Record of the Missing Sect Master Chapter 9

Yay for easy(-ish) chapter!

Happy new year, everyone!

The matter with the announcement hadn't occurred for even half a day before everywhere in Suzhou, from teahouses to restaurants, had people gathering together to gossip over it. On the street, Ye You even heard people questioning whether Elder Wang had truly been involved in some shameful business. If the Wang family head ever heard any of this, he would definitely vomit blood.

But presently there was no need for the Wang family head to worry, as people's conversations ground to a halt the moment they saw a “lantern” walking about.

As the sun was setting, Ye You walked past three different restaurants, eventually stopping at the finest one in the city. The moment he stepped inside, he already thought that the place was quite good.

The restaurant had three seating areas and two floors. Two of the seating areas on the second floor were connected with a bridge walkway, with private rooms built on the walkway, separated from the outside by a hanging curtain. On the walls hung paintings, and even artistic potted plants[1] were arranged in the lobby. Everything was very carefully chosen.

Laughing, Ye You said, “As expected, going out is much more interesting and fun than eating with my Senior Brother and his friends, right?”

The scarred man silently offered up a tear of sympathy for their Sect Master.

Ye You didn't want a private room and instead opted for individual seating. He ordered some side dishes and two jugs of good wine and unhurriedly started eating. Seeing him about to pour the wine, the scarred man hastily stopped him. “Sect Master said that while your injuries aren't healed, you[2] shouldn't drink.”

“Then wouldn't this opened wine jug just go to waste?” Ye You said, “Or else are you going to drink all of it?”

The scarred man shook his head. After the “sleepwalking” incident and several days interacting with this man, he could tell that this person was difficult to handle. Besides, after this many years, this was still the first time that they saw the Sect Master waiting on one person. Seeing how important Young Master Xiao was to the Sect Master, he naturally could not allow any mistakes to happen and so said, “Bringing it back with us for later will be good.”

Ye You said, “That isn't good at all.”

The scarred man immediately wanted to say, “I'll carry it so you definitely won't be tired,” but was stopped by the other's next words, “It was so difficult to go out this one time, so it'd be shameful to bring back only two jugs of wine. We should at least buy a few altars worth.”

“…” The scarred man swallowed the words he previously wanted to say and instead said, “All right, I'll go call a horse carriage to come pull it.”

“Yes, you've hit the nail on the head. I was also thinking that.” Ye You sighed. “But it's such a pity, I brought enough money only for my meal, so I can't bring back anything for my Senior Brother. So let's just drink these two jugs of wine here.”

The scarred man, “…”

He suddenly desperately missed his Sect Master. It's probably only the Sect Master who could manage this person.

“I'm injured so I can't drink, and you're unwilling to drink, so let's just gift it to someone else.” Ye You looked in all directions and very sincerely made the invitation.

Although the people didn't recognize him, they did recognize the scarred man, so they were already secretly observing the situation. Now all of them who have since caught a glimpse of him immediately stood up. This young sir had ordered the finest wine from this restaurant, and it also seemed like he had a relationship with Sect Master Wenren, so how could these people not be curious.

The scarred man had time to blink only once before the entire table was surrounded by people, with all of them from Jianghu. It felt like a large mountain was pressing down on him. He suddenly felt that it was not enough with only him watching Young Master Xiao.

His nerves were tense, afraid that someone might start something, but he really was overthinking it, as Ye You was simply looking for someone to chat with.

Some mutually announced their own clans. When they learned that Ye You's identity was “Sect Master Wenren's Junior Brother”, everyone was astonished. They thought even more that their decision to come over was the right one, and saying it like that helped them save some face.

The flow of conversation gradually opened and quickly turned to the current incident.

Ye You said, “Could it be the demonic factions who did it?”

“Speaking like that isn't good,” a thin, tall man carrying a monk's spade[3] said, “Perhaps it's truly an enemy, or perhaps it's a demonic faction member acting like a demon.”

