The Dao of Reincarnation (392-393) (Patreon)

Chapter 392: The Ancient and Modern Recorder (Part 3)

"Yue Anping left me a sum of resources and asked me to come here after his death to deliver a message."

The young man seemed to notice Su Chen's surprise and openly explained everything. "I never expected him to take on such a dangerous mission. If I had known at the time, I might have stopped him, and he would not have died for nothing."

There was a note of regret in the young man's voice, yet his face showed none.

Su Chen thought to himself that if the young man had known Yue Anping was heading out on a mission certain to end in death, he would not only have failed to stop him but would likely have wished for Yue Anping to die sooner so that he could claim the leftover resources for himself.

Fortunately, the young man still possessed a measure of integrity and had come here after Yue Anping's death.

"Yue Anping said there was nothing noteworthy in his life worth recording. The only thing he felt fortunate about was meeting Junior Sister Hua Caidie. After his death, simply note that he was a disciple of the Heavenly Origin Sect. There is no need to waste too much ink. Just place him together with Junior Sister Hua."

The young man handed over a spiritual stone.

Clearly, the wealth Yue Anping had left him after death was not small; otherwise, he would not have been so generous as to give Su Chen an entire lower-grade spiritual stone.

Su Chen did not refuse. After accepting the stone, he asked, "How did Yue Anping die?"

The young man replied, "He insisted on taking the mission to hunt down the Blood Skin Daoist. That Blood Skin Daoist was already a powerful expert of the Spirit Vein Realm long ago. His methods were extremely vicious. He loved to peel the skins of young women. In a short time, hundreds of girls within the sect's territory died at his hands. It is said he was a wanted criminal who fled here from the outside world. Even ordinary Spirit Sea Realm elders could do nothing against him."

When Yue Anping's body was discovered, his death had been horrific. Yet his face still wore a smile that left people astonished.

Listening to the young man's description, Su Chen understood why Yue Anping had smiled in his final moments.

Yue Anping had joined the Heavenly Origin Sect in his youth. Later, he met the outer disciple Hua Caidie, and the two became dao companions.

He later failed in the attempt to kill the demonic cultivator known as the Blood Skin Daoist and died at his hands.

Su Chen placed Yue Anping's record together with Hua Caidie's. Perhaps little figures like them would never have anyone come to look at their records. Most disciples who came to read the sect's histories did so to remember the genius disciples and the sect elders.

Su Chen gazed at the many bamboo slips covered in dust and sighed softly in his heart. The slips higher up were free of dust, some even warm and smooth as fine jade.

After finishing Yue Anping's commission, the young man left without looking back.

Before long, the name Yue Anping would gradually fade within the Heavenly Origin Sect until it disappeared completely.

Su Chen shook his head.

Most ordinary people were like this. They could not live splendid lives or make their names known throughout the world. Only a very few people would remember them. Yet once those few who remembered them were gone, or once they themselves forgot, those ordinary people would vanish as if they had never left the slightest trace upon this world. Born without a mark, they died without a mark as well.

"Whether one's name is remembered for a thousand ages or stinks for ten thousand years, it is still better than leaving no trace at all."

Su Chen murmured to himself. He thought of the Reverse Fate Scripture. If he died completely, this world would no longer hold any trace of him either.

He had once lived in mediocrity. He had also left a name that stank for ages. He had once stood supreme for a lifetime, his fame enduring through the ages. Now... he had returned to ordinary life once more.

...

In less than a month, Su Chen heard the news that the Blood Skin Daoist had died.

The Blood Skin Daoist had killed a disciple of the Heavenly Origin Sect. Even the most ordinary disciple represented a provocation against the sect, not to mention that Yue Anping had been tortured to death in an extremely brutal manner. This enraged the entire Heavenly Origin Sect. If they failed to kill the Blood Skin Daoist, the reputation the sect had painstakingly built would plummet.

Upon learning all this, Su Chen smiled.

"So that was it... Yue Anping, this was the result you wanted?"

Even little people had their own ambitions.

Su Chen understood.

Yue Anping had not died in vain. He knew he was no match for the Blood Skin Daoist. He also knew that if the Blood Skin Daoist did not commit a fundamental error, even the Heavenly Origin Sect would not easily pay a heavy price to kill him.

Yue Anping had resolved to die and willingly went to his death, using himself as bait to force the sect elders to act.

Su Chen felt a touch of regret. He had underestimated ordinary people like Yue Anping too much. Now he could no longer revise Yue Anping's life record. Altering the recorded lives of the dead was a great taboo.

Thinking of all this, Su Chen clapped his hands and laughed aloud.

"Brilliant!"

