Reincarnation of the Cloud Dragon - Chapter 56

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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 56.
Icy snowflakes accumulated upon Jin So Wol’s shoulders as she knelt before the Inner Hall’s entrance.
Even beneath the mountain wind that cut like blades, she remained utterly motionless.
Yun Cheon gazed down at her with cold indifference.
The backs of my hands were split and cracked from gripping the spear shaft, each knuckle bearing thick calluses.
These were not the hands of a woman raised in gentleness, but the marks of a warrior.
“I hear Jin Mu Yang’s spear technique once displayed the might of the Black Dragon. Yet now his daughter wishes to become merely a gang member?”
A frigid silence swept across the Training Ground.
So Ryong and the gang members held their breath, their eyes fixed upon the Pavilion Master’s lips.
“If you would have me, I shall dedicate myself to the gang with a spirit of selfless devotion!”
A faint smile played at the corners of Yun Cheon’s mouth.
Yet the voice that followed was as cold as ice.
“However, I have no intention of accepting you as a gang member.”
Jin So Wol’s shoulders visibly shrank.
This was the karmic consequence of the commotion she had caused, claiming she would restore the Black Dragon Gang’s name.
She bit her dry lips and lowered her head.
“I understand. I apologize for my presumptuous rudeness.”
Just as despair crept into her voice and fell low upon the ground, Yun Cheon’s words struck the Training Ground like thunder.
“Instead, from this day forward, I appoint Jin So Wol as the provisional instructor of the Black Dragon Gang.”
“…!”
Jin So Wol’s head snapped up in shock.
“It would be wasteful to let your spear technique rot away as a mere gang member. Prove to the gang members the blood and sweat you have shed alone. And seize your qualifications through your own merit. That is my way.”
Jin So Wol’s shoulders trembled slightly.
Though temporary, it was a position teaching the gang members.
Jin So Wol’s dark eyes quivered faintly.
Temporary though it may be, it was a grave responsibility—one that commanded the Black Dragon Gang’s martial strength.
He had treated her, who had caused this unexpected commotion, not as an outsider but as a comrade, and moreover, as a warrior whose abilities he recognized.
“I accept your command. I, Jin So Wol, shall stand at the vanguard of the Black Dragon Gang.”
Jin So Wol clenched her fists tightly and bowed deeply.
“Your resolve pleases me. So Ryong, bestow upon her the Black Dragon Gang’s ancient banner. It seems the time has come for her to reclaim her martial prowess.”
Yun Cheon gestured with his chin toward So Ryong, who stood beside him.
Both So Ryong and Jin So Wol’s mouths fell open wide.
“You… you knew?”
“How…?!”
“I observed your martial technique. Ordinary spears pursue directness, yet your methods place equal weight upon curved, spiraling motions. The technique to overcome a banner’s resistance and command the wind… that is no mere unconventional spear art, but what appears to be banner technique.”
In other words, Jin Mu Yang’s true martial art was not simple spear technique, but rather the art of wielding a flagged spear.
Yun Cheon had pierced through to this truth in merely a single confrontation.
Jin So Wol’s eyes widened in astonishment.
After her father had set down the Black Dragon Gang’s banner, she had trained alone in what she believed to be “unconventional spear technique.”
Yet the Pavilion Master had seen through to its very foundation in but a single duel.
“M-may I ask just one question?”
Jin So Wol spoke in a trembling voice.
“Of course.”
“Then… if I wielded a banner instead of a spear, could I become stronger than I am now?”
“Only if you can master it properly.”
“…!”
“Compared to a spear, a banner is far more difficult to handle. You must learn staff techniques, spear techniques, and even the subtleties of controlling the flowing qi. If you fail to master it, you’ll only expose your weaknesses. However… if you reach the pinnacle, it will be far more powerful and unpredictable than spear techniques. Is that your only question?”
As I finished speaking, determination ignited in Jin So Wol’s eyes.
That alone made her choice crystal clear.
“Y-yes, that’s right!”
“Jin So Wol, you will master the banner spear, and teach the Bang Do members polearms including staffs and spears.”
I turned my head and gestured with my chin toward So Ryong.
“So Ryong, you will guide her. Make sure she understands our gang’s regulations and current training system.”
“Your command! This So Ryong is once again impressed by the Pavilion Master’s insight!”
So Ryong bowed deeply and brought forth a dust-covered black box from deep within the storage.
“Sister, now do you understand? Why would this So Ryong cast aside all his pride and serve that man?”
So Ryong approached Jin So Wol with a knowing grin, as if he’d been waiting for this moment.
“…I’m sorry, So Ryong. I thought you’d sold the Black Dragon Gang to some nameless nobody, but instead you’d caught the tail of an ascending dragon.”
At Jin So Wol’s apology, So Ryong smiled with his characteristic cunning grin and shrugged his shoulders.
“I knew at first glance. That you weren’t someone who would remain at rank 100 in the Feng Yun Ranking.”
“You were quite sharp even as a child. I thought you’d only grow more scheming, but you’ve become quite capable.”
“Ha ha… anyway, why don’t you open the box?”
