Reincarnation of the Cloud Dragon - Chapter 51

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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 51.
From early morning, the area surrounding the Heuk Ryong Guest Inn erupted into chaos.
Boom boom boom—! Screeeech—!
The thunderous beat of drums and the piercing wail of trumpets assaulted the eardrums.
And the heat radiating from the crowd that had gathered like clouds pierced through the inn’s windows.
“Ugh… what in the world is all this commotion about so early in the morning?”
Yalü Hee furrowed her brow and groggily opened her eyes to the cacophony seeping through the window gaps.
“Apparently the leader of the Black Dragon Gang is holding a public martial exhibition.”
She yanked the window open with an irritated gesture.
And the sight that unfolded before her eyes made her jaw drop.
Black Dragon Gang flags fluttered along the street connecting the inn to the gang headquarters, and a hastily constructed Combat Platform had been erected in the courtyard.
A crowd of spectators surrounded the entire area like a swirling cloud.
“…A Combat Platform? What is all this?”
Yalü Hee doubted her own eyes.
The street that had been perfectly ordinary just last night had transformed overnight into something resembling a marketplace bazaar.
“Place your bets quickly! We’re closing soon!”
“Who is the opponent anyway? I’ve never heard of them?”
“I’m betting two silver coins on the gang leader!”
She hastily turned her head to survey the room.
In the center of the room, Yun Cheon sat in a cross-legged meditation posture.
Unbothered by the chaos outside, he exhaled a faint chill from his entire body as he completed his breathing cultivation.
“Yun Cheon! This is no time to be sitting there peacefully! There’s pandemonium outside! The Black Dragon Gang leader is apparently holding a public martial exhibition!”
At Yalü Hee’s urgent cry, Yun Cheon slowly opened his eyes.
A cool jade radiance flickered in the depths of his pupils before fading away.
“…You’ve only just woken up? You slept well.”
“Sleep is the last thing that matters right now! What if some unexpected person tries to pull a fast one? We need to go check what the Black Dragon Gang is scheming….”
“There’s no need to rush. I visited the Black Dragon Gang last night.”
At this unexpected answer, Yalü Hee’s eyes widened in surprise.
“What…? You visited the Black Dragon Gang? How did that happen?”
“It’s exactly as it appears. I’ve agreed to hold a public martial exhibition with So Ryong.”
Yun Cheon calmly descended from the bed and fastened the ink-steel cold iron weights he had removed back onto his wrists and ankles.
Clank. Click.
The heavy metallic sound resonated through the room.
“What?! You’re the gang leader’s opponent?!”
“Yes. It seems the fellow kept his word after all.”
Yalü Hee’s expression showed complete bewilderment. Then came a knock.
Knock knock—.
“Great Master, I’ve come to escort you.”
As Yun Cheon opened the door, an unexpected figure appeared.
So Ryong, the leader of the Black Dragon Gang.
He appeared in person.
“…What is that outfit?”
So Ryong had dressed himself in a solemn yet ornate white ceremonial robe, like a general preparing for a grand expedition.
His hair was slicked back with oil until it gleamed stiffly, and around his waist hung a jade belt the size of a fist—he was positively preening with vanity.
It was hard to believe this was the same man who had been crawling on the ground begging for his life the night before.
“Great Master, preparations are complete. The heroes of the martial world await you.”
So Ryong spoke with a respectful fist salute.
His voice carried not servility, but rather an overwhelming sense of solemn determination.
Yun Cheon let out a soft laugh at the sight.
“Quite the talent. To orchestrate something like this in a single night.”
“You are too kind. This is the stage for the Great Master, so surely it deserves at least this much preparation?”
So Ryong, who had been answering with slick composure, suddenly flinched when his eyes met Yun Cheon’s, and quickly cast his gaze downward.
The terror from last night had clearly not yet faded.
“W-well then, I shall go ahead and stir up the atmosphere! Please take your time!”
So Ryong fled like a startled rabbit, avoiding Yun Cheon’s gaze.
Yun Cheon rose leisurely from his seat and began walking.
