Until the meeting ended, Chanzhen still hadn't recovered from what the Marshal said.
She remembered every single word, every sentence he had spoken, perfectly clearly.
Chanzhen couldn't hold back the joy welling up inside her anymore, she wanted to be around the Marshal, and she wanted to share that unbelievably cool speech of his with her colleagues.
She didn't hesitate for long, she decisively abandoned them.
On the way back, Chanzhen kept staring at the Marshal.
Even though Zero had trained himself to tune out Aha's constant noise, he still couldn't ignore a gaze that intense.
Zero was utterly helpless. He set down his book and looked at Chanzhen. She didn't look away but returned his gaze with a radiant smile.
He sighed quietly to himself, then picked the book back up.
Fine, let her look. She wasn't Aha, after all, at least she wasn't making any annoying noises.
Chanzhen stared at him the whole way back until they returned to the Xianzhou. Only then did she finally avert her eyes. After parting ways with the helpless-looking Marshal, she eagerly ran off to share everything that happened today with her colleagues.
First came a flood of reaction memes, then, as usual, they started writing little essays about it.
Since the Marshal didn't like hearing those things, they'd just talk about their feelings among themselves.
The generals who were cold and decisive killers in the eyes of outsiders were now, in their own rooms, clutching their jade communication tablets and screaming silently into them.
As everyone chatted, Daiyang, the "Sea King," was the first to notice something odd.
Their Marshal was different from other leaders, when delegating power, he did it cleanly and decisively. He didn't care about empty titles and would never take the initiative to seize control.
True, the Interstellar Regulator's position held special authority. They had assumed the Marshal would simply come up with some excuse to decline it and let the representative of another nation, one friendly with the Xianzhou, take the role instead.
But unexpectedly, the Marshal hadn't refused.
After Daiyang pointed it out, the others realized this too.
They felt lost, unsure whether the Marshal had some other plan in mind.
They thought and thought but couldn't figure anything out, so during the meeting, Daiyang stood up and asked the Marshal directly.
Upon hearing the question, Zero instinctively repeated it, "Why accept the position of Regulator?"
Then Zero smiled and said, "For a gift... a gift for the people of the Xianzhou."
"For the freedom and courage that roam across the star sea."
His subordinates froze.
They instantly recalled one of the Regulator's special privileges, the fleets belonging to the Regulator's nation could travel freely within all member states.
'So the Marshal had done this for the Xianzhou rovers and travelers out there in the galaxy!'
This way, as long as they were within a member nation's borders, they could come and go freely, without any restrictions.
As for courage… well, they had the Marshal, didn't they? With the Marshal's power and the Xianzhou's strength, whether they were in Orion or at the edge of the star sea, the Xianzhou could always protect them.
Subordinates, 'The Marshal... he's really... ugh, I'm gonna cry!'
As subordinates, they couldn't just accept such a precious gift from their Marshal with a clear conscience.
So they decided, they would give him something unforgettable in return.
They exchanged quick, subtle glances, then returned to the main topic and continued discussing Xianzhou affairs with the Marshal.
Zero had no idea what his subordinates were plotting. After the meeting ended, he finally found a little time to look at his jade messages.
He scrolled through them until his eyes landed on his chat with Yubie.
The last message was from Yubie, sent several months ago.
Yubie had asked him how the battle was going and, if he had time, whether he could come to Luofu for a visit.
Thinking back, Zero realized that at that time, he'd been neck-deep in fighting a major calamity.
He asked his chief strategist, who had just finished recording the meeting, whether he had any pending work. Once he confirmed there was none, he replied to Yubie,
[No day like today. I'll come now.]
Zero was a man of action. He completely ignored the strategist's expression, which was practically covered in curse words.
The strategist sputtered, "Wait a sec! At least let me notify Daiyang and Chaoyan first..."
What kind of situation was this? The Marshal of the Xianzhou, the one the generals practically wanted to guard with their lives, just up and left without taking a single attendant.
Zero ignored the strategist completely.
He shoved all the books he hadn't finished reading (and those he planned to read) into his system backpack in one go, then boarded a Star-Destroyer and set course for Luofu.
As soon as he arrived, he ran into Daiyang in the already-cleared Scalegorge Waterscape area.
Daiyang's usual cheerful expression was gone, her face was tense as she spoke to a long-eared Vidyadhara. When she saw Zero, she hurriedly jogged over.
Forcing a smile, she said carefully, "Marshal, this was my oversight, I..."
Zero waved a hand, cutting her off.
He glanced at the Vidyadhara beside her and immediately understood.
Turning to the Vidyadhara, he asked, "What happened to Yubie?"
The Vidyadhara met his gaze, and instantly trembled all over, stammering, "Lord Imbibitor Lunae, he... he has shed his body."
Zero instinctively rubbed at his arm, which suddenly itched. Through the fabric, he could feel the outline of a leaf.
He asked again, "What is the average lifespan of the Vidyadhara? Has Yubie exceeded it?"
