Star Instructor, Master Baek

TL: FoodieMonster007

In the stillness before dawn, the Ghost Blood Unit assembled in the grimy underground gambling den run by the Smiling Grim Reaper. Thirty figures, masked and clad in all-black martial arts uniforms, stood in eerie silence, waiting for their captain to speak.

After a while, the Smiling Grim Reaper appeared, flexing the gloves on his hands, which were adorned with menacing spikes. As the room echoed with the sound of those spikes clicking together, a sly grin spread across his face.

“As you’ve likely heard, the situation with Golden Dragon Trading Company has escalated. Therefore, I believe it’s time we adopt a more… proactive approach.”

His smile widened, and a dangerous gleam flickered in his eyes. The thought of tearing through people’s lives, of the blood soaking into his gloves, awakened something primal in him.

“Tonight, we kill Geo Yisan, the younger brother of the Golden Dragon Chairman. Of course, a frontal attack is out of the question.”

The Golden Dragon Trading Company was one of the ten largest corporations in the jianghu. Its imposing headquarters, the Golden Dragon Hall, was home to scores of in-house trained martial arts experts, as well as many powerful mercenaries. With such immense combat power, a head-on assault would be suicidal even for the Ghost Blood Unit.

“Instead, we’ll disguise ourselves as a band of thieves, intent on looting, and split into groups. Some will set fire to the granaries, others will raid the warehouses, all with the goal of drawing attention away from Geo Yisan.”

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It was a classic diversionary tactic. Even then, infiltrating Geo Yisan’s quarters would be no small feat, but with the help of the spies they had planted in the Golden Dragon Hall over the past two years, there was a good chance they could decapitate Geo Yisan amid the chaos.

The Smiling Grim Reaper’s eyes glinted coldly. He had already sent word to his superiors via carrier pigeon, requesting for reinforcements.

First, we create chaos at Golden Dragon Trading Company, buying us time. After that, whether headquarters sends in the Blood Dragon or alters the plan, the next steps are in their hands.

The Smiling Grim Reaper licked the spikes on his gloves, the faint taste of blood as it cut his tongue stoking his bloodlust.

“…Be careful not to get too carried away with the taste of blood. It’s been a while,” he told his subordinates wistfully, a reminder not only to them, but also to himself.

The Ghost Blood Unit were demons hungry for slaughter, and often wandered far and wide to satisfy their thirst for carnage. Nevertheless, it had been a long time since they had a mission of this magnitude.

“Yes, sir!” they replied, grinning with the same wicked anticipation as their leader.

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The Smiling Grim Reaper looked at them with satisfaction. They were doing their best to hold back in his presence, but their eyes burned with bloodlust.

He checked the time and put on his mask, his eyes now glinting with killing intent behind it.

“Let’s go,” he commanded.

The Ghost Blood Unit slipped out of the gambling den, vanishing into the pre-dawn darkness.

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Clouds obscured the moon, enveloping the city of Nanchang in a cloak of darkness. Moving like a shadow through the night, the Smiling Grim Reaper cast a glance upward and let out a low chuckle.

The weather favors us tonight, he mused.

He and his forces reached the Golden Dragon Hall a little ahead of schedule, but inside, his spies were already setting the wheels in motion.

“Fire!”

A shrill cry pierced through the silence of the night, followed by the unmistakable roar of flames as they consumed the granary. Lights sprang to life throughout the sprawling estate, mingled with panicked cries, desperate screams, and the hurried footsteps of those rudely awakened from their sleep.

“The granary is on fire!”

“Quick, extinguish it!”

Several people moved to douse the flames, but the fire only raged fiercer, feeding on the chaos as people scrambled in every direction. Then, as if that weren’t enough, another scream rang out from the warehouse across the courtyard.

“Thieves!”

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“Someone’s looting the jewelry warehouse!”

“What kind of madmen would do this?!”

Hiding his presence, the Smiling Reaper watched the unfolding pandemonium from just beyond the wall. Finally, when the opportunity presented itself, he raised a hand and signaled to his men: it’s time.

The Ghost Blood Unit leaped into action, vaulting over the wall in perfect synchronization. The ten most skilled in movement arts reached the top in a single bound, securing ropes and lowering them for the others. Within moments, all thirty warriors were inside the compound.

[First team, ignite more fires around the warehouses.]

