NOVEL WEB AZI Vol 3 Chapter 26 to 30
Chapter 26
As news of the Ashen River Hall drops into the military, a colossal splash is made—causing every commanding body within the place to move.
“Go through the historical records! If there is an ancient ruin to be found in the text, mark its approximate location down on the map!”
“There’s a few more logs here!”
In an instant, archeological research becomes a key focus throughout all institutes.
Other than acquiring quality of life items from the ancient ruins, if they are able to find a weapon of some kind—that can flip the tables against the Immortals in this war, to the authority holders of this world, regardless of the sacrifices that must be made, it would all be worth it; for this war has already gone on for well over 1,500 years.
………
Back at the nightclub, that serves as the Ashen River Hall’s base of operations—
“Boss, they’ve started.”
“Good.”
Setting his glass down, Shao Tianming smiles.
Leaning against the back of the sofa that Shao Tianming is sitting on, Li Zi Xiang asks—
“Would they really cooperate with us to excavate the ruins?”
Other than Shao Tianming, Li Zi Xiang, and Chen Lan, there is no one else here at the nightclub right now.
The three of them are the only ones to have been dispatched into GC012 by the higher-ups of their world—meaning, every other person that was used to intimidate Long Hua and the others with, are natives of this world, that had sworn their fealty to the Ashen River Hall.
Towards the question, Shao Tianming answers—
“I doubt they’d be honest about it. But since we lack manpower to search the globe, we need to use whatever we can.”
“Hopefully, they don’t eat up too much of the spoils.”
Saying this, Chen Lan has a gleam of excitement in his eyes.
Much of the ancient ruins in their world have already been emptied, while the few—that continue to remain, are all incredibly difficult to get through.
Shrugging a shoulder, Shao Tianming replies—
“Since their side doesn’t have much experience, most of them will probably fail to make it through the ruins in one piece.”
Blinking his eyes, Shao Tianming couldn’t help but recall the words Long Hua had said—
(What? Did you expect me to come quietly with you if you just had some hostages in hand? C’mon, I barely know whoever those two you caught were. Grill them, fry them, steam them, do whatever the hell you want with them. What do I care about the fate of two faceless strangers?)
Recalling those words as well, Li Zi Xiang remarks—
“That surnamed Long is a real piece of work…”
Agreeing with Li Zi Xiang, Chen Lan nods, and replies—
“I wouldn’t trust my back to him.”
Raising a subtle sigh, Shao Tianming remarks—
“He probably won’t trust his back to anyone else either. That look in his eyes, it tells me—that he doesn’t even consider his own squad-mates as comrades.”
………
“…”
Reading through Qing Yue’s report, Nian Tao Tao lifts her head from the paper in her hands.
Currently, she is in the main reception area of the Long Yue family’s mansion.
The center of the room is layered over by a red carpet with patterns done in golden threads.
On both sides of the red carpet are five chairs with small tables in between. Behind these seating areas are decorative screen panels.
“Ai…”
Raising a sigh, Nian Tao Tao places the paper down on the table—that is situated in the middle of the wooden couch, that she is occupying.
Behind the central seating area of this vicinity—which is reserved for the mansion’s owner, is a large painting of a dragon done in black ink. On the opposite side of the wall—that this painting is mounted onto, is a staircase that leads to the second floor.
“The inner domain’s folks have finally started to appear.”
The so-called “inner domain,” is the world where Shao Tianming and his group originated from.
Much of what Nian Tao Tao knows of the place is that the living environment there is harsher than their world, the outer domain.
“…”
Thinking for a bit, Nian Tao Tao picks up the bell—that is on the table, and rings it.
Immediately, a Moon Guard with a black mask—appears behind the screen of a guest’s seating area, and walks out.
Turning to the Moon Guard, Nian Tao Tao says—
“Xū Yǐng (虚影), get a few people together, and start looking through the library for any hints of ancient ruins. Also… I don’t care about the price; but just make sure that Qing Yue receives a shield talisman in the shortest time possible.”
Receiving these orders, the Moon Guard leaves.
………
“Hmm.”
Seated in an expensive office chair is Nian Yao Yao. Mounted onto her black wooden desk—via an arm, is a large monitor.
Situated in the four corners of her office are large bonsai trees, whereas the center is occupied by a large carpet.
Positioned onto the carpet’s center is a rectangular table surrounded by two sofas and armchairs.
Placing a report down on her desk, Nian Yao Yao asks the female employee, who had delivered this to her—
“If I recall, isn’t there an ancient ruin near GC021?”
