Star Instructor, Master Baek-Chapter 375: To Be A Group Leader (3)

TL: FoodieMonster007

The next day, Mok Hyungwoo went to White Dragon Manor as soon as his classes ended. As he had promised the day before, he intended to meet up with Hyonwon Kang and Wiji Cheon and help each other out.

"Uh, is anyone home?!" he shouted.

A moment later, Hyonwon Kang opened the door. His martial arts uniform was soaked in sweat, indicating that he had been in the middle of training.

"Senior Mok? You're late," Hyonwon Kang grumbled.

"Mr. Namgung Su's class overran as usual. May I come in?"

"Yeah, come on in."

Mok Hyungwoo entered the White Dragon Manor, his heart pounding. Before the vacation, the manor had been bustling with martial artists who came to challenge the Azure Dragon Hero. Since the second semester began, however, the area in front of the manor had returned to its usual quiet.

The reason was simple, the Azure Dragon Hero no longer had any reason to accept challengers. Thanks to his exploits at the Murim Alliance, he had begun to be recognized as one of the Ten Supremes both in name and in reality.

Additionally, Mok Hyungwoo had been questioned by Jiangxi Murim Alliance members patrolling the area en route to the manor, and the piercing stares of beggars had also not escaped his notice.

It's impossible to sneak into this place.

With the Murim Alliance and the Beggars' Gang constantly watching the White Dragon Manor, even the boldest martial artists could no longer visit as they pleased.

Mok Hyungwoo tried his best to calm his excitement. "Where is Mr. Baek Suryong? I think it would be proper to greet him first."

"He always works late. Even we rarely see his face before the stars are out. Follow me."

Hyonwon Kang gave Mok Hyungwoo a brief tour of the White Dragon Manor. There was a spacious training ground for six people with all sorts of weapons displayed on one side, with well-organized training equipment presumed to be used for external arts or sensory training.

It's quite systematic. Rather than a martial artist's training ground... it looks like a military camp. Aren't some of those training equipment used in the military too?

Mok Hyungwoo's heart pounded at the sight of a familiar training method in the courtyard of one of the Ten Supremes. His hands itched to brandish a spear.

Hyonwon Kang smirked faintly. "We only do individual training until Mr. Baek returns."

"Am I bothering you?"

It's fine. I told Cheon that the three of us would be training together today."

Mok Hyungwoo followed Hyonwon Kang across the training ground. Soon, he spotted Geo Sangwoong and Ya Suhyeok training together on one side.

BOOM! THUD! BOOM!

The two were performing a technique with what looked like several hundred pounds of iron weights attached to their limbs, yet each of their movements was powerful enough to shatter rock. Every time their iron-pillar-like legs stomped the ground, vibrations rang out. Each time their pot-lid-sized fists tore through the air, a chill ran down his spine.

They didn't look human, they resembled iron warrior gods.

BOOM! BOOM!

Upon closer inspection, the ground in the training yard where they were training appeared slightly lower than in other places, sunken by the giant duo's sheer mass. He couldn't even imagine how heavy those weights they were using were.

Not even the military does such brutal external arts training...

Just then, Geo Sangwoong caught sight of Mok Hyungwoo and grinned at him. Since they were in the same year, they had been in a few of the same classes. "Brother Mok! You've come?" he greeted.

"Am I interrupting your training?"

"Nah, we were just warming up. We have to properly warm up our bodies so we don't get hurt."

"...That was just a warm-up? You're joking, right?" Mok Hyungwoo asked incredulously, turning pale as he watched the two add more iron weights to their limbs.

Ya Suhyeok, who was standing next to Geo Sangwoong, nodded slightly at Mok Hyungwoo, then turned to Hyonwon Kang and sneered. "Is this the private tutor Senior Wonkang hired? Hey, if you want to learn about leadership, why don't you learn from me?"

"Nyaa!" Silver Tiger, perched on Ya Suhyeok's shoulder, nodded in agreement.

Hyonwon Kang's eye twitched as he glared at the pair. "Damn it... Look forward to the next class, because I'll crush you."

Unfortunately, neither Geo Sangwoong nor Ya Suhyeok were easily intimidated.

