Misty Rain of the Old Times

Unable to find the right words to describe the scene, Chen Xuan simply closed his eyes, spread his arms wide with a thud, lay down in a "木" (wood) shape, and hummed in the sunlight, "Sunshine, beach, beautiful women by my side, so comfortable."

Du Juan, who was patting the little girl's back to relieve her discomfort not far away, turned around when she heard the noise and saw Chen Xuan lying on the ground. She asked with concern, "Master, what's wrong? Are you alright?"

He weakly raised his hand, waved it, and then let it fall to the ground as if boneless. Chen Xuan said lazily, "It's nothing, Sister Juan, you don't need to worry about me. Let me lie down for a while. Right now, I'm just a salted fish, planning to sunbathe for a full 180 days."

At this moment, Chen Xuan thought to herself, "Why didn't I ever think that lying on the beach would be so comfortable? The warm sunshine, the salty sea breeze, and the sound of the waves—if I had thought of it earlier, I would have come sooner."

Enjoying the sunny coast all to yourself, no litter, no tourists, and of course, no long, bare legs to see...

So he glanced at Dujuan and the others without thinking, feeling a little tempted, but then thought better of it. Even if they were willing, they probably wouldn't do something so daring in the middle of nowhere unless he insisted.

Lying on the ground without any regard for his image, Du Juan really couldn't understand Chen Xuan's behavior, but fortunately she had gradually gotten used to his unreliability.

It took the little girl a while to recover. After Du Juan used her inner energy to soothe her churning internal organs, she became radiant again and excitedly walked towards Chen Xuan, saying apologetically, "Master, I couldn't help but open my eyes earlier, and you had to see me make a fool of myself again. Why are you lying on the sand? I brought a blanket for you."

"Roujia isn't used to this way of traveling yet. He'll get used to it with more practice. I don't need a blanket. I like lying on the sand; otherwise, I won't feel this way," Chen Xuan said lazily.

Du Juan said at the right moment, "Sir, I'll go to town first to inquire about Wanku Mountain. Is there anything I can bring back for you?"

“Okay, Sister Juan, go ahead. Since you’re already here, let’s have some seafood first. As for what you need, just ask Roujia,” Chen Xuan waved his hand. He had completely given up on everything and was no longer involved in anything.

Then the two of them discussed it and decided that since they didn't need anything for the time being, Dujuan would simply go to town to inquire about things. Anyway, it wasn't far, and they could go and buy whatever they needed if they needed it.

After Du Juan left, the little girl, seeing that there was nothing for her to do, looked at the vast ocean with delight and exclaimed, "This is the ocean! I've only ever heard people talk about it before; none of the people I know have ever seen it with their own eyes. It's so deep and blue, so vast and boundless, with waves that rise and fall like mountains. If I hadn't been with Master, how fortunate I would have been to witness such a sight!"

In this era, let alone her, if one were not born in a coastal area, one could count out of ten thousand people who had ever seen the sea.

Chen Xuan opened his eyes and reminded her, "Is this Roujia's first time seeing the sea? I'm one of the first in my life too. Let me tell you, the right way to experience the beach is to take off your shoes and step onto the sand, letting the waves gently caress your feet."

Her eyes lit up, and the little girl, eager to try, hesitated, saying, "But I'm wearing stockings, they'll get dirty."

"It won't break if you step on it, you can just wash it later," Chen Xuan said with a shake of his head and a smile.

She thought it made sense, so she bent down, took off her embroidered shoes and put them away. She lifted her skirt to reveal a section of her beautifully shaped calf covered in white silk stockings, and carefully stepped onto the beach. Feeling the soft sand beneath her feet, she exclaimed joyfully, "Master is right, it feels so good! People born by the sea are so lucky, they get to experience this every day!"

“Right? Go a little further ahead and let the waves wash over your feet, it’s really fun,” Chen Xuan reminded him again, without saying anything that would spoil the fun, like people by the sea are too busy making a living to have time to experience such things.

Nodding, the little girl was still a bit afraid of the sea and hesitated whether to go forward. Noticing Chen Xuan's gaze, she looked around and then gracefully lifted her skirt to her knees and asked Chen Xuan, "Does it look good, sir?"