“Let’s go. Shall we see what tune this fool plays?”
Yalü Hee shook her head and followed behind Yun Cheon.
“Really… what on earth have you been up to all night!”
* * *
“He’s coming!”
“Is that the challenger?”
The moment Yun Cheon stepped out of the guest inn, the murmuring crowd fell silent in an instant.
Unlike So Ryong, who had ascended the stage in elaborate finery, Yun Cheon’s appearance was striking.
A martial robe of pure black, utterly devoid of ornamentation.
And crude iron rings encircling his limbs.
A sword and a saber crossed upon his back.
No matter who looked, the contrast between the two was stark and unmistakable.
Clang, thud.
With each step Yun Cheon took, the heavy metallic sound rang out against the ground.
Clang, thud.
A dull, weighty sound that conveyed the full force of his burden.
“Those… are those iron rings?”
“Insane, walking around wearing those? They look heavy.”
“Surely… he doesn’t intend to fight in that condition?”
The spectators swallowed hard.
Along the path to the Combat Platform, the members of the Black Dragon Gang stood in formation on both sides.
Though they appeared to be standing normally, Yun Cheon’s eyes saw through their true state.
‘….’
They were all wincing from the bruises on their ribs that Yun Cheon had inflicted last night, forcing their spines straight while cold sweat poured down their faces.
With each step Yun Cheon took forward, I could see their shoulders trembling with barely suppressed tension.
‘He’s drilled them thoroughly on keeping their mouths shut.’
They were straining with all their might to endure under So Ryong’s stern command.
Yun Cheon observed the stage So Ryong had prepared and mused silently.
‘So Ryong, this fellow—does he have more talent for orchestrating the scene than for martial arts? His scheming mind is no worse than Yu Ha’s.’
Yun Cheon parted the crowd with an impassive expression and made his way toward the Combat Platform.
“So who exactly is his opponent?”
“That guy? He’s got quite a delicate face, doesn’t he?”
“He looks even younger than the gang leader…?”
The crowd murmured among themselves, each predicting the outcome.
And as always in such gatherings, gamblers had set up their tables.
“Come now, betting closes soon! This payout ratio won’t last much longer!”
The odds displayed at the gambling table set up near the inn’s entrance heavily favored So Ryong at eight to two.
“At these odds, even if the gang leader wins, he barely breaks even.”
“If that… boy wins, the payout is seven times the stake!”
“Seven times… a fortune in a single bet, but betting on some unknown nobody is a guaranteed way to lose everything.”
Most of the spectators predicted victory for the Black Dragon Gang’s leader.
Despite So Ryong’s various tricks, he had maintained his position at rank 100 on the Feng Yun Ranking for quite some time even after his rise.
Moreover, since the venue was right in front of the Black Dragon Gang’s headquarters, it was only natural that the betting money would flow toward So Ryong rather than the unknown Yun Cheon.
“Hmm….”
Yalü Hee, who had followed behind, watched the gambling table with her eyes gleaming.
‘This reminds me of when Yu Ha set up that night combat gambling ring.’
Without hesitation, she pulled silver coins from her pocket and tossed them toward Yun Cheon’s side.
“Ten silver coins on the challenger!”
“Oho! The young lady’s got quite the nerve! Betting such a sum on someone whose identity is unknown.”
“Listen here, miss. Martial contests aren’t decided by appearances.”
“That pretty-faced boy beating the gang leader who’s mastered the Black Dragon Body Technique? You’re just throwing money away.”
Yun Cheon’s densely packed muscles were hidden beneath his black martial robe, making them barely visible to the eye.
So Ryong, by contrast, had mastered external cultivation and possessed a frame a full head taller than Yun Cheon’s.
“Miss, no backing out once you’ve bet!”
“Hmph, we’ll see about that.”
While the gamblers mocked her choice, Yun Cheon ascended the Combat Platform.
So Ryong spread both arms wide toward the spectators and cried out.
“Many challengers have come to the Black Dragon Gang seeking combat, yet I, the gang leader, have avoided such contests out of concern for accidents!”
