Misty Rain of the Old Times

When the imperial court goes to war, it is always the common people who suffer; this has always been the case since ancient times.

Wangnan County in Yuhua Kingdom is located on the border, and the situation is relatively better. People on the streets do not have much joy on their faces, and no one knows when or when the conscription order will fall on their heads.

Due to the war, prices in the market are at least 60% higher than before, and the price of food has doubled. Chen Xuan also learned from people's conversations that the tax revenue of the Yuhua Kingdom has been increased again.

If this is the case in small counties, the impact on big cities is even more severe.

Fortunately, the two countries did not go to war; they were only fighting over gold mines, and the situation had not deteriorated to the point that ordinary people could not survive.

The two countries, Yuhua and Shuangyue, have each deployed hundreds of thousands of troops to fight. Behind these hundreds of thousands of troops is at least dozens of times more logistics, which in turn affects the operation of the entire country. Otherwise, it would be impossible to operate a war machine of this scale.

The fighting has reached this point, with neither side willing to give up the gold mine. It's no longer something that can be stopped at will. The battle won't end until a winner is determined. Once the gold mine falls into the hands of one side, it will likely mean that the loser will continue to lose indefinitely!

This is not a matter that an individual can stop; neither the emperors of the two countries can stop it, nor will the interest groups below them, nor will the troops fighting on the front lines.

Chen Xuan was going to the Misty Marsh in the northwest of Yuhua Kingdom, which was in the opposite direction from the battlefield and not on the way, so there was no need to waste time going to see the battlefield.

After acquiring the map and determining the location of the Misty Marsh, he headed straight for his destination, traversing mountains and valleys in a straight line without stopping along the way. No matter the people or creatures he encountered, they couldn't even sense his presence.

He set off from Yang County in Jingguo at noon, stopped briefly in Wangnan County of Yuhua Kingdom, and before noon, he had already traveled tens of thousands of miles to reach the northwestern land of Yuhua Kingdom.

What would take an ordinary person several months or even a year, and involve countless dangers, he completed in just over an hour!

Within a 'small area,' the road seemed to shorten infinitely for Chen Xuan.

The northwestern part of Yuhua Kingdom is not desolate; the vegetation is quite lush. However, the bare leaves in autumn inevitably make it look somewhat bleak.

The map shows that the Misty Swamp is extremely large. Chen Xuan roughly calculated that the area exceeds two million square kilometers. That area is almost a no-man's land, with no specific markings, only a vague area.

Jinze County is the county closest to Misty Marsh in the northwest of Yuhua Kingdom, less than a hundred miles away as the crow flies. It is also the largest county in the surrounding area of ​​a thousand miles, with a population of no more than 50,000, as it is too remote.

Chen Xuan arrived around noon, intending to grab a bite to eat first and gather information about the interior of the Misty Swamp. Knowing more would save him a lot of trouble.

It was extremely dangerous inside. Zhao Qingluan said that there were strange beasts inside that even grandmasters would hesitate to venture there, so probably few people would dare to set foot there. Chen Xuan did not press for specific details.

'A beast that even grandmasters fear. If you encounter it and things get really bad, just run away. There's no shame in that.'

Although Chen Xuan was confident in his strength, he was not blindly arrogant. He would never risk his life for a mere piece of white cloud wood. He liked to beat weaker opponents, but he didn't like to be beaten. He wouldn't do it even if there was a risk of injury; just thinking about it hurt.

His lightness skill over the years has not been for nothing; it is unparalleled among all techniques. He prioritizes survival and cherishes his life very much.

His arrival as a stranger went unnoticed. Walking down the street, he saw that, probably because Jinze County was so remote, it had been largely unaffected by the Yuhua Kingdom's war, making life much easier and the people living in peace and contentment.

As a small county town, it was far from prosperous. The houses were low and old, and less than a third of the people on the street wore clothes without patches. In this era, in a small place, having a set of clothes without patches was considered respectable.

'This small county town has more than a dozen crisscrossing streams; it's no wonder it's near the Misty Marsh.'

Chen Xuan's senses could cover the entire county area; no movement could escape his keen perception.

Standing on a weathered stone bridge, pausing briefly to watch the boats gliding on the river below, he was stirred up with some unpleasant childhood memories.

A moment later, he turned and left. He hadn't heard much about the Misty Swamp, but he was surprised to discover that there were actually three Innate Realm experts in the small county town.

This isn't a cabbage; you should know that in Jingguo Yang County, before the frost, you couldn't even count one for a long time.

Perhaps they are highly skilled and daring, frequently venturing into the Misty Swamp. After all, although it is dangerous, it is full of good things, such as creatures containing the bloodline of exotic beasts and precious medicinal herbs. The more dangerous a place is, the more opportunities it is accompanied by.

It's none of his business, so there's no need to pay attention to it.

"Where is that handsome young man? He disappeared in the blink of an eye. I didn't even get a chance to speak to him. I don't know his name, where he lives, or if he's married." After Chen Xuan left, a beautiful woman hurried across the stone bridge, looking around with considerable annoyance.

The Kingdom of Yuhua is famous for its beautiful women; the women there are all rated eight out of ten for looks.

As Chen Xuan left, a happy smile curved his lips. It was just a daily routine; he was used to it.

Arriving at a restaurant that looked decent, Chen Xuan sat down and asked the waiter, "Do you have any special dishes here?"

