Misty Rain of the Old Times

The two men who were ordered to wait for Chen Xuan here were well aware of the prior arrangements. The colorless and odorless poisonous mist and smoke would have been undetectable to them with their own cultivation and senses if they hadn't known beforehand, thus falling into the trap unknowingly. However, those things were said to be something that even a grandmaster would suffer greatly if he wasn't careful. Yet Chen Xuan was completely unaffected by them!

While grandmasters are indeed powerful, they are not invincible. Little did they know that Chen Xuan was not just an ordinary grandmaster, but a great grandmaster who had forged his own path. Furthermore, he had the inheritance given to him by Old Liu, who was quite proficient in alchemy. Even if Chen Xuan had not fully mastered it, his experience was solid. So, trying to play these little tricks in front of him was simply showing off one's limited skills.

These tricks, which even grandmasters fear, are already comparable to the flawless body of a Buddhist monk, so it is impossible for them to penetrate through the pores of the body. The thick true essence protects the internal organs, so even a top-level attack through the lungs cannot harm him in the slightest and poses no threat to him whatsoever.

Seeing Chen Xuan savoring the toxic fog and intoxicating fragrance in the air as if it were the scent of a young lady, the two felt a chill run through their bodies, their bones trembling with cold. They knew Chen Xuan was powerful, but they never imagined he was so terrifying, utterly unfathomable.

They were prepared to die when they received the mission, after all, the gap between the Innate Realm and the Grandmaster Realm was too great, the difference of one realm was like heaven and earth. However, they still held onto a sliver of hope, thinking that they might be able to survive while completing the mission thanks to their various arrangements and their own cultivation. No one wants to die, even ants are greedy for life, and now there was no hope at all.

Forcing himself to remain calm, the gray-haired, black-clad swordsman poured Chen Xuan a cup of wine and said with a forced smile, "Mr. Chen, you jest. We don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, yes, we have long heard of Mr. Chen's fame and have always admired him. It is an honor to meet him in person today. I would like to offer you a toast. I will drink it all, Mr. Chen, please feel free to drink as you please," the fat man next to him joked, downing his drink in one gulp, not daring to ask Chen Xuan to do him the honor of drinking with him.

Grandmasters are like mythical dragons, rarely seen by the world. To even meet one is an honor, and it is only natural to adopt the most humble posture.

Chen Xuan took a small sip with interest, savored it, and said in a low voice, "Not bad, not bad, a mixed poison, the flavor is quite strong, but it's still lacking something. It's not enough to kill me here."

"This mere eighty-year-old vintage is the best we can offer. We apologize for any shortcomings in our hospitality, Mr. Chen. Come, come, have some food. These are delicacies from Tianshui Pavilion, personally prepared by the chef who was hailed as the God of Cooking at the culinary gala three years ago. I wonder if they suit Mr. Chen's taste?" the black-clad swordsman said cautiously, still pretending not to understand.

They didn't know what Chen Xuan was thinking, so they could only try to stall for time. Their simple conversation was completely nonsensical.

Under their watchful eyes, Chen Xuan leisurely savored a few bites of the dishes on the table, nodded, and gave a very honest evaluation: "Truly delicious, comparable to imperial cuisine. I'm quite fortunate to have come here; it truly deserves to be the work of a culinary master."

You should know that Chen Xuan used to frequently go to Lao Deng's place to freeload, and he was telling the truth.

"Haha, I'm glad Mr. Chen is satisfied. If we haven't treated him well, then it's our fault. Speaking of which, I'm a foodie myself, and I have a sweet tooth. I haven't had the chance to eat at Tianshui Pavilion much in the past, it's too expensive, and I can't afford it many times. This time, I'm only able to do so because of Mr. Chen. It seems that Mr. Chen also likes good food. Perhaps we have something in common in this regard," the fat man who called himself Old Zhu said with a smile, thinking to himself that this meal was probably his last.

You're a greasy, fat guy. Who's in the mood to discuss food with you? Just sitting next to you ruins my appetite. You're not some sweet, soft young lady.

Secretly pursing his lips, Chen Xuan put down his chopsticks and said with a smile, "Alright, I know about the arrangements you made for me in advance. We've had the wine and the food. Although I'm quite free and have a lot of time, we're not that close, so let's get down to business."