"Kuhaha! The kid's all talk!"

"Please let us be opponents next time. We'll see who gets crushed!"

Ignoring the two giants' mockery, Hyonwon Kang led Mok Hyungwoo further inside.

A moment later, Yeo Min's figure came into view. She was training alone.

WHOOSH!

The training yard was filled with dozens of thin bamboo sticks, all stuck in the ground. Yeo Min was practicing her movement arts, stepping on the tips of the sticks to improve her form.

The bamboo sticks swayed gently with her light, soft footwork. Despite the irregular, unstable footing, Yeo Min danced on top of them freely and gracefully.

WHIRL!

Yeo Min leaped lightly into the air, spun her body around, and sprayed frigid energy in all directions. The crystalline flakes, bathed in the resplendent rays of the afternoon sun, cast a dazzling glimmer upon her snow-white locks.

"Wow..." Hyonwon Kang unconsciously gasped in admiration at the beautiful scene. He soon caught himself, though, and cleared his throat. "Ahem! That movement art is called the New Moon White Ice Dance. Pretty good, right? She's been obsessed with it lately and has been training hard every day."

"Amazing..." Mok Hyungwoo nodded, looking genuinely impressed, when he suddenly noticed something. He turned to stare at Hyonwon Kang, remarking plainly, "Junior, you're drooling."

"W-What? Sluurp..." Flustered, Hyonwon frantically wiped his lips with his sleeve.

"You, could it be... Are you...?"

"We don't have time, so let's go quickly! Cheon is waiting for us!" Hyonwon Kang hurriedly urged.

"...Ah, youth."

Mok Hyungwoo smirked faintly when he noticed that the tips of Hyonwon Kang's ears had turned bright red.

The two arrived at the place where Wiji Cheon was waiting.

Wiji Cheon trotted over and greeted them with a bow, saying, "Good evening, Seniors!"

While Hyonwon Kang went to get Mok Hyungwoo, he had prepared for the sparring session. On one side were a wooden training spear and a wooden dummy, and on the other was a pile of stacked straw bales.

Hyonwon Kang casually kicked up a wooden spear that was lying on the ground and grabbed it. "Shall we start sparring right away?"

"Are the two of you going to use spears, too?"

Hyonwon Kang twirled the spear around a few times and grinned. "Of course. That's how a guided sparring session works, isn't it? Since it's the first time, let's not use inner arts, only external arts."

"I'd be grateful if you would," Mok Hyungwoo said, picking up a wooden spear of suitable length from the ground and carefully assuming his ready stance.

Hyonwon Kang, on the other hand, carelessly rested the spear over his shoulder. "Come at me with intent to kill. Even then, you might barely graze me."

"......" Mok Hyungwoo nodded. Despite Hyonwon Kang's condescending tone, he wasn't particularly offended. Rather, he thought it was a good opportunity to test his limits.

He charged at Hyonwon Kang, propelling himself forward by releasing qi from the Yongquan acupoints on the soles of his feet.

This was the thrust he was most confident in, having practiced it a thousand times a day for ten years without missing a day.

"Take this!"

Growing up, Mok Hyungwoo had wanted to become a murim master like in the stories. However, for a boy born into a poor family, becoming a martial artist was an unattainable dream.

His parents had many children and struggled to feed themselves day to day. Sending their youngest son to a neighborhood martial arts academy was beyond their reach.

The only options a country boy had to learn martial arts were to become a bandit or join the army. At sixteen, Mok Hyungwoo chose the latter without hesitation.

After that, it was a familiar story. He studied the basic martial arts taught in the army as if they were divine techniques. In spite of the other soldiers' ridicule, he trained tirelessly, even sacrificing his sleep.

Owing to his diligence and a bit of luck, Mok Hyungwoo managed to survive several battles. No one in his unit had thicker calluses on their palms than he did.

"Are you really going to quit? With your accomplishments, I can recommend you for a promotion..."

"No, thank you for everything until now."

"Why?"

"I want to become a martial artist, not a soldier."

"Tsk, tsk. I thought you were pretty smart, but you're a bigger fool than I thought."

After ten years of military service, he returned to his hometown, only to learn that a plague had swept through the village and killed all his family members.

