Just from that one sentence, Dan Feng almost thought it was some line from a romance story.
Like the kind a green-tea supporting female character would say to sabotage the male and female leads' relationship.
Then he looked again, those words actually came out of the former Marshal's own mouth…
Dan Feng thought, thank goodness he hadn't let his dragon tail manifest.
Otherwise his scales would've exploded right then and there.
If the former Marshal were a green-tea supporting character… wait, no, that person definitely wouldn't be a supporting character, they'd be the main character.
Then what would Dan Feng be? The villain who blocks the protagonist and Jingliu from their destined happy ending?
Dan Feng's thoughts spun endlessly, and he suddenly remembered that unsent letter Yubie had left behind.
There were three sheets of paper in that letter.
One was written to the former Marshal. The other two were meant for the "Imbibitor Lunae."
Dan Feng first read the one Yubie had written to the former Marshal.
It contained only a short paragraph.
Then Dan Feng continued reading the ones addressed to the "Imbibitor Lunae."
Those letters described in detail his past experiences with the former Marshal.
Yubie said that before the Xianzhou Alliance officially allied with them, he had slipped away from his tribe and wandered the streets of Luofu.
Because he felt that no matter how extravagantly someone's subordinates praised them, it could never compare to the evaluation given by the common people.
Yubie never expected that the Xianzhou Marshal, famous across the star seas for decisiveness and ruthless efficiency, would actually instruct his subordinates to meet every need of the citizens, no matter how big or small.
He had met many people in power, but never anyone like the former Marshal.
What surprised Yubie even more was that this person, who had made a name for himself across the star sea, had been so scared by a junior's confession that he fled from Yaoqing to Luofu.
That person was a trustworthy ally, someone worth befriending.
With that belief, Yubie made many promises with the former Marshal.
As long as the other came to Luofu, he would definitely sweep the mats clean to welcome him.
They would brew wine together, no matter how much outsiders might offer for it, he would never trade it away.
Unfortunately, neither Yubie nor the former Marshal ever tasted that wine.
Yubie honored their pact and went to suppress the Arbor.
The former Marshal headed to the front lines, forcing other forces to dispatch troops, demanding that they join the Xianzhou in cleaning out the insect plagues and rogue automations scattered across the universe.
This decision left everyone except the Xianzhou people in utter disbelief.
What did it have to do with the Xianzhou? What did it have to do with them? Why did they have to help other planets deal with disaster?
Yubie, however, wasn't surprised. In his letter to his reincarnation, he wrote, That's just the kind of person the Marshal is.
He was a very pure person, his eyes clear like a child's. As long as he believed something was right, no matter how difficult or unimaginable it was, he would do it.
On that point, Dan Feng had no objections either.
In the memories of all past Lords Who Drink the Moon, the former Marshal truly had acted that way.
For thousands of years, he had never changed, always standing on the side of the Dragon Lords, always helping them.
Yubie wrote that the Marshal had succeeded.
What an unbelievable thing it was, he had gathered together people with entirely different positions and beliefs, united them to fight disaster, and ended the war with the lowest casualty rate in recorded history.
But Yubie could no longer wait. He was going to break his promise.
Yubie understood his friend too well.
Outsiders treated that person as a god, but he wasn't truly a god. He still had human emotions, but he had long grown used to suppressing his true feelings, fulfilling the Xianzhou people's wishes like an tireless machine.
Yubie couldn't hand the letter to the Marshal personally; otherwise, the other might question its authenticity or suspect it was forged by the Dragon Masters.
One was a Xianzhou Marshal, and the other was the Dragon Lord of the Luminaries. Their positions were the same, yet also different.
The Marshal strictly separated public and private matters. Yubie was no exception. Even when they talked in private, they never discussed official affairs.
Yubie knew clearly that the Marshal did have an emotional side. And if he himself opened his mouth to ask… the Marshal would absolutely look after the Luminary tribe.
But the Marshal and the Xianzhou had already given the Luminary tribe too much.
He didn't want to put his friend in a difficult position.
So Yubie didn't mention the Luminary tribe in the letter to the Marshal. He only extended an invitation on behalf of his future reincarnation.
He even wrote a separate letter specifically for his reincarnation. That way, the "Imbibitor Lunae" could ease the Marshal's doubts and allow him to see the letter.
Yubie said that if it were any Imbibitor Lunae, they would surely feel honored to fight alongside him, and like many Cloud Knights, would probably swear loyalty to the Marshal.
But his reincarnation didn't need to become the Marshal's subordinate, being his friend was enough.
A god's will may be eternal, but people…?
He hoped his friend would not have to suppress himself forever.
But he also feared that his friend's emotions might one day overwhelm his reason, that he might mentally collapse, that he might head toward the ending no one wished to see.
Yubie couldn't stop it. So he entrusted it to his reincarnation.