“That’s…”
Thinking for a bit, the female employee—who is a part of the pig faction, in charge of logistics, nods.
Raising a smile, Nian Yao Yao says—
“Make a public announcement saying—that I’m buying the rights, to excavate it.”
“Wouldn’t that cause many issues at this time?”
“That’s the point. The Ashen River Hall wants to cooperate with the people of our world to excavate these ruins. No doubt they have more experience than the people on our side—meaning, they have a homefield advantage in those places. Because of that, they’re bound to be able to get a larger share of the spoils than we’d ever be able to. That’s why, we need to set some ground rules first—even if these rules, may potentially come back later to bite us in the ass.”
Looking further into the future than most, Nian Yao Yao had a solemn expression on her face, as she thought—
(Ideally, I’d want every organization to sign a contract of non-intervention after one group has successfully won the rights to a ruin. However, the act of hiring mercenaries, and other organizations’ employees should still be made possible. That should at least keep the Ashen River Hall in check—since they’ll be able to receive employment in exchange for giving our side a lesson on how things should be done. Once our side has caught up to them—on the technical side of things, they need to be cut off.)
Organizing her thoughts, Nian Yao Yao says—
“Our company has connections to people in high places due to IB-09. I think it’s time we use them. I’ll type out a prototype contract, get the people in the logistics department to send them out later.”
“Understood.”
Nodding her head, the female employee leaves, leaving Nian Yao Yao to work on typing out a contract.
(As shit as some of those people in high places are, their brains work fast. I need only throw out a few clues here and there, and they’ll work the finer details out on their own. Looks like I’ll have work for Long Hua soon.)
Intermission – Ticking Clock
Out in the middle of nowhere is a white round table.
If one has to describe the scenery around the table, then it’s essentially a field of lush grass—that seems to stretch outwards in an endless manner.
Seated around the table were three individuals.
Despite there being a fourth chair, it goes unfilled; merely there to say—that the fourth member of their group, isn’t forgotten about.
“That time of the… Whatever has come again.”
Pulling the cigarette away from his lips, a man with mildly spiky golden hair, and golden eyes—spews out a mouthful of smoke.
The attire of the man is a black military uniform, but the jacket itself isn’t worn—it is merely draped over his shoulders.
“…”
One of the golden-haired man’s companions replies with silence.
Compared to the other two, who are seated around the table—this individual is almost three meters in height, and has their arms folded in front of their chest.
Attire wise, they are wearing a black set of armor—that covers them from head to toe. The helmet of their armor is designed to resemble the appearance of a ferocious beast with two horns, and a white mane.
“Isn’t it too soon to be saying that?”
Asking this, is a young lady with crimson hair—that reaches pass her knees, and is split down the middle.
Her large black jacket is worn in a sloppy manner—where she only has half her arms inserted into the sleeves. Beneath the jacket, she wears a white halter top, while her mini-pants, and loose leg sleeves are attached together with chains.
Out of everyone here, she is the only one to have brought a drink with her, being a large cup of bubble tea.
Towards the young lady’s question, the golden-haired man replies—
“Close enough, isn’t it?”
“Hardly, there’s still a few years away until the next reset.”
“In the end, it will all be over before we know it. Then, we’ll be made to wait once more.”
Saying this, the golden-haired man pauses, and asks—
“Ai, elder sister, Xiāo Jūn (魈君), how many times have we repeated this process?”
The elder sister, who is the crimson-haired young lady, “Mó Xiāo (魔箫),” replies with silence, as she sucks on the straw of the bubble tea; whereas, in a low tone, the armored figure, Xiao Jun answers—
“Who knows? But for some reason, this time, it feels different.”
“Different, as in good, or bad?”
Instead of answering the golden-haired man’s question directly, Xiao Jun replies—
“Yún Yóu (云游), at some point, all of us have just ceased to ask the question of when our creator, the Ling Yuan Ancestor will return. All we’ve been doing is maintaining our end of the contract with him in a mindless manner.”
Towards Xiao Jun’s words, the golden-haired man, Yun You, constricts his eyes, and asks—
“You’re saying—that there’s a chance, that he’ll return this time?”
“…”
Lifting her head away from the bubble tea, the crimson-haired young lady looks up at the blue skies, with a delirious light in her amber-colored eyes, and remarks—
“Once that happens… Our job is done, isn’t it? Happily ever after, just like a princess’ fairy tale.”
“…”
Despite how happy the crimson-haired young lady looks; Yun You can tell that she’s far from it, as he remarks—
“If this is our last run… I want to take this chance, and do as much as possible.”
Agreeing with Yun You, Xiao Jun asks—
“How much time do you think we have left?”
