Misty Rain of the Old Times

'This aura carries a hidden power to suppress all directions, making it one of the best I've ever experienced,' Chen Xuan thought with surprise once again. The sense of danger it exuded was far beyond what the giant spider had ever shown him.

The newcomer was undoubtedly a Grandmaster-level expert. Such a being would not bother to deliberately conceal their aura. Having already reached such a height, if they were to pretend to be weak while actually being strong, wouldn't their cultivation have been in vain?

Take Chen Xuan himself as an example. He has never deliberately kept a low profile. As for others seeing him as an ordinary person, it is because of the cultivation method he practices. His aura is naturally peaceful and natural. If they cannot sense his depth, it is because their own cultivation is not deep enough.

The moment the newcomer appeared within Chen Xuan's sensory range, the person was already standing on the large spider coiled in the web, facing Chen Xuan with a subtly condescending posture.

Although he did not deliberately conceal his aura, he was still shrouded in a black robe, making it impossible to see his face, age, or gender. As a result, Chen Xuan guessed that this person's identity should not be exposed, especially here. It was even possible that the aura he was showing at this moment was his true appearance.

When he appeared on the giant spider, the spider moved again. Chen Xuan could clearly feel that the giant spider was trying to get close to him. If it weren't for its huge size, it probably would have snuggled up to him affectionately.

However, after this person appeared, Chen Xuan raised his eyebrows slightly. Although he could not see through the other person's age and appearance, he was undoubtedly a man. After all, his figure was very different from that of a woman, and it was difficult for a woman to have such a domineering aura that could suppress the eight wastelands. In that case, could it be that he had guessed wrong?
A thought struck Chen Xuan, and he realized something was wrong. He was sure his feeling was right; the other party was definitely not Qin Ruyu. But don't forget, Qin Ruyu had a grandfather who was not only the powerful prime minister who controlled the government of Yuhua Kingdom, but also a grandmaster who had been famous for many years!
At this moment, Chen Xuan already had a clue. This person was probably Qin Ruyu's grandfather, Qin Yan. However, guessing was one thing, but some things couldn't be taken seriously unless they were completely out in the open.

"Greetings, Your Excellency"

The black-robed man on the rooftop who had spoken with Chen Xuan earlier immediately knelt down on one knee and bowed, his tone filled with firm piety. At the same time, the apprehension and fear he had shown in front of Chen Xuan vanished without a trace, clearly indicating that he now had a leader to rely on.

That unwavering tone suggested that he would die without hesitation if he uttered just one word.

At the same time, the people hidden in the corner of the underground palace, as perceived by Chen Xuan, all appeared, their true faces concealed by black robes. They came to the open area and respectfully bowed to the figure on the giant spider.

Honestly, the feeling of bowing down to everyone must be pretty exhilarating. After all, wielding power over the world is every man's ultimate dream. Chen Xuan isn't envious at all; really, the sour feeling is just because he was jealous this morning…

"That's interesting. If I'm not mistaken, the person I just unexpectedly controlled and questioned said 'Master' before he died. But now, they're addressing the one on the giant spider's back as 'Lord.' That's quite a difference," Chen Xuan suddenly grasped the key point.

Before he could ponder it further, the creature on the giant spider spoke to Chen Xuan, saying, "Young Master Chen, some things are not your concern. Wouldn't it be better to pretend you didn't see them? Curiosity can kill. Why pry into things just because you're interested? You should have turned back back in the herb garden. You shouldn't have come here. Now it's too late. You've seen what you shouldn't have seen. Even if you don't understand the specifics, I can't let you leave. But it doesn't have to be a life-or-death struggle. The condition is that you pledge allegiance to me and join us."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan was almost dumbfounded. He would instinctively scratch his butt whenever this happened, and looked at the other person in astonishment, saying, "Wait, is it really that direct?"

Indeed, I've probably come to your shady core territory, but we haven't even had a single fight yet. You think you can control me by spouting vague words? You are indeed very strong, with a giant spider and many subordinates, but I'm not made of clay either.

You immediately asked me to pledge allegiance to you. I was just going out for a stroll, okay? Aren't you embarrassed by this whole thing?

For Chen Xuan, he was really just going out for a stroll. Because of his connection to an old friend, if Liu Yuyuan hadn't died, he might have taken the opportunity to make a quick buck. Fighting and killing to punish evil and promote good was not his intention.

Well, judging from the current situation, the other party doesn't think that way.

That said, the other person's voice didn't reveal any joy or emotion, and it was disguised, so there was no way to determine their identity. However, one thing was certain: they knew me, not that we were acquainted. Otherwise, they wouldn't have revealed my identity so easily.