[Yes, sir!]

[Second team, aid the spies in spreading confusion.]

[Yes, sir!]

Tonight, several members of the Ghost Blood Unit would fall in battle, but surrender was not an option for them. A decade of training had prepared them to take their own lives rather than be captured by their enemies.

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[Third team, with me.]

[Yes, sir!]

The Smiling Grim Reaper led the ten most elite warriors straight to Geo Yisan’s quarters. His memory of the layout of the estate was impeccable, and he ran at the speed of wind.

We have about five minutes.

Soon, the authorities would arrive, the flames would be doused, and the chaos would be reined in. The martial artists of Golden Dragon Hall would then hunt them down with a vengeance.

We must sever Geo Yisan’s head and escape before that happens.

A frenzied grin played on the Smiling Grim Reaper’s lips. From here on, it was a race against time. His hands itched with anticipation, eager to tear through anyone who dared to stand in his way.

The shadows scaled yet another wall.

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[Halt.]

At the Smiling Grim Reaper’s signal, the elite unit paused atop the wall.

The formations inside are still active, the Smiling Grim Reaper observed. This was the final obstacle before reaching Geo Yisan’s quarters. Experts had embedded multiple layers of illusion formations designed to ensnare intruders, making them wander in endless circles.

However, he had already had accounted for this.

[The formations are down!] A spy reported. He was a former bodyguard of the Golden Dragon Chairman, but because he was mired in debt, they had successfully turned him to their side.

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[It’s safe to enter,] the spy added, waving at them.

For a moment, a slight tremor in the spy’s voice caught the Smiling Grim Reaper’s attention, but he quickly dismissed it as nothing more than nerves.

[We’re going in.]

He and his men jumped down from the wall. As he expected, the formations were deactivated, and they slipped into Geo Yisan’s quarters without spilling a single drop of blood.

Even the heavens are smiling upon us tonight.

However, luck had its limits.

As the Smiling Grim Reaper entered Geo Yisan’s quarters, he felt a prickle of unease. Where are all the guards? The servants? Isn’t it too quiet?

In retrospect, everything had gone too smoothly, so much so that even his bloodthirsty subordinates were beginning to look disappointed.

He stopped dead in his tracks. “Could it be…?” he mumbled to himself, wondering if he had walked into a trap.

Unfortunately for him, it was too late. He and his men were already deep inside the Golden Dragon Hall, within Geo Yisan’s quarters.

WHOOSH!

All of a sudden, torches blazed to life all around them. The entire building was bathed in light, and to their surprise and dismay, the Smiling Grim Reaper and his Ghost Blood Unit found themselves surrounded.

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“Shit, we’ve been had,” the Smiling Grim Reaper swore, his suspicions now solidified into cold certainty.

Behind him, Golden Dragon warriors stood on the wall he had scaled, crossbows aimed and ready. There was no escape. He turned his attention back to Geo Yisan’s quarters, only to see the door creak open and Geo Yisan himself emerge from within.

Only, it wasn’t the real Geo Yisan, but Baek Suryong in disguise. Even now, before his cornered enemies, Baek Suryong maintained his cover.

There could be another spy hidden somewhere, and I’d also rather not reveal my true identity to the Golden Dragon warriors.

Despite the Chairman’s assurances that he had taken great care in selecting trustworthy men, it was better to err on the side of caution.

The Smiling Grim Reaper ground his teeth, glaring at the man who stood before him. “Geo Yisan… You knew we were coming right from the start?”

Smirking, Baek Suryong replied, “Of course. I also know why you want me dead, what you’re plotting against the Golden Dragon Trading Company, and…”

[I know you’re with the Blood Cult.]

”!!” Baek Suryong’s telepathic message struck the Smiling Grim Reaper like a hammer, causing his eyes to widen in shock.

“How much do you know?” he asked, his voice quivering with disbelief.

“Everything.” Baek Suryong grinned mischievously, though a terrifying killing intent poured out of him with every word he said. “I know what you want, the vile things you’ve done, and how many innocent lives you’re willing to trample on to get it… I know much, much more than you can imagine.”

GULP.

The Smiling Grim Reaper swallowed dryly.

“Why do you insist on bothering those who only want to live in peace?” Baek Suryong asked, his tone almost lazy. Though his use of bone contortion to mimic Geo Yisan’s bulk affected his speed and agility, he was confident that he could overwhelm the enemies before him.

