Misty Rain of the Old Times

Under Chen Xuan's gaze, Zhou's expression became numb. Holding the baby, she mechanically replied, "Uncle, yesterday at noon the Prince returned unusually excited. He said he was able to see you and have a very pleasant conversation. He even said he might be able to help you and share your burdens. This is a great blessing..."

Why don't you start from the beginning of time? Chen Xuan was speechless, but he still listened patiently. Under the control of her mind by the Purple Mystic Illusionary Eye, she spoke from the bottom of her heart about Zhou Tao's death. Every word she said could be a crucial clue or piece of evidence.

"After the prince calmed down, he began to arrange accommodations for his uncle. Perhaps his uncle didn't need them, but it was a token of the prince's goodwill. The prince personally took care of everything, making sure to show the utmost sincerity, and even carefully selected several outstanding maids to be at his service at any time."

"After arranging these things, His Highness hurriedly left. I didn't know where he went until he returned late at night. He told me that he had met with Master Yu, the leader of the Dongdao Tower. Yesterday during the day, Master Yu met with those people who possessed the fragments of the Wanku Mountain map and secretly tampered with it. With Master Yu's own status and connections in the martial arts world, as well as the help from the government, His Highness brought back the complete Wanku Mountain map. I don't know the specific details, but he did bring it back."

"When he returned, the Prince was very excited because he felt that my uncle needed this map, which would be a relief for you and would surely leave a good impression on you. In his joy, the Prince became very interested and gave me a good beating, which I did not punish severely..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan immediately interrupted, "Skip this part and get to the point."

This is the result of being controlled in speech and behavior. Although Zhou was ashamed to talk about such intimate pleasures in the boudoir, she still spoke of them without hesitation, completely unable to control her words and actions.

She paused for a moment, then continued, "After the Prince's joy, he and I fell into a deep sleep. But this morning, the Prince suddenly passed away. I was terrified and notified my family and the authorities. After a thorough investigation, they couldn't find the cause of death. Several experienced coroners concluded that he had died suddenly. Since things have come to this, we have to lay the body out and prepare for the funeral. The Prince, a member of the royal family, has passed away. We have already notified the capital. The people from the Imperial Clan Court have not yet arrived. The funeral will last forty-nine days. Uncle, that's all I know."

After speaking, Zhou lowered her head and remained silent, making no mention of Zhou Tao's specific cause of death. Under her mental control, she certainly wouldn't hide anything. At this moment, Chen Xuan even suspected that Zhou Tao might have had a stroke due to excitement.

But what does this have to do with Chen Xuan? He pressed on, "Then why do you say, niece-in-law, that I'm the one who harmed Zhou Tao?"

In this era, seniority is more important than age. Many elderly people with white hair call children "grandpa," so Chen Xuan, from the perspective of an elder, did not feel anything was inappropriate.

“Because my uncle’s cultivation is extraordinary, killing without a trace is commonplace for him. The prince was in good health, so how could he suddenly die? And the prince was quite offensive to my uncle yesterday, which may have led to my uncle’s underhanded killing. Since no reason can be found, I believe it was my uncle’s doing. I can’t think of any other possibility,” Zhou Shi said frankly, then added, “Uncle, please forgive me. If my late husband was indeed offensive, then he deserved it. We have no evidence and dare not even think of avenging him. I beg you, Uncle, to spare my family.”

Just like that, he thought it was his doing? Chen Xuan felt wronged, but from Zhou's perspective, he was indeed the most suspicious.

She had said everything she needed to say. After a moment's hesitation, Chen Xuan asked again, "Zhou Tao has passed away, and the funeral is very busy. Why are you still holding a baby?"

"This is the only child I bore for the Prince. His sudden death is shrouded in mystery, so how could I dare to leave him without my care in case he is harmed?" Zhou said truthfully.

Nodding, he realized he couldn't get anything out of her. The only clue he could think of was the complete map Zhou Tao brought back last night, which had been circulating throughout the city this morning. It was hard to say that it wasn't related to this. If that was the case, the map being circulated everywhere might actually be real.

In any case, the truth will soon come out, and Chen Xuan has no habit of carrying the blame forever.

He then gestured for Zhou to leave, and scanned the surroundings, asking, "Is there anyone else who knows the truth? Raise your hand."

Under his gaze, which shimmered with a purple, mystical light, four people immediately raised their hands: a graceful woman in her forties or fifties, a young man in his early twenties, an elderly man with white hair, and a pretty girl of seventeen or eighteen.