“Should be more than enough time for us to drink all the wine that this world has to offer, and then some.”
Rising to a stand, the crimson-haired young lady smiles faintly, and says—
“Sounds good, we can invite Nuo’er with us as well.”
Shrugging a shoulder, Yun You asks—
“Would that little sister of ours even be interested?”
“Worth a try, isn’t it?”
Chapter 27
A few days later, at the nightclub that belongs to the Ashen River Hall—
“Fine. We’ll do things your way.”
Hanging up on the phone, Shao Tianming tosses the device aside—prior to leaning back on the sofa.
Despite this being the third floor of the nightclub, the seating arrangements on this floor aren’t any different from the base floor. However, the rule of the third floor is, it is reserved exclusively for the denizens of the inner domain. In other words, it is their exclusive meeting area.
The second floor’s arrangements are the same as well, but it is reserved for meetings with people of power, who are a part of the outer domain.
“Well?”
Sitting behind Shao Tianming is another denizen of the inner domain, one who is in charge of a different city than him.
Answering the question, Shao Tianming says—
“They said, the first excavation can be done through a cooperative front. Essentially, it will be a free-for-all. After that, they demand us to bid for excavation rights—if we want in on the spoils of a specific ruin.”
Hearing this, the white-haired man with blue eyes, Wáng Yǒngníng (王永宁), frowns.
Attire wise, Wang Yongning is dressed in a white changpao—that fits tightly onto his body, with a pair of black trousers and black Tai Chi shoes.
His attire is rather reminiscent of an Immortal; such a get-up is typically seen as a negative in this world’s society, but Wang Yongning has never really cared to be directed at with odd eyes.
Maintaining his frown, Wang Yongning says—
“NWDs, is it? Our treasury might as well be nonexistent—if we need to compete with the super-wealthy for those rights.”
“Naturally, I got stuff to say about this setup as well, but they said—whichever group has the rights to the ruins, could employ us for aid if they wished.”
“Obviously an excuse to keep us in check.”
Sucking in the smoke of a cigarette, and exhaling it, Shao Tianming replies—
“The person who started this, is in the city you’re in charge of.”
“…”
Towards Shao Tianming’s indirect way of saying that this is his fault, Wang Yongning doesn’t deny it, and merely accepts it as is, while the former goes on to add—
“Honestly, setting up ground rules before anyone else could… Feels like the person behind it—is quite capable.”
In response to Shao Tianming’s remark, Wang Yongning places a hand to his chin, and says—
“If I have the opportunity to do so, I’ll try, and erase them.”
“Not much of a point now—when the foundation has already been built. Just chalk it up to bad luck.”
Heaving a sigh, Wang Yongning replies—
“The foundation may have been built, but that doesn’t change the fact that the people of the outer domain are inexperienced. The number one thing they lack are storage devices. Without that, they cannot hope to bring heavy loads of equipment into the ruins.”
In the inner domain, depending on how difficult it is to excavate the ruins, the ruins will receive a designation of grades one through five.
Grades one and two are typically a maze of some kind. These can be taken on with a small group of 20 individuals.
Grades three and above, are a completely different story. As these ruins are built through the Immortal arts of spatial manipulation, it’s impossible to say how many people were needed to excavate them.
The entrance into these ruins is small, typically—allowing only a small group to enter at a time.
However, the area behind these ruins can range anywhere from a forest to a vast field of ice. Without being able to take a vehicle of some kind into these large-scale ruins—it makes it impossible to excavate them, due to the amount of grounds there are to cover.
That is why, storage devices—that are capable of fitting in numerous equipment, are of great importance when it comes to ruins excavation.
Heaving a sigh, Shao Tianming remarks—
“The lack of storage devices is only temporary, though. They’ll gain them gradually overtime.”
“Even to this day, our side has never been able to recreate them; it’s fortunate that they’re actually plentiful. …Ideally, the ruin we’re cooperating in will be grade three at minimum. If they’re unable to excavate it on their own, we have the rights to most of the spoils. I say, we take all the storage devices there are with this right.”
Towards Wang Yongning’s idea, Shao Tianming blows out a mouthful of smoke, and replies—
“I expect a grade four at a minimum.”
“Why?”
“People love simplicity; we want to get rid of the issues that are closest to us first, don’t we?”
Blinking his eyes, Wang Yongning replies—
“I see. So, they’ll most probably start off with the ruins closest to the Grounded Cities. The ruins near our largest settlements, if I recall are…”
“All of them are either a grade four, or five. Well, if it’s really a grade four or above, my concern wouldn’t be the spoils. Instead, I’d be more concerned with our current lack of manpower to properly excavate them.”
