Misty Rain of the Old Times

A few days later, Chen Xuan and his group had traveled more than 2,000 miles south of Yucheng. They had not entered any towns during these days and had tried to travel through the wilderness as much as possible. With Chen Xuan around, there was no problem with the convoy being unable to pass through narrow roads in the wilderness. Even the purchase of necessary living supplies was arranged by Xia Mei.

Chen Xuan disliked joining in the fun. After Qin Yan's death, the power struggle in Yuhua Kingdom was chaotic everywhere. He avoided going into the city to avoid seeing anything unpleasant. He didn't care about himself, but he didn't know what he might do if someone foolishly disturbed his pregnant wife.

He possesses a sharp blade, which naturally fuels his murderous intent. He acts without restraint and is also incredibly powerful. Once he gets angry, he becomes a disaster.

That evening, they set up camp in a small, scenic valley, intending to spend the night in the wilderness. After a long drought, a stream that once flowed through the valley had dried up, so there was no worry about a lack of drinking water. Chen Xuan casually dug a hole in the groundwater and created a spring. The flowing water attracted animals to drink from hundreds of meters downstream. Naturally, the animals dared not approach them, and would flee in panic at the slightest hint of their presence, which added a few kinds of wild game to their diet.

The temporary camp was quickly set up by a group of attendants, and they managed to create a small house with five or six rooms in a short period of time.

Chen Xuan was already used to this. The house was not built from locally felled timber, but rather assembled from several horse-drawn carriages.

Before setting off, Xia Mei prepared high-end carriages. With the exquisite skills of skilled craftsmen, the walls of each carriage could be disassembled and extended, and could also be raised. When a single carriage was extended, the space was several times larger, and it could be used as a separate room. It could also be combined with other carriages. That's how rooms were made. It was so convenient.

Chen Xuan couldn't help but admire the wisdom of the working people, especially in this era, where they had perfected the art of travel. Of course, such a carriage was not cheap; ordinary wealthy families could only dream of owning one. Its value was no less than the tens of millions of dollars worth of a motorhome Chen Xuan had in his previous life.

After a leisurely day of travel, the little princess, though not tired, went to take a bath and change clothes after settling in. She loves cleanliness, and a bath is truly relaxing.

Guo Qingxue and Su Roujia were practicing on the open ground outside the camp. Du Juan was giving them pointers from time to time. The two were evenly matched, both being beautiful young women. Their clothes were fluttering as they exchanged blows, making for a very pleasing scene.

However, Guo Qingxue was clearly in the upper hand. After all, she had been practicing martial arts since childhood, which was incomparable to Su Roujia, who had only been practicing martial arts for a little over a year. Even though Su Roujia had the secret techniques taught by Chen Xuan and the supply of elixirs, the gap in experience and age was hard to overcome.

However, as the fight progressed, Guo Qingxue became increasingly alarmed. The young girl's martial arts skills were simply too formidable. She knew that if Su Roujia had trained for the same amount of time as her, she would be no match for her. She could only gain the upper hand by relying on her age and experience.

The Nine Absolutes Blade Technique, the Azure Cloud Floating Lightness Skill, and the Pure Source Flowing Cloud Internal Skill—which of these skills did the little girl practice not be one of the world's top martial arts? Moreover, Grandmaster Chen Xuan would personally guide her from time to time, and pills were supplied to her as if they were free. She could be said to be making rapid progress every day, but she suffered from the disadvantage of not having enough time to practice martial arts.

If things continue like this, within a year at most, Guo Qingxue, who has practiced martial arts since childhood, will no longer be her match. It should be noted that Guo Qingxue comes from a prestigious sect, and although she is still a disciple of the younger generation, she is already a formidable figure.

Du Juan watched from the side with her arms crossed, occasionally offering pointers, also to prevent any accidents from happening. Her posture made her already full and firm breasts even more prominent. Even with her discerning eye, she had to admit that Su Roujia had made rapid progress, especially after seeing blood. This had made up for her inner timidity, and she was now decisive in her moves, no longer hesitant. Her mindset was very much in line with the Nine Absolutes Blade Technique, and she had already achieved a minor level of mastery. However, her internal energy was insufficient, making it difficult to unleash its full power. After all, internal energy is something that is cultivated over many years and cannot be achieved overnight.

In contrast, Guo Qingxue comes from a prestigious sect, and her experience and reaction are top-notch. Her only weakness is her martial arts skills, which even Du Juan, who is at the Innate Realm, does not underestimate.

Deep down, Du Juan had to admit that if they were the same age, she wouldn't be a match for Guo Qingxue in a head-on fight. The foundation of a powerful force is not just for show, and Guo Qingxue, as a key figure being cultivated by the Cold Mountain Sword Sect, is unlike Du Juan, who was originally an assassin and had to risk her life to get whatever she wanted.

Yunlan and Yunxin were busy cooking, Xiamei was arranging patrols and security, while Chen Xuan was somewhat idle.

If the stream hadn't dried up before they arrived, Chen Xuan probably would have cast his line a few times. No matter how big or small the stream is, where there's water, there are fish. The joy of fishing is something most people don't understand.

Bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun, Chen Xuan, bored out of his mind, watched their graceful figures while toying with a piece of nonahedral special alloy in his hand, his eyes full of smiles.

Over the course of several months, combined with his experience in the illusion array that day and Qin Ruyu's mental attack, he gained some insights. Now, he has finally achieved a breakthrough from zero to one, creating the first finished array base of the Concealment Array.

With the first finished product, the difficulty will drop dramatically, and the complete concealment array will be ready to be set up in no time.

An irregular nine-sided polyhedron floated in his palm. It was made from a special blend of various materials and was white as jade. It was covered with complex and mysterious patterns and looked like a work of art.

Don't be fooled by its seamless appearance; it's actually composed of nine parts. Its inherent properties allow it to fit together tightly without any external force, leaving no gaps whatsoever. This is truly a zero-defect product.

Examining the fist-sized nine-sided array base, Chen Xuan released a small amount of true essence. The once unified array separated into nine irregular parts, some triangular, some semi-circular, and some ring-shaped. When he stopped separating the true essence, the nine parts attracted each other and reassembled into a whole.

"Finally, I've mastered the first one, achieving a breakthrough from zero to one. Next, I'll systematically master the concealment array, and then I can start working on the levitation array. My dream of building castles in the air is no longer just something I can't have. Not bad, not bad. Oh, right, I made an agreement with the Tai Xuan Sect. After mastering the concealment array, I need to find some time to set one up for them. They'll have to provide the materials themselves."

In high spirits, Chen Xuan played with the first array base for a while, then put it away, feeling quite pleased.

Night fell and the moon rose in the east. Guo Qingxue and the little girl finished their sparring session, both of them drenched in sweat.

"Sister Roujia is truly amazing. I almost couldn't stop her a few times just now. At your age, I am far inferior to her," Guo Qingxue said admiringly, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

The petite girl, who was carrying a large sword almost as tall as herself, shook her head and said, "I'm still far from good enough. Sister Xue'er, you're the truly amazing one. Even if I tried my best, I still wouldn't be your match."

Her face was flushed, whether from exhaustion or shyness at receiving praise, it was hard to tell.

Guo Qingxue, looking dejected, chuckled, "I'm serious. If it weren't for my superior internal strength, I wouldn't even be able to touch the hem of your clothes with your lightness skill, and your sharp swordsmanship... just thinking about it now makes me feel like I have thorns in my back. It's truly terrifying."

"It's all thanks to Master's good teaching," the little girl said with a smile, thinking to herself that she still needed to work harder so that she could grow up and share Master's burdens.

There was no envy, jealousy, or even covetousness towards the little girl's unique skills. The Cold Mountain Sword Sect's inheritance she possessed was already a top-tier skill. She only blamed herself for not having enough talent and effort. Guo Qingxue then asked curiously, "Sister Roujia, I personally think that your lightness skill, internal energy characteristics, and that fierce swordsmanship should all follow the path of lightness and agility. Why do you abandon the essential and use a broadsword comparable to a heavy weapon? I can realize this, Brother Chen should have reminded you, or is there some special meaning that I don't understand?" Guo Qingxue was quite curious about this. Su Roujia was petite and exquisite, yet she used a broadsword, which seemed a bit strange no matter how you looked at it.

Looking in Chen Xuan's direction, the little girl stuck out her tongue shyly and said, "It's not as complicated as Sister Xue'er thinks. The reason I use a broadsword as a weapon is simply because my initial idea for practicing martial arts was to make it easier to chop wood if I mastered the broadsword."

"Ah, this..." Guo Qingxue was completely dumbfounded, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, she didn't know that was the reason.

After thinking for a moment, the little girl added, "Actually, Master said that what weapon you use is not important. The key is your own cultivation and mastery of martial arts. When you can lift heavy objects with ease or lift light objects with ease, the weapon is just a formality."

"That's true," Guo Qingxue nodded thoughtfully. However, achieving that level was easier said than done. But with a master like Brother Chen to guide her, it shouldn't be too difficult.

From this, Guo Qingxue realized that Brother Chen had very high expectations for the Soft Armor. The skill of lifting heavy objects with ease and light objects with weight, which countless martial artists strive for throughout their lives, is just the starting point.

"Alright, stop praising each other. Go change and eat. Everything's ready. You've worked up a sweat, so don't catch a cold," Chen Xuan called out.

Upon hearing this, Guo Qingxue blushed and quickly replied, "Okay, Brother Chen, we'll be done in a minute."

As she spoke, she and the little girl hurried into the house to change. She secretly sniffed herself, worried that she might smell of sweat. Fortunately, she smelled nice. She thought to herself that she should be more careful in the future, so as not to be covered in sweat and be disliked by Brother Chen.

They passed by Chen Xuan, leaving behind a lingering fragrance.

A campfire was lit at the campsite, and lanterns were hung high around it, making it brightly lit under the moonlight.

The group sat around the table, enjoying the summer evening breeze, fine wine and food, and the sight of beautiful women hesitatingly lingering – it was truly a delightful experience.

