Star Instructor, Master Baek

“Why… EEEEAAAACK, WHAT THE HELL?!!!” Startled, Hyonwon Kang backed up against the wall, wide-eyed.

I smirked at him and quipped, “Did I walk in on your secret training session?”

“B-Baek Su-Ryong?” he mumbled dumbly, finally recognizing me. “…Are you crazy?”

“I’m here to meet my future student.”

SWOOSH!

With a swift move, I swooped through the half-open dorm window and into the room. A quick scan of the room painted a vivid picture of Hyonwon Kang’s daily life. Clothes were strewn about, food scraps were scattered, liquor bottles were poorly hidden, and a sour, unwashed stench filled the air.

“Tsk tsk…” I shook my head. “It’s good to train, but do you really have to do it here when you have a proper training ground? If you’re determined to do it here, at least air the place out properly.”

“…Get out.” Hyonwon Kang had regained his senses and fixed me with a glare like he wanted to devour me, but there was no way a little punk could intimidate me.

“Hmm…” I scratched my chin and leisurely admired Hyonwon Kang’s sweaty bare torso. “You’re in pretty good shape for a guy who gets drunk every day.”

”!!!” Hyonwon Kang covered his chest hastily with a piece of clothing, shouting, “Didn’t you hear me, get the hell out of my room! OUT! What kind of teacher sneaks into a student’s room through a window?!”

I ignored his protests, pulled up a chair and sat down. “Mr. Won-Kang, this is a home visit from your homeroom teacher. Why don’t you sit down?”

“I don’t want to sit down! Don’t barge into someone else’s room and act like it belongs to you! And my name is Kang, not Won-Kang! It’s a one-word name!”1

“…Do you always talk this much?”

“Damn you! Shut the fuck up and get out of my room!”

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He’s mostly just spewing curses and insults, but he’s surprisingly willing to talk. He must be embarrassed to have been caught practicing. I smiled. I had deliberately surprised Hyonwon Kang and provoked him to glimpse the real person behind his bad boy exterior, as humans tend to reveal what they usually keep hidden when they are embarrassed.

“Hey, chatterbox. You were screaming ‘kyaaaa!’ like a little girl who saw a cockroach earlier and backing into a wall. Are you a scaredy-cat?”

“Shut up! When did I ever scream ‘kyaaaa’?”

“Was it ‘eeeeeek’ instead?”

“I’ll kill you…!” Hyonwon Kang’s eyes glittered with murderous intent and looked like they were on the verge of rolling back into his head, similar to when he was teased about being related to the Crazy Demon.

Oops, maybe I went a bit too far.

“Whoa there! Take it easy. I’m just here to talk, no need for any violence.” I raised my hands to show that I had no intentions of fighting.

Hyonwon Kang sulked for a moment before plopping down across from me. “Damn it. What the hell are you doing here?” he grumbled.

“I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I’m the homeroom teacher for the Remedial Class this year.”

“So?” Hyonwon Kang replied.

“As your homeroom teacher, I’d like to know if you, the only failing student in the third year, is having any trouble keeping up with your classes.”

“No, I don’t, now get the fuck out and leave me alone!” he snapped.

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As expected, there’s no way he’d open up about his problems so easily.

“You were trying to mimic my movements just now, right? Don’t you want to know why you couldn’t do it?”

“I don’t need help from someone who just barged in…”

“Allow me to explain. Pay close attention to what I’m doing,” I said, standing up and clearing away some clothes.

I then easily assumed the stance that Hyonwon Kang had struggled to copy and demonstrated several techniques based on the Eighteen Strikes of the Viridian Forest in front of him.

“……” Hyonwon Kang watched me closely, his mouth agape.

“Now, do you see the difference between your movements and mine?”

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“……”

“First, you’re not as flexible as me. You have too many muscles, and they make you too rigid to mimic my movements effectively.”

“I already make sure to stretch a lot,” Hyonwon Kang grumbled.

“That’s not sufficient. Although martial artists don’t need extreme flexibility like contortionists, and excessive flexibility can even backfire and lead to muscle injuries, you still need to work on it. Can you do a split?”

“…Sort of,” he mumbled.

It’s vague, but the fact that Hyonwon Kang even bothered to answer me means something. I nodded and continued, “Okay. Second, did you notice any differences in my stance compared to before?”

