Misty Rain of the Old Times

"Ning Guiliang, it's him, the sixth-rank Assistant Director of the Ministry of Rites' Reception Department."

"This man is notorious for his womanizing ways. Over the years, he has left behind countless enviable tales in brothels. There are even rumors that a courtesan was willing to redeem herself from her servitude, but whether this is true or not is unknown."

"What do we do now? Take him with us, or..."

As soon as Ning Guiliang finished speaking, the group surrounding Chen Xuan and the others exchanged rapid words, seemingly quite conflicted.

Their target was Chen Xuan; Ning Guiliang was merely an opportune moment.

Facing the unpredictable gazes of a group of masked men in black, Ning Guiliang coldly surveyed them, showing no fear despite knowing they were a group of treacherous bandits.

He was truly unafraid, knowing that this was under the emperor's nose, and as an official of the imperial court, that was his confidence.

Don't underestimate him just because he's only a sixth-rank official. He's a genuine second-class Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) who climbed up the ranks. A sixth-rank official is already at the third-rank level in the officialdom. If something happens to him under such circumstances, it's no joke. The impact will be huge and the consequences will be severe. The court will definitely investigate thoroughly, and these people will have no chance to escape!

Do you really think the Armed Forces Bureau is a pushover? Almost no one can commit such heinous acts in the capital and still get away with it.

“You intend to commit evil deeds, but considering that you have not yet taken any action, I advise you to leave now, otherwise the law will be like a furnace and you will not escape punishment!” Ning Guiliang continued in a deep voice.

Each of these innate masters was a force to be reckoned with in the martial world. Since they dared to forcibly abduct Chen Xuan, they were not easily intimidated by his few words.

"Take him with you?"

"That's not advisable. He's an official appointed by the imperial court. If he goes missing, the court will definitely investigate thoroughly. We might be caught before we even leave the capital."

"Why not just go all the way and finish this already!"

"Do you want to die? That's worse than taking him away."

"How about this, just immobilize him with pressure points and leave him be. As long as he isn't harmed, the court won't pursue the matter afterward."

After a brief discussion, the group had already come up with a plan.

During their conversation, they did not shy away from talking about Chen Xuan and the other person. Hearing this, Ning Guiliang's face darkened and his heart tightened. There was really nothing he could do about what they were doing. Ning Guiliang himself was not afraid of them because he was waving the banner of the imperial court. But what about 'Chen Xuan'? He was not an official and no one even knew where he came from. If something happened to him, would the imperial court care so much?
The key issue is that if Chen Xuan is taken away by them, not only will I be unable to protect him, but where will I find him to trade for the Xiaoyao Pill in the future?

At this moment, Ning Guiliang suddenly felt a strange sense of powerlessness. He realized that he was ultimately a nobody with little influence. If he were a powerful official, would they dare to ignore his words?

With his mind racing, Ning Guiliang sneered, "My master, Pei Zhenlong, has disciples all over the world. I hope you all will behave yourselves!"

Left with no other choice, he had to bring out his backing, hoping that these people would hesitate to act rashly. As for whether such a threat would provoke them to take risks, he would say it again: this is the capital, and they are not fools; they know what they're doing.

All of this happened so fast, in just a few words.

Seeing that the group didn't take Ning Guiliang's words seriously and were about to take action, Chen Xuan thought to himself that Ning Guiliang was a loyal friend, and that his good intentions in offering some benefits were worthwhile.

However, have you overlooked me, the person involved?
Seven or eight innate masters are undeniably a terrifying force. Looking across the martial arts world of Jing Kingdom, apart from the Tai Xuan Sect and Wu Xiang Temple, which possess grandmasters, any other sect is capable of standing up to them!

After clearing his throat, Chen Xuan began, "Shouldn't you all listen to my opinion?"

“Sir, these people are hiding and their motives are not pure. They are probably not so easy to talk to. If you have the means, please leave as soon as possible. Don’t worry about me. They won’t do anything to me,” Ning Guiliang said anxiously.

No one paid him any attention. One of them said politely, "Please forgive us, sir. We mean no harm. We just need you to come with us. Please cooperate. We really don't want to hurt you. We have no other choice. We will make sure you are satisfied afterward."

You're putting me in a difficult position.

Feeling both amused and exasperated, Chen Xuan shook his head and said, "I roughly understand your purpose. You've got your eye on my Xiaoyao Pill, or more accurately, my skill in refining Xiaoyao Pills. Honestly, shouldn't I feel honored by such treatment?"

Before they could say anything, Chen Xuan continued with a smile, "I'm actually a very easy person to talk to. If someone treats me well, I'll treat them even better. Considering that you haven't done anything to anger me, just apologize and I'll let it go. Let's pretend we never met. What do you think? That's all I have to say. I hope everyone will behave themselves. You don't want to cause any unpleasantness, do you?"

"Sir, you should find a way to leave quickly. Why bother with them?" Ning Guiliang urged.

Someone else spoke up, saying, "We had no choice but to do this. If we had invited him normally, he definitely wouldn't have come with us, so we had to apologize. Please forgive us; you're very magnanimous."

At the same time, someone else spoke up, seemingly in a bad mood, and said in a deep voice, "Why are you talking so much nonsense? You don't have a choice now. To avoid any complications, just take him away."

"That's right. We know you have some skills, sir, but there are many of us. We hope you'll cooperate. Otherwise, once a fight breaks out, fists and feet have no eyes, and if anyone gets hurt, it will be our fault."

