Misty Rain of the Old Times

When people are starving, they will do almost anything except mathematics. Even the weak will show their ferocity and take risks. It is the instinct of life to survive. It is life or death. Conscience and morality all stand aside in the face of survival. Humanity reverts to savagery.

Just as the little princess had predicted, they were robbed more than ten times in the next half day, and were successfully robbed most of the time.

Originally, they tried to avoid major towns and roads on their southward journey, but they encountered even more robberies. This is quite normal, considering the general environment. People tend to instinctively flee to the mountains and forests to avoid disaster, and then return to civilization once things are peaceful again.

Chen Xuan could distinguish between genuine evil and hunger. He would not show mercy to vicious bandits, but he would not mind being robbed once if he encountered someone who was driven to desperation by hunger.

He experienced hunger when he first came into this world and knows how unpleasant that feeling is.

Of course, as long as it's not too outrageous, people will pretend to accept being robbed. Almost everyone who takes risks because of hunger only seeks a sliver of life and will not be greedy enough to actually do evil. Such people certainly exist, but it's one thing for Chen Xuan to be willing to be robbed, but why would he give them the opportunity to actually do evil?
In short, Chen Xuan didn't mind being robbed a little by those starving people. If they took advantage of him, that was one thing, but they couldn't really treat him like a fool and rob him. Besides, people who were desperate to get what they wanted would only bring trouble if they were given too much. Not everyone was as easy to bully as Chen Xuan. There were plenty of vicious people who bullied the weak and feared the strong.

Furthermore, we should repay kindness and fight enmity, provide emergency relief but not long-term support, give them a chance to catch their breath, and try our best to guide them towards the town. Judging from the disaster relief situation in that small town at the beginning, the Rongguo court has not completely abandoned the disaster victims. There is still a glimmer of hope in the town. This is all Chen Xuan can do.

To put it bluntly, if you haven't encountered it, just pretend it didn't happen. If you have, just pretend you're a fool. Besides, as a citizen of Jing, there are still so many people suffering in my own country. How can I care about so many other things?

Do what you can, and don't overthink it; otherwise, you're just creating trouble for yourself.

After encountering similar situations many times, Du Juan and the others gradually understood Chen Xuan's mentality, so they were happy to play along with him, since it wasn't a bad thing.

As a result, in half a day, Chen Xuan had almost completely devoured the food they brought. Xia Mei had initially prepared nearly a cartload, which was almost all they needed to cross the Rongguo Pass. It was better to be prepared than not, and it was all fine grains. If they were replaced with coarse grains, their value would be more than ten times higher. In today's world, the value is even higher, yet Chen Xuan still almost finished it all.

It's not that it was wasted, it was stolen. We were powerless to resist, what could we do?
As the sun set, Chen Xuan and his companions found a sheltered mountain hollow and decided to spend the night in the wilderness. They had brought tents and bedding with them, and had everything they needed, so they decided to camp there.

As the campfire crackled and flickered, Chen Xuan sat there, pounding his chest and sighing deeply, his face contorted with regret. "To think that I, the mighty Sang Biao, would be robbed like this! Eleven times! A full eleven times! It's outrageous! If it weren't for their sheer numbers and the fact that I couldn't fight them all, I would have already turned on them and fought them!"

"My lord, have a cup of tea first. What would you like to eat? You've suffered so much today, let me show you my skills to reward you," the little princess said as she poured him a cup of tea and stood up. As she spoke, she started rolling up her sleeves. She didn't respond, and after a while, she stopped teasing him.

Chen Xuan found it pointless that his wife wasn't cooperating, so he smiled and said, "Wife, please rest. You're pregnant now, so don't bother yourself."

"It's alright, my dear husband. The doctor said that appropriate exercise is good for the baby's development, and besides, I'm not that delicate," the little princess said with a smile as she went off to do her chores.

