Misty Rain of the Old Times

Listening to the discussions among the people in the inn, the map clues initially came from the storyteller, who was only repeating hearsay and repeatedly emphasized that they shouldn't be taken seriously. However, some people still took them seriously, which matched what Chen Xuan had seen and heard in the restaurant.

What followed wasn't exactly bizarre, but it was certainly quite exciting.

Many people in the restaurant went to look for the mad old beggar, just in case. The target location and the appearance of the person were clear, so they found him quickly. Then they questioned him about the whereabouts of the map.

However, the old beggar was insane and spoke incoherently, so it was impossible to get any information from him. In short, people tried everything they could to get rid of him, and they could only push him to the limit. They couldn't just kill him, could they? He might be the only clue they had.

But there are many clever people in the world. Since they couldn't find a way to get information from the old beggar, they started investigating his life story. Many hands make light work. The old beggar's ancestors had lived in this area for generations, and soon his ancestral home and other places were all dug up.

Then a group of people searched the ground thoroughly.

The old beggar had been somewhat wealthy a few generations before him, but by his time he had fallen so low that he had to beg for food, and even his ancestral home had changed hands several times and ended up in the hands of others.

Because of the long passage of time, the houses of the generation whose stone tablets and maps were left by his ancestors certainly no longer exist. After searching in many places and summarizing various information, he could only narrow down the area to a general extent.

Eventually, the stone tablet was found and ended up as a stepping stone at the front door of a family's house. Over the years, countless people have stepped on it, and unexpectedly, it contained a map to the magical place of Wanku Mountain.

Fortunately, the side of the stone tablet that recorded the map was facing down; otherwise, the map would have been worn away long ago.

At first, not many people participated in this matter, but as the news spread, more and more people joined in, causing those in the settlement who were interested in that place to take action upon hearing the news.

After the stone tablet was found, the authenticity of the map was still uncertain. However, human nature is greedy, and some people wanted to possess it for themselves. A struggle and fighting were inevitable, which resulted in the stone tablet being broken into seven pieces, which were then taken away by several people to escape.

The poor family who found the stone tablet was incredibly unlucky. It was truly a case of misfortune befalling them while they were at home. In the fights among martial arts practitioners, innocent people are bound to be affected. In any case, that family's house was reduced to ruins after a fierce battle and looting, which also affected a large area around it.

Those people in the underworld usually abide by the law, but when the atmosphere gets heated, they don't care about anything else.

Having roughly grasped the course of events from the heated discussions, Chen Xuan truly couldn't understand what they were thinking. Putting aside the authenticity of the map, even if such a place truly existed, where everything was a thousand times larger as rumored, how dangerous would it be? What could one gain from going there? Would one even survive? Was it worth risking one's life?

Perhaps everyone has different ideas. In people's eyes, such places represent wealth and resources, and are worth fighting for with one's life. After all, everyone in the world is driven by profit.

Anyway, Chen Xuan admired the enthusiasm of these people in the martial arts world. The storyteller had only spread the news for a short time, and they had already found some clues. It was conceivable that the struggle for the seven map fragments would inevitably cause a bloodbath, and who knew how many people would die. He also wondered if the person who obtained the fragments would be driven to desperation and destroy it.

Back in the room, the little girl asked excitedly, "Master, do you think what those people said is true?"

"Who knows what's true and what's false? Let people fight if they want. That's just how the martial arts world is; there will always be some trouble from time to time," Chen Xuan said with a smile, seemingly unconcerned.

The little girl remained enthusiastic and asked curiously, "Is there really such a magical place? What would it be like if everything became incredibly huge?"

"How would I know? If I'm lucky enough to run into them, I can take the opportunity to see what's going on and enrich my experience," Chen Xuan said, still with an indifferent attitude.

At this moment, Dujuan asked curiously, "Master, don't you have any ideas about the map?"

She asked this question because, in her view, no normal person would remain indifferent in such a situation.

Shaking his head, Chen Xuan laughed and said, "What could I possibly be thinking? We came to Wanku Mountain to collect geomagnetic essence, not to be curious about that magical place. Otherwise, we would be putting the cart before the horse."

His goals have always been clear: if he can gain some experience along the way, that would be nice, but he won't actively waste extra energy on it.

Du Juan said no more. Since the master didn't care, she wouldn't make a fuss either.

Instead, the little girl thought for a moment and said, "Master, according to that storyteller, a long, long time ago, Wanku Mountain was a mine. Could the main mineral be geomagnetic essence? If we get a map, is it possible to find geomagnetic essence faster?"