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“What are you talking about…” the Smiling Grim Reaper began, but Baek Suryong cut him off.

“Enough. We both already know how this is going to end. When has your kind ever settled anything with words? The Blood Cult’s modus operandi has always been to end things in blood.”

“…You know too much,” the Smiling Grim Reaper muttered.

Baek Suryong was right though. Blood had always been the be all and end all for the Blood Cult.

The Smiling Grim Reaper’s gaze steeled with cold determination, and he issued a telepathic command to his men, [This one is no ordinary foe. I hereby grant you permission to use demonic arts.]

“Yes, sir!”

In an instant, a sinister, perverse transformation took hold of the ten Ghost Blood Unit elites. Crimson veins bulged grotesquely across their faces, and their inner qi surged and multiplied several times over.

“Grrrr…”

“Rrrgh…”

From behind the ghastly growls, the Smiling Grim Reaper’s sinister laugh echoed, “Kill him.”

Ten ghouls swooped down on Baek Suryong, threatening to engulf him in a terrifying wave of violence.

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"”Kraaaah!””

It was a scene straight out of a nightmare, but Baek Suryong merely grimaced in disgust. “You all reek of blood,” he complained, activating the Heaven Defying Divine Art.

CRACKLE, CRACKLE…

A sizzling pulse rippled through the air as a massive surge of energy erupted around him. Though his hair remained its usual color thanks to the wig he wore, his eyes glowed a deep, blood-red, and his clothes billowed wildly around him.

“Let’s see if anything has changed since the old days,” Baek Suryong said with a faint smile, taking a step forward.

BOOM! CRASH! SMASH!

“Dear heavens…” The real Geo Yisan’s face drained of color as he felt the violent clash of energy radiating from his own quarters. Turning anxiously to his elder brother, Geo Ilsan, the Golden Dragon Chairman, he asked, “Hyung-nim, what in the world is going on in there?”

“Don’t ask,” Geo Ilsan replied, his tone leaving no room for argument. Instead, he stared vehemently at the lifeless bodies of the twenty Ghost Blood Unit warriors who had attacked the warehouses, grumbling, “…Stubborn bastards. They all took their own lives the moment they were captured.”

The Ghost Blood Unit had slipped into the Golden Dragon Hall to wreak havoc, but the forewarned guards inside quickly subdued them. As a result, while the initial fire caused some property damage, there was no loss of life on their end.

Geo Ilsan smiled with satisfaction. Property damage? Hah. A mere drop in the ocean compared to the wealth of the Golden Dragon Trading Company. More importantly, we’ve caught the bastards who harmed my son and rooted out the spies they planted in our company. All in all, the benefits far outweigh our losses.

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“Hyung-nim!” Geo Yisan cried, his frustration bubbling over as he clutched his chest, pointing frantically toward his quarters. “How can you tell me not to ask anything when my house is being torn apart right now?”

WHOOSH! BAM! CRACK!

Geo Yisan’s quarters were being completely demolished by the fierce battle raging within, and debris from the once magnificent building repeatedly went flying into the air.

“…I can’t tell you anything because of a promise I made to our benefactor. Also, for your own peace of mind, it’s better if you just act dumb,” Geo Ilsan said, his expression firm as he stamped out his brother’s curiosity.

“But still…”

KABOOOOOOOM!

Suddenly, a crimson aura and an ashen aura collided violently, intertwining like two dragons locked in mortal combat.

“Damn, this is terrifying…” Geo Yisan whispered meekly.

The clash in his personal quarters had grown so intense that the guards surrounding the Golden Dragon Hall strained to contain the aftermath, doing everything in their power to prevent it from spilling beyond the estate’s confines.

Meanwhile, Golden Dragon Chairman Geo Ilsan couldn’t help but think of his son’s teacher. I knew he was a formidable martial artist, but to think he was this powerful…

Although Geo Ilsan wasn’t talented enough to become a martial master himself, he had traveled the world as a merchant and witnessed countless martial artists and their techniques, even seen the brilliance of several of the Ten Great Masters in their younger days.

“He cured my son’s depression, too…” Geo Ilsan muttered to himself, a determined expression settling on his face. “It seems we’ve welcomed a truly invaluable guest into our Golden Dragon Hall.”

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