Misty Rain of the Old Times

Two days later at noon, Chen Xuan and his group arrived at the edge of a hill. Apart from the occasional robbery, the journey was uneventful, and Guan Tu did not come looking for him again.

"Master, the Divine Elephant Sect is just ahead," Du Juan pointed ahead and reminded him.

Ahead of them, the hills undulated, and a wide stone path led deep into the area. The once lush forests had almost all withered due to the long drought, and the few remaining green plants looked weak and listless. In some higher areas, clusters of buildings stood, grand, imposing, and full of ancient charm.

As one of the top forces in the Rong Kingdom's martial arts world, the Divine Elephant Sect has a long history and has never fallen into decline. Every brick and tile of theirs could be sold as an antique.

Along the road leading to the Shenxiang Sect's mountain gate, the most numerous sculptures are elephants, each in a unique and lifelike pose. Every sculpture is a work of art, and countless people have touched them, leaving many areas with a smooth patina.

After a brief look around, Chen Xuan was surprised to find that the entire area where the Divine Elephant Sect was located was too quiet, with not a single person in sight. It should be noted that a force like the Divine Elephant Sect has at least eight thousand to ten thousand people, and it did not seem like they had encountered a major disaster.

With some doubt in his heart, Chen Xuan nodded and said, "I'll trouble Sister Juan to deliver the visiting card."

Having anticipated this, Dujuan responded and left, maintaining proper etiquette; she wasn't there to cause trouble.

Chen Xuan had never seen an elephant in his life. The Divine Elephant Sect was famous for training and raising elephants. He wondered if this trip would fulfill his wish and allow him to witness the magnificent sight of thousands of elephants galloping.

Since he was making a formal visit, Chen Xuan naturally prepared a gift in advance: a bottle of Qi-Nourishing Pills in a brocade box. It wasn't particularly valuable, but it was better than nothing. After all, they were not related, but it was something that someone with low cultivation level desperately needed, so this gift was most appropriate.

"This must be the gate of the Divine Elephant Sect. Three stone elephants, each five zhang tall, are supporting the gate. It's quite impressive, but there aren't even any guards, and they're not making any noise. That shouldn't be the case," the little princess said, looking ahead in disbelief. She had also noticed something amiss.

Chen Xuan didn't know why either, but he nodded and said, "It is indeed too deserted. I don't know why, but whatever, we're just passing by and will take a look. No need to worry about it."

Du Juan returned quickly, accompanied by two or three others. They wore the distinctive gray-white attire of the Divine Elephant Sect, with a roaring elephant emblem on their chests. However, these three were all elderly, with gray hair and wrinkles on their faces. Their cultivation levels were not high; they possessed only some rudimentary internal energy, and their acquired cultivation was at the bottom of the pack. Nevertheless, their steps were steady.

Seeing this, Chen Xuan became even more puzzled. It wasn't that he expected a grand reception, but rather that something must have happened to the Divine Elephant Sect, since only a few old men had come out.

"Young Master Chen, Your Highness, we apologize for not being able to greet you properly after your long journey. On behalf of the entire Divine Elephant Sect, I extend our warmest welcome to you. Please come in."

One of the old men who came with Du Juan quickly stepped forward and bowed deeply, his face full of surprise and trepidation. He probably didn't expect Chen Xuan and his group to come to visit. Even though they were separated by nationality and distance, a powerful organization like the Divine Elephant Sect would naturally know about someone like Chen Xuan and wouldn't dare to be negligent. But given the current situation, they had indeed been negligent.

Chen Xuan gestured with a smile and said, "Senior, there's no need for such formalities. I've brought my family on a presumptuous visit, and I hope we haven't disturbed your esteemed place."

"I dare not accept such a title. I am but a gatekeeper and do not deserve to be called a senior. Young Master Chen is too kind. If you do not mind, please come with me," the old man said, slightly excited and at a loss for words. His aged face was flushed red, and he probably never thought that he could speak with people like Chen Xuan and his companions.

With a smile, Chen Xuan stepped forward and said, "Please, then I'll take my leave."

The group walked towards the gate of the Divine Elephant Sect. Amidst the apprehension of the several elderly people who came to greet them, Chen Xuan asked curiously, "May I ask, senior, why is your sect so deserted? I have no intention of offending you. Has something happened?"

Upon hearing this, the old man who had led the way, claiming to be the gatekeeper, quickly said, "No, that's not it. Young Master Chen, you don't know this, but our Divine Elephant Sect moved away three months ago. We only left a few people to guard the mountain gate to prevent any thieves from causing trouble. Actually, there's not much to see. Everything that could be moved was moved away. Now it's just an empty shell. But it is our ancestral land after all, so perhaps we will move back in the future."

"I see. Did they move away because of the drought?" Chen Xuan nodded and didn't press for details about where they had moved to. Perhaps they had simply moved away, or perhaps they had been conscripted. He didn't bother to inquire further.

