Misty Rain of the Old Times

Chapter 791 Something I Once Dared Not Get Close To

Finding the Hundred Herbs Furnace was an unexpected bonus. Chen Xuan and his group had a smooth journey through Cloud Mist Mountain and did not encounter any bandits lurking in the mountains. However, they did encounter two groups of traveling merchants going in the opposite direction.

The reason why the bandits didn't show up was actually due to Chen Xuan. How could they let go of the opportunity to extort tolls? However, when Chen Xuan was exploring the area of ​​Cloud Mist Mountain, he released an invisible and intangible true essence that spread out, causing all the beasts to go into hibernation. In a short period of time, the chirping of insects and birds disappeared. Everyone felt something was wrong, so the bandits decided to take a day off. In fact, they were afraid.

As for the spies Xia Mei mentioned, they were just informants outside. They would naturally glance at anyone passing by, but they were all scared off by a single look from Xia Mei...

After passing Yunwu Mountain, they entered Fengzhou. Back then, Chen Xuan and his group crossed the mountain with several other teams at its foot, and it was during that time that they met Zhao Qingluan.

When passing by, Chen Xuan told the little princess and the others about what they had experienced back then.

Hearing about Zhao Qingluan, especially what happened to her later, the little princess and the others couldn't help but laugh. That unlucky girl was really unlucky. She ran away from her arranged marriage and left home. Fresh out of school, she went to Mo City and was not only swindled out of all her money, but she was also almost sold to a black kiln. She suffered a severe blow from reality.

It is said that Zhao Qingluan is doing quite well in the capital now. She participated in the martial arts examination. Although her ranking was not ideal, she still got a position in the Imperial Martial Arts Bureau. She is a leader with a number of people under her. It is just unknown whether she holds a grudge and will dig out those who tricked her in Mo City and deal with them one by one.

A day or two after entering Fengzhou, Chen Xuan and his group disposed of their carriages and purchased a large boat. From then on, they would travel almost entirely by water, heading towards the dock in Linping County, which was next to their home in Yang County.

Going out is by boat, and returning is by boat. After wandering around in circles for thousands of miles, home is where the heart finds peace.

In the more than ten years that Chen Xuan has lived in this world, he has traveled long distances by boat most often, as if he has an inextricable bond with boats. When he first arrived and woke up, he was on Old Liu's dilapidated boat.

On the top deck of the ship, watching the Da Wan Port dock gradually disappear into the distance, Chen Xuan suppressed his senses and smiled, "Back then, the Zhao family was unknown in this area, but now they want to become prominent. They are considered influential within a hundred miles, and even the government has to give them some face. They even have a say in the management of this dock."

"Miss Zhao Qingluan?" the little princess asked curiously, and then naturally fed Chen Xuan a peeled and de-peeled orange segment.

Tasting the slightly sour orange, Chen Xuan nodded: "That's right."

Chen Xuan gently licked her slender fingers, which earned her a reproachful look from the little princess. She then said in a daze, "Such changes in the Zhao family must have been brought about by Miss Zhao, right?"

"The information revealed from people's discussions is indeed true," Chen Xuan gave an affirmative answer, then added with a smile, "My lady, you don't know, Master Zhao is in a very complicated situation these days. Although we've never met, I know his mood is getting worse and worse."

"How so?" The little princess became interested, and Du Juan and the others looked over curiously.

Chen Xuan patiently explained, "It's all because of Zhao Qingluan. Back then, she ran away from her arranged marriage. Her father wanted to find her a husband who would live with her in the family, and he even held a martial arts contest to find him. But she ran away, and many years have passed and she still hasn't settled down. She's not young anymore. Don't you think parents are worried?"

Upon hearing this, they immediately understood. On average, in this era, among girls over twenty years old who were still unmarried, there were less than two or three out of a hundred. Even the little princess married Chen Xuan at the age of eighteen, and she was the most favored princess in the royal family, let alone ordinary people.

So in this era, if a girl was over twenty and still unmarried, she was considered an old maid by many people. How could Zhao Qingluan's parents not be anxious? What was even more infuriating was that their daughter was getting old and hiding in the capital, refusing to come back. They simply couldn't do anything about her. If it weren't for the fact that she frequently sent letters back to tell them about her recent situation, it would be as if they had raised their daughter in vain.

When will they be able to hold their grandson? The Zhao couple are extremely anxious, and it seems they fear they will never have the chance before they die.

During their casual conversation, the Dawan Port pier completely disappeared from sight. Now that the conversation had reached this point, Chen Xuan looked at Xia Mei and asked curiously, "By the way, Aunt Mei, do you know what's going on with Miss Zhao Qingluan in the capital these days?"

