Misty Rain of the Old Times

Those who came that day were mostly people with no connection to the community, just showing their regards. There was no need for them to stay any longer.

As night deepened and the last group of guests departed, Chen Xuan finally ended his day as a doorman.

He had someone fetch the congratulatory gifts and gift list from Jiang Huaichuan, and went directly to Gao Jingming.

By the end of the day, Gao Jingming had drunk an unknown amount of alcohol; his eyes were glazed, and the smell of alcohol emanating from him could be detected from three meters away.

Countless high-ranking officials and dignitaries came to offer their congratulations, and as the groom, he certainly had to toast them in return. He couldn't afford to put on airs just because of Chen Xuan; in fact, he had to be even more polite. Otherwise, he would never be able to survive in the officialdom in the future, since he was afraid of people playing dirty tricks rather than being open about it.

"Young Master, it's like you've taken a bath in alcohol. How much have you drunk? Even your considerable cultivation can't withstand it," Chen Xuan joked.

He saw that Chen Xuan was seeing double and said helplessly, his words slurred, "Thank you, Xuan. You've had a hard day. And thankfully, no one forced me to drink. But there were so many people, and everyone only had a small cup. I don't even know how much I drank. I can't even remember how many times I went to the toilet."

"What are you thanking me for? Our relationship has faded. Never mind, it's a joyous occasion, let's not make unlucky jokes. Why did you have to push yourself so hard? Didn't you know to ask someone to help you fend off the drinks?" Chen Xuan said speechlessly.

For a joyous occasion like a wedding, someone should naturally drink on behalf of the bride; otherwise, how much could the groom drink by himself?

Gao Jingming rubbed his throbbing head and said, "What can I do? Many of them are superiors, how can I not show my appreciation? Although I arranged for someone to drink in my place, that wouldn't be appropriate."

He was definitely drunk, his thoughts were a bit disjointed, and then he shook his head and said, "Linzi and the others won't arrive until tomorrow, then someone will drink for me. Since we're childhood friends, no one will say anything. By the way, Ah Xuan, you've been at the door all day, are you hiding in a bar?"

"What kind of relationship do we have? Of course I'd help you. But if I'm going to stand by your side and drink on your behalf, will you, the groom, be the one toasting others, or will the guests be toasting you?" Chen Xuan said with a smile.

Xiao Gao, feeling a bit dizzy, realized that Chen Xuan was probably not recognized by many people at the door. If the two of them were together, even King Jiang would have to get up and raise his cup to toast him.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Chen Xuan asked, "Are you sober now? I have something to tell you."

Seeing Chen Xuan's serious expression, Gao Jingming realized there was something important to discuss and tried to sit up straight, saying, "I've drunk too much, my internal energy isn't working anymore. In your words, Xuan, the alcohol has numbed my brain. I need your help."

Nodding, Chen Xuan remotely channeled a stream of true energy into Gao Jingming's body, and Gao Jingming immediately regained consciousness.

After regaining his senses, he asked, "It has to be Ah Xuan again. What happened? Is it serious?"

At the Gao family's residence, Chen Xuan never considered himself an outsider. He first had a table of food brought over, then gestured for the others to leave. While eating, he pointed to the gift he had brought from Jiang Huaichuan and said, "This was sent by the Marquis of Wuwei's mansion. I reckon someone probably wants to harm you or the Gao family!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Gao's gaze sharpened instantly, and he asked in astonishment, "The Jiang family of the Marquis of Wuwei's mansion wants to harm me?"

Chen Xuan's words really surprised him. They made no sense at all. His family had no grudges against the Jiang family. Moreover, Marquis Wuwei must know something about Chen Xuan. How could he have the guts to do that?

“It shouldn’t be that the Marquis of Wuwei’s family wants to harm you. They’ve probably been used by someone. They’re probably kept in the dark themselves. Otherwise, why would they send something like this on your wedding day? Wouldn’t that be openly saying that you’ve formed a blood feud? Even the stupidest person wouldn’t do such a thing. So I didn’t make a fuss. I only mentioned it to you privately after everyone had left,” Chen Xuan said, one foot on the chair, wolfing down his food while speaking clearly. He didn’t pretend anymore when there were no outsiders around, and he didn’t sit or stand properly at all.

Gao Jingming naturally had to take this matter seriously. Many thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant, and he pondered, "So what was sent?"

"Young Master, you can decide for yourself," Chen Xuan said, continuing to sit down. To him, it was all a minor matter; it was up to the Gao family to decide how to handle it.

Nodding, Gao Jingming took the gift box, opened it, raised an eyebrow, and said with a displeased expression, "A knife?"

He was newly married, so what did it mean for the Jiang family to send him a knife? A knife is a weapon, and even a military family sending a knife is considered bad luck.

Inside the box he opened, lay a long, black-sheathed sword. Gao Jingming's expression darkened at just one glance.

Taking a sip of soup to moisten his throat, Chen Xuan chuckled, "Even the most uncouth military man wouldn't be unaware of such taboos. The gift list was for a sword, which would be perfectly fine for a scholar like you—a sword is a ceremonial object, after all. But it just so happens to be a knife; that's interesting."

"If it wasn't the Jiang family deliberately trying to disgust people, then someone switched them out halfway through?" Gao Jingming said, narrowing his eyes.

Chen Xuan replied noncommittally, "Young Master, you can handle the brain work. Do you want me to get some exercise?"

"You don't need to come here, Ah Xuan. My sister and I will discuss it later, and we'll have a result by tomorrow at the latest. Even if we just tell the Jiang family, they'll have to give us an explanation," Xiao Gao waved his hand and said. He was overjoyed that someone had actually sent him a knife, so Xiao Gao was definitely upset, but now he was calm and collected.

