Misty Rain of the Old Times

Chen Xuan felt that the voice sounded familiar, and thought he must have seen it before, but he couldn't remember who it was.

Logically speaking, with Chen Xuan's memory after reaching the Grandmaster realm, he wouldn't forget anyone he'd just glanced at. Yet now he couldn't remember who it was. He guessed it was probably because he hadn't paid special attention when he saw the other person—well, to put it bluntly, he had automatically ignored them.

There are many similar examples. Who would care too much about someone who is unimportant? They didn't pay attention to them in the first place, and their memories faded over time.

Du Juan and the little girl naturally couldn't hear the sounds from the wall behind them. There was a master of innate cultivation blocking the sound transmission, and with Du Juan's cultivation level, it was not enough to break through the barrier of the same level.

While Chen Xuan was trying to figure out who the other party was, the prince next door had already brought his men over with great interest.

Soon, the tightly closed door to the private room was kicked open from the outside, showing just how arrogant the person who came in usually was.

Upon hearing this, Du Juan, who had been carefully wiping Chen Xuan's mouth, turned cold and glanced silently toward the door. A short knife had already slipped into her hand from her sleeve. She was about to get up, not caring who it was. Anyone who dared to disturb her master's meal would be dealt with first.

But Chen Xuan raised his hand and placed it on her shoulder to stop her, his eyes smiling as he gestured for her to calm down. Du Juan then calmed down and did not make any further moves for the time being, but her silent eyes were still full of cold killing intent.

As for the little girl, she didn't even realize what had happened.

When they appeared outside the door, Chen Xuan looked over with great interest. After the door was kicked open, a group of people came into his view.

The leader was a young man in his early twenties, dressed in a silver brocade robe with cloud patterns, his hair tied up with a high crown, handsome in appearance, with an air of nobility between his brows, but more so with a cynical attitude.

Behind him were five or six guards, the worst of whom were all experts who had opened up the eight extraordinary meridians. Two innate masters were a step behind him, protecting him. These two innate masters were both old, one male and one female, because one of them was a eunuch.

The young man was, after all, a prince, of royal blood. He was always very ostentatious when he went out, and it was standard for him to have innate masters as his guards. But Chen Xuan could tell at a glance that the two innate masters were just weaklings at the bottom of the realm. If they attacked together seriously, Du Juan probably wouldn't be able to beat them. After all, realm doesn't represent combat strength. Besides, they were used to being pampered by the prince and didn't have many opportunities to fight. How could they compare to Du Juan, who had fought her way here?

When they noticed Du Juan's expression, their hearts tightened as if facing a formidable enemy, and they were about to step forward to protect the prince.

However, the prince was even faster than them. His arrogant and domineering attitude was completely reversed in the blink of an eye.

The young prince kicked open the door and looked inside expectantly. He first saw Du Juan and Su Roujia, and his eyes lit up. He thought to himself that they were indeed as beautiful as the rumors said. The so-called Liu Ruyan was nothing in front of them.

However, before he could even feel a surge of joy, he was met with Chen Xuan's intrigued gaze, and a chill ran down his spine.

This guy's reaction was incredibly quick and smooth. Before he could even put his leg down after kicking the door, he took a large step forward, then bent his knee and slid down to within two meters of Chen Xuan, exclaiming with 'joyful surprise,' "Greetings, Uncle! I'm your nephew! I've been so eager to see you, I'm so excited, I couldn't wait to come and pay my respects. Please forgive any offense I may have caused. What brings you here, sir? This is my turf! If someone had given me prior notice, I would have had the streets cleared for miles to welcome you!"

His reaction was completely unexpected. The people behind him were dumbfounded and stunned. What was the prince doing?
As he spoke, the young prince's heart sank. Could he really get away with this?
How could such a stunning woman possibly come to this wretched place? Even if there are many outstanding people in the martial arts world, their rough and unrefined demeanor is far inferior. It turns out she is my uncle's maid, so it's not surprising.

However, if he were to make a move against someone close to his uncle without knowing the truth, and the uncle were to kill him, he would have nowhere to seek justice. If the emperor found out, he would probably have to behead him again.

