When that old man voiced his doubt, Zero didn't feel much of a ripple inside.
It was like you and a friend teaming up to play online, and the character your friend uses can summon three minions.
Those three summons have a trait, they lose HP when they use skills.
They see something and just rush to beat it, making you and your friend bleed like you've been clawed by rabid dogs, chunking HP all the time.
Would you go and beat those three summons to pieces?
Of course not.
No matter how much output that old man had, in Zero's eyes he was nothing more than the summons that came with the new character "Imbibitor Lunae" he'd just pulled out.
Besides, Zero was someone good at putting himself in others' shoes and being reasonable.
He tried to empathize and thought it over, if someone suddenly appeared in his residence, his subordinates' reactions would probably be more extreme than that old man's.
Isn't the residence of the Dragon Lord a stronghold of the Vidyadhara clan?
He held the book, raised an eyebrow, and glanced at Yubie.
Seeing that the Dragon Lord didn't make any move to defuse things for the old man, Zero understood.
He guessed the old man was being abandoned?
Or maybe Yubie couldn't gauge his own temper well, worried that intervening would make things worse?
Only then did he speak up, "I'm the Xianzhou person you just mentioned."
The old man choked; his aged face twisted for a moment, then he turned his spear of words toward Yubie, rattling on for a long while, basically accusing Yubie and asking why "Imbibitor Lunae" would let an outsider onto Vidyadhara territory.
Zero split his attention, listening to the back-and-forth between Yubie and the old man while pondering that first sentence the old man had said.
Why had the other party said Yubie was mad?
What did he mean by Yubie wanting to win the Xianzhou person's trust?
Zero believed he'd already offered enough stakes.
After all, he'd given each Dragon Lord more than a dozen commercial streets.
Although the treatment didn't match his own subordinates', the annual rent alone was a sizable income.
Every Xianzhou, every grotto, every location was different; from long-term observation he could estimate a number.
A dozen or so commercial streets, the annual rent would be at least a billion, right? Normally it'd be tens of billions.
Could it be that money still wasn't enough for the Vidyadhara clan? Then just give it straight to the Dragon Lords and let them figure out how to earn it.
Anyway, the ones signing contracts with him were the Dragon Lords, not the Vidyadhara clan.
Zero thought he'd done his part and that should be enough to make the Vidyadhara clan wholeheartedly loyal.
So, had Yubie not told the old man the contents of their negotiation? Or had the other side done something to anger the Vidyadhara clan?
Zero had no clue for the moment and turned his gaze to Yubie.
Yubie still wore that cold face and said coldly, "My decision is made; it will not change."
The old man began to argue again; Zero listened from the side and finally understood.
It turned out Yubie wanted to use the Scalegorge Waterscape to seal the Ambrosial Arbor of Luofu.
Since the "Permanence" Aeon fell, the Vidyadhara line, as its descendants, began to migrate.
And the Scalegorge Waterscape… to the Vidyadhara clan, was like the Xianzhou's Locufox Forest, it had extremely special significance.
Zero felt complicated and looked at Yubie.
If it were him, he definitely wouldn't use the Locufox Forest to seal a high-level NPC's tool.
He had previously treated Yubie as a tool, but the sincerity the Dragon Lord had shown… forced him to take this Dragon Lord's contributions seriously.
Zero thought for a moment and decided to drop the earlier euphemistic phrasing and stand up for the Dragon Lord.
He deliberately let out a sigh, then said, "Yubie, you really have a good temper."
The old man and Yubie both went silent and turned their gazes to Zero.
Zero shook his head. "If it were me, I would've sent this… this is a Longshi, right?, I would've sent him to undergo transformation already."
He used the most ordinary tone, "Anyway, you Vidyadhara clan, if you're beaten to near death you can transform… Death isn't much of a problem for you, is it?"
The old man trembled with rage.
Zero slowly smiled at the old man in front of him, "You can completely kill those who oppose you in your clan; then when they are reborn, they'll forget their previous lives and will support you."
He intentionally softened his tone while saying this.
At first hearing, it sounded like discussing something perfectly ordinary.
The old man's hand, the one pointing at Zero, was shaking.
Zero continued, "You don't have a Longshi anymore, but you still have me. I can dispatch my subordinates to help you handle Vidyadhara clan internal affairs, can't I?"
He wasn't saying this casually.
Taking advantage of the opportunity to needle the old man, Zero again put himself in others' shoes and thought carefully.
As descendants of a high-level NPC, the Dragon Masters naturally had a sense of superiority. Even after the Vidyadhara clan migrated and encountered the Xianzhou, those Dragon Masters hadn't put themselves in their proper place; they still thought they could share power with the Dragon Lords like before.
Yubie's decision to use the Scalegorge Waterscape to seal the Ambrosial Arbor had driven the Dragon Masters mad.
