"If this matter hadn't dragged you in, my three-day leave would be guaranteed."
Zero didn't notice the stiffness on Jingliu's face and kept talking.
"If the rumor keeps spreading… people will start to think the Swordmaster of Luofu chops down whoever she sees."
"No need to worry. I'll handle this myself."
"I was planning to say that we're friends…"
The two spoke at the same time, their words overlapping.
Zero froze for a moment, sensing the harshness in her tone, like she was furious at the rumors.
Zero, 'Why does it feel like… her tone is saying she wants to get rid of whoever spread them…'
He quickly took the initiative to softly repeat what he had said earlier, "I was planning to tell others that we're friends, and that the so-called rumors are just a misunderstanding. What do you think?"
Jingliu looked at him deeply, then gave a slight nod, agreeing to Zero's idea.
She thought for a moment, then frowned, "In the Divination Commission, are your colleagues always this fond of making rumors?"
"You'd be better off joining the Cloud Knights. With your ability, you're more than qualified to be a Lieutenant, a Strategist, or something similar."
Jingliu seemed to mind that sparring match the other night quite a bit, unwilling to let his martial talent go to waste.
First she compared him to Jing Yuan, and now she was suggesting he join the Cloud Knights.
'But the Cloud Knights is way too exhausting…'
Zero had chosen the Divination Commission in the first place precisely for its leisure.
Like the Law Commission, their work was way too complicated. After joining, you were just a brick, wherever you were needed, that's where you were moved.
The Artisanship Commission drained both body and mind. Craftsmen applying for materials, reimbursements, and a whole mess of procedures… too complicated, and like the Cloud Knights, he had ruled them out early.
The Sky-Faring Commission and the Alchemy Commission required dealing with new people every day. Zero admitted he didn't have the patience to socialize that much.
As for the Ten Lords Commission, sure, there was no need to socialize, but you'd be dealing with demonic husks and wrongdoers all the time. But…
Those people were already demonic husks, didn't matter if it was work hours or not. They could act up anytime.
Wouldn't that mean being on call 24/7?
Just the thought of being dragged out of bed in the middle of the night for overtime made him cross that option off fast.
Zero researched every option and finally chose the Divination Commission.
The Divination Commission, overall, was basically an intelligence department.
They mainly handled fortune-telling, plotting star routes, and intelligence analysis.
Compared to other departments that were constantly on fieldwork and working overtime, the Divination Commission was especially friendly.
After all, when finding a job, what matters is, "good pay, little work, close to home." The Commission fit perfectly.
Even running a food stall on the busiest snack street every month couldn't compare to the salary of an ordinary Diviner.
No matter how intense a 996 schedule was, it couldn't beat a steady nine-to-five.
And in the Divination Commission, overtime was rare.
Unless the Hunt Aeon suddenly appeared and loosed an arrow.
Then the Sky-Faring Commission would deliver the news, and the Diviners would calculate celestial bodies and power balances. After a series of analyses, they'd decide the course for the Xianzhou.
If this happened before the end of the workday, they might need a bit of overtime.
If it happened at midnight, their reliable boss, the Grand Diviner Xiaolin, would personally lead the Commission's top Diviners, burning the midnight oil.
As for Zero, just an ordinary Diviner? Not his problem.
He could just sleep soundly, and by the next day, the "grind-kings" of the Commission had already finished the work.
Even if there was cleanup work later, those who wanted promotions and raises would scramble to grab it.
Zero, Everyone in the Commission is a genius, easy to talk to, and crazy hardworking. I absolutely love this place.
As for "close to home", back in his Academy days, he'd made plenty of money drawing talismans. Enough to buy a place near the Commission.
All in all, Zero was very satisfied with his job, and very satisfied with his boss.
Having a boss who shoulders responsibilities instead of shifting blame was rarer than being crowned emperor of an ancient kingdom.
If nothing unexpected happened, he even wanted to work here until he became a demonic husk.
So when he heard Jingliu's words, he didn't bother figuring out whether she was joking or genuinely trying to recruit him, he just seriously turned her down.
"The Cloud Knights's not for me. This was just an accident. The Divination Commission colleagues are actually very friendly."
When talking about his "dream job," Zero, for once, became animated, and even added a few extra lines for Jingliu.
"Especially when there's overtime at night, the Grand Diviner never bothers us ordinary Diviners. He only calls on those good at the craft…"
Jingliu frowned slightly, shaking her head, "You are not some ordinary Diviner."
Her tone was unusually serious, as if she couldn't stand hearing Zero belittle himself.
Zero chuckled softly.
Being recognized by someone else, of course he was happy.
But overtime? Not for a second.
"Thank you for the praise, Swordmaster, but honestly, don't laugh at me, I don't have big ambitions. I just want to leave work on time, no overtime…"
Jingliu seemed at a loss for words at his attitude, falling silent.
Maybe, to someone like her, a grind-king of the Cloud Knights, she had never seen a slacker like him.
After a long pause, she finally squeezed out, "Your work efficiency is very high, though."
Zero, "…"
He understood her compliment.
If his efficiency weren't high, how else could he get off work on time?
What was with Jingliu today? Why did she keep finding different ways to praise him?
Looking ahead, he suddenly spotted the familiar bronze gate. He slowed his steps and turned to her, "Here we are, this is my place."
Jingliu glanced at it, then pulled her gaze back to lock eyes with him.
"Thank you for the milk tea today. Next time, it's my treat."
As the Swordmaster, her words naturally carried an air of authority.
Her tone didn't sound like an invitation at all, it sounded like an order from the Cloud Knights.
If it were anyone else, they'd probably feel resistant to her forcefulness.
But Zero didn't mind.
After running into Jingliu for two days in a row, he felt she was a good person.
Straightforward, like him, unwilling to waste time with empty pleasantries.
Though for some reason, she really liked to praise him, and hated when he joked at his own expense.
If she had any flaw, it wasn't a big one.
If you had to nitpick, maybe the only flaw was that she had no sense of personal boundaries?
For someone bad at socializing, though, that was a harmless little issue.
So when Jingliu said she'd treat him next time, Zero agreed without hesitation. Then the two parted ways.
After standing at the door, watching Jingliu leave, Zero's jade device chimed.
He opened it to find a transfer notification.
Jingliu, who had just left moments ago, had sent him money.
Zero, '???'
'Huh?'
═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═
patreon.com/XenosX
🥳Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