Reincarnation of the Cloud Dragon - Chapter 42

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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 42.
The sound of a heavy object being dragged shattered the silence of the Forest Path.
“Ugh… hack….”
A man covered in blood, barely able to muster a groan.
Just half an hour ago, he had been commanding the assassins of Poison Fang Hall with swagger—Muk Young Ki, its leader.
After being subdued, Muk Young Ki had been thoroughly beaten by Ma Chung and Kyoto, reduced to a pitiful state.
“Tch, worthless wretch…!”
“That’s not for you to say. You took internal injuries from him, after all.”
Behind that wretched figure, two men bickered as they followed along.
“What! Listen here, Senior Kyoto Ya Jin. If I hadn’t tied his legs, I could have captured him myself, couldn’t I? My Blood Wind Sect was decisive!”
Ma Chung struck his chest indignantly, as if wronged.
At that, Ya Jin let out a derisive snort.
“Tied his legs? While you were getting beaten and rolling around, I subdued the fleeing bastard. If it weren’t for me, he’d have escaped already. And here you are, not even grateful….”
“Th-this is ridiculous! I created the opening by absorbing his force with my body!”
“Absorb? It looks like you took a direct hit. Tsk tsk… tend to your internal injuries. How is it my fault that you failed to subdue him…?”
Two Kyoto bickering over whose achievement was greater.
Yun Cheon chuckled softly and turned his gaze to the two assassins following behind.
They were those who had witnessed their leader attempting to flee, lost their will to fight, discarded their weapons, and surrendered.
“Walk straight.”
At Yun Cheon’s quiet word, the assassins’ shoulders flinched.
“You are witnesses. Answer my questions truthfully without lies, and I will spare your lives.”
The assassins trembled and bowed their heads.
“B-but… if the main family learns that we’ve confessed….”
Yun Cheon stopped walking and turned back.
“Do you truly believe they would save you if you kept silent? Rather, they would eliminate all traces with their own hands.”
“….”
“If you wish to live, there is only one path. Confess truthfully instead, and seek protection.”
It sounded cruel, but that was the reality.
A captured assassin.
Not only useless, but having placed damning evidence in the enemy’s hands.
“If you dislike that as well… I shall behead you here.”
Shwing.
As Yun Cheon shook the blade in his hand, blood that had clung to it dripped to the ground with a wet thud.
Though his face appeared youthful, Yun Cheon was a master who had severed the necks of many assassins.
The assassins’ faces turned as pale as white paper as they recalled him anew.
‘If he says he’ll do it, he’ll do it….’
The boy before them was far colder than any assassin.
The Snake and Scorpion Ink Family’s retaliation was a matter of distant future, but the boy’s blade could sever their necks right now.
“W-we will remember! We will testify!”
Yun Cheon turned his head, satisfied.
“Let us go. The Pavilion Master awaits.”
* * *
Demonic Way Hall, Pavilion Master’s Office.
As Yun Cheon finished his explanation, a heavy cracking sound erupted from Gal Mu Heun’s hand.
Snap—!
The brush he held snapped cleanly in half.
“…How dare they.”
His voice was low, yet the fury contained within it churned like an active volcano.
“Assassins deployed on the road to the Demonic Physician Hall itself? At the very gates of the Demonic Way Hall?”
Gal Mu Heun’s gaze fixed upon Muk Young Ki sprawled across the floor.
Splash—.
The unconscious Muk Young Ki’s eyes snapped open as cold water, thrown by an aide, struck his face.
‘Damn it, I’ve been captured…! Better to die than endure this humiliation…!’
The moment he grasped the situation, his instincts drove him to bite down on his tongue.
“Ugh… ugh….”
But his jaw would not obey.
Only grotesque sounds escaped his lips.
“Do not attempt such foolishness.”
Baek Ri Hyeon, standing nearby, regarded him with cold eyes.
“I have sealed every vital meridian in your body.”
It was the pressure point technique learned directly from Gal Mu Heun himself.
