Reincarnation of the Cloud Dragon - Chapter 86

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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 86.
No Ja Gyeom’s gaze shifted beyond Yalü Hyeon’s back.
An overwhelming aura emanated from the True Demon Blade.
The scabbard was a full foot longer than an ordinary longsword. The grip was as thick as a man’s forearm, and three heavy leather straps were crisscrossed across the scabbard’s surface.
A youth who carried such a blade on his back without a single faltering step.
No Ja Gyeom’s face had gone rigid. Only the sound of a hard swallow escaped him.
“…Young Master No? What troubles you?”
Bong Chu Un, oblivious to the tension, asked from beside him. His gaze, which had been stealing glances at Yalü Hee moments before, now fixed upon No Ja Gyeom’s hardened expression.
“…The True Demon Blade.”
No Ja Gyeom’s voice trembled low.
“What?”
Bong Chu Un turned his head to look at Yalü Hyeon’s back. The massive blade entered his field of vision, but he could not discern its weight.
“What does that matter?”
Bong Chu Un, irritation etched across his face, spoke curtly.
At that moment, Yeop Cheong A, who had been standing beside the staircase, quietly stepped forward.
“…The True Demon Blade of the Guang Feng Yalü Family.”
Her voice was small. Yet in the silence of this floor, it carried unmistakably.
I felt the entire second floor’s attention shift toward us. In an instant, Bong Chu Un’s voice grew louder than usual.
“Not every wielder of the True Demon Blade is a member of the Guang Feng Yalü Family. Is there only one sect in the Central Plains that practices this blade?”
It was a reasonably sound rebuttal. Yeop Cheong A seemed about to speak, but Bong Chu Un turned first—this time, addressing the entire inn.
“Consider this, everyone. If this were truly a member of the Guang Feng Yalü Family, wouldn’t he be at the main residence now, preparing for the martial tournament and receiving guests? What reason would he have to wander alone through a shabby inn like this?”
Several tables on the second floor nodded in agreement. Some raised their cups to their lips, exchanging knowing glances.
“He may be someone trying to borrow the prestige of the Guang Feng Yalü Family. Look at his clothing. Would a true member of the family appear so dusty and unkempt on the eve of a martial tournament?”
“…That’s true enough.”
“A genuine member of the main house would surely travel with attendants.”
Low murmurs swept across the second floor—a chorus of agreement.
Bong Chu Un’s shoulders relaxed. The man who had moments ago made the absurd demand that the guest surrender his seat now rode the tide of the inn’s sentiment, presenting himself as perfectly reasonable. He regarded No Ja Gyeom with satisfaction.
“Young Master No, do not be troubled. Such imposters are common in the martial world.”
No Ja Gyeom’s face eased slightly. Upon that relaxed expression, the public opinion Bong Chu Un’s loud voice had cultivated settled lightly.
Then it happened.
Yeop Cheong A spoke again, more firmly now, though her voice remained quiet.
“…Notice the three leather straps on the scabbard’s surface, Young Master No. That is the distinctive style of the Guang Feng Yalü Family.”
No Ja Gyeom’s gaze followed the direction of Yeop Cheong A’s fingertip, returning once more to the True Demon Blade.
Three thick leather straps. A scabbard bound in a crisscross pattern.
No Ja Gyeom’s face went pale again. This time, far more completely than before.
“…Nonsense.”
Bong Chu Un still failed to read the atmosphere. He began to raise his voice again.
“Such cord decorations can be found anywhere….”
That was the moment.
Yalü Hyeon lightly brushed the sand-dust from his martial robes. When he lifted his head, his eyes held neither anger nor contempt.
His expression remained composed.
“…the head of the Guang Feng Yalü Family you so carelessly invoked—he is my father.”
The air in the Inn froze.
No one moved. The patrons at the tables who had been nodding along with Bong Chu Un’s words moments before now sat rigid, their mouths half-open.
Yalü Hyeon continued in a low voice.
“I am Yalü Hyeon.”
Bong Chu Un’s face drained of color. His mouth hung half-open. The loud voice that had thundered across the entire Inn moments before now seemed to pour backward down his throat.
No Ja Gyeom’s knees buckled. He reached out instinctively to grasp Bong Chu Un’s sleeve, then realized whom he was trying to lean on and withdrew his hand.
A stifled cough leaked from another table on the second floor. Those who had been echoing Bong Chu Un’s words now cast their eyes downward.
No one could meet Yalü Hyeon’s gaze.
Yalü Hyeon drew a measured breath. His voice remained steady.
