Misty Rain of the Old Times

In front of a restaurant that would be considered high-end and classy by local standards, an old man was arguing with the owner, spitting as he spoke, drawing a large crowd of onlookers.

The old man was in his seventies or eighties, with not a single black hair. He had casually tied his hair into a bun on top of his head and secured it with a black cloth strip. His face was covered with wrinkles, and you could see that he had very few teeth when he spoke.

His thin body stood upright, and the coarse linen clothes he wore looked very loose on him, as if a gust of wind could blow them away. He held a staff that reached his eyebrows and carried a tattered bamboo hat on his back. However, the bamboo hat was barely enough to shield him from the sun, let alone the rain. It was unclear what purpose he had in carrying it.

While arguing with the shopkeeper, the two round balls in the old man's left hand spun so fast they were almost blurry, which showed how bad his mood was.

Despite being an elderly man nearing the end of his life, he was surprisingly energetic. He got into a heated argument with the shopkeeper, speaking clearly and rapidly, leaving the shopkeeper no chance to retort. However, despite his anger, he seemed to be secretly enjoying it.

Behind the old man was another old man dressed similarly, who didn't say anything but glared angrily at the shopkeeper to bolster his authority, and occasionally raised his hand to help the old man catch his breath.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the old man angrily said, "...Is there any justice left? Is there any law left? This is clearly a black market shop! Who would dare to patronize your business if you do this? Are you taking advantage of out-of-towners? Or do you think I'm old and blind and easy to fool?"

"Everyone, come and see this shop! I've been ripped off by them. If you don't give me a satisfactory explanation today, I'm not finished with you! Believe me, I'll lie down right in front of your door and make sure you can't do business anymore!"

"This is utterly absurd; I've seen it all in my travels."

"Those who come later probably don't know what this restaurant is really like. Anyway, I have plenty of time, so I'll tell you all about it again. My old friend and I were new to the area and didn't know anyone. We wanted to find a place to eat, and a local recommended this restaurant to us, saying that their food was the best in the area and that they even served Dragon Crystal Rice, a tribute item. We had to try it!"

"And what happened? It was a case of false advertising. The taste was mediocre, and the so-called Dragon Crystal Rice was completely fake. Who were they trying to fool? If that were all, it wouldn't be so bad, but the worst part was that they were ripping people off. The prices were outrageous. The menu looked normal when we ordered, but when we paid, it was a completely different menu, more than ten times more expensive. How could this be allowed?"

"He said they had clearly marked prices, fine, I tolerated that. But what's truly despicable is that as soon as my old friend and I went out, my donkey got lost. When I asked them where my donkey was, they said they had no obligation to look after it and that I was responsible for it if it got lost. I have a short temper, I'm an old man, I can barely walk straight, and I rely on my donkey for transportation. I can't afford to lose it! But my donkey wasn't lost at all. They clearly took advantage of me because I'm easy to bully, and then they tricked me into a trap and ripped me off. And the person who recommended us is definitely in cahoots with them, just trying to rip off outsiders."

"Now you all understand how shady this shop is, right? I'm practically dead, but I'm not afraid of trouble. I'm going to stand my ground today and make things worse. No matter how ruthless you are, I don't believe you can do anything to me in broad daylight."

"You have to give me a satisfactory explanation, or this isn't over... Oh, so many of you are surrounding this old man. Do you think I'm afraid of you? What are you glaring at me for? Be careful your eyes pop out. What, you want to hit someone? Go ahead and try to lay a hand on me. Do you have the guts to bully an old man like me? At my age, I have to put up with it when I take a dump on your altar. Who are you trying to scare with your fists? Come on, come on, come at me, touch me..."

Good heavens, this old man could spout nonsense without even taking a breath, leaving the shopkeepers and their entourage unable to find a chance to interject, only able to glare at him angrily.

Hilarious! What did this old man do before? He could make thousands of people in that hall unable to lift their heads while spewing insults. Who does this small-time swindler think he is? He hasn't even used half of his insulting skills yet, and he can't handle it.

He's so old, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he's fearless. Besides, in broad daylight, even if the shopkeeper wanted to eat him alive, he wouldn't dare to lay a hand on him. Hitting an old man in public is a big taboo. If he dared to lay a hand on him, a group of people would definitely jump out to uphold justice. Don't forget how many people from the martial arts world come to Yinlong County these days. Those who claim to be chivalrous would never see such a thing happen.

