Misty Rain of the Old Times

The sun shines all over the mountain, and the leaves dance in the wind, as gorgeous as golden clouds.

Chen Xuan's figure wandered everywhere, on mountain tops, treetops, woods, valleys, and cliffs, as if he wanted to imprint the scene he had been thinking about for more than ten years in his mind.

During this time, he did not forget to collect some leaves and give them to the little princess when he was with her next time.

However, Chen Xuan has not been to the place where the little princess collects leaves, so he doesn’t know which leaves she has not collected. There are definitely some duplicates. This is just her fun and also a token of Chen Xuan’s appreciation, so there is no need to be too serious about it.

It was originally a rainy day, but suddenly the sky became clear for dozens of miles. This season is the best time for viewing the scenery in Jinxia County, so countless people inside and outside the city rushed towards the direction of the clear sky.

Unless there was a Grandmaster of the same level as him, it would be impossible to tell that Chen Xuan had made such a commotion. Anyone below the Grandmaster level would at most think it was a special weather change.

No matter how beautiful the scenery is, what remains in memory is the most beautiful. If you are greedy, you will lose the original beauty.

'I've finished checking in at the beautiful scenery of Jinxia County, and I've put my worries aside. Let's go.'

After leaving footprints everywhere in the mountains, Chen Xuan took another look at the yellow leaves all over the mountain, then found the horse grazing alone and headed towards Yang County. The whole process took less than half an hour. He was not naive enough to secretly leave traces of Chen Xuan's visit in a remote place.

He artificially created a clear sky just to fulfill his long-cherished wish, but it was a rainy day after all. The local weather changes he violently created could not affect the real climate. After he left, the sky was filled with clouds again soon. Those who came to view the scenery not only had their wish dashed, but also had to get wet in the rain, making their trip in vain.

But from another perspective, if someone is more open-minded, this kind of experience can be another kind of pleasure.

If Chen Xuan went back to Yang County from Jinxia County by water, it would take two days to reach the shore in Shanglinping County, and then another half day to arrive. This time, he would take the land route and it would be much faster to ride alone. If he was in a hurry, he could get home in the evening. He was not in such a hurry and could just stroll back at his leisure. He planned to go back for breakfast tomorrow.

A few months later, has the little girl been slacking off on her training? Has she developed any inner strength? Has her cooking improved?

Don't say it, once you have a nest, no matter where you go, how far you go, or how long you go, it will always be there waiting for you to return...

Not eager to return home, he strolled leisurely. By the evening of that day, Chen Xuan had left the territory of Jinxia County and returned to Jingting County, which was about a hundred miles away from Yang County.

He had no plan on the way back and missed the town. When it was getting dark, he was in the wilderness, far away from Jinxia County. It was no longer raining, but it was not sunny either. The next night would probably be dark and windy.

"Which county is this? It's definitely not Lanfeng County, otherwise I might have gone to Yushan Academy. The news that Xiao Gao has won the top prize has already spread back. Mr. Yushan must be very happy. The size of the academy is expected to increase several times next year. Who wouldn't want to send their child to the place where the top scorer studied to learn about his talent? I just don't know if Mr. Yushan has any financial sense. If it were me, I would auction off the seat where Xiao Gao once sat and make a fortune. I'm sure you wouldn't do such a thing."

As he thought about it, Chen Xuan's thoughts began to wander, and his face was full of excitement. He remembered that he had kept many manuscripts left by Xiao Gao from his years of study. If he was short of money in the future, he could make a fortune by selling any piece of paper. Was the gold content of winning the top three prizes a joke?
Well, let the little girl keep it when we get back. It’s all money.

That's what he thought. No matter how short of money he is in the future, he will never sell them. They are all precious memories. Can they be bought back with money?
"Let's find a place to spend the night. We'll hunt some game, but no seasoning... There's a small town thirty miles back. We can go buy some later."

After making up his mind, he found a cave not far from the road before dark. It was quite dry and spacious, with no large animals living there. Instead, there were traces left by previous people and even ready-made firewood. It was obvious that people often rested and slept in this cave.

There were firewood and even flints, which was a tacit understanding made by the predecessors for the convenience of future generations.

A trace of breath was revealed, and the small insects in the cave were frightened and fled quickly. Chen Xuan didn't want to have small insects crawling on his body when he slept at night.

He found some firewood to start a fire. He didn't use the ones left by his predecessors, but he found a lot of it. He wanted to use the extra ones to make it easier for those who came later. Then he went to the town he had passed by before to buy seasonings and other items. He also caught a rabbit and a wild duck on the way to roast them.

After dark, Chen Xuan made a temporary bed. In the flickering firelight, the wild rabbits and ducks were already roasting and sizzling with oil, and the aroma was overflowing.

Eating delicious game, taking a sip of wine, and listening to the wind outside the cave, it’s quite pleasant to come here occasionally.

"Huh? Someone's still traveling so late at night?" Chen Xuan glanced at the direction of the road outside the cave and ignored it, continuing to leisurely enjoy his game and wine.

However, a moment later, the passerby approached the cave where he was.