Having to agree with this, Wang Yongning raises a sigh. The entrance that would allow denizens of the inner domain to come into the outer domain is currently unstable.
By the time their final member had managed to cross over, the size of the entrance had become as small as a basketball.
Further attempts to widen this entrance could be dangerous, as it could mean losing it altogether; the best that they can do for the entrance right now—is to simply keep it open, and perhaps, find a more reliable means to widen it in the future.
Dismissing these thoughts regarding the entrance from his head, Shao Tianming asks—
“In any case, who are we sending in this time—other than you and I?”
“I think I’ll leave everyone on my side behind.”
“Meanwhile, I’m planning to take both Zi Xiang and Chen Lan in with me.”
Raising a frown, Wang Yongning asks—
“Isn’t that too dangerous? If all three of you got killed somehow, it means there won’t be anyone left to take care of GC012.”
“Don’t jinx it. In any case, how many storage devices did we bring with us again?”
Chapter 28
On the yacht, the Fortisa, that is Long Hua’s home—
“It’s complete.”
Holding what seems to be an ordinary cigar in his right hand, Long Hua has an awfully pleased look on his face.
Unlike ordinary tobacco products—that can be found in convenience stores, this particular cigar was made using spirit herbs.
If any alchemist from the Everlasting Spirit Realm were to hear about this, they would instantly call Long Hua out for blasphemy.
However, since spirit Qi is severely lacking in the Leng Bing Realm, Long Hua has no other options than to directly acquire it from items like spirit herbs.
(Hmm, compared to the ones—that I’ve seen in the Zang Luo Realm, yours can only be considered crude.)
Towards the Tai Xuan Emperor’s remark, Long Hua replies—
“Can it. I’m not exactly a professional spirit herb cigar maker to begin with.”
Using talismans, an enduring magic array had been set up—to prevent spirit Qi from leaking outwards. As for the materials that were used to create these talismans, they had naturally been purchased from a certain surnamed Zhen.
“Time to test it out.”
Without further ado, Long Hua takes out a classy looking metal lighter—one of the items that he had acquired from the free ten-rolls, and ignites the cigar.
Pressing the cigar to his lips, Long Hua sucks in the smoke, which is mixed in with spirit Qi.
Immediately, he feels its effects, however—
“Meh…”
Exhaling the smoke, disappointment couldn’t be any clearer on Long Hua’s face, as he mutters—
“Ai, spirit herbs of this quality can’t really be used for cultivation. At most, I can use them to replenish my spirit Qi in emergencies.”
Heaving a sigh, Long Hua trims off the burning portion of the cigar with his sword Qi, and stores the rest away into his storage pouch, while the Tai Xuan Emperor remarks—
(Better than nothing. Hey, *-laoban, when are you going to pull some more? You’re 90 away from pity.)
Raising a cold snort, Long Hua replies—
“You can dream on about making me waste my resources on your gacha. Even if you beat me to death, I won’t be wasting any resources on it in this lifetime. I’m going down the completely free-to-play route by stacking free pulls over time.”
(*-laoban, no need to be so stingy. What’s a few spirit stones here and there—going to do to your wallet?)
“I-”
“Master, it’s time to leave.”
Before Long Hua can say anything back, the Tai Xuan Emperor swaps over to her vessel. Held in her vessel’s hand is a boxed lunch.
“I’ll be off then.”
Taking the boxed lunch, Long Hua heads off to the office.
“…”
Glancing behind him once, Long Hua sees Tian Cheng inserting an electric plug into her wrist to recharge her battery.
………
Within the dreamscape—
“Ai, the amount of affection points my main account has on him is far too low. Hmm, should I tell him to pull—through my vessel? …No, doing so would just seem off.”
Raising a sigh, the Tai Xuan Emperor continues to contemplate ways to get Long Hua to use her gacha system.
“Hmm. If only an event that would make him feel a sense of crisis occurs. Once that happens, his way of thinking will change, and make him more susceptible to gambling away on the gacha system—to acquire something that will get him out of pinches.”
………
Arriving at the office, Long Hua is quick to take his seat down on the sofa. As he was ten minutes late—due to traffic, Yu Ji and Qing Yue had managed to get here ahead of him.
Coming over from his desk, Ye Chen takes a seat next to Li Xue, and says—
“Right, we’re all here. Time to go over the details of our plans.”
Taking over, Li Xue begins by saying—
“Let’s go over the recent news—regarding the ancient ruins first. The military has decided—that the Disciplinary Bureau offices shall be the main force for excavating them. Looking at the state of our office daily, I don’t think I need to explain why?”
