Misty Rain of the Old Times

In the following days, Chen Xuan and his family returned to their usual routine and quickly found the feeling of being at home.

That being said, it seems that after Chen Xuan left the Gao family and started his own household, he spent more time outside than at home.

He didn't have a proper job, nor did he have any urgent goals to achieve; he was just an idle loafer.

These past few days, Chen Xuan has either been lying down and sleeping soundly, or going out to wander around like a vagrant. He would exchange a few pleasantries with anyone he met; he gets along well with everyone, even chatting with the aunties who were buying groceries.

His few hobbies include fishing, and he has gone fishing a few times, going quite far since almost all the rivers in Yang County have dried up. However, he always came back empty-handed, which amused the women.

He offered a plausible explanation: the time of year was wrong, there were no bites, otherwise he would have had a huge catch. He claimed that without using any "heretical" fishing methods, he was simply a novice with a strong addiction.

I met up with Erdan twice and learned that their restaurant business was doing well. The guy was getting married at the end of the year. The girl Erdan had his eye on last time didn't work out, but this time he hit it off with the daughter of a butcher who often supplied the restaurant. Erdan was overjoyed, like a 200-pound child.

I also had a drink with Magistrate Shu Yao once. We talked about the old days at Yushan Academy and nothing else. I could never go back to being as carefree as I was when I was a child.

I didn't get to see Deng Lingfeng; he had just gone out on a delivery mission and wouldn't be back for at least half a month.

When Chen Xuan is at home, he either goes out for a stroll or sleeps soundly. On the other hand, the little princesses go out less often, not for any particular reason, but simply because they don't want to be in the public eye too much.

After that night, He Hongyi came over to visit every day. The two were exchanging glances and were practically flirting. The other women weren't blind; they knew the two were together, but they hadn't decided when to announce it yet. They saw this and were happy for Chen Xuan.

No one was jealous, except for Guo Qingxue, who was secretly anxious. She was the one who followed Brother Chen first, and it seemed that He Hongyi, that vixen, would beat her to it.

After opening her heart, He Hongyi was truly bold. If there weren't other people around, she would have wanted to stick to Chen Xuan all the time.

However, Chen Xuan wasn't just slacking off during this time, because he had already achieved a breakthrough from zero to one in the Concealment Array. He had thoroughly mastered it during this period and even refined the array base. He took some time to find a place to experiment with it, and the results were even better than he had imagined.

The Concealment Array is far superior to a mere Illusion Array. Once set up, it can completely hide an area, making it invisible and nonexistent, like air. If one is unaware of the Concealment Array beforehand, entering it will not make one feel the existence of reality. It not only has the effects of an Illusion Array but is also more realistic, affecting one's thoughts and senses. If it simulates a cliff, one will feel that falling off will truly result in 'death,' and the mental death will also be a real death.

This thing, if used well, has countless uses; it's not just for hiding a small area. Of course, it doesn't offer any real help to Chen Xuan's cultivation level.

With this thing, he felt he could start looking for a mountain stronghold. He just needed to master the floating formation and combine the two to create a dwelling in the air for himself, one that no one would notice. He had been craving it ever since he went to the capital.

Life is ordinary, without the daily novelty of traveling, but it is fulfilling.

That noon, He Hongyi arrived early and chatted with the little princess and the others in the courtyard while eating chilled watermelon. Occasionally, everyone would secretly cast envious glances at the little princess, since she was pregnant. The bellies of Du Juan, Yun Lan, and Yun Xin were still not showing any signs of pregnancy. As for Guo Qingxue and He Hongyi, they hadn't even gotten on the bus yet, but they were already looking forward to it.

For a woman, what could be more important than bearing children for the man she loves?

"The peach tree that Master planted is truly magical. Even though the season has passed, it has still blossomed. And it has been several days now without any sign of withering. I wonder if it will produce peaches, and when it will. I really don't know where Master got this rare variety from," the little girl said in surprise as she looked at the place where the peach tree was growing.

Since that peach tree was planted, it has hardly changed except for blooming a single peach blossom. Everyone can tell that it is no ordinary tree, and they all pay close attention to it, especially the little girl. She is very diligent and takes care of most of the flowers and plants around her. She even went to the Gao family to learn gardening skills from the gardener in her spare time.

Guo Qingxue asked curiously, "Sister Roujia, you were the first to follow Brother Chen, don't you even know that?"

The little girl spread her hands and shook her head, saying, "I don't know about Aji Island. It was already here when I was with Master."

"I do know a little about that. That peach tree was planted when my husband was a child, back when he first went to the Gao family. Back then, my husband and Mingde went to study at Liuyu Academy. He read the stories I wrote back then and wrote to me. He mentioned it in his letters. At that time, we didn't know each other. My husband even used the title 'Peach Blossom Prince' to communicate with me. He said that he came up with this title because of the peach tree," the little princess said with a smile. When she talked about the past, she couldn't help but feel sweetness on her face because that's how they gradually came together.