Scratching his buttocks, Chen Xuan said thoughtfully, "The Soft Armor has hit the nail on the head. Let's talk about it later. If we really can't find the Earth Magnetic Essence, we can try to get the map and see if that can speed things up. Anyway, for me, getting a map is quite easy if I want to. Actually, having a map or not doesn't make much difference. Others need maps to prevent getting lost in the cave, but we don't have that concern."

Even though the little girl hit the nail on the head, he still didn't take it seriously.

In fact, according to Chen Xuan's understanding, although Wanku Mountain produces geomagnetic essence, it is definitely not a vein that specializes in producing this kind of thing. This thing has no fixed source, nor is it a byproduct of other minerals. It is something that can only be encountered by chance and is purely based on luck. If Eunuch Wang had not clearly stated that Wanku Mountain has this thing, he would not have made this trip and would have had to think of other ways.

Du Juan said earnestly from the side, "If Master needs a map, I will fetch it for him."

She was confident in herself; her innate cultivation was truly formidable, and besides, as an assassin, she would only confront others head-on if absolutely necessary.

Waving his hand, Chen Xuan said, "We'll talk about it later. It's getting late, time to sleep. Tomorrow we'll wander around a bit more and buy some dried seafood to send back. The prices are cheap here; it's not easy to get seafood in Yang County. Let everyone have a taste."

It wasn't that he was trying to save money; he was simply thinking, "Since I'm already here, I don't really want to go back the next day after wandering around in the dark and gloomy underground cave for a few days. I'll relax first, and go back when I get bored. I don't mind having more time."

The settlement was quite lively that night, with shouts and cheers everywhere. A group of martial arts practitioners were running around, searching for and fighting over map fragments, causing widespread panic. But all of this was irrelevant to Chen Xuan, who went to sleep and ignored everything else.

On the contrary, Du Juan was worried that someone would disturb the master's rest. She would send anyone who approached away without actually hurting them. People were quite sensible. Even other innate masters would give her some face and go around her. Clearly, she didn't want to get involved. Why would she want to cause trouble for herself?

In fact, there are quite a few innate masters in the settlement, but it is not easy to encounter them unless you take the initiative to approach them.

The next morning, after some activities, Chen Xuan and his group went downstairs for breakfast, feeling refreshed. They didn't plan to check out; how long they stayed depended on their mood.

During breakfast, the most discussed topic among the people around was the map fragments. It had become the hottest topic in the settlement. Overnight, the seven fragments had changed hands countless times.

Breaking news: five of them have fallen into the hands of martial arts masters, while two have been obtained by the government.

However, none of the seven fragments left the settlement area, because it would be incomplete if even one fragment was missing, and collecting all six would be useless.

Chen Xuan didn't care about any of this, just taking it as a bit of fun. After breakfast, he strolled around the city, buying some seafood to send back. In this era, logistics were underdeveloped, and escorting goods was the only fast way. Several cartloads of seafood were sent to Yang County. The cost of hiring an escort agency was several times more than the seafood itself. The address was Erdan's Zhiwei Restaurant. He certainly wouldn't eat much there, but it was more of a way to introduce new dishes to his restaurant. He just didn't know if Erdan knew how to cook seafood.

The day passed quickly, and during the monotonous process, Chen Xuan learned that the entire settlement city had been jointly sealed off by the government and Dongdao Tower the previous night. The action was quite swift, and the purpose was to search for map fragments. Any member entering or leaving would be subject to strict inspection.

The Dongdao Tower targets martial arts practitioners, while the government targets ordinary people; it's a powerful alliance. Although there's no clear evidence, it's obvious to anyone with eyes that the Dongdao Tower has been requisitioned by the government.

Regardless of Dongdaolou's status in the Jing Kingdom's martial arts world, they all have to bow down to powerful forces. Unless a grandmaster is in charge, who would dare to disrespect the government? Of course, only officials of the court with corresponding status can make Dongdaolou bow down.

The map fragments fell into the hands of different people, and this could not continue. At dusk, the government and Dongdao Tower issued a notice that those who wanted to obtain the map fragments should meet at Guyu Pavilion in the west of the city at noon the next day. Everyone would gather the fragments and explore the strange places deep in Wanku Mountain together with the complete map.

The notice has been issued, but whether those people will go or not is another matter. After all, no one knows what Dongdao Tower and the government are planning. What if they use their power to intimidate people? If people are all under control, will they hand over the fragments or not?

