TL: FoodieMonster007

    "It''s been a while since we last met, Mr. Baek Suryong," Seo Ri''ae greeted politely.

    The last time she had met Baek Suryong, he had been nothing more than a new instructor. Back then, if she had wanted to, she could have had him fired from the academy with ease.

    Now, however, the situation was reversed. The Azure Dragon Hero was a powerful and renowned martial artist, someone even the Murim Alliance Chairman dared not toy with recklessly.

    As a woman who would not hesitate to bow or even kneel if it would benefit her son, she had to make sure to treat Baek Suryong with the utmost courtesy and respect.

    "I know visiting at this late hour is improper, but I had no choice. A mother''s worry cannot be laid to rest when her son has not returned home," she continued.

    "It''s fine. Please, have a seat," Baek Suryong replied, gesturing to the seat beside Bang Baekhyun.

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    Seo Ri''ae moved with effortless grace, smoothing her dress as she settled into her seat. Her son, on the other hand, stole a nervous glance in her direction.

    "It wasn''t intentional, but I overheard some of what you were saying outside," she said.

    Of course, you did. I didn''t bother putting up a sound barrier, Baek Suryong thought, but remained silent as he observed the woman carefully.

    Seo Ri''ae declared firmly, "My son is destined to become the Murim Alliance Chairman. I raised him to lack nothing, whether in martial arts or character."

    "He is indeed a very outstanding student," Baek Suryong acknowledged.

    A faint smile appeared on Seo Ri''ae''s lips. "Thank you. However... as you said, his only flaw is that he enrolled in the Azure Dragon Academy instead of the Heavenly Martial Academy. Unfortunately, we didn''t have much of a choice when it came to his schooling."

    "May I ask why?"

    "...It was because of me."

    "Mother!" Bang Baekhyun called out in a hushed voice, but Seo Ri''ae ignored him.

    "It was entirely my fault. Because of a mistake I made in the past, Baekhyun was unable to enter the Heavenly Martial Academy."

    "How is that your fault..."

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    "Be quiet!" Seo Ri''ae hissed at her son, then bowed her head at Baek Suryong, her eyes desperate and pleading. "Mr. Baek, please. I beg you, don''t ask any more questions about this."

    Seeing Seo Ri''ae''s obvious distress, Baek Suryong could hardly believe that this was the same proud woman he had met before.

    More importantly, that flicker of madness in her eyes... could that be what I think it is?

    Regardless, he nodded. "...Understood. I won''t ask about it any further."

    "Thank you."

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    "But, Madam."

    "Hmm?" Seo Ri''ae lifted her head and met Baek Suryong''s gaze.

    Baek Suryong regarded Seo Ri''ae closely. Her eyes, filled with obsessive determination, were tinged with the faintest shade of red. Had he not been so close to her, he would never have noticed.

    "From what I see, Bang Baekhyun seems more suited to the Omniscient Bureau than the Heavenly Martial Corps," he began cautiously, testing the waters.

    "...No, it must be the Heavenly Martial Corps," Seo Ri''ae replied. "Mr. Baek, no one knows my son better than I do. Baekhyun must go to the Heavenly Martial Corps. That is where he can build his achievements and rise through the ranks the fastest."

    Baek Suryong studied Seo Ri''ae''s reaction in detail.

    She''s smiling, but her lips are quivering slightly, there''s a subtle tremor in her voice, and her fingers are constantly fidgeting. She''s quite agitated.

    He asked again, "The Heavenly Martial Corps is a rough place for an Azure Dragon Academy graduate. Have you considered that rather than advancing, he may be hindered or bullied by his peers?"

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    "He must overcome such competition if he''s going to be Chairman one day!" Seo Ri''ae bellowed, her eyes flashing with deranged fervor.

    However, almost immediately after, she visibly deflated, seeming to regret her sudden outburst.

    "I-I''m sorry," she stammered. "I tend to get carried away when it comes to my son."

    "...It''s fine, don''t worry," Baek Suryong reassured.

    Now, he was certain. Seo Ri''ae was not in a normal state of mind. Even if it involved her son''s future, were a few words truly something worth getting this upset over?

    "Madam, the Omniscient Bureau is a strong alternative. The Murim Alliance''s intelligence division is every bit as capable as the Beggars'' Gang. It would be the best place for Bang Baekhyun to utilize his talents," he argued.

    "But isn''t the Omniscient Bureau just a lowly desk job compared to the Heavenly Martial Corps? What sort of grand achievements can he accomplish by pushing papers in a cramped office?"

    "......" Baek Suryong fell silent, thinking through his next words.

    Growing impatient, Seo Ri''ae reached into her sleeve, pulled out a heavy wallet, and placed it on the table. Judging by the loud clinking sound it made, it was filled with a considerable amount of money.

