Misty Rain of the Old Times

The Imperial Observatory is staffed by a group of people who keep strangers at bay. They are repressed and even somewhat paranoid, and rarely interact with anyone other than their own kind. I suppose most people who do 'academic research' are like that.

They arrived at the gate of the Imperial Observatory in silence, then left without looking back. From beginning to end, they didn't say a word except when they opened the door for Chen Xuan.

Chen Xuan went in in the afternoon, but came out in the morning. The weather was clear, with the sun rising and the sky cloudless.

Looking at the sky, Chen Xuan felt uneasy all over, with a sense of emptiness and discomfort, as if he had lost a fortune. This was because, for the first time in more than ten years, he had not practiced the Qi-cultivating exercise in the morning, breaking a habit he had maintained for over a decade.

To put it simply, this feeling is like having worked diligently for a month, almost achieving perfect attendance, only to oversleep and be late. At this moment, Chen Xuan's heart is a thousand times more conflicted than in that situation.

Although it was just a trivial matter, after persisting for many years, the interruption was unsatisfying, and I could not experience the joy of obtaining the Seven Star Sealing Formation at all.

So engrossed in the Seven Star Sealing Formation that he completely forgot to practice the Tranquilizing Body Cultivation Exercise that morning, Chen Xuan was so conflicted that he wanted to slap himself. But what's done is done, time can't be turned back, and there's no use in worrying.

Surprisingly, Eunuch Wang was still there. Upon seeing Chen Xuan arrive, he immediately bowed and said, "Young Master, are you done with your work?"

It seems he had no idea why Chen Xuan had come here, and that was indeed the case. The old emperor had arranged for him to bring Chen Xuan here without revealing the truth, since the fewer people who knew about such things, the better. It wasn't that the old emperor didn't trust him, but simply out of basic caution.

Nodding, Chen Xuan returned the greeting and said, "Yes, I'm done. How long have I been inside?"

The place where the jade book was stored was even quieter than the solitary confinement room. Chen Xuan couldn't feel the passage of time at all, but flipping through the contents did not produce any oppressive feelings.

Even within the Imperial Observatory's grounds, Eunuch Wang felt extremely uncomfortable. He led the way, gesturing for Chen Xuan to leave, saying, "Reporting to my son-in-law, you've been inside for two and a half days now."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan felt even more uncomfortable. Two and a half days meant that he had missed two sessions of practicing the Tranquilizing Body Exercise!
There was no way around it; the Seven Star Sealing Formation contained far too much information, with hundreds of millions of words alone and thousands of illustrations. Even with Chen Xuan's photographic memory and ability to read hundreds of lines at a glance, it still took him this long.

Seeing that he suddenly seemed downcast, Eunuch Wang thought that Chen Xuan's visit had not gone well, but little did he know that he was fretting over a trivial matter.

But she didn't dare ask, and hesitated for a moment before saying, "Young master, everything you asked for has been prepared and placed in your room at the royal estate. However, one material is missing. His Majesty said there's still some in stock, but not much, and it's for emergencies. So you'll have to go and get the missing one yourself."

Chen Xuan knew he was referring to the materials for the levitation formation, one of the functions of the Seven Star Sealing Formation. It was already almost ready; the efficiency was quite impressive. While reviewing the information about materials for the levitation formation in his mind, he nodded and asked, "Which one is missing?"

"Geomagnetic essence," Eunuch Wang said without hesitation, seemingly anticipating Chen Xuan's question and preparing accordingly.

He quickly found information about geomagnetic essence in his mind. It is a precious metal similar to a magnet, but it is not a magnet and does not have magnetism itself. It requires special treatment for array formation and is also the key to the floating island being able to break free from gravity and suspend in the void.

Tsk, we're missing a crucial material. Even with the array diagram, we can't actually operate it. Chen Xuan asked again, "Does Steward Wang know where to find Earth Magnetic Essence?"

He asked the question without much hope, and thought he might have to figure it out himself.

No wonder he's been with Emperor Shangxuan for decades; he's very well-prepared. He answered immediately, "My lord, I've looked into it. Currently, there's only one known place in our Jing Kingdom that produces it: Wanku Mountain on the eastern coast. Wanku Mountain is extremely dangerous and people can easily get lost there. Furthermore, geomagnetic essence is scarce, so the production is limited, and we don't have any extra to offer you."

After listening, Chen Xuan nodded in surprise and asked, "Wanku Mountain? Is that the Wanku Mountain where, according to legend, everything in a certain area is gigantic?"

“That’s right, it’s that Wanku Mountain,” Eunuch Wang replied with certainty.

