Misty Rain of the Old Times

Chen Xuan wasn't surprised at all that the old man had come to join in the fun, but he just hadn't expected it to happen in this way.

They should have chosen a better identity. What was they thinking, pretending to be a member of the Beggars' Sect? The emperor was reduced to a beggar not long ago; the contrast is too great.

Eunuch Wang replaced Zhu Hong, the leader of the Beggars' Sect. At first, Chen Xuan really didn't notice. If Lao Deng hadn't accidentally revealed something and made the connection, he wouldn't have noticed at all.

It's easy to imagine that Eunuch Wang's skills in disguise were truly remarkable; he could even alter one's temperament and the characteristics of one's true energy, probably no less than Chen Xuan's Thousand Illusions Technique.

That being said, without such abilities, they wouldn't have been able to slip away right under Chen Xuan's nose yesterday.

Even Xuanqing and the others didn't notice anything unusual after spending so much time together. It's obvious that he has replaced Zhu Hong's identity. If he has ulterior motives, it's frightening to even think about.

So where did Zhu Hong, the original leader of the Beggars' Sect, go? Did he voluntarily hand over his identity, or was he passively lent it to Eunuch Wang? Only the old folks probably know the answer.

But what exactly does the old man want to do? This is no longer just watching the show. Could it be that he's gotten tired of being an emperor for decades and is now rekindling his youthful passion, wanting to roam the world, punish evil, promote good, and help the weak?
While Chen Xuan was caught between laughter and tears, the situation outside suddenly reversed.

Originally, Lang Jingfeng made a high-profile appearance all alone, but as the exclamation of being surrounded rang out, a large number of people emerged around the island in the lake and quickly surrounded it.

The people surrounding the island didn't appear out of thin air, but they were practically there. They emerged from the water around the island, and once ashore, they were all soaking wet. Most of them quickly used their internal energy to evaporate the water vapor.

People kept emerging from the water, quickly surpassing the original number of people on the island. After they stopped appearing, the number of people surrounding the island was nearly double that of before. It should be noted that the number of martial arts practitioners participating in the conference, plus those responsible for the food and drink, was between ten and twenty thousand!

Good heavens, fifty to sixty thousand people have sprung up on the already small island in the lake, leaving very little room for people to stand.

The group of people from Lang Jingfeng's side firmly surrounded the island, while a group of righteous martial arts practitioners quickly retreated inward, all nervously scanning their surroundings.

Among the people who suddenly appeared and surrounded the island, there were quite a few with the aura of innate masters. It was unknown where Lang Jingfeng had found them. Although their numbers were less than those of the righteous side, probably only half, they could not withstand the fact that they had used underhanded tricks and poison beforehand.

With the arrival of his own men, Lang Jingfeng became even more arrogant and sneered, "I told you, today is the day of death for all of you. Not one of you will leave here alive!"

A barely perceptible glint of amusement flashed in Zhou An's eyes, but his face remained serious as he said, "Impossible. When did you lay an ambush of so many people underwater? We checked beforehand, how could we not have detected them!"

"Hahaha, nothing is impossible. You are all too arrogant. Now that things have come to this, I'm not afraid to tell you that there were indeed no ambushes in the surrounding lake an hour ago. They came from underwater at the last minute!" Lang Jingfeng sneered.

As if it were unbelievable, that was the reality. Hu Feng said with a grim expression, "With so many of you, even if you came from underwater, there's no way you wouldn't have made a sound. Do you think we're fools? Most of you probably drowned halfway here. Who are you trying to fool?"

Lang Jingfeng scoffed, "Don't underestimate others just because you're ignorant. Do you think we're all experts on the water? A mere Breath-Holding Pill is enough to allow an ordinary person to survive and move around underwater for two hours. Besides, there's an undercurrent at the bottom of this lake that leads directly to the Qingping River. We can easily surround you without anyone noticing. We've gone all out this time to wipe you out!"

