AZI Volume 7 Chapter 4

"…"

Pausing his footsteps in response to Xun Yu's question, Long Hua, who has his back facing her turns his head to the side, and asks back—

"What are you talking about?"

"…"

Blinking her eyes beneath her mask, Xun Yu abruptly realizes something, and explains—

"News of you being an Immortal is widespread in the Long Yue family. An order had been given to not reveal this detail to outsiders by Nian Tao Tao."

"Shouldn't you be calling that woman by Madame Nian?"

Instead of answering the question properly, Xun Yu merely states—

"I call my commander pipsqueak."

Raising a smile of amusement, Long Hua remarks—

"I see, you're not someone who enjoys formalities."

Turning around, Long Hua adds—

"Have I met this pipsqueak by any chance?"

"Hotel incident in the third ward."

"Ah, that one. In any case, to answer your question…"

Spreading his divine senses outwards, and making sure that there isn't anyone nearby to listen, Long Hua answers—

"Deities, gods, divine spirits, stuff of that nature in the practitioners' circle—it's generally recognized to be an individual, whose cultivation base has reached an unfathomable level by the general masses. That's to say, there really isn't a god in a genuine sense of the word—since they are ultimately still half-mortal entities."

"Then…? What is considered a genuine godly entity?"

Shrugging a shoulder, Long Hua replies—

"No clue. Not everything has an answer—even in the practitioners' circle."

"I see. How interesting."

As Xun Yu contemplates the matter, Long Hua asks—

"Just to be certain, you are one to follow orders, right?"

"Meaning?"

"…"

In response to Xun Yu tilting her head, Long Hua frowns, as the urge to eliminate her appears in his mind.

"Regarding my identity."

"Ah. No need for you to be concerned about that. As a Moon Guard, I require occasional tune-ups, and because of that… I am unable to betray the Long Yue family."

"…"

Detecting a hint of loathing in Xun Yu's tone, Long Hua asks—

"But if you didn't require those tune-ups?"

"I would just leave them. As for what happens afterwards… Hard to say."

According to his knowledge of the Moon Guards, these individuals are supposed to possess undying loyalty to Nian Tao Tao, but the fact that an individual like Xun Yu exists among their numbers—

"…You must be considered quite an odd ball in that group of BSDM perverts."

"…"

Shrugging her shoulders, Xun Yu places a hand to her mask, and takes it off, revealing her elegant face, while remarking—

"I believe this should make us even."

"Even my ass."

"Hmm. My name is supposed to be Xun Yu?"

"Do you seriously believe that giving out your name and face is enough to make me feel any sense of security? I'm thinking—it would be better for me to just kill you right now."

"…"

Frowning, and tilting her head again, Xun Yu says—

"Because of you calling us BSDM perverts, there has been a protest among the Moon Guards lately—that we should get our standardized equipment's designs redone."

"I consider that—me doing you guys a favor, so be grateful."

Able to feel Long Hua's killing intent clearly, Xun Yu helplessly says—

"Hmm. Is there some way for me to avoid having to die?"

"…"

Contemplating for a brief instance, Long Hua sets up a sound-containment barrier around the building.

Approaching Xun Yu, Long Hua grabs the former by their face, and demands—

"No resistance, otherwise, I'll crush your head in the next instance."

"…Un."

Blinking her pale blue eyes, Xun Yu nods.

"Soul Extraction Art."

"…!"

Following the use of this Ming Dao Art, Xun Yu feels as if she has been thrown into an ice bath.

However, she isn't given much time to feel this coldness, as a sharp sense of pain stabs onto her chest.

As there are only two lines to this Ming Dao Contract, the pain of having it carved onto her soul doesn't last for very long, but the brief experience is more than enough for Xun Yu's complexion to turn into an unhealthy shade of white—the moment her soul is returned to her body.

"…"

Releasing Xun Yu's face, Long Hua says—

"Done. Should you ever reveal my identity to anyone, you can expect a pain worse than that to hit you."

"…"

Drenched in cold sweat, Xun Yu takes five steps back in an unsteady manner, while trying to catch her breath.

Turning around, Long Hua leaves the building.

(Ai, *-laoban, even just talking to you comes with a risk of death. Don't you think you're being too unreasonable?)

Towards the Tai Xuan Emperor's remark, Long Hua replies—

"Are you so naïve as to trust a complete stranger? Especially one as air-headed as that?"

(Hmm.)

Recalling how Xun Yu couldn't even be bothered to put on a deceptive act to at least attempt to reassure Long Hua that she could be trusted, the Tai Xuan Emperor answers—

(Definitely not.)

...…

"…"

As the pain in her chest subsides, Xun Yu lowers her right hand, which is still trembling with fright.

"So, this is the power of an Immortal…?"

Although she doesn't know what had just happened, Xun Yu instinctively felt as if she had died for a brief instance.

"Even with a power of this nature, an Immortal isn't considered a deity?"

Tinged with the flavors of fear, excitement and reverence well up in Xun Yu's heart, as she centers her thoughts around the idea of a deity.

"…Uh?"

Blinking her eyes, Xun Yu freezes.

"Lord Tian She Zi… Xún Yīng…? Mo…- Mother? …?"

As two titles and a name—that is both familiar and unfamiliar to her, roll off her tongue, evident confusion appears on Xun Yu's face, causing her to enter a deep state of contemplation.