Misty Rain of the Old Times

So decisive? Looking at her with a mix of amusement and exasperation, Chen Xuan said, "I'm not forcing you to buy or sell; I'm discussing it with you. Of course, you can refuse if you don't want to. I'm a reasonable person. Although we've never met before, in your impression, I'm the kind of person who's domineering and unreasonable."

Upon hearing this, Du Juan nodded again and said, "Then I'll agree."

Among the women Chen Xuan had ever seen, her looks and figure were enough to rank in the top ten. Well, Zhao Qingluan's ranking is reduced by one. In short, it's really a bit incongruous for such a rare, aloof, and icy beauty to have such a rustic name.

Almost choked by her answer, Chen Xuan asked in astonishment, "So straightforward, you didn't even ask what kind of deal it was?"

"Kill who?"

Her beautiful pink lips uttered two words lightly, her eyes completely calm, as if mentioning murder was as simple as eating and drinking.

Letting out a breath, Chen Xuan slumped down as if his bones were falling apart, waving his hand weakly and saying, "Don't be so violent. Besides, if I needed to chop someone up, would I need to ask you for help?"

She thought to herself that it made sense, and said indifferently, "Either is fine."

This is not a normal person. With such an attitude, I'd probably make her jump into a fire pit without hesitation.

Thinking to himself, Chen Xuan said frankly, "It's nothing serious. You went to Zhiwei Restaurant this evening. Given your past career, you wouldn't miss any details, so you naturally know that I have a maid."

"Hmm," she nodded in acknowledgment, not saying much, but the basic information about Su Roujia flashed through her mind: a teenager, pretty and cute, innocent and cheerful, very hardworking, and with some martial arts foundation.

Could it be that Young Master Chen prefers those petite girls?
That's normal; boys generally prefer younger women.

She subconsciously looked down, and sitting down, she could only see a little above her knees. She thought to herself that it would be difficult for her to repay him with her body. Although her current cultivation level could change her appearance and make her look no different from a young girl, it was still not real.

Unsure of what nonsense was going through her head, Chen Xuan continued, "Since that's the case, the deal is simple. I want to train her to be a capable assistant, but I'm quite lazy. Since I've met you, that's perfect. So, I'd like to ask you to teach her skills, including but not limited to assassination, concealed weapons, poison, disguise, and wilderness survival. What do you think? If you're unwilling, that's fine too. I said I won't force anyone."

"To impart all my knowledge?" she asked without any emotional fluctuation.

Nodding, Chen Xuan said, "I guess so."

"Okay, when do we start?" She nodded without hesitation.

Chen Xuan was so straightforward that she felt a little embarrassed. She shared everything she knew, something many masters and apprentices don't do, let alone someone like her who came from an assassin background and had gained much of her experience at the cost of her life.

After a moment's thought, Chen Xuan said, "No rush. She's still young and hasn't had a few days of peace yet. Let her be happy for a while first. After all, many of your methods are bloody and dark. What I need is for her to learn your various experiences and methods, not for her personality to go astray. How about we talk about it again in the next year or the year after?"

“I’m available anytime,” she nodded, then paused and added, “You’re so good to her.”

Without dwelling on the issue, Chen Xuan said, "You hesitated a little just now. Were you worried that the Shadow Assassins might come knocking on our door, making it impossible to complete the deal?"

"No, I always keep my promises, unless I die," she said, shaking her head gently.

She was incredibly straightforward, but Chen Xuan also knew that she was an assassin, and ruthlessness was her true nature. This was the first time he had seen her so 'naive' in all these years.

With a smile, Chen Xuan said, "Since it's a transaction, of course I can't let you make unilateral sacrifices. After all, the content of this transaction is something money can't buy."

“I don’t need any compensation. What I owe you is far too little to repay,” she said calmly.

Shaking his head, Chen Xuan said, "That's your problem. If that were the case, I'd feel terrible about it. How about this: you'll help me teach the little girl from now on, and in return, if the Shadow Assassins come looking for trouble, I'll take care of her."

“No need, I can do it myself,” she insisted.

Chen Xuan said, "I'm not trying to help you solve your problems. I'm just worried that if something happens to you, where will I find such a good mentor for the little girl?"

"Hmm," she nodded and immediately stopped arguing. She was quite confident in her methods. The assassin profession is very fast-paced. Of the people who were in the same batch as her, only a handful have survived twenty years since they started taking on missions. The fact that she has survived until now is proof of her own abilities.

Asking her to tutor the little girl wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision for Chen Xuan; he had always wanted to raise the little girl well so that he could relax and do nothing.

As for letting him teach her himself, firstly, he was too lazy to do it, and secondly, Chen Xuan had been crushing weaker opponents from beginning to end, so where would he get so much experience to pass on to the little girl? Besides, the little girl didn't have his talent, so it was necessary to find someone more capable.

As for asking Du Juan for guidance, it doesn't necessarily have to be her. It just so happens that this opportunity has come to us, saving us the trouble of finding another way.

It seems that once Su Roujia learns Du Juan's various techniques and experiences, along with the superior martial arts she herself taught, the days of just talking and shirking responsibility won't be far off.