So Ryong’s voice rang out powerfully.
“However, a young man visited me last night and granted me enlightenment. Therefore, I swear before all gathered here! As the leader of the Black Dragon Gang, from this day forward, I shall not shy away from challenges, and I shall face anyone—anyone at all—upon this stage!”
“Waaaaah―!”
The crowd erupted in cheers at this thrilling development.
Meanwhile, the challengers waiting their turn asked with suspicious eyes.
“Is that truly your word?”
“So, you’re saying you’ll accept challenges even after this boy?”
“Of course! If I win, I’ll accept challenges as many times as you wish on this Combat Platform. The martial artists of the realm won’t have any complaints!”
As So Ryong declared this on the platform, the challengers nodded in agreement.
Having made such a grand proclamation before so many witnesses, his words carried considerable weight.
“Excellent!”
“If the gang leader is willing to accept the match without backing down!”
The challengers who had paid their fees at the Black Dragon Gang and waited endlessly erupted in cheers.
They had no doubt that after the boy, their own opportunities to challenge would come.
‘…He’s acting as though he’ll naturally defeat me. Is he preparing to shift blame after losing to me?’
Yun Cheon, having discerned his opponent’s true intentions, simply stood in the center of the Combat Platform without a word.
Clank—
“Isn’t that… shackles?”
“Is he really going to fight while wearing them?”
Amid the mixed gazes of bewilderment and curiosity, Yun Cheon spoke softly.
“Begin.”
Yun Cheon and So Ryong faced each other in the center of the Combat Platform.
Only then did a man who had been sitting askew at the edge of the platform with a wine bottle tucked at his side rise to his feet.
A worn robe, unkempt beard, and vacant eyes.
To anyone’s eye, he appeared to be nothing more than a common street drunkard, yet the rusted sword hanging at his waist hinted at his true identity.
“I came because of a debt from drinking… but well, let’s keep it simple.”
He stretched and yawned with obvious indifference as he made his way to the center.
Yet among the crowd, there were those who recognized him.
“That… that man is Chui Geom!”
“What?! Chui Geom? Yi Mok the Drunken Blade is presiding over this match!”
“That drunkard is Chui Geom? That can’t be right!”
Chui Geom paid no mind to their words and raised his hand.
“Hmm… I didn’t expect anyone to recognize me. Tsk. The taste of wine turns bitter. Anyway, I’ve been tasked with presiding over this match.”
Chui Geom Yi Mok muttered as he brought the wine bottle to his lips.
“The rules are simple. If one falls from the platform or either side declares surrender, the match ends. Anything else?”
As Yi Mok scratched his head, he caught So Ryong’s earnest gaze and added one more thing.
“Well, since it’s a martial match, killing is forbidden… that should be enough for the rules, right?”
Then Chui Geom announced the start of the match.
“The match begins!”
So Ryong assumed an exaggerated opening stance.
In contrast, Yun Cheon simply let his arms hang naturally at his sides, his gaze fixed upon his opponent.
In that instant, Yi Mok’s eyes narrowed.
‘Ho… that kid. Despite wearing shackles of that weight, his posture is remarkably natural.’
In his drunken haze, his eyes suddenly gleamed with a piercing clarity for just a fleeting moment.
The crowd naturally expected So Ryong to yield the first move.
It was customary in martial matches for the stronger to grant the first strike to their opponent.
But.
“Haaah!”
Defying expectations, it was So Ryong who pushed off the ground first.
‘If I foolishly yield, one hit is all it takes to end this!’
So Ryong surrendered to his survival instincts.
The moment the match began, he tore off his upper garment and charged forward.
Thump-thump-thump—!
Every muscle in So Ryong’s body swelled with an eerie sound.
His bronzed skin darkened in an instant, taking on a lustrous sheen.
The secret technique of the Black Dragon Gang, the external martial art that had elevated him to rank one hundred.
The Black Dragon Iron Body.
“Ooh! Full power from the start!”
“It’s the Black Dragon Iron Body!”
“They say blades can’t even pierce that!”