They were clearly not a group; they must have formed a temporary team to kidnap me. Needless to say, it was definitely to continuously exploit me as a slave to produce "Xiaoyao Pills."

Now that things have been said to this extent, what can Chen Xuan do if they don't appreciate it?
Under normal circumstances, two innate masters fighting without restraint would be enough to destroy a street, let alone a group of innate masters. It seems that there are no members of the Wu family among them; they were merely acting out of momentary greed.

However, this does not mean that the Wu family has given up on him. Wu Jinxun said that he would take him there at any cost. In Chen Xuan's perception, there are two innate masters hiding around. Their concealment skills are really amazing. No one has noticed them at all. One of them is clearly the guard who is with Wu Jinxun.

Let's deal with what's in front of us first, then we can play around.

Thinking it over, Chen Xuan decided not to linger any longer. To avoid harming innocent people, he planned to finish the battle quickly. Although the innate masters around him had ill intentions, they were still relatively polite, so he decided not to kill them. However, everyone had to pay the price for their actions, so he would cripple their martial arts and break their limbs.

'I'm not killing them, and I'm giving them a chance to reform. I'm such a good person,' Chen Xuan thought to himself, giving himself a thumbs up for his kindness.

As for turning them into cripples, falling from grace, and what their fate will be, what does that have to do with Chen Xuan?
Just as both sides were about to fight, someone suddenly spoke up: "What's that smell? It smells so good, like the wonderful memories of chasing and playing in the fields as a child."

"Oh no, someone has drugged us!" someone exclaimed in shock and anger.

But it's too late.

"Damn it, who is this despicable person? Come out and fight me if you dare..."

As they spoke, amidst the wonderfully fragrant aroma, Ning Guiliang and the rest of the group collapsed to the ground, utterly powerless, like limp rags. They seemed to float into the clouds, but did not fall into a coma.

Chen Xuan felt a surge of joy, thinking to himself that the Wu family had finally made their move, and he also pretended to fall to the ground.

Wu Jinxun said he would bring me along regardless of the cost. Is this how he intends to do it? Just play along with him for a bit. It's easy to ask me to come, but it's hard to send me away.

At the same time, Chen Xuan couldn't help but admire the profound heritage of the aristocratic families, who were actually able to produce such fine items.

"Drunken Spring Breeze" is an intoxicating intoxicating fragrance that works incredibly fast. It immerses you in a blissful state while keeping your mind clear and does not harm your body. However, it leaves you feeling utterly weak, even if you hold your breath, as it enters the body through your pores.

There is no antidote for this. You can only wait for the effects of the drug to wear off and recover on your own. Even a master of innate cultivation would be at the mercy of others if caught off guard.

Chen Xuan certainly recognized this thing. After all, Old Liu was an expert in alchemy and weapon crafting. There was very little he didn't know about medicine, and the information he was given contained detailed information.

The Drunken Spring Breeze is a wonderful thing. Jing Kingdom is too small, so perhaps not many people know about it, but it is quite popular in some powerful forces in the distance. It is a soothing and relaxing item used by Grandmasters.

Everyone gets tired, both physically and mentally, and Grandmasters are no exception. Sometimes, a puff of cigarettes can be very comforting, just like the cigarettes from Chen Xuan's hometown. For a Grandmaster, Drunken Breeze has that kind of effect.

However, for those below the Grandmaster level, this is simply deadly; the body simply cannot withstand it, and one bite will cause them to collapse. It is clearly a good thing, but they are not worthy of enjoying it.

"How could this be? I can't move, I have no strength left. This taste... it's like I've returned to the first time I fell into the arms of a woman." Ning Guiliang, who had collapsed to the ground, was immediately panicked, his eyes filled with a beautiful look of reminiscence.

Amidst the shock and anger of the others, two Wu family innate experts who had been lying in ambush nearby jumped out. They were also dressed in black and masked, so they wouldn't easily leave any evidence against them.

The men who jumped out coldly scanned their surroundings. One of them approached Chen Xuan and said in a hoarse voice, "Kill everyone except him. Hurry up."

"You can't do this. We have no grudge against each other. Isn't there some misunderstanding?"

"This is outrageous! If you've got the guts, fight us for real! What kind of skill is this, resorting to such despicable tactics..."

No matter what they said, the Wu family didn't utter a single word of nonsense. Another person acted quickly, his palm gleaming with a cold, eerie blue light. With a single palm strike, the immobile innate masters were reduced to icy dust, one after another, along with their clothes.

Ruthless and decisive, simple and efficient.

Chen Xuan immediately gave a weak, bitter laugh and said, "Gentlemen, I suppose your target is me too? You've brought out all sorts of demons and monsters over a mere Xiaoyao Pill. Is it really necessary? Ning Guiliang is innocent. He is an official of the imperial court. Let him go. Otherwise, even if you forcibly take me away, you will only get my corpse in the end. Forget about the Xiaoyao Pill!"

Whose body it is, need I say more?

Just as it was Ning Guiliang's turn, the man in black paused, exchanged a glance with the other man, and nodded, saying, "Since that's the case, then let's give you face, sir. I hope you'll cooperate well from now on. To be honest, killing a sixth-rank official is indeed a bit troublesome."

As he was saying this, he actually let Ning Guiliang go and moved on to the next one.

Chen Xuan didn't care whether others lived or died; he was just having fun, but Ning Guiliang would still protect him.

These were all masters of innate talent, figures who would not be ignored anywhere. Yet here, seven or eight of them died in such a frustrating way, which is truly lamentable and makes them seem rather worthless.

...(End of chapter)