Misty Rain of the Old Times

The local government got involved in this matter. Which of those who could become officials wasn't well-read? It's unrealistic to say how many of them believed that rain could be obtained through sacrifices. People who abuse their power for personal gain and are greedy can become officials, but there are definitely not many fools who can become officials.

Yet they still pinned their hopes on such vague and unrealistic things, which shows that the drought was already quite severe, to the point that they had no other choice but to resort to desperate measures.

But this does not mean that such behavior is forgivable or advocatable; it is clearly a disregard for human life.

I'm too lazy to waste any more words. Under Chen Xuan's influence, the viewers can only watch helplessly.

About fifteen minutes later, he glanced at the sky and smiled faintly, "It seems that person didn't communicate well with the Dragon King. I need to send someone down again to urge him and find out what's going on."

Although he was smiling, that smile was particularly chilling to the hearts of the Chongyan followers, yet they could not do anything to resist, and they didn't even dare to say a word.

As soon as she finished speaking, at Chen Xuan's signal, Du Juan kicked another member of the Chongyan Cult without hesitation, causing him to fall into the river with a splash. After a couple of thrashings, he sank into the water in terror and despair, and then waited for the result of his communication with the Dragon King.

Standing there like this wasn't going to work, so Xia Mei looked around, went into the crowd, borrowed two chairs, took out a handkerchief, dampened it, carefully wiped them, and invited Mr. and Mrs. Chen Xuan to sit down.

Many of the onlookers brought their own chairs, and those who lent them theirs were not only happy and excited, but also did not take advantage of their position to bully or force them. They were very polite, and good manners are a basic requirement for being a decent person.

As the sun rose higher and time passed, Chen Xuan threw one Chongyan Sect member into the water every fifteen minutes to ask the Water Dragon King what he meant by accepting the offerings but not sending rain.

Such actions were undoubtedly a death sentence. The more indifferent he was, the more frightening he became, causing great psychological fear among the members of the Chongyan Cult. Several people were so frightened that they lost control of their bladders, and some even fainted. Whether they were faking it or not is unknown, but it is true that one person with poor mental fortitude was scared to death.

This is the kind of fate that should be dealt with when dealing with people who disregard human life. Killing them all at once would be too lenient.

Chen Xuan doesn't represent the law, nor does he think he's a great representative of justice. He just happened to be there and dealt with it casually, that's all. Besides, he was just following their way of visiting the Dragon King. The Dragon King was so hospitable that he didn't want them to come back, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Among the onlookers were some sensible people who secretly rejoiced at the wicked people reaping what they sowed, but dared not express it, fearing retaliation later, in case these guys had accomplices who had not yet shown themselves.

Dozens of Chongyan Cult members were thrown down to feed the fish, including the man in blue who had been acting. When he was thrown down, Chen Xuan even flipped up the Chongyan Cult insignia on his body from a distance, so that he would die knowing why, and also to show the people around him. He didn't care whether others could understand or not; he just wanted to do what he wanted and be happy.

The Chongyan Cult was not only hated by righteous people in the martial arts world, but the imperial court also ordered that everyone should kill it. Therefore, Chen Xuan had no psychological burden in killing them. Normally, no one would cause him trouble under the guise of the law. He could even go to the government to order a reward, but he had no interest in that reward.

In the end, only the old man in the flowery robe was left. He was already pale and trembling all over. He had been swindling people in several places, but today he had actually failed here. It was too late for regrets. The key point was that Chen Xuan and the others knew that they were from the Chongyan Sect, but they still dared to do this openly. Either they had a powerful background, or they simply did not take the Chongyan Sect seriously!
Looking at the sky, it was already noon, the sun shining brightly. Chen Xuan shook his head at the old man and sighed, "It seems your underlings aren't very efficient. It's been so long and there's still no reply. Then I'll have to trouble you to ask the Dragon King yourself. Aren't you able to communicate with the Dragon King from afar? Asking him face-to-face should be much clearer, right?"

As he spoke, Chen Xuan secretly released the suppression he had been using. Knowing he had no way out, the man gritted his teeth and said viciously, "Killing one of me is nothing. You have no idea how large our Chongyan Sect has grown under the leadership of our leader. Our sect will avenge us, and you won't have a good end either, nor will the beauties beside you..."

