Reincarnation of the Cloud Dragon - Chapter 31

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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 31.
Without hesitation, Saengsa Jjon shattered the oath tablet and hurled himself forward.
Tap-tap-tap-tap!
In an instant, with ghostly precision, he planted life-death needles at dozens of points across Muk Wi Gyou’s body, and the Elder who had been dying black began to cough up dark blood.
“Gaaaahhh!”
Immediately after, Sa Do Myeong’s breath returned, and color flooded back into his face.
“How… how is it that I…?!”
Muk Wi Gyou, torn forcibly from death’s threshold, shrieked in bewilderment.
“How dare one of Saengsa Jjon’s stature break an oath so easily!”
“Silence! My oath was for my granddaughter, not for a worthless wretch like you. I alone decide whether you live or die!”
Saengsa Jjon flicked one of the needles embedded in his body with his finger, twisting it ever so slightly.
Suddenly, a bestial shriek tore from Muk Wi Gyou’s mouth.
“Aaaahhhhh!”
A pain as though every nerve in his body were being torn out backwards!
“Death by your own hand? Did you truly believe that was yours to decide? Until I will it otherwise, you shall live in the depths of agony, unable even to die.”
“Uuuhhhhh…!”
The suffering Muk Wi Gyou endured was immense.
Even Muk Wi Gyou, who had remained composed while biting poison and dying, could no longer bear it—he convulsed and writhed in torment.
“Kill me, I beg you! Or let me live! Ahhhhh!”
As unbearable agony coursed through his entire body, Elder Muk Wi Gyou forgot even his intention to die and began to lose his mind.
“Saengsa Jjon, we must interrogate this man. Please ensure he does not go mad.”
“…Hmm. Understood. I shall do so.”
At Yun Cheon’s request, Saengsa Jjon without further word inserted several needles.
Only then did Muk Wi Gyou gradually find stability.
“Hah… hah…”
Beyond his dimming vision, Yun Cheon’s eyes looking down upon him gleamed with cold brilliance.
Muk Wi Gyou lost consciousness amid belated regret.
‘Damn it… this young pup moved Saengsa Jjon… I should never have touched him…’
Sa Do Myeong regained his senses a moment after Muk Wi Gyou.
Grasping the situation from context, he immediately prostrated himself before Saengsa Jjon and offered his gratitude.
“Hah… I… I am grateful. Saengsa Jjon. How can I ever repay such grace?”
“Hmph. If you speak of grace, repay it not to me but to that boy Yun Cheon. All my medical arts were employed for his sake.”
“…! I… I shall confess everything in full detail!”
Thereafter, Sa Do Myeong laid bare all his secrets.
It began with a bribe Elder Muk Wi Gyou had offered him.
His initial request had been simple.
‘Find some pretext against Yun Cheon and have him transferred to the Inspection Bureau’—that was all.
For Sa Do Myeong, it was a trivial task.
Once he fabricated charges and had him arrested by the Inspection Bureau, the rest was easy.
If the man showed promise, he could be controlled through leverage and groomed as talent; if not, he could be quietly disposed of.
I had plenty of experience handling such matters in the past.
“I apologize. I thought it would be a simple matter of intimidating a single disciple….”
Yet I never imagined this situation would snowball so dramatically that the Sect’s Honored One would personally intervene.
Upon hearing Sa Do Myeong’s confession, the assembled observers erupted in fury toward the Snake and Scorpion Ink Family and the Inspection Bureau.
“Hmph… Then Gal Mu Heun’s initial suspicion was correct after all?”
“To deceive so many observers! The Snake and Scorpion Ink Family has truly crossed the line this time!”
“This matter must be formally raised with the Director of the Inspection Bureau!”
At the furious outcries of the observers, Gal Mu Heun drove home his point.
“Elder Muk Wi Gyou, and Sa Do Myeong of the Inspection Bureau. We shall lodge a formal protest with the Director of the Inspection Bureau and bring this matter before the Main Sect as an official agenda.”
“Master… I have committed a crime worthy of death!”
Sa Do Myeong’s face drained of all color, though this was preferable to actual execution.
He would face some punishment for accepting bribes, but surely nothing more severe than death itself.
“With this, all suspicions of Yun Cheon being an Orthodox Sect spy have been completely cleared. Therefore, let us adjourn this proceeding. I shall personally oversee the disposition of both Muk Wi Gyou and Sa Do Myeong.”
As Gal Mu Heun concluded the session, the observers filed out like a receding tide.
Only then did Gal Mu Heun pat my shoulder with a satisfied smile and speak softly.
“Heh heh, I shall tie up those fellows cleanly, so pay them no mind. For now, focus all your efforts on recovering your health.”
“Thank you, Director. I am grateful you brought Saengsa Jjon at the right moment.”