The settlement city is not located by the sea, and Jing Kingdom is not in the tropics, so there are no tropical plants around, and it is not much different from other places.

Chen Xuan and his group wandered around for a day, only buying some dried seafood to send back home, and did nothing else.

After returning to the inn that evening, Dujuan entered the suite and pondered, "Master, we were being watched since noon today. Even though they disguised themselves well, they still inevitably slipped up and I noticed. However, they didn't do anything offensive, so I didn't make a fuss."

Chen Xuan was well aware that he was being watched, but since he hadn't provoked them, he didn't bother with it. He calmly replied, "While it doesn't really matter, being watched isn't good. I'll trouble Sister Juan to find out what's going on."

"Yes, sir. Leave this to me. I'll be right back." Du Juan's eyes turned cold. She nodded and quickly disappeared into the night. This was the second serious matter that her master had entrusted to her, and she had to do her best to handle it well.

Chen Xuan didn't take this matter too seriously. After Du Juan left, he fell into a good sleep with the help of the little maid.

Du Juan returned at midnight. Knowing what had happened, she didn't disturb Chen Xuan's rest until the next morning, when she was having breakfast. She then reported truthfully: "Master, about the incident yesterday where we were being watched, I arrested a few people last night to investigate..."

She hesitated for a moment, then Chen Xuan smiled and asked, "And then?"

She pursed her lips, glanced at Chen Xuan's expression, and said, "It's because my beauty and Roujia's beauty have attracted unwanted attention. Rumors have spread that two stunningly beautiful women, even more beautiful than Liu Ruyan, have arrived in the settlement city. They're referring to Roujia and me, and someone is offering a high price to have us. I haven't been able to find out who they are; those people are very tight-lipped. We've tried everything to get them to talk, but we can't get them to say anything. It seems the mastermind behind this is extremely special, making even those in the underworld keep their mouths shut. I'm sorry, sir, we've caused you trouble."

Hearing this, Chen Xuan waved his hand speechlessly and said, "Sister Juan, what are you saying? It makes me proud too, isn't it? It's not a problem at all, it's enough for me to show off!"

Chen Xuan paused for a moment, then continued, "There's nothing wrong with liking beautiful things, but using such despicable methods is wrong. Abducting women shouldn't be encouraged; they deserve to die. If there are any more like this, just kill them. As for the mastermind, if we haven't found out, so be it. It's not a big deal. If they dare to come forward, we'll deal with them as we feel like." Nodding, Du Juan said, "Don't worry, Master. I've already dealt with those few malicious stalkers. As for the mastermind, it's good that we let it go. If they show up, they're just unlucky. Roujia and I are your people; we won't tolerate anyone having evil intentions!"

"There are plenty of people like that in the world. If you can control yourself, that's fine, but if you can't, you're just asking for trouble," Chen Xuan said, curling his lip. It would be a lie to say that he didn't care that his own people were being targeted.

After hesitating for a moment, the young girl said, "Master, why don't we dress more simply and disguise ourselves as ordinary people? That way we can avoid such unpleasant things."

"Haha, do you think I'm someone who's afraid of trouble? Besides, Roujia, you and Sister Juan are both so beautiful, it's pleasing to the eye, why bother pretending to be ugly?" Chen Xuan immediately laughed.

No longer dwelling on these unpleasant matters, Du Juan changed the subject, saying, "By the way, Master, those who obtained the map fragments will likely be attending the appointment this noon. Master said he wants to relax for a few days. If you're bored, would you like to go and see them?"

After a moment's thought, Chen Xuan said, "There's nothing particularly interesting about this settlement. Let's just go take a look. Guyu Pavilion seems to be an ancient site. Let's treat it as a way to relax. We've been quite relaxed for the past few days. We'll do some shopping this afternoon, and tomorrow we'll continue our exploration of the underground caves in search of geomagnetic essence."

“Yes, sir. I’ve ‘inquired’ and found out there’s a nice hotel not far from Guyu Pavilion. It’s been around for a while and is quite famous for its sashimi. I’ll go and make arrangements for it. We can watch the excitement and enjoy some delicious food at the same time,” Du Juan said with a smile, becoming increasingly adept at her current role.

Seeing this, Chen Xuan laughed and said, "Sister Juan should smile more; it makes you look beautiful."

