Reincarnation of the Cloud Dragon - Chapter 29

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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 29.
“Why would the Inspection Bureau target me?” Yun Cheon asked, his expression puzzled.
Yun Cheon posed the question with evident confusion.
“More than ten organizations within our Demonic Cult have coveted you. The Inspection Bureau was merely one of them. They are the type to destroy what they cannot possess.”
Ma Chung led Yun Cheon out of the Inner Library.
After confirming no one lingered nearby, he spoke in hushed tones.
“It seems connected to the incident where you demolished Muk Ha Jin not long ago.”
“You mean the Snake and Scorpion Ink Family orchestrated this?”
“Merely speculation. But if the Ink Family is involved, their fury would be justified. First Muk Wi Jin, their collateral branch’s prodigy, fell to you—and now Muk Ha Jin, their direct bloodline. Their rage knows no bounds.”
Yun Cheon’s eyes narrowed.
Dismantling the Ink Family’s martial techniques had become a poison that circled back upon me.
“The charges they’ve fabricated are vicious. The martial technique you employed against Instructor Chuk Mu Gwang during the monthly evaluation—particularly that final move shattering the iron plate—they claim it bears no resemblance to our sect’s methods.”
I had innovated this leg technique by applying the mysteries of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect’s inner cultivation and the Limitless Preservation technique to Blood Wind Sect’s foundations, so their suspicion was hardly unreasonable.
“I too am curious. What exactly is this technique? It resembled Blood Wind Sect, yet something felt different.”
“…I have named it Spiraling Wind Leg.”
“Remarkable… you created a martial technique mid-duel against Instructor Chuk Mu Gwang? A true monster…!”
A disciple inventing a martial technique?
Under normal circumstances, it would warrant ridicule.
Yet, having witnessed Yun Cheon’s talent firsthand all this time, Ma Chung found it entirely credible.
“In any case, the Inspection Bureau intends to frame you as a righteous sect spy who wielded hidden orthodox inner power.”
“But I possess no inner power to begin with—how could this become a problem?”
At Yun Cheon’s composed rebuttal, Ma Chung shook his head with a bitter expression.
Spy charges.
Within the Demonic Cult, no accusation proved more lethal.
Once branded with such suspicion, regardless of truth, one would be dragged to the Inspection Bureau Underground Prison and subjected to torture.
Few emerged from that place unscathed.
“…You are naive. This is not a matter of truth, but of power. When the Inspection Bureau and the Snake and Scorpion Ink Family move in concert, they can fabricate crimes from nothing.”
Yun Cheon fell silent for a moment.
Yet his eyes betrayed no fear; instead, they grew cold and calculating, assessing the situation before me.
‘The Martial Alliance and the Demonic Cult are no different.’
When power intertwined, even simple matters became hopelessly entangled.
“Thank you for the warning, Kyoto.”
“Spare your thanks. I simply have no desire to watch my investment perish so pathetically.”
Ma Chung clicked his tongue briefly and urged Yun Cheon forward.
Soon, the two figures halted before Gal Mu Heun’s office.
Ma Chung reached for the door handle, then paused and turned to Yun Cheon one final time.
“…Keep your wits about you, boy. Should the Inspection Bureau take hold of you, even great families and sects crumble to dust.”
Knock, knock.
Ma Chung, having delivered his final warning, rapped upon the door.
Then, with a single tap to Yun Cheon’s shoulder, he vanished without hesitation into the darkness.
Creak—
The heavy iron door swung open, and as I stepped into Gal Mu Heun’s office, a suffocating silence descended.
Unlike his usual demeanor, Gal Mu Heun had set down his brush and stood gazing out the window.
“…You’ve come?”
He turned slowly to face me.
Even the Demonic Way Hall Master’s typically composed features were shadowed with concern.
“You’ve heard the rumors, I presume? Tsk. Those Inspection Bureau dogs have finally overstepped their bounds.”
