Misty Rain of the Old Times

Under the curious and slightly hostile gazes of Chen Xuan and the little princess, He Hongyi pondered for a moment and continued, "I've only met Yan Quan's master twice, and we barely exchanged a few words. I'm not familiar with her. After all, she was a senior expert from the previous generation. However, there are many stories about her circulating in the martial arts world, some true and some false, and opinions vary."

No one interrupted her. She paused for a moment before continuing, "He is the current Supreme Elder of the Qingyang Sect in our Yuhua Kingdom. He has been at the Grandmaster level for over ten years. He usually doesn't interfere in affairs and lives a secluded life, but when it comes to a critical moment, his words carry more weight and power than the sect leader of the Qingyang Sect."

This is reasonable. After all, she is a grandmaster, the pillar of a sect. Who would dare to question any of her decisions?
"Almost no one mentions this senior's name; perhaps only her closest confidants know it. But in the martial arts world, she is known as the ethereal fairy..."

When He Hongyi got to this point, Chen Xuan paused slightly and interrupted apologetically, "Hongyi, wait a moment. You said that Yan Quan's master has the title of Fairy of the Misty Mountains? I am ignorant and I really don't know. I don't usually pay much attention to things in the martial arts world, let alone the situation in Yuhua Kingdom. What I mean is, she is a senior of the previous generation, shouldn't she be called Fairy of the Misty Mountains more appropriate?"

Hearing this, He Hongyi was both amused and exasperated. Was Chen Xuan's focus a little off-topic? With a serious expression, she said, "That's how that senior is addressed in the martial arts world. And I must remind you, Ah Xuan, it's fine for us to talk about it in private, but if we call her 'Fairy of the Misty Clouds' to her face, that senior will probably get angry."

Chen Xuan understood this. Women are very concerned about age and appearance. Although there is only a one-word difference between "fairy" and "fairy maiden," it is no less than calling someone an old woman to their face. It would be strange if they didn't get angry, even if it was true.

Then he nodded and said no more, signaling He Hongyi to continue, and he did not stop making the mist array flags even while multitasking.

"Since we're on the topic, I'd like to mention that Senior Piaomiao has such a title for two reasons: firstly, her appearance, and secondly, her personality. It's said that she was extremely beautiful, and even though she's nearing sixty, she still looks like she's in her late twenties. Coupled with her Grandmaster cultivation and nearly two hundred years of lifespan, she's clearly at the most beautiful age for a woman, truly an ageless beauty."

At this point, He Hongyi's eyes were practically overflowing with envy. What woman doesn't love beauty? The little princess, on the other hand, had a calm reaction, because Chen Xuan had already given her the Youth-Preserving Fruit, freezing her appearance at its most beautiful moment.

"Senior Piaomiao is still one of the ten most beautiful women in our Yuhua Kingdom, even ranking first. For decades, no one has been able to shake her position. It's just that rumors say no one has ever seen her true face. Of course, rumors shouldn't be taken seriously. How could no one have seen a person's face while she's alive? But the fact is that no one admits to having seen her true face. If she can still rank first among the ten most beautiful women in Yuhua Kingdom, you can imagine how beautiful she is. This is also the origin of the title 'Senior Fairy'."

He Hongyi wasn't envious when these things were mentioned, because she was also one of the ten beauties of Yuhua Kingdom, and she was decades younger than the other woman. That was an advantage. No matter how beautiful you are, I'm younger than you. But when she thought about the lifespan of the other woman's Grandmaster realm, she felt a little frustrated. Her prime couldn't compare to hers.

The little princess listened quietly from the side. When He Hongyi mentioned the beautiful name of the Fairy of the Misty Mountains, her gaze intentionally or unintentionally turned to Chen Xuan, making Chen Xuan both amused and exasperated. He didn't need to guess what his little wife was thinking. Am I that kind of person? My wife, don't try to bring me home just because you hear about a great beauty. After all, I'm not old enough to find a partner yet.

"Secondly, Senior Piaomiao's personality is unusual, as unpredictable as the clouds in the sky. She's not the kind who's capricious, but rather very special. I can't really say for sure; you'll only truly understand once you've spent time with her. In short, rumors say everyone avoids her like the plague. Ah Xuan, you understand what I mean, right? That's how she got the title of Fairy Piaomiao."

Hearing He Hongyi say this, Chen Xuan muttered to himself, "I've never met her, so who knows what's so special about her? But thinking about it, I understand. This kind of person must be very difficult to deal with. Either don't provoke her, or make sure she never has a chance to cause trouble. But the problem is that she'll probably come after me soon. What a headache."

Not dwelling on those things, Chen Xuan himself was a free spirit; what could the other party possibly do? He smiled dismissively and asked, "And then, does the woman in red know anything more?"

