Misty Rain of the Old Times

Chapter 131: Sorrow
A few days later, Gao Jingming and his family came back, and the Gao family became lively again.

But this also means that separation is imminent. Princess Gao Jingyu will have to wait for several months before she can return home to visit her family, while Gao Jingming has to set off to Liuyu Academy to study.

If Gao Jingyu hadn't suddenly returned home, Chen Xuan and the others would have already set off.

The journey was thousands of miles long, and according to the original plan, it would take nearly a month, otherwise we would not be able to catch up with the start of school at Liuyu Academy. This delayed us for a few more days, so the rest of the journey was a bit rushed.

Gao Jingming had already completed the admission procedures for Liuyu Academy. After arriving there, he could directly enroll by presenting relevant certificates without having to go through the registration and examination process.

A family like the Gao family naturally has plenty of people to handle this kind of thing, but according to Chen Xuan, it took more than half a year to get it done, after all, the round trip was too far.

This trip was not for three or five days, but for three to five years. Gao Jingming, who had never been far away, was naturally reluctant to leave. But no matter how reluctant he was, he had to leave home for his future.

Gao Jingming was going to study this time and would spend most of his time in the academy, so there was no need to bring too many people with him. He only arranged four guards, including Geng Hong, to protect his safety along the way. Xiao Ye and Xiao Cai, as his personal maids, would also go, as well as Chen Xuan, making a total of eight people.

Originally Leng Bing was also going to go, but for some reason someone else was temporarily replaced. Chen Xuan guessed that it was because her strength was improving rapidly and she was wasting time running around.

In fact, it doesn't make much difference whether they go or not, because the guards will go there and settle down. Except for one or two people who stay to run errands, the others will return to the Gao family. After all, there is almost nothing to do there, and they can't just sit there idle for a few years.

In this day and age, safety is a big issue when traveling far away. If you are not careful, you may never come back.

The Gao family's reputation works well in Shangyunzhou, where Yang County is located, but outside of Shangyunzhou, I'm afraid other places will not buy it at all. After all, the Gao family is not a top-level aristocratic family, and their reputation is not that big.

Geng Hong and his guards all have rich experience in the martial arts world, and are quite capable in the acquired realm. It shouldn't be a problem if they keep a low profile on the road. However, if they encounter a threat like an innate master, no matter how many guards they have, it will be useless.

Anyway, when you are out and about, try not to show off your wealth and don't meddle in other people's business. Keep these old sayings in mind and you can avoid a lot of trouble.

Even so, the day before departure, everyone in the Gao family was instructing Chen Xuan and the others on what to pay attention to when leaving the house.

The most important point is that if you don't show off your wealth, try to solve problems with money. Don't resort to violence unless you have no other choice, because once you resort to violence, there will be no turning back.

For example, if you encounter a highway robber, it is not shameful to spend some money to buy safety. If you insist on confronting him, you may cause trouble and lose more than you gain. In that case, it is not just a matter of spending some money. Whether you suffer a loss or not is another matter. The key is that you waste time.

Everything that needs to be prepared has been prepared in advance, and you can set off as soon as the preferred travel date arrives.

This time I only brought a thousand taels of silver with me, which I gave to several people. However, most of them were silver notes from Datong Bank. They only recognized the notes, not the people, and could be spent directly. They were enough for my expenses on the road and even for settling down after I arrived. If I needed money later, I could just write back and ask for it.

If you don't bring banknotes, do you have to bring real gold and silver? One catty weighs sixteen taels, and one thousand taels is more than one hundred catties. It's not heavy, but it's troublesome.

Today, Chen Xuan can carry a thousand-pound object on the treetop as if he were walking on flat ground, let alone more than a hundred pounds. His martial arts are so magical. Of course, his own cultivation is the key.

On the day before leaving, Butler He found Chen Xuan alone and handed him three things. These were given to him by Madam Gao, and she told Chen Xuan to keep them quietly and not tell anyone.

These three things are used to save your life when you encounter a crisis.

Each of them is a small jade bottle, only the size of a thumb, which contains more than ten pea-sized pills, called Biqingdan, which are very effective in detoxifying, healing wounds and prolonging life. As long as you have a breath left, you can survive for two hours after taking it, and there is a high probability that you can get treatment and survive.

Then there is a small metal cylinder the size of a lighter, called Feihuajian. In moments of crisis, when activated by internal force, hundreds of fine needles can be shot out from it, as gorgeous as flying flowers. Even an average innate master may die by surprise!

This thing can't be bought with money. It comes from Qingye Villa. Chen Xuan doesn't know that it was sent by Mr. Yushan to provide them with a guarantee of security. Gao Jingming naturally has it too.

Don’t you think this is a coincidence? Chen Xuan also knows how to make the Feihuajian. Liu Changhe left him the blueprints. There are even similar items with greater power.

But knowing is one thing, and making it is another. Anyway, Chen Xuan can't make it now. He doesn't even have the materials and tools. But he can still make some small gadgets, such as the sleeve arrows that Deng Lingfeng used to play with. However, Chen Xuan can't use such gadgets now. The arrows he shoots are not as powerful as a peanut he can pop out...

