Chapter 122: Defense Against the Unorthodox Arts (1)

Chapter 122: Defense Against the Unorthodox Arts (1)

TL: FoodieMonster007

“...You want to change the class you’re teaching?”

“Yes, I’d like to overhaul the entire curriculum.”

Noh Goonsang stared at Pung Jinho, bewildered. Is this really the same Pung Jinho I’ve known for so long? He looks like he’s had a brush with death itself!

Gone was the shiny, rosy complexion of yesterday. Pung Jinho’s face was now ghostly pale, drained of all color, with lips that had turned a disturbing shade of blue. While he had never been a particularly likable figure—either as a martial artist or a teacher—his current state was so pitiful that it would elicit sympathy from just about anyone.

Feeling slightly worried, Noh Goonsang asked, “Are you feeling alright?”

“...What? Oh, yes, I’m fine,” Pung Jinho said absentmindedly, even though his head was bobbing around in disorientation and cold sweat was beading on his brow.

This is a non-profit translation. Ads? What ads?

“But you’re sweating like crazy.”

“No, really, I’m fine...” Pung Jinho insisted, though the memory of the parasite writhing inside him was still fresh and sickening, and the lingering terror gnawing at him was hard to hide.

Obviously concerned now, Noh Goonsang pressed, “Did you eat something that didn’t agree with you this morning?”

“Uugh...!”

Suddenly, Pung Jinho clapped a hand over his mouth, barely managing to choke back the urge to vomit.

“For heaven’s sake! You’re definitely not alright! If you’re going to throw up, pray step outside!” Noh Goonsang recoiled, his voice tinged with both shock and disgust.

“Haa... Haa...” Pung Jinho panted, forcing himself to take deep, steady breaths to calm his churning stomach. Within moments, he felt completely drained, and tears of exhaustion and fear blurred his vision.

Damn it... My life is now in that bastard Baek Suryong’s hands.

Earlier that morning, Baek Suryong had made Pung Jinho swallow a parasite—a cursed creature born of the Blood Cult’s dark arts. If that wasn’t bad enough, the excruciating pain that Baek Suryong had inflicted upon him over the next hour was so intense that even now, the mere memory of it sent violent shivers coursing through his body.

“Hmm, I’m not sure if this parasite will obey my commands. How about a little experiment?”

“Keuaaah, aaah! S-Stop!”

Noh Goonsang looked at Pung Jinho with a grave expression. “If something’s troubling you, why don’t you tell me about it? I might be able to help,” he offered sincerely.

Pung Jinho squeezed out a strained smile and shook his head weakly. “Thank you for the offer, but... it’s just a minor health issue.”

How could he possibly explain anything about the Blood Cult to Noh Goonsang? He had no choice but to bow to Baek Suryong’s will until the day he died.

Pushing his dread aside, Pung Jinho returned to the matter at hand. “Anyway... Principal, may I please change the subject of the course I’m teaching?”

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

“Well...”

Changing an entire course on the last day of registration was practically unheard of. However, as the principal of the Azure Dragon Academy, Noh Goonsang had the authority to approve such a request.

Observing Pung Jinho with renewed curiosity, Noh Goonsang probed, “I can approve the change...but are you doing this because of Mr. Baek? I heard that you two arrived at school together this morning.”

“......”

Just a few days prior, Noh Goonsang had summoned Baek Suryong and Pung Jinho to his office and reprimanded them harshly.

“Enough! I’ve confirmed that you two were at the brothel that day, but I don’t care about the specifics. What’s important is that you’ve brought disgrace to the Azure Dragon Academy!”

“Here’s what we’ll do. I’ll conduct a thorough review of your lectures over the next two weeks. Whoever scores lower will have their class canceled.”

Since then, the rivalry between the two had become the talk of the academy, with some instructors speculating that one of them would be forced to resign.

Most people bet that Mr. Baek would be the one to go, but...

Why aren′t you reading this at northbladetldotcom?

This morning, the two men who had been at each other’s throats had shown up together. That alone was surprising, but now here was Pung Jinho, asking for permission to change his class curriculum.

Noh Goonsang mulled over this new development. How should I interpret this? Did Pung Jinho back down first?