This is no longer just a matter of humiliation. Even if the Gao family is not as powerful as the Jiang family, they would still dare to come to the door and point their fingers at the Jiang family and curse them if they were given a knife.

Nodding, Chen Xuan said, "Just let me know if you need anything. Young Master, you know me; I don't like to use my brain and usually just solve problems in a brute-force way."

“It’s not good to see bloodshed during such a joyous occasion, Ah Xuan, you don’t need to worry about it,” Gao Jingming said, shaking his head. Then he added, “Sending a knife is indeed unlucky, but why did Ah Xuan say that someone wants to harm me or my family?”

His cultivation level wasn't high, and he was involved in government affairs, so it was normal that he didn't understand many things. Chen Xuan pointed to the knife and said, "Young Master, don't you think this knife is a bit sinister?"

Upon hearing this, Gao Jingming looked at the knife again, took it in his hand, drew out half of it, and subconsciously frowned, saying, "It's all blood red, which is indeed unpleasant, but for some reason, once I picked it up, I couldn't bear to put it down. Holding it even gave me the urge to kill!"

Chen Xuan said with a smile, "See? This knife is so evil that even with your temperament, you can't resist its malevolence. So how vicious is the person who went to such lengths to send it here? If this knife had stayed at home, it probably wouldn't have been long before the whole household was in chaos. As for you, young master, forget about your future, you might not even be able to save your life, assuming I didn't discover it beforehand."

Suddenly realizing something, Gao Jingming shoved the knife back into the box and, unable to contain himself, said, "Recently, there's been a rumor in the martial arts world about an evil blade that drinks human blood every day, otherwise it will turn on its master. Could this be it? Although I'm not a member of the martial arts world, I've heard about it from my colleagues over the years."

“Young Master, don’t worry. With me here, everything will be fine. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be able to let go of this knife once you’ve got your hands on it,” Chen Xuan smiled, then continued, “Yes, just as you said, this is that knife, or rather, one of them. It has a certain spirituality and will automatically recognize its master. Using it to kill people allows you to absorb their essence and increase your power. That’s the origin of having to drink blood every day. But over time, it will affect your mind and turn you into a killing tool.”

Taking a deep breath, Gao Jingming said with a grim expression, "Someone is trying to ruin my Gao family. Although the knife is evil, it is extremely precious and has caused bloodshed in the martial arts world. They actually gave it away!"

Otherwise, why would they harm you? They'd have to spend some money, wouldn't they?

Then Gao Jingming said in a daze, "Ah Xuan, you know this knife very well?"

"That's right. I handled two of them a while ago and destroyed them myself. Then another one appeared here. Oh, by the way, there's more than one of these knives. It's part of a set..." Chen Xuan nodded and explained what he knew.

After listening, Gao Jingming pondered, "Such a thing actually happened. The person behind this is truly despicable. I wonder where they are hiding, spreading evil blades throughout various countries. No wonder even the Martial Arts Forbidden Division couldn't quell it. However, I think the blade sent here is probably not the work of the person behind it."

“Of course. Why would someone from the underworld bother you for no reason? They must be holding a grudge against your family for getting this knife and plotting to kill you,” Chen Xuan said with a shrug. Although he wasn’t good at thinking things through, he could guess most of it after a little thought.

After a moment's thought, Gao Jingming stood up and said, "The wedding will still proceed as planned. I'll take the knife to discuss it with my sister. We should have a result by tomorrow at the latest. This matter can't be kept secret. If the Jiang family finds out, they'll probably be in an even more passive position."

Chen Xuan raised his hand, gesturing for him to wait a moment. While the young man remained bewildered, he pointed at the knife, instantly shattering the evil blade within its sheath into several pieces. Only then did Chen Xuan say, "Alright, young master, you can take it. I've destroyed this knife; otherwise, it would have been in trouble if it had been too far from me."

Just kidding. This knife will naturally be fine with Chen Xuan by his side, but it would be strange if it didn't cause trouble when it leaves. Especially with the ambitious Gao Jingyu, how could she remain indifferent after getting her hands on this evil knife? She probably doesn't care whether this knife is evil or not. If it's useful to her, she will definitely use it. Destroying it will naturally solve all the problems.

"It's ruined? It's better this way," Gao Jingming nodded, about to leave, when he turned back and asked, "Ah Xuan, the wedding is tomorrow, you should stay. And don't go to the gate tomorrow, you have to help me with the wedding."

“We still have to go back. Qian Ning will be coming tomorrow too. I can skip the work at the gate, but I’ll definitely go with you to the wedding,” Chen Xuan said with a smile.

Nodding, he said, "Alright, then I won't bother with you anymore. If you see anything you like, just go and get it yourself."

Now that he's grown up, Chen Xuan can no longer easily go to the backyard. After Gao Jingming left, Chen Xuan, having eaten and drunk his fill, also took his leave.

As for the evil sword that someone sent to cause trouble, Gao Jingming said that they could handle it on their end, so they would leave it for the time being. Anyway, it was already destroyed, and it wouldn't cause any more trouble.

Who could it be? We'll probably find out tomorrow.

After a good night's sleep, the little princess, dressed casually, came over the next day. Chen Xuan tidied himself up and took her to the Gao family again.

Upon arriving here, before any guests came, Gao Jingming found Chen Xuan and said, "We have the results; it was the Wu family who did it."

"The Wu family? Oh, the Wu family of Wu Junyao. They can't stand to see your family doing well, that makes sense." Chen Xuan was no longer surprised. How he found out was not important. The Gao family had definitely confirmed it. He just didn't know if there was any evidence.

...(End of chapter)