Star Instructor, Master Baek

TL: FoodieMonster007

The day before Wiji Yeol left White Dragon Manor…

"I'll be closing the smithy starting tomorrow."

"What?"

"All of a sudden?"

Many were surprised by the news that the Wiji Smithy was closing down. The martial artists who had visited the Azure Dragon Hero had spread the word of its fine quality, and the smithy was just beginning to gain a good reputation in the city.

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"Elder! Please finish making my weapon at least!"

"Please!"

"I'll pay you double, no, triple the price!"

The news was especially devastating to customers who had ordered weapons and armor from Wiji Yeol. Martial artists who knew the true value of Wiji Yeol's craftsmanship begged him to complete their orders, but he remained unmoved.

"I'm sorry. An old illness has gotten worse, and I need time to recuperate."

The customers sighed in disappointment, but accepted Wiji Yeol's explanation. There was little they could do if the old man closed the store for health reasons.

"How long will you be resting? Are you going to come back?"

"I don't know. It could be months, or it could be years… And even if I recover from my illness, there's no guarantee that I will be able to continue working as a blacksmith."

"Oh no…"

Those unable to purchase one of Wiji Yeol's weapons sighed. He was a rare blacksmith whose every creation seemed to have a soul. Even without the Azure Dragon Hero's endorsement, the Wiji Smithy would have been packed with customers soon enough.

Also, Wiji Yeol's hint that he might not forge weapons ever again meant that anything he had already crafted would fetch many times the original price.

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Once all the customers had left…

"……" Wiji Yeol sat alone in the empty smithy, looking around.

He had spent most of the past few months in this workshop. After pressuring Baek Suryong to equip it with the best facilities money could buy, he had worked day and night like a man possessed, making up for the years he had spent as a fugitive, unable to continue his blacksmithing.

In the end, he had accomplished his lifelong dream.

He should have been satisfied, yet his reluctant gaze lingered on every corner.

Wiji Yeol shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. "I'll have to make plenty of swords after joining the Blood Cult. It won't be as enjoyable as it is now, but…"

He knew the Blood Cult all too well. The Wiji Clan had lost its influence, and his martial arts skills were nothing special.

Although the Patriarch of the Wiji Clan was a position that had never been determined by martial arts alone, Wiji Yeol was particularly uninterested in fighting even among past patriarchs. He was only first-rate, which was truly pitiful for someone of his rank.

If it were the old Blood Cult, I might have secured a decent position with my blacksmithing skills, but…

The Blood Cult of the present was preparing for war. An aging blacksmith with limited martial arts would either be used as a weapon-making tool or a slave.

I'm ready for that.

Wiji Yeol organized the smithy one last time, but he couldn't help but feel his mood darken.

"Grandpa! We're here!"

Suddenly, Wiji Cheon entered the smithy, followed by the other students and Baek Suryong.

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Wiji Yeol's grim face instantly brightened. "Hoho, all of you came. Take a seat, I'll bring some tea."

As the students sipped the tea Wiji Yeol offered them, he chuckled to himself.

Were all the students always this adorable? Aren't they just as cute as Cheon?

"We heard you're going on a recuperation trip because you're ill. Are you very sick?" Hyonwon Kang asked.

Wiji Yeol shook his head. "It's not that bad. I'm just exhausted from overworking myself, so I thought I'd take a long break and tour the jianghu."

That was the excuse he had come up with. Fortunately, the students accepted it without question, especially since they knew how often he locked himself inside the smithy.

"Before I leave, I wanted to give you each a gift."

The students' eyes sparkled at the word 'gift.'

"I'll start with Wonkang." Wiji Yeol opened one of the wooden boxes beside him, revealing a dao with a faint, inky shine.

Hyonwon Kang's eyes widened. "A-Are you really giving that to me?"

"This is the Black Dao, made from the teeth of the One-Horned Demon Dragon. It should be perfect for your martial arts. The sheath is made from dragon hide, too."

"…Thank you, Elder!" Hyonwon Kang accepted the Black Dao and stared at it in awe, as though he'd fallen in love with it at first sight.

"Hoho, I'm glad you like it."