"Hmph, they really go all out. With such meticulous planning, it's still uncertain who will emerge victorious," Qin Yun said through gritted teeth, forcing herself to remain calm, her hand already on the hilt of her sword, her heart pounding with tension.

Chen Xuan, watching from the attic, was thoroughly enjoying himself. He thought to himself that what was originally a harmonious martial arts gathering, where everyone was eating, drinking, and discussing how to suppress bandits, had turned out to be an unexpected event. Moreover, it seemed that they were going to start a decisive battle right away. The development of the situation was truly unpredictable.

Just as Lang Jingfeng said, there was indeed an underground river at the bottom of the lake that led directly to the Qingping River. Chen Xuan discovered it as soon as he arrived at the lake. At that time, someone secretly appeared in the underground river and surrounded the island, which is why he was so calm that something bad was bound to happen here today.

It must be said that these people who live on the water are truly extraordinary; they even have pills that allow people to survive and live underwater for extended periods of time, something that ordinary people wouldn't even dare to dream of.

Chen Xuan can also refine this stuff, and he even has some in stock at home. However, it has a single effect and is usually useless, so it just sits there collecting dust.

"So you still won't accept your fate even now? Well, you self-proclaimed righteous people, how could you give up until the very last moment? It's a pity that you will all die here today. Qin Yun of the Flying Feather Sect, is that right? I see you still have your charm. Before you die, I will definitely let you enjoy being a woman for a while, hehe," Lang Jingfeng said, looking at Qin Yun and licking his lips.

Qin Yun said in shame and indignation, "Shameless! Don't say it's too early; I'd rather die than let you succeed!"

Xuan Qing waved his hand to interrupt this pointless conversation, and taking a deep breath as he looked at the crowd collapsing one after another, he said, "When did you poison us? Are you just stalling for time until the poison takes effect?"

"So what if it is? Since you know it's just stalling for time, why don't you fight back? Are you helpless? Your Tai Xuan Sect prides itself on being experts in pills, yet you don't even know when you were poisoned. It seems the Tai Xuan Sect doesn't live up to its name," Lang Jingfeng said confidently, but he was not letting his guard down. No one knows the outcome until the very last moment.

Xuan Qing seemed speechless, then calmly said, "Please enlighten me."

“Telling you won’t help, and it won’t make you die knowing why. Ordinary poisoning methods would be ineffective against you and would only alert the enemy. But the poison you’re suffering from now is different. It’s called Spring Snow. It’s colorless and odorless, and normally harmless. It only dissipates when it’s dissolved in water and exposed to sunlight, just like now. Once you’re poisoned, you’ll fall into a coma. Do you know why it’s called Spring Snow? Because the poisoned person will melt away like snowflakes in the spring sun. The difference is that it’s not the body that melts away, but the internal energy. It will cause a person to lose all their cultivation while in a coma. Although it’s not fatal, it will leave them as fish on a chopping board!”

At this point, Lang Jingfeng chuckled and said, "Do you think I don't know the principle that the more you talk, the longer it takes, the more changes will occur? I've been wasting so much time talking to you, just waiting for your poison to take effect. Every minute that passes, your cultivation weakens, and in a quarter of an hour at most you will become ordinary people with no cultivation, useless trash. What will you use to resist then?"

"I see. Such a vicious medicine. I've never heard of it before. I must be ignorant," Xuanqing nodded.

With a slight frown, Lang Jingfeng squinted and said, "You're not flustered at all? Do you think you can turn the tables, you old Taoist?"

"Alright, it's about time. Stop wasting time and get to work. Although the imperial court usually doesn't interfere in matters of the martial world, if too many people die at once and we don't clean up the mess in time, it will still incur the court's wrath," someone in the crowd said in a deep voice.

