[Xianzhou, Luofu]
When Zero received the message Dan Feng sent him, he had just stepped over the threshold of the Divination Commission, getting ready to leave early to meet the company executive who had attended the auction in his place.
He automatically ignored the antique photo Dan Feng sent and focused on the text.
[A thousand gold isn't enough as an apology]
[This item is worth ten thousand gold, what do you think?]
A promise from a thousand years ago was once again brought up. If it were anyone else, they might be moved by Dan Feng's words.
But Zero was not an ordinary person.
His first reaction was, did Dan Feng learn his identity? And from where?
The first thing he thought of was his own face.
Was it because of this face? Because this face was exactly the same as the one in the real world, his face from his previous life?
Memories of the present world in his mind would fade with time, and his personality would change along with them.
The only thing that seemed to truly belong to him was this face.
After five thousand years, this was the only thing he still had that tied him to the real world.
After living so long, shouldn't he hold onto something?
Even if this face might expose his identity, he would absolutely never change his appearance.
Zero lowered his eyes, thinking about how he should respond to Dan Feng.
Dan Feng had a special identity, he was a friend of Jingliu.
Jingliu's age was not promising. Most Xianzhou people of her generation had already fallen into Mara state.
Although Mara state was no big problem to Zero, Jingliu was different. She might not be able to endure it.
The item in Zero's backpack could extend her life, but he wasn't sure how someone who deeply resented the Abundance's abominations would feel about longevity.
Therefore, he had to do everything he could to keep Jingliu in a good mood and slow the progression of Mara state.
To most people, aside from food, clothing, housing, and basic needs, what they sought was praise from others and a sense of self-worth.
After becoming a Cloud Knight and earning the title of Sword Champion, Jingliu had heard plenty of praise. As for self-worth, once she stepped onto the battlefield, that was naturally achieved.
Aside from that, the things Jingliu cared about were probably friendship and love.
Considering Jingliu's relationship with Dan Feng, Zero couldn't afford to make things too unpleasant with him.
He decided to attribute the Dragon Lord's message to that hotpot meal that had caused him to be poisoned.
Setting aside the truth, that hotpot incident was entirely an internal problem within the Vidyadhara.
In the end, it all traced back to Lord Imbibitor Lunae's lax oversight.
He, an ordinary diviner, had been unintentionally dragged into the Vidyadhara's plot. The Dragon Lord ought to apologize, right? If he treated the Dragon Lord's words as an apology for the poisoning incident, that wasn't unreasonable… right?
Zero tapped the jade messenger, declining the gift.
[Is this because of that hotpot meal? Dragon Lord already paid my medical fee. You're too polite. There's no need to spend so much.]
He put away the jade messenger. He had barely taken more than a few steps when he ran into the bearded company executive, grinning widely.
At that lord's request, the bearded executive had spent countless credits at major auction houses, buying up all the jewelry that lord liked.
He had taken this opportunity to earn a fortune; thinking about the commission that was enough for him to "lie flat" for the rest of his life, he practically floated as he walked.
Given how valuable this batch of jewelry was, the executive had even spent a huge sum to hire over a dozen bodyguards to escort the items.
Only upon reaching Luofu did he dismiss them.
'Come on, this was the Xianzhou! Luofu!'
How could anything possibly go wrong in the place that person resided?
The bearded executive had originally wanted to reserve the restaurant closest to the Divination Commission. After asking the former General in advance and getting rejected, he settled for the largest private room in the restaurant instead.
He enthusiastically led Zero into the private room he had prepared.
He had removed all dining tables and replaced them with a long table covered in jewelry cases, as well as a standing clothing rack filled with garments.
Next to the long table and the clothing rack each stood a sharply dressed young man. The two nodded slightly when they saw Zero.
The bearded executive explained, "I intentionally only brought two people. If you need to adjust ring sizes or jewelry styles, you can tell him directly. Of course, if you don't have time, you can ask me..."
"You sent me your sizes earlier, but I thought custom measurements would be even better…"
Zero, "…That was thoughtful of you."
No wonder he was an executive.
With complicated feelings, he stood still and cooperated while they measured him. Then he watched them roll the clothing rack away.
The bearded executive added, "Don't worry. It'll definitely be ready within three days."
He stepped forward and pulled a chair out for Zero.
Once Zero sat down, the staff across from him, wearing gloves, carefully picked up one of the boxes and opened it to display the auctioned jewelry.
