Reincarnation of the Cloud Dragon - Chapter 50

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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 50.
‘Tonight, I will destroy the Black Dragon Gang.’
It was a method the Yun Cheon of old—when he still wore the robes of Kunlun—would never have chosen.
A self-deprecating smile played at the corners of Yun Cheon’s mouth.
‘A nocturnal raid in the dead of night.’
It was the sort of tactic the Demonic Cult or heterodox sects would employ.
A formal challenge issued with proper ceremony, procedures observed with courtesy.
The Yun Cheon of old would have believed such things were the righteous path, never doubting for a moment.
‘But now… I am sick to death of hollow hypocrisy dressed in ceremony.’
The image of the Martial Alliance, deferring decisions under the guise of procedure and noble justification, surfaced in my mind.
I had seen firsthand the true face hidden beneath that facade.
‘I will no longer be bound by such things.’
Yun Cheon’s eyes, fixed upon the towering walls of the Black Dragon Gang, were colder and more desolate than the night air itself.
The Black Dragon Gang was neither a den venerating grand evil nor a murderous organization crying out for blood.
They merely collected entrance fees, forced lodging upon travelers, and maintained their hierarchy by using subordinates as shields.
Their methods were cunning enough, but they fell far short of true strength.
‘They hardly deserve to be called villains. They are nothing but petty street thugs with an eye for profit.’
To pay money at their makeshift toll booth and stand in line obediently, waiting for dawn to break?
That would be foolish.
‘There is no reason to adhere to the orthodox way when dealing with street rabble.’
There existed a method that was faster, more efficient, and absolutely certain.
The logic of the strong that the Demonic Cult pursued.
I decided to return that logic to the Black Dragon Gang—with a weight they could never bear.
Before the Black Dragon Gang’s massive gate, sealed shut.
Whoooosh—
The frigid qi surging from Yun Cheon’s dantian coalesced into an ethereal jade light at the tip of my fist.
‘There is no need to wait for the gate to open. I can simply destroy it.’
My right arm drew back, then shot forward like a flash of lightning.
Crash—!
Like a battering ram striking a city gate, a deafening roar tore through the silence of the night.
The massive gate, easily a foot thick, crumpled like paper and exploded outward.
Wooden splinters scattered in all directions, and a storm of dust rose in a thick cloud.
Through the spray of debris and swirling dust, Yun Cheon walked in with unhurried grace.
“What… what is this!”
“What… what in the world is happening!”
The Black Dragon Gang’s fighters, who had been holding a raucous drinking bout in the courtyard, scattered in panic.
Tables overturned, bottles shattered, and the pungent aroma of strong liquor mingled with the smell of dust.
“An… an attack!”
“What is going on!”
They flailed about, unable to comprehend the situation.
Through the billowing cloud of dust, Yun Cheon walked in with unhurried grace.
A black martial robe that seemed to swallow all light.
And upon his limbs—shackles as crude and massive as those worn by condemned criminals: the Muk Gang Han Chul.
It was Yun Cheon.
Clang, clang.
With each step he took, the heavy metallic sound rang out with an eerie resonance.
“You! Who in blazes are you!”
“How dare you smash the front gate of the Black Dragon Gang! Have you lost your mind seeking death!”
The gang members of the Black Dragon Gang, their faces flushed with alcohol, bellowed their outrage.
Yet among them, a few with sharper instincts exchanged glances between the shattered remains of the gate and the solitary figure of Yun Cheon, their wariness evident.
“That thick gate… destroyed in a single blow…?”
“Could he have detonated some kind of explosive?”
“Don’t lower your guard! There may be more explosives!”
Watching them murmur among themselves, Yun Cheon let out a hollow laugh.
“Explosives, you say…”
Yun Cheon, as though the matter wasn’t worth addressing, casually shook the Muk Gang Han Chul around his wrist.
“I have no such crude contraptions.”
At those words, Bu Bang Ju broke into a satisfied smile and gripped his axe tightly.
“It seems there are no more explosives!”
As Bu Bang Ju raised his voice with renewed momentum, the other gang members took his signal and began releasing their killing intent in unison.
The murderous aura of dozens of warriors.
Yet Yun Cheon’s eyes grew only colder and more serene.
“Is the Sub-Leader here? Your name was… So Ryong, if I recall correctly?”
“How dare you—speaking the Sub-Leader’s name without knowing your place!”
Bu Bang Ju could restrain himself no longer and rushed forward, raising his axe high.
“Your audacity knows no bounds!”
Boom—!
The massive axe blade descended toward Yun Cheon’s crown.
A force capable of splitting stone.
But Yun Cheon did not evade.
Rather, he felt no need to.
He merely flicked his left arm, bound in the Muk Gang Han Chul, upward as though swatting away a bothersome fly.
Crash—!
The axe blade collided with the Muk Gang Han Chul, and a deafening explosion erupted.
Crack, crack, crack—.
