Star Instructor, Master Baek

TL: FoodieMonster007

"……" Namgung Su stared blankly at his reflection in the mirror. His fair skin was smooth and unblemished, his limbs had grown slightly longer, and a powerful vitality surged through his entire body.

No, it's not just my appearance that has changed.

His senses were more acute than ever, to the point where even the slightest touch felt like a sting. At first, he had practically jumped at the sensation of tiny dust particles landing on his skin.

"Right now, your senses are extremely heightened, so it might feel uncomfortable, but it'll be fine once you get used to it," Baek Suryong mumbled wearily.

"……" Namgung Su glared at him.

Baek Suryong grinned. "You should thank the stars that you didn't lose anything important as a side effect. Your hair could've all fallen out and never grown back, or you could've ended up mute, you know?"

"A side effect, huh…"

Namgung Su gingerly traced his fingers along his now golden eyes, which sparkled like jewels. If this was a side effect of Body Reformation, then he would likely have to live with these for the rest of his life.

"Why? Worried about people whispering behind your back?" Baek Suryong asked.

"No, I've never put much stock in others' opinions," Namgung Su replied indifferently, then summoned lightning qi to his fingertips.

CRACKLE!

A surge of lightning far stronger than before coiled around his palm, but what truly surprised him was not its power.

"…It doesn't hurt."

That was a sign that he had achieved complete mastery of the Heavenly Lightning Sword Technique.

Still, reaching complete mastery in the martial art did not mean that he had reached the limits of his strength. It simply meant that he had reached the same level as the swordsman who had created the Heavenly Lightning Sword Technique.

From now on, it was up to him to find his own way forward.

Baek Suryong, who knew the current state of Namgung Su's body better than anyone else, smirked. "Congratulations on your achievement. You should be able to form enhanced sword qi soon."

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"…I feel like I can do it right now."

"Right now?"

Namgung Su nodded and began compressing the lightning qi in his hand.

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CRACKLE…! SIZZLE!

Soon, the lightning dancing atop his palm coalesced and compressed into a tangible shape, culminating in a sword-shaped lightning bolt.

"What…?" Baek Suryong gasped, more surprised than even Namgung Su.

Holy shit, he succeeded on his first try?

When he had mentioned that Namgung Su would eventually be able to form enhanced qi, he hadn't meant that he would be able to do it immediately. However, Namgung Su had not only achieved that feat in a single attempt, the nature of his enhanced qi was also different from ordinary enhanced qi.

Observing the lightning sword closely, Baek Suryong remarked, "Nah, this isn't enhanced sword qi, it should be called enhanced lightning qi, or thunderbolt qi instead. Damn, without defensive enhanced qi protecting their entire body, even those more powerful than you would be hard-pressed to block that."

Baek Suryong grinned with certainty. Among the Top 100 Grandmasters, I doubt there are many who can withstand this thunderbolt qi.

"……" Namgung Su said nothing, fully fixated on controlling the thunderbolt qi.

CRACKLE…

Even though he strained to control it, however, the energy soon fluctuated and dissipated. Clearly, maintaining it was a challenge at the moment, but it didn't matter. It was only a matter of time before he mastered it.

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"Wow! Not only have you experienced Body Reformation, you've also learned to wield enhanced qi! Such miraculous encounters are rare even in murim history! Congratulations!" Jaegal Soyeong cheered for Namgung Su as if it were her own achievement.

"C-Congratulations, Oppa!" Namgung Mi stuttered even as she clung tightly to Namgung Su's waist, sniffling and sobbing from relief.

"…I'm sorry for making you worry, Mimi." Still somewhat dazed, Namgung Su hugged his little sister. When she had calmed down somewhat, he looked up at Baek Suryong again. "You…"

"What?"

"……" Namgung Su sighed. Previously, he had vowed that once the Qi Transfer was over, he wouldn't let Baek Suryong off easily. However, the moment he saw the man's utterly exhausted yet jubilant face, he found himself unable to do anything.

He looks as happy as if he were the one who had just received a miraculous encounter. How could I get angry after seeing that face?

He bit his lip hard, his fiery golden eyes blazing as he glared at Baek Suryong.

Under that intense gaze, Baek Suryong flinched uncomfortably.

Is he mad at me because the Qi Transfer hurt too much? He must have felt like his body was being ripped apart.

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Namgung Su's extraordinary endurance allowed him to survive the Body Reformation, a process that would have killed anyone else. Nonetheless, given the inhumane pain and agony he endured, his fury was justified.

Oh well. As long as the result turned out well, that's what matters.

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Baek Suryong casually avoided Namgung Su's piercing gaze and said in a deeply fatigued voice, "Let's rest here for today. I don't know about you, but I'm pooped."

"…Agreed," Namgung Su replied, biting his lip firmly. He had wanted to say thank you, but for some reason, the words wouldn't come out.

Baek Suryong… My clan already owes him a debt that would take a lifetime to repay, and now I owe him a personal debt as well. How am I going to repay such an enormous favor?

The emotions surging through him were too complex to be expressed in mere words.

Namgung Su clenched his fists, his mind racing as he stared at Baek Suryong, thinking hard about what to say next.

Unfortunately, he was blissfully unaware of the pressure his intense golden-eyed stare placed on his benefactor.

W-What the hell…? Baek Suryong panicked, cold sweat beading on his forehead. Ever since Namgung Su eyes had turned golden, just being glared at by him was immensely unsettling.

…If we fought right now, I'd still win, right?

Namgung Su had just undergone Body Reformation and was in peak condition, while he was utterly drained from performing Qi Transfer.

