Misty Rain of the Old Times

The group left the restaurant, where one wall had been demolished, and walked half a street away from the crowd, where few people paid them any attention. A martial arts tournament had attracted many people from the martial arts world to Yinlong County, and conflicts broke out in many places almost all the time. Who would care what they had done before?

Holding the old man's arm, the little princess seemed to have returned to her teenage years, strolling with her elders. Her steps were light and quick. Now that she had calmed down, she couldn't help but ask, "Father, why are you here? You're so old, what are you doing running around like this? Don't you know how many people are worried about you? What are your plans for the future?"

"He walked here, of course. He can't possibly run around like a little rascal," I thought to myself. The old man smiled kindly and said, "I heard there was something interesting to see, so I came to check it out. I haven't had a proper outing in decades, so it's a rare treat to have some free time. Naturally, I want to make up for lost time. Don't worry, your father is an old man; he won't get lost. He'll come back on his own when he's had his fun."

He paused for a moment, then added, "I don't have any plans for the future. It's nice to have nothing to do, to roam the world freely. It's actually quite interesting."

Old Deng must have been having too much fun outside, Chen Xuan muttered to herself, thinking to herself that it was truly a father-daughter bond; when it came to her father, the daughter-in-law couldn't even care about her husband.

As a daughter, how could she not worry about her elders? The little princess felt sorry for the old man, who looked so travel-worn, and wanted to persuade him to go back home and enjoy his retirement.

Before she could say anything more, Old Deng clearly knew what she was thinking and decisively changed the subject, looking at Chen Xuan with displeasure, saying, "You brat, how did you manage to ignore what I said? Who told you to come along? Are you itching for a beating? Don't think I can't deal with you now. You'll still have to take the beating."

No wonder he didn't like him when he saw him and told him to disappear quickly. So that's why. Chen Xuan immediately looked wronged and said, "Father-in-law, you've misunderstood. I didn't follow you on purpose. How could I disobey your orders? It was truly a chance encounter. You can ask Qian Ning if you don't believe me."

Although she knew Chen Xuan wouldn't lie to her, the old woman still looked at the little princess with suspicion and asked, "Is that so?"

"Yes, Father. My husband said that I have never traveled far from home since I was a child. After we got married, he took me around to see the sights. He was not deliberately trying to find out where you were. Who knew we would meet here by chance?" The little princess nodded and said, interrupted.

Upon hearing this, Lao Deng thought to himself that this lad still had some conscience and knew how to care for his wife. Qian Ning hadn't suffered any grievances after marrying him, unlike many families who kept their wives confined to their large, secluded houses after marriage, never venturing out and spending decades in the same small place.

Then he chuckled and said, "Oh, I see. Well, have fun then. Just remember to avoid dangerous places. Never mind, never mind. This kid isn't a bully, but he's the most dangerous person for bad guys."

“Father-in-law, you are too kind. I am but a scholar who cannot even kill a chicken. How could I possibly bully anyone?” Chen Xuan immediately said righteously.

Old Deng rolled his eyes. "You can't even kill a chicken? Doesn't your conscience hurt when you say that? The chicken you're talking about should be the one used to scare others. Otherwise, the Wu family would be crying their eyes out down there."

But the little princess suddenly became anxious and instinctively gripped the old man's arm tightly, saying, "Father, do you mean you're not coming with us?"

"You two young people are out having fun, what am I, an old man, supposed to do? Don't be fooled by how respectful that brat is right now, if I spend two days with you, he'll definitely give me a hard time," Old Deng said, pursing his lips.

Chen Xuan was speechless. Am I that kind of person?

Before he could even express his filial piety, the little princess put her hands on her hips, glared at him, and said, "He wouldn't dare!" Then she laughed and added, "My husband isn't that kind of person."

"They say a married daughter is like water spilled from a cup, but this is really taking his side," the old woman said, feigning melancholy.

"No, that's not true. Father and husband are the most important people to me."

Stop teasing her. The old woman decisively changed the subject, pointing ahead and saying, "I heard there's a martial arts arena up ahead. Let's go check it out."

It seems Old Deng has changed quite a bit lately. In the past, he would definitely have found all sorts of ways to torment himself. Chen Xuan said with a sigh, "Father-in-law is still interested in this kind of thing?"

"I was young once too, you know? Can't I rekindle my youthful passion now?" the old man said enthusiastically, then added with a displeased look, "I was planning to go check it out after breakfast this morning, but that unscrupulous shopkeeper delayed me."

Chen Xuan immediately rolled up his sleeves and said, "If Father-in-law is still not appeased, I'll go and give them another beating."

