NOVEL WEB AZI Vol 2 Chapter 51 to Epilogue
Chapter 51
“…Dao He Tian Xue………”
Muttering the fog-shrouded figure’s name, Tian Cheng unsteadily takes five steps back.
“It’s been a while, Tai Xuan Emperor.”
With a voice that can only be described as seductive to the ears regardless of gender, Dao He Tian Xue greets Tian Cheng by her true identity.
“I, you, he…”
Towards Tian Cheng’s nervousness, Dao He Tian Xue smiles beneath the fog shroud.
Upon him turning towards Tian Cheng, the fog shroud around Dao He Tian Xue dissipates—revealing a man with long white hair and pale blue eyes.
Covering Dao He Tian Xue’s face is a white fox mask with red and black patterns. Attire-wise, he is wearing a sleeveless long coat over a black robe. Wrapped around his waist is a deep blue sash.
“Sum up the details of our contract.”
“I haven-”
“Sum up the details of our contract.”
Hearing the words that were repeated by Dao He Tian Xue but with a colder tone, Tian Cheng feels as if she was suddenly thrown into an ice bath.
Drawing in a deep breath, Tian Cheng says—
“…Basic abilities of the Divine Weapon of Tai Xuan are to be granted to your disciple. Other abilities or items contained inside of it—requires him to pay a price. Support—in the form of me making a personal move, to directly kill your disciple’s enemies is not allowed. I am also not allowed to disclose matters of his previous life to him. Also, certain items can only be extracted by your disciple through an exchange.”
Nodding with satisfaction, Dao He Tian Xue says—
“So long as you keep these details in mind, you’re free to manipulate him for your own gains, or even challenge him.”
“…U-Understood.”
Tian Cheng’s biggest concern, when it comes to manipulating Long Hua for her personal gains is none other than Dao He Tian Xue—for this man is someone that she cannot hope to defeat, even if she is able to regain the strength that she possessed during her prime.
“Dao He Tian Xue, are you certain of this?”
With Dao He Tian Xue’s permission granted, her concern is no longer there, however—
(…Doesn’t he care about his disciple greatly? In that case, why would he so easily grant me such a privilege?)
“…”
Towards Tian Cheng’s question, Dao He Tian Xue raises his right hand with his index finger pointed at the former.
Momentarily, a black and white crest—manifests, at the tip of Dao He Tian Xue’s finger. The design of this symbol is a fox with ten tails.
Receiving the black and white crest from Dao He Tian Xue, and taking it as his answer to her question, Tian Cheng asks—
“Why?”
“I once told that foolish disciple of mine—that I can shield him for a brief instance; but I cannot shield him for a lifetime. That brief instance has long passed.”
As Dao He Tian Xue heaves a sigh, Tian Cheng recalls the circumstances—that the former had been faced with, during Long Hua’s previous life.
“Dao He Tian Xue, are you still…? You?”
Towards the question, Dao He Tian Xue smiles beneath his mask, and replies—
“Whatever that brat does from here on out, is up to him. He’ll bear the consequences on his own, and if his decisions—ultimately lead him to ruin… So be it, I can no longer be there to give him advice.”
“His current goal is to return to the Zàng Luō (葬罗) Realm.”
“If he dares to return before his curse is dispelled, I’ll personally end him.”
“…”
Seeing the icy gleam that emanates from Dao He Tian Xue’s eyes, a chill runs down Tian Cheng’s back.
“Tai Xuan Emperor, you have your own circumstances to deal with. Regardless of what happens between you and my disciple in the end, I won’t pursue it.”
As Dao He Tian Xue turns away from her, Tian Cheng clasps her hands together, and performs a 90-degree bow.
Without saying anything else, Dao He Tian Xue vanishes from the dreamscape.
………
This is far from the first time he’s been beaten onto the ground by his shizun, Dao He Tian Xue.
In fact, it had happened far too many times in his previous life that Long Hua had already lost count.
However, different from his previous life, this replica of his shizun won’t stop their attack just as it is about to hit.
“…”
As the wooden staff closes in on his head, Long Hua thinks back to the curse that was mentioned to him.
(A curse… If there really is a curse on me, then the most obvious abnormality would have to be this Relic. A creature that is a mix between a human and a serpent, that would be-)
Narrowing his eyes, Long Hua mutters—
“Nà Jiā (纳迦).”
