Star Instructor, Master Baek

TL: FoodieMonster007

Everyone froze, as if they had been turned to ice. Standing before them was the second of the Ten Great Villains of the Valley of Evil, a master of ice arts who could freeze everything around herself.

So that’s the Nine Yin Witch…

She’s nothing like I imagined!

I’d heard that she was beautiful, but I didn’t think she was this beautiful!

Since the Nine Yin Witch spent most of her time in seclusion, many of the villains in the Valley of Evil were seeing her for the first time and were astonished by her youthful, stunning appearance that completely contradicted her witch alias.

No matter how they looked at her, she didn’t appear a day over thirty. Considering that she’d been infamous for over a decade, it was astonishing.

Slowly surveying the surroundings, the Nine Yin Witch asked, “Where’s that that damned old man? With all this commotion, why is he still nowhere to be seen?”

The ‘old man’ she referred to was, naturally, the Bloody Ripper. Given his personality, he wouldn’t just sit back and let such chaos unfold in the Valley of Evil.

Tilting her head, the Nine Yin Witch murmured, “Did he finally die of old age?”

“Ahem! Who says he’s dead?” the Demon Doctor loudly cleared his throat and stepped forward. Although he usually enjoyed abusing his authority in the Valley of Evil and acting like the Bloody Ripper’s close friend, even he couldn’t treat the Nine Yin Witch lightly. “Nine Yin Witch, what brings you here?” he asked politely.

“The Valley’s going up in flames, and you expect me to just sit back and watch? Besides, is there anywhere in the Valley of Evil I can’t go?” the Nine Yin Witch replied.

“Well…” The Demon Doctor couldn’t argue. However, since the Nine Yin Witch usually kept to herself, he couldn’t understand why she had suddenly appeared. “…It’s fine if you just want to observe, but please don’t interfere in our affairs.”

“What affairs are you talking about?” the Nine Yin Witch demanded.

The Demon Doctor cautiously replied, “We’re in the process of apprehending some criminals who have caused havoc in the Valley of Evil.”

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“Criminals, huh… Then shouldn’t you be the first to be arrested?” she scoffed.

The veins on the Demon Doctor’s forehead bulged, but even though he was momentarily suppressed by the Witch’s aura, he wasn’t one to back down easily. “Anyway, don’t interfere! If the Bloody Ripper finds out about this later…”

CRACK, CRACKLE!

A terrifying chill emanated from the Nine Yin Witch’s body, and ice sprouted from where she stood, extending toward the Demon Doctor. Sliding down the icy path she’d created, she came to a stop right in front of him. “The Bloody Ripper? Do I look like I’m afraid of that old man?” she whispered, lightly tracing his face with her long fingers.

“Ugh…” The Demon Doctor’s eyebrows frosted over, turning white, and white puffs escaped from his mouth.

In the Valley of Evil, the only person who could restrain the Nine Yin Witch was the Bloody Ripper, but right now, he was nowhere to be seen.

“Didn’t you know? That old man leaves me alone because I keep trash like you in check.”

Trembling nervously, the Demon Doctor nodded, begging, “P-Please, stop…”

“If you threaten me with the Bloody Ripper’s name one more time, it won’t end like this,” she warned, expanding the range of her aura and causing the other nearby villains to shiver uncontrollably.

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“U-Understood…”

Seeing his submissive reaction, the Nine Yin Witch withdrew her icy aura.

Meanwhile, the students who had narrowly escaped death desperately tried to figure a way out of their current predicament.

The Nine Yin Witch! Out of the frying pan into the fire…

Can we get out of here alive?

We’re doomed…

Although the Bloody Ripper and the Nine Yin Witch had never actually fought, the murim rankings placed her slightly above him.

Such a terrifying Great Villain now turned her gaze toward them, her eyes scanning each of them. Under her cold gaze, they felt as if they were being stripped naked, especially Yeo Min, who she stared at the longest.

“You children don’t look like you belong in the Valley of Evil,” she remarked. Then, looking directly at Yeo Min, she mumbled, “And you…”

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“……”

“…Never mind.” Turning away, the Nine Yin Witch pointed at one of the villains. “You. Tell me exactly what happened here.”

