The other three's pupils quaked.
Yingxing's expression froze in place.
'His divine client was only twenty? N-no way, right?'
Yingxing was utterly shaken. "A person can't, at least, shouldn't..."
Who could've guessed that's what Dan Feng was thinking... If he'd known, he wouldn't have gotten him drunk.
Baiheng was so shocked that even her tail stopped swaying. She stammered, "N-no way? You mean that kind of storybook, the ones you have to be two hundred years old to read?"
Dan Feng was taken aback.
In those storybooks, after the male and female leads get drunk, they bare their hearts to each other.
He had just gotten the man drunk, hadn't he? Was it that serious?
The dragon lord thought it over carefully, then suddenly realized his words could be taken the wrong way.
Dan Feng, '…I really just wanted to get Zero drunk! Nothing else!'
Baiheng and Jingliu had mentioned before that Zero held his liquor well, never once getting drunk. So Dan Feng had deliberately found a vintage wine brewed jointly by the first Lord Yin Yue and the previous marshal.
Partly because he needed something strong enough to get Zero drunk, and partly because Zero looked so much like that former marshal.
Whenever Dan Feng saw that face, he'd go dazed for a moment. He couldn't help but wonder, 'Had the man reincarnated?'
But when he heard Zero call Jingliu "sister," he immediately deleted that thought from his mind forever.
He couldn't keep associating Zero with that former marshal anymore.
Just the thought of it made his scales crawl.
Even imagining such a thing would be enough to make an ordinary dragon clutch his pearls and faint on the spot…
In a way, Zero and that former marshal really were connected by fate.
So Dan Feng had chosen that aged wine for the occasion.
But he never expected his friends to completely misinterpret his intentions!
The dragon lord was shaken to his core.
'Wait, so what if the storybooks showed the leads drinking together? Wasn't that just an R200 scene, something for readers over two hundred? What was wrong with that?'
Dan Feng's pupils trembled, but he still maintained his composure as a dragon lord. Crossing his arms, he looked so calm it made Yingxing and Baiheng look overly dramatic.
His tone was as even as ever.
"No problem. Even if something happens, I can always fish Jingliu out."
The dragon lord was always tolerant of his friends.
Besides, with Jingliu's character, there was no way she'd do anything inappropriate.
And even if she did… so what?
If a problem can be solved through practical means, it's not a real problem.
At that, the fox and the craftsman spoke up in unison to complain.
Yingxing, "Can you not assume Jingliu's going to commit a crime?"
Baiheng, "That's not the point at all!"
Jing Yuan, whose ears Baiheng was still covering, though he could hear everything, was speechless.
He could see right through Dan Feng's act. Hugging the cat tighter, he thought bitterly, 'Dan Feng, if Yingxing and Baiheng misunderstood you, then explain yourself!'
'And seriously, you, a dragon lord with zero need for romance, went to ask other emotionless immortals for advice?'
'That's useless!'
'You can't just copy everything from storybooks!'
'Also, my master, Jingliu, blushes just from being called "sister" by Zero!'
'You three are seriously overestimating her! Are there no normal people left here?!'
He was the only normal one left in this whole immortal realm, and he couldn't stay another second.
The four of them exchanged complicated looks, silently agreeing to skip over the topic.
Baiheng loudly declared she wanted a drink.
Dan Feng signaled the attendants to replace that vintage wine.
Yingxing added, "And don't forget Jing Yuan's milk."
Jing Yuan, "…"
'Thanks a lot, Yingxing!'
Utterly powerless and furious, he buried his face in the cat's fur and kept petting it.
Meanwhile, Zero, who had left earlier, was being half-dragged home by Jingliu, still swaying from the alcohol.
He barely had the presence of mind to thank her before stumbling into the bathroom.
On the way home, the alcohol made him want to say something, but what little reason remained made him stay silent.
Zero turned on the tap, bracing his hands against the sink. The cold ceramic beneath his palms and the endless sound of running water made his thoughts spiral faster.
He stretched out both hands. The cold water streamed from his fingers to his palms, down his wrists, soaking his sleeves.
The biting chill seemed to spread from his fingertips into his chest, spine, and limbs.
