Misty Rain of the Old Times

As they descended the steps amidst the roar of rushing water, Chen Xuan and his group were stopped at the platform entrance.

A man in a black robe sized them up, frowned, took two steps back, and said disdainfully, "Did you fall into a cesspool? Why do you stink so much? Are you new here? Go register over there."

As he spoke, he casually pointed to a spot about a hundred meters behind him, where several tables had been set up and people were already queuing to register.

He wasn't disgusted by Chen Xuan and the others, but by Jiang Hao. Having been trapped underground for nearly half a year, he hadn't been properly cleaned, and the smell on his body was simply unbearable.

During their time together, the reason Chen Xuan and the others acted as if nothing was wrong was simply because Chen Xuan secretly masked the scent on Jiang Hao's body. Otherwise, even the greatest patience would inevitably show signs of something amiss.

Knowing his situation, Jiang Hao's face flashed with embarrassment, but he asked speechlessly, "Register? Register what?"

"Enough with the nonsense, just do it. The people ahead of us went through so much trouble to find the entrance, and you think you can just run off and take advantage of us without doing anything? There's no such thing as a free lunch. We'll give you a booklet of terms and conditions when you register, and you'll understand then. In short, it's up to you whether you register or not. Just don't blame me for not warning you later, don't block the way, people are coming from behind," the man in black robes said impatiently.

They were probably just giving a routine reminder, too lazy to waste time with words, and judging from their attire, they were clearly members of the Armed Forces Control Division, not the average person.

Not one to argue unreasonably, Chen Xuan nodded to indicate that he understood and gestured for them to go ahead. However, he was thinking to himself that, judging from the information people were exchanging, the first group would find the entrance in a day or two, which meant that a relatively complete system had already been established.

Walking over there, Jiang Hao hesitated and said, "Young Master Chen, should we register? I have a feeling this isn't a good thing."

"That's up to you. Didn't that person just say that registering or not is a matter of personal choice?" Chen Xuan said with a smile, without making a decision for him.

Then, turning to Du Juan, he said, "Sister Juan, could you please go to the registration office and get a copy of the so-called terms and conditions booklet to see what's going on?"

"Yes, sir," Du Juan replied and went to do it. She understood what Chen Xuan meant. Her master was too lazy to bother with that, and she didn't need to give out her identity information when she went to register. Surely the other party could verify it? Du Juan was very familiar with this kind of thing.

Jiang Hao thought about it and decided that since it wasn't mandatory, he would simply not register for the time being. He would deal with it if it really didn't work out, since the registration place wouldn't move anyway.

Then, remembering the disdainful look from the person who had blocked his way earlier, he said apologetically, "Young Master Chen, I neglected myself before. Due to limited resources, I didn't take good care of myself. Please forgive me. Excuse me for a moment, I'll go and tidy myself up first."

"Brother Jiang, please go ahead," Chen Xuan nodded. Coming to this crowded place is no different from returning to normal society. Jiang Hao didn't want to look sloppy and still cared about his image.

The underground space was filled with torches and braziers, and tents and stone houses were springing up on the platform like mushrooms after rain. Some were under construction, and thousands of people were busy at work, creating an environment that seemed to be in the process of establishing a normal order.

Even though this place is deep underground, the authority of the law still has a deterrent effect after the Armed Forces Bureau took strong control.

While Chen Xuan was looking around, Du Juan quickly returned, handing him a thin booklet and saying, "Master, I just made up an identity registration. The person in charge of registration didn't investigate too deeply. They just let me show a little bit of my cultivation. You can find out the rest from the contents of this booklet."

"Thank you for your help. Has Sister Juan read the contents of the booklet?" Chen Xuan nodded and said.

She shook her head and said no. Chen Xuan then quickly flipped through the thin booklet in his hand. It was obviously hastily printed, poorly made, and contained very little content, only about ten pages.

After quickly reviewing it, Chen Xuan handed it to her and said, "Sister Juan, you and Roujia should take a look too. The people ahead of us have formulated a relatively complete system in such a short time; they've acted quite quickly."

As Du Juan took the booklet and the little girl peered at it curiously, Chen Xuan was also pondering the terms and conditions inside.

It's actually not complicated; it mainly shows the price and obligations that those who go to that strange place must bear.

In summary, there are a few points. First, if you want to get through the entrance, you have to pay a toll of 100 taels of silver. Otherwise, you won't even be qualified to enter. The reason is simple: the imperial court and Dongdao Tower went through a lot of trouble to open up the road and find the entrance. They can't expect people who come later to just use the entrance for free without doing anything, can they?