As the lid opened, a massive banner bearing the Black Dragon emblem came into view.
Fluttering—
The sound of the banner catching the mountain breeze resembled the roar of a dragon.
So Ryong murmured, overwhelmed with emotion.
“To think this banner would stand in the Training Ground once more…”
Just as their conversation continued, clearing away the misunderstandings, a resonant shout pierced through the ruins of the Main Gate.
“The Ilwol Trading Company requests an audience with the Black Dragon Gang Master!”
The resounding cry shook the Training Ground.
A man in a bamboo hat was cupping his fists in salute, his eyes sharp.
“Wh… what?”
“Could it be… one of the Ten Great Trading Companies of the Central Plains?”
The Training Ground froze in an instant.
‘The Ilwol Trading Company? The massive merchant house that controls the financial arteries of the Central Plains is offering congratulations first?’
‘Has the Black Dragon Gang already reached that level?’
Awe settled into the eyes of the Bang Do members.
Meanwhile, I remained composed.
This was clearly the work of Yu Ha, the Vice Master of the Ilwol Trading Company.
‘That cunning fox has made his move. What scheme does he have this time?’
Leaving the murmurs of Bang Do’s men behind, Yun Cheon issued a quiet command.
“So Ryong, escort our guest to the Administrative Office. And….”
“Understood. I shall do so at once!”
​The Administrative Office of the Black Dragon Gang.
The charcoal in the brazier crackled and burned with vigor.
Yun Cheon faced the man who had come from the Ilwol Trading Company.
“I am Geum Bu Dong, director of the Qinghai branch of the Ilwol Trading Company.”
His bearing was composed and refined, his gaze sharp and penetrating.
An imposing presence befitting a magnate responsible for an entire province’s economy emanated from him.
“Did Yu Ha send you? Tell me your business first.”
Geum Bu Dong smiled benevolently and withdrew something from his robes, placing it upon the table.
A metallic sound rang out.
With deliberate care, Geum Bu Dong removed something from his garments and set it gently upon the table.
What lay before them was the Demonic Path Pavilion Master’s black iron token, split with meticulous precision into two halves.
The very proof of payment from when Yu Ha had once moved Saengsa Jjon on Yun Cheon’s behalf.
‘Is this a demand to repay the debt?’
Yun Cheon tapped the cold black iron token with his finger.
“So you’ve come to reclaim your investment. Very well—what does Yu Ha desire?”
Geum Bu Dong answered with a knowing smile.
“The Chief Director has assessed that the Black Dragon Gang’s position is a natural stronghold connecting Tianshan and the Central Plains. Therefore, he wishes to acquire the Heuk Ryong Guest Inn and the surrounding lands. The Ilwol Trading Company will pay the highest price we are capable of offering.”
Yun Cheon subtly gestured to So Ryong with his eyes.
“What is the meaning of this!”
So Ryong, standing beside him, could no longer contain himself and rose to his feet.
“We’ve only just established our foundation, and now you demand we surrender our land? Is this how a great trading company uses its power to oppress us and seize our interests?”
So Ryong’s anger was justified.
On the surface, it appeared as though a massive trading company was bullying a minor faction to steal their rights.
‘Would he really produce the black iron token merely for this?’
Yet as Yun Cheon studied the fractured lines of the token, he endeavored to discern Yu Ha’s true intention.
‘No… this is a proposal to aim toward a more distant future, and toward something greater.’
The black iron token was not a threat to repay a debt, but rather a symbol of Yu Ha’s friendship and trust.
‘Trust me,’ it seemed to say.
Yun Cheon gazed down at the black iron token upon the table once more.
Yun Cheon restrained So Ryong and spoke with measured calm.
“First, let us hear the full extent of your demands. There must be additional terms—matters concerning security rights and transaction conditions?”
A flicker of intrigue crossed Geum Bu Dong’s eyes.
It was the composure of one more merchant than any merchant could be.
“Precisely. There are three requirements. First, the Black Dragon Gang shall maintain security in the district where the company establishes itself. Second, exclusive trade with the Ilwol Trading Company and the use of the Ilwol Trading Company’s promissory notes. Third, the maintenance and regularization of the Combat Platform.”
“You’re asking us to become guard dogs for your company?”
So Ryong erupted again, but the abacus beads in Yun Cheon’s mind clicked in a different direction.
‘Granting security rights means officially recognizing us as the martial force of this region. Exclusive trade means monopolizing material supply, and regularizing the Combat Platform means forcibly drawing in transient populations.’
Yu Ha’s intentions were far from a simple acquisition of the Black Dragon Gang.
‘Had that been the case, he would have swallowed it long ago. The fact that he came after I assumed the position of gang leader… does he mean to raise the stakes?’
It was so very Yu Ha.
Rather than recovering his investment.
He was doubling down, investing several times more.
A proposal for symbiosis—elevating the Black Dragon Gang into a major force in Qinghai while allowing the golden vein of the Ilwol Trading Company to flow freely.
This was how I interpreted the Ilwol Trading Company’s proposal.
Yet, I could not simply accept it as presented.