Disasters provide the perfect opportunity for such crooked and evil practices to flourish, because they are too easy to mislead those ignorant people who have nowhere else to turn. When the grassroots base becomes large enough and begins to encroach on the upper levels, those who are threatened and have little means of self-protection have no reason not to compromise.

Hearing this, Chen Xuan curled his lip and interrupted, "Just incompetent barking. You should be secretly glad I'm not going to cause trouble for your Chongyan Sect. If they dare to show their faces in front of me, I'll slap them to death. I'm just afraid they won't come. Alright, it's your turn. Good riddance."

As Chen Xuan spoke, he chuckled amidst the other's despair and added, "I forgot to tell you, your previous leader, Liu Zhenwei, was killed by me. It's all ancient history; back then, you were probably hiding in some corner of the world."

"It's you!" The other party's expression changed drastically as he realized who it was. How could it be this ruthless star? He had slaughtered centuries-old aristocratic families. What was the mere Chongyan Sect compared to him? If he were to seriously deal with the Chongyan Sect, they would probably have nowhere to hide.

It's not unjust for me to die at his hands, but why did I have to run into him? I just hope our sect won't come after him for revenge, otherwise the consequences will be unimaginable!
As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Chen Xuan waved his hand and threw him into the river dozens of feet away, where he slowly sank. In his dying moments, he saw the children who had been used as sacrifices earlier curiously surrounding him, thinking they had come to take his life. He was scared to death before he even choked on the water.

From then on, all the Chongyan Cult members who had been pretending to be gods and ghosts here were killed, and they had nowhere to hide in front of Chen Xuan.

This trip was for a honeymoon, and Chen Xuan didn't want to spoil the fun by going out to deal with the Chongyan Sect. However, since this kind of thing had happened, it was bound to happen in many other places. Although the righteous people wouldn't ignore it and the imperial court was also cracking down on it, if the Chongyan Sect was allowed to run rampant with its petty squabbles, how many people would fall victim to their evil deeds?

With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Chen Xuan decided to write two letters later, one to Xiao Gao and his son, asking them to pay attention to similar situations under their jurisdiction and to vigorously rectify them. He also wanted to write to the court to remind them to take things seriously. After all, Chen Xuan's identity was a bit awkward. He was a relative of the royal family, but he was just a commoner. If he took the initiative to intervene, people would inevitably have some doubts. So he could only take a roundabout approach. It was most appropriate for Xiao Gao and his son to step forward.

It's just a matter of whether the petitions submitted by the father and son will be taken seriously due to the influence of Prince Qing. As long as the new emperor Zhou Chen isn't too petty, he'll surely take my reminders to the Gao father and son seriously, and at least there will be fewer similar incidents under their rule.

Having wasted a considerable amount of time, and having dealt with all the villains here, Chen Xuan decided to end his journey. He glanced at the sky, stood up, and spoke clearly, "It seems the Dragon King has kept them here as guests and won't be back for a while. Everyone, disperse. Instead of praying for the Dragon King's mercy and rain, you'd be better off fetching a few more buckets of water to see if you can save some of the crops."

As he spoke, Chen Xuan sighed inwardly. He could take care of Yang County by chance, but he really couldn't take care of the whole world.

After he finished speaking, people gradually dispersed. His words seemed to have a magical power; the spirit and will of a grandmaster can influence others silently.

“My husband did the right thing. Although I am just a woman and don’t understand many profound principles, this is how people should be dealt with,” the little princess, who had been silently accompanying him from beginning to end, said sincerely.

Shaking his head, Chen Xuan said, "Although I wouldn't call myself a good person, I can't just ignore things like this now that I've encountered them. I just hope to encounter fewer of these in the future, otherwise it really affects my mood. Many times, troubles arise from this. No matter how heartless a person is, as long as they still have a bottom line as human beings, they can't always escape the troubles of the world."

"Husband, don't think so much. This isn't your problem. You said that there is black and white in the world, and that evil people can never be completely eradicated over millions of years," the little princess comforted her.

With a smile, Chen Xuan said, "My wife is overthinking it. I'm not the kind of person who gets caught up in trivial matters. I'm just an ordinary person; I'm content with my own life and won't create unnecessary worries for myself. Otherwise, it'll be too tiring."

Knowing her husband's personality, the little princess immediately stopped worrying.