The image of the thunderbolt qi he had just witnessed flashed through Baek Suryong's mind.

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Oh shit, I've raised a tiger cub…

Unknown to both men, the misunderstanding between them was only deepening.

Suddenly, Jaegal Soyeong cut in, "You two just stay put and let us handle the cleanup. Don't do anything, just rest!"

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Namgung Mi nodded. "That's right! Just sit tight and relax!"

Acting on their words, Jaegal Soyeong restored the formations she had undone and hid the hut from view, while Namgung Mi cleaned up the mess inside. They also discovered plenty of food in the storehouse.

""We'll handle the cooking too!""

The girls eagerly tried to show off their skills, but Namgung Su, who had caught a whiff of an unidentifiable smell, snatched the cooking utensils away from them.

"I'll cook," he said sternly. After undergoing Body Reformation, he was confident that with his enhanced sense of smell and taste, his cooking skills had also improved significantly.

"D-Delicious…!"

"This is the best meal Oppa has ever made!"

The two girls continuously let out exclamations of delight as they ate Namgung Su's food.

Baek Suryong also took a bite and then widened his eyes. "This is really good."

"…The ingredients were just high quality."

Finally, the atmosphere warmed up.

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After dinner, the group finally got to rest.

Namgung Su swung his sword in front of the cottage, adjusting to his newly reformed body, while Namgung Mi crouched in the yard, watching him. Meanwhile, Jaegal Soyeong wandered around the cottage, her eyes sparkling as she found rare medicinal herbs.

Only Baek Suryong rested alone inside the cottage, flipping through the secret manual of the Primordial Thunder Divine Art that the Thunder Demon had left behind.

"As expected of a martial art that even the Blue Sky Sword King had coveted…"

He had no intention of learning it himself, but the manual was excellent reference material, especially since the Thunder Demon had elevated his martial art to a level worthy of being called a divine art after decades of living in seclusion.

"If I remove the Star Absorption Technique and reinforce this part, it could be improved further. There are also overlapping principles with the Heavenly Lightning Sword Technique…"

For a long while, Baek Suryong immersed himself in the manual, his eyes glittering like stars.

This was the reason why being a martial arts instructor was his calling—he truly loved learning and analyzing all kinds of martial arts.

Nevertheless, night soon fell, and the four of them laid out bedding inside the cottage. Fortunately, the space was wide enough for all of them to lie down side by side.

"Today was such a long, long day…" Namgung Mi chatted for a while, then drifted off to sleep.

Lying next to her, Jaegal Soyeong also blinked drowsily. "Good night…"

"Yawn… Yeah, sleep well." Baek Suryong yawned as he turned on his side and passed out.

SNORE…. SNORE…

Namgung Su rolled over, fully awake. Having just undergone Body Reformation, he was simply too energetic to sleep. Soon, he gave up trying and stood up, intending to take a walk outside. Before he left, though, he threw a glance at Baek Suryong.

Standing under the night sky, he clenched his fists tightly and made a vow to himself.

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Baek Suryong. Right now, I'm only receiving your help, but…

"One day, I will repay this debt. No matter how long it takes…" Namgung Su murmured in his usual deadpan voice.

At that moment, Baek Suryong, who was supposed to be fast asleep inside the house, shuddered.

Fuck, I really have raised a tiger cub!

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Once again, the misunderstanding between the two deepened.

The next morning, the group gathered in the yard in front of two fresh burial mounds. These were the graves of the hunter couple who had been killed by the Thunder Demon.

"Uncle, Auntie. I hope you find peace in the afterlife," Namgung Mi prayed.

It was her idea to give the hunter couple a proper burial here, and she hadn't stopped at just suggesting it. She had personally dug up the graves, albeit clumsily. Then, although the couple's bodies had been completely incinerated in the battle between Namgung Su and the Thunder Demon, she did her best to gather the ashes, cover them with soil, and place them in the small burial mounds.

After paying her respects, Namgung Mi turned to the adults. "They were good people, right?" she asked.

"…Yes. They were simple, ordinary people," Namgung Su replied, holding his younger sister's hand tightly.

He, too, remembered the hunter running toward them, shouting for them to flee. If he had realized the situation sooner and acted faster, perhaps he could have saved them.

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"Why are there so many bad people in the world? The Blood Cult, the Thunder Demon…" Namgung Mi muttered, tears welling up in her eyes. She couldn't stop thinking about the gentle smile the hunter's wife had given her inside the cave. Wiping her reddened eyes with her sleeve, she added, "I'm sorry for crying again…"

"It's okay."

"I won't cry anymore. I'll become strong. As strong as you Oppas."

Sniffling, Namgung Mi wiped away her tears with her sleeve, a firm determination shining in her large eyes. Despite her young age and her upbringing as the daughter of a murim clan, her mental resilience was remarkable.

"I'll train hard and enter the Azure Dragon Academy as the top student one day!" she declared loudly.

"Of course, you will."

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"I'll be looking forward to it five years from now."

Namgung Su and Jaegal Soyeong smiled faintly, while Baek Suryong quietly patted Namgung Mi's head.

Inwardly though, Baek Suryong sighed. There's no need to tell them that the hunters were probably the Thunder Demon's informants. Sometimes, leaving misunderstandings uncorrected is for the best.

Namgung Mi was still too little to understand the hunters' complicated circumstances.

Turning to the group, Baek Suryong said, "Let's go."

Several days later, they arrived at Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei, and the place where both the Murim Alliance HQ and the Heavenly Martial Academy were located.

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Translator's Note: Happy π Day!