The old man was telling the truth. The locals knew exactly what kind of person the shopkeeper was, but the shopkeeper had both power and connections, so they dared not speak out. Little did they know they would encounter an old man who was not afraid of trouble.

After the old man's description, the out-of-towners also started pointing and commenting on the restaurant.

The shop owner was in a panic. If this continued, not only would he not be able to do business, but his reputation would also be ruined. Even if he retaliated, it would be difficult to recover the losses.

Unable to get a word in edgewise, the shopkeeper simply ignored him. Looking at the crowd, the shopkeeper adopted a victim-like expression and said with a wry smile, "Don't listen to this old man... he's talking nonsense. He's just using his age to spout nonsense. Our food is clearly priced and honest, and we use only the finest ingredients. Our Dragon Crystal Rice is genuine; everyone who's eaten it says it's good. He's the only one who refuses to admit it's real, so a slightly higher price is justified. And who can he blame for his donkey getting lost? Couldn't he see the big sign? We have no obligation to look after people's belongings."

Dragon Crystal Rice is extremely rare and strictly controlled by the government, so it would never fall into the hands of ordinary people. The shopkeepers are also betting that ordinary people have never eaten it before, so how can they distinguish between genuine and fake? They just believe whatever they hear.

The old man immediately became furious and said angrily, "You still have the nerve to say that your Dragon Crystal Rice is genuine? Do you think I've never eaten it before? Where do you get your confidence? As for the notice board, you probably moved it there secretly afterward. Don't you even take a piss and look at your signboard? Which shop doesn't help customers with their luggage? By now, you've probably chopped my donkey into mincemeat, trying to make sure there's no way to prove it?"

"Alright, alright, everyone disperse. This old man is just making baseless accusations because of his age. Ignore him. We've already reported it to the authorities, and they'll help us prove our innocence." The shopkeeper didn't bother arguing with him at all. He just said this and was about to leave. It takes two to tango, and if we ignored him, the old man wouldn't be able to cause any more trouble.

But this matter was far from over. The shopkeeper was not going to let it go. He had plenty of ways to deal with him later. If he fell into the hands of the government, they could do whatever they wanted with him.

The old man raised his cane to block the shopkeeper's path and sneered, "Trying to walk away? No way! Explain yourself clearly, give me back my donkey and the money for the meal. Who are you trying to scare by reporting me to the authorities? You're all heartless, but I don't think I'm afraid of you. Don't think I don't know you have connections with the government. I'm not afraid of your underhanded tactics."

This led to a stalemate. The root of the conflict was quite simple: the elderly man wanted an explanation, while the shop owner wanted to settle things peacefully and settle accounts later.

The old man knew, of course, that they would definitely suffer losses if things really escalated, but he wasn't worried at all. Putting aside everything else, he and his old friend together wouldn't suffer losses anywhere, and this was the first time they had encountered something like this, so they were full of fighting spirit.

It seems this conflict won't end until the government arrives, and who knows what the outcome will be?

Chen Xuan, who noticed the situation from a distance, was quite surprised. He usually didn't consciously open his senses, but he was very sensitive to the voices of people he cared about. Just like triggering a keyword, he subconsciously looked over when he heard the old man's voice.

At first, he thought he was seeing things, after all, what a coincidence! But after taking another look, he was sure he wasn't mistaken; it was definitely the old man.

How could we encounter such a thing? Hidden Dragon County truly lives up to its name; a real dragon has indeed arrived.

Upon hearing Chen Xuan's reminder, the little princess almost didn't react, and asked in astonishment, "Husband, what did you say?"

At this moment, she even forgot about her cross-dressing persona.

Xia Mei reacted instantly, her gaze hardening as she looked over and said in a deep voice, "Outrageous! This is utterly audacious! We must go and protect the Emperor immediately!"

Chen Xuan reached out to stop him and gently shook his head. He didn't know the old man well enough; he was clearly enjoying himself. With Grandpa Wang right there, he was definitely not going to suffer any losses.

He then said to the little princess, "My lady, look over there. Am I seeing things correctly?"

The little princess looked in that direction and exclaimed excitedly, "It really is Father... Father!"

Then, she didn't care about anything else and immediately ran over there. Her father had disappeared without a trace for some time now, so how could a daughter not be worried?

The old man was fighting fiercely against the criminal gang, and going over there might have disrupted his plans. But since he had already encountered them, Chen Xuan couldn't just pretend he didn't see them, so he followed along.

