Misty Rain of the Old Times

The speedboat sped away, and the person who had fallen into the water was quickly pulled out. When the person was turned over, Chen Xuan glanced at him from afar and thought to himself that he really was someone he knew. Thinking about it, almost ten years had passed in the blink of an eye.

The other person had already fallen into a deep coma and looked quite miserable. There were multiple knife wounds on his body, the most serious of which was a penetrating wound in his chest, which went through both the front and back. His clothes were stained red with blood, and the wound was faintly bleached white.

With such severe injuries, he was on his last breath, practically one foot in the grave.

"I guess you're lucky, you're a young... uh, old, no, you're a middle-aged guy who ran into me and won't die. But what's wrong with you? You're in such a terrible state?" Chen Xuan muttered, thinking that if he said the other person wouldn't die, then he definitely wouldn't, unless someone more powerful than him came to finish him off.

It's true what they say, you can meet anyone in life. We even bumped into each other here. Speaking of which, the first time we met was also on the river, and it was this very Qingping River, just in a different location.

The little princess didn't hear clearly and asked in a daze, "What did you say, husband? What happened to the person who fell into the water?"

“I’ve seen that man a few times. He’s injured, and quite badly. If he comes over later, it will probably be an eyesore. Why don’t you go back to your room first, my wife? Let me treat him first,” Chen Xuan said hesitantly, worried that his wife would be uncomfortable if she saw his miserable state up close.

The little princess naturally understood his intentions, but she said gracefully, "My husband, I'm not that fragile. Besides, he's someone you know. Since he's in trouble, perhaps I can be of some help."

"Alright then," Chen Xuan said, no longer insisting. He figured he could just give up helping, there were so many people involved.

Soon the man was brought to the deck of the ship. Since the injured were the priority, no one cared that he had dirtied the deck. Chen Xuan also lightly landed on the side with the little princess.

An elderly eunuch on board, possessing considerable medical skills and essentially acting as a private physician, quickly diagnosed the condition and shook his head, saying, "He's beyond saving. We could try some drastic measures to bring him to a state of lucidity before he utters his last words, but there's clearly no sign of any family members around. What do you intend to do, sir? Please give your instructions. At this rate, he has at most half an hour left."

He stopped what he was about to do—administer acupuncture and administer medicine—and decisively gave up, shaking his head three times in a row.

Chen Xuan stepped forward and said, "It's alright, I'll do it. There's still a chance to save him."

The old eunuch immediately stepped aside, not doubting Chen Xuan's words at all. With his master's cultivation level, it was not surprising that he could pull people back from the brink of death even if he himself declared them beyond saving. Of course, conversely, when encountering a world-class divine doctor, martial arts cultivation would have to take a backseat. Otherwise, what would be the point of medical skills? Martial arts are not omnipotent.

He knelt down beside the injured person, and Chen Xuan knew the situation at a glance; his eyes were more reliable than an X-ray.

He then swiftly tapped dozens of acupoints on the other person's body, fed them a pill, and placed his hand on their chest to circulate his true energy for healing. The wounds on the other person's body visibly healed and scabbed over, and their breathing became steady. However, due to excessive blood loss and prolonged soaking in water, their skin had turned pale. There was nothing Chen Xuan could do about it; he couldn't conjure blood out of thin air, and he couldn't find anyone with a blood type that matched his to donate blood.

The Ze Yuan Technique he cultivated was not known for its healing abilities, but it also depended on the person. The person in front of him was only at the acquired level of cultivation, and his physical functions had not been refined and improved through multiple breakthroughs. Under the nourishment of his Grandmaster True Essence, it was like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

After receiving treatment from Chen Xuan, the other party will be able to recover and be full of energy again in a month or two. This is just an external injury. If it is a special disease, Chen Xuan will have no way to treat it unless he can refine a medicine that is suitable for the condition.

"Roujia, Juanjie, do you know this person? My husband said they seem to have a good relationship," the little princess asked curiously as Chen Xuan was helping her. She had already gotten used to life in this family, and she addressed Chen Xuan in the same way, without any princess airs. Over time, everyone got used to it. If they were in the capital, they would have to be more careful in this regard.

Shaking her head, the little maid said, "Madam, I don't know him either. He's only been with Master for less than a year."

“I don’t know him either. I’ve been with the master for half a year less than Roujia,” Dujuan shook her head as well.

At this moment, Chen Xuan stood up and said, "Take him to his room to rest, wash him with warm salt water, and then change his clothes. Be careful to be gentle; his injuries have only just begun to heal and can't withstand too much stress."

