Dan Feng had never had direct contact with that person.
He could only rely on the memories of past, and on the records preserved within the Vidyadhara, to outline and piece together the image of that much-debated former marshal.
That man was like a machine that did not know fatigue, endlessly handling the affairs of the Xianzhou, sometimes even taking on the workload of his subordinates.
He once made a promise to the Dragon Lords, saying,
"Don't worry, the Xianzhou will gradually eliminate the remnants left by the 'Ancestor of the Plague of Immortality.' I won't let you all stand guard forever. Otherwise, staying in the same place all the time, how boring would that be?"
Perhaps it was his attitude toward the Dragon Lords that made other dragon masters harbor some unrealistic illusions, and they began attempting to win over the former marshal.
The dragon masters, having somehow learned that his swordsmanship was outstanding, sought out a treasured sword, placed it in a wooden case, and gifted it to him.
He didn't even look at it. With the hand clad in a half-glove, he pushed away the case and said lightly, "I haven't used the sword in a long time."
He gave the dragon masters no face at all, instead turning to lecture the Moon Lord of that era.
To the former marshal, no offering compared to the Xianzhou itself.
He did not care for the strife between Dragon Lords and dragon masters, he only chose whichever option could best ensure the stability of the Xianzhou.
And the Dragon Lords, compared to the numerous and divided dragon masters, were far more stable.
The Moon Lord of that time understood this very well. In return, he took the initiative to ask what weapon the former marshal favored most. Upon learning that he no longer used a sword but had turned to the bow, he found him a bow.
That man accepted it.
As time passed, the Dragon Lords occasionally shared drinks with the former marshal. Yet amid the cups passed back and forth, his eyes were like a dead lake, never once stirring with a ripple.
The Moon Lord at the time wondered, just what thing could possibly move this man's heart?
Even after that Dragon Lord reincarnated, he never found the answer.
Because that man was not even afraid of death.
Even with blood covering his entire body, he could shut out the strategist's and the Alchemy Commissioner's screams, and with an unchanged expression, urge the Dragon Lords to continue their meeting.
A Dragon Lord once dared to ask him.
He replied, "It's nothing, merely an assassination attempt."
The strategist flew into a rage, the Alchemy Commissioner wept bitterly, but neither could stop the marshal. They could only wait until he finished the meeting before treating his wounds.
Scenes like this had been witnessed by every generation of Moon Lords.
He did not care about his own body, did not care about his own safety.
He did not even care for the Xianzhou, which he had poured out all his heart and soul, his utmost efforts, and his very life for.
Once he had chosen a successor he believed capable of bearing the burden, he unhesitatingly cast everything aside and strode toward death without looking back.
Dan Feng said to Jingliu, "I've seen the type of person you spoke of."
Jingliu's eyes lit up. Holding her drink, she eagerly pressed on, "And how was that person dealt with?"
Dan Feng slowly shook his head, telling her, "He wasn't dealt with. He died."
Jingliu, "..."
The Swordmaster frowned, casting a sharp glare at Dan Feng.
Seeing her face grow cold, Dan Feng sighed helplessly.
"It's true."
The Moon Lord of that time, upon learning of the marshal's death, was deeply shocked. He couldn't understand how someone seemingly omniscient and omnipotent could suddenly die.
It was only near his reincarnation that he suddenly understood the reason.
Even a long-life species with immense regenerative powers could shed tears from pain.
How much more so for the marshal?
Someone with a body immune to age and death, someone who could see through truths at a glance, might well grow weary of the good and evil of the human world.
If, he said if, if someone had managed to stop that man, perhaps the ending would have been very different.
Affected by the Dragon Lord's memories, Dan Feng could not help but feel desolate. He sighed and told Jingliu, "I saw that person who, even when facing his own death, had no strong emotions. Compared to his own preferences or feelings, what he cared about was only whether his decision was correct."
Jingliu fell silent.
Why did she feel like the person Dan Feng described was very much like Zero?
Not caring when poisoned, rarely showing strong emotional swings, and as for fighting…
Zero didn't seem to like fighting.
Dan Feng thought of the tormented strategist and Alchemy Commissioner, and continued, "A person like that, sigh… you really have to put more thought into them."
Jingliu instinctively turned her head toward Zero, who was play-fighting with Jing Yuan.
Dan Feng realized who she meant.
It was that man who resembled the former marshal.
'Could he really be that man's reincarnation?'
Following her gaze, Dan Feng looked at Zero.
But what he saw was the supposed reincarnation of the marshal chasing Jing Yuan all over the place, keeping just enough distance, as though he could catch him any second.
Before long, after a whole morning of training and without having eaten lunch, Jing Yuan collapsed. Zero crouched down with a cold snort, mocking him.
Dan Feng, "..."
The Dragon Lord calmly averted his gaze.
'Impossible. Absolutely impossible.'
That guy who brawled with Jing Yuan and wasn't even as mature as an elementary schooler, there was no way he was the reincarnation.
"I'll find you some related dossiers."
With those words, the Moon Lord turned and left, his composure entirely lost.
Jingliu turned back to see her carefully trained disciple Jing Yuan defeated by Zero, who was only a clerk. She made a decision in her heart.
'Jing Yuan needed more training.'
Looking at her disciple, that was what she thought.
Jing Yuan immediately sensed danger. Flipping himself up off the ground, he bolted on the spot.
Zero, "..."
The drink hadn't even made it into Jing Yuan's hands yet, and he'd already run off so fast…
He stood, asking Jingliu, "He's not coming with us?"
Jingliu seemed in a good mood. Sipping her drink, she said, "Perhaps he has plans with other Cloud Knights. Don't worry about him. Let's go."
Zero followed Jingliu into the Cloud Knights' cafeteria. After checking the dishes and collecting their meals, the two of them picked a quiet corner.
Sitting across from her, he took a bite of food, and for a moment was stunned.
Zero was deeply shaken. He took another bite of the Cloud Knights' special dishes, and couldn't help but exclaim, "Your food is so