After organizing her thoughts, He Hongyi pondered and said, "Secondly, putting everything else aside, this senior's life over the past few decades is nothing short of legendary. From the moment she began practicing martial arts, she made rapid progress and has never been known to encounter an opponent. She remains undefeated to this day. Of course, it's also possible that she has never met anyone who could defeat her. In any case, she reached the Grandmaster realm in her early forties, a feat unmatched in our Yuhua Kingdom for nearly a century..."

As she spoke, He Hongyi suddenly realized that Chen Xuan was even more unreasonable, so she changed her tune, saying, "Of course, Senior Piaomiao is naturally no match for you, Ah Xuan."

Every country has a few exceptional individuals who will amaze an era, which is normal. Just like Jiang Yuan, who failed in his rebellion and became history, wasn't he once the youngest Grandmaster in Jing Kingdom? So it's not surprising that Chen Xuan, the ethereal fairy who has never been defeated, appeared in Yuhua Kingdom.

People are afraid of comparison. A person who is exceptionally talented in one country is nothing compared to the vast number of people in the world. Therefore, Chen Xuan, who reached the Grandmaster realm before the age of sixteen or seventeen, never felt that it was something to be proud of.

Chen Xuan waved his hand modestly and said, "Red-robed lady, you flatter me. My meager achievements are nothing. Senior Piaomiao has been at the Grandmaster level for over ten years, while I've only been at it for a few years. She must have extraordinary abilities; we can't compare. Let's continue talking about her."

A person's eyes don't lie. He Hongyi could sense that Chen Xuan's words came from the bottom of his heart and were not just a pretentious display of modesty. She couldn't help but sigh. At such a young age, Chen Xuan had already reached the Grandmaster level and still held such a sense of awe. If it were anyone else, they would have become arrogant to an unknown degree. He truly deserves to be the man she had her eye on. She really loved him to the extreme.

Because of Yan Quan, and with the news already out, that ethereal senior is most likely going to find Chen Xuan. Although He Hongyi promised to deal with it, she was really unsure of herself, so she wanted Chen Xuan to know about the other party in advance so that she could prepare a response.

With a flicker of thought, she racked her brains and said, "I just said that putting everything else aside, Senior Piaomiao's life over several decades was nothing short of legendary, but the part that we set aside... how should I put it, it's a bit poignant, isn't it?"

"As the number one beauty among the ten most beautiful women in the martial arts world of Yuhua Kingdom for decades, she was naturally stunningly beautiful in her youth. Countless people coveted her beauty. It is said that when she was sixteen, someone tried to force her into marriage. The other party was a master of innate martial arts. At that time, Senior Piaomiao had only been practicing martial arts for a few years. As a result, she killed the man who tried to force her into marriage. No one knows how she did it to this day. Perhaps only she herself knows the truth."

"Later, there were many similar incidents, all of which she resolved one by one. The most dangerous one was forty years ago when the emperor before our Yuhua Kingdom wanted to summon her to the palace as a concubine, but he died suddenly before the decree could be issued. Whether the rumor is true or not is impossible to verify."

"In short, it seems that every man who has any connection with her or harbors ill intentions towards her will meet with misfortune for various reasons. Nowadays, countless men avoid her like the plague, fearing that disaster will suddenly befall them. In recent years, the rumors have become increasingly bizarre, with some even saying that being looked at by her will lead to death. However, no one dares to say it openly."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan looked at him with a "really? You've been to school, don't try to fool me" expression.

As the saying goes, there's no smoke without fire. Since there's such a rumor, could it be that the ethereal old baby really has something special about him?
After hesitating for a moment, Chen Xuan said in astonishment, "If that's really the case, wouldn't Yan Quan, as her disciple, have been doomed long ago? How could he have survived unscathed until now?"

He Hongyi laughed and said, "Oh right, I forgot to tell Ah Xuan that Yan Quan is the orphan of Senior Piaomiao's younger sister. They are both master and disciple and aunt and niece, so I guess that's why they weren't affected."

Chen Xuan nodded subconsciously, finding it quite reasonable. He Hongyi hadn't finished speaking when she added, "Many people now suspect that Senior Piaomiao's unpredictable personality must be influenced by her experiences in her youth, to the point that everyone now fears her, afraid that a single glance from her will kill them. The entire Qingyang Sect treats her like an ancestor, trying every possible way to prevent her from leaving the sect."

Chen Xuan hesitated and said, "Then it's not surprising. Yan Quan is her disciple and also her nephew. Even the Qingyang Sect probably couldn't stop him from coming to support her. But is she really that scary?"

"It's not a question of whether it's scary or not, it's that nobody dares to mess with them," He Hongyi sighed.

That's true. She's a Grandmaster, and she has a sect's underlings below her. Who would be so foolish as to mess with her?

Without dwelling on the painful details, He Hongyi took a deep breath and said, "Finally, it's about Senior Piaomiao's three great hobbies in life."

