Misty Rain of the Old Times

"Better to be a dog in times of peace than a human in times of chaos"—these ten simple words encapsulate the bloody and cruel reality of survival amidst natural disasters and man-made calamities.

At the border between Jing and Rong Kingdoms, millions of refugees gathered in Rong Kingdom, and more poured in from all directions, dreaming of crossing the border to Jing Kingdom in hopes of surviving. However, they were blocked by that wall, which became an insurmountable and despairing barrier.

In fact, what stopped the refugees was not just the wall, but also the cold blade!
Most of the refugees who gathered there were the elderly, women, and children; there were very few able-bodied men, and even those who were mostly disabled. As for where the able-bodied men had gone, and what was the current situation in Rongguo, they would most likely be conscripted as soon as they showed their faces. They would either be reduced to hard labor like animals, building city defenses and doing logistics, or they would be sent to the meat grinder of the battlefield.

What will so many refugees eat if they gather in such a large group? What does it mean to feed a million people? Can they simply survive for a while by stripping the grass and leaves from the ground within a radius of a hundred miles, leaving no trace of greenery in the area?

This despairing and cruel reality is not something that happened overnight; it is a painful reality from which there is not a single glimmer of hope.

Will the Rongguo court take care of these refugees? Probably, but can they manage so many people? And how long can even the thin, watery porridge last?
So what do these refugees eat on a daily basis? I can't think about it, I dare not think about it.

This situation is just one example along the border between the two countries; similar scenes are playing out in many other places.

Rongguo has a vast territory and a population of over 100 million. Last year, a severe drought affected several states, and the chain reaction dragged the entire country into a quagmire of disaster, leading to widespread war and widespread suffering. The exact number of victims is impossible to count; it must be an incredibly heavy figure. Every day, countless people collapse in despair, a situation beyond the control of any individual.

As the ship sailed downstream, the scene of refugees covering the mountains and plains gradually faded into the distance. Yet, a steady stream of disaster victims could still be seen converging on both banks. Some collapsed as they walked, numb and desperate like walking corpses. Many did not know why they had come here; perhaps they felt there was a glimmer of hope since everyone else had come, after all, staying put would only mean waiting to die.

Chen Xuan never considered himself a good person, but he wasn't completely bad either, so he could only remain silent.

As the boat sailed through the middle of the river, the border was no longer visible, and even the Rongguo soldiers who had escorted them had returned.

Standing at the bow of the boat, Chen Xuan lowered his head and remained silent. No matter how carefree he was, he had no interest in looking up at the scenery around him.

The little girl stood beside him, looking very downcast. Due to the distance and her low cultivation level, she couldn't see the situation on both sides of the strait clearly from the beginning, but she could still see the scene of refugees crowding the mountains and fields.

Having grown up in hardship, she could imagine the despair of being starving and having nowhere else to turn. After a long silence, she bit her lip and said in a low voice, "Master, they probably knew there was no way to survive there, so why did they still gather there? And why wouldn't those soldiers let them pass? They'd rather watch them die in despair."

Hearing her questions, Chen Xuan opened his mouth, thinking to himself, "The reason they're gathering here is because people have a tendency to blindly follow others. When they don't know where they're going, they subconsciously follow others, and then more and more people gather. As for why the soldiers won't let them pass..."

Chen Xuan paused here, shook his head, and continued, "There are too many refugees. Our Jing Kingdom simply dares not let them in. How can we accommodate so many disaster victims? What will we feed them? That would have an immeasurable impact on our own people's livelihood, a consequence that no one dares to bear. Moreover, with the lack of rain, our Jing Kingdom is already facing the impending disaster and chaos. How can we afford to worry about these things? Therefore, we can only make the difficult decision to keep them out."

"Then there's Rongguo's side. They won't let them go either. The most important reason is that as long as the disaster victims are alive, they are productive forces. They can have children and restore the population base. No one will allow a large number of people to leave."

Hearing this, Su Roujia nodded and then shook her head. She murmured, "I still don't understand why they would rather watch them die in despair than let them fight for a chance to live."

"It's very simple, Roujia. You just need to remember that disaster victims may not covet the delicacies in some people's bowls, but some people are always coveting the meager water and coarse chaff in their bowls. That's reality," Chen Xuan said with a smirk. This reality is the same everywhere.

Upon hearing this, the little girl nodded as if she understood, her feelings complicated yet helpless.

Reaching out to pat her head, Chen Xuan comforted her, "Don't overthink things and create unnecessary trouble for yourself. Just live your own life well. Don't try to force yourself to suffer, don't pretend to be pitiful or miserable, and don't kick others while they're down. We're all just ordinary people."

"Hmm," the little girl tried to force a smile, but couldn't manage it.

As the sun was about to set, the afterglow painted the river surface a fiery red, like thick, unyielding blood.

As the ship sailed further downstream into Rongguo territory, the number of corpses floating on the river increased. In many places, the water surface was even covered with patches of corpses, which were obviously brought from upstream. No one was there to salvage or manage them, and they almost all ended up in the belly of fish.

