Zero, following his principle of "see no evil," glanced at the other person's face from the corner of his eye, and realized with shock that this Dragon Lord was male after all.
Had he already become an old fossil who couldn't keep up with the times?
If he had to compete in fashion with the Vidyadhara, he might as well just surrender on the spot…
Zero felt extremely conflicted.
He couldn't appreciate this kind of overly avant-garde dressing style, so he could only keep a polite smile and urge the five Dragon Lords to sit down.
Very few forces in the universe were qualified to meet Zero face-to-face and have a chat with him.
Among them was the Interastral Peace Company. Because of Rupert's fiasco, they had lost countless credits and could only seek cooperation with the Xianzhou.
Of course, the word "cooperation" sounded equal, but in reality, the Xianzhou still held the reins.
After all, they could blow up stars on their own, why bother helping the Company? Fortunately, the Company had shown enough sincerity and offered a price that satisfied the Xianzhou.
Zero rarely attended such occasions. His few social experiences all came from dealing with the Company's shareholders.
But Company shareholders were different from the Vidyadhara, he didn't have to put effort into maintaining relationships with the former. The latter were another matter.
The Vidyadhara were about to join the Xianzhou Alliance.
Strictly speaking, they should be considered even more important partners than the Company.
This was Zero's first time speaking directly with an ally. After taking a seat, he poured himself a glass of wine.
He raised it, took a sip, and soon had a plan in mind.
It was just like recruiting a subordinate, start by talking about yourself, then about the work, and finally, explain the benefits clearly.
Zero thought about it. There probably wasn't a single race in the entire universe that didn't know who he was.
Still, during an interview, both sides had to make introductions.
He decided to show goodwill first and smiled as he said, "I'm the Marshal of the Xianzhou Alliance. Nice to meet you. No need to be formal, let's just have a casual chat."
The Dragon Lords, "…"
Before they'd even met the Xianzhou, they had already heard rumors about this Marshal.
The rumors said he was decisive and ruthless in battle, leaving no root uncut, utterly merciless to his enemies.
But looking at him now, it was hard to imagine that this gentle-looking man was the same cold, unfeeling leader from the stories.
That face of his, at first glance, evoked a sense of closeness.
And yet, once they remembered his identity, vigilance instinctively rose in their hearts.
The Xianzhou Alliance he led had expanded across the cosmos for a thousand years, developed rapidly, established diplomatic ties with countless planets, and even dominated its cooperation with the Interastral Peace Company.
And especially, the Marshal was wearing ornaments and clothing infused with dragon motifs…
The five Dragon Lords exchanged subtle looks, silently parsing every possible hidden meaning behind his words.
Seeing the five dragons still on edge, Zero sighed helplessly. "Relax, it's just a chat."
One Dragon Lord, with horns like frozen crystal, reminded Zero of Fuli.
That was Lord Huyuan, who took the initiative to speak first.
"It is an honor to finally meet you, Marshal."
Zero was used to making eye contact when speaking.
Of course, he knew not to stare too long, that only made people uncomfortable.
Normally, during a conversation, one just needed to let their gaze shift naturally between the eyes and the tip of the nose. That kept things comfortable.
He smiled at the Dragon Lord, his eyes calm and focused, moving on to the next stage of the "interview."
He asked with a smile if they had heard of him.
Of course the Dragon Lords had.
It was said that the Xianzhou Marshal set strict performance standards for his generals, they had to destroy a sufficient number of planets.
What did that mean? Was this a warning?
Huyuan Jun, who was meeting Zero's eyes, returned his gaze with a polite smile, staring into those emotionless eyes.
She froze for a moment at his question, then recovered and began to lavish him with praise.
Since she was female, Zero didn't interrupt her out of courtesy.
He disliked flattery, so he skipped straight past the job description and, once she finished, got to the point, talking about the Vidyadhara's benefits.
Of course, their perks couldn't compare to those of the Xianzhou natives.
The Vidyadhara were here to work, after all. They couldn't possibly get three months of annual leave like other Xianzhou citizens.
"We have several vacation planets directly under the Xianzhou's management," Zero said. "As long as it doesn't interfere with normal operations, you'll be able to go there for a month of paid rest every year."
"If we used chits or credits as payment, that would only cheapen your contributions…"
After all, these were the descendants of high-tier NPCs, how could you just throw money at dragons?
He paused, then continued, "I thought about it, and perhaps we could offer something else, say, ownership of shops on several Xianzhou trade streets… Of course, that's not all we can provide."
Zero knew workers well.
As a boss, he needed to show friendliness and give real incentives.
Finally, he had to draw a big, shiny dream for them.
He looked each Dragon Lord in the eye and said, "Don't worry. The Xianzhou will gradually deal with what the 'Aeon of Abundance' left behind. You won't have to keep guarding those places forever. It'd be boring to stay in one spot all the time, wouldn't it?"
Things like the "remnants of the plague" could be left to their successors.
Zero would rather spend money and resources on weapon research than waste them on that mess.
Perhaps sensing his sincerity, the five Dragon Lords finally relaxed and began talking about their people.
Naturally, Zero took the chance to bond with his new partners. After hearing about the Vidyadhara's reincarnation traits, he nodded thoughtfully.
Good, he could brainwash them into becoming Xianzhou's loyal workers.
When he heard the term "Dragonkeeper," he asked, "What's a Dragonkeeper?"
They explained the internal hierarchy and customs of their race.
Zero found it puzzling.
He had assumed that Dragon Lords were the supreme rulers of the Vidyadhara, but there was also a Dragonkeeper above them?
True, reincarnation took time, so someone had to manage things while the Lords were gone.
But if they ever ended up with a troublesome Dragonkeeper, wouldn't that cause a power struggle?
The more he thought about it, the more he disliked the idea.
He already spent all day buried in paperwork and books, if the Vidyadhara started infighting too, he might as well send their entire race straight into reincarnation again.
His blood pressure was rising just thinking about it.
Something stirred under his sleeve.
Zero quickly pressed his arm, feeling a leaf through the fabric.
He took a deep breath, calmed his temper, and spoke with great subtlety, "Shouldn't the Dragonkeeper be buried with you upon your death?"
Right before reincarnating, they could just take the troublesome ones along.
The Dragon Lords kept their memories; the Dragonkeepers didn't. Using that knowledge gap, they could easily turn old enemies into allies.
Or better yet, wait until a Dragonkeeper finally befriended them, then, on their deathbed, restore all their memories of their past rivalry. Now that would be fun.
It would be like brainwashing Welt into serving Otto, then returning his memories just before he died.
Who wouldn't find that entertaining?
The Dragon Lords, "…"
They looked at the Marshal, speechless, wanting to say something but not knowing where to start.
"Although the Vidyadhara have many complicated customs," Zero went on.
Huyuan Jun, quick to react, interrupted gently, "We truly don't have the custom of burying attendants with us…"
She hurriedly raised her cup, prompting the others to do the same. Everyone drank, smoothly skipping over that awkward topic.
Zero joined in, drinking with his new partners. As he drank, an idea suddenly came to him. He pulled out his jade talisman and messaged Daiyang, asking whether the Ten Lords Commission in the Luofu still had any abominations on hand.
Earlier, he had summoned Lan specifically to prepare abominations for "Reignbow Arbiter."
His subordinates had copied his example, when fighting enemies, they deliberately held back, sparing some of the creatures.
Some, like Daiyang, were especially zealous, even capturing envoys of the "Aeon of Abundance."
When she received his message, Daiyang was thrilled. She immediately went to the Ten Lords Commission and brought out the abominations and envoys she'd collected.
If the Marshal himself had come to the Luofu, she had to make sure he was entertained.
Why did he want abominations? Clearly to summon the "Reignbow Arbiter".
Why summon a Aeon while negotiating with the Vidyadhara?
She didn't understand, but if the Marshal did it, it must be for the good of the Xianzhou.
Daiyang led a line of abominations and envoys to the meeting place between the Marshal and the Dragon Lords, then sighed deeply.
'What a shame. What beautiful specimen material these are!'
Her Marshal deserved only the finest things in the entire universe.
She wanted to linger, to see both the Marshal and the Reignbow Arbiter, but this cooperation with the Vidyadhara was important. So she left the abominations and envoys behind, glancing back three times with every step as she reluctantly departed.
Zero ignored the increasingly cautious expressions of the Dragon Lords and summoned his creature.
The summoning glowed gold, over two meters tall. It stood silent, its faceless head turned toward him.
In front of the Vidyadhara, Zero couldn't order Lan around too casually. So he deliberately softened his tone, speaking respectfully, "I humbly request that Reignbow Arbiter, reveal a divine miracle."
The summon, "…"
It said nothing. Zero raised an eyebrow. A moment later, a faint sigh sounded.
Lan said, "Very well."
In the blink of an eye, a blue-haired, black-eyed young man appeared before them.
He fixed his gaze on the abominations and envoys nearby.
The Dragon Lords' pupils trembled, though they kept their expressions steady.
They were utterly shocked.
'He can really call upon the Aeon of Hunt?!'
Zero didn't expect Lan to speak much.
When two introverts were together, one of them had to carry the conversation.
So Zero took the initiative, "These five are the Vidyadhara Dragon Lords."
Only then did Lan tear his gaze away from the abominations and look at the five Dragons.
Huyuan Jun was the first to react, she stood gracefully and greeted the "Reignbow Arbiter."
The others followed her lead, doing the same.
Lan nodded slightly to them, then turned to the only person still sitting, the Marshal, and asked, "You summoned me… for the abominations?"
Zero nodded.
Lan looked at him, his calm tone tinged with helplessness.
"I told you, you don't need to hunt abominations for me."
Much less beg him and call him "Reignbow Arbiter."
He could find them himself.
For a Aeon, destiny was never a shackle.
Sending an avatar to the Xianzhou wouldn't hinder his own "Hunt."
Zero shook his head.
"Not just for that. You should meet them, at least."
After all, the Vidyadhara were about to join the Xianzhou, it was only polite to introduce them.
Like bringing a new partner into a company, you had to let the co-founders know.
Before Lan could reply, one of the abominations started shrieking.
Players never cared what noises the small monsters made, they just found them annoying.
Zero pressed his arm again, feeling another long leaf sprouting beneath his sleeve.
With the Vidyadhara present, he could only take a deep breath and suppress the irritation rising in his chest.
He endured it once, twice… but still couldn't hold back. He pulled a knife from his system backpack.
Under the stares of the Dragon Lords and Lan, he stood up, approached the noisy creature, and murmured while looking down at it, "So loud."
If it were anyone else's servant, Lan could have sensed its condition with a glance.
But Zero was different.
Lan couldn't sense anything about him through divine power.
Even so, anyone, Lan or the Dragon Lords meeting him for the first time, could tell something was off about his mental state.
Zero turned to Lan with a smile. "Would you take care of it?"
Lan lifted his hand, hesitating briefly before using his power.
Since this was the Luofu's territory, he held back significantly.
This time, his power was only a third of what it had been in Yaoqing, and it didn't leave as many marks on the ground.
Zero, "…"
The explosion still left his ears ringing.
He looked down at the pit, over ten meters long, one meter deep, and fell silent.
The crater gaped at his feet, impossible to ignore.
He felt leaves sprouting from his arm again.
He had just wanted to use the abominations to unwind a little.
He hadn't expected Lan to be so efficient, instantly annihilating everything.
'What a wasteful brat! Does he have any idea how expensive it is to repair that?!'
'Forget the common abominations, the envoys were valuable!'
'Do you know how useful and rare they are?'
'They're perfect for generating energy or making preserved specimens!'
'They're as hard to find as a four-star weapon you actually want in a gacha pool!'
'You killed them all, where am I supposed to find replacements?! Should I beg the "Aeon of Abundance" to send me more envoys?!'
'Lan, you care about nothing! Only yourself!'
Zero flashed a dazzling smile at Lan.
Then, in a grand operatic tone, he proclaimed, "Truly worthy of being the 'Reignbow Arbiter', the very god we worship! With effortless grace, you leave craters meters deep in the soils of both Yaoqing and the Luofu!"
He went on, "This place must be preserved, for future generations to admire your divine miracles!"
Lan, "…"