Misty Rain of the Old Times

The underground was dark and damp, with a network of waterways. It was so dark that you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. An ordinary person would have no chance to move an inch without lighting. However, it didn't affect Chen Xuan at all. The complex environment was no less than the one at the bottom of Wanku Mountain that he had visited before.

Fortunately, his senses were sharp, allowing him to follow the faint scent of the Acacia Ice Moon Flower and traverse the correct path; otherwise, he might have gotten lost inside, in which case he would have had no choice but to violently break through the rock to reach the outside.

The water gurgled in the darkness, and as he passed through a waterfall that was about ten feet high, the view ahead suddenly opened up.

The waterfall's rapid flow seemed to vibrate and hum as it crashed down, but there was no drop below the waterfall; instead, it fell into a sizable lake, splashing up large sprays of water like a natural curtain.

'I've been traveling for an hour or two now. Although I'm not in a hurry, I've wandered around so much that I almost got dizzy. I estimate I've traveled over a hundred miles. I don't even know where I am now,' he muttered to himself, looking around with interest.

Staying in a dark, silent place for so long, without anyone to talk to, would be unbearable for most people. It would cause mental problems over time. However, Chen Xuan was carefree and could leave whenever he wanted without being affected at all.

What appeared before him was a vast, irregular underground space, deep and wide, almost endless, at least a thousand feet wide and a couple hundred feet high, clearly naturally formed, surrounded by solid rock.

Starting from his feet and looking forward, there was a huge lake, occupying one-third of the area, no less than a thousand acres, with ripples spreading out from the waterfall behind him.

Schools of fish could be faintly seen swimming in the water, and they were quite large, with many reaching a meter in length. This made Chen Xuan, who often came back empty-handed, feel itchy to cast his line a couple of times. This made him look down on his fellow fishing enthusiasts. Such a high-quality fishing spot had never been touched by anyone. How many opportunities had they missed by passing by their own homes and getting lost?

However, the fish in the water seemed quite fierce, most of them with menacing teeth, probably not vegetarians. In addition, there were electric eels several meters long, and even pythons that were faintly visible. This lake was extremely dangerous. If an ordinary person fell in, they would be reduced to dust in no time. However, Chen Xuan only needed to reveal a little bit of his aura to make those dangerous aquatic creatures panic.

This huge underground space was dark and damp, but not so dark that you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. Occasionally, light would filter through the cracks in the ceiling. It was probably close to noon outside, as beams of light were cast down like a crack in the sky, and swarms of insects flew around chasing the sunlight.

This place is like another world far removed from the mundane world. Apart from the dark and damp environment, it does not appear desolate and gloomy. Instead, it presents an alternative kind of vitality and has its own unique ecology.

The corner is teeming with diverse life, mostly shade-loving creatures. Insects and venomous snakes lurk in the shadows, mosses and algae abound, and even shrubs and thickets grow, clearly forming a separate ecosystem.

To be honest, if someone with a peculiar personality came here, it would be a good place to live in seclusion.

Unfortunately, the place had already been occupied. After passing through the waterfall, Chen Xuan walked on the water as if it were flat ground, looking around with great interest. He seemed to be a ghost, undisturbed, as if he didn't exist.

After crossing the lake and stepping onto land, there was a fairly large dock on the lakeside, with a dozen or so boats of various sizes moored there. These were probably the daily means of transportation for the people here. Not everyone could walk on the water as if it were flat ground for a long time like him; even those at the Innate Realm could not do it.

Looking at the light filtering through the cracks and caves high above, Chen Xuan realized that this place wasn't too far from Jade City. If he started from the illusion array, the distance in the opposite direction was no more than four hundred li from Jade City, and in the reverse direction, it was probably only a little over a hundred li. As the secondary capital of Yuhua Kingdom, Jade City had a population of over ten million. It was absolutely impossible for no one to have discovered this place over the centuries. The best indication that this place had long been occupied was that it was the best possible location. So why had no one mentioned it? Chen Xuan suspected that besides the fact that this place was hidden, all the places that could be directly observed from the outside world were covered and hidden by the illusion array, just like the entrance. With someone guarding it, it would be reasonable that no one could discover this place.

He withdrew his gaze, temporarily abandoning the idea of ​​flying up to observe. No rush, he could leave from above, which would be quick and convenient, and he could also confirm whether it was concealed by the illusion array.

He shifted his attention away from the natural environment and began to observe the people loitering and moving around. There were quite a few, no less than five or six hundred scattered around in his senses. However, judging from each person's aura, most of them were ordinary people without any cultivation.