Taking a sip of plum wine, Chen Xuan had recently developed a liking for fruity drinks. The alcohol content wasn't low, but it lacked the harshness of distilled spirits, making it very smooth. He let out a satisfied sigh and asked Xia Mei, "Aunt Mei, how far are we from the desert?"

"Reporting to Master, we still have nearly 5,000 li to go. According to the previously planned route, it will take us half a month to reach the edge of the desert. Should we replan the route to speed things up?" Xia Mei replied earnestly, her mind already considering the shortest route as she spoke.

Guo Qingxue, somewhat envious, naturally placed a piece of deboned fish on the little princess's plate. Chen Xuan shook his head and said, "No need, I was just asking. If you're in a hurry, I can take you there in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. You can stroll around at your leisure."

Nodding without saying anything more, Xia Mei seemed to remember something and smiled, "By the way, sir, the people who went to town to buy things today came back and heard an interesting story. I wonder if it's true or not?"

"What's the matter? Tell me about it," Chen Xuan said with interest, since he had nothing better to do anyway.

The others were also intrigued. They hadn't been to the town for the past few days, so they were quite out of touch. Xia Mei succinctly explained, "It's like this: news has spread that on the third day after we left Jade City, the Grand Princess of Jade Flower Kingdom returned to the capital. With her exceptional cultivation and ruthless methods, she purged the court and regained power in just two days. There were no more voices of opposition. Next, the Jade Flower Kingdom's royal family will proceed with replacing a batch of obedient officials throughout the country, which should be a great thing for Jade Flower Kingdom. However, I don't know if it's a rumor or if it's true, but the gossip says that the Grand Princess seems to have had some unpleasantness with the current Emperor of Jade Flower Kingdom for some reason, and there seems to be a confrontational attitude. I don't know the specifics, but the purchasing people occasionally heard about it and mentioned it."

After speaking, Xia Mei hesitated and said, "Master, should we send in our spies to find out more?"

Waving his hand to indicate that it wasn't necessary, Chen Xuan smiled dismissively, "Who cares? It's none of our business. Besides, our identities are quite special, so we should try not to use the court's power."

He paused, stroking his chin thoughtfully, and said, "There's no smoke without fire. It's possible that Song Yuzhi and her brother really have a falling out. There's no kinship in the royal family. Song Yuzhi has forcefully taken back power from the royal family, and everyone has witnessed it. Even as siblings, how could the emperor not be wary? Given Song Yuzhi's performance, it's no exaggeration to say that it's uncertain who will be in charge of Yuhua Kingdom in the future. Let alone Song Yuzhi actually threatening the emperor's position, even if a minister had such ability and merit, he would be a major threat. Any ruler would probably have sleepless nights with such a powerful sister."

Hearing this, Guo Qingxue was taken aback and said, "Isn't this like discarding a used tool after it has served its purpose? Brother Chen, we've all met that Grand Princess. She shouldn't be the kind of person who wants power, right? Besides, she's a woman."

"Useless donkey and then kill it? You have to be able to kill the donkey first. Don't forget this is Yuhua Kingdom. It's not like there haven't been female emperors in history. There's been more than one. In the past, the emperor needed his sister Song Yuzhi to support him. Now that he has regained power and there's no threat, in other words, Song Yuzhi has become the emperor's biggest threat!" Chen Xuan shook his head and said. He didn't understand political intrigue, but that didn't mean he couldn't see the situation objectively.

"This... how could such a promising situation turn out like this?" Guo Qingxue said, bewildered but deeply shocked.

The little princess said, "Little Xue, there's no need to worry. The imperial family has always been ruthless. In the face of power, kinship and friendship are nothing but a joke. Anyone who can threaten the imperial power will be regarded as an enemy."

The little princess is the most qualified to speak on this matter.

Chen Xuanshen agreed, saying, "The Emperor of Yuhua Kingdom must feel immense pressure having such a sister. I wonder what measures she will take next. If handled well, everyone will be happy; if handled poorly, the siblings will turn against each other. Tsk, Song Yuzhi is no pushover either. No matter how much she considers family ties, if the Emperor goes too far, she won't tolerate it forever. What if Yuhua Kingdom gains another empress? Oh well, it's none of our business... Huh? What's going on so late at night?"

As he spoke, Chen Xuan looked towards the distance in the night.

At the same time, Xia Mei also stood up, looked into the distance, and frowned, saying, "Master, there are quite a few people coming this way. Should I go and deal with them?"

"They must have been attracted by the firelight here. Let's stop them and make them go elsewhere so as not to disturb their enjoyment. It wouldn't be good if they startled the lady. Hmm, never mind, I'll go myself. There are a few formidable characters among them. Aunt Mei, you might not be able to handle them." As he spoke, Chen Xuan got up, somewhat speechless. They had come all this way to camp in the middle of nowhere, who knows where a bunch of people would come from to disturb them.

Even from a great distance, Chen Xuan could sense that the group consisted of one chaser and one fleeer, numbering around twenty, with more than a handful of them being innate masters!
"Who is it that's so blind? Master (Brother Chen), can we go and see them too?" The little girl and Guo Qingxue said in unison. They had developed a tacit understanding over the past few days because they were close in age.

...(End of this chapter)