Although Jingliu knew she couldn't teach him much about swordsmanship, she didn't say it out loud and continued sparring with Zero.
The two of them practiced together for a full week. After having breakfast with him one morning, Jingliu left early to head for the Cloud Knights' camp.
She was starting to feel impatient. But when she remembered what the "dating guide" had said about the right timing for a confession, she hesitated again.
So, how should she confess?
Jingliu thought and thought, then recalled a confession method that had been passed down among the Cloud Knights since the tenure of the previous marshal.
The decisive and action-oriented Swordmaster made up her mind instantly, no hesitation at all.
Once she had chosen her way to confess, Jingliu decided to save up more money for Zero.
Objectively speaking, as the older one, as a Cloud Knight, she was destined to let him down.
She couldn't stay by his side for long. And as a member of the Cloud Knights, if Luofu ever needed her, she would rush to the battlefield without a second thought.
But battlefields are unpredictable. No one could say how long a war might last.
Since she was taking up the most youthful years of his life, she had to find a way to make it up to him.
Zero didn't need her to teach him swordsmanship, and she couldn't always be with him. So, she would leave him her property and her savings. That would be her way of compensating him.
As for whether he actually needed her money… Jingliu didn't think he did. Judging from the furnishings in his home, he didn't seem like someone short on cash.
Originally, aside from swordsmanship, the Swordmaster had never cared for material possessions.
But her friend Dan Feng was well-versed in all kinds of rare and luxurious objects.
The dragon lord was fabulously wealthy and had given each of her close friends four private courtyards within the Vidyadhara's territory, each with a full suite of reception halls and living rooms.
Dan Feng had purposely set aside one of these courtyards not for her own use, but so her friends could gather, or have somewhere to sleep after drinking too much.
Even the decorative ornaments lying around her courtyards were all priceless treasures.
The first time Jingliu learned the prices of those items, she was baffled. She couldn't understand why those flashy, impractical things could drive the rich so mad, or sell for astronomical prices at auctions.
At first, she couldn't make sense of it. But after watching Dan Feng spend money like water, over and over again, her emotions went from shock… to numbness.
Once, when Dan Feng found out that Yingxing hadn't been eating, she became extremely worried about her short-lived friend's health, afraid he'd starve to death. She even suggested hiring eight servants to take care of his every need, until Jingliu and Jing Yuan stopped her.
Another time, after hearing that Jing Yuan liked a certain type of cold drink, Dan Feng simply waved her hand and prepaid ten years' worth of deliveries for him.
Not long ago, Baiheng had helped her company successfully secure a deal with Luofu, earning a good amount of credits. But then she immediately donated it all to help Cloud Knight families, once again falling into debt and working herself ragged to pay off loans from the Star Skiff project.
If it hadn't been for Jingliu and the others taking turns to talk her out of it, the generous foxian lady probably would've already bought out the entire Star Skiff factory by now.
All in all, after becoming friends with Dan Feng, Jingliu had seen her fair share of expensive trinkets.
And after seeing some of the items in Zero's home, she could tell, he probably wasn't short of money.
It's just… Jingliu didn't have much she could give him anymore.
As one of the Cloud Knights' finest, the Xianzhou never treated her unfairly. Over the centuries, she had almost never wasted money. Even her home on Luofu was barely furnished, cold and empty. The only ornament worth mentioning was the moon lamp Zero had given her.
Jingliu never had to worry about food, clothing, or shelter; the Xianzhou provided all she needed. The only "large" expense she ever made was the amount she'd lent to Baiheng.
The fox woman was sharp-minded and always full of new ideas. With her massive network across Luofu, the Xianzhou, and even the wider universe, she could earn enormous sums in no time.
Of course, Baiheng made money quickly, but spent it even faster. Whenever she was short, she'd borrow from her friends.
Among the five of them, Jing Yuan was still underage, Yingxing was poor as ever, and as for Dan Feng… Baiheng refused to borrow from him, because if she did, Dan Feng would never let her pay it back.
Dan Feng didn't care about small sums like that, but Baiheng did. She didn't want to take advantage of her friends. So, after thinking it over, she went to Jingliu.
Jingliu understood Baiheng's nature. Whenever she heard the fox was short on money, she would quietly hand her some.
But she also knew that Baiheng couldn't hold onto money. The moment she made some, she'd rush to pay back debts, and if she happened to earn a bit extra, she'd immediately give it away or donate it.
Donations to poor children on struggling planets, medical aid for retired Cloud Knights, she always found a reason.
Baiheng never considered that retired Cloud Knights already enjoyed excellent benefits and comprehensive healthcare.
How could anyone on the Xianzhou be unable to afford medical care?
Jingliu knew very well that even if Baiheng found out she'd been scammed, she'd still donate with a bright smile, saying,
'Maybe they weren't Xianzhou people! They must've been desperate to come up with such a silly trick. And so what if they're scammers? That's even better! At least it means there's one less person suffering from illness in the world!'
So really, rather than saying Jingliu lent Baiheng money, it was more accurate to say she was keeping it safe for her.
Jingliu had never expected to get that money back.
After setting aside an emergency fund for Baiheng, she calculated her savings over the centuries, she had seven digits' worth of credits. In a short time, she would reach ten million.
She sighed softly, unsure what to do.
Should she keep the money, or use it to buy Zero a home?
With no idea what was best, she turned to their five-person group chat and asked Dan Feng for advice.
[Dan Feng: Personally, I think any property under a thousand square meters isn't worth investing in.]
Jingliu, "…"
Expressionless, the Swordmaster began to reflect on why she'd even asked her for advice.
Of all people, why did she have to ask the dragon lord who'd inherited countless generations of fortune?
Property prices across the Xianzhou were absurd. If you weren't a native, you could work for a thousand years and still not afford a single home.
But if you were Xianzhou-born, you might just manage it.
Soon, Yingxing, who was usually busy drafting blueprints and rarely checked messages, appeared in the chat.
[Yingxing: Wait, hold on, I just finished my blueprints, and you guys… what did I miss this time?]
Jingliu didn't understand what he meant, probably another late-night work haze from drawing too long.
Little did she know, that "blueprint-hazed" Yingxing was actually with Zero right now.
———
After staying up for an entire week, Yingxing had finally completed three hairpins. As soon as he finished, he messaged Zero, and they agreed to meet at a restaurant near the Artisans' Commission.
When Yingxing arrived with the hairpins, Zero was already there and had ordered a full table of food for his overworked craftsman friend.
Ravenous, Yingxing stared at the spread in disbelief. As expected from a god-tier client.
"Since Lord Hundred Refiners made them, I can rest easy," Zero said casually.
He didn't even inspect the hairpins, just placed them neatly into a prepared gift box.
He had planned to finish this meal, then go to a Luofu florist to buy a bouquet, and finally, confess to her.
But now, uncertainty crept into his heart. Would the flowers and gifts he'd prepared really make her happy?
He wanted to talk about it, to get a second opinion on his confession plan. After some thought, he realized Yingxing was probably the best person to ask.
But before he could say anything, Yingxing, still half-focused on eating and scrolling through his jade terminal, looked up in a daze and asked, "You're confessing through a jade terminal? Isn't that way too fast?"
"What? No, who confesses over jade terminal messages? That's way too casual… You've got to say it in person."
Zero frowned and shook his head. Then he added, "Besides, you can't just say it, you've got to bring flowers and a gift too."
Yingxing froze mid-bite, face unreadable.
He didn't understand, but he was shocked.
As a straightforward, practical man of science, Yingxing could totally accept Zero's idea of using hairpins to slay monsters, but Jingliu's… he couldn't wrap his head around.
What could he even say? That Jingliu was already way ahead? That she was practically at the "buying property together" stage already?
Yingxing decided to keep her secret. Knowing he couldn't hide emotions well, he just focused on eating.
Zero wanted to ask what he'd meant earlier, but before he could, his jade terminal began to buzz, someone was calling.
He almost hung up right away, but when he saw it was Hua, he hesitated and answered.
He put the three gift boxes into a prepared bag, quickly said goodbye to Yingxing, and stepped into a quiet alley to take the call.
Hua's voice was careful. "You once said, you'd respect Jingliu's wishes, right?"
Without waiting for him to answer, Hua continued, "You told me before that no one, regardless of gender or status, should be bound by so-called stereotypes. Men can be afraid, can cry, and women don't have to be gentle or virtuous."
"You also said you'd do everything in your power to ensure the best treatment for those who serve the Xianzhou."
"So… you won't make her, the famed Swordmaster of the Xianzhou, stay away from battle or quit the Cloud Knights, will you?"
After hearing all that, Zero immediately understood.
"There's another outbreak, isn't there?"
He sighed helplessly, glancing at the freshly finished hairpins.
How unlucky, he'd have to wait until Jingliu came back to give them to her.
Confessing before she went to battle felt… wrong. Like confessing to someone the night before their big exam.
That wasn't romance, that was emotional sabotage.
Still, he was grateful for Hua's call and what it revealed.
Hua was, at least, a responsible guide.
Softly, Zero said, "I did say that I'm a diviner. But I wasn't only a diviner."
Because once, he had also been the Marshal of the Xianzhou.
Maybe he'd been arrogant back then, but time had taught him to recognize the worth of his subordinates and citizens.
And yes, as a diviner, he had personal feelings for Jingliu.
He didn't want her to face danger. But stopping her would be arrogance, arrogance that ignored her identity as a Swordmaster and the great victories she'd earned long before he entered her life.
Because Jingliu wasn't just his beloved. She was a Cloud Knight.
As the former Marshal, Zero respected her dedication to the Xianzhou. He was proud that the Xianzhou had someone like her.
"I said I'd respect her choice," Zero continued. "After all, no matter how things end, I want her to be happy. And if I keep her trapped on Luofu, she won't be."
Hua was silent.
"She doesn't need special treatment. Just follow the rules of the Cloud Knights," Zero instructed, before asking, "I'm a decent leader, aren't I?"
"…I suppose you qualify," Hua replied after a pause.
Hearing that, Zero smiled faintly and went home. Soon, he received a message from Jingliu, short and to the point. She said she'd be going on an expedition the next day. Jing Yuan could no longer take care of Chi Yu, so she asked to meet him at dawn at the Cloud Knights' camp.
He thought it over and decided to leave the hairpins at home. Instead, he took out a talisman paper from his system inventory, he'd give it to her as a gift instead.
He stayed up all night, calculated the time, and arrived at the camp early. Around him, Cloud Knights were saying their farewells to family.
He soon found her.
Jingliu stood there, one hand holding a cat carrier, the other carrying the cat itself. She sighed. "The carrier's too small."
Zero, "…"
'No, it's the pig-cat that's too fat! You just spoil her too much!'
Helpless, he slung the carrier on his back, held the cat in one arm, and handed Jingliu the talisman paper he'd prepared.
She paused, took it, and softly thanked him.
They looked at each other in silence.
Then Jingliu closed her eyes for a moment, and handed him an envelope. When he accepted it, she said quietly, "This is my will."
For a second, Zero's mind froze. Then, memories from his past life surfaced, memories of an old Cloud Knight tradition.
Back then, the Yaoqing forces had won every battle, suffering almost no losses. They trusted their marshal completely, believing that as long as he was there, they never needed to write wills.
But Zero insisted they keep writing them anyway.
Some used them to praise the marshal, knowing he'd never have the time to read them, yet still writing letter after letter.
Looking back, they weren't really wills, they were unspoken promises between him and his soldiers.
Promises sealed by countless victories, through which his subordinates gave him something more precious than gold, their absolute trust.
They entrusted their lives to him, believing he would always bring them home, safe and whole.
They believed the marshal would never need to read their wills.
But why did they keep writing them?
Maybe because, even if they fell, they wanted their letters to thank him, to comfort him, to tell him not to grieve.
Some also used those wills to confess their love to family… or to their beloved.
After all, a will was only ever sent to those dearest to you.
As the marshal, Zero had never received one himself.
He had always protected everyone too well.
Yet now, after hundreds of years… he was holding a Cloud Knight's will in his hands.
And that Cloud Knight, was the one he loved.
His lips parted, but no sound came. He just stared at the envelope, dazed.
It felt like a thousand butterflies were beating their wings inside his chest, filling his head with noise, drowning out everything but her voice, "If anything happens to me, my property and the credits in my account will all be yours."
Yes. In this world, Jingliu had no one else. Who else could she leave them to?
"If you're willing," she said softly, "then take them."
Jingliu did not avoid his gaze. Her eyes burned, unwavering.
The cool, composed Swordmaster, unable to speak her love aloud in front of others, could only entrust it through a will, using the old Cloud Knight custom as her way of confessing.
She had already, completely and without reservation, given this heart to you.