Let her be. I'm here anyway. Chen Xuan turned to the little girl and asked, "Roujia, how much did we get robbed today?"

Pouting, the little girl, who had suffered hardships since childhood, felt both distressed and happy. She counted on her fingers, saying hesitantly, "Master, we were robbed of sixteen bags of rice, nineteen bags of flour, and over two hundred taels of silver today. Oh, and five buckets of water were also stolen. Let me think... that's all. I don't know if the remaining water will be enough for tonight."

She was shocked when she calculated it, and her heart sank, her little face falling.

The stolen items may not seem like much, but for her, it was an astronomical sum—more than she could ever earn in her entire life. If converted into money, it would have been enough for a family of five to live comfortably for the rest of their lives.

Although he was used to spending money lavishly, Chen Xuan wasn't oblivious to the value of money, so he didn't mind and nodded, saying, "Would you mind arranging for Aunt Mei to send someone to replenish the food supplies later? I'll figure out the water."

Water is the most important thing during a drought, especially since there are many women in their group, all of whom are beautiful and love beauty. They need a lot of water for cleaning and washing, but Chen Xuan can get it easily, so it's no big deal.

Xia Mei nodded without hesitation and said, "It's my duty, no trouble at all. I'll arrange it in a bit."

Even if it's in the middle of nowhere, it's easy to go to town to buy food.

The little princess, busy cooking, turned around and smiled, "Husband, are you planning to be robbed again tomorrow?"

"That's not true. I'm not stupid. Who would willingly be robbed? It's just that the robbers outnumbered us and we couldn't resist. Consider it buying peace of mind," Chen Xuan said emphatically.

The little princess didn't care. Being robbed and being willing to be robbed are different. It's not like she's trying to put on a brave face and act like a great philanthropist. She just wanted to have a clear conscience. What others thought or thought was their business.

The food was served one after another, and the group ate around the campfire. They wouldn't deprive themselves no matter what, as long as they didn't show off and disgust people in front of those who were suffering. So, despite the large amount of money Chen Xuan and his group had been robbed of today, they ate a very sumptuous meal, with plenty of meat and vegetables, and even some wine.

Thinking of what happened during the day, Chen Xuan looked at the little princess and smiled, "Wife, don't you think your husband is a spendthrift?"

"Why do you say that, my husband? As long as you're happy, that's all that matters. To put it bluntly, our family isn't short of money. Let me put it this way: if you were to spend lavishly on pleasure-seeking, I would only think you're dashing and romantic. But if you're squandering money in this way, then I would applaud it," the little princess said matter-of-factly, taking out a handkerchief to wipe his mouth.

Chen Xuan was both amused and exasperated. What kind of strange analogy was this? One thing was certain, though: his wife didn't mind his antics.

Amidst the laughter and conversation, Chen Xuan's heart stirred. He then calmly put down his chopsticks, patted his stomach, and said, "My wife, you all continue eating. I've had two jugs of wine, and my stomach is a little bloated. I'll go water the saplings over there."

"Go on, go on, don't go too far in the dark. We're all family here, just leave it to the side and turn around. Hurry up, the food will get cold and won't taste good," the little princess said jokingly, waving her hand. She was speaking to Dujuan and the others, and their faces turned red as they lowered their heads to eat.

My wife is becoming more and more outgoing. We've only been married for a month or two, and where did that shy little girl who used to blush at the sight of legs go? Dujuan and Yunlan are still young and innocent, and they talk about these things without any restraint.

No matter what, Chen Xuan couldn't just turn around and solve the problem; they were still eating.

He rose and stepped into the darkness, then in a flash, Chen Xuan appeared atop a withered tree several miles away. The moon was a crescent, and the night wind gently stirred his hair and clothes.

Chen Xuan stood on the treetop for a moment, silently counted to three, and then saw a figure breaking through the air in the distance of the night.

