Misty Rain of the Old Times

Chapter 751

Having brought Guo Qingxue to the dark underground cave where the Acacia Ice Jade Flower was cultivated, Chen Xuan raised an eyebrow slightly as he looked around at the situation, wondering what was going on here now.

Before we knew it, it was already evening. The slanting sunlight shone through the 'skylight' that Chen Xuan had made at the top, but it was still difficult to dispel the damp environment that had been there for many years.

The dark medicine garden was no longer guarded by the few hundred people that Chen Xuan had before he went deep underground. Apart from Liu Yuyuan and a few others, all of them had their cultivation acupoints sealed before he left, making them unable to move or resist.

With a quick glance, Chen Xuan realized that only a few hours had passed, yet thousands upon thousands of people had appeared here. Even outside the cave, countless people were scattered around. Without a doubt, Chen Xuan knew that these people had been attracted by the commotion he had caused earlier.

The thousands of people in the herb garden were clearly divided into three groups, with each group obviously at odds with the others. The atmosphere was tense, like a powder keg ready to explode at the slightest spark.

Chen Xuan didn't know much about the specific situation in Yuhua Kingdom, and he could only roughly guess which side each of the three opposing groups represented.

The largest group consisted of people from the martial arts world, which was evident from their attire. Martial arts people, after all, each had their own unique characteristics, and they made up nearly half of the group. Their strength varied greatly. Judging from their aura, some were innate masters, while others hadn't even cultivated internal energy. Although this group was the largest, they were the weakest in terms of momentum and appeared particularly passive. This was probably because they lacked a leader. Martial arts people, temporarily gathered together, couldn't possibly unite as a cohesive unit overnight.

Besides, the most imposing force was the army, which made up two-fifths of the total population. They were dressed in uniform black armor, and their cold gazes were so intense that it was almost suffocating. The disorganized martial arts practitioners dared not meet their eyes.

But the most powerful and domineering are the members of the Jade Flower Eagle Hall. Their attire is very distinctive. They only number two or three hundred, yet they can contend with an army ten times their size. Neither side can gain the upper hand, and they are the two sides they target most.

With a flicker of thought, Chen Xuan guessed that the reason for this confrontational situation was that both the military and the Eagle Hall wanted to control the area, and people from the martial arts world were not qualified to participate and were caught in the middle.

Judging from the betrayal of Sun Qingzhu by Shi Wang and other Eagle Hall members in the imperial tomb, the Eagle Hall should have been under Qin Yan's control long ago. However, Qin Yan and Qin Ruyu are already dead, and the Eagle Hall members here are unaware of this. Moreover, the disappearances of so many women over the years were all caused by Qin Yan and Qin Ruyu, grandfather and granddaughter. Therefore, the Eagle Hall would naturally not allow this medicinal garden where the Acacia Ice Moon Flower is cultivated using corpses to fall into someone else's control. Then, the army should represent the court, probably the power controlled by the Yu Hua Kingdom's royal family. After all, Qin Yan controls the government, and the army must be kept under control as much as possible, otherwise it would truly become a mere figurehead. Currently, they cannot command other government departments, so they can only send the army here. This is an opportunity to confront Qin Yan and also to take control of the medicinal garden. Thus, neither side will give in, and they are locked in a stalemate.

In an instant, many thoughts flashed through Chen Xuan's mind. Although he always said that he was not very bright, he just refused to use his brain. He could still analyze the situation to some extent.

The already tense atmosphere was further abruptly disrupted by the arrival of Chen Xuan and Guo Qingxue, making them the target of everyone's attention and breaking the stalemate. Countless eyes turned to them.

With so many eyes watching, Guo Qingxue, who had been clinging to Chen Xuan's arm and unwilling to let go, subconsciously shrank her neck, lowered her head slightly, and hugged him even tighter. After all, she was just a young girl who had just come of age, and she couldn't withstand the pressure of so many people's gazes.

Chen Xuan had seen all sorts of grand occasions. Under the watchful eyes of countless people, he gently patted Guo Qingxue's hand to signal her to calm down, and looked around with interest, smiling as he said, "Just passing by. Everyone, please go about your business and don't worry about us."

These words shattered the balance instantly. Among the already powerful and domineering members of the Eagle Hall, some were about to open their mouths and rebuke them to make them obey. They were responsible for suppressing the martial arts world and had Prime Minister Qin backing them up. This matter involved too much, and they were unwilling to let anyone go. In fact, if possible, everyone had to die to cover up the crimes.

However, before the man could speak, a sharp-eyed commander quickly covered his mouth. Those who could lead were not lacking in intelligence or foresight. The commander, his heart pounding, looked at Chen Xuan with a forced smile and said, "Young Master Chen, please go ahead. Don't mind us."

Just kidding. Putting aside Chen Xuan's cultivation level and strength, his status as the son-in-law of the Jing Kingdom's royal family is not to be trifled with. If there is a conflict, it will be a matter of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Furthermore, dragging him into this would be creating a major enemy. Even Qin Yan behind them cannot protect them.

The military personnel glanced at Chen Xuan and his companion a few times without saying a word, guessing that they had already been warned and no one would dare to provoke them.

Chen Xuan, who had no intention of getting involved in these matters, was happy to have some peace and quiet, and nodded, saying, "Please continue, everyone. Farewell."

As he was about to leave with Guo Qingxue, a commotion suddenly erupted from outside the ground. Immediately afterward, figures swiftly descended from the 'skylight' he had created, quickly dispersing and surrounding the area.

The group was large, all dressed in silver armor with golden chrysanthemum insignia on their chests. Their gazes were cold and murderous, almost devoid of emotion, clearly indicating their importance. Among them were many experts, with no fewer than ten possessing innate cultivation who had entered the herb garden. Moreover, their actions and movements were perfectly coordinated.

The sudden arrival of this group made the already tense atmosphere even more oppressive, and for a moment no one could tell what was going on. Even Chen Xuan, who was about to leave, couldn't help but stop in his tracks. Where did these people come from?

"Who are you? Who sent you? Please state your identities to avoid any misunderstandings!" Immediately, a domineering Eagle Hall commander stepped forward and questioned.

Even military leaders spoke up. A general wearing dark gold armor and holding a sword said in a deep voice, "We are ordered to suppress the rebellion. State your identities and purpose, or you will be treated as rebels!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan was slightly speechless. He glanced at the army and thought to himself, "So it's under the pretext of suppressing a rebellion? Well, if it's just about capturing a criminal, why would we need to send out the army?"

However, the newcomers remained unmoved after surrounding the area, each staring at everyone with icy eyes, as if they would kill anyone who made the slightest move. Their indifference was chilling.

"We, the Chrysanthemum Guards, have been ordered by the Grand Princess to take full control of this place. Everyone must cooperate unconditionally, or face death!" A cold voice came from the 'skylight,' devoid of any emotion, its indifference reaching its very core.

Following the sound, a man in a silver robe stood there, with a golden chrysanthemum pattern on his chest. He held a long sword and looked down. The aura emanating from him was that of a top-tier master of the Innate Realm. Beside him stood two other beings dressed similarly, whose auras were only slightly weaker.

With such cultivation, they are already comparable to the leaders of famous martial arts sects. It is no exaggeration to say that, without the presence of a grandmaster, the three of them alone would be enough to suppress the major martial arts sects!

Chen Xuan raised an eyebrow. The Chrysanthemum Guard? Does Yu Hua Kingdom have such a powerful force? They've kept it well hidden. But judging from their tone, it's probably secretly trained by that old aunt Song Yuzhi, one of their trump cards against Qin Yan's former power. Anyway, he'd never heard of it. Facing the Chrysanthemum Guard leader's arrogant attitude, one of the commanders from the Eagle Hall, who already had their own allies, stepped forward and sneered, "What rubbish, the Chrysanthemum Guard? Never heard of it! Who gave you the right to fabricate the Princess's orders? This is a grave crime! Surrender now! We'll investigate your identities and then decide your fate!"

That's what they say, but the Eagle Hall commander knew in his heart that the other party's identity was probably real and the order was real, but because of the issue of stance, he had to stand up and confront them head-on, otherwise, would he really let the other party take charge of this place?

However, in the next instant, the Chrysanthemum Guard leader who had been speaking at the edge of the 'skylight' drew his sword without saying a word and swung it across the air. A golden sword light, refined to the extreme, vanished in an instant. People only saw a blur before their eyes, and with a splattering sound, the Eagle Hall leader who had jumped out to question them was already decapitated, his blood spurting high into the air.

It wasn't that he hadn't thought about resisting, but that he couldn't. As a newly ascended Innate Realm cultivator, the moment he had the thought of resisting, the golden sword light had already slashed across his neck. He wasn't actually weak, but the gap between them was too great.

As if he had done something insignificant, the leader of the Chrysanthemum Guards stood at the edge, sword in hand, looking down and saying in an icy voice, "I don't want to repeat myself. Now, who still wants to disobey the Grand Princess's decree?"

"We have no objection and will cooperate fully!" The military general immediately stood up and knelt on one knee to express his stance. He was not afraid, but rather very excited, because he was already under the command of the royal family and naturally stood on the side of the princess.

All of this happened so fast that it was almost impossible to react. However, since it involved a matter of principle, another leader of the Eagle Hall couldn't help but step forward, his eyes blazing with fury, and said, "Insolence! We members of the Eagle Hall are responsible for suppressing the martial world and obey His Majesty's orders. How dare you kill people? Have you asked His Majesty for permission? Have you obtained the Prime Minister's permission?"

puff……!

Another golden sword light flashed by in an instant, and the person who was about to speak was decapitated before he could even finish his sentence.

Those are innate masters! Even if they're at the bottom, they'd still be big shots in the martial arts world. Here, it's like they don't care about money at all.

"Is there anything else to say? We only obey Her Highness the Grand Princess. Anyone who disobeys will die!" the Chrysanthemum Guard leader said indifferently, a pure, emotionless killing machine.

With the deaths of two commanders at the Innate Realm, they were now the only two Innate Realm experts remaining in the Eagle Hall. With their deaths, the remaining Eagle Hall members were leaderless. No matter who they were backing, how could they dare to resist at this point? They could only endure it and get through this ordeal first. No matter who was behind them, the Prime Minister would seek justice for them.

"Very good, it would have been better if you had done this earlier. Now, listen to my orders: everyone, evacuate the herb garden in an orderly manner, and try not to damage a single plant or tree. There will be other arrangements. Anyone who dares to cause trouble will be killed without mercy!" The leader of the Chrysanthemum Guard slowly sheathed his longsword and said indifferently.

Chen Xuan had just been about to leave when he saw this place. He could only conclude that Song Yuzhi, that old auntie, was serious. She even sent out one of her secretly cultivated trump cards. It was highly likely that the old auntie had already ordered these Chrysanthemum Guards to come here before she arrived. It was just that the old auntie came too quickly, and the Chrysanthemum Guards only arrived here after everything at the Imperial Mausoleum was finished.

No one had any will to resist anymore. Those Chrysanthemum Guards were nothing short of killing machines, terrifying to behold. They could only obediently stay put, anxious about what fate awaited them. Countless martial artists regretted coming here; why get involved in this mess?

As everyone retreated under the cold gaze of the Chrysanthemum Guards, Guo Qingxue asked softly, "Brother Chen, what do we do?"

"Go home, what else can we do? It's none of our business," Chen Xuan said with a smile, unconcerned.

While comforting Guo Qingxue, Chen Xuan suddenly felt a cold gaze directed at him. Following the gaze, he could only see the Chrysanthemum Guard leader looking down at him.

Meeting his gaze, Chen Xuan calmly said, "What's wrong? Feeling offended? You want to attack me? Let me make this clear first, I have no interest in getting involved in your affairs. Your Grand Princess is still downstairs. Before making a decision, you might as well consult her. I advise you to think carefully before making a decision."

Upon hearing this, the other man's eyes turned cold, but one of his deputies suddenly changed his expression and quickly whispered something in his ear. Soon, the Chrysanthemum Guard leader's expression changed, and fear flashed in his eyes. He bowed respectfully to Chen Xuan and said, "I wouldn't dare, Young Master Chen, please proceed."

Seeing this, Chen Xuan couldn't help but sigh inwardly. He wondered how that old aunt Song Yuzhi had trained these Chrysanthemum Guards. They really only listened to her orders and dared to do anything. They had already surpassed the category of death squads. Even if he used his Purple Mystic Illusion Eye, he couldn't control them before they relaxed their guard.

Moreover, it seems that if Song Yuzhi hadn't given prior notice, and if he wanted to come and go freely after giving the order, he really would have acted without hesitation.

Nodding, Chen Xuan said, "In that case, I won't disturb you any longer."

As he spoke, he noticed Liu Yuyuan, one of the martial arts figures who had no choice but to cooperate. That guy was still there. Thinking about it, he understood. He had left them here after going deeper into the area, and with a whole bunch of people arriving one after another, he couldn't leave easily. So he turned to the Chrysanthemum Guard commander and said, "You don't mind if I take one more person with me, do you? He's not too important, he won't affect you at all."

Upon hearing this, the other party frowned slightly, but still nodded and said, "Since it's Young Master Chen who asked, of course there's no problem."

"Thank you," Chen Xuan smiled. There was no need for it, and he didn't like getting into conflicts with people. He wasn't some crazy person who refused to eat beef.

Without lingering, he vanished silently with Guo Qingxue, and Liu Yuyuan disappeared with them. He couldn't care less about anything else... (End of Chapter)