A flicker of displeasure crossed Gal Mu Heun’s eyes.
To lay hands on Yun Cheon, whom he had taken directly under his wing, was nothing less than a challenge to Gal Mu Heun’s authority itself.
“It seems the elders of the Snake and Scorpion Ink Family have moved the Inspection Bureau Director. Treason accusations, no less… They’ve made their intentions clear.”
He tapped the desk lightly, speaking with resolve.
“But do not worry. I shall shield you. By my authority as Hall Master, I will ensure those dogs never set foot in the Inner Library. As long as you are my man, they won’t dare lay a finger on you….”
“That won’t do, Master.”
Gal Mu Heun’s brow twitched at my firm refusal.
“Why would you refuse? A mere disciple cannot easily withstand the machinations of the Inspection Bureau, especially when they’ve deliberately fabricated these charges.”
“If I flee now, they’ll only pursue more relentlessly. And your honor would be tarnished as well, Master.”
I approached his desk slowly.
Then I rolled up my right sleeve and extended my arm.
“…Would you examine my meridians?”
Gal Mu Heun grasped my wrist with a puzzled expression. The moment he channeled his energy into me, his eyes widened in shock.
“…! This… this is!”
Gal Mu Heun’s hand trembled faintly.
‘I suspected something was amiss with his body, but to this extent…!’
An empty dantian.
And more shocking still was the state of my qi meridians—grotesquely twisted and completely sealed.
“…Severed Meridian Syndrome. And congenital at that….”
“As you can see, Master. I possess no inner strength whatsoever.”
“Ah…!”
Gal Mu Heun exhaled heavily.
A child who had displayed such extraordinary martial talent, yet possessed a body cursed with severed meridians—a death sentence in slow motion.
“I took you for a prodigy of the ages, yet fate has proven cruel to the gifted….”
Even as astonishment flooded through me at the realization of what I’d achieved without inner strength, a wave of pity followed in its wake.
“Which is precisely why I must seize this opportunity.”
I lowered my sleeve and spoke with measured calm.
“The Inspection Bureau’s false accusations? I could dispel them immediately. But I must not.”
“Why not?”
But I shook my head slowly.
“If I prove my innocence now, they’ll simply claim there was a ‘misunderstanding’ and slink away. The Snake and Scorpion Ink Family will emerge unscathed, hidden in the shadows.”
My gaze grew cold and piercing.
It was the eye of a hunter, luring prey into his carefully laid trap.
“To sever them completely, we must draw them deeper in—until they reach a dead end with no escape.”
A fascinating smile played across Gal Mu Heun’s lips.
“Hoh… So you intend to lay a trap and wait? Quite the audacious nerve you have. Very well, what must I do?”
“Set the stage for us. Flush out the informant, and guide them to verify me publicly.”
“A public trial, then… Excellent. I shall gladly offer the Training Ground.”
Just as Gal Mu Heun was about to nod, Yun Cheon added one more thing.
“And there is one more request I must make.”
“Speak.”
“What if we were to draw in the Ten Thousand Demons Hall as well? ….”
Upon hearing Yun Cheon’s plan, Gal Mu Heun laughed with satisfaction.
“Krkr… Excellent. Truly excellent. A brilliant stratagem! I shall proceed accordingly.”
“I am grateful.”
* * *
Half a day later.
Men clad in black martial robes descended upon the Inner Library.
The character ‘監’ inscribed upon their chests proclaimed their allegiance.
They were the Inspection Bureau’s enforcement squad.
“Criminal Yun Cheon, come forth and submit to binding!”
A harsh shout that shattered the silence of the Inner Library.
I closed the book I had been reading and rose slowly from my seat. It was exactly as I had anticipated.
‘They have come.’
I moved with composure toward the entrance.
Behind me, from deep within the shelves, I felt the weight of someone’s gaze.
‘….’
