Chapter 117

Parsed with an automated reader. The content accuracy is not guranteed.

In which Ren Shaotian returns while Wenren Heng and Ye You get a little busy

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A snow day made everything appear peaceful and quiet.

This was the first snow of winter, and the children were endlessly excited, their excited laughter echoing throughout the streets. But Elder Mei, for whatever reason, felt a sort of serene calm, as if all the previous bloody carnage had settled in place just like the snow falling from the skies.

In complete contrast, Ren Shaotian felt as if everything had become a complete mess, and he was entirely unable to keep still.

He knew that it was actually his heart that wouldn’t calm.

He raised his head to look at the Yang family’s walls, carrying a complicated expression.

Matters had grown far too big, and on the way back, he had already heard from someone else how the entire matter had resolved.

He knew that the two Wei and Ding had already died, that Wei Jin was a child of the Jiang family as well as Ye You’s partner, and that he himself was the Yang family’s oldest young master as well as the older brother of Ye You, but he did not remember any of this in the slightest. Over these past few days, he had tried countless times to chase after matters that happened in his childhood, but he found not a single clue. For him, it felt as if, after leaving for a short moment, he had returned to find his previous world suddenly collapsing into the dust.

Elder Mei gave him a look. “Brother Shaotian?”

Ren Shaotian regained his senses and walked over.

The previous steward of the Yang family was Wei Haide’s man who had run the moment he saw that the situation wasn’t good. Later, Wei Jiangyue had sent the people of “Heaven’s Firmament” to capture him back and hand him over to the elders. Right now, the steward was someone newly chosen by Sir Yang and, at this moment, had just received a fright after having asked for their name and purpose for coming.

Everyone in the Yang family all knew already that their young master wasn’t an actual child of the Yang family and that Sect Master Ye and Ren Shaotian were. Although they were more willing to follow their young master, they were all clear that the master of the Yang family might be changed to another. And now, right in front of him were two people — one, Ren Shaotian, and the other, the Demonic Sect’s Elder Mei — so the steward naturally didn’t dare to neglect them and hastily invited the people in.

Upon seeing this, the people of “Moon’s Shadow” immediately ran over in excitement. “Vice-Captain!”

“Vice-Captain, where have you been these past few days?”

“Vice-Captain, you’ve finally returned! We all didn’t know what to do!”

Ren Shaotian was keenly able to hear that there was an issue and said, “Where’s the Captain?”

The people of “Moon’s Shadow” said, “The Captain went to Shuihe City[1].”

Shuihe City was the Jiang family’s former home, and that year, the righteous faction members had likewise erected a gravestone for the Jiang family. Ren Shaotian internally thought that Wei Jin had probably gone to sweep that grave and, out loud, made a sound in acknowledgment.

The people of “Moon’s Shadow” said, in profound anguish, “And also, the Captain joined the Demonic Sect.”

Towards this, Ren Shaotian wasn’t very surprised and asked, “Then all of you are here…”

“The Captain told us to stay here and let Young Miracle Doctor Fang examine us, in case some of us were also drugged. Vice-Captain, now that the Captain’s left for the Demonic Sect, what do you think we should do in the future…” As everyone spoke, they suddenly remembered that the Vice-Captain was the older brother of Sect Master Ye and immediately grew even more anguished. “Vice-Captain, are you also going to join the Demonic Sect?”

Ren Shaotian couldn’t guarantee this and could only shake his head, asking, “Where’s Sect Master Ye?”

The people of “Moon’s Shadow” said, “He should be in his own room.”

Ren Shaotian thus went over with a heavy heart.

Elder Mei hadn’t seen the Sect Master in many days and so also wanted to go find the Sect Master to chat. However, in the end, when she had walked only partway, she saw Ren Shaotian double back before then also pulling her along to leave. She didn’t understand. “What?”

After a moment of silence, Ren Shaotian said, “He’s busy.”

Elder Mei was very flabbergasted. “Busy?”

Brother Shaotian was in fact the Sect Master’s blood-related older brother. How could the Sect Master have something that was more important than his older brother?

