As the Chinese New Year approached, the outskirts of River City, a third-tier city under Central South Province, were silent.
The cold winter night there seemed to stop the air with its chill, the wind was mild, yet the occasionally swaying branches could make one feel a piercing cold.
Before long, a convoy of extremely impressive yet low-key black SUVs, with their bright headlights on, approached from afar like a dragon and came to a neat stop by the roadside in the suburbs.
A group of men in black wool suits gradually got out of the cars and stood respectfully by the side of the road.
After a while, the door of the last Grand Cherokee in the convoy slowly opened, and a young woman, wrapped in a black thick down coat reaching her ankles, cheerfully jumped out of the car.
She held a quaint lantern in one hand, and upon leaving the car, the cold air hit her face, causing her to instinctively lift her other hand to adjust the black-purple mink fur on her small leather hat.
The men in black suits immediately showed her a kind smile and greeted, "How was your journey, Little Heavenly Master Lawrence?"
Someone craned their neck to look behind her at the grand Cherokee and asked, "What about Great Heavenly Master Nick? Has Great Heavenly Master Nick also arrived?"
Lawrence Winters said nothing, standing gracefully and moved aside with a cold and dignified demeanor.
The car door opened again, and a tall and robust man, so big he seemed somewhat overweight, majestically stepped out of the car.
Unlike those men in suits, he wore a vintage black robe, standing on the ground like a towering figure.
A gust of cold wind blew through again, the withered branches rattled, and the moonlight above was conveniently hidden by the clouds.
Lawrence Winters felt immersed in the cold wind, almost shivered, and wished she could warm her hands in her small lantern.
But she knew it was of no use because the small lantern actually housed a solar LED tube, not visible from outside through the ivory thick paper of the lantern.
It only emitted a halo of yellowish light, which complemented the moonlight veiled by floating clouds, illuminating this party.
Even though she wore gloves lined with the same color inner mink and outer leather, the cold wind was relentless, turning her mink gloves into an icy work of art.
Lawrence Winters shivered slightly, exhaling gently, experiencing what it meant to "breathe frost."
The winter in Central South Province was like a whimsical embroiderer; most of the time, it sat quietly there, embroidering without much presence.
Yet suddenly, it would go insane, pricking you a few times as if on a whim.
The cold, with its dampness, penetrated down to the very bone.
If compared, people from Central South Province were the most weather-resistant, none could compare with those from the north or south.
Lawrence Winters was a genuine native of River City, yet she was not accustomed to the winter here.
At this moment, the tall and robust man squared his shoulders, silently shielding Lawrence Winters from the sudden gust of cold wind.
In this frigid weather, the man's impeccably black robe looked incredibly thick, with the collar lined with black mink fur, almost covering his entire face.
The night was so dark, besides wearing a felt fedora, he also wore sunglasses that covered half his face.
When he looked up, an aura of natural authority emanated from him.
After getting out of the car, he didn't hurry to move, but stood in the yellowing grass on the roadside, holding a half-height vine staff firmly by his side, stable and unmoving.
A slightly short and thin man rushed up from behind, made a gesture to the man beside Lawrence Winters, and said ingratiatingly, "Great Heavenly Master Nick, this way please."
The tall and robust man nodded slightly, then began to walk forward cautiously.
He was tall, and although he walked slowly, each stride was quite large.
Lawrence Winters quickly followed him silently, carrying the small lantern by his side.
As they proceeded, neither spoke.
But the group of black-suited men behind them kept whispering, pointing at the two figures ahead.
"…Is this the Great Heavenly Master Nick Zeller, whom Boss Luo paid a hefty price for?"
"Yes, I heard his fee is twice as high as that of the eminent monk from Thailand!"
"Tsk tsk, among the Heavenly Masters in this province, he's the most renowned, right?"
"Indeed, reportedly, he's the 78th generation of the Celestial Master Sect's direct lineage, renowned domestically and internationally, a top one in Central South!"
"Oh, more than that… I've heard that Great Heavenly Master Nick Zeller only takes on five jobs a year and has many taboos!"
"Certainly a lot! Have you ever seen a geomancer who insists on feng shui work at night? It's not as though they're examining a cemetery!"