CHAPTER 437: YOU CAN JUST LEARN IT

Star Instructor, Master Baek

Baek Suryong smirked deviously. "So, about that... How about we persuade them both at the unorthodox sects' meeting?"

"......" The Viridian Scholar regarded Baek Suryong in silence. The man was peculiar, not at all like how he had been described in rumors. He had heard that the Azure Dragon Hero was a peerless swordsman and a hero of justice, but the man before him seemed more like a young, promising bandit.

He thought deeply for a moment before answering, "First, let's make one thing clear. Can I consider the contract we just signed as proof of our alliance?"

"Of course."

While the two had only discussed business, not an alliance, they both understood that the moment they signed the contract, their fates were irrevocably intertwined. From this point forward, the Viridian Scholar and the men under him were Baek Suryong's allies.

The Viridian Scholar nodded. "Good. So... I take it that the 'persuasion' you're talking about isn't a verbal one, is it?"

"That depends. Are the other two bandit bosses the type to listen to reason?"

Hyonwon Kang was bonked again. Lorem ipsum sit dolor amet.

The Viridian Scholar sighed, "...If they were, the Viridian Forest wouldn't have been split into so many factions."

Baek Suryong nodded. "I suspected as much. Therefore, at this unorthodox sects' meeting, I would like to unify the Viridian Forest."

The Viridian Scholar's expression hardened. Lowering his voice, he asked, "Are you suggesting we eliminate them?"

"If they really won't listen to reason," Baek Suryong replied calmly.

The Viridian Scholar felt a chill run down his spine. The man before him was serious. Still, he replied, "...That's impossible."

The Viridian Forest was divided into three factions: the Yama Keep, the Tiger Pass Keep, and the Giant Spirit Keep. Each faction's martial arts were formidable, and their followers highly loyal.

"This isn't something that can be solved with simple force," he explained. "If we harm the bosses of the two keeps at the meeting, a war will break out within the Viridian Forest."

Despite being often dismissed as mere bandits, the strongest of the Seventy-Two Viridian Forest Keeps all had their own traditions and rules. Even if he eliminated the bosses of the Giant Spirit Keep and the Tiger Pass Keep, uniting the bandits was no easy feat. In the worst-case scenario, the two factions could join forces and declare war on the Yama Keep, resulting in unimaginable bloodshed.

"With your help, I'm sure eliminating the two bosses wouldn't be difficult. The problem is the aftermath. I'm sorry, but I cannot accept your proposal."

"......" Baek Suryong frowned.

I didn't think he'd oppose it this strongly.

Of course, the Viridian Scholar knew the situation in the Viridian Forest better than anyone. If the bandit leader was this opposed, he had no choice but to reconsider his approach.

He muttered to himself, "Master Maeng once said that when he unified the Viridian Forest, he just went and beat up the strongest guy and that was the end of it..."

Namgung Su is mad at you for feeding a thief. You are not allowed to eat his cooking anymore.

The Viridian Scholar stared at Baek Suryong in disbelief. "That was decades ago, and that is precisely their justification."

"Justification?"

"Both the bosses of the Giant Spirit Keep and the Tiger Pass Keep claim to be the successor to the Bandit King."

Baek Suryong's eyebrows twitched as if he had heard something unpleasant. "What kind of nonsense is that? What right do they have to call themselves successors?"

"Like me, the bosses of the Giant Spirit Keep and the Tiger Pass Keep have each learned a portion of the Bandit King's martial arts from their fathers, who were taught by the Bandit King for a while in their youths."

Baek Suryong felt like he knew who the bosses' fathers were.

So, the cowards who ran away because the training was too difficult ended up ruling over their own little mountain keeps. And yet, they have the nerve to call themselves successors?

He quietly ground his teeth. Master Maeng was never stingy when it came to teaching martial arts; he was just a shitty teacher. He had tried to take on disciples in the Viridian Forest, but ultimately, all the impatient bandits had run away from their strict master.

"You want to know if you have any senior brothers? I tried teaching a few guys in the past, but they all turned tail and ran away, whining about just a few broken bones..."

Nevertheless, Maeng Ho'ak never forcibly brought back runaway disciples or punished them. Compared to most sects that would ruin the limbs, meridians, and qi centers of renegades, he was incredibly lenient. Thanks to this, his legacy was passed down in the Viridian Forest, albeit only partially.

Master Maeng treated them with the utmost kindness, yet they divided the Viridian Forest to rule over their own small kingdoms?

He unconsciously radiated an intense killing intent.

"...Are you alright?" the Viridian Scholar asked cautiously.

"I'm sorry. I just heard something so absurd that I lost my cool." Baek Suryong took a slow, deep breath and reined in his killing intent, then met the Viridian Scholar's gaze. "I need you to keep what I'm about to tell you a secret."

"Of course." The Viridian Scholar straightened his posture and nodded seriously.

Baek Suryong originally had reservations, but since he had decided to work with the Viridian Scholar, he thought it was right to tell him everything. "Do you know why the Bandit King mysteriously disappeared one day?"

"No...no one knows what happened." The Viridian Scholar swallowed dryly and locked gazes with Baek Suryong, realizing that he was about to hear the secret history behind the Bandit King's unsolved disappearance.

"Master Maeng..."