“It is likely you simply did not know, so think nothing of it.”
A faint glimmer of relief crossed No Ja Gyeom’s rigid face. But that relief was short-lived.
“If you are guests invited to the main house, then let us end this here without further embarrassment in such a place.”
Yalü Hyeon’s gaze passed over No Ja Gyeom and settled on Bong Chu Un.
“We have traveled far from Qinghai and have not yet had a proper meal.”
With merely a few words, Yalü Hyeon closed the very subject itself before the two men who had been invoking their family name with such authority.
His words contained no anger, no threat, no reproach.
Only the tranquility of something already concluded.
And a quiet declaration that he would waste no further time on them.
No Ja Gyeom bowed deeply. His haste was such that the sword at his waist struck against him with a sound.
“…Y-Young Master Yalü. Please forgive our rudeness.”
His voice trembled. Yet even within that trembling, he struggled to salvage some shred of his dignity.
“It is only that our rudeness arose largely from his presumptuous manner. By any measure, he did not appear to be a member of the Guang Feng Yalü Family…”
Kang Hui let out a soft laugh beside him.
“Well, of course not—I am not affiliated with the Guang Feng Yalü Family. I belong to the Black Dragon Gang.”
The tips of No Ja Gyeom’s ears flushed red. Yet he could not bring himself to speak further to Kang Hui. He turned away with his head bowed.
Bong Chu Un moved to follow, then suddenly whirled his head toward Yeop Cheong A.
“Miss Yeop! If you knew, you should have spoken up from the start! Making a fool of me like this…”
Bong Chu Un’s voice rose again. But this time, no one nodded in agreement.
The quality of the gazes directed at him from across the floor had shifted entirely.
“…”
Yeop Cheong A did not respond. She merely regarded Bong Chu Un with a composed expression tinged with pity.
That silence made Bong Chu Un unbearable to himself. He huffed and moved toward the staircase.
“Tch. What a disgrace. I… I apologize.”
No Ja Gyeom and Bong Chu Un fled down the stairs. Their footsteps were hurried.
Yeon So Ran’s face had long since gone pale. She bit her lip once with a tense expression, then offered a light bow toward Yalü Hyeon.
“Young Master Yalü. Please forgive us for our rudeness in ignorance.”
Her voice was composed. Yet what followed was little different from the excuses and blame of the men before her.
“We simply did not anticipate that a matter would escalate so over a single window seat on this floor. Had that man from the Black Dragon Gang only responded with a bit more flexibility…”
My words trailed off. I knew how hollow they sounded. Yet I could not lower myself any further. Pride was the last garment I had left to wear.
Yalü Hee turned her head to glance at Yeon So Ran once. It was a brief look. But the judgment contained within it was unmistakable.
‘…This woman refuses to acknowledge her own mistakes to the very end.’
The moment she received that gaze, Yeon So Ran’s back stiffened ever so slightly.
Then Yeon Ha Ran stepped forward.
Her face showed more curiosity than the bewilderment her sister displayed. Her eyes sparkled.
“Young Master Yalü.”
She smiled brightly and looked up at Yalü Hyeon.
“I am Ha Ran of the Yeon Family. To meet the Young Master Yalü, of whom I have heard only rumors, in such a place… surely this is fate, is it not?”
Yalü Hyeon’s shoulders stiffened briefly. He seemed unaccustomed to this manner of approach. Yeon Ha Ran paid no mind to his awkwardness and stepped closer.
“We were invited to the martial tournament of the Guang Feng Yalü Family and were heading there. Might you offer us directions?”
Yalü Hyeon stepped back slightly and responded with courtesy.
“Miss. I apologize, but I have companions traveling with me….”
His gaze naturally turned toward Yun Cheon.
Yeon So Ran did not miss the direction of that glance.
‘…The Young Master Yalü is actually seeking permission from that man?’
A woman’s intuition read the situation swiftly. The center of this group was not the Young Master Yalü.
The moment she realized this fact, her expression shifted subtly. Embarrassment gave way to other calculations layering across her face.
Her gaze slowly turned toward Yun Cheon.
A martial robe dusted with sand. A sword and saber crossed upon his back. Sitting calmly in an empty chair.
The man’s face radiated composure.
He had not spoken a single word throughout the entire commotion. Yet only now did Yeon So Ran realize that his will had determined the direction of this entire affair.
‘…Who exactly is this man?’
Her face hardened once more.
“…Ha Ran.”
She grasped her sister’s sleeve. Her voice dropped slightly.
