TL: FoodieMonster007

Before Wiji Yeol left White Dragon Manor, Baek Suryong told him how to contact him through the Beggars' Gang and the Rogues' Guild. Between the two, it seemed that Wiji Yeol had chosen the Rogues' Guild.

Baek Suryong took a cursory glance at the letter itself. The handwriting was rough and looked like it was written with calloused hands.

Dear Mr. Heo, how are you?

Though the letter was addressed to a stranger, it was not delivered by mistake. Mr. Heo was the name that he and Wiji Yeol had agreed upon for the recipient. This way, if the Blood Cult intercepted the letter, Wiji Yeol could claim it was just a message to an ordinary acquaintance.

Even after returning to my hometown, I still miss the days when we used to share a drink together. Out of curiosity, I picked up my brush to check on how you've been doing.

As for me, I returned to my hometown and have resumed working as a blacksmith. As I mentioned before, my hometown is very rural, to the point where you won't find it on any map.

Baek Suryong quickly deciphered the encrypted text hidden between the lines. Though the letter appeared to be simple and friendly, it was actually a coded message.

Succeed infiltrate Blood Cult. Have not yet gained trust.

The phrasing was awkward owing to the nature of the encryption method, but the meaning was clear.

Eyes covered when moving, cannot explore freely, so haven't figured main base exact location. Still trying.

"Elder…" Baek Suryong sighed softly. If Wiji Yeol had wanted to, he could have lived out his golden years comfortably with his grandson, but he had instead chosen to devote himself to the impending war with the Blood Cult.

Spend most time smithy make weapons. Go out under supervision sometimes, appraise iron ore is excuse. Sent this letter then.

Wiji Yeol had decided to use his identity as the Patriarch of the Wiji family, one of the Blood Cult's Eight Great Families, to infiltrate the Blood Cult and spy on them. It was a dangerous mission in which he risked severe torture and execution if discovered. Still, he hadn't hesitated.

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Have contacted Blood Cult high rank officials few times. List below is names and personal details.

Baek Suryong recalled what Wiji Yeol had said before leaving the White Dragon Manor.

"I want to protect my grandson's smile. To do that, I need to sever my remaining ties with the Blood Cult."

Despite his opposition, Wiji Yeol was determined to infiltrate the Cult. Now, the valuable information he had discovered at great peril was in Baek Suryong's hands.

"…I will make good use of it," Baek Suryong muttered resolutely.

Although the information was presented in a dry manner, stating only the necessary details, he could infer that Wiji Yeol had endured many hardships. Despite being the Patriarch of one of the Eight Great Families, Wiji Yeol, who wasn't particularly skilled in martial arts, must have endured much contempt and disdain.

Baek Suryong clenched his teeth. He knew the Blood Cult inner workings better than anyone else. It was a world governed by the survival of the fittest, where the weak seldom survived.

I did give him the Flaming Soul Divine Art before he left, but… I have no idea how far he got in mastering it.

Baek Suryong sighed deeply. "…I will try to get you out of there as soon as possible."

With a determined expression, he continued reading the encrypted letter. Since it wasn't long, he soon reached the end.

Blood Cult master targeting you. Presumed Deathshroud assassin. Be careful.

Baek Suryong's eyebrows twitched. Deathshroud is targeting me?

While the murim was unaware that Deathshroud was run by the Blood Cult, he had known it for a long time.

"Deathshroud…"

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He recalled the Deathshroud assassin who had previously targeted Gongson Su. An even more stealthy and formidable assassin would surely come this time. Had he not known, he might have been in real danger.

Well, then, I will end this letter here. I pray that a day comes when we can share a drink again, whenever that may be.

Tell Cheon, Grandfather safe and sound.

The contents of the letter ended there.

"…I will be sure to tell him."

Baek Suryong folded the letter and put it in his robes.

VWOOOM!

The Divine Azure Dragon Sword at his waist trembled. […I have examined it with sorcery, and the letter does not seem to be a fake.]