The river water is unusable. Even the wide Qingping River is littered with corpses, and the water downstream can only be described as "corpse water."

If you think about it carefully, this situation is extremely terrible. The water is polluted, and once it is consumed, it may breed various diseases or even plagues.

Chen Xuan couldn't change it either, because this wasn't just a matter in one or two places, but rather the entire lower reaches of the Qingping River.

The little princess went back to her room before crossing the border. There was nothing she could do to change it, so she could only choose to avoid it, especially since a large number of corpses had appeared on the river downstream. She even closed the windows and didn't even have the idea of ​​coming out for some fresh air.

The meals that were usually served on the deck have been moved to a relatively spacious room on the second floor of the ship.

During dinner, Chen Xuan pondered for a moment and said, "Wife, for the rest of our journey, let's go ashore and travel by land. What do you think?"

The Qingping River originates in the Bingduan Mountains of Jing Kingdom, almost traversing the entire territory of Jing Kingdom, and flows downstream into Rong Kingdom until it reaches the sea.

While traveling by boat to the sea was smooth and unobstructed, seeing so many corpses on the river, Chen Xuan thought it best to choose another way to travel south.

The drought has lasted too long, and the Qingping River still has a relatively abundant flow of water. Countless people will inevitably flock to the riverbanks, resulting in corpses floating everywhere on the river. We can't keep looking at so many corpses every day.

"I'm fine with anything, it's all up to my husband," the little princess nodded and said. As long as she was with Chen Xuan, she didn't care about anything else.

The itinerary change was settled, but this meant replanning the route. Chen Xuan looked at Xia Mei and said, "Aunt Mei, we'll find a place to dock early tomorrow morning and take the land route. We'll arrange for someone to sail the boat south along the river towards the open sea, maintaining constant contact. There might be times when we have to return to the boat along the way."

"Yes, sir, I will make the arrangements shortly," Xia Mei nodded in agreement. They couldn't just walk ashore, and they needed to prepare their belongings, carriages, and other necessities in advance.

Then Chen Xuan added, "By the way, does Aunt Mei have a map of Rongguo? We're unfamiliar with the area, we can't just wander around aimlessly."

“Yes, sir, I was prepared in advance,” Xia Mei said, quickly fetching the map of Rongguo.

There wasn't just one map; there were maps of the entire Rong Kingdom, as well as maps of various localities, and they were incredibly detailed, even down to the village and town level. Their strategic significance was immense, and it was strictly forbidden for civilians to possess them—it was as if they had a complete understanding of the Rong Kingdom. Chen Xuan wasn't surprised that Xia Mei had obtained such detailed maps. He glanced at them and simply handed them to Xia Mei, saying, "Aunt Mei, please arrange the rest of the itinerary. Try to stay away from towns as much as possible."

Xia Mei nodded in agreement, but the little princess asked curiously, "Husband, why do you try to stay away from towns as much as possible?"

With a smile, Chen Xuan frankly stated, "Our main purpose is sightseeing, isn't it? Besides, given the current state of affairs in Rongguo, it's easy to encounter unpleasant things in towns and cities, such as crowds of refugees and corpses lying everywhere. Although I'm not a good person, I'm worried that seeing such scenes might overwhelm me with sympathy, so it's best to avoid them as much as possible. Moreover, in chaotic times, people's hearts are treacherous, and this will also help us avoid a lot of unnecessary trouble."

“My husband is right,” the little princess nodded in deep agreement.

At this moment, Dujuan said with some concern, "Master, Madam is currently pregnant. If we travel by land, the bumpy ride will be difficult for her to endure."

Her concerns were not unfounded. The shock absorption of carriages and horses in this era was so poor that even a dog would shake its head in disapproval. Moreover, the road conditions were terrible. Going on a long trip was simply asking for trouble. It was not just ordinary suffering. Others could overcome it, but the little princess had been pampered since childhood and was now pregnant. She could not afford to make any mistakes.

Chen Xuan smiled and said dismissively, "Don't worry, with me here, Madam won't suffer the slightest commotion."

With his current cultivation level, he could easily lift water spheres weighing tens of thousands of tons into the sky, just like when it rained in Yang County last time. Making mere carriages and horses float was a piece of cake. The amount of true essence he consumed was not only less than his recovery speed, but also less than what he was constantly increasing. It was no big deal at all.

In that case, there's nothing to worry about.

Chen Xuan was thinking to himself, if only there were a flying vehicle, it would be easy to go anywhere, and he wouldn't have to deal with the turbulence himself, but unfortunately there isn't one at the moment.

The Jing Kingdom's royal family does possess warships capable of flying, as they can deploy floating islands in the capital, which is no secret. However, Chen Xuan has never seen them. They are national treasures that ordinary people cannot access. Although he is not an ordinary person, there is no need for him to deliberately seek them out out of curiosity.

Just because he doesn't have it now doesn't mean he won't have it in the future. He knows levitation formations, and building flying vehicles is only a matter of time. Right now, he's focusing on concealment formations, so levitation formations can only be postponed. Let alone a short time, even if he had a year or two, he wouldn't be confident in mastering levitation formations. This isn't some beginner-level fog formation.

