Star Instructor, Master Baek

Chapter 168: How Can I Help You?

TL: FoodieMonster007

BAM!

Baek Suryong slammed his wine cup down on the table. "Those brats are hopeless," he grumbled.

It had been a while since he'd met up with his fellow new instructors, Ak Yeonho, Myeong Il'oh, and Jaegal Soyeong. As they chatted and sipped their drinks, the conversation inevitably steered toward the new admission criteria for the Heavenly Martial Festival.

"Are the kids really that bad at studying?" Jaegal Soyeong asked, downing her liquor with more energy than anyone else at the table. As life at the academy was tough, drinking had become her only pleasure, and she was gradually turning into a hopeless alcoholic.

Baek Suryong sighed, "Geo Sangwoong and Yeo Min are a bit better. They're extremely good at math and have a knack for studying."

Ironically, the two who were less gifted in martial arts excelled academically. The real problem was the martial arts prodigies.

Just thinking about them frustrated him.

"You wouldn't believe how empty Hyonwon Kang and Ya Suhyeok's heads are. Ya Suhyeok doesn't even know who Zhang Sanfeng is!"

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"How did they even pass the entrance exam?"

"I was wondering the same thing…" Baek Suryong groaned.

Back when he was an instructor in the Blood Cult, these issues never crossed his mind. Over there, the students' upbringing and character didn't matter, only martial arts prowess. The cult even had a penchant for simpletons and homicidal maniacs.

Now that I think about it, maybe that's why those trainees turned out the way they did.

For a moment, a bitter expression crossed Baek Suryong's face. Knowing how intense competition could push martial artists to unbelievable extremes, he understood the purpose of the new regulations for the Heavenly Martial Festival better than anyone else.

"Haa…" he sighed.

Refilling his wine cup, Ak Yeonho asked, "Setting those two aside, what about Wiji Cheon? He seems diligent, so I thought he'd be good at studying."

"He's a problem too. Wiji Cheon is…" Baek Suryong paused, searching for the right words. "I guess you could say he's excessively pure."

Wiji Cheon was undoubtedly a genius, but only when it came to the sword. If you taught him one sword technique, he would master ten, but in all other aspects, he was practically a blank slate.

"Since he lived deep in the mountains with his grandfather from a young age, he lacks basic common sense. His concepts of good and evil are also a bit blurred."

On top of that, his grandfather was the head of one of the Blood Cult's Eight Great Clans, and Wiji Cheon himself had suffered from qi deviation that had turned him into a crazed serial killer until recently. If anyone needed basic moral education, it was him.

"Hyonwon Kang, Ya Suhyeok, Wiji Cheon… I can't believe I have to teach basic morals and etiquette to muscle-brained idiots and simple-minded kids…" Baek Suryong sighed yet again.

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Noticing his dejection, his colleagues offered words of comfort.

"Don't worry too much. There's still plenty of time."

"You'll do just fine this time too."

Unfortunately, their consolations didn't help much. With just over a month left until the first semester midterms, he needed to get the students up to a level where they could pass the Character Evaluation. At this rate, however, three out of five were sure to fail.

And if that wasn't bad enough…

Taking advantage of the alcohol, Baek Suryong confessed, "You might be surprised, but I recently discovered there's something I'm not good at."

"""WHAT?!""" Ak Yeonho, Myeong Il'oh, and Jaegal Soyeong exclaimed in unison, staring at their colleague incredulously.

Ignoring them, Baek Suryong gazed dazedly into his wine cup. He was confident that he possessed a vast knowledge of martial arts, and it wasn't a stretch to say that he had memorized most of the Blood Cult's techniques. He could even teach most of the secondary skills needed by martial artists, such as formations, poisons, acupoint sealing, hidden weapon techniques, and so on.

However, for someone with an unorthodox background like him, etiquette and moral education based on the righteousness and decorum of the orthodox sects were very unfamiliar. He could imitate it to a certain extent, but he was by no means qualified to teach it to others.

With a solemn expression, he lamented, "I don't want to lie about it, so I'll be honest with you. When it comes to etiquette and common sense of the orthodox murim, I'm completely clueless. You're probably surprised. I was too. I never imagined there'd be something I couldn't teach. It really shocked me, so it must be even more shocking for you."

Sighing bitterly, he emptied his cup in one gulp, his beautiful sorrowful eyes and slender fingers making him look as if he had just stepped out of a painting.

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Regardless, no one here was swayed by that image.

