Star Instructor, Master Baek-Chapter 340: If There’s a Way

TL: FoodieMonster007

Is this… an illusion created by sorcery?

Baek Suryong looked around. He was definitely in the same old bookstore he had visited just a few days ago, but the layout of the shelves and bookcases, as well as the arrangement of the displayed books, was entirely different. The furniture also didn't look as old or worn out.

This is the old bookstore from fifty years ago, back when Master Eun and Moon Yul were still together.

Baek Suryong assessed the situation calmly. He might have been flustered if it were his first time, but he had already experienced something similar when he read his diary and relived his past life.

It's similar to that dream, only this time, I'm not the protagonist but an invisible observer.

He couldn't speak or touch anything, only watch as Eun Yerin and Moon Yul's love story unfolded in front of him.

CREAK…

The door of the old bookstore opened, and a woman whose face was completely hidden by a black hat and veil entered. Baek Suryong recognized her instantly. It was his master, Eun Yerin.

This must be the day they first met.

"Welcome!" Moon Yul, who was organizing books in the store, greeted with a smile.

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"Are you closing soon?" Eun Yerin asked plainly.

"Not at all. Please take your time browsing our wares. Now that a customer has arrived, I can read more books too."

"……"

Eun Yerin looked around the bookstore, picked up a random book, and began to read. After a short while, though, she looked up as a shadow loomed over her. "…What is it?" she asked warily.

"Reading in such a dark place will ruin your eyes, just as it ruined mine," Moon Yul said, holding out a small oil lamp.

Eun Yerin eyed Moon Yul suspiciously. She was used to men harboring ulterior motives behind kind gestures, but the scholar in front of her was no martial artist. There was no way he could see her face through her veil.

"I'm a martial artist, so it's fine," she said curtly.

"Even so, wouldn't having a lamp make reading more comfortable? I'll leave it here."

"……"

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Suddenly, Moon Yul, who had just set down the lamp and was about to leave, smiled brightly. "I enjoyed reading that book, too. It's a heart-wrenching story of forbidden love. If you're looking for similar romance novels, I can recommend some."

"…Thank you."

"Take your time reading."

Sometimes, emotions sprouted from a single, seemingly insignificant action or word. Though their conversation was brief and trivial, Eun Yerin's gaze lingered on the frail-looking bookstore assistant for a long time. It was amusing how he had brought her a lamp, only to bury his nose back in a book almost immediately after.

Watching them, Baek Suryong unconsciously smiled. I can feel Master Eun's emotions.

"…I'll come again next time," Eun Yerin finally said.

"Take care!" Moon Yul greeted.

Eun Yerin left the bookstore and walked slowly down the street. Looking up, she saw a crescent moon hanging in the sky.

"What a strange person…" she muttered, her voice as soft as the slightly chilly night breeze.

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Back then, Eun Yerin had no idea that she would end up visiting this old bookstore again and again.

The scene changed.

On a hot summer's day, Moon Yul and Eun Yerin went to a lake to enjoy a leisurely boat ride. Unlike before, they were now calling each other casually.

However, just as they were about to board their boat, some thugs appeared.

"Yerin! Hide behind me!" Moon Yul shouted.

Eun Yerin sighed, "Haa…"

The trouble started because she had briefly taken off her veil. Thugs attracted by her beauty had immediately sent dirty looks her way.

"D-Don't worry! I won't let them lay a finger on you!" Moon Yul stammered, stepping forward to protect the woman he loved. He held a sword with thin, untrained arms, his hands trembling visibly as he struggled just to bear its weight.

"Kuhahaha! Look at that wimp pretending to be a man!"

"Why so scared? We just want to join in the fun!"

"Does a pansy who probably can't even perform his manly duties deserve to be with a beauty like that?"

The ruffians, inebriated despite the fact that it was broad daylight, advanced, snickering. Moon Yul, his face pale, warned them not to come closer again, but they simply mocked and threatened the frail scholar.

"Mongrels," Eun Yerin snarled, narrowing her eyes. She waved her hand, and a frigid chill instantly swept over the thugs.

CRACKLE!

They trembled violently, their faces filled with horror, as frost spread out over their bodies.

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"Get lost," Eun Yerin said icily. The only reason she didn't kill these bastards was because she didn't want to show her cruel side in front of her lover.

"U-Uwaaaah!"

Wailing, the thugs fled with their tails between their legs.

Moon Yul stared at Eun Yerin, shocked. "Yerin…?"

"Haven't I already told you several times that I'm a martial artist?"

"Y-Yes, but you never said you were a master."

"Do you dislike me being a martial artist?" Eun Yerin asked nervously, twiddling her thumbs. Those were merely thugs. If Moon Yul had seen her fight against a real master, he might have fainted.

"How could I hate you for that? I like you no matter what you are."