"Save your breath. Do you think it's your turn to deal with them? They've learned a lesson, and hopefully they'll remember it," the old man waved his hand magnanimously. In reality, after what happened before, the shop's reputation was ruined, and it couldn't continue operating for a while, suffering heavy losses. There was no need to keep bothering them; he wasn't a petty person.

Seeing this, Chen Xuan had no choice but to lower his sleeves and back down. But the little princess was secretly conflicted. She couldn't bear to see her father suffer in the wind and rain, but neither of them were easy to deal with. They were fine on their own, but who knew what they would do when they got together?

Before long, they arrived at the arena, where half the street was already packed with people.

The little princess, secretly agonizing, was about to ask for a spot with a good view to be arranged when Old Deng waved his hand and urged Chen Xuan, "You brat, can't you be a little more discerning? Make way! Are you staring at the back of people's heads?"

What could Chen Xuan do? He could only put on a sycophantic face and say, "That's easy, we'll just go ahead."

As he spoke, the crowded people in front of him instinctively made way for him, but no one seemed to think anything was wrong.

Seeing this, the old man raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "Oh ho, you little rascal, you've got some skills. I thought you were going to force your way through, but they actually moved aside on their own. I was thinking you'd incite public anger and get beaten up."

"You're always so eager to see me make a fool of myself," Chen Xuan said, feigning modesty. "It's just a little trick, nothing to mention."

"Can't you have some of the youthful energy? It's boring," Old Deng said, somewhat bored.

Soon they arrived at the front of the crowd. The blue stone arena, about 1 meter high and 20 to 30 zhang in diameter, was enough for those martial artists with excess energy to fully display their skills.

The arena was clearly not set up hastily; there was dry moss hidden between the cracks in the stones. Chen Xuan suspected that it was a former execution platform used for beheadings that had been temporarily borrowed by people in the martial arts world.

When they approached, two young men were already fiercely competing on the stage. Their punches and kicks were a clash of passion and sweat, each blow landing with a visceral impact and creating dangerous situations, drawing cheers and applause from the onlookers.

A makeshift shed had been erected behind the arena, where seven or eight people who looked like important figures were whispering and commenting on the arena. They were probably the commentators. There were also referees on the arena.

After a quick glance, Chen Xuan noticed that there were two or three innate masters among the commentators. Judging from their attire and the banners carried by their disciples, they were from both the Flying Feather Sect and Maple Leaf Manor. However, there were no members of the Tai Xuan Sect. Chen Xuan didn't recognize any of them, so the referees of the arena competition were undoubtedly innate masters as well. If they didn't have some ability, how could they let the competitors stop after a few moves?

The old man, who had initially been quite enthusiastic, lost interest after a few glances and chuckled, saying, "So this is what a martial arts arena is like? It's nothing special. It looks fierce, but it's all just mediocre external martial arts, a waste of energy. Arm wrestling would be much more efficient."

The old man had seen it all, and this was truly unexpected. Chen Xuan said, half-laughing and half-crying, "Father-in-law, is it possible that true masters simply wouldn't bother showing off on such a stage? Winning would be dishonorable, and losing would ruin one's reputation." "Then what's the point of this stage? I could fight better than them. At most, I'd lose in one move to the two instructors up there," the old man said, utterly disappointed.

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan almost broke out in a cold sweat. Seeing his father's eager expression, he quickly advised, "Father-in-law, please don't do anything reckless. You're getting on in years, so please be careful. What if you bump into something?"

It's no exaggeration to say that if something were to happen to him, even if everyone in the city were slaughtered, it wouldn't be enough to pay for his death.

"Am I that frivolous? I have no interest in this childish game," Old Deng said, pursing his lips.

Chen Xuan breathed a sigh of relief and said, "That's good, that's good. Just watch the show. This arena is basically a chance for young people and rising stars to shine. You shouldn't steal the spotlight from them."

As Chen Xuan spoke, his heart skipped a beat. What do you mean you're not interested in playing house? Do you actually want to participate in the big event? No, you're not planning something on tomorrow's martial arts tournament, are you?

The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. What if the old man was being impulsive and wanted to do something exciting?

While Chen Xuan was secretly speculating, the old man looked at the arena and laughed, "In five breaths at most, the short guy will be defeated. You, son-in-law, will go up next."

Don't let his advanced age fool you; he's actually quite skilled. In his youth, he fought against countless enemies and mastered various advanced martial arts. In the martial arts world, he would be a top-tier expert in the acquired realm, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he could hold his own against the bottom-tier innate masters. He certainly has that much insight.

However, upon hearing this, Chen Xuan was dumbfounded and pointed to his own nose, saying, "Me?"

