Jing Yuan let out an awkward laugh and quickly glanced at Zero across from him.
At first, when he saw the records, he thought later generations had embellished them and created a strongest human figure.
Who could have guessed that the person really existed? Not only had he never left, but he had become Jing Yuan's friend, and then his grandmaster.
This whole chain of events felt like a dream.
Especially over the last three months.
Jing Yuan didn't dare look at his account.
He was afraid another zero might suddenly appear one day.
Anyone else might be so happy they couldn't sleep.
Jing Yuan was worried enough that he couldn't sleep.
He knew Zero's personality and knew he disliked drawing attention to himself.
Yet what had happened?
Jing Yuan had used Zero's unwillingness to talk about his past to make a fortune.
For a while, Jing Yuan had no idea what to do, so he sought Dan Feng's help.
After hearing the story, Dan Feng was deeply moved.
General Teng Xiao had high hopes for Jing Yuan and promoted him to Cloud Knight Lieutenant.
But if Jing Yuan wanted to become a general and achieve financial freedom, he would have to wait at least another two or three hundred years.
Most Vidyadhara underwent rebirth between six and seven hundred years of age. Dan Feng had originally thought he would never see that day.
It was an unexpected surprise.
Of course, on the surface, it was a dinner invitation.
In reality, it was an apology.
Jing Yuan had earned an enormous amount of money because of Zero.
Normally, if someone made a fortune thanks to a benefactor, they would give a large portion of their earnings to that benefactor.
Zero didn't care about such small amounts of money. Giving him credits would only make things feel distant.
After thinking it over, Dan Feng suggested that Jing Yuan treat him to a meal.
After eating, offering a toast, and calling him Grandmaster a few times, the matter would be settled.
Dan Feng stood up, placed a hand on Jing Yuan's shoulder, and walked over to Zero.
The High Elder sighed.
"Who could have imagined it?"
Dan Feng gave Jing Yuan a look, signaling him to pour the wine.
Then he took on the role of mediator.
"Back then, he was only helping out..."
In the end, Zero said nothing. After hearing Jing Yuan call him Grandmaster a few times, he cooperatively drank the cup of wine.
After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Dan Feng invited everyone to his residence.
Bai Heng was the first to agree. With a grin, she said to Zero, "I'll borrow Jingliu for one night and return her tomorrow."
Zero didn't like the way Bai Heng phrased it.
She made it sound as though Jingliu belonged to him and that he could make decisions for her.
But Jingliu was an independent person.
Half-jokingly, Zero said, "That question... you'll have to ask Jingliu."
"I don't get to decide."
Bai Heng looked toward Jingliu beside him.
Jingliu nodded with a smile.
The group arrived at their destination.
Bai Heng dragged Jingliu into the High Elder's kitchen, grabbed a cart full of snacks, then pushed the cart with her and occupied the basement screening room with Jingliu.
She said, "After getting married, Zero doesn't seem any different."
"I thought... he'd be the possessive type who makes decisions for you."
Jingliu's eyes drifted for a moment.
She actually wished Zero would make decisions for her.
Instead of stopping at certain moments to softly ask for her thoughts and feelings.
It was simply too awful.
Meanwhile, Jing Yuan and Yingxing took over the training ground in the backyard.
The lieutenant loudly declared, "Brother Yingxing, if you lose, you have to agree to one request.."
Yingxing flicked his dragon tail.
The kid probably just wanted him to forge a weapon.
What other request could he possibly make?
Forget it. Jing Yuan's sword had been delayed for too long.
Losing was fine.
Yingxing gladly accepted the challenge.
Several dozen meters away, on a terrace, Zero and Dan Feng sat beside a tea table.
Zero looked toward the training ground below.
He asked, "How's Yingxing's condition?"
Dan Feng frowned deeply and didn't answer immediately. Instead, his gaze remained fixed on the tea cakes in the attendants' hands.
After carefully looking them over, he pointed with a finger. Another attendant immediately stepped forward, took the selected tea cake, and opened the packaging.
While the attendants used tools to pry apart the tea cake, Dan Feng tried to find faults in their work while also thinking.
He knew his memory had been damaged.
After the wedding, Dan Feng met with the current Marshal.
Before they parted, the Marshal had said meaningfully, "When Yubie underwent rebirth, he was on the front lines. He never got to see Yubie one last time."
"Imbibitor Lunae, this time, he won't miss it again."
"As long as you're here, he won't leave the Luofu."
Dan Feng didn't know which part of his memory had been removed.
But from those few words, he understood.
He learned an extremely important secret related to Zero.
How important was it?
Important enough that his former self had erased it despite risking the continuation of the High Elder's lineage.
Dan Feng chose not to investigate further.
The attendant loosened a small piece of tea cake and placed it before him.
He answered, "There are no problems at all."
