Misty Rain of the Old Times

Chen Xuan has already obtained the Fire Copper Ice Silkworm Silk, and all that's missing is the White Cloud Wood. He plans to make a trip to the Misty Marsh in the northwest of Yuhua Kingdom in the next few days.

Under a clear moon and sparse stars, after leaving the princess's residence, he retrieved the ice silkworm silk he had obtained during the day and returned home under the moonlight, heading straight for his home in Yang County.

Even if you are thousands of miles away from home, having your own little nest means you have a way back no matter how far you go.

As they sped along, Chen Xuan kept replaying the scenes of his time with the little princess in his mind, still feeling a sense of longing.

Enraged by Chen Xuan's unsportsmanlike sneak attack, the little princess glared at him, letting him slap her across the waist until she went limp. Only when Chen Xuan tried to take advantage of her did she dazedly struggle and run away...

She arrived home in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea; it wasn't too late. The house was still lit by candlelight, and the silhouette of the little girl was projected onto the window.

After placing the ice silkworm silk in the underground chamber, Chen Xuan pushed open the door and entered, a wistful smile on his face and the lingering fragrance of his hands. Seeing the little girl doing needlework with a small basket on her lap, he greeted her, "Roujia, you haven't rested yet. It's not good for your eyes so late at night."

"Master is back! I thought he would be gone for a few more days. Winter is coming soon, so I'm going to make him some clothes. I'm free anyway, so I'll go make some tea now. Has Master had dinner yet?" The little maid stopped what she was doing and asked excitedly.

Wow, this little girl has such skills! Well, these days, girls who don't have some needlework skills are embarrassed to show their faces.

Chen Xuan waved his hand and said, "I've eaten, so let's skip the tea. I need to rest too."

"Oh, I see. Then I'll go get some hot water for the master and prepare his toiletries," the little maid said, turning around to get to work.

Chen Xuan, his smile undiminished, waved his hand to stop him, saying, "I'm perfectly clean, I won't wash."

He smelled like a little princess and couldn't bear to wash himself. Besides, after he reached the Innate Realm, he was practically spotless and kept clean at all times. Washing himself was more of a ritual for him.

"Oh," the little girl suddenly felt a bit uneasy, then hesitated for a moment looking at Chen Xuan's savoring expression and said, "Master, your expression is strange, it looks a little improper."

His expression stiffened, and Chen Xuan coughed, saying, "What do you know, little brat? Don't stay up late unless absolutely necessary; I suggest staying up all night."

With that, he went out and upstairs to his bedroom.

Watching Chen Xuan's departing figure, the little girl sniffed, lowered her head, covered her mouth, and giggled, "Master always treats me like a child, but I understand everything, hehe. Master smells like a girl, it seems there will soon be a mistress of the house..."

Falling asleep in a pleasant mood, Chen Xuan had a pink dream that night. In the dream, one girl after another appeared. They were dressed in revealing clothes and were shy and timid. There was a little princess, the female assassin from Mo Cheng, Zheng Wanxi, Leng Bing, Guo Qingxue... When Gao Jingyu's figure also entered the dream, Chen Xuan was startled awake.

Then he was speechless, thinking to himself that young men full of vigor and passion just couldn't handle any stimulation.

He couldn't control his dreams, so what could he do? But the fact that he could dream about being intimate with girls other than the little princess made him wonder if he was a pervert.
There's no doubt about that. As long as you can control your lower body, it's not illegal. Besides, what else is there for a man if he's not lustful?
They tidied up discreetly, and it was almost dawn.

After a night, the smell on her body had mostly dissipated. While washing up, stretching, and having breakfast, Chen Xuan said, "I'm going out again later, for a day or two, or even three to five days. Roujia, go out for a walk whenever you have time. If you need money, bring it yourself. It's not good for a girl to stay at home all day."

As he spoke, Chen Xuan suddenly realized that he hadn't brought any gifts for the little girl during his several trips to Beijing. After all, there were only two people in the family, so he was really lacking in the details. But he still managed to find a girlfriend. No wonder he was so good at it.

"Yes, yes, please be careful when you go out, sir. I can take care of things at home," the little girl nodded and smiled happily.

Looking at her suspiciously, Chen Xuan asked, puzzled, "Did Roujia encounter something good that makes her so happy?"

"No, no, I've always been like this," she blinked. Actually, she was happy for Chen Xuan because the master must have gone to find a girl. Isn't that a good thing? After she marries him, life will be prosperous. Unlike now, there are only two people in the house, and it becomes cold and lonely once Chen Xuan goes out.

Unable to understand the girl's feelings, Chen Xuan, who was full and sleepy, was feeling lazy again, but he still forced himself to stay alert because important matters were at hand.

This journey to the Misty Marsh in the northwest of Yuhua Kingdom is much farther than to the capital. It is the farthest he has ever traveled. Although he is unfamiliar with the place and the people, there is nothing to be confused about.

In fact, he had only been to a handful of places in the entire Jing Kingdom. The world is so big, but how many places can a person visit in a lifetime? They always end up going around in circles in the same few environments, and their lives pass by in a daze.

Chen Xuan traveled light again this time. Considering he would likely be spending several days in the wilderness, he didn't need to bring much money, but seasonings were essential. He also carried the stick he'd traded a piece of candy for from the boy; it was handy as a dog-beating stick and could even be used as a weapon if necessary. He said goodbye to the little girl and left. He had intended to buy a map of Yuhua Kingdom in the county town, but several bookstores didn't have any. There was nothing he could do; after all, maps of this era were often linked to strategy and wouldn't easily fall into the hands of civilians in other countries.

