Zero led Lan along, easily and familiarly avoiding the crowds as they walked toward their destination.
As they walked, the man and the god arrived at a grove of cypress trees.
The cypresses stood tall, as if reaching into the sky. Together they passed through the grove, walking past a stream winding its way down.
After a while, what they saw first was a stone archway that had not yet been carved with any inscriptions.
Zero took the initiative to explain, "This is where they rest. Those who contributed to the Xianzhou will all be buried here in the future. I just haven't decided on a name yet…"
Death is something most races must face.
At first, Zero didn't care about death. But as time went on, he began to take it seriously and to pursue a sense of ceremony.
The dead are to be respected, after all, people always need to return to their roots.
No matter what, something should be left behind, right? To prove that they were once here.
The people of the Xianzhou had all kinds of ideas. Some would hire specialists to make memorial tablets, others would hold funerals following ancient traditions.
After thinking it over, Zero decided that at the very least, there should be memorial tablets, or a monument.
As for the death of the long-lived species…
The Mara corruption that every Xianzhou person will face sooner or later, that's a problem that has troubled them for a long time.
The immortality of the Xianzhou could be considered a kind of genetic ascension, genetically speaking, their lifespan has been extended.
Unfortunately, genetic ascension and mechanical ascension can't coexist, so the Xianzhou people, born with congenital flaws, can't receive prosthetic transplants.
Before he had reached an agreement with Fuli, he had already granted generous funding to each Xianzhou's Alchemy Commission, letting them do their own research.
After pouring in resources for a long time, they finally made progress, they developed a kind of pill that could effectively ease the symptoms of Mara corruption.
Zero was quite satisfied with that. He wasn't a professional; he didn't understand how to treat the corrupted Xianzhou.
The only things he could do were to blow up planets, make money, and allocate funds.
He had never been a doctor. If he interfered, it would only mess things up. Professional matters should be left to professionals.
As for his subordinates not being able to solve the problem at its root… that wasn't a big deal. Research always takes money and time before results can be achieved.
Later, his cooperation with Fuli was only a temporary measure, ultimately, the Alchemy Commission still had to continue its research. Depending on others was never as reliable as depending on oneself.
Now, after the Alchemy Commission's treatment, Xianzhou people who had fallen into Mara corruption had a ten percent chance of retaining their sanity and dying painlessly at the brink of death.
All in all, being able to prevent people from being forced to raise their blades against their family, lovers, and friends was already a remarkable improvement.
As for when that ten percent chance might rise to one hundred percent…
Zero didn't know. Anyway, just keep throwing in money and time, that was all.
'Hmm… looks like I need to find a chance to make friends with "Knowledge".'
As he thought absentmindedly, Zero lifted his foot and stepped onto the stone steps, asking Lan, "You know I'm bad at naming things… my subordinates came up with a few characters, Loyalty, Benevolence, Protection, and Righteousness. Which one do you think fits best?"
According to ancient traditions, the resting places of the dead had distinctions each with different levels and quantities.
As for the name… Zero's literary skills were poor; he couldn't think of a name. But throughout the Xianzhou, he alone had the qualification to name the resting place of the Xianzhou heroes.
Unfortunately, Zero was terrible at making decisions. Except when it came to blowing up planets, he always got stuck with things like this.
His UR quickly made the decision for him, speaking concisely, "Loyalty."
"Hall of Ultimate Loyalty, huh…"
Zero wasn't confident in his naming sense and couldn't tell whether it was good or bad, but since the six-sided warrior Lan had chosen it, he didn't hesitate and decided immediately to use it.
"This'll be the name."
Lan, whose literary cultivation was miles ahead of Zero's, naturally understood the significance of "Loyalty." On that expressionless face appeared a faint look of realization.
"This will be your resting place as well."
Lan's tone was calm as still water, but it sounded almost like a curse wishing Zero dead.
Zero, "…"
'Lan, you really know how to chat, huh!'
The corner of his mouth twitched. He didn't respond to Lan's words, only sighed.
"People always have to return to their roots."
Zero had once heard a saying, that a person dies three times.
The first is physical death, when the organs stop working and life ends.
The second is death at the funeral, when friends and family gather to see the deceased off on their final journey.
The third comes when the dead are forgotten by their loved ones, that is true death.
Love and death, these are lessons and concepts that many parents and elders never teach. Only when one's beloved truly passes away can a person truly, deeply understand those three words, the real meaning of love and death.
At first, Zero didn't care about death. But only after his subordinates left one after another did he begin to feel it.
It's like attending the funeral of someone close, you might not cry at the moment, but as time goes on, you gradually and deeply feel that person's permanent absence from your life.
That's when you feel sorrow, when you cry.
As for his own death… he couldn't imagine it.
Zero couldn't help letting his mind wander.
How would a "high-dimensional invader" die? Would all the Aeons gang up on him? By then, he'd have the divine weapon that could burn worlds, what would there be to fear? Or maybe…
He was close to eternal life. As long as he wished, he could live forever. Therefore, there was only one possibility that could lead him to death.
A possibility he must never face, the one he most wanted to erase.
Zero said casually, "I'll probably drag the whole universe to die with me, oh, except the Xianzhou."
Lan, "…You won't."
The surroundings were utterly silent. The leaves rustled in the breeze, scattering fragments of dazzling light.
Zero didn't speak.
He had no morality. Not even UR could hope to guilt-trap him.
He raised his eyes, following the dancing light.
Lan continued, "I'll stop you."
Zero ignored that and quickened his pace. Together they encountered the current Yaoqing General, and a line of bound abominations.
Earlier, Zero had ordered his strategist to have the subordinates prepare abominations for the "Reignbow Arbiter."
He didn't know much about the Aeons, he wasn't sure if summoning Lan temporarily would affect his state.
Just in case, he had the abominations prepared for him.
His subordinates, faces filled with restrained excitement, gave them a respectful nod before leaving, glancing back repeatedly as they went.
Lan stared at the row of abominations, puzzled.
He didn't know what Zero planned, so he stayed still.
Following his gaze, Zero explained, "Since I wasn't sure if this would affect your 'Hunt,' I prepared these abominations for you, to kill."
Lan, "…You don't need to gather abominations for me."
From Zero's tone, it didn't sound like he'd prepared abominations, but rather like he'd brought along gifts when visiting relatives during New Year.
Zero raised an eyebrow, and those empty eyes lit up.
"So you mean your avatars' actions don't affect your true self?"
Lan had been about to dispose of the abominations, but paused when he heard that.
He didn't know why Zero suddenly looked so happy, but he nodded truthfully, confirming the guess.
Without a second thought, Zero said, "Then you can leave an avatar on every Xianzhou and work for me…"
He stopped abruptly, then corrected himself, "Oh no, not work, you should inherit the family business."
Lan, "…"
Expressionless, Lan said nothing more. He raised his hand and used divine power, instantly wiping out that entire line of abominations.
Being mindful that this was Yaoqing, he had restrained his power, but still, he accidentally left some marks on the ground.
Zero stared at the ten-meter-long, three-meter-deep pit before him and felt a pang in his heart.
'Those were carefully chosen, the most expensive materials!'
He couldn't really make Lan pay for the damage, could he? Lan was a god now, where would he even get money?
After thinking it over, Zero remembered Lan's savings from when he was human.
Back then, Lan had been frozen by the nobles of Luofu, surely he hadn't spent all his money before that.
There should be plenty left.
Zero gritted his teeth and said, "…The repair costs will be deducted from your previous salary."
Lan, "…"
He said nothing and followed Zero into the brick-and-tile building.
The interior structure and decor were different from other Xianzhou buildings, mainly supported by wooden beams.
There was also an incense burner used in ancient times for ancestral rituals.
Lan came before his mother's memorial tablet. Next to it was one for his father.
"Compiling records of all fallen Cloud Knights and their families, that's going to be a huge project…"
Zero lowered his voice, watching Lan light three sticks of incense from the candle flame.
"I was thinking, besides the Cloud Knights who fought for the Xianzhou, their families who let them fight without worry also deserve recognition…"
After Lan placed his incense into the burner, Zero also lit three sticks.
After finishing, he faced the memorial tablet and said, "What I promised you, I've done it."
Zero turned his head toward Lan.
With his left hand, he grabbed Lan's collar. His tone was light and cheerful, "Now there's just one last thing left..."
He twisted his right wrist, clenched his fist, and, with a smile, punched Lan squarely in the face.
He hadn't planned to hold back, Lan was a god, after all. One punch, even a whole beating, wouldn't leave a mark.
But to his surprise, Lan didn't seem to be on guard. The punch landed squarely on his face.
Zero, a little surprised, quickly let go of his collar.
The unsuspecting Lan, punched out of nowhere, "…"
The avatar accompanying Zero carried only a tiny fraction of divine power.
Even so, that small fraction could easily dodge a human's attack.
But he hadn't sensed Zero's intent.
That face of his, it was hard to connect it with the decisive, ruthless marshal of the Xianzhou.
Perhaps to make up for his weaker aura, Zero rarely showed his emotions.
To the Xianzhou people, he was an easy-going superior.
To others, even if he felt negativity, he'd always smile first.
That kind of smile didn't make people feel close, it felt more like a warning.
A warning that said, 'I'm smiling. Why aren't you smiling too?'
It always gave the feeling he might turn on you the next second.
No one could sense his true emotions. Even when he ordered someone's execution, there was no killing intent detectable.
It seemed less like killing, more like playing some new game.
Even Lan, as a god, couldn't sense his emotions, so he had let his guard down and gotten punched.
Zero looked steadily at him and said, "I need your power to create a Cave Heaven, one that no Aeon can sense."
He wanted to leave the Xianzhou a backup plan.
If Lan couldn't do it, he'd just stir up a few more Aeons' hatred.
"This is something you must accomplish."
Lan was silent for a long while, then asked, "In Yaoqing?"
"No, not Yaoqing."
Zero shook his head, denying the guess.
If that was the first place Lan thought of, then the backup definitely couldn't be there.
As for which Xianzhou it should be… he'd have to think carefully.
"No rush, take your time."
Then Zero suddenly thought of something.
"By the way, when you talk with your son, uh, not son, whatever it is, when you talk to it, you can hear it, right?"
Lan nodded.
Besides hearing Zero speak, he could also sense when Zero was using the power he'd been given.
That made Zero relax.
As long as he could summon Lan, that was enough.
He immediately started to shoo him off, "Alright, that's all, you can go now."
Lan, "…"
Without another word, he withdrew his avatar and continued hunting abominations across the star seas.
Again and again, Lan drew his bow, shot arrows, and cleansed the abominations.
He thought that the next time he'd meet Zero would be hundreds or thousands of years later, until he noticed something strange.
He sensed that Zero was using that power frequently.
So frequently that he had to split off a sliver of consciousness to check what was happening.
When Lan arrived by Zero's side, he found the man under attack.
Zero wasn't nervous at all, he didn't even put the approaching assassins in his eyes.
Instead, he looked regretful as he glanced at the dishes on the table.
These were dishes prepared to entertain shareholders of the Interstellar Peace Corporation.
Even someone who rarely ate like him couldn't help but pick up his chopsticks more than a few times for such delicious food.
Zero gently coaxed the four- or five-year-old girl in his arms.
"Let's play a game. If you win, I'll give you a present."
He chuckled softly.
"So now, cover your ears and close your eyes..."
Zero placed his right hand on the back of the child's head, making sure she wouldn't see what someone her age shouldn't see. Then he turned toward the projected figure that had been summoned earlier.
His face was the same unreadable mask, his tone calm and emotionless as he said to the figure, "Handle it."
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