Let alone a hereditary collateral prince like himself, you should know that when it comes to serious matters, even a direct descendant prince is nothing in front of his uncle.

I haven't even had a chance to take any action yet, so he probably doesn't know, right? Otherwise, I'd be dead meat.

What are those people below doing? Just to please themselves, they act recklessly without even understanding the situation. If they manage to escape this calamity, they will not be so lenient later.

But can we get past this hurdle? What level of cultivation does my uncle possess? How could he not have heard what I said before?

Just as the young prince was kneeling on one knee with a fawning smile, Chen Xuan chuckled and said, "I wondered who was so bold. It's you. Get up. It's not a holiday. There's no need for such a grand ceremony. What kind of behavior is this for a prince? Besides, your aunt and I haven't even had our wedding ceremony yet. It's not appropriate for me to call you 'uncle.' And am I that old?"

"Of course, of course. I apologize for not being able to greet you properly. It was only a matter of time. It's perfectly appropriate for me to call you Uncle. I'm not saying you're old, it's just a respectful address, a respectful address from the bottom of my heart," the young prince continued with a smile. He didn't dare to get up. In fact, his legs were already so weak with fear. His legs wouldn't listen to him.

Who is our uncle? Although no one is gossiping, he is the one who used the family genealogy to slaughter the Wu family for hundreds of years. He can still joke and curse with His Majesty. His cultivation is extraordinary. If we don't please him today, we should be lucky to be able to lie in our coffins intact. We don't even want to think about the consequences if he gets angry.

At this moment, cold sweat had soaked his back, and he felt chilled from head to toe.

Of course he knew Chen Xuan. To be honest, at a certain level, who would dare not recognize him? Moreover, he had seen him in person, so how could he forget him? Therefore, he recognized him at first glance and knelt down to pay his respects without hesitation.

Upon seeing her true appearance, Chen Xuan remembered who she was. He didn't really have much of an impression of her; if he hadn't seen her with his own eyes, he wouldn't have remembered that such a person existed.

He is indeed of royal blood in the Jing Kingdom, but he belongs to the relatively marginal category. He has to stand at the back as a background figure at royal gatherings, but he is qualified enough to act as a local tyrant in small places.

"That Zhou Tao, right? If I remember correctly, get up quickly. So many people are watching. You are a prince, and I am a commoner. It won't be good if word gets out," Chen Xuan shook his head and smiled, thinking to himself that this was quite a character.

Everyone has their youth. He hadn't had a chance to offend anyone yet. Considering their kinship, Chen Xuan didn't bother to argue. Besides, his attitude was impeccable before he had even made a mistake, so Chen Xuan couldn't even get angry.

Zhou Tao, strictly speaking, is called Zhou Jintao. He is of the same generation as Gao Jingyu's son, Zhou Jinlin. Even though he is slightly older, he is still considered a junior to Chen Xuan.

He was not Emperor Shangxuan's biological grandson, but rather a distant cousin, a descendant of Emperor Shangxuan's younger brother. As time passed, most of the older generation had passed away, and in his generation, he inherited the throne and became a leisurely prince in this coastal area with little power. However, out of consideration for their past relationship, and as one of his younger brother's few biological grandsons, he still received all the necessary privileges.

Chen Xuan had met him three times, but he was always just a background character and they never had any real interaction. They weren't even acquaintances, so he had no impression of him and couldn't remember him at all.

It started at the little princess's birthday banquet last year. The princess's residence was very lively that day, and Zhou Tao was among them. Chen Xuan sneaked in without anyone noticing and just glanced at him in the crowd. The second time was the day before Gao Jingming's wedding. This guy even went to see him off and made an appearance. The last time was the day Chen Xuan and the little princess got engaged. Royal relatives were the witnesses, and he was there too, but he was at the back of the crowd and didn't even have a chance to talk to Chen Xuan. During that engagement, when the main members of the royal family were introduced one by one, Chen Xuan learned his name. But there were too many people at the time, and Chen Xuan didn't really pay attention to remember many of them.

It's a pitiful situation for him. In a small town, everyone fawned over the prince, someone they dared not offend. But in the capital, he was treated like a lackey.