After dinner, it was late at night, and everyone went back to their rooms to rest.

Inside the room, Chen Xuan, having finished washing and bathing, was about to get into bed when the little princess said apologetically, "Husband, it's inconvenient for me to serve you right now. Why don't you go find Lan'er and Xin'er? Sister Juan would also be fine. Roujia is too young; she'll have to wait a few more years. Or perhaps you could have them come in to serve you. If you don't mind the trouble, you could also go find Sister Wanqian. I can tell she would be more than happy to oblige."

Chen Xuan paused, surprised by his wife's words. He chuckled, "What are you saying, my wife? Do you think I'm such a lustful person? Let's rest. Move over a bit, be gentle, don't disturb the baby."

The little princess covered her mouth and smiled, thinking to herself, "You are just like an ox that never runs out of energy."

Hearing that he neither refused nor accepted, the little princess said earnestly, "It's alright, husband, please go ahead. Don't worry about me. I'll have more room to sleep alone. Besides, they'll all be yours sooner or later, and they've always been looking forward to your favor. I'm happy to see that happen. I can't wait for them to get pregnant and have children for our Chen family. And husband, don't you want to give our child some younger brothers and sisters soon? That way, they'll have playmates and won't be all alone later."

Chen Xuan could tell that his wife's words came from the heart. Far from being jealous or angry, he was actually pleased and remained unmoved, saying, "We'll talk about it later. Right now, all I want to do is stay with you."

He then slipped into bed and gently embraced his wife, without making any physical contact; they simply snuggled together.

The little princess stopped insisting and instead asked seriously, "Husband, tell me the truth, why have you kept rejecting them? Is it because their looks and figures aren't enough to move you?"

Chen Xuan playfully pinched her nose and chuckled, "That's not true at all. They are all stunning beauties, the likes of which are hard to find even in a hundred thousand miles. How could I not be tempted?"

"Then why is my husband unmoved? They've been waiting for you for so long. I don't monopolize you every day. You can go to them whenever you want," the little princess said, speechless.

Feeling both amused and exasperated, Chen Xuan simply said, "My wife, please don't overthink it. I've never considered myself a gentleman, but I don't want to be so hasty about this kind of thing, understand?"

"I see, I understand now," the little princess said thoughtfully.

What do you know? Not knowing what she was thinking, Chen Xuan closed his eyes and said, "It's getting late, go to sleep. Hopefully, we can experience the unique customs and culture of Rongguo tomorrow when we reach the shore."

He fell asleep peacefully with his wife in his arms, unaware that Yunlan, Yunxin, and Dujuan went from initial anticipation to disappointment, until they were tossing and turning, unable to sleep due to anxiety and uncertainty.

Their lives were already tied to Chen Xuan; they would be his sooner or later. They thought their chance would come when his wife was pregnant, but after they dressed up and prepared in advance, Chen Xuan didn't come to see them. Their expectations were in vain...

The next morning, Chen Xuan and his group had breakfast on the boat. When the sun was high in the sky, the ship slowly docked at a deserted small dock on the riverbank. The place had obviously been abandoned for a long time, but it was still intact.

After disembarking here, led by Xia Mei, they crossed a desolate mountain range and arrived at the main road, where several carriages were already waiting.

Xia Mei arranged everything last night; all the necessary supplies were provided, so there was no need to worry at all.

Once aboard the carriage, the group set off. To prevent the pregnant princess from being jostled, Chen Xuan used his silent and subtle methods to make the carriage float, with the wheels never touching the ground, making it very stable. The horses pulling the carriage, on the other hand, seemed to be taking a leisurely stroll as if they were not carrying any weight.

As the area moves further away from the Qingping River, a prolonged drought has taken its toll. What should have been a lush and verdant season has instead turned into a desolate landscape of withered strawberries. It's not that there's not a single patch of green to be seen, but everything seems listless and lifeless. Even the chirping of insects and birds in the mountains and fields offers little in the way of positive and uplifting vitality.

After traveling for more than ten miles, they came across a small village with a dozen or so scattered households. However, there was no smoke rising from the chimneys, and not a single person could be seen. It was clear that the village had long been deserted. Even the fields around the village were abandoned and overgrown with lifeless weeds.

"How could this be? Has the drought become this severe? I remember that Rongguo, which borders our Jingguo, Shanglin Prefecture, was not affected by the drought last year," the little princess murmured, lifting the carriage curtain and looking at the deserted village.

Looking around, Chen Xuan sighed, "I've also heard that Shanglin Prefecture in Rongguo wasn't affected by the disaster last year, but due to the chain reaction in other places, the Rongguo court imposed various exorbitant taxes and levies for disaster relief, which ended up falling on the shoulders of the poor, making their already impoverished families even worse off. Furthermore, ordinary people don't have much food stored up at the end of the year, and with no rain this year and no hope in sight, they can only flee while they still have a breath left. And it's not necessarily just to escape famine; it could also be to avoid conscription and forced labor. After all, if there's even a sliver of hope, who would willingly leave their home and abandon their family? They're truly driven to desperation."

...(End of chapter)