There aren't many people Chen Xuan is afraid of in this world, but the old man is one of them. He doesn't know what he's afraid of, but he feels inexplicably guilty whenever he sees the old man. It's probably because the old man beat him up so many times that it's left him with a psychological trauma.

Even the layers upon layers of people couldn't stop Chen Xuan and his group. They gently parted the crowd and entered smoothly.

The little princess ran to the old man's side, grabbed his arm as if afraid he would run away if he let go, and said excitedly with reddened eyes, "Father... Father, what are you doing here? Where have you been all this time? I was so worried about you! You didn't even let me know you were safe. Do you know how much I missed you?"

Her sudden appearance clearly caught the old man off guard, especially since he almost didn't recognize her dressed as a man. He was completely stunned. After realizing what had happened, his heart melted when he saw his daughter's reddened eyes. He didn't care about anything else and hurriedly said, "It's my precious daughter! Don't cry, don't cry. I'm fine. I just went out for some fresh air. You think I'd get lost?" "Father, you're so old. Why are you acting like a child? Why don't you stay home? Look at the state you've become!" the little princess choked out. Seeing her father like this broke her heart. He used to live a life of luxury, but now he looked so travel-worn. What a terrible ordeal he must have endured.

The old woman felt a pang of guilt and, somewhat at a loss, said, "Don't cry, my dear. Look at me, I'm perfectly fine. I don't have so many worries, and I have even more energy now."

"Tell me, where have you been all this time? Have you been eating well? How have you been staying? You can't be so willful anymore," the little princess said, her eyes filled with tears, full of worry and concern.

She was truly his little darling; seeing her tears, the old man's heart ached, and he readily agreed, "Alright, alright, Daddy will listen to you. Don't cry, you won't look pretty if you cry."

Father and daughter reunited and showed concern for each other. After they exchanged pleasantries and calmed down a bit, Chen Xuan approached cautiously and said with a smile, "Your son-in-law greets your father-in-law. How are you?"

Upon hearing this, the old man, who had been all smiles and affection just a moment before, turned to Chen Xuan with a stern expression and glared at him with utter disdain, saying, "You brat, what are you doing here? Did you bring my daughter? Get out of my sight right now!"

He was having a great time, and a daughter is a daughter; it's no wonder she wouldn't give Chen Xuan, this little blondie, a pleasant look if she was disturbed.

Moreover, he suspected that Chen Xuan had deliberately followed and tracked him here. Hadn't he repeatedly warned him not to bother him? Why didn't this prospective son-in-law listen to him? Did he take his words to heart? He probably needs to be taught a lesson.

Chen Xuan's lips twitched. He knew this would happen. Luckily, he didn't start beating him up like he usually did. He shrank back and said, "Then I'll leave?"

"Go, go, hurry up and take your wife with you. It's all your fault for making my daughter cry. You'd better soothe her, or you'll be in for a beating," the old man said, waving his hand.

Looking at the little princess, Chen Xuan said helplessly, "Wife, what do you think?"

"I'm not leaving, Father. Please stop making a scene. How can I be at ease if you keep acting like this? Come with us," the little princess said, choking back tears as she tugged at him.

With a sigh, the old man knew the game couldn't go on any longer. He looked at the little princess and said gently, "Alright, alright, Daddy will go with you, okay? Don't cry, be good."

"Yes, that's more like it," the little princess immediately stopped crying and started laughing.

Chen Xuan was in a real dilemma. They say a son-in-law is like half a son, but Old Deng has hardly ever been kind to him. And he hasn't offended him at all.

In the blink of an eye, a large crowd had gathered around, especially the shopkeeper, who had no good intentions to begin with. He wasn't going to give them any time to enjoy their family time together. He seized the opportunity to interject, "You must be this old man's juniors. You've come at the right time. He's been making trouble and ruining our reputation. As his juniors, you have to give him an explanation, or this won't end here!"

Upon hearing this, the little princess, who had been crying her eyes out just a moment ago, wiped away her tears, her face darkening as she looked at him and said indifferently, "Shut up, you have no right to speak now."

Despite being a seemingly frail woman, she exuded an astonishing aura when she spoke. The shopkeeper, who had been so aggressive and confrontational, felt a chill run down his spine and instinctively fell silent, even feeling an urge to kneel down on the spot.

Princess Fuyao is just joking with you. Her gentleness and thoughtfulness depend on the person. When she gets serious, not many people can stand up to her in front of her imposing presence.