Hyonwon Kang grinned from ear to ear, hugging the Black Dao so lovingly that it seemed as if he would even sleep with it. The blade forged from the teeth of the One-Horned Demon Dragon was indeed extraordinary, and it even radiated some of the dragon's ferocious aura.

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"These are for you two." Wiji Yeol handed Geo Sangwoong and Ya Suhyeok two sets of gauntlets made from the hide and scales of the One-Horned Demon Dragon. "You won't need them once your external arts grow stronger, but they'll be useful for now. They can endure a few clashes with enhanced qi."

Geo Sangwoong and Ya Suhyeok gratefully took the gauntlets.

"Thank you, Elder!"

"We'll make good use of them!"

Both boys had disliked gauntlets in the past, finding them unwieldy and uncomfortable. Therefore, they were surprised to find these gauntlets so comfortable that they felt like they were wearing nothing at all.

"Huh? This texture is…!"

"Hey, let's test them out later."

Finally, Wiji Yeol turned to Yeo Min. "These are for you."

He presented her with a folding fan and a dagger. The fan was pure white, with a simple landscape design in black ink.

"Although it looks thin, it's made of Frost Iron and can block most swords without breaking."

The fan was the perfect weapon for Yeo Min, who used ice techniques. Wiji Yeol had really put a lot of thought into this.

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"This dagger was carved from the bones of the One-Horned Demon Dragon. Use it however you wish."

"These are so rare and precious… Thank you, Elder!"

"I'm glad you all like them." Wiji Yeol surveyed the group with a gentle smile. He hoped that the weapons would protect the children if they were ever in danger. "While I'm gone, please watch over Cheon for me."

"Don't worry. I'll take good care of our cute youngest brother," Hyonwon Kang said, throwing an arm around Wiji Cheon's shoulders.

Geo Sangwoong snorted. "You mean it's the other way around. Cheon is much stronger than you."

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"What are you talking about? I can withstand at least fifty exchanges against him now!"

"That's because he went easy on you. If he gets serious…"

"You wanna go at it right now?"

Wiji Yeol laughed at the students' bickering. "It's getting late. You should all go home. I have something to discuss with your teacher."

"Thank you!"

The students bowed and left.

Only Wiji Cheon remained, his face grim.

"Cheon, is something troubling you?" Wiji Yeol asked.

"……"

"A-Are you upset because I didn't make you a new sword? I thought the Soul Sword was enough…"

"Grandpa. You're not really going on vacation, are you?"

"……" Wiji Yeol fell silent.

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He already knows.

It seemed that his grandson wasn't as naive as he believed. He might have fooled Baek Suryong, but he couldn't deceive his own blood relative.

After a brief pause, Wiji Yeol sighed. "There's something I have to do."

"…Is it dangerous?"

"Probably."

"…Does it involve the Blood Cult?"

"Yes."

"Must you go?" Wiji Cheon pleaded, his eyes filled with worry.

Wiji Yeol's heart wavered for a moment, but he forced himself to remain calm and nodded. "Yes, I must. There's something important this old man needs to take care of."

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"……" Wiji Cheon blinked back tears, lowered his head, and said, "Come back safely. I'll be all alone if you don't."

Why would you be alone? You have your teacher and the friends you made at the Azure Dragon Academy. Wiji Yeol wanted to say that, but he simply nodded.

Baek Suryong put a hand on Wiji Cheon's shoulder. Though he looked more haggard than usual, his eyes shone with determination as he said, "Don't worry, Cheon. The Elder will return. I'll make sure of it."

When Wiji Cheon left, Wiji Yeol and Baek Suryong were finally alone in the smithy.

"I plan to set off at daybreak," Wiji Yeol said.

"Are you ready?"

"There isn't much for me to prepare."

"……" Baek Suryong sipped his tea in silence.

Noticing the instructor's haggard appearance, Wiji Yeol remarked concernedly, "You look very tired."

"…I haven't slept for days, Elder. All because of you."

"I'm sorry for causing you trouble."