    "This is a small token of appreciation. If you help us, I will never forget this favor," she said.@@@@

    Baek Suryong ignored her and instead turned to Bang Baekhyun. "Why have you been silent this whole time?"

    Seo Ri''ae''s qi deviation had likely developed gradually over time. When her love for her son first twisted into an unhealthy obsession, it had triggered a mild qi deviation. The intensified emotions from the qi deviation then fed her obsession, further destabilizing her qi and resulting in a vicious cycle.

    This type of qi deviation was hard to spot because it didn''t have obvious symptoms.

    RUMBLE!

    "Don''t you dare treat me like some lunatic!" Seo Ri''ae let out a shill scream. "No one will take my son from me!"

    Before anyone could react, she lunged at Baek Suryong, her eyes glowing white as she released a freezing aura.

    "Mother!" Bang Baekhyun shouted.

    Although Seo Ri''ae was a peak-level martial artist, the gap between her and Baek Suryong was just too vast. Moreover, in her current state, with her mind clouded by qi deviation, she stood no chance against him.

    As expected, Baek Suryong subdued Seo Ri''ae in mere moments.

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    "How... How do you know Ice Arts...!" Seo Ri''ae gasped. Even in her near-maddened state, she could feel Baek Suryong''s cold energy invading her body.

    Baek Suryong quickly sealed her acupoints, knocking her unconscious.

    "What are you doing?!" Bang Baekhyun cried out in alarm.

    "If I hadn''t knocked her out, she would''ve kept attacking," Baek Suryong explained, carefully handing the unconscious Seo Ri''ae to Bang Baekhyun.

    "W-What happened...? Why did my mother suddenly...?" Bang Baekhyun stammered, looking completely shaken.

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    Baek Suryong asked, "You really didn''t notice that your mother was suffering from qi deviation?"

    "I-I had no idea. I knew she was becoming more obsessive lately, but..."

    "Maybe she didn''t know either."

    "Why did this happen to her...?"

    Tears began to flow from Bang Baekhyun''s eyes. Seeing his mother''s pale, exhausted face, his heart felt like it was being torn apart. He had been right next to his mother all this time, yet he had failed to notice something that Baek Suryong had discovered in an instant.

    "Mother..."

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    Baek Suryong silently watched as Bang Baekhyun hugged his mother and wept.

    If left alone, she would''ve become like the Nine Yin Witch.

    The memory of the Nine Yin Witch''s tragic fate still haunted Baek Suryong. Ultimately, it was the fake White Ice Divine Art he had fabricated for the Blood Cult which had driven her insane, and the guilt gnawed at him.

    Fortunately, this time, it wasn''t too late.

    He walked over and had Bang Baekhyun lay his mother flat on the ground.

    Seeing the boy''s confused expression, he smiled. "You should consider yourself lucky. Even though I''m a specialist in treating qi deviation, if this had gone on for a few more months, it would''ve been much harder to fix."

    Baek Suryong placed his hands on Seo Ri''ae''s qi center and forehead. Very carefully, he infused her with the energy of the Heaven Defying Divine Art, letting it circulate through her body, absorbing the impure energy built up from her qi deviation.

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    Thanks to his recent progress in the martial art, the procedure took much less time than when he treated Wiji Cheon and Gongson Su.

    After a while, the agitation on Seo Ri''ae''s face melted away, replaced by peace and serenity.

    Baek Suryong withdrew his hands and said to Bang Baekhyun, "The immediate danger has passed. Take her to a physician and get a prescription for energy recovery medicine. She''ll be fine after a few days of rest."

    "Thank you! Thank you so much!" Bang Baekhyun said, repeatedly bowing in gratitude. Then, with a determined look, he declared, "Mr. Baek. I''m going to apply to the Omniscient Bureau."

    "What about your mother?"

    Even if Seo Ri''ae regained consciousness, she would never approve of Bang Baekhyun joining the Omniscient Bureau.

    However, Bang Baekhyun had made up his mind.

    "I''ll convince her somehow," he said resolutely.

    "Do as you wish." Baek Suryong smirked and waved him off. "Now, hurry up and take her to the physician."

    "I''ll come back to see you soon."

    Bang Baekhyun carefully carried Seo Ri''ae on his back. Worried about jolting her around too much, he controlled his movement arts precisely so that she would have a smooth ride.

    Baek Suryong watched the mother and son pair disappear into the distance, then looked down at his palm with a strange expression.

    "This must be fate," he whispered to himself.

    The ice arts that Seo Ri''ae had used... was the North Sea Ice Palace''s White Ice Divine Art.

    The next day, the Murim Alliance Chairman came to see Baek Suryong.

    Translator''s Note: That''s all for this week!