Chen Xuan was surprised by her sudden comment, but he said with certainty, "Beautiful."

"Hehe, Master, you can see me anytime you like, but I'm worried there might be people around, so I'll put it down for now. Besides, my legs aren't as long as Sister Juan's, but they'll grow longer," she chuckled, then slightly lowered her skirt and walked briskly toward the water's edge.

Chen Xuan chuckled to himself, thinking to himself that the little girl was getting bolder and bolder, and even a bit flirtatious.

Then he heard the little maid cry out in alarm, "Master, save me!"

The little girl came to the water's edge, and the waves washed over her little feet. At first, it was fun, but as the waves receded, she fell forward and into the water with a splash. The seawater soaked her clothes, and she instinctively panicked and thrashed about, calling for help.

Seeing this, Chen Xuan was speechless yet amused. She was thrashing about like a fish that had just come ashore, even though the tide had already receded.

Reaching out from a distance, Chen Xuan scooped her up and brought her to stand beside him. Sitting up, he looked at her wet and disheveled appearance and said with a mix of amusement and exasperation, “How did you fall into the water? Are you seasick? You’ve practiced martial arts, and your lightness skill is pretty good. How can you not even stand up?”

Her long, silken dress was completely soaked by the seawater, clinging tightly to her curvaceous, budding body. She instinctively covered herself, not to protect herself from Chen Xuan, but to avoid being seen by others. She didn't dare look up, and said dejectedly, "Master, I don't know why. When the waves receded, I couldn't stand up straight. I can swim, but I've never seen the ocean before, and then I forgot everything."

"This is normal. It's a neurological imbalance caused by vision. Just pay more attention in the future," Chen Xuan said with a shake of his head and a smile.

The little girl said pitifully, "My skirt is all wet, what am I going to do? But the seawater is really salty, so incredibly salty!"

"So you actually took a sip?" Chen Xuan was slightly taken aback. Then, a wisp of true energy swept over her, and her previously wet dress became clean and refreshing. He said, "Of course seawater is salty. Many coastal residents make a living by boiling seawater to produce salt. As a result, the forests near the coast have been almost completely cut down. However, they don't know the proper methods, so the salt they produce is not refined, making it coarse, bitter, and hard to swallow. It doesn't fetch a good price, but it's enough to barely make a living."

"Thank you, sir," the young maid said gratefully. Now that her clothes were clean, she put her hands down and asked curiously, "Sir, you know so much. Do you know how to turn coarse sea salt into good salt?"

"Of course I know, it's very simple, I'm just too lazy to do it myself. If you do it right, you can make a fortune, but salt and iron are controlled by the government, and our family doesn't expect to make a living from these shady dealings," Chen Xuan said as he lay down again.

He certainly wouldn't mind doing something that benefits the world by giving a little, but doing so would probably be thankless and exhausting, because the lower class is always being exploited. Even if you give them the methods, they won't live a good life, and they might even be worse off than before. In this era, having money without a certain status and position is the original sin!
The little girl said "oh" and didn't dwell on it too much. She looked at the sea again. After her previous experience, she instinctively resisted getting close. She looked around and said, "Master, I see a lot of seashells on the beach. Some of them are quite pretty. How about I pick some up and take them home to make wind chimes to hang at home?"

"If you like Roujia, that's fine. Don't ask for my permission for everything. There are only three of us in the family now, so be more casual," Chen Xuan said, waving his hand.

"Yes, sir," the little girl replied, and then happily went off to collect seashells. Although people in this era matured early, she was still just a fifteen-year-old girl, and soon became immersed in the joy of 'treasure hunting'.

Speaking of shellfish, they are a rare find in inland areas, and there are even people who specialize in this business. After all, seafood is not easy to transport, but shellfish do not spoil.

After lying down for a while, Chen Xuan noticed that Du Juan had returned from gathering information. Instead of continuing to laze around in the sun, he got up and plunged into the vast ocean.

The underwater world in this area is incredibly rich, with vibrant corals and colorful fish. Chen Xuan had a blast playing in the sea, chasing fish and even helping a sea turtle clean its barnacles. It was a great way to unwind. Only after he had had his fill of fun did he reluctantly set off to search for seafood...

