Star Instructor, Master Baek - Chapter 121: The Blood Cult's Modus Operandi (6)

TL: FoodieMonster007

Early the next morning, Pung Jinho savored the delicate aroma of his tea, poured by a servant with a practiced hand, while his eyes roamed the lush greenery of the garden. A hint of a smile curled on his lips.

“Not bad,” he murmured to himself, satisfaction evident in his tone.

Gazing out at the garden was a ritual he never skipped, a small luxury before diving into the demands of his day. It was a quiet moment to bask in the fruits of his success, standing in a home that could rival the grandest estates of the great clans.

“Eyy, my lord… You’re full of energy this morning, aren’t you?”

The playful lilt of the servant’s voice, coupled with her flirtatious smile, only added to his contentment.

“Fufu, you sly little thing. Come here!”

They indulged in a bit of banter, the kind that blurred the lines between master and servant. Nearly an hour passed in this carefree manner before a steward, who had been waiting at a respectful distance, approached.

“My lord, it’s time for your bath.”

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“I’ll be there shortly.”

With an air of lazy arrogance, Pung Jinho adjusted his pajamas, made his way to the bathhouse, and, as usual, took his time soaking in the warm water. This resulted in him always being fashionably late to work, arriving almost an hour after the other instructors, but no one at Azure Dragon Academy had ever dared to criticize him for it.

On the rare occasions when Mae Geuklyom frowned and suggested that punctuality might be appreciated, Pung Jinho would simply chuckle and offer the same tired excuse: “Haha, the heavy workload keeps me late into the night, so please forgive me if I’m a little late.”

In truth, it had been more than a decade since Pung Jinho had done any real overtime at the academy. His so-called “overtime” was instead spent hosting lavish drinking parties with local landlords, influential figures, and wealthy patrons—all for the sake of expanding his web of connections.

Connections are money.

The wealth he had amassed through these connections, and by whatever means necessary, far surpassed the earnings of a mere instructor.

After his bath, a luxurious feast awaited him. As he bit into a piece of pork, however, he frowned slightly and glanced at the anxious head chef hovering nearby.

“The meat’s a bit tough today.”

“I apologize, sir. I’ll prepare a replacement immediately.”

“No need, I’ll just eat this today. You can leave now.”

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Ordinarily, he would have berated the chef, but he had been in an unusually good mood since the previous night, so he decided to be lenient.

As he continued his meal, his thoughts drifted to the day’s agenda. Come to think of it, today’s the last day for course registration.

• Defense Against the Unorthodox Arts – Baek Suryong
• Analysis of Unorthodox Sect Martial Arts – Pung Jinho

Even though he and Baek Suryong were competing for students with their overlapping courses, he wasn’t worried in the slightest. In light of the connections he had cultivated and the sway he held over the academy, his victory was inevitable.

A smirk crept across Pung Jinho’s face.

There isn’t a single student at the Azure Dragon Academy who dares to cross me. Well, aside from a handful of delinquents who don’t care about their grades.

While pondering over the academy’s list of delinquents, suddenly, the figure of Baek Suryong, the Remedial Class homeroom teacher, popped up in his mind.

“That arrogant bastard…” Pung Jinho muttered.

His brow furrowed for a moment, but it was quickly replaced with a smug grin.

“He should have known his limits. He crossed a line he shouldn’t have and sealed his own fate.”

Soon enough, Baek Suryong would bring about his own downfall without any interference from Pung Jinho. The fool had gotten tangled up with Geo Sangwoong, a move that led him straight into conflict with the Blood Cult.

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At the thought of Geo Sangwoong, Pung Jinho scoffed. Foolish kid. If you had just helped me build a relationship with your father, things wouldn’t have turned out this way.

Although Geo Sangwoong had never openly admitted that the Golden Dragon Chairman was his father, Pung Jinho had known the truth since the day the boy enrolled in the academy, thanks to his network of informants. As such, he had worked tirelessly to get close to Geo Sangwoong, offering him all sorts of favors and carefully guiding him in martial arts, all in the hope of meeting the Golden Dragon Chairman.

In this city, merchants would offer half their fortunes just for a dinner with the Golden Dragon Chairman.

However, Geo Sangwoong was stubborn. He avoided Pung Jinho’s every attempt to win him over, until his repeated refusals finally provoked the instructor’s ire. Around this time, as if on cue, the Blood Cult approached Pung Jinho with a proposition.

“Heh, in the end, things worked out for the best.”

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Two years ago, Pung Jinho had orchestrated a fateful meeting between Geo Sangwoong and the Blood Dragon. With connections, information, and wealth bolstered by the Blood Cult’s backing, Pung Jinho feared nothing.