“I heard this Lantern-Extinguishing Poison was truly terrible, and that if they catch the poisoner, they definitely wouldn't let that person off easy,” Ye You said, “So to have the guts to do such a thing in front of the righteous factions, their strength must be really great. If it really is the demonic factions' doing, do we have an idea which Sect has this much power?”

Everyone said, “Yes, if it's power, Wuwang Temple and the Demonic Sect definitely has it.”

Ye You asked, “Wuwang Temple?”

Everyone was surprised. “Young sir doesn't know?”

“Yes, this little brother's body is weak and so has been sick at home all these years. Today's my first day leaving the house,” Ye You said, “Other than Senior Brother, this little brother recognizes no one and knows about nothing from Jianghu, so is seeking some guidance from all the heroes here.”

From being gifted the epithet of “Hero” by this Junior Brother of Sect Master Wenren, everyone felt happy from head to toe, and immediately fell over themselves to relay all that they knew without exception.

“Wuwang Temple's Temple Master is called Xie Junming, and he's very strong. Wuwang Temple[4] came from the Western Regions[5], and they've been in the Central Plains longer than the Demonic Sect. Before the Demonic Sect arrived, most people called Wuwang Temple the demonic sect.”

Ye You asked, “So they changed it later because the Demonic Sect's strength was greater?”

“No, I think Wuwang Temple is even more incredible.”

“Says who? The Demonic Sect had been in Jianghu for not even half a year before they got a firm footing, so they're much stronger than Wuwang Temple. Sect Master Ye's martial arts is even more unfathomable.”

“They still don't know their place.”

Ye You patiently listened, and only once they finished arguing did he pour them a round of wine.

Everyone remembered that the previous question hadn't been answered, so they now said, “They switched the name to this Demonic Sect because of the incident at Yushan stage.”

Yushan stage.

This was the second time Ye You has heard this name. Curious, he asked, “What happened at Yushan stage?”

“This is a long story. That year when the Demonic Sect arrived in the Central Plains, they were very aggressive and looked especially nefarious so that many people started calling them a demonic sect…” In the crowd, a martial hero about thirty years old began speaking.

He outlined the main points, and from there continued with, “But those were all small things. The real cause was that the Demonic Sect began fighting with one sect from the seven sects of Lake Tai[6] and taught them a lesson. Those seven sects were as close as family and so murdered right back as revenge, but they were again taught a lesson. They called for more help, and still they were beaten. But before they could make any further moves, Sect Master Ye single-handedly found the leader of the alliance. Or, to say it another way, the two happened to meet at Yushan stage.

“At that time, there was a terrible fuss. The righteous faction was afraid that the Demonic Sect had set a trap, so nearly all of them went. Who could have guessed that Sect Master Ye brought only five people with him, only five people.” The martial hero couldn't help but tsk, with a faint note of yearning in his tone, but he didn't give voice to it in the end, and instead simply raised his head and took a drink.

He continued with, “That day, Sect Master Ye's first words were said to be the same words that certain righteous faction members would say when they couldn't win against their enemy, ‘Against this kind of Demonic Head, there's no need to speak of the righteousness of Jianghu; everyone, come up all at once.' The alliance leader had always been a person of virtue and prestige, and he never imagined that the other would be this deliberately provocative.”

Ye You gave a laugh, thinking that if it was him, he would also do the same thing. He asked, “And then?”

The martial hero said, “Naturally there's no need to speak of the alliance leader's character; he definitely wouldn't do such a thing. So afterwards Sect Master Ye began lecturing them.”

Another interrupted with, “That's right, when Sect Master Ye opened his mouth, he was really incredible. He said that they were all people from the Central Plains and were simply returning with some foreign friends, but that not only were they not welcomed but also were pointed at every day and called a demonic sect. These were exactly the actions of a bully, and even mad dogs weren't this shameless. He even said that they never stole anyone's food or burned anyone's house, yet they continued to be accused of crimes without any evidence. The seven sects of Lake Tai then claimed that they've exterminated entire families, but, in response, Sect Master Ye laughingly asked a few sentences and immediately found a lot of contradictions. At that time, those sect members' faces were ashen.”