“Give the people who have too much free time on their hands a proper job, is it?”
Nodding his head, Ye Chen replies—
“Right you are, 2nd Lieut. Yu Ji. It’s been agreed upon—that the Ashen River Hall shall be joining our folks on the first excavation trip. After that, any ruins found—will be distributed to those, who can afford the rights to them. The plan is for the wealthy to gather at an auction, and bid for the rights later on.”
Blinking his eyes, Long Hua asks—
“So, when is the first excavation trip, and where?”
Pointing his index finger towards the ground, Ye Chen answers—
“Near this very city. As for when… Day after tomorrow. The military booked all the aircraft runways for the day to send in some supplies.”
Taking over for Ye Chen, Li Xue explains—
“Turns out there is an ancient ruin near all the Grounded Cities; anyone with a good head on their shoulders would think—that this can’t be a coincidence. In any case, it’s been decided by our city lord—that out of the 150 Disciplinary Bureau offices that there are, 90 of them will be taking part in the first excavation. No idea if we were fortunate, or unfortunate to be selected as a part of this trip, or not.”
Raising a frown, Qing Yue asks—
“They’re throwing around 450 people into the ruins?”
“They’re preparing for the worst-case scenario of this ruin—being designated with a grade four, or five difficulty rating.”
Continuing from there, Li Xue talks about the difficulty ratings in more detail, and upon taking this bit of information in, Qing Yue raises a second question, being—
“Where are they getting their information from?”
“Where else do you think they could get any of this information from?”
“The hall, is it?”
Towards Yu Ji’s answer, Li Xue nods, and replies—
“Naturally, we should take this information in with a grain of salt. However, according to the Ashen River Hall, they say—that all the ruins found near their world’s largest settlements, have had a difficulty rating of four, or five; hence, they expect the same for our side as well.”
Shrugging a shoulder, Long Hua asks—
“So, what are we doing for the rest of today—other than sitting around?”
Taking over for Li Xue, Ye Chen answers—
“Start preparing your hearts, and maybe start praying—that the ruins won’t be anything above grade two. I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again, be prepared to be swarmed with work. The chance of us getting sent out into another ruin right after this one is rather high. Ai… The more experienced we become at excavating them, the more likely we are to be selected for more of these trips in the future.”
“Also, there is a high possibility—that ruins excavation might be an alternative, to heading off into the frontlines in the future. But that really depends on how many ruins there are in our world.”
Towards Li Xue’s remark, Yu Ji and Qing Yue showed evident surprise, while Ye Chen adds—
“This is also from the hall. They say—that in their world, there are still a few grade five ruins, that have yet to be excavated. The reason for this is anyone’s guess, but it’s most likely due to how difficult it is.”
Clapping his hands together once, Ye Chen smiles, and concludes—
“Right, that’s all that we needed to talk about for today. The rest of office hours will be the same as usual.”
“Hey, captain?”
“Hm?”
With a sharp gleam in her eyes, Yu Ji asks—
“How much are we getting paid—for this excavation trip?”
“Hmm. Our side really doesn’t have much information on these ruins, so it’s impossible to say for certain. Still, if it makes 2nd Lieut. Yu Ji feel any better, the amount we receive—may be able to help us fully renovate this office, and leave us with a major bonus afterwards.”
“That’s all I needed to hear.”
If it was in the past, Ye Chen might have called Yu Ji out for being materialistic, but now—
“You really care for your little sister, don’t you?”
“Of course. When our parents disowned us, she became my only family.”
Looking down at his shoes, Long Hua thought—
(If ancient ruins are like the secret realms—that are found in the Zang Luo Realm, then I should probably buy some new shoes that can fit the environment better.)
Sneakers are good for running, but they’re not meant to last, nor are they meant for hiking up difficult terrain.
Although Long Hua does have another pair of footwear in his storage pouch—that one is a part of his attire for mercenary work.
Using it as a casual piece of footwear, may not be an issue, but Long Hua isn’t willing to risk it—in case he runs into someone with keen eyes.
(If possible… I want to scout out the ruins ahead of time.)
Chapter 29
With the intent to buy a new pair of footwear, Long Hua walks into a random shoe store in the third ward.
Footwear of all types lined the walls, along with boxes—labeled with different sizes, stacked below the items that were being displayed.
The center of the store has seating areas—for customers, to conveniently try on their products.
“Hmm.”
Looking around, Long Hua walks over to the section for hiking boots, and just as he is thinking about which one to choose—
“This one blocks out rain and sand. What do you think?”
