Misty Rain of the Old Times

The entire Jade City was shrouded in a tense and somber atmosphere. The usual hustle and bustle remained, but it seemed much quieter now.

Pedestrians hurried along the street, glancing around frequently as if something was threatening their lives. Vendors bargaining for their livelihoods kept their voices down, and the once bustling brothels and entertainment venues had all closed their doors and windows.

People still have to live their lives. Ordinary people may not know what happened, but anyone with a bit of ability knows that the entire Jade City has changed overnight, and not just Jade City, but the entire Jade Flower Kingdom.

Last night, the fire lit up the night sky. Too many people died, including countless high-ranking officials and their entire families who were violently arrested and imprisoned. Perhaps the same thing could happen to you at any moment, leaving you living in constant fear.

The news of Qin Yan's death had not yet spread, clearly suppressed to prevent a counterattack from the forces he led. However, Song Yuzhi, or rather the royal family of Yuhua Kingdom, had already begun a purge. Pure violence caught the forces led by the Qin family off guard, and those who resisted were killed!

The horses' hooves clattered, but inside the spacious carriage, all was quiet and peaceful; the tense atmosphere outside had no effect on those inside.

The carriage that Chen Xuan and the others were riding in was like a room, with plenty of space even if it seated ten or so people. Although the carriage appeared to be moving normally, the wheels were not actually touching the ground to prevent the bumps from affecting the pregnant princess.

With his head resting on Du Juan's round thighs, Chen Xuan closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, but his hands kept moving. However, he wasn't doing anything lewd or naughty; instead, he was fiddling with a fist-sized piece of mixed metal.

After yesterday's experience, he had a better idea of ​​how to improve the concealment array he had been working on for so long. He was working hard to perfect it. He had a feeling that it wouldn't be long before he could achieve a breakthrough from zero to one. After he created the first array base, the difficulty would drop dramatically.

He occasionally emitted scorching flames from his palms, melting the mixed metals into liquid, which then folded, twisted, and awakened in various ways. During this process, the internal structure and texture of the alloy also changed. After it was almost done, he used his icy true essence to cool it down. If it was not up to standard, he would continue to melt it and repeat the process.

When creating the array base, whether it's scorching hot or freezing cold, the aura doesn't leak out and affect others in the slightest.

The little princess would occasionally glance at her husband, who was leisurely dozing off, while she sewed baby clothes. Guo Qingxue, watching from the side, would quietly ask for advice. It was surprising that someone from the martial arts world would start paying attention to needlework. She even wanted to be a good wife and mother in the future. Fighting and killing was not good. If Chen Xuan accepted her in the future, no matter how high her martial arts skills were, she would hardly have a chance of being born.

The city's key intersections were guarded by troops, and fully armed soldiers frequently raided the streets, exuding a murderous aura. However, Chen Xuan's convoy passed by without any obstruction or questioning. They had already made arrangements and even arranged for people to escort them in secret. They couldn't afford to offend them, especially now, during this critical period. If they angered the Grand Princess, they would suffer the consequences.

Yesterday, Song Yuzhi was struck by Chen Xuan's palm inside the imperial mausoleum, causing him to suffer from uterine cold. Although the news did not spread, many people still saw it. No matter how indignant they were, they could only suppress their anger.

As Yucheng has a population of over ten million, Chen Xuan and his group set off at noon and, without rushing, didn't leave the south gate until late afternoon. After they left Yucheng, the people secretly watching them visibly breathed a sigh of relief, and the number of people watching them decreased. It took them nearly an hour to pass through Weicheng and completely leave the outskirts of Yucheng on the main road, where the number of people secretly watching them decreased even further.

Without any unexpected incidents, they headed south in the glow of the setting sun. They would be spending the night in the wilderness, but with ample preparation, there wouldn't be any major problems, and it would even be quite enjoyable.

"I wonder how my martial uncle is doing," Guo Qingxue said worriedly as she watched Wei Cheng gradually disappear into the distance.

She wasn't heartless; she had been thinking about Liu Yuehong and the others who stayed behind yesterday, but since she couldn't help, she wouldn't make a rash move to cause trouble.

