Misty Rain of the Old Times

Yan Quan's appearance was nothing more than a trivial interlude to Chen Xuan. He dealt with him with a few tricks and then put him aside. He hoped that this would make the other party realize the situation. After all, he was young and had already achieved so much, so he couldn't be a stupid fool.

They continued their journey to Qingliang Mountain. After witnessing the whole process, the little princess looked at her husband as if she had gained a new understanding. How to put it, her gaze seemed somewhat unexpected, yet also felt that this was normal.

Seeing this, Chen Xuan asked speechlessly, "Why is my wife looking at me like that? Is there something wrong with me?"

Shaking her head, the little princess smiled and said, "No, husband, it was just like what happened earlier. I thought you were going to fight him. I was going to advise you to keep the peace, since the other party is no ordinary person. He's a high-ranking disciple of the Qingyang Sect in Yuhua Kingdom, and he's definitely not just a figurehead. You should know that the Qingyang Sect's status in Yuhua Kingdom is comparable to our Jing Kingdom's Taixuan Sect and Wuxiang Temple. If we start fighting, what if we accidentally get hurt? We should try to avoid fighting if possible. At worst, we can call for help or call in troops."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan was both amused and exasperated. He thought to himself that it was unnecessary to make such a big fuss over Yan Quan. It would be bullying to mobilize troops just for Yan Quan. Anyone who didn't know better would think that a war was about to break out.

Although Chen Xuan acknowledged that Yan Quan's achievements at his age were extraordinary, the gap between them was too great; they were not on the same level at all. Even if Yan Quan had a trump card, he could easily handle it, depending on his mood, just like just now.

Without boasting, Chen Xuan felt a warmth in his heart and said, "Thank you for your concern, my wife. I know what I'm doing. But speaking of which, why do you think I would fight him?"

The little princess replied matter-of-factly, "Isn't it common sense that martial artists draw their swords at the drop of a hat? In a situation like that, normally they would have sparred. As the saying goes, 'In literature, there is no first place, but in martial arts, there is no second.' Not accepting a challenge is not in the character of a martial artist. Of course, my husband is an exception."

Chen Xuan deeply agreed, saying, "My wife is right. Most people in the martial arts world are indeed like that. But I am not one of them. I have little interest in fighting. I try to avoid it as much as possible. How bored would I be to fight someone? Besides, I don't practice martial arts for the sake of being brave and fierce. And, my wife, you saw it for yourself. I'm not bragging, but with my cultivation level, he didn't even have a chance to make a move against me. What's the point?"

Without dwelling on it too much, the little princess asked with great interest, "My husband said he practices martial arts not for the sake of being brave and fierce, then what is it for?"

To this question, Chen Xuan frankly replied, "As a child, I practiced martial arts because I lacked a sense of security. I thought that if I became skilled in martial arts, I could protect myself. As I grew up, my martial arts skills improved rapidly, and I felt safer. Although I'm still young, I want to live longer through martial arts, see more of the world, experience more of life's joys and sorrows, and spend more time with the people I care about. Now, I'm not afraid my wife will laugh at me, but for me, martial arts isn't about doing whatever I want, but about not doing what I don't want to do. That's about it."

Upon hearing the first half of Chen Xuan's sentence, the little princess felt a pang of sympathy, thinking of Chen Xuan's childhood experiences. She knew he must have suffered greatly when he fell into the hands of human traffickers, which is why he had to learn martial arts to protect himself.

Leaving those past events aside, she asked curiously, "Did your husband achieve his goals in practicing martial arts?"

"My wife thinks too highly of me. At the moment, I can only say that I'm living a fairly comfortable life," Chen Xuan shook his head and smiled. Although he considered himself to have some ability, he was also well aware of the saying that there is always someone better, and his cultivation level was still far from sufficient.

Anyway, as he himself said, he practiced martial arts not to fight with others, and he didn't compare himself to anyone. Now everything is going well for him, so what else could he be dissatisfied with?
Blinking, the little princess was somewhat surprised. With her husband's cultivation level, which was practically superhuman, how could he not have achieved what he wanted? She didn't practice martial arts and didn't understand those things, so she said in a daze, "Husband, to be honest, I've never seen you practice martial arts all day long. Isn't it said that martial artists practice in the coldest winter and hottest summer? Where did you get your skills?"

With a smug lift of his chin, Chen Xuan said, "I'm just naturally gifted. Perhaps I'm not good at studying, but when it comes to martial arts, I learn it quickly and master it with practice. I don't need to cultivate diligently anymore. My internal energy cultivation is constantly improving on its own; this can't be rushed. I've already reached the limits of my cultivation and the descriptions of the techniques themselves in other martial arts. Now, my goal is to transcend myself and the limitations of the techniques created by my predecessors. But this requires a special opportunity, something that can't be forced. Let nature take its course."