In their eyes, this decision was humiliating.
The Vidyadhara line had been reduced to a subordinate of the Xianzhou, and their previous superiority vanished.
Zero had seen this type of power-holder Dragon Master before, they gripped power and refused to give it up.
To them, sharing power was like cutting off their flesh.
So Zero hit the sore spot and pretended he would interfere in Vidyadhara clan internal affairs.
Sure enough, when he said this, both Yubie and the old man were silent.
Then Yubie's cold face slowly changed and he laughed out loud.
Under the old man's surprised and fearful gaze, Yubie laughed several more times.
The Dragon Lord sighed, "As expected of the Marshal, I will seriously consider your suggestion."
When the old man heard that, his expression changed drastically; his wrinkled, aged face contorted further.
He abruptly pulled back the hand that was pointing at Zero; his lips opened and closed for a long time, but not a word came out.
After the old man learned Zero's identity, Zero's expression didn't change; he still wore that smile.
He wasn't someone given to wanton slaughter, and since he'd previously made an agreement with Lan, he certainly wouldn't take lives lightly.
After all, death wasn't really a punishment but a release.
What was death, really?
True punishment would be living in constant fear, every second awaiting the Damocles sword hanging over you, that would be real punishment, right?
For the old man, first spitting at the Xianzhou person and then turning around and insulting the Xianzhou Marshal…
Zero had heard the rumors about himself in the outside world, things like leaving nothing but mines wherever he went, setting his subordinates goals of destroying planets…
'Hmm, very interesting.'
Thanks to those rumors, he didn't need to act; those who offended him would live in nightmares on their own.
Some wealthier enemies would spend a fortune buying information on his appearance and whereabouts across the universe, and send people to assassinate him.
Zero was considerate and liked to let all sides gain benefits.
So sometimes he'd have subordinates let an assassin get close, have the assassin kill someone first and then let subordinates investigate…
The enemy would get what they wanted, a successful assassination.
His Xianzhou alliance would get mines and habitable planets, a real win-win.
Wait, not just win-win.
After the news spread, opposing forces would get even more scared and send more assassins because of their fear…
'Isn't that conservation of energy? It's a three-way win!'
Zero didn't need to do anything but keep the rumors going.
He watched with a smile as the old man, who had prided himself on his manners, ran out like a chicken with its head cut off.
Only when the old man disappeared from view did Zero turn and meet Yubie's eyes.
Yubie looked at him steadily and sighed, "What merit or ability of mine warrants your personally playing the bad guy?"
"Of course because you're worth it."
Seeing that Yubie understood his intent, Zero was briefly surprised, then let out a soft laugh.
"I'll find a way to solve your Vidyadhara clan's problem."
Yubie had already given enough sincerity; Zero naturally wouldn't shortchange him.
Zero vaguely remembered there was an item in his backpack that could help the Vidyadhara clan treat infertility.
But that item had to wait until they truly integrated into the Xianzhou before being used.
If used too early, it could create racial-type conflicts and affect satisfaction.
Just as Yubie was about to say something, a dozen or so footsteps sounded outside the courtyard.
Daiyang led a group of Cloud Knights and arrived at Yubie's residence.
Daiyang hurried in; out of respect for the ally, she didn't let the Cloud Knights follow, entering Yubie's mansion alone.
She spoke in a plaintive tone, "Marshal, why didn't you tell me…"
Zero honestly said, "When I went to Luofu, it was after work hours."
Daiyang, "..."
Her boss was perfect in every way, if only he weren't so strict about public and private matters.
Zero calmly comforted his subordinate and didn't notice Imbibitor Lunae standing to one side.
Yubie quietly watched the two in front of him.
Before deciding to use the Scalegorge Waterscape to seal Luofu's Ambrosial Arbor, he had avoided his clan and wandered Luofu for a long time, hearing many deeds about the Xianzhou Marshal from Xianzhou people.
Compared to all the rumors in the universe, he preferred to trust the evaluations from those who lived under the Marshal's rule.
In the Xianzhou people's eyes, that person was an omnipotent God.
But how could a man be a God?
When Yubie heard that every Xianzhou had a "Locufox Forest," he finally understood why the Xianzhou people would speak so highly of him.
A forest, only a saint could be buried in one.
Yet they believed every Xianzhou person could be called a saint.
Yubie made a prompt decision to ally with them.
The Vidyadhara clan's wandering wasn't a big problem for the ruling Dragon Lords and Dragon Masters.
Their standard of living wouldn't be affected by wandering.
But for ordinary clan members, it might.
If they could settle down, who would want to wander?
Until yesterday, when he saw that person.
When he saw the Marshal who had once sought a Aeon, now troubled by a junior who had feelings for him.
He even made the all-knowing "God" come from Yaoqing to Luofu.
