Star Instructor, Master Baek

Chapter 14: Are You Going to Remarry?

After the conclusion of our duel, I sat face-to-face with Dad. Everyone else had gone home, leaving only the two of us in the spacious, empty Baek Academy.

You know, I wasnt going to let you leave at all, Dad said, staring down at the teacup in front of him with folded arms.

I know very well what kind of situation you would face if you go there, so I planned to get in your way even if I had to personally break your arms and legs, he continued.

And if I kept insisting on leaving?

Id pretend that I lost and stalk you secretly.

Well, it wasnt like I didnt anticipate this little scheme of his when I spotted him sneakily packing his luggage several days ago.

As expected, hes weak to his son.

I coolly sipped some tea and said, Now that Ive won the duel though, you cant stop me or stalk me anymore.

Eh, I cant?

Read this at , or else.

Absolutely not. I shook my head firmly. Although I was extremely grateful to him, from now on, it was better for both me and him to stay apart for a while.

By the time I come back, Ill be rich and famous. Until then, please just make sure the Baek Academy doesnt go bankrupt and close down.

Why you little punk Dad said, making a puppy-dog face that was totally unbecoming of his age. If any of the widows in town could see him now, they would have gone crazy and agreed to anything he asked for, but that wasnt going to work on me. Obviously.

If you go to the Azure Dragon Academy Dad hesitated for a moment, then sighed and continued, youll probably run into your maternal grandfather.

What?

My maternal grandfather would be my mothers father.

What the hell? Ive never heard anything about this before!

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Come to think of it, during the whole time I was here, I never heard much about my moms side of the family.

Dad hesitated again for a while, then suddenly added, Alsothat man is the principal of the Azure Dragon Academy.

That man? Who?

Your maternal grandfather.

No no no, why are you only telling me this now? I blabbed, utterly bewildered.

Dad deliberately avoided my gaze and looked away, muttering, Didnt I just tell you? I wasnt planning on letting you leave, so Anyway, I never thought that youd be able to beat me, and honestly, if I had been shameless and used my qi, I would have won for sure

Enough of the excuses. Why didnt you tell me earlier that you had connections to the Academy? I could have gotten in by the back door instead, or had an easier entrance exam

As I talked excitedly, I suddenly noticed the bleak expression on Dads face.

Wait a second, it cant beright?

Do you not get along with my maternal grandfather?

Y arent you reading this at ?

He didnt like me, so Yak-Bing broke off her relationship with him.

Mae Yak-Bing. That was my mothers name.

I anxiously asked, When did this happen?

Err, when Yak-Bing and I got married?

Ah, so it happened roughly thirty years ago. Its been quite a long time, so the two of you must basically be strangers by now, right?

Dad pretended not to hear me grumbling.

Look, I dont know what Father-in-law will think of you. He might like you because of your resemblance to Yak-Bing, or

Or?

He might try to kill you because you look like me.

Dad frowned and mumbled to himself, Hmm, hes super old and about to die soon, but should I just murder him anyway?

I put a hand on my painfully throbbing head and sighed.

Anyway, be careful. If you meet a man named Mae Geuk-Nyom (), the first thing you should do is run away as fast as you can, at least a hundred yards away

Okay, stop right there. I think Ive heard enough.

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Worrying about all this stuff beforehand was meaningless. In the end, my best option was to go meet the old man in person and try my luck.

At worst, Id just have to kill him, thats all.

Should I go with you after all? If youre with me, hell definitely attack me first, giving you an opportunity to escape

Just how badly does your father-in-law hate you?!

I sighed deeply and stood up from my seat. The longer I spent saying goodbye, the harder it would be to actually leave.

Now was a good time. If I stayed here any longer, the sun would set.

Then, Dad, Im off. Please take good care of yourself until my glorious return. I bowed deeply in respect and gratitude.

You know you dont have to bow down to me Sigh, fine, hurry up and go.

I straightened my back and turned around.

As I secured the bag that was falling off my shoulder, I looked around and engraved the familiar sights of the Baek Academy into my mind.