He is a generation younger than the little princess, and since Chen Xuan is engaged to the little princess, it is only natural for him to call Chen Xuan his uncle.

As the limited information about him flashed through Chen Xuan's mind, Zhou Tao, whose legs were weak, still forced a smile and said, "You're my uncle, so it's only right. Who would dare to talk nonsense? Besides, it's cool on the ground; I think it's fine this way."

This guy's survival instinct was off the charts. Chen Xuan was both amused and exasperated, waving his hand and saying, "Since we've run into each other, let's sit down and have something to eat together. We don't want to become a laughingstock in front of outsiders."

With a wave of his hand, his body floated up uncontrollably and landed on the chair.

Knowing this was Chen Xuan's doing, Zhou Tao dared not resist at all. He sat down properly, even more stiffly than a newly enrolled child, and said cautiously, "Thank you, Uncle. I dare not refuse such a generous gift from an elder. Then this junior will take the liberty of sitting down."

At the same time, the anxiety in his heart eased a little. He wondered if he was likely to survive. How could he have almost provoked him so carelessly? It was like he was constantly on the verge of death.

"We're not that far apart in age, and there are no outsiders here, so relax," Chen Xuan said, secretly wondering if he was really that scary. He then gestured for the little girl to add a pair of chopsticks.

At this moment, Zhou Tao was far from relaxed. He kept saying he dared not, but then suddenly remembered something and turned to his dumbfounded subordinates at the door, saying in a deep voice, "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and pay your respects to your uncle. It's inappropriate to address him like that, and 'Son-in-law' is not suitable either. Just call him Mr. Chen."

As he spoke, he glanced at Chen Xuan cautiously, habitually adopting the airs of a prince, and only breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Chen Xuan didn't care at all.

"We pay our respects to Mr. Chen," Zhou Tao's guards at the door quickly bowed deeply. Although they didn't understand the situation, the prince was being so cautious, and no one was stupid. Obeying orders would not be wrong.

Thinking to himself, "That makes more sense," Zhou Tao forced a calm expression and said, "Well then, you all close the door and get out. Don't disturb your uncle's enjoyment. Also, keep watch around the area. If anyone bothers you, your uncle will hold you accountable." "Yes," came the reply.

They obeyed respectfully, retreated, and carefully closed the door. Separated by a wall, everyone looked bewildered, exchanging glances. What was going on? But one thing was certain: that young man with the beautiful woman was someone even a prince couldn't afford to offend!
The prince refers to his uncle as "uncle," but which royal relative is he?

Even the royal family didn't know much about Chen Xuan's situation, so these servants naturally didn't know either.

With no outsiders present, Chen Xuan, a very easygoing person, figured the misunderstanding would be resolved once it was cleared up, and besides, it hadn't even happened yet. He looked at Zhou Tao and teased, "The last time I saw you was...when did you go back to your fiefdom? You're doing quite well, aren't you?"

My uncle speaks so eloquently, it sounds so sophisticated. I could never say anything so profound. Zhou Tao, thinking to himself, quickly said, "I've been back for a while now, and life's been alright. I'm sorry to have troubled you, Uncle."

Too lazy to correct his form of address, Chen Xuan pointed towards the direction of Guyu Pavilion outside and said, "Did you do all of this?"

By this point, Chen Xuan was already quite clear-headed. Considering what he had said next door earlier, this guy must have heard somewhere that he needed the Earth Magnetic Essence, and then, taking advantage of his status and position, he tried every means to find it and offer it to curry favor.

Otherwise, how could that prefect possibly get Yu Dingbo of Dongdao Tower to cooperate?
Despite his insignificance and lack of influence among the royal family, his status as a prince meant that even powerful martial arts sects like Dongdaolou had to bow down to him.

But he had only just begun. He hadn't managed to flatter Chen Xuan enough, and he almost offended him to death. Luckily, he reacted in time.

He had originally come for Du Juan and Su Roujia, but now he kept his eyes down and didn't dare to look at them for long, not even daring to have any extra thoughts.