Of course, this only applies to those below the Innate Realm. Those at the Innate Realm can enter for free and can even bring two people with them. As for those at the Acquired Realm, they have to pay the toll. Even then, the authorities don't guarantee their safety when passing through the entrance. In other words, even if you pay the money, you might not survive to actually reach that place.

The entrance itself is extremely dangerous. It's not impossible to get there safely if you don't have the ability, but you'll have to pay someone to escort you. It's not expensive, a thousand taels of silver per person, and even then, it depends on whether anyone is willing to escort you.

A hundred taels of silver is just an entry fee; a thousand taels of silver can get you there, but that's all. Even if you pay, they're only responsible for getting you there; you're responsible for your own safety once you get there, unless you spend a lot of money to hire someone to protect you.

If you simply want to see that strange place where everything is gigantic, spending over a thousand taels is really not worth it, and there's a high chance you'll lose your life.

In short, the first group that found the entrance first tried every means to squeeze those who came later. You can't do anything about it. First of all, they are the pioneers. Secondly, they have more power. You can't win the argument or the material advantage. You can only accept your fate.

Even if people from other major sects come later, they will probably have to follow the rules, since the Imperial Martial Arts Bureau, representing the imperial court, is the one in charge here.

Perhaps as the news spreads, there will be plenty of wealthy people who want to come and see for themselves, and the imperial court and Dongdao Tower, who orchestrated all of this, will make a fortune.

Secondly, even if you actually go there, you'll have to spend money to return safely, just like before. But that's secondary. The main thing is that in the past, you only had duties to fulfill. Anyone below the Innate Realm had to unconditionally obey orders, or their life safety would be taken for granted. As for what specific duties you would have to fulfill and what commands you would have to follow, the booklet didn't mention a word about it. Nobody knew what the situation was like there. They didn't know if the people who went there hadn't returned yet, or if the news was blocked from the source.

Whether it's traveling or going there, the booklet is only for those in the Acquired Realm. The weak must submit to the strong, which has been the case for thousands of years. As for those in the Innate Realm, they have a certain say wherever they go.

Finally, and most importantly, the booklet states that regardless of what one gains there, 80% must be unconditionally handed over—no discussion allowed, otherwise, there's no point in talking. This still applies to those at the Acquired Realm; for those at the Innate Realm, the specifics will be discussed on a case-by-case basis. The entire booklet makes no mention of the specifics of the situation there; the word "exploitation" is blatantly obvious between the lines.

After quickly reading through the booklet, Du Juan calmly said, "Sir, I think it's quite reasonable. The weak should submit to the strong. If someone has taken action, we can't let someone else take advantage of them."

“That makes sense, but we’re standing on the side of not being exploited. Come to think of it, this feels a bit like they’re trying to fence off natural resources to make money,” Chen Xuan said, both amused and exasperated.

The young girl didn't think too much about it and asked, "Master, what should we do next?"

“We’re already here, of course we should go over there and take a look. We can’t come all this way for nothing. The brochure says that people at the Innate Realm don’t need to pay tolls. Sister Juan just registered her Innate Realm cultivation, right?” Chen Xuan asked, turning around.

Du Juan nodded and said, "Yes, sir. I revealed a trace of innate true energy, and once they confirmed my cultivation level, they didn't ask anything else. They even gave me a plaque representing my cultivation level."

As she spoke, she took out a black plaque engraved with the words "innate".

Seeing this, Chen Xuan nodded and walked towards the entrance, saying, "Alright, let's go see if it's as rumored. If we're bored, we can go home."

Before they even reached the entrance, Jiang Hao, who had returned, came looking for them and asked, "Young Master Chen, what are you all looking for?"

"Oh, Brother Jiang is so young! I didn't realize it before," Chen Xuan said jokingly as he turned around.

Although Jiang Hao's clothes were tattered, they were still clean after he tidied up. Especially after washing, his true appearance was revealed. He looked to be under thirty years old and quite heroic. Anyone would praise him as a fine young man.

"I was trapped for so long before, and I didn't care about my appearance. Only now do I feel like I barely look human," he said embarrassedly. Then he added, "By the way, when I went to wash up just now, I heard that the person who was lucky enough to go to that strange place has been taken there to be a guide. It's amazing, actually. He was swept there by the water in a daze, encountered a crisis, and fled for his life without thinking. He fell into the water and somehow grabbed a big fish and was pulled out. He even left Wanku Mountain alive to tell his story. At first, no one believed him."

