On the fourth night, after they finished draining the cold, Li Chen stood up. He wiped the sweat from his dark golden forehead. "I need to know the truth," Li Chen said suddenly. His deep voice echoed in the quiet ice palace. Su Binglan looked up from the floor. She was breathing heavily, but her skin looked healthy. "The truth about what?" she asked. "About my family," Li Chen answered, his hands curling into tight fists. "The Patriarch said he ordered the killing. But why? What curse was he talking about? And who exactly did he send to my house? My father was a strong cultivator. He had powerful guards. But on the night of the fire, nobody fought back. The guards did not wake up. My father could not even lift his sword. Someone betrayed us."Li Chen looked directly at her. "You are a Core Disciple," Li Chen said. "You have access to the sect's secrets. Where do they keep their old records?"Su Binglan slowly stood up. She understood his anger. She felt the same anger toward the

Li Chen expected to see the name of a dirty assassin. He expected to see a cruel, evil elder. But when he read the name, Li Chen completely froze. The signature was elegant, perfectly written in black ink. It read: “Elder Mo, Head of the Discipline Hall.” Li Chen’s breath caught in his throat. His mind spun in circles. Elder Mo. Everyone in the Azure Sword Sect knew Elder Mo. He was the most famous, most respected elder on the entire mountain. He was the Head of Discipline. He wore perfectly clean, spotless white robes. He was the man who preached about honor, righteousness, and pure justice. Elder Mo was famously strict. He punished anyone who broke a rule. Just last year, Elder Mo had publicly cut off an Outer Sect disciple's hand because the boy stole a single loaf of bread from the kitchen. Elder Mo told the crowd that a true cultivator must have a pure, completely honest heart. He was the face of justice in the sect. And yet, this "righteous" man, this perfect judge of mora

"This area is forbidden," Elder Mo said. He quickly reached out and snatched the yellow scroll off the table. He rolled it up tightly and hid it inside his wide white sleeve. "I will not kill you tonight, Li Chen," Elder Mo announced, playing the role of the strict, righteous judge. "Because you belong to the Ice Empress, I will show mercy. I will respect the Sect Master's favorite disciple. But if I ever catch you in my halls again, no token will save you. Get out."Elder Mo waved his left hand. The glowing red magical seal on the heavy wooden door instantly turned green. The door clicked and swung open. Li Chen stood perfectly still. He looked at Elder Mo. He memorized every single detail of the man’s face. He memorized the shape of his nose, the coldness of his eyes, and the sound of his breathing. "I will remember your mercy, Elder Mo," Li Chen whispered. The words were a deadly promise. Li Chen turned around. He walked out of the red room. He walked down the dark, creaky woo

"You will surround Li Chen," Elder Mo commanded. "You will cut his arms and legs off. You will stab him through the heart. You will chop his head off and throw it into a pit of monsters. I do not care about his grey skin. I do not care about his dark magic. You are an 8th Level master of assassination. Do whatever it takes. Ensure he never, ever leaves that dimension.""It will be done, Master," Gui whispered. He bowed deeply, melting backward into the shadows of the office until he completely vanished. Elder Mo sat back in his comfortable chair. He let out a long, slow breath. His perfect plot was set. The boy would be forced into a sealed, dark cage with four highly trained killers. No one would hear him scream. No one would come to save him. The loose end would finally be cut, and Elder Mo’s righteous reputation would remain perfectly clean forever. High above the Discipline Hall, on the freezing, snowy peak of the Frozen Moon, Li Chen walked back into the grand ice palace. The

The grand ice palace of the Frozen Moon Peak was quiet. Outside, the snow fell gently, hiding the violent secrets of the night. Inside a deeply hidden room of the palace, Su Binglan stood with her hands crossed. This was her private armory. The room was beautiful. The walls were made of clear, shining blue ice. Resting on the walls were hundreds of incredible magical weapons. There were glowing silver swords, bright blue spears, and heavy golden axes. Every single weapon hummed with high-level Inner Sect magic. "If you are going to fight 8th Level assassins in the dark, you need a weapon," Su Binglan said. Her icy blue eyes looked at Li Chen. "Your bare hands are strong, but an 8th Level killer will not fight you fairly. They will use traps. They will use long-range attacks. Choose a weapon. Anything in this room is yours."Li Chen nodded. He walked slowly around the room. His heavy black boots clicked on the ice floor. His grey, metallic skin glowed faintly in the dim light. He re