Upon seeing this, Chen Xuan's heart stirred. It seemed that these people were all related to Zhou Tao's death. Judging from their clothes and demeanor, these people held high positions in the Prince's mansion. In fact, Chen Xuan had seen the white-haired old man yesterday; he was the innate master and bodyguard who had been with Zhou Tao.

Was it actually done by one of their own? Instantly, Chen Xuan's mind conjured up a melodramatic family feud.

Pointing at the seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl, Chen Xuan said, "You tell me your identity in the Prince's mansion, as well as your actions and everything you know."

The girl said blankly, "I am Luling, the princess's personal maid. I was originally the prince's concubine, but the prince never favored me, so I failed to rise in rank. I dared not harbor resentment, but the eldest prince repeatedly tried to please me, so I gave in to him and we became lovers. Taking advantage of my position, I secretly reported news about the prince to the eldest prince. Last night, while the prince and princess were enjoying themselves, I stole the map of Wanku Mountain and gave it to the eldest prince. I quickly made a copy and put it back where it was. That's all I know. I don't know the specifics of the prince's death."

Upon hearing the maid's words, Chen Xuan's lips twitched. He thought to himself, "How ridiculous!" Zhou Tao's maid had actually been poached and become someone else's spy. She was practically a ticking time bomb by his side.

Shaking his head, Chen Xuan looked at the elegant and noble woman and asked, "And who are you? What role did you play in Zhou Tao's death?"

The woman was terrified, but her mind was clear. She simply couldn't control her tongue and blurted out, "I am Luo, the late King's concubine, and the King's mistress. I orchestrated the King's death."

As expected, it was done by one of their own. At this point, Chen Xuan probably understood what was going on, but he still asked, "Tell me the details. Zhou Tao is the head of your family. Why did you do this? What benefit would it bring to you or your family?"

"Because I was the late king's concubine, even though I gave birth to the eldest son, he was not the legitimate son, so he had no chance to inherit the throne. Therefore, I have always harbored resentment. My son is older than Zhou Tao. As long as I get rid of Zhou Tao, I can obtain the throne. As for Zhou Tao's young son after his death, he is not a threat. I have been planning for many years. Yesterday, Zhou Tao went to see you, which gave me an opportunity. As long as I can pin his death on you, no one will dare to investigate and will have to accept the fact. So last night, I swiftly planned Zhou Tao's death," Luo said insincerely, revealing the truth.

It's said that the most vicious heart is that of a woman. This woman, in order for her son to obtain the throne, actually tried every means to get rid of Zhou Tao. It is said that even the struggle for the crown prince is bloody, let alone the position of prince.

Having dared to do such a thing, harming the imperial bloodline, her fate was already sealed once the truth came out. This was a matter for the Imperial Clan Court. Chen Xuan was merely clarifying the truth and clearing himself of the blame. For now, he was just an outsider and couldn't directly interfere in the affairs of the royal family. Moreover, he was too lazy to bother with such trivial matters. Besides, Zhou Tao wasn't a direct descendant of the old emperor, so he probably just handed it over to someone else to handle.

"Tell me exactly how Zhou Tao died," Chen Xuan pressed Luo Shi again.

She looked at the old woman guarding Zhou Tao yesterday and said, "I arranged for him to do it, so he knows better than anyone else. He is my elder brother. We were separated when we were young, and he was kidnapped and taken to the palace to become a castrated eunuch. After I was fortunate enough to marry the late king, he came to the palace by chance. We recognized each other secretly because of a childhood keepsake. My brother and I have been plotting for the throne for a long time. Now that the opportunity has come, we have acted decisively."

By this time, the situation was pretty much clear. It was true that the people closest to you are the hardest to guard against. Zhou Tao probably never dreamed that the person who followed him around every day to protect his safety was actually hoping for his death.

Looking at the old eunuch, Chen Xuan asked directly, "Tell me, how exactly did Zhou Tao die?"

"The martial arts that His Highness has been practicing since childhood were taught to him by this old servant, and he has now reached a considerable level of proficiency. However, he is not of my younger sister's bloodline, so I tampered with the martial arts I taught him from a young age. Last night, following my sister's instructions, this old servant secretly guided the internal energy in His Highness's body to penetrate deep into his brain after His Highness had finished his sexual intercourse and fell asleep, thus causing his death. No one noticed anything amiss, and that is indeed the case," the old eunuch stated frankly, revealing his sinister actions.

