Chapter 114: Have I Been Misjudging Him All Along?

Chapter 114: Have I Been Misjudging Him All Along?

TL: FoodieMonster007

It feels desolate.Neew updates at novel/bin(.)com

Baek Suryong couldn’t help but notice the barrenness of Namgung Su’s office. Although it was mostly buried under mountains of paperwork, the room was bare, with only the most essential furniture, and the chill in the air was more a reflection of the man before him than the lack of heating.

Feeling uncomfortable in the awkward silence, Baek Suryong began, “ You have a guest here, at least offer me some tea...”

“I have no tea to offer you. State your business and leave,” Namgung Su replied, his voice as icy as the room.

Baek Suryong found it weird that there was no tea in the office, but he didn’t press the matter. After all, he was the one asking for a favor.

“Where’s Jaegal Soyeong? I thought she worked here. Did she leave early?”

If you′re seeing this, you are at the wrong place.

“Stop beating around the bush and get to the point,” Namgung Su barked irritably.

Baek Suryong shrugged, deciding to end the small talk and cut to the chase. “Two years ago at the Heavenly Martial Festival, you were the supervisor for the sophomores, right?”

“...I don’t know why you’re bringing this up now, but yes,” Namgung Su replied drowsily, massaging his temples.

Baek Suryong studied him for a moment, then asked bluntly, “Do you know what happened to Geo Sangwoong there?”

Namgung Su’s hand froze mid-motion, and an uneasy silence settled over the room. Now fully awake, he slowly replied, “...He was broken beyond repair. Is that all you needed to know?”

Y aren′t you reading this at northbladetldotcom?

“A student addicted to gambling and suffering from binge eating disorder is just ‘broken’ to you?” Baek Suryong said in a low voice, eyebrows twitching.

Namgung Su smiled bitterly. “You don’t get it. It’s not uncommon for our students to lose their morale after witnessing the overwhelming prowess of their Heavenly Martial Academy peers.”

“Not uncommon?” Baek Suryong stared at Namgung Su with a mix of disbelief and dawning realization. Until now, I’d always thought of the Heavenly Martial Festival as a fun and friendly competition for orthodox prodigies, but was it actually far more brutal than I imagined?

“What exactly happened back then?” he pressed.

Namgung Su stiffened. “Why should I tell you? You’re being a nuisance, so go away,” he said curtly, pointing at the door.

However, Baek Suryong remained unfazed, folding his arms stubbornly. “I’ll leave once you tell me what I want to know.”

“...How arrogant. What makes you think you can act like this?” Namgung Su roared, releasing his aura and focusing his killing intent on Baek Suryong.

Baek Suryong immediately felt the cold touch of a blade against his neck, but he merely smirked and glanced around the office, whistling softly, “Whew! If we start a fight here, all these documents will fly everywhere.”

“......”

“You know, cleaning that mess up will take longer than just telling me what happened.”

“...Sigh. Just where on earth did someone like you come from?” Namgung Su sighed, resigned.

This is a free translation. You should not be seeing ads.

Closing his eyes in recollection, he conceded, “All right, I’ll tell you what I know. Two years ago, Geo Sangwoong was an excellent student who was passionate about martial arts, proactive, and a capable leader. He was so highly regarded that he and Bang Baekhyeon were known as the Azure Dragon Duo, but... even back then, he was a troublemaker, though in a different sense compared to how he is now.”

Namgung Su paused for a moment, brows slightly furrowed as he considered how to phrase his next words. Then, taking a deep breath, he continued, “During the Heavenly Martial Festival, interactions between students from different academies are forbidden outside of designated times to prevent unnecessary conflicts. However...”

“There are always those who sneak out,” Baek Suryong interjected.

Namgung Su nodded. Baek Suryong was right. The Geo Sangwoong of two years ago was energetic, curious, and bold, with little self-discipline.

“Most of the students who snuck out were juniors or seniors. Geo Sangwoong was the only sophomore. However, on that day, those who slipped out... got into a fight with Heavenly Martial Academy students.”

The Heavenly Martial Academy... Baek Suryong bit his lip. The chances that the person who used the Soul Reaping Demonic Art on Geo Sangwoong was from the Heavenly Martial Academy had increased.

“So? They had a brawl, and Geo Sangwoong got badly beaten?” he pressed.

“No. On the contrary, it seemed that he looked fine on the outside, except for his vacant expression.”

Namgung Su scowled. “Teaching even one thing properly is hard enough.”

“Maybe that’s true for you, but it’s no problem for me.”

“...Hah!” Stunned speechless, Namgung Su couldn’t think of an immediate retort, so he muttered under his breath, “You’re truly insufferable.”

“Don’t you get that a lot yourself?”

“......” Namgung Su fell silent. It wasn’t as if he wasn’t aware what others often called him behind his back—a workaholic, a perfectionist, cold-hearted, insufferable. He had always chalked it up to petty jealousy, but now he understood what it felt like to be on the other side.

Read this at northbladetldotcom, or else.

It was both unpleasant and absurd.

“Haha...” He couldn’t help but chuckle. Damn it, talking to Baek Suryong always throws me off my game.

“Fine, that’s all I wanted to ask you. You can go now.”

“Hey... about that notebook.”

Suddenly, Baek Suryong’s gaze shifted to the notebook Namgung Su was holding, titled “Comprehensive Evaluations of Students’ Behavioral Characteristics”. He had only caught a brief glimpse of its contents, but that was enough for him to conclude that the thick, heavy book was overflowing with notes on each student’s martial arts skills, habits, and teaching guidelines. Most importantly, Namgung Su’s ink-stained hands showed how diligently he had worked on it.

“Did you write all that yourself?”

This is a non-profit translation. You should not be seeing ads.

“Of course. I only teach based on my personal evaluations of the students.”

“You’re quite dedicated.”

“...Do you think you’re the only instructor aiming for results at the Heavenly Martial Festival?”

Baek Suryong stared greedily at the thick notebook, hastily making up an excuse to look through it. “It seems unfinished. Want my help? I have a very good eye for people.”

Namgung Su scoffed, hugging his notebook protectively. “You can’t fool me. You just want to see this, but that’s not happening. Come back when you’re qualified.”

“And what do I need to do to be qualified?”

If you′re seeing this, you are at the wrong place.

Namgung Su grinned mischievously, a face he had never shown any other instructor before. “Become a Star Instructor,” he replied.

“Oho?”

Within the span of this short nighttime conversation, both men had learned a lot more about each other.

“However, if you lose to someone like Pung Jinho, you can forget about ever becoming a Star Instructor,” Namgung Su added, his grin vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.

“Don’t count on that.” Baek Suryong chuckled, turning to leave.

However, as he opened the door, Namgung Su sent him a telepathic message.

[One more thing. The instructor who took my place that day...was Pung Jinho.]

“Why didn’t you just say that out loud?”

[...Sigh, I seriously can’t stand you.]

Leaving the office, Baek Suryong strolled across the Azure Dragon Academy grounds. As he walked, he reflected on his conversation with Namgung Su.

At first, I saw Namgung Su as an obstacle to becoming a Star Instructor, but...

“Have I been misjudging him all along? I guess I’ll keep observing him for now...”

Eyes shining with renewed interest, Baek Suryong brushed back his wind-swept hair and headed home.