Guanliang handed the puppies over to the attendants and promptly forgot about them.
He turned his attention back to Zero's account.
The fanatics had once lost their faith. Having regained it, they naturally had no desire to be separated from it again.
They were terrified of losing Zero once more. They wished they could stay by his side every second, protect him, and bare their fangs at every stranger who approached him.
Unfortunately, they cared too much about their owner's feelings.
They could only suppress their restless hearts, lie obediently at their owner's feet, tuck away their claws, and continue playing the role of well-behaved, obedient pets in front of him.
Among them, Chanzhen was the most clever and scheming.
She acted cute and spoiled toward Zero, pitifully asking for gifts, trying little by little to cross boundaries and gain control over his whereabouts.
She thought Zero couldn't see through her little tricks.
What she didn't know was that every post on Zero's account was made specifically for them.
The pets suffering from separation anxiety only needed to look at the posts to learn how their owner was doing.
Zero's group traveled from the Yaoqing to the Xuling, then to the Yuque, Zhuming, Fanghu, and Yuanqiao.
Since he didn't want to reveal personal information on social media, he continued his habit of posting only locations without photos when visiting the other Xianzhou ships.
The final stop was the hometown of Zero's wife, Cangcheng.
This time, Zero posted an irritating smiley face and didn't include a location.
There was no need to think about it.
Other than Zhizhong Forest, where else could Zero have gone?
Guanliang snorted lightly.
Then he noticed Zero's follower count and laughed.
This account actually had six-digit followers?
He went back and reviewed the account from the beginning.
The first post showed a swimming pool and a glass-like sea at a luxury hotel.
After that came a floating breakfast in the pool, a giant fish longer than an arm, schools of fish in an aquarium, and a seaside swing at sunset...
The photos included islands, grasslands, auroras, and constantly changing locations.
Anyone could tell from these posts that the owner was extremely wealthy.
The netizens were shocked.
This person had traveled across the entire Xianzhou Alliance in an incredibly short period of time.
After some thought, Guanliang had someone suppress the account's popularity.
People mustn't start suspecting that tax money was being wasted again!
A few days later, an attendant came running over, his face full of panic.
"...Lord Guanliang, this is bad. Please come look at the garden!"
Guanliang said, "What?"
He thought he had heard wrong.
The entire district contained only guards and himself.
The residence next door had once been Zero's Marshal's Manor.
Not only would the Yaoqing General station personnel there, but Hua, who was far away in Xuling, would regularly select guards and send them to Yaoqing.
When Guanliang returned to Yaoqing, Hua had even proactively sent another group of people to protect him.
With so many layers of protection, what could possibly happen to his garden?
The attendant hesitated.
After a moment, he gave up and said, "You'll understand when you see it!"
Guanliang was completely confused and followed behind him.
The two walked through corridors and around a pond.
After several twists and turns, Guanliang finally left the main courtyard.
Only then did he realize that their destination was the small garden in the southeast corner.
So it was because of those puppies.
Guanliang wasn't concerned.
What trouble could a few puppies possibly cause?
Had they chewed up the seven-figure orchids in the garden?
Or dug up the eight-figure pine trees?
As he was thinking this, while still dozens of meters away from the garden, he heard loud donkey-like braying coming one after another.
He was puzzled.
"Aren't they dogs? Why does it sound like a herd of donkeys?"
The attendant let out a deep sigh and pulled two handkerchiefs from his sleeve, handing one to Guanliang.
Guanliang suddenly felt something was very wrong.
He covered his nose with the handkerchief.
The two reached the archway outside the garden.
The overwhelming smell nearly made Guanliang dizzy.
Barely maintaining his sanity, he looked closely.
The entire garden was covered in mud. It was impossible to tell whether it was dirt, pond sludge, or something else entirely.
One of the dogs had something in its mouth and was spinning and sprinting around the garden.
Guanliang silently surveyed the scene.
The attendants were filthy all over.
They chased after the dogs and intercepted them from all sides. After a long struggle, they finally pulled out a half-eaten red fish tail from one dog's mouth.
Guanliang, "..."
Not the orchids.
Not the pine trees.
A nine-figure koi fish.
Guanliang was so angry that he laughed.
"What exactly are these things?"
The attendant who had led him here sighed again.
"Lord Guanliang, this litter isn't corgis. They're not mixed breeds either."
"They..."
The attendant seemed somewhat reluctant. After pausing for a moment, he said,
"They are purebred Beagles."
Guanliang, "....."
One of the attendants who had just wrestled the fish from the dog's mouth noticed Guanliang's expression.
It clearly wasn't the look of someone who knew the truth.
His expression immediately changed, and he spoke seriously, "Lord Guanliang, please grant us access to your Jade Abacus account permissions."
"If you didn't buy these ten Beagles yourself, then..."
"It can only mean that your address has been leaked."
"Your address, the Yaoqing General's address, and the addresses of the heads of the Six Commissions may all have been leaked."
Guanliang already had a vague suspicion.
When he asked for the shipping address, it turned out to be a planet Zero had visited during his honeymoon.
After some thought, Guanliang granted his subordinates access.