The Dragon Lord who had made those promises with the former Marshal ended the letter with a shift in tone, [The Marshal once promised that he would resolve the 'Plague of Longevity,' so the Dragon Lords need not guard one place forever. But of course, I believe him.]
[I cannot fulfill the promises I made to my friend, so I pass them to my reincarnation. Should he break them, then let him uphold the pact with the Xianzhou for all eternity, forever guarding the Arbor.]
Sadly, this letter never reached Yubie's friend, nor the Imbibitor Lunae.
And just as Yubie predicted, his friend truly did walk toward the ending no one wanted.
Dan Feng didn't pay much attention to Yubie's so-called curse, it wasn't even a curse, really.
Guarding the Arbor was already the responsibility of the Imbibitor Lunae.
As for the former Marshal saying he wouldn't let them guard one place forever…
Perhaps it would've been true once. But neither Yubie nor anyone else expected that the person who seemed like a god, someone on the verge of immortality, would truly die, and thus be unable to fulfill that promise.
Fortunately, the former Marshal reincarnated. And today, at last, Dan Feng had read this letter filled with blessings for a friend.
The "tyrant of the star sea" that Yubie wrote about completely overturned Dan Feng's understanding, leaving him dazed.
Besides recounting their past, the letter also included the proper way to befriend that person.
What did it mean that the Marshal's eyes were childlike?
What did it mean that he wasn't good at refusing others' kindness? That he couldn't handle praise?
If it had been anyone else, Dan Feng wouldn't have gone through so much effort, searching for information through his tribe even while stationed at the front lines.
Anyone else… and Dan Feng would never have gone this far.
He had four reasons.
First, the person was worth the effort.
Second, that person was Jingliu's beloved.
Their identity and mental state were far too unusual…
Dan Feng had to consider his friend's sake. Once their relationship grew closer, he could figure out what the person was truly thinking.
Third, because of Dan Feng himself.
The Dragon Lord and Dragon Masters always had deep conflict. Sometimes Dan Feng would have extreme thoughts flashing through his mind.
If he could befriend the former Marshal and ask his opinion, then Dan Feng wouldn't have to worry.
Whenever Dan Feng asked, he would immediately stop feeling like he was the extreme one.
After all, who could be more extreme than the former Marshal?
Lastly, the Dragon Lords and the Xianzhou Marshal had always been closely connected.
Every generation of Dragon Lord and Dragon Master fought each other, constantly counterbalancing one another.
The Luminary tribe was too unique, they needed time to molt and reincarnate. The Dragon Lords were no exception. During that period, the Dragon Masters handled internal affairs.
When the Dragon Lord matured and had the ability to govern, they would begin contending again.
To stabilize the Xianzhou, the last two Marshals had been the Dragon Lords' best allies.
With all that in mind, Dan Feng started sending message after message to the former Marshal. And sure enough, Yubie was right.
He really couldn't stand being praised.
'But Yubie, why didn't you mention that the former Marshal had such terrible communication skills?!'
One sentence, and Dan Feng suddenly hallucinated the image of a green-tea female supporting character from a romance story.
The Dragon Lord recalled the Marshal's feats one by one.
Like how his intestines could fall out, yet he would calmly shove them back in and continue writing reports.
Or how he once got stabbed straight through the chest, and by the next day was back to a 007 schedule, processing documents again.
Looked at this way, what the Marshal said really was the truth.
For him, being poisoned was indeed just a minor issue.
For now, Dan Feng didn't have the energy to track down who exactly had caused him to be scolded.
The more he thought about it, the more riled up he became.
As a healer, he hated patients who ignored medical advice the most. With the Marshal's personality… how many Alchemy physicians had he driven insane?
No wonder whenever the Marshal suffered an assassination attempt, there was always a sobbing doctor by his side.
Couldn't persuade him, couldn't scold him… who wouldn't break down?
Whenever Dan Feng encountered patients like that, he always wanted to whip them with his dragon tail.
But if the patient was the Marshal… Dan Feng truly couldn't bring himself to do it.
That was someone who could unite powers across the universe, force the Interastral Peace Corporation to do business at a loss, end the war with minimal casualties, and abolish slavery.
[T/N: And make an Aeon become a pr*stitute]
A human who accomplished miracles.
As long as the Marshal existed, even if all gods fell and all civilizations vanished, the Xianzhou would remain perfectly stable.
As long as you were on good terms with the Xianzhou, you could forever place your faith in the Marshal.
Now he was just an ordinary diviner, someone deeply connected with Jingliu…
Dan Feng quickly devised the perfect strategy to retaliate against this diviner.
He was the Dragon Lord, the Imbibitor Lunae. How could he be scolded for no reason?
The former Marshal would never do anything to him, considering his relationship with Jingliu. So Dan Feng could act freely.
If the former Marshal refused to follow medical instructions again, he'd just let Jingliu take action.
Dan Feng's anger slowly faded. He ignored Zero's previous question and began spouting bad advice.