On the beach, Du Juan, who had returned, glanced around and came to the little girl's side, asking, "Sister Roujia, where is Master?"

The little girl, clutching a handful of seashells, turned around and said, "Sister Juan is back! The master isn't over there... Oh, where is he? He was just here a moment ago."

The spot where Chen Xuan had been lying was no longer occupied; only a faint human silhouette remained on the beach.

Not worried about Chen Xuan's safety, Du Juan hesitated for a moment before saying, "Master probably went off somewhere for fun. We'll just wait."

This interruption ruined the little girl's interest in collecting seashells. She said dejectedly, "It's all my fault, I didn't watch over Master properly."

"Sister Roujia, what are you saying? How dare we interfere with what Master intends to do?"

The two then sat on the beach and waited. Almost half an hour passed, but Chen Xuan still hadn't appeared. In the end, they started to worry for no reason.

Just as they were about to search around, Chen Xuan's figure emerged from the sea hundreds of meters away, walking on the waves, his soaked clothes drying quickly as he went.

"Master, why did you go into the sea? Are you alright after all this time?" the little maid asked with concern, wanting to go forward but also somewhat afraid of the sea.

It was only half an hour. If Chen Xuan wanted, he could live in the sea using the fetal breathing technique. As he walked towards the shore, he called out, "It's alright. It's rare to come to the seaside and have played in the water. Sister Roujia, quickly start a fire, let's cook seafood and eat our fill."

As he spoke, Chen Xuan gestured to the ingredients he had brought from the sea: two king crabs with legs spread as wide as a table, three green-backed lobsters about a meter long, a squid over a meter long, two abalone the size of a human head, and a bluefin tuna about a meter long. All of these items were enveloped and surrounded by his true essence.

As they spoke, he had already reached the shore. The little girl exclaimed in surprise, "Master went out to sea to catch fish! This fish is alright, but those other things look awful with their claws outstretched. Can we eat them?"

She was referring to king crab, lobster, and squid. It was the first time she had seen them, and the girl instinctively felt a bit repulsed by these ugly creatures. As for abalone, it had always been a high-grade ingredient. She had learned how to cook it at the Gao family's house, but she had never seen a live one.

Even Du Juan looked somewhat bewildered at the things around Chen Xuan. Chen Xuan smiled and said, "These are all good things. They don't need complicated cooking. Just steam them and prepare a sauce, and they'll be incredibly delicious. You'll see in a moment. Lobster and king crab will be steamed, squid will be blanched and dipped in sauce, and tuna will be eaten as sashimi with wasabi sauce. I remember bringing some with me before I left. I'll leave the abalone to Roujia to cook."

The little girl understood as soon as he said it, after all, she had been taught everything by a master chef when she was at the Gao family. But now she was extremely troubled: "But sir, we didn't bring a pot that big. What should we do?"

“It’s simple, leave it to me,” Du Juan said proactively. She was a master of innate cultivation, so processing these ingredients was a piece of cake for her. With a little control, her true energy could replace most tools, and she could even quickly make a set using materials she found on the spot.

After handing the items over to them, Chen Xuan was happy to relax and simply wait to enjoy the delicious food.

He continued lying on the beach, watching the two beautiful women, one tall and one short, bustling about, a sight to behold. He asked, "Sister Juan, how's the inquiry going?"

While busy at work, Du Juan replied, "Master, I've found out everything. Wanku Mountain is about four or five hundred miles south of our location along the coastline. It's very conspicuous; you can recognize it at a glance. I heard from the townspeople that it's been very lively there lately, with martial arts practitioners from all over the country gathering there, hoping to find that magical area where everything can grow to gigantic size. However, more than 90% of those who went in never came out again. It seems to have been this lively since last year. There are thousands of people wandering around that area every day. I feel that the imperial court is involved. If there really is such a place where everything can grow to gigantic size, controlling it could greatly solve the food problem."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan seemed to be deep in thought. There really was a magical place where everything was gigantic, with plants and animals expanding a thousandfold. Even simply slaughtering an animal and bringing it out could feed many people.