Did his answer soothe her heart a little? Baek Suryong wondered.

Grinning mischievously, Eun Yerin stepped onto the boat. "…You row the boat. Don't tell me you expect me to do it just because I'm a martial artist?"

"Of course I'll row! Do I look like someone who would make my woman do hard labor?"

"You're such a smooth talker…"

Ultimately, however, Eun Yerin ended up rowing the boat. After seeing her poor lover panting just a few strokes in, she couldn't bear to watch him suffer any longer. She stirred up wind with her inner arts, slowly pushing the boat around the lake.

The scene changed again.

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The two lovebirds enjoyed many happy times together. They traveled to famous places, ate delicious food, and went on scenic tours. Occasionally, they returned to Xi'an to meet up with friends.

"Don't you two get tired of sticking together like that all the time?" a young Artist Pung Wol complained.

"Eun Yerin! Long time no see! Let's have a match!" Geomno demanded.

Baek Suryong watched them fondly, when suddenly, he had a revelation.

Wait. These aren't events that happened in reality.

Moon Yul had asked him to let him meet the Eun Yerin in his memories. He didn't know exactly how, but he knew that Moon Yul had borrowed his memories to manifest her here.

This is both Moon Yul's and my dream, and… it's also Moon Yul's final dream.

Having finally understood the nature of the dream, Baek Suryong projected his own desires into it, hoping that at least here, Master Eun and her lover could find the happiness they had always sought.

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VWOOOM!

The dream world shook as if an earthquake had struck.

"How…?" Moon Yul turned toward Baek Suryong, his eyes wide with surprise. Even if this was partially his dream, how could someone who hadn't studied sorcery interfere?

There was no way he could have known that Baek Suryong had experienced something similar before and learned to manipulate dreams.

The scenery changed once more.

"HAHAHAHA!" a man roared, his booming voice reverberating through the mountains and rivers. "Our Ice Goddess is getting married! There's no way this Oppa will miss the wedding!"

A huge shadow fell over the couple as Master Maeng arrived carrying a tiger the size of a house over his shoulder and set it down on the ground.

"A wedding gift! Since ancient times, tiger balls have always been the best tonic for…"

"Ignorant fool! Must you act like this, even on her big day?" Master Crazy Demon cut him off, clicking his tongue. He wore the Hyonwon Clan's uniform proudly and carried loads of silk and luxury goods, but his stern demeanor remained the same as ever. "I brought some daily necessities as wedding gifts."

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"Hohoho! My gift seems shabby in comparison," Master Sword Saint chuckled, entering the compound with a young man who looked exactly like him. "My apologies, but I don't have much to offer, just some herbs I gathered from the mountains."

Master Sword Saint opened the bundle he carried.

Master Maeng's eyes instantly widened. "Hey. I-Isn't that fleeceflower root? And it looks at least five hundred years old?"

"Hoho, is that so? No wonder I felt spiritual energy from it."

On Master Eun's wedding day, the other three masters gathered at her house early in the morning, chatting merrily. The scene was incredibly peaceful.

Just then, Master Maeng looked at Baek Suryong. "Brat! What are you doing standing over there! Come here!"

"…Huh? Me?" Baek Suryong blinked in shock, only now realizing that he too had somehow entered the dream.

"Is there another brat here besides you?" Master Maeng bellowed as his hand shot out like lightning, catching Baek Suryong's head in a playful headlock beneath his massive forearm and armpit.

Of course, it was only playful to the big man. Baek Suryong genuinely felt his life was in danger. "Cough! P-Please spare me, Master Maeng!"

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"Kuhahaha! How's the taste of this Master's muscles! You should have trained your head muscles better!"

"Head muscles!? What the fuck is that…!"

"Ugh, shut up! You guys are so noisy I could die!" a woman's voice interrupted.

Everyone turned to face her.

Beautifully dressed in a red wedding gown, Master Eun walked gracefully out of her changing room, looking absolutely stunning. Her face was slightly flushed as if embarrassed to show this side of herself to the other masters. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com

"Hiyah! SO LOVELY! Our youngest is finally hiding her true nature and getting married, this Oppa is truly…"

"Can someone please shut that mouth?"

"Who in the world could shut that damn mouth?"

"Hoho. Lovely. Truly lovely."

CLAP!

Baek Suryong clapped his hands, drawing the noisy masters' attention. Grinning, he said, "The groom must be waiting by now, so let's hurry along, shall we?"

The three masters and Baek Suryong placed Eun Yerin in a sedan chair, lifted it together, and headed to the groom's house. For today, at least, they were the world's most reliable sedan chair carriers.

"Hahahaha! People of the town, come out and see! The Ice Moon Goddess Eun Yerin is getting married today! Come out and offer your blessings!"

"You crazy idiot! Please just be quiet."

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"What the hell? The jianghu's official crazy person is calling me crazy?"

