Misty Rain of the Old Times

As the two chatted, they didn't realize that the pot of turtle soup had been emptied.

Upon hearing Ling Yun's question, Chen Xuan thought to himself, "You've finally hit the nail on the head." He then put down the stone bowl and said, "Regarding that evil blade, I've only heard of it. I happened to be here, but not for it."

He paused slightly, a little embarrassed, and continued, "Besides, I'm barely a scholar, so it's best to avoid getting involved in fighting and killing."

He was initially a little embarrassed to say that he was a scholar, as his mere title of Tongsheng (a student who passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations) was hardly impressive. However, when he thought that Xiao Gao had become the top scholar in the imperial examinations, he realized that he was practically a top scholar himself, which gave him a lot of confidence.

Hearing this, Ling Yun hesitated, "You're a scholar, you don't like fighting and killing, yet you've come all the way to Misty Marsh?"

After thinking for a moment, he added, "Then what brings you here, Young Master Chen? Don't misunderstand, I have no intention of prying into your privacy. I simply feel I can't repay your life-saving grace and wanted to see if there's anything I can do to help. After all, I was given a second chance at life, so I'm willing to go through fire and water for you."

With a smile, Chen Xuan gestured for him to not be so serious, saying, "Actually, my presence here is somewhat related to you, senior."

"Oh?" Ling Yun was taken aback. He racked his brains but couldn't think of anything that had to do with him. He wasn't familiar with Chen Xuan, so the problem must lie with his disciple Zhao Qingluan. Could it be...?

His gaze towards Chen Xuan immediately changed. Although he had no intention of playing matchmaker, young men and women often have complicated relationships. What if this young master Chen came all the way here because of a word from his disciple? Besides, his disciple was quite capable.

Chen Xuan, who couldn't read minds, naturally had no idea what nonsense he was thinking, and frankly said, "Not long ago, I heard your disciple, Miss Zhao, say that white cloud trees grow in this Misty Swamp, so I came here to search for them."

"Young Master Chen traveled thousands of miles and risked so much just for the White Cloud Wood? It's not worth it. What use would it be to you?" Ling Yun was taken aback, then realized he had said too much and quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, Young Master Chen, please forgive me. It just slipped out. I didn't mean to pry."

Chen Xuan waved his hand dismissively, saying, "It's nothing, it's not some shameful secret. To be honest, not long ago someone in the capital of Jing Kingdom wanted to exchange the Carefree Pill for White Cloud Wood, which caused quite a stir... I digress. Senior will find out more later if you inquire a little, so I won't go into details here. In short, I heard from your disciple that White Cloud Wood grows here, and I plan to find it and exchange it for the Carefree Pill. That's all."

Ling Yun was in Yuhua Kingdom and had been busy with the Evil Blade incident, punishing evil and promoting good. He had no time to pay attention to the affairs of Jing Kingdom. Besides, the incident had not happened for long, and the news had not yet spread to everyone in Yuhua Kingdom.

But he had heard of the Free and Easy Pill. Looking at Chen Xuan's strange expression, he said, "So, Young Master Chen is looking for the White Cloud Wood in exchange for the Free and Easy Pill..."

This young master Chen is born with a face that is one in a million, which would probably make any girl envious. So, at such a young age, his body is already depleted and he needs the Xiaoyao Pill to nourish it.
From his expression, Chen Xuan knew perfectly well that he had misunderstood, and said confidently, "Actually, it wasn't me who wanted the Xiaoyao Pill, it was my young master who wanted it. I'm just a messenger, senior, you understand?"

Just let Xiao Gao take the blame for everything; it's not a big deal. Brothers are meant to be taken advantage of.

Ling Yun immediately gave him an "I understand" look and laughed, "The Carefree Pill is indeed a good thing, but unfortunately it's priceless and unavailable. I never expected someone would offer it in exchange for White Cloud Wood."

"Are you really that clueless, or are you just pretending?" Chen Xuan asked, a little anxious. He then feigned a sudden realization and bluntly stated, "By the way, regarding the White Cloud Tree in the Misty Swamp, Miss Zhao mentioned it to you when you were talking to an old friend. So, does you know where White Cloud Trees grow? If you do, please let me know, so I don't have to search aimlessly."

"I do know a thing or two about where the White Cloud Tree grows in the Misty Swamp, but..." Ling Yun hesitated before continuing.

He knew about the relationship, but had been avoiding the topic. Chen Xuan didn't suspect him of being ungrateful; there must be some reason. He pondered for a moment and said, "Since you know, senior, could you please tell me? If it's inconvenient, that's fine; I won't force you."

After hesitating for a moment, he asked in return, "Is Young Master Chen absolutely determined to obtain this white cloud wood?"

“It’s not that I absolutely have to have it, but I still want to try my best to get it,” Chen Xuan said without hesitation.

He immediately understood, hesitated for a moment, then cupped his hands in apology and said, "Young Master Chen, it wasn't that I intentionally concealed it before. You saved my life, so what's wrong with giving it back to you? Besides, it's just news about the White Cloud Wood. The reason I didn't mention it was for your sake."

"Thank you for your kind offer, senior, but I'd like to hear your thoughts before making a decision," Chen Xuan said with a smile, understanding his meaning and realizing he wasn't ungrateful.

Seeing this, Ling Yun simply said, "Alright, since Young Master Chen has put it that way, then I'll be frank. The information about Baiyun Wood was obtained by an old friend of mine at great personal risk. Well, he's dead now. The time when Qingluan was there was the last time I saw him..."