A hand reaches forth, and picks up a black boot—that is tied down with a strap buckle, prior to positioning it right in front of Long Hua’s face.
Turning his head to his left, Long Hua sees Bai Wen.
Different from last time, Bai Wen is wearing a white dress shirt with a pair of dark trousers. Although the outfit still looks slightly off on him, it is still better than seeing him wearing a plain T-shirt.
Towards Bai Wen, Long Hua asks—
“Why are you here?”
“Out on a stroll, and just so happened to see you walking in. C’mon, you’re going to make me hold this forever?”
Shrugging his shoulders, Long Hua takes the boot from Bai Wen, and examines it for a brief moment. Price wise, it is within his budget, and it seems durable enough.
“I guess this will do.”
Grabbing a box—that is labeled with the appropriate size, Long Hua brings it over to the register, while Bai Wen follows after him.
While waiting in line, Bai Wen asks—
“Lao Long, if you’re bored, you could always come over to my place to hang out.”
Saying this, Bai Wen presses a piece of paper towards Long Hua.
“I doubt I’d ever be that bored.”
Taking the piece of paper—that has Bai Wen’s address written on it, Long Hua shoves it into his pocket.
“You hardly ever show up at the café—you’re supposed to be working at, after you get off work from the office at seven PM, anyways.”
“What are you, a stalker?”
Ignoring the remark, Bai Wen continues to ask—
“Why not accompany us for dinner tonight?”
“Us?”
“The little girl from the Chen Shi family, Nuo’er, and I.”
Thinking for a bit, Long Hua didn’t see any reason to refuse, as he answers—
“Fine.”
“Great, I’ll text you the place later.”
Having said this, Bai Wen heads for the store’s exit.
“Wait, how do yo-”
“Lao Zhen has info on almost anything, so long as you’re willing to pay for it.”
Answering as such, Bai Wen leaves, while Long Hua thought—
(“A man like the wind, comes and goes as he pleases,” is this what that saying is referring to?)
Shaking his head, Long Hua takes out his wallet to pay for the shoes.
………
Returning to the yacht—
“Master plans to eat outside with others tonight?”
Despite having already known this, the Tai Xuan Emperor still asks about it through her vessel, to which, Long Hua answers—
“That’s the plan.”
“I see.”
Answering as such, Tian Cheng begins to wash the emptied meal container.
“…”
“…”
As the sound of running waters looms between the two, a sense of awkwardness arises.
Eventually, Long Hua asks—
“…You want to come along?”
“I cannot eat anything. Wouldn’t it be awkward for me to come along?”
“…”
Seemingly, everything is awkward all of a sudden.
Just as Tian Cheng finishes washing the meal container, and sets it aside to dry, Long Hua is just about to end the conversation there.
However—
(*-laoban.)
Seeing this to be a good opportunity, to get Long Hua to use the gacha system, the Tai Xuan Emperor asks—
(You want this doll of yours to be more human-like?)
Turning his head to the side slightly, Long Hua asks—
“…You got any ideas?”
As her vessel tilts its head, the Tai Xuan Emperor answers—
(If there’s a will, there’s a way. Now, spread that wallet wide, and spend that hard-earned resource you’ve got.)
“…Sounds like a scam.”
(Now don’t be like that. In the SR rarity pool, there is a special item called a combat body. It’s built to be as identical as possible to an ordinary human’s body. Any food—that is taken in by this body, automatically gets turned into energy.)
“…”
As they continue this exchange, the Tai Xuan Emperor has her vessel wipe its hands with a towel, while in an attempt to guilt-trip Long Hua, she says—
(That doll took a bullet for you, *-laoban. Having to eat out of a power outlet, whenever she needs to recharge, don’t you feel sorry for her?)
“…”
(If those ancient ruins are like the Zang Luo Realm’s secret realms, you’ll be swimming in more resources than you can hope to spend after getting through it. A little bit of expenditure right now is called an investment, and investments are called investments—because you’ll be able to get a profit back, at a later day. Think about it, who could you possibly trust in those ruins? Surely, you don’t believe those squad-mates of yours—will be of any help, in a place filled with the tech of practitioners, do you? Wouldn’t having that doll there with you, make you feel more at ease?)
Saying up to here, the Tai Xuan Emperor opens up the gacha system’s interface in front of Long Hua, and adds—
(You need only push that ten-roll button, and everything will be yours.)
“…Tch.”
Clicking his tongue loudly, Long Hua does find the Tai Xuan Emperor’s argument awfully convincing. Indeed, he doesn’t trust his back to anyone in his squad.
