Misty Rain of the Old Times

The cold wind howls, snowflakes flutter, the winter night is as cold as a knife, and every household shivers without firewood to burn.

When Chen Xuan strolled home, the little girl was already waiting eagerly at the door.

"Master is back!" She stepped forward with a lantern and helped brush the snow off Chen Xuan.

He raised his hands for her to do as she pleased, and Chen Xuan laughed, "It's getting late, so you should get some rest. Do you think I, your master, would worry about getting lost?"

“How can the master be busy outside while the maid goes to sleep first?” the little maid retorted confidently.

After cleaning up, Chen Xuan handed the tofu to her and said, "Never mind, take it and put it in the kitchen. We'll make Mapo Tofu for breakfast tomorrow; it'll go really well with rice."

"Mapo tofu?" The little girl blinked, looking completely bewildered.

Realizing she'd never even heard of this common dish, Chen Xuan said, "I'll make it for you tomorrow, and you can make it whenever you want to eat it in the future."

"That won't do. Why don't you show me how to make it, Master? I think I can do it," she said, shaking her head, guessing that the dish must have been something the Master had eaten in the capital.

His cooking skills were really nothing to brag about, and he probably hadn't even explained the steps yet. To make sure the little girl's first attempt turned out well and to avoid wasting ingredients, Chen Xuan nodded and said, "Okay."

"Hmm, so Master went to buy tofu," she said, blinking.

Chen Xuan flicked her on the forehead and chuckled, "Do you think I'd be going to have a secret rendezvous with a young lady?"

As a professional assassin, Du Juan would not ignore her own scent, so she wouldn't leave any residue on Chen Xuan.

The young maid covered her mouth and smiled, saying, "It's only natural for the master to seek out young ladies; it's their honor. Hot water and pajamas are already prepared. Would you like me to serve you a bath, sir?"

"No need, I'm used to being alone," Chen Xuan shook his head. This little girl had never given up.

She gave a slightly disappointed "oh," realizing that the master still didn't approve of her, even though she had tried so hard to be pretty.

Upon entering the bathroom, he soaked his body in the warm water. It was so comfortable to take a hot bath in the dead of winter. Although Chen Xuan was already immune to heat and cold, he didn't mind enjoying life.

There's a fire pit inside the stove at home, so hot water is always available, which is very convenient. Even the bottom of the bathtub is covered with something to keep the water at a constant temperature.

After showering and putting on loose pajamas, Chen Xuan opened his bedroom door and said speechlessly, "Roujia, where did you learn this from? I've told you so many times you don't need to do this."

She lay on the bed with only her head sticking out of the covers, her cheeks flushed. Seeing Chen Xuan arrive, she got up and said, "Warming the bed for you, Master, is what I should do. It's already warmed up. Master, lie down quickly, don't let the warmth escape."

She was wearing a close-fitting undergarment. After half a year of recuperation, her figure had become exquisite and well-proportioned, and she did not shy away from Chen Xuan's gaze at all.

Chen Xuan, annoyed by this presumptuous decision, said, "The room is warm as spring with copper in the stove; do you need to warm the bed? Don't do this again. Hurry up and get dressed and go to sleep."

"Yes, yes, Master, please rest early. I won't do it again next time." She nodded, put on her clothes, and left with a bright smile, thinking to herself that she should listen to the Master's words in reverse and try again next time.

Lying in bed with the door closed, Chen Xuan felt a pang of melancholy. This couldn't go on; he had to marry the little princess as soon as possible. He was a young man full of vigor, and who knew when he might not be able to handle it.

'That little girl is getting more and more unruly. I need to find some time to teach her some manners. I've spoiled her too much. If this continues, she might start to overstep her bounds one day…'

Two days passed in the blink of an eye, and nothing unexpected happened. Du Juan didn't come to visit during these two days. It was unclear whether she was hesitant or had never experienced such a normal life and couldn't make up her mind. Chen Xuan was also happy to have some free time.

It was a fine day; the snow had stopped, the sky was clear and cloudless, yet it felt even colder.

Around noon, Chen Xuan lay lazily in the pavilion, his eyes slightly closed as if he were dozing, but in reality he was carefully sensing the subtle changes around him.

The little girl waited silently on the side, her eyes pleading but unable to speak, yet she dared not utter a word to disturb or urge them on.

They were supposed to set off for the capital today, and the Gao family had already made arrangements to send several people to patrol the area around the clock. But it's already noon and they still haven't left. If this continues, they might not even be able to leave Yang County by nightfall. For Su Roujia, who has never traveled far from home, the capital is something she looks forward to immensely, but it's also incredibly far away. How many mountains, rivers, and roads will she have to cross? How many hardships and dangers will she have to overcome along the way?
Thinking about all this, she felt a little lost and confused, unable to imagine how isolated and helpless she would feel if she were alone in the capital.

As she was lost in thought, she suddenly noticed that fog had silently risen around her, growing thicker and thicker. Within ten breaths, she could no longer see more than ten feet away. The thick fog completely enveloped Peach Blossom Residence, and even Chen Xuan beside her could only be seen as a faint outline.

This sudden change startled the little girl, who instinctively stood up and exclaimed, "How could there suddenly be such a thick fog on such a clear winter day?"