The shopkeeper was puzzled as to why he was so timid in the face of this girl dressed as a boy. Just as he was at a loss, the government officials arrived in the distance. He was overjoyed and thought to himself that he would see how he dealt with them later.

Noticing the ruthless constable, Chen Xuan nodded slightly to Xia Mei, signaling her to deal with him.

Xia Mei nodded and went to handle it; the officials wouldn't be able to bother her.

The old man knew he couldn't play with his daughter in front of him, and he wasn't in the mood for it, but he was still annoyed and didn't intend to let the shopkeeper off the hook. So he looked at Chen Xuan and said irritably, "You brat, don't you have any sense? Can't you see I'm being bullied? What are you standing there for? Smash his signboard, or I won't be able to get over this!"

"Father-in-law, just you wait and see," Chen Xuan immediately switched into his role as a lackey, rolled up his sleeves and got to work. Since Old Deng had spoken, of course he had to do it himself.

Let alone the fact that the shopkeeper was no good, Old Deng could speak without batting an eye even if it meant facing a mountain of knives or a sea of ​​fire.

"What do you want to do!" the shopkeeper mustered his courage and glared. "I'm the bad guy here! Looks like I'm going to be bullied? This shouldn't be happening!"

Chen Xuan chuckled and said, "Didn't you hear my father-in-law telling me to smash your storefront sign? If your ears hurt, go get them treated."

As he spoke, he jumped up and kicked the signboard to pieces. Then he went on a rampage of smashing and demolishing, and in no time he had completely demolished one wall facing the street. The customers upstairs and downstairs were dumbfounded.

They said they'd demolish his storefront, but Chen Xuan controlled it very well. Not only did it not affect anyone, but the overall structure of the building remained intact. Only one wall was gone. The fragments were even neatly stacked on the steps, and not a single piece fell onto the street and damaged the environment.

The shopkeepers, who were originally numerous and powerful, didn't dare to utter a single word. It wasn't that they didn't want to, but because under Du Juan's calm gaze, they were all trembling with fear, a kind of fear that came from the depths of their souls. They subconsciously knew that the slightest movement would mean death.

Having completed the old man's instructions, Chen Xuan clapped his hands and looked at the shopkeeper with a smile, saying, "If you're not happy, then bear with it. If you feel you've been bullied, then go ahead and bully them. You should be glad my father-in-law didn't order me to chop someone up, otherwise you'd all be finished. Of course, it's normal for you to harbor resentment. If you want revenge later, feel free to bring it on, but just think about the consequences."

After saying that, Chen Xuan ignored them and went to Old Deng's side with a fawning smile, saying, "Father-in-law, it's all done. Are you satisfied? You said you'd tear down the storefront and signboard, and you did just that. I didn't even touch a single extra plank."

"You little rascal, your flattery skills have really improved," the old man said, both amused and exasperated, and he even smiled at Chen Xuan for once.

It seems he's finally gotten over it. He was just having fun anyway, and with his magnanimity, he didn't care at all about being tricked.

But Chen Xuan still asked, "Is Father-in-law in a better mood? If not, just give the order, and I'll arrange everything perfectly for you."

"Alright, alright, it wasn't a big deal anyway, let's just leave it at that," the old man said, pursing his lips, completely giving up on the matter.

The little princess, who had calmed down, felt a pang of melancholy. Her father and husband were both troublesome; the two of them together were a real handful. Look at how much trouble they caused her, and she dared not say a word.

She wanted to cover her face and quickly urged, "Father, husband, have you made enough of a scene? If you've had enough, hurry up and leave. Look at you, aren't you ashamed? You're making yourselves look good, aren't you?"

"Hey you, tearing down someone's shop and bullying them makes you look so capable, don't you? I feel ashamed, even if you don't. Hurry up and leave, or people will laugh at you," Old Deng began to berate Chen Xuan with righteous indignation, as if he wasn't the culprit, fully demonstrating what it means to discard someone after they've served their purpose.

Chen Xuan hesitated, then looked up at the sky with a sigh, speechless. "Fine, you're my father, everything you say is right."

At that moment, he desperately wished someone would jump out and criticize him, but no one did.

Then they just swaggered away, not caring about what happened next, leaving behind a mess. The shop owner, looking at the hotel with a missing wall, was on the verge of tears. He wanted revenge, but inexplicably couldn't muster the courage. How strange… (End of Chapter)