Misty Rain of the Old Times

While Xia Mei was pondering to herself, Chen Xuan had a sudden thought: their ship would be too conspicuous if it went any further. So he instructed, "Aunt Mei, let the ship continue downstream as normal, and prepare a small boat to discreetly go and take a look."

“Yes, sir, I’ll make the arrangements right away. There are two fast boats coming up,” Xia Mei nodded and turned to prepare.

The fast boat she was referring to was less than two zhang long, similar to an escape boat in an emergency. Even in this era, it was a standard feature of medium to large passenger and cargo ships, since no one knows when an accident might occur while sailing on a major river.

Even though there are almost no turbulent sections of the Qingping River within the territory of Jing Kingdom, there have been too many sunken ships on the riverbed throughout the dynasties. Some of them ran aground, but most of them were caused by river bandits.

"Good morning, my husband! Why didn't you wake me up? I was hoping to see the sunrise over the river," the little princess waved from the window upstairs, then covered her mouth and gave a cute yawn, clearly having just woken up.

Chen Xuan smiled and said, "Seeing that my wife was sleeping so soundly, I didn't want to disturb her."

"I used to get up very early, but after marrying my husband, I seem to have been influenced by you and become lazy," the sleepy little princess said shyly.

"How can you blame me?" Chen Xuan was both amused and exasperated. It seemed that laziness really was contagious.

At this moment, the little princess also noticed the lively scene by the river in the distance and asked curiously, "What's going on over there? Singing, dancing, and loud drumming—it looks quite lively, but it's too far away to see clearly."

After a moment's thought, Chen Xuan smiled and said, "I noticed it too, and I was just about to go take a look."

"Why didn't my husband call me? Is he planning to sneak off and join the fun by himself? Wait for me, I want to go too!" the little princess protested, eagerly getting ready.

Seeing this, Chen Xuan lightly floated upstairs, entered the room through the window, and looked at the little princess who was already sitting in front of the dressing table being helped to wash and dress by Yun Xin and the others. He said, "My wife, it's not that I want to leave you, it's just that it seems lively over there. I'm afraid that knowing the specifics might affect my mood. I don't know the details yet, so I plan to go and take a look first."

The couple seemed to understand each other perfectly. The little princess immediately grasped what was going on and said after a moment's thought, "It's alright, I'll just go and see. Everything is up to my husband."

Watching the excitement was secondary to her; she wanted to experience every little thing in life with Chen Xuan.

Hearing this, Chen Xuan no longer hesitated and nodded, saying, "Alright, but if my wife is going, please dress simply, otherwise you'll look out of place."

"Yes, I understand. We're here to watch the fun, not to steal the show," the little princess said instantly.

With Yunlan and the others' help, she quickly got ready, wearing an ice-blue long dress. It was simple and plain, but made of top-quality silk. There was no other way; this was the most understated outfit she had brought. She also simply combed her hair, wore no jewelry, and instead put on a white veil and conical hat.

She didn't try to hide her beauty from Chen Xuan while changing clothes, showing off her stunning figure and giving Chen Xuan a feast for the eyes. After being married for a while, she was no longer as shy as she had been at the beginning.

Afterwards, she turned around in front of Chen Xuan and asked, "Husband, what do you think of my outfit?"

"Alright, let's leave it at that. If you add a sword, you'll definitely look like a female knight-errant," Chen Xuan said with a smile.

She first took off her straw hat, intending to put it back on later, then covered her mouth and said, "What kind of female knight-errant doesn't know any martial arts?"

"Haha, my wife, don't underestimate yourself. When you're with your husband, I'm not bragging, but in our Jing Kingdom, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that you're the best in the world," Chen Xuan joked, secretly thinking that if we were back home and got divorced, I would have to give you half of my cultivation. Stop, stop, I can't think about such things.

Keeping a close eye on the situation on the shore, Chen Xuan then led her downstairs. Considering that the small boat couldn't hold many people and there was no need to make a big fuss, he decided to take only the little princess and Du Juan, along with a eunuch dressed as a servant in blue robes, since someone had to row the boat.

The reason for not bringing the little girl was to avoid her seeing anything unpleasant that might affect her mood. Yunlan and her sister naturally had no objections and obediently waited for them to return on the boat.

However, Xia Mei, who had been the little princess's personal bodyguard for many years, requested to come along, and Chen Xuan thought about it and agreed.

So the five of them boarded a small boat and quickly headed towards the bustling area on the shore.

A deserted slope on the shore was unusually lively. It wasn't exactly crowded, but if you were to count, there were several thousand people, almost all of them poor commoners. They looked at the shore with anticipation, trepidation, or bewilderment.

A simple wooden platform, about half the size of a basketball court, had already been erected on the riverbank near the water's edge. Fire pits were burning around it, and various flags and banners were planted in the air. An incense table had been set up on the platform, and bells and drums were playing special music all around.

This scene was not a festival celebration at all, but more like the beginning of a sacrificial ceremony. Chen Xuan knew this as soon as he noticed the commotion.

