"Peace through pieces. The more pieces I break into, the happier I'll be," Cheng Dogdan said.
Dog Egg's Dad froze. "Do you have a death wish?"
"Are you yelling at me, Dog Egg's Dad?" Cheng Dogdan shot back without hesitation—she had already decided that until he changed her Daoist name back, she wouldn't give him a pleasant face.
Ever since Dog Egg's Dad had changed her Daoist name to "Cheng Dogdan," she felt that her image as the once rather charming Jade Lake Empress had been sprinting overtime toward that of a mutt.
People lived up to their names, but conversely, names could also subtly influence people.
How was she supposed to find a partner if she had no charm left?
"I'm not yelling at you, but are you sure you don't want to reinforce yourself a little?" Dog Egg's Dad asked gently.
His temper was now so mild that he hardly seemed like a Netherworld Ruler—back when the Heavenly Dao Spotted Dragon was still around, Dog Egg's Dad had been cold and taciturn.
But after the Heavenly Dao Spotted Dragon was gone, Dog Egg's Dad seemed to have inherited some of his flighty personality.
As he spoke, Dog Egg's Dad reached out and temporarily released Cheng Lin from the eggshell.
Cheng Dogdan was about to reincarnate into Song Youyou, so he couldn't keep her confined inside the egg anymore.
However, Dog Egg's Dad didn't put the eggshell away.
If Cheng Lin really shattered into bits later, the eggshell could still be used to collect the Cheng Lin Fragments.
"If you change my Daoist name back, I could consider not shattering quite so thoroughly." Once released, Cheng Dogdan seized the opportunity to state her terms.
Dog Egg's Dad sank into thought at her words.
A long while passed.
Dog Egg's