Star Instructor, Master Baek

TL: FoodieMonster007

The Heavenly Justice Commander, having barely regained his composure, stepped in front of the Chief, a stiff, forced smile barely touching his lips. Although the other party was the leader of one of the Nine Sects One Gang, he refused to yield.

"Chief, forgive me for interrupting, but… this disciplinary hearing was arranged to address the Murim Alliance Chief Instructor's sins. Please wait until after it concludes to express your gratitude."

"What did you say?"

The Heavenly Justice Commander's gaze flickered towards Baek Suryong.

So what if the Azure Dragon Hero is the Beggars' Gang's benefactor? This is the Murim Alliance, and he is here to pay the price for his sins! Does he think he's safe because of the Beggars' Gang Chief's support? That I'd let him go because of intimidation? Hmph, I'm the one with the proper justification here!

The Heavenly Justice Commander resolved to push forward with the hearing regardless of the Chief's displeasure.

"A disciplinary hearing? Are you telling me that you are gathered to persecute the Azure Dragon Hero?" the Chief demanded, his expression puzzled.

"…I understand that you came here personally because the Azure Dragon Hero is the Beggars' Gang's benefactor. However, he is here now in his capacity as Chief Instructor, and this is the Murim Alliance's internal matter."

If that bastard's fame grows any further, he might be a genuine candidate for the next Chairman. I have to nip it in the bud here!

Whether the Beggars' Gang repaid their debt to the Azure Dragon Hero or not meant nothing as long as Baek Suryong was already dismissed.

"The Heavenly Justice Commander is right."

"The affairs of the Beggars' Gang and the Murim Alliance are separate!"

"Um, didn't the Chief just mention the Blood Cult? I'd like to hear about it…"

"Still, the disciplinary hearing takes precedence!"

Public opinion sided with the Heavenly Justice Commander. His planted agitators performed their roles flawlessly, and the hearing's outcome was already determined.

The Heavenly Justice Commander recounted Baek Suryong's supposed wrongdoings one by one in a resonant voice imbued with inner qi. "We shall resume the hearing! Chief Instructor Baek Suryong stands here accused of damaging the prestige of the Alliance by destroying the Murim Alliance's main gate. Furthermore, during his period of self-reflection, he left the Murim Alliance without authorization…"

The momentary chaos caused by the Beggars' Gang quickly subsided under his authority.

"Heh. I didn't realize the Murim Alliance had sunk to such ignorance," the Chief sighed.

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Beside him, the Little Beggar shook his head, and the Six Wind and Cloud Beggars clicked their tongues, eyeing the Heavenly Justice Commander like a pathetic worm.

Finally, the Heavenly Justice Commander snapped. "Outsiders, refrain from speaking!" he roared, his annoyance clear. He only tolerated the Beggars' Gang Chief out of respect for his rank and seniority in the murim.

The Chief, however, merely snorted back, "Heavenly Justice Commander, do you know why the Azure Dragon Hero destroyed the Murim Alliance main gate?"

"He claimed it was to check the training status of the Alliance's warriors. An utterly nonsensical excuse, in my opinion…"

"Wrong." The Chief's sharp voice sliced through the Commander's words as he looked around. Although his face was gaunt from the poison's aftereffects, befitting the leader of the largest murim organization, he instantly commanded the assembly's attention. "He deliberately acted that way to unmask the traitor hidden within the Murim Alliance."

"…What did you say?"

"A traitor?"

"Explain what you mean right now!"

The Murim Alliance leaders gathered for the disciplinary hearing jumped to their feet, the pressure on the Chief was painfully intense as dozens of martial masters focused their gazes on him.

Undeterred, the Chief continued calmly, "There was a traitor among the Murim Alliance leadership colluding with the Blood Cult. While secretly tracking that person, I was ambushed and poisoned. Until just a few hours ago, I was hovering near death."

Shock rippled through the heart of the Murim Alliance as if a bomb had exploded. Suddenly, the disciplinary hearing was all but forgotten.

"Chief!" the Divine Sword Commander, the highest ranking among the Five Commanders, shouted, his voice laced with anger as an aura like a sword blade rose from his body. "Can you vouch for those words?"