Over the last few months, before I knew it, I had grown attached to the worn-down training ground, the old buildings, the weather-beaten entrance signboard, and the toys the sniveling brats left behind in a corner of the yard.

Although I lived in a much grander place back when I was an instructor in the Blood Cult, somehow I liked this simple, humble place a lot better.

Y arent you reading this at ?

Maybe it was because this was the first time I ever had a place I could call home.

Ill definitely come back here.

It might take a few years, or even longer, but I was determined to one day return to this place.

This was home, after all.

Remember to send me a letter once a month! If you fail to contact me, I will go looking for you, you little punk!

Yes, yes, I replied to Dads nagging without turning around.

Then, I walked past the main gates of the Baek Academy and took my first step toward the Azure Dragon Academy.

Baek Mu-Heun stood motionless as he watched as his sons figure get smaller and smaller, until the young man finally disappeared into the distance.

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What a heartless kid. He didnt look back even once.

Ever since his son had almost died in an accident, Baek Su-Ryong had changed so much that it was as if he had become a totally different person, but Baek Mu-Heun still couldnt help but worry about his only child.

That child has always dreamed of entering the gangho, but he knows nothing about its mercilessness.

You need to always remain vigilant around women

For the most part, Baek Mu-Heun felt that his son looked a lot like him, but that high nose bridge and long eyelashes were exactly the same as his late wifes.

Because of that face, youll invite trouble in the Azure Dragon Academy whether you want to or not.

Y arent you reading this at ?

Trust me, Ive been through it.

Baek Mu-Heun recalled the first time he met his wife in the Azure Dragon Academy.

So youre the Jade Prince? Hmm You dont seem all that handsome to me.

Are you drunk? Or does insulting other peoples facial features make you happy?

Hey, how about treating me to a drink? In celebration of our first meeting.

What the hell are you saying!?

Yeah, that didnt end very well, did it?

Read this at , or else.

She was a girl who looked so weak that it seemed as if she would break at a single touch, and yet, she had boldly stared at him and demanded he treat her to a drink.

Before he knew it, he had fallen head over heels for that fragile-looking girl.

Yak-Bing, will you marry me? I swear to abandon my frivolous ways and remain loyal to you forever!

My body is very weak, and I might not live much longer. Even then, would you still marry me?

Yes! I dont care about something trivial like that!

Isnt that because you can just remarry someone else after I die?

W-What? No! Im not going to remarry! Absolutely not!

Beside a shimmering lake lit up by the pale moonlight, a young man and woman decided to tie the knot.

However, the young man faced opposition from the father-in-law who loved his daughter more than anything else in the world.

You fucking playboy! How dare you lay your dirty hands on my daughter?

Please calm down, Father-in-law

Who the hell is your father-in-law!? Im going to bash in your skull in one strike!

Dad, please stop that! If you kill this man, I will commit suicide and die together with welcomes you.

Y-Y-You! How could you!

As he remembered the look on his father-in-laws face back then, Baek Mu-Heun couldnt help but shudder.

I still cant believe I survived that.

Eventually, his wife severed her relationship with her father and eloped with him, fleeing the Azure Dragon Academy like they were fugitives on the run.

Yak-Bing! I will definitely make you happy! Ill also find a way to cure your illness!

Dont be silly. You know, Ive always dreamed of freely drifting around the gangho1 together with the man I love.

And so Baek Mu-Heun randomly drifted around the gangho with his beloved woman. It was an arduous journey, but it was also the most blissful time of his life.

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A few years later, the two lovebirds had a child.

UWAAAAAAAH!

Yak-Bing! Yak-Bing! Get a hold of yourself!

Is it a boy? Or a girl?

Its a boy! A boy who looks just like you!

Yak-Bing, did you know? That baby has now grown so big.

Hours had already passed since Baek Su-Ryong had vanished into the distance, but Baek Mu-Heun still looked in the direction in which his son had left.