But then again, when Chen Xuan first heard about this place, people who went there didn't change. Could it be due to the influence of outsiders? Did people shrink, or did everything really grow larger?
Then Du Juan added, "I also inquired about Dongdaolou. This sect is located more than 300 li north of where we are now, at a place called Guanhaiya. Recently, people from all walks of life have gathered at Wanku Mountain, and their sect is focusing its main efforts there. After all, a large area centered on Quanzhou is within the influence of Dongdaolou's martial arts forces."

Nodding, Chen Xuan said nonchalantly, "Alright, let's go to Wanku Mountain after we finish eating. I wonder if we'll have a chance to see the magical area where everything can grow to enormous size."

Du Juan hesitated and said, "Master, are we really going to enter Wanku Mountain? People say that it's almost always a one-way trip, very dangerous. And that so-called 'area of ​​gigantification' can only be encountered by luck by entering a complex network of caves; it can't be seen from the outside. Strangely, it's rumored that you can see the sun and blue sky and white clouds normally from that place."

"It's quite interesting that you can see the sun and blue sky and white clouds, but you can't observe that area from the outside. I really want to see it sometime. I suspect it's either a naturally formed special environment, similar to a blessed land, or it could be a man-made formation," Chen Xuan said with great interest.

Being interested is one thing, but he values ​​his life highly and would definitely run away decisively if there were real danger.

During their chat, they busied themselves with various ingredients that Chen Xuan had brought from the sea, processing them according to his instructions, preparing several different sauces, and setting up a large area of ​​makeshift tableware made from freshly felled trees on the beach.

"There's so much, can we finish it all? It's such a waste," the little girl said hesitantly. Having experienced hardship, she really couldn't bear to waste a single grain of food.

Chen Xuan laughed and said, "This is nothing. I could eat several times more. It won't go to waste. Let's eat!"

However, they didn't move. Dujuan looked at the king crab and lobster with their claws outstretched and hesitated, "Master, are these things really edible?"

"It looks delicious, doesn't it? You've never eaten this before?" Chen Xuan said, speechless.

Du Juan shook her head, indicating she had never eaten them. The little maid said, "Master, let's not talk about these things. We rarely eat fish and shrimp in the past, unless we're starving. After all, most families don't have many seasonings, and even with simple preparation, the fishy smell is hard to swallow. They're not nutritious either; the more you eat, the hungrier you get, and you'll die even faster."

Chen Xuan understood this. It wasn't that people in this era didn't know how to boldly try all kinds of edible things, but due to limitations, they had to abandon some things that were originally edible. For example, they had to eat as little rabbit as possible. Since rabbit meat has almost no fat, eating too much of it would actually starve you. The same went for fish and shrimp.

Putting all that aside, Chen Xuan tore off a king crab leg, peeled it, and said, "This is how you eat it. It's delicious! This is the first time I've ever eaten one this big. Well, it really is the first time. Back home, we couldn't afford it at all; we could only watch with envy. Hmm, so this is what it tastes like. It's really good."

He took a big, delicious bite, saying it was very fresh and sweet.

Seeing his expression of enjoyment, the little girl and Du Juan hesitated for a moment before following suit. After tasting the flavor, their eyes lit up, and they sincerely expressed that it was delicious.

But they didn't get carried away by the delicious food; they always remembered their duty and helped Chen Xuan peel the shells to serve him.

Whether it's king crab, lobster, abalone, or tuna, Chen Xuan was eating them for the first time. He couldn't afford them in his past life, but he could eat as much as he wanted in this life. Apart from finding them delicious, they were just so-so. He couldn't feel any sense of 'becoming an immortal' after eating them.

After a hearty feast, most of the food ended up in Chen Xuan's stomach, and the little girls also enjoyed a seafood feast.

After cleaning up the remaining mess, Chen Xuan, feeling a bit sleepy with her full stomach, perked up and said, "Let's go, it's time to go to Wanku Mountain. We can catch seafood anytime. We can bring some back for the others to try; it'll be fresh, I guarantee."

The group left the beach and headed towards Wanku Mountain, soon arriving at their destination.

Just as Du Juan had inquired, Wanku Mountain was very special and could be recognized from afar.

That area is not near the sea; it is a continuous mountain range that stretches as far as the eye can see, with numerous deep valleys and ravines, and unfathomable caves everywhere. The name "Wanku Mountain" (Ten Thousand Caves Mountain) is truly fitting.