You can tell from the way they address you that the other person is older and at the same level. Calling him "Young Master Chen" is perfectly appropriate; otherwise, you would have to call anyone else "Mr." Chen.

“Young man, too much success will make you lose your sense of awe. I have learned about your experience and admire you. I need talents like you and sincerely invite you to join me and serve me. What do you think?” the other party said again.

Chen Xuan immediately glared and asked, "Are you the head of the Eastern Depot?"

Judging that the other party also didn't understand what Chen Xuan was talking about, he pondered for a moment and chuckled, "Sometimes confidence is a good thing, but don't be too confident. Young Master Chen, I truly admire you. You only have one chance. Do you think you have a choice?"

"They've got me cornered," Chen Xuan thought to himself. He could also tell that the other party genuinely appreciated him; otherwise, they wouldn't have been so patient with all that rambling. When it comes to talented people, many people are willing to give them the necessary patience.

In that case, could I just ask him directly and find out what I want to know? I figured he must know that villains die from talking too much, but what if he would tell me? It won't hurt to try.

So Chen Xuan pointed to the large spider at his feet and the human-shaped cocoon hanging from its silk and said directly, "Um... never mind, you probably won't reveal your identity now, so I'm curious, what is the purpose of capturing so many young and beautiful women? Can you tell me?"

"It seems you're declining my offer, Young Master Chen. What a pity," the other party said, shaking his head slightly with a hint of regret.

I knew they wouldn't reveal it easily; they're clearly not the kind of people who think they know everything. The only way to find out the truth is to actually join them. But if I join them, they definitely have ways to control themselves.

So, if we can't reach an agreement, we have to resort to violence?
To be honest, Chen Xuan has never actively provoked any major enemies. Each time, either others provoke him, or he happens to get involved in certain events.

"your people?"

"The people you brought?"

Just as Chen Xuan was wondering if they were about to fight, the two spoke at almost the same time, with Chen Xuan asking the first question.

Actually, Chen Xuan didn't really dislike fighting and killing, but given the current situation, the other side would definitely not let him leave as if he hadn't been there. Putting aside everything else, the mere fact that the imperial tomb had been occupied meant that the news absolutely could not be leaked; such a thing was forbidden in any country, anywhere. As the two spoke almost simultaneously, two groups of people emerged from two separate passages surrounding the underground palace. One group came from the passage Chen Xuan had exited, and the other from the passage where the black-robed man who had spoken to Chen Xuan had come.

There were relatively few people who came from the passage Chen Xuan had used, maybe a dozen or so at most. Except for a few, they were all experts of the Innate Realm. It seems that the words Chen Xuan gave before coming down were heard by the people behind him.

Judging by the time, Chen Xuan had already wasted a lot of time getting here, and the others should have arrived by now.

These people arrived in a very disheveled state, clearly having suffered a lot in that passage filled with poisonous fog. It was only thanks to Chen Xuan's prior handling of countless poisonous insects that they were able to pass through alive. When they emerged from the passage and saw the underground palace environment under the dome, they couldn't help but shout and scream.

The people coming from the other direction looked very relaxed, as if they came and went often, as if they were coming home. There were also many of them, two or three hundred people in a row. Their cultivation levels were uneven, and half of them were just ordinary people with no cultivation at all. Moreover, they were young and beautiful women!
Upon seeing the group of people who appeared when the black-robed men arrived, Chen Xuan already understood the situation. Those young and beautiful women who had been there for so many years had been abducted by the black-robed men's forces and brought here to suffer an unknown tragedy, thus becoming fertilizer for the flowers!
There were no fewer than a hundred beautiful women brought here at this time. To exaggerate a bit, they were all exceptional beauties, one in a thousand. They were all still alive. Judging from their clothes and appearance, some of them were of extraordinary status. Chen Xuan had even seen a few of them before. They were all famous courtesans from various brothels in Yucheng. He hadn't seen them when he visited the brothels, but rather when he was with his wife and the others. He had only heard people mention them from afar and had noticed them.

'So many beautiful women have been brought here, what will happen to them next? It seems I just happened to be there.'

With a flicker of thought, Chen Xuan looked at the crowd of people walking out of the passage. His gaze quickly froze, revealing a look of disbelief, because he actually saw Qin Ruyu among those women!

She was still sickly and frail, her face pale and her forehead covered in cold sweat, as if she would collapse and die with every step she took. She was being pushed around with her hands tied, her face filled with despair and sorrow, looking as pitiful as could be.

Seeing her brought here like this, Chen Xuan almost threw her off balance. Could it be that he had guessed everything wrong? If she was the mastermind, how could she have ended up like this?

Chen Xuan left early and hadn't returned to Yucheng yet, so he had no idea that many women in Yucheng had been abducted at almost the same time.