In this relatively orderly environment, a few people dressed in江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and outlaws) occasionally mingled among the people, some with great interest, others observing coldly, while government officials were still maintaining order.

Chen Xuan and his group did not dock at the busiest spot. Instead, they disembarked from the side and walked through the crowd toward the central wooden platform. With him leading the way, the wilderness felt like flat ground.

Moreover, their appearance was not abrupt at all; the people around them did not feel anything unusual, as if it were a normal occurrence, and even subconsciously made way for them. Everything was very natural.

Of course, Chen Xuan used some methods. Under the influence of his mental will, people intuitively felt that their appearance was normal. If he wanted to, he could make people completely ignore their existence. Chen Xuan had used this method before. When he helped Xiao Gao deliver a letter to the prison, it was as if he were entering his own home.

The little princess found it amazing and whispered to Chen Xuan, "Husband, we just swaggered through the crowd like this, how come they didn't react at all?"

“My lady, you can speak normally, and they won’t notice. Isn’t that better? If you want, even though we’ve been very low-key, we can still easily become the focus of attention for many people,” Chen Xuan said with a smile.

That's true. Putting everything else aside, even with the little princess wearing a veil and a hat, her demeanor alone exuded an extraordinary aura. And with Xia Mei and Du Juan standing beside her, it was impossible for her not to attract attention.

The little princess immediately asked in surprise, "They ignored us. Was it your fault, my husband? How did you manage that?"

"It's probably their mental will that interfered with their senses. I can't really describe it in detail, but you just need to know that if I wanted to, I could make them ignore us, let alone plunge them into terrifying illusions in the blink of an eye," Chen Xuan nodded and smiled.

With his current Grandmaster cultivation level, his spiritual will cannot directly interfere with the real world, but it is still quite simple to influence the thoughts and intentions of those whose cultivation level is underground.

Although the little princess didn't understand, she only felt it was amazing and thought to herself that her husband was really powerful.

They soon arrived at the edge of the wooden platform. A crowd gathered around them, and they instinctively made way for each other, but no one noticed them.

Looking around, Chen Xuan casually asked, "Did you guys notice anything?"

"I just thought it was quite lively, and the melody being played was very special, something I'd never heard before, with a hint of mystery," the little princess said, looking around but not seeing anything particularly special. Xia Mei pondered, "This should be the beginning of some kind of sacrificial ceremony, only it hasn't started yet. Unlike a normal ceremony, it subtly carries a seductive undertone."

She hadn't traveled the martial arts world, but she was still quite knowledgeable. After all, the capital city was a place rich in resources and had everything. She could easily learn about all sorts of tricks and schemes from all walks of life if she wanted to.

The little princess asked curiously, "A sacrifice? A sacrifice for what?"

Chen Xuan gestured for her to calm down, saying, "My lady, don't be impatient, you'll know soon enough."

Du Juan pondered for a moment and said, "Master, I have a feeling that this seems somewhat similar to the way the Chongyan Cult operates. This force is a mixed bag, and they love to do these mystical things. I've observed carefully now, and there are indeed members of the Chongyan Cult among the crowd."

As she spoke, she became more and more certain. As a former assassin, reading people and situations was a fundamental skill for her.

"The Chongyan Cult? It really is. What exactly do they want?" Xia Mei frowned slightly and pondered. As a former royal guard, she naturally had no liking for these evil martial arts sects.

Reminded by Du Juan, she quickly noticed the figures of the Chongyan Cult members. Although the people of this faction did not have uniform attire, they all had the Chongyan Cult's special standards in their concealed parts. No matter how well they were hidden, it was not difficult for her with her innate cultivation level to spot them.

Chen Xuan was speechless for a moment, then said, "The Chongyan Sect, huh? Ever since I killed the previous leader, Liu Zhenwei, the new leader of this sect caused a ruckus for a while under the guise of revenge. They were suppressed by the righteous forces, and only quieted down for a few years before starting to cause trouble again?"

Well, this evil organization was never peaceful to begin with. Now that the new emperor has ascended the throne and Prince Qing has declared himself emperor, the situation is already unstable. With the drought already here, it would be strange if they didn't take the opportunity to cause trouble. It may not be a chaotic time yet, but those 'demons and monsters' in the shadows have already begun to stir up trouble.

"I've heard of the Chongyan Sect, but I don't know the specifics. Could you tell me about it?" the little princess asked curiously. She had collected a lot of material for writing stories, but she only had a vague understanding of the details when it came to the forces of the martial arts world.

Chen Xuan said, "Sister Juan, why don't you explain this to Madam?"

He himself wasn't very clear about what was going on in the martial arts world, but Du Juan, who had been involved in it for many years, knew it better.

Nodding, Du Juan said, "Madam, I also had some experience in the martial arts world. Although I'm not a member of the Chongyan Cult, I've occasionally dealt with them. I don't know much about them, but this organization can be described as a collection of villains. They're willing to do anything and will stop at nothing to achieve their goals..."