The staff member and the executive took turns introducing the jewelry's origins and closing prices.
Zero listened absent-mindedly. Occasionally he'd look at whichever one was speaking, and whenever they received a response, they'd become even more enthusiastic.
He noticed the jade messenger in his pocket buzzing over and over.
Probably more messages from Dan Feng.
The two men finished introducing every single piece of jewelry on the table.
The staff member smiled. "Sir, what size would you like for your ring?"
At this, the bearded executive also looked at Zero.
Zero tried to recall the memory of holding Jingliu's hand.
Her finger size… he didn't know.
He said calmly, "No rush. I can change it later."
The staff nodded thoughtfully, took out a measuring ring, and said they would give it to him so he could measure on his own if he didn't have time.
The bearded executive chimed in at just the right moment, "Some rings don't require an exact size. Would you like to consider those?"
The staff very cooperatively took out a tablet and showed him pictures.
The executive glanced at the fingertip rings displayed and added, "This one is different from the jewelry you bought earlier. It doesn't have collector value. It won't retain its value."
Zero didn't mind. "Not retain value? That's fine. Let's go with this one. Are there other styles?"
When giving a gift to one's lover, why bother considering investment value?
If he and Jingliu were going to date for a while, and he still had to consider whether jewelry appreciated… wouldn't that mean he was utterly useless?
It wasn't like Jingliu needed to sell jewelry to survive.
Zero had to max out even the general satisfaction of Xianzhou residents, how could he possibly let his lover live poorly?
Even if they broke up someday, he would never let her end up in such a state.
Thinking that, he stared at the tablet in the staff member's hands.
After selecting the gift, the bearded executive handed him another tablet. It was the menu.
He casually ordered something and took out the jade messenger.
There were many messages from Dan Feng.
Zero scrolled to the top.
[The medical fee was paid by Jingliu]
Zero, "…"
'Good job, Dan Feng.'
He had fainted from poisoning, and the Vidyadhara wouldn't even pay for his medical treatment? They actually made Jingliu pay?
Expressionless, Zero continued reading.
The next messages had been sent half an hour later.
It seemed that noticing Zero wasn't replying, Dan Feng had started bringing up the thousand-year-old promise again.
[You must not lack rare treasures, so I'll just pay you one thousand gold, plus ten thousand more.]
[I'll have my clansmen deliver it.]
[If you don't accept today, I'll add another ten thousand tomorrow.]
Zero, "..."
'If you have this kind of free time, why didn't you pay my medical bill?! So being a diviner is really not as good as being the former General?'
Zero thought of Dan Feng's mental state, which was extremely similar to that of his past self.
He truly couldn't understand Dan Feng's thought process.
After considering it carefully, he deduced that Jingliu must have voluntarily paid the medical fee.
Lord Imbibitor Lunae didn't care about such a small amount of money. He was probably trying to play matchmaker, thinking Jingliu could use this debt to make Zero owe her a favor.
Once someone owed a favor, the two would naturally interact more often.
But unfortunately, Jingliu rarely emphasized her own efforts.
For example, that flower she had brought back from the battlefield, she never mentioned how difficult it was to bring it back.
If not for Dan Feng saying so today, Zero would never have known. He had simply assumed the Vidyadhara paid.
Just as he was thinking about how to respond, the bearded executive returned pushing a meal cart.
After serving the food, he began sharing some news he had deliberately gathered, "I heard the Cloud Knights won and are about to return to Luofu. During this 'hunt', oh no, His Radiance the Reignbow Arbiter personally appeared on the front lines and exceptionally chose the Luofu Sword Champion as Their Emanator..."
Zero, "…"
He suddenly felt like he'd lost his appetite.
Although he had already learned of this at the Divination Commission, hearing the executive say it reminded him, when Jingliu returned, would he need to pretend to be a devout follower of Aha, just like the other Xianzhou people praising the Reignbow Arbiter?
Feeling conflicted, he changed the subject.
He polished the situation between him and Dan Feng and retold it to the executive, "I have a friend. For some reason, his lover's friend suddenly started making things difficult for him…"
At the first few words, the executive already understood.
This "friend" was definitely this lord himself.
But as he listened, he realized something wrong.
'Someone dared try to steal the lord's partner?! Drag them away and deal with them!'
'What? The lord was currently just an ordinary diviner? Even so, I cannot allow anyone to sabotage the lord's happiness!'
The executive narrowed his eyes and declared firmly, "This person clearly has ulterior motives!"