“Well done, Ri Hyeon. I thought I recognized that face… So it was you, Muk Young Ki of Poison Fang Hall.”
Gal Mu Heun rose from his seat and approached Muk Young Ki slowly.
“…!”
“The Snake and Scorpion Ink Family holds me in such contempt, it seems.”
Ferocious killing intent radiated from Gal Mu Heun’s entire being.
Under that overwhelming pressure, Muk Young Ki gasped for breath, unable to draw air properly.
“Not content with colluding with the Inspection Bureau to corrupt my people, now you deploy assassins before the Demonic Way Hall’s gates? Have you all grown so eager for death?”
Gal Mu Heun immediately barked orders to his aide.
“Summon the instructors and disciples at once! We will crush the Snake and Scorpion Ink Family’s strongholds—”
“Pavilion Master, please. Compose yourself for a moment.”
Yun Cheon stepped forward, restraining Gal Mu Heun.
“Stand aside, Yun Cheon. This is not merely your concern. It is a challenge to the Demonic Way Hall itself.”
“I understand, Pavilion Master. Yet there is no need for your hands to be stained with blood directly.”
Yun Cheon’s gaze remained composed.
In stark contrast to the enraged Gal Mu Heun, I had already surveyed the entire board.
“What if, instead, we made the Inspection Bureau devour the Snake and Scorpion Ink Family?”
Gal Mu Heun’s eyebrows twitched.
“The Inspection Bureau? They harbor grievances against the Demonic Way Hall and myself, do they not? Besides, are they not in league with the Snake and Scorpion Ink Family?”
The incident involving Sa Do Myeong had left relations between the Demonic Way Hall and the Inspection Bureau somewhat strained.
Moving the Inspection Bureau in such a state seemed absurd.
Yet Yun Cheon shook his head.
“The Inspection Bureau may harbor grievances toward us, but more fundamentally… they’re seething with rage at being played by the Snake and Scorpion Ink Family.”
“Hmm…?”
Yun Cheon continued, looking down at Muk Young Ki.
“Sa Do Myeong accepted bribes from Elder Muk Wi Gyou and cooperated with the Snake and Scorpion Ink Family, but when the truth came to light, he was ambushed by Muk Wi Gyou. The Inspection Bureau was merely used as a tool.”
Yun Cheon’s eyes gleamed with cold clarity.
“We need only subtly relay our investigation results to the Inspection Bureau, then magnanimously hand over Sa Do Myeong to them.”
“Hmm….”
“Then the Inspection Bureau’s blade will inevitably turn toward the Snake and Scorpion Ink Family. They won’t forgive those who deceived them.”
Yun Cheon’s logic was flawless.
Gal Mu Heun stroked his chin, lost in thought.
“Hmm… but I wonder if the Inspection Bureau will truly draw their sword for merely that. The opponent is, after all, one of the Twelve Orthodox Families.”
“When the Demonic Way Hall’s independent investigation results are made public, it’s the Inspection Bureau who loses face. This incident is far more than a simple student assault. A single family—the Snake and Scorpion Ink Family—attempted to bribe both the Cult’s official inspection apparatus and our educational institution simultaneously. That constitutes clear collusion and corruption.”
Yun Cheon was reframing the entire affair from ‘Yun Cheon versus the Snake and Scorpion Ink Family’ into ‘the Cult’s official organizations versus the Snake and Scorpion Ink Family.’
“Ha…! If you set the board that way, the Inspection Bureau has no choice but to act!”
“For challenging the authority of the Cult’s official organizations… the Inspection Bureau will make them pay the price most bitterly.”
“Borrowing another’s blade to strike your enemy with a single word—a true stratagem of killing with a borrowed knife!”
Gal Mu Heun marveled at Yun Cheon’s scheme.
‘This boy excels not merely in martial prowess. He possesses the vision to read the board and move the pieces….’
His assessment of Yun Cheon could only climb higher.
Within the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect’s atmosphere of valuing martial achievement, powerful warriors emerged in abundance.
Yet those who possessed political acumen were rare.