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"Then make it up to me by coming back safely." Baek Suryong pulled a folded slip of paper from his pocket and shoved it in Wiji Yeol's hand. "These are the contact details for the Beggars' Gang and the Rogues' Guild. I've mobilized all my connections, so if you send a signal from anywhere, they'll reach me somehow. Memorize it, then burn it right away."

Wiji Yeol tucked the paper carefully into his pocket. "Thank you. I'll read it on the road."

Baek Suryong then produced a thick manual. "Learn this in your spare time, and also burn it after you've memorized it."

"What's this? The Flaming Soul Divine Art…?" Wiji Yeol's eyes widened, and he asked, "…Doesn't the Blood Cult have a supreme demonic art called the Flaming Soul Demonic Art? Is this martial art related to that one?"

Baek Suryong nodded. "I altered the original text I found in the Valley of Evil, removing the harmful side effects and making some improvements to it. Since you're skilled with fire qi from smithing, it should be perfect for you, Elder."

"You modified a supreme demonic art and removed all the side effects in less than ten days…? Who are you, really…?"

"Ahem. Take this, too." Baek Suryong diverted the conversation and handed Wiji Yeol several fire qi-enhancing pills from his pocket. "Take one pill every three days. These will help you learn the Flaming Soul Divine Art faster."

"Why are you doing all this…?"

"The Blood Cult is a place that respects strength more than anything. If your martial arts are weak, they'll treat you like dirt, but if you're strong, they'll revere and follow you. What you need most right now, Elder, is not blacksmithing skills, but martial prowess."

Wiji Yeol laughed bitterly, "How strong can I get at my age…?"

Baek Suryong grinned. "Remember how I helped an old man over sixty pass the Azure Dragon Academy's entrance exam? Trust me, you'll be surprised at how much you can still grow."

"…Thank you so much."

"I absolutely won't let you die. I won't lose anyone important to me again," Baek Suryong said firmly. "I'll wait three months. If there's no news from you by then, I'll come get you myself."

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He had lost enough people to the Blood Cult in the past, and he refused to see that happen once more. Deep down, he wanted to stop Wiji Yeol, but it felt wrong to deny his resolve.

"…I'll get in touch with you as often as I can."

Wiji Yeol placed the Flaming Soul Divine Art and the pills in his shirt pocket. Even though he hadn't learned the martial arts yet, he felt a warmth in his heart that brought tears to his eyes.

After leaving the White Dragon Manor, Wiji Yeol wandered from place to place as though he really was on vacation. He had no idea where the Blood Cult's new headquarters was, so he traveled haphazardly, leaving behind markers known only to the Blood Cult leaders.

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I'll wait for them to find me.

He spent his free time practicing the Flaming Soul Divine Art, and it didn't take him long to realize that Baek Suryong hadn't exaggerated at all.

This is amazing! It's truly an ultimate martial art!

Wiji Yeol had built up a huge reservoir of fire qi over decades of smithing, so his mastery of the Flaming Soul Divine Art soared to new heights each day, boosted even further by the pills. His martial arts, which had been stagnant for years, improved at a remarkable rate.

WHOOSH!

Ten days after he began learning the martial art, he could already control the Samadhi True Flame.

"Hoho. At this rate, I might become a supreme master."

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Wiji Yeol became more and more absorbed in the Flaming Soul Divine Art. This was the first time he'd felt real joy in practicing martial arts. For him, who was familiar with fire qi, the Flaming Soul Divine Art was the world's strongest divine art.

Then, about a month into his journey, the Blood Cult finally contacted him.

RUSTLE, RUSTLE…

A black-clad figure stepped out of the shadows, paralyzing Wiji Yeol with a frightening surge of killing intent. "…Are you the one leaving our cult's marks everywhere?" he demanded.

Wiji Yeol shouted boldly, "How insolent! If you saw the mark, then you should know my noble status, you fool!"

"…Who are you?"

"I am the Wiji Clan Patriarch, Wiji Yeol! Guide me to Headquarters at once!"

With an unquenchable fire blazing in his heart, the Patriarch of the Wiji Clan returned to the Blood Cult.

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Translator's Note: I'm exhausted from fixing the site, so this is the last chapter of the week.