The Divine Azure Dragon Sword had been as sluggish as a sick chicken since arriving at the Azure Dragon Academy, but she awoke upon learning that an assassin was targeting Baek Suryong.

Baek Suryong stared at the sword in surprise. "Can you tell such things with sorcery?"

[A person's emotions remain in what they write. Since the emotions expressed in the letter are not malicious, we can assume that the author had no intention of deceiving you.]

"In other words, there's no possibility that Elder was forced to write it under coercion?"

Baek Suryong never believed that Wiji Yeol would harm his grandson, even if he was under duress. It simply wasn't in his character. Still, it was reassuring to have confirmation.

[What do you plan to do about the Blood Cult assassin?]

"Well…" Baek Suryong paused, lost in thought.

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It wasn't that he hadn't expected the Blood Cult to target him. After all, it was only natural for them to want to get rid of the Azure Dragon Hero who had thwarted their plans several times.

Considering his skill and fame, however, they couldn't just send anyone.

"…The'll probably send the most skilled assassin in Deathshroud, Skykiller."

Among the Deathshroud assassins known to the murim, the best was the First Shroud. However, there was one more assassin above the First Shroud who remained concealed from the world. Within the Blood Cult, he was known as "Skykiller."

Rumor had it that Skykiller was skilled enough to even assassinate an elder of the Blood Cult, but unfortunately, Baek Suryong had never seen him in person.

"It's not that big a deal if he comes to kill me, but…"

[I will cast a protective spell over the White Dragon Manor. If a stranger intrudes, I will know immediately,] the Divine Azure Dragon Sword said, instantly understanding his concern.

Baek Suryong smirked faintly and patted the sword. "You really are a useful sword."

[Like I said, you need to respect me more… Ahh, I'm done. I'm tired, so I'm going to rest now.]

As the Divine Azure Dragon Sword had exhausted most of her power on the journey back from the North Sea Ice Palace, she needed to rest and recover her strength.

"Alright. Rest well," Baek Suryong said.

A moment later, he emerged from behind the building and greeted the students with his usual smile.

As he looked around, however, his eyes shone with a harsh light, searching for an incongruous presence that didn't belong in the Azure Dragon Academy.

"Okay, Skykiller. Let's play a game of hide-and-seek."

A large group of students had gathered at the Azure Dragon Academy's grand training ground, which was usually reserved for official events, practical exams, and joint classes. Today, however, the entire field was reserved for a single class of nearly a hundred students.

The students, finding the large turnout surprising, huddled in groups and chatted.

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"I heard the registration limit was a hundred people…"

"Even if it's Mr. Baek Suryong, is it possible to teach so many students?"

"Honestly, it seems like too many."

The reason for the large enrollment was because this class was the only one taught by the Azure Dragon Hero, Baek Suryong, this semester. Even though there was still about fifteen minutes until the class began, most of the students had already arrived, befitting a popular class.

Suddenly, one side of the training ground began to stir.

"It's the Five Young Azure Dragons!"

Led by Hyonwon Kang, the students of the White Dragon Manor arrived.

Hyonwon Kang scoped the area like a predator on the prowl, until his gaze fell on a certain someone. "Hey, Dokgo!"

Dokgo Jun, who had been conversing with students from the Student Council, turned around. "Long time no see, Hyonwon Kang."

"You registered for this class too?"

A peculiar tension filled the air as the two strongest third-year students, Hyonwon Kang and Dokgo Jun, stood face to face.

Hyonwon Kang broke into a huge grin. "You must have trained hard over vacation. You seem to have gotten quite a bit stronger."

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"…You took the words right out of my mouth," Dokgo Jun replied, looking dazed.

Just a few months ago, there had been a large gap in their skills. Unlike Hyonwon Kang, who was a problem child, Dokgo Jun had been called a prodigy since he was little. Six months ago, he was confident he would win ten out of ten duels against Hyonwon Kang. Even right before vacation, he was confident he would win seven out of ten.

