Reincarnation of the Cloud Dragon - Chapter 25

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This chapter is translated by Falnar Novels Team.
Support us by reading on our official site: https://falnarnovels.com
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Chapter 25.
A figure emerged from the darkness like a shadow seeping through the veil of night.
Though his face was concealed and his presence suppressed, his voice was unmistakably familiar.
“Senior Ya Jin, Instructor Kyoto—what brings you here?”
“Hehe, Yun Cheon. Allow me to congratulate you on officially becoming a warrior of our sect.”
With those words, Ya Jin presented something to Yun Cheon.
It was an object housed in a heavy leather sheath.
As Yun Cheon opened the sheath, a weighty metal hidden blade emerged, radiating an icy chill.
“…Is this a hidden blade?”
At a glance, it was far more exquisite and superior to the standard hidden blade he’d received from the Supply Officer.
“I witnessed the iron rings you employed during your sparring match. Until now, you’ve relied on rings and other objects for training, but your proficiency appears sufficient. You may use this now.”
In that moment during the match with Instructor Chuk Mu Gwang, when Yun Cheon had hurled the iron ring and inflicted a wound.
Ya Jin had felt a genuine thrill.
“That one is a born competitor—no, an assassin! If he were to join the Shadowless Kill Sect, he might surpass even the disciples we’ve cultivated with such devotion.”
A subtle gleam of covetousness flickered in Ya Jin’s eyes.
“…If only his body were restored, he would become a true monster. I must establish a connection with him now.”
Yun Cheon secured the hidden blade and expressed his gratitude.
“…I will use it well.”
“Hehe, thanks to your demonstration of the Shadowless Guard and the iron rings during your match with Instructor Chuk Mu Gwang, the reputation of both our sect and the Shadowless Kill Sect has risen considerably. The losses we sustained pale in comparison.”
“It has benefited me as well.”
“The Shadowless Kill Sect has taken notice of you. If you find yourself interested, speak of it anytime. For now, I shall take my leave.”
Ya Jin did not wait for Yun Cheon’s response.
His form dissolved silently into the thick darkness of the corridor, as if melting away.
Yun Cheon fastened the hidden blade Ya Jin had given him to his waist and gazed for a moment in the direction he had vanished.
‘The Shadowless Kill Sect…’
One of the Ten Demon Sects.
Though I had heard the name several times, I had yet to truly grasp the extent of their power.
‘Among the disciples at Qian Mo Cave, there were scarcely any from the Ten Demon Sects or the Twelve Orthodox Families…’
Those I had encountered were merely two from the Snake and Scorpion Ink Family, Yalü Hee, and Jang Dae San of the Cheolhyeol Muggeuk Sect.
Yet Yalü Hee had not received proper transmission of her family’s martial arts, and the Snake and Scorpion Ink Family was renowned for poison and ruthlessness rather than martial prowess.
Jang Dae San of the Cheolhyeol Muggeuk Sect did not appear to hold a particularly high position either.
Beyond these, the Ten Demon Sects had scarcely sent disciples to Qian Mo Cave.
This signified one thing.
‘They must be cultivating their true talents in secret.’
To compete with them, it was urgent that I restore my body to at least manage my inner energy.
If I were to pledge myself to some faction now, I would lose the opportunity to recover.
‘It’s not a bad offer. But not now…’
Yun Cheon gazed for a moment toward where Ya Jin had disappeared, then resumed his steps.
His destination was the private Stone Chamber at Qian Mo Cave where he had spent the past year.
Before settling into the Inner Library for an extended period, he needed to visit both the Spirit Nourishment Hall and the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion.
“It’s… Yun Cheon!”
As I passed through a familiar corridor, I noticed gazes different from usual settling upon me.
The moment Yun Cheon walked past the Training Ground, the movements of the disciples practicing there froze in unison.
In the eyes of the disciples who saw the newly issued martial robes and the heavy blade hanging at my waist, reverence and curiosity mingled.
“The instructor’s martial robes and a true blade!”
“He’s actually become a formal martial artist…!”
The contemptuous and dismissive gazes that had previously been directed at me vanished without a trace.
As he passed, the whispered murmurs ceased, and several disciples unconsciously stepped aside.
Yun Cheon was no longer a fortunate vagabond.
“Impressive. Even before the disciples of the Twelve Orthodox Families….”
Yun Cheon had already defeated an instructor and passed through Zamadong in a single year—he was a living legend.
That record would not be broken for a long time to come.
As I walked through the corridors of Zamadong, familiar names reached my ears.
“At least we can breathe easy now that those arrogant Snake and Scorpion Ink Family bastards aren’t around. The way the Twelve Orthodox Families swagger about….”
“Those guys are famous for entering Zamadong and causing trouble every time.”
“On the other hand, the higher-ranking Twelve Orthodox Families and the Ten Demon Sects don’t even show their faces here.”