Riding the cheers of the crowd, So Ryong surged forward until he was inches from Yun Cheon’s face.
A massive fist hurtled toward Yun Cheon’s visage.
A force that could crush stone itself.
But just before the fist made contact, So Ryong’s lips moved with incredible speed.
A whisper barely audible, like sound transmission.
[Great Hero! I’ll unleash all my techniques at full power, so please take them appropriately and find an opening to send me flying! That way the show will look good!]
Yun Cheon’s eyebrows twitched.
‘…Even now, he’s thinking about business.’
Though I clicked my tongue at So Ryong’s scheming, I found myself intrigued.
The ‘Black Dragon Iron Body’ unfolding before my eyes.
It was no mere low-tier external martial art that simply inflated muscles.
An external technique capable of changing skin color was uncommon.
Moreover, its power was clearly exceptional to behold.
‘Crude but practical. His durability might actually be useful.’
I did not dodge.
Thud—!
So Ryong’s fist was blocked by the wrist I raised.
More precisely, by the Ink Steel Cold Iron wrapped around my wrist.
“Ugh…!”
The one who stifled a cry was So Ryong, the attacker.
I remained unmoved, yet the bones in his striking fist throbbed as though they would shatter from hitting metal.
‘Th-this monster…! He’s actually blocking it so effortlessly while wearing that chunk of metal?’
So Ryong broke into a cold sweat, feigned retreat, then unleashed another barrage.
“Taaah!”
A cascade of linked fists poured forth.
On the surface, it appeared that So Ryong was pushing Yun Cheon back unilaterally.
Brilliant fist winds erupted across the platform, shattering the stones beneath our feet.
Yet the reality was far different.
I stood rooted to my spot, deflecting So Ryong’s punches with minimal movement, striking them away with casual flicks.
My arms, wrapped in the heavy iron rings, moved with seeming lightness, yet every attack bounced off effortlessly.
Clang! Clang! Crash!
The weighty metallic sounds struck the spectators’ hearts like hammer blows.
“That… that boy is actually blocking the Fang Lord’s relentless assault!”
“Blocking isn’t even the word! Look at his feet! He hasn’t retreated a single step!”
“Wow! The sound is deafening! How is he still fine after blocking attacks like that?”
The crowd’s amazement transformed into shock.
Yet So Ryong felt only frustration hearing their voices.
‘It’s my hands that hurt, you idiots! Damn it, what is that iron ring made of? It doesn’t seem like ordinary metal at all.’
As the exchange continued, Chui Geom and Yi Mok, who had been toying with a wine bottle, froze.
“…Huh?”
His clouded eyes had suddenly cleared with perfect clarity.
‘That movement… it’s not mere defense. He’s reading the opponent’s force, redirecting it, and countering.’
Despite wearing the heavy iron rings, my hands moved without a trace of wasted motion. Like flowing water—fluid and graceful—yet at times hard as stone.
‘…So Ryong has every reason to be flustered. He’s wielding that hunk of metal as a weapon, not a shackle. This is the real deal.’
Yi Mok set down his wine bottle and straightened his posture.
Life began to kindle in his previously bored gaze.
Meanwhile, So Ryong’s insides were burning with pain.
‘Applause requires both hands to meet for sound! Please… just show some sign of being pushed back! At this rate, my fists will all be shattered!’
A bizarre sight—the one striking wore a grimace while the one defending remained expressionless.
So Ryong roared even louder to endure the mounting agony.
“Krraaaagh! Die!”
Yet despite his thunderous cry, tears had begun to form at the corners of So Ryong’s eyes.
The pain of striking an iron ring with bare fists.
Worse still, since the ring was forged from Obsidian Steel, even the Black Dragon Body Technique could barely withstand it.
Listening to that desperate roar, I made my cold assessment.
‘A fox wearing a bear’s mask.’
His external martial skill was competent enough, but his true talent lay in reading the crowd and manipulating their emotions.
My gaze turned icy in an instant.
‘But… even this performance has grown tedious. Time to end it.’

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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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