This time, he developed a strong interest in the profession of Recorder. In the past, he had walked his path too quickly and had never truly understood the common masses. Now it was time for him to settle his heart. Even if this was his final journey, he would still take in the most beautiful scenery.

...

Within the Heavenly Origin Sect.

Another autumn and winter arrived. It had been a long time since anyone came looking for Su Chen. Fortunately, he had long grown accustomed to the dull passage of time and no longer found it tedious.

Yet Su Chen noticed that the entire Heavenly Origin Sect had become quite busy of late. After making some inquiries, he learned that the once-in-a-decade sect ranking of the Wooden Scenery Dynasty was approaching.

For the Heavenly Origin Sect, this was a major event. The sect ranking represented the sect's reputation! The sect's reputation determined whether it could recruit more talented disciples. More talented disciples meant the sect's prospects and future!

In short, the matter was of great importance!

Throughout the Heavenly Origin Sect, the first step was to determine who would participate in the competition.

Mm...

"I yield, I yield!"

Su Chen watched a black-haired young man with hair standing tall smile mischievously at another young man holding a large sword.

"Senior Brother Sun is mighty! Senior Brother Sun has won! This time there will surely be a place for Senior Brother Sun among the ten great geniuses of the Wooden Scenery Dynasty!"

"Hahahaha!"

The Senior Brother Sun in question was none other than the mischievous black-haired youth. At this moment, he was full of high spirits and accepted the praise of the crowd without any humility.

"I, Sun Ao, will certainly not disappoint the expectations of the Sect Master, the elders, and all my senior and junior brothers and sisters! This time, the name of our Heavenly Origin Sect will surely appear among the ten great geniuses of the Wooden Scenery Dynasty!"

The elder on the stage looked at the confident Sun Ao and scolded him with a laugh. "You stinking brat, the competition has not even started, and you are already this arrogant!"

The young man with the large sword whom Sun Ao had defeated also called out loudly, "Sun Ao, remember what you said! You must become one of the ten great geniuses of the Wooden Scenery Dynasty!"

Sun Ao laughed heartily. "That is certain!"

The young man named Sun Ao was not weak. At the age of twenty, he had already reached the peak of the Spirit Vein Realm.

Filled with ambition, securing a good ranking in the dynasty's grand competition would not be difficult.

Watching this scene, Su Chen laughed along with the crowd.

...

Chapter 393: The Ancient and Modern Recorder (Part 4)

Several more months passed.

Good news arrived for the Heavenly Origin Sect. Sun Ao had successfully become one of the ten great geniuses of the Wooden Scenery Dynasty. He ranked third among them!

For a time, the entire Heavenly Origin Sect was filled with joy. After the sect master, the Heavenly Origin Sect finally had a worthy successor!

As long as a genius like Sun Ao did not die, the future of the Heavenly Origin Sect would not lack for inheritance. It might even accumulate strength and advance further. All of this had some connection to Su Chen, yet the connection was not great.

Su Chen gnawed on the roasted chicken in his hand. On such a day of great celebration, the only thing that mattered to him was being able to enjoy an extra meal.

"Hm?"

Su Chen looked toward the door as a young figure stepped inside. He wore a blue robe embroidered with exquisite mountains and rivers.

This was an inner disciple of the Heavenly Origin Sect. He was not old yet, but had already reached the peak of the Spirit Gathering Realm and would soon be able to break through to the Spirit Vein Realm.

"Nameless Grandpa... my elder brother is dead..."

The visitor was a handsome young boy. At the mention of his elder brother, his emotions broke, and tears streamed down his face.

The handsome boy's name was Heng Chuan. His elder brother's name was Heng Yue. Both brothers possessed outstanding aptitude and had joined the Heavenly Origin Sect as inner disciples.

Heng Yue's aptitude was even more outstanding, and he had been taken as a true disciple by an elder. During the once-in-a-decade martial competition among the younger generation of the Wooden Scenery Dynasty, Heng Yue had naturally participated as well.

Unfortunately... Heng Yue never returned. Perhaps he had encountered a powerful demonic beast. Perhaps he had been killed for treasure by disciples of another sect inside a secret realm.

No one knew what had truly happened. All that was known was that he never came back.

The Heavenly Origin Sect had produced a genius who ranked third on the Wooden Scenery Dynasty's prodigy ranking, and the entire sect was immersed in joy.

Heng Yue's death could not outweigh that shared glory. His name was gradually and selectively forgotten. Only his younger brother, Heng Chuan, felt no joy. He remained sunk in sorrow.

Behind the sect's glory, Heng Chuan had lost his closest kin, his own blood-related elder brother!