"Understood," and two young eunuchs immediately complied.

Aside from the little princess, everyone on the ship, even the seemingly frail palace maids, were highly skilled in martial arts. Even the little girl was no exception. Although she hadn't been cultivating for long, it depended on who she was training with. She just didn't have much practical experience, so she carried the wounded man weighing over a hundred pounds with ease.

At this moment, Chen Xuan turned around and said, "My lady, you should ask him. His name is Liang Ren. I met him on the way north to Huizhou Liuyu Academy with the young master. It was a case of 'no fight, no friendship,' of course. I didn't fight him; it was Uncle Geng and the others who talked to him. We even traveled together for a few days afterward. More than a year later, I met him again when I went to the desert to join in the fun. He's quite an interesting person, the kind of true江湖人 (jianghu person, a person of the martial arts world), very loyal and keeping his promises. I just don't know why he's fallen to this state after all these years."

As he spoke, Chen Xuan glanced in the direction of Liang Ren, who was being led to the room. Liang Ren had more than just the fresh injuries that Chen Xuan had just treated.

Upon hearing Chen Xuan's words, the little princess suddenly remembered something and exclaimed, "It's him! My husband told me about it. I remember he met you in the desert back then because he accepted the bounty offered by Miss Zhao Qingluan's family, right? I think I remember correctly."

"Oh right, did I mention that? I completely forgot," Chen Xuan said, scratching his butt.

The little princess nodded and smiled, "Does your bottom itch, husband? Do you need my help? Of course I said I would. I even know a lot about your childhood."

You asked me all sorts of questions, making sure I understood everything clearly, even about how many times I wet the bed as a child... I really didn't, but I think I mentioned it, how could I remember so much?

Thinking to himself, Chen Xuan shook his head and said, "No need, thank you. It was an unconscious act, so I should have already mentioned it. Since my wife already knows, I won't go into details."

She rolled her eyes at him, then covered her mouth and laughed, "Husband, you'd better be more careful in the future. That kind of behavior is unseemly; people will laugh at you."

Being a good wife and mother is her responsibility. Now that she has no children, she can only find some joy in being a wife in Chen Xuan.

When faced with a problem, some people like to touch their nose, some like to touch their chin, while Chen Xuan scratches his butt, a little habit he developed at some point.

He gave an awkward laugh and said, "I'll be more careful in the future."

Well, as long as you're not tickling someone's butt, it's not a problem...

While they were chatting, someone came to report: "Sir, that man has woken up and insists on seeing who saved him. What do you think?"

"So fast! I thought I'd have to wait a while. It seems his cultivation hasn't declined over the years. Let's go take a look," Chen Xuan nodded.

Although their ship was not small, the room area was quite limited after deducting the space needed for daily life. Liang Ren was arranged to be in a four-person room with fixed bunk beds, which was originally intended as a backup for emergencies, but it actually came in handy.

The room couldn't fit so many people, so only Chen Xuan and the little princess went in. Everyone else was busy with their own things, while the little girl and her friends just stood at the door looking around curiously.

Upon seeing Chen Xuan and his group arrive, Liang Ren, pale and weak, tried to rise, saying gratefully, "Thank you for saving me, young master. I am Liang Ren, and I have some martial arts skills from my time in the martial world. I have no way to repay you, but please let me know if you need me to go through fire and water in the future, and I will go through any hardship for you."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan chuckled to himself. Don't you wanderers have any other words? Why do you keep repeating the same phrase?
He gently raised his hand, pressing her back onto the bed with a soft touch. Chen Xuan, sitting opposite the little princess, shared a mischievous quirk and replied irrelevantly, "Big brother, you're awake! Congratulations, you're already a successful girl."

"Huh?" Liang Ren was dumbfounded. What was going on? There were eunuchs in this era. His heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously looked down at his lower body. He found that there were girls around him. He suppressed the thought, but his heart was in turmoil. He wondered if he had really been castrated while he was unconscious. He remembered that he hadn't hurt himself there.

Then he saw that Chen Xuan and the others were all rich and powerful. He wondered if they were trying to trick him into taking in a servant. But he was a big, burly man with a disability. Was it really necessary for them to do this?
The little princess beside him couldn't resist giving him a light pinch on the waist, a subtle way of telling him to watch his words. Chen Xuan, enduring the tickle, chuckled and said, "Just kidding, I was just kidding."

With an awkward laugh, Liang Ren secretly breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Young master is truly witty; such jokes are not appropriate."