Now he realized why Old Deng had been so agreeable since they met; he had been waiting here all along, and he knew Old Deng had no good intentions.

The old man replied matter-of-factly, "Should I, with my old bones, go up there?"

"No, no, I can't bear the embarrassment," Chen Xuan shook his head vigorously.

He kicked him in annoyance, and the old man glared at him, saying, "How is it shameful? What a great opportunity to show off! Are you even a young man? Don't you have any backbone? What, are you afraid you can't beat someone?"

"If you say you're not going, then you're just going to bully people. If word gets out, how will I ever face anyone again?" Chen Xuan continued to shake his head, clearly determined not to take the bait.

In the short time it took to say those two sentences, a muffled thud came from the ring. Just as the old man had predicted, the shorter man had been defeated. He was kicked by his opponent and rolled several times in the ring, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, and he almost couldn't stand up.

The winner cupped his hands in greeting and said with concern, "Brother, you are very skilled. You won by a narrow margin. Thank you for the favor. Are you alright?"

"I'm outmatched, thank you for your mercy. Let's spar another day. Farewell," the short man said curtly as the referee helped him to his feet, then turned and disappeared into the crowd.

After finishing, the victor took a deep breath, cupped his hands in greeting to those around him, and said, "I have made a fool of myself and will temporarily guard the arena. I wonder who will come forward to offer their guidance?"

"Yes, yes, coming right away," Old Deng said, waving his hand.

People were still discussing the previous round, and no one immediately accepted the challenge, so the old man's words seemed extremely abrupt.

Feeling like a conspicuous bag, Chen Xuan wanted to cover his face, secretly considering whether he should pretend he didn't know him.

The winner on the stage looked over, stunned for a moment, and said with a wry smile, "Old man, this isn't good. You're quite old, and your fists and feet have no eyes. If you get hurt, it would be my fault."

"Who said I wanted to fight you? He's just a junior of mine. If you want to fight me, you'll have to get past him first," the old man said with a chuckle, then glared at Chen Xuan and said, "You brat, hurry up! I've already said what I meant."

Then, the old man threatened in a low voice, "You're not listening to me anymore, are you? If you dare not fight, believe me, I'll lie down and roll around on the ground right now!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan secretly gasped. "You're really going to such lengths to get me on stage?"

However, what troubled Chen Xuan was that if he didn't listen to his father, he was sure he would do such a thing. So he looked at the little princess with a hint of pleading and said, "Wife, aren't you going to do something about your father-in-law?"

People were already looking this way. Chen Xuan released his spiritual will without making a sound, causing people to ignore the little princess and the others. Meanwhile, his own appearance had subtly changed. If he couldn't resist Old Deng, he should prepare in advance.

Before the little princess could speak, the old man pretended to lie down on the ground, urging, "You brat, aren't you going to get up? If I really lie down, and you dare stop me, I'll beat you up right now in front of everyone. Oh, you've even disguised yourself, huh? Not bad. Looks like you still listen to me."

"Have you two finished discussing this yet? The others are waiting," the defender began to urge them on.

Chen Xuan almost sighed to the heavens. What could he do with such a playful old man? He could only grit his teeth, stomp his foot, and say with a wry smile, "Alright, alright, I'll go right now, okay? Let me make it clear, I'll just go up and make a token gesture. I won't do anything to bully anyone, and I'm not trying to show off."

“That’s more like a young man. Hesitating like a girl. Hurry up, I don’t care about all that. You have to go up to the ring today,” Old Deng said with a beaming smile.

Forget it, let's just go along with his antics. As long as the old man is happy, that's all that matters. Even if it means going to the ring, we'll still try to make him happy.

So Chen Xuan shook his head, both amused and exasperated, and said, "Alright, I'll go up and do my part."

Then, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he walked towards the ring, not intending to show off his skills, but climbing up like an ordinary person, which drew laughter from the crowd. "And he dares to go on stage to challenge?"

However, to Chen Xuan's astonishment, in just a few steps, he turned around and found that the old man who had been standing with the little princess and the others just a moment ago was gone, along with Eunuch Wang.

No, what about people?
Chen Xuan was truly dumbfounded. He hadn't even noticed when Lao Dengren had run away. The key point was that the moment he realized Lao Dengren was missing, he immediately used all his senses to search for him, but he couldn't sense him at all. It was as if Lao Dengren had vanished into thin air!
He instantly realized that Old Deng's whole charade was a diversionary tactic to make his escape easier. After all, he had been emperor for so many years; it was perfectly normal for him to have methods for concealing himself. Finding him again would be like searching for a needle in a haystack... (End of Chapter)