From the twin serpent’s maws, a white stream of fog is spewed outwards.
In less than the time it would take to blink, this fog shrouds Long Hua’s body completely—making him look no different from Dao He Tian Xue.
Amidst all this, Dao He Tian Xue continues to lower the staff, however—
*Kakaka!* as soon as the wooden staff touches Long Hua’s forehead, it shatters.
Relinquishing his hold over the remainder of his staff, Dao He Tian Xue chooses to put some distance between Long Hua and himself.
“Tian Cheng, countdown from 55 seconds.”
Rising from the ground, Long Hua assigns Tian Cheng to keep track of time.
“…Understood. 54-”
Rotating his cultivation base, Long Hua closes the gap between Dao He Tian Xue and himself.
“53-”
At this moment, every part of his body is filled with strength.
However, he instinctively knows that this strength isn’t free; it is something that must be paid for in some way, and should he not be able to end this fight in the next 50 seconds, the price will be increased by an exponential amount.
“52-”
Chapter 52
“51-”
Appearing a meter above Dao He Tian Xue’s head, Long Hua clenches his right hand—while rotating the Immortal Suppression Palm.
“50-”
*Boom! Kakaka!* receiving Long Hua’s strike with his opened hand, the ground beneath Dao He Tian Xue shatters.
“49-”
Rotating his body while in the air, Long Hua drops his foot down on Dao He Tian Xue—who receives the attack in the same manner as before.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!* without dropping his momentum, Long Hua continues to launch a series of attacks—that can easily injure a Foundation Establishment realm practitioner.
“46-”
*Boom! Boom! Boom!* and with every hit received by Dao He Tian Xue, the shattered ground’s depth increases, as it gradually begins to resemble a miniature crater.
“…”
“45-”
At the wave of his left arm, Dao He Tian Xue throws Long Hua back—while his right hand assumes the posture of grasping an object. Immediately, the same wooden sword as before reappears in his grip.
“44-”
“The sword sings, yet who lives to listen?”
As soon as Dao He Tian Xue mutters this, the wooden sword’s blade turns into metal, whereas its handle is transformed into jade.
Swinging the unsealed sword once, Dao He Tian Xue sends a wave of sword Qi towards Long Hua—who is still in the air.
“43-”
“Heart Sword.”
As Long Hua presses his right hand forward, tendrils of sword Qi gather—to take on the form of a plain sword.
“42-”
*Chiiii!* receiving the wave of sword Qi with the Heart Sword, Long Hua deflects the attack—sending it to his right.
Without looking at the scar that was created by the deflected sword Qi, Long Hua closes the distance, and begins to exchange hits with Dao He Tian Xue.
“41, 40, 39, 38, 37-”
*Chi! Chi! Chi!* compared to their previous exchange, this time—it seems like the two are evenly matched.
………
“…”
“…”
Despite the two’s current appearance being nothing more than two bodies of white fog, both Nian Yao Yao and Nian Tao Tao are able to tell how intense the fight between them is, as the grounds beneath their feet are littered with blade scars and cracks.
(…It really was him at the time.)
Seeing Long Hua’s shadow—that is currently hidden away in the fog shroud, Zhui Yun’s forgotten memories gradually turn clearer.
(So, this is an Immortal…?)
Watching the exchange, Qing Yue swallows her own spit.
………
“…”
Glancing down at the Formation Eye—that can seemingly break at the soft press of a finger, Bai Wen frowns.
If possible, he wished to have this Formation Eye last for just another minute longer.
………
*Chiiii!!!* sparks fly, and the air around the two is split, as their swords brush by the other.
“33-”
(He hasn’t used any of his large-scaled divine arts since I activated this state. Either it’s unable to, or he’s waiting for a perfect opening to appear.)
As his eyes give off a ghostly glow, Long Hua takes hold of the Heart Sword with both hands, and lunges it forward.
*Boom!* at the straightening of Long Hua’s arms, a beam of sword Qi blasts forth, and Dao He Tian Xue just barely manages to evade it.
“32-”
Exploiting this opening, Dao He Tian Xue swings his sword towards Long Hua’s neck.
Almost as soon as Dao He Tian Xue’s sword is swung, Long Hua raises his left foot off the ground by an inch, and—
“Emperor, mortal realm’s greatest authority.”
Lowers it in the next instance.
“31-”
Immediately, two cracks—one of black and one of white radiance, spread from Long Hua’s left foot, and with it, a Yin and Yang symbol that is much smaller in scale manifests.
