book from his shirt pocket and handed it to Baek Suryong "I stumbled upon it while I was repairing your bedroom ceiling. You hid it really well."

"What is it?"

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"You'll understand once you read it," Baek Muheun replied, giving his son a reassuring pat on the shoulder. Then, standing up to leave the room, he added, "I think it's best if you read it by yourself, so I'm heading to bed now. Goodnight, son."

"Why does he look so serious?" Baek Suryong muttered, casually flipping open the book.

Lately, I've been having strange dreams.

The book was written in the original Baek Suryong's handwriting. Without thinking, he continued reading.

In my dreams, I was a ruthless Blood Cult martial arts instructor…

Baek Suryong's eyes widened. Trembling, he flipped through the book with increasing speed, his agitation mounting with each turn of the pages.