Hearing him say that, Du Juan's smile became somewhat unnatural. She knew she was beautiful and had a serious demeanor in the past, so an unconscious smile and a deliberate smile were two different things.

After dinner, Chen Xuan and the others strolled towards Guyu Pavilion. Last night, Du Juan dealt with some ill-intentioned guys, and no one secretly followed them today. They didn't know if they had given up.

Du Juan had arranged the hotel seating in advance. The sashimi at this hotel truly lived up to its name, sliced ​​as thin as cicada wings and served with various seasonings. Chen Xuan found it incredibly delicious. As a century-old establishment, the hotel was very considerate in every aspect. They even offered deworming medicine before serving the sashimi to prevent diners from contracting parasites. Chen Xuan and his companions, however, did not have such concerns and were able to enjoy a delicacy that many others could not afford.

Time passed slowly as they ate and drank. Around noon, the area around Guyu Pavilion was cleared by the government, and yamen runners were on guard.

Guyu Pavilion is located on a peninsula in the lake. Chen Xuan and his companions are in a restaurant on a small hill across the lake. From their window, they can have a panoramic view of everything there.

Soon after, the leader of Dongdaolou stepped into the pavilion and silently waited for the appointed time to arrive. He was alone, and his wife was nowhere to be seen.

Last year, Chen Xuan met Zhang Lanlan at her home. They only exchanged nods and did not communicate, so Chen Xuan did not know his name.

Soon after, the local prefect arrived, surrounded by a group of people. He was a wealthy middle-aged man with an air of officialdom. After entering the pavilion, the leader of the Dongdao Tower treated him very politely, but not exactly humbly. On the surface, things were harmonious, but in reality, the leader of the Dongdao Tower did not take the prefect too seriously. He was only giving him face because of his official robes.

He was, after all, the leader of one of the five major sects; a mere prefectural governor position was not enough to make him bow and scrape.

Upon seeing this, Chen Xuan thought to himself that it was not the prefect who was in charge of all this. He did not have that much influence, nor was he capable of getting the leader of the Dongdao Tower to cooperate personally. There must be someone else behind it.

But what important figures could possibly be in this small place around the settlement?

Chen Xuan, who hadn't been paying attention to these things, asked Du Juan, "Sister Juan, do you know anyone in this place who holds a higher position and more power than the prefect?"

"I hadn't noticed that. Would you like me to inquire about it for you, sir?" Du Juan shook her head and said.

Chen Xuan waved his hand and said, "No need, I was just asking casually, it's none of our business anyway."

Chen Xuan then observed the area around Guyu Pavilion. The map fragments might converge here, which attracted quite a few people. Apart from some minor characters, there were a dozen or so innate masters scattered around discreetly. There were two right next to him. Normally, these innate masters were rarely seen, but now they appeared in droves.

With the appointed time fast approaching, the leader of the Dongdao Tower, one of the organizers of this event, looked at the sky and said loudly, "Aren't you all going to show yourselves? The maps are scattered and useless. Only by gathering together can we go to that place. I am Yu Dingbo, the leader of the Dongdao Tower. I suppose I have some influence here. I will vouch for you. Once the maps are gathered, we can explore the cave together to find that strange place. Whether we can find anything depends on our own abilities."

After he finished speaking, he glanced around, but no one answered, let alone showed up.

After a moment, the prefect spoke up, "This is a matter of great importance. I hereby promise that I will send additional personnel to assist in the search for that strange place. If you reach it and find anything, it is entirely up to you. The government will not take anything by force. I have already informed my superiors, and I can guarantee this."

He could genuinely guarantee that, and he wasn't lying. But he had a good plan. After all, how much could an individual take away from that place? They were just being used as road clearers. When the government started developing the area, the lion's share would go to the imperial court. Could the common people compete with the imperial court? If they succeeded, it would be a huge political achievement, and they could also reap a lot of benefits. In short, it was just a matter of a word, and they wouldn't lose anything.

However, no one listened to the prefect's words.

Left with no other choice, and with the saying "you can't catch a wolf without risking your cub," Yu Dingbo, the leader of Dongdaolou, simply opened a package he was carrying, revealing an irregularly shaped stone fragment the size of a millstone, and said loudly again, "Since everyone is hesitant, how about I throw out a brick to start the discussion?"

"Bring the map here," the prefect ordered immediately.

Soon, government officials carried two fragments of a stone tablet into the pavilion. They could not be pieced together with the one Yu Dingbo had taken out, but it was clear that they were fragments of the same stone tablet. One side had extremely complex lines, which were a map to the strange place, but it was not complete.