The Vidyadhara said nothing.
Zero lowered his eyes, and a thought, tinged with emotion, rose in his mind.
Surely not… surely Yubie hadn't been forced into reincarnation early because of him?
Because he cleared calamities too efficiently? Because he'd gotten too close to Yubie? So the Dragon Lords grew wary and made their move early, while he was still on the battlefield?
'No. Now isn't the time to think about that.'
What was done was done. He shouldn't dwell on trivial, unchangeable questions.
The most rational, correct way to handle this was to work backward from the result, to find those with the greatest motive.
The ones who stood to benefit.
Zero would eliminate them, bury a few Dragon Lords with Yubie, and clear the path for the next Lord of Imbibitor Lunae.
Of course, setting aside his personal bond with Yubie, as Marshal, his first concern should be, why did the Vidyadhara hide this from him? Why didn't they report it earlier?
Yubie's death was no small matter.
He had sealed away the Plague of Longevity. Any mistake could kill countless people.
Were they challenging the authority of the Xianzhou?
Or did they think the Xianzhou had enough power to easily suppress the Arbor of Life itself?
Did they think that even if something went wrong during Yubie's reincarnation, the Xianzhou could handle it effortlessly?
Of course, from the Vidyadhara's long-lived perspective, Yubie's shedding had only been a few months ago, hardly anything at all.
But for short-lived species, that was several days.
And yet, on the Xianzhou, every single order from him or his subordinates was executed instantly, without even a second's delay.
The departments worked at once to solve citizens' problems and meet their needs.
He and his people were all on the battlefield, what if something had gone wrong? What would've happened to the people of Luofu?
These Dragon Lords were too arrogant.
Did they still think they were some sort of untouchable nobility? That the Abyssal Domain was their private property?
Zero had an almost pathological need for control when it came to the Xianzhou.
His people living poorly? Impossible. Each Xianzhou's satisfaction rate had to be one hundred percent.
He despised instability. He despised reckless fools who couldn't see reality for what it was.
Was Yubie's death connected to them?
At this point, that question didn't even matter anymore.
He only knew this, the Xianzhou didn't need fools like them.
Better to send them down to accompany Yubie.
Zero gestured for the Vidyadhara to lead the way, and together with Daiyang, he went to find the Dragon Lords.
None of them spoke on the way. When Zero arrived at the Vidyadhara grounds, he noticed how thoughtfully designed their courtyards were.
From the lotus in the ponds to the uniquely shaped rock formations, every detail had been carefully arranged.
The designer had used stones, bonsai, and partitions as barriers to create a landscape where each step revealed a new view.
Zero thought to himself, 'Of course. Typical Yubie, always so particular.'
Soon, the Dragon Lords noticed the two uninvited guests.
The Vidyadhara who had guided them turned and immediately left.
Most of the Dragon Lords had only met Daiyang; only one had ever seen Zero.
They exchanged glances and instantly realized why the two had come, because of Lord Imbibitor Lunae, Yubie.
But outwardly, they kept their composure and asked Daiyang why she had brought an outsider into the heart of Vidyadhara territory without warning.
Daiyang said nothing. She looked at them like she was looking at corpses, then continued following behind Zero.
Zero had no patience for such formalities. He ignored their shocked and angry stares and sat directly in the main seat of the Vidyadhara hall.
The Dragon Lords swallowed their rage and stared at him.
The one who had recognized him desperately made eye contact with the others.
Zero glanced around expressionlessly. That one immediately froze in place and went silent.
When they saw General Daiyang of Luofu standing behind Zero, the Dragon Lords finally understood who the other guest was, the Marshal of the Xianzhou.
They all let out a silent breath of relief.
Thank goodness, they hadn't said anything out of line.
Then their tension returned, even sharper than before.
One of them stepped forward to speak, but before he could, Zero cut him off.
"I don't care about Yubie's cause of death."
The Dragon Lords weren't surprised.
They knew the Xianzhou Marshal and Lord Imbibitor Lunae had been close. They also knew the Marshal's nature, rational to the point of cold-blooded, never swayed by emotion, always making the most correct decisions.
A Dragon Lord dies; naturally, the clan's affairs would be handled internally. He surely wouldn't linger on Yubie's matter.
Then they heard him say,
"I'm just curious about the Vidyadhara."
The Dragon Lords raised their eyes.
The man before them had a face that inspired warmth and trust, completely unlike the ruler they'd imagined.
They were puzzled.
Curious about the Vidyadhara? What did that mean? Was he asking for them to offer up some beautiful tribeswoman?
Then he continued, "Now that I think about it, I've never actually seen a Vidyadhara's shedding before. So… Dragon Lords, could my subordinate and I have a look?"
The Dragon Lords' minds went blank.
'What did he mean, never seen a Vidyadhara shed before?'
They all looked toward the man sitting in the main seat.
His gaze was clear, pure, childlike, and in that instant, their hearts trembled. They understood his intent.
