Star Instructor, Master Baek-Chapter 331: Actually, I Held Back

TL: FoodieMonster007

The next morning, the SRS members gathered in the training ground stared wide-eyed at their instructor of the day, Wiji Cheon. Unlike usual, he wore a red headband, procured from who-knows-where, tied tightly around his forehead. Embroidered in the center were the characters for "Certain Death" (必死).

"Good morning. I am Instructor Wiji Cheon, and I will be coaching everyone in swordsmanship today," he said.

"Haha! Cheon looks like he's really serious about today."

"Yeah, let's work hard. We'll do our best too."

"Are you perhaps imitating Mr. Baek Suryong? So cute!"

The SRS students mostly laughed off the funny look as they recalled the Wiji Cheon from the night before, sitting by the campfire and shyly saying, "I want to be a teacher."

All of them had decided to support the boy's dream, so they agreed to undergo his swordsmanship training for a day.

The problem was that each and every one of them had grossly underestimated Wiji Cheon's resolve.

"Students. This instructor did not come here to play house with you." Wiji Cheon drew his sword and held it out, the blade glistening blue as it reflected the morning sun.

WOOONG!

The Soul Sword responded to its master's will, emitting a chilling aura.

At that instant, the smallest and gentlest boy in the SRS transformed into someone else entirely.

"I will warn you in advance. For today, anyone who speaks informally to this instructor or disobeys instructions…"

SWOOSH! CRACK!

Wiji Cheon swung his sword casually, releasing a sharp, clear wave of sword qi and splitting a large tree in two.

"W-Why the tree…?"

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"H-Hey?"

Finally, the students grew flustered, having sensed that something was very wrong.

Wiji Cheon glared at them with disturbing excitement, then continued, "…will be punished for defiance against this instructor with one-on-one guided sparring."

The moment they saw Wiji Cheon's eyes, everyone had the same thought.

He's serious. He's fucking serious.

He's lost it! Look at his eyes!

They had forgotten. Although the Sword Wonder Wiji Cheon was usually a boy gentler and kinder than anyone else, he was also a person who completely transformed the moment he held a sword.

"Uh, umm. Well…"

"This isn't quite what we wanted…"

"Aren't you getting a little too worked up…?"

Wiji Cheon casually ignored his seniors' words. Determined to emulate his most revered teacher, the boy pointed his sword at the mountain behind the villa. "First, before breakfast, we will begin with some light physical conditioning. Based on my observations so far, I have concluded that your basic stamina is abysmal."

A few students pouted, looking displeased. Coming from Wiji Cheon, who looked the least physically fit, the words stung even more.

"All trainees are required to reach the mountain peak and return. Begin."

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Everyone hesitated, glancing at each other instead of moving immediately.

Wiji Cheon sighed. I guess acting like Mr. Baek isn't easy.

He decided to push a little harder to establish his dominance.

"Are everyone's ears clogged? Or does this instructor look like a joke to you?"

The seniors' jaws dropped at the coarse language from their usually shy, cute, and excessively polite junior.

"Even if you're the instructor for the day, isn't that a bit rude…"

"So, you don't want to do it?" Wiji Cheon released his sword qi and raised his blade.

The mouths that had opened in complaint instantly snapped shut.

"I-It's not that we don't want to, but…"

"But?"

"We'll do it, sir…"

"I will let it slide this first time," Wiji Cheon warned. Baek Suryong would have instantly smacked the head of the student talking back, but he wasn't quite that far gone yet. "You have exactly fifteen minutes. Any student who returns later than the allotted time can forget about breakfast."

"We have to climb a mountain and come back in fifteen minutes?"

"That's impossible, sir!"

While everyone was still grumbling, unable to grasp the situation, one person moved.

"It's better to move than waste time like this," Yoo Yiran grumbled, speeding off with the grace of a deer using her movement arts.

WHOOSH!

The SRS leaders and a few other opportunists followed.

"Senior! How could you start without us!"

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"This is unfair! Wait for us!"

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"…Ah, screw it!"

Finally, the other students began to run like foals with their tails on fire. Reaching the mountaintop indicated by Wiji Cheon and returning within fifteen minutes was an extremely challenging task.

Eventually, a spectacle unfolded where the entire SRS sprinted at full speed to secure their breakfast.

However, most of them still hadn't fully grasped the reality. Some even giggled, finding the situation amusing.

Wiji Cheon watched them, smiling evilly. "…Laugh while you can. Later, you'll find it hard to even move the corners of your lips."