He harbored malicious intentions for many years and repeatedly shielded Zhou Tao from harm, some of which were orchestrated by himself. He had already gained Zhou Tao's deep trust, and there was no way Zhou Tao could defend against him. His death was not unjust.

Then the old eunuch continued, "Yesterday, the Prince visited Your Excellency, which was the perfect opportunity. He had coveted Your Excellency's maid and even kicked down Your Excellency's door. With a little guidance, everyone will assume that Your Excellency was responsible. However, given your status and power, no one will dare to question or mention it. They will be angry but dare not speak out, and can only swallow their anger. From then on, the true cause of Zhou Tao's death will remain unknown to the world. After Zhou Tao's death, my nephew will be able to smoothly ascend to power and fulfill his long-cherished wish."

Chen Xuan was utterly fed up with these scoundrels. They schemed and plotted, and if he hadn't been so suspicious by nature, he probably wouldn't have even realized he'd been framed.

As they said, Zhou Tao's offensive act happened in full view of everyone, and with a little guidance, everyone would think that it was Chen Xuan who did it. Who would dare to investigate and pursue the matter? In this way, Zhou Tao died mysteriously, and not only was Chen Xuan smeared, but he would also be burdened with the bad reputation of being petty.

How vicious!

At this point, many things became clear. Chen Xuan sighed, "So all these years of Zhou Tao's arrogance and domineering behavior were spoiled by you people around him. In other words, you encouraged and guided him?"

"Yes, we originally planned to lead him astray, make him commit evil deeds, and strip him of the throne for my nephew's benefit. However, the royal family's upbringing is too good. Years of effort have only made him slightly arrogant and domineering, and he has not yet had the chance to do anything heinous. We have painstakingly planned, but we cannot overcome the family's upbringing. It is truly frustrating," the old eunuch said numbly, feeling more regret than fear.

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan said, "What kind of personality does Old Deng have? How could he allow a descendant of the royal family to wreak havoc on the region and do such things as bullying men and women? It turns out that it was the people around him who were causing trouble. If it weren't for these scoundrels instigating and guiding him, Zhou Tao would probably have the reputation of a wise prince, instead of the arrogant and domineering persona that is circulating among the people."

As the saying goes, "It is easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one's nature." Zhou Tao was not a bad person to begin with. No matter how bad the people around him did, he was just a bit arrogant and domineering, not a heinous villain who would kill and wipe out entire families at the drop of a hat.

Chen Xuan knew without guessing that Zhou Tao had kicked down his door yesterday because he was bewitched by these scoundrels. If he hadn't been deliberately guided repeatedly, how would he have known that two beautiful women had come to the settlement city? Even the fact that their private rooms were next to each other was a deliberate arrangement. Given Zhou Tao's arrogant personality, how could he not investigate when he found out they were next door?

That's why he kicked the door down.

When he came, he only said he was going to see for himself, not to take it back; the difference is huge. At this moment, Chen Xuan looked at the fourth person, the young man in his twenties, and asked, "Are you the eldest prince, Zhou Tao's brother Zhang?"

The difference between a prince and a crown prince is just one word, but it's a huge difference in who will inherit the throne.

He replied respectfully, "Yes, I am Zhou Fu, the eldest son of the Prince's Mansion and the elder brother of Zhou Tao."

This name reveals that although the late king did not grant him the throne, he hoped that he would enjoy a life of happiness. However, human nature is insatiable, and he was never satisfied, always wanting more.

Nodding, Chen Xuan asked, "So what role did you play in Zhou Tao's death?"

"I just need to wait and see. My mother and uncle will arrange everything for me. After all, the more I do, the more mistakes I make. Many people are watching my every move. Besides, the most I can do is to win over my brother's personal maid so that I can gather information and report it to my mother and uncle. Oh, and the map that my brother brought back last night was also stolen by me by Green Spirit. I had people copy it and spread it overnight to attract people's attention and divert attention from my brother's death." Zhou Fu, whose mind and body were controlled, confessed his actions.

At this moment, his mind was clear. He thought to himself that everything was over. He had planned everything, but he never expected that this person would personally intervene and, without any need for investigation or evidence collection, would directly use a secret technique to question him. How could he resist such methods?

Otherwise, no matter how high Chen Xuan's cultivation level or how powerful his status, if mud falls on his crotch, even if it's not excrement, it's still excrement. Even if he tries to change things, he'll only be branded as a bully. After all, who would dare to do anything to him? He should act a little wronged, because people tend to side with the weak.