“30-”
*Boom!!!* although the explosion that comes as a result of this Yin and Yang symbol’s detonation is much smaller—when compared to the one created by Dao He Tian Xue, it’s more than capable of throwing Dao He Tian Xue off balance, causing him to miss his swing.
“29-”
Retracting the Heart Sword, Long Hua slashes it towards the Dao He Tian Xue’s chest.
As the Heart Sword approaches, Dao He Tian Xue recovers his balance, and—
“With only this much strength, you’re unworthy of standing in front of him.”
“…!”
“28-”
In an effortless manner, Dao He Tian Xue catches the Heart Sword between his index finger and thumb.
“27-”
“…”
*Kakaka!* as Dao He Tian Xue presses his index finger down, the Heart Sword snaps in half.
“26-”
“…”
Peering through the shroud of white fog, Dao He Tian Xue directs a glare at one of the twin serpents to the side of Long Hua’s head.
“25-”
“Hahaha.”
In that instance, laughter of a playful tone—comes from an unknown direction.
“24-”
“…?”
Detecting this laughter as well, Long Hua frowns, but before he could think deeply about where the laughter had come from—
“23-”
“**-”
As soon as two words of an unknown tongue are muttered by Dao He Tian Xue, the world—in the next instance, loses all its colors and sounds.
“22-”
“**-”
As if responding to Dao He Tian Xue, the voice that laughed playful—repeats the same words as the former, causing the previous phenomenon to occur once more.
Except this time, the phenomenon itself is forcefully prolonged.
*…! …! …! …! …!* in a way that cannot be seen, or detected by the ears, two forces—that are completely beyond the scope of a mortal’s reach, clash with one another.
(…)
“…”
Under these circumstances, both Long Hua and Tian Cheng find themselves incapable of movement, almost as if there is a heavy mountain placed over their bodies and souls.
*…! …! …! …! …!* amidst the two forces’ clash, the entirety of the world has been frozen, making them the sole spectators—who know for a fact that this exchange had indeed occurred.
(It’s over. The moment those two are done, this magic array should collapse.)
Compared to Long Hua, Tian Cheng is far more accustomed to the power that these two forces are currently utilizing to make their exchange.
*…! ……! ………!* as the two continue to clash, Long Hua feels an odd sense of lightness around his shoulders, as if a heavy burden—different from the mountainous weight that is currently keeping him in place, had been severed.
………
………
………
For an unknown amount of time that could have been a second, or a full month, silence reigns over the frozen world.
Eventually—
*Kakaka! Pah!* a sound similar to a piece of glassware being shattered goes off, and with it—
“22-”
The flow of time resumes, along with the restoration of color and sound into the world.
………
In the same instance—
*Pah!* the Formation Eye—that is located in the black-roofed pavilion, shatters into pieces.
(Just now…)
Narrowing his eye Bai Wen frowns.
He instinctively senses something to be out of place, almost as if someone, or something had managed to steal a full month’s worth of time away from the world itself.
………
“21-”
“…Enough.”
Retracting his Relic, the fog around Long Hua dissipates—revealing his form, which is covered in lacerations and blood.
Taking five steps back—
“Disciple, greets shizun.”
Long Hua clasps his hands together, and performs a 90-degree bow to Dao He Tian Xue.
“…”
Smiling beneath the fog shroud, Dao He Tian Xue raises his left hand, and presses his index finger onto Long Hua’s forehead.
In that instance, a cultivation method—different from the one that he is currently using, appears in Long Hua’s mind.
“The next time we meet, we may just be strangers.”
Having said this, Dao He Tian Xue begins to fade.
Chapter 53
By the time Long Hua had raised his head, the replicated figure of Dao He Tian Xue had already vanished, while the blade-scarred scenery begins to distort.
(We’ll be strangers the next time we meet…? Other than giving me this new cultivation method, just what was shizun’s main objective in performing a partial descent? That voice that laughed as well…)
Closing his eyes in contemplation, Long Hua dismisses the Heart Sword completely, and with it, his body is thoroughly overwhelmed by exhaustion—causing his legs to fold.
“Good work.”
Appearing by Long Hua’s side, Bai Wen places a hand beneath the former’s arm, preventing him from falling completely.
“…”
Opening his eyes, Long Hua finds himself within what was supposed to be a spirit herb garden.
