Reincarnation of the Cloud Dragon - Chapter 60

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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 60.
Whoosh!
A carrier pigeon descended upon Sa Do Myeong’s forearm, cutting through the twilight air of the Kunlun Mountain Range as dusk settled in.
With practiced fingers, Sa Do Myeong opened the bamboo tube tied to the pigeon’s leg and withdrew the secret message.
His pupils dilated in an instant.
[Feng Yun Ranking 90th: Kang Hui of Scarlet Blood Wolf. Defeated by So Ryong of Black Dragon Gang.]
“Kang Hui, ranked 90th in the Feng Yun Ranking… defeated by So Ryong?”
The information was difficult to believe.
So Ryong, who had been pushed out from the 100th position of the Feng Yun Ranking mere moments ago, had utterly crushed Kang Hui—his former rival.
“…And Yun Cheon didn’t even step in personally?”
When Yun Cheon had destroyed the Snake and Scorpion Ink Family, I had already witnessed his martial prowess firsthand.
But for his subordinates to shed their shells so rapidly after joining him—it was extraordinary.
Teaching martial arts was a different matter entirely from possessing skill.
‘Could it be that the Faction Leader even possesses the qualities of a Grand Master?’
Signs were already appearing that the Feng Yun Ranking would be shaken.
Clutching the secret message, Sa Do Myeong quickened his pace.
Inspection Bureau, Deputy Director’s Office.
A cool space suffused with the subtle fragrance of agarwood.
Si Kong Zhen scanned through the secret message Sa Do Myeong had brought, breaking into a pleased, hollow laugh.
“Ha, this fellow is something. Fast—no, more than fast, it’s audacious. Merely claiming a position at the tail end of the Feng Yun Ranking wasn’t enough for him. He’s swallowing the entire Black Dragon Gang whole.”
Sa Do Myeong bowed respectfully and replied.
“That’s not all. Currently, the Black Dragon Gang is rapidly expanding its ranks under the pretext of teaching wanderers. Vagrants from across Qinghai Province are flocking to the Black Dragon Gang like clouds.”
Si Kong Zhen’s eyes narrowed.
“Teaching martial arts to wanderers? How could they possibly do that for vagrants whose qi is already stagnant and whose bodies are filled with turbid energy?”
“According to reports… So Ryong, who hadn’t even entered proper internal cultivation techniques despite being past his prime and only learning external methods, has somehow begun wielding dense true qi. The wanderers who witnessed this miracle were completely astounded.”
“Hmm… So he possesses a secret method to enter internal cultivation even at a late age! If that’s true, everything changes.”
Wanderers burdened with accumulated turbid energy wielding internal cultivation?
It defied the very logic of the martial world.
‘Whatever method he used… if it’s true, the Black Dragon Gang will create a new whirlwind within the sect!’
Yet that was precisely what the Inspection Bureau desired.
Soon, a hearty laugh burst from Si Kong Zhen’s lips.
“Hahahaha…! To recruit wanderers like that. If those who’ve spent their lives rolling in the streets could wield internal cultivation, they would gladly offer their very lives to their benefactor!”
“Precisely. Since those wretches were mere expendable tools… if they could learn from Faction Leader Yun Cheon, they would leap into hellfire itself.”
Si Kong Zhen tapped his fingers against the Feng Yun Ranking roster lying on the table.
“The Black Dragon Gang… until now merely a minor faction in a remote corner, but its position is not bad for controlling information and logistics around Qinghai Province. What if the Inspection Bureau became their solid backing? Would they prove worthy of such support?”
“More than sufficient. Not only So Ryong, the Black Dragon Gang Leader who defeated Kang Hui, but also Jin So Wol, daughter of Heuk Chang, and Yalü Hee of the Guang Feng Yalü Family have joined as guests. In practical terms, their combat strength far exceeds the 100th rank.”
“Ho… three young masters, or four including Yun Cheon?”
“Furthermore, Chui Geom, an experienced master of advanced age without ranking, has also joined as a guest. No emerging faction possesses such strength.”
Si Kong Zhen rested his chin in his hand with a satisfied expression.
Then he approached the massive map of the Central Plains hanging behind him.
