Misty Rain of the Old Times

The three tiled houses were arranged in the middle room, which was simply furnished. The chairs and benches looked quite old and had a patina. Facing the main door was an incense table and offering table. On the walls on the left and right were straw raincoats, bamboo hats, and oil-paper umbrellas. Under the table in the middle was a fire pit filled with ash, but no charcoal was lit.

They repair and mend old furniture, reluctant to throw it away, and even in this cold weather, they are reluctant to light a charcoal fire. No matter how you look at it, this is just the dwelling of a poor family.

Chen Xuan guessed that the residence was probably bought by the assassin neighbor after he moved to Yang County, or it might have been a safe house he had prepared as a backup.

As he surveyed the small room, a storm raged within the assassin's heart.

This young man named Chen Xuan knows me and has a full understanding of my past, but I know nothing about him!
Being an assassin is a profession that cannot be done in the light of day. Once you are exposed to the light of day, you are not far from death. How could she not be terrified?
Furthermore, and most importantly, according to her initial understanding, how old was this Chen Xuan? He was less than nineteen years old at most, seemingly frail, but in reality unfathomable. He easily broke free from the acupoints she had pressed and escaped her restraints; she hadn't even realized how he had done it.

She even doubted whether she had actually managed to strike his pressure points!

The opponent's strength was definitely above hers, but she had no idea how much higher. It was simply unbelievable. Thinking about herself, she had been struggling among piles of corpses since she was a few years old, using every spare moment to cultivate and improve herself. She had experienced countless life and death, and for thirty years she was still lingering in the Acquired Realm. If it weren't for the chance encounter at the beginning of the year when she was rescued and given a gift by a master, let alone getting rid of the Shadow Killing Sect and stepping into the Innate Realm, she would probably be buried with grass two feet tall by now.

And this Chen Xuan, at such a young age, is someone even I can't see through.

His past is not hard to find out. The Gao family is too famous in Yang County. Everything can be traced. Anyone can talk about the Gao family for three days and three nights.

What's this all about? Is it good to have a big tree to lean on for shade?
A multitude of thoughts flashed through her mind in an instant. Chen Xuan had only been there for less than a quarter of an hour since he arrived, which completely overturned her understanding. Fortunately, her years of experience as an assassin prevented her from losing her composure.

But the current situation really frightened her, and even though she was able to stay calm, she couldn't quite grasp a nagging thought.

Not knowing Chen Xuan's true purpose in coming here, she knew that assassins couldn't operate in the light of day, so she was prepared to escape at all costs. As for eliminating Chen Xuan, this threat, she did have such thoughts, but she quickly abandoned them. Firstly, she was no match for him in a direct confrontation, and secondly, if she really killed him, there would be no place for her to hide in the world!
Are you kidding me? Even if he was once the Gao family's page, his influence as the top scholar is undeniable. Wouldn't he remember past favors? He could easily order the Martial Arts Bureau to investigate, and where could he possibly run off to? Besides, once he makes a move, he'll truly be exposed, and the Shadow Assassin Sect won't let him off the hook.

So the only option is to run away, there's no other way, but can you actually escape?

Wary of the unsuspecting Chen Xuan, she instinctively distanced herself and moved to the door, ready to break it down and leave at any moment. She shook her head and said, "I don't understand what Young Master Chen is talking about."

Chen Xuan was speechless. He sat down casually and chuckled, "Now that things have come to this point, it's no fun anymore. You were brandishing a knife at me before, and now you're really acting like an innocent old woman?"

"Young Master Chen, I only want to live a peaceful life. You are an important person, and I cannot afford to offend you. I have never offended you in any way. We should keep to ourselves. Why make things difficult for a poor widow like me?" she pleaded, leaning against the door.

Chen Xuan's smile never stopped. This neighbor really had the killer's skills ingrained in his instincts. He was still acting, seemingly discussing and pleading, but in reality, he was ready to run away at any moment. More than anything, he was willing to risk his life.

Don't be fooled by her conciliatory tone; if given the chance, she would definitely strike without hesitation.

But surprisingly, he showed no murderous intent. Was it because he dared not, or because he had reservations due to the incomplete mission?

During his seven years in Mocheng, Chen Xuan had seen too many of her like this. Seeing her again now still made him feel interested, but continuing would be a bit boring. He should first figure out what she wanted to do in Yang County.

She absolutely won't tell you if you ask her directly; you either have to use some methods or she'll tell you herself.

With a thought flashing through his mind, Chen Xuan quickly made a plan. In the next instant, before the assassin sister's pupils shrank and her eyes widened in horror, his figure seemed to vanish into thin air.

She had been focused on Chen Xuan the whole time, without even blinking, but Chen Xuan's figure just vanished into thin air, as if he had never existed.

Even with her years of experience as an assassin, she couldn't help but feel a chill run down her spine. She scanned her surroundings, taking in the small room, but couldn't find Chen Xuan anywhere.

"Young Master Chen, what exactly do you intend to do? Are you a human or a ghost?" She scanned her surroundings and asked in a trembling voice, though it was mostly an act, as she had done this kind of charlatanry countless times before.

At this moment, Chen Xuan was standing right next to her, within arm's reach, but she just couldn't notice him. It was as if he had become physically invisible. The characteristics of the Ze Yuan Technique reduced his presence to the minimum. Unless one's spiritual consciousness was at the same level, it would be difficult to detect his existence.