On the giant spider, the black-robed man who had kept Chen Xuan on guard at all times shook his head slightly and smiled, one hand behind his back: "Young Master Chen, I'll give you another chance. If you join us and pledge your allegiance, I truly admire you. Otherwise, since you've come here and seen things you shouldn't have, I can only apologize and leave you here forever!"

It's clear that, as the saying goes, the other party genuinely showed great patience and tolerance towards an outstanding young man like Chen Xuan, while completely disregarding those who came later.

However, Chen Xuan's senses were very sharp. When he spoke, he hesitated for a moment, seemingly not expecting his subordinate to bring someone here at that exact moment. In particular, he subtly turned his head to glance at Qin Ruyu in the crowd, but pretended to be nonchalant. Even though Qin Ruyu did not show any abnormality, Chen Xuan suspected that the two had reached some kind of tacit understanding.

Before Chen Xuan could speak, the people who came after him had quickly assessed the surroundings, and suddenly a joyful shout rang out: "Brother Chen, it really is you!"

As soon as the voice rang out, the person who spoke rushed towards Chen Xuan, as if afraid that he would fly away at any moment.

At the same time, another figure anxiously chased after the person who had spoken, saying, "Xue'er, wait! We don't know the specifics yet. Such rashness might only cause more trouble."

"I know, but...but...Brother Chen is here. With him here, nothing should happen, and I won't cause him any trouble," the girl said, clearly hesitating for a moment, but still couldn't help but quickly approach Chen Xuan.

As a result, the others who had come with them followed suit.

Upon hearing the voice behind him, Chen Xuan knew who it was. He was slightly speechless, wondering why she would appear here. After all, this was the heart of Yuhua Kingdom. Oh right, she was also a member of the martial arts world. She probably came here to uphold justice after learning about the disappearance of many young girls.

Without turning around, Chen Xuan said seriously, "Putting aside whether you, who are hiding your true colors, can keep me here, it seems that you are not good people either. Since you are so confident, why not just tell me what you have done, so as to save the trouble of investigating? What do you think?"

As he spoke, the girl in white who called him Brother Chen had already come to his side. She was excited and happy, yet slightly shy, and a little resentful. She restrained the urge to throw herself into his arms and said in a clear voice, "Brother Chen, it's been a long time. I... what are you doing here?"

She originally wanted to say "I miss you so much," but their relationship hadn't reached that point yet, and the current situation wasn't appropriate.

Tilting his head slightly, Chen Xuan looked at the graceful young woman in white standing beside him. Even though the current situation was somewhat special, her shy, timid, and uneasy eyes reminded him of what had happened before. He couldn't help but tease her, reaching out to touch her head and raising an eyebrow, saying, "Miss Guo, it seems you haven't learned your lesson. You've come knocking on my door again. Don't let it run away like last time."

It's not that Chen Xuan can't tell the occasion, why be so repressed? The guy opposite him is tight-lipped, pretending to be so confident that he doesn't know the immensity of the world. Maybe he can get some information out of him.

When Guo Qingxue went to Chen Xuan's house, she said she would marry no one but him. What did that little brat know? She just pretended to be frivolous and scared him a bit before running away with her little pearls.

Faced with Chen Xuan's outstretched hand, Guo Qingxue not only didn't flinch, but despite the danger she had just encountered, she seemed completely at ease as long as she was by Chen Xuan's side. Ignoring the stares of everyone, she blushed and proactively leaned her head in, as obedient as a kitten, and said in a muffled yet joyful voice, "Brother Chen, you were just trying to scare me, but I won't fall for it now."

"Hey, why don't you dodge? Aren't you afraid I'll take advantage of you?" Chen Xuan was puzzled, unsure whether to continue or put his hand down.

However, Guo Qingxue took the initiative to rub against him again, her face flushed red, her chest pounding like a rabbit's. If the environment hadn't been inappropriate, she would have buried herself in Chen Xuan's arms.

Looking at Chen Xuan with her big, watery eyes, she said shyly yet firmly, "I will never hide again. I've thought it through these past few days, and I don't mind whatever Brother Chen wants to do."

"Cough cough," Liu Yuehong, who had followed them, coughed loudly, reminding the two to be mindful of the occasion.

The man in black robes opposite also spoke up, saying jokingly, "Young Master Chen's youthful charm is truly enviable. Wherever he goes, women throw themselves at him. However, I must spoil the mood. What Young Master Chen said is correct. Several beautiful women have actually come to your door. It is truly a cause for celebration, especially since there is a beloved disciple of the Grand Princess. If she hadn't come to your door, it would have been difficult to make a move!"

...(End of this chapter)