“Eek!” Black Boar, the unfortunate soul who the Witch had singled out, broke into a cold sweat and glanced nervously at the Demon Doctor.

His actions did not escape the Nine Yin Witch. “If I sense a hint of a lie, I’ll freeze and shatter your fingers one by one,” she threatened.

Panicking, the Black Boar immediately started recounting everything that had happened that day, rambling, “I-I swear to tell only the truth! Those folks are newcomers who arrived in the Valley of Evil today… So, in my personal opinion… except for the one called the Handsome Playboy, they don’t seem like our kind. Maybe we should take them in and interrogate them since they seem to have some hidden intentions… But of course, it’s up to you, Nine Yin Witch… Just my humble opinion…”

Finishing his story, Black Boar watched Nine Yin Witch and Demon Doctor carefully, awaiting their final verdict.

The Nine Yin Witch sighed, “I see. So you guys caused all this chaos over such an insignificant matter?”

“What?” the Demon Doctor exclaimed.

In the Valley of Evil, strength was the law. Without a doubt, the Nine Yin Witch had the most authority. She pronounced her verdict, “I won’t allow any more fighting. Zhejiang Five Devils, leave the Valley of Evil immediately. We’ll end it like this.”

“What?!”

It was clearly a one-sided decision in favor of the Zhejiang Five Devils, but none of the villains dared to express their rage.

“Nine Yin Witch, why are you showing them such favoritism?” the Demon Doctor asked cautiously, suppressing his rising anger.

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Ignoring his question, she turned to the students. “Didn’t you hear me? Shoo, get out of my sight.”

“Can we really go?” Hyonwon Kang asked.

She waved her hand dismissively, as if it was a nuisance to even answer.

Supporting the injured Hyonwon Kang, Yeo Min whispered, “Let’s go quickly before she changes her mind.”

Watching the Nine Yin Witch warily, the villains gradually relaxed their encirclement, when suddenly, a familiar voice interrupted, “That won’t do.”

Hyonwon Kang’s face clouded over. Hell Axe, Wolf Fang Blade, and Seclusion Training Freak, the three gatekeepers of the Valley of Evil, were approaching.

“It’s you guys…” he muttered.

“Tsk.” The Nine Yin Witch clicked her tongue, her delicate eyebrows furrowing into a frown. Even for her, these three were troublesome opponents. Individually, they were no match for her, but together, it was a different story. Even the ruler of the Valley, the Bloody Ripper, couldn’t easily ignore their words.

Especially that Seclusion Training Freak…

“Good evening, Nine Yin Witch,” the Seclusion Training Freak said, his blue eyes gleaming mischievously as he stopped in front of her. “The Valley of Evil has its own rules and order. It’s problematic when you disrupt them on a whim.”

“You mean the rules the Bloody Ripper made up as he pleased?” she retorted.

“Those are the rules everyone agreed to when they entered this place,” he replied calmly.

“I never agreed to them,” she asserted coldly.

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The Seclusion Training Freak chuckled softly, “The Bloody Ripper is the founder of the Valley of Evil. No matter how strong you are, shouldn’t you at least show him some respect?”

Something about his tone grated on her nerves, even though it was polite. She replied icily, “And why should I?”

“Because you’re also someone who’s been given safe refuge in the Valley of Evil. As a public enemy of the Murim, do you have anywhere else to go?” he pointed out.

“……” For a moment, the Nine Yin Witch was at a loss for words. As much as she disliked the Seclusion Training Freak, she couldn’t dismiss him outright. If he was like the typical villain, staring at her with stupidity and lust, she would have attacked him without hesitation, but he was calm, rational, and his combat skills were nothing to sneeze at.

Still, she had no intention of backing down.

“So you want to challenge me?” she asked, freezing the ground beneath her. The ambient temperature plummeted, her white hair began to flutter, and pure ice qi gathered in her hands.

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“Hold on. I’m not done talking yet,” Seclusion Training Freak said, shaking his head as he took a step back. “I’m not interested in their identities, and I don’t intend to do anything to them. Still, letting them go freely after causing such a ruckus? It hurts our pride as gatekeepers.”