At this moment, the burly man beside him cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, young master, for your righteous intervention in dealing with these villains. If they had been allowed to live, who knows how many more people would have fallen victim to their cruelty. It's just a pity for those children... My name is Wang Kaishi. May I ask your honorable name, young master? I will certainly make sure to spread your name far and wide afterward. Such a commendable act of kindness should not go unnoticed."

Turning back to look at the other party, Chen Xuan cupped his hands and said, "This is a trivial matter, not worth mentioning. However, Brother Wang is truly admirable. Knowing that he was no match, he still charged forward with unwavering passion, which is truly chivalrous. As for his name, let's not mention it. It's not that I look down on Brother Wang, but I am just a nobody, not a member of the martial arts world. There's no need for prior acquaintances. I hope you will be understanding."

“I am of limited ability and can do nothing, which makes you laugh at me, young master. I am truly ashamed. Since you are not a member of the martial arts world, I understand. I was being presumptuous. However, I must remind you that the Chongyan Sect is a wicked force that strikes fear into the hearts of all. Over the years, no major sect has been able to eradicate it. Instead, it has grown stronger. I am sure they will not give up easily. I hope you will be careful,” the other party said sincerely, cupping his hands.

Nodding, Chen Xuan said, "Thank you. I will be more careful. Brother Wang only suffered some minor injuries; he should be alright. Once this matter is settled, we'll meet again someday."

He replied cheerfully, "I must thank you for your miraculous medicine, otherwise I would have been suffering for several more days. I have no way to repay you. Please don't hesitate to call me if you need anything in the future, so as not to take up any of your time. Farewell then."

He smiled and turned to leave, but hesitated to leave when he looked at the families of the children on the riverbank. He shook his head and sighed deeply.

Upon seeing this, Chen Xuan smiled and said, "Brother Wang, do you remember what I just said? We're not late."

"What do you mean by that, young master?" he asked, turning around in surprise, feeling both delighted and afraid that he might be overthinking things.

Without much explanation, Chen Xuan simply waved towards the distant river, and saw several children who had already sunk to the bottom of the water resurface. They were all alive and well, just as surprised as ever, showing no signs of distress whatsoever, and their clothes were not even wet.

While Wang Kaishi stared in disbelief, Chen Xuan brought the children to the altar, patted their chubby little heads, and said with a smile, "It's alright now, go back, take a nap and treat it as a dream."

"Thank you, Uncle, we're going home now," the bewildered children said happily, skipping and hopping off to find their families.

Touching his chin, Chen Xuan thought to himself, "Am I already an uncle? I'm still so young!" He chuckled irritably, "Go away, you should call me 'brother' instead."

"Hehe, thank you, brother!" the children said innocently.

Wang Kaishi hissed inwardly, realizing he had encountered a master. To retrieve objects from afar and keep several children submerged in water for an extended period required at least innate cultivation, and even within the innate realm, such a person was far from ordinary. As for higher levels, it wasn't that he dared not dream, but Chen Xuan looked too young. Turning to him, Chen Xuan said, "Brother Wang, can you finally rest assured?"

"Your righteousness is admirable, young master," he said sincerely, bowing once more.

"I wouldn't dare accept that, it's just what I could do," Chen Xuan waved his hand and smiled.

At this moment, the families of the children arrived one after another. Overjoyed to have their children back, they cried and expressed their gratitude, even kneeling down on the spot.

Chen Xuan waved his hand to stop them from kneeling, then shook his head and said, "There's no need for this, everyone. Just take good care of your children and live a good life."

He paused for a moment, then said thoughtfully, "After this ordeal, you'll most likely face gossip and criticism from now on. It'll be impossible for you to continue living peacefully. So be it, it's not right to end things so abruptly. Take this money; it's enough for you to start a new life somewhere else. Remember to hide the child well and quietly go back and leave as soon as possible. Don't be shy; this money isn't mine. It came from those charlatans. You can take it without feeling guilty."

As he spoke, Chen Xuan distributed some silver to each family. It wasn't much; three to five taels were given to each family based on the number of people in their household. Any more than that would likely be a disaster for them, but it was still quite a lot. After all, the waiters at Dewei Restaurant in Yang County only earned two qian of silver a month, which was considered a high income among ordinary people. Three to five taels was equivalent to one or two years' wages. As Chen Xuan had said, this money was obtained from the members of the Chongyan Cult and was distributed to them casually. After all, Chen Xuan didn't have any money on him, and even if he did, he used gold beans as pocket money under his wife's arrangement, so it wouldn't be appropriate to give it to them.