The map of Wankushan that's been circulating everywhere today seems to be real. Zhou Tao went to great lengths to get his hands on it yesterday in an attempt to please me, but things took an unexpected turn before he could get his hands on it.

Chen Xuan scoffed, "You're being too clever for your own good. If I hadn't spread the map everywhere, I probably wouldn't have made this trip. I guess you could say your cleverness backfired."

By this point, the truth had come to light. Among those present were not only government officials, but also members of the Imperial Guard and inspectors. Although everyone was under Chen Xuan's control, their minds were clear. They only needed Chen Xuan to release them from control, and then they could proceed according to the rules. Chen Xuan would then be out of the picture. At most, they would mourn Zhou Tao's death, but since they were not close, they could not express any particular emotion.

However, Chen Xuan did not give up. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and looked at the late King's concubine, Lady Luo, and her elder brother, the eunuch guard, saying, "You have been plotting to get rid of Zhou Tao to pave the way for Zhou Fu to inherit the throne. This is something you have been scheming for many years. So I am curious, how did you know that I came to the settlement city? Let alone you, I am a person who doesn't plan where I will go the next moment. How could you know? Moreover, you took the opportunity to use the people around me to lead Zhou Tao to make a mistake, so as to kill him with a borrowed knife. When the plan failed, you took the risk of getting rid of Zhou Tao to frame me. I don't believe that there is no third party behind this. You are not enough to know my whereabouts and the situation of the people around me. Tell me, is there such a person? Do you know who it is?"

"They actually know all this?" Luo asked, her expression numb as her mind was controlled, but her tone and inner thoughts were full of surprises.

While I may not be as clever as Xiao Gao, I'm not stupid either, okay? You think you can use me to achieve your goals? I'm probably being used as a pawn, and it's unlikely that the person behind it will help them achieve their goals. Chen Xuan guessed that the other party's real target was him!
The old eunuch spoke up: "There is such a person, but we don't know exactly who he is. He somehow learned of our siblings' long-standing plan, but instead of using it to blackmail us, he passed on the news of your arrival to us, thus taking the opportunity to fulfill our long-cherished wish."

He paused, then continued, "This man didn't want anything from us; on the contrary, he provided crucial information about your arrival. We did suspect he had ulterior motives, but this matter was entirely beneficial to us, and since he didn't ask for anything excessive, we went along with it."

Chen Xuan thought to himself, "Just as I expected. You've been planning for years without success, so it's not something you can easily decide to take the risk for. With a third party guiding you, it's only natural that it will happen."

The actions of Zhou Fu and his mother, as well as their plot to harm Zhou Tao and seize the throne, will be dealt with according to the laws of the royal family. Zhou Tao is dead, but he still has a young son. As long as he does not die young, the throne will not fall into the hands of outsiders. Even if something unexpected happens, at most this lineage will be cut off, and the royal family will reclaim the throne, rather than letting it fall into the hands of outsiders.

At this point, the internal strife within the Prince's mansion had come to an end, and what happened afterward was no longer Chen Xuan's concern.

That's his own business now.

Looking at an inconspicuous servant of the Prince's mansion in the courtyard, Chen Xuan smiled and said, "So what are you doing behind all this? Can you tell me? What benefit do you or any of you gain from taking such a big risk to offend me?"

He was a man in his thirties, dressed in gray clothes under a linen mourning robe, an inconspicuous servant's attire. Like everyone else, he had a numb expression, as if he were being controlled by Chen Xuan. However, in Chen Xuan's eyes, he had nowhere to hide.

Often, people who stir up trouble like to take risks and go to the scene as bystanders, and it's unclear what their mentality is. This person is no exception.

When Chen Xuan arrived at the Prince's Mansion, he had already guessed something. After asking around, he became even more certain of his thoughts. Someone was targeting him. It was hard to say who it was. Although the person who offended Chen Xuan was immediately dismissed, he could still count a few people he had grudges against. Especially since he had not deliberately kept a low profile to hide his identity, it was not surprising that he was being targeted.

Faced with Chen Xuan's questioning, the man, like the others before him, replied with a blank expression, "I don't know anything."

"You're putting on quite a show," Chen Xuan said with a sneer. "Don't embarrass yourself with your little tricks in front of me. Do you think I don't know if you've really got your mind under my control? You're just watching the show from the sidelines, finding it exciting and fun, aren't you?"