Sipping the wine that complemented his feast, he chuckled, “Geo Sangwoong. Baek Suryong. You two fools make a perfect pair.”

Now that the terrifying Smiling Grim Reaper was involved, Pung Jinho was confident that Baek Suryong’s days were numbered. Stil, he had no intention of letting his prey die so easily.

“First, I’ll destroy your life. Then, I’ll end it.”

His smile twisted into something wicked, eyes narrowing into slits like a serpent’s, giving him an appearance more menacing than most unorthodox sect criminals.

“My lord!”

“Hm?”

Suddenly, his servant’s voice, more urgent than usual, interrupted his dark musings, causing Pung Jinho to tilt his head in confusion. He still had an hour before he needed to leave for the academy.

The servant rushed in, breathless. “My lord, someone has come to see you.”

“…At this hour?”

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“He says he’s a fellow instructor. He wants to have breakfast with you and go to work together… I told him you don’t like to be disturbed, but he insisted,” the servant explained, bowing deeply.

“A fellow instructor?”

There were several instructors at the Azure Dragon Academy who could be considered his equals, but none who would show up uninvited at this hour. As for the rest, they at least knew Pung Jinho well enough to leave him to his morning solitude.

It can’t be the Principal or Vice Principal. Namgung Su? Nah, that’s impossible. Then who…?

Pung Jinho didn’t have to wonder for long.

BANG!

The door swung open with such force it nearly came off its hinges, and Baek Suryong strode in, radiating an ominous aura. Without waiting for Pung Jinho’s permission, he sank into the seat opposite him, his eyes sweeping over the lavish spread before him.

“Wow! To think that while I was running around all night, you were stuffing yourself with all this good shit.”

The crudeness of his tone, more suited to a street thug, left Pung Jinho momentarily speechless. A faint smell of blood clung to Baek Suryong, making Pung Jinho wince inwardly.

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“…What do you think you’re doing, Baek Suryong?”

“Who knows? What does it look like I’m doing? Oh, this is delicious.”

Completely ignoring any pretense of manners, Baek Suryong grabbed a fistful of food with his bare hands. He then looked at the servant, who stood awkwardly beside him, and grinned.

“I’m about to say something that could get you into trouble, so you’d better step outside.”

“Y-Yes, of course.”

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With a face as pale as a sheet, the servant quickly retreated, leaving the two instructors alone in the room.

Alarmed by Baek Suryong’s bizarre behavior, Pung Jinho couldn’t help but feel a growing sense of unease. “I don’t know where you found the nerve to be so insolent. You didn’t really come here this morning with the intention of harming me, did you? The principal would never allow it…”

“Do you really think that?” Baek Suryong interrupted coldly, a sinister killing intent flickering in his eyes.

Startled, Pung Jinho jumped to his feet and stepped backward instinctively. Memories of the last time Baek Suryong humiliated him at a brothel flashed through his mind, draining the color from his face.

“Sure, I’ll admit that your martial arts skills surpass mine, but the world doesn’t revolve around martial arts alone. If you dare lay a hand on me…” Pung Jinho began, but his voice trailed off as he suddenly flinched.

Baek Suryong’s eyes blazed with a subtle but deadly threat, as if he was barely holding back the urge to kill. Looking Pung Jinho in the eyes, he said softly, “Then tell me, how does the world work? I’m really curious.”

Fearing for his life, Pung Jinho shouted desperately, “Connections! Power! Money! I have it all! If you kill me, you won’t survive either! The authorities and the Murim Alliance will come after you!”

Truth be told, Pung Jinho had only met the local governor once, and while he hadn’t crossed paths with the Golden Dragon Chairman, he had shared drinks three times with the Chairman’s fifth cousin.

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“Wow, that’s impressive… It would be a real disaster if someone killed you just like that,” Baek Suryong replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Unfortunately, in his panic, Pung Jinho missed the irony in Baek Suryong’s words.

Trying his best to compose himself, he smiled faintly and said, “At last, you see reason. Now, let’s end this nonsense. Leave and I’ll forget this ever happened.”

Amused by the situation, Baek Suryong chuckled to himself. Hah, he’s completely underestimating me. Not that it’s surprising. How could he know that Gongson Su, the Iron-Fisted Prime Minister, learned martial arts from me? Or that the Golden Dragon Chairman once vowed to consider me a lifelong benefactor?

“What’s the point in killing garbage like you? I’m here for something else today,” he laughed.

“What…”

Baek Suryong reached into his pocket and pulled out a small piece of paper, holding it up for Pung Jinho to see.