Having learned the details from Chen Xuan, the little princess comforted him, "Don't worry, Little Xue. Your martial aunts and the others are staying to help, not on Qin Yan's side. They'll be fine, and they'll probably even get some benefits. That Grand Princess of Yuhua Kingdom doesn't seem like a stingy person."

"I was overthinking it," Guo Qingxue smiled, feeling somewhat relieved.

When Chen Xuan opened his eyes, all he could see was Du Juan's large, voluptuous breasts. Because of the angle, he couldn't see her face, but he unabashedly reached out and pinched them, a gesture that made Du Juan's delicate body tremble and her face flush.

He turned around and smiled, "Don't worry, Senior Liu and the others weren't taken away by the Chrysanthemum Guards. Following that old aunt Song Yuzhi, they're sure to reap many benefits. Besides, that old aunt is currently in need of manpower, and who knows, she might just transform herself into an important figure and rise to prominence. If you can be given important responsibilities, with the backing of the Yuhua Kingdom's royal family, your Cold Mountain Sword Sect's status in the martial arts world will also be greatly enhanced."

"Ah...that's unlikely," Guo Qingxue blinked, a little confused. She really hadn't thought of that. It seemed like a pie could just fall from the sky.

Adjusting himself into a comfortable position, Chen Xuan confidently said, "Why not? Your martial uncle is at least a Xiantian master. Xiaoxue, you surely understand the significance of a Xiantian master, right?"

It seems quite possible. After all, innate masters are known as arrogant kings and nobles in white robes. Guo Qingxue, realizing this, suddenly felt like she was in a dream. It seems that her martial uncle is about to become rich.

However, Chen Xuan reminded her with great interest: "Xiaoxue, have you thought about this? Your Hanshan Sword Sect is located within our Jing Kingdom, and your Uncle Liu has a high status in your sect. If you get in touch with that old aunt Song Yuzhi, where will you focus your efforts in the future? How will the martial arts forces within our territory view you?"

Hearing this, the little girl suddenly felt like she was starting to use her brain. She paused for a moment, then decisively shook her head and said, "These are not things I should be worrying about. If it's really as Brother Chen says, let Father and the others worry about it. Besides, our martial arts forces don't really care about national borders. Besides... besides, we still have Brother Chen here. Who would dare to use these things to cause trouble for our Cold Mountain Sword Sect?"

"You've actually learned to give up," Chen Xuan chuckled. "Xiaoxue, it's a good thing you think this way. Keep it up. Why worry so much about things that give you a headache? Isn't it nice to enjoy life? People in the martial arts world are always running around, going wherever there's profit to be made. Why care so much?"

Overjoyed, Guo Qingxue looked at Chen Xuan tenderly, her watery eyes almost dripping with tears. Brother Chen didn't seem to care about her saying that with him around, no one would dare to speak ill of the Cold Mountain Sword Sect. Was he gradually accepting her?
While they were chatting inside the carriage, someone on horseback came galloping up from behind the caravan, kicking up dust. Their gazes were clearly those of Chen Xuan and his group.

The newcomer appeared to be in his early twenties, quite dashing, dressed in white robes on a black horse, with a sword at his waist. As he approached, he extended his hand and called out urgently, "Gentlemen, please wait! I have something to ask you."

Chen Xuan noticed the newcomer inside the carriage but paid him no attention. The convoy did not stop. A eunuch accompanying the carriage stopped the newcomer, examined him, and politely bowed, saying, "Sir, please state your purpose so as not to disturb my master and mistress."

This eunuch's attitude was truly commendable. He knew his master disliked bullying others and was very gentle with people he had no grudge against. Otherwise, given his personality from the palace, if the other party had come up shouting and yelling, "Who do you think you are?", it would have been merciful of him not to slap them.

Seeing that the convoy was still moving forward, the newcomer looked anxious, but still managed to calm himself down and clasped his hands in a salute, saying, "Greetings, sir. I am Guan Peng, the 32nd generation chief disciple of the Cold Mountain Sword Sect. I have come to find my junior sister. I know she is with you. The sect leader specifically instructed me to take good care of her and bring her back. I hope you understand."