Chen Xuan naturally believed that he wouldn't lie to him. Having the exact origin of the Earth Magnetism Essence saved him a lot of trouble. He could just make a trip there anyway, since the entire floating island was now settled.

At this moment, he asked out of curiosity, "Manager Wang, is it true that there is a region there where everything is gigantic?"

Chen Xuan was somewhat curious about this. A few months ago, Gao Jingming passed the imperial examination with top honors. Chen Xuan heard about this on his way back and kept it in mind. He was thinking of going to see it when he had time. Now, what a coincidence! When he went to collect the Earth Magnetic Essence, he might have the chance to experience that magical place.

Eunuch Wang thought for a moment and said, "That rumor is true. The Martial Arts Prohibition Division oversees all matters in the martial arts world, and they will also inquire about such rumors. I vaguely remember that before the New Year, the Martial Arts Prohibition Division submitted a report on this matter, saying that they sent people to verify it. However, more than a hundred skilled fighters went, including two innate masters, and in the end, only one person was lucky enough to survive and bring the news out."

"I see. This place is quite interesting. I wonder if I could try it out?" Chen Xuan said with great interest.

After a moment's hesitation, even knowing Chen Xuan's powerful cultivation, Eunuch Wang sincerely reminded him, "Young Master, that place is too dangerous. It's best to be cautious. Why risk your life? How about this: in the past, we didn't arrange for anyone to collect the Earth Magnetic Essence because the demand was low. Now that you need it, I can simply instruct someone to do it for you. The court pays salaries to support so many people; consider it giving them some work to do."

Waving his hand, Chen Xuan said, "I won't trouble anyone else. I'll go by myself. Manager Wang, you know I'm idle all day, so this is just to kill time."

"Alright," said Eunuch Wang, no longer daring to offer further advice.

Actually, if it were just the essence of geomagnetism, Chen Xuan would have been happy to have someone collect it without any trouble. However, the area in Wanku Mountain where everything could be gigantic piqued Chen Xuan's interest, so he decided to go there himself to see it.

With that settled, Chen Xuan didn't say anything more and changed the subject, asking, "How are Father-in-law and Qian Ning these past two days?"

"Everything is fine. The young master was delayed by his business, and I informed His Highness about it," Eunuch Wang said with a smile.

Chen Xuan sincerely said, "Thank you."

He said he was coming to take care of some business, but he was gone for two and a half days without a word. Grandpa Wang had already informed them so that Princess Su Roujia and the others wouldn't worry.

Both men possessed considerable cultivation levels. As they spoke, they had already left the capital and were nearing their return to the imperial estate. Thinking about building their own floating island, Chen Xuan casually asked, "By the way, Steward Wang, do you know where I can find a concealment formation? You mean the kind that hides an area completely, making it invisible to the naked eye?"

The seven floating islands above the capital have existed since the founding of the Jing Kingdom and are almost one of its symbols. People are used to them. However, if Chen Xuan were to build one above his home in Yang County, he would have to consider hiding it. Otherwise, it would be too conspicuous. He is not a high-profile person. Although it does not affect others, it is not good to be stared at all day. He is not doing this for the sake of being watched.

As the old emperor's personal eunuch, Eunuch Wang was essentially a storage hard drive, since no one knew what questions the emperor would ask. Although not being able to answer them wasn't a big deal, doing it too often would leave a useless impression and could lead to his replacement. Therefore, whenever he had free time, he would learn about various information to enrich himself.

However, upon hearing Chen Xuan's question, he was stumped. After racking his brains, he said, "I really don't know. I'll ask for my son-in-law later."

He didn't know what Chen Xuan wanted that kind of formation for, nor did he ask. Doing every task assigned by his master well was his life principle. As Emperor Shangxuan's son-in-law, Chen Xuan could be considered half a master.

"Thank you, Steward Wang. I was just mentioning it casually. There's no need to insist," Chen Xuan said sincerely. If all else fails, they can use a fog array instead. Although a large cloud floating in the same place is still conspicuous, it's better to have something than nothing.

They had already returned to the imperial estate. Eunuch Wang bid farewell, saying, "Young master, I've had the materials placed in your room. When you have time, take a look and let me know if you need anything else. I'm going to attend to His Majesty now. I'll try my best to find out about the concealment formation for you later."

"Okay, thank you for your help."

That day, they said they would stay overnight at the Imperial Estate, but it took two and a half days to retrieve the Seven Star Sealing Array, and Chen Xuan still didn't know where the room was.

After Eunuch Wang left, the perceptive Du Juan arrived. Upon seeing Chen Xuan, she seemed relieved and bowed, saying, "Master is back."

