Star Instructor, Master Baek

Chapter 111: Trust Me, I'm a Professional

TL: FoodieMonster007

The bodyguards behind the Golden Dragon Innkeeper simultaneously drew their swords and stepped forward to shield him. Doors flew open from all sides, and warriors swarmed into the room.

“Who? What? An assassin?”

“Protect the boss!”

“Intruder!”

“Get him!”

In a flash, the room filled with over twenty warriors, their killing intent palpable.

Baek Suryong, feeling the deadly glares from all directions, scratched his head and surveyed the scene. “This has gotten a bit messier than I expected…”

“…Now what?” Hyonwon Kang whispered, shaking his head in disbelief.

The lead bodyguard shouted to his men, “Capture them alive! We need to find out who’s behind this…!”

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“Put away your weapons,” the innkeeper commanded, his calm voice echoing through the room.

The bodyguards immediately flinched and sheathed their weapons. “Yes, boss!”

The Golden Dragon Innkeeper, a tall and imposing middle-aged man, rose from his seat, and the bodyguards knelt down, stepping aside to make way for their employer. Approaching Baek Suryong with a warm smile, he asked, “You said you were an instructor at the Azure Dragon Academy?”

He’s not only a giant in stature but also a first-rate martial artist. Considering the facial and physical resemblance between him and Geo Sangwoong, they must be father and son, Baek Suryong reasoned. Clasping his hands together, he replied respectfully, “That’s right. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Baek Suryong, an instructor at the Azure Dragon Academy. Are you Geo Sangwoong’s father?”

“Yes, but…” The innkeeper looked at his son, then at Baek Suryong. “So, what brings you here? It doesn’t seem like you came here to look for my son.”

“I’m here regarding another student.” Baek Suryong gestured at Yeo Min.

The innkeeper stared at Yeo Min in confusion. “This child?”

“She is Yeo Min, a second-year student at the Azure Dragon Academy. She’s been working as a dancer here to cover her room and board.”

“S-Sir…” Yeo Min stuttered, her face as pale as a sheet. After all, this innkeeper was no ordinary small business owner, but Nanchang’s richest person and the chairman of the Golden Dragon Trading Company, one of the ten largest firms in the world. The Golden Dragon Inn was merely one of the many businesses under his vast empire.

He’s a man who can move the city’s most powerful and influential people with just a word… Yet Baek Suryong not only barged into his domain but is now calmly explaining the situation.

“Therefore, Yeo Min has to stop working as a dancer and concentrate on her martial arts training. However, she was deceived into signing an unethical contract, and if she breaks it, she will be fined ten times the amount. I’ve come to discuss this matter with you.”

The innkeeper listened intently and nodded. “I see. Well, since I run many businesses, I don’t keep track of everything that is going on, so I admit that I wasn’t aware that such unreasonable contracts were being made. Still…”

He paused, casting a glance at Yeo Min, then slowly surveyed the room. Nervous eyes followed his every move, the air thickening with tension as everyone awaited his next words.

Baek Suryong couldn’t help but marvel at the man’s skill. Just by letting a single word hang in the air, he had created a strained atmosphere. Unlike martial artists who intimidated others with their qi, the innkeeper controlled the mood of the room with just his look and the tone of his voice.

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Finally, the innkeeper continued, “I understand your position. However, instead of following the proper procedure for meeting with someone in my position, you ignored all protocols, damaged my property, and injured my employees.”

“……”

Hands clasped behind his back, the innkeeper stepped closer to Baek Suryong, making him appear three times larger. “In addition, you have caused a commotion that has unsettled the guests here. If they spread negative reviews, it could significantly jeopardize my business. How are you going to compensate me for these losses?”

“……”

Baek Suryong seemed calm, but the pressure in the room was immense, like an invisible weight pressing down on everyone’s shoulders.

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Finally, Geo Sangwoong couldn’t endure it any longer. “Father, there seems to be a misunderstanding. Please let me handle this and go get some rest…”

“This is none of your business,” the innkeeper snapped back at his son.

“Father…”

“Be quiet.”

Geo Sangwoong sighed and stepped back, unable to change his father’s mind.

Baek Suryong asked politely, “Well, how would you like me to compensate you, Mr. Geo?”

“Do you think you have enough to satisfy me?” The innkeeper replied coldly, meeting Baek Suryong’s eyes.