As he spoke, Chen Xuan didn't even need to raise his hand; the other party flew uncontrollably towards him, landing more than ten feet away, unable to move.

"I really don't know anything," the other person replied, their expression blank and their answer mechanical, as if they were speaking against their will and out of control.

With a light laugh, Chen Xuan said bluntly, "Stop pretending. I spotted you the moment I arrived. I didn't even try to control you when I used my eye technique, so this whole performance of yours is completely unnecessary. I won't waste any more time with you. Let's be frank: this is our second meeting, isn't it? Just a few days ago you were a storyteller in the tavern, spreading information about the map and stone tablet. And now you're here acting as a servant in the Prince's mansion, watching the show. I remember your aura. To be honest, your disguise skills are quite impressive, but I'm the real expert in this area."

Having laid everything out in the open, the other party stopped pretending and looked at Chen Xuan with a smile, saying, "As expected of a Grandmaster, you deserve what you got. But if you want to know why I did this, then you'll have to guess for yourself. Don't expect to find out from me. You can also try using your eye technique to see if you can control my mind and make me reveal the truth."

"Not going to act anymore? Fine. Speaking of which, my eye technique isn't omnipotent. There are always some people I can't control, like a member of the Black Diagram Society like you. Nobody knows the specifics of your organization, so there are definitely ways to prevent such things. I'm too lazy to bother with that, so I'll just ask you directly," Chen Xuan said with a smile.

The other party laughed and said, "I know I can't resist. Kill me or torture me, it's up to you. I just hope you'll give me a quick death."

"You're keeping your mouth shut, not revealing a single piece of information," Chen Xuan said with interest. "It seems you're not going to confess voluntarily. Do you want to die? In my presence, your life and death are not in your own hands. Since you refuse to confess, I'll have no choice but to hand you over to the Martial Arts Control Division. I'm sure they can get you to talk, but that will come with a lot of suffering. Think carefully before you decide whether you want to answer my questions."

Upon hearing this, the other party's expression froze. Originally, it was just a matter of dying, but if he was not in control of his own destiny and fell into the prison of the Forbidden Martial Arts Division, he was afraid he wouldn't be able to withstand it, and might not even survive until the Beauty Gate.

Then, quite bluntly, he said, "I hope you'll give me a quick death after I've said what I wanted to say. As for the organization behind me, don't ask. If I dare to reveal anything, even you can't stop my death, and you shouldn't even think about it. The reason I guided Zhou Tao to offend you, and you didn't blame him, so I had to resort to using the Luo family to eliminate Zhou Tao and point the finger at you, was to incite a conflict between you and the Jing Kingdom's royal family. Perhaps it was a bit wishful thinking, but we had to try, right? What if it succeeded? With your cultivation level, standing on the side of the Jing Kingdom's royal family is not what we want to see. That's all. I've finished speaking."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan thought to himself, "So that's how it is. They really had a lot of ulterior motives. No wonder it's the Black Diagram Society. They can't stand peace in the world. They create chaos when there isn't any. They're just creating chaos for the sake of chaos. It's like they're mentally ill."

But is it really just chaos for the sake of chaos without any purpose?
Chen Xuan didn't think so; it was just that their purpose was unpredictable.

He then looked at the other party and chuckled, "You want to push me to the opposite side of the royal family? That's a bit presumptuous. The death of Zhou Tao alone is not enough. Never mind, you probably wouldn't understand even if I told you. So, on the other hand, you were so eager to die that you couldn't possibly reveal any specific information about the Black Diagram Society. You even said you couldn't even think about it, or you would die. So, are you dead now?"

Upon hearing this, the person who had been calmly facing death could no longer maintain his composure, and his eyes turned filled with fear and unease.

Before he could say anything, Chen Xuan continued with a cold laugh: "I've said it before, in front of me, life and death are not up to you. Now, will you confess voluntarily or suffer before confessing passively!"

"How is this possible!" the other person exclaimed in shock.

With a sneer, Chen Xuan shattered his illusions, saying, "Nothing is impossible. So what if a grandmaster tampered with your consciousness? Just thinking about it makes your head explode, right? Too bad you've met me. Let alone just tampering with your consciousness, even if the other party were to do it to your face, he wouldn't be able to kill you under my nose to prevent the information from being leaked!"

"Kill me, please. I really can't say it, and I dare not say it, or else there will be big problems," the other party pleaded.

"Can the sky really fall down?" Chen Xuan asked silently.

...(End of chapter)