She had only been with Chen Xuan for a day before they were separated for more than two days. She felt very uncomfortable in the royal estate, but seeing Chen Xuan made her feel like she had found her pillar of support.

Nodding, Chen Xuan said, "Where is my room? Take me there. I'm hungry, and I'd like to get some food while we're there. Also, please prepare what I need for a bath; I haven't showered in three days, and I'm practically smelling bad."

He didn't know where the room prepared for him was, but he could ask Du Juan. As for eating and washing up, that was just a habit. With his cultivation level, he certainly wouldn't be hungry after a few days, and he was also extremely clean.

“Yes, sir, please come with me. Would you like me to help you bathe?” Du Juan nodded and led the way, trying her best to do her duty by asking in advance, rather than making decisions on her own as she had that day when she planned to serve the emperor.

"No need, I'm used to bathing myself. By the way, what about Qian Ning and Rou Jia?" Chen Xuan asked, waving his hand.

She didn't dare insist on serving him, and instead said, "Roujia and His Highness are building a snowman. After the New Year, spring will arrive, and after the snow melts, we'll have to wait until next year."

Su Roujia and Zhou Qianning are not too far apart in age, so it's normal for them to be playful. It's possible that the little princess was the one who suggested building a snowman, since Du Juan is not a child and isn't very interested in such things.

Upon arriving at the room arranged for Chen Xuan, it turned out to be a suite. One of the rooms contained several boxes. While Du Juan was arranging meals and bathing, Chen Xuan opened the boxes and took a look. They contained materials for the levitation formation that Eunuch Wang had prepared in advance, but the geomagnetic essence was missing.

This wasn't home, so Dujuan didn't need to do anything herself. She simply gave an order to a palace maid, who quickly returned and said, "Master, the bath preparations are complete. You can eat after you've washed up."

Chen Xuan nodded and walked towards the bathroom. Seeing Du Juan's hesitant expression, he waved his hand and laughed, "Sister Juan, you don't still want to serve me a bath, do you? I already said no."

“If you need me, sir, I can do so anytime. However, I dare not disobey your orders,” she said, shaking her head. Then she spoke frankly, “It’s like this: when I went to find you just now, I vaguely heard Eunuch Wang mention that he wanted to help you find out about the concealment formation.”

"Is that so? What, Sister Juan, do you have any leads?" Chen Xuan turned around and asked in surprise.

Unexpectedly, she actually nodded and said, "Master, I have indeed heard of concealment formations. Back when I was in the Hidden Assassins Sect, my missions required access to a lot of classified information, including information about concealment formations."

Stopping at the bathroom door, Chen Xuan's eyes lit up and he said, "Tell me about it."

This is what you call getting something without any effort at all. I thought I would have to search the world like a headless fly, hoping for the best.

Du Juan then recalled, "I forget when I saw such a record, but it said that the Tai Xuan Sect had a concealment formation. However, the Tai Xuan Sect only preserved this formation but did not have the ability to construct it. I don't know where the Hidden Killing Sect got this information, but it probably wasn't just a rumor."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan nodded thoughtfully and said, "I understand, thank you, Sister Juan. You can go back to your work now."

The fact that the Tai Xuan Sect actually possesses a concealment formation is surprising to Chen Xuan, although it cannot be confirmed at present. However, as a Taoist sect, it is not surprising that the Tai Xuan Sect has such a foundation.

But does the Tai Xuan Sect truly only retain the formation without the ability to set it up? If a concealment formation isn't concealed and is known to the world, then it doesn't deserve the title of "concealment." Soaking comfortably in the warm water, Chen Xuan felt he should take some time to visit the Tai Xuan Sect and see if he could secure the concealment formation. He wouldn't force it; he could simply exchange it. If they were unwilling to part with it, he wouldn't insist. He couldn't bring himself to do something like that.

If all else fails, since even the Tai Xuan Sect has such methods, then the concealment array is not the only option; we should think of another way.

Old Liu didn't leave Chen Xuan with many methods about formations. If it were like alchemy or weapon crafting, he wouldn't have had to go through all this trouble. Heaven had already been kind enough to him, and Chen Xuan wouldn't greedily ask for more.

In terms of formations, the Misty Array was the only one that gave him a start. He decided to study it, and if all else failed, he would focus on alchemy and weapon crafting, which were no less important than formations.

The reason he is currently focused on formations is because of his own talent. He can ignore the drugs, and his weapon already has stars, so he doesn't need to refine or create artifacts to improve his strength for the time being. Formations are more helpful. In any case, it's always good to have more skills, and he doesn't force anything.

After taking a bath and enjoying a delicious meal, Chen Xuan felt completely refreshed.