However, no matter how suspiciously she stared at Ren Shaotian, this person didn’t respond to her. While she had a mind to go take a look, her intuition told her that she had better not. Fortunately, at this time, having received the news, those Elders of the Demonic Sect had also come looking for them, and she took advantage of the situation to leave with them.

 

During a certain instant, Ye You suddenly heard the sound of light footsteps.

But his thoughts had barely regained clarity for a moment before he then perceived the other party walking away, and so he once again sunk into that warmth that was capable of driving people crazy.

It was probably due to the intoxicating fragrance of the wine.

The mellow fragrance of “Fengzui” was like a hook latching onto the senses, able to let people become intoxicated without even a drink.

Through his lips, Wenren Heng passed his Junior Brother another cup of wine. Seeing those moist lips and that dazed expression, his pupils grew even darker. He then pressed the other down on the soft couch and messed around for a while before finally carrying this person over to the bed, once again moving to resume.

Outside the window, great flurries of snow swirled through the air, while the small space of this room remained fiery warm.

The two entangled, sweat washing them over and over again in waves, finally stopping only when they had enjoyed themselves to the fullest.

Ye You said, “We still haven’t finished drinking the wine.”

His voice was somewhat hoarse, still a bit breathless, mixed with a languid satisfaction, just like a good wine. Wenren Heng couldn’t help but press him down and kiss him again before getting off the bed and grabbing the wine jug. Returning to look at him, he used a low and erotic voice that was still in complete disarray to ask, “I’ll feed it to you?”

Ye You laughed and crooked his finger. “Come.”

Since the two had entangled once already, this time around they were even more tender and affectionate.

Ye You drank a few mouthfuls of wine in satisfaction and licked the corners of his Senior Brother’s lips. Wenren Heng pulled the person into an embrace and asked, “Want to sleep?”

Ye You remembered that someone seemed to have come before and said, “Not tired. Let’s go out and walk around.”

Wenren Heng didn’t have any objections, and the two helped each other dress before leaving the room. Outside, the entire yard was blanketed in beautiful, silvery light, everywhere a vast expanse of whiteness. Ye You sucked in a deep breath and, upon feeling the refreshing coolness spread through his chest, narrowed his eyes in satisfaction.

The two walked out of the small courtyard with slow steps and immediately met the scarred man head-on. Very quickly, they learned from his mouth that Elder Mei and Ren Shaotian had returned. Ye You couldn’t help but ask when exactly they had arrived and, upon receiving the answer, internally guessed that the person who had come before was probably his big brother. He rubbed his nose.

Having also noticed that there seemed to be someone there previously, Wenren Heng gave his Junior Brother a look.

Ye You had always been thick-skinned, and so he quickly calmed. At this moment, upon meeting his Senior Brother’s gaze, the corners of his mouth lifted. “Let’s go, wife, I’ll take you to meet my big brother.”

Wenren Heng didn’t argue with him and said tenderly, “Let’s go then, husband.”

The scarred man, “…”

Wait a minute, wasn’t there something not quite right about this? Why didn’t the Sect Master deny it? Could it be that the Sect Master isn’t marrying Sect Master Ye but is being married into the Demonic Sect? Or was it that Sect Master Ye actually didn’t call wrong? And their Sect Master was really the wife?

Thinking of Sect Master Ye doing this and that to the Sect Master immediately shocked him, and he followed them in a complete daze, running right into a hallway pillar with a thud after a few steps. Appearing as if he didn’t even feel the pain, he steadied his footing under the gazes of the Sect Master and Sect Master Ye as blood slowly trickled down his nose.

Ye You, “…”

Wenren Heng, “…”

 

Ren Shaotian had been taken by those Elders to a guest room, and right as he found a place to sit, he discovered that they were all silently staring at him. He couldn’t help but raise a brow. “What?”

Those Elders looked at him and then looked at Elder Mei before hesitantly asking, “That matter…”

Elder Mei said, “Are all of you referring to how Brother Shaotian is the Sect Master’s older brother? Both of us already know.”

The Demonic Sect Elders were thereby relieved and, with a swish, surrounded Ren Shaotian, patting his shoulder in a familiar manner. “In the future, we’re all one family!”