"Uncle, please forgive my rudeness. I was just joking around," Zhou Tao said with a smile. Thinking there was probably nothing he could hide from his uncle, he decided to tell the truth and continued, "I heard you need Earth Magnetic Essence, and it's available in Wanku Mountain. What a coincidence! I was thinking of seeing if I could help you out and wanted to find some to surprise you, but I haven't had a chance to tell you yet. Um, I didn't mean to pry into your private affairs, please don't take offense."

This is no secret. That day, Eunuch Wang said it in front of so many people. I guess he arranged for people to help search afterward. Anyone with some ability and a bit of interest can find out by asking around.

Chen Xuan wouldn't blame him for meddling, after all, the other person was offering help voluntarily, and he was more than happy about it. He smiled and said, "Thank you for your kindness. You can't force things like geomagnetic essence. Let it be. There's no need to make a big fuss."

"Since I had nothing better to do, I decided to give it a try. That's why I didn't tell my uncle beforehand. I'm not afraid he'll laugh at me, because I didn't even know how to send you a message. I was afraid you'd be unhappy if I sent you a message, thinking I was being nosy," Zhou Tao said awkwardly, but it was the truth.

The truth is, even if he really obtained the Earth Magnetic Essence, he probably wouldn't be able to deliver it to Chen Xuan personally. Instead, he would have to go through connections, through Eunuch Wang. If that worked, Chen Xuan would remember that he had contributed, and that would be all worthwhile. In the future, no matter how good his relationship with his uncle was, just the fact that he had helped him would be enough to deter most people from harming him, unless it was a matter of life and death.

It's no wonder that few members of the royal family are simple characters. Even those on the fringes, who are just looking for stability, will try every means to monopolize power, since power becomes obsolete if not used.

In fact, Zhou Tao got a good deal. Wanku Mountain wasn't within his fiefdom, but it was right next to it. And a map of Wanku Mountain appeared within his fiefdom, so why wouldn't he seize the opportunity? Anyway, he didn't know where to get geomagnetic essence. With a map, going to that strange place might give him a better chance.

If it succeeds, offer the Earth Magnetic Essence to your uncle. We don't ask for much in return; just having a claim provides extra security. Even if it fails, there's no loss. After all, it's the people below who do the hard work; it's just a matter of talking.

It's good that someone is willing to help, and Chen Xuan is happy to see it happen. More help means more chances to find the Earth Magnetic Essence. However, he still reminded him, "Since you call me uncle, I won't stand on ceremony with you. We're family, so there's no need for formalities. This matter can't be forced. The interior of Wanku Mountain is intricate and complex, not to mention the strange places that haven't been revealed to the world yet. It must be extremely dangerous. Don't put yourself in danger."

"Thank you for reminding me, Uncle. I know my limits and won't put myself in danger," Zhou Tao said excitedly.

Since we haven't found the Earth Magnetic Essence in advance to offer it, we naturally can't expect any reward from Chen Xuan. Even if we find it in advance and offer it, we'll still have to fawn over him and be satisfied with just getting a smile from Brother Chen Xuan.

He was excited because even though Chen Xuan didn't say anything, the fact that he was not an outsider was already the greatest reward, surpassing any practical benefit. He still had that kind of reaction ability.

He thought to himself that he had to work twice as hard to do things well so as not to let his uncle down. The mere mention of "family" was enough to make him do everything in his power.

Chen Xuan was just speaking casually, not thinking much about it at all. He nodded and said, "It's good that you understand. Remember, don't force things that are not meant to be. Don't let this matter cause trouble and harm innocent people. Wanku Mountain is truly a dangerous place that no stranger should enter."

With a sudden realization, Zhou Tao understood. He felt that his uncle's words should be taken in reverse, but not arbitrarily. It would be best to use the greed of some people to find the Earth Magnetic Essence for his uncle without harming innocent people.

Having successfully inherited the throne and maintained this status for generations, he was, after all, a prince. Raised by the royal family, he was no fool. It was just that he was used to being arrogant and domineering in small places with no one to restrain him. When facing someone of a higher level, he naturally returned to his rationality.

Knowing he was being calculating, he wisely dropped the subject, as that would be too obvious. Instead, he changed the subject and respectfully asked, "May I ask when you arrived, Uncle? Where are you staying? You need a lot of people with you, so let me arrange some for you. Or I have a few courtyards; you can move to whichever one you like."