"What I mean is, I can turn you into a girl, but it won't be that fast. You're not a girl now, you can't be a man anymore. How about it, I have connections in the capital, do you want me to introduce you to a job in the palace?" Chen Xuan suddenly changed the subject and said this.

As the little princess was both amused and exasperated, Liang Ren's face paled again. However, having practiced martial arts for many years, although his internal energy was not yet fully recovered after the ordeal, he quickly realized after circulating his internal energy once that he was fine and that this young nobleman was just teasing him with his mischievous sense of humor.

At the same time, he discovered that his severe injuries were almost completely healed, though he was still very weak. He was quite astonished, but after a period of recuperation, he would be fully recovered. So he cautiously said, "Young master, you flatter me. I was rude and did not ask your name. I hope you will be so kind as to enlighten me."

"Uncle Liang, don't you remember me?" Chen Xuan laughed, no longer joking.

Should I know you? I know my own background perfectly well. Judging from the subtle atmosphere around us, I reckon anyone who shows the slightest disrespect would be chopped into mincemeat on the spot.

Despite inwardly grumbling, Liang Ren still cautiously said, "I am blind and cannot recall where I have seen you before. Please enlighten me. If I have offended you, please forgive me."

To this, Chen Xuan said helplessly, "Uncle Liang, you really have a bad memory. I am Chen Xuan. Do you remember that time on the Qingping River? It was raining that day, and you forced your way onto a northbound boat and almost got thrown overboard. We even gave you a ride. There were two little boys on the boat back then, no, there were also Xiao Ye and Xiao Cai. They were little girls back then, even younger than Rou Jia is now. I am Chen Xuan, do you remember me? That's right, I've changed a lot over the years, it's normal that Uncle Liang doesn't remember me."

Hearing this, Liang Ren's thoughts were instantly pulled back to that rainy day years ago. He exclaimed in surprise, "It's you, young... uh, Young Master Chen. You've grown up so much in the blink of an eye. I really didn't recognize you. Where's your young master? Oh right, your young master became the top scholar in the imperial examination last year. Is he on the ship too?"

He suddenly remembered that Chen Xuan was Xiao Gao's pageboy, and the two should be inseparable. Since Chen Xuan was right in front of him, Gao Jingming must be nearby as well.

After he finished speaking, Chen Xuan was speechless and said, "Uncle Liang, you haven't heard about my affairs?"

Liang Ren was a wandering swordsman, and Chen Xuan hadn't deliberately hidden him in recent years. Everyone knew that Xiao Gao had become the top scholar in the imperial examination, so there was no reason why he hadn't heard of him. It seemed that he was still stuck in the memory of being Xiao Gao's page.

Since it was the child he had met by chance back then, and even the pageboy of that top scholar, the distance between them had been reduced considerably. Liang Ren was no longer as cautious as he had been at the beginning, and asked with a puzzled look, "Should I know something?"

This reaction showed that he was indeed unaware of Chen Xuan's recent situation. There was no need to dwell on it, so Chen Xuan decisively changed the subject. Otherwise, Chen Xuan would think he was deliberately showing off. So he looked at the other party and hesitated, saying, "It's been many years. Uncle Liang, how did you end up in such a state?"

Upon hearing this, Liang Ren immediately gritted his teeth and said angrily, "Young Master Chen, don't even mention it! Earlier, I was ferrying people across the river when a bunch of river bandits suddenly appeared and surrounded me. I was originally planning to pay them off, but those sons of bitches wouldn't let it go. They saw I had some martial arts skills and tried to force me to join them. Of course, I refused, and during the ensuing verbal conflict, they became enraged and, relying on their numbers, you saw what happened. My ferry was destroyed, and I almost died. Luckily, Young Master Chen and your companions rescued me. Alas!"

Then he asked in surprise, "By the way, Young Master Chen, what happened to my injuries?"

"Your injury looks scary, but it's not that serious. Luckily, we have a skilled doctor on our ship. But that's not important. What's important is that you, Uncle Liang, didn't you make a living by taking on various bounties and rewards? How did you end up doing ferry work?" Chen Xuan casually brushed aside his curiosity.

I remember he once said that he would do any job for just ten taels of silver, even killing people, provided that he wouldn't take jobs killing good people, the elderly, the weak, or women. He could even bargain when he was short of money.

A hint of awkwardness flashed across Liang Ren's face, but he smiled and said, "I stopped wandering the martial world a long time ago. About three years ago, I had an accident and met my current wife. Since she doesn't mind, I gave up my fighting spirit and settled down with her. I work as a ferryman on the Qingping River, and with my strength, I earn a meager living to support my family. By the way, Mr. Chen, you may not know, but I already have a two-year-old son. My wife is about to give birth, and I hope it's a daughter..."