While Du Juan was introducing the Chongyan Sect to the little princess, Chen Xuan was thinking about who the current leader of this force was. He hadn't paid attention to him before. He seemed to be quite reserved, and in recent years he hadn't heard of the Chongyan Sect causing any major trouble. From this, it could be seen that this new leader seemed to be more dangerous than Liu Zhenwei back then. After all, a barking dog doesn't bite.

The reason why evil paths are evil paths is because they dare to do anything. Take the Shadow Killing Sect for example, they will kill anyone as long as they can afford the price. The Chongyan Sect is even worse. Liu Zhenwei back then is a good example. In order to break through to the Grandmaster realm, he dared to use the Flame Crystal Insects to massacre people!

After learning about the various atrocities committed by the Chongyan Cult, the little princess said indignantly, "How could such a force have persisted for hundreds of years? Doesn't the Martial Arts Forbidden Division have any responsibility to do anything about it? They should have taken drastic measures to eradicate it completely. I don't know much about these things, and my thoughts may be a bit biased, but from a normal person's perspective, it's truly impossible to accept the existence of such a force."

Shaking his head, Chen Xuan said, "My wife is quite objective. Completely eradicating them isn't so simple. After all, where there is light, there is darkness. These evil forces can never be eradicated. Destroying one only means it will be replaced by another, especially something like the Chongyan Sect. Having higher-ups keeping them in check is better than them being a disorganized mess. If anything happens, just go to their higher-ups; they'll have to give you an explanation, even if they have to grit their teeth. If they weren't a unified entity, the constant chaos would require many times more effort and manpower to deal with. Anyway, things are usually fine, but if the overall environment is turbulent, these forces are a major destabilizing factor. But they only dare to take advantage of the chaos to cause trouble; they don't dare to show their faces normally."

"I'm just a weak woman, I can't control such things, I just hope they won't harm ordinary people too much," the little princess said with emotion.

Before they knew it, the sun was high in the sky, and more and more people were gathering around, mostly just there to watch the spectacle, but many still placed their hopes on this sacrificial ceremony.

When people are desperate, they always place their hopes on something vague and unrealistic.

As if the time had come, the melody, which had a touch of mystery, changed and became more urgent.

At the same time, a dozen or so people climbed onto the wooden platform. They were dressed in brightly colored clothes and wore strange masks. They came onto the platform and danced a slightly mysterious dance to a rapid rhythm, occasionally making ghostly howls.

The scene, which appears mysterious and serious to ordinary people, subtly reveals an evil in the eyes of Chen Xuan and his companions.

After about fifteen minutes, a mournful horn sounded, the urgent accompaniment stopped, and the masked people dressed in bright colors knelt in a circle around the incense table.

Immediately afterwards, an oddly dressed old man stepped onto the wooden platform. His clothes resembled a Taoist robe, but were covered with colorful and mysterious symbols. He wore an eight-treasure crown, held a whisk in one hand and a compass in the other, and carried a peach wood sword on his back.

Behind him followed a dozen or so attendants dressed in yellow robes. They carried sacrificial animals onto the platform and placed them before the incense table, then knelt down respectfully.

As they stepped onto the stage, the surrounding noise gradually quieted down, and everyone turned to look at the people on the stage.

The strangely dressed old man stood behind the incense table, suddenly slapped a wooden token that had been prepared beforehand, and then began to mutter incantations, the meaning of which was completely inaudible and seemed mystical.

While chanting, he bowed and knelt in all directions, and the people on the stage also chanted and bowed, creating a mysterious yet solemn atmosphere. During the process, talismans were burned and glutinous rice and chicken blood were sprinkled.

The people around seemed to hold their breath, as if afraid of disturbing the solemn ceremony.

Half an hour later, the old man's forehead was covered in sweat. He suddenly raised the wooden token and slammed it on the incense table, making many people's hearts jump.

"Dragon King, have mercy and bless all living beings! We have sincerely and wholeheartedly fulfilled the wishes of all people!" he suddenly cried out hysterically in normal words, his voice filled with sorrow and pleading. Then, he took a deep breath and shouted loudly, "I have reported the wishes of all people to the Dragon King and offered sacrifices. Whether the Dragon King will be satisfied and bestow blessings depends on whether the sacrifices will please Him!"

After saying this, he prostrated himself before the incense table.

As soon as he finished speaking, six rafts covered with colorful flowers were pushed into the water from the riverbank. On each raft, a boy or girl of about five or six years old knelt, half boys and half girls. They had innocent and carefree faces with happy smiles, as if they were experiencing something fun and had no idea what they were going through.

Upon seeing this, Chen Xuan thought to himself, "As expected, the situation I didn't want to see still happened."

The little princess realized something too, and unable to bear to look, she instinctively grabbed Chen Xuan's hand and murmured, "Husband..."

Chen Xuan grasped her small hand in return and smiled calmly, saying, "My wife, please be patient. Your husband is here."

As he spoke, he looked at the wooden platform and said, "Aunt Mei, Sister Juan, that one, and that one, and those others, they are all members of the Chongyan Cult. Keep a close eye on them, don't let any of them escape!"

...(End of chapter)