Although the little princess was a storyteller, she really had no concept of martial arts. Hearing Chen Xuan say this, she covered her mouth, rolled her eyes at him, and laughed, "Look at how capable you are, my husband."

As the saying goes, what is said without intention may be taken to heart by the listener. The little princess did not take it to heart, but Du Juan and Xia Mei were greatly shocked. While they were still working hard to improve their cultivation techniques, the master had already reached a new level and wanted to raise the upper limit of the cultivation techniques themselves.

No wonder the master was a grandmaster at such a young age; it's clear that the cultivation method itself limited his talent. His words weren't boasting at all; on the contrary, they were humble...

In the warm spring of March, when the grass grows and the orioles sing, Chen Xuan took a group of beauties on a spring outing. Some things were right in front of them, and even if they tried to deceive themselves, they couldn't ignore them. But Chen Xuan saw them and could only sigh inwardly that he didn't say anything to spoil the mood.

The group chatted and laughed as they arrived at the foot of Qingliang Mountain. Chen Xuan pointed to the mountain peak ahead and said, "My wife, look, that's Qingliang Mountain. The summer retreat at the foot of the mountain belongs to the Gao family. When we were kids, we would come here to stay for a while every summer. We did plenty of things like climbing trees to steal bird eggs and picking fruit, and swimming and catching fish in the river."

Looking around, the little princess said with a hint of helplessness, "My husband, you two had such a happy childhood. I never had that experience. Wherever I went, I was always followed by a bunch of people, and there were endless lessons in etiquette, poetry, and refined arts. I didn't even have many friends. It's so boring to think about."

“That’s different. We’re country kids, tough and wild. It’s actually our wives’ lives that we envy. Each has its own advantages,” Chen Xuan said with a look that said, “Wife, you’re definitely showing off.”

She laughed merrily and said, "Well, I was still coaxed into bed by you, my husband, you country bumpkin... Waaah..."

Chen Xuan reached out and covered her mouth, both amused and exasperated, saying, "We can say these things behind closed doors, why are we shouting them around? Besides, how can that be called coaxing? We truly love each other, okay?"

She blinked to indicate that she understood, and after Chen Xuan let go of her hand, she covered her mouth and laughed, "There are no outsiders here, what's there to be afraid of? My husband can be so serious sometimes, can't you? Sister Yun Lanjuan and the others will be bullied by you sooner or later."

Chen Xuan's lips twitched, speechless to himself. Wife, how much do you want me to have a harem? You have to bring up this kind of thing in such a roundabout way.

So he decisively changed the subject, saying, "Wife, let's go over there. There's a small river there. I learned to swim when I was a kid. Luo Taiyun almost drowned once, but luckily Uncle Geng and the others were quick enough to pull him out, though he swallowed a lot of water."

"That was so careless! What if something had happened? Husband, take me to see him. Speaking of which, when you were little, did you all go swimming in the river naked?" the little princess asked impatiently and curiously.

Taking her hand and walking towards the river, Chen Xuan said, "I was just a kid back then, of course I was naked, who would care about that?"

Aren't you shy?

"They say kids are just children, they don't have a sense of shame yet. Besides, we were only focused on playing in the water. Everyone's the same, why think so much?"

That being said, Chen Xuan was actually quite embarrassed back then. After all, although he was young, he wasn't a real child. It was Gao Jingming and the others who dragged him down. Later, he simply didn't care anymore. They were all a bunch of weaklings, so who was afraid of who?

"Husband, where did you play in the water back then?" The little princess asked, looking around as they arrived at the riverbank.

The laughter and joy of his childhood seemed to echo before his eyes. A trace of emotion flashed in Chen Xuan's eyes as he pointed ahead and said, "My wife, look, it's over there." In the direction Chen Xuan pointed, the river was still the same river, but the people from back then were no longer there.

His lament wasn't because he was no longer young, but because the stream was completely dry, the riverbed was parched, the stones were dazzling under the blazing sun, and he could faintly smell the muddy stench.

"So this is where it is! It's a pity there's no water. I wanted to soak my feet in the water," the little princess said regretfully, looking at the gleaming riverbed.

Chen Xuan immediately laughed and teased, "Luckily there's no water, otherwise there would be plenty of little crabs in the water that would pinch your toes!"

"I'm not afraid at all. With my husband here, if there are any little crabs, we'll catch them and make them into snacks with our drinks," the little princess said excitedly, no longer mentioning playing in the water.

Chen Xuan waved his hand and said, "I won't eat the little crab that pinched your toes."

"No, my husband must eat. Don't you like my feet because they smell so sweet and soft?" the little princess said firmly with a smug expression.

Du Juan and Yun Lan pretended to admire the scenery, while Chen Xuan awkwardly said, "Alright, alright, I'll listen to you. Consider this a reward from your husband."

"Husband, you're so naughty!" The little princess, realizing what had happened, blushed slightly and clenched her little fists to hit him. Chen Xuan turned and ran away.