Zero rested his chin on one hand.
"That's good."
He sighed inwardly.
Shuhu had gained the trait of "immortality" through his blood.
At the time, Zandar had concluded that Zero's blood compensated for the weaknesses of lower-dimensional lifeforms.
When used on Xianzhou natives, it would most likely erase mara-struck conditions.
Then what about Yingxing?
Even with the low-grade system in his possession, Zero couldn't get an accurate answer.
Zandar hadn't pursued Dan Feng or Yingxing and had voluntarily backed down.
Naturally, Zero couldn't ask Zandar to answer this question for him.
In the end, he still had to get a doctorate.
Dan Feng lightly held back the wide sleeve on his right side with his left hand and poured hot water into a cup with a teapot in his right hand.
After the tea was prepared, an attendant brought over an ancient zither.
Dan Feng plucked the strings and produced a few off-key notes before resting both hands on the instrument.
After finishing a piece, he smiled and said, "Only today have I truly fulfilled our agreement."
Zero stared at him.
Suddenly, he asked, "Do you have any wishes?"
Dan Feng's first thought was the Vidyadhara.
Before he could answer, Zero added, "Alright, don't mention the Vidyadhara."
Dan Feng had his thoughts exposed and didn't know how to react.
Looking into his eyes, Zero softly said, "I'm asking what Dan Feng wants to do."
Dan Feng's movements abruptly stopped.
When speaking with the current Marshal, the Marshal had pointed out Zero's emotional knot.
That knot was Yubie.
To be honest, Dan Feng didn't care about any of it.
Whether it was fulfilling a promise in Yubie's place and playing music for Zero, or doing anything else Zero wanted, he didn't care.
Zero's words struck like thunder beside his ears, leaving him speechless.
Zero took a sip of tea and continued, "If you left the Xianzhou, what would you do?"
Dan Feng's lips moved.
He wanted to say that Zero had already done enough.
For the Vidyadhara and for him, Zero had done more than enough.
After a while, Dan Feng said, "...I still owe you two promises."
Zero didn't care much and casually replied, "Oh, that. We can talk about it later."
"There's no need to rush your answer."
"Think about it carefully and tell me once you've figured it out."
Dan Feng had the attendants put away the zither.
He seemed distracted.
At supper, he even ate a piece of grilled meat that Jing Yuan had secretly slipped in and burned black.
The High Elder forced himself to swallow it and smacked Jing Yuan hard with his dragon tail.
Jing Yuan scrunched up his face and let out an exaggerated cry.
Zero asked, "Are we sure we're not calling Jingliu and Bai Heng?"
Yingxing's attention was completely on the barbecue as he casually replied, "If eating and sleeping weren't necessary, Bai Heng could drag Jingliu into chatting for three days and nights straight."
"We'll call them once Bai Heng's had enough."
After thinking about it, Zero asked an attendant for clean bowls and chopsticks, grilled two portions of meat for Jingliu and Bai Heng, and had them delivered to the screening room.
Yingxing wolfed down three bowls in one go. The other three at the table watched him intently.
Only then did he slow down and awkwardly scratch his cheek.
He first spent a long time praising the barbecue before complaining about the Artisanship Commission cafeteria.
Dan Feng, "..."
'What kind of dish was stir-fried grapes? You could stir-fry grapes?'
He, Jingliu, and Bai Heng had specifically pooled their money and given it to the Artisanship Commission cafeteria so Yingxing could eat properly.
And this was what they paid for?
Zero's expression blanked for a moment.
He had completely forgotten about that.
Jing Yuan was used to the Cloud Knights cafeteria. Hearing about such a bizarre dish left him stunned.
He nudged Zero and continued his habit of using honorifics when he needed help and real names when he didn't.
"Grandmaster, think of something.."
While taking out his jade abacus to message Hua, Zero said,
"...In the future, dishes like that won't appear in the Cloud Knights or Six Commissions cafeterias anymore."
Dan Feng first listened to Zero's question, then learned from Yingxing that he and the others had accidentally caused trouble while trying to help.
He became even more distracted.
For several days, Dan Feng couldn't come up with an answer and could only turn his attention to his future reincarnation.
Originally, he wanted to leave behind assets that generated only 100,000 credits in daily interest.
But he genuinely didn't know whether that amount would be enough.
So he began trying to control his spending.
A challenge, spend only 100,000 credits a day.
Early in the morning, Dan Feng took a sip of tea. He was just about to order another ten crates of tea cakes and send ten more to Zero.
Then he remembered today's budget of only 100,000 credits and gave up.
He asked an attendant,
"Are there still unopened tea cakes in the treasury?"
The attendant nodded.
Dan Feng waved a hand.
"Send them to Zero's residence."
Only Zero understood tea.
If they were given to Jing Yuan, Yingxing, or Bai Heng, wouldn't that be a complete waste?
At mealtime, Dan Feng thought of Yingxing.
And when he thought of Yingxing, he remembered the stir-fried grapes.
His friend had become a Vidyadhara and could no longer appear in public, so Dan Feng had prepared a workshop for him within his sphere of influence.
When Dan Feng arrived, Yingxing was drawing designs.
"Oh? You're here. Take a look, this is what I'm preparing for Jing Yuan..."
Without giving him a choice, Dan Feng dragged him away.
Using credits he had already prepaid earlier, the High Elder spent nothing and rented out an entire restaurant, treating Yingxing to a proper meal.
After lunch, Dan Feng brought Yingxing to his private treasury.
His friend kept letting out sounds of amazement.
The High Elder waved a hand generously, leaving Yingxing no chance to refuse.
"I'll have someone deliver it to your workshop later."
Then Dan Feng turned and instructed the attendant behind him.
"This sword is quite good. Jingliu will definitely like it. Send it to Zero's residence."
At three in the afternoon, Zero sent a message saying a large shipment of ingredients had arrived at his kitchen and invited the four of them to dinner.
Any ingredients that Zero specifically mentioned would certainly be among the rarest in the universe.
Dan Feng had no reason to refuse.
He and Yingxing went to his wine cellar, selected several bottles of fine wine, and arrived early at Zero and Jingliu's home.
Bai Heng arrived later. Looking worried, she took out a check and said to Dan Feng,
"Dan Feng, didn't you preload credits at my friend's restaurant before? That restaurant went out of business..."
Such a small amount of money meant nothing to Dan Feng.
But if it could help Bai Heng's friend, that was another matter.
Dan Feng asked,
"How is your friend doing?"
If there were debts involved, then he wouldn't take the money back.
Bai Heng replied,
"My friend opened another restaurant."
Dan Feng casually said,
"Oh, then transfer the credits to the new restaurant."
After the six of them finished dinner and were about to part ways, Dan Feng wandered into Zero's kitchen and helped himself to quite a few ingredients.
Zero laughed and scolded him,
"You really aren't polite at all."
Dan Feng sighed.
"Times are different now. These days... it's better to save wherever possible."
After returning home, he reviewed the day.
He had sent tea cakes to Zero, treated Yingxing to a meal, given Jingliu a sword, and supported Bai Heng's friend's restaurant business.
Now only Jing Yuan remained.
After thinking for a while, Dan Feng took out his jade abacus and searched for a tutor for Jing Yuan.
After spending 100,000 credits, he went to bed fully satisfied.
Today, he had perfectly controlled his spending at 100,000 credits.
Surely his reincarnation would be able to live as frugally as he did.
The next day, Dan Feng took a sip of tea and waved a hand.
"Buy twenty crates of tea cakes and send ten to Zero's residence."
He waited and waited until the same time Zero had messaged him yesterday, then called him.
"Your chef's cooking is pretty good. Can you introduce a few to me as well?"
Zero asked,
"Didn't you say yesterday that you should save wherever possible?"
Dan Feng replied,
"Times are different now."
Zero laughed.
"Alright. I'll ask for you."
That evening, Dan Feng received Zero's reply and immediately hired several chefs.
Late at night, he stared blankly at the letters Yubie had left behind.
After a long while, he continued thinking about Zero's question.
If Dan Feng left the Xianzhou, what would Dan Feng do?
Neither he nor the previous Imbibitor Lunae had ever considered that question.
After Tanghai underwent its mutation, the Vidyadhara lineage endured many hardships and traveled from place to place before finally arriving at the Xianzhou.
Yubie had overruled all opposition and sealed the Ambrosial Arbor with the Scalegorge Waterscape.
Generation after generation of High Elders fulfilled the alliance their people had made with the Xianzhou.
They had never thought about leaving.
If he left... what could he do?
Become a Galaxy Ranger like Jing Yuan?
Or perhaps... a Nameless?
Better not.
Because of Daiyang, Dan Feng felt somewhat resistant to the idea.
He turned instead to considering whether it was even possible.
Before the alliance was formed, the Xianzhou relied on Zero's talismans to suppress the traces of the Plagues Author's disasters.
As long as Zero remained on the Luofu, the Luofu would be safe.
And now it was Dan Feng's turn.
He would never leave, and he could not leave the Luofu.
Only by staying here could he reassure the current Marshal and resolve Zero's emotional knot.
Even if Zero himself didn't care...
If Dan Feng caused a disagreement between Zero and the current Marshal, that would be inappropriate.
Just as Yubie had written in his letter.
Dan Feng also didn't want to put Zero in a difficult position.
Zero had already done enough.
After much thought, half a month after Zero had asked the question, during an ordinary evening gathering with friends, Dan Feng finally found his answer.
He said, "I've figured it out."
"I want... to drink with all of you."