Misty Rain of the Old Times

A strong wind, seemingly from nowhere, swept across Huizhou, causing vegetation to sway violently and broken branches and fallen leaves to dance wildly in the wind.

Along with the strong winds came a cloud of dust, turning the sky gray and even making the sun appear as a dim yellow.

Chen Xuan, who had come from the north, appeared outside the courtyard of Xiao Miao's house. As far as the eye could see, the low thatched roof of her house was covered with flying grass clippings, as if it would be blown off by a strong wind at any moment. Not far away, the signs and banners of teahouses and restaurants on the street were fluttering.

In such weather, people hurried along the streets, covering their mouths and noses, some cursing the bad luck, and some frail people were even blown to the ground and fell in a sorry state.

Huizhou is close to the desert. In previous years, when Chen Xuan and Gao Jingming were studying at Liuyu Academy, they would encounter such sandstorms several times a year, but it had never been this severe.

Unfortunately, in this era, heating relied almost entirely on wood, and severe deforestation and soil erosion resulted in several severe weather events like this every year.

Under the gloomy sky, a fierce wind raged, scattering broken branches and leaves, and carrying away clothes from who-knows-who.

'I wonder how many more families have been affected by this disaster,' Chen Xuan thought with a sigh.

Such severe weather is beyond human control, and Chen Xuan was powerless to change it. This was not limited to a single village or town, but affected a vast area spanning hundreds or thousands of miles.

Even if he could change the climate within the city limits, it would only be temporary. He couldn't stay here forever. He had to find time to pick up the Xiao Miao siblings and rush back to get married.

I just hope the imperial court will be more proactive in disaster relief afterward.

At the beginning of the year, more than half of the entire Jing Kingdom had not received any rain, and sandstorms were blowing in the north. This was not a good omen at all.

As Chen Xuan was assessing the severe weather, a snapping sound was heard. A branch as thick as a thigh was broken off from a camphor tree next to Xiao Miao's house, nearly hitting her house. Seeing this, Chen Xuan waved his hand and tossed the camphor tree's crown aside to prevent the home where Xiao Miao and her brother lived from being damaged.

The door was locked. When Chen Xuan arrived, Xiao Miao and her brother weren't home. It was normal that they hadn't coordinated their arrival time beforehand.

However, Chen Xuan knew where they were and where else could they go besides the furniture store, so he turned around and headed straight for the furniture store.

As expected, both siblings were in the shop. Chen Xuan could sense their presence from afar. Xiao Miao was doing carpentry in the room, while Fu Gui was quietly and attentively practicing martial arts in a corner.

Chen Xuan didn't have X-ray vision, but he could tell what they were doing just from the slightest movement.

During windy and dusty weather, the furniture store closed its doors and windows; otherwise, a layer of dust would accumulate, making cleaning a hassle.

He knocked on the door, and it opened quickly. Chen Xuan smiled at the person who opened the door and said, "How have you been, Master Fang?"

"It's Dong... um, Young Master Chen is here! Please come in quickly, it's windy outside," Master Fang said with a look of surprise as he held onto the door panel. Otherwise, if he let go, the wind would blow it loudly. As he spoke, he subconsciously glanced behind him, thinking to himself that he had reacted quickly and almost let something slip.

In fact, Xiao Miao already knew that this shop was owned by Chen Xuan, but she pretended not to know and didn't point it out.

After entering the house, Chen Xuan didn't waste any time and went straight to the main body of the room, saying, "Master Fang, I plan to pick up Xiao Miao and the others and go to the capital. It will take a few days. Is that alright with you?"

"Of course, no problem. There are still a few old friends and apprentices here, but they're not usually in the shop. They do all the work at home. That's good. The sandstorm started yesterday, and we can't do business in this weather. Xiao Miao and the others can go out and avoid the storm. I'll go tell them that Young Master Chen has arrived," Master Fang nodded and went to find Xiao Miao and the others as soon as he closed the shop.

As I left, I was puzzled. When I opened the door, no wind blew in. I thought I was going to get a mouthful of sand. I guess I was just lucky that the wind didn't blow this way.

Soon, Xiao Miao's excited voice rang out, her voice preceding her arrival: "Brother Chen, you really came!"

Before she finished speaking, she appeared in Chen Xuan's line of sight, her face beaming with joy. She was working, her forehead sweating, and her body covered in sawdust and wood shavings.

"Yes, do you remember what I told you last time? I'll take you to the capital for a few days. I've already talked to Master Fang. Xiao Miao, put down what you're doing for now. If there are no other questions, I'll take you there right away," Chen Xuan nodded.

Having learned from his previous experience, Xiao Miao knew he wasn't joking. She pursed her lips and said, "Okay, Brother Chen, but could we go home first to change our clothes?"

"Of course, no problem, there's no rush," Chen Xuan said with a smile.