“The positions of your arms and legs are slightly different.”

Oh, my guess was right. This guy has a good ‘eye’ for martial arts.

“That’s correct,” I affirmed. “Just as each person has a unique personality, everyone has a different body shape and natural disposition. That means that no two people can perform the same technique in the exact same way. What I just showed you was a direct imitation of how you copied me. Now that you’re seeing it from a different perspective, you can tell that it’s awkward, right?”

Hyonwon Kang stared at me, dumbfounded. “You can tell all that just from a quick glance?”

“With a keen eye and practice, it’s possible…” I replied.

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“……”

…But having a sharp eye doesn’t mean you can master it instantly, I finished my sentence in my head. Part of the reason I could instantly mirror Hyonwon Kang’s movements was because I’d honed my outer arts skills through the Bandit King Maeng Ho-Ak’s Eighteen Strikes of the Viridian Forest, but Hyonwon Kang didn’t need to know that.

“Outer arts encompasses the bones, muscles, and all five organs. It’s not just about bulking up.”

“You’re not persuading anyone when you’re flexing those big muscles.”

“Crazy Demon, can you zip it while I’m talking?”

Anyway, Master Maeng was a master of the physical body. Even while sitting, he could manipulate his bones and muscles at will without using any special techniques or pills.

“Look, I enlarged my dick and balls! That’s the outer arts for you! Kahaha!”

…I don’t know why I’m remembering this vulgar shit, but whatever.

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Even during his imprisonment, Master Maeng had dedicated decades of his life to perfecting the Eighteen Strikes of the Viridian Forest. He firmly believed that mastering it would lead to the Vajra Body, with enhanced regenerative abilities, immunity to extreme temperatures, and a body as tough as diamond.

… However, to reach that level of mastery, one would have to devote decades to practicing nothing but the Eighteen Strikes of the Viridian Forest. It’s enough if I just teach Hyonwon Kang the basics and make him strong enough to win the Heavenly Martial Festival. Considering the boy’s talent, he should excel with minimal guidance.

“Alright, stand up and copy me. Start with this pose, and let your arms hang naturally…”

“Like this?” Hyonwon Kang copied my actions, seemingly entranced, but suddenly, he frowned and shot me a fierce glare. “Fuck, why am I playing along with this crap?”

“And here you were learning it so well. Why stop?”

Hyonwon Kang chuckled. “I’m not interested in learning mediocre martial arts from a dickhead like you.”

With any other instructor, a heated argument would have broken out right about now, but I’m not just any ordinary instructor. Noticing Hyonwon Kang’s restlessness, I looked him in the eye and asked, “Why are you lying? You want to learn, you want to keep up, you’re on the edge of your seat. Why back down at the crucial moment?”

“…Bullshit. I’m not interested in any of the martial arts you teach.”

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“The guy who claims to have no interest in my martial arts was secretly training his body to exhaustion in his room. Yes, that’s very convincing.”

Blushing, Hyonwon Kang gritted his teeth and shot me an angry look. “…It’s none of your business what martial arts I’m practicing. Now get the hell out of my room.”

“Are you acting like this because of the Hebei Peng Clan?”

Hyonwon Kang stiffened.

I ignored him and continued, “I know about the relationship between your Hyonwon Clan and the Hebei Peng Clan.”

Earlier, Mae Geuk-Lyom had told me what he knew of Hyonwon Kang’s history. It all began with the Hyonwon Clan. Several decades ago, there was a massacre in the Hyonwon Clan in which the head of the clan and all its leaders were killed in a single day.

After that, the Hyonwon Clan’s fortunes dwindled, and the first to extend a helping hand was the Hebei Peng Clan. Both clans had been perennial contenders in the blade arts, so when the Hebei Peng Clan offered substantial economic aid to restore the lost martial arts of the Hyonwon Clan, the entire martial arts community applauded them.

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Unfortunately, accepting the Peng Clan’s aid was the wrong choice.

In the martial world, goodwill rarely came without strings attached. In the current era, the once equal Hyonwon Clan had become subservient to the Hebei Peng Clan.

And as a member of an inferior clan, Hyonwon Kang is inextricably tied to the Peng Clan’s whims, stifling his natural talent.