"Wow, how can someone be so arrogant…"

"My goodness, is shameless bragging this guy's version of drunken rambling?"

"Come to think of it, maybe Hyung-nim's narcissism is the biggest problem."

At the sight of Baek Suryong feigning humility while effortlessly boasting, his colleagues could only look on in exasperation.

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Baek Suryong grumbled, "What? Is being honest a crime now? As long as a martial artist fights well, who cares about manners? Does having a good upbringing help you dodge an attack?"

"Hyung-nim, have you thought about not trying to teach everything yourself and leaving the academic and etiquette classes to others?" Myeong Il'oh suggested.

"Huh?"

"Isn't just supervising the students' martial arts taking up all of your time?"

"Well, yeah," Baek Suryong nodded reluctantly.

Right now, he was indeed swamped with work. He had to teach his class, supervise the martial arts training at the White Dragon Manor, make occasional trips to the Rehabilitation Sect, and keep in touch with the Valley of Evil. No matter how hard he worked, even three of him wouldn't be enough to handle it all.

"…But who should I ask?" he asked, perplexed.

Myeong Il'oh replied matter-of-factly, "Teachers who are good at that stuff, of course. For example, isn't Miss Jaegal here a specialist in murim history?"

"M-Me?" Suddenly singled out, Jaegal Soyeong looked flustered, but she quickly nodded with a determined expression. "I can spare about an hour a day. It would be such a waste if those kids couldn't participate in the Heavenly Martial Festival."

Myeong Il'oh then put his arm around Ak Yeonho's shoulder. "As for the etiquette of noble families, I'm sure Yeonho here knows it well."

"I know it upside down and inside out. I've been learning it since childhood, and even got whipped every time I messed up," Ak Yeonho acknowledged.

"And I have a keen interest in the murim's current affairs," Myeong Il'oh added.

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Baek Suryong was touched by his friends' offers of help, but there was still one problem. "Those kids have very poor concentration. They're fine during martial arts training, but their attention span in lectures is terrible," he explained.

"How bad is it?"

"Earlier, Wonkang kept dozing off so much that I tried teaching him while hanging him upside down from the ceiling, but he still fell asleep."

"""WHAT?!""" Ak Yeonho, Myeong Il'oh, and Jaegal Soyeong's jaws dropped in disbelief.

"Okay. First of all, I think we need to boost their motivation to study."

"Hmm…"

"Is there any way…"

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The four newbie instructors put their heads together to think of ways to get the students to study.

"How about this? First, we teachers can take turns tutoring them in their weak subjects, and in the evenings, we can set up a study group for them to revise what they've learned," Jaegal Soyeong suggested. As a prodigy who had recently graduated from the Heavenly Martial Academy, she knew best how to motivate students to study.

"A study group?"

"Yes. Studying with peers is really effective. Kids also feel more relaxed getting help from friends who are good at studying than from teachers who they see as above them."

"Oh…"

"It would be great if we could enlist the help of a model elite student with good etiquette, ethics and a strong sense of responsibility…"

A name instantly appeared in Baek Suryong's mind. Slapping his knee, he smirked, saying, "I know just the student."

"Ugh. I don't understand any of this…"

"Stop grumbling and focus!"

Dokgo Jun slammed his book shut and stared at Hyonwon Kang, who was sitting across from him. "If there's something you don't understand, just ask."

Rubbing his temples, Hyonwon Kang looked up from his books and scowled. "Why'd you yell at me for? You wanna fight?"

"…I'll say it again, I'm not studying with you because I want to."

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Shaking his head, Dokgo Jun tried to resume his own studies, but he couldn't concentrate with Hyonwon Kang constantly mumbling next to him.

"Hyonwon Kang, the Student Council is really looking forward to your participation in the Heavenly Martial Festival this year. That's why I agreed to help when Mr. Baek asked. The same goes for you, Ya Suhyeok. We have high hopes for you among the first years," he said sternly.

"Yaaawn… Huh? Were you talking to me?" Ya Suhyeok, who was nodding off, half-opened his eyes. Drool was dripping from the corner of his mouth.

"Haa…" Looking at the two delinquents who had never studied a day in their lives, Dokgo Jun let out a long sigh.

Oblivious to Dokgo Jun's concerns, Hyonwon Kang sneered, "Of course you guys should look forward to my participation. I'm gonna win the Dragon and Phoenix Tournament this year."

"I'd like to tell you to wake up from your dream, but at the rate you're going I wonder if I should even bother."