“You wield a mind as sharp as your blade. Excellent. We shall proceed as you envision.”
Gal Mu Heun immediately commanded his aide.
“Extract Sa Do Myeong from the prison at once and send word to the Inspection Bureau. Tell them Sa Do Myeong’s interrogation is complete, and request that a responsible official come to discuss his disposition.”
* * *
Shortly after.
Sa Do Myeong, dragged from the prison, looked utterly haggard.
“I have testified to everything! Now what… what will you do with me?”
Yun Cheon approached him quietly.
“Do you wish to die so meaninglessly? Or would you rather… live and take your revenge?”
“Revenge… against whom?”
“Have you forgotten the agony when Elder Muk Wi Gyou ambushed you and unleashed his poison palm?”
Sa Do Myeong’s eyes flickered, and life returned to them.
“How could I forget? The pain as if my bones were melting, and that betrayal!”
“The Snake and Scorpion Ink Family used you and sought to silence you forever. The Inspection Bureau cannot save you as things stand.”
“…That’s true. My bribery has been exposed before every organization.”
Because Sa Do Myeong had stepped forward to verify Yun Cheon’s inner force at the time, the Inspection Bureau, the Ten Thousand Demons Hall, and various Cult organizations had all witnessed it.
Returning to the Inspection Bureau was now impossible.
“However… if there is but one path to your survival?”
“What might that be?”
“Choose. Will you die as a lapdog of the Sagal Muk Ga? Or will you become the blade of the Inspection Bureau once more and sever their necks? I shall place the hilt in your hands.”
“…!”
My proposal was intoxicating.
“If you wield the blade with true skill, you shall not only survive—you shall restore honor to the Inspection Bureau and reclaim your place within it.”
Venom began to crystallize in Sa Do Myeong’s eyes.
“…I shall do it! Give me the blade! If I can cut down those Sagal Muk Ga dogs, I shall dance the blade dance with joy!”
* * *
And not long thereafter.
The grand hall of the Demonic Way Hall.
The Vice Director of Inspection Bureau himself arrived through the heavy atmosphere.
He owed a debt to the Demonic Way Hall because of the Sa Do Myeong incident, so he set aside his usual arrogance and entered with a somewhat humble demeanor.
“The Demonic Path Pavilion Master summoned me urgently. Sa Do Myeong’s disposition, you say… How does the Inspection Bureau wish to take responsibility?”
Gal Mu Heun gestured silently.
At that, Ma Chung, Ya Jin, and Kyoto dragged out Muk Young Ki and hurled him to the ground.
“Who is this man…?”
The Vice Director asked.
Gal Mu Heun spoke in a cold voice.
“Muk Young Ki, master of the Poison Fang Hall—a secret shadow organization of the Sagal Muk Ga. This man led assassins in an attack on the Demonic Way Hall’s warriors.”
“What?! The Sagal Muk Ga? They’ve gone absolutely mad!”
“They attempted to bribe both the Inspection Bureau and the Demonic Way Hall simultaneously. When that failed, they resorted to murder and silencing. These are the poisoned blades and hidden weapons they employed.”
An aide dumped the weapons seized from the assassins in a heap.
The Vice Director’s expression grew increasingly rigid.
Testimony followed to drive the final nail home.
“I, Kyoto, bear witness! Those Sagal Muk Ga dogs came with pouches of gold, demanding I sell them information. Did they think they could treat me so? Hmph!”
Ma Chung’s testimony as the new Kyoto, along with letters from instructors Chuk Mu Gwang and Ga Cheon Ak.
[The Sagal Muk Ga proposed a transaction to our instructors. As this is a grave matter that clouds our sect’s order, we request severe punishment.]
Finally, it was Sa Do Myeong’s turn.
“Vice Director. Elder Muk Wi Gyou of the Sagal Muk Ga approached me, a member of the Inspection Bureau. Seeing this as an opportunity, I sought the cooperation of the Demonic Path Pavilion Master and orchestrated a larger scheme.”
The Vice Director’s eyes widened.