“You think I won’t fight you just because you’re a teacher?” At the mention of his family, Hyonwon Kang growled like a rabid beast, his voice dripping with unprecedented killing intent. He gripped the dao by his side, threatening to draw it and attack me anytime.

Yet, I pressed on. “Whether you’ve given up mastering martial arts because you think it’s meaningless, or you feel that even if you master it, you’ll still end up as a Peng Clan lackey, you’re a fool.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about…!”

“Hyonwon Kang, you’re not even that talented.”

Hyonwon Kang, who seemed poised to attack me at any moment, froze in place, his wild eyes flickering.

I met his gaze unflinchingly. “Oh, you’re definitely a prodigy though. You’re talented enough to be accepted into the Azure Dragon Academy despite your family’s subpar martial arts training. You’re also a genius who can mimic my moves after seeing them once, even though you spend your days drinking, lamenting your fate, and beating people up with your half-baked martial arts.”

The carrot and stick method may be simple, but it’s undeniably effective.

“S-Stop trying to bait me with that sort of gimmick…” Hyonwon Kang blurted, trying his best to hide his confusion and embarrassment.

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“Is Peng Sa-Hyuk the reason why you deliberately degrade yourself and suppress your own talents?”

”!!” Hyonwon Kang’s eyes went wide at my unexpected accusation. He inhaled sharply and stuttered, “W-What…? No…!”

Right on the money. I recalled Peng Sa-Hyuk’s face when he glared at Hyonwon Kang. On the surface, it was a look of mockery and contempt, but I could sense the jealousy and caution concealed beneath. Given the relationship between their two clans, the two boys of similar ages were probably often compared to each other. It wasn’t hard to guess why Hyonwon Kang was struggling, and his fervent denial only confirmed my suspicions.

“If you’re stronger than the young master of the Peng Clan, it would be an affront to their reputation. Is that why you held back on your training? Or did Peng Sa-Hyuk threaten you directly?”

“Shut up, that’s nonsense…”

“…You managed to hide it well until now, but too bad, you have the misfortune of running into me.” I smirked. Who does he think I am? I’m a person who survived decades in the Blood Cult with a cripplied qi center!

“Fuck, you appear out of nowhere and then you spout nonsense… Just get the hell out already!”

“Before that, I have one last thing to say. If you continue living in Peng Sa-Hyuk’s shadow, the Hyonwon Clan will always be dogs of the Peng Clan.” I sharpened my words into a pointed dart and struck Hyonwon Kang at his core.

“SHUT UP!” Hyonwon Kang yelled, drawing his dao and swinging it like a lightning bolt in the most dazzling move I’d seen from him so far.

Having anticipated the strike though, I easily blocked it with the sheath of my sword.

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CLANG!

“But if you come to your senses and learn martial arts from me now…”

“Shut up! Shut up!” Hyonwon Kang lunged at me, his movements infused with the techniques I’d just taught him.

What a genius!

We exchanged a few swift blows, and I threw him to the ground.

CRASH!

“Ugh!”

I grabbed Hyonwon Kang by the collar, brought his face right in front of mine and declared, “Let me teach you, and you’ll be able to transform the Hyonwon Clan into the world’s best martial family.”

You possess that kind of potential. You have the talent to follow in Master Crazy Demon’s footsteps.

“Oww… What the fuck are you saying…” Hyonwon Kang, sporting a bloody nose, regarded me carefully. Finally realizing that he couldn’t match me in words or skills, he opted for a different path—escape.

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“If you won’t leave, then I’ll go!” he shouted, dashing out of the room and slamming the door shut behind him.

BAM!

I stared at the closed door and clicked my tongue. “Tsk tsk, do you think I’ll give up just because you slammed the door on me?”

I opened the door and watched as he ran helter-skelter down the corridor.

…Well, I guess I’ll give him some time to sort out his thoughts. At least I’ve lit a spark in him.

1. Hyonwon Kang: Hyonwon is a compound surname, and Kang (强) means “strong”. Technically, Hyonwon Kang should be called by the first name “Kang” or “Kang-ah”, but Won-Kang rolls off the tongue more easily and sounds exactly the same as “stubborn monkey”, not sure if Author-nim intended it…