Ye You asked, “How long ago was this?”

“Five or six years ago now. It happened right during that first year they arrived.”

Ye You's interest was piqued, and, feigning admiration, he said, “Then the memories of you heroes are certainly good, even remembering something from that long ago.”

Everyone waved it off. “Mostly, we've heard this part so many times from crowds of storytellers that we naturally memorized it. However, reportedly… just reportedly, at the time, what Sect Master Ye actually said was even more infuriating than this. And those righteous faction members who previously believed the seven sects' excuses, and who chimed in with agreement, were also soundly derided by Sect Master Ye, and their faces turned very ugly.”

Ye You understood clearly.

“And then, Sect Master Ye said that this matter needed a resolution, and that he couldn't just accept being ridiculed by the righteous faction for so long without recompense. Thus, he set up a martial arts competition, best out of five. If they lose, they'll apologize, but if the righteous faction lost, they could no longer act like mad dogs, picking fights for no reason. The Demonic Sect had five elders who came, and it turned out to be a complete and total victory.”

Ye You asked, “Sect Master Ye didn't participate?”

“Yes, originally there were some who wanted to exchange blows with Sect Master Ye, but Sect Master Ye said that the strongest in their sect was sect master, so if any one of his subordinates were defeated in a match, he would personally participate in the next. Unfortunately…”

“But I've heard that after the five matches were over, a swordsman was adamant about exchanging blows with Sect Master Ye. At that time, an entire crowd of people couldn't see how Sect Master Ye moved. By the time anyone realized what was happening, Sect Master Ye had already appeared behind the other's back and injured him.”

“Ah, that's right! I do remember something like this happening. Luckily, Sect Master Ye didn't intend to kill, or else no one would've known how that swordsman died. And everyone else who saw this no longer dared to act without thinking.”

“So they just walked away?” Ye You asked. “But they really did win, so why does the righteous faction still call them a demonic sect? Didn't they say they haven't done any evil deeds? It couldn't be that Sect Master Ye actually changed the sect's name to the Demonic Sect, right?”

Everyone laughed. “Young sir guessed right. During the competition, one of the Demonic Sect elders accidentally injured someone. Feeling remorseful, Sect Master Ye said that, to make amends, he'll change the sect's name to the Demonic Sect in the hopes that that person will feel a bit better.”

Ye You laughed, thinking in his heart that this Sect Master's temperament was somewhat similar to his own. Senior Brother had said he was missing for many years. He couldn't possibly be this Sect Master Ye, right?

Everyone said, “In all honesty, the Demonic Sect sounds pretty good. At least, it sounds better than the previous name.”

Ye You asked, “What was the previous name?”

Everyone said, “Gold Sect[7].”

“…” Ye You immediately took back his previous thoughts. There was no way he could've come up with such a name. Even if he was just playing around, he wouldn't pick this name.

Was it that his temperament and Sect Master Ye's was similar so he joined the Demonic Sect?

Is he the type of person to follow someone else's lead?

Yes… If this Sect Master Ye was really as charismatic as people say, then there's definitely a possibility.

Everyone drank more and more and became even more talkative. They started saying that Sect Master Ye was over two meters[8] tall, as strong as an ox, and can stab someone to death with just a single finger. Listening to this, Ye You felt very rueful and ordered more jugs of wine. He began asking more questions, and whatever he asked, they answered. Seeing this, Ye You was happy enough to also drink two cups of wine. He'd done so quickly enough that the scarred man wasn't able to stop him and could only just take away his cup afterwards.

The party drank until the sky darkened before they finally stopped and, one by one, bid their goodbyes.

Lanterns hung throughout the streets, with people coming and going every which way, so the atmosphere remained fairly lively.

Ye You stepped on a stone bridge and saw a full moon reflected on the surface of the river. He was just about to take a moment to appreciate the beautiful scenery when he heard a large crash of water from nearby. He looked over and found three men underneath the bridge, all dressed like scholars, along with one man splashing about in the water.

