Re-birth: The Beginning after the End - Chapter 65

Chapter 65: CONCEALMENT TECHNIQUE PART 2

The siblings exchanged glances and snickered, each already planning their next attempts at “unremarkable” appearances.

“I’ll prepare lunch,” their mother said, rising gracefully. “Keep practicing, but remember—subtlety is key.” She glided toward the kitchen, leaving the siblings to refine their techniques.

By the time their father’s familiar footsteps approached from the fields, the siblings had managed to achieve remarkably ordinary appearances. Li Wei had softened his striking features into those of a common farm boy, while Li Hao’s usually brilliant smile had become pleasantly forgettable. Li Hua had transformed her beauty into something so average that eyes would naturally skip past her—a far cry from her earlier attempts at looking “aggressively ordinary.”

Their father’s deep laugh filled the courtyard as he took in their transformed appearances. “Well done!” He clasped each child’s shoulder in turn, his eyes twinkling. “Though I must say, it’s strange seeing my beautiful children looking so… mundane.”

The father and siblings made their way to the wooden table and sat down beside their bowls of rice.

“Bàba,” Li Hao asked eagerly, “what do the villagers see when they look at you?”

Their father scratched his head sheepishly. “Ah, well…” He glanced at their mother, who was bringing the final dishes to the table. “Your mother actually helps me with that. I’m afraid I never quite mastered the subtleties of appearance changes.”

“Your father,” their mother said, her voice carrying fond exasperation as she helped them with their chopsticks, “once tried to disguise himself and ended up looking so much like a mountain bandit that the villagers chased him halfway up Great White Mountain.”

The siblings laughed, imagining their dignified father running from angry villagers.

Under her expert guidance, their father’s appearance transformed. His tall, powerful frame seemed to shrink, his noble bearing becoming that of a simple farmer worn down by years of hard work. Even his perfectly maintained hands now appeared weathered and callused.

“This is how the village sees us,” he explained, his voice taking on a rougher quality that perfectly matched his transformed appearance, while their mother’s own features shifted to match his ordinary farmer’s wife disguise. “Just another aging couple, grateful for each day’s harvest.”

The siblings watched in amazement as their parents maintained their disguises with perfect synchronization—years of practice evident in how naturally they carried their altered appearances. Even after all this time, their parents’ teamwork in maintaining these illusions remained flawless.

Their mother released their disguise with a contented sigh, their features returning to normal as their father accepted a bowl of soup.

“Speaking of the village,” he began, his eyes twinkling, “they’re preparing for the autumn harvest festival. Three days of celebrations, starting next week—there will be performances, food stalls, games for the children…”

Li Hua’s chopsticks paused halfway to her mouth. In her past life, she’d seen countless festivals from her CEO office’s window or during assassination missions, but she’d never actually participated in one. The crowds and noise had always been things to analyze for security risks or escape routes, never sources of joy.

“Can we go?” Li Wei asked eagerly, then quickly added, “With our new concealment techniques, of course.”

Their father exchanged glances with their mother before nodding. “If you can maintain your disguises properly, I don’t see why not. It would be good practice, and…” he smiled warmly, “every child should experience a village festival at least once. This year is particularly special—it’s the first time the village has attempted such a grand celebration. Three days of celebrations, starting next week—there will be performances, food stalls, games for the children…”

Li Hao grinned, already planning what they would do

“Don’t forget the proper behavior we discussed,” their mother reminded them gently. “No showing off, no cultivation techniques, and absolutely no spiritual beasts.” She cast a meaningful look at Li Wei, who tried his best to look innocent.

As her brothers excitedly discussed festival plans, Li Hua felt an unfamiliar warmth bloom in her chest. For the first time, she would experience a festival as part of a family—just another village child enjoying the celebrations with her brothers. The thought made her smile.

If only she could truly bring Little Firefly with her as well, but she knew it was impossible. Her spirit companion was bound to her inner space, only able to see the world through her eyes like watching through a window. She would have to experience the festival for both of them, carefully observing every detail so she could share it all with him later during their evening conversations. At least he could enjoy the memories she would bring back, even if he couldn’t physically be there beside her.

“Master.” Little Firefly’s voice echoed in her thoughts, carrying gentle understanding. She could feel his warmth through their spiritual connection as he sensed the complex mix of emotions swirling within her—excitement tangled with the instinctive wariness ingrained from her past life.

“You don’t need to worry about me missing out. I’m happy experiencing these moments through your eyes, feeling your joy as if it were my own.” His presence in her mind took on a playful quality as he tried to ease her hidden concern. “Though I wouldn’t complain if you brought back some of those famous festival treats for us to recreate in our kitchen. The sugar-spun cloud candies your brother’s keep talking about sounds particularly interesting…”

Li Hua smiled inwardly at Little Firefly’s attempt to lighten her mood. Her spirit companion had always known how to pierce through her carefully maintained defenses, reading her true feelings with an accuracy that sometimes startled even her.

“I’ll make detailed notes of every sweet we encounter,” she promised. “We can spend the whole evening after the festival trying to perfect the recipes.”

She felt Little Firefly’s joy ripple through their connection at the promise, reminding her once again how such simple pleasures could bring such genuine happiness. In her past life, she would have dismissed such sentiments as frivolous. Now, she couldn’t imagine her days without these quiet moments of shared delight with her spirit companion.