"How so?" Chen Xuan asked with great interest.

"Rumor has it that Senior Piaomiao's three greatest passions in life are beauty, combat, and..." He Hongyi hesitated, glancing at Chen Xuan, "...a love for handsome men."

Chen Xuan was immediately taken aback and said, "Wait a minute, it's normal for women to love beauty. Even if that Fairy Piaomiao is quite old, it's not unreasonable for her to occupy the title of the number one beauty among the ten beauties in the Yuhua Kingdom's martial arts world. I also understand her fighting spirit. You said that she has never been defeated. There is no first place in literature, but there is a second place in martial arts. Naturally, this old baby does not want to be inferior to others. But what does it mean to love handsome men?"

At this moment, He Hongyi looked at Chen Xuan with a worried expression and said sadly, "Ah Xuan, you heard me right, it means exactly what it says."

“No, she was almost forced into marriage when she was young and was coveted by many people. Shouldn’t she be averse to men? How did she become a lover of handsome men?” Chen Xuan didn’t understand and expressed a little shock.

"Who knows? That's just the way it is," He Hongyi shrugged, then thought for a moment and added, "It's probably because women dress up for those they love. She loves beauty so much, and it's rumored that she's always intoxicated by her own appearance. She probably hopes to meet a man who is worthy of her. After all, self-admiration is nothing compared to a perfect life with beautiful flowers and green leaves."

He Hongyi was probably referring to herself when she said that, as she looked at Chen Xuan with a resentful gaze.

However, Chen Xuan, with an expression of someone who's lost their mind, said, "I think it's probably because of what happened to her when she was young. Now everyone avoids those kinds of things, so in the end she's thinking about men."

He felt he had discovered the truth. After all, the ethereal fairy in her youth was too stunning. He had dragged things out, and now that he really wanted to find a man to settle down with, he couldn't find a suitable one for various reasons.

He Hongyi covered her mouth and chuckled, saying that was exactly what she meant. Then she coughed and reminded them, "It's not good for us to talk about our seniors behind their backs like that. Anyway, that's the situation. As for Yan Quan's master, Fairy Piaomiao, that's all I know." She paused and asked with some concern, "Ah Xuan, what are your plans now?"

"I was just asking out of curiosity, I don't have any plans," Chen Xuan said casually.

He Hongyi said with utmost seriousness, "Ah Xuan, are you really not worried at all? Senior Piaomiao is a combative person, and you are so outstanding. Now that she has an excuse, she will definitely not miss the chance to fight you. At your level, once you start fighting, no one will be able to intervene. What if you get hurt...? Besides, Senior Piaomiao loves handsome men, to the point of being a lovesick fool. This is not my opinion, but something her disciple Yan Quan said after drinking. Therefore, in recent years, Qingyang Sect has specially built an ice palace for her, hoping that she can purify her mind and reduce her desires. So, Ah Xuan, what will you do if she gets entangled with you?"

Hearing her say that, Chen Xuan suddenly realized something and cursed inwardly. He thought to himself, "That's right, what if I get entangled with her? Especially since she's vain and narcissistic, and might even be a sickly old baby. If that happens, it could affect my little wife and the others!"
Then he thought to himself, "What am I afraid of? I'm not someone to be trifled with. No one can force me to do something I don't want to do."

So he remained completely calm, waving his hand dismissively and saying, "It's alright. We don't cause trouble, but we're not afraid of trouble either. No matter what kind of person she is, if she does something that displeases me, I won't be lenient."

He Hongyi had some doubts about this. After all, the ethereal fairy was known as the number one of the ten beauties of Yuhua Kingdom. If they met, would Chen Xuan, as a man, still be able to keep his composure? As the saying goes, one's values ​​follow one's appearance. When a beauty is so stunning that it defies reason, age is no longer an issue.

Even the usually silent princess couldn't help but speak up: "Husband, that ethereal fairy sounds like a troublesome character. Why don't we just run away and lay low for a while?"

The little princess wasn't a jealous person; she wished Chen Xuan had more female confidantes. However, that ethereal fairy she had never met was quite old, and the age difference was too great. If she were to fall for her husband, she would find it hard to accept, since she was already of grandmotherly age.

Actually, what she was most worried about was that the belligerent old woman might hurt her husband; everything else was a minor issue.

Signaling them to calm down, Chen Xuan smiled and said, "Running away isn't the solution; it only creates more trouble later. If Yan Quan's master really does come looking for us, we'll have to deal with her then."

The little princess became even more worried, a hint of fear flashing in her eyes as she said, "Husband, you mustn't be curious about that old woman who's in her fifties or sixties! Curiosity killed the cat—you were the one who told me that!"

"My wife, don't you know me? Do you think I'm that kind of person? You're overthinking it," Chen Xuan said, exasperated.

...(End of chapter)