[Dan Feng: Patients poisoned at the Alchemy Commission cry.]
Zero knew that Dan Feng's mental state was unstable, but he didn't expect this level of delirium.
He was torn.
Dan Feng was the head of the Alchemy Commission, had treated countless patients… but somehow this didn't sound reliable at all.
Part of him thought Dan Feng was just talking nonsense. Another part wondered if something was wrong with him mentally.
Zero decided to stop thinking about it and dropped the topic.
[Zero: I'm planning to give her peonies. How many do you think is appropriate?]
[Dan Feng: Did you see that in an ancient text?]
Zero gave a confirming reply.
Even though they were already in a relationship, the proper steps couldn't be skipped.
Zero didn't want Jingliu to feel wronged.
He planned to give her a proper confession, along with the three hairpins he'd commissioned from Yingsing, and a ring that didn't require precise sizing.
[Dan Feng: Peony sounds the same as "promise" in ancient language. It's a flower of commitment. At minimum… ten thousand.]
Zero instantly deduced the real answer.
'Got it. A thousand max.'
Then Dan Feng sent another message.
[Dan Feng: When do you plan to tell her the truth?]
[Dan Feng: I'm overstepping. I'm sure the Marshal has his own plan.]
[Dan Feng: With the Marshal's character, he definitely wouldn't deceive Jingliu.]
Zero paused for a moment, then gave Dan Feng his word.
[I won't lie to her.]
Then Zero suddenly changed topics.
[He said seafood will fall during his weather-calling ritual.]
[He also said he'll show me his true form.]
[Oh, and the tail. He said he'll make his tail appear.]
[Imbibitor Lunae, don't forget these three things when you return to Luofu.]
Dan Feng, "…"
'Yubie never mentioned any of that...'
Setting aside the seafood thing, why had Yubie agreed to show the Marshal his true form and tail?
The Dragon Lord pulled out the letter in disbelief. He read it left to right, front to back. He still couldn't find those three promises.
He swallowed his pride and typed.
[Dan Feng: How about… I just give you a million gold instead?]
Zero didn't make it difficult for him.
[Send the letter.]
[You said a thousand gold, so a thousand it is.]
Soon, Zero received the letter delivered by the Luminary tribe along with the agreed thousand taels of gold.
Judging by the paper of the envelope, it seemed newly replaced not long ago.
Inside was a thin sheet of paper, with only a single passage written on it.
Zero stared at the letter.
[If the 'Imbibitor Lunae' invites you, and if you happen to be free, then come to Luofu and listen to a tune. What do you think?]
Before his molt, Yubie had not mentioned his tribe in the letter.
He could have used their past friendship to secure more benefits for the Luminary tribe.
But Yubie had only extended an invitation on behalf of his future reincarnation.
Why write only this short passage?
Yubie believed that the Imbibitor Lunae and the Marshal would go together, a hundred years later, to fulfill the promise.
A first meeting, and a reunion.
Perhaps even Yubie never expected that this letter would end up in Zero's hands thousands of years later.
Zero lowered his eyes and slipped the paper back into the envelope.
He thought of the Mother-and-Child River Water in his backpack.
By logic, before leaving, he would have resolved all potential issues.
If he hadn't used that item in the beginning because he was worried the Luminary tribe hadn't fully integrated into the Xianzhou, afraid it might cause conflict between Xianzhou citizens and the Luminary people…
Then after thousands of years, surely they would have integrated.
So why was the Luminary tribe's reproductive issue still unresolved?
A guess surfaced in Zero's heart.
'Was it… because of those researchers?'
To confirm it, he called Hua.
Through the jade communicator, he couldn't judge her expression, so he listened closely to her tone.
Hua's tone held no irregularities as she answered him, "After that incident… multiple fields regressed by over a hundred years. Many Xianzhou projects had to be shut down. No one could take over that project."
Zero didn't continue the topic. Instead, he asked how long until the war ended.
Hua's tone held helplessness.
"Soon. Just a few more days. Originally it would've taken a year… I came to the front lines specifically to end it within three months. And then 'Reignbow Arbiter' stepped in… One month. That's already fast enough…"
Zero chatted casually with her for a bit, then hung up.
He asked Jingliu for the password to her residence, planning to set up a surprise in advance.
———
Just as Hua said, after a few more days, Zero finally awaited the return of the Cloud Knights.
Wearing the gloves Jingliu had gifted him, holding a peony, he at last saw his beloved return.
When Jingliu saw the flower in his hand, she froze.
Then she curved her lips into a smile and said, "What a coincidence."
Jingliu consciously lightened her movements as she carefully took out the flower crown she had personally woven.
Holding the crown with both hands, she lifted her arms. Seeing Zero frozen in place, still standing straight, she raised an eyebrow, "What's wrong? You don't like it?"
Zero bent down slightly so Jingliu could place the crown on his head.
He looked into his beloved's red eyes and shook his head with a soft laugh.
"How could I not? I love it."