"Brother Xuan, are you done with your work? When did you get back? Why didn't you say anything?"

After a satisfying meal, Chen Xuan was drinking tea to aid digestion when the little princess came running up to him excitedly.

"Yeah, I'm done with work. I just got back a little while ago. I heard from Sister Juan that you guys were building a snowman. Did you have fun?" Chen Xuan stood up and asked. He couldn't be all lovey-dovey with the little princess at the royal estate, otherwise Old Deng might come over at any time.

She said cheerfully, "I'm so happy! I thought building a snowman was a simple thing, but I didn't expect Roujia to be able to do so many different things, like cats and dogs, so lifelike, it's amazing!"

"No, I learned it from my friends in the village. Your Highness just didn't think about it that way," the little maid who came along said shyly.

They were happy, and Chen Xuan was happy too, but he said with concern, "You can have fun, but you also need to take care of yourselves. Your hands are all red from the cold. Come and warm yourself by the fire."

"I didn't realize it while we were playing, but now my hands feel numb from the cold," the little princess said, exhaling a breath.

"You two are all grown up, be more careful in the future," Chen Xuan said, secretly helping her dispel the chill, lest she develop a chronic illness...

Happy times are always short-lived. As they chatted and laughed around the fireplace, a eunuch came to inform the old emperor that he was about to return to the capital and asked if they wanted to go together or stay and continue playing.

The holiday break is almost over, and Old Deng has to go back to handle official business.

Upon hearing the news, Chen Xuan and the others discussed it and decided to return to the capital together. Old Deng probably didn't feel comfortable leaving the little princess and Chen Xuan here, lest he scold them like they were thieves.

When the emperor traveled, the procession was quite grand. Even if it was only a few dozen miles outside the capital, there were still several thousand people involved. Fortunately, the emperor was considerate of the common people and did not resort to the usual practice of paving the road with gold and having people kneel and worship along the way.

Chen Xuan originally wanted to ride with the little princess and have some romantic fun, but the wary Lao Deng called him to his dragon carriage instead.

The old man's imperial carriage was quite spacious, almost like a room. It was luxuriously furnished but looked very simple. Although he disliked extravagance, there was a saying that even emperors lived a hard life, so one could imagine what life was like for ordinary people.

That day, after Lao Deng was unusually serious, he and Chen Xuan were together again, and they couldn't stand each other. They bickered non-stop until they passed by Chen Xuan's residence in the capital. He was even kicked off the train, while the little princess was taken into the palace by him, worried that his precious daughter would be bullied if she stayed with him.

Old Deng didn't mention the Seven Star Sealing Formation at all along the way, as if it had never happened.

After they parted ways, Chen Xuan and the others returned to their residence as night fell. The distance from the imperial estate to the capital seemed short, but with so many people, it took a considerable amount of time. They were already considered fast; an ordinary person would have taken one or two days to walk there.

After the meal, Chen Xuan instructed, "Roujia, Sister Juan, pack your things. We're heading back to Yang County tomorrow."

Although it took two and a half days to acquire the Seven Star Sealing Array after arriving in the capital, Yang County was Chen Xuan's home, and it wasn't like he wasn't coming back. It was very convenient, and he had already said goodbye to the little princess on the way.

The little princess knew that it was convenient for Chen Xuan to come to the capital, just like visiting a neighbor. Now she was no longer as reluctant to part as she had been at the beginning, as if they were separated by the ends of the earth.

When they parted, Old Deng was right beside them. The little princess was too shy to be affectionate with Chen Xuan in front of him. She just whispered in his ear that she would give him a surprise when they met again. She didn't say what the surprise was, which made Chen Xuan very curious. Then Old Deng chased him off the carriage.

Chen Xuan was really looking forward to the surprise the little princess mentioned.

Su Roujia and the others had no objection to returning to Yang County tomorrow. As his personal maids, they would follow Chen Xuan wherever he went.

Lying in bed that night, Chen Xuan pondered whether, after returning, he should first go to Tai Xuan Sect to see if he could get his hands on a concealment array, or go to Wan Ku Mountain to obtain the Earth Magnetic Essence.

Ultimately, he decided to first go to Tai Xuan Sect to see if he could obtain a concealment formation before heading to Wan Ku Mountain. After all, once he had the concealment formation, he could hide himself as soon as he set up the floating island.

However, neither of these places is something I urgently need to visit right now; I still plan to go to that place as originally planned…

The next day, Chen Xuan's life returned to normal. He did some activities early in the morning, ate breakfast, and then went back to sleep.

In the courtyard, Dujuan looked at his door, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping herself.

