Misty Rain of the Old Times

"My benefactor, please call me by my name, otherwise I will feel really uneasy," Xiang Qi said helplessly to Chen Xuan.

With a smile, Chen Xuan said, "Don't call me benefactor anymore, I'll just call you Old Xiang, okay?"

"Um, you can call me whatever you like, Young Master Chen. Actually, I'm not old; I'm only twenty-eight," Xiang Qi said, scratching his head.

"You look older than your age," Chen Xuan thought to himself, "with a full beard and bronze skin. You could easily pass for forty-eight." But aloud he said, "None of that matters. So, can you tell me more?"

Perhaps due to the height difference, Xiang Qi noticed that Chen Xuan had to tilt his head slightly to look at him, which was impolite, especially since Chen Xuan was his savior. So, he simply sat down beside him and said, "There's nothing I can't say. Since Young Master Chen is interested, I will certainly speak freely."

He paused for a moment, then continued as Chen Xuan listened attentively, "Actually, the matter is very simple. I was chasing someone who ran deep into the mushroom forest. I stumbled in during the chase, overestimating the miasma-avoiding pills I had taken before, and carelessly inhaled the miasma and was poisoned. If it weren't for Young Master Chen, I'm afraid I would have died here in a muddle."

He looked terrified as he spoke, as if he had just narrowly escaped death.

In the martial arts world, fighting and killing are normal. It would be unreasonable if there were no more battles like this.

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan asked curiously, "What grudge do you have against me?"

"No," Xiang Qi shook his head and said, then explained, "Although that person has no grudge against me, he is a menace in life. As people of the martial world, it is our duty to rid the people of such a scourge."

This guy was still quick to stand up for the underdog. Nodding, Chen Xuan said, "Tell me how much trouble he's caused. If he's really that wicked, I'll take care of him when I see him."

Xiang Qi was somewhat suspicious that Chen Xuan was bragging. Although he couldn't see through Chen Xuan's cultivation level, the man was indeed powerful, and he himself had to be careful. Yet Chen Xuan was saying he would kill someone as easily as eating and drinking, which made it hard for Xiang Qi to believe.

After all, he was his savior, so he didn't question him. Instead, he said, "That man is called Tang Yu. He's a renowned master of the Innate Realm for many years, but he's known for his infamy. He's extremely strong; even I'm not entirely confident I can defeat him. He's a heartless womanizer who has abused countless innocent women, and after toying with them, he cruelly murders them. He's despicable. His swordsmanship is exceptional, especially since he recently acquired a sinister treasured sword, which has made him even more formidable."

Although he didn't question Chen Xuan outright, he tried to portray Tang Yu as formidable, subtly reminding Chen Xuan not to be careless.

Nodding, Chen Xuan said, "That womanizer deserves to die. There's nothing wrong with a man being lustful; if he's feeling the urge, he can just pay to go to a brothel. Aren't there enough pretty girls to choose from? It's truly despicable to use his skills to defile girls' chastity."

“Who says otherwise? That’s why I came to get rid of him as soon as I found out where he was,” Xiang Qi said, seemingly convinced, though he didn’t know if Chen Xuan had taken his words to heart.

Chen Xuan understood what he meant, but didn't pay attention. Looking at Xiang Qi with confusion, he said, "Since you said you weren't entirely confident in defeating him, and he even obtained a treasured sword, why do you still dare to chase after him? Aren't you afraid of being killed in return? You can't risk your life for the sake of justice, can you?"

Xiang Qi laughed and said, "Because I'm not the only one chasing him. If we all join forces, there's nothing to be afraid of. However, the others' motives for chasing him aren't simply to eliminate a scourge."

"To obtain the treasured sword in his possession?" Chen Xuan quickly understood the key point.

Nodding emphatically, Xiang Qi said, "That's right."

Thinking of the news he had heard not long ago, Chen Xuan pondered and said, "I once heard that there was a strange and powerful sword in the martial arts world. It was said to be indestructible. There may be some exaggeration, but it is not unfounded. However, it is rumored that the sword must drink blood every day, otherwise it will turn against its owner. Could it be the sword that Tang Yu is talking about?"

"Young Master Chen has also heard of this matter? It really is that person. Recently, quite a few people have been killed in Jinze County. Various martial arts practitioners have come to besiege him after learning of this, along with experts from the imperial court. As for their true motives, who knows? That person was no match for them and fled into the Misty Swamp. I was one of them, and now I've been separated from the others."

