Misty Rain of the Old Times

The small fog array has only five array flags. After the array is set up, the flags influence, connect and resonate with each other, as if rooted in the earth, and quickly gather thick fog to cover a radius of 100 meters. If you fall into the array, the closer you are to the array flags, the more confused your spiritual senses will become. Below the innate level, you cannot see or recognize the array flags even if they are right in front of you.

Even if one is lucky enough to encounter and recognize the array flags, unless they violently destroy them, it is impossible for someone with innate cultivation to easily pull out the array flags that seem to be rooted in the earth and thus break the array and escape.

In addition, the only way to escape is to follow the specific timing of the formation and the positions of the flags, and to walk in a specific way while ignoring the dense fog that affects the senses.

The formation was set up by Chen, and dispelling it was also very simple. While talking to the little girl, he raised his hand and made hand gestures in several directions, vibrating the air and creating invisible wave frequencies that spread out and attracted the formation flags. As a result, the five formation flags scattered in the thick fog rose up from the ground and flew towards him amidst the trembling.

Actually, there's a formula for this thing. It's the same as vibrating the air to resonate with the array flags. It can be controlled manually or by voice. It's just that people who don't understand the special vibration frequency will never be able to figure it out.

That's how magical formations are. You could say that the more sophisticated something is, the simpler it is to operate, provided you know how to use it.

Five array flags flew through the air and landed in his hand, while the thick fog around him quickly dissipated with the wind.

The formation had been dispelled, and apart from the lingering thick fog, the little girl was no longer affected by the formation's influence on her thoughts and senses. She looked at the formation flag in Chen Xuan's hand, and while her previous experience left her feeling terrified, she also found it incredibly amazing.

What amazing skills you've acquired, sir! Those little flags, which you've personally overseen perfecting over the past few months, actually possess such miraculous effects.

Rolling up several battle flags, Chen Xuan smiled and said, "Is everything packed? We're leaving for the capital soon."

After calming herself down, the young maid hesitated and said, "Master, as you instructed, we only brought about ten thousand taels of silver. It's such a light little package. Is that really alright?"

"What else do you want? You can't exactly move your whole family to the capital, can you?" Chen Xuan chuckled, then handed her the rolled-up battle flags. "Get the bundle and take it with you. Oh, and my stick too."

She carefully took the battle flag. Just as Chen Xuan was about to remind her that the battle flag wasn't as fragile as she thought, she added, "You didn't even bring your household registration and travel permit?"

Shrugging, Chen Xuan said, "It's too much trouble, I didn't prepare anything, so I won't bring it. It's fine, don't worry, no one will arrest you for this when you go to the capital."

She hesitated for a moment before going to get her travel money. In the time it took to say a few words, most of the thick fog around her had dissipated.

Chen Xuan understood the girl's feelings. In this era, ordinary people could not go to other places without special reasons, let alone the capital. Without official documents, they could be arrested as vagrants and would find it difficult to move around.

Even things that are readily available, Chen Xuan finds troublesome and is too lazy to prepare. He goes to the capital every few days, but he never needs such things. As for not being able to stay in a proper inn without proper permits, there are always unlicensed inns.

I've never traveled far from home, so whatever the master says goes; it can't be wrong.

Without dwelling on it, the little girl, with a small bundle of money and battle flags slung across her chest, handed Chen Xuan a wooden stick and said, "Master, the horse has been sent to the Gao family for foster care. How do we get there now?"

“We’ll walk there,” Chen Xuan said seriously.

She didn't refute it, but murmured, "But how long will it take to get to the capital?"

"Haha, just kidding. Do you really think you'll travel all those mountains and rivers with me? Are you ready? If you are, we'll set off. By the time we settle down in the capital, it will be almost lunchtime," Chen Xuan said cheerfully.

As she nodded in confusion, Chen Xuan was about to leave, but then added, "You'd better close your eyes now, or don't blame me for not warning you."

"Hmm," she nodded and closed her eyes obediently, though she didn't understand.

The next moment, Chen Xuan turned to face the direction of the capital, lightly touched the ground with his toes and soared into the sky, like a blue cloud passing through the void. His true essence enveloped the little girl, who followed beside him to avoid the harm of high-speed 'flight', air friction, and gale.

With her eyes closed, she felt herself floating up, without any point of support, and nothing else.

But the lack of any foothold made the little girl uneasy and anxious. She subconsciously opened her eyes and exclaimed in surprise that she had actually flown up!
As you rapidly advance through the air, the mountains and land beneath your feet seem to rush past like fleeting shadows.

The way my master said he'd take me to the capital was actually like this? This has completely shattered my understanding. My master can fly and set up formations? Is there anything he can't do?
High in the air with no support, the little girl turned pale with fright. Even though she was perfectly safe, she instinctively reached out and grabbed Chen Xuan's arm, which was right next to her, and held on tightly.

Chen Xuan's cultivation level is improving every day. Now, when he uses his lightness skill, even if he is not traveling at full speed, he can cover hundreds of miles in one step before needing to use his strength again.

Looking down at the trembling little girl with her teeth clenched, he said speechlessly, "Didn't I tell you to close your eyes?"

Even during their high-speed 'flight,' Chen Xuan's words could be clearly heard. The little girl forced a smile and said, "Master, I'm scared."