Sa Do Myeong’s appearance was far more intact than expected, with no signs of suffering.
“A larger scheme, you say?”
Neatly dressed, Sa Do Myeong spoke as I had instructed.
“The Twelve Orthodox Families are meant to dedicate themselves to the sect, yet they have been arbitrarily exploiting the sect’s organization for their family’s private interests.”
Sa Do Myeong’s explanation was thus:
The Sagal Muk Ga attempted to bribe the sect’s official organizations—the Inspection Bureau and the Demonic Way Hall—with money, and sought to poison the inspectors and the Demonic Way Hall’s warriors.
When matters did not proceed as planned, they even unleashed numerous assassins to commit murder and silencing.
From the explanation alone, one could see how thoroughly the Sagal Muk Ga disregarded the sect’s order and engaged in tyranny.
“Grrrrgh… Those Sagal Muk Ga bastards…!”
The Inspection Bureau exists to scrutinize corruption within the sect and maintain discipline.
If that were truly the case, this would be a massive corruption scandal warranting the Inspection Bureau’s direct intervention.
‘And if the Twelve Orthodox Families were the target…!’
It was then that Gal Mu Heun made a timely proposal to the Vice Director.
“Vice Director. Let us set aside any lingering grievances between us. What if the Inspection Bureau were to handle this matter with utmost rigor?”
“…Gal Mu Heun? You mean to say…?”
“The Demonic Way Hall is, after all, merely an educational institution. Should the Inspection Bureau investigate and rectify a large-scale corruption scandal, would that not be a triumph for your bureau?”
“…!”
“Of course, as Pavilion Master, I shall pledge my full support in this endeavor.”
It was an offer he could not refuse.
The restoration of the Inspection Bureau’s honor, and the Sagal Muk Ga—a prize of immense proportions.
The stage was set; all that remained was to draw the blade.
‘…An opportunity to humble the Twelve Orthodox Families at last.’
The Twelve Orthodox Families, despite their nominal status, wielded formidable power—a thorn in the Inspection Bureau’s side.
Yet not all among the Twelve were equal in strength.
The Sagal Muk Ga, lowest in rank and notorious in reputation, would face minimal resistance.
‘We lacked sufficient pretext to move against them before… but now fortune smiles upon us, you wretches!’
Striking at the Sagal Muk Ga’s private forces provided ample justification.
‘…With this, we can not only wash away the Inspection Bureau’s shame but elevate our standing!’
The Vice Director’s eyes gleamed with fervor.
Could any condition be more favorable?
His expression brightened in an instant.
“…Excellent. The Inspection Bureau is the sword that guards the sect’s order. We can no longer tolerate the arrogance of the Sagal Muk Ga.”
He immediately issued orders to the Chief Enforcement Officer who had accompanied him.
“Prepare to raid the Poison Fang Hall at once! Search their strongholds thoroughly and apprehend all involved!”
“As you command!”
After the Chief Enforcement Officer departed to carry out his orders, the Vice Director finally posed his question to Gal Mu Heun.
“Gal Mu Heun… you’ve changed. Has something happened of late?”
His approach differed markedly from his methods of old.
“…Heh, is it not the nature of rivers that the waters behind push forward those ahead?”
‘The waters behind…? A junior from the Demonic Way Hall? What manner of person could move such a rigid scholar?’
The Vice Director’s eyes sparkled with curiosity at Gal Mu Heun’s cryptic reply.
“…Until we meet again.”
After the Vice Director departed,
Gal Mu Heun summoned Yun Cheon and commended him.
“Your strategy struck true. A masterwork—achieving the goal without lifting a finger.”
Even as Gal Mu Heun praised Yun Cheon, he sensed something deeper.
‘Martial prowess, cunning strategy, and the ability to move men through righteous cause. This one is no sapling meant to dwell in my shadow. One day, he may become a vine that devours even the great tree of the Demonic Cult itself.’
The Inspection Bureau had drawn its blade, precisely as planned.
Now came the hour to strike the Sagal Muk Ga.

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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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