After receiving Chen Xuan's instructions, they left with profuse thanks, but ultimately failed to kneel down to express their gratitude in the simplest way.

With the matter completely concluded, Wang Kaishi, who had not yet left, took a deep breath and said, "Young Master's consideration is thorough. I have learned a great deal and will certainly remember it. I will take this as a model to follow in the future. Farewell."

"Please," Chen Xuan said with a smile, cupping his hands in farewell. He thought to himself that there should be one more good person in the world now. It would be better if there were more good people in the world, but good people often live very tiring lives because it is hard to be a good person.

As Wang Kaishi left, he pondered who Chen Xuan and his group were, but he had no clue. He was just a low-level figure in the underworld of a small town, with limited access to information. He couldn't make the connection to their identities, nor did he dare to think about it from that perspective. After all, how could such high-ranking figures lower themselves to handle such trivial matters personally? It was a deeply ingrained habitual way of thinking.

After everything was completely over, Chen Xuan and his group boarded the small boat again and headed down the river to chase after the ship. This incident was just a minor episode in the early stages of their journey.

"Master is back! Did you have fun? It's getting late, past dinner time. Would you like to eat now?" The little girl said cheerfully as they returned to the ship, without asking them where they had been or what they had been doing.

Putting aside these unpleasant things, Chen Xuan smiled and said, "I'm actually a little hungry. Let's eat. Have you guys eaten?"

"No, we're waiting for you, sir. I'll go arrange it right away," the little maid said obediently. There was no reason for the master and mistress to go hungry while they ate first.

With a helpless smile, Chen Xuan said, "I've told you so many times, eat first if you're hungry. We don't have that many rules in our family."

"I know, I know."

During the meal, Chen Xuan instructed, "Aunt Mei, later you should arrange for someone to go to the county and prefectural governments and make a call, on our family's behalf, to ask them to investigate Linping County. Anyone involved should be severely punished according to the law. This kind of evil trend cannot be encouraged. I think our family still has some influence; if we report it, they will take it seriously."

"Yes, sir, I'll make the arrangements right away," Du Juan said earnestly. She also had to be careful, in case the master suddenly remembered to ask. If she couldn't answer, it would mean she hadn't handled things well.

Chen Xuan hadn't forgotten to deal with those officials who aided and abetted the wicked, but there was no need for him to do it personally. He felt it would be beneath him. It was just a matter of a word. The county government was a tiny place, not worth mentioning.

This is the benefit of privilege. No wonder countless people crave power and try their best to climb the ladder. With power in hand, a single word can determine the fate of countless people. Reason and justice have to take a backseat in the face of power.

This matter was finally over, and Chen Xuan didn't dwell on it too much. As for whether the Chongyan Sect would be any better or worse after the small one was defeated, it was highly likely that a larger one would follow. As long as they dared to come, Chen Xuan wouldn't mind having more fun.

After the meal, Chen Xuan did not forget his previous idea. He wrote a letter to Xiao Gao and his son and arranged for someone to send it out urgently. The little princess ground ink for him, which was truly a delightful experience.

Traveling with dozens of people, it's so convenient to just talk things out. Chen Xuan has gradually gotten used to his current life. If he were to go back to the days when he had to do everything himself, he thinks he would feel a little uncomfortable. It's easy to go from frugality to extravagance.

Witnessing a human sacrifice somewhat affected Chen Xuan's mood, and he even lost interest in fishing. On the contrary, the little princess seemed to have gained inspiration from it, and stopped playing with Chen Xuan to continue her story writing.

These past few months, the two of them have been busy with their wedding, and the little princess's novels have been on hiatus for a long time. Under the name of Tingfeng Jushi, countless readers are eagerly awaiting updates, but no one can find a way to urge them to update. They are itching to wait, and even though there are many followers, none of them are as attractive as the little princess's writing. They have become her die-hard fans.

With nothing else to do and no interesting places nearby, Chen Xuan decided to go to the top of the ship to sunbathe and take out materials to study the concealment formation. He still had no clue about this, so he could only take it one step at a time.

