Star Instructor, Master Baek-Chapter 337: Proof

Geomno, who was watching from the side, rebuked his master, "You damn punk. What you're asking for is easier said than done. Stop embarrassing us by making such outrageous demands of a stranger…"

"Is this acceptable?" Baek Suryong interrupted.

"That's it! Well done! You're a natural!"

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"……" Geomno sighed again.

Baek Suryong willingly posed as Artist Pung Wol instructed. The word 'humility' didn't exist in his dictionary, so it wasn't difficult or embarrassing at all.

Seeing Baek Suryong striking poses so shamelessly and confidently, Geomno muttered in despair, "It seems that a formidable guest has arrived…"

Regardless, Baek Suryong didn't just stand still. Keeping his gaze fixed on the painting, he asked without moving his lips or changing his wistful expression, "I thought you didn't paint anymore after retiring?"

Ventriloquism came easily to him.

"Nonsense. What would a painter do if he did not paint? That rumor probably spread because Master no longer shows or sells his work to others," Geomno replied.

Artist Pung Wol was so completely immersed in painting that he didn't hear the conversation between the two at all.

He has incredible concentration.

Glancing at Artist Pung Wol out of the corner of his eye, Baek Suryong said to Geomno, "Senior, please feel free to speak comfortably."

Geomno shook his head. "I do not talk down to guests just because I am old. I am not such a rude person."

Huh, he's quite the principled man. Baek Suryong grew curious about Geomno's identity. "I am speaking not as a guest, but as a junior martial artist."

"Then it is even more inappropriate. A martial artist's skill isn't determined by age, and you seem to be a master at a level where murim seniority hardly matters."

"…You flatter me."

Just as Baek Suryong had recognized Geomno's strength, Geomno also acknowledged his strength. However, there was no tension between the two of them. Although Geomno looked intimidating, he was an old man who had lost the fieriness of youth, and Baek Suryong hadn't come looking for a fight either.

"If you have any questions, feel free to ask me. That fellow wouldn't hear a thing even if thunder struck right now."

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"Excuse me if I'm prying too much, but what is the relationship between the two of you?"

"We're… friends. As you can see, this fellow earned a lot of money selling paintings, so I'm staying here and managing things for him."

Baek Suryong was curious about Geomno's true identity, but the elder's firm tone indicated that he did not want to be questioned any further. With no other choice, he changed the topic.

"How long will it take for the painting to be completed?"

"Not long. It should be finished within an hour."

"…That's incredibly fast."

Considering the quality of the beauty portraits hanging on the wall, one hour was an unbelievably short time.

I seriously thought I would have to stand here for at least half a day. It must be because he uses sorcery to paint.

Even now, the brushes floating in the air moved at a speed most people couldn't follow with their eyes. Artist Pung Wol was so focused on his work that he had long since fallen into a trance.

"My apologies for making you endure this even though you just arrived. Usually, he asks someone if he can paint them after drinking some tea and chatting for a bit…" Geomno glanced at the fully immersed Artist Pung Wol and the painting he was creating. "I think he was greatly inspired by you. A priceless masterpiece will likely be born today."

Baek Suryong didn't know it, but it had been over ten years since Geomno had said the word 'masterpiece'.

This feels strange. To think that I would ever end up having my own portrait painted while looking at my parents' portrait.

Somehow, he felt like his parents' broad smiles were directed at him.

"When the painting is finished, this fellow will offer you a gift as thanks, so it might help if you think about it beforehand."

A gift…

The moment he heard that, Baek Suryong knew what he would ask from Artist Pung Wol.

As the two of them conversed softly to keep each other entertained, Artist Pung Wol laid down the final brushstroke and completed the painting. His eyes finally returned to normal.

"Excellent!" He burst into a hearty laugh as he admired the finished painting. Turning to Baek Suryong, he said, "Thank you. Thanks to you, I've created a painting that I'm very happy with for the first time in a long while! Your hazy expression when you looked at the painting, your natural posture! It's my favorite among all the paintings I've done in the past decade!"

Artist Pung Wol's radiant smile was so pure and infectious that it belied his octogenarian age.

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Baek Suryong smiled faintly. "May I move now?"

"Oh dear! It seems I made a guest stand for so long. Steward, could you go prepare some food?"

"I've already instructed the attendants. Let's go to the dining hall." Geomno led the way, followed by Artist Pung Wol and Baek Suryong.