Reaching out his hand to Du Juan, Chen Xuan said, "It's a deal." She seemed surprised for a moment, then raised her hand and gave Chen Xuan a high five, saying, "It's a deal."

After a conversation, Chen Xuan learned why she had come to Yang County, which was not what he had imagined. Moreover, the little girl's future arrangements were also taken care of, so it was a good experience.

So he stood up and said, "That's enough for now. It's getting late, you should get some rest. I'll let you know when the time is right and I need your guidance."

“Well, then I’ll see you off,” Du Juan nodded and stood up. Actually, she wanted to chat about two more taels of silver. She was filled with mystery and curiosity about this neighbor she had never met before, and had a lot to say, but being not good with words, she could only manage this one dry sentence.

Shaking his head, Chen Xuan said, "No need, it's just a few steps away. If you're free in the future, you can come visit anytime. You should know where I live, so there's no need to disguise yourself. It's fine as is."

"Is that alright?" she asked in surprise, a change of emotion appearing on her usually cold face.

Chen Xuan laughed and said, "Why not? We've been neighbors for seven years, but we haven't acted like neighbors at all. Isn't it normal for neighbors to visit each other? But don't reveal your identity as an assassin to the little girl. She's still young, so as not to scare her."

“Yes, I understand,” she nodded emphatically.

Just as they were getting ready to leave, Chen Xuan slapped his forehead and said, "Oh, right, I'm going out of town in a couple of days. If you come to visit, don't say I turned you away."

"okay, I get it"

After thinking for a moment, Chen Xuan continued, "If, and I mean if, the Shadow Assassins come knocking on your door while I'm away, and you can't handle it, don't force yourself. Just go to my place; I can guarantee your safety there. I'll leave a bell in the main room on the first floor. Go there, pick up the bell, and ring it gently. I'm not exaggerating, with your cultivation level, even ten people at the Innate Realm wouldn't be able to do anything to you."

Hearing this, Du Juan was surprised, wondering where Chen Xuan got his confidence from, but she still believed him and said, "I'll remember."

She wanted to say thank you, but in all her life, she had never uttered the word "thank you" except when mentioning someone with the surname Xie.

For some reason, she felt a sudden urge to cry, but she couldn't. She didn't even feel that emotion. She had never experienced being cared for before, even if what she perceived as care was just a casual remark from Chen Xuan.

From a young age, she didn't know her own name. From the time she could remember, she lived in a dark and hopeless place, raised as a tool for killing. She had no family or friends, only endless killing and competition. Even her name was secretly chosen by him when she was a little older. On her first mission, she saw the beautiful blooming azaleas and named herself Azalea. She never mentioned it to anyone except Chen Xuan.

With such a background, what understanding of human relationships could she possibly have? Even her ability to interact with others was something she learned later in life, often while reading storybooks in the dark. So it's quite normal that she seems out of place among normal people.

Fortunately, she pretended to be a poor, taciturn tofu seller from the lower class, so normally no one would pay attention to her.

Nodding, Chen Xuan opened the door and said, "Alright, I don't know how long I'll be gone. When you have time, could you check if the house has been burgled? I'll also ask the Gao family to keep an eye on things, so there won't be any misunderstandings or conflicts."

"Is this also part of the deal?" she asked.

Chen Xuan chuckled and said, "Of course not, isn't that how it is between neighbors? If no one's home, I'll help keep an eye on things."

"Mmm," she nodded, a rare glimmer of anticipation flashing in her eyes, as she had never experienced such a normal life before.

Even when she came to Yang County to buy tofu, she would initially just carry her tofu to the street and set it up without any hawking. People would buy it or not, and she couldn't sell it at first. Later, Luo Erdan, a chef, discovered that the tofu she made was of good quality and took the initiative to ask her to deliver it, which gave her a major sales channel.

With one foot already out the door, Chen Xuan hesitated for a moment, then turned back to look at her and asked a question that had been on his mind for seven years: "By the way, Miss Du, if I may be so bold as to ask, how old are you this year? I don't mean anything by it, I'm just curious. I know age is a sensitive topic for girls, so if I've offended you, please just pretend I didn't ask."

"Thirty years old, I'll be thirty-one after this winter," she answered without hesitation, showing none of the hesitation a normal girl would feel when asked her age.

Seven years ago she was only twenty-three, but now she's a mature and aloof woman, which matches her bone age.

Carrying the tofu, Chen Xuan waved and said, "Okay, good neighbor, see you later. You don't need to see me off; it's not good for people to see us like this."

"Um"

Watching Chen Xuan leave until his figure disappeared into the snowy night, she closed the door, leaned against it, and murmured, somewhat dazed, "Neighbors? Is this what normal life is like? It's not bad."

Then she glanced around the house and thought to herself that he was indeed the neighbor she hadn’t noticed for seven years. Even though he was not old, she couldn’t imagine how high his cultivation level was. He had secretly used thirteen kinds of poison at the beginning, but he had been acting like nothing had happened until now!

They are experts in alchemy; my little tricks are no match for them.

Normal life is just beginning, let's get back to grinding tofu... (End of Chapter)