For a while, the two men stood in silence, each measuring the other’s mettle.

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Smiling faintly, Baek Suryong broke the silence. “ You’ve been testing me since earlier. If you didn’t want anything from me, why would you waste my time with all this drama? Just get to the point already.”

The innkeeper’s severity disappeared, replaced by a similar smile. He had indeed been testing Baek Suryong, trying to judge his character by how he reacted under pressure.

What an interesting man. The rumors spoke of his arrogance and bluster, but all I see is a rational and capable individual. I pride myself on my keen insight, but I can’t read him at all. I didn’t expect to run into him like this, but…well, I was planning to meet my son’s new homeroom teacher soon anyway.

“Heh, I’d heard that you were a bold man, but you seem quite modest and reasonable to me,” he laughed leisurely. Then, looking at his anxious son, he continued, “Shall we discuss the terms of compensation privately?”

Baek Suryong nodded and turned to his students. “You kids go back first. Hyonwon Kang, be a good senior, take care of Yeo Min and assign her a room in the White Dragon Manor. She’ll be living and training with us starting today.”

“What?” Hyonwon Kang shouted in surprise.

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“Why are you deciding this on your own…” Yeo Min complained.

Just as the two were about to start protesting, however, they saw the innkeeper’s expression and switched to whispering desperately.

“Is this really okay?”

“Isn’t it dangerous for you to remain here alone?”

Baek Suryong sighed, “It’s not like you guys will be of any help, so hurry up and go.”

Yeo Min looked at the innkeeper, but he said nothing, implicitly allowing her to leave.

Baek Suryong turned to Yasu Hyeok, who was standing awkwardly behind Geo Sangwoong. “Yasu Hyeok, I don’t know what you’re up to, but come find me at the White Dragon Manor when you’re done.”

“Yes, sir.”

Seeing this, the innkeeper instructed his son, “Sangwoong, see to it that they leave safely.”

“Okay. You guys, follow me,” Geo Sangwoong said resignedly, leading his juniors out of the room.

“Please leave as well,” the innkeeper said to the head bodyguard.

Worried, the head bodyguard immediately clarified, “Are you sure, boss?”

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“Yes. No one is to hear what me and Mr. Baek are about to discuss,” the innkeeper commanded.

The head bodyguard relayed the order to his men, “Everyone, leave the room and move thirty paces away. Boss’s orders.”

“Yes!” The bodyguards replied, exiting the room.

Only Baek Suryong and the innkeeper were now left in the spacious room.

Pointing to a chair, the innkeeper said, “Please, sit.”

“Thank you.”

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The two men sat across a table from each other, a subtle tension beginning to build between them.

“Have a drink,” the innkeeper poured Baek Suryong a full glass of wine.

Baek Suryong didn’t know the name of the expensive drink, but one sip made him gasp in admiration. “This is excellent.”

“If I had known that I would have a guest, I would have prepared something even better. Please be satisfied with this for now.”

The unexpectedly relaxed atmosphere made Baek Suryong smile.

The innkeeper, however, seemed troubled. “I’ve heard a lot of rumors about you lately, Mr. Baek.”

“There are always many rumors about me. May I ask what you’ve heard?”

The innkeeper laughed, poured another drink, and said, “I’ve heard them all. To exaggerate a bit, the whole city’s been in an uproar since your arrival.”

The innkeeper looked thoughtfully at the young man across from him. Although Baek Suryong was just a new instructor at the Azure Dragon Academy, this newcomer had boldly declared that he would lead the academy to victory at the Heavenly Martial Festival, taught the oldest successful applicant in history, raised the top student, and even won a bet against Star Instructor Namgoong Su and took over one of his classes.

“And there’s more. I heard that you recently humiliated Instructor Pung Jinho.” The innkeeper laughed heartily, downing his drink in one swig, but his eyes remained sharp. “I also heard something very intriguing. During the entrance exams, assassins targeted… Prime Minister Gong.”

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“You seem well informed.” Baek Suryong nodded without denying it. It was clear that the innkeeper already knew the truth.

“A businessman must stay informed in order to make great fortunes. And it’s also necessary to protect what I have. You never know when and where someone might threaten my fortune.”

“Is what you want to discuss related to Elder Gongson Su?” Baek Suryong asked, guessing the direction of the conversation.

