AZI Volume 3 Chapter 15

"…"

Opening the magenta-colored eyes of her vessel, Tian Cheng stares intently at Long Hua.

As time passes minute by minute, a full hour eventually goes by, and—

"…?"

Reopening his eyes, Long Hua is surprised to see Tian Cheng staring at him so intently. The light being emitted from her eyes due to her being an android—only serves to make her stare even more terrifying in the dark.

Staring awkwardly back at Tian Cheng, Long Hua asks—

"…Is something the matter?"

Controlling her tone, Tian Cheng says through her vessel—

"Didn't master plan to sleep?"

"I want to prioritize raising my mastery over what I currently have available. Now that I'm in the Foundation Establishment realm equivalent of my main cultivation method, I can do with sleeping only once a week."

Being presented with such an argument, Tian Cheng has a difficult time coming up with a counter, whereas Long Hua adds—

"I don't know what the future will bring. But the best way to prevent being thrown into a pinch—is to have enough personal strength to fall back on. If I die in this realm, things will become much more difficult."

(Dammit, quit making such a convincing argument…)

Grinding her teeth together inside of the dreamscape, Tian Cheng thinks up a reply quickly, and remarks—

"…Master's change in behavior was rather abrupt. Did something happen while you were asleep for 30 minutes and 48 seconds?"

"...…"

(C'mon talk about the figure you met just now!)

Seeing Long Hua's expression of contemplation, Tian Cheng has her vessel bend forward, and level its face to the same height as the former.

Eventually, Long Hua says—

"I… Met a person, who claims to be an acquaintance of my shizun's."

"…"

"…"

As silence looms between them—

(Continue talking, dammit!)

Having her vessel tilt its head, Tian Cheng inwardly shouts at Long Hua to continue talking, to which, the latter awkwardly explains—

"She asked me—if I really had the time to be concerned with what my shizun was doing, and how I didn't have the strength to return to the Zang Luo Realm right now. She's right about all those things, compared to the me in my previous life, I'm definitely not as powerful as I once was. …Because of all that-"

(Ah… So this is what people meant by lifting up a boulder, and smashing their own foot with it…)

Having learned what this expression means by committing it to herself, Tian Cheng makes a face of bitterness—inside of the dreamscape.

Straightening the back of her vessel, she asks—

"Did she say, why she came to you?"

"She said, she was sent to assist me."

"Assist? Did she say, how she could assist you?"

"...…I didn't ask."

(I know, you didn't.)

As Long Hua looks away awkwardly, Tian Cheng holds back her anger, and asks—

"Why?"

"I… Felt like she's a bit… Shady?"

"How?"

"Her entire body is shrouded in light, and you can't even see her face. Wouldn't any sane person think there's something off about her?"

"…"

Stunned into silence, Tian Cheng really can't say anything back, while thinking—

(Revealing my true identity to him…)

Thinking of this, the Tian Cheng—inside of the dreamscape, frowns.

(Being able to use this vessel as another identity, means I can observe him through another lens; losing it—would be very inconvenient. Especially so when he had cultivated that Lone Dog Incantation… It will be much more difficult to get him to lower his guard using my identity, as the Tai Xuan Emperor.)

Having met Long Hua as the Tai Xuan Emperor in his previous life, Tian Cheng isn't very confident in herself—in being able to create a relationship that can be considered close between them; for during their meeting with Dao He Tian Xue nearby, she had outright said—that she wished to take over his body the moment he dies.

(If he ever recalls my face as the Tai Xuan Emperor, and looks at my vessel with suspicion…)

Thinking hard about this eventuality, the Tai Xuan Emperor heaves a heavy sigh.

(Between my vessel and I, the only differences are the hair color, the maturity of the face, and the sigil… Well, I suppose—since he has the Divine Weapon of Tai Xuan on him, I could just say that my vessel is modeled after the Tai Xuan Emperor because of it? Then I can continue to claim that my vessel, and I aren't the same person—even if he'll be suspicious of my identity in the dreamscape?)

"Tian Cheng?"

Snapping her attention back to reality at Long Hua's calling, Tian Cheng blinks her vessel's eyes a couple of times, and replies—

"I suppose she is shady, but merely asking her a couple of questions about what she can provide isn't harmful."

"…I guess?"

Seeing the hesitation in Long Hua's eyes, the Tai Xuan Emperor glares at the former through her vessel's emotionless eyes.

(Alright, surnamed *, this is because you've forced my hand.)

Through her vessel, the Tai Xuan Emperor says—

"While master was drunk, you said—you're afraid of not being able to get out of this realm. Afraid of whatever curse your shizun had mentioned. Afraid of stumbling, and falling on the path you chose. Afraid of your shizun not being there to give you advice. Afraid of your cultivation base not being able to progress quick enough."

"…"

Having his dark history from a drunken night told to him out loud, is far from pleasant, to which, the Tai Xuan Emperor adds—

"If I am unable to be the one that master confides in, then I sincerely hope that you will be able to find someone that you can."