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"This body may be old, but I haven't gone senile yet."

"I'm asking if you have proof!"

"W-What on earth…" the Heavenly Justice Commander stammered, watching the scene unfold with a dumbfounded expression.

The Divine Sword Commander fixed the Chief with a chilling glare. "This concerns our honor. If you accuse a Murim Alliance member falsely without proof…"

"Are you saying you intend to fight the Beggars' Gang?"

"It's not impossible."

The hall crackled with tension as martial artists from both sides let their auras flare. One wrong move, and a violent conflict between the Murim Alliance and the Beggars Gang would break out.

"Ahem!" Ryu Seol rose from her seat. "…Please allow me to explain last night's events."

"Elimination Corps Commander?"

"Acting Chairman! What on earth is going on?!"

"If the Chairman finds out, he'll have a fit…"

"Silence!" Ryu Seol commanded, then explained Moyong Jun's betrayal and the battle against the Poison Demon the previous night.

Her story left the Lieutenants of the Murim Alliance, including the commanders of the Five Corps, utterly stunned.

"How could such a thing…"

"I-Is it true?"

"Unbelievable! Why would our Vice Commander betray us!"

Many still refused to believe the story, and the backlash from the Elimination Corps martial artists was particularly fierce. However, when Moyong Jun walked out head bowed a short while later, bound in ropes, silence fell over the hall.

Utterly haggard from the mental shock of the past few hours, Moyong Jun muttered, "I'll confess everything. I colluded with the Blood Cult. I'll accept my punishment without complaint."

"…!!"

Head still bowed, Moyong Jun admitted to all of his crimes, though he refused to mention the qi deviation, unwilling to offer excuses for his decisions.

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Naturally, chaos erupted the moment he finished.

"You filthy traitor!"

Furious, some Elimination Corps members hurled insults, threw stones, and wept openly. Because they had trusted him, the betrayal cut even deeper.

Blood trickled steadily down Moyong Jun's head.

Ultimately, it took nearly an hour to bring the situation under control.

Moyong Jun was temporarily locked in prison, and Baek Suryong's disciplinary hearing was naturally canceled.

"Let's conclude this. Everyone return and properly reassure your affiliated martial artists…" the Divine Sword Commander announced, surveying the other Commanders with a complex expression.

"Wait! Amidst the confusion, you have all overlooked something important. I cannot stay silent any longer," the Beggars' Gang Chief interrupted sharply. "Isn't there one person you need to thank before you go?"

He pointed at a bewildered Baek Suryong, who blinked in shock as all eyes turned his way.

"The Azure Dragon Hero is not only the benefactor of the Beggars' Gang but also the benefactor of the Murim Alliance. Consider what might have happened if he hadn't unmasked the traitor."

"……"

An enemy within was always more terrifying than one on the outside. If the Blood Cult and the Murim Alliance had been at war, the Alliance's troop strengths, formations, and even supply routes would have been exposed to the Blood Cult.

…Just the thought of that was terrifying.

By catching that rat, Baek Suryong had prevented the Murim Alliance from shedding rivers of blood.

"Even if you were unaware of it, a few moments ago, you just tried to persecute your benefactor! You must apologize and compensate him properly! Otherwise, our countless compatriots in the jianghu will most assuredly mock the Murim Alliance!" the Beggars' Gang Chief boomed.

He was a man with a firm stance on debt and enmity. He was here to ensure that the Azure Dragon Hero received both gratitude and recompense.

Among the commanders of the Five Corps, the Divine Sword Commander was the first to turn red with shame. He clasped his hands together and bowed slightly, saying, "The Chief is right. Chief Instructor. On behalf of the Divine Sword Corps, I convey our gratitude. The Divine Sword Corps will never forget this debt."

The Righteous Corps Commander immediately followed suit. "The Righteous Corps feels the same. We have received a great favor from the Chief Instructor and will not forget today's events."

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Ryu Seol, who could not completely evade the responsibility for her vice commander's treachery, smiled faintly. "The Elimination Corps stands ready whenever the Chief Instructor wishes. Just call, and we'll answer."

Finally, the Heavenly Justice Commander reluctantly clasped his hands together. "On behalf of the Heavenly Justice Corps, I thank you. I will… not forget this debt."

