“It’s good that you know. Don’t ever think of things like that again,” Exquisite said, feigning calmness over what she had just seen.
The silkworms of other races might not have known they were being watched by the Very High, but it wasn’t surprising that the Sky knew about this, though. After all, the Sky and the Very High were once part of the same family, and the Very High had never tried to hide the fact that they spied on their silkworms. So, Exquisite didn’t think it was strange that Han Sen knew about this.
“Let’s go. I will help you practice here in Outer Sky. How many resources you receive over the course of the next four years will depend on how well you perform.” Exquisite turned and walked out of the palace.
“Is that it?” Han Sen asked her with some curiosity.
“Well, what else did you expect?” Exquisite asked.
“Don’t we need to meet with some supervisors and go through additional registration procedures or something?” Han Sen was confused. Since they had arrived, the only other Very High he had seen was Second Brother. And Second Brother probably wasn’t an important figure amongst the Very High. His rank was certainly not as high as Exquisite’s, that was for sure. “There is no need for any of that. Now that you’ve entered Outer Sky, your movements will be watched keenly by the leader. Since no one has come here to stop you, that means our leaders have given you their approval. You can now be my silkworm and practice here in Outer Sky.”
“The way the Very High do things is quite different…” Considering that they were the number one race in the universe, the Very High were conducting themselves very casually.
But when Han Sen thought about their relaxed attitude a little more, he realized that he should have expected it. The Very High were incredibly powerful, but there weren’t many of them, and they had no interest in mixing their blood with the blood of another race. Plus, after they practiced the Very High Sense, they lost their ability to care about things. Based on what he knew of the Very High, this process was proceeding logically.
After Han Sen left the hall, he found Bao’er and Second Brother, Li Yuzhen, chatting. It seemed that they were getting along rather well. That was a surprise.
Li Yuzhen wanted to accompany Exquisite, but she refused. He didn’t push the subject further, and so he promptly took his leave.
They reboarded Exquisite’s small ship and began flying east, away from the heavenly-looking palace.
“Bao’er, what were you talking to Li Yuzhen about?” Han Sen didn’t believe Bao’er would have been nice enough to engage Li Yuzhen in idle conversation unless there was something she wanted
“It was nothing much. He is nice. He promised me a lot of fun toys,” Bao’er said with a blink.
“Why would he suddenly give you things?” Han Sen asked.
“He said that if I tell him more about Sister Exquisite, he will bring me more stuff to play with,” Bao’er naively explained. Han Sen thought about this, and he had a guess. “If Li Yuzhen is one of the people responsible for ensuring the existence of future generations of Very High, then he probably wants to…”
When Han Sen thought of that, Exquisite’s face hardened. She stared at him and said, “Don’t even think about it. He has zero chance.”
Han Sen shrugged his shoulders. He knew his assumption had been correct.
The ship traveled for a hundred thousand miles before they stopped atop a little peak. That mountaintop had a wooden building and pavilion. It looked rather tidy. He thought it must have been where Exquisite lived.
Exquisite set Han Sen up inside the wooden building, then left.
Once Exquisite was completely gone from sight, Han Sen pulled something out of his pocket. Sky Palace Leader had given it to him. It was a small jade figure that was around the size of his hand.
“Sky Palace Leader said that once she is some distance away from me, Exquisite’s ability to monitor me will weaken or perhaps even disappear entirely. The distance must be considerable, though. That is what Sky Palace Leader told me. She probably can’t read my seven senses now, right?” Han Sen tried not to think. Keeping his mind as empty as possible, he lifted the small jade figure in his left hand.
The small jade figure came to life with light. The light wasn’t actually coming from the small statue, though; it was coming from Han Sen’s hand.
The triangular brand on his hand was glowing, and it slowly began to twist into the shape of the jade figure.
“I can’t believe Sky Palace Leader came through with this. It really does work!” Han Sen looked at the outline of the statue that was now shining from his hand. The sight of it made him ecstatic.
Han Sen had no idea what the small jade figure actually was. Sky Palace Leader had told Han Sen how to use it, but he hadn’t bothered to explain exactly how the device worked.
In truth, the small jade figure was a magical device that worked a little like a video camera. However, instead of merely recording visual information, the device captured data from each of Han Sen’s seven senses.
Once he pressed the statue against the triangular brand on his hand, Exquisite was no longer able to sense what Han Sen was currently feeling. Instead, she was now experiencing a recorded loop of sensation.
The information that Exquisite could learn now were all things that Han Sen was fine with her knowing.
Han Sen had recorded a lot of content into the statue, most of which were the sensations that he experienced while he practiced. If Exquisite wasn’t actually watching him in person, she would assume that he was training.
“Let’s see how this works.” As Han Sen held the small jade figure, he recorded more of his own thoughts and senses.
It was very difficult for a human to control their emotions perfectly, but Han Sen had some experience in doing so. He thought for a moment, then started making a new recording. He thought to himself, “Lady Exquisite is so beautiful and cute. And she is so kind. She is the best woman I have ever known. Although I can’t be friends with her, as long as I am able to keep protecting her, it is enough…”
After the recording, Han Sen double-checked how it would come across. He made sure all of the recordings were positive and presented him in a good light. Then, he put away the small jade figure.
If Exquisite was spying on his seven senses, all she would see was the content that Han Sen had recorded. Han Sen could choose what he wanted Exquisite to see.
Of course, if they were face to face, Han Sen could set the small jade figure to run in sync. That way, he could keep Exquisite from growing suspicious.Right now, Sky Palace Leader’s plan seemed to be working. But Han Sen couldn’t be entirely certain. If Exquisite managed to figure out what he was doing, he would have to find another method of shielding his mind.
As Han Sen waited for Exquisite to return so that he could see if his attempts to protect his mind were succeeding, something suddenly flew in through his window.
Han Sen was shocked. At first, he thought it was some kind of xenogeneic. Otherwise, why would it have come in through the window instead of the door?
Han Sen leaned closer to the beetle-like bug that had flown in through the window. It was the God Spirit Touch that Han Sen had seen in Half-Life Fate. He instantly sighed in relief. He knew the God Spirit Touch couldn’t attack, so he wasn’t too afraid.
“Why did it come here?” Han Sen wondered.
The God Spirit Touch flew in front of Han Sen, and Han Sen reached out and closed his hand around the bug. It didn’t try to evade Han Sen’s hand. It seemed to accept him.
Tzi! Tzi!
The God Spirit Touch settled itself in Han Sen’s palm, then flapped its wings and made some strange noises. It seemed like the little creature wanted to tell him something.