To the sect, Heng Yue was perhaps nothing more than one of the very few "costs" paid for its brilliance.

Compared to the benefits and glory gained, that small cost could be completely ignored.

Heng Yue, a true disciple of the Heavenly Origin Sect and an outstanding talent, participated in the Wooden Scenery Dynasty's genius competition to win glory for the sect, and regrettably died in battle.

Su Chen looked at the grief-stricken boy before him and stored away the bamboo slip recording Heng Yue's life.

The boy Heng Chuan did not leave at once.

At that moment, he was still lost in sorrow.

Only when dusk fell did the boy finally depart.

Not long after the boy left, Su Chen paused in the middle of arranging the bamboo slips.

Someone else had arrived silently.

Su Chen muttered to himself, "Two people in one day. That is truly rare."

Still, he pretended nothing was amiss until the newcomer spoke. Only then did Su Chen turn his head.

"Are you the recorder here? I want you to help me record someone."

Su Chen turned around. The newcomer was a familiar young man. It was none other than the genius of the Heavenly Origin Sect he had once glimpsed in a flash, the youth named Sun Ao.

Su Chen said calmly, "Whom do you wish to record?"

The young man answered, "Heng Yue, a true disciple."

Su Chen replied, "His younger brother was here just now and left a moment ago."

The young man understood. Someone had arrived before him.

"Where is his record slip?"

Su Chen took out a brand-new bamboo slip from behind him and handed it to the young man.

The young man took the bamboo slip, looked it over, and then sighed softly. "Brother Heng, I have successfully become one of the ten great geniuses of the Wooden Scenery Dynasty and won glory for the sect. This joy is incomplete without you. It is truly a regret."

He felt regret in his heart.

Five people from the Heavenly Origin Sect had gone to the Wooden Scenery Dynasty to participate in the prodigy competition.

Four of the five had returned with excellent rankings, living up to the sect's expectations. Only Heng Yue had never come back.

The young man returned the bamboo slip to Su Chen and then left.

"The dead cannot be pursued. I will carry Brother Heng's conviction forward and climb to higher peaks."

Pride and confidence shone between the young man's brows.

In youth one ought to be full of confidence, knowing neither the height of the heavens nor the depth of the earth!

The path of martial arts was advancing with unstoppable force!

Su Chen watched the young man's departing figure.

This sect... was rather interesting.

...

After the prodigy competition, the Heavenly Origin Sect rose into the ranks of the ten great sects of the Wooden Scenery Dynasty, even if it was only in tenth place.

For the Heavenly Origin Sect, this was still a tremendous leap. The top ten was a threshold. After all, when disciples of a top-ten sect announced their affiliation while traveling, others would immediately show looks of realization.

"So it is that sect, one of the ten great sects of the Wooden Scenery Dynasty."

At such moments, their inner vanity would be satisfied. Their parents back home would also rise in status, receiving the respect of relatives and friends, with no one daring to bully them.

Therefore, the Heavenly Origin Sect planned to expand. Expansion was a good thing for the sect. It would bring more geniuses, more positions, and more resources. Whether for the elders or the disciples of the Heavenly Origin Sect, it was beneficial.

But for Su Chen, it was not a good thing at all. Sect expansion meant more people... and more people usually meant more competition. Competition in the martial path brought more accidents, and more accidents meant more deaths. More deaths meant he could no longer live as leisurely as before, going months without a single visitor.

Su Chen rubbed his temples. This was a headache of a problem. He was nothing but a bag of old bones!

At that thought, Su Chen let out a sigh. He truly had grown old.

Fortunately, the problem that troubled him did not materialize at once. Ever since the Heavenly Origin Sect entered the ranks of the ten great sects of the Wooden Scenery Dynasty, a year and a half had passed without anyone coming here. That should have been a good thing.

Yet today, Su Chen's peaceful life was broken once more by the arrival of Li Li.

Seeing the familiar face, Su Chen said, "What has happened in the sect recently that brings you here?"

He saw the worry on Li Li's face.

Li Li gave a bitter smile. "Elder Hua led a group of sect disciples out for training. Then all contact was lost. By the time the sect discovered it, Elder Hua and every disciple who had gone out had died. Not a single survivor remained."

Su Chen raised an eyebrow. "How many died?"

Li Li spoke with pain. "Forty-five people..."

Including the elder, forty-five in total had died. No wonder Li Li was so heartbroken. These people would have been the future pillars of the sect.

All of them gone in one stroke.

"This is a major incident for the sect. The sect sent me to have you record the matter so that the disciples can read it and take it as a bloody warning!"

Su Chen nodded.

Forty-five people died in a single incident. It truly was a major assignment.