"I apologize for digressing. It's inevitable to feel sentimental about the passing of an old friend. The White Cloud Tree is located in this Misty Swamp, though I don't know the exact location. My friend only mentioned it casually and didn't leave a map. It grows in the core area of ​​the Misty Swamp, but the place is extremely dangerous. My friend told me that a beast comparable to a Grandmaster lord roams the area where the White Cloud Tree is. My friend only caught a glimpse of it from afar and was roared at by that beast. Although he wasn't chased, he managed to leave and passed away not long after. So I hope Young Master Chen will reconsider." He hadn't wanted to mention it before because he was worried that Chen Xuan might lose his life because of the White Cloud Tree. From his perspective, he was truly loyal and compassionate, which Chen Xuan understood.

His words seemed like they were saying nothing at all, but at least they gave Chen Xuan a general idea of ​​the location of the white cloud tree. Even if he didn't tell Chen Xuan, he could still find it himself, but having a general area would save him a lot of trouble.

Just for that, Chen Xuan felt that saving his life was worthwhile.

As for why his old friend went to Misty Marsh to court death, it was none of Chen Xuan's business, so he didn't bother to find out.

After a moment's thought, Chen Xuan nodded and said, "It seems the White Cloud Wood is nearby. This trip was worthwhile. I understand your kindness, senior, but I know my limits and won't risk my life."

To reiterate, Chen Xuan was confident but not arrogant towards the beast, which was comparable to a grandmaster. He had not truly faced it and was not entirely certain of victory.

After all, he was her savior. Ling Yun regretted telling Chen Xuan the news. What if he harmed him because of this? Wouldn't that be repaying kindness with enmity?

The words were already spoken, and it was too late to regret them. He simply said, "How about this, Young Master Chen, you wait here. Once my injuries have healed a bit more, I'll go and see if I can find the White Cloud Wood for you. Anyway, I've already saved my life, so there's no need for Young Master Chen to take the risk."

Despite facing near-death experiences, he still took on all the responsibilities, preferring to lose his own life rather than harm Chen Xuan, his savior.

Chen Xuan waved his hand and said, "There's no need for that. I'll figure it out myself. If anything happens to you because of this, I'll feel terrible. Wouldn't it be a waste of my time to save you? Senior, your disciple Zhao Qingluan is still young. You don't want her to be without a master to support her in the future, do you?"

Ling Yun looked conflicted, genuinely regretting telling Chen Xuan the approximate location.

Seeing this, Chen Xuan smiled and said, "Senior, there's really no need for this. Even if I hadn't met you, I would have continued my search. On the contrary, your reminder has given me a heads-up."

"Well, things have come to this, so I won't say anything more. If Young Master Chen insists on searching, I will risk my life to protect you," he said firmly, intending to stand together for Chen Xuan's goal.

Now that he knew the general location of the White Cloud Tree, Chen Xuan was no longer in a hurry. Instead, he shook his head and said, "No need for you to trouble yourself, senior. I'll handle it myself. But what are your plans next, senior?"

“There’s no reason to give up halfway through a task. We must eradicate evil completely. Once we’ve recovered a bit, of course we’ll continue to eliminate Tang Yu. But right now, your matter is more important to me, Young Master Chen. Let’s get the White Cloud Wood together first,” Ling Yun said with a firm gaze.

Having already died once, he still refused to give up. Not only did he not forget Tang Yu's goal, but he also put his own affairs first. He could only be described as incredibly loyal and righteous. Perhaps this is the romance of people in the martial arts world. There are always some people who are worthy of praise and tears.

Chen Xuan waved his hand and said, "I appreciate your kindness, but as for the rest, I can't make a decision for you. However, I would like to offer a word of advice, and I hope you will take it to heart. Why don't you leave now? Life is only once; keep your body useful so you can do more things in the future."

“I understand the reasoning, but that knife has already caused bloodshed. If it is not ended soon, more innocent people will die tragically. We, as martial artists, are born between heaven and earth, and we should do our part,” Ling Yun said stubbornly, bowing his head slightly.

Chen Xuan couldn't understand this idea, but from his perspective, perhaps it was the meaning of his life. Everyone has their own beliefs, and while I may not agree with them, I shouldn't belittle them either.

He stopped trying to persuade him and changed the subject, saying, "Senior, if you continue to eliminate evil, what if your enemies attack you again? Do you think you can survive a second time? Besides, this is already the core area of ​​the Misty Swamp. If you make too much noise, aren't you afraid of alerting the beasts that are comparable to Grandmaster level experts? Everyone might end up dying here!"

“A true man has things he should do and things he shouldn’t do. There’s no reason to hesitate. Besides, I didn’t recognize Duan Zui before and was ambushed by him. He won’t be able to get his hands on me so easily next time. Also, the core of the Misty Swamp is so big. It’s not easy to encounter that beast. But let’s get the White Cloud Wood for Young Master Chen first. If we do, we’re bound to encounter that beast. I’ll lure it away while Young Master Chen finds a way to take the White Cloud Wood.” He still insisted on his idea.

You want to lure that monster away to give me a chance? Do you think you're some kind of tyrant, guaranteed to die?

In fact, you can see from his willingness to stand up for Ning Zuiyue without hesitation that he is a very pure person who puts his life and death aside for the sake of his beliefs. Many people may not understand this, but from another perspective, he is worthy of respect because not many people can do this.

This is the world of martial arts; some are utterly wicked, while others shine with righteous indignation… (End of Chapter)