How cunning must someone be to fake such innocent eyes?
Zero was always patient with the dying.
Especially those loyal retainers who refused to let their masters be alone, who willingly followed them in death.
"Didn't understand me? Let me put it another way."
Expressionless, Zero rested his chin on his hand, tilted his head slightly, and looked up at the tense, pale Dragon Lords.
Slowly, he showed them a gentle smile, a gesture that, to those unfamiliar with him, sent entirely the wrong message.
Only when he saw their shoulders visibly relax did he add, in a mild tone, "What I mean is... would you all mind dying for me?"
Zero believed he had phrased it politely enough, he'd given them plenty of face.
He was, after all, a kind man who respected the old and cared for the young.
And compared to the Dragon Lords… in appearance, he should respect his elders; in age, he should protect his juniors.
So he patiently explained his thinking to them.
This was a courtesy he'd never extended to any lesser monster.
When it came to unstable elements within the Xianzhou, Zero had never shown mercy.
Now, he didn't even need his system to identify villains, he could tell at a glance who harbored malice.
Taking into account the effects of environment and upbringing on good and evil, he decided not to wipe them out completely.
After all, once they "restarted," they could always live again.
Zero respected the Vidyadhara's traditions.
He'd heard from Yubie that the Vidyadhara could shed successfully when near death.
As long as they were struck to the brink of death, they'd live again.
He believed he was being extremely merciful. Without bothering to hear their excuses, he turned to Daiyang, pointed out five or six Dragon Lords filled with ill intent, and signaled her to take action.
Then, kindly, he added, "Just to near-death will do."
The Dragon Lords were both terrified and furious. They had heard the stories of the Xianzhou Marshal and scrambled to plead, "We did it for you, and for the Xianzhou!"
"Yes, yes! We didn't report it because you were still at war..."
They rolled and crawled as they fled from the attacks of Daiyang's summoned divine spirit.
They shouted, "Right! Even Yubie never told you before his shedding! It was for the greater good!"
Zero thought, 'Yubie's dragon form is gone, his jade device is yours to read as you please. He can't crawl out of his egg to argue, so of course you can say whatever you want.'
He said coldly, "Have you considered that if something went wrong with the Arbor, your entire race couldn't afford the price?"
Seeing her superior engaged in conversation, Daiyang immediately withdrew her divine spirit.
The Dragon Lords froze, one of them, thinking there was still hope, quickly said, "With you here, how could anything go wrong with the Arbor?"
Zero looked irritated and waved his hand, signaling Daiyang to continue.
She summoned the divine spirit again, and in an instant, three or four Dragon Lords fell.
In the face of death, survival instincts outweighed everything.
One pointed to another and cried, "It was him! He always hated Lord Imbibitor Lunae! He feared Imbibitor Lunae would speak ill of him to you, so he struck first..."
Zero looked at the accuser and shook his head. "Yubie never spoke to me of internal clan matters."
When it came to the Vidyadhara, he had to defend Yubie's name.
Public was public, private was private. Yubie had endured insults and betrayal to win the safest homes and best lives for his people.
He had shown the Xianzhou utmost sincerity, he had wronged no one among his kind.
He was perfect in every way, except that he never listened.
If only he'd listened, if he'd just chosen a few Dragon Lords to accompany him in death before leaving, it would've saved everyone so much trouble.
Since Yubie couldn't bring himself to do it, Zero would play the villain for him.
Just as Daiyang's divine spirit was about to strike the fifth Dragon Lord, the Vidyadhara who had led them earlier rushed in.
Daiyang instinctively drew her sword, but seeing Zero raise his hand, she sheathed it again.
The newcomer's legs trembled as she held a jar of wine still caked with soil, inching forward bit by bit.
Only when she spoke did Zero realize, she was a woman.
Her voice shook as she placed the jar on the table, not daring to hand the dirty vessel directly to him. She pushed it forward little by little and whispered, "Lord Imbibitor Lunae ordered me… to bring this wine to you…"
Daiyang withdrew her divine spirit again.
The Marshal had never been one for slaughter. He always punished those who crossed his bottom line in the simplest, most efficient way.
To him, death was too easy, a punishment far worse was to let them live in constant fear.
Zero stared at the wine jar for a while, then turned back to the Dragon Lords.
"I only recognize those who are loyal and righteous. Are you?"
They nodded frantically.
Satisfied, Zero brushed the dirt from the jar and said, "Then, out of respect for your loyalty to Yubie, and your willingness to donate all your assets to build a statue in his honor, I'll spare your lives."
The Dragon Lords sighed in relief.
As long as they could live, everything else could be figured out later. There were plenty of businesses under Yubie's name, after all, now that he was gone, naturally they would manage them.
But then Zero added, "Who knows, maybe one day, missing Lord Imbibitor Lunae too much, you'll rush to shed early and go see him yourselves..."
The Dragon Lords, "…"
Zero smiled. "Am I right?"
The Dragon Lords, "..."