Baek Suryong moved beside Artist Pung Wol, who was gathering his painting tools with sorcery, and asked, "May I see the completed painting?"

"Of course."

"……"

Baek Suryong's side profile was depicted against the backdrop of the detached building, looking at a painting hanging on the wall. Even the sunlight streaming in through the window and his hair fluttering in the wind were portrayed in fine detail.

Divine technique indeed. I can feel the emotions so clearly from the painting!

In the painting, Baek Suryong's succulent lips held tenderness, while his eyes held wistful longing. It felt strange to say it himself, but even he had to admit that it was a picture-perfect scene.

Though it's a pity he didn't add any details about the painting I was looking at.

He had secretly hoped that the portrait of his parents would be included in the scene, but the star of this painting was clearly him.

"How is it?"

"…It feels strange to look at myself like that."

"Haha! I knew you'd say that!"

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Arriving at their destination, the three sat around a table laden with a feast.

"By the way, how are you related to the people depicted in the painting you kept staring at?"

That was quick, Baek Suryong thought inwardly. He smirked. "They're my parents."

"Oh! Indeed…! Such a good-looking son could only be born from those two. No wonder I thought you kind of resembled them."

"Do you remember my parents?"

"Of course. I remember everyone in the paintings I've drawn. Especially your parents…" Artist Pung Wol smiled gently as he reminisced the past. "They were truly a well-matched pair. When they came to me, they had just gotten married and were on a honeymoon around the jianghu. They clung to each other so closely, and even insisted on holding hands as I painted their portrait. That was a first for me, you know."

Artist Pung Wol shook his head slowly, then grinned mischievously. "Your father was quite the doting fool. He was always worried that your mother would break if he held her too tightly, or fly away if he breathed too hard on her… I still clearly remember him fussing over his newlywed wife."

"That sounds just like him," Baek Suryong chuckled. He didn't have to see it to know that Artist Pung Wol's description was correct. His father must have been completely wrapped around his mother's little finger. He asked, "What kind of person was my mother?"

"She was… a woman with guts. She looked frail, but she bluntly said everything that was on her mind. Most importantly, your mother was the only person who ever barged into my house in the wee hours of the morning and demanded that I paint a picture for her."

Baek Suryong's jaw dropped. "…I beg your pardon? My mother did what?"

"Hmm, I remember that too." Geomno nodded with an expressionless face.

My mother fearlessly barged into a manor guarded by this scary old man?

"She proudly stated that she was absolutely confident that they met my standards and demanded that I paint quickly because every second she spent waiting was time wasted."

"…I am so sorry about my parents' behavior," Baek Suryong apologized. He somehow felt he ought to. Mae Yakbing was an even more incredible woman than he had imagined. "Thank you so much for forgiving my delinquent-like parents, and thank you for preserving their painting for so long. Though… it would have been okay if you asked Geomno to beat my father up a bit…"

Inwardly, though, Baek Suryong was thinking, Why the fuck do I, the son, have to apologize for my parents' bad behavior!?

"Haha! That's all ancient history. Now, it's just an amusing memory for me. Besides, that painting is one of my finest works," Artist Pung Wol exclaimed, genuinely amused.

"Don't worry, it's alright," Geomno agreed. As one aged, it wasn't easy to meet people who shared old memories.

"So, how are your parents now? Still healthy and happy?" Artist Pung Wol asked.

"My father is well, but my mother passed away soon after giving birth to me. Today is actually the first time I've ever seen her face."

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"Oh no…" Artist Pung Wol wore a look of pity.

Baek Suryong, however, grinned as if it was okay. Hearing about his parents legendary exploits in such an unexpected place actually put him in a good mood.

"This must be fate too. I'd like to give you a gift. Tell me if there's anything you desire," Artist Pung Wol said seriously.

He could give anything, whether it was money, fame, or connections. If Baek Suryong wanted money, he could write a bank check to be collected at the Ten Great Companies. If he wanted fame, he could lend his name. If he wanted connections, he could write a letter of introduction to the sect leaders of the Mount Hua Sect and the Zhongnan Sect.

Baek Suryong, however, wanted something else. "Can you please paint one more picture for me?"

"Hm?"

"Please paint a family portrait of me standing together with my parents."

"Hmm… That's a bit…" For the first time, Artist Pung Wol looked troubled. This was not a request he would normally accept.

He only painted what he wanted to paint, and he made it a rule never to use his imagination to paint people who weren't physically present. Hearing Baek Suryong say it was the first time he had actually seen his mother, however, made him hesitate.