It was a contract signed by Pung Jinho when he swore allegiance to the Blood Cult two years ago. Known as the Blood Seal, it had his fingerprints, personal seal, and handwriting unmistakably imprinted on it.

Pung Jinho’s eyes widened in shock, even as he lunged forward to grab the Blood Seal. “Guh! Y-You bastard!”

Unfortunately, Baek Suryong had already predicted what he would do. Snatching the seal away at the last second, waved it tauntingly in front of Pung Jinho. “What do you think will happen if I hand this over to the Murim Alliance? Do you think your connections, power, and money will protect you then?” he sneered wickedly.

“You… YOU…!”

The Murim Alliance still hunted the remnants of the Blood Cult with fervor, even though they had been extinct for decades. If Pung Jinho’s Blood Seal fell into their hands, they wouldn’t just capture him, they would destroy his qi center, sever his limbs, and torture him until he divulged every last secret he knew.

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“How did you… How did you get that…”

“Does that really matter right now? What matters is that it’s in my hands, and the Blood Cult can’t protect you anymore.”

The color drained from Pung Jinho’s face, and the lavish feast he had just consumed threatened to come right back up again. Frantic, he searched for some excuse, any excuse that would get him out of this.

“T-That’s a fake!” he stammered, grasping at straws.

“A fake?”

Pung Jinho forced a faint smile. Calm down. There’s no way Baek Suryong can prove that the Blood Seal is real. Not even the Murim Alliance is capable of doing that easily.

In a slightly steadier voice, he explained, “The Blood Cult disbanded ages ago. How could you possibly prove that’s their property? Do you think the Murim Alliance investigators are fools?”

“Hmm…” Baek Suryong nodded thoughtfully, as if considering the point. “You’re right. It’s possible that someone is scheming to falsely accuse you of being a spy for the Blood Cult.”

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“Exactly. Now that you understand…”

However, Baek Suryong wasn’t done yet.

“That’s why I prepared a witness.”

“W-Witness? What witness?”

“Why are you so surprised?”

Baek Suryong leaned forward, causing Pung Jinho to instinctively shrink back. In a hushed tone, as if he was telling a secret, he whispered, “Yang Jin, one of the Azure Dragon Academy alumni whom you sabotaged at the Heavenly Martial Festival two years ago, has agreed to testify against you. He’s also prepared to reveal the truth about all the terrible things that Geo Sangwoong went through.”

“Hic!” Pung Jinho hiccuped involuntarily, quickly clapping a hand over his mouth as confusion clouded his mind. How did he find out about that…? Only the Smiling Grim Reaper knew I was involved in that incident! Did something happen to him?

Baek Suryong leaned in even closer, looming over Pung Jinho like a demon from hell. “The Murim Alliance might take their time investigating you, but do you think the Golden Dragon Chairman would be so patient?”

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“D-Don’t come any closer…”

“If the Chairman finds out that you were an accomplice in the crippling of his son, he won’t just kill you, he’ll grant you a fate worse than death.”

CRASH!

“Ugh!” Pung Jinho, who had been trying to back away, stumbled over his chair and fell to the ground.

Baek Suryong stared down at him icily. Pathetic. How dare he call himself a martial arts instructor with such a bloated belly and tender, callus-free hands? Though… as much as I’d love to kill this trash right now, I’ll restrain myself. Even trash can be useful if handled properly.

“Pung Jinho,” Baek Suryong said softly, crouching down in front of Pung Jinho and sealing his acupoints.

“Ugh, ugh!” Pung Jinho panicked, trying to struggle, but the sealed acupoints rendered him immobile.

Prying Pung Jinho’s mouth open, Baek Suryong forced him to swallow a small, black centipede. “This is the parasitic worm that the Blood Cult intended to feed to Geo Sangwoong. I found it in the underground vault of the gambling den,” he remarked nonchalantly.

As the parasite wriggled down his throat, the agonizing pain brought tears to Pung Jinho’s face. “Ugh! Ugh!”

Baek Suryong watched Pung Jinho, his face devoid of pity, before releasing his sealed acupoints.

The parasitic worm he had just fed to Pung Jinho became subservient to the owner of the first blood they tasted, so he had given it a drop of his own blood beforehand. Thus, now that the parasite was implanted in Pung Jinho’s body, he could force the man to do his bidding and take complete control of his life.

“I can kill you anytime I want now. I’m sure you understand what that means,” he declared coldly.

With a look of absolute horror in his eyes, Pung Jinho looked up at Baek Suryong. “You… You…”

“You? Get your honorifics right,” Baek Suryong chuckled menacingly.

“M-My liege… How would you like me to serve you?” Pung Jinho stammered, quickly correcting himself.

Baek Suryong smirked with devilish satisfaction.