"Sir, you've come to the right place. Our freshwater venison is famous in Jinze County. It's cooked until tender and melts in your mouth when served with garlic and chili sauce. The taste is absolutely amazing," the waiter replied enthusiastically.

Did the chili peppers I found by chance on the grasslands back then, and Xiao Gao's two-year cultivation at the college, spread all the way here?
Thinking to himself, Chen Xuan smiled and said, "Give me a serving to try." "Okay, but can you handle spicy food, sir?" the waiter nodded and asked.

"Who do you think you are?" Chen Xuan waved his hand and said, "Give me an extra spicy one, that's my favorite."

"Wait a moment," the waiter said as he left, his expression seemingly saying, "You're in for a world of hurt."

While waiting, Chen Xuan also took a look at the restaurant. At midday, the occupancy rate was less than 30%, and business was not good. The waiter was definitely exaggerating, but in the food business, who doesn't say their own restaurant is good?

"Another person died last night. It was horrific. I went to check on them this morning, and it was terrifying; they looked like mummies."

"People have been dying every day for the past two weeks. I don't know what the government is doing; it's making us afraid to go out at night."

"Those who died were all martial artists, so we don't need to worry about them. Do you know who died last night? The old master of the Zhou family's boxing school only had a small wound on his body, but after just one night, it looked like it had dried up for months. It's simply bizarre."

"Could it be the work of evil spirits?"

"What are you thinking? I bet it's some kind of evil martial arts practitioner causing trouble!"

"I don't know when this will end, so I'd better not go out at night for a while."

"That's true. Life is of the essence. I heard that the imperial court even sent a master of innate cultivation to investigate this matter, and even some martial arts experts have arrived. I wonder if it's true."

"That level is beyond our reach..."

Listening to the diners' quiet conversation, Chen Xuan thought to himself that he really needed to go out more often. Otherwise, he didn't know how many bizarre things would happen every day. Staying at home and doing nothing would prevent him from experiencing anything interesting. He guessed that the three innate masters he sensed were here because of this.

Could it be related to what he heard that time? He pondered for a moment, but never mind, business was more important.

The boiled venison was served in a large bowl not long after. It looked like nothing was added, but the restaurant had prepared it so well that there was no gamey smell at all, only the aroma of venison. Served with garlic chili sauce, it tasted surprisingly good. Chen Xuan finished the whole bowl.

They ate comfortably, but the bill came to less than one or two taels of silver. Small places are so cheap! If this were in the capital of Jing Kingdom, the price would be ten times higher, and in a high-end place like Zuixianlou, it would be unpredictable.

He came to Jinze County not only to fill his stomach but also to inquire about the situation in Miwuze. He had his own special skills and learned some things from people's conversations, but not much.

The Misty Swamp is a complex and intricate place, mostly a watery area with islands of all sizes scattered throughout. It is home to countless ferocious beasts and strange creatures, and is shrouded in mist for most of the year, teeming with poisonous miasma. If one is not careful, one can easily get lost and lose one's life.

Knowing all this, it seems quite reasonable that white sandalwood grows in such an environment.

After eating and drinking his fill, Chen Xuan left the county town for Misty Marsh. He had brought his own seasonings with him before leaving. Although the area was vast, he should be able to explore it in three to five days. If all went well, he could get some white cloud wood to take home.

Before long, his figure appeared outside the Misty Swamp, where there was no one around.

Looking out, the water stretched to the horizon, and more than ten miles away, mist rose from the surface of the water. The further away, the thicker the mist became, making it impossible to see anything clearly, which made it seem mysterious and oppressive.

After a brief look, Chen Xuan was about to plunge into the Misty Swamp to search for the White Cloud Wood, but just then, the mist in the distance ahead surged, and someone came riding on the waves through the thick fog.

She was a woman in red, a master of innate martial arts, with a cold and beautiful face. Her appearance and figure were among the top five of all the women Chen Xuan had ever seen. To be honest, she was even no less beautiful than his girlfriend, Little Princess, except for her temperament.

Even though Chen Xuan already had someone he loved, out of male instinct, and because the other woman came from the Misty Swamp, he couldn't help but take another look. He thought to himself, "No wonder it's the Jade Flower Kingdom, which is famous for its beautiful women. I was able to meet a woman who can be described as stunningly beautiful."

Despite her beauty, Chen Xuan had no particular interest in her; who doesn't like looking at beautiful women?

She broke through the mist and walked across the water from the Misty Marsh. Originally heading in another direction, she noticed Chen Xuan on the shore and actually headed towards him.

As Chen Xuan got closer, he noticed that she had an injury on her shoulder, caused by some kind of animal scratch. Before, it was too far away and she was wearing red, so it was difficult to tell.

Just as Chen Xuan thought his lightness skill was decent, his opponent appeared several feet away like a ball of flame.

Before he could greet her with surprise, the woman frowned slightly, glanced at him, shook her head, and said in a low voice, "You're here for that thing too? You must have cultivated a technique to conceal your cultivation level. That's not something ordinary people can covet. If you're not strong enough, I advise you to give up. That's all I have to say. Take care."

With those words, she turned and left without looking back, her red figure disappearing into the distance.

Chen Xuan: “…”

Are there other people looking for white sandalwood?
Considering what I heard in Kinzawa Prefecture before, it's highly likely that the other person wasn't referring to the same item.

However, to be fair, the other person was actually quite nice; for no apparent reason, they even gave a special reminder—a typical case of being cold on the outside but warm on the inside… (End of Chapter)