“Exactly! It feels wrong!” Hell Axe chimed in.

“Honestly, I’d love to just kill them,” Wolf Fang Blade added, placing a hand on his weapon.

“Sigh… Get to the point. What do you want?” the Nine Yin Witch demanded.

“Let’s wait for the Bloody Ripper to return,” Seclusion Training Freak suggested, smiling. Despite his gentle demeanor, he drew his sword, making it clear that he wouldn’t just walk away if the negotiations failed. “If you prefer, we can settle this right here. I assure you, even if you survive, these youngsters won’t.”

“Are you threatening me?” she asked.

“Just giving you a heads up,” he replied.

Sparks flew between the two. The three gatekeepers, including Seclusion Training Freak, were the top martial artists in the Valley of Evil, second only to the Bloody Ripper and the Nine Yin Witch. If they clashed now…

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Everyone held their breath.

Just as the fight was on the verge of starting, however, the Nine Yin Witch unexpectedly surprised everyone by stepping back first.

“Fine. For the sake of your pride, you’re saying I can’t let these kids leave the Valley of Evil, right?” she asked.

Seclusion Training Freak nodded. “Correct.”

The Nine Yin Witch grinned slyly. “Then, I’ll take them to my place.”

“What?”

“When the Bloody Ripper returns, tell him to come collect them from me.”

For the first time, Seclusion Training Freak’s composure wavered. The Nine Yin Witch’s dwelling was in the most dangerous part of the valley, and most people didn’t even know its location.

“No one who visited your home has ever returned alive…” he began cautiously.

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“That’s because their intentions were always the same,” the Nine Yin Witch replied coolly.

“……” After thinking for a moment, Seclusion Training Freak nodded. He, too, was reluctant to confront her directly. “Very well. Since you’re willing to compromise, we’ll back off. You can keep them until the Bloody Ripper returns. But if I may ask, why are you so interested in them?”

“I’m done talking to you,” she said curtly, before turning to the bewildered Zhejiang Five Devils. “Follow me, children,” she commanded, moving to depart.

Watching her leave with the students, the Seclusion Training Freak called after her, “If I run into the Handsome Playboy, I’ll let him know as well!”

No answer came.

Shrugging, the Seclusion Training Freak turned to his companions. “Let’s head back.”

“Hey, Seclusion Training Freak! How could you just let her go? You should’ve stopped her from taking them!” the Demon Doctor protested, rushing up to him.

However, the Seclusion Training Freak brushed him off. “Aside from monitoring who goes in and out of the Valley of Evil, the rest is none of our business. Besides, the Nine Yin Witch showed us respect.”

“You call that respect? Do you think the Bloody Ripper will be pleased when he finds out?”

“Honestly, I would be surprised if he’s still alive.”

“W-What did you just say?” the Demon Doctor stammered in shock.

Laughing, the Seclusion Training Freak replied, “Considering he hasn’t shown up by now, something must’ve happened. Maybe the Handsome Playboy killed him.”

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“That’s absurd!”

“I admit, it’s unlikely, but…”

The Seclusion Training Freak recalled the Handsome Playboy’s inhumanely beautiful face. Now that was a man who radiated a dangerous aura that even his keen eyes couldn’t fully decipher. Regardless, even though he had hoped for some excitement, he never expected the Valley of Evil to be turned upside down.

“Heheh, seems his talents aren’t limited to his looks,” he chuckled, shoulders shaking with amusement.

Turning away, he headed back to the valley entrance, Hell Axe and Wolf Fang Blade in tow.

“Ha! What kind of gatekeeper is that? He’s worse than a dog!” the Demon Doctor fumed. Grinding his teeth, he rummaged through his pockets, muttering, “What makes you think I can’t catch them without your help? I have my own methods. Soon, that little boy’s poison will take effect, and I’ll threaten them with the antidote… Huh? Where is it? Where’s my antidote?”

Flustered, he emptied his pockets, even turning them inside out, but the antidote for Wiji Cheon was nowhere to be found.