Misty Rain of the Old Times

After a night of wind and rain, the earth was damp and smelled strongly of mud under the morning sun. Water droplets clung to the branches of the grass and trees, and the once lifeless vegetation was revitalized by the rain.

The prolonged drought had caused widespread anxiety, but now hope has finally been seen. The busy figures in the fields have regained their smiles. They are not afraid of hardship or fatigue, but they are afraid of working in vain with no hope of a future.

Walking on the muddy road back to the county town, Chen Xuan noticed that people were flocking to the county town early in the morning. It wasn't a market day, and many of them were wearing government uniforms, clearly from out of town, and their accents were also noticeable.

After a moment's thought, Chen Xuan realized that the arrival of these people was probably due to the artificial rain he had created last night. The scale of the rain could be seen from a hundred miles away. Everywhere was experiencing drought, but Yang County was the only place where it was raining. How could they not send people to inquire about the situation? He guessed that many people had rushed over as soon as the rain started last night.

Although rain is God's business, what if Yang County has special rain-making techniques?

Chen Xuan had done something good within his ability, but he didn't feel much joy. His abilities were limited, and he simply couldn't take care of a wider area.

"Master, are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?" Du Juan's figure came from the corner to Chen Xuan's side and asked with concern.

It was obvious that she hadn't slept all night. She probably had been secretly watching Chen Xuan the whole time he left last night. Even though she had dried the moisture off her body with her true energy, Chen Xuan could still detect the faint traces.

Wearing a long black silk dress, her skin was fair and delicate, so tender that it seemed like it could be pinched to release moisture. In the morning sun, it seemed a little dazzling, creating a strong color contrast between her clothes and skin. Her chest was firm and trembled slightly with every step she took, her waist was slender and her abs were beautiful. The skirt hem was stretched into a breathtaking arc from the back of her waist, making her incredibly eye-catching on the street, but few people dared to look at her for long.

It feels good to have someone worry about you. After living together for so long, there has inevitably been a lot of physical intimacy. Chen Xuan naturally reached out and patted her lower back, laughing, "Sister Juan, don't worry. Do I look like something's wrong?"

There were many pedestrians on the road, but Du Juan was not shy about Chen Xuan's intimate actions. As an assassin, she was cold-hearted. Only Chen Xuan and a few other people could make her emotional. She was not a delicate person. Chen Xuan's natural actions made her happy. She had long entrusted the rest of her life to Chen Xuan.

At this moment, she thought to herself that the master was indeed different after getting married. He was a man now. He would never have taken such initiative before. It was probably only a matter of time before he could truly serve the master.

Nodding, she glanced in the direction where Tingyin and her apprentice had left and said, "Master is a lucky man; he will be fine."

How could she not sense the aura of a Grandmaster? She didn't even dare to get close. She witnessed the brief exchange between Chen Xuan and Fairy Piaomiao, which was the source of her worry. She only regretted that she was not strong enough to help her master.

Chen Xuan understood immediately, shook his head and smiled, "Let's talk about it when we get back."

"Mmm," Du Juan nodded obediently, not daring to say anything more.

Then Chen Xuan asked, "Is Madam alright?"

"Reporting to Master, Madam is being looked after by Commander Xia and Sister Yunxin, so she will be perfectly fine."

That's right, right under his nose, how could he let his wife get into trouble? So Chen Xuan just made conversation and asked casually. Du Juan, who used to be taciturn and rarely communicated with people, has changed a lot in personality now. At least her face shows more emotional expression, and she communicates more and less stiffly, even if it's only with a few people.

Before the two even entered the city while strolling and chatting, Chen Xuan spotted a fiery red figure standing under the archway. He immediately smiled and waved, greeting, "Good morning, Red Robe!"

Chen Xuan wasn't surprised to see He Hongyi here. To some extent, the reason for the arrival of Tingyin and her apprentice was still her. However, Chen Xuan no longer thought so. In any case, besides Du Juan and He Hongyi, countless people were paying attention to them openly and secretly last night. Chen Xuan was well aware of this, and as long as they didn't bother him, he would pretend they didn't exist.

With a bright smile, she was already dazzling in her fiery red outfit, but the morning light made her even more radiant. She said with a mix of joy and apology, "Ah Xuan, I'm so sorry for troubling you. I was planning to handle it myself, but I didn't expect to come to you before I even had a chance, and I haven't been able to help at all."

Waving his hand, Chen Xuan smiled and said, "What are you saying, Red Robe? It's all in the past, don't dwell on it. Just live happily."

"Well, since everything's alright, shall we go back together?" she said with a hint of anticipation, her heart still filled with remorse, though she didn't show it. She would make it up to him by serving him diligently in the future, but she didn't know when she would have that honor.