This was the first time the azaleas had heard of these past events. While they were all curious, they looked at each other with strange expressions, seemingly lost in thought.

They all knew that Chen Xuan was only a little over ten years old at the time, yet he had already taken on the nickname "Peach Blossom Prince." Did he already know back then that he would be destined to be involved in romantic entanglements?
Looking at the group of beautiful women around him, he must have dreamed of having many wives and concubines since he was a child.

As they were engrossed in their conversation, Chen Xuan's still somewhat drowsy voice rang out, "Wife, what are you all talking about? You seem to be having so much fun. Tell me so I can share in your joy."

He's just woken up from a nap. As the head of the family and the pillar of the household, it's quite something that he slept until noon.

Goodness, his clothes were loose and baggy, and he looked sleepy, clearly getting more and more drowsy the more he slept.

Rolling her eyes at him, the little princess got up and gently straightened his clothes, saying irritably, "Husband, you've finally decided to get up? Even a pig can't sleep as long as you. In a little while, it'll be time for lunch."

"Well, I get sleepy in spring, tired in summer, and weak in autumn. It's an old problem that can't be cured," Chen Xuan said with a helpless expression, as if he couldn't do anything about it.

This immediately amused the women. Guo Qingxue chattered, "We were talking about Brother Chen's childhood. You and Sister Qianning used the nickname 'Peach Blossom Prince' to connect when you were young. You transformed into Yang Guo in the desert and then created Huang Xiaochao in the capital. So, Brother Chen, how many other identities do you have?"

"That's all, that's all. You all know it, it was just a joke," Chen Xuan waved his hand, indicating that none of this mattered.

Du Juan added in her cool, clear voice, "Back in Yinlong County, he also had the identity of Wang Wu."

"Oh, right, the master also calls himself the fishing god," the little girl said, raising her hand to expose Chen Xuan's secret.

Upon hearing this, the women were immediately overjoyed, knowing that he had returned empty-handed nine out of ten times while fishing.

Chen Xuan immediately became agitated and said, "You don't understand fishing. There's a lot to it. Those who know, know; those who don't, you wouldn't understand even if I explained. Anyway, you've all fished before, so you just assume things."

Seeing his evasive and desperate attempts to deny it, He Hongyi covered her mouth and laughed heartily, gesturing to the crowd, "Look, Ah Xuan is getting anxious."

The little princess, however, was concerned for Pigeon (or rather, I mean Pigeon). Knowing it was getting late and lunchtime was approaching, she changed the subject, saying, "We're all ready, husband, what do you think?"

Giving the little princess a grateful look, Chen Xuan leaned in and kissed her on the lips, his eyes brimming with tears, and said, "Wife, I love you to death."

Her cheeks flushed, and the little princess scolded playfully, "Husband, are you crazy? They're still here!"

Both of them were pregnant, but the little princess was still incredibly shy despite their intimacy in front of others. Her image as the mother of the family had been completely ruined by her unreliable husband. "There are no outsiders here. If my wife is shy, I'll just kiss them all in front of you," Chen Xuan said, winking at her.

Xia Mei, standing to the side, was both amused and exasperated, and silently stepped back. The romance between the young couple couldn't be counted on her.

The little girl immediately covered her face, her fingers parted wide, oh dear, I can't look, I can't look.

Du Juan, Yun Lan, and Yun Xin blushed and lowered their heads, not daring to look at anyone. Guo Qingxue looked expectant, while He Hongyi's eyes were burning.

The little princess secretly reached out and pinched Chen Xuan's bottom, whispering, "Don't fool around with your husband in broad daylight."

Did you hear that? It's broad daylight. If it were under the cover of night, wouldn't Master Chen be overjoyed?

Chen Xuan stopped making a fuss and waved his hand, saying, "Since everything is ready, let's set off. Let's get to the capital as soon as possible, and then go to Old Deng's... Father-in-law's for a meal."

I almost got my butt pinched by the West again; it didn't hurt, but it was itchy.

They were already prepared. If Chen Xuan hadn't been sleeping in late, they wouldn't know how long they would have been in the capital. Everyone was used to Chen Xuan's schedule; he always delayed his departures. This time, he was even half an hour earlier than usual.

There's no need to bring too much stuff, just some local specialties from my travels. I also have a mansion in Beijing, so I have everything I need. In a way, Beijing is my real home, since that's where we had my wedding ceremony.

There's no need to bring palace maids and servants; there are plenty of luxurious mansions in the capital.

The little princess, the Yunlan and Yunxin sisters, Xia Mei, the little girl Du Juan, Guo Qingxue, and He Hongyi.

A quick glance showed everyone was present. Chen Xuan nodded and reminded them, "We're heading to the capital now. Those with lower cultivation levels should close their eyes and not look around. Otherwise, don't blame me if you feel unwell in the capital. I need to specifically mention Roujia; you have a history of this, more than once."