“That was merely a promise I made to Yu Ha. The decision to arrange your meeting with him now was entirely your achievement.”
Gal Mu Heun gazed at me with a pleased smile.
“Rather, you have upheld my reputation and provided me justification to pressure both the Inspection Bureau and those arrogant Snake and Scorpion Ink Family dogs. I should be thanking you.”
“It is all thanks to your consideration, Director.”
“Heh heh, do not miss this opportunity. Saengsa Jjon is far more exacting than you might imagine.”
As Gal Mu Heun tactfully withdrew, I finally had a private audience with Saengsa Jjon.
“I have spared those two wretches as you desired. Now it is your turn to listen to what I have to say. First, I must examine your body in detail.”
* * *
The Demonic Physician Hall, the residence of Saengsa Jjon.
Thoroughly isolated from the outside world, this place held only a cool chill and palpable tension instead of the scent of medicinal herbs.
“…Hah.”
After completing a precise diagnosis while grasping my wrist, Saengsa Jjon exhaled a sigh like wind escaping.
He traced through my entire meridian system as if unable to believe what he sensed.
He had made rough assumptions at the Training Ground, but examining the boy’s body in earnest revealed it to be both a disaster and a miracle.
“The dantian is shattered, and the meridians are twisted grotesquely beyond mere tangles. Yet….”
Saengsa Jjon’s eyes gleamed with sharp intensity.
“How can you possibly still be alive in such a state?”
Yin energy and yang energy locked in mutual consumption.
Within that precarious tightrope, the boy clung tenaciously to life.
‘This boy’s condition… it bears resemblance to Young Ah’s illness. No, it is far more severe. Young Ah is deteriorating from an excess of yin, but this boy has yin and yang twisted together in a tangled knot.’
In that instant, a single possibility flashed through Saengsa Jjon’s mind.
“Could it be… that the Yin-Yang Supreme Spirit Severed Meridian actually exists?”
A sudden intuition struck him—perhaps the key to treating his granddaughter lay hidden within this strange boy’s method of survival.
“The Yin-Yang Severed Meridian Technique?”
“…If I’m seeing this correctly, your body possesses a constitution rarely seen even once in a thousand years. Under normal circumstances, you would have died long before reaching your current age.”
I nodded in acknowledgment.
When I first opened my eyes in this body, its condition was such that death at any moment would have been unremarkable.
“But… what exactly is this energy flowing through your body? It’s almost as if it’s nourishing your true essence….”
He seemed to be referring to the life-sustaining breathing technique I had devised to survive.
“That is a breathing method of my own creation. It was merely a struggle to endure.”
“…You created a breathing technique yourself?”
Not martial arts, but rather a breathing method that nourished one’s true essence.
If he had created that himself, it was truly the talent of a Grand Master.
In that instant, greed flickered in Saengsa Jjon’s eyes.
‘If Young Ah were to master the breathing technique he created…?’
A breathing method capable of sustaining life even against a severed meridian condition more severe than his granddaughter’s.
That would be a treasure comparable to the legendary elixir known as the Celestial Jade Essence.
“…Can you teach me that breathing technique?”
Saengsa Jjon asked quietly, yet desperation colored his voice.
Inwardly, I exulted, but I revealed nothing on my face.
Instead, I pressed forward even more boldly, striking at his weakness.
“Before that, there is something I wish to confirm first. Can you truly ‘cure’ me completely, Saengsa Jjon?”
A provocative question directed at the Demonic Cult’s greatest physician.
Immediately, deep furrows carved themselves across Saengsa Jjon’s brow.
“You impudent wretch… are you doubting my medical prowess?”
“Not doubt, but confirmation. I’ve heard that even the Bone-Shedding Demonic Bone Technique could not cure your granddaughter’s severed meridians, and that you swore an oath because of it.”
My words struck true.
Saengsa Jjon’s lips trembled.
He wanted to refute me, but there was no flaw in what I said.
If his medical skill had been perfect, his granddaughter would have been healed long ago, and he would never have sworn the oath of non-treatment.
“…Hmph. Reckless brat.”
Saengsa Jjon suppressed his rising fury and admitted bitterly.
“You’re right. To be honest, I cannot be certain that I can cure your condition completely as I am now.”
“As I expected.”
“So what will you do? Are you backing out of our agreement? That’s impossible. I have already broken my oath and spared that Muk fellow!”
A faint killing intent laced Saengsa Jjon’s voice, but I shook my head.
“No. If you cannot guarantee a complete cure, then you must pay the price in another way.”
“Another way?”
“I propose a joint research endeavor.”
Saengsa Jjon’s eyes widened in shock.
Research, not treatment.
“I will share the breathing technique I created. In exchange, please share your knowledge of the Bone-Shedding Demonic Bone Technique and your medical insights with me.”
Saengsa Jjon stared at me blankly.
I thought it presumptuous.