Unknown to him, it was a smile remarkably similar to a certain someone's.

Awaiting the students who barely made it back from the summit was an unidentifiable, nutritious special meal created by the Medicinal Cooking Research Society.

"What… is this?"

"You expect us to eat this?"

"Is this perhaps training against poison?"

As the students entered the dining hall with disbelieving eyes, Wiji Cheon proudly said, "This is a special meal made with ingredients that this instructor gathered from the mountain at dawn. It contains various ingredients with different nutrients, made into a porridge for better absorption."

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The special meal that Wiji Cheon had prepared was a miscellaneous porridge with an ominous green hue. The fact that it was a variation of the food distributed to martial artists in the Blood Cult was a secret known only to Baek Suryong.

"Is it really okay to eat that? It looks like it tastes terrible…" someone protested hesitantly.

Wiji Cheon frowned. "Student, did you come to this training camp just to eat delicious things?"

"No, sir."

There were no more complaints. The special meal prepared by Wiji Cheon was completely devoid of any taste, but since hunger was the ultimate sauce, everyone ate diligently.

Wiji Cheon watched them and nodded in satisfaction. "Eat heartily for breakfast. You'll be eating dinner in hell."

"Cough!"

One by one, the students spat out the porridge, but the food was so easily digestible that no one choked or suffered from indigestion.

"When you have finished eating, we will begin the morning training."

What followed was group sword drills. The students swung their swords under the scorching sun, dripping with sweat, while Wiji Cheon walked among them, correcting their postures.

"Overall, your swordsmanship is full of unnecessary flair. Don't be aware of others. Concentrate more on the sword."

Wiji Cheon's eyes were sharp as he observed the students, and he made sure to chew each student up equally. After all, that was the first principle of education he had learned from Baek Suryong.

THWACK!

"Is this the best you can do? You're trying to slack off, aren't you?"

"Sorry, sir!"

SMACK!

"Where are you looking? I told you to focus on the sword. Are you defying the instructor now?"

"No, sir!"

WHACK!

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"Stop lazing off! Keep your focus! Didn't you eat breakfast?"

"I did, sir!"

"Then why is your voice so soft?"

"I ATE BREAKFAST, SIR!!"

Instructor Wiji Cheon's lessons were harsh and strict, and he pushed the students to their absolute limits. Even the students who were easygoing at first grew increasingly pale.

Eventually, rebellion broke out.

"Damn it! I can't take it anymore!" Fourth year Jo Yeongeol, one of the SRS executives and a lay disciple of the Diancang Sect, shouted. He was a swordsman who had mastered the Four Suns Sword Technique, a swift sword technique, to a considerable level. "I know you're good, Wiji Cheon, but everyone trains differently. I don't think my swordsmanship will get any faster by training in such a primitive way."

Everyone nervously watched Wiji Cheon. Some silently cheered Jo Yeongeol on. They too had felt skeptical about this spartan training.

To their surprise, however, Wiji Cheon nodded readily. "Very well. Then let's duel using only pure swift sword techniques, without inner arts. If Student Jo Yeongeol defeats me, we will end the training."

"…Are you serious?"

"Of course."

"Ha!" Jo Yeongeol scoffed. No matter how much of a sword genius Wiji Cheon was, he didn't think he would lose if they competed with only fast sword techniques without inner arts.

If it's a single strike match, I win.

Jo Yeongeol declared confidently, " Okay. If I lose, I'll follow your instruction without complaint."

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No more words were needed. The two faced each other. No starting signal was necessary. The moment the two swordsmen's hands touched their hilts, the match began.

SWISH!

Jo Yeongeol's famous quick sword draw flashed out like a ray of light. He had no doubt in his victory. Though his overall skill may not have been as good as Wiji Cheon, he was easily the fastest swordsman in the SRS.

Yes! I was faster!

The moment he was certain of that.

CLANG!

Despite drawing his sword a fraction of a second later, Wiji Cheon knocked Jo Yeongeol's blade up high, instantly creating an opening for the diminutive boy to dart through his defenses.

Jo Yeongeol's eyes widened in confusion. Huh? But I was definitely faster?

Wiji Cheon clenched his small fist tightly. The match was decided, but he had no intention of forgiving the troublemaker for disturbing the class atmosphere. This too was something he had learned from observing Baek Suryong.

"You're the SRS's fastest swordsman? Don't make me laugh, you're so slow."

Wiji Cheon's fist struck Jo Yeongeol hard on the bridge of his nose.

PWAAK!

"Cough!" Blood spurted from both nostrils as Jo Yeongeol staggered back and collapsed to the ground.