“This time, we're giving you the chance to learn from your mistakes. Next time we catch you speaking badly of Elder Wang, this uncle will cut out your tongue.” The scholar's tone of voice was completely inconsistent with the way he dressed, and his temper seemed violent.

The scarred man also gave the scene a look and said, “That man is from Dingtian Academy[9].”

Ye You asked, “Dingtian Academy?”

The scarred man said, “It's a Jianghu sect, established here in Suzhou, located very close to the Wang family. Their Sect Master[10] Ge and the Wang Patriarch are very good friends.”

Ye You thought back to that morning in the lobby with all those people. He somewhat remembered hearing his Senior Brother call a Sect Master Ge. He nodded and asked, “How close is very close?”

“They're separated only by a river.” As he spoke, the scarred man pointed it out.

Ye You turned his head to look across the river at an impressive-looking academy. A different idea flashed through his head, and he made a sound in acknowledgement.

By the time they returned to the Wang family residence, Wenren Heng had already returned from his meal with Manor Lord Wei and was speaking to someone. Before Ye You had even entered the room, he heard his Senior Brother let out a faint sigh, “Found is found, but with my Junior Brother currently looking like this, how could I possibly think of anything else? Let's set aside talks of marriage for now.”

Ye You, “…”

The scarred man, “…”

[1] 盆景 penjing. From wikipedia, “The ancient Chinese art of depicting artistically formed trees, other plants, and landscapes in miniature.” Essentially the same as the Japanese practice of bonsai (but I didn't want to use that word since this is ancient China).

[2] 您 polite “you”. Understandable (and not at all noteworthy) considering that these are Wenren Heng's subordinates, and as Wenren Heng's Junior Brother, Ye You naturally ranks above them. I'm not going to point this out in the future unless it's really unexpected/surprising.

[3] 月牙鏟 lit. crescent moon spade. A Chinese pole arm. Here's a picture of it.

[4] 無望 lit. without hope. What a chuuni name lmao.

[5] 西域 Regions west of the Yumen Pass, mostly Central Asia. Wikipedia has a page on it. In short, like Ye You's Sect, these people were also non-Han peoples from outside the Great Wall. (And, yeah, I don't think the xenophobia is incidental, here.)

[6] 五湖七派 lit. five lakes, seven sects. In modern times, the five lakes refer to the actual five lakes in Central/East China, but in ancient times, it referred exclusively to Lake Tai. I'm assuming the latter here (for obvious reasons), but if that turns out to be wrong, I'll come back and change it.

[7] 黃金教 Huangjin Sect. Can also mean “Golden Sect”, but I thought “Gold Sect” more accurately captures the absolute cringe of this name lmao. 教 also has a religious connotation, which just makes this 10x more cringey, since the implication is that this is a religious sect dedicated to gold LOL.

[8] 九尺 (nine chǐ) is what's actually used here, with 尺 being a Chinese unit of measurement. My dictionary says it's actually a third of a meter, but baidu tells me it's less than that. (Specifically, someone on baidu answers said 9尺 would be like 2.17 meters.) So, uh, just take it to mean that they think he's very tall. For fellow Americans, 2.17 meters is around 7 feet.

[9] 定天書院 Fixed Sky Academy, or something. 書院 were apparently academies of classical learning in ancient China.

[10] 幫主 is used here, with the implication that they're more of a gang than a large sect.

So it seems that everytime they say 魔教, they're referring specifically to Ye You's sect. (I originally thought that it was just a general qualifier for unorthodox/demonic sects like in usual wuxia/xianxia, but apparently not! Troll!Ye You strikes again!) I've already started going back and editing previous chapters to make this more clear. I've also been translating 邪派 as demonic faction, since I really didn't like the sound of “evil faction” (as wuxiaworld suggests) or “unorthodox faction” since it didn't really have the same connotation, but I might change it to make it less confusing when paired with Ye You's 魔教.

This was overall a pretty fun chapter to translate. More dialogue from now on, please!

Chapter end