But with how damaged the place is—whether that be the blade scars, or the crater like holes that are everywhere, no one would have been able to guess the building’s original purpose.
“Eat it, it should help to alleviate your fatigue, and hasten your recovery.”
Resting on top of Bai Wen’s palm is a white-colored pill, to which, Long Hua takes and swallows.
(…The medicinal effects are quite good.)
Almost immediately, Long Hua feels the pain that comes from every part of his body beginning to subside. Some of the lighter laceration wounds had closed instantaneously.
(There’s still some traces of shizun’s sword Qi in my body.)
Straightening his stance, and distancing himself from Bai Wen, Long Hua forms a fist with his right hand.
Turning around—
“Uh…!?”
He throws a strike aimed at Bai Wen’s stomach.
Having caught Bai Wen off guard, Long Hua’s strike lands a clean hit, pushing the former back by five steps.
“Hack!”
Spewing out a mouthful of blood, Bai Wen looks to Long Hua—who is directing a fierce glare at him.
“C’mon, what was that for?”
With an unamused look on his face, Long Hua asks back—
“You’re the asshole who was maintaining that magic array, right?”
“Ah………”
“Figured as much.”
While Long Hua moves over to Tian Cheng, Bai Wen rubs his exposed abdomen in pain.
(Ah goddam that hurts like hell…)
As Long Hua’s strike had been imbued with traces of Dao He Tian Xue’s sword Qi, the attack had ripped right through Bai Wen’s natural defenses—as a Nascent Soul realm practitioner, along with the protective enchantments of his robes.
Drawing in a deep breath of air, Bai Wen widens his one eye.
“Uh? Lao Long, what exactly did you do to me?”
Keenly aware of his body condition at all times, whether it be physically or spiritually, Bai Wen is surprised to feel a sense of tranquility on the spiritual side—that is almost always in a worse off state than his physical health.
Fully restored, Tian Cheng rises off the ground, and proceeds to collect the larger pieces of Kun and Bai Zhe that are scattered nearby.
Turning to Bai Wen, Long Hua answers—
“I transferred the traces of my shizun’s sword Qi over to you.”
Towards this answer, Bai Wen blinks his eyes. Rather quickly, he realizes something, and asks—
“You have any more of those? I don’t mind getting hit a few more times if needed.”
“Piss off, masochist.”
“Ai, a shame…”
Covering his exposed abdomen, Bai Wen repairs the fist-sized hole in his robes with magic.
Following this, a vast number of individuals—dressed in archaic black robes with short sleeves, and knee-length pants, enter the vicinity.
Held in these individuals’ hands are tools of varying shapes and sizes.
Ignoring Long Hua, these individuals immediately begin to patch up the damaged vicinity.
“…”
“…”
The last person to enter the vicinity was a man with a cane. To his side is a young lady dressed in a boyish manner.
“Well then, shall we get the introductions out of the way?”
Following Bai Wen, Long Hua and Tian Cheng are guided in front of Zhen Huai and Zhen Rong, to which, Bai Wen begins introductions with—
“This is Zhen Huai, you can call him Lao Zhen, or Zhen-laoban; he’s the village chief. The one beside him is his younger sister.”
Looking to Zhen Huai, Long Hua asks—
“Zhen-laoban, are you satisfied with what you’ve seen?”
The other side should already know his name; hence Long Hua doesn’t see any point in stating the obvious, and immediately gets to the point.
Towards Long Hua’s question, Zhen Huai replies—
“There’s not much enjoyment to be gained from watching a single-sided struggle.”
“…”
Despite these words sounding unpleasant to the ears, Long Hua would have to agree. A battle between two practitioners of equal strength is far more entertaining to watch—if he were only a spectator.
“…”
“…”
Maintaining eye contact with one another, both Long Hua and Zhen Huai seem to be making an attempt at seeing the other person’s depths.
(A crippled right leg, with a cultivation base that is stuck at the peak of the Foundation Establishment realm. Well, if he’s a merchant, none of these two things should matter. What’s important is his ability to see an individual’s worth.)
(Qi Condensation realm cultivation base. This shouldn’t be anything remarkable, and yet, the fact that he was able to put up such a fight against an enemy—that was capable of utilizing a Heaven Manifestation realm divine art… I suppose, he shows promise?)
Watching the two’s silent exchange from the side, Tian Cheng is also attempting to see Zhen Huai’s depths.