His face felt hot. Raising his head, he looked into the mirror.
Sure enough, his cheeks were flushed red.
He brushed up his bangs, bent forward, scooped a handful of water, and splashed his face.
Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm himself down.
Controlling his emotions, he'd always been good at that.
But after several deep breaths, he still couldn't suppress that… indescribable feeling inside.
'Is it just the alcohol?'
Then maybe a cold shower would sober him up?
He considered it, then dismissed the thought.
He was already freezing.
Once again, he let the cold water wash over his hands, his palms, his fingers, his knuckles.
Emotion and reason pulled at each other, until emotion won. His mind wandered back to something long ago.
If he could turn back time, he'd have praised Lan's mother right in front of her, written her an eight-hundred-word essay about how great Lan was.
But instead, he always ignored others' wishes, forcing his own ideals onto them.
Until that timid, cowardly subordinate died by his hand, and only then did he realize his mistake.
Zero was immortal. He'd survived countless assassination attempts.
Not to mention, he'd already fallen into the Mara state of the immortal ship.
Everyone knew that much.
But… some things he couldn't say. Some things, he mustn't say.
If he spoke them aloud, wouldn't that invalidate the sacrifices of his subordinates?
They gave their lives to protect him, how could he casually say something that would make their deaths meaningless?
That would be cruel.
As for those researchers in Cangcheng… he didn't know the truth, nor did he have the right to judge.
He began thinking, really thinking, about all the questions he'd been avoiding.
When his subordinates found out he could end the curse of immortality, what would they do?
He'd made a deal with Fuli, Fuli would handle the Mara state, and he'd abandon his study of the Aether Resonance Engine.
But would his subordinates still want to live afterward?
If they came to him, begging him to release them from their suffering…
He probably wouldn't refuse.
After seeing the agony of eternal life, how could he?
And the strategist…?
Before leaving, did he kill the strategist too?
From the looks of things, he must have canceled the deal with Fuli at the last moment.
Was it because of the Mara state's influence that he made that decision?
Probably not. He'd already angered all the Aeons, if he broke his word or left any loose ends… everyone else would die.
And Zero didn't believe those so-called gods would ever show mercy.
So why? Was it because of Featherdust, the one thing that could end corruption?
He opened his pack and searched through it. From start to finish, nothing. No Featherdust.
Of course. He'd already given it to the one who could use it.
In the closed bathroom, lost in thought, he heard only the running water, tuning out all other sounds.
He forgot how long he'd stood there. Only when the cold water had soaked halfway up his sleeves did he snap back and shut the tap off.
He opened the bathroom door. As expected, Jingliu was gone.
Leaving his room, he stepped into the courtyard and sat down wherever.
The jade communicator in his pocket kept vibrating. 'Maybe Hua? Or Tengxiao?'
Oh right, he owed Tengxiao a reply.
Otherwise that general from Luofu would probably scare himself half to death again, and then who'd do the work?
But Zero wasn't in the mood to check messages.
When your emotions are close to breaking, you tend to say or do things you regret. Better to wait until you've calmed down.
He decided he'd reach out to Tengxiao later.
The night breeze brushed over him, slowly soothing his thoughts.
For the comfort of the people aboard the immortal ship, he'd once had his researchers recreate the Earth's day-night cycles and four seasons.
So even here, one could feel a real night wind.
The heat in his cheeks faded. The alcohol's buzz ebbed away.
He stared blankly at his palms.
After a while, he heard footsteps.
Soft, fast steps, stopping just at his courtyard gate.
He lifted his head slowly, and saw someone who shouldn't have been there.
Jingliu.
She carried a bag, stepping into the courtyard and walking toward him.
Smoothing down her skirt, she sat down, not too close, not too far.
"Hot milk, or the milk tea from that shop you like, which do you want?"
Her gaze fixed on him.
She could tell he was feeling down.
Jingliu didn't know why, but she wanted him to be okay.
That's why she hadn't stopped him from drinking earlier.
What she didn't expect was that Dan Feng would bring out wine that had been sealed for gods-know-how-many centuries…
Now, she was seeing yet another side of Zero.
When drunk, his eyes went blank, but unlike the usual rowdy drunks she'd seen at banquets, shouting and staggering, Zero stayed strangely calm.