The things that Tai Xuan Sect has failed to accomplish despite investing countless resources over hundreds of years are not something he can do in a short time. In short, as long as he spends time trying and failing, he will surely reap the rewards.

The process of studying the formation was not boring at all. Yunlan, Dujuan, and the others would massage their shoulders and legs and feed them from time to time, which was very pleasant.

Two days passed peacefully, and they had already left Shangyun Prefecture and arrived in Hao Prefecture. Shangyun Prefecture was located in the south of Jing Kingdom, while Hao Prefecture was the southernmost prefecture of Jing Kingdom, bordering Rong Kingdom.

As a border prefecture, the atmosphere here was noticeably different from other places after entering the country. It was probably due to the civil war in Rong and the Prince of Qing's attempt to seize the country. The atmosphere of war was very strong in Haozhou, and the deeper you went, the more you could feel it.

It's strange, but places like this are more prone to banditry. I don't know why, but it's probably because it's convenient for crossing the border repeatedly.

A few years ago, Master Gao was the governor of Haozhou, but he has now been transferred to Huizhou to be the governor. Otherwise, Chen Xuan and his group would have paid him a visit as they passed through the area.

Once the little princess's inspiration wore off, her creative interest waned. That noon, she and Chen Xuan were sunbathing on the roof of the ship, feeling rather bored. Suddenly, she remembered something, propped her head up on her elbow, and said, "Husband, do you remember when we were eating breakfast this morning, Aunt Mei said she heard there was a martial arts tournament in Haozhou? It seems to be in the next few days, but I don't know exactly where it will be held."

"I do remember. It seems that because of the war in Rong Kingdom for the past six months, too many people came to our Jing Kingdom to escape the disaster. There were all sorts of people mixed in, including many bad guys. Then your brother ascended the throne and granted amnesty to the world, releasing many incorrigible guys to go back to their old ways, which led to frequent chaos. Righteous people in the martial arts world spontaneously organized to perform chivalrous deeds. How about it, my wife, are you interested in going to watch the excitement?" Chen Xuan smiled and nodded, tossing the useless array eye of the concealment array in his hand and feeling melancholy. He had failed again. He still hadn't found the right direction.

She said with great interest, "I'm not interested in fighting and killing, but I've never seen a martial arts tournament like this before. Husband, shall we go and take a look? Maybe it'll be fun."

Such things happen frequently, the only difference being the scale. For example, when Guo Jinglong and Liu Zhenwei challenged each other to a duel in the desert, it was a large-scale martial arts tournament, just called by a different name.

Chen Xuan, naturally, wouldn't spoil the fun. Since they were out having fun anyway, he laughed and said, "Let's go take a look. We might even run into someone we know. I'll have Aunt Mei arrange for someone to inquire about the details later, so we don't have to search aimlessly."

"Mmm, my husband is the best! Why do you think people in the martial arts world are so interested in this kind of thing?" the little princess asked curiously.

Chen Xuan chuckled and said, "People in the martial arts world, to put it bluntly, are just bored. Most of them aren't interested in the martial arts tournament itself, but rather in it as a rare opportunity to show off. Think about it, if you have a lot of skills, what's the point if you have nowhere to show them off?"

"Husband, you swore again! Those two words are so awful. Be careful in the future, or people will think you have no manners," the little princess said, gently punching him. Being a good wife and mother is all about this. They don't have children yet, so they can forget about raising children and focus on being a good wife first.

What could Chen Xuan do but agree with her, saying, "Alright, alright, I will definitely be more careful with my words and actions from now on."

While the two were chatting, someone on the deck below reported: "Sir, Madam, someone has fallen into the water ahead. I dare to ask if we should provide assistance?"

Normally, Chen Xuan didn't use his senses much, but upon hearing this, he looked towards the river ahead and saw someone in distress a thousand feet away, clinging to a broken plank of a boat. He was covered in sores, but his face was obscured by the angle.

Seeing this, Chen Xuan nodded and said, "It seems they've encountered some bandits and are in trouble. Let's lower our speedboat and go lend a hand. Everyone has their share of misfortunes."

"Understood, I will arrange for rescue immediately," the person reporting quickly replied.

Chen Xuan naturally didn't need to handle such a trivial matter personally, and he would have simply done it without further attention. However, after taking another look at the person who had fallen into the water, although he couldn't make out their face clearly, they seemed vaguely familiar... (End of Chapter)