"Reporting to Master, I don't know much about Miss Zhao. The last time I heard that she was already serving as a squad leader in the Martial Arts Control Division, and if all goes well, she is expected to reach the Innate Realm within three years. At that time, she can be promoted further, whether she serves as a captain in the capital or is sent to oversee a region," Xia Mei replied after thinking for a moment. She was an extremely competent subordinate and could answer any questions.

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan thought to himself that the positions within the Martial Arts Forbidden Division seemed a bit confusing. He hadn't specifically looked into the specific ranks and titles, so he decided not to dwell on it and nodded, saying, "I see. It seems Miss Zhao's talent is quite good. Reaching the Innate Realm before the age of thirty surpasses many people. She's not the best, but she's not the worst either, considering countless martial arts practitioners get stuck at that stage."

As he spoke, Chen Xuan glanced around and noticed his wife's eyes light up as if she wanted to say something but hesitated. He quickly said with a twitch of his lips, "Wife, I plan to rest for a couple of days after we get back, and then I'll go visit my father-in-law. It's been quite a while since I've seen him, and I miss him terribly. What do you think?"

He was afraid that his wife would play matchmaker again, wanting to bring any outstanding girl home for him. So he decisively diverted her attention. From the beginning, Chen Xuan had no feelings for Zhao Qingluan, and now it was even more impossible. She could be considered one of the few friends, nothing more.

The little princess did indeed have that idea, but Chen Xuan changed the subject. Feeling a little unsatisfied, she glared at him and didn't mention it again. Instead, she touched her slightly protruding belly and nodded, saying, "I'll listen to my husband. I also want to tell Father the good news of my pregnancy as soon as possible. He will definitely be happy. Last time, Father left in a hurry and didn't have time to share this joy."

“There’s nothing we can do about it. Last time we met your father in Yinlong County, we didn’t even know you were pregnant. When we tried to tell him, he had already disappeared,” Chen Xuan comforted him.

With a smile, the little princess said with some hesitation, "But husband, Father's whereabouts are currently unknown. Where will we look for him after we go back?"

To this, Chen Xuan immediately replied, "That's easy. After we go back, we'll definitely be able to find him in the capital..."

At this point, Chen Xuan immediately regretted it, wishing he could slap himself, cursing himself for being so tactless and speaking without thinking.

Judging by the timeline, the old man has most likely returned to Beijing by now. As for why he went back instead of continuing his carefree life outside...

While Chen Xuan was secretly regretting his actions, the little princess seemed to realize something. The smile on her face, which she had been trying to share with her father, slowly faded. Clearly unwilling to think about it, her mood became low. She forced a smile and said, "Husband, I'm a little tired. The little one moved a few times in my belly just now. I'm going back to my room to rest for a while."

"Yes, my wife, go quickly. Tell me if you feel unwell. Do you want me to keep you company?" Chen Xuan asked, pretending to be nonchalant despite his inner worry.

"It's so hot, no way! Husband, you go outside and enjoy the scenery. Sister Juan and the others are keeping you company; it's much more fun than staying cooped up inside. I'll be fine," the little princess smiled sweetly and went back inside. Chen Xuan sighed inwardly, feeling annoyed again. "Go find Lao Deng if you want, why all the fuss? Who knows how long it will take for my wife to recover?"

Especially during this period, it's best not to bring up these sensitive topics.

Some things have to be faced eventually, and the little princess isn't one to dwell on things. She adjusted herself in half a day and returned to her usual natural self.

Several days have passed in the blink of an eye. The scenery on both sides of the river keeps changing, and the journey south by boat is not boring at all.

That noon, Chen Xuan was fishing casually on the deck, while the little princess and the others kept him company by drinking tea and chatting, occasionally asking Chen Xuan about the details of their journey back then.

Being smart is a good thing, especially since Chen Xuan already had a photographic memory and remembered everything. Every scene that happened back then was still in his mind.

When the topic turned to their past chats on the boat about their expectations for the future, the little girl, though it wasn't the first time she'd heard it, still couldn't help but laugh, saying, "Master actually had such thoughts back then! To marry three wives—one skilled in martial arts, one beautiful as a flower, and one to earn money and support the family! Hehe, he really didn't want to endure any hardship!"

The women exchanged glances, some of them unable to suppress a smile.

This made Chen Xuan a little embarrassed. He pretended to be serious about fishing and said casually, "I was just joking when we were kids. Don't take it seriously. Can't people even think about it? It's not illegal to think about it."

Covering her mouth with a smile, the little princess teased, "Perhaps my husband only thought about it back then, but now it's all come true, and much more than that."

How could Chen Xuan answer this? Apart from the little princess, he hadn't actively provoked anyone, so he naturally ended up in this situation, surrounded by beautiful women.

