Misty Rain of the Old Times

Chapter 299 Autonomous Driving
Chen Xuan ran out of Gao's house in one breath and slowed down when he came to the street. The little girl couldn't keep up with his speed, so Chen Xuan grabbed her by the collar and carried her away like a chicken. If you didn't know, you would think someone was raping a girl in the street.

"Master, why are we running?" Su Roujia asked after calming down.

Walking forward, Chen Xuan said: "If I don't leave now, I'm afraid I'll get beaten."

"Who dares to beat the master? It can't be the lady, she is so nice to you," the little girl asked confusedly.

Hey, you guessed it right, but Chen Xuan said: "How can you, a little girl, have so many questions?"

Su Roujia stopped talking about it immediately. She lowered her head and remained silent for a moment before she hesitated to speak. "Master, are you going to the capital in a few days?"

"Yes, didn't you hear it just now? Young Master Gao is going to take part in the Autumn Examination, and I have to accompany him. It was agreed upon a long time ago," Chen Xuan nodded.

She uttered an "oh" and mustered up the courage to say, "Then I'll go with the master, so I can serve you well. Otherwise, it will be so inconvenient to go out."

"Just tell me that I'm lazy and can't take care of myself without you," Chen Xuan said with a smile, shaking his head.

After spending a few months together, the little girl got to know Chen Xuan quite well. He was the type who would rather sit than stand, and he was also very humble. Although he usually spoke harshly, he never lost his temper. He was a typical person with a sharp tongue but a soft heart. However, she also knew that this was how her master treated her.

Although he is friendly to other people, he gives people a sense of alienation without leaving any trace, as if he really doesn't care.

Su Roujia stuck out her tongue quietly and said with a smile: "No, Master, you can take me there when the time comes. I will be very good and obedient. I have never been to the capital before, and I hope to go with you to broaden my horizons."

Hearing this, Chen Xuan laughed and said, "Oh, little girl, you've learned to act like a spoiled child and find excuses to play the emotional card. Are you getting bolder? It seems that I'm not strict enough with you."

"No, I wouldn't dare. Can you take me there, sir?" Su Roujia asked hopefully.

Stop joking with her, Chen Xuan shook his head and said: "It's really not possible this time, it's too far, and the road is a bit rushed, you can't bear the hardship. Don't rush to say that you can endure hardship, it's thousands of miles away, next time, it's just the capital, there are plenty of opportunities to go there"

In fact, the main reason is that this trip may be dangerous, not just ordinary dangerous. Although Chen Xuan is confident that he can protect her, he is afraid of what might happen. There is no need to tell her about such things.

Su Roujia, who was already familiar with Chen Xuan's personality, nodded immediately after hearing his tone and said, "Well, I'll listen to you, Master."

"That's right. You will be away for two or three months at the shortest, or half a year at the longest. You just need to take good care of the house," Chen Xuan said with a smile.

"You're going to be gone for so long?" the little girl said with a gloomy look. She had long considered Chen Xuan her support, so hearing that he would be gone for so long naturally made her feel down. After all, they hadn't been together that long...

After returning to his residence, Chen Xuan became lazy again. Seeing Su Roujia's low mood, he asked, "How is the Qingyuan Liuyun Gong I taught you last month going?"

This technique is exactly the one that Gao Jingming practiced, a genuine superior technique that Chen Xuan taught her a month ago. It is perfect for girls to take the light and graceful route, and successful practice is very effective in fighting and detoxifying toxins, and can avoid many despicable means in the future. Moreover, practice will subtly influence one's personality to be clean, that is, a little mysophobia. Anyway, being clean is not a bad thing.

Not to mention, after several months of recuperation, with good food, drink and rest, the little girl's thin body has become fleshy, her cheeks have become fuller, her dry and yellow hair has become darker, the calluses on her hands have faded, her skin has become whiter, and especially, she has lost her timid and weak character, and has become cheerful and lively.

She is at the age of budding, and now in midsummer, she is wearing an emerald green gauze dress, with a petite figure, two buns on her hair, a few bangs on her forehead, a small face the size of a palm, red lips and white teeth, and lively eyes with fluttering eyelashes, a real little beauty.

In just a few months, she was completely transformed. If Chen Xuan hadn't seen her changes day by day, he would have almost been unable to put her back together with the girl she was a few months ago.

After she practiced the Qi-calming and health-preserving exercises with the Sanbao Soup for more than a month, her muscles and bones were stretched as she was growing, so Chen Xuan taught her the Qingyuan Liuyun Gong, hoping that she would grow in skill soon and share more of the responsibilities. Anyway, Chen Xuan just wanted to lie down and do nothing.

Hearing this, Su Roujia said nervously: "Master, that technique is a bit difficult to practice. I still haven't cultivated internal strength, but I will try my best."

It's right that it's difficult to practice. Do you think you are me, who can master it in a short time? In just a few months, Xiao Gao still couldn't cultivate internal force. He muttered in his heart, but Chen Xuan said, "You are so stupid. I have been teaching you step by step for so long and you still can't cultivate internal force. Anyway, you have learned it. Wait for me. I will go to the capital and come back to check. If you still haven't cultivated internal force, I will sell you out."

"Master, please don't sell me out. I will definitely develop internal strength to satisfy you when the time comes," she said pitifully.

Chen Xuan didn't buy it, he lay down leisurely and said, "Don't act pitiful, I've already said this to you, don't blame me for being unkind when the time comes."