“Hmm… Behind that whelp Yun Cheon stands Saengsa Jjon and the Demonic Path Pavilion Master Gal Mu Heun himself. Should he grow even slightly more, he will inevitably clash with the other entrenched powers within the sect.”
Si Kong Zhen lifted his brush and drew a large, vivid crimson circle on the map over the Black Dragon Gang’s location.
‘Sufficiently distant from Tianshan’s main headquarters, where the old serpents’ surveillance grows lax, yet close enough to the Demonic Sect for convenient supply lines. The perfect position to quietly cultivate our private forces without drawing the attention of the mainstream powers… Could he have even calculated this positioning intentionally?’
If so, the boy called Yun Cheon possessed a mind as terrifyingly deep as an abyss.
Si Kong Zhen, his resolve hardened, nodded and set down his brush.
“Excellent. Begin covert support immediately. Ensure the Black Dragon Gang wants for nothing—supply them generously with resources and silver notes so they become our Inspection Bureau’s secret hunting hound.”
“Understood.”
“However!”
Si Kong Zhen pressed his thumb firmly onto the circled map.
“Convey this to Yun Cheon: excessive visibility is forbidden. For now, let the surface glory go to So Ryong, who defeated the 90th-ranked member, and to the instructors. The faction leader Yun Cheon must maintain absolute mystique behind the curtain.”
“So you mean to prioritize substance over rising in rank, sir.”
“Precisely. A long tail will not escape the notice of those old serpents in the main sect.”
“I understand. I shall relay this exactly as you have said.”
A cold gleam settled in Si Kong Zhen’s eyes.
The arrogant smile blooming at his lips sprang from his absolute conviction that he was the master of this vast game board.
“The sharpest blade is most fearsome when hidden in its scabbard. When the moment comes, that boy will become the hidden dagger our Inspection Bureau draws forth.”
* * *
At that same moment, before the Black Dragon Gang’s Training Ground.
There was barely room to set foot.
The fervent heat of vagrants crowded before the inn was so intense it could melt the bitter cold of the deepest winter.
“Faction Leader! Please accept this one as your disciple!”
“I shall bury my bones in the Black Dragon Gang! Please, grant me your instruction!”
It was far more than blind reverence for a master.
For the first time, these men—who had spent their lives turned away at gates and treated as refuse—had found a rope that would not rot.
“The applicants seeking entry never cease. What shall we do? My heart wishes to accept them all, but…”
So Ryong, his face streaked with sweat and blood, sought Yun Cheon’s guidance.
From atop the elevated platform, Yun Cheon gazed down at the roaring crowd with indifference before speaking slowly.
“Ask nothing of their origin, age, or past.”
“Sir?”
So Ryong and the vagrants’ eyes widened in shock.
It was a statement that overturned the very conventions of the martial world.
“…There are too many. For now, put them through trials. In training that brushes against death itself, separate only those with the mettle to walk the path of martial arts. The instructors will handle the selection.”
“Ah! So you mean to let those who cannot endure eliminate themselves. Understood. And, Faction Leader… what of that one? When he awakens, he will surely cause trouble…”
So Ryong glanced sideways toward the Medical Chamber, hesitating. Yun Cheon replied calmly.
“We shall see. I need to determine whether that one is a wolf or a dog. If he is a wolf, he will recognize a true beast.”
* * *
Crack.
The sickening sound of fractured jaw bones grinding together.
The acrid metallic stench of blood stinging the nostrils.
And the murderous intent rising like a tide.
Kang Hui, the Remnant Blood Wolf, snapped his eyes open.
“Ugh…!”
The moment consciousness returned, searing pain tore through his entire body.
Especially his jaw and face, struck directly by So Ryong’s right fist, burned as if aflame.
Yet the psychological blow cut far deeper than any physical wound.
‘I… I lost? To that crippled half-wit?’
Kang Hui immediately tore away the blood-soaked bandages and kicked open the door to the Medical Chamber.
Crash!
From the tips of all ten fingers, the ominous crimson aura of the Blood Wolf Claw surged forth once more.
‘I’ll slaughter them all!’
If he fled now, he would bear the mark of a loser for the rest of his life.
“Out of my way, you worthless dogs!”