Chen Xuan immediately beamed and said, "That's great! With such a beauty by my side, I can't be vain enough. I wonder how many people will be envious!"

"Ah Xuan is too kind. It is an honor that you do not find it offensive," He Hongyi said with affection in her eyes. Although they cannot be together every day, being able to walk side by side for a while is enough to make her feel good all day.

Without trying to provoke her, Chen Xuan casually changed the subject, saying, "By the way, Red Robe, have you ever heard of any highly accomplished nuns in your Yuhua Kingdom?"

Hearing this, He Hongyi thought for a moment and said, "There are quite a few nuns in our Yuhua Kingdom who are famous for their martial arts, too many to count on one hand. But there aren't many whose cultivation is truly outstanding. As far as I know, there are only two or three at the Innate Realm. Not that I'm being arrogant, but their cultivation and strength are probably not even as good as mine. I suppose they don't meet the standard you mentioned, Ah Xuan. You think that the highest level of cultivation is the Grandmaster Realm, right? But I haven't heard of a single one."

"I see. Are there any long-established nunneries or similar places? And the kind that are very low-key?" Chen Xuan nodded and asked.

After careful consideration, He Hongyi shook her head and said, "I haven't paid much attention to these things. Since Ah Xuan is interested, I'll write to some friends in the martial arts world and ask them to inquire about it."

Chen Xuan waved his hand dismissively, saying, "No need for such trouble. I was just bored and looking for something to talk about."

He Hongyi wasn't stupid. Even if Chen Xuan was bored, why would he specifically inquire about a nun? Since he had spoken, there must be a deeper meaning. However, given Chen Xuan's nonchalant reaction, she didn't say anything more, secretly noting it down to inquire later, so she could answer promptly if Chen Xuan asked again. They hadn't been in the city long and were almost at He Hongyi's unopened wine shop. She felt time was passing too quickly and felt a little lost. Just as they were about to part, she suddenly frowned, looking towards an alleyway on the side of the street, and muttered with great reluctance, "They really are persistent. It seems the lesson from that day wasn't enough."

Following her gaze, Chen Xuan immediately understood. He saw Tian Bin peeking out from the alley, his eyes filled with affection and bitterness as he looked at He Hongyi.

Noticing their gazes, Tian Bin gave a wry smile, cupped his hands in greeting, and opened his mouth as if he had a thousand words to say, but in the end he only sighed and then left without looking back in the direction of leaving the city, his back view particularly desolate.

Upon seeing this, Chen Xuan thought to himself that there would be one more heartbroken person in the world. Everyone's life will eventually have one or two unforgettable regrets, which they can only sigh about in the dead of night countless times in the future.

Without saying anything, Chen Xuan smiled and said, "Red Robe, we'll head back now. Come visit us anytime; it's just a short walk."

"Okay, Ah Xuan, go back quickly. Don't keep Sister Qian Ning waiting. There will be times when she'll bother you. Just don't mind then," she urged with a smile. She felt particularly relaxed, already knowing that Tian Bin would not bother her again. She hadn't owed him anything, so there was no need to feel apologetic. She just felt like she had gotten rid of a troublesome burden.

After parting ways, Chen Xuan and Du Juan returned to Peach Blossom Residence. Walking along the stone path in the grove, Chen Xuan asked curiously, "Sister Juan, I noticed you seemed hesitant to speak earlier. Was there something you wanted to say?"

She nodded and said directly, "Master, just now you asked the girl in red about becoming a Bhikkhuni through cultivation. It reminded me of something, but I don't know if it's something you'd like to know."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan asked in surprise, "Tell me about it."

Then Du Juan recalled for a moment and said, "It's like this, Master, you know what I used to do. I stayed in Mo City for almost ten years. Although Huizhou, where Mo City is located, is not on the border of our Jing Kingdom, it is close to the Frost Moon Kingdom in the north. I remember it was about five years ago, when I was still in the Shadow Killing Sect organization. My cultivation was advancing by leaps and bounds, and I came into contact with a lot of the organization's top missions."

She paused for a moment, then continued, "One of the tasks might be related to what you, Master, are interested in. As you probably know, although the Shadow Assassin Sect's headquarters are located within the Jing Kingdom, its business scope is quite extensive, with branches in surrounding countries. That year, there was an extremely difficult task in the Frost Moon Kingdom, one of the few that the Shadow Assassin Sect has failed to complete in its two or three hundred years of existence."