"I know, Master," the little girl stuck out her tongue and closed her eyes, thinking to herself that her cultivation level wasn't too bad now.

Seeing that they were all ready, Chen Xuan no longer hesitated. He used his true energy to protect them, and then broke into action. In the blink of an eye, he took them and disappeared from the courtyard. A faint blue light streaked across the sky, like a blue cloud stretching across the sky.

Chen Xuan was most skilled in light-footed skills. Carrying several people, he didn't suffer any exhaustion and could easily travel hundreds of miles through the air. However, this was still not true flight. He needed a point of leverage, even if it was just a speck of dust floating in the air.

The mountains and rivers rushed past beneath them at high speed, dazzling the eyes. Only those with cultivation above the Innate Realm dared to open their eyes to look, otherwise the visual impact upon landing would surely cause physical discomfort and make them vomit.

Under Chen Xuan's protection, the air was like an iron plate at this speed, and He Hongyi, Du Juan, and Xia Mei felt as if a gentle breeze was blowing on their faces.

Soaring through the sky, Chen Xuan felt that this was lightness skill, not flying, but to others, it was flying.

This should have been an incredibly romantic thing, after all, it was about traveling freely with the man you love. How wonderful it would be if you could embrace each other. However, Chen Xuan already had a little princess in his arms, and He Hongyi and Du Juan dared not compete for her.

With the skill of "a cup of tea's worth of kung fu", they had already traveled thousands of miles to their residence in the capital. Now, Chen Xuan had even skipped the process of entering the city. Only he would dare to do such a thing. The city guards would not be able to detect him bringing people in and out at all.

Only Elder Rong, who was stationed in the palace, noticed something. He was very familiar with Chen Xuan's aura, so he pretended not to know.

The technique would arrive in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. It was because Chen Xuan had slowed down. Compared to a year ago, his cultivation level had been improving every day. Chen Xuan estimated that unless someone from a cultivation sect had mastered their peerless lightness skill to a certain level, they wouldn't even be able to see his taillights.

Once they were on solid ground, Chen Xuan helped the little princess up and reminded her, "Alright, we've arrived at our destination. Open your eyes."

"We're here. Although it's not the first time I've had this experience, it's still a bit unbelievable," the little princess said, looking at the familiar surroundings in Chen Xuan's arms.

A look of shock flashed across He Hongyi's eyes as she murmured, "I've been keeping track of it. It's only been eighty-six breaths, and we've already come here from Yang County. If I'm not mistaken, it's a full five thousand eight hundred li along the official road from Yang County to the capital, passing through several prefectures along the way!"

Chen Xuan said casually, "This is our home too. Do you want to go back to your room and rest? Oh, and Sister Juan, why don't you take Hongyi and Xiaoxue to the backyard and pick out a room? We probably won't be going far for a while, and we'll be traveling to and from the capital quite often."

“Yes, sir,” Du Juan nodded slightly, then looked at Guo Qingxue and He Hongyi and said, “My two sisters, please come with me.”

Guo Qingxue and He Hongyi had both been here before, once when Chen Xuan and the little princess got married. But this time, their status was different. Even though they hadn't shared a room with Chen Xuan yet, they had already established a relationship. She was now the little wife and considered half the owner of this place.

The two women exchanged a glance, both seeing excitement in each other's eyes.

This place serves as the residence of Chen Xuan and the little princess. Even though the owners are away for extended periods, the security here is so tight that it's as if a fly could be easily distinguished as male or female.

Therefore, they were discovered the moment they arrived, and at least dozens of eyes, including those of maids, servants, and guards, were watching them.

Fortunately, those who stayed here to work all knew the master's situation. Their sudden appearance did not cause panic or shouting. As long as it was not an outsider who had broken in, they were fine. After a brief moment of surprise, they all bowed and greeted him.

"No need to panic, just do your job," Chen Xuan said casually, waving his hand.

Soon, Steward Hua, who was left to guard the house, arrived upon hearing the news and immediately bowed, saying, "Master, Madam, welcome back to the manor."

Chen Xuan raised his hand in a gesture of respect and nodded, saying, "Elder Hua, there's no need for such formalities. Do you know where my father-in-law is right now?"

He doesn't bother to ask how things are going when he's not around. He has his little princess as a capable helper, and she takes care of everything at home.

He was eager to see Old Deng now, having missed him terribly after not seeing him for several months, and he couldn't wait to share with the old man that he was about to have a grandson.

Upon hearing this, Steward Hua replied respectfully with a troubled expression, "Your Majesty, I am unaware. How dare we presume to inquire about the Emperor Emeritus's itinerary?"

Nodding slightly in understanding, Chen Xuan pondered for a moment and said, "I see. Quite a few people should know, but the most convenient way is probably to ask Elder Rong..." (End of this chapter)