Three map fragments appeared in succession, causing a stir among the onlookers. However, no one dared to openly snatch them from the government, otherwise the martial arts bureau would jump out and kill them. Those with good eyesight were desperately trying to memorize the routes or even taking notes. Yu Dingbo and his group saw this but didn't care. The fragments were meaningless. Even if there were complete maps, once you got to that place, it was still a matter of who had the bigger fist.

Then Yu Dingbo added, "We have already demonstrated our sincerity, so why don't you all believe us?"

“Since that’s the case, I can’t let myself be looked down upon. I also have a fragment of the map. Since Sect Leader Yu has said so, I will be the third guide,” someone said. As he spoke, a red figure flew into the antique pavilion in full view of everyone.

It was Ye Hong from Maple Leaf Manor who was the first to step forward.

Chen Xuan glanced at her and saw that Ye Hong had suffered a minor injury, but was otherwise fine. He figured it was probably caused by the map battles over the past two days.

"So it's Mr. Ye, nice to meet you," Yu Dingbo said to Ye Hong with a cupped-hand salute.

Ye Hong returned the greeting and said, "This junior greets Sect Leader Yu. I trust Sect Leader Yu's reputation."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, seeing that Ye Hong was not carrying any large items, Yu Dingbo asked in surprise, "I wonder where Mr. Ye's incomplete map is?"

Ye Hong smiled and said, "Just to be on the safe side, I didn't bring it with me. I can assure you that I do have a map. How about we agree on a time, and when we are truly ready to set off on our exploration, we can all gather together and head out together?"

After a moment's thought, Yu Dingbo glanced in a certain direction, seemingly having received a response from the prefect beside him, before nodding and saying, "That's fine then, but I wonder what the others who possess the incomplete map think."

"Sect Leader Yu and Hero Ye are so straightforward in saying so. I also have a fragment of the map, but I didn't bring it with me. Let's discuss a time when we go to explore it together and then take it out."

Soon someone stepped forward to answer, dressed in black and masked, not showing their true face.

Then the others appeared one after another, none of them carrying anything with them. They discussed the specific time and place to meet.

Actually, this is for the best. It saves everyone from fighting to the death to grab the map, and they might even destroy it. As for how many people will follow, it doesn't really matter. The more the better. Someone has to scout ahead and be cannon fodder, right?

The journey to that strange place has been a good start, but the authenticity of the map remains to be verified.

While Chen Xuan was enjoying a meal at the restaurant, when Yu Dingbo looked in his direction, he almost thought Yu Dingbo was looking at him, but he was mistaken; Yu Dingbo was looking at the person next to him.

There were two innate masters next to Chen Xuan, but there were more than two people in that private room.

Even without deliberately spying on what was happening next door, Chen Xuan's powerful senses allowed him to hear hearty laughter coming from the other side, saying, "Excellent! This matter is settled. It wasn't in vain that I went to such lengths. I finally got the news from the palace that my future uncle-in-law is looking for the Earth Magnetic Essence. If I find it and present it to him, I'm sure I'll please him. Given his relationship with His Majesty, a few kind words from him will surely make him forget about being stuck in this wretched place exposed to the sea breeze. Even if I can't establish a connection with my uncle-in-law, finding that strange place is still a great achievement, and His Majesty will surely be overjoyed and generous with his rewards."

At this point, the voice claiming to be "This King is in high spirits" paused, then said with displeasure, "This King is in a very good mood and should be even happier. By the way, how's the investigation going with those two so-called stunning beauties? Why haven't they been brought here yet? What are your men doing? Don't make this King unhappy when you're having a good time."

"Your Highness, all those who volunteered have disappeared. They must have failed. One of those two stunningly beautiful women is a master of innate cultivation, not someone to be trifled with," a voice quickly reported.

The prince cursed and said, "You're all good-for-nothings, useless! You can't even handle this simple task. I'll give you half a day. If you still can't show your faces before dark, don't blame me for losing my temper."

"Your Highness, please calm down. Our men have sent word that those two beauties are nearby, and they even live in the same restaurant as us, or even right next door," another voice quickly flattered.

The prince was immediately overjoyed, exclaiming with delight, "Such a wonderful thing! Double happiness! Come, take me to see for myself. I want to see just how stunning this so-called beauty is!"

Hearing this, Chen Xuan raised an eyebrow, as if he had been caught up in the drama himself.
...(End of chapter)