AZI Volume 2 Chapter 2

Upon getting off the escalator—

"Jing, why are you dressed in a lab coat during a day off?"

Standing to the side of the escalator, and greeting Jing Yao with this question is Nian Yao Yao— who is wearing a red qipao. Held in her right hand is a plain white fan.

"I am a doctor, what's wrong with me wearing a lab coat? Besides, shouldn't you have a fancy hat over your head?"

"What are you talking about? These are just head ornaments that look like the fine horns of a dragon is all."

As Jing Yao and Nian Yao Yao greet one another, Long Hua looks to the three behind the latter.

Three females with two of them dressed in black suits. The first two are definitely bodyguards without question, as for the third—

"…Uh?"

Seeing this third person—who is also an acquaintance of his, Long Hua's expression freezes.

Emerging from behind Nian Yao Yao's back is a young lady with shoulder length white hair and red eyes.

Growing from the side of her head are black horns that extend upwards at an angle—making it seem almost like a circlet.

Her attire consists of a white jacket over a grey turtleneck sweater, coupled with mini pants and black stockings.

"Hua!"

Despite the young lady's affectionate tone of voice, and her affectionate way of addressing him, Long Hua is quick to widen his stance, as the former approaches him with a dash.

Just as the young lady is less than two meters away from him—with her next step launching her right foot upwards with a noticeable amount of extra force, Long Hua pushes his right hand out in the same instance.

(A blade?)

Constricting his eyes, Long Hua sees the tip of a blade beginning to protrude from the young lady's boot causing him to readjust the positioning of his right hand.

*Pah…!* following a popping sound, the blade is released from its socket like a bullet.

At the end of the blade's traveling trajectory is Long Hua's head, but before it can come any closer—

"Tch. Wish you'd have dropped dead with that."

Having caught the blade between his index and middle finger, Long Hua raised a sigh. If the blade were allowed to travel for another six or seven inches, death would be all but inevitable.

"Zhuī Yún, I see that you haven't changed much."

Crossing his index and middle fingers together, Long Hua snaps the blade in two.

"Mhmm good to see that you haven't either."

Lowering her leg while saying these words, Zhui Yun directs an impish grin at Long Hua.

(…A monster as always. …?)

Directing a glance at Tian Cheng, Zhui Yun notices the knife that is being retracted into the former's detachable sleeve through a paper-thin thread that is just barely visible to trained eyes.

(Closed eyes?)

Just as Zhui Yun thought to ask about this—

"Is that how you greet someone that you haven't seen in ages?"

"Ow."

As Nian Yao Yao's folded fan lands onto the top of her head, Zhui Yun pretends to be hurt before turning around, and hugging onto the former like a spoiled child.

"It's the greeting reserved exclusively for Hua. Ah Lady Jing, it's good to see you again after so long."

Towards Zhui Yun's greeting that seems more like an afterthought, Jing Yao gives a casual wave.

"I don't want a greeting like that, change it to something else. In the first place, why did you tag along with Yao Yao?"

With an expression of innocence, Zhui Yun turns to Long Hua while keeping the side of her head pressed against Nian Yao Yao's chest, and replies—

"To see you?"

"…"

Towards this display of false innocence, Long Hua only felt the urge to drive a fist towards Zhui Yun's nose.

"Let's hurry up and leave."

Noticing the amount of attention that they had drawn with Zhui Yun's unusual greeting, Jing Yao turned towards the gates.

"Wouldn't do to stick around for too long."

Passing through the airport's automatic gates, a black luxury car that only the wealthy can afford—awaits the group.

One of the female bodyguards stepped forward to open the suicide doors of the car, revealing an interior wrapped in red and white leather.

Spacious, would be the first word that comes to mind to describe the car's rear interior—that consists of two bench seats facing each other, with a mound holding five tall glasses positioned in the center.

To provide a better sense of privacy for the backseat passengers, a wall divides the rear away from the driver's compartment of the vehicle.

"Is this brought or rented?"

"Brought, why would I rent?"

(So, she brought it here on her private jet?)

A person with more money than sense, that could be a good way to describe Nian Yao Yao, but if she were lacking in common sense, then her wealth couldn't possibly be anywhere near where it is today.

Entering the vehicle, the front seats are taken up by Long Hua, Tian Cheng, and Jing Yao—while the seats opposite of them are occupied by Nian Yao Yao and Zhui Yun.

With the group settled in, the female bodyguard shuts the suicide doors, and enters the front compartment's passenger seat.

As the car begins to move, Jing Yao looks at the passing scenery, and asks—

"It's still daylight out. We're not eating dinner that soon, are we?"

Towards this question, Nian Yao Yao answers—

"Of course not. I say, we visit that client of mine first. After that… We need to get Jing out of that lab coat, and into something that's more appropriate for the occasion."

"I don't see the point."

"It's a day off for you. At least try to look the part. Besides, I'm the one spending the money, so be sure to pick something suitable."

Turning her head slightly to the left, Nian Yao Yao looks to Tian Cheng—who has kept her eyes shut this entire time, and asks—

"Shouldn't you introduce us to this maid that you've brought along?"

"She's the doll that I took from the military transport. I named her Tian Cheng."

Being informed of this, Nian Yao Yao widens her eyes, and remarks—

"She's the doll? Appearance wise, she's far too human. Something of this quality is worth way more than this car."

"Modifications were done to get to this level."

"Oh? Always so deft with your hands."

Till this day, Long Hua has not told a single soul about the existence of the Divine Weapon of Tai Xuan. However, those who have come to know him tend to make wild guesses about where he acquires his equipment from.

"Quite large."

Narrowing her golden eyes, Nian Yao Yao looks intently at the doll's artificial chest.

"Guess you're no exception to the idea that bigger is always better."

"Think what you will."

Attempting to make up excuses and the likes to deny the claim would only make him an easy target to tease, hence why bother to do so?

"Tch humor me at least."

"Don't feel like it. In any case, why did you bring this imp along? Surely, it's not just to serve as a bodyguard, right?"

"I don't like how you phrased that, Hua."

Ignoring Zhui Yun's displeasure, Long Hua goes on to say—

"If it's just bodyguard duty, I can think of several alternatives."

Despite how Zhui Yun may look on the outside, she is the tenth serpent of the snake faction.

"If you two begin to argue we won't ever get anywhere. In any case, the reason for her coming along is because you'll be working with her to find New Moon Village."

"New Moon Village?"

Giving a nod, Nian Yao Yao explains—

"Accessible through this city's sewer network is a black market. Those in the know—call it New Moon Village."

"…Is that the main reason for why you sent Jing and I here?"

As there are only 12 serpents within NPI's snake faction, these individuals are always placed in areas of value. That means to say, GC012 is one such location.

"No, the main reason has always been the hospital and lab. I don't think I can even consider it a reason for sending you two here—since it took me five years to find a way in, which is a lot longer than what I had originally anticipated."

Feeling like Nian Yao Yao is about to ramble, Long Hua says—

"Do me a favor and skip the process you went through."

"…Fine. Where do I start? Hmm you know how the sewer of this city is built like a labyrinth? To navigate through it and to find this placed called New Moon Village, you'd need to have a detailed map to do so."

"And do you have this map?"

"Let's put it this way, I want you two to steal the map, then find this mysterious village for me."