"The mission involves a small county town in the northernmost part of Frostmoon Kingdom. It's a sparsely populated area, and I can't remember the exact name. The main thing is that a wealthy man in that town has his eye on a piece of land in the suburbs. However, the land belongs to a nunnery with only a dozen or so nuns. The wealthy man tried everything he could to get his hands on it but failed. So, he used his connections to find the Shadow Assassins, hoping to eliminate the nuns there and thus get the land for almost nothing."

"No wonder the Shadow Assassins are considered an evil sect that the righteous sects desperately want to eradicate; they accept any kind of mission. Originally, this was a very easy mission that any officially trained assassin could have completed, since it was just dealing with a few nuns who couldn't even kill a chicken. But that time, something unexpected happened."

"The assassins sent out thought it was just a formality, but they never returned. The mission was not completed, and the Shadow Assassins, for the sake of their reputation, will not let it go so easily, even if it was just a small mission with a commission of less than a hundred taels."

"But it got worse and worse. In the old man's words, at first, it was newbies who went on missions and never returned. Then they sent in veterans, but they were still nowhere to be found. This happened several times in a row, and it even alarmed the higher-ups of the Shadow Assassin Sect. Finally, they sent in their ace assassins, but they vanished into thin air as if they had evaporated from the face of the earth."

At this point, Du Juan focused her gaze and continued, "You should know that the Shadow Assassin Sect's ace assassins are capable of assassinating Grandmaster-level experts. Historically, the Shadow Assassin Sect has a precedent of successfully assassinating Grandmaster-level experts. Even their ace assassins vanished as if they had evaporated into thin air, while the nunnery remained peaceful and quiet. Since then, this mission has been abandoned."

"By the way, the Shadow Assassins suffered such a great loss for a small mission, they must have conducted a thorough investigation, both overt and covert. They later learned that the nunnery with fewer than twenty members had existed for over a thousand years, dating back to the time when the four surrounding kingdoms were still a unified dynasty. Its name wasn't recorded in the documents. In short, the Shadow Assassins realized the place was incredibly dangerous and dared not provoke them again. Master, that's all I know. I hope this is helpful. If you'd like to know more, I'll humbly request, on your behalf, that the Shadow Assassins send over the complete investigation materials from back then."

After listening to her, Chen Xuan seemed to be deep in thought. The thousand-year-old nunnery had survived the changes of dynasties, but it was located in a remote corner and its reputation was not well known. Even an organization like the Shadow Assassin Sect could not make a ripple when they sent their top assassins. It was clear that the place was extraordinary.

But that unknown nunnery is on the border of Frost Moon Kingdom. Could the master who was passed down the Eight Heart Lotus Embryo Technique by chance when he heard the sound back then be a hermit senior from some nunnery?
It's not impossible, after all, monks and Taoists often travel the world, whether for cultivation or chivalry. They can't stay idle, and it's quite normal for them to occasionally give away good fortune based on so-called fate and karma.

Skill manuals and the like occasionally appear and cause bloodshed in the martial arts world, but once you reach a certain level, they're really nothing special because they can be copied. Even if you get one, you still need the talent to master it.

Anyway, it's hard to say. After all, Buddhism is very good at playing the game of "unintentional success." When they encounter someone with good talent, they might leave a little something unseen, which could come in handy at any time.

Chen Xuan was unfamiliar with matters of the martial arts world, but He Hongyi happened to be one of them, and from the Yuhua Kingdom at that. That's why he asked her casually. It was just that the appearance of the Fairy of the Misty Clouds was so 'reasonable' that Chen Xuan subconsciously felt it was illogical.

With a flicker of thought, Chen Xuan shook his head dismissively, saying, "No need. I was just asking casually. There's no need to make a fuss. We're a respectable family; we shouldn't get involved with the Shadow Assassins Sect. It wouldn't look good if word got out."

"Okay, I understand," Du Juan nodded and dropped the matter, not wanting to make a decision for the master on her own.

Zhou Chen had just ascended the throne, Prince Qing had declared himself emperor, and the land was suffering from a severe drought. Tingyin, a beautiful woman whose thinking had gone awry due to a mistake in her training, came knocking on his door. However, she happened to be practicing Buddhist techniques, and the Black Picture Society, which was known for causing trouble, was actually affiliated with Buddhism. Chen Xuan couldn't afford not to be wary.

In particular, he had been to the cave world at the bottom of Wanku Mountain and had contact with the giants. All sorts of seemingly unrelated things were connected. You can't be too afraid of the unexpected!

"Master is back! The meal is ready. Would you like to eat now?" The little maidservant heard the noise and quickly went out to ask.

Touching his stomach, Chen Xuan was indeed hungry after a busy night. He said impatiently, "Dinner's ready! Where's Madam? Is she up yet?"

...(End of chapter)