Eventually—
“Xiao Rong.”
Taking a step forward, Zhen Rong opens her storage ring, which is worn as a necklace. With a flash of light, a neatly folded set of robes appears in her hands, to which, she passes over to Long Hua.
Receiving the robes, Long Hua raises an eye, and asks—
“Does this mean that I passed?”
Shrugging a shoulder, Zhen Huai answers—
“You definitely have potential, but only time will tell if your potential is enough to let you overcome the restrictions of this world.”
“I see.”
Accepting this answer, Long Hua uses magic to swap his clothes, and stores his cut-up attire into his storage pouch.
“Not bad.”
Getting a feel for the fabrics of the blue robes—that have golden wheat patterns decorating its hems, Long Hua smiles with satisfaction.
Beneath the outer robes is a white layer, and binding them all together is a red sash—that’s been modified to also act as a scabbard.
(I feel more comforting in these types of clothes than in my usual every-day wear.)
Being able to wear robes of this nature again, an odd feeling wells up in Long Hua’s heart.
“Not bad indeed. If you just grow your hair out some more, you can go around posing as an Immortal.”
Towards Bai Wen’s remark, Long Hua replies—
“Keep your nonsense to yourself.”
“I’ll meet with the two Nian beasts first.”
Leaving Long Hua and Bai Wen to their own devices, Zhen Huai leaves with Zhen Rong.
Chapter 54
“Right then, shall we grab something to eat and drink first?”
Towards Bai Wen’s invitation, Long Hua replies—
“If you’re paying, sure.”
“Heh, an iron rooster really doesn’t like to have its feathers plucked.”
“You can’t possibly expect to pluck a featherless rooster.”
“I suppose. Right, this way.”
Following Bai Wen, Long Hua and Tian Cheng headed for the blue pavilion.
Along with the way, Bai Wen introduces them to the role each pavilion is meant to serve in this village.
(It’s as if someone shrunk an archaic city’s neighborhood down, and decided to just drop it here.)
Is the impression that Long Hua has of this place.
According to Bai Wen, the reason this village is able to escape from the detection of GC012’s detection system is because it is located in a pocket dimension.
Towards this reveal, Tian Cheng inwardly thought—
(This Zhen family’s influence in the practitioners’ circle of this world must be huge.)
(Surnamed Zhen’s family is probably ranked highly in the practitioners’ circle of this world.)
Similarly, the same thought crosses Long Hua’s mind.
Entering the blue pavilion, the group moves over to the right—where a small canteen is located, with tables and chairs.
As soon as they seat themselves, a waitress—dressed in a comfortable set of white robes, gives them the menus.
Without looking at the menu, Bai Wen simply orders—
“Your best wine, and a plate of pistachio nuts.”
“Stir-fried noodles, mildly spicy.”
Having finished their order, the waitress retrieves the menus, and leaves a catalog in front of Long Hua, to which, Bai Wen points to, and explains—
“Items sold by the village are all listed in there.”
Picking up the catalog, Long Hua looks through the pages, however—
“I can’t afford any of this.”
Raising a sigh, Long Hua stores the catalog away.
“Without a reliable source of spirit stone income, I guess you-”
“Can it. I’m aware of my financial situation quite well.”
Heaving a sigh, Long Hua changes the topic by saying—
“Tell me about the restrictions of this world.”
Shrugging his shoulders, Bai Wen answers—
“Lack of spirit Qi is one, but that’s only limited to this world’s current area.”
“Current area?”
“Not really something you should be concerned with—until you reach the peak of the Foundation Establishment realm. Right then, let’s talk about your number one issue right now, outside of accumulating spirit Qi and wealth.”
Thinking for a bit, Bai Wen adds—
“Under ordinary circumstances, those born within the Leng Bing Realm are unable to exit.”
“Then what kind of extraordinary circumstances would allow me to exit?”
Towards the question, Bai Wen is at a slight loss as to how he should answer.
“Hmm, how do I tell you any of these things without spoiling the fun?”
“Does it really matter at this point?”
“Of course it does. Well, an extraordinary circumstance would be when this entire world is being prepared to be wiped out. When that happens, rifts leading to the outside world tend to appear at random. If you’re able to make it into one of those rifts before the wipe-out, you’re partway free.”
