Jingliu decided to teach Zero the way of the sword.
This wasn't some spur-of-the-moment whim, it was a decision made after careful thought.
As a Cloud Knight, she had slain countless abominations.
And beyond abominations, she had also killed comrades who had fallen into demonic corruption.
She had once told her disciple, Jing Yuan, how to deal with someone who had succumbed to demonic influence, one clean thrust into the abdomen was enough.
Jingliu had seen too many Xianzhou people fall into that state; she was all too aware of what her own ending would be.
So, she warned Jing Yuan ahead of time, telling him that even if she, his master, were to fall into corruption, he must never hesitate.
No one in Luofu surpassed Jingliu's swordsmanship. The only person who might defeat her was Jing Yuan, because he was the one most familiar with her sword techniques.
Zero's talent, however, was exceptional. She believed that with a bit of training, he could surpass Jing Yuan.
And when the day came that she fell into corruption, perhaps he could end her swiftly and cleanly.
But… that was far too cruel for Zero.
If he hadn't met her, he would have remained just a diviner of the Divination Commission, safe, far away from blood and blades.
He was only twenty years old.
True, his temperament was calm and his thoughts well-measured, more mature than even the Xianzhou people who had lived for centuries.
But beneath all the traits that drew her to him, he was still just a normal person, someone deeply insecure.
Fortunately, Zero wasn't without a temper, nor was he some high and distant god who only took what he desired. Sometimes, he would show a mischievous, even endearing side.
Whether it was teasing her on purpose, or using snacks made of bugs to scare children… he was cute.
At times, Jingliu wondered if she herself wasn't being rational enough, she always unconsciously took Zero's side.
But when her gaze fell on that face, she simply couldn't bring herself to refuse him.
She thought of the foolish rulers in old stories, those who ruined themselves for the ones they loved, and suddenly understood them.
If it were her in their place, if she had met Zero, she too might have become a foolish ruler despised by all.
Originally, Jingliu had only regarded Zero as a good friend. But as they spent more time together day after day, she noticed how steady and composed he was.
She couldn't help but wonder, what kind of experiences had shaped someone like Zero, who at just twenty years old carried such calm maturity?
Her eyes began to linger on him more and more. And before long, she found she couldn't look away.
A Swordmaster who only knew blades, who had sworn to rid the world of abominations, and who did not understand love, she told herself Zero was only a friend. Yet she began thinking of him more and more often.
Until one day, on the battlefield, she had a sudden thought, to give Zero a gift.
Jingliu went to ask Dan Feng, thinking her friend, who had seen much of the world, would surely know the best kind of gift to give.
But she hadn't realized that the Dragon Lord, whose every piece of clothing cost seven figures, had absolutely no sense of what a proper gift was.
By a twist of fate, Dan Feng told her that some Cloud Knights would give their lovers the severed remains of abominations they had defeated.
Jingliu froze, instinctively wanting to deny that kind of relationship.
But after doing so, she thought about it more, and decided it actually was a great idea.
As expected of Dan Feng. As expected of the Dragon Lord. Who among the Xianzhou could possibly refuse such a gift?
Jingliu believed it.
Still uncertain, she later ran into Yingxing on her way back to camp and asked his opinion. The short-lived species confirmed it without hesitation.
So, she sent the severed remains to Zero.
That was, in her mind, the best gift she could give.
When Jingliu finally realized her feelings, her first instinct was to distance herself from Zero.
But her friends and disciple, who knew her too well, saw through her immediately. They gave her a push with astonishing speed and even prepared a guide for her overnight.
Jingliu read through it carefully, hesitated a little, then began following the guide step by step, sending him Patrol Tokens, spending a hundred thousand on flowers, showing off her swordsmanship, and even breaking a branch of flowers for him on the battlefield.
During that time, she had thought Zero would be pleased with the abomination remains she'd sent. To her surprise, he didn't seem very interested.
Fortunately, he loved the peach blossom branch.
It seemed her friends' guide was truly useful. All she had to do now was wait for Zero to ask about their relationship, then she could confess.
Still, Jingliu sometimes hesitated, because of her age, and because of his.
When she saw how Zero treated his own body with utter indifference, as if no matter what awful things happened to him, he couldn't care less, Jingliu sighed inwardly. For him, and for herself.
He was still so young, with such a long road ahead. What a pity, that he had met her.
Facing Zero's self-destructive tendencies, she could never feel at ease.
So be it, let her be selfish, unreasonable, even awful. She wanted to give him many more flowers, spend more Patrol Tokens for him.
In front of her, he could relax. He didn't have to think of anyone else.
Until the day they fought a corrupted being together, when she hesitated once again.
For a man so insecure, who lived as a quiet clerk, to be with someone far older than him, someone who could fall into corruption at any time, that was far too cruel.
But then, when Jingliu heard what Zero said, she froze.
He said, "I'll do everything I can to teach her what I'm best at, so that she can live freely and without regret."
What he really meant was, even if she left him, she wouldn't need to worry.
In that instant, Jingliu understood. She understood why Zero's emotions were always so calm, why he seemed far more composed than his age should allow.
Because he always assumed the worst possible outcome from the very beginning.
Even before a relationship had begun, he would already think about what would happen after a breakup, and do everything he could to help the other person.
That was who Zero was, someone who always thought from others' perspectives.
And compared to that, Jingliu realized she hadn't been thoughtful enough.
Yes, she was older. She should be the one to give more.
When she returned home, she began to think.
What could she give to Zero? Her property? Her Patrol Tokens? She'd give them all to him.
But Zero didn't seem to lack money. And besides that, she really had nothing else to offer.
Alone as she was, the Swordmaster thought and thought, until she finally decided, she would teach him swordsmanship.
That was the only thing she had that was truly worth offering.
Jingliu had only ever taken one disciple before, Jing Yuan. Knowing that he wasn't suited for martial training, she had been extremely strict with him.
But Zero's talent far surpassed Jing Yuan's. There was no need to copy that same harsh method, he could take it slowly.
Jingliu thought about it for a while, and decided that training at five in the morning every day would be good.
By the time she had finished drafting the training plan, it was already very late, in fact, it was nearly the time she usually got up to practice herself.
She opened her jade terminal, typed carefully, and sent Zero a message.
She knew he wouldn't reply right away, so she waited. And waited. Until the Cloud Knights' morning training was about to begin.
Then, Zero replied, he agreed.
Jingliu let out a sigh of relief. Good. She was glad he had said yes.
She set down the jade terminal and looked over at Jing Yuan, who was watching in confusion. She couldn't help but sigh.
Looks like more extra training was in order.
At that same time, far away in the Divination Commission, Zero, who was slacking off as usual, had no idea what Jing Yuan was about to go through. He sat there, replaying Jingliu's message in his mind, and remembering what he'd said before.
Zero, "…"
He cursed himself silently.
'I'm such an idiot! I'm the worst kind of person!'
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