At this point, Xiang Qi handed his hammer to Chen Xuan, saying, "Young Master Chen, please take a look. This weapon of mine is made of fine iron and is a blunt weapon weighing two thousand catties. Even so, after clashing with that opponent's knife, it was cut with a half-foot-deep crack. If it were to clash a few more times, it would probably be shattered. You can imagine how sharp that knife is. And this is just a blunt weapon; if it were a sword or saber, it would probably have cut through it in one go."

The news about that knife that I heard in Jing Kingdom never imagined that it would end up in the northwest of Yuhua Kingdom.

Looking at his hammer, there really was a cut on it. Chen Xuan hadn't noticed it when he first picked it up, since his mind wasn't on the hammer.

When faced with such sharp weapons, you really need a blunt weapon like this, otherwise it won't be enough.

After thinking for a moment, Chen Xuan asked in confusion, "That knife is good, but it's also strange. It's said that if you don't drink blood every day, it will turn against its owner. It's something to be avoided at all costs, so why do so many people want to get their hands on it?"

“It seems that Young Master Chen only knows one side of the story. That knife may be strange, but it’s not just about being sharp. When you use it to kill someone, it can also feed back to its owner to improve their cultivation level while absorbing the blood of others. You could say that if you get it, an ordinary person can quickly become a master. So Young Master Chen knows why so many people want to get it,” Xiang Qi explained.

"I see," Chen Xuan said, suddenly relieved. It seemed that the knife really was something special. Even Old Liu, the expert in weapon crafting, hadn't left Chen Xuan any similar weapon crafting diagrams. He didn't know if it was because he was disdainful or because he didn't know how.

Obtaining that knife would only make one a master quickly. Even the most outstanding masters are still within the Innate Realm. Even if they have the strength to challenge a Grandmaster, they are still not a Grandmaster. A Grandmaster needs to comprehend and take that step on their own. There is almost no shortcut that can be taken by external force. Chen Xuan has a deep understanding of this. With his talent, it took him two and a half years to stagnate in his cultivation before he took that step.

Then, out of curiosity, he asked, "If, and I mean if, you were to kill Tang Yu, what would you do with the knife? Could you resist the temptation?"

"I can't guarantee that either, since it's something that can quickly improve one's skills. But I think if that happens, I'll most likely either destroy the knife or, if I can't destroy it, hide it somewhere no one can find it, so as not to harm the common people," Xiang Qi said frankly.

He was straightforward and didn't hide his thoughts that he might not be able to resist the temptation.

Not dwelling on that, after a moment's thought, Chen Xuan asked, "Have you seen a woman in red? Her cultivation level is quite high, probably around yours. She's incredibly beautiful, and she also uses a knife. She seems like a nice person."

Thinking back to his previous encounter outside the Misty Swamp, Chen Xuan inquired about it and concluded that the woman in red was likely one of the people chasing Tang Yu.

"Is the woman in red that Young Master Chen mentioned injured in the shoulder?" Xiang Qi asked in return. After receiving a nod of confirmation from Chen Xuan, he immediately smiled and said, "I suppose the woman Young Master Chen is referring to is He Hongyi. She lives up to her name, always wearing a red dress, and is incredibly beautiful. Countless people admire her. Now in her early thirties, she is recognized as one of the ten most beautiful women in the martial arts world of Yuhua Kingdom. Rumor has it that she is still single, as no man seems to have caught her eye."

Why are you emphasizing that she's single?

Speechless, Chen Xuan glanced at Xiang Qi and then thought of the time when he met one of the ten beauties of Yuhua Kingdom in the desert, but she ended up in a terrible state. Fame is not necessarily a good thing.

It's common knowledge that the beauties of Yuhua Kingdom are famous, so people have plenty of free time and idly compile a list of the top ten beauties. Jing Kingdom doesn't have this kind of ranking.

Rankings shouldn't be taken too seriously. After all, there are so many people in the world, who has the time to rank them one by one? But they do have some credibility.

"She's one of the people who's been hunting down Tang Yu, isn't she?" Chen Xuan asked casually.

Nodding, Xiang Qi said, "Yes, speaking of which, I was there when she was injured. It was this morning. There were four of us, including He Hongyi, who were besieging Tang Yu. We were about to kill him when one of us suddenly turned against us, like he had lost his mind. He used his claw technique to launch a sneak attack, and He Hongyi was caught off guard and was injured, but it wasn't serious. However, this allowed Tang Yu to take the opportunity to break through and escape."

“Those who betray their cause are definitely out of their minds. They probably think they have the victory in their grasp and want to keep the treasure sword for themselves,” Chen Xuan said, shaking his head.