“Let us go.”
“My, Sister. I have not even properly greeted them yet.”
Yeon Ha Ran pulled her arm free and turned back toward Yalü Hyeon. For her, this situation was merely a golden opportunity to forge a connection with the Yalü Family—neither embarrassing nor humiliating.
It was then.
Yeop Cheong A quietly stepped forward. She stood before Yalü Hyeon, Yun Cheon, and Yalü Hee, and performed a deep bow.
“…Our group has been discourteous and disturbed your meal. As a member of the Cheongrim Yeop Family, I offer my sincere apologies.”
Her bow was clean. Though not ornate, the bearing of one whose courtesy ran bone-deep was evident at a glance.
Yeon Ha Ran’s voice faltered. Her sister was about to say something, but swallowed her words before Yeop Cheong A’s bow.
Yun Cheon finally lifted his head slightly. He regarded Yeop Cheong A quietly. It was a brief moment, yet his gaze carried assessment.
“…A woman who knows how to apologize properly possesses greater magnanimity than petty men.”
His voice was low. Yet since the entire floor had been holding its breath until just now, his words reached everyone’s ears.
Yun Cheon’s gaze turned toward Yalü Hyeon. Yalü Hyeon gave a small nod. It was an acknowledgment that he shared the same thought.
Yalü Hyeon returned a respectful bow to Yeop Cheong A.
“I gladly accept your apology, Miss. To add further words to one who knows how to apologize would be improper.”
He paused for a moment, then continued.
“May I ask your name?”
“…I am Yeop Cheong A of the Cheongrim Yeop Family.”
Yeop Cheong A answered briefly, her gaze lowered.
“The Cheongrim Yeop Family.”
Yalü Hyeon nodded lightly.
“…A courageous step indeed. We shall meet again at the main family’s martial tournament.”
Yeop Cheong A’s head lifted slightly. Her eyes flickered for a moment. Yet that tremor quickly subsided, and she bowed her head again with composure.
Yalü Hee’s gaze swept across the scene.
‘…Oh?’
A faint smile played at the corners of her lips.
It was a subtle shift, barely perceptible.
Her brother’s shoulders remained slightly tense as he regarded Yeop Cheong A. This quality was unfamiliar to her—neither the bearing of courtesy nor caution, but something else entirely.
‘…Hmm.’
Yalü Hee’s eyes gleamed with mischief.
She suddenly turned her head and spoke in a remarkably cheerful voice.
“Wait!”
Yeop Cheong A and her companions looked up.
“Those narrow-minded men fled first, so we can’t very well let the women travel alone to the Guangfeng Yalü Family, can we?”
Yeop Cheong A’s face showed a moment of confusion.
Yeon Ha Ran’s eyes widened.
Yeon So Ran also paused, caught off guard.
“…Pardon?”
“Since we’re heading to the main family anyway, why not travel with us?”
Yeon Ha Ran’s eyes sparkled.
“Really? Truly?”
She quickly seized the sleeves of both Yeop Cheong A and Yeon So Ran.
“Sister! Let’s go together!”
Yeon So Ran’s face stiffened briefly, then gradually softened. An opportunity had rolled back into her grasp. Her eyes brightened with subtle excitement.
“…If we are not an imposition, we would be grateful for your company.”
Despite her measured tone, her eager steps had already begun drifting toward Yun Cheon, naturally positioning herself at his side.
Yun Cheon caught that movement from the corner of his eye.
He slowly turned his head and glanced at Yalü Hee.
A subtle smile lingered at Yalü Hee’s lips. With a playful expression, she blinked at Yun Cheon, sending him a signal.
‘…She means to tease her brother.’
Something faint crossed Yun Cheon’s lips as well. He turned his head again and spoke calmly.
“…Well, it doesn’t matter. Do as you wish.”
Yun Cheon’s permission was granted.
At those words, the faces of the Yeon sisters brightened simultaneously. Yeon Ha Ran showed her joy openly, while Yeon So Ran tried to conceal hers but failed.
Only Yeop Cheong A observed the situation quietly. Her gaze rested briefly on Yalü Hee.
‘…Who is this person, and why such a sudden proposal?’
Yeop Cheong A’s eyes narrowed slightly, but she quickly lowered her head.
“…Then I shall impose upon your kindness.”
“Ah, I apologize for the late introduction. I am Yalü Hee. I’m the sister of Prince Yalü.”
Yalü Hee’s eyes gleamed with amusement as she regarded Yeop Cheong A.

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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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