The massive axe blade shattered into fragments, scattering in all directions.
The broken pieces tore across Bu Bang Ju’s face.
“Wh-what…?”
As shock froze Bu Bang Ju’s vision, Yun Cheon’s elbow drove forward like a cannonball.
“Move aside.”
In the next instant, my arm swept through the air like a colossal weapon.
Thud!
“Gahhhhh!”
With a dull, sickening impact, Bu Bang Ju’s chest caved inward.
His body rocketed backward like a cannonball.
With his sternum crushed, he crashed through three or four of the gang members pursuing behind him before finally slamming into the ground.
“Bu, Bu Bang Ju!”
It had all happened in an instant.
Without sparing a glance at the fallen Bu Bang Ju, I flexed my wrist casually.
Crack.
“I didn’t kill him. I have no time to waste on small fry. Bring me So Ryong.”
A mere swing of the arm—a simple strike.
Yet its power transcended everything the Black Dragon Gang’s warriors understood.
“…!”
Silence fell over the surroundings.
But perhaps it was the alcohol speaking.
“He’s alone!”
One of them shouted.
At that cry, the Black Dragon Gang members—their fear and stubbornness mingling—roared with vicious intent.
“This… this bastard!”
“All together! Rush him!”
From all directions, the Black Dragon Gang members surged forward, weapons drawn.
‘How tiresome.’
My gaze was as indifferent as one regarding a swarm of bothersome flies.
I lowered my stance, channeling rotational force into my lower body.
Whirlwind Kick.
A technique I had devised during my sparring with Chuk Mu Gwang, then refined and perfected through the weight of the Murky Steel Chains.
Whoooosh—!
A heavy, piercing sound struck the eardrums first.
My leg, amplified by the weight of the Murky Steel Chains and the centrifugal force, whipped through the air like a lash.
Crack—!
Crunch! Snap!
“Ahhhhh!”
“My leg!”
“Argh, my arm!”
Swords shattered upon contact; arms broke when raised in defense.
With each rotation I completed, three or four burly warriors became rags scattered in all directions.
A calamity born from overwhelming mass and rotational force.
This was not combat—it was unilateral annihilation.
The gang members who had charged forward were sent flying, and the space around me was swept clean.
“A… a master!”
Only then did primal fear begin to crystallize in the eyes of the Black Dragon Gang warriors.
They understood.
The young man before them was unlike any challenger who had come before.
Truly, a beast tearing through a flock of sheep alone.
There was no way they could stand against him, even in numbers.
Yun Cheon stepped over the moaning warriors crawling on the ground, his voice low and cutting as he addressed the inner chamber ahead.
“Won’t you come out? Then I’ll come in myself.”
That was when it happened.
The door to the inner chamber burst open and a roar erupted.
“What fool dares cause trouble in another’s sect in the dead of night!”
A massive man strode out.
His face flushed with alcohol, yet his muscles swelled like stone, hard and unyielding, his skin darkened by the sun.
The Master of the Black Dragon Gang, ranked 100th in the Feng Yun Ranking.
That was So Ryong.
“M… Master So! Someone has come causing trouble without warning!”
“How dare you in this place… eh?”
So Ryong’s mouth fell open as he began to bellow, his eyes still clouded with drink.
The main gate, shattered beyond repair.
Dozens of gang members sprawled about, groaning.
And standing in the center of this carnage, not a speck of dust clinging to his robes, was Yun Cheon.
‘…!’
The moment So Ryong saw this, his intoxication vanished instantly.
‘His robes… they’re pristine…!’
A chill ran down So Ryong’s spine.
Despite creating this battlefield, the man’s breathing hadn’t even quickened.
The meaning was unmistakable.
They were in different leagues entirely.
‘…I’ve stepped in something terrible.’
His instinct, honed from defending his 100th-rank position and culling countless challengers, screamed in terror.
To fight was to die.
This wasn’t a losing proposition—it was a matter of surrendering his life.
Most of all, those eyes.
They didn’t regard him as a worthy opponent, but merely as an annoying obstacle to be swept aside.
That indifference terrified him more than anything.
‘…This… I think I’ve made a terrible mistake.’
So Ryong’s eyes darted about frantically, desperate to survive.
“…What esteemed master might you be, coming to our humble gang in the dead of night… no. Rather, what brings you here?”
So Ryong asked, forcing politeness into his trembling voice.
“Yun Cheon. Ranked 100th in the Feng Yun Ranking. Are you So Ryong?”
“…Well… yes, that is true, but Great Hero Yun Cheon, I believe there’s been a misunderstanding. Perhaps we could discuss this calmly first….”
So Ryong wiped the cold sweat from his brow and forced an obsequious smile, then shouted at his men instead.
With the Black Dragon Gang’s elite scattered like autumn leaves in the wind, this was hardly the moment to stand on pride.
“You fools! Can’t you see what’s happening? Put away those weapons at once and attend to our guest!”
“Yes? Y-yes…!”