Elder Baili said, “Whoever dares to bully you will be the same as bullying us!”

Elder Miao said, “If you want to kill anyone, just come find me! I’ll set some poisonous insects!”

Ren Shaotian, “…”

Elder Baili looked towards Elder Mei. “Just now you called him Brother Shaotian[2]?”

Elder Mei made a sound in agreement and then, as if having just thought of something, pulled up her handkerchief to cover her lips as she smiled. “But only I can call him that. All of you can’t.”

Those Elders said, “Why?”

Elder Mei said, very meaningfully, “Because our relationship isn’t ordinary.”

Ren Shaotian was the least afraid of things like this. Over these past few days, he and Elder Mei had made quite a few jokes of this nature together, and so upon hearing this, his lips raised in a somewhat wicked smile. “Mhm, it’s extremely out of the ordinary.”

“…” Those Elders silently took a moment to react, their gazes flicking between the two of them, collectively astonished. In a trembling voice, they said, “You… she… You two, could it be… could it be…”

Ren Shaotian drank a mouthful of tea. He saw that they appeared significantly startled and, as he was not familiar with them, didn’t overdo the joke, adding, “There’s nothing much between us.”

Those Elders asked, “What does ‘nothing much’ mean?”

Elder Mei once again pursued her lips into a smile. “The Sect Master told me that I needed to follow him very closely, so over these past few days, whether it was bathing, sleeping, and so on, me and Brother Shaotian were, al, ways, to, get, her.”

As one, those Elders immediately turned sympathetic, internally thinking that Brother Shaotian had definitely been scared out of his wits by a certain person’s boldness the first time around, but upon seeing a certain person’s gaze about to turn unhappy, they hastily looked towards Ren Shaotian and said in unison, “A young lady like her taking a bath with you, how can that still be called ‘nothing much’?”

Ren Shaotian, “…”

All of you don’t feel guilty saying such things?

When Miracle Doctor Ji pushed open the door and entered, those were the words that he coincidentally heard. Stroking his beard, he couldn’t help but give Ren Shaotian and Elder Mei a look.

Ren Shaotian, “…”

Elder Mei quickly stowed away her face that appeared as if it was watching a good play, settling down as was proper.

Those Elders stood up in greeting. “Miracle Doctor Ji.”

Miracle Doctor Ji made a faint sound of acknowledgment before walking to Ren Shaotian and taking off his mask in order to examine his face.

Ren Shaotian didn’t understand and said, “Miracle Doctor Ji…”

“I’m here to take a look at your injury.” Miracle Doctor Ji paused slightly before saying, “Your little brother mentioned it before.”

Although on the surface, he appeared not to like that little rascal much, in his heart, he actually found that youth quite praiseworthy. And since his youngest disciple had even been standing on the side, insipidly looking at him, he had then decided to act as if he had forgotten that his youngest disciple wanted to enter the Demonic Sect and agreed to look at Ren Shaotian’s injury for Sect Master Ye.

He said, “If you want to heal it completely, we’ll need to cut open the wound again.”

Ren Shaotian had carried that scar on his face for more than ten years, and he actually didn’t much care about whether or not it was healed, but upon hearing that it was Ye You’s idea, he then didn’t refuse and politely said, “I’ll have to trouble Miracle Doctor Ji then.”

Miracle Doctor Ji nodded before opening his medicine chest and helping him take care of the injury. After applying the medicine, he then used bandages to wrap it carefully.

Those Elders didn’t dare to disturb them the entire time. At this moment, with one look, they all simultaneously thought the same thing in their hearts, As expected of brothers, just as the little brother had finished being wrapped up, now it’s the older brother’s turn.

Miracle Doctor Ji gave a few instructions of things to keep in mind before prescribing a prescription and taking out a few bottles of ointment, all of which he handed over to Elder Mei. At the end, he silently gave both her and Ren Shaotian a look before leaving.

Elder Mei, “…”

Ren Shaotian, “…”

Those Elders, “…”

Miracle Doctor Ji, aren’t you[3] misunderstanding something?

The room was deathly still. Under the gazes of her colleagues, Elder Mei placed the items on the table and said imperiously, “If all of you keep looking, in the future, when I’m unable to be married off, then it’ll be up to all of you to raise me.”