But now… I have no choice but to admit that unless we fought directly, I wouldn't be able to tell who would win.

What was more, that applied not only to Hyonwon Kang but to all the Five Young Azure Dragons.

"…You've gotten stronger, Wonkang."

"Wahahaha! If you knew what hellish training I went through… Wait! Why are you calling me Wonkang too?!"

Dokgo Jun smiled mischievously. "Doesn't everyone call you that? What's wrong with me doing the same?"

Hyonwon Kang's jaw dropped, and he let out a long sigh. "Fuck. Now, the only person who calls me by my real name is Peng Sahyuk."

"Puhaha! If that guy hadn't transferred to the Heavenly Martial Academy, he would be calling you Wonkang, too," Geo Sangwoong chuckled, slapping Hyonwon Kang on the back.

"Everyone, be quiet!"

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Finally, the instructors appeared. Ak Yeonho, Myeong Il'oh, Jaegal Soyeong, and Kwak Duyong, the quartet who had taken the new instructor training course with Baek Suryong, entered the training ground, each carrying a big backpack.

"Huh? Where's Mr. Baek Suryong?"

"He'll be here soon."

Since the class was very large, Baek Suryong asked his fellow instructors for help. His colleagues, who didn't have many classes yet, gladly agreed.

Ak Yeonho shouted, "Everyone! Take one of these stones each!"

He opened the backpacks. Inside, there were stones bearing numbers from one to ten.

"What's this?"

"Why stones?"

The students were puzzled, but they did as the instructors told them and took one stone each.

Hyonwon Kang, who had drawn a four, grinned as if he knew what was happening. He looked at the others who had drawn the same number. "It's obvious. The people with the same numbers are going to duke it out. The winners will keep fighting their way up."

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The students on the receiving end of Hyonwon Kang's attention flinched.

"I've been through this kind of training once or twice," Hyonwon Kang explained, laughing as he looked at the students who had drawn the same number as him. Among them were seniors, but he paid them no mind. "You're all dead…"

Suddenly, a stone flew from behind and hit the back of his head.

"Keuak! Which bastard…!"

"It's me, you bastard."

THWACK!

A black lightning bolt struck Hyonwon Kang on the head, and Baek Suryong materialized next to the downed Hyonwon Kang.

The students' eyes widened.

"Why are you scaring the kids?" Myeong Il'oh complained.

Baek Suryong ignored him and tapped his Black Dragon Pointer against his palm.

Instantly, the students all stood at attention.

Baek Suryong nodded approvingly. "Good to see you, students. I am Baek Suryong, the instructor in charge of the Defense Against the Blood Cult class this semester."

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"……"

Baek Suryong surveyed the hundred or so disciplined students with a satisfied air. Last semester, he had a hard time even enrolling ten students in the Defense Against the Unorthodox Arts class, but now a hundred had gathered without him putting in any effort. He couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment.

Regardless, some of the students were staring at Hyonwon Kang, who wasn't moving at all.

"I-Is he dead?" one student mustered the courage to ask.

Baek Suryong shrugged nonchalantly. "Don't mind Wonkang. He's just too embarrassed to get up."

"……" Hyonwon Kang stealthily rose to his feet and crept toward the Five Young Azure Dragons, hiding behind Ya Suhyeok.

Baek Suryong glanced at him, then swept his gaze over the students again. "Has everyone taken a numbered stone?"

""Yes!""

"Okay, now gather with the people who have drawn the same number as you."

A moment later, ten groups were formed, with everyone exchanging nervous glances.

Are we really going to fight the people with the same number?

"You'll be seeing these faces often from now on, so everyone get along," Baek Suryong said cheerfully.

"Pardon?"

"What…"

"Aren't we competitors?"

Baek Suryong tilted his head in confusion. "Competitors? Ah, I suppose you could say that. Since you'll be competing together."

"Yes…?"

Baek Suryong kindly explained to the students who still didn't understand. "This class is structured as a series of group activities. Naturally, you will be evaluated as a group, not as individuals."