The old man sighed, saying, "Yes, it's been almost a year since it rained. The entire sect's water source has dried up. Now we have to fetch water from the Qingping River, two hundred miles away. Even the people have no water, let alone the tens of thousands of elephants. If we don't move, we'll just die. This sect used to be so lively, full of youthful energy and playfulness. Now they're all gone, and it's so desolate. We're old. We grew up here, and we can't bear to leave. So we volunteered to stay and guard the mountain gate. I don't know if we'll live to see the day we move back and it's lively again."

The saying "a person thrives when they move, a tree dies when it's moved" is vividly embodied here. Such a massive sect can't just be moved without water. In the short term, they might be able to barely maintain their power by transporting water by manpower, but that's not a long-term solution. Besides, the Divine Elephant Sect raises so many elephants, how much water do they consume every day? Moreover, elephants need to be soaked in water to cool down, which requires even more water. So they have no choice but to move, otherwise the entire sect will collapse. After all, elephants are the pillar industry of the Divine Elephant Sect.

Such a large sect base is naturally not going to be abandoned. People will be left here to guard it, and if anything happens, the higher-ups will be notified and they can return quickly. In the future, when there is water, they will most likely move back.

The group chatted as they arrived at the reception area behind the Divine Elephant Sect's mountain gate. The place that was originally for entertaining guests was now empty. It seemed that everything that could be moved had been moved away. Chen Xuan noticed that there were fewer than twenty people in the entire Divine Elephant Sect, scattered in various places, and they were all elderly people.

"Young Master Chen, Your Highness, please have some tea. The sect leader and the others are not here, so we have nothing to offer them. We hope you will understand."

After inviting Chen Xuan and his group to sit down, the old man who had come to greet them served them a pot of coarse tea. He said nervously that normally, when receiving distinguished guests like Chen Xuan, the sect leader would have to personally greet them with great respect. But now, they didn't even have a decent cup of tea. If they were to neglect them and cause the entire Divine Elephant Sect to take offense, then they would be sinners. But what could they do now?
Chen Xuan stood up and said, "Thank you, seniors. Please have a seat. We only came here on a whim without prior knowledge, so we are sorry for the timing."

"Young Master Chen, please be magnanimous and don't take it to heart. If you're not in a hurry, you can stay here for now. There are plenty of rooms. We'll inform the sect leader and the others right away, and they'll be back in a day or two. They'll definitely apologize to us in person then," the old man said cautiously, afraid that they might be displeased in the slightest.

After drinking the tea, Chen Xuan waved his hand and said with a smile, "There's no need for such trouble. It was our fault for not communicating in advance. There's no need to make a fuss. Since that's the case, we won't bother you any further. We came in a hurry and didn't prepare much beforehand, so please accept this small gift."

As he spoke, he gestured to the little maid and took the brocade box containing the pills from her hands, presenting it to her.

"Absolutely not! We have already failed to entertain you properly. How can we accept Young Master Chen's gift? Please, Young Master Chen, take it back," the old man said, standing up and refusing with a nervous expression.

The place was deserted, and the hope of seeing the elephants had been dashed. There was no need to linger. Chen Xuan stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "Elder, there's no need to delay. Since your sect's steward is not here, we will take our leave. We will come to bother you again when we have time. Please stay a while; we remember the way out."

"This……"

"May all of you seniors enjoy good health and longevity. Farewell," Chen Xuan bowed again, gesturing for the princess and her companions to leave. Walking away from the Divine Elephant Sect, the princess couldn't help but sigh, "I never imagined even the Divine Elephant Sect would move away. The drought that started last year has forced countless people to leave their homes."

"There's nothing we can do about it. Both humans and animals need to drink water. If there were fewer people, we could manage, but the Divine Elephant Sect is a large and powerful family. Staying here might not lead to the sect's destruction, but it would take many years to restore it to its former glory," Chen Xuan shook his head, feeling somewhat regretful.

Just as they returned to the roadside and the carriage was about to leave, the old man who had greeted them hurried over and called out from afar, "Young Master Chen, Your Highness, please wait a moment!"

"Senior, please slow down. Is there anything else?" Chen Xuan stopped and turned around.

The old man, sweating profusely, caught up quickly and presented a long box, saying, "Young Master Chen, it's a rare privilege for you to come all this way. I already feel extremely guilty for not being able to properly entertain you. This is a small token of my appreciation, and a specialty of our Divine Elephant Sect. Please accept it; it's nothing much, just consider it a souvenir."

"It's already inappropriate of me to bother you, and I feel unworthy to accept it. Please take it back, senior," Chen Xuan politely declined.

He stubbornly placed the box on the carriage and said, "Young Master Chen, there's no need to refuse. It's just a piece of ivory. Our Divine Elephant Sect may not have much else, but we have plenty of this kind. Take it back and have it processed into an ornament. I won't waste any more words. I wish you a smooth journey ahead."

Without giving Chen Xuan a chance to refuse, he bowed and quickly left.

Chen Xuan had no choice but to accept it apologetically. Although he had many rare treasures at home, most of which were gifts from his wedding, it was still a token of their goodwill, and he would keep it as a keepsake.

I picked up the box, opened it, and examined it. It contained a pair of three-foot-long tusks, as white as jade, truly top-quality. They were definitely not left by an ordinary elephant; they must be treasures from an elephant with the bloodline of a mythical beast. Ivory is precious to begin with, and something like this would be a treasure anywhere.