The newcomer was over two meters tall, with an exceptionally robust physique, thick eyebrows, large eyes, a high forehead, and a wide mouth, and wore mottled black armor.

He looked to be around forty years old, but the hair hanging down from his helmet was already frosty white. His eyes were deep and unfathomable, and he made no attempt to conceal his sharp and piercing aura. With his appearance, the chirping of insects and birds in a large area of ​​the night disappeared, and the world seemed to become silent.

With just one glance, Chen Xuan's gaze turned serious. The newcomer was undoubtedly a grandmaster-level expert, exuding an astonishing murderous aura, like a god of death emerging from a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood. In particular, the faint aura of golden armor and iron horses that he exuded made Chen Xuan take notice. He had only felt this kind of feeling before when he was with Jiang Yuan. In addition, the mottled armor he wore was dull and lifeless, as if it had been forged from endless blood.

"The people of Rong Kingdom are often jokingly referred to as 'Southern Barbarians,' a deliberate attempt to belittle them by their nationality, but the name is aptly fitting. Their physique is truly astonishing; at 2.45 meters tall, they are veritable little giants. Moreover, they make no attempt to conceal their aura, displaying a rather savage nature. Regardless of the country, it's forbidden for civilians to wear armor privately; even grandmasters must avoid such appearances. It seems this person undoubtedly represents the Rong Kingdom's court. This individual must be a fierce general in the Rong Kingdom's army, having come from elsewhere. What was bound to happen has happened, just a little later than expected."

When a Grandmaster-level expert sets foot on another country's territory, how can he not be feared? Especially since the number of Grandmaster-level experts who have died at Chen Xuan's hands is approaching the number of a handful, his record speaks for itself, so his appearance was not surprising to him.

In the blink of an eye, the other party appeared dozens of feet away from Chen Xuan, also standing on a treetop. The other party probably did not rely on lightness skills, as the branches under their feet sank slightly.

The man scrutinized Chen Xuan, offering no basic courtesy whatsoever, not even bothering to raise his hand. He squinted and said in a muffled voice, "Chen Xuan, is it? What brings you here to trespass on the territory of my Rong Kingdom without cause?"

His voice was like muffled thunder, like a tiger's roar; the trees around him trembled at the sound of his words.

Reaching out to pick at his ear, Chen Xuan thought to himself, "Why are you yelling so loudly? Don't disturb my wife. Oh well, you're a barbarian after all. I won't stoop to your level."

Having some education, Chen Xuan cupped his hands slightly and smiled, "I haven't had the chance to ask your guidance yet..."

"Stop talking nonsense. What are you doing here? I don't have time to waste on you," the other party interrupted coldly.

His tone was aggressive and clearly hostile. Chen Xuan didn't know if he disliked people from other countries or if he had some kind of grudge against him. As long as he didn't attack immediately, Chen Xuan didn't bother to argue.

With his smile fading, Chen Xuan said calmly, "Is it not allowed to go out for a leisurely stroll? Or is it that your Rong Kingdom is closed off from the world and doesn't allow outsiders to set foot here?"

After scrutinizing Chen Xuan again, the other party sneered, pointed at him, and said in an unfriendly tone with narrowed eyes: "You better be. If I find out that you are causing trouble within our country's borders, or helping your brother-in-law to encroach on our territory, don't blame me for coming to your door with a knife and keeping you here forever. I will be watching you!"

After saying that, the other person gave Chen Xuan a deep look, then turned and left without hesitation. They came and went quickly, without saying a single unnecessary word, as if they had only come all this way to say those two perfunctory words that carried a warning connotation.

Watching the direction the other party left in, Chen Xuan's lips twitched. He repeatedly reminded himself that the other party was a barbarian who only had muscles but no brains. He shouldn't bother with him, otherwise, what would be the difference between him and a barbarian?
What a nutcase! I thought he was coming to fight me in a big way.