“I accept. However, we have conditions of our own.”
At my immediate response, Geum Bu Dong’s eyebrows twitched.
“Not a refusal… but acceptance?”
“Yes. First, do not touch the essential territories required for the Black Dragon Gang’s expansion. Second, this is a lease, not a sale. Thirty percent of the commercial profits generated shall become the Black Dragon Gang’s equity stake.”
Even So Ryong, standing beside me, broke into a cold sweat, thinking I was making unreasonable demands.
‘B-Boss! Even though you ordered me to oppose everything… is this really… acceptable?’
So Ryong had picked at every word Geum Bu Dong spoke, following my instructions, but at this point, he felt he should be restraining me rather than Geum Bu Dong.
“Thirty percent! That would cut into the company’s profits…!”
“My demands are not yet finished. Finally, in exchange for the exclusive contract, the Ilwol Trading Company shall provide regular monthly reports on all intelligence gathered throughout the martial realm. We wish to share information as equals, not as mere subordinates.”
Clack!
In that instant, the abacus beads Geum Bu Dong had been manipulating shifted, producing a sharp sound.
Calculations more ruthless than any merchant’s.
Geum Bu Dong’s brow furrowed.
Had the Black Dragon Gang sold the land, it would have gained immense wealth.
But the new gang leader, unswayed by such temptation, chose land leasing and information sharing instead—the Black Dragon Gang opted to see beyond immediate profit and toward the future.
‘By the numbers, from the company’s perspective… it’s not exactly a loss. However… how cunning. By refusing to sell the land and converting it to a lease, he secures long-term revenue, and now he’ll gain control of our information network as well…’
Geum Bu Dong, as a merchant, had weathered countless trials, yet he had never encountered calculations this merciless.
It was as though he were facing the Minor Pavilion Master Yu Ha himself.
“Hmm… that is…”
Yet there was but one thing.
The only concern was that the Black Dragon Gang remained absurdly small compared to the Ilwol Trading Company.
It was then that I stepped forward and drove home the final nail.
“To sell the land now is to sell the future. Would the branch director prefer to stand with a gang that surrenders its future so easily? Or would you rather grow alongside one that looks further ahead?”
My words struck true.
Geum Bu Dong felt acutely how Yu Ha had left the Black Dragon Gang neglected all this time, only sending him after the new leader took office.
[The Minor Pavilion Master seems quite fond of this boy called Yun Cheon. However, the Ilwol Trading Company’s affairs must not be conducted carelessly. Conduct a thorough verification!]
Before departing, the Twin Sages had given their earnest instructions and ordered verification, but Geum Bu Dong’s heart was already beginning to lean.
‘In the end… business is about people. If this man is the Black Dragon Gang’s leader, then the gang’s future is truly bright!’
Geum Bu Dong inwardly apologized to the Twin Sages.
‘Esteemed Twin Sages… no matter how hard I try, I can find no fault. The Minor Pavilion Master’s judgment was correct.’
Geum Bu Dong set down his abacus and bowed to the Black Dragon Gang’s leader.
“Gang Leader of the Black Dragon Gang, from this day forward, the Qinghai branch of the Ilwol Trading Company becomes your ally.”
“Of course. Coordinate the specific details with So Ryong, the commander of the Black Dragon Gang, at a later time.”
Geum Bu Dong clicked his tongue and withdrew, tucking away the signed documents.
As the door closed and silence settled over the Administrative Office, So Ryong—who had been glowering moments before—broke into a grin and bowed deeply.
“Lord Pavilion Master, how was my performance?”
Yun Cheon set down his teacup and replied tersely.
“Thanks to you, the negotiation went smoothly.”
“Hehe, it was all according to your instructions—simply having the Ilwol Trading Company oppose whatever they proposed.”
“Still, your improvisation was impressive.”
Jin So Wol, who had been observing from behind, stood frozen in bewilderment.
‘That was all an act?’
Throughout the entire negotiation, she had believed So Ryong was genuinely furious.
But it had been orchestrated by Yun Cheon all along.
‘The Lord Pavilion Master is… truly something else.’
The martial prowess to suppress flowing water with bare-handed techniques.
The cunning to extract concessions from a massive trading company.
And the leadership to keep a shrewd operator like So Ryong dancing in the palm of his hand.
Jin So Wol’s grip tightened unconsciously around her spear shaft.
A thrill ran down her spine—the realization that she might truly witness the Black Dragon soaring to the heavens.
“In any case, we should begin preparations soon.”
“Yes. If Jin So Wol came out of seclusion just to hear the news… the rumors are spreading faster than expected. Far more martial artists will be arriving than before.”
* * *
At that same moment, at the Heuk Ryong Guest Inn.
Rough-looking martial artists were scraping away the Feng Yun Ranking posted on the wall with the tips of their swords.
[Ranking 100. Black Dragon (黑龍) Yun Cheon]
“Black Dragon? Taking the hundredth position and bearing the name of a dragon? Nothing but arrogance.”
A man crushed his drinking cup and tore down the notice.
“Let’s see what he’s really made of.”

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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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