Xiang Qi neither confirmed nor denied this. The exchange between the two was quite pleasant. Given Chen Xuan's life-saving grace, the straightforward Xiang Qi laughed and said, "Young Master Chen said that He Hongyi is a good person. Could it be that you have taken a fancy to her? If so, then she is very fortunate. With her appearance, she is barely worthy of Young Master Chen. We have fought side by side before. Should I say a few good words for Young Master Chen in front of her sometime?"

You big, burly guy, don't make things worse. You really have a knack for making connections; I'm truly impressed.

Xiang Qi was right about one thing: if she were to fall for him, it would truly be her good fortune. Chen Xuan chuckled, "What are you thinking? I only met her once before entering the Misty Swamp. She kindly gave me a heads-up, saying she's a really nice person, so I was just asking you about her. I have no other intentions. Besides, I already have someone I like."

“I can’t agree with what you’re saying, Young Master Chen. What’s wrong with having a sweetheart? Isn’t it normal for a man to have multiple wives and concubines? As long as he doesn’t abandon her after starting a relationship, it’s understandable that he likes a lot of women. Besides, it’s more lively when there are more people in the family,” Xiang Qi said dismissively.

You know what, you really do know, there's some truth to that.

Almost swayed by his words, Chen Xuan quickly dismissed the idea, feeling that this seemingly naive guy was trying to persuade him. He immediately shook his head and said, "Although I am also lustful, there are so many beautiful women in the world. How could I possibly like every single one I meet?"

"Yes, that's a pity," he said, shaking his head.

Chen Xuan was taken aback and asked, "What's a pity?"

“Young Master Chen is so handsome and dashing, it would be easy for him to have a large number of wives and concubines. It’s a pity that many women are not fortunate enough to be chosen by you,” he said with a melancholy expression.

Just because I saved you, you're this considerate of me?
Having found out what he wanted to know, Chen Xuan, both amused and exasperated, decisively changed the subject, saying, "By the way, Lao Xiang, how long have you been in Misty Marsh? Have you seen any White Cloud Trees?"

"You've been here for a few days now, what is white cloudwood?" Xiang Qi asked, puzzled.

Seeing that he had never heard of it, Chen Xuan wasn't disappointed. He said, "To be precise, it's called the White Cloud Tree. It's pure white like jade, and its leaves are needle-like, clustered together like white clouds, hence the name."

"I see. I've never seen it before," he shook his head and then asked, "Young Master Chen came to the Misty Marsh to find this?"

"Well, I heard that white cloud trees grow in the Misty Swamp, so I came to try my luck," Chen Xuan said frankly. It wasn't some shameful secret. He was just having fun pretending to be a drug dealer to exchange Xiaoyao Pills for white cloud trees, and he didn't care if people associated him with himself.

No matter how well someone disguises themselves, those who know it will recognize it.

Nodding, he said earnestly to Qi, "I'll keep an eye out for Young Master Chen. If I see it, I'll take it to Jinze County and spread the word. Young Master Chen can come and collect it then."

He clearly took this matter to heart, and Chen Xuan was happy to see it happen, since more people meant twice the chances. He smiled and said, "Thank you very much then."

“Young Master Chen, you’re too kind. You saved my life, and I have no way to repay you. It’s only my duty to keep an eye out for you. Whether I can even run into you is another matter, and it’s not worth mentioning,” he immediately waved his hand and said.

After chatting for a while, Chen Xuan glanced at the sky and stood up, saying, "Alright, are you still going to chase after Tang Yu? I gave you the miasma-avoiding pill earlier, and it should have worked well. Going to the mushroom forest should be fine. I'm going to continue searching for the White Cloud Tree. If I run into Tang Yu, I'll kill him on the spot. It's normal for men to be lustful, but I can't stand by and watch innocent women being abused. I'll destroy that knife too."

"Alright, Young Master Chen, please be careful. This Misty Swamp is extremely dangerous, especially the central area, where even a master of innate cultivation would face a near-death experience," Xiang Qi reminded him.

Chen Xuan said he would be careful and then took his leave.

Chen Xuan felt quite pleased with himself, considering it a new friend. Even though the other person regarded him as a benefactor, he was still in a good mood.

That's life, isn't it? You keep meeting new people and old acquaintances, day after day, year after year, and before you know it, your life has passed by in a daze.

But he has a long life ahead of him, and he will meet many, many people in the future, and say goodbye to one old friend after another. It's a bit bittersweet to think about.

After leaving, Chen Xuan slapped his forehead and thought to himself, "Something's not right. Xiang Qi has been in Misty Marsh for several days now, chasing after that Tang Yu. But I heard in Jinze County that someone died last night, and it sounds like it was caused by that knife. If Tang Yu is too busy to take care of himself, then who did it last night?"
Could it be that those strange knives were actually two?
It doesn't even distinguish between male and female.

...(End of chapter)