Star Instructor, Master Baek

Chapter 193: Echoes From a Previous Life (1)

TL: FoodieMonster007

Wow, this memory from my past life… it's so vivid that even I can't tell it's not real. At this standard, isn't it more like sorcery than martial arts?

When he opened his eyes, Baek Suryong found himself back in the Blood Cult. Of course, this wasn't reality, but the modified Heaven Defying Divine Art recreating the memories of his past life in the form of a dream.

Amazed, he looked around, but just as he was about to lose himself in the familiarity of the scene, a young man with eyes sharp as a tiger's blocked his path.

"Why aren't you answering? Do my words not make sense to you? Or are your ears clogged? Should I clear them for you?"

Baek Suryong recalled the name of the wickedly grinning young man. He was Cho Hyeok, a direct descendant of the Cho family, one of the Eight Great Clans supporting the Blood Cult, and a senior member of the Blood Dragons, the Blood Demon's personal guard.

"I'm sorry," Baek Suryong apologized.

Huh? I didn't mean to say that… Ah, am I simply re-enacting a past memory? Then, the events of my previous life are being replayed exactly as they happened.

Still, this is incredible. I feel exactly the same as I did back then, from my feelings, to my body, and even to my martial arts.

As if he was nothing more than a spectator, Baek Suryong watched the scene unfolding in front of him with a detached air.

"Oh, so you do know how to apologize?" Cho Hyeok sneered, tapping Baek Suryong's head condescendingly as if he was a servant.

Any other martial artist would have reached for their sword at such a rude gesture, but Baek Suryong remained as docile as a mouse before a cat.

The smug grin on Cho Hyeok's face widened. "Yeah, since you stole someone else's position, you really should be sorry."

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"……"

This was a memory from his first day in the Blood Dragons, and right from the outset, Cho Hyeok had marked him as a target for bullying.

Acceptance into the Blood Dragons, the Blood Demon's elite guard, was a guaranteed path to success. It was no wonder that many young masters of the Blood Cult yearned for a place in their ranks. However, the positions were few and far between, and most were already claimed by descendants of the mighty Eight Great Clans.

Cho Hyeok was one such young master. He hailed from the Cho Clan, one of the most influential families even among the Eight Great Clans. Hence, despite having no official rank within the unit, he wielded authority equal to that of a vice-captain.

"Do you have any idea who ended up losing their spot because of you?" Cho Hyeok asked.

Baek Suryong shook his head. "…No, I do not."

"Of course you don't. If you did, there's no way you would have accepted the offer. Anyway, my younger brother was supposed to join the unit, but some low-born brat snatched it right out from under his nose. Tell me, wouldn't you be angry if you were me?"

"……" Baek Suryong remained silent. The contempt and jealousy in his seniors' eyes did not escape him. Since almost all of the Blood Dragons were from the Eight Great Clans, they shared Cho Hyeok's opinion.

Looking back, it's incredibly childish.

Cho Hyeok was exploiting the tradition of hazing newcomers to ensure that Baek Suryong's first experience would be especially humiliating and psychologically crippling.

Smirking, Cho Hyeok released his aura, causing his red cloak to flutter wildly. "I heard that you're the youngest ever person to join the Blood Dragons, and that you're so talented you can come up with a counterattack after seeing any martial art three times. If that's true, you should be able to beat someone like me easily, right? Show me how strong you really are!"

Baek Suryong kept his silence, studying Cho Hyeok's every move. He noted the man's build, his muscles, the angle of his stance, even his tone and mannerisms.

He's strong. Top-tier even among peak realm masters.

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Every member of the Blood Dragons was at least a peak-level master, but Cho Hyeok stood out even among them.

"…Senior, with my current skills, I won't last even ten seconds against you."

"Oho? You talk as if you'll be able to defeat me in the future."

Baek Suryong bowed his head. "That's not what I meant…"

Cho Hyeok's killing intent surged, and the other seniors spread out, forming a circle around them and cutting off any chance of escape.

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BOOM!

Cho Hyeok stomped down, cracking the ground beneath him as powerful qi flickered through his hands. "Shut up and draw your weapon. And if you ever talk back to me again… I'll kill you."

WHOOSH!

Baek Suryong barely managed to sidestep Cho Hyeok's fierce palm strike, only to find a swift kick following close behind. With no chance to unsheathe his sword, he crossed his arms, bracing for impact.

BAM! SLAM! WHAM!

"Ugh!"

Each blow, hard as iron and fast as lightning, shook his bones. Cho Hyeok's qi felt deep and pure, a step above the typical techniques of the Blood Cult.