“Then what about Yalü Hee from the Guang Feng Yalü Family?”
“She’s the daughter of a martial family. It’s obvious without even looking. She seems to have decent talent, but… she won’t match her older brother.”
Yun Cheon walked on silently, listening to that conversation.
And just as I was about to turn the corner, I encountered a familiar silhouette.
It was Yalü Hee.
She glanced over my new martial robes and the heavy blade hanging at my waist, then smiled faintly.
“…The robes suit you well. Now you look like a proper martial artist.”
Her tone was calm, as if she paid no mind to the whispers around us.
‘I walk my own martial path.’
After resolving thus, Yalü Hee no longer heard the whispers of the other disciples.
“You too have lost your hesitation. Your eyes have become those of a true warrior.”
As Yun Cheon and Yalü Hee exchanged greetings, a voice laced with killing intent cut in from ahead.
“How convenient. Both of you scoundrels together.”
Yalü Hee’s brow furrowed.
When Yun Cheon turned his head, a man approached with a venomous expression, like a serpent dripping with poison.
It was Muk Ha Jin of the Snake and Scorpion Ink Family.
“Muk Ha Jin? Shouldn’t you still be lying in the Medical Chamber?”
At Yalü Hee’s words, Muk Ha Jin laughed bitterly, glaring at Yun Cheon.
“Hmph, I merely lost consciousness. No serious injuries. More importantly… Yun Cheon, so you’ve become a formal martial artist?”
Muk Ha Jin ground his teeth.
Just before losing consciousness, he only remembered wounding Kyoto and sending him flying.
He had not witnessed the duel between Yu Ha and Yun Cheon that followed.
“I’m unlucky. If I hadn’t merely lost consciousness, it would have been me becoming a formal martial artist….”
At his words, Yalü Hee’s mouth fell open in disbelief.
“Ha! You mean to tell me you haven’t heard who Yun Cheon sparred with?”
“Hmph, I couldn’t care less. They’re all just first-rate nobodies anyway. He probably faced that dimwitted new instructor Ma Chung, nothing more.”
Muk Ha Jin was absolutely convinced that Yun Cheon had defeated the new instructor Ma Chung.
His arrogance stemmed from believing himself the only true master capable of matching an instructor in direct combat.
In his mind, it was unimaginable that Yun Cheon—dragged in like a beggar—possessed greater skill than himself, a member of the Twelve Orthodox Families.
“You truly understand nothing. Do you actually believe you could stand against Yun Cheon?”
Being openly dismissed before Yalü Hee ignited a jealous fury in Muk Ha Jin’s eyes.
“…No further discussion!”
He had stormed out without even understanding the full circumstances, driven only by news that Yun Cheon had become an official warrior.
He needed to settle this before that man left Zamadong.
“Yun Cheon! Face me here and now. Let me verify with my own hands whether you truly deserve this position!”
Yun Cheon exhaled with visible irritation.
“…With your skill? Go tend to your wounds in the Medical Chamber instead.”
“Yalü Hee, step aside! You just watch from there.”
Muk Ha Jin shoved her aside and launched himself forward with a powerful thrust from the ground.
His body moved with an eerie, undulating grace.
The Snake and Scorpion Ink Family’s secret footwork.
The Serpent’s Stride.
A deceptive technique that appeared to charge straight before suddenly shifting into angular, unpredictable angles.
‘Interesting.’
Yun Cheon’s eyes narrowed.
Even tarnished, a member of the Twelve Orthodox Families possessed an undeniable sharpness.
‘This one has reached early first-rate. Slightly superior to Yalü Hee.’
Reaching first-rate before even coming of age was no trivial feat—it spoke to considerable martial talent.
At the first-rate level, one could claim the title of warrior anywhere across the Central Plains.
Whoosh!
Muk Ha Jin’s fingertips, sharp as a viper’s fangs, drove toward Yun Cheon’s throat.
Most masters would have panicked and retreated from such a sudden assault. But Yun Cheon did not.
‘So this is where the serpent’s head emerges.’
Instead, he simply extended one foot casually into the path of Muk Ha Jin’s advancing trajectory.
Tap.
“…?!”
Muk Ha Jin’s eyes widened in shock.
His intricately shifting footwork froze completely, caught by Yun Cheon’s casual heel.
It was as though a serpent had been pinned by the head before it could even emerge from its burrow.
“Your footwork draws inspiration from serpentine movement.”
“Silence! What would you know!”
“The essence of a serpent’s motion lies in the flexibility of its spine. Yet you thrust your head forward in the direction of attack, making your next move painfully predictable.”
Yun Cheon’s cold analysis flushed Muk Ha Jin’s face crimson.
The shame of having his family’s secret technique publicly dismantled!
Muk Ha Jin immediately shifted his stance and unleashed a ferocious barrage.