Kang Hui burst into the Training Ground, radiating killing intent, yet his footsteps froze after barely three strides.
By cruel coincidence, So Ryong and Yun Cheon were walking toward the Medical Chamber.
“Once the selection and admission of the new faction leaders is complete….”
So Ryong was assisting Yun Cheon with suggestions regarding the gang’s operations when he encountered Kang Hui, who had burst through the Medical Chamber door.
“Ah, it seems that bastard has awakened!”
“Hmm. Quite the stubborn one. The strike seemed to land properly.”
“…I am ashamed. My control of inner energy was still clumsy. I will subdue him again.”
Yun Cheon and So Ryong had been heading to the Medical Chamber precisely to deal with the unconscious Kang Hui.
The terrible humiliation of losing to So Ryong, whom he had considered far beneath him.
Kang Hui’s eyes were bloodshot with murderous intent.
“Subdue? You dare, So Ryong, just because you won once by sheer luck!”
So Ryong furrowed his brow and was about to summon the Black Dragon Body to block him when—
A light gesture.
Yun Cheon raised his hand gently, stopping So Ryong.
“Stand down, So Ryong.”
Yun Cheon’s voice was low, yet the invisible pressure it carried crushed the entire Training Ground.
Kang Hui’s gaze shifted toward Yun Cheon.
“So… you’re the new Black Dragon Gang Master!”
Kang Hui forced the crimson aura of the Blood Wolf Claw from his bandaged hands, snarling.
“I’ll make you regret letting me live!”
Kang Hui kicked off the ground and charged toward Yun Cheon’s throat.
Yet Yun Cheon merely let his eyes flash with a chilling gleam as Kang Hui came hurtling toward him.
“I thought you were a wolf, but you’re just a mad dog that barks.”
Yun Cheon’s voice was like a barren winter wind—devoid of all emotion.
‘What… what is this…! The aura I’m sensing is not ordinary! I must strike first!’
His instincts screamed in terror, yet he could not stop.
A soft tap.
Yun Cheon took a slow, gentle step forward.
I merely rolled my foot once.
But in the next instant.
A soft whisper—.
My form vanished from Kang Hui’s sight without leaving even a shadow.
The specialty of Ya Jin and Kyoto.
The Shadowless Step.
“Huh…?! What…!”
“A frightened dog barks the loudest.”
A chilling voice came from behind.
Kang Hui’s entire body erupted in goosebumps.
Thud—!
He had no time to turn his head.
A heavy impact resonated through his calf as if bone itself cried out, and Kang Hui’s vision flipped upside down.
A spinning kick following the Shadowless Step.
Boom—!
Kang Hui, sent spinning through the air, crashed ungracefully onto the ground.
“Gahhh!”
The fractured jawbone screamed again from the impact of striking the floor.
Consciousness nearly fled.
“Tsk… your technique is crude. Thrashing about without even understanding your own condition….”
Kang Hui’s body trembled uncontrollably.
Humiliation and rage warred within him, yet he couldn’t even touch the hem of the man’s garment before him.
His instincts screamed a warning.
Yet Kang Hui clenched his teeth and growled.
He believed that the moment he surrendered to instinct here, he would become nothing more than a dog instead of a wolf.
“…N-next… time… I’ll… fight….”
Before he could finish speaking, Kang Hui’s head slowly dropped to the ground.
Thud—.
“See that he receives further treatment. However, if he awakens and rampages recklessly like this again, you may dispose of him as you see fit.”
“Y-yes, understood!”
So Ryong, having watched me subdue Kang Hui with ease despite his own struggle against him, felt the gap between us anew.
“But… what was that proposal you were about to make?”
I asked, not forgetting.
I hadn’t heard what So Ryong intended to suggest because Kang Hui had burst in.
“Ah… it’s just that, despite your ascension as Faction Leader, we haven’t yet properly announced it to the martial world. What if we held an inauguration ceremony to declare the Black Dragon Gang’s new beginning to the martial world and formally establish your position as leader?”
“An inauguration ceremony….”
“It would serve as a declaration to both the Demonic Cult and the entire Central Plains that the Black Dragon Gang is no longer the bandit’s den it once was.”