Just as Lang Jingfeng nodded, ready to act, Zhou An, who had previously looked grave, suddenly smiled and changed the subject, saying, "Senior Lang, since you're stalling for time until the poison takes effect, aren't we also stalling for time until the antidote works? Didn't you just say that the Tai Xuan Sect is an expert in elixirs? With so many people gathered together, how could we not be on guard? Your Chunxue is indeed skilled, but she's not without a way to deal with it, is she? Alright, everyone, stop pretending and get up, otherwise we'll be caught off guard if they suddenly attack."

As he finished speaking, another untimely voice rang out from the group of beggars who had collapsed in the crowd: "I've been wanting to quit pretending for a long time. Don't you know how dirty the ground is? It's quite interesting. Look at those guys surrounding us, their faces are as ugly as if they've eaten dead children." It was the old man in disguise who said this. There was no doubt about it. The sarcasm in his words made Lang Jingfeng's teeth itch, but he was also somewhat suspicious.

At this moment, the people who had been pretending to be poisoned and collapsed all got up. Those who didn't know the situation looked in the direction of the old man and thought to themselves speechless, "The ground is dirty, and you, a beggar, are being so particular."

What could Zhou An do? His old boss wanted to play games and manipulate the criminals. As a former employee, he had no choice but to rack his brains to cooperate.

It wasn't that Zhou An looked down on people in the martial arts world; there were certainly clever people in the martial arts world. But compared to the scheming and deceit in a war between two countries, it was far too easy. Not to mention planning on a yearly basis, one could simply follow the trend and make them run around in circles.

The saying "Those who wield knives can never outwit those who use their brains" is truly exemplified.

"What? This is impossible!" Lang Jingfeng stared at the people who had stood up again, his eyes wide with disbelief.

At this moment, Zhou An looked at Lang Jingfeng with the same gaze one would give a monkey jumping around and laughed, "I'll return what I just said to you: nothing is impossible. You think you're the mantis stalking the cicada, but little do you know we're also luring you into a trap. The martial arts tournament is held to wipe you out. If everyone knows about it, how can you remain indifferent? Instead of traveling thousands of miles to find you, it's better to make a big fuss and lure you into walking into our net, so we can catch you all in one fell swoop. Isn't that much easier? If I'm not mistaken, you've already invited all the outlaws from the four continents and thirty-two counties on this trip. After today, there will only be a few big cats and small cats left, nothing to worry about!"

Upon hearing this, Lang Jingfeng realized something was wrong. However, since his side had more people, he still felt the advantage was in their favor, even if the poisoning failed.

As Zhou An finished speaking, Xuan Qing also put away his solemn expression and smiled, "As Chief Lang just said, our Tai Xuan Sect is an expert in elixirs. We had indeed never heard of such a vicious substance as Spring Snow before, but that doesn't mean we don't have an antidote. Did you smell the faint fragrance of orchids? That's right, it's from the incense burning everywhere. We lit them not to be pretentious, but to prevent being poisoned. You should know that if something goes wrong with so many people gathered together, it would be a world-shaking event. Being prepared has indeed worked. There is a miraculous antidote in those incense sticks called Heavenly Fragrance Magnolia. It can neutralize any poison that can kill a Grandmaster with a single drop of blood. That's why your Spring Snow is not working!"

At this moment, Huan Langjingfeng's face turned ugly. He gritted his teeth and said, "You are truly cunning and shrewd. However, there is one thing I don't understand. Since you made preparations in advance, and I was among you beforehand, why didn't anyone inform you?"

Regarding this question, Xuanqing looked at Zhou An.

Zhou An then stated bluntly, "It's very simple. You're stalling for time until the poison takes effect, and we're stalling for time until the antidote works. Most of the people who collapsed earlier didn't know the truth, but the various factions were in cahoots. It's normal that you didn't know because you were worried about being exposed and disguised yourself as a wandering swordsman."

Upon hearing this, Lang Jingfeng exhaled and nodded, saying, "I see. You even deceived your own people. It's truly no wonder we made a mistake."