The last one is a bead the size of a longan. It is not made of metal, but rather looks a bit like jade, but it is not jade. Anyway, according to what Butler He said, if it is activated with internal force at a critical moment, it can burst out a light a hundred times brighter than the sun within a three-meter range, which is enough to blind other people's eyes unexpectedly. You have to be careful when using it, so as not to hurt yourself accidentally.

Chen Xuan was extremely surprised. This thing was clearly a flash bomb, but it was not a disposable item. Instead, it could be used continuously ten times and then it would break apart.

Its name, "Dazzling Light," was fitting, but Chen Xuan had no idea how to craft it; Liu Changhe hadn't left him any relevant information. After handing it over to Chen Xuan, Butler He gave him a detailed introduction and repeatedly instructed him to keep it secret and not use it until a crucial moment.

These are all good things that money can’t buy, and they are very effective in saving lives. Naturally, Chen Xuan would not take them lightly.

From this we can see the special feature of this place. Many things require internal force to produce their true effect, otherwise they are useless.

Since Chen Xuan already had three life-saving items, he was sure Gao Jingming had even more. After all, he was the eldest son of the Gao family, and his sister was the princess. How could he not give him some good things? It was definitely better than Chen Xuan's.

However, Chen Xuan was not in a position to rashly inquire about such matters. Even though his relationship with Gao Jingming was better than that of brothers, could he still save his life if his life-saving item was exposed?
Anyway, over the years, Chen Xuan had always treated him like his eldest son, just like the relationship between college roommates. He didn't have any dirty thoughts towards his elders...

Anyway, everyone in the Gao family was tense and busy that day. After all, the eldest young master was going on a long trip and they wouldn't see him for a few years, so they had to pretend to be busy and reluctant to see him.

According to the plan, they had to go to the Linping County wharf to take a boat, go upstream along the Qingping River to the north, which would take half a month's water journey, passing through three prefectures, and then land at a place called Dayuan Port in Fengzhou. Next was the land route, which took more than ten days, passing through Fengzhou, crossing Yezhou, and finally arriving at Huizhou where Liuyu Academy was located.

This journey of more than 20 days is not easy, but physical fatigue is not a big problem. Everyone in their group, including Xiao Ye and Xiao Cai, has martial arts skills, which is mainly for safety.

There are two factors in terms of safety: natural disasters and man-made disasters. As for natural disasters, it is spring now, and heavy rain may come at any time. If the water level of the Qingping River rises sharply, it will be unsuitable for sailing. Landslides and the like are also hard to predict. And you may encounter ferocious beasts along the way. Chen Xuan has not forgotten where the dragon pendant on Gao Jingming's neck came from.

Man-made disasters are self-evident. When you go out, you are surrounded by the underworld, including bandits, knights-errant, and all kinds of people. Anyway, once you leave home, you leave your comfort zone. No one will shelter you from the wind and rain, and you can only face problems by yourself.

As I said, the Gao family's reputation works well in Shangyunzhou, but not many people will buy into it after they leave. If they move out of the palace's backing, people might be wary and take ruthless action.

Everything is difficult away from home, it’s not as comfortable as being at home.

No matter how reluctant you are, the day of departure will still come.

Early in the morning, Chen Xuan and his companions had a hearty breakfast and were ready to set off. They didn't bring too many things with them, just a few sets of clothes, money, receipts, and documents. They were traveling light. Anyway, if they needed anything when they got there, they could just buy it with money. It wasn't like they were moving, so why would they bring so many things? It would be inconvenient if they brought too many things.

When she left home, the entire Gao family saw her off, even Gao Jingyu accompanied her for a long distance as her sister, and no one could find fault with it.

Mrs. Gao, Gao Jingyu, and Butler He not only sent Chen Xuan and others to the outskirts of Yang County, but also spent several hours to send them directly to the Shanglinping County wharf, which was the same wharf that Chen Xuan passed by when he came to the Gao family.

After sending them to the ship and settling them down, I still felt reluctant to leave.

This time they still chartered a boat, but it was not as big as last time. After all, there were not many people on this trip. It was a two-decker ship that would take them directly to Fengzhou Dayuan Port.

No matter how reluctant they were, they had to part eventually. At noon, the sun was shining brightly, and as the boat was about to set sail, Mrs. Gao and the others got off the boat.

As the ship slowly started to move, Gao Jingming climbed onto the side of the ship and bid farewell in tears, feeling like jumping off.

"Mom, you guys go back and be careful on the road. I'm an unfilial son and can't serve you anymore. When I finish my studies and come back, I'll repay you for raising me," Gao Jingming said while waving his hands and crying.

Chen Xuan also felt bad watching this, as separation always makes people sad.

Madam Gao and the others were also wiping away tears, choking with sobs as they said, "Don't cry, my son. Mother is waiting for you at home. Remember, you must be obedient. Ask Master Geng and the others for everything. Don't be impulsive when encountering problems. Take good care of yourself. If you need anything, just write back..."

Even if I tell you a thousand times, every word I say before you leave is still filled with worry.

Being away for three to five years, what's the difference between this and being separated from your family?
"Mom, I remember. I will behave myself, study hard, and not let you down."

Even the sound of farewell cannot stop the ship from traveling far away.

Even when he could no longer see his family, Gao Jingming still couldn't bear to look away, and his eyes were filled with a sense of confusion as he was about to face life on his own...

(End of this chapter)