There was only one eyewitness before this incident, which explains why so many people came to investigate without any confirmation. Instead, they entered Wanku Mountain and faced death almost every time, never to return. However, many people have probably set foot there now.

Hearing this, Chen Xuan nodded and said, "It's normal for him to be taken along as a guide. It's better than going there blindly. By the way, we were just planning to go and see for ourselves. What about you, Brother Jiang?"

"If you don't mind, Young Master Chen, I'd like to join you. Don't worry, I'm not the kind of person who takes advantage of others. If anything happens, I'll definitely be the first to rush to the front," he said somewhat awkwardly.

After a moment's hesitation, Chen Xuan gestured for Du Juan to hand him the booklet, saying, "Brother Jiang, why don't you take a look at the contents first?"

He took the document, quickly read it, and said helplessly, "I don't have any money on me right now, and a master of innate cultivation can only take two people with them. I was being presumptuous and can't travel with you, Young Master Chen. But it's not a big problem. I heard that some friends are here too. I'll go and borrow some money from them. You go ahead, Young Master Chen, and I'll come find you later."

Chen Xuan nodded and said, "Very well, then I wish Brother Jiang good luck. We'll take our leave for now."

Since they were just strangers who met by chance, Chen Xuan didn't try to take on too much responsibility.

After saying goodbye, Chen Xuan and his companions did not linger on the platform and went straight to the entrance deep inside.

The place is very narrow, with a raging underground river right next to it. The water is so deep that it seems to swallow everything. There are several people at the Innate Realm guarding the area to prevent people from smuggling themselves across, and they may also be acting as people being transported across.

Surprisingly, no one was queuing up to go across. It was unclear whether they were deterred by the toll or frightened by the dangers ahead. After all, not everyone goes out carrying a large sum of money and unbridled cultivation.

Before they could even get close to Chen Xuan and his group, they were stopped again. A cultivator at the Acquired Realm of the Eastern Blade Tower, who was in charge of this vassal state, was relatively polite and asked, "Are you all heading over there?"

"That's good, I hope you can do me a favor," Chen Xuan nodded and smiled. People would be polite to him, but he could easily sneak over with Du Juan and the others without anyone noticing.

The other party looked Chen Xuan and his group up and smiled, "If you are at the Acquired Realm, it will cost one hundred taels per person to go there. If you need an Innate Realm expert to escort you, it will cost an additional one thousand taels per person. If you are an Innate Realm expert, you will not need to pay the toll and can bring two more people. As for the others, someone will contact them after they arrive. You all know all this, right?"

“I know, she’s at the Innate Realm. We can go there ourselves,” Chen Xuan said, pointing to Du Juan. Du Juan then showed him a plaque representing her cultivation level.

The person blocking their path wasn't surprised, but still warned, "In that case, please proceed. Be careful. By the way, the entrance is underwater. After entering the water, follow the chains. Don't go the wrong way, or your life or death will be uncertain. The entrance is very deep and long. Good luck."

"Thank you for reminding me," Chen Xuan said, bowing his hands in thanks. He and Du Juan and the others passed by him and headed towards the water's edge at the entrance. He thought to himself that the only way to get there was by following the chains, which wasn't mentioned at all in the booklet. It was clearly a trap. If someone tried to smuggle themselves across without knowing the situation, they would probably die without even knowing how.

Moreover, Chen Xuan noticed that when he said that there were innate experts on their side who could go over on their own, the innate level guards were not unhappy about not receiving a toll. Instead, they smiled. Seeing this, Chen Xuan probably understood that the other party was probably using them as free labor, since they would be the ones to call the shots once they got there.

Although those at the Innate Realm are considered important figures everywhere, they may not face difficulties here, but in other places, where everything is a thousand times larger, the harsh environment would likely be insufficient. People would have to stick together for warmth, which explains why the brochure is so lenient towards those at the Innate Realm.

"Master, shall we jump into the water?" the little maid asked fearfully. She was instinctively afraid of the turbulent, bottomless water. The road ahead was unknown, and what if she drowned?
Under Du Juan's questioning gaze, Chen Xuan smiled and said, "It's alright, Roujia, don't be afraid."

With that, he grabbed the little girl's waist and, to her instinctive gasp, leaped into the churning undercurrent. Du Juan followed closely behind, and in an instant, all three of them were swallowed by the water… (End of Chapter)