It turned out to be Miss Guo's senior brother who had come looking for them. Upon hearing this, the eunuch nodded and said, "Very well, I cannot make this decision myself; I must consult with my superiors first. Please wait a moment."

Wait a minute? Junior Sister has run off with someone, and we don't even know who it is! This won't do!
Seeing the eunuch turn around and chase after him to ask for permission, Guan Peng, not being a reckless person, hurriedly rode forward and shouted, "Junior Sister, I know you're here. I am your senior brother, Guan Peng. How could you just leave with someone like that? Get down and come back with me, or how will I explain to the sect leader?" The eunuch turned around, frowned, and said unhappily, "Young master, keep your voice down. If you disturb my master and mistress's peace, you can't afford the consequences!"

Guan Peng paid no heed to the eunuch's attitude and continued shouting, "Junior Sister, did you hear that...?"

If it weren't for the large number of people in the convoy and the intense scrutiny from several pairs of eyes, Guan Peng probably would have rushed over to snatch the person away.

He spoke so loudly that Chen Xuan and the others in the car naturally heard him. Chen Xuan was secretly speechless, thinking to himself that Guan Peng was probably a troublemaker. He looked at Guo Qingxue and smiled, "Xiaoxue, your senior brother has come to call you back. Do you want to continue south with us, or go back with him and say goodbye for now?"

Last night, I sent someone to the Cold Mountain Sword Sect's headquarters to give them a heads-up, but I never expected Guan Peng to actually catch up with me.

Guo Qingxue thought to herself that something was wrong. "That damned senior brother actually wants to take me back. It's so rare for me to get close to Brother Chen, and he's clearly trying to stop me from pursuing happiness. It's utterly unreasonable!"

However, she couldn't care less about her senior brother at this moment. Looking at Chen Xuan, she said urgently, "Brother Chen, don't misunderstand. There's nothing between us. He just takes advantage of being ten years older than me and thinks he's doing everything for my own good. I've been annoyed with him since we were little."

Why am I feeling more and more like Pleasant Goat? Chen Xuan chuckled to himself, waving his hand and saying, "What misunderstanding could I possibly have? After all, he's your senior brother, and he's clearly concerned about you. Go and say hello. Whether you want to stay with us or go back with him is entirely up to you."

"Of course I'll go back with Brother Chen and you guys. Alright, I'll go and get rid of him first," Guo Qingxue said helplessly, secretly clenching her fists. She thought to herself, "Damn senior brother, if you make Brother Chen misunderstand me, I'll skin you alive."

Chen Xuan knew that he and Guo Qingxue were just friends with a relatively special relationship. He wouldn't care too much about the things between the two of them, and he certainly wouldn't make decisions for her. Their relationship wasn't that close. Of course, if Guan Peng didn't have any sense of boundaries and did something excessive, Chen Xuan wouldn't stand idly by. So he nodded to indicate that she could do as she pleased.

"Brother Chen, please don't misunderstand, I'll be right back," Guo Qingxue said, trying to remain calm. She gave him a sweet smile, then got out of the car, still feeling resentful, and went to Guan Peng's side in the back.

Chen Xuan wouldn't interfere with how they negotiated, and since he didn't know Guan Peng, there was no need for him to get involved.

After Guo Qingxue got out of the car, the little princess teased, "Husband, judging from his tone, Guan Peng seems to have special feelings for Xiaoxue. Don't you care at all?"

"My wife is joking. It's perfectly normal. Xiaoxue is so beautiful, it would be abnormal if no one liked her. Everyone is born free and has their own life and relationships with family and friends. Let alone the fact that Xiaoxue and I are not together now, I can't just reject anyone else from getting close to her just because she likes me. That would be so selfish and pointless," Chen Xuan shrugged and said listlessly.

Her husband was always so calm and composed. The little princess covered her mouth and smiled, taking the opportunity to say, "Since you know that Xiaoxue is all for you, and you also said that she is beautiful, and indeed she is quite outstanding, do you like her? Why don't you set a formal relationship like Wanxi did? If you are too shy to say it, how about you leave it to me?"

What his wife said, translated, was basically, "Little Chen, do you want a concubine or not?" Hearing this, Chen Xuan was speechless, both amused and exasperated, and said, "Wife, here we go again. Let nature take its course. We already have enough, and we haven't even sorted things out yet."