Zero, "…What?"
Executive, "He must be trying to steal your, your friend's lover! The next step would be complaining to the lover about your friend!"
The executive spoke passionately, drawing on every wealthy-family feud and workplace intrigue he had witnessed.
In the end, he concluded with certainty, "This person is definitely a high-level master of tea-art manipulation!"
Zero didn't take the executive's interpretation seriously.
The purest relationships between opposite-sex friends were when neither liked the other.
There was no way Dan Feng liked Jingliu.
Besides, Zero's own mental state was far more stable than Dan Feng's, how could Jingliu possibly fall for Lord Imbibitor Lunae?
But the executive's words reminded Zero again, he had to make sure Dan Feng kept quiet about his past-life matters.
Right afterward, he heard the executive shift topics and say sternly, "Your friend has to strike first! He should immediately throw the problem to his lover! And if the lover can't solve it, that means their relationship already has big issues!"
Zero only absorbed the first part, "strike first."
He nodded thoughtfully. "You're right."
Knowing Dan Feng's efficiency, his clansmen were probably already packing gold and heading toward Zero's home.
With the Dragon Lord's usual entourage of over a dozen attendants… news would surely spread by the next day.
If Jingliu returned to Luofu and heard about this, she would definitely be puzzled.
Why would her friend send such an extravagant gift to her lover?
Rather than letting her hear rumors from others, it would be better for Zero to tell her himself.
He opened the jade messenger, deleted the parts that could reveal his identity, and forwarded screenshots to Jingliu.
Toward his lover, Zero did not lie, not even adding or subtracting anything.
[I thought the medical fee last time was paid by Lord Imbibitor Lunae.]
[It was only poisoning. There's no need for Lord Imbibitor Lunae to spend so much.]
[I'm not close with him, so please help convey this for me.]
On the battlefield, Jingliu, who had carefully carried a wreath back to camp, saw the messages, and her expression gradually froze.
Why would Zero know the medical fee was paid by her?
The poisoning was caused because of her. She was supposed to pay, so she didn't tell him; she didn't think it needed mentioning.
Wait, "only poisoning"? "No need for Lord Imbibitor Lunae to spend so much"?
Jingliu opened the screenshots of him and Dan Feng's conversation, and fury rose within her.
[Dan Feng: I'll have my clansmen deliver it.]
[Dan Feng: If you don't accept today, I'll add another ten thousand tomorrow.]
'Dan Feng, what kind of tone was that? Was that how you negotiate with me?'
'Was that an apology, or were you using the Dragon Lord's authority to pressure me? Throwing money at me?!'
Jingliu hurried to reply to calm her lover, then she immediately confronted Dan Feng, coldly questioning him.
Dan Feng was scolded head-on by her, "…"
The Dragon Lord stood stiffly. After his friend left in anger, he took out his jade messenger.
In a daze, he stared at the chat interface between him and Zero.
'General, you've changed. You weren't like this before! Whenever anything happened on the Xianzhou, you were always the one charging forward!'
'And now you're hiding behind a woman?! You made Jingliu handle things for you?!'
'If you are unkind, don't blame me for being unrighteous.'
If things were like this, he could only use the method Rain-parting had left in the letter.
Dan Feng let out a cold laugh, took out his jade messenger, and began copying passages from the book he had spent a fortune to obtain, "The Xianzhou Alliance and the Crownless Emperor, 5000 Years Together."
On the market, only Dan Feng owned a copy; all the others were locked away in the Divination Commission's archives.
This book was extremely special. All dossiers concerning the former General had been sealed, except for this one.
Dan Feng loved reading all kinds of books; without his immense wealth, even he wouldn't have been able to buy it.
[He, the Xianzhou General, the strongest man in the entire universe, ended the Swarm Disaster and the Imperial War, making the star seas tremble.]
[The entire universe paid attention to every command he gave.]
[To understand the Xianzhou General's thoughts, they formed a team of high-intelligence elites to analyze his true intentions, yet they never found any clues.]
[This is the Xianzhou General.]
After sending these, Dan Feng braced himself, tried recalling how Rain-parting had described the former General, and continued messaging Zero.
[On the surface, the Xianzhou General was decisive and flawless, a god.]
[But he was actually very pure. His eyes never lied, clear as a child's.]
[Sometimes, they were filled with sorrow and loneliness no one could understand.]
Sure enough, Zero, who had refused to reply to Dan Feng before, finally reacted.
[Zero: ...]