“Great Hero, if my men have caused any offense, please allow me to apologize on their behalf! I shall offer proper compensation!”
Yet Yun Cheon shook his head with cold eyes.
“I have no need for money.”
“Then… what is it you want?”
Yun Cheon’s finger pointed directly at So Ryong’s brow.
“I need your position.”
“…!”
So Ryong’s pupils trembled.
Rank one hundred.
It was far more than mere hollow prestige.
It was the goose that laid golden eggs.
The lifeblood of the Black Dragon Gang, and the source of the wealth and glory So Ryong had enjoyed in such a short span.
‘I… I always knew something like this might happen someday….’
So Ryong was no fool.
Having conceived the idea of profiting from his rank from the start, he had not failed to consider its dangers.
But the man before him seemed the type who would slit his master’s throat and seize the goose entirely.
‘If I fight, I die….’
His instincts screamed in terror.
Without hesitation, So Ryong threw himself flat upon the ground.
“I… I concede! I acknowledge my defeat and accept it! Please, spare my life…!”
Even Yun Cheon was taken aback by his swift change of posture.
Yet Yun Cheon did not relent.
“For the Feng Yun Ranking to be updated, someone must witness our duel, must they not? If we whisper about this in the dead of night, by tomorrow you might sing a different tune.”
“No, no! How could I possibly…!”
So Ryong’s mind raced desperately.
If he simply conceded and was cast out, he would become nothing more than ‘the fool who was ambushed at night and lost his position’.
His honor, his wealth, his very life—all hung in the balance.
But was it not said that crisis begets opportunity?
So Ryong’s eyes gleamed with the cunning of a merchant.
‘If I’m going to lose this position anyway… I should use that contingency I prepared…!’
So Ryong carefully raised his head.
“I… I have an idea! What if we did it this way?”
“What is it?”
“If I’m to lose this position regardless, then tomorrow I shall arrange a public challenge for it.”
So Ryong swallowed hard.
“Tomorrow morning, before a vast crowd, you will strike me down. In doing so, you’ll gain instant renown, while I….”
He continued, concealing cunning beneath a servile smile.
“I’ll remain a defeated man who yielded his place to the Martial World’s rising star. I’ll lay the stage perfectly for you.”
Yun Cheon’s objective was to gain rapid renown through the Feng Yun Ranking.
For rumors to spread, a public duel was far more effective than covert night schemes.
‘A ploy to buy time.’
A proposal whose true intent lay transparent as glass.
Yet it was not without merit.
“Grant me but one night’s reprieve…! I shall prepare everything within that time.”
“Very well. However, should you harbor treacherous thoughts….”
Yun Cheon chuckled softly and tapped So Ryong’s chest.
A subtle sound.
In that instant, a thin serpent of frigid energy coiled from Yun Cheon’s fingertips, slithering through So Ryong’s meridians and burrowing toward his heart.
“Gasp?! This cold energy…!”
So Ryong clutched his chest, his face draining to an ashen blue.
At the center of his breast, he felt a sharp, piercing sensation—as though an icy thorn had been driven deep within.
“A safeguard. Tomorrow morning, should you honor our agreement and lay the stage as promised, I shall withdraw it. However, should you flee in the night or harbor second thoughts….”
Yun Cheon’s fist tightened with deliberate force.
“That cold energy will freeze your heart and shatter it.”
“…!”
This was no mere threat.
His very life now rested in this man’s grasp.
“Only I can lift this seal, so abandon all futile hope.”
“I understand! I swear it—I harbor no treacherous thoughts whatsoever!”
So Ryong prostrated himself, trembling violently.
“I’m staying at the Heuk Ryong Guest Inn. Come there once your preparations are complete.”
As Yun Cheon vanished into the darkness, So Ryong finally collapsed, breathing in ragged gasps.
His back was drenched in cold sweat.
“Haa… haa… I’ve aged ten years in an instant.”
The icy, aching sensation embedded in his chest forced him to confront reality.
There was no escape route.
He could not win through combat.
That left only one path forward.
So Ryong staggered to his feet and rushed into the inner chambers.
He opened his secret vault and withdrew every coin he had hoarded.
“I cannot simply accept this fate….”
So Ryong’s resolve transformed into swift action.
“You there! Release the messenger birds at once!”
“Yes…? You wish to send messenger birds in the dead of night?”
“Yes! There’s no time! Summon all the faction leaders and erect a Combat Platform in front of the Black Dragon Gang! We’ll hold a public duel!”
“Y-yes? So suddenly?”
“Move quickly! Spread word throughout the district that Bu Bang Ju himself is stepping forward to challenge the Feng Yun Bang’s ranking!”
“Understood!”
That night, dozens of carrier pigeons took flight from the Heuk Chul Bang into the darkness above.
Returning to the guest inn, Yun Cheon gazed down at the bustling activity of the Black Dragon Gang from his window and let out a quiet chuckle.
‘That fellow has some skill after all.’

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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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