Chen Xuan waved his hand and said, "No need for that. I'm used to a leisurely life; it's the same for me wherever I am."

Since he had already said that, Zhou Tao didn't dare to force it. He thought to himself that he should still be prepared, in case his uncle wanted to stay in a better place someday. He could do without his uncle, but he couldn't be unprepared.

Then, after a moment's hesitation, he skillfully sought Chen Xuan's opinion, asking, "By the way, Uncle, do you need that map? If so, I can get you a complete copy; it's very easy."

It sounds easy, but getting the complete map right now is definitely not easy. However, he couldn't say that, otherwise his impression would be greatly diminished. Saying it's difficult is actually relative. If he gritted his teeth and put in the effort, he could put pressure on the Eastern Sword Tower, issue orders to the government, and pass on messages to the Martial Arts Bureau. He still had that much influence. In less than half a day, he would definitely have the complete map in his hands. Anyway, those fragments were still in his territory. It was just a matter of whether he wanted to or not.

"Forget it, whether I have a map or not doesn't make much difference to me," Chen Xuan shook his head again. If he really wanted to, he could have just given those people a look and they would have obediently brought the map over. Why would he need Zhou Tao's help?
Knowing when to stop, Zhou Tao felt it was already a great honor to have spoken with Chen Xuan, especially since his uncle had been so kind. He stood up, bowed, and said, "I won't disturb your enjoyment any longer, Uncle. Please forgive me if I have caused you any trouble. If you need anything, just have someone pass on a message. I'll take care of it. Farewell."

"It's a rare chance encounter, why don't you stay a little longer?" Chen Xuan said, trying to persuade him to stay. He hadn't paid much attention to him before, but this meeting made him find the man quite interesting.

To be honest, Chen Xuan didn't really pay much attention to the members of the Jing Kingdom's royal family. Now that he thinks about it, apart from a few outstanding ones, the others who seemed inconspicuous were probably not easy to deal with.

"No, Uncle, please enjoy your meal. I'll take my leave now."

After bowing respectfully and leaving, Zhou Tao secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to himself that he had finally survived, and could even be considered to have turned misfortune into blessing.

After he went outside, he realized that his younger relatives were all soaked. His uncle was very easy to talk to, so why was he under so much pressure?

Throughout the entire conversation, he never dared to sit down properly, and didn't even touch his chopsticks.

He gestured to his subordinates to leave together. Downstairs, he not only secretly paid the bill but also left extra money for the shopkeeper to bring up the best food. Even so, he was still not at ease and instructed one of his Xiantian subordinates to stay and await his uncle's orders at the door.

"Next, the main task is to find the Earth Magnetic Essence for my uncle. It would be best if I could find it before him, that way I'd leave a stronger impression on him. Then, I need to prepare a complete map, but there's no need to rush or make a big fuss, lest I make a mistake and upset my uncle. Also, I need to arrange accommodations. My uncle doesn't need these things, but I can't be irresponsible. Finally, damn it, which bastard spread rumors about people around my uncle? I'll dig three feet into the ground to find him and tear him to pieces! That bastard almost killed me! This isn't over yet! So close! So close! Not only did I almost die, but my whole family could have been doomed!"

As Zhou Tao left, a multitude of thoughts flashed through his mind. He was filled with lingering fear, but thankfully he had reacted quickly.

He'll probably be having nightmares for a long time to come...

Inside the room, Du Juan hesitated for a moment before asking, "Master, are we just going to let him leave like this?"

She had seen a lot in this time. So what if the other party was a prince? How dare he kick down the master's door? It was simply unforgivable.

"The flood washed away the Dragon King's temple. Ignorance is no excuse. I'm not that harsh. You've all seen his attitude. Why bother with so much?" Chen Xuan said dismissively.

If it weren't for his familiar voice, and the fact that he recognized him at a glance when he opened the door, and that they were related by blood, and that he reacted instantly by sliding to his knees, Chen Xuan would have slapped him across the face.

This whole mess... who knows what will happen next in life...? (End of Chapter)