"Masters, must you fight even on a day like this?"

"Hoho! It's a very fine day."

Along the road, Master Maeng and Master Crazy Demon bickered back and forth, Baek Suryong tried to mediate between them, and Master Sword Saint simply went hohoho.

This was the future that everyone had wished for. They escaped the Blood Cult together, returned to their respective lives, and gathered together again on Master Eun's wedding day.

Beaming, Baek Suryong whispered to himself, "…Even if it's just a dream, it's good to see you all like this again."

Far away, Moon Yul, the groom, stood waiting for his bride with a flushed face, dressed in red wedding robes. "…A wedding. I never dared to dream of such a day," he said to Baek Suryong.

"Did I interfere unnecessarily and disturb your dream?"

"Not at all. This place isn't just my dream. Also…"

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A smile spread across Moon Yul's lips as he looked at the Bandit King, the Crazy Demon, and the Sword Saint. "I'm happy to know that Yerin made good friends while we were apart."

"……"

Throughout the wedding ceremony, Master Maeng sniffled, while Master Crazy Demon stood with his arms crossed and sighed. Master Sword Saint, when asked to give the groom words of blessing, instead threatened to cut off his 'thingamajig' if he dared cheat on his wife, laughing 'hohoho' all the way.

"Everyone stand together! Put away all your weapons, they'll interfere with the painting! Now, look this way and smile!"

Artist Pung Wol, who was also attending the wedding, captured the scene in a painting.

Master Eun and Moon Yul stood in the center with the three other masters behind them. Baek Suryong squeezed himself between Master Maeng and Master Crazy Demon.

"…Phew, that was tiring."

After the wedding ceremony concluded, Baek Suryong turned to look at his masters. "Masters. Thank you for attending the wedding despite your busy schedules."

Even though their figures were becoming blurred, each of them looked at Baek Suryong with familiar smiles.

"Kuhaha! Let's meet again next time!" Master Maeng laughed more heartily than anyone.

"Don't overdo it when you're alone." Master Crazy Demon nodded with a solemn expression.

"It was enjoyable being called here, even for a short while." Master Sword Saint smiled benevolently while stroking his beard.

PSHHH…

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Soon, the masters' figures disappeared completely.

"Yes, Masters," Baek Suryong whispered, closing his eyes. He wanted to remember what they looked like for even just a little longer.

The scene changed again.

Eun Yerin and Moon Yul, now married, grew old together like ordinary people.

Eun Yerin gave birth to a daughter who looked just like her.

Eventually, the two reached middle age, and Master Eun quietly wiped away tears as they watched their grown daughter get married.

Finally, they became elderly. Eun Yerin became a grandmother, and Moon Yul gradually began to look like he did before entering the dream.

The dream is ending.

Baek Suryong could sense the dream drawing to a close. He could also feel that the moment this dream ended, Moon Yul's life would end.

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"Thank you," Master Eun said warmly, her wrinkled eyes brimming with more happiness than he had ever seen in the prison. "Thank you for delivering my words to him and for letting me meet him again."

Baek Suryong glanced around. Moon Yul was gone.

Did he leave so that the master and disciple could talk alone? What an unnecessary gesture.

Turning back to Master Eun, Baek Suryong replied, "Why thank me? I'm the one who's sorry I couldn't come sooner."

"I want to nag you one last time."

Baek Suryong smirked faintly and nodded. "Of course. You have every right to nag me, Master Eun."

Master Eun smiled gently. "Don't be too bound by the past. I hope you find happiness in your current life."

"…That's impossible," Baek Suryong whispered. Since this was a dream, the words Master Eun was saying now must be coming from his own heart.

"Why would you say such a thing?" Master Eun asked.

Not being bound by the past? Until everything related to the Blood Cult is settled, how could I possibly let it go? Huh? Wait…

Those words didn't come from his subconscious. The only person who could say such words to him was…

"Don't tell me, are you really Master Eun? Did Moon Yul's sorcery summon your soul here?"

"……" Master Eun smiled enigmatically.

Baek Suryong blinked, confused. In hindsight, the words of the masters who had disappeared earlier also seemed strangely realistic.

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"Kuhaha! Let's meet again next time!"

"Don't overdo it when you're alone."

"It was enjoyable being called here, even for a short while."

What on earth is this sorcery? Did it simply create a dream based on my memories? Or… did I truly meet my deceased masters?

Looking at the dazed Baek Suryong, Master Eun scolded, "When your teacher asks you a question, you should answer."

Baek Suryong smiled awkwardly. "I'll try."

"…Yes. For now, that's enough."

"Master Eun. Please answer my question. This spell right now. If there's a way to meet you all again…"

Before he could finish speaking, Baek Suryong woke from the dream. Before him sat Moon Yul, his eyes closed in peace.