For a moment, Long Hua didn’t know how to react to the news of this world being wiped away. And judging by Bai Wen’s tone, this seems to be something that happens regularly, to which, he asks—
“Why would something like that happen? And why only partway free?”
“The first question is something for you to find out yourself. As for the second, where do you think the vessel—that is used to contain this entire world, is located?”
In response to this question, Long Hua’s expression darkens, and answers—
“…Ling Yuan family’s territory. Perhaps, somewhere in their estate—under heavy surveillance as well, I would assume.”
“Correct. So, the moment you escape, chances are high—that you’ll just end up being recaptured.”
“…”
(A vessel capable of holding an entire world within itself cannot be ordinary. It is probably a treasure of the highest class. In that case, the individuals guarding it cannot be weak either.)
Thinking of this, the Tian Cheng inside of the dreamscape, has an unamused look on her face, while Long Hua asks—
“In your opinion, what’s the highest realm of cultivation that I can attain in this world—assuming I have unlimited time?”
“Ai, you could turtle your way up to the Immortal realm if you had unlimited time, but it would take ages. I’ll just say this, the individuals guarding the vessel are at least in the Dao Manifestation realm with an Immortal realm practitioner leading them.”
Understanding that it is tantamount to suicide should he attempt to escape in the manner that Bai Wen had suggested, Long Hua frowns.
Momentarily, the food that was ordered is carried over, and placed onto the table.
“There’s no set interval for when a wipe-out phenomenon happens. But when that time comes, you could come into this village for shelter.”
Having said this, Bai Wen pours them both a cup of wine.
Downing the cup in silence, Long Hua raises a sigh, before digging into the noodles, to which, Bai Wen remarks—
“If you can still eat, then you’re taking all this surprisingly well.”
“This is only one of the few methods available. What’s the normal method?”
“The normal method is by having a practitioner from the outside world take you out, but if they do-”
“You end up as their slave, or something of that nature, correct?”
“Correct. Also, I should mention this just in case, but should a denizen of this world attempt to escape during a wipe-out phenomenon, the laws that govern this world will erase them the moment they take one foot out of the vessel. However, since your soul and method of reincarnation are rather unique, this law shouldn’t apply to you. Though, at some point—you should still test it out just to make sure. Ah, I almost forgot, but you being able to be understood by the denizens of this world—is probably also due to this reason.”
Taking these bits of details in, Long Hua doesn’t reply until he finishes eating, and upon doing so, he sets his chopsticks down, prior to asking—
“What makes you considered a denizen of this world?”
“The fastest way is to die once. During reincarnation, the laws of this world will brand your soul, thus registering you as a denizen.”
(Looks like saving him from that bullet is paying off real nicely.)
Towards this piece of news, Tian Cheng smiles with glee on the inside, while also thinking—
(Assuming the standard laws of this world don’t apply to him… He either needs to have enough strength to escape from an Immortal realm practitioner, or become a slave? Hmm, if this is the old him, then surely…)
Just as Tian Cheng is thinking of which option Long Hua will take, the latter, who is refilling his cup, says—
“Neither of these two methods is considered good. But if I had to pick one, then I’d go for the first.”
“Even though it’s suicide?”
“Suicide? What does a person who has already died once have to fear from death?”
Downing the cup, and washing away the taste of the noodles, Long Hua adds—
“In the first place, living under someone else’s whims—can that even be considered living? Walk around in the practitioners’ circle for long enough, and you’ll eventually discover—that there are an infinite number of creative ways, to make an individual feel like death is the better option to take, rather than to continue living in a half-dead state. In other words, the only life worth living for a practitioner, is the one filled with desperation and thrills.”
With every word said, the brighter the gleam that emanates from Long Hua’s azure-colored eyes became.
“…”
In response to Long Hua’s statement, Bai Wen feels a sense of envy towards the former—for being able to speak in such a manner.
(I may have arrived at a point in my life—where I am unable to take another step forward because the road ahead is completely shrouded in darkness. One misstep means falling, and yet… Lao Long seems like the sort who would make an attempt to tread through this darkness, even if…)
Pausing his thoughts here, Bai Wen looks to Long Hua, and asks—
“Even if-?”
Before Bai Wen can finish voicing his question, Long Hua smiles, and states—
“Even if that way of living leads me to ruins. Regardless of how pathetic, or laughable my end is, I can at least say—I didn’t live a boring life. There’s nothing more humiliating than to have your life tale end up being a common tale—that could be heard at whatever inn someone ended up visiting for the night.”