Among them were quite a few people with considerable cultivation. Chen Xuan noticed three innate masters, and one of them had an aura that was not much weaker than Zhang Aoxue, the sect leader of the Flying Feather Sect whom Chen Xuan had seen. If you add the one guarding the illusion array at the entrance, there are four in total!
What does this mean? Innate masters are said to be able to go anywhere in the world, and to some extent they have achieved personal freedom. You should know that the number of innate masters in the so-called five major sects of Jing Kingdom is only around this number, and there can't be more than a few. As for the Cold Mountain Sword Sect, it is hard to say whether they can still find four of them after Guo Jinglong's death.

But in such a seemingly shady place, there are four innate masters. If it were a major force that was openly present, it would be fine and nothing to be surprised about. But it seems that there is a lot more to this than meets the eye.

"The waters run so deep. Although there's no evidence right now, I have a feeling that behind them is that seemingly sickly and dying Qin Ruyu. Her grandfather is Qin Yan, the powerful prime minister of Yuhua Kingdom. That's not surprising. After all, no matter what country you're in, the imperial court always controls the strongest forces. With Qin Yan's status and power, the resources he controls, whether it's mobilizing or training, the number of experts he commands is unimaginable to ordinary people."

These thoughts flashed through Chen Xuan's mind. Judging from the people with cultivation scattered around, they were either in charge here or responsible for guarding the place. The ones who actually did the work were ordinary people without cultivation.

Chen Xuan strolled deeper into the area from the dock. Under his feet was a stone path about ten feet wide, with moss growing in the cracks between the stones. It was clearly ancient and not built in recent decades. He couldn't tell whether the people here were originally a hidden force or had been taken over by later generations.

There were originally more than ten people guarding the dock, but they did not notice Chen Xuan's arrival. Even as he walked past them, Chen Xuan did not make any unnecessary moves to alert them, preferring to find out what was going on first.

He noticed that there were traces of blood on one of the small boats, which was about two zhang long, and it was still wet near the side of the boat. He guessed that Liu Yuyuan and his men had been brought here by this boat when they were captured earlier. In fact, there was no need to guess at all, as Liu Yuyuan's aura still lingered on that boat.

Therefore, it's highly likely that Liu Yuyuan is still alive. I hope so.

As a descendant of an old friend, Chen Xuan naturally did not want Liu Yuyuan to die. According to the information Xia Mei had investigated, Liu Yuyuan was the only direct descendant of Old Liu. He was not yet married, and if he died, the lineage would truly end.

Walking deeper along the winding stone path, surrounded by dense bushes and moist moss close to the ground, interspersed with strange fungi, occasionally punctuated by poisonous insects and luminous plants, this place, despite its dark and damp environment, possessed a strangely dreamlike quality. Wandering along the winding stone path, passing through dense thickets, Chen Xuan's attention was drawn to a patch of land that had been cultivated by someone, and he paused there briefly.

The land wasn't large, only about eight-tenths of an acre. The sunlight streaming down from above barely reached it, and the surroundings were gloomy. The land was kept very clean, with no weeds growing, and covered with a layer of bluish moss like a carpet. Scattered across the small plot of land were a few dozen incredibly thriving plants.

These plants are about a foot tall, grayish-white in color, with leaves that resemble orchids but are much larger. Several of them have flower stalks that extend to top snow-white flower buds, but they are closed and have not yet bloomed.

The name "Acacia Ice Moon Flower" popped into Chen Xuan's head the moment he saw those scattered plants.

This kind of flower usually only grows on women's graves. Although it is not impossible to find, it is extremely rare. However, dozens of them are growing in an area of ​​only seven or eight acres!

If it were normal growth, that would be almost impossible. Witnessing this situation, Chen Xuan couldn't help but think of the large number of women who had disappeared in Yuhua Kingdom in recent years. Even though he was usually uninterested in anything, he couldn't help but frown slightly at this moment.

As he surveyed the area, he saw two gray-clad men busily working on the small plot of land. They were clearly used to living in dimly lit environments, which gave them a sickly pale complexion. The two elderly men were thin and frail, and their large gray robes looked rather loose on them. The environment was somewhat eerie and terrifying at first glance, like the presence of evil spirits.

The two, having no cultivation, worked silently and meticulously, clearing away any suspicious weeds and fungi except for moss and the Acacia Ice Moon Flower.

Watching their busy figures, Chen Xuan quickly noticed something was wrong with them. Their movements were mechanical and numb, their eyes were empty, and their actions seemed stiff, like soulless puppets. However, they were breathing normally and were indeed living people.

Upon closer observation, they were not the kind of numb people who had suffered long-term oppression and lost their lives; rather, they seemed to have lost their self-awareness and were left with only instinct.

A black-clad man with cultivation was watching them work clearing weeds by the edge of the land. Even though Chen Xuan was standing right next to them, they didn't notice his presence.

As Chen Xuan walked up to the two numb people and observed them directly, he quickly concluded that the two people had indeed lost their self-awareness and were left with only instincts. They had clearly had their thoughts erased by some special means, like empty shells of puppets without souls.