As expected, the Blood Dragons are in a league of their own, Baek Suryong thought, observing the fight leisurely. With his past self controlling his body, he had the rare chance to study Cho Hyeok's martial arts in detail, a luxury he hadn't had in his previous life when he was too focused on fighting to do anything else.

Hmm, back then, I brushed off the Cho Family's fist techniques, thinking they were all about raw power. Now, though, I can tell that they're are incredibly sophisticated, and it was just Cho Hyeok who was clumsy.

Baek Suryong's eye for martial arts had sharpened significantly since his youth, so he naturally perceived things differently now. The Cho family's fist techniques, hailing from one of the Blood Cult's Eight Great Clans, were martial arts worthy of being called divine arts. Just by watching, he gained a great deal.

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I can adapt some of this into the Eighteen Strikes of the Viridian Forest, and then use it myself or teach it to the kids… Wait!

The realization hit him like a hammer. This dream was a vivid reconstruction of his past life's memories, and in that life, he had encountered countless masters of the Blood Cult.

Leaders of military units who sent shivers through the orthodox murim whenever they marched. Elders, each rumored to rival the sect leaders of the Nine Great Sects. The patriarchs of the Eight Great Clans, the very pillars of the Blood Cult. And… even the Blood Cult's supreme leader, the Blood Demon himself!

Also, although it's still quite a while away…

The countless possibilities excited him, but nothing thrilled him more than the very last one. Many years after this current memory, four absolute masters, once lauded as the best in the world, would be held captive in Blood Cult's underground prison.

Now, he could witness his masters' martial arts once again.

This is an unbelievable opportunity for me! Unfortunately, my inexperienced past self is having a hard time just dodging Cho Hyeok's attacks. If only I could control this body, I would be going nuts with joy…

"Not bad!" Cho Hyeok roared, gritting his teeth as he intensified his offensive, frustrated that he couldn't land a decisive hit.

Seeing the fingernails tearing through the air like claws, Baek Suryong retreated, but Cho Hyeok chased after him, thrusting both palms forward in a powerful qi strike that seemed to distort space.

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BOOM!

A powerful shockwave erupted, spanning a radius of twenty meters.

"…I concede, so please stop attacking me," Baek Suryong said emotionlessly, his face pale and blood trickling from his lips. Despite the pain, however, he refused to fall over.

Taken aback by his impressive display of martial arts and unexpected tenacity, the other Blood Dragons stared at him, astonished.

Only Cho Hyeok scowled, irritated that the cheeky newcomer was still standing on both feet. "Hey. What the hell is that expression? How is that supposed to be the face of a loser?"

"What would you have me do, then? Kneel and beg for forgiveness?"

"What? You insolent punk…! Enough! I'll engrave the humility a junior should have into your body," Cho Hyeok snarled, activating the Blood Thunder Divine Art, the exclusive martial art of the Blood Dragons.

A red aura, shimmering like heat haze, rose from his body as sparks of electricity crackled across it.

"You're not the only one who's had enough of this shitshow," Baek Suryong retorted, drawing upon his inner qi to the fullest.

…As much as I hate to admit it, I was still quite the immature kid back then, huh? Nowadays, I'd bow my head first, then secretly plot my revenge and return the favor tenfold.

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Well, I only learned how to use my head after my qi center was destroyed. At this time, I was no smarter than a typical unorthodox martial artist, smug and overly confident in my abilities and talents.

Baek Suryong sighed and shook his head inwardly.

Meanwhile, Cho Hyeok narrowed his eyes and sharpened his focus. It seemed that if he wanted to humiliate Baek Suryong, he couldn't take the young man lightly anymore.

"That's enough!"

Suddenly, a voice cut through the tension, sharp and commanding. Cho Hyeok's killing intent instantly vanished, and he and the other Blood Dragons hurriedly turned and knelt on one knee. Seeing them, Baek Suryong quickly followed suit.

""Captain!""

As a large man with a huge scar on his face approached, all twenty members of the Blood Dragons bowed respectfully in unison, their faces marked by a mixture of fear and awe for an absolute master.

The Blood Dragon Captain.

Baek Suryong looked at his former superior with mixed feelings. The Blood Dragons held immense authority, but even among them, the captain was special.

The Blood Dragon Captain had the authority to execute anyone in the cult except the Blood Demon and his kin. If he had good reason, he could even execute an elder or patriarch of the Eight Great Clans first and then report to the Blood Demon.

And the reason he could do all that…was because within the Cult, his strength was second only to the Blood Demon.