Seeing this, Chen Xuan opened his eyes and said, "Soft Armor, don't be impatient, this is just a small trick of mine."

In the past two days, Chen Xuan has completed a set of small fog array flags. Based on the time and weather, he had already arranged the five array flags in specific positions. The effect, while not immediate, exceeded his expectations.

As he spoke, he nodded in satisfaction, thinking to himself that it was indeed a proper formation. In just ten breaths, it had formed a thick fog that covered an area of ​​a hundred meters in radius. The entire Peach Blossom Residence was shrouded in fog, and even with his cultivation level, he could only see about ten feet ahead, and anything beyond that was blurry and invisible.

If it's just a simple thick fog, it's more than ten times denser than the Misty Marsh.

Moreover, through his careful observation, he discovered that dense fog not only obscures vision but also masks sound and can even affect people's senses and thinking to some extent. The fog is so quiet that it makes people feel uneasy.

At this moment, Su Roujia, who was standing nearby, became increasingly uneasy. Looking at Chen Xuan, who was so close yet only a blurry outline, she exclaimed in horror, "Did you do this, Master? But you're right here, so why does your voice sound like it's coming from so far away? I could barely hear you!"

As she said these words, she subconsciously took a step toward Chen Xuan's side, as that would put her at ease.

But as soon as she took that step, she was horrified to find that, even though it was only a step away, she could no longer see Chen Xuan's shadow. The surroundings were filled with thick, impenetrable fog, and she could not even see the familiar environment where she had lived for several months.

In this situation, if Chen Xuan hadn't spoken to her beforehand, she would have almost cried from fright. She stood there, trembling, feeling weak, pitiful, and helpless.

Looking at the little girl beside him, Chen Xuan immediately understood. He could only see within a range of ten zhang, let alone her. Her vision and senses were affected by the formation. Even those with innate cultivation would probably not be able to get out if they fell into it. They would be trapped inside like being in a ghost wall and die!
'Is this the wonder of formations? And this is just a basic formation that Old Liu left me,' Chen Xuan thought to himself. He had to admit that he had underestimated formations, or rather, he had underestimated what Old Liu had left him.

They were almost at the level of an immortal, how could ordinary people imagine that they would leak even a little bit between their fingers?
Different formations possess different wonders. Although this mist formation is not primarily for killing, it has its strengths and weaknesses. In terms of destructive power, it is certainly not as good as the capital's grand formations, but in terms of concealment and trapping people, it is unmatched by the capital's formations.

A small fog array, covering an area of ​​a hundred meters in radius, should be able to trap most innate level cultivators, if not completely. What about a medium or even large one? Could it trap a grandmaster level expert?
At this moment, from painstakingly collecting materials to spending a lot of time refining array flags, and finally setting them up, Chen Xuan did everything himself. He finally gained some understanding of the profoundness of the art of array formations.

Formations are different from one's own cultivation. Even the most basic formations, in a sense, are using the power of heaven and earth in this way. To achieve this with one's own cultivation, one must break through the tribulation level of the small void in the human body that interferes with reality with one's spiritual will!

These thoughts flashed through Chen Xuan's mind. He reached out and pulled the little girl to his side, comforting her as she screamed in fright, "It's alright, don't be afraid."

"I'm so scared, sir! What happened? I felt like the whole world had abandoned me before, and even now I can't see you clearly," the little girl said in terror, clutching Chen Xuan's sleeve tightly and refusing to let go.

Chen Xuan said, "You've been seeing me busy lately, haven't you? It's this, an array. Hmm, you might not understand it now, it's complicated. I'll explain it to you slowly later. Don't worry, it's not too dangerous except for getting people lost in the fog."

Isn't this dangerous?
Unable to calm herself down, Su Roujia turned to ask, "Master, what about our home? What will we do if things continue like this?"

"Easy, haha. Since it's an array I set up, of course I can control it. I just wanted to see the effect, so I increased the concentration to the maximum. And it doesn't matter if you get trapped in it. There are corresponding footwork techniques that allow you to move freely in the mist. After a few steps, you can see more than three zhang away and move around freely. The footwork needs to be adjusted according to the different directions of the array flags. It's just like a formula. Just apply it. It's very simple," Chen Xuan laughed, becoming more and more satisfied with the mist array. He really hadn't wasted so much of his effort.

This set of flags would be a perfectly presentable wedding gift for Xiao Gao.

This thing may seem incredibly mysterious, but for Chen Xuan, who does everything himself, it's really nothing special. Even if someone sets it up without his knowledge, he can't be trapped in it. If he can't break the formation, can't he at least destroy it?

"Oh, I see. Then please put it away, sir. I'm a little scared. By the way, how do you move freely within this formation?" She breathed a slight sigh of relief but was still uneasy.

With a smile, Chen Xuan said, "Okay, I'll put it away right away. We'll be heading to the capital soon. As for the footwork, there's no rush. Although it's simple, it takes time to learn. I'll set up the formation again when we get back and teach you then. You'll learn faster by seeing it in person. It's already noon, so let's not waste any more time."

"Mmm," she nodded obediently, her understanding of her master's unpredictable methods being refreshed once again.

...(End of chapter)