To be honest, Chen Xuan could do this too, and it would be an easy thing for him. With his current cultivation level and strong mental will, as long as the person is not at the Grandmaster level, he could easily destroy their mind and turn them into an idiot. Then, by implanting special commands, they would become a puppet like a living dead. However, this method is too vicious, and he has never used it on anyone.

The two laborers' fate was certainly not of their own volition. Their sense of self had been destroyed, and their lives were worse than death. Even Chen Xuan could not find out what had happened to them. He was helpless because his cultivation was insufficient, and his mental will was not strong enough to delve into a person's mental sea to read their memories. Even if he were strong enough, judging from their appearance, he would probably only be able to see a blank space.

For some reason, a smile appeared on his face, but it was a smile that sent chills down one's spine. So much so that the bored man in black next to him subconsciously shivered and looked around with suspicion.

He remained still without making any further moves, his eyes slightly narrowed, his true essence silently penetrating the ground beneath his feet, examining it inch by inch. Soon, the smile on Chen Xuan's lips deepened, and became even colder.

Under his inspection, a layer of bones was found beneath a foot of soil, densely packed together. Judging from the spacing between the pelvic bones, they were all female skeletons!
Moreover, through his analysis of the facial bone structure of those female skeletons, he concluded that these skeletons were all quite beautiful in life.

That's all. One thing is beyond doubt: the whereabouts of the beautiful women who have disappeared in Yuhua Kingdom in recent years have been found.

That was a major case that affected most of the territory of Yuhua Kingdom and shocked the court. People went missing every day. The total number of missing persons in various places was enormous. Within the eight-tenths of an acre of land under Chen Xuan's feet, he had examined more than four hundred skeletons, which represented the vibrant lives of more than four hundred beautiful women!
The case started four or five years ago, and Qin Ruyu also started getting the strange illness four or five years ago. What a coincidence!

Since the beginning of his martial arts training with Xiao Gao, Chen Xuan and the others have been learning to identify meridians and bones under the guidance of Master Yushan. At this moment, the female skeletons under his feet, separated by a layer of soil, are all no more than thirty years old!
With a silent apology, Chen Xuan stepped back onto the stone path. He took a deep breath and looked into the distance of this vast underground space, pausing for a moment in several directions. There were eleven flower fields of varying sizes, and the underground contained the remains of more than five thousand women no older than thirty!
At this moment, Chen Xuan couldn't even bear to think too deeply about whether there was really only one place like this where the Acacia Ice Moon Flower was secretly cultivated.

Even he couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine. If there really wasn't just one place like this, and even if most of the skeletons or corpses came from natural deaths, what about those who died unnatural deaths? How many would there be every day? Three, five, or ten would it take to create so many flower fields?
No wonder, no wonder Yuexiangju can keep producing that perfume powder called Red Thread for sale, because they have a large number of flower fields cultivating Acacia Ice Moon flowers as the main ingredient!
According to information that Chen Xuan has gathered over the past few days, whether actively or passively, the number of registered disappearances of beautiful women in Yuhua Kingdom in recent years exceeds 10,000, according to incomplete statistics. These cases occur every day, but are scattered across the vast territory of Yuhua Kingdom. The number was already large at first, and the dispersion of the cases prevented them from attracting much attention. However, with the disappearance of female relatives of high-ranking officials in the Yuhua Kingdom court, it has shaken the court and the public like a powder keg being ignited.

Recently, the situation has escalated to the point that even in a place like Yucheng, women with any attractiveness dare not go out after sunset!
Chen Xuan often considered himself not a good person, and he never took the initiative to interfere in things he hadn't encountered. But now that he was here, after all, thousands of precious lives were at stake, and if he had any conscience as a human being, he couldn't possibly remain indifferent.

After glancing once more at the flower field in the dark corner, Chen Xuan strode toward the building deeper inside.

He was now certain that someone had deliberately lured him here through Liu Yuyuan. The other party certainly didn't want him to see these flower fields or to know how vicious and cruel they were, or what evil things they had done. They probably didn't care about any of that.

They've harmed so many people; Chen Xuan knows perfectly well that their real purpose wasn't to cultivate the Acacia Ice Moon Flower to make that Red Thread perfume to sell for money. It was definitely just a side benefit.

But what was the real purpose of harming so many beautiful women?
Hopefully, he can find the answer here. Even if he doesn't, it doesn't matter. Since he's encountered this situation, even though he's usually indifferent to everything, Chen Xuan might as well meddle a little. Now that he has someone leading all the suspicions, he can just go directly to Qin Ruyu and use some means to find out the truth.

If she really did it, so what if her grandfather is Qin Yan, the powerful prime minister of Yuhua Kingdom? The world cannot tolerate such a powerful and vicious individual… (End of Chapter)