Without doing anything, the Blood Dragon Captain's presence alone seemed to fill the entire area. He was a giant similar to Geo Sangwoong or Ya Suhyeok, yet his aura was in a league of its own. Even though it was only a memory from the past, the moment their eyes met, Baek Suryong felt a shiver run down his spine.

Isn't he even stronger than Skysword? Well, he's not quite at Namgung Jaehak's level, but still…

Baek Suryong compared the Blood Dragon Captain to the current Ten Supremes whom he had met. Although it was difficult to evaluate his strength perfectly without fighting him, one thing was certain: this man was a master on par with the orthodox murim's finest.

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"If this keeps up, one of you is going to die. Save the newcomer welcome for later," the Blood Dragon Captain said sternly, fixing his indifferent gaze on the kneeling Cho Hyeok.

"…Yes," Cho Hyeok replied obediently, bowing his head. Though he was proud and considered himself the Vice Captain of the Blood Dragons, the gap between him and the Captain was insurmountable.

Nodding, the Blood Dragon Captain turned to Baek Suryong. "Follow me, newcomer. You've been summoned," he commanded.

"Yes, sir." Baek Suryong rose promptly, falling in step behind the Captain. He felt Cho Hyeok's stare burning into his back, but chose to ignore it.

As they walked, the Blood Dragon Captain suddenly said, "Walk beside me. I'm not going to eat you."

Baek Suryong smiled inwardly, even as his body automatically did as he was told. Despite his intimidating appearance, the Blood Dragon Captain wasn't as stern as he looked.

"I heard you used to be with the Blood Wolves."

"Yes, I served as the leader of the Blood Wolves' thirteenth squad for half a year. They called me the Venomous Sword."

The Venomous Sword, an alias that suggested his swordsmanship was both swift and deadly, like a viper or scorpion poised to strike.

"What's your name?"

"I don't have one. I've always been called Number 27."

A faint smile appeared on the Blood Dragon Captain's lips. "It's been a while since I last saw someone called by a number. I was Number 38."

"Yes, I know."

Baek Suryong's eyes flickered with sentimentality. Perhaps because they were both orphans, he'd always felt a slight kinship with the man.

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Once upon a time, he was my goal too.

The Blood Dragon Captain was a legend and a symbol of hope for many orphans and lowborn members of the Blood Cult. Rising from his humble origins to become the captain of the Blood Dragons, he was someone Baek Suryong had once aspired to become.

After a moment, the Blood Dragon Captain asked with a slightly gentler tone, "I've heard that you can devise a countermeasure after seeing any martial art three times. Is that true?"

"No."

A hint of disappointment appeared on the Blood Dragon Captain's face. "Hmm…"

"For most martial arts, seeing it once is enough."

"Hahaha!" Bursting into laughter, the Blood Dragon Captain turned to look at Baek Suryong, his eyes gleaming with interest. "Well, I don't mind having confident subordinates, as long as they can back it up with skill."

"I won't disappoint you."

"Don't expect any special treatment from me just because we're both orphans. I have no intention of mediating between you and Cho Hyeok. Solve the problem yourself."

"Yes, sir."

"Good." With a quick nod, the Blood Dragon Captain led Baek Suryong to the Blood Cult's main citadel.

Baek Suryong took in his surroundings with interest. The high and sturdy walls exuded an aura of majesty that would intimidate even the strongest masters, and he sensed the presence of experts hidden everywhere.

Most low-ranked warriors would never enter this place in their lifetimes, and this was his past self's first time here as well.

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"Do you know where we're going?"

Baek Suryong shook his head. "No, I do not."

He had been suddenly informed of his transfer to the Blood Dragons. This sort of thing happened all the time, so he'd quietly followed the orders as they were given. There was no point in being surprised or upset about it, and questioning it wouldn't change anything.

However…

"Our Lord wishes to meet you."

Baek Suryong froze, his entire body stiffening as if he had suddenly turned to stone. "Why would the Lord want to meet me…!?" he asked incredulously, eyes wide with shock.

At the thought of meeting the supreme leader of the Blood Cult, his heart pounded wildly. He didn't mean to be rude, but he was just too freaked out to restrain himself.

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The Blood Dragon Captain shook his head. "I don't know. He just said he wanted to see you in person."

"……"

Meanwhile, the present-day Baek Suryong felt his blood run cold.

It's been a while since I last saw him.

He was about to have his first brush with the Blood Demon, the greatest ever master of the Heaven Defying Divine Art, reputed to be the strongest human in history… and the one who had killed him.

Translator's Note: Okay people, I'm going to catch up to the manhwa this weekend…