Wiji Cheon stood before him, looking down with arrogant eyes. "Student Jo Yeongeol. Return to training as soon as your nose stops bleeding."

"Keuk…"

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"Did you not hear me?"

"Y-Yes, sir. Understood."

Just like that, the spark of rebellion was ruthlessly stamped out before it could grow.

Wiji Cheon glanced over the other students. "Any student with complaints may step forward at any time. However, be prepared for the consequences."

"……"

Today's Wiji Cheon was a miniature Baek Suryong.

The arduous training continued until nightfall. After completing all the scheduled activities, Wiji Cheon removed the red headband from his forehead and said, "We will stop here.

As if there was some sorcery in that headband, the moment he removed it, Wiji Cheon reverted from the demon instructor back to the boy with innocent eyes.

"Is everyone okay?" he asked shyly.

The SRS seniors collapsed to the floor, pointing fingers at him in unison.

"You…!"

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"Wiji Cheon, you brat!"

"I almost cried earlier because of you!"

Wiji Cheon looked at his seniors sprawled haphazardly on the ground with an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry, but the special training wouldn't be effective if I didn't do it seriously, so I had no choice…"

Instructor Wiji Cheon's training had been brutal. Hardly anyone could stand properly on two feet right now.

Still, everyone had persevered until the end. It was grueling, but the students felt a strange sense of accomplishment.

It was unexpectedly fun? They thought.

Wiji Cheon felt the same way. He was more exhausted than any other student, yet his face was incredibly bright. He felt like he would want to teach again if given the chance.

"Rest for a while. I'll prepare dinner," he said, dashing towards the kitchen.

Sighs immediately erupted from everywhere.

"Do the White Dragon Manor kids really train like this every single day?"

"That's inhumane…"

"I'm going to be sick in bed tomorrow."

"We should have known something like this would happen when he said that the person he respected the most was Mr. Baek Suryong…"

"I heard earlier that even this is mild compared to Mr. Baek Suryong's training?"

"Is he crazy?!"

Everyone shuddered as they remembered the day's workout.

CLAP!

Yoo Yiran clapped her hands, attracting everyone's attention. Although she had fared better than the other students, she also looked quite exhausted. As the president of the SRS, she objectively evaluated Instructor Wiji Cheon's teaching abilities.

"It was tough, it's true… but wasn't he surprisingly good at teaching?" she remarked.

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"That's true. It seemed primitive, but it was precise, and he didn't push us beyond our limits." Vice President Jeong Yeonhee nodded tiredly in agreement.

The other executives echoed similar sentiments. Beneath the radical and violent aspects, Wiji Cheon's swordsmanship instruction was extremely meticulous and detailed.

One by one, the other students began to nod in agreement.

"Definitely…"

"I had an epiphany after receiving his guidance."

"When pushed to the limit, techniques I always failed at suddenly advanced by leaps and bounds."

"His killing intent was so intense… I had no choice but to try my best."

After receiving Wiji Cheon's instruction for just one day, everyone realized how complacent their usual training had been. Therefore, the general mood was one of self-reflection and repentance.

Yoo Yiran looked around at the students. "…So, about that."

This was separate from her feelings for Wiji Cheon. She genuinely felt that Wiji Cheon's instruction would be of great help to the SRS.

"How about learning from Wiji Cheon for a few more days? I think this is an opportunity that won't come around again."

"Umm…"

"A f-few more days?"

"I like it, but I hate it…"

The students of the SRS were all boys and girls who loved the sword. If they could become stronger, if they could wield the sword better, they were willing to endure any hardship.

Although they hesitated, they all eventually agreed.

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Yoo Yiran personally went to Wiji Cheon to deliver the news. "If it's okay with you, could we ask you to teach us for a few more days?"

"Really?" Wiji Cheon's face, which had been somewhat downcast, immediately brightened.

My teaching ability has been acknowledged!

He beamed and nodded. "I'll do my best!"

"P-Please don't try too hard…"

"Actually, I held back today because I was conscious of others. I'll increase the intensity tomorrow!"

"…Let's keep that a secret from the others."

Thus, even after that day, Wiji Cheon occasionally donned the red headband and instructed the SRS students in swordsmanship.

Time passed remarkably quickly at the training camp.

Lush green trees and leaves rustled in the wind. Sunlight glistened on the morning dew. Cicadas wailed desperately, and youths sweated as they swung their swords with equally powerful shouts.

"Students! Stay sharp!"

Summer had indeed arrived.