"Fine. Check it."
He had downloaded dozens of shopping apps.
Whenever he saw something interesting, he simply tossed it into his cart.
If he checked by himself, who knew how long it would take?
Besides, when he met Zero, the man hadn't reacted at all.
He had even behaved completely normally while offering incense and cooperating with the physician's examination.
Zero hadn't revealed a single flaw.
Maybe...
Maybe Guanliang really had bought them himself?
Half an hour later, they got the results.
They found no purchase records for the Beagles.
The attendants were furious and were about to report the matter to the Marshal and the Yaoqing General when Guanliang stopped them.
"That's enough. I understand. I'll handle it."
He glared at the filthy Beagles.
The moment he saw them, he thought of his nine-figure koi fish.
Yet his conscience wouldn't allow him to abandon them.
Grinding his teeth, Guanliang said, "Send them away first."
"Move them to the house I bought in the neighboring district and hire specialists to take care of them."
Three days later, the house Guanliang had purchased in the neighboring district was reported to the Realm-Keeping Commission by the neighbors for disturbing the peace.
The staff hired to care for the Beagles also submitted their resignations.
The attendants paid the fines miserably and brought all ten Beagles back.
Guanliang crossed his arms and looked down at them.
Their round black eyes looked incredibly innocent.
After thinking for a while, he took out his Jade Abacus and searched for Beagles on the forum.
[I Once Wanted to End It All Together With My Beagle]
[After Raising a Beagle, I Started Seeing a Psychiatrist]
[Anyone Who Hasn't Suffered Should Try Raising a Beagle]
Guanliang thought to himself, could anything be more miserable than being Zero's subordinate?
If he could tolerate Zero, how could he not tolerate a mere Beagle?
Could there really be a species in this world more outrageous than Zero?
He didn't believe it.
Half a month later, Guanliang found the answers to all three questions.
Yes.
He couldn't tolerate them.
There really was a species more outrageous than Zero.
Far away in Cangcheng, Hua received a communication from Guanliang.
She lowered the volume and smiled as she bid farewell to Zero and Jingliu, who were eating.
After leaving the restaurant, Hua answered the call.
The person on the other end laughed.
"Hua, I think I can establish a Zero Victims Alliance."
"Would you like to join?"
Without changing her expression, Hua asked, "...What happened?"
Guanliang laughed loudly, "Haha, nothing."
"It's just that Zero gave me ten Beagles. They ate over ten orchids, ruined six pine trees, and finished off an entire pond of koi."
Hua, "...How about moving them somewhere else and having someone else take care of them?"
Guanliang laughed again.
"You think I haven't tried?"
"I moved them several times. Every place was over a thousand square meters, but the neighbors kept filing complaints because they barked too loudly. My people have paid fines to the Realm-Keeping Commission multiple times already."
"Of course, the fines are the least important issue."
Following his lead, Hua asked, "What's the biggest issue?"
Guanliang replied, "The biggest issue is that they're energetic, have a keen sense of smell, and chew anything they see."
"They're energetic, so I had attendants work in shifts taking them for walks. Some of them would lie on the ground and refuse to move. Dragging them didn't work. Then passersby reported us to the Realm-Keeping Commission for animal abuse."
"They have an excellent sense of smell. No matter how many times I moved them, they'd immediately find the kitchen and eat all the ingredients."
"They chew everything. They want to taste anything they see. Hua, do you understand? Anything they see, they want to eat! They'll even try cat litter just to see how it tastes!"
Hua, "..."
'I don't really want to understand.'
As she sat in silence, someone on the other end of the Jade Abacus said, "Lord Guanliang, it gave birth..."
Guanliang asked, "How many?"
The attendant didn't answer. He seemed to make a hand gesture instead.
Guanliang chuckled.
Then he turned to Hua.
"One of them was pregnant."
"It just gave birth."
"There are ten puppies in the litter."
His tone was cheerful, but combined with his words, it carried a strangely calm madness.
Hua, "...."
Carefully, she suggested, "How about giving them away?"
Guanliang nodded in agreement.
"Mm. I'm planning to keep the one that doesn't bark. All the others are being given away."
Hua thought, you're actually keeping a Beagle?!
'As expected of someone who can tolerate Father!'
'Wait.'
'You can tolerate Father, but not a Beagle?!'
'This breed is really something.'
Guanliang continued, "I'll start by giving some to the Yaoqing General."
"Consider it... a test for them."
After a moment of silence, Hua decided to help her subordinates far away in Yaoqing.
"How about neutering them before giving them away?"
Guanliang readily agreed.
Then his tone changed.
"I'm planning to give Jingliu some hamsters."
Hua immediately understood.
It wasn't that Guanliang didn't want to give away Beagles.
He simply couldn't withstand Father's counterattacks anymore.
So he settled for the next best thing and chose hamsters, which were equally capable of reproducing at an astonishing rate.
Only by filling in Jingliu's address could the hamsters be successfully delivered to the Luofu.
When Jingliu saw them, she would naturally assume they were a gift from Father and wouldn't suspect anything.
At that point, Father would have no choice but to suffer the consequences.