"Master, let me massage your shoulders. Believe me, I won't give you the chance to sell me out," Su Roujia said flatteringly.

With his eyes closed, Chen Xuan hummed and said, "The key is strength. Yes, it depends on your performance. I tell you, you have a lot to learn in the future. Anyway, as long as you can't meet my requirements..."

"I know, otherwise you can just sell me out," the little girl said with a smile.

A few days passed leisurely like this. Chen Xuan instructed the little girl on some things, especially the use of the Nine-tone Soul-Calming Bell. He repeated it over and over again without getting tired of it to ensure that the little girl would not make mistakes at the critical moment. He also told her to go to Gao's house if anything happened. If it really didn't work, she should send a signal and someone from Gao's family would come at any time.

Gao Jingming was to set off from Shangyun Prefecture to the capital on the 18th of this month. As the day drew closer, Chen Xuan became lazy and thought that it was only a few hundred miles to the prefecture and there was no rush, so he kept putting it off.

On the fifth day after he returned from Gao's house, Butler He came in person and brought him a shiny black horse, 10,000 taels of silver, and a sword with a white scabbard and hilt.

According to the housekeeper He at the time, it was Madam Gao who sent them. The horse was for his journey, the silver was for travel expenses, and the sword was for self-defense. He had to accept them, or else Chen Xuan would have to return them to Madam Gao himself. Chen Xuan had no choice but to accept them.

He had always wanted to raise a horse, but he didn't take the time to buy one, so it saved him some trouble.

On the 16th, there were only two days left before Gao Jingming's departure. Chen Xuan, who was a chronic procrastinator, had to set out to meet him. Although no one urged him, he felt embarrassed to delay any longer.

That morning, after a sumptuous breakfast prepared by Su Roujia, Chen Xuan set off on horseback. The sword given by Madam Gao hung loosely around his waist, and he had 12,000 taels of silver in his arms. He didn't bring any other clothes with him. Why would he bring any luggage if he had so much money?

"Let's go. Roujia, take care of the house. I will come back to check on your training results." Chen Xuan waved towards the rising sun. He traveled light and casually as he could. He had explained everything that needed to be explained. There was nothing to waste time on.

When leaving, Chen Xuan did not inform the Gao family, so as to avoid the trouble of having a group of people to see him off. Instead, he mentioned his family all the time, and it was better to be casual.

Even so, the little girl still reluctantly sent Chen Xuan to the county gate, tears welling in her eyes as she said, "Master, please come back soon. I won't let you down and will definitely take good care of the house."

"Talking is useless. What I want is the result. Go back quickly to prevent the bad guys from abducting you," Chen Xuan said as he rode his horse forward.

Unable to bear looking back, the little girl didn't dare disobey. She watched Chen Xuanyuan go away before returning home in a depressed mood. When she got home, she was the only one left. She sat on the steps with a blank look in her eyes, feeling pitiful and helpless. Finally, she sniffed and cheered herself up. She practiced martial arts, but couldn't let the master down when he came back...

Chen Xuan set out alone on his way, riding his horse along the official road towards the provincial capital. The morning sun in midsummer was extremely hot, and although Chen Xuan was immune to cold or heat, he felt a little drowsy. He simply fell asleep on the horse's back, swaying as if he would fall down at any moment, but he sat steadily like a tumbler.

The black horse sent by the Gao family probably had never been to the provincial capital, so it couldn't be considered an old horse that knew the way. Anyway, Chen Xuan didn't spur the horse or whip it, but let it lead the way along the road. The horse was also docile, and there was not much bumpiness when it walked.

Near noon, Chen Xuan finally woke up. The horse he was riding was still moving along the road. He said hello to the horse, then stretched his body and looked around. The place was located in the wilderness, with no village in front and no shop behind, and no pedestrians on the road.

"Where did this come from for me?"

Scratching his head, Chen Xuan floated up lightly. From a height of more than ten feet, he saw an inn on the roadside about ten miles ahead. His eyes lit up and he thought to himself that he was hungry and decided to eat something. He got back on his horse and galloped away quickly.

Soon he approached the inn, which was a two-story building built at the fork in the road. It was casually named Sanlu Inn.

There are road signs at the three-way intersection. Chen Xuan's side leads to Yang County, and the other two roads are towards the provincial capital and Jingting County City.

When he arrived, there were three horses tied at the door of the inn, and a waiter in gray clothes was leaning against the threshold, drowsy.

Chen Xuan rode forward and said, "Shopkeeper, please help me take the horse down and feed it well. Remember to use the best soybeans, rice and flour, as it is not used to grass. Also, please prepare some of your signature wine and delicious dishes for me."

The waiter immediately perked up, stood up and greeted him with a smile: "Good guest, please come in quickly." When he took the reins, he shouted into the inn: "Dear guest, good wine and good food will be served to you."

He dismounted, took out a big coin from his waist and flicked it to the other party with his thumb. Seeing the other party's happy smile, Chen Xuan adjusted the loose sword on his waist and stepped into the door.

A quick glance revealed that there was only one table of diners in the hall, with three people, two men and one woman, looking exhausted and holding swords and sticks. They all had a background in martial arts, and the three horses outside were probably theirs.

Not caring at all, Chen Xuan found a table by the window and sat down. He asked the shopkeeper who was in charge of the kitchen, "Excuse me, sir, where is this place? How far is it from the provincial capital?"

He had fallen asleep before, and was driving on autopilot, so he really didn't notice where he was coming from. Anyway, it was probably along the official road.

……

(End of this chapter)