For a moment, the innkeeper contemplated doing just that. He’s the person who healed Prime Minister Gongson’s illness and taught him martial arts. If the Prime Minister cherishes him…

Suddenly, he shook his head firmly, abandoning his greed. Without clear knowledge of the exact relationship between Baek Suryong and Gongson Su, testing the waters would be foolish. Moreover, even if Baek Suryong wasn’t connected to Gongson Su, he wanted to be on the teacher’s good side.

“I’m not bold enough to provoke the Iron-Fisted Prime Minister. I do, however, have a favor to ask of you.”

“What is it?”

The innkeeper fiddled with his wine cup, a hesitant look on his face. “It’s about my son,” he finally said after a while.

“Geo Sangwoong?”

The innkeeper smiled bitterly, a stark contrast to his usual confident demeanor. “My son… wasn’t always like this. From a young age, he often boasted that he would become the world’s greatest martial artist.”

Among the children born in the Golden Dragon Trading Company, Geo Sangwoong was the most talented in martial arts, possessing both a good physique, mentality, and aptitude.

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“Sangwoong loved learning martial arts more than anything else. He was intelligent and brave. Some people said he was clumsy because of his large frame, but…”

The innkeeper had spared no expense to support his son, searching the whole world for martial arts as good as those of the Five Great Clans and rare elixirs. With both natural talent and his family’s support, Geo Sangwoong eventually grew into such an exceptional student that he and the previous Student Council President Bang Baekhyeon were known as the Azure Dragon Duo by the end of their second year.

“Two years ago, after returning from the Heavenly Martial Festival, he changed. When he came home, he locked himself in his room and refused to eat. No matter who asked him what had happened, he said nothing. Months went by like that… and then he suddenly became obsessed with gambling and binge eating. He gained weight and became what he is now.”

Baek Suryong thought for a moment, then remarked, “He doesn’t seem like a person tormented by his past.”

“That’s because he’s gotten used to it. He’s accepted his bloated body and the feeling of being a failure.”

“……” Baek Suryong considered the Geo Sangwoong he’d met today. The boy appears relaxed and carefree, but beneath that mask…is the face of a martial artist who fell into despair after hitting an insurmountable wall.

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He had seen many similar cases before, and slowly, the truth was becoming clearer to him.

“Something happened at the Heavenly Martial Festival that severely scarred him mentally,” he concluded.

“I’ve tried scolding, punishment, counseling, even sought out reputed physicians, but nothing worked. Sangwoong just laughed and told me that living like this was easier,” the innkeeper sighed.

With his keen perception, he couldn’t have failed to see the truth, but despite all his efforts, he still failed to heal his son’s mind. He tightened his grip on the wine cup, causing it to crack. Alcohol and blood trickled from his fingers.

“…Then this year, he suddenly announced that he would take over the family business, and would no longer practice martial arts.”

CRACK!

The valuable porcelain cup shattered in the innkeeper’s hand, but he only laughed as he watched the liquor and blood dripping from his fingers, then took another cup and drank some more. No one, not even his closest bodyguards had ever seen him so disheveled.

To others, he was a great man to be envied, but for all he accomplished, he was a father. A father who loved his son deeply and was pained to see his spirit broken.

The innkeeper looked at Baek Suryong with slightly teary eyes. Despite his unkempt state, his voice and expression were more serious than ever. “I’ve rambled on a lot, so I’ll cut to the chase. Make my son a martial artist again. If you do that, never mind just the compensation for today, I will consider you a benefactor for life.”

Watching his son deteriorate day by day ate away at the innkeeper’s heart. If only he could restore his son to his confident self, he was willing to grasp at straws. That was when he heard rumors about Baek Suryong, the new instructor.

If it’s him, he might be able to cure Sangwoong.

It was just a hunch, but a hunch from a man who headed one of the ten largest trading companies was not something to be ignored.

The innkeeper poured another drink for Baek Suryong and bowed his head. “Please, help my son.”

“You’ve come to the right man.” Baek Suryong gulped down the offered drink and set his cup down with a bang. Wiping his mouth with his hand, he smiled broadly. “Trust me, I’m a professional in treating mental illness and rehabilitating delinquents. Still, is it okay if I train him a bit harshly?”

The innkeeper laughed heartily, “Of course!”

The next day, a bewildered Geo Sangwoong was packed up and transported to the White Dragon Manor with no idea what was awaiting him.