The Bandit King had roamed all the mountains in the world as if they were his backyard. After his sudden disappearance, all sorts of rumors began to spread. Some said he had hidden himself away. Others claimed he was defeated and killed by a hidden master. There was even an absurd rumor that he encountered an immortal in a mystical land and ascended.

How about reading Demon Instructor Wiji Cheons exploits at .

Now, decades later, even Maeng Ho'ak was rarely mentioned in the Viridian Forest.

"...He was betrayed by his subordinates. They invited him to a feast where masters from the Blood Cult lay in wait with a trap, and served him wine laced with deadly poison. When he unknowingly showed up, layers of sorcery bound his body, and powerful formations prevented him from escaping. Among those traitors... were his former disciples."

"...!!" The Viridian Scholar's eyes widened in shock.

Baek Suryong continued grimly, "I suspect the traitors' descendants may be part of the Giant Spirit Keep or the Tiger Pass Keep. It could be just one of them, or perhaps both."

"Do you know the traitors' names?"

Baek Suryong shook his head. Unfortunately, Master Maeng hadn't told him the traitors' names. While the burly man was usually a chatterbox, he was strangely stubborn about keeping that information to himself.

"The guys who ran away because they couldn't endure my training came back, apologizing and pouring me a drink. Fear was written all over their faces, so how could I not accept it? Hahahaha! I just let myself be fooled!"

"...Should you really be laughing about that right now?"

"Then what? Should I cry instead? The poison didn't affect me anyway. I had no reason to turn down one last drink from them."

"Then how did you get caught?"

"Well, the look in their eyes as they watched me really stung. Maybe that's why I reacted slower than usual."

"......"

He sighed. All of the former disciples of the Bandit King had passed away, but their children had inherited their legacies and were now living in luxury. Perhaps they were still reaping the benefits of betraying the Bandit King decades ago.

Meanwhile, a vicious killing intent swirled in the Viridian Scholar's eyes, and he struggled to compose himself. "If what you said is true, then I cannot forgive them either. However, without concrete evidence, we can't recklessly brand them as traitors."

Baek Suryong nodded, acknowledging the Viridian Scholar's concerns. The other two bandit bosses were people they had to confront someday, but now was not the time. Even if he was certain they were the traitors, it was ultimately just speculation.

"Rest assured, I won't let my desire for revenge blind me and wreck everything," he said.

"...Thank you."

Baek Suryong nodded. Deep down, however, he made a point to do some investigating on his own.

Namgung Su is mad at you for feeding a thief. You are not allowed to eat his cooking anymore.

I might be able to find evidence at this meeting... Wait...

Suddenly realizing something, he asked, "Why don't you claim to be the Bandit King's successor, Viridian Scholar? Excluding me, no one has learned more of Master Maeng's martial arts than you. Or are you wary of the orthodox murim's response to that declaration?"

"...That's not the only reason." The Viridian Scholar smiled bitterly. "My martial arts are very different from the Bandit King's publicly known techniques."

"What do you mean?"

"It'd be faster to show you than to explain."

The two went outside and scaled the peak with the Bandit King's rock. The Viridian Scholar stood on the flat ground in front of the rock and slowly began to demonstrate his martial arts.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

He drew gentle circles with his open palms, stirring up dust from the ground and sending it swirling through the air.

This is definitely Master Maeng's martial arts.

Baek Suryong nodded as he watched. The Bandit King's martial arts were known for being powerful, but Master Maeng knew how to use his body better than anyone. His martial arts incorporated not only linear and forceful elements, but also soft, circular movements. The ultimate embodiment of all of these aspects was the Eighteen Strikes of the Viridian Forest.

However, what the Viridian Scholar had learned was only the aspect of his martial art that focused on gentleness.

"Whew..." The Viridian Scholar finished his demonstration, paused to catch his breath, then looked at Baek Suryong nervously. "Now that you've seen it, what do you think?"

"I can tell you've definitely inherited Master Maeng's martial arts, but I understand why you said it would be difficult for others to accept it. You're lacking almost all the aggression of his style."

The Viridian Scholar nodded bitterly and ran his hand over the words 'Viridian Forest Bandit King' inscribed on the rock. "That's right. My martial arts are too delicate to be considered the Bandit King's. That's why I considered revealing this rock as well, but... I didn't want to. I wanted this to remain my special place."

"You chose wisely. A rock like this doesn't prove anything on its own."

Baek Suryong sighed. Most bandits would associate the Viridian Scholar's martial arts with the Taoist sects rather than the Bandit King's. A simple monument wouldn't be enough to alter their prejudices.

What a pity. If the Viridian Scholar could be recognized as Master Maeng's successor, then... Wait a minute.

An evil grin spread across his face.

"You can just learn it," he said.

Baek Suryong uses the Heaven Defying Divine Art on you and beats you to a pulp.

"P-Pardon?"

Baek Suryong strode up to the bewildered Viridian Scholar and began examining him without permission, prodding and poking him allover.

"W-What are you doing?" Flustered, the Viridian scholar tried to pull away, but escaping the clutches of one of the Ten Supremes was impossible.

Finally, Baek Suryong nodded in satisfaction. "Your fundamentals are solid, so I think you'll be able to learn it to some extent. I'll give you a crash course on the way to the unorthodox sects meeting!"

"...Learn what?"

"The Bandit King's famous ultimate technique, the Savage Tiger Fist, of course."

"What?" The Viridian Scholar blinked in confusion, wondering if he had misheard.