“…”
Raising his right hand, and clenching it into a fist, Long Hua is just about to say something. However—
“Master.”
Deciding to swap over to her vessel, to further guilt-trip Long Hua, the Tai Xuan Emperor has her vessel ask—
“Is something the matter?”
Twitching his lips, Long Hua answers—
“…There’s something called a combat body in the gacha system. Apparently, anything eaten—using that body will automatically get converted into energy. So…”
“I see.”
………
Within the dreamscape—
“*-laoban, I’ve already applied a defense down debuff on you. Now comes the guaranteed critical hit!”
Staring coldly at Long Hua, who is still being hesitant, the Tai Xuan Emperor proceeds to—
………
Lifting its arms, the Tai Xuan Emperor has her vessel wrap its hands around Long Hua’s clenched fist.
Due to having just wiped its hands, the vessel’s artificial skin is slightly cold to the touch, which isn’t too different from how it would usually be.
In a gentle tone, the Tai Xuan Emperor has her vessel say—
“There’s little need to be concerned with me, master. For you, there are better places to spend your resources on. Don’t you wish to return home as soon as possible?”
“………”
………
Within the dreamscape—
“Ai, deciding to maintain my vessel as a separate identity was indeed the right choice. So what if that Lone Dog Incantation can keep you coolheaded in front of a woman? In front of a machine, it’s nothing more than a joke.”
Chapter 30
Arriving at the address—sent over by Bai Wen, with Tian Cheng standing beside him, Long Hua pinches the bridge of his nose.
Adding in the free rolls—that he had accumulated, he performed a total of 20 pulls; raising his pity count to 30 out of a hundred.
In the end, the combat body was obtained, and physical appearance wise, it wasn’t any different from Tian Cheng’s original body—after she had transferred her data over.
The clothes—that are a part of this body, are able to shapeshift, and are as durable as armor, which should save money in the long run.
Other than the combat body, a second SR rarity item was gained—being a pair of gauntlets in the form of paw pads. Apparently, regardless of how much a wearer of these gauntlets hits someone, the person they’re beating won’t die.
The only other noticeable item is a calabash—that is able to store an ocean’s worth of liquid. In terms of rarity, it is considered anything special.
“Ai, what’s done is done, I guess…”
Raising his head, and looking forward, Long Hua sees that the restaurant specializes in—
“BBQ, is it?”
Opening the door, and walking into the restaurant, Long Hua’s sense of smell is immediately overwhelmed by the scent of cooked meat.
“Welcome, a table for two?”
An employee at the counter is quick to greet him, and towards their question, Long Hua answers—
“There should be a reservation—under a surnamed Bai?”
“Yes, follow me then.”
In total, the restaurant has 20 seating areas. All of them are divided into rooms, which are layered over by eight tatami mats. Each room is also fitted with sliding doors for more privacy.
“Here it is. Please take your footwear off before entering.”
“Got it.”
As the employee leaves, Long Hua and Tian Cheng take off their shoes, and push the sliding door over.
Positioned in the center of the room is a low table with cushions surrounding it. Already, three of the eight cushions have been occupied by Bai Wen, Nuo’er, and Yao Ying.
Different from a traditional table, the center of this one is hollowed out.
Within this hollow is a power outlet with two plugs, making it possible for a portable electric grill to be slotted into the emptied space.
“Finally here, Lao Long?”
Stepping into the room, Long Hua sits on the opposite side of Bai Wen—while Tian Cheng takes the cushion beside Long Hua.
“You picked quite a place.”
Towards Long Hua’s remark, Bai Wen chuckles, and replies—
“Well, it’s not every day we get to eat with this many people.”
Smiling faintly, Nuo’er says—
“I don’t mind making this a permanent arrangement. Food with more people tastes better, as they say.”
Maintaining shut eyes, Tian Cheng turns her head slightly in Long Hua’s direction, and remarks—
“If this could be maintained, it might help to restore your tastebuds, master.”
“Quit bringing that up…”
“…”
Having never had barbecued meat before, Yao Ying’s expression is a bit tense.
Continuing to engage in some casual chatter, raw meat platters are brought over by the staff, along with a portable grill, and rice cooker.
Momentarily, everything is set into position, and with that done, the restaurant staff leaves the group to their own devices.
“…”
Even before the first piece of meat can be placed onto the grill, Bai Wen waves his hand—constructing a sound-containment barrier around them.
“So, I’ve heard—that there’s been a group called the Ashen River Hall, roaming about as of late.”
