Star Instructor, Master Baek

TL: FoodieMonster007

Although the rising sun was barely peeking through the darkness of twilight, the Namgung Estate was still shrouded in darkness.

"Have you gathered all your belongings?" Namgung Su asked curtly.

The Azure Dragon instructors gathered in front of the Namgung Clan's main gate nodded. Since the new instructor training had been canceled, they could have returned to the academy days ago, but they chose to stay in the Namgung Estate until the end of the training period.

The reason? As usual, it started with Baek Suryong making a snide comment.

"There are still a few days left in our training course. Why should we cut short our vacation and go back to work early?"

Understanding his intent, other instructors chimed in with their own complaints.

"Indeed! There's no reason to leave early when we still have a lot of time left!"

"Let's use this opportunity for self-training."

"Ahem! I had an epiphany during the recent battle…"

All of them provided reasons to extend their time at the Namgung Estate.

Even so, Namgung Su knew that they were just making excuses. After all, for several days… they helped the Namgung Clan bury the bodies, tend to the wounded, and clean up the mess.

"…Thank you for everything you've done for my family," he said sincerely.

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The new instructors grinned, the dawn's light bathing their faces in a warm glow. Seven days was a short time, but it was enough to forge a deep bond between them.

"Hey, are you really feeling alright?" Baek Suryong asked.

Namgung Su nodded, but his pale face suggested otherwise. Even though the Bloody Spirit's poison had been neutralized by the antidote, some of the aftereffects still lingered as he hadn't rested properly since that day.

The other instructors also looked at Namgung Su with concern.

"How about resting for a few more days here?"

"Yeah, we'll go ahead first. Don't start heading back till you're fully recovered, okay?"

"We'll explain everything to the principal."

"You'll listen to us this time, right…?"

"No. I have many classes to prepare for and a lot of work piled up," Namgung Su stubbornly insisted.

""Sigh…"" Everyone shook their heads and gave a collective sigh.

Baek Suryong clicked his tongue rudely. "Tsk, just leave him be. Who can stop this stubborn mule? He won't come to his senses until he collapses."

"…Shut up and let's go," Namgung Su snapped. Looking away, he grumbled under his breath, "If only he wasn't my family's benefactor…"

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Since they didn't want to cause a commotion, especially with the Namgung Clan still recovering from the tragedy, they had decided to leave discreetly early in the morning, but unfortunately, quite a few people came to see them off.

"Wait!"

"Hold on!"

Turning around, they saw the instructors from the Vermilion Phoenix Academy and the White Tiger Academy running toward them.

"…Looks like we won't be allowed to leave without a farewell," Namgung Su sighed. Behind the instructors, Namgung Cheon and Namgung Mi were beckoning him over.

Meanwhile, Sama Yeong and Tang Baekho strode briskly towards Baek Suryong, holding something sparkly in their hands.

"Take this," Tang Baekho said, scratching his head awkwardly as he handed Baek Suryong a golden token about half the size of a palm, with "Sichuan Tang Clan" meticulously engraved on it.

Recognizing the token, Baek Suryong's eyes widened. "This… Is this a gratitude token?"

Gratitude tokens were a symbol of a promise to repay a debt, and the gratitude tokens of prestigious orthodox sects such as the Sichuan Tang Clan were especially valuable. For example, if Baek Suryong were to present this gratitude token to the Tang Clan and make a request, they would be obligated to fulfill it.

As such, prestigious orthodox sects rarely gave out gratitude tokens, even to someone who saved the life of a family member.

"To be honest, I gave it a lot of thought," Tang Baekho said gravely. "I wouldn't have even considered giving this to you if you had only saved my life. My life isn't worth that much to the Tang Clan."

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"Then why?"

"Because if you hadn't showed up when you did, me and all of my colleagues would have died."

"……" Baek Suryong gazed at Tang Baekho intently. Throughout the training period, the White Tiger Academy had demonstrated strong camaraderie and unity. Although they hadn't made a significant impact during this training session, the way they persevered together without giving up, even under adverse conditions, left a lasting impression on him.

"It's a precious item, so don't use it carelessly," Tang Baekho added.

Baek Suryong nodded. "I'll make sure to use it wisely."

With a smirk, he tucked the Sichuan Tang Clan's gratitude token into his pocket.

"Please accept this as well," Sama Yeong said, also holding out a gratitude token, but this time with a faint reddish glow and the character for "Fire" inscribed in a bold, sweeping stroke. With uncharacteristic shyness, she mumbled, "Grandfather always said that I would give this to a man someday… but the reason turned out to be completely different from what I imagined."

Baek Suryong blinked in surprise. "Wait, is tis the Fire King's gratitude token?"

Sama Yeong's grandfather, the Fire King, was the previous leader of the Ten Supremes and the current principal of the Vermilion Phoenix Academy. In a way, his gratitude token was even more precious and useful than the Sichuan Tang Clan's.

Sama Yeong nodded. "That's right. This is the one and only gratitude token my grandfather made in his entire life. He told me to give it to someone who saved my life someday…"

"The Sichuan Tang Clan's and the Fire King's gratitude tokens…" Myeong Il'oh gasped.

"Both are treasures that can't be obtained even with a thousand gold!" Ak Yeonho exclaimed.

"Did Suryong-oppa save the world in his previous life?" Jaegal Soyeong muttered.