"Judging from his tone, he's here to warn me not to meddle. My brother-in-law, whom I've never met, is currently leading troops to attack Rong Kingdom, and he's injured. Being a barbarian, he didn't even hide it; he must have recently fought against a powerful opponent of similar strength. That means my brother-in-law also has Grandmaster-level experts under his command. Come to think of it, otherwise where would he get the audacity to establish his own territory and expand? So his hostility stems from this?"

That makes sense. Chen Xuan wouldn't be so petty as to beat the other party up for speaking frankly. He's a barbarian, why bother arguing with him?
With a flicker of thought, Chen Xuan pursed his lips speechlessly, turned around, and went back to continue eating. He didn't take the matter to heart. He was on his honeymoon with his wife, not here to cause trouble. If she didn't actively cause him trouble, he would pretend she didn't exist.

Back at the camp, during a casual chat over food and drinks, Chen Xuan casually asked, "Sister Juan, Aunt Mei, do you know what kind of grandmasters or powerful experts Rong Kingdom has?"

Just because he didn't pay close attention to these things doesn't mean others didn't.

"Yes, sir," Xia Mei nodded and continued without much thought, "According to definitive records, Rong Kingdom currently has four Grandmaster-level experts: the retired Emperor Xia Yuan, the Commander-in-Chief of the Three Armies, General Guan Tu, the High Priestess of Snake Valley, Hua Gu, and the Lord of South Sea Island, Shui Yuanjiao. These are the Grandmaster-level experts that Rong Kingdom has clearly recorded."

She paused for a moment, then continued, "The retired Emperor Xia Yuan abdicated twenty years ago after reaching the Grandmaster realm, becoming a pillar of the nation. Guan Tu, a disciple of a renowned master, is known for his violent temper and poor social skills, but this personality makes him very popular in the army. He is a battle-hardened commander-in-chief, respected by all. Rumor has it that he often beats civil officials bloody during court assemblies. Hua Gu, the High Priestess of Snake Valley, is skilled in poisons, mysterious and dangerous, and rarely goes out. Shui Yuanjiao dominates the seas, skilled in using a long spear. I've heard he built a dragon palace for himself in the sea. That's all I know. More detailed information will require consulting the secret records."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan thought that these were enough. Rongguo actually had four Grandmaster-level experts on the surface, and if Jingguo included himself, the number was about the same.

Then Chen Xuan exclaimed in surprise, "The Emperor Emeritus of Rong is actually a Grandmaster? He's so busy with state affairs, where does he get so much energy to practice martial arts?"

"I don't know about this subordinate. Even our Jing Kingdom's secret agents couldn't find out the specifics. Either he is exceptionally talented or he has a special secret method to improve his cultivation. In short, it's one of those methods," Xia Mei said, shaking her head.

With a smile, Chen Xuan said nonchalantly, "Who cares? As long as they don't bother us, let's just pretend they don't exist. They're not here to cause trouble; it's better to keep things peaceful."

At this moment, Xia Mei suddenly remembered something and hesitated before saying, "By the way, sir, speaking of which, when I was preparing for my trip last night, I happened to learn that the Rong Kingdom hostage, Prince Luo, who provoked you last year, is the son of Guan Tu's sister. However, Prince Luo's mother was not favored and died many years ago, which is why he was sent as a hostage. Very few people know about this. If Guan Tu finds out that you are coming, sir, he may cause trouble, so it is necessary to be on guard."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan paused, then nodded calmly and said, "Yes, I understand."

Thinking to myself, "Oh, I see," Aunt Mei realized it was a bit too late; the other party had already come looking for me.

No wonder his tone was so aggressive; it turns out it was because of this. Not directly taking action was already quite restrained. It's highly likely that the other party didn't want to provoke such a powerful enemy again. Besides, what happened last year is long in the past, and some things can't be brought up in the open. It's enough that everyone knows what's going on. Moreover, it was Luo Wang who actively provoked Chen Xuan.

...(End of chapter)