Those Elders at once looked elsewhere.

Ren Shaotian took the ointment and said, “Didn’t you say that you wanted to go take a bath once you’ve returned?”

“Oh, that’s right.” Elder Mei made to walk outside, saying, with quite an emotional sigh, “I can finally take a bath by myself.”

Those Elders watched her leave before moving their chairs closer to Ren Shaotian’s side and then patting his shoulder one by one. “Brother Shaotian, it hasn’t been easy on you these past few days, right?”

Ren Shaotian said, “It was all right.”

Those Elders said, “Don’t say anymore, we understand. Whether she’s a man or a woman all depends on her mood. Well, it’s fine if you’re used to it.”

Ren Shaotian asked, “She’ll still feel like a man sometimes?”

Those Elders said, “You haven’t seen it yet?”

Ren Shaotian said, “No.”

Over this period of time of being in contact day and night, he was able to see that, although Elder Mei’s body was somewhat special, she really was more inclined to be a woman. It was only that her temperament was occasionally too outspoken that he wasn’t able to look upon her as just any ordinary young lady.

Those Elders said, “It’s no big deal. You’ll understand when you see it in the future.”

Ren Shaotian was curious. “What is she like when she’s a man?”

Those Elders said, tactfully, “She’s, uh… more outstanding and elegant.”

“It should be very outstanding and elegant but when meeting certain challenges becomes extremely manly.”

“When young ladies see her, they usually become unable to walk anymore… I remember in the past there was a strong-minded female bandit who kept threatening to kidnap her back to a bandit fort to become a husband, even sending people to try and capture her many times.”

“Yes, luckily her martial skill is high, or else now her children would already be old enough to walk.”

“That’s right, how lucky. In short, Brother Shaotian, it’s fine as long as you become used to it in the future. The majority of the time, she’s a woman. It’s only when she gets carried away on a whim that she’ll decide to become a man for a bit.”

“Yes, yes, it’s fine as long as you’re used to it.”

Ren Shaotian, “…”

What kind of people are all of you from the Demonic Sect?

“Let’s stop talking about her.” Those Elders once again patted his shoulder with familiarity. “In the future, we’re all one family. Come, these brothers will hold a welcome dinner for you. Let’s go drink a cup of wine together.”

Ren Shaotian said, “Miracle Doctor Ji said no drinking for now.”

Those Elders thought for a moment.

Elder Baili said, “Why don’t we go to a teahouse?”

Elder Ji said, “Is there any meaning in going to a teahouse?”

Elder Baili said, “Then where should we go? We can’t just go and have a snowball fight.”

Elder Miao said, “Oh, a snowball fight sounds pretty fun. Shall we go?”

Elder Baili said, “…Let’s go and play mahjong instead then.”

When Ye You and Wenren Heng found them, the two saw that they had already played who-knew-how-many rounds of mahjong. Ye You raised his head and immediately met Ren Shaotian’s gaze.

Those Elders stood up. “Sect Master.”

Ye You nodded and walked over to Ren Shaotian. Although he knew that the other still had not regained any memories, he still softly called out.

“Big brother.”

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[1] 水合城 lmao, so apparently by modern reckoning 水合 means “hydration reaction”, but literally, 水 = water &amp; 合 = (join) together.

[2] I should probably mention that Elder Mei refers to Ren Shaotian as 少天小哥 lit. little older brother Shaotian. This is one of those forms of address that, while it contains the word for brother (哥), would never be used among family members.

[3] Polite ‘you’.

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Also, I was rereading some of the older chapters, and I’ve finally gotten a handle on their ages! So, Ye You was apparently five years old when the Yang family was massacred, and he mentioned staying with Elder Yu for ten years, which means he was fifteen when his master died (and consequently when he left the Central Plains). Then he was “missing” for ten years, so he’s currently twenty-five! Ye You’s my age!

Also the same age as Xie Junming (ha!).

Hm, did the author ever mention how much older Wenren Heng was compared to Ye You? There’s been some oblique “few years older” references here and there, but has there ever been an exact number?

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