I was going to take care of him for the rest of my lifebut he said that he didnt need me anymore. Then, he just up and left!

Suddenly, Baek Mu-Heun thought he heard his wifes voice from a very far-off place.

He looks a lot like you, so hes definitely going to end up making a lot of girls cry.2

Haha, Im sure he will, Baek Mu-Heun laughed.

However, the next moment, his expression hardened.

Y arent you reading this at ?

Hey, should I go to where you are now?

His son was the last gift his wife had left for him. To his delight, not only did the boy look a lot like her, his boldness and tendency to stir up trouble was just like her

If it would cure that stupid disease, hed be willing to donate his flesh and blood, or even sacrifice his life.

I know! Ill secretly stalk him and watch him from afar

Stop that. What the fuck do you think youre doing? You lost the duel.

At his wifes chiding, Baek Mu-Heun smiled awkwardly and laughed, Oh, haha. Thats right, I lost.

Yak-Bing was right.

Was the loser of the duel going to protect the winner?

Well, in his defense, he hadnt used his qi at all during the battle.

Read this at , or else.

Even so, a loss was a loss.

I still cant believe I actually lost to that punk. Ha, haha Hahaha.

Whats wrong with me? I should be laughing happily, and yet I feel like crying.

Baek Mu-Heuns laughter slowly turned into sobs. He tried his best to hold it in, but he couldnt stop the tears from flowing down his face.

Yak-Bing, that punktold me to wait here until he returned, he muttered to himself, clenching his teeth to prevent his tears from falling.

He also said that it wasnt my fault. That your death, and the fact that he was born weak, none of it was my fault.

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All these years, did you blame yourself for everything?

Of course I did. If you hadnt met me, you wouldnt have died so soon. And that child

Baek Mu-Heun couldnt bring himself to finish that sentence, so his wife did it for him.

Wouldnt have been born? Is that what you really think? Huh?

Im sorry, Im so sorry. Thats not what I meant.

Im truly happy to have met you. To me, theres no meaning in living a few more years if it meant that I would be sad and lonely.

Yak-Bing is dead. This voice in my head is just a hallucination. I dont know, and Ill never know if that was what she truly thought.

The same goes for my son. Im happy to have given birth to him. Also, I heard what you said just now, and Im glad that hes all grown-up.

Its just a hallucination, but I still feel somewhat comforted.

Why arent you reading this at ?

Thats right When did that little boy grow so big?

Its time we let him out of the nest, and watch him take flight.

Ughuuu

The dam holding back Baek Mu-Heuns tears broke, and he began to weep like a little child.

For the longest time, he simply sat there, crying his heart out.

You ought to read this at northbladetl.com.

Phew

When his tears had finally run dry and his turbulent emotions had calmed down, Baek Mu-Heun felt like a load had been lifted off his heart.

So, what are you going to do now? Since theres no son around to snub you anymore, are you going to remarry?

Recalling his wifes coy voice, Baek Mu-Heun couldnt help but grin.

What do you mean, remarry? I just want to finish mastering the martial arts that I couldnt do before.

Under the red-orange glow of the setting sun, Baek Mu-Heun stood up and gently raised his sword.

Hoo

Every day for the last three decades, he had diligently practiced his Revolving Tempest Sword without fail.

However, something about his blade had changed.

As he moved, the dust on the training ground rose like a misty fog, and the dried fallen leaves spiraled into the sky as if lifted by a gentle breeze.

His sword had broken free of its chains.

How long had it been since the last time he felt like this?

When he had finished performing all the forms of his sword technique, Baek Mu-Heun froze in place.

Congratulations.

Thank you, Baek Mu-Heun said, smiling faintly.

Although he didnt notice it, the qi around his blade now shone pure and clear.

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1. Drifting around the gangho: Gangho literally means rivers and lakes, and drifting here actually refers to sailing, so what Yak-Bing says is I want to freely sail across the rivers and lakes. I tried to keep the wordplay, but its hard. 

2. Ill be using bold quotes like this for the dead mothers speech. 

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