Guanliang let out a cold laugh.
"I'm donating 800 billion."
"Our Xianzhou Marshal who has led us for thousands of years, the overseer of the star sea, the uncrowned king of the universe, our beloved Father of the Xianzhou, how can he be forgotten by the children who adore him?"
Hua said, "...What do you mean?"
Guanliang smiled.
"In every realm of every Xianzhou ship, a statue of Zero, no, Marshal Zero, must be erected!"
"I'll make every Xianzhou citizen carve the name Marshal Zero deep into their hearts."
"No, they can't directly speak the Father of the Xianzhou's name."
"They will affectionately call him... Father..."
After all, he wasn't the one in power.
Even if Zero came looking for someone to settle scores with, he wouldn't find Guanliang.
Besides, Guanliang had the highest seniority and rank.
If he donated 800 billion, the other subordinates would naturally follow.
If the elder donated, Hua would certainly have to donate as well.
Zero would only go after Hua.
Hua knew nothing about Guanliang's calculations.
She could only admire him.
As expected of Guanliang.
One move straight to Father's weak spot.
What kind of expression would Father make when he saw the statues and heard Xianzhou citizens calling him Father?
Hua felt a little regretful.
She was destined never to witness that scene herself.
The two continued discussing the statue details and their recent situations before ending the call.
Hua then contacted the generals and instructed them to proceed according to the original plan.
Next, she contacted the Yaoqing's Siming.
She specifically instructed him to monitor Guanliang's mental state at all times.
If anything seemed wrong, it was to be reported to the Marshal's Manor immediately.
When Hua looked up again, her eyes met Zero's.
Zero blinked slowly.
"This should be... the first time we've traveled together, right?"
Thinking of her conversation with Guanliang, Hua felt a little guilty.
She nodded stiffly and lowered her eyes to hide her wandering gaze.
Father had always been busy with official duties and never had time to travel with her.
The people who accompanied her were the Xianzhou generals.
Zero's expression softened.
"I saw it."
Hua's eyes moved slightly.
Father had seen her Xianzhou.
Like a student waiting for a teacher to announce exam results, she unconsciously tightened her grip on the Jade Abacus.
Zero said softly, "Hua, you've done very well."
"These years have been hard on you."
Hua stepped forward and wrapped her arms tightly around her father.
This was an embrace that Matthias could obtain easily.
But...
She had just worked together with Guanliang on a huge scheme, and then her completely unaware father immediately started praising her...
She felt happy, but also guilty.
Father raised a hand and gently rubbed the top of her head.
The two embraced for a moment before silently pulling apart with perfect understanding.
After rarely exchanging such heartfelt words, they were moved, but also felt somewhat embarrassed.
The father-daughter warmth lasted less than half a minute before Hua changed the subject.
"Where are you and Mother planning to go next? Zhizhong Forest?"
Zero nodded.
His tone carried an unusual trace of hesitation.
"Yes. We'll visit them, and also... her family."
Hua immediately understood.
So he was worried that Mother's family might not approve.
"Alright. I'll make arrangements."
Zero and Jingliu boarded a starskiff.
Looking down at the fruit and pastries beside the seats, he couldn't help asking,
"Should we... bring something else as well?"
Jingliu replied instinctively, "Hm? This is enough."
She vaguely guessed what Zero was thinking.
Reaching out, she took his hand and interlocked their fingers, smiling as she reassured him, "They'll definitely like you."
Zero instinctively squeezed her hand back.
Jingliu then talked about the details of bringing her parents home.
Cangcheng was currently sealed off, but if a Cangcheng native wished to return to their roots after death, all they needed was to submit an application to the Realm-Keeping Commission, and they could be buried in Zhizhong Forest.
Jingliu had accompanied Zero there six times already.
This was the seventh visit.
She was already familiar with the process.
Holding Zero's hand, she led him toward the resting place of the generals.
Zero suddenly stopped.
"Hm? Let's first visit..."
He realized they had never paid respects to Jingliu's family together.
He couldn't exactly call them his parents, so he changed his wording midway.
"Let's first visit your family."
Jingliu turned her head and said firmly, "Husband, they support every decision I make."
"They agreed when I joined the Cloud Knights."
"They believed that without the Cloud Knights, there would be no Xianzhou as it is today."
"And if not for you and the generals, how could they have returned to Cangcheng?"
"Whether by reason or emotion, we should visit the generals first."
The two arrived before the generals' memorial tablets.
Afterward, they visited Jingliu's parents.
The entire process went smoothly.
No incense that refused to light.
No memorial tablets suddenly falling over.
Zero secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
He softly said, "I'll treat her well."
Jingliu smiled helplessly.
"They like you very much."
Who wouldn't like Zero?
The two parted ways with Hua and began their return journey.
They often stopped along the way, staying on certain planets for several days.
Three months later, they returned to the Luofu.
The moment they stepped out of Starskiff Haven, they encountered a group of excited Xianzhou citizens discussing something.
One of them passionately declared, "God originally had no form, until Marshal Zero appeared..."
Zero, "..."
Jingliu, "..."
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