Yubie thought that the person looked less like a God and more like someone who loved all his people.
He'd found an ally in a high position who could look at everyone eye to eye.
Not only an ally, but a friend worth making.
So he should show enough sincerity to that person.
Only when he saw Daiyang look at the Xianzhou Marshal with that fanatic gaze did he realize a problem.
A very serious problem.
Subordinates looking at the Marshal didn't look like they were looking at a boss; they looked like they were looking at a "God."
Whether Xianzhou people or the Marshal's own subordinates, they worshipped him as if he could do no wrong.
Yubie didn't see it that way.
Hearing that person's legends felt like reading a storybook.
His emotions were pulled by the plot; he could be moved by the protagonists' sincere feelings.
But storybooks are just storybooks; they don't turn fiction into reality.
He wasn't a Xianzhou person; he was a Vidyadhara Dragon Lord, so after hearing those legends he didn't get any real sense of it.
A doubt rose in Yubie's heart.
'Were that person's decisions really right? Really infallible?'
'Not necessarily.'
'Anyone can make mistakes.'
'But that person held a high position and couldn't afford to make mistakes, no, more accurately, mustn't make mistakes.'
'One day that person would become tired.'
Yubie said nothing, quietly watched the Marshal soothe his subordinates, and before leaving, he called out to the man.
He didn't use the respectful "you" to widen the distance; facing Daiyang's glares, he told Zero,
"If you come to Luofu, I will sweep my mat to welcome you."
Hearing this, Zero was surprised.
Was it because of his earlier promise? Or because of his identity?
He quickly tossed those irrelevant guesses aside, nodded slightly, and said casually, "Then you should prepare fine wine in advance."
With that, Zero and Daiyang left together.
On the way, he told Daiyang about his trouble.
The subordinate laughed without restraint, "If you don't like her, just find another to be your shield..."
Zero shook his head, "How can it be that casual?"
Daiyang cautiously asked her boss what he required in a partner.
"Requirements? None really. When you meet someone you truly like, you'll find the person is nothing like your ideal type."
Daiyang was shocked.
No way, their Marshal still went for pure love stuff...
She was silent for a while, then asked about the Marshal's vision of romance.
Without thinking, Zero said, "Of course it should be proper marriage, step by step in order."
Daiyang, "..."
She knew her boss was conservative, but not this conservative.
Could it be the type who only holds hands before marriage, and only progresses after marriage?
Daiyang had to quietly rule out her usual breakup tactics in her head and offered some mild methods to the Marshal.
Like telling a suitor you prefer the same gender, or saying they're too old, or too young, or you don't like them…
Zero, "..."
He was speechless and felt the trip had been wasted.
If Yubie wasn't useful, fine, but why did the she only have rotten ideas?
Accompanied by Daiyang, he boarded the ship back to Yaoqing.
Daiyang watched the Marshal leave with a beaming smile, then turned to look at the old man whom the Cloud Knights had brought in.
If Yubie and the Marshal had remained, they certainly could have recognized him.
He was the Dragon Master who had quarreled with the Marshal.
Daiyang sighed deeply and shook her head, "Look at you, so aged and weak; better behave yourself so one day you don't lose your legs and stumble into some mishap…"
As she spoke she paused, seeming to sense the awkwardness in her words, then feigned surprise, "Oh my, I'm not very good with words; I'm not cursing you, really!"
Daiyang met the old man's eyes and smiled the same smile her boss had, "I'm just warning you, when you walk…"
She enunciated each word, "Be careful..."
Daiyang inwardly thought it a pity.
She had originally wanted to cut out that guy's tongue and hang it on Yubie's mansion gate.
After all, on Xianzhou territory, they must obey the Xianzhou rules.
Giving the Vidyadhara clan ten-figure patrols for free every year, wasn't that enough for them to be grateful to the Marshal?
But seeing the Marshal and the Dragon Lord get along, she had to respectfully let the Cloud Knights bring the man over and try to reason with him.
After all, the man was old; a momentary dizziness and misstep could lead to a transformation by falling, not unheard of.
As for the Vidyadhara clan, she decided to propose a tax rate to the Marshal.
With that in mind, she waved for the Cloud Knights to release the old man, turned, and headed back to the general's mansion to draft the proposal, aiming for the Marshal to see it when he arrived at Yaoqing.
Even when Zero returned to Yaoqing, Daiyang still hadn't finished the proposal.
Zero's SSR surprised him again.
They'd introduced a new technology that could remotely control star-destroyer ships.
Zero didn't understand the principle, but after the briefing he knew he could finally fulfill his promise to Aha.
He'd once told Aha to ask whether they wanted to kill a God for fun.
'Hmm, it could be put on the schedule.'
But before that, he'd first ramp up deterrence to the max.