Seeing her panicked state, Chen Xuan felt as if he had returned to the night seven years ago when he first met her.

After a moment, just as she was about to run away, Chen Xuan sat back down in her previous spot and reminded her, "Where are you looking? It's right here. Haven't you realized yet?"

Seeing Chen Xuan appear out of nowhere, her scalp tingled, and she felt her mind go blank. If such methods were intended to harm her…

However, as an assassin, one never gives up until the very last breath. Just as she was quickly thinking of a way to break the deadlock, her reaction, being at the Innate Realm, was still quite swift. She suddenly realized that the current scene seemed somewhat familiar, the difference being that back then she was filled with suspicion and had no clue whatsoever, but now the person was right in front of her!

Looking at Chen Xuan, her eyes were filled with surprise and disbelief as she asked, "Senior, is that you?"

"You finally remembered, my good neighbor?" Chen Xuan said happily.

Even though the assassin sister was used to all kinds of things, she was stunned when she saw Chen Xuan. It was too unexpected. How could this be?

No wonder I had a vague sense of déjà vu before, but I just couldn't remember it.

No wonder that after a group of students from Liuyu Academy graduated at the beginning of the year, they saved him, saying that their neighbor, whom they had lived with for seven years but had never met, had left. If that neighbor was Chen Xuan in front of him, then everything makes sense.

What she found hard to accept was how old Chen Xuan was. If they were neighbors seven years ago, he would have been eleven years old then. How could she have failed to notice her existence? Given her cultivation level at the time, wouldn't that mean he was at least at the Innate level at that age?

Suddenly, the assassin sister felt that this world was too unreal.

Seeing her stunned, Chen Xuan waved his hand and said in a low voice, "Hey, what are you thinking about? Snap out of it."

She inexplicably lowered her guard. Logically, an assassin should never lower their guard against anyone other than themselves, but at this moment, she was completely unguarded. She looked at Chen Xuan in disbelief and asked, "Senior, is it really you?"

Leaning lazily back in his chair, Chen Xuan chuckled, "How about it? Surprised? Excited?"

"It really is quite dreamlike," she murmured, still finding it hard to accept the reality.

Since Chen Xuan left that letter and those pills at the beginning of the year, she had imagined countless images of her neighbor, all of whom were lofty figures, the kind that inspire awe and reverence. But now, facing reality, it was completely different from her imagination.

She didn't think Chen Xuan was an imposter. Firstly, not long after Gao Jingming and the others went to Liuyu Academy, the neighbor appeared, and after graduation, when they went south, the neighbor left. How could there be so many coincidences? Secondly, no one else knew about this matter except herself.

My neighbor, whom I've never met in seven years, is not only a master of the Innate Realm at the age of eleven, but he can also refine pills that allow people to reach the Innate Realm. Is this a dream? Even the storyteller Tingfeng Jushi wouldn't dare to write something like this.

Touching his face, Chen Xuan said dejectedly, "Do I look that old?"

"Senior, that's not what I meant," the assassin sister quickly said, suddenly becoming flustered. Even though she was a ruthless killer, she didn't know why she was acting this way.

Waving his hand, Chen Xuan said, "This isn't like you. By the way, you should just go back to your original self. I've seen you before. It's really awkward to communicate with you like this. I hope it won't offend you."

She glanced down at herself and said without hesitation, "Please wait a moment, senior."

She quickly went to the private room, where she not only used her internal energy to restore her original appearance and figure, but also quickly changed into a red and black long dress. The whole process took less than five breaths. After she finished, she hesitated for a moment, and then, as if possessed, quickly put on some light makeup.

After waiting a moment, when she reappeared, Chen Xuan smiled and said, "This is the neighbor I remember! Much more pleasing to the eye. Before, she acted like an old woman, making me feel so uncomfortable. Hey, you look even younger than when I left at the beginning of the year!"

At this moment, she stood gracefully, looking like a girl of about twenty years old, nearly 1.7 meters tall, with a slender waist and long legs. Perhaps because she had been underground for a long time, she had an oval face with fair skin and beautiful features. However, her eyes were cold and emotionless, making people's hearts go cold. She was a heartless killer. I wonder how many people she had killed. How could her eyes not be cold?
Faced with Chen Xuan's teasing, she sat down respectfully opposite him like a primary school student facing a teacher, bowing her head and saying, "Please forgive my rudeness, senior."

With her cultivation advancing further to the Innate Realm and nourished by Innate True Qi, not only did the scars left by countless missions on her body disappear, but she also became more than ten years younger.

"Don't call me senior. I'm younger than you and I'm not married yet. You can call me Chen Xuan, Ah Xuan, or Little Chen," Chen Xuan waved his hand and said.

Hearing this, her usually icy expression actually flushed slightly. Thinking of the letter Chen Xuan left at the beginning of the year, which was frivolous and not very proper, and now he was saying that he hadn't married a wife, was he implying something to me?
The thought flashed through her mind, but she still said respectfully, "How can that be? You saved my life and even gifted me elixirs to help me reach the Innate Realm. I could never repay your kindness, even if I were to serve you like a slave for countless lifetimes."

Hearing her say that, Chen Xuan felt a headache coming on. She had saved so many people, and everyone would say the same thing. Couldn't you come up with something fresh?

Then Chen Xuan realized that this female assassin was definitely more professional than him when it came to killing, but she was a complete novice when it came to interpersonal relationships and had no skill in verbal communication.

...(End of chapter)