So she turned to her master and said, "Master, I..."

Before she could finish speaking, Master Fang waved his hand and laughed, "Xiao Miao, you and Young Master Chen go ahead and have fun. I'll keep an eye on things here, it'll be fine."

As he spoke, he looked at Chen Xuan and hesitated, saying, "Young Master Chen, it might be inconvenient to travel in this weather. Why don't you wait until it's better before setting off?"

Having known each other for many years, he was naturally not worried that Chen Xuan had ulterior motives towards Xiao Miao and the others, but he was genuinely a little uneasy about the weather.

"Master Fang, please don't worry, I know what I'm doing," Chen Xuan said with a smile.

"Alright then," Master Fang could only nod and say no more after that.

Then Chen Xuan led Xiao Miao and the others outside. Walking on the street where the wind was raging, Xiao Miao looked around in surprise and said, "Huh, the wind isn't blowing on us. Did you do that, Brother Chen?"

"It's an easy thing for me to bring you all from Yang County to here, so Xiao Miao doesn't need to be surprised," Chen Xuan said nonchalantly.

She nodded without dwelling on it, and then said, "By the way, Brother Chen gave me a wink just now. Was it because he didn't want Master to know that we went to your wedding?"

"Xiao Miao is really smart and cooperated very well. Actually, although it's nothing, if he finds out, he'll have to spend money, which is unnecessary," Chen Xuan nodded and smiled.

As they walked towards Xiao Miao's house amidst their laughter and conversation, a group of government officials came running quickly from a distance, leaving one person to guard the street at intervals. The leader banged on a gong and shouted, "Listen up, this street is under martial law. All bystanders must stay away. Anyone who delays important matters will be arrested, imprisoned, and severely punished!"

A group of officials barged into the street, shouting and yelling as they ran off, causing the people on the street to complain but dare not speak out, and they all avoided them to avoid getting into trouble. Chen Xuan and his group also moved to the side of the street. These officials were obviously just following orders, and there was no need to cause a conflict. It was just a matter of moving a little; it wouldn't hurt them.

Looking at the strict officials guarding the street, Chen Xuan said speechlessly, "What's going on here again?"

"Who knows? Maybe it's to catch a wanted criminal or something else. Otherwise, there wouldn't be such a big fuss. The government wouldn't talk so much to us commoners," Xiao Miao said softly, shaking her head. Then she pointed to the small box next to her and said, "Brother Chen, it looks like we can't go the main road. Let's go around this way; it's shorter."

"Yeah, it's all the same everywhere," Chen Xuan said, not dwelling on it too much, and followed Xiao Miao and the others on a detour.

Soon after returning home, Xiao Miao glanced at the bare camphor tree next door with a puzzled look, wondering if the wind was so strong that it had blown all the leaves away and hadn't knocked it down.

Without thinking too much, she turned around and said, "Brother Chen, please have a seat. I'll make you some tea first, then I'll tidy up with Fugui. It'll be ready soon."

"No rush, take your time. We can skip the tea. It's not that I'm picky, but we're leaving soon, so there's no need for it," Chen Xuan waved his hand.

After hesitating for a moment, Xiao Miao didn't insist. The two siblings quickly packed their things, since they were going to the capital to attend Chen Xuan's wedding and needed to dress well so as not to embarrass their older brother Chen.

So the siblings quickly washed up, put on their best clothes, which Chen Xuan had bought for them last time. In the room, Xiao Miao hesitated for a moment, then put on the jewelry Chen Xuan had bought for her, even put on makeup, and took out the congratulatory gift she had prepared in advance.

Even with their fastest pace, it still took almost half an hour. Xiao Miao, now fully prepared, came out and looked at Chen Xuan somewhat shyly, saying, "Brother Chen, we're ready and can leave anytime."

Looking at the 'completely transformed' seedling, Chen Xuan couldn't help but twitch his lips, almost bursting out laughing. He had to hold back his laughter to avoid embarrassing the young girl.

Xiao Miao had never worn makeup before. She had used the rouge and powder that Chen Xuan gave her in a mess, making her face look like it had been dyed. There was no proper word to describe it. Her shyness stemmed from this. She wanted to show Chen Xuan her best side, but the result was truly perplexing.

Chen Xuan didn't want to point this out to her face, so he thought he'd let He Hongyi teach her a lesson later. It didn't matter, since no one would laugh at her anyway.

So Chen Xuan nodded and said, "Let's set off now that we're ready. He Hongyi, whom you met the other day, is here too. I'll be very busy for the next few days, so why don't you go with her, Xiao Miao?"

"Okay, Brother Chen, I'll listen to you and won't cause you any trouble," she said obediently with a smile.

Zhou Fugui just grinned sheepishly on the side, not paying attention to where they were going.

As they left, the sandstorm raged, but they were blocked by an invisible force.