Despite being bold enough to say these words on the outside, Long Hua sighs weakly on the inside.
Outwardly, he can put on an arrogant front, but inwardly—he’s the exact opposite, which is to say, if he doesn’t put on such an arrogant front, his inner insecurities couldn’t be more obvious.
As far as Long Hua is aware of, there are no old friends, or family to be found in this world, and with how harsh the practitioners’ circle is, if one doesn’t put on a strong front—to make themselves seem tougher than what they really are, their sole choice would be to submit to the strong.
If submission is the sole choice, then death would be the much more preferable option to take—in Long Hua’s opinion.
(The way I died in my previous life…)
Although he cannot remember the details, Long Hua instinctively feels like—
(It was probably laughable. Anyone who heard it, would have called it pathetic.)
Thinking up to here, Long Hua can’t help but recall the way—in which Nian Tao Tao had set him up to loosen his guard.
(One loss of focus nearly cost me my dog life, and would have made getting out of this realm much more difficult… Shizun said, I’m someone who has terrible luck with women. That seems to be true even in this life. “Do not ever trust them, and know to maintain a proper amount of distance from them,” hmm.)
Contemplating about a way to deal with this issue, a focused gleam emanates from Long Hua’s eyes, as he downs another cup of wine.
“Ai…”
Taking in what Long Hua had said, Bai Wen raises a light sigh, as he also downs another cup of wine.
(Lao Long’s attitude is probably a means for him to cover up his own insecurities. Words are easier said than done. I guess time will tell, if he’s truly as mentally strong as he makes himself out to be. Still, what an envious arrogance to have.)
“People with an attitude like yours—tend to end up in one of two ways. Either they live for a short duration, or they end up making a name for themselves.”
Turning their heads in the same direction, the three see Zhen Huai approaching them.
(If he’s able to maintain this attitude—both on the outside and inside, he’ll probably start returning to his old ways again.)
Glancing at Long Hua, the Tian Cheng within the dreamscape—has mixed feelings about the matter.
On the positive side, if Long Hua returns to the way he deals with matters, as he had done in his previous life, his odds of survival in this world would be much higher.
In turn, this would allow him to have a higher likelihood of successfully escaping from the Leng Bing Realm via his first option.
On the negative side, he would become much more difficult for Tian Cheng to control.
(There’s no way to tell how things will go between us unless I make contact. Hmm.)
Epilogue – As Expected…
With everyone seated, and the emptied plate taken away to be replaced with a teapot, Zhen Huai is the first to break the silence, as he takes out a silver medallion—that is shaped like a coin with the Zhen family’s crest imprinted on its center.
Placing the medallion down, Zhen Huai slides it towards Long Hua.
“What’s this for?”
“Think of it as a membership card. It’s also a key to activate the hidden entrances. Since it’s silver, you’re allowed to take one item for free every month. But the items are limited to the first 50 pages of the catalog.”
Hearing this, Long Hua takes out the catalog, and looks through it, while asking—
“Of the spirit herbs that are in the first 50 pages, which of them has the highest concentration of spirit Qi?”
“You planning to make pills out of them?”
An awkward expression appears on Long Hua’s face in response to Bai Wen’s question.
To the side, Zhen Huai is looking on with a curious gleam in his eyes.
“Something like that… I guess?”
The thing that Long Hua has in mind is probably uncommon in the Everlasting Spirit Realm. However, it’s something that he’s seen in the Leng Bing Realm.
Shrugging a shoulder, Zhen Huai says—
“I’ll arrange for someone to get you a set of Purple Cloud Grass.”
“How many are in a set?”
“Three.”
Cutting into the conversation, Bai Wen looks to Zhen Huai with his one eye raised, while asking—
“Lao Zhen, isn’t the medallion you’re giving him a rank higher than the one you gave me—when we first met?”
“Your point?”
“You’re playing favorites.”
“I consider this a power move when conducting business.”
Saying this, Zhen Huai turns to Long Hua, whereas Bai Wen thought—
(That’s to say, I wasn’t worthy of you using a power move against?)
Looking back at Zhen Huai, Long Hua asks—
“Business?”
“You do not have any ways to acquire spirit stones, but any cultivation methods, or divine arts that you have—can be traded in for resources.”
Understanding Zhen Huai’s intentions, Long Hua leans back in his chair with a smirk.