Yet simultaneously, something hot stirred in a corner of my chest.
This young boy was offering to share the burden I had carried alone for decades.
‘…This one is no ordinary talent. He finds his own path to survival while simultaneously scratching exactly where I itch.’
A faint smile escaped Saengsa Jjon’s lips.
“Ha! Presumptuous is… good.”
“However!”
Just as Saengsa Jjon’s approval was about to fall, Yun Cheon added a new condition.
“Seol Young must also participate in this collaborative research.”
“…Young Ah herself? What is your reasoning?”
“I observed that Seol Young has been studying a Western technique bordering on demonic arts called Dual Extremes Unified Wall in the Inner Library.”
“What! How reckless!”
Saengsa Jjon rose as if to rush out immediately.
Yet Yun Cheon calmed him.
“There is no cause for anger. For she desires to live more than anyone else.”
“…!”
The Demonic Physician felt as though struck on the head, his mind reeling.
“While you abandoned medicine itself and wandered seeking elixirs, she never surrendered and continued her research in the Inner Library, searching for a path to survival.”
Saengsa Jjon’s shoulders visibly sagged.
Though he was called the Demonic Physician of all under heaven, he had failed to take the pulse of his own granddaughter’s heart, and the shame crashed over him.
“…I was arrogant. I lost my original intent as a physician. The patient’s desire should matter most. I was turning away from Young Ah’s desperation….”
Saengsa Jjon’s gaze steadied and turned toward Yun Cheon.
In those eyes, there remained neither the contempt of one regarding a mere boy nor the suspicion toward a trading partner.
Instead, a peculiar anticipation settled there.
“Very well. Your words are correct. Young Ah should indeed be present.”
Saengsa Jjon immediately called out loud enough to shake the Demonic Physician Hall.
“Bring Young Ah here at once!”
Moments later, the heavy door at the inner chamber of the Demonic Physician Hall opened, and a woman emerged with difficulty, supported by attendants.
“Grandfather… did you call for me?”
Despite it not being the depths of winter, she wore thick furs layered upon one another.
A woman with skin so pale it appeared translucent, her blue eyes holding a chill.
“My granddaughter… Seol Young. You two have already met, have you not?”
At those words, she lifted her head with effort and looked ahead.
And the moment her gaze found Yun Cheon standing at its end, her eyes widened.
“…Ah?”
She remembered.
The boy in the corner of the Inner Library who had picked up the scroll of Dual Extremes Unified Wall she had dropped and spoken words laden with meaning.
[Because I do not wish to die, I struggle. Just as you do.]
Those words from then flashed through her mind.
“So you are the one I encountered in the Inner Library back then.”
“At that time, this fellow stopped the rampage of your yin meridians not with inner energy, but with a peculiar force, correct?”
“Yes, that is correct….”
“That is likely a method of utilizing true origin qi. It is a breathing technique I have never witnessed before, even in my long years. I summoned you because this technique may prove beneficial to me as well.”
Yun Cheon nodded and spoke.
“Miss Seol Young, I shall impart to you the breathing technique I created. This is not some forceful method to breach blocked meridians. Rather, it is a way to sustain the breath of the dying, to pry open the gaps, and to awaken life itself.”
Yun Cheon turned to Saengsa Jjon and continued.
“It is called the Life-Extending Breathing Technique.”
“…A breathing technique you created yourself?! And you would pass it to me….”
Seol Young’s eyes widened in astonishment.
‘For those of the Martial World, a breathing technique is something comparable to life itself….’
The revelation that he had created a breathing technique was startling enough, but to hear that he would impart it without hesitation was even more astounding.
“This one survived by wagering his own body. He may well surpass an old man like me who has lost his way as a physician.”
“Grandfather! What do you mean by that!”
“…I mean that thanks to that fellow, I have rediscovered my original purpose as a physician. Forgive me, Young Ah. I have failed to understand your heart all this time.”
“…Yes.”
Saengsa Jjon’s sincere apology.
“How difficult it must have been. Now, will you not seek a path forward together with this old man and this fellow?”
As Seol Young gazed upon the scene, moisture gathered at the corners of her eyes before falling like pearls.
Drip—.
“…Yes. Grandfather….”
After wiping away her tears, Seol Young turned her head and met Yun Cheon’s gaze directly.
What dwelt within those eyes was neither pity nor curiosity.
A profound understanding and solidarity that only those who share the same suffering could possess.
Seol Young spoke with a trembling voice.
“…Thank you. Yun Cheon.”
“I shall accept your gratitude later. Whether it be you or I, we are both living on borrowed time. We must master the breathing technique as soon as possible and stabilize our meridians.”
Seol Young hastily wiped away her tears and composed herself.
Yun Cheon sat down in a cross-legged position without hesitation.
“Please sit in a cross-legged position before me.”

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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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