I saw the ambition gleaming in So Ryong’s eyes.
As the Black Dragon Gang’s administrator, So Ryong was more sincere about rebuilding the faction than anyone.
Seeing those resolute eyes, I found myself unexpectedly recalling my younger self from days past.
“….”
Instead of answering, Yun Cheon turned his gaze upward, toward the jagged peaks of the Kunlun Mountain Range shrouded in distant darkness.
‘…How I miss it. Kunlun….’
The memory of crossing clouds with my martial brothers, blades clashing.
The gentle smile of my eldest senior brother.
Yet all of it lay buried beyond those mountains.
Yun Cheon’s grip tightened around the cold iron blade he held.
The frigid touch of metal biting into his palm sharpened his mind with crystalline clarity.
This position as leader of the Black Dragon Gang was hardly his true objective.
It was merely the first claw he had cultivated to gnaw away at the Demonic Cult from within.
“…An inauguration ceremony, then. Excellent.”
Within Yun Cheon’s clear, serene eyes, a cold flame ignited.
“You said you would prove this is no mere bandit’s den. Then a private affair among ourselves will not suffice. We must expand the stage. First, prepare reports on the sects and factions near Qinghai Province.”
“Understood!”
So Ryong withdrew to prepare the practical arrangements, and thick darkness settled over the Training Ground.
Ssshhh―.
Through the open window of the Faction Leader’s Office, a shadowy figure slipped in with the night breeze.
“It has been some time, Martial Master Yun Cheon. Or rather, Faction Leader of the Black Dragon Gang.”
The one who entered without a sound was Sa Do Myeong of the Inspection Bureau.
Sa Do Myeong knelt and carefully placed a heavy leather pouch and a wooden box containing spirit medicine upon the table.
“This is the support funds and supplies sent by the Deputy Pavilion Master. He says you may use them freely for the expansion of the Black Dragon Gang.”
“The Deputy Pavilion Master Si Kong Zhen is quite generous.”
As Yun Cheon picked up his teacup and replied indifferently, Sa Do Myeong glanced around and lowered his voice.
“And… there is a message. For now, keep a low profile and do not rush to raise your ranking in the Feng Yun Ranking. The sharpest blade is most fearsome when it remains in its scabbard, he said.”
Yun Cheon nodded readily.
“…I understand the Deputy Pavilion Master’s profound intent well.”
“Thank you for your understanding.”
Sa Do Myeong bowed in relief.
But Yun Cheon’s next words made Sa Do Myeong’s heart plummet.
“However, there is a problem. Just moments ago, my general manager proposed a grand inauguration ceremony for me as the new Black Dragon Gang leader, and I have accepted.”
“What? An inauguration ceremony?! You just said to keep a low profile! If you hold such a public event, the Deputy Pavilion Master will…!”
Sa Do Myeong’s face paled as he tried to dissuade him, but Yun Cheon’s cold gaze silenced him.
“Do not worry too much. From the Deputy Pavilion Master’s perspective, there is no justification to openly obstruct an event held by the Black Dragon Gang itself. Besides… I have my own plans.”
Yun Cheon slowly rotated his teacup on the table, his gaze piercing through Sa Do Myeong.
Like the swirling tea within the cup, Yun Cheon’s eyes were deep and unfathomable.
“Is there a faction the Inspection Bureau particularly wishes to see invited to my inauguration ceremony?”
“…Yes?”
“As the Deputy Pavilion Master said, I will not personally make moves to raise my ranking. However, I will proceed with the inauguration ceremony as planned. Instead… I will gather all the thorns in the Inspection Bureau’s side into one place for you.”
In that instant, Sa Do Myeong’s eyes widened as if they might burst.
Yun Cheon had not held this inauguration ceremony recklessly—the Inspection Bureau was designing a colossal trap to annihilate their enemies in one fell swoop.
“…!”
A chill cascaded down Sa Do Myeong’s spine.
Si Kong Zhen, the Vice Faction Leader, had called this youth ‘the dagger I hold in my grasp’.
Yet Sa Do Myeong, meeting those cold, piercing eyes, understood with crystalline clarity.
This youth was no dagger to be wielded in anyone’s hand.

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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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