As someone with experience, Su Roujia advised, "Sister Du, don't look anymore. Master won't wake up until noon. Let's wait patiently."

Upon hearing this, Dujuan hesitated and said, "But Master said yesterday that he was going back to Yang County, and it's already past noon!"

“That’s just how Master is. You’ll get used to it, Sister Du. He has no sense of time when it comes to such small things. In his words, he’s a hopeless procrastinator. You mustn’t disturb Master’s sleep. He has a terrible temper and will spank you,” Su Roujia explained to her.

Du Juan nodded, realizing that things were different now and that she had a lot to get used to.

For her, who was once an assassin, time is life, so how could she waste it like this?
She glanced at Chen Xuan's door again and asked softly, "Sister Roujia, have you ever been spanked by the master?"

"No, that's not true. Although the master often complains when he's impatient, he's never actually laid a hand on me. He's a very kind person," the little maid said, shaking her head.

Du Juan said "Oh," having originally intended to ask what the master had used to hit her, but it turned out that nothing like that had happened...

Chen Xuan didn't get up until almost afternoon after taking a nap. The more he slept, the more groggy he became. Damn it, what the hell? He yawned constantly and let the little girl and Du Juan tidy him up. He lazily asked, looking like he was about to collapse at any moment, "Are you all ready?"

“It’s all ready, sir. We don’t have much luggage, just a few large boxes that Eunuch Wang gave you. They’re very heavy, at least several thousand pounds. Can you take them with you, sir? If not, we can pay a security escort agency to take them back,” the little maid said hesitantly.

Chen Xuan waved his hand dismissively and said, "It's just a few thousand pounds of boxes, no big deal. I could easily carry a small mountain back. Let's go, let's set off now."

He wasn't exaggerating. With the box weighing several thousand pounds, plus Su Roujia and Du Juan, he brought it back to Yang County at the same speed, arriving in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. With his extraordinary martial arts skills, the laws of physics, such as air resistance, were simply crushed.

After returning to Yang County, Chen Xuan placed the materials for constructing the floating array in an underground secret room, rather than in the storeroom at home.

With nothing else to do, Chen Xuan started slacking off again. Seeing that there was nothing for her to do, Du Juan asked around and then took some time to go back and pack the remaining gifts.

That evening, Dujuan moved everything she could, even quickly disposing of the house she originally used for grinding tofu, so she would live there from now on.

After finishing his tasks the next morning, Chen Xuan didn't go back to sleep as usual. Instead, he instructed, "Roujia, Sister Juan, please prepare a jar of wine and some food for me. Try to make it as good as possible and pack it in a food box. I'm going somewhere later."

"Yes, sir," Su Roujia quickly went to prepare.

Du Juan, who was helping out, took a moment to ask, "Master, where are we going next?"

"You don't need to come with me, I'll go by myself and be back this afternoon," Chen Xuan said with a smile, without explaining anything.

She didn't dare to ask any further questions. She secretly inquired with Su Roujia and learned that the master didn't always bring someone with him when he went out.

After they had prepared everything, Chen Xuan said goodbye and left. On the way, he realized that he had forgotten to prepare everything, but luckily it was not a big problem. He had money on him and could buy things along the way without spending much money.

Soon after, Chen Xuan arrived at the outskirts of Mo City in the north of Jing Kingdom.

On an inconspicuous, barren mountain, the snow had not yet melted. There was a small grave mound there, with traces of incense burning and worship in front of the tombstone. The snow on the grave mound had been cleared, but it was covered again.

After setting down the offerings, Chen Xuan gazed at the tombstone and murmured to himself, "Uncle Zhou, it's a new year again. I've come to visit you, bringing fine wine and food. I'll have a drink with you later."

Staring at the tombstone for a moment, Chen Xuan began to clear the snow.

Lying in the grave is Zhou Xiaomiao's grandfather, the old man who prepared his own coffin in advance. Chen Xuan once said that every year, unless he was really too busy, he would take the time to come and chat with him.

Chen Xuan had a very deep impression of this old man. He witnessed the old man preparing a coffin for himself in advance, which helped Chen Xuan find the thousandth "longevity" character, thus laying the foundation for his path to becoming a Grandmaster. Otherwise, even with Chen Xuan's talent, he would most likely have only followed in the footsteps of his predecessors to reach the normal Grandmaster realm.

This old man had suffered a lifetime of hardship. Several years have passed since his death, and perhaps the world has forgotten him, but Chen Xuan still remembers him.

While paying respects to Old Man Zhou, Chen Xuan also took the opportunity, after nearly a year, to check on how Zhou Xiaomiao and her brother were doing... (End of Chapter)