Landing on a hilltop on the outskirts of the area, Chen Xuan sensed hundreds of people scattered across a radius of dozens of miles. Some were exploring caves, while others hesitated and dared not enter. The closest person was less than a hundred meters away from them.

Looking in that direction, even though it was broad daylight, the little girl subconsciously leaned closer to Chen Xuan and said, "Master, that area ahead feels so eerie. Do we really want to go in?"

"Don't be afraid, Roujia. With Master here, it's just that as far as we can see, there are more than a thousand caves deep in the mountains and even underground. Which one should we enter from?" Chen Xuan asked hesitantly.

Just then, Du Juan looked to the left front warily and said in a cold voice, "Who's there? Come out!"

As she spoke, a short knife silently slid out from her sleeve and was held in her hand. Despite her gentle and considerate nature in front of Chen Xuan, she was icy cold to outsiders, and her tone of voice sent chills down one's spine.

"Please don't misunderstand, I mean no harm. Besides, I was here first," a hesitant voice quickly replied, revealing himself to reassure them that he was unarmed.

This was a man in black, around thirty years old, with a thin build. He carried a strange weapon called a steel claw on his back. His cultivation had already opened up the eight extraordinary meridians, and he was considered quite skilled in the acquired realm.

He was filled with doubt and unease, thinking to himself that he had hidden himself well enough, yet he had still been discovered. The key question was when these people appeared? He hadn't noticed them at all, and the sudden sound had even startled him. They were probably people he couldn't afford to offend.

The area around Wanku Mountain is now a mixed bag, and no one knows exactly who has come. It's best to be careful. That's why he took the initiative to be friendly and didn't even dare to show his dissatisfaction with Dujuan's blunt words, "Get out of here."

Upon seeing Du Juan and Su Roujia, he was so amazed that he quickly looked away, not daring to gaze at them for long.

Seeing this, Du Juan frowned slightly, sheathed her dagger, and said coldly, "Hidden and secretive, do not disturb my master. Leave at once."

"Yes, please don't be offended, heroine. I'll be leaving now," the other party said with a cupped hand and a smile as he retreated. Du Juan was putting too much pressure on him, especially her eyes, which looked at him as if he were a dead man.

Chen Xuan paid no attention to the man and continued to survey Wanku Mountain, his powerful senses trying to figure out which cave entrance would be the easiest to enter.

Even in this short time, he was amazed by the environment of Wanku Mountain. Its interior was intricate and complex, and even with his current senses, he felt that it was unfathomable. An ordinary person would easily get lost in it and never see the light of day again if he was not careful.

The man hesitated for a moment as he backed away before cautiously asking, "You gentlemen are also here to explore the Myriad Caves Mountain, aren't you? It seems you haven't been here long. Would you like a map of the interior that you've already explored? The interior is intricate and teeming with poisonous insects and ferocious beasts, making it extremely dangerous. A map would greatly reduce the level of danger."

It seems they're just speculating and trying to make money; they're not entirely naive. No wonder they're loitering around on the periphery—they're probably looking for a sucker. Those so-called maps are definitely not cheap.

Before the xenophobic Du Juan could react, Chen Xuan waved his hand to signal her to calm down, then looked at the man and smiled, "Thank you for your kindness, but no need."

It wasn't that he was worried about being taken advantage of; Chen Xuan simply felt that the so-called map in the other man's hand was definitely not as clear as he understood it now, so there was no need to waste money on it.

The man, being quite tactful, smiled apologetically and said, "It was my rudeness; farewell."

He left decisively and quickly walked away, a cold smile flashing in his eyes. He thought to himself, "Two such beautiful women have actually come. I've never seen anything like it in my life. I hope this news can fetch a good price. Those lecherous bastards will definitely be interested. They just don't look like they're easy to mess with, but what does that have to do with me? I'm just selling information."

Too many people come to Wanku Mountain to seek out the wonders, and there are too many innate masters to count. The place is unfathomable, and too many accidents have happened there. Who would care if two women disappeared?
As for Chen Xuan, he ignored him. He looked like a pampered young master who couldn't lift a finger or carry anything heavy. He probably just came out of curiosity to join in the fun. He was practically asking for death. This is not a place for ordinary people!

...(End of chapter)