As he spoke, he looked at Zhou An with icy eyes and said, "As expected of the leader recognized by everyone, you have already demonstrated extraordinary abilities before even truly beginning to fulfill your duties. If we hadn't come today, I'm afraid that under your arrangements, we would have truly had nowhere to go."

"Didn't you hear Alliance Leader Zhou say you've walked right into a trap? You're still thinking about the future?" a voice mocked from the crowd.

Qin Yun hesitated, then looked at Zhu Hong with a troubled expression and said, "Chief Zhu, can't your Beggars' Clan do something about this?"

"I'm so sorry, I'll definitely keep it in check when I get back," said Eunuch Wang, disguised as Zhu Hong, awkwardly. He had served his boss his whole life, but the boss was too playful. What could he do but cover for him?

Then he looked at the old man with a hint of pleading and said, "Please don't let this happen again."

The old man reluctantly shut up. He knew this wasn't the time for him to act recklessly, but he had no choice because his cultivation level was too low. If his cultivation level were switched with his companion's, and he were the leader now, he would make those guys feel ashamed and indignant.

Lang Jingfeng glanced coldly in the direction of the old man. He remembered that Wuwu Zha Zha twice, but unfortunately the other party was hiding behind a group of righteous experts, otherwise he would have made a move.

But when he took that look, he inexplicably felt a chill down his spine. Was he seeing a ghost? Could it be that the righteous people had disrupted his plans and he was starting to become paranoid?

With the arrow already on the bowstring, there was no turning back. As the initiator of this siege against the righteous people, Lang Jingfeng naturally wouldn't show any fear. He looked at the other side and sneered, "Although it's true that you weren't poisoned, there was an unexpected situation. But we outnumber you and you will still die today!"

At this point, Hu Feng chuckled and said, "You think you can take me on? We, the people at the Innate Realm, are far superior to you. So you don't have the advantage in numbers; you're just spouting nonsense."

"Haha, do you really think this is all I'm prepared for? There's a distinction between good and evil in the martial world. You call yourselves the righteous path of the martial world, but it's not just us outlaws who are hoping for your demise!" Lang Jingfeng suddenly burst into laughter, reverting to his previous arrogance.

The moment he finished speaking, several more figures emerged from the water surrounding the island. They were all dressed in black robes with a fiery red flame pattern on their clothes, and each of them exuded a terrifying aura.

They stood atop the tree, each representing a different faction. One of them looked at Xuan Qing and the others and sneered, "And what about us?"

"The Chongyan Sect? Everyone except the sect leader is here! Lang Jingfeng, you actually colluded with the Chongyan Sect!" Qin Yun's expression changed drastically as she said in a deep voice. Having experienced the duel between Guo Jinglong and Liu Zhenwei in the desert years ago, she knew how terrifying the Chongyan Sect was. It was not something that a bunch of mountain tyrants could compare to.

Xuan Qing's gaze sharpened again as he warned, "Everyone be careful. Judging from his words, since the Chongyan Sect members have appeared, the Shadow Assassin Sect, skilled in assassination, must also be lurking nearby!"

Slowly drawing his longsword, Lang Jingfeng's aura rose steadily. Pointing his blade at Xuan Qing and the others, he said with murderous intent, "Now, do you still think you can leave alive?"

What was originally just a meeting, before any action could even be taken, has escalated into a battle between good and evil.

Zhou An remained calm. Sensing the occasional dangerous aura emanating from the Shadow Assassins, he looked around and said, "This is your trump card and your confidence, isn't it? Although unexpected, it was also within expectations. You said you were inviting us into a trap, so how could we not have a backup plan?"

At this point, as Lang Jingfeng and the others focused their gazes, he cupped his hands and said, "Sect Leader Xuan Yang, Manor Lord Ye, Sect Leader Zhang... it's your turn to step forward!"

Watching them banter for ages from the attic, Chen Xuan thought to himself, "Wow, one act ends and another begins, it's like a nested doll game. But it's really interesting, quite exciting..." (End of Chapter)