Soon a figure appeared at the entrance of the cave. Chen Xuan looked up and saw a man in his twenties, wearing a blue gown, carrying a small bamboo basket on his back, holding a lantern, and leading a small donkey. He was looking inside the cave hesitantly.

When he saw Chen Xuan, he seemed to relax, let go of the donkey, straightened his appearance, and saluted, saying, "Thank you for your courtesy, brother. I am late for my journey and was wondering if I could borrow your precious place to stay for one night. If it is inconvenient, I will leave now."

He also saw that Chen Xuan was young and had a kind face, and if he had been replaced by someone with a ferocious look, he would probably have turned around and left.

He was a weak scholar, even a bit of a nerd. Chen Xuan took him in at a glance and said with a smile: "You are too polite, brother. Everyone has inconveniences. This place is not mine, and I am a passerby who has missed the time. Please do as you please." "Sorry to bother you," he nodded and saluted again. Probably because of his personality, he didn't say anything more. Then he tied up the donkey, found a corner to put down the bamboo basket, sat with his back against the stone wall, took out a book and read it in the light of the lantern, and took out a cold steamed bun to chew on.

The two sides did not interfere with each other and did not communicate with each other except for greetings. They were both away from home and not people of the underworld, so they did not easily get along with each other.

The man seemed to be quickly immersed in the contents of the book, and was not disturbed by external things. In order not to disturb others' reading, Chen Xuan slowed down his movements. People who are serious and focused deserve respect.

As a result, not long after, someone came to break the peace here, and there were five of them. They came on horseback, and four of them were capable men in black shorts, holding knives and swords, guarding a young man in white.

Chen Xuan was speechless. With these people coming again and again, could it be that something exciting would happen?

The arrival of these people disturbed the man who was reading. He looked up uneasily at first, but when he saw that the group was led by the young man in white, who was obviously a scholar, he relaxed a little, smiled as a greeting, and then focused his attention on the book again.

The young man in white glanced around, then bowed and said with a smile, "Excuse me, we've been traveling late and missed our place to stay. Could I borrow a piece of land to rest for the night?"

While he was speaking, the accompanying guards quickly took a look at Chen Xuan and the man reading, but soon stopped paying attention to them, thinking they posed no threat.

Chen Xuan took a bite of rabbit meat and said with a smile: "This place is spacious, and we are just passing through. Please feel free to do as you please."

"Please do as you please," the man who was reading a book also took the time to look up and said shyly. Being bad at verbal communication does not mean being impolite.

The young man in white was obviously a young man from a wealthy family. He bowed and said, "You're welcome then."

While he was speaking, the accompanying guards were already busy, making fires and spreading blankets very skillfully. It seemed that they often traveled around to study.

The young man in white was clearly restless. After strolling around the cave, he approached Chen Xuan and said familiarly, "Brother, you have a good time. Are you also going to Yang County?"

At this time, his guards looked over here, feeling somewhat helpless. It was a big taboo to easily reveal the itinerary to others when going out.

Chen Xuan had no intention of inviting him, so he casually replied, "Yeah, you too?"

"Of course, Yang County is the hometown of this year's top scholar. It is a place where a great talent was able to win three first prizes. As scholars, we must go and see what kind of outstanding people and beautiful scenery there is. It seems that you have the same purpose. We can travel together tomorrow," the other party said with anticipation.

As soon as these words were spoken, the man who was reading the book couldn't help but look over here, probably with the same intention.

Chen Xuan suddenly understood why he met scholars one after another. It seemed that they all went there to admire Xiao Gao's style. Even if he couldn't meet the top scholar, he could still get some of his talent by going to the place where the top scholar lived.

How long had it been since Gao Jingming won first place in the first class? I'm sure the news has spread throughout the country. I suspect that checking in at Yang County will become a trend among thousands of scholars for a long time to come, which should boost Yang County's economy. Tsk, County Magistrate Shu Yao is winning without any effort. Never mind how long he's been in Yang County, just ask whether he has produced a top scholar under his rule. That's called meritorious education. With this political record as a foundation, as long as he doesn't make any mistakes in the future, he will definitely have a prosperous career.

You guys go visit the top scholar’s ​​hometown. I’ve only been separated from him for a few days.

Chen Xuan smiled, patted the long sword beside him and said: "I am different from you. I am a wanderer. Going to Yang County is like going home."

"I see. I'm sorry for being so presumptuous." The enthusiasm of the young man in white immediately dropped by seven points. They were scholars and not the same kind as the people in the martial arts world. They couldn't get along with each other. Even if Chen Xuan was a fellow villager of the top scholar, it was not enough to arouse his enthusiasm.

The top scholar has many fellow townsmen, who are you? You are not related to him.

"This guy is flabby all over. I guess he learned some mediocre kung fu and called himself a gangster. Then he couldn't make it outside. When he heard that his hometown had a top scholar and countless people would flock to him, he ran back to look for a chance to make a name for himself. He's better looking than me, so he's too much of a star. Otherwise, I could recruit him to be my subordinate."

Muttering to himself, the young man in white approached the man reading with enthusiasm, thinking that this was the companion he needed.

Chen Xuancai didn't care and was happy to have some peace and quiet.

No one else will come tonight, right?

...(End of chapter)