Liang Village – Li Chen's House
Li Chen and Su Lingxue were patiently waiting in the courtyard for Yu Qingci's arrival. After a short while, Yu Qingci arrived, sat beside Li Chen, and asked,
"Husband... Miss Su, what's the matter? Why do you both have such serious expressions? Is there some trouble that concerns me?"
Su Lingxue quickly replied with a smile,
"No, no, Sister Qingci, you misunderstood us. We were just discussing yesterday's assassination attempt on our husband. And from today onwards, call me Sister Lingxue or just Sister. We are both my husband's women, so there's no need for formality between us."
Yu Qingci, who had been concerned, suddenly turned serious.
"Miss Su... no... Sister Lingxue, did you find out who the mastermind is behind all this?" she asked, seeking a deeper understanding of the situation.
"Yes. They were from the Shadow Piercing Sect, and their primary target for assassination was likely me," Su Lingxue replied.
"As for the mastermind behind it all... if my guess is right, the person who placed the bounty on my head is someone from Frost Cloud Pavilion," she added, her voice laced with a hint of murderous intent.
Li Chen, sitting beside her, noticed the change in her expression and, sensing her killing intent, asked with concern,
"Xue'er, are you saying that the one who issued the bounty is from your own sect?"
"Yes, Husband," she replied, holding his hand as if seeking his protection. Her gaze shifted toward the side room, where her little treasure was sleeping peacefully.
Yu Qingci, who sat beside Li Chen, watched the couple's shared concern and noticed the determined, fiery look in Li Chen's eyes. She turned to Su Lingxue and asked,
"Sister, why do you believe it's someone from your sect and not an outsider?"
Su Lingxue met her gaze with a firm expression and replied,
"Before I descended the mountains, I never had any contact with outsiders. Everyone who knew me, or whom I knew, was from my sect."
She had intentionally concealed her ties to the Upper Realm. Very few people knew that her parents were from there.
She often claimed to be an orphan with no relatives. Only the ancestors of Frost Cloud Pavilion, those at the Transcending Realm, had access to her personal information. And for them, there was no reason to harbor enmity toward her.
After confirming the identity of the mastermind, all three of them wore grim expressions.
Li Chen had initially believed that someone insignificant might be targeting him—perhaps jealous of his sudden fortune or the superior-grade pills he had recently concocted. But now, reality struck him hard, not for the first time, but for the second time in a row. The first was when he underestimated the dangers of the lower realms. And now this.
This world... is far more complicated than it seems.
A deep sense of urgency surged within him—both in his heart and soul. He could no longer rely on luck or fleeting power. Strength was the only way forward.
After a moment of deep contemplation, he looked at his two women and spoke with firm resolve.
"I have a technique that can completely change our appearance, voice, and even our aura. No one will be able to recognize us unless we intentionally reveal ourselves. The best part—it's simple to learn and easy to master. So there's no need to worry about practice."
He summoned a scroll from his System space and handed it to them.
Su Lingxue and Yu Qingci took the scroll and began to read. Moments later, their eyes widened in astonishment.
This technique didn't just change appearance. It altered aura, voice, and even allowed the user to transform into a demon, complete with demonic energy. Its effects were so profound that even seasoned cultivators would be fooled.
They looked at Li Chen with awe. How had he acquired such powerful abilities? First, he could concoct supreme-grade pills. Now, he possessed a technique capable of fooling even the heavens. And yet, he had done all this without anyone's help—without relying on a sect, a master, or even a family backing.
But they didn't ask.
Everyone has secrets. So did he.
And now... he was their man.
---
Soon after, they began practicing the technique.
As they followed the method described in the scroll, both Su Lingxue and Yu Qingci found it hard to believe that such a miraculous technique truly existed in this mundane world. With just a few short steps and a small amount of spiritual energy, their facial features, aura, and even vocal tones began to shift subtly.
Even Yu Qingci, a venerable immortal in her previous life who had begun to unlock fragments of her past memories, showed a rare moment of astonishment. In her countless lifetimes of cultivation across realms, she had never come across a technique of this caliber.
The transformation wasn't an illusion. It was a complete alteration—down to the very essence of one's being.
She was truly impressed.
"In all my memories... I've never seen anything like this," she murmured under her breath, eyes fixed on her own subtly changed reflection in a polished bronze mirror.
It wasn't just powerful. It was... otherworldly.
Su Lingxue's once-delicate and ethereal beauty had taken on a sharper edge. Her eyes were now a striking silver-gray, and her hair carried a soft indigo hue that shimmered under the light. Her presence felt colder, more distant—like a wandering sword cultivator from a foreign land.
Yu Qingci's transformation was more mysterious. Her emerald eyes turned crimson, and her fair skin darkened by a shade, giving her a devilish allure. She looked like a young demon empress walking among mortals. Even her aura carried faint traces of demonic energy, enough to fool any spiritual sense.
Li Chen, on the other hand, took on a more rugged, battle-worn appearance. His usual calm eyes became fierce and wild, and a light scar stretched down his left cheek, adding to his new identity. His hair, once neatly tied, now hung loosely behind him like a wandering rogue cultivator.
They stared at each other in silent awe.
If someone from Liang Village saw them now, they would never recognize them. Even their child's qi presence had been faintly altered and suppressed using a special charm Li Chen prepared in advance.
Once satisfied with their new appearances, the three of them moved quickly.
They packed only the essentials—cultivation resources, spiritual herbs, some prepared pills, a few memory tokens, and baby supplies. Most of the house was left untouched. They couldn't afford to carry baggage that might expose their identity.
Su Lingxue carefully wrapped her child in warm robes and gently placed him in a secure carrier strapped to her chest.
Yu Qingci double-checked the seals on their storage rings, ensuring that everything was hidden under layers of spiritual concealment.
Li Chen stepped out into the courtyard one last time and glanced at the home he had built with his own hands. A flicker of nostalgia passed through his eyes, but he turned away without a word.
"Let's go," he said firmly.
With that, their figures vanished into the early dawn mist, heading toward Moonshadow City—where fate, danger, and opportunity awaited.