A woman in a thick fur coat—Seol Young—was hidden between the shelves, her pale face watching as I was dragged away.
Her blue eyes trembled with anxiety.
“You! Why do you not walk faster!”
Even as they dragged me along, a faint smile lingered at my lips.
‘Now… the stage is fully set.’
* * *
The day of judgment that I had designed and Gal Mu Heun had orchestrated had arrived.
The venue was the Central Training Ground where the monthly evaluations had been held.
Yet the atmosphere was entirely different from before.
The fervor had vanished, leaving only the crackling of torches in a cold courtroom.
Upon the Elevated Platform stood the Demonic Way Hall Master Gal Mu Heun and observers from each organization, their expressions grave.
And across from them, in the upper seats shrouded in darkness, sat rare and distinguished guests rarely seen in such places.
‘The elders of the Ten Thousand Demons Hall have come as well….’
Ancient demons who emanated such a heavy aura that even the observers held their breath.
Their attendance was partly at Gal Mu Heun’s request, but the sensational matter of ‘a prodigy student’s treason conspiracy’ had also piqued their curiosity.
Gal Mu Heun opened his mouth softly.
“Now that everyone has gathered, let us begin.”
The moment his words fell, an inspector from the Inspection Bureau stepped forward as if he had been waiting.
“I am Sa Do Myeong, an inspector of the Inspection Bureau. I have questions for the disciple Yun Cheon.”
Beside Sa Do Myeong stood a figure draped entirely in black cloth, silent as a shadow.
“You deceived others by claiming to lack inner energy, then used mysterious inner power during the monthly evaluation—a clear violation. I suspect you may be a spy for the orthodox sects, a mole planted within our ranks.”
The Training Ground erupted in murmurs. The word “mole” carried devastating implications.
“Therefore, by Inspection Bureau protocol, we must thoroughly investigate your inner cultivation! Seize this criminal and force him to kneel!”
At Sa Do Myeong’s command, Inspection Bureau warriors moved toward Yun Cheon. But in that instant—
“Stop!”
Gal Mu Heun’s voice cut through the air like a blade.
“Yun Cheon is no longer a disciple, but a formal warrior under my command as Hall Master. To investigate his inner cultivation without clear evidence is to insult me!”
As Gal Mu Heun blocked their path, Sa Do Myeong hesitated briefly.
But then a knowing smile crossed his face.
As if he had anticipated even this resistance.
“Evidence? Of course we have it. There is an informant.”
“An informant? Reveal their identity.”
“The identity cannot be disclosed! However, for a fair investigation… the elder of the Snake and Scorpion Ink Family, who is present here, has graciously agreed to conduct the examination personally.”
At Sa Do Myeong’s gesture, an elderly man seated in the observer’s section rose with a sinister smile.
“An elder of the Snake and Scorpion Ink Family?”
It was Muk Wi Gyou, a master of poison techniques and elder of the Snake and Scorpion Ink Family.
“Ah… they say poison and medicine are separated by but a single sheet of paper. With his skill…”
Even the other observers nodded in acknowledgment of Muk Wi Gyou’s authority.
It was a meticulously laid trap designed solely to ensnare Yun Cheon.
“Hehe… I could not refuse the Inspection Bureau’s request, so this elder has come forward. Surely Hall Master Gal Mu Heun does not doubt my medical expertise?”
Yun Cheon’s eyes gleamed with cold clarity.
The elder of the Snake and Scorpion Ink Family had personally stepped into the arena.
‘As expected… they’ve drawn their blades directly.’
The moment Muk Wi Gyou touched Yun Cheon’s body under the guise of examination, his intentions were transparent as flame.
He would inject poison or sever vital meridians.
Yet Yun Cheon gazed at Muk Wi Gyou with the faintest hint of a smile.
‘Everything proceeds according to plan.’
All of them were dancing upon the board he had laid.
Now it was Gal Mu Heun’s turn to provoke.
“No, I object.”