After playing for a while, the little princess had a few drops of sweat on her forehead, so Chen Xuan stopped playing with her, went to the lawn, spread out a blanket, and lay down to bask in the warm March sun. It wasn't very sunny at this time of year, so Chen Xuan wasn't worried about his wife getting a tan.

It's true that royal genes are good; the little princess never gets tanned. Even if there's a chance, Chen Xuan has plenty of ways to help her whiten her skin.

Before heading out, they had already packed all the necessities for a picnic. While the two of them leisurely basked in the sun, Du Juan and the others were busy with a picnic. Yun Lan and Yun Xin were clearly inexperienced in this area, and they were flustered and at a loss, but they were also very enthusiastic and interested. Participation was the most important thing. The little girl guided them methodically, while Xia Mei kept watch from a distance...

Although there was no babbling brook, they still had a great time and didn't return home until sunset.

In just half a day, news of Yan Quan circling Yang County had spread far and wide. This strange behavior quickly spread in all directions, attracting many busybodies to watch. Some counted how many times he circled, while others followed him out of curiosity. It was quite a pointless spectacle.

Under the influence of Chen Xuan's Purple Mystic Illusionary Eyes, which were far more effective than hypnosis, Yan Quan's words and actions were not in his own hands. He walked in circles at a very slow pace, no different from a normal person walking. Even a three-year-old child could keep up with his pace. As the saying goes, people love a good show, so a large group of people followed him, numbering no less than a hundred, mostly children. A bunch of little brats even started singing nursery rhymes with great enthusiasm.

The bored onlookers, driven by their intense curiosity, bombarded Yan Quan with questions about his motives and significance. However, Yan Quan remained silent, pacing back and forth in circles.

It wasn't that he didn't want to talk, but that he simply couldn't bring himself to say it. Whenever he tried to say that he was being controlled by someone using special means and had no control over his own life, those words would get stuck in his throat. He couldn't even ask for help to get out of the predicament, let alone have the chance to tell the truth.

It's a joke. With Chen Xuan's methods, a single sentence could make someone slit their throat without the slightest hesitation. Why would he give him a chance to explain? Simply making him go in circles is already extremely merciful.

Three days, not a minute less, unless Yan Quan can break free from this control on his own.

For an ordinary person, walking for three days without food or drink would be exhausting, but Yan Quan's cultivation was profound, so this punishment was harmless; at most, he would be hungry and thirsty afterwards.

His conspicuous bag just wouldn't stop; he kept circling around silently.

This made Yan Quan feel ashamed and indignant. As the face of the younger generation of Qingyang Sect, he was confident that he would become the next sect leader and even reach the Grandmaster realm. Now, he was being watched like a clown by children, poor people, and even beggars. In the distance, there were also people from the lower levels of the martial arts world and even scholars. How could he face anyone after this got out?

Others may not know his identity or cultivation level, but under so many eyes, his face burned with embarrassment.

Even though he came from a prestigious and upright family, those looks made him feel endless ridicule. At first, he had a strong desire to kill, wishing he could kill all the onlookers so that he could leave his innocence in the world. But he could do nothing but keep his head down and go around in circles.

Helpless, he felt incredibly angry and pained by those gazes, with nowhere to vent his anger. In his anger, he would rage for a moment, but then he had to go around in circles. Gradually, his murderous intent subsided and he regretted it immensely. Why did he have to provoke Chen Xuan? Even if it was a sect mission and some personal reasons, if the other person was unwilling, he could have found another way. Why did he have to force him again and again?
Having had such an experience, no matter how high one's cultivation level is, one may not be able to get the position of sect leader, and it may even affect one's state of mind and hinder one's cultivation!

However, it was too late for him to regret it.

After half a day, no one knew what kind of mental journey he had gone through. In the end, he simply became numb and gave up. "Watch if you want, I've already lost all face, so it doesn't matter anymore. I just hope this all ends soon." But the thought of only three days left made him almost despair.

He had thought about breaking free from control, but he was powerless to do so. He was perfectly conscious, but he was simply unable to control his own body.

As evening approached, people who had been busy all day were able to relax, and more onlookers learned of the incident. Yan Quan's initial shame and indignation turned into composure, and he even observed the onlookers with great interest, analyzing their mentality.

He himself was unaware of such emotional changes, and he didn't know whether they were good or bad for him.

Chen Xuan, who had just returned from his trip, was naturally aware of what people were talking about and watching. He glanced at Yan Quan, who was pacing around in circles with his head down, and thought to himself, "This is all your own doing. I hope you'll think twice. Everyone has to go through some things. As for the changes that come after, it's all up to you."

As darkness fell, the onlookers, having no time to linger, slowly dispersed. Yan Quan, however, continued walking, the road beneath his feet seemingly endless… (End of Chapter)