Knowing that the two were deliberately stalling for time, Chen Xuan wasn't going to be so bored as to cooperate with them. In this short time, he had tried to use the Purple Mystic Illusion Eye to control their mental will, but he failed. The two were so determined that they didn't give him any chance. They were definitely trained assassins from childhood, which didn't surprise Chen Xuan at all.

Mental manipulation techniques like the Purple Mystic Illusionary Eyes are not omnipotent. Just as flies don't land on eggs without cracks, a person's mind needs a flaw to have an opportunity. These assassins, trained from childhood, are inherently resolute and have definitely received training to deal with such methods. They are like tools; how can their minds be easily controlled?

The fact that they were assigned to guard such an important place and were specifically waiting for him here suggests that the person behind them was confident. Therefore, Chen Xuan was genuinely not surprised that his Purple Mystic Illusionary Eyes could not control them, and he probably wouldn't be able to get anything out of them.

Upon hearing this, the two exchanged a subtle glance. Although they wished to continue eating and drinking in this 'harmonious' manner to prolong the time, ideally until Chen Xuan was full and left, they had no choice. Sensing Chen Xuan's tone that he didn't want to waste any more time, the fat man could only force a dry laugh and say, "I wonder what Mr. Chen would like to say? We will certainly answer to the best of our knowledge."

You don't even believe that yourself, do you? Chen Xuan asked leisurely, "Since that's the case, then I'll be frank. May I ask who owns this medicinal herb garden? Can you satisfy my curiosity?"

Regarding Chen Xuan's question, the two thought to themselves, "As expected." Anyone who saw how the Acacia Ice Moon Flower was cultivated would not be able to remain indifferent. If it weren't for their own stance, from the perspective of normal people, they would probably not hesitate to punish evil and promote good.

However, the black-clad swordsman shook his head and said, "Mr. Chen, we don't know either. We're just ordered to guard this place. We only communicate with one person at a time, and we don't know who gave us the orders. We've never even met them in person, so we can only disappoint you."

Chen Xuan had anticipated this, but he sensed that the two were not entirely ignorant; they were simply trying to stall for time. However, what they knew was probably just some trivial matters.

Tsk tsk, the waters are indeed deep. Even a master of the Innate Realm couldn't grasp the core of this matter.

Chen Xuan leisurely poured himself a glass of wine, took a sip, and said with interest, "Just a moment ago you were telling me you'd tell me everything, and now you're playing games with me? Don't pretend you don't know. Liu Yuyuan was staking out Yuexiang Residence for several days before following your men here. Now you're telling me you know nothing? That's not very interesting."

What Chen Xuan said was no secret at the time, and the fat man, who was already prepared, immediately replied, "Mr. Chen, it's not that we're being pretentious; we genuinely don't know any of this. Our task is merely to guard this place; nothing else is our responsibility. Since you say this so-called medicine garden was established by Yuexiang Residence, then it must be so, right?"

Chen Xuan wasn't surprised by this answer. To put it bluntly, they were open about it; that was all they knew. Otherwise, he would have investigated, or else they could do whatever they wanted. However, though they seemed to say nothing, Chen Xuan understood that Yuexiang Residence was probably a dispensable business for the person behind it, the kind that could be abandoned at any time. At worst, they'd lose one source of income, but it wouldn't touch the core. And after today, Yuexiang Residence would likely be universally condemned, but that wouldn't be a big deal. They could simply change their name and continue making money. As long as the power behind them remained intact, it was all a minor issue.

Therefore, it is unrealistic to try to trace the Moon Fragrance Residence from this medicinal garden and uncover the forces behind it.

Chen Xuan hadn't held out much hope, so he didn't dwell on it. He wasn't looking for evidence to investigate the case; he was just mentioning it casually. Anyway, he had enough power, so if he had someone he suspected, he could just go and confront them directly—it would save him a lot of trouble.

So he casually said, "Let's leave this topic at that. Now, could you two tell me where Liu Yuyuan and the others you captured this morning went? You should know that they were taken away by you, right?"

The black-clad swordsman nodded and smiled, saying, "This morning we did indeed catch a few people who tried to spy on this place, but they were apprehended at the entrance. One of them was named Liu Yuyuan. However, if I may be so bold as to ask Mr. Chen, what is your relationship with Liu Yuyuan? Please don't misunderstand, I'm just curious. If I've offended you, please pretend I didn't ask. In any case, as long as Mr. Chen speaks up, we will definitely cooperate."

Chen Xuan chuckled inwardly. So they were still stalling for time. They really were trying to buy as much time as possible. It didn't matter. Whatever their purpose, did they really think they could rest easy just because they had lured him here?