As he spoke, his face filled with terror and lingering fear. If he hadn't been rescued, what would have happened to his wife and children? They absolutely couldn't know he was like this, or they would worry.

It turned out that he had retired from the martial arts world and started a ferry business, and had been doing so for several years. News was scarce in this small town, so it was no wonder that no one had heard about him. Chen Xuan immediately understood.

As for why he lives a peaceful life, apart from the reasons he mentioned, it must be a painful past. This can be seen from the fact that he lost a leg. His left leg was missing from the knee up and was replaced with a wooden stick, which is a simple prosthetic. His martial arts skills are also quite good, so it is unlikely that it will have much impact on his life.

There's no need to reopen old wounds, Chen Xuan said with a smile, "According to the doctor on the boat, Uncle Liang's injury isn't serious; he'll recover after some rest. By the way, judging from your tone, are there many bandits on the river? It seems you're often extorted."

Liang Ren immediately looked distressed and said, "Who says otherwise? Water bandits have never stopped. When we traveled north through the Ape's Fall Canyon, weren't there water bandits there too? I just don't know why they didn't bother us. I don't know about other places, but on the Qingping River within Haozhou, I know of at least four or five groups of water bandits. I make a living in the section of the river where one of them operates, and I'm often ripped off. Then I heard that a few more groups have appeared this year. They often fight to the death for territory, and most of them have migrated from Rongguo. Especially recently, His Majesty ascended the throne and granted amnesty, releasing many ruthless characters. One of them, called Broken Water Mad Blade, boasted that he wanted to dominate the Qingping River within Haozhou. The water bandits are all on edge, wanting to make some money in advance to avoid his wrath. By the way, recently, righteous people want to hold a martial arts conference in Yinlong County, just to join forces to deal with him."

After listening to him say so much in one breath, Chen Xuan finally understood that the conflicts in the martial arts world never end.

Realizing he had said too much—that Chen Xuan and his companions weren't江湖人士 (jianghu figures, people of the martial arts world)—Liang Ren changed the subject, saying, "Young Master Chen, you don't need to worry about these things. Martial arts matters are for the martial arts world to handle. Besides, there are officials involved. Just don't go to dangerous places. The river isn't safe these days. By the way, where are you headed? If it's not necessary, you should turn back."

“It’s alright, we’ll just wander around. Uncle Liang, don’t worry, we won’t go to dangerous places on our own. And what are your plans next, Uncle Liang?” Chen Xuan said earnestly, looking like he was listening to advice, little did he know that to those villains, they were the ones in the most danger.

With a smile, Liang Ren said helplessly, "What other plans can I have? I'll just rest for a while. If it really doesn't work out, I'll change careers. I won't make a living on the river anymore. A living person can't be driven to death by holding their pee..."

He then gave an awkward laugh and said, "Young Master Chen, please don't mind. I'm just a rough man and don't know how to say anything nice. And may I ask who this gentleman is?"

He had noticed the little princess next to Chen Xuan long ago, but he was too shy to speak to her.

"Sorry, I forgot to introduce her. This is my wife, Zhou Qianning," Chen Xuan quickly introduced.

Liang Ren exclaimed with delight, "Young Master Chen, you're already married? Congratulations! You're truly blessed!"

"That's right, my wife is the best in the world," Chen Xuan said with undisguised pride.

The little princess, however, felt a little embarrassed and greeted him politely, saying, "Zhou Xianning, daughter-in-law of the Chen family, greets Uncle Liang."

"Madam Chen, you're too kind. Look at me, I can't return the gift, but I hope you won't forget it," Liang Ren said rather embarrassedly.

At this moment, Chen Xuan noticed Du Juan outside the door hesitating to speak, and turned around to say directly, "Sister Juan, please speak freely."

Du Juan said bluntly, "Sir, our ship is being watched, and the people who came are up to no good."

It had only been a couple of days since things calmed down, and now trouble has arisen again. It's true what they say, once you step out, you're in a world of your own; staying at home is just plain boring.

Seeing Liang Ren's expression change upon hearing this, Chen Xuan stood up and said with a smile, "Uncle Liang, please calm down and rest for a while. Let me go see what's going on. Don't worry, we have more than one innate masters on this ship."

Liang Ren, who was originally uneasy, was immediately dumbfounded. The innate master was still a bit too far away for him. Is it really that powerful to follow the top scholar? It is indeed good to have a big tree to lean on.

...(End of chapter)