"It's okay, I'm here. We'll be there soon. Hang in there," Chen Xuan patted her shoulder and said, no longer worrying about whether she closed her eyes or not.

She nodded, feeling inexplicably at ease. With the master around, there was nothing to fear in the world. So she even had the leisure to observe the fleeting landscape receding before her. But this experience didn't last long. In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the rapidly receding scenery beneath her feet came to a stop, and she found herself standing firmly on the snow again.

Chen Xuan led her to a small hillside and pointed ahead, saying, "Roujia, look, that's the capital city."

They were previously enjoying the bright sunshine of a southern winter, but now they are in the cold wind under the dark clouds outside the capital.

Snowflakes fluttered down, covering the majestic capital city in silver, as if the world was reduced to only black and white.

Originally, Chen Xuan could have taken her directly into the city, but considering that it was the little girl's first time in the capital, he decided to let her see the center of power and wealth of the Jing Kingdom from outside the city.

The little girl was completely stunned by what she heard. She stared blankly at the magnificent city in front of her. The city walls stretched as far as the eye could see, and a long line of pedestrians and vehicles had formed on the snowy road outside the city.

You've arrived? So fast? I was just at home in Yang County.

However, before she could react, and before she could even marvel at the awe-inspiring city, she suddenly felt dizzy, her stomach churned, her face turned pale, and she staggered two steps, bending over with a loud "Wah!"

Seeing that she was vomiting so badly that she could barely stand, Chen Xuan stepped forward to support her shoulders and gently patted her back, saying, "I told you not to open your eyes, are you carsick?"

The little girl didn't care about motion sickness at all; she wished she could vomit her bile.

After vomiting for a few moments, her face pale, she swayed and said in a tearful voice, "Master, I'm sorry, I didn't know it would turn out like this. Please turn your head away so as not to offend your eyes."

He casually handed her a bowl of warm water he had prepared, and said with a smile, "Rinse your mouth. You'll get used to it after a few more vomiting episodes. Don't say things like that. We're like family. You even wash my socks, and I've never seen you complain."

"How can that be the same?" she said, still rinsing her mouth with the warm water that was floating in the air. After making sure there was no taste in her mouth, she took out a handkerchief to wipe her mouth and felt much better.

She did have a martial arts background, so she recovered quickly. Seeing that her face was no longer pale, Chen Xuan led her to another hilltop and pointed ahead again, saying, "Roujia, this is your first time here. Take a look. That's the capital. Actually, once you get used to it, it's not that different."

Following the direction he pointed, the little girl looked dazed and murmured, "Is this the capital? I've dreamt of it so many times, but I can never see its true form. It's sacred and so far away... There are so many people, even in the dead of winter. The city walls are so high and so long, I can't see the end of them at all."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan smiled silently.

Noticing this, the young maid said apologetically, "Master, this is my first time seeing the capital, so I inevitably acted a little out of line. Please forgive me."

Patting her on the shoulder, Chen Xuan laughed and said, "Don't laugh at me. To be honest, we're about the same. Even though I've studied with Xiao Gao for so many years, I haven't actually learned much. Like now, I can't even come up with any elegant sentences to describe this situation."

“How can I compare to the master? In his eyes, the capital or Yang County are probably no different,” she murmured.

Upon reflection, Chen Xuan agreed wholeheartedly, saying, "I like hearing that. Say more flattering things to the master in the future."

Covering her mouth with a smile, the little girl's first impression of the capital was one of awe and reverence, besides its majestic grandeur. After looking around for a while, she asked, "Master, thank you for giving me time to see the capital even in this freezing weather. Where shall we go next?"

Chen Xuan began, "Let's go... let's go..."

He suddenly stopped talking. "Yeah, where to go next?"
Going to Xiaoming Residence? It might not be appropriate right now. Firstly, he has already left the Gao family, and that place isn't actually that big. He guesses that Madam Gao and her whole family would be there, and it wouldn't be good for Chen Xuan, an outsider, to disturb them. Although it's not a big deal, it would be inconvenient with too many people. Secondly, he isn't familiar with Gao Jingyu and Master Gao, and it might be awkward to get along with them.

Where else can we go? We can't go to the princess's residence, can we? The little princess would probably be happy, but since we have no official status now, we have to avoid suspicion.

Anyway, you can't exactly go to the palace to ask Old Deng to arrange a place to stay; he'd definitely give you a hard time.

He blinked and asked the little girl, "Roujia, let me test you. Where do you think we should go next?"

Having spent the last six months together, she knew her husband all too well. This was clearly a plan she hadn't made at all. Amidst her amusement and exasperation, she hesitated for a moment before saying, "How about we find an inn to settle down? We have money with us."

"The problem is that I didn't bring my household registration and travel permit. My academic credentials are at home too. No respectable inn would dare to accept people like us," Chen Xuan said, spreading his hands. Perhaps he should go back and bring them?
This stumped the young girl. She had never been to the capital before, and although arranging food and lodging was her duty, she had no clue how to do it.

Fortunately, it wasn't a big deal. Chen Xuan thought for a moment and said, "Roujia, do you think we should just buy a place to live, or should we rely on my strong connections, shamelessness, and brawn to mooch off someone else? You choose one."

...(End of chapter)