This was, in effect, a declaration of surrender, but to abstain now would brand him as narrow-minded.

With the exception of the Ironblood Commander, who was away on a distant mission, every commander present had now pledged their gratitude to the Azure Dragon Hero. The weight of their combined pledge was immense.

"I was only doing my duty," Baek Suryong protested, feeling overwhelmed as the weight of dozens of gazes bore down on him. It turned out to be more stressful than he'd thought.

I never wished for this much?

He'd only asked the Little Beggar, via Namgung Su, to come to the disciplinary hearing and resolve things. He never expected the Chief himself to come.

Most importantly, he hadn't wanted this circus.

My face is practically on fire.

Unfortunately, the Beggars' Gang Chief's performance was just beginning. As the head of the murim's largest intelligence network, he was, naturally, extremely skilled at manipulating public perception.

The Chief addressed the crowd. "Just look at the Azure Dragon Hero's pale face! Despite suffering severe internal injuries, he's quietly enduring the pain without showing a single hint of his suffering!"

Huh? The injuries weren't that bad, and I feel much better after sleeping. Plus, my skin's naturally this pale…

"A-About that…" Baek Suryong started.

The Chief steamrolled over him. "Furthermore, he kept silent about his deeds until the very end! Such seriousness! Such humility!"

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"Ahem…" Baek Suryong tried again. Being framed isn't my idea of fun, so if they hadn't shown up, I'd have spoken up myself, but this is absurd…

However, the Chief ignored him pointedly. "He swallowed Qi Dispersing Poison voluntarily! Wore handcuffs! Risked his life to expose the traitor! Who among you would do the same? Raise your hand!"

"Cough…" Baek Suryong's face flushed. Sorry, the poison didn't work on me, the cuffs were useless, and I was never in danger!

Unfortunately, none in the crowd doubted the Chief's words.

"Indeed…"

"He's truly a model orthodox martial artist!"

"It's an honor to learn martial arts from the Azure Dragon Hero!"

Except for the Heavenly Justice Commander, who looked like he'd just lost a war, the Murim Alliance martial artists gazed at Baek Suryong, their expressions full of awe.

The Chief delivered the coup de grâce. "The Beggars' Gang hereby appoints the Azure Dragon Hero Baek Suryong as an Honorary Beggar! The beggars of the Beggars' Gang scattered throughout the land will share their food with him and willingly yield the mats they sleep on. From today, the Azure Dragon Hero is brother to all beggars!"

""The Azure Dragon Hero is a brother to all beggars!""

"…!!"

That was the highest praise a Beggars' Gang martial artist could offer. Baek Suryong could now access the Beggars' Gang information network freely and, theoretically, demand food from them.

…Though I'd rather starve than do such a thing.

Baek Suryong had zero desire to become brothers with beggars, and even less desire to solicit meals from them.

Of course, outwardly he widened his eyes, feigning deep emotion, while inwardly scrambling for a polite refusal.

"C-Chief, the title of Honorary Beggar… it's too excessive for me. Please, withdraw it…"

"Nonsense, don't decline! So humble! Even though you're already one of the Ten Supremes at your age…"

"That's not it…"

It's because I don't want to be treated like a beggar, damn it!

He desperately wanted to shout his true feelings out loud, but the atmosphere made it impossible.

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In the end, Baek Suryong became an Honorary Beggar of the Beggars' Gang, something he had never remotely expected.

"Ha, haha… T-Thank you…" he stammered, bowing his head.

Suddenly, he met Namgung Su's gaze.

There was a satisfied smirk playing on the man's lips. To others, it might have looked the same as his usual expressionless face, but Baek Suryong could definitely spot the difference.

Did that bastard perhaps say something to the Chief?

His intuition screamed that everything was all Namgung Su's fault.

…And Namgung Su's telepathy confirmed it instantly.

[On the way here, I told the Chief that you have the type of personality that never refuses anything given to you.]

[What kind of bullshit is that?]

[I think I've repaid quite a lot of my debt this time.]

[You're crazy… ]

And so, the Azure Dragon Hero's legend spread even further throughout the murim.