“I see. In that case, how much would you pay—for the two divine arts that you saw?”
Most of the cultivation methods that Long Hua is able to remember at this time—is tailored specifically for himself.
The value of such cultivation methods isn’t much to the general masses. But divine arts are different; so long as one meets the requirements, anyone can learn them.
“As expected, doing business with a smart person is much more refreshing. I’ll pay you 10,000 spirit stones per cultivation method, or divine art.”
Dropping the pistachio nut in his hand, Bai Wen widens his one eye at Zhen Huai for this offer.
“10,000 spirit stones for a Heaven Manifestation realm divine art? Lao Zhen, your heart must be as black as the night. Lao Long, how about you just sell those divine arts to me instead?”
The price given by Zhen Huai can only be seen as a complete rip-off, but instead of refusing it, Long Hua turns to Bai Wen, and asks—
“Lao Bai, how much do you think those two divine arts are worth?”
“The price of Heaven Manifestation realm divine arts can’t be measured in spirit stones; they’re measured in immortal jades. 10,000 spirit stones are worth only one jade. It’s impossible to give an accurate price—since whenever these divine arts appear, they’re auctioned off.”
Taking in this information, and sinking into thought, Long Hua places a hand beneath his chin.
(Now then, how will you handle this?)
With anticipation in her eyes, the Tian Cheng inside of the dreamscape, looks to Long Hua, who replies to Zhen Huai with—
“You said, you’ll pay 10,000 spirit stones per cultivation method, or divine art; you never specified the level they need to be. Can I take that to mean—that regardless of their level, you’ll pay 10,000 spirit stones no matter what?”
“Correct. Outer realm cultivation methods, and divine arts—have immense value after all.”
“Lao Bai, price of an outer realm Qi Condensation level cultivation method, or divine art?”
“Those were also never brought outright.”
“In that case, the value of those two divine arts is worth mountains of immortal jades, correct?”
As Zhen Huai nods in confirmation, Long Hua smiles, and asks Bai Wen—
“Is it possible for me to use immortal jades for cultivation right now?”
“Not possible. This is exactly why Lao Zhen is able to rip you off.”
Raising a sigh, Long Hua knows that he doesn’t really have much of a choice in this matter.
“Selling you those two divine arts for this price isn’t impossible.”
Resources at this time are of great importance, and the only way to acquire these resources without having to be in someone else’s debt—is to possess personal wealth.
“But you have conditions attached to this deal, correct?”
Nodding to Zhen Huai’s question, Long Hua says—
“Correct. I don’t like the sour taste of seeing an enemy of mine using those divine arts against me. Hence, regardless of who you decide to pass these divine arts to in the future, you must notify me of their identity, and your relationship with them.”
“What if I still wish to pass it onto an individual you’re against?”
“Then you need to pay me extra per person. Naturally, I won’t go against your decision every time. I’ll even give you a clear-cut reason—as to why I’m against it being passed onto a specific individual.”
Constricting his eyes, Zhen Huai contemplates the condition. This is a condition that he can accept, but just accepting it as it is—isn’t very pleasant from a merchant’s point of view.
“In that case-”
Cutting Zhen Huai off, Long Hua says—
“If you’re planning to cut the proposed price of 10,000 spirit stones down, you can forget about this deal. Besides, my first condition isn’t something that you’re really against, so there’s no need to make a show out of it. Within an influential household, there are bound to be numerous heirs—all vying for the rights to succeed it. I wonder, where do you rank in this household of yours? Is it seventh, or is it perhaps twelfth? Regardless, I do not believe it’s one.”
The more Long Hua said, the darker Zhen Huai’s expression becomes. Just as the former had guessed, within his household, Zhen Huai’s standing doesn’t even enter the top fifty.
“Admittedly, I do need resources, but the resources don’t need to come from you. I can just as easily do business with the Ling Yuan family through Lao Bai—even if there are a few inconveniences along the way.”
With Long Hua having said that, silence looms in the air.
Eventually, Zhen Huai raises a sigh, and massages his temple, while asking—
“You said, first condition. So, what are the others?”
If Long Hua had a fan in his hand right now, he would definitely unfold it at this time. Maintaining an air of confidence, he says—
“As expected, doing business with a smart person is much more refreshing.”
“Tch.”
Compared to Zhen Huai—who clicked his tongue as a response to this, Bai Wen chuckles, while pouring a cup of tea for the former.