Snake and Scorpion Erupting Scale Fist!
Dozens of fist shadows descended upon me like a swarm of vipers.
Yet I remained composed, watching the downpour of strikes.
More than that—I observed Muk Ha Jin’s movements intently, then smiled.
“That looks rather amusing.”
The next instant, my hand moved.
Remarkably, it was not a defense.
My fist extended along the exact same trajectory as Muk Ha Jin’s Snake and Scorpion Erupting Scale Fist—no, at an even more perfect angle.
Thud! Crack! Boom!
“Ugh! Gah!”
Fist met fist in mid-air.
Yet it was Muk Ha Jin who was being pushed back.
Though we used the same technique, my fists were faster and struck his openings with far greater precision.
‘This… this is impossible! This is our family’s secret art! How can you—!’
Muk Ha Jin was astounded.
I mirrored him perfectly—no, like a master reflected in a mirror—returning his own martial techniques flawlessly.
“Your technique transitions lack fluidity. When revealing fangs, subtlety is paramount, yet you are far too ostentatious.”
I pressed forward while offering instruction, driving Muk Ha Jin into a corner.
The final strike.
Muk Ha Jin, losing his composure, swung his fist in a wild, sweeping motion.
The form of Poison Fang Piercing—the most vicious ultimate technique of the Snake and Scorpion Erupting Scale Fist.
“Die!”
I slipped past his fist by a paper’s breadth and drove into his guard.
“Even when taught… you cannot learn.”
I extended my palm with the same speed I used to penetrate his defense.
A heavy palm strike imbued with the weight of iron rings.
Boom—!
“Kuh-hack!”
Muk Ha Jin’s body rocketed into the air with a sickening sound.
Like a cannonball’s impact, his sturdy frame flew like parchment and crashed into the corridor wall.
“Kraaagh…!”
Muk Ha Jin rolled across the floor, his expression one of utter disbelief.
It was far more than mere defeat.
He had been utterly dominated using his own most confident technique.
For Muk Ha Jin, this was humiliation unlike any he had ever experienced.
“You… you bastard… how did you learn our family’s martial arts…?”
I approached him slowly.
My gaze was that of a predator looking down upon its prey.
“Do not rely solely on your family name and clamber upward. Those techniques you boast of are nothing but flaws in my eyes.”
An overwhelming gap in strength.
It was a wall that could not be overcome by family prestige or mere luck.
“…Ugh. A… a monster of a man.”
As I heard Muk Ha Jin’s anguished gasp, he lost consciousness once more.
He was not the only one shocked.
Yalü Hee’s eyes widened in disbelief.
‘…Did he steal the Snake and Scorpion Ink Family’s martial techniques right there on the spot?’
It was talent that sent shivers down her spine.
Everything she thought she knew about Yun Cheon had been a delusion.
Until now, she had only glimpsed fragments of his true capabilities.
Yun Cheon, who had subdued Muk Ha Jin with such ease, remained composed as though nothing had occurred.
‘…He’s definitely not at a student’s level.’
Yalü Hee felt the vast distance between herself and Yun Cheon.
“Are you leaving the Demonic Way Hall now?”
“Not yet. I’m still under Instructor Gal Mu Heun’s guidance. For now, I’ll be staying in the Inner Library of the Demonic Way Hall.”
“Wait. I’ll pass through Qian Mo Cave soon and catch up to you.”
Though Yalü Hee said this, part of her found Yun Cheon’s talent somewhat frightening.
‘Perhaps… he may even surpass my brother….’
Then Yun Cheon asked Yalü Hee a question.
“By the way, haven’t you seen Yu Ha?”
“…I’m not sure? I haven’t seen him since the evaluation either. Should we check the Stone Chamber?”
“We should.”
It was strange that Yu Ha hadn’t appeared despite all this commotion.
That fellow, who would normally show up meddling in everything, had vanished like smoke.
‘…Where could he have gone? He showed promise in the sparring too. Did he already leave for another organization?’
Returning empty-handed to my Stone Chamber, my footsteps froze at the door.
A single white slip of paper protruded from the narrow gap of the tightly closed Stone Chamber door.
‘Could it be…?’
I carefully pulled it out and stepped inside the Stone Chamber. On the unfolded letter, there was a recipient’s name.
[To Yun Cheon.]
And below it, an unusual handwriting danced across the page.
‘I can tell just from the calligraphy.’
The characters flowed like water, smooth and fluid.
In the strokes written without hesitation, elegance and refinement could be felt.
But at the end of each character, especially the final flourishes, they were sharp and keen as a blade.
‘They say a person’s nature shows in their writing….’
Like a cold blade hidden behind a gentle smile.
It was unmistakably Yu Ha’s handwriting.

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This chapter is translated by Falnar Novels Team.
Support us by reading on our official site: https://falnarnovels.com
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