Seeing Artist Pung Wol waver, Baek Suryong added sadly, "Actually, I'm not making this request for myself. I want to give that painting to my maternal grandfather."

How happy would Mae Geuklyom be if he saw a painting of his daughter, whom he was estranged from and hadn't seen for thirty years? Baek Suryong couldn't even imagine what Mae Geuklyom's expression would be if he could see her again, even if only in a picture.

"My maternal grandfather couldn't even attend my mother's funeral. That is his life greatest regret…"

"S-Stop. Hearing such stories weakens my heart." Artist Pung Wol, who had been pondering Baek Suryong's request, finally sighed and nodded. "Alright. I'll paint it for you."

"Thank you." Baek Suryong's face brightened up as if he was never sad at all.

Finally, having secured Artist Pung Wol's promise for his grandfather's gift, he felt it was time to get to the real reason behind his visit.

"Actually, I came here because there was something specific I wanted to ask you."

"I'm listening."

"Is your real name Moon Yul?"

The eccentric impression that Artist Pung Wol gave off was vastly different from the lover Master Eun had described, but sixty years had already passed since the two parted. A person could change a lot within that time.

It was enough time for even a sickly scholar to learn sorcery and become the world's most famous painter.

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What if he kept painting all this time so as not to forget the person he missed?

To his surprise, though, Artist Pung Wol's expression hardened. "…Where did you hear that name?" he demanded coldly.

Baek Suryong blinked, startled by the sudden change in attitude.

"Answer me! Where did you hear that name!?"

Baek Suryong considered his answer for a moment, then said, "I have a message to deliver to that person."

"You do? Or is it a message from someone else?"

"Eun Yerin."

"……" Artist Pung Wol's eyes shot open wider than realistically possible. The murim might remember the Ice Moon Goddess, but almost no one knew her real name.

"What is your relationship with her?" Artist Pung Wol growled, his aura changing completely.

Despite it being broad daylight, the surroundings began to darken as the sorcery enveloping the entire manor resonated with its master.

CRASH!

The qi in the area fluctuated wildly, creating a sudden gale that blew away the food on the table.

Baek Suryong narrowed his eyes. This could be dangerous.

The entire manor was effectively a complex formation created by Artist Pung Wol. It was impossible even to guess what kind of nightmare the sorcery that usually displayed peaceful mystical scenery might transform into.

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"Answer my question!" Artist Pung Wol's feet lifted off the ground, and his voice echoed from all directions. His eyes were endlessly transparent and cold.

Baek Suryong realized clumsy lies wouldn't work on this opponent. He said truthfully, "…I am her disciple. I cannot reveal the full circumstances now, but I inherited the Ice Moon Goddess's martial arts, and I came seeking the one named Moon Yul to deliver her last words."

"Did you just say, her last words?" Artist Pung Wol's expression darkened. Anger, despair, loss, resignation, various emotions mixed like paint on his face, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

Finally, after a long pause, he whispered in a slightly calmer voice, "If you to know about Moon Yul, you have to prove yourself first."

"What do you mean?"

"You must prove to me that you are neither from the Ice Palace nor an agent of the Blood Cult."

"…!!" Baek Suryong was startled. For Artist Pung Wol to bring up the Blood Cult was the last thing he expected.

Did he know that Master Eun was captured by the Blood Cult? Since when?

Well, if he wanted his questions answered, he would have to prove himself as Artist Pung Wol demanded. The painter's stubbornly closed lips seemed unlikely to open until then.

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Summoning his inner qi, he asked, "How should I prove myself?"

"That's simple. Show me the Goddess' Ice Arts. I've heard they are different from those of the Ice Palace."

"Do I simply need to demonstrate the martial arts?"

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Artist Pung Wol shook his head. "I learned martial arts late in life, and compared to sorcery, I am terrible at it. At least, I'm nowhere near good enough to distinguish between the different types of Ice Arts."

"Then why did you ask for a demonstration…?"

"Because fortunately, there is a man here who has fought the Ice Moon Goddess before."

Both men turned toward the only other person in the room.

Geomno, who had been standing silently with his arms crossed, stared at Baek Suryong icily. "If our guest here is an agent of the Blood Cult, he will not leave this place alive."

Translator's Note: That's it for this week. I will be away on a work trip from 9-17 May. I'll try to release a few weekday chapters this week but no promises as I have no idea what time I'll get off work.

Also, some fanart by a korean reader: