When Fierce Winter Ends, the River of Stars Shines On

Night hung deep, and the moonlight was hazy.

Though Azure Dragon Province City remained noisy deep into the night, it was ultimately not as prosperous as it was by day.

The few places given over to lavish revelry were confined to the provincial city alone.

Within most residences, though lamps were lit, they were sparse and faint, carrying a hint of gloom.

Whoosh!

Without a sound, a figure swept through the skies above the provincial city.

The figure moved with incredible speed, invisible to the naked eye. Not a trace of true essence stirred around him; even an accomplished martial cultivator, observing from close by, would find it difficult to notice anything.

This figure was naturally Chen Ping'an, who had quietly departed from the Gu Family.

At this moment, he had long since changed his appearance. A gray robe concealed his figure and face.

Beneath the gray robe was a face covered in knife scars. It was not old, yet it carried an air of decay. And within that decay, a killing intent hidden deep inside seemed to seep out faintly.

Black Mystic Iron Mask!

This appearance had naturally been imitated and disguised by Chen Ping'an through the Black Mystic Iron Mask's wondrous properties.

After so many days of refinement, although Chen Ping'an had yet to achieve Refining Success with this Black Mystic Iron Mask, he was not far from it overall.

Though he had not triggered its unique wondrous property, True Simulation, the Black Mystic Iron Mask's current effects already granted it extremely strong powers of imitation and disguise.

With his Martial Path Realm, if he activated it with all his strength, he did not dare claim he could deceive a Martial Dao Celestial—but deceiving a Pseudo Celestial certainly would not be a problem.

The Black Mystic Iron Mask had but one purpose: concealing one's aura, altering one's appearance, disguising, and imitating.

But precisely because of this, its specialization became all the more apparent.

Solely in terms of disguise and imitation, the Black Mystic Iron Mask was in no way inferior to a precious treasure.

However, while ordinary imitation did not have as many restrictions as True Simulation, precise imitation and a flawless disguise still required extensive preparations beforehand.

The appearance Chen Ping'an had assumed this time, for instance, was one he had never displayed before.

For this day, he had pondered over it carefully for more than half a month.

This round of imitation and disguise could not be called seamless as heaven's own handiwork, but it was enough to conceal all traces of his true origins.

The Black Mystic Iron Mask could alter appearance, imitate aura, conceal one's realm, and hide one's age.

In all these aspects, it could be said to cover every angle without leaving a single flaw.

One had to know that many secret treasures used for concealment might possess formidable functions in one particular aspect, but their flaws were too obvious. With the slightest contact, one could discover the other party's true background.

Even if they possessed several functions, the moment an error appeared, peeling back the layers like silk from a cocoon would be enough to reveal their original form.

Take age, for example. One might have perfected every other aspect of the disguise, yet leave an oversight in this regard.

Those with deep experience could use this to infer things step by step, ultimately determining the true identity behind the scenes.

Great Grandmasters and Pseudo Celestials alike possessed sharp, venomous eyes. Solely by sight, they could judge More or Less correctly. Even if one's cultivation was concealed, their spiritual perception would still be enough to determine the other's bone age.

At that point, no matter how aged your face and appearance looked, they could see through your true origins at a glance.

Even if they did not expose you on the spot, they could use it as a basis afterward, reason through it carefully, and conduct a comprehensive analysis. In the end, they would inevitably drag you out.

Those who could become Great Grandmasters, or even Pseudo Celestials, possessed far more than merely their Martial Path Realm.

Their Martial Path Realm was only one aspect of their strength. Beyond that, they had the insight and information accumulated over long years.

In biographical novels, a single mask could easily make countless renowned masters and great powers dance in the palm of one's hand. Or someone's thoughts would run wild, leaving others utterly bewildered.

Such scenes were, in the end, unlikely to happen in reality.

Setting aside appearance and features, even if every aspect were flawless, one's speech and experience during conversation would naturally reveal one's true origins beyond doubt.

The longer the contact lasted, the greater the flaws became, and the more likely exposure was.

This was not constrained by talent, but by accumulation.

Even if a prodigy could use one year as ten, gaining in a single year the information accumulated over ten years, once that number was magnified without limit, sufficient foundations would still be needed to support such a thing.

The longer Chen Ping'an cultivated, the more he understood the value of an information gap.

With such a flaw in his background, if he did not know of methods for examining bone age and failed to guard against them in advance, he might expose his origins without even realizing it.

By the time the incident came to light, he might not even know how he had been exposed.

Dimensional suppression represented far more than an overlap in martial strength or Martial Path Realm. It was a comprehensive crushing advantage in experience, information, intelligence, methods, treasures, calculations, schemes, layouts, and much more besides.

Looking across the world, other than Children of Destiny and those favored by fate, born with destiny's protection, who could withstand dimensional suppression of this level?

Under destiny's protection, if someone harbored malicious intentions toward them, inner demons would arise in profusion, obstructions of perception would cloud their sight, their senses would become disordered, and their state of mind would become impossible to describe.

Most crucially, those caught within the game remained wholly unaware. They believed their many decisions all arose from their own hearts, pure and unblemished.

As recorded in ancient Classics, some vast dynasty had fallen apart because its emperor was muddleheaded. Yet according to secret records, the emperor's muddleheadedness did not stem from himself, but from proliferating obstructions of perception.

Before the great tide, heaven's decree could not be defied!

Some emperors of dying dynasties had been wise and capable in their youth, only to become muddleheaded in old age. A great part of the reason lay here.

Even with wise judgment, under obstructions of perception, one would negate oneself.

In the end, the great edifice collapsed, and the dynasty fell.

Of course, Chen Ping'an had only learned of this from miscellaneous books, and he harbored doubts about its authenticity. He did not know whether later generations had deliberately embellished it in vivid strokes, or exaggerated the tale to make it more legendary.

But regardless, ancient texts contained detailed records of fate's protection. Whether there had been unseen hands behind it remained unknown, but many of the deeds could indeed be verified.

According to the great scholars of the classics, this was one favored by destiny, one to whom Heaven's mandate belonged.

To most people in the world, talk of Heaven's mandate seemed somewhat illusory and intangible. Yet the further one traveled along the Martial Path, the more one could vaguely sense its flavor.

The grand momentum of a dynasty might not be clear, yet beneath the workings of fate, traces could still be found. From the founding of the Great Qian Dynasty, it had established many directly affiliated institutions. Quite a number of them concerned methods of deduction involving heavenly secrets and fate, stellar divination, yin and yang, the five elements, and the like.

This showed that such matters were not empty fantasies drifting in the void.

It was said that among the dynasty's two great Academies were scholars who had meticulously cultivated the literary path of divination. They could use heavenly secrets for deduction, influence fate, and kill without leaving a trace.

Ever since learning of this, Chen Ping'an had held it in awe and remained ever vigilant.

Unlike those monstrous prodigies ranked at the forefront of the Hidden Dragon list, he had risen from humble beginnings. Without such deep family foundations or the protection of powerful forces, faced with this kind of dimensional crushing blow, it would be difficult for him to resist.

All he could do was hide behind the scenes as much as possible.

Silently accumulate strength, gather his Wings, until one day he shone upon the age and suppressed his entire generation. Even—

With an invincible bearing, suppress all enemies who dared to come!

Chen Ping'an's thoughts shifted as his figure flickered continuously through the night sky.

Though the Black Mystic Iron Mask was a treasure for mimicry and disguise, it could also conceal one's aura and hide one's tracks to a certain extent.

Combined with Chen Ping'an's own Martial Path Realm, its effect could be called flawless.

With such concealment, let alone a Great Grandmaster at the pinnacle, even if a Storm Cloud Great Grandmaster came in person, so long as they maintained a certain distance from one another, they might not be able to discover him.

Chen Ping'an had planned tonight's operation for a long time.

Using the Gu Family celebration as a pretext, he would stay the night at the Gu Family, then secretly depart and launch a midnight assassination upon—

Li Wusheng!

Chen Ping'an's mind was calm as he calculated the methods at his disposal.

He was currently using an alternate identity, so the methods he used openly could naturally not be revealed. Even if no one perceived them, he could not employ them in the slightest if he wished to minimize the risks as much as possible.

As one of the top figures of the Azure Dragon Province Town Pacification Office, Li Wusheng was a bona fide Deputy Division Head. Even among the many Deputy Division Heads, he ranked near the top.

His death would inevitably draw the attention of the Northern Border Pacification Bureau.

They might not devote much effort to it, but this was still something that could not be left unguarded against.

Who knew what methods the investigators sent by the Northern Border Pacification Bureau might possess?

Therefore, no matter how small the risk, he could not reveal even the slightest trace.

Furthermore, if possible, he did not wish to use the methods of his Black Robe alternate identity.

Such as the Seven Kill Heavenly Dipper Fist, the Ten Thousand Demons True Body, the Seven Absolute Divine Skill, and so on.

But unfortunately, though he now had many methods at his disposal, after excluding those he used openly, it was impossible to kill Li Wusheng at the fastest speed without using the methods of his Black Robe alternate identity.

No matter how strong he was now, when facing a Great Grandmaster of Li Wusheng's level, the means he could reveal under this alternate identity were ultimately limited.

Maintaining one stable alternate identity and completely separating it from his real identity was already his limit.

If there were more, then the enemy's strength would have to drop drastically—down to the level of an ordinary Great Grandmaster, for instance. Only then might it be possible to establish one or two more.

Otherwise, maintaining one stable alternate identity was already the limit.

The reason Chen Ping'an was taking these additional measures of concealment was also to provide multiple layers of protection. For instance, if the assassination went perfectly smoothly, but he encountered an enemy while cleaning up and retreating, then without using additional methods, he might be able to conceal the traces of the Black Robe alternate identity.

When making plans, do not first calculate victory—calculate defeat first.

Chen Ping'an hoped that this trip would pass without a single ripple or twist, and that he could smoothly kill Li Wusheng of the Absolute Sound Palm without attracting anyone's attention.

But he had still made ample mental preparations.

If complications arose, he would adapt to the circumstances!

Without exposing his true roots, he would certainly kill Li Wusheng!

Even if that meant exposing the identity of his Black Robe alternate identity, he would not hesitate.

Let bygones be bygones for now.

But when Li Wusheng had come to provoke him during Zhaoheng's Coming-of-Age Ceremony, that alone had been enough to stir Chen Ping'an's killing intent. Li Wusheng had also entered his list of those who must die.

Chen Ping'an's thoughts were many, and he grew increasingly eager for treasures capable of concealing supernatural traces.

Especially treasures that could conceal the origins of one's cultivation techniques even in battle—those were what he desired most urgently.

For example, swirling mist that could block all prying eyes; or a jade bowl that, once lowered, formed a space of its own within. Or perhaps, while fighting openly before the public, some divine weapon or secret artifact that could conceal his methods.

He could unleash the Seven Kill Heavenly Dipper Fist with the intent to blast his foe to death, yet onlookers would find it difficult to determine what method he had used.

Of course, for now, Chen Ping'an could only dream of such treasures.

On this trip, Chen Ping'an's sole reliance for isolating the inside from the outside and concealing any disturbance was that set of Azure Sun Four Directions Command Flags.

Using the four directions as its foundation, he would Set Up the Azure Sun Four Directions Command Flags, confuse the Spiritual Energy, isolate the inside from the outside, and form a space of its own.

The Azure Sun Four Directions Command Flags were primarily a set of divine weapons for trapping and imprisoning. Though not adept at concealment, they presumably possessed considerable power in that regard as well.

Chen Ping'an sped through the air, and his heart gradually calmed.

Yet before it had fully settled, an image surfaced in his mind—something that had happened not long ago.

The moonlight had been hazy, the fireworks brilliant. As he tucked the hairpin into place, he looked upon the beautiful woman's flawless face and, as if possessed, kissed her.

Moon Reflection Lake.

Moonlight spilled down. Gu Qingcheng stood by the lakeside, her expression cold and detached, as though she stood alone beyond this mortal world, carrying an ethereal air untouched by dust. A wooden hairpin was tucked into her hair, faintly exuding a rustic simplicity.

It was a contradictory union of transcendence and simplicity.

"Have you decided?"

Beneath the swaying shadows of distant trees stood a girl holding a sword, bright-eyed and white-toothed, clear and pure.

Gu Qingcheng said nothing. A breeze brushed past, sending ripples across her Moon Skirt, while the bright moon in the night sky gradually became an illusion.

Guanghan descended before the palace gates, moonlight clear and radiant.

The bitter winter had scattered, and the river of stars shone forever.

Heavenly omens and star divination—fate was destined to return!

Gazing at the peerless beauty who had nearly merged into one with the moon, the sword-bearing girl's expression revealed a trace of bewilderment—a confusion and melancholy toward an unknown fate.

Buzz~

The divine sword trembled and rang, nurturing the Divine Firmament.

Ripples spread all over the sword-bearing girl. Strands of intent seemed to sense heaven and earth, returning to nature.

The two clans formed a marriage alliance, their families bound by covenant; a fine match forever joined, a fitting pair alike in name.

Above the night sky, the moonlight remained unchanged, just as it had been on that day ten thousand years ago.

As though crossing the long river of time, it scattered clear radiance, leaving behind endless tenderness.

People of today know not the moon of ancient times, yet this moon once shone upon the ancients.

Beneath the distant treetops, a wooden raft swayed, faintly engraved with words.

Farewell at dusk, again and again; fireworks year after year; morning after morning, evening after evening—peace through every passing year.

"This is the place!"

Chen Ping'an's gray robes snapped in the wind as he hovered high in the air, looking down at the estate in the distance.

It was the residence of Li Wusheng, the Absolute Sound Palm.

As an absolute top-tier giant of Azure Dragon Province, Li Wusheng's estate was immensely grand. Even within Azure Dragon Province City, where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold, it occupied a vast expanse.

The gardens were exquisite, the rock formations strange and magnificent.

Buzz~

Chen Ping'an closed his eyes. Deep within the spirit platform between his brows, Spiritual Light flashed and vanished.

His spiritual perception spread like radiation toward the distant estate.

Though spiritual perception was incomparably swift, precise sensing still required a certain amount of time to buffer and conduct a sweeping investigation.

Normally, this sort of broad-ranging perception would cause quite a disturbance. But with Chen Ping'an's current abilities, he could reduce the fluctuations to a minimum. With the Black Mystic Iron Mask's supplementary concealment ability, it could almost be said to pass without a sound.

A few breaths later, Chen Ping'an abruptly opened his eyes, brilliant light blazing within them.

"Found it!"

After all that trouble, this trip had not been in vain after all!

Li Wusheng, the Absolute Sound Palm, was indeed within this estate.

Chen Ping'an's gaze turned cold. Concealing his aura, he headed toward the estate below.