Even after they got home, he'd thanked her politely before disappearing into the bathroom.
By the time she'd bought the milk and his favorite milk tea and returned, there he was, back straight, head lowered, staring at his hands, dazed.
When he saw her come back, he looked… not surprised, more like a startled cat.
A cat that had wandered too long in the rain, that didn't trust humans anymore.
When someone tried to get close, the cat only hesitated and backed away.
It took endless patience, gentle persistence, reassurance again and again, to earn even the smallest trust.
As Dan Feng had said, some people need to be affirmed repeatedly, to have their walls slowly lowered, to feel safe.
Jingliu's eyes lingered on his flushed face for a moment before she looked away. Calmly, she reached into the bag, took out the hot milk, and handed it to him.
She remembered the advice from that "strategy guide", give him options so he can't refuse.
Since he didn't choose, she'd choose for him.
Zero blinked slowly and clenched his hand into a fist.
Still dazed from the drink, he muttered, "Cold."
"Wait."
Jingliu put the milk back into the bag and went inside.
When she returned, she had a warm towel in hand.
She pressed it into his palm.
The wet heat spread instantly, driving away the chill.
Drunk as he was, his face still blank and dazed.
He raised his head slowly, staring straight at her.
Jingliu sighed softly. Stepping closer, she bent down slightly, grabbed his wrist with one hand, and picked up the towel with the other.
Just as she was about to wipe his hands for him, Zero suddenly pulled away, snatching the towel from her.
"I'll do it myself," he said.
Seeing that, Jingliu straightened up and quietly watched as he wiped his hands again and again.
When he finally set the towel down, she extended her hand toward him.
"The moon's beautiful tonight. Come watch with me."
Zero stared at her for a while before finally placing his hand in hers.
She led him toward the wall near the house.
Before he could react, she'd already leapt lightly onto the top.
No one else was around. The courtyard was silent, only the round moon and Jingliu remained.
She smiled faintly and held out her hand again.
Once more, he took it.
Jingliu slowed her steps, looking back at him every few paces, leading the unsteady, slightly tipsy man across the rooftiles.
They reached the roof.
Zero took off his outer coat and spread it over the cold tiles.
His mind was hazy; the alcohol had eroded his reason again. He stayed silent.
Jingliu pressed the hot milk into his hands.
They sat side by side, quiet for a long time.
Then Jingliu started talking about the moon.
She said that, more than the full moon everyone loves for its perfection and togetherness, she preferred the crescent moon, imperfect, but beautiful in its own way.
Then she talked about her hometown.
She said that when she was young, before leaving Cangcheng, she'd seen the former marshal once, but it had been too long ago to remember clearly.
Then she spoke of her parents, healthy to the end, blessed by the immortal ship's thousand-year research, passing peacefully without much pain.
She'd brought their memorial tablets back to Cangcheng.
As she talked, she suddenly turned her gaze on Zero, her tone playful.
"Call me sister, let me hear it."
Zero, "…"
He was drunk, not brainless.
He turned to look at her, drawling, "No way."
Jingliu sighed in mock disappointment, teasing, "Guess I'll have to get you to drink a few more cups next time."
Then she kept talking, her words meandering into the night. After a while, seeing him start to doze off, she took his hand again and helped him down from the roof and over the wall.
Without a word, she pulled him into the bedroom.
As expected of a swordmaster, she could lift a 3,000-pound sword, and she could easily hold down a squirming Zero.
"I can't sleep," he murmured, eyelids drooping, forcing himself to stay awake because she was right beside him.
This was completely outside his field of expertise.
Someone tell him, when a woman brings a drunk man to bed, what is he supposed to do? Ask her to leave? His subordinates never taught him this.
"Close your eyes. Once you're asleep, I'll go."
Jingliu waited patiently, until his breathing slowed, steady and even. Then she leaned closer.
"There are some things I can only say… at a time like this."
She bent over slightly, her hand brushing his hot cheek, her voice low and soft, like a lover's whisper.
"Test me, then… however you like…"
The swordmaster who had slain all manner of monsters changed her tone, firm and unwavering,
"I'll be right here."
'My heart is right here.'
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