He coughed dryly, abruptly changing the subject, and looked at the gradually narrowing river ahead, saying, "Ahead is Ape's Lost Hoof Gorge. The scenery on both sides is steep and beautiful, so much so that even monkeys find it difficult to land there, hence the name. You can enjoy it to your heart's content later."

Stop teasing him. The little princess looked ahead at the narrowing canyon and said, "That's definitely something to look forward to."

The little girl was still counting on her fingers. If we're talking about martial arts prowess, Sister Juan has innate cultivation, and after following the master, she received guidance and elixirs, so her strength has increased day by day. There's also He Hongyi, whose relationship with her is still undetermined. They can all be considered highly skilled in martial arts. As for earning money to support the family, Sister Wanqian's family is known to be incredibly wealthy. She's the only son in this generation, so she earns money faster than robbing. Her wife also has many businesses, so she has more money than she can spend. Without special circumstances, she could squander it all in eight lifetimes. As for being beautiful, which of the girls around the master isn't a national beauty?

Wow, when you do the math, the old man's wish has actually come true, and it's even exceeded expectations by a thousand times.

Wait a minute, I'm completely useless. I need to grow up quickly. My master once said that he would order me around for everything in the future, while he could just laze around and enjoy life.

As she thought about it, the little girl became a little distressed. No matter how much she tried to encourage herself, she seemed to be no match for others in any aspect. It seemed that all she could do was to serve the master well, but she couldn't give up trying.

After some time, their ship had entered the canyon, and the river had become slightly more turbulent. Due to the drought, the water level of the Qingping River had dropped by one or two zhang (approximately 3.3-6 meters). If it continued to drop like this, it would begin to affect the passage of ships.

Xia Mei, the commander of the guards, stood at the bow of the boat, surveying both banks. Her brow furrowed almost imperceptibly before she approached Chen Xuan and reported, "Master, I have learned that several groups of river bandits are entrenched in this canyon, frequently harassing passing ships. I have just discovered someone spying on us. What are your instructions, Master?"

Chen Xuan, still fishing casually, said nonchalantly, "Actually, Aunt Mei, the several groups of bandits you mentioned are all part of the same group. They spread the rumor that they are checking and balancing each other to avoid becoming too powerful and attracting government crackdowns. I already knew this when I passed by before, but I didn't pay attention. If nothing unexpected happens, boats will soon approach us to sell these so-called peace charms. If they come, Aunt Mei, you should arrange for someone to deal with them. If they don't know what's good for them, just make sure they don't get close and spoil the mood."

"Understood," Xia Mei nodded and walked away, giving her subordinates simple instructions on what to do.

It all depends on whether those river bandits know what's good for them. Their actions determine their fate; whether they get a beating or are dealt with on the spot depends entirely on their mood.

She had just made the arrangements when, sure enough, she saw several small boats approaching. Her accompanying eunuchs went to handle the situation, and no one gave them a second glance.

Whether they thought they could make a fortune off Chen Xuan's magnificent ship, or whether the beautiful girls on board aroused inappropriate thoughts, a dozen or so corpses appeared on the river in a short time.

The accompanying eunuch who went to make contact was no benevolent person. Unlike Chen Xuan, who thought he was weak at first and thought, "If you don't affect me, I won't bother with you," he was not.

No one cared about this little thing; the pirates who bullied passing ships were all bad people.

As they ventured deeper into the canyon, instead of receiving a full-scale attack from the bandits, Xia Mei frowned, a hint of wariness flashing in her eyes. She approached Chen Xuan again, her tone grave, and said, "Master, something is approaching us from underwater. It's not a person, it's a huge creature. Should we deal with it beforehand to prevent it from disturbing Madam and the others?"

Hearing this, Chen Xuan looked at the distant water with interest and smiled, saying, "It is indeed a big guy. After so many years, I had forgotten about it. The water bandits sell peace charms, and only those who buy them can pass through the canyon safely. Isn't that because they keep a big guy in the water to stir up trouble? It seems that our lack of cooperation just now made them really serious."

As Chen Xuan spoke, he realized that he and Xiao Gao had passed through this place twice before without encountering the big creature underwater, all because of the dragon horn pendant that Xiao Gao was wearing. Now that he had concealed his aura like an ordinary person, that thing had no worries. It wasn't even afraid of Xia Mei's aura, probably because the underwater world was its home ground.

As he spoke, Chen Xuan stood up, picked up his fishing rod, and walked to the bow of the boat with great interest. "Aunt Mei, don't start fishing yet. Let me see what this thing is. After I reel it in, hey, today I, the Air Force Commander, am going to catch a big catch! Anyone interested in taking a spin later, it's free!"

At this moment, several miles away underwater, a huge black shadow rapidly approached, causing waves to surge wherever it passed. An unseen aura, chilling to the bone, spread, startling the birds and beasts on both sides of the canyon into panic... (End of this chapter)