No tears fell from his eyes. He just felt empty at the realization that he no longer had a place to return to.

After spending a night in his childhood home, Mok Hyungwoo set a new goal for himself.

I want to learn more martial arts.

He submitted an application to the Azure Dragon Academy without hesitation. Of the Five Great Academies, it was the only one that would accept someone his age.

And now...

"Yaaaah!"

Mok Hyungwoo employed all the spear techniques he had learned through real combat in the military, as well as the skills he had honed for four years at the Azure Dragon Academy. He strictly adhered to the six basic techniques of thrusting, striking, pushing, and pulling with his spear, solidifying his defense.

This was his personal spear technique, fusing his combat experience with the Six Harmonies Spear that he had learned in the military.

WHOOOOOOSH!

A fierce wind swirled around Mok Hyungwoo as his body, which had undergone arduous training for over ten years, radiated an imposing presence.

If we spar with only external arts, could I surprise these amazing juniors?

Unfortunately, reality was harsh. Hyonwon Kang avoided most of Mok Hyungwoo's attacks by moving only his upper body and deflected the rest.

"Not bad..." Hyonwon Kang remarked.

Nevertheless, Mok Hyungwoo could tell that his opponent wasn't the least bit flustered and even looked a little bored. Gritting his teeth, he put more strength into the hand holding the spear.

CRACK!

Eventually, the wooden spear snapped in two, unable to withstand the excessive force he had put into his attack.

"Well now..."

"Want to go again? I don't mind."

Mok Hyungwoo looked at the broken spear, now only half its original length, and shook his head. "No, I lost."

"If you don't mind, can I have a go too?" Wiji Cheon asked, stepping forward. "This is my first time holding a weapon other than a sword, but I'll do my best."

"I look forward to it."

Mok Hyungwoo scratched his stubbly beard a few times before picking up a new wooden spear. Then, shaking off his distractions, he lunged at Wiji Cheon.

The result was the same. He couldn't land a single attack on Wiji Cheon, who was also holding a spear for the first time. Later, when Wiji Cheon had figured out all of his attack patterns, he eventually self-destructed.

"Haha. I expected it, but... this is my complete defeat," he laughed hollowly.

Hyonwon Kang and Wiji Cheon exchanged troubled glances. To them, it was clear that Mok Hyungwoo had no talent for martial arts. His physical abilities were average, and both his instincts and insight were dull. The only advantage he had was his well-trained body.

"Your fundamentals are okay, but..."

"I don't quite understand that technique from earlier. Why do you insist on moving so inefficiently?"

"Right, I wanted to say the same thing. If you change it like this..."

"If you don't understand, maybe we could show you?"

The two boys stood facing each other with spears in hand and proceeded to give a demonstration.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Each time Hyonwon Kang and Wiji Cheon, who primarily used a dao and a sword, brought their spears to bear, their movements changed little by little. At first, the performance looked awkward even to Mok Hyungwoo, but as time passed, it became more polished.

"What is this..."

The more the two boys sparred, the fewer flaws remained in their technique. After about an hour, they had reached Mok Hyungwoo's level. After two hours, he could no longer find any faults in their form.

"Hahaha..." Mok Hyungwoo could only laugh bitterly. These two geniuses had not only perfectly reproduced the Six Harmonies Spear he had practiced for ten years, but also improved upon it in just two hours.

Is the difference in our talents this absurdly big?

His fingers trembled.

"......"

He wasn't jealous at all. In fact, watching the two prodigies collide and grow in real time was a miraculous encounter for him. He felt as if the fog in his vision was lifting.

Finally, Hyonwon Kang and Wiji Cheon finished their demonstration at the same time.

"Hoo... This should be enough, right?"

"We don't know much about spears either, but Mr. Baek sometimes uses one to teach us how to deal with polearms, so we just mimicked him..."

Mok Hyungwoo stared at the two boys in disbelief for a while, but soon shook his head.

How can they look so nonchalant after pulling off such an unbelievable feat?

"Thank you so much, you two were a great help. Also..." he hesitated for a moment, but eventually continued, "I think I roughly know what went wrong with your groups. The problem...is you two."

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l