Yang County became increasingly lively. In fact, after Gao Jingming became the top scholar in the imperial examination, the news spread far and wide, and the number of people flocking here reached its peak. Everywhere, scholars were engaged in lively discussions. Chen Xuan couldn't fit into this atmosphere, but the liveliness was good because it could bring economic development to Yang County. People who came would spend money on food, drink, and other necessities.

On this journey to Yuhua Kingdom, Chen Xuan no longer needs to take the detour into the desert from the direction of Mocheng. He can go directly north from Yang County, which will save him a lot of travel time.

The Jing Kingdom borders the Yu Hua Kingdom to the north, but the border stretches for thousands of miles and is mostly deep mountains and forests, with only seven or eight passes through which trade can take place.

However, Chen Xuan did not need to travel to Yuhua Kingdom through normal means. He planned to take a direct route, prioritizing efficiency, high cultivation level, and freedom of movement. That's how capricious he was.

Setting off from Yang County at noon, heading straight north, Chen Xuan had already crossed thousands of mountains and rivers and arrived in the territory of Yuhua Kingdom in less than the time it takes to eat a meal. Because he was in a hurry to get on the road, he did not pay attention to the scenery along the way.

Not long after entering the country, Chen Xuan found a county town in the south of Yuhua Kingdom. He still needed to buy a map. If he didn't even know the general direction of the Misty Swamp, where would he find the White Cloud Wood in this vast world?

Although Yuhua Kingdom is located in the north of Jing Kingdom, it is not a bitterly cold place. Its climate and environment are not much different from those of Jing Kingdom. The world is too big, and slight changes in latitude and longitude will not cause significant environmental changes.

According to Chen Xuan, there are four Grandmaster-level experts in Yuhua Kingdom, half male and half female, which can be described as a balance of Yin and Yang. However, his arrival did not attract any Grandmaster-level experts from Yuhua Kingdom to block his way.

Although someone of this caliber would raise eyebrows anywhere, he wasn't making a high-profile appearance.

Having arrived in this county town of Yuhua Kingdom, called Wangnan County, through improper means, Chen Xuan didn't feel much of a foreign land. The people's clothing and even their speech were not much different, only their accents and writing systems were different.

This is normal, because going back eight hundred years, most of the area of ​​Jing, Yuhua, Shuangyue and even Rong was actually one country. Due to historical changes, they split and merged, and now they have formed a situation of four countries standing side by side.

Using 800 years ago as a reference point, the civilizations of several countries actually share a common origin. Only after the subsequent structure gradually stabilized did they gradually develop their own writing systems, thus breaking free from the influence of other countries and becoming independent.

The territory was too large to manage, and even a teleportation array couldn't be built, so it was inevitable that it would evolve into several small countries.

If we take the Icefall Mountains as the center, more than 500 years ago, there were more than 20 countries on this land at its peak. During the period when the four countries had just stabilized, everyone wanted to annex the other three countries and restore their former glory. However, the geographical span was too large, and no one was able to achieve their wish. Gradually, the countries gave up such thoughts. Unless someone created a teleportation array that would make the ends of the earth seem close at hand, only then could they truly manage the vast territory.

Chen Xuan was educated and knew a little about this history.

"Rumor has it that Yuhua Kingdom is famous for its beautiful women, and it's absolutely true! Even in this small county town, the probability of finding a pretty woman is twice as high as in Jing Kingdom. By the way, it seems Yuhua Kingdom also has two extremely famous all-female armies. If they were to become prisoners of war during battle, wouldn't that be a terrible fate?"

With his mind wandering, Chen Xuan strolled into a bookstore. He knew the characters of Yuhua Kingdom, having studied with Xiao Gao at Liuyu Academy. He was even proficient in the characters of Shuangyue Kingdom and Rong Kingdom. He had already reached the Innate Realm when he went to Liuyu Academy. Although he didn't have high intelligence, he had a good memory.

The scholars of this era are all top-notch, practically developing into all-rounders. If you don't even know the languages ​​of the surrounding countries, you'd be too embarrassed to show your face. After all, if you become an official through the imperial examination, wouldn't it be a disaster to ask you to handle diplomacy in the Ministry of Rites?

"The shopkeeper is busy, give me a national map," Chen Xuan said, getting straight to the point after entering the store.

The old shopkeeper, who was dozing off, immediately stood up and said with a smile, "Young master, please wait a moment. I'll give you ten taels of silver. Judging from your accent, you're not from around here?"

"Shopkeeper, it seems your business isn't doing well here, it's quite deserted. You can't cheat me just because I'm from out of town, can you?" Chen Xuan said with a smile. Ten taels of silver was actually nothing to him, but it was indeed a bit outrageous, after all, it was just a simple map from the common people.

Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper immediately looked worried and said, "Young master, you misunderstand. It's wartime now, and prices are inflated. If I don't raise my prices, I won't even be able to make a living."

The kingdoms of Yuhua and Shuangyue are currently fighting tooth and nail over the gold mines. Chen Xuan, however, was relieved and nodded, saying, "I see. What I saw along the way just now seemed to indicate that the people in the city were in a state of panic."

“Who says otherwise? When it comes to war and conscription, it’s a meat grinder. No matter how many people you have, it’s not enough to fill the gaps. Nobody wants to go and throw their life away for nothing. My neighbor’s daughters have already been sent to the battlefield. Here’s the map you wanted, young master, please keep it safe,” the shopkeeper sighed.

Matters of national importance are beyond an individual's control, so Chen Xuan couldn't say anything, paid the bill, and left... (End of Chapter)