"W-Well, don't you think we also deserve a small stake in those gratitude tokens… a very small one…" Kwak Duyong whispered.

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Baek Suryong was taken aback. He had already received more than enough rewards from the Namgung Clan, including more money than he could transport (given in the form of a promissory note), a ton of miracle herbs for his students, and permission to peruse the Namgung Clan's martial arts as he pleased, with the exception of the main family's techniques. Of course, taking the martial arts manuals outside the estate or sharing them was forbidden.

Most importantly, the Namgung Patriarch had recently explicitly informed the Murim Alliance investigation team that the Azure Dragon Hero was the Namgung Clan's benefactor, boosting his fame to an unbelievable degree.

He had already achieved everything he set out to do when he departed from the Azure Dragon Academy, and more.

For a moment, he wondered if the compensation was excessive, but of course, he had no intention of refusing anything.

Putting the Fire King's gratitude token in his pocket, Baek Suryong smiled. "Thank you."

"Also…" Sama Yeong hesitated for a while, then continued gingerly, "About the bet we made…"

Naturally, with the cancellation of the new instructor training course, the bet between her and Baek Suryong was now invalid.

> "Shall we make a bet based on our performance in this new instructor training course? The one with the lower score between the two of us will transfer to the other's academy."

Baek Suryong tilted his head, silently urging Sama Yeong to continue talking. In the midst of all the chaos, he had completely forgotten about this, but it seemed that she hadn't.

Gritting her teeth determinedly, Sama Yeong admitted, "I'll be honest. If the training had continued, I would have most likely lost the bet."

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"Not 'most likely'. You would have 'most definitely' lost," Baek Suryong teased.

Sama Yeong immediately retorted, "Don't be so sure. No, even if that were the case, admitting defeat prematurely is not my style!"

"Pfft!" Baek Suryong chuckled at her confusion. "Just what are you trying to say? That you can't accept losing like this, so let's call it a draw?"

"No. Let's continue the bet."

"What? How?"

"If the Vermilion Phoenix Academy scores worse than the Azure Dragon Academy at the Heavenly Martial Festival, I'll transfer schools. The same goes the other way around. How does that sound?"

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At first glance, this seemed like a very disadvantageous bet for Baek Suryong. The Vermilion Phoenix Academy had been the runner-up at the Heavenly Martial Festival for the past few years, while the Azure Dragon Academy had consistently placed last.

Strangely enough though, no one there felt that Baek Suryong was at a disadvantage. For some reason, they were more impressed by Sama Yeong's courage in proposing such a wager.

Well, except for Sama Yeong, that is.

"If I lose this bet, I'll even take the new instructor's exam for the Azure Dragon Academy next year."

"Hmm…"

"I-If you don't believe me, I'll write it down!" Sama Yeong stammered.

She truly coveted Baek Suryong. If she could bring him to the Vermilion Phoenix Academy, she was confident that they could win the Heavenly Martial Festival within five, no, three years.

Deep down, she felt bad about betting on the results of the Heavenly Martial Festival. The odds were too favorable for her. No sane person would accept such a one-sided bet.

Still, if it's this man… Wouldn't he accept, or even embrace, the risk?

She looked at Baek Suryong with a mix of worry and anticipation.

Baek Suryong nodded, grinning from ear to ear. "I accept that bet."

"…Really?" Sama Yeong asked in disbelief.

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"Want me to put it in writing?"

"No, I believe you," Sama Yeong hurriedly said. Although she desperately wanted a written pledge, she couldn't bring herself to ask her lifesaver to write one.

Baek Suryong smiled, as if he could see right through her thoughts. "Prepare for the instructor's exam in advance. The competition will be much harder starting next year, and even you might fail if you get careless."

At first, Sama Yeong gaped at Baek Suryong incredulously, but she soon broke into an uncontrollable giggle. "Wow, how obnoxious…"

Suddenly, Tang Baekho, who had stepped back while the two were talking, suggested, "By the way, what do you two think about holding a joint training camp next time?"

"A joint training camp sounds good."

"We'd like that too."

Baek Suryong and Sama Yeong readily agreed, and the three of them briefly exchanged ideas about the joint training camp.

It started with just the three of them, but soon, the other instructors joined in, leading to a lively discussion.

The Azure Dragon, the Vermilion Phoenix, and the White Tiger.

They had met as competitors, but as they parted, gentle smiles adorned their faces. After facing life and death together and covering each other's backs, they had become unlikely friends.

Although this new instructor training course was shorter than any other year, it was more intense than ever. Now, as they returned to their respective academies, the experience they gained here would be passed on to their students.

"Don't expect the joint training camp to turn out the same way. Our students are elites."

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"When I get back, I'm going to make those kids work their butts off."

"Fufufu… I'm already itching to get started."

"Those brats are probably slacking off right now…"

The instructors' eyes gleamed with excitement and anticipation.

Baek Suryong grinned wickedly. "Alright. Shall we give those kids the same experience we had?"

""Kukukukuku…""

As one, the instructors laughed sinisterly like villains plotting mischief, sealing the harsh fate of the three academies' students.

Translator's Note: Jaegal Soyeong hit the nail on the head without realizing it. The Blood Cult would have never gone down without Number 27 and the four masters. If I remember right, the joint training should be Ak Yeonho's (and Kwak Duyong's) arc, but it's quite some time away.