"Keep it safe. It's a nice gift for coming all this way. Carve it out when you have time and take it home as a decoration. When you see it in the future, you can occasionally recall the experience of this trip. Although it wasn't spectacular, every little detail is precious," Chen Xuan said with a smile after taking a quick look at it.

The little girl held the box in surprise and exclaimed, "This is ivory? It's so long! How do elephants use it to eat?"

"Elephants don't use these tusks to eat. They're just like their weapons, like a tiger's claws. The Divine Elephant Sect has moved away, so we didn't see any elephants today. You'll understand if you encounter any wild Soft Armored Elephants in the future," Chen Xuan explained to the little girl who had never seen an elephant before.

They then continued south, taking the wide official roads whenever possible, but trying to avoid towns as much as possible.

About a hundred miles away from the Divine Elephant Sect, in the afternoon, Chen Xuan and his group encountered a dozen or so people coming towards them. They were traveling with their families, looking anxious and fearful. They didn't even glance at Chen Xuan and his group before quickly disappearing into the distance.

After encountering this first wave of people, you'll meet more and more, eventually forming long, continuous groups, including wealthy people dressed in fine clothes and walking with great strides.

There were too many people coming towards them, so Chen Xuan and his group had to slow down. Chen Xuan asked, "Aunt Mei, where are we?"

"Reporting to Master, we will reach the border of Rongguo Shanglin Prefecture in about a hundred li ahead. There is a county town with a population of two or three hundred thousand in about forty or fifty li ahead. The original plan was to detour around the border after going another twenty li ahead," Xia Mei, who was well-prepared, replied immediately.

She continued, "I just asked some people who were hurrying along the way, and they said that the county town ahead has broken away from the Rong Kingdom's control and is occupied by a rebel army of about ten or twenty thousand people. Although they are quite fierce and exploit the people, they are barely making ends meet. But this morning, an army appeared outside the county town, and it seems they are preparing to attack it. So everyone is panicking and has come out to avoid the war."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan thought to himself, "No wonder so many people are rushing north with their families. It turns out they've arrived at the front lines." He nodded and asked, "Did Aunt Mei find out what kind of army is preparing to attack the county city? Is it the Rong Kingdom's army or Prince Qing's men?"

"Master, I haven't found out yet. The refugees don't understand either. They only noticed the signs of a major battle and fled in haste. Should I ask again, or perhaps go there directly to take a look?" Xia Mei shook her head and asked for instructions.

Warfare is often depicted as scenes of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and Chen Xuan didn't want to get involved. Just as he was about to shake his head to indicate that they should go around, a thought struck him. He looked into the distance and pondered, "Let's pull over to the side of the road. Someone's coming; they're most likely looking for us."

Xia Mei was puzzled, but she still parked the carriages by the roadside as instructed.

Soon, behind the endless stream of refugees, a troop of cavalrymen in black armor rode up, numbering over a hundred. People hurriedly avoided them, thinking they were coming for them, and prepared to run to the side of the road, not even bothering to salute. Fortunately, the cavalrymen passed by and shouted loudly, which dispelled people's concerns. They watched them ride past with trepidation.

"Please calm down, everyone. We are not bandits; we have come to welcome you. Please allow us to pass."

In this era, people feared the army like the plague, especially in chaotic times. If you encountered an unreasonable person, you would be killed without any recourse. It was perfectly normal for the appearance of this cavalry to frighten the refugees to death, but fortunately, they were not targeted at them.

With shouts and commands, a hundred or so cavalrymen quickly arrived before Chen Xuan and his men. The leader raised his hand and made everyone stop abruptly. Their discipline was impeccable, truly an elite force.

Their arrival inevitably stirred up dust on the dry ground, but the leader, a general at the Innate Realm, waved his hand to disperse the dust.

After stopping, the cavalry dismounted and, under the astonished gazes of countless people, knelt on one knee in unison. The leader, his voice strong and clear, said, "This humble general greets the son-in-law and Princess Fuyao. His Majesty has invited us, and we have come to welcome him on imperial orders. If it is convenient for the son-in-law and Princess Fuyao, we hope you will come to visit. His Majesty has instructed that if it is inconvenient for the son-in-law and Princess Fuyao, we will escort them for a while. If we have caused any disturbance or offense, we hope you will forgive us."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself that they were indeed coming for his group. So this was the army of Prince Qing, no, the current Emperor of Southern Jing, Zhou Xing? They were truly a fierce and powerful army. Just by looking at the appearance of this hundred-man squad, one could tell that Zhou Xing must have countless elite soldiers and generals under his command.

In this way, there is no need to guess. The army that appeared outside the county town ahead must be Zhou Xing's troops. It seems that he even led the troops here personally!

Prince Qing, now self-proclaimed as the Southern Emperor, has ambitions that can conquer mountains and rivers. He is Xiao Gao's brother-in-law and Gao Jingyu's husband. Chen Xuan has heard about this person countless times since childhood.

Now that he's sent people to greet him, should we see him or not? (End of Chapter)