He smiled, unmoved, and said, "It's nothing, we only met twice. Now you can tell me where they are, or to put it more bluntly, whether they are alive or dead?"

Chen Xuan had given up hope of finding the person or force behind this place. However, as he said before, he wasn't here to investigate a case or find evidence, so it didn't matter. His other purpose was to find out what had become of Liu Yuyuan. After all, he was a descendant of an old friend, and he had to ask whether he was alive or dead. There was no debt owed between them. After so long, it would be best if he was still alive. If he was already dead, then it was just his fate.

It wasn't that Chen Xuan was cold-hearted. If Liu Yuyuan were still alive, given his past with Old Liu, he would definitely save him if he could, and even give him some benefits afterward. It would be a simple matter. If Liu Yuyuan was already dead, then he would help him avenge his misdeeds. It would still be a simple matter, without any ulterior motives, just doing what he felt was right.

The fat man nodded firmly and replied, "I see. As for Liu Yuyuan, whom Mr. Chen mentioned, he is still alive. We did not mistreat him. He did suffer a bit at first, but he's doing quite well now. We were just following orders from above. I don't know why we did this."

With a flash of insight, Chen Xuan said hesitantly, "Is that so? I wonder if I could see him? If so, I would like to take him with me, since we have known each other for a while. What do you two think?"

So far, the two sides have gotten along quite well, with no tense atmosphere at all. An outsider might think it was a gathering of acquaintances, but in reality, the atmosphere was incredibly oppressive. However, the oppressive atmosphere was on the home side, while Chen Xuan showed no awareness of the danger of going it alone, completely turning the tables on the guest.

This is reality: strength equals confidence, and you can dominate anywhere.

The two men exchanged another glance. The black-clad swordsman took a deep breath and chuckled, "Mr. Chen, if you want to see them, that's no problem. They're nearby. However, if Mr. Chen wants to take them away, that's not something we can decide. Please don't misunderstand; we're not trying to make things difficult. It's simply that whether Mr. Chen can take them away is up to you, not us. We absolutely will not do anything to stop you."

"Is that so? Then please ask them to come out. As for whether we can take them away, I'll give it a try," Chen Xuan said with a hint of amusement. He could tell that what they said was true; they wouldn't stop him from taking the people away, nor could they stop him. So that was the situation Liu Yuyuan and the others were currently facing.

One thing Chen Xuan was certain of was that the real purpose was to buy time. Whether he could take Liu Yuyuan and the others away, or whether they lived or died, was not important. Chen Xuan was certain that the reason he was being kept here was because someone wanted to take advantage of his wife and the others, so that he would not have time to take care of them.

It doesn't matter. I had anticipated this and made arrangements in advance. Whether I'm with my wife or not makes no difference. If they can't handle things even with the arrangements made in advance, I probably wouldn't stand a chance even if I were there.

Since Chen Xuan had already said all that, even if they wanted to stall for time, the two dared not play any tricks. They exchanged glances, and the fat man, Old Zhu, nodded and said, "In that case, Mr. Chen, please see for yourself."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and pointed at several pillars in the hall, sending out wisps of energy. It was clear that he had activated a mechanism, and then the entire building trembled slightly.

Soon, under Chen Xuan's keenly watched gaze, the already spacious hall was revealed when the back wall split open on both sides, revealing a room of about a hundred square meters inside, but it was completely empty.

The next moment, the seemingly perfectly sealed floor split in the middle, and with a slight rumbling sound, a dark hole three zhang in diameter appeared, from which something rose up.

First, four thick, black metal pillars emerged, almost touching the roof before stopping, and the metal bases attached to them filled the cracked hole.

When the ground cracked open, Chen Xuan immediately sensed Liu Yuyuan's presence. He realized why he hadn't noticed him before; Liu Yuyuan had been imprisoned in a secret room. It was definitely arranged by a master, as not even a trace of his presence had been leaked.

As several metal pillars and a base rose, Liu Yuyuan and the others came into Chen Xuan's view. They were in the middle of the four pillars, all eight of them alive and well, though they looked somewhat disheveled, probably because they had been dealt with when they trespassed into the illusion array.

The people who appeared were frozen in place, unable to move or speak. It wasn't that they had been acupunctured, but that they dared not move, not even blink. It wasn't that they couldn't, but that they dared not, because even the slightest movement would kill them!
...(End of this chapter)