"What?"

"Because with your current attitude, you won't even get to dream about it."

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"You bastard…"

Provoked by the sharp remark, Hyonwon Kang glared at Dokgo Jun, and Dokgo Jun stared right back at him.

In the end though, Hyonwon Kang looked away first, feeling slightly ashamed. After all, there was a reason why he absolutely had to participate in the Dragon and Phoenix Tournament.

"….Fine, I'll study. I don't want to be disqualified from the Heavenly Martial Festival for such a stupid reason. No matter what, I have to beat that bastard Peng Sahyuk in the Dragon and Phoenix Tournament," he conceded.

"Your motives are impure, but… at least you have some motivation."

"I guess."

Dokgo Jun moved to sit next to Hyonwon Kang, putting aside his own studies. "If there's something you don't understand, just ask me, okay?"

"Then… explain this to me," Hyonwon Kang said, sliding the problem he was working on over to Dokgo Jun. At the same time, he smacked the back of Ya Suhyeok's head. "Wake up, you idiot! You need to listen too!"

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"Mmm…yeah. Please teach me too, Senior." Rubbing his sleepy eyes, Ya Suhyeok shook his head and slapped his own cheeks a few times to wake himself up.

At least they're both trying in their own way. That's better than nothing, Dokgo Jun thought, checking the problem Hyonwon Kang had given him. It was a simple question for him.

"This question is about interpreting the Wudang Sect's seasonal rituals using the Five Elements theory. The key points you need to understand here are…"

Dokgo Jun patiently broke down what he knew, explaining it in a way that even a child could grasp. As the top student in both theory and practicals, this was an easy task for him… if he wasn't up against the two most formidable opponents in the Azure Dragon Academy, that is.

"…Zzz…"

"Snore…"

The Student Council President's angry shout echoed loudly in the room, "Goddamnit! Hyonwon Kang! Ya Suhyeok! WAKE UP!!"

An old man and a young boy sat down across from each other, leisurely sipping tea. Even though they were completely different, there was something about them that felt alike. Perhaps it was the way their swords lay neatly and identically across their laps.

"I received a special request from Mr. Baek to teach you," Mae Geuklyom said.

Wiji Cheon nodded. "Uh huh."

"Come see me at this time every day. I will teach you the proper etiquette of a swordsman for one hour a day."

"Okay. Uhm… I lived in the mountains with my grandfather since I was really small, so I don't know much about etiquette. Please forgive me if I don't know something simple."

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"Ignorance is not a sin. If you don't know something, you can always learn. The real problem is when you consciously choose to do the wrong thing, even when you know what's right."

"…Understood."

Although he was usually very shy, Wiji Cheon felt strangely at ease with Mae Geuklyom, like he was looking at a well-honed sword. Interestingly enough, Mae Geuklyom felt the same way.

"I will explain everything to you using the sword as an example. That should be convenient for both of us."

"Yes! Thank you!"

"Don't be so easily pleased."

"Ehehe…"

"Stop laughing foolishly."

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"Y-Yes!"

Just like that, an old man who had dedicated his life to the sword and a boy fascinated by the sword found their own way of communicating.

"Phew! At last, I can relax a little," Baek Suryong breathed a sigh of relief, having secretly watched the students studying.

In the end, he had taken the advice of his colleagues and asked Dokgo Jun to help with Hyonwon Kang's and Ya Suhyeok's studies, and entrusted Wiji Cheon to Mae Geuklyom for lessons in basic common sense.

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Geo Sangwoong and Yeo Min seemed like they could pass if they studied a bit more, so he decided not to worry about them. Instead, he had them focus more on martial arts training.

Now that I've gotten them started preparing for the Character Evaluation… the next problem is the Social Engagement Evaluation.

The Social Engagement Evaluation was a comprehensive assessment of a student's social interactions based on classroom behavior, participation in school activities, club involvement, and so on. All of this would come together to form a student's school record, or "resume" for short.

"Sigh… There's no way those delinquents have their resumes in order."

After much consideration, Baek Suryong decided to consult an expert in this field—a legendary figure who had gotten the most students in the history of the Azure Dragon Academy employed at large trading companies, escort agencies, and even the Murim Alliance.

As he opened the door to the expert's office, the man in question stood up abruptly.

"…Good afternoon sir, how can I help you?" Pung Jinho greeted nervously, bowing his head.

Translator's Note: I don't think I can get another chapter out before bed, so that it for this week. See you next Friday!