Given the circumstances, that seemed the most likely explanation, yet it was hard to believe. Pung Jinho had over twenty years of teaching under his belt and wielded considerable influence, both within and beyond the academy.

Even I hesitate to offend him... yet this year’s rookie instructor Baek Suryong managed to reduce him to this? I knew that there was more to Mr. Baek than meets the eye, but still...

Noh Goonsang couldn’t help but be impressed. This was more than just martial skill at work. For example, Pung Jinho was no match for him in terms of martial prowess, but within the academy, the man’s political clout far outweighed his own.

How on earth did Mr. Baek do it? Something must have happened between them...

Noh Goonsang examined Pung Jinho, looking for clues, but not even a master could detect a parasite writhing in someone else’s stomach. In the end, convinced that some significant event had taken place, he decided to play ignorant for the time being.

Forcing a smile, Pung Jinho said, “I’ve... come to an understanding with Mr. Baek.”

“...Thank you.” Pung Jinho bowed his head, feeling a pang of self-loathing for having been reduced to a mere puppet of Baek Suryong.

This is a non-profit translation. Ads? What ads?

“Hyung-nim! Hyung-nim!”

“Hyung-nim!”

Baek Suryong clicked his tongue as he saw his two younger brothers racing toward him, panting. “Why are you two making such a fuss?” he asked.

“Listen! We just came from the Principal’s office, and guess what, Mr. Pung...”

“We’ve been assigned as assistant instructors for his new class!”

“Calm down and explain one thing at a time.”

“So, the thing is...”

As he listened to their excited, jumbled explanations, Baek Suryong couldn’t help but chuckle.

Hehe, everything’s going according to plan.

Instead of killing Pung Jinho, he’d decided to use the man’s influence to secure as many advantages as possible, starting with setting up this new course.

I can’t teach all the students by myself, so we need to train more good instructors.

Fortunately, Noh Goonsang seemed to grasp his intentions perfectly.

“By the way, Hyung-nim, where are you headed?” Ak Yeonho asked, noticing that Baek Suryong had put more effort into his appearance than usual.

Baek Suryong grinned. “I’m off to teach a class.”

Read this at northbladetldotcom, or else.

“...Oh right, today’s your first Defense Against the Unorthodox Arts class...”

“You won’t teach the students anything too strange, will you...?”

“If it’s unorthodox martial arts, does that mean you’ll cover things like assassination techniques, pickpocketing, and... bedroom techniques...?”

“Do you have a death wish?”

The three of them bantered as they walked together.

Why aren′t you reading this at northbladetldotcom?

“See you later, then.”

“Good luck with your first class.”

“Don’t go too hard on the students.”

After parting ways with the two, Baek Suryong headed straight to the classroom. As he entered, he was met with a mix of familiar and unfamiliar faces.

Hyonwon Kang. Yeo Min. Geo Sangwoong. Ya Suhyeok. The four most notorious delinquents of the Azure Dragon Academy were sitting quietly in the front row. Any other instructor would have been shocked to see this lineup, but here they were.

Next to them, looking like he’d stumbled into the wrong room, Wiji Cheon sat with his shoulders hunched, clearly out of place.

And behind them... huh, to think that those two are here too.

Baek Suryong noticed the infamous twin enforcers from the Student Council, the Azure Dragon Twins, seated together in the middle of the room. It seemed that beside the ones he’d recruited, a few other students had signed up out of curiosity too.

Finally, his gaze fell on Dokgo Jun, who was sitting at the very back with crossed arms, keeping his distance from the others.

With a smile, Baek Suryong greeted the class, “Nice to meet you all. I’m Baek Suryong, and I’ll be teaching Defense Against the Unorthodox Arts this semester.”

Standing at the front, he made eye contact with each student and exchanged a gentle, friendly smile with them.

However, the words that followed were anything but friendly.

“For our first lesson, I’m going to beat you all within an inch of your lives,” he declared happily.

“What?”

“Excuse me?”

Baek Suryong didn’t give the students any time to think. In an instant, he filled the room with a suffocating wave of killing intent and warned, “If you don’t want to get hurt, you’d better give it your all.”

With that, he leapt right into the fray.

His first target? Dokgo Jun.