Just as Xiao Miao locked the door and was about to leave, Chen Xuan paused briefly, looked towards the street, and smiled to himself, realizing that's how it was.

The Miao family lived not far from the north gate of Mo City, which was a main road. At this time, both sides of the street were under martial law by the officials. The weather was really unbearable, and they couldn't even open their eyes, but they couldn't move because of the orders.

A sizable procession emerged from outside the city, escorted by music and ceremonial music, and guarded by mounted and armored soldiers. Chen Xuan sensed the aura of twelve innate masters among them, two of whom were even comparable to Guo Jinglong and Liu Zhenwei from back then. Moreover, Chen Xuan also sensed a fifth-rank being among them who possessed the methods of a grandmaster!
The streets of Mo City were under martial law by the government officials to welcome this procession. Almost all of Mo City's main officials were present, making it an exceptionally high-level event, even more so than when welcoming royalty and nobility.

However, such a formality was indeed necessary, because this was an envoy delegation from the Frostmoon Kingdom. Through their exchanges, Chen Xuan learned that the leader of the delegation was a prince of the Frostmoon Kingdom, who came with a letter of state from the emperor of the Frostmoon Kingdom. Wherever they went, they were treated with state honors, and the prefectures along the way had to send troops to escort them. If something went wrong, the consequences would be unimaginable, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that it would affect the diplomatic relations between the two countries or even trigger a war.

'Frostmoon Kingdom is north of Jing Kingdom, so it's normal for them to pass through Mo City. Surely the envoy led by the prince couldn't possibly be here to congratulate me and the little princess on our wedding? They're most likely here for the grotto-heaven beneath Ten Thousand Caves Mountain.'

As Chen Xuan was thinking this, Xiao Miao asked curiously, "What's wrong, Brother Chen?"

"It's alright, let's go," Chen Xuan said, shaking his head as he looked away. What did it have to do with him? He then led Xiao Miao and the others into the sky and quickly disappeared into the distant horizon.

Now that the Frost Moon Kingdom has arrived, could there also be a similar delegation from the Jade Flower Kingdom and the Southern Rong Kingdom heading to the capital of the Jing Kingdom?

Chen Xuan didn't know if the visitors had ill intentions. The fact that there were so many innate experts in the group meant they were following the rules. After all, no grandmaster had come in person. Such people usually needed to report when they went to other countries, otherwise it would be very easy to cause misunderstandings.

Chen Xuan had never paid attention to these unspoken rules. He had traveled back and forth to Frostmoon Kingdom many times, but no one came to ask him for an explanation. This was probably because he had been a free spirit and did not represent any power or the court. It was also possible that he was too fast and no one had time to talk to him.

Before long, he led the Xiao Miao siblings to a hilltop outside the capital. Once they were on solid ground, Chen Xuan reminded them, "Xiao Miao, you can open your eyes now."

"Brother Chen, have we arrived? Finally, we don't have to face the sandstorm anymore. I felt so depressed. Is this the capital?" Xiao Miao opened her eyes and looked around. She was quickly attracted by the magnificent city in front of her. Her eyes widened. Her expression, combined with her makeup that looked like she had opened a dye shop, was really quite comical.

The area around the capital city has sparse vegetation, but in the spring of March, the grass grows and birds fly, and wildflowers bloom everywhere, making it more vibrant than the desolate north.

Since it was the first time the siblings had come to the capital, Chen Xuan naturally wanted them to experience the city from outside, since a little extra time wouldn't make a difference.

"Well, this is the capital. How about it? Not disappointed?" Chen Xuan said with a smile.

Nodding, Xiao Miao said without blinking, "It's more than not disappointing. This place is so much more magnificent and prosperous than Mo City. Before this, I never thought I would be able to come to Shengjing City. I wish Grandpa could have seen it too. It's a pity he can never see it again. Hey, those mountains are floating in the sky. Aren't they afraid of falling down and hitting people?"

“The capital city, good, the emperor’s residence,” Zhou Fugui said at this moment.

Patting Xiao Miao on the shoulder, Chen Xuan said, "After looking at them for a while, they're not that different. Those mountains won't fall unless they're violently destroyed. I'll take you up there to experience it later. Let's go, let's go to my place first. There'll be plenty of time for a more in-depth tour."

As he spoke, Chen Xuan turned to Zhou Fugui and smiled, "Fugui, the emperor can't live in such a big city. That's my father-in-law. After the wedding, I'll take you to meet him."

"Yes, I know I have to kneel when I see the emperor," Zhou Fugui nodded earnestly.

With a hearty laugh, Chen Xuan led them into the city, saying, "No need to kneel unless it's a special occasion. Our Jing Kingdom doesn't have so many rules about kneeling all the time. Subjects are officials, not slaves..." (End of Chapter)