Gal Mu Heun raised his voice in strong protest once more.
“Do you doubt this elder’s medical skill? How insulting!”
“That is not the reason. The Snake and Scorpion Ink Family harbors a personal grudge against Yun Cheon! A fair examination is impossible!”
“Ha! A grudge, you say! Are you insulting my family?”
Muk Wi Gyou’s voice rose sharply in indignation.
“A grudge between a mere disciple and the Snake and Scorpion Ink Family?”
The spectators stirred once more.
In that moment, Gal Mu Heun made a public declaration.
“Since both the collateral branch member Muk Wi Jin and the direct line disciple Muk Ha Jin of the Snake and Scorpion Ink Family have been defeated by this child, how could resentment not arise?”
As Gal Mu Heun publicly exposed their shame, Elder Muk Wi Gyou’s face turned ashen.
“…What? A disciple of the Snake and Scorpion Ink Family was defeated by this child?”
“Could it be that Elder Muk Wi Gyou brought them here for this very reason?”
Considering the Snake and Scorpion Ink Family’s nature, such suspicion was entirely plausible.
However, raising it publicly was another matter entirely.
It was like pouring oil onto flames.
The dispute escalated in an instant.
“Chief Instructor Gal Mu Heun! How dare you drag the Snake and Scorpion Ink Family’s honor through the mud… Can you take responsibility for those words?”
Elder Muk Wi Gyou’s voice rose in fury, even pointing an accusatory finger.
“Very well. I, Gal Mu Heun, will stake my position as Master of the Demonic Way Hall. Then what will you stake?”
“…That… that is…”
Sa Do Myeong tried to back away, but as Elder Muk Wi Gyou’s lips moved, he found himself unable to retreat.
Soon, with an expression of resignation, he stepped forward.
“…I have no choice. I will stake my position as Inspector.”
“I will stake the elder’s seal of the Snake and Scorpion Ink Family. Will that suffice?”
Elder Muk Wi Gyou could not back down.
Muk Wi Jin’s defeat had already been made public.
It was only a matter of time before this truth spread to other organizations.
If he retreated now, the Snake and Scorpion Ink Family’s honor would undoubtedly be destroyed.
‘It matters not. The boy will die here anyway! Once I perform the pulse diagnosis, if he fears his treason will be exposed and swallows poison, I can simply claim that as the cause.’
Elder Muk Wi Gyou slipped his hand into his sleeve and stepped closer to Yun Cheon, preparing to take his pulse.
“Is that settled now? This elder stakes his honor and will take your pulse. Do you still have objections?”
He withdrew his hand from his sleeve and looked around at the assembly.
“If there is anyone here with superior medical skill than myself, I will gladly step back.”
Elder Muk Wi Gyou swept his gaze across the crowd with supreme confidence.
“Heh heh… There could be no such person. If no one comes forward, I will take it that all have no objections!”
In that instant, a cold smile played at the corners of Gal Mu Heun’s lips.
‘Fools. You never imagined that the trap you dug would become the noose around your own necks.’
Gal Mu Heun’s voice rang out across the entire Training Ground like a rebuke.
“Elder Muk Wi Gyou! How dare you speak such nonsense when Saengsa Jjon himself has graced us with his personal presence?”
Then Gal Mu Heun bowed respectfully and opened a path.
An absolute authority that even the Master of the Demonic Way Hall would bow before.
From the deepest shadows at the far end of the spectators’ section, an elderly figure slowly rose to his feet.
The air grew heavy and oppressive.
Merely by standing, the atmosphere of the Training Ground became thick and suffocating.
As he slowly removed the bamboo hat he wore, the weathered face of an old man emerged.
“So, child of the Muk family. Repeat those arrogant words you spoke earlier before this old one, without changing a single syllable.”
Saengsa Jjon.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Sect’s preeminent physician stood before me, bearing the epithet of one who presides over life and death itself.

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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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