"You've always been so lukewarm towards girls, never even considering what they think. I really don't know what to say to you. If I hadn't taken the initiative, I don't know how long you would have dragged it out," the little princess said helplessly, shaking her head.

Chen Xuan blinked, then suddenly became interested, looking at his wife scratching her head and asking, "Wife, was it you who took the initiative in our relationship?"

"No, I didn't. It was clearly your sweet talk that fooled me, who was so naive," the little princess vehemently denied.

Trying hard to recall, Chen Xuan said somewhat confusedly, "Is that so? I didn't do anything special, just normal meetings and conversations, and we gradually got together."

"Hmph, just pretend you're stupid. You've come up with so many romantic gestures that make people cry buckets. What girl could resist that?" The little princess pouted, feeling happy and sweet. She was also a little smug because her husband hadn't deliberately created those romantic gestures for other girls; they were all unique to her.

On her eighteenth birthday, on a floating island, her husband faced her with outstretched arms, and thousands of lights rose into the sky like stars. That scene will forever be etched in the little princess's heart. And the ten miles of peach blossoms on their wedding day were so moving. She really loved this darling to death. Giving him ten sons wouldn't be enough; she would have to find many more sisters to continue the family line.

Who can really explain matters of the heart? Their relationship didn't have many dramatic ups and downs; it just naturally blossomed from the start.

On the other side, Guo Qingxue came to the back and said to her senior brother Guan Peng in a calm tone, "Senior brother, what are you doing here? I'm with Brother Chen and the others. You should go back."

“How can this be, Junior Sister? Listen to me. I promised the Sect Leader that I would take good care of you while we were away. Besides, that Mr. Chen is already married and has a whole bunch of women around him. How can you go with him in such an ambiguous way? What kind of talk is that? Listen to me and come back with me,” Guan Peng said earnestly. He was telling the truth. If he didn’t know Chen Xuan’s situation, he probably would have described him as an utterly wicked person, but he obviously didn’t dare to say anything reckless.

Guo Qingxue immediately flew into a rage, putting one hand on her hip and pointing the other at Guan Peng's nose, saying, "I call you Senior Brother because we're from the same sect. What right do you have to interfere in my affairs? And how dare you speak ill of Brother Chen? If I hear you say anything bad about Brother Chen again, don't blame me for turning against you!"

"No, Junior Sister, don't be angry. That's not what I meant. It's just that if something happens to you while you're acting alone, how am I supposed to explain it to the Sect Leader when I get back?" Guan Peng said with a forced smile.

Just looking at him made her angry. Guo Qingxue waved her hand, too lazy to waste words, and said impatiently, "Alright, Senior Brother, you can go now. I'll explain to Father when I get back. Also, it's no secret that I like Brother Chen. I've already decided on him for life, and Father supports me. Even if I become his concubine, it's not a shameful thing. Don't bother me anymore, I'm afraid Brother Chen will misunderstand."

After saying that, she turned and left without hesitation, not even bothering to look back.

Watching her resolute back, especially those knife-like words, Guan Peng immediately turned pale and felt weak all over. The whole world seemed to lose its color, and he just stood there dumbfounded, bewildered in the wind.

What's so great about Chen Xuan? He's just incredibly handsome, his cultivation is unfathomable, and... well, he's surrounded by girls. Is he really worth you being willing to be his concubine without even glancing at me?
Xia Mei, who was riding a horse beside the carriage, looked at Guan Peng with some sympathy from the perspective of a guest, shook her head and left with the group. She thought to herself that this kid still had some sense of propriety and did not do anything rash in a moment of impulse. There is nothing wrong with liking someone, but liking the wrong person is just asking for trouble.

After Guo Qingxue got back into the car, Chen Xuan asked curiously, "Xiaoxue, your senior brother is actually in Yucheng too. Why didn't I see him yesterday?"

"He is, after all, the senior disciple of our sect this generation. He went to the Jade Valley for an exchange on behalf of our sect a few days ago, which is why he wasn't with my uncle and me yesterday..." (End of Chapter)