Free to talk about whatever it is that they want now, Bai Wen opens dinner with this topic. Meanwhile, Nuo’er begins to place slices of meat onto the grill, whereas Long Hua replies—
“They say, they came from another world. When you mentioned this world’s current area…”
“This world’s current area refers to here, the outer domain. Those guys from the hall, they came from the inner domain.”
“And the spirit Qi there is more plentiful?”
“Indeed. However, it’s impossible to head over there right now—since the entrances are so unstable.”
Narrowing his eyes, Long Hua asks—
“About the ancient ruins near this city, how much do you know about it?”
“Aren’t you planning to take a peek at it yourself later tonight?”
“They probably have a bunch of guards stationed near there. If I could get info on that place out of you, I wouldn’t need to deal with the hassle.”
With a smile of amusement, Bai Wen answers—
“All I can say is—expect a desert.”
“A desert?”
“Correct, be sure to have plenty of water when you go in.”
(Looks like that calabash will come in handy. But still, a desert, in that case…)
Realizing the meaning of this, Long Hua frowns, and remarks—
“It’s a grade four or five, then…”
Shrugging a shoulder, Bai Wen replies—
“Plenty of people will die. Mostly people from the outer domain—due to their inexperience.”
“Bai Wen, you’re going to make the food unappetizing if you talk about people dying.”
“Sorry.”
Raising a light chuckle, Bai Wen apologizes to Nuo’er, while Long Hua asks—
“What can I expect to find in there then?”
“Lao Long, you ever been into a secret realm?”
“I have.”
“Then expect something like that—for ruins, that are designated grades three and above. In grades four and five ruins, there’s bits of history to be learned if you make it to the end. Should help you understand this world better—if you’re interested.”
Satisfied with these answers, Long Hua takes a small bottle of wine, and fills his cup.
Beginning their dinner in earnest, Bai Wen also places a few slices of meat onto the grill.
About five minutes later—
“Oh? I didn’t think a doll would be capable of eating.”
Seeing Tian Cheng eating nonchalantly, Bai Wen is rather surprised, to which, Long Hua replies—
“Her current body is somewhat special.”
“Hmm, even in the Everlasting Spirit Realm, she’d fetch a good price. Where did you acquire something like this anyway?”
“Trade secret.”
Unbothered by this reply, Bai Wen says—
“Well, knowing—that you’d at least have someone, to watch your back in those ruins, is reassuring.”
“Because if I’m gone, you won’t be able to acquire that Spirit Assimilation cultivation method?”
“…”
Instead of answering the question, Bai Wen merely smiles, as he fills his cup.
Watching the two’s exchange, Nuo’er smiles as well before turning her attention to—
“Yao Ying, be sure to savor the taste.”
Picking a few meat slices off the grill, Nuo’er places them into Yao Ying’s bowl.
“Got it.”
After going through what she did, Yao Ying feels like every bite of meat, and rice is worth more than a single piece of spirit stone.
Staring at the half-filled cup of wine, Long Hua smiles faintly, and remarks—
“…As expected, to drink wine—is to drink the mood.”
Taking a sip, Bai Wen replies—
“I think the mood is quite good; what about you, Lao Long?”
“Enough to drink a hundred cups. Next time, maybe, we should call Zhen-laoban as well.”
“Hahaha, Lao Zhen can’t really hold his liquor well.”
Raising an eye, Long Hua replies—
“No wonder he only ever serves tea.”
“Still, if he ever serves wine—when meeting someone, it could mean that he trusts that person greatly, right?”
Shrugging a shoulder, Long Hua says—
“Maybe. Regardless, I’ll drink as much as I want tonight. Who knows when I’ll get to drink again after today?”
“You could always just bring wine into the ruins with you; you got a storage pouch, don’t you?”
“Drinking on the job doesn’t feel very professional.”
“Professional? Who cares about that crap? People live for comfort, not the opposite. To hell with family obligations, and the likes, nothing more than a waste of time and effort.”
Hearing this from Bai Wen, an odd expression appears on Nuo’er’s face, while the former continues to say—
“Oh right. Shall we make a promise here?”
“What promise?”
“If you can walk out of the Leng Bing Realm alive, I’ll treat you to the most expensive feast imaginable.”
Refilling his cup, and raising it, Long Hua says—
“Once a gentleman’s word is given-”
“It cannot be chased back—not even by a four-horse drawn cart.”
Pressing their cups together, they seal their agreement.
Looking at the two, who are downing their cups, Yao Ying can’t help but ask—
“What does that mean?”
Chuckling subtly, Nuo’er answers—
“It’s an idiom that means—once a promise is made, it cannot be broken.”