Chapter 433 Obscuration

As soon as those words left Chen Fei’s mouth, he could immediately sense several streams of Qi locking onto him.

After all, this was the main camp of the Zhenbei Army. While the old man Ma Shuo before him appeared completely ordinary, the very fact that he dared summon Chen Fei here meant he had come fully prepared.

But Ma Shuo only laughed heartily in response.

“Fellow Daoist Chen, you’re overthinking it. I was merely entrusted by someone to keep you here for a while. If you wish to meet that old acquaintance, you only need to wait a few days.”

“…Fine,” Chen Fei thought it over and nodded in agreement.

“This is your identity token. With it, no one in Zhenbei City will trouble you.”

Ma Shuo pushed the token across the table.

“As for your residence, it’s located outside the military camp, so you have nothing to worry about.”

Chen Fei took a sip of his tea and said calmly, “Then I shall graciously accept.”

“Haha! Excellent!” Ma Shuo laughed warmly, his gaze full of kindness.

The moment Chen Fei showed a cooperative attitude, the intense auras locked onto him instantly dissipated.

Finishing his tea in one gulp, Chen Fei picked up the identity token. “Then I won’t disturb you any longer.”

He intentionally said “you all”, clearly addressing those hidden powerhouses nearby.

Ma Shuo smiled and nodded. “Indeed, the White Hair Wind is not to be taken lightly. Please, take your leave.”

Chen Fei gave a slight nod and turned to leave.

Once he had gone, a group of burly men emerged from behind a screen to Ma Shuo’s left.

Their brows were furrowed—some looked puzzled, others angry, and a few seemed quietly impressed.

“Strategist Ma, I don’t understand!”

The first to speak was a fierce, bearded man who looked like a living Zhang Fei, every hair bristling like steel needles.

Ma Shuo gave him a glance, then chuckled while stroking his beard.

“This is a command from the King of Zhenbei. If you have doubts, feel free to take it up with His Majesty.”

That shut everyone up immediately.

It was obvious that the Zhenbei King held tremendous authority in their eyes.

Still, the burly bearded man wasn’t done.

“That kid Chen Fei—judging by his age, he hasn’t cultivated long. Just being a disciple of Tianqing Holy Land isn’t enough to warrant opening the central gate, is it?”

“I sensed it just now. His Qi is unstable. At most, he’s at the Yuan Realm. I could crush him with one hand. And he’s the one we’re hoping can solve our crisis?”

Everyone turned to look at him.

This was outright questioning the Zhenbei King. But they all knew—this was just how General Yan Fei was. Straightforward and reckless. Arguing with him was just asking for trouble.

Schemes and subtleties were nonexistent in Yan Fei’s world. He said what he thought, even if the king himself was present—let alone Ma Shuo.

Ma Shuo clearly anticipated this reaction. Stroking his beard, he said,

“If General Yan doubts it, you’re welcome to test him yourself. But if you die in the attempt, the King won’t intervene.”

“Heh! A Yuan Realm brat? If I, Old Yan, die to him, that means I’m the trash!”

Yan Fei scoffed and stormed out of the room.

His fellow officers were stunned.

They knew this was clearly Ma Shuo goading him, and now that Yan Fei had taken the bait, a few generals close to him quickly stepped forward.

“Strategist Ma, what’s the meaning of this?”

Ma Shuo just smiled. “No need to worry. This is all the King’s will.”

He then stood up. “It’s almost time. I must head to the Heaven’s Secrets Terrace.”

“Oh, and if General Yan ends up being brought back injured, please take care of him. This is a Great Return Pill, more than enough to save his life.”

With that, Ma Shuo vanished from the room in a flash, leaving only the pill bottle behind.

Had Chen Fei witnessed this, he would’ve been stunned.

He hadn’t sensed any fluctuation of Qi from Ma Shuo earlier—as if the man were a mundane old scholar. Yet he had disappeared in an instant. That was not something just anyone could do.

—

Heaven’s Secrets Terrace.

Upon arriving, Ma Shuo entered a secret chamber.

“Your Majesty, everything is in place.”

“Chen Fei… is he truly up to the task?” came a deep voice from within.

Ma Shuo remained silent for a moment before finally replying,

“His destiny is heavily shrouded in luck. Truly a man blessed by fate. Whether he can succeed or not, I cannot say. But… I saw hope in him.”

“…Sigh.”

The voice in the room clearly sounded disappointed.

“So be it. We’ll proceed for now. Strategist Ma, everything depends on you now.”

“I’ve been preparing for this moment for years. Rest assured, Your Majesty.”

Ma Shuo bowed and exited the chamber, arriving before the grand Zhenbei City model.

This was the core of the city’s great defensive array. From here, the entire city’s barrier could be controlled at will.

Besides the defense system, the model also displayed hundreds of glowing lights, each representing an identity token moving throughout the city.

Even if the token was inside a storage ring, it would still appear here.

Ma Shuo’s eyes settled on a moving light—that was the token he had just given Chen Fei.

While observing it, his body suddenly jolted.

A thin line of blood cracked open on his forehead, blood streaming down as his eyes widened in shock.

The cut extended from his forehead down to the bridge of his nose before stopping.

He didn’t dare hesitate. With a flick of his sleeve, an Eight Trigrams Disc appeared, wrapping him in starlight.

The starlight flowed like a river, and gradually, the bleeding wound began to close.

“Cough cough! Who was that… who dares obscure his fate?!”

Ma Shuo’s eyes flashed with terror.

Just moments ago, he had attempted to peer into Chen Fei’s past.

But the instant he began, a terrifying force surged out of nowhere, nearly crushing his very soul.

If not for the Eight Trigrams Disc’s protection, he would’ve been completely obliterated.

Even though he had survived, his ability to read fate was now crippled—likely for months.

And that… was a huge problem for the entire city.

Wiping the blood from his forehead, Ma Shuo muttered,

“Whether this is a blessing or a curse… who can say…”

With a deep sigh, he quickly sat down and began meditating to restore his energy.

—

Meanwhile…

Just as Chen Fei stepped out of the strategist’s room, he saw Xu Zhenping waiting outside.

It was clear he’d already received his next orders.

“Fellow Daoist Chen, please follow me,” Xu said with his usual cold and polite tone.

Chen Fei couldn’t make heads or tails of what the Zhenbei Army was planning. But he followed anyway.

Soon, they arrived before a courtyard residence.

Just as Ma Shuo said, it was not far from the military camp. Only two intersections away, and one could already see the shadowy outlines of the city’s bustling trade district.

“This is the place. I hope it meets your expectations.”

Xu Zhenping stopped and gestured politely.

Chen Fei glanced at the token in his hand, then smiled.

“Strategist Ma said this token would protect me from unnecessary trouble in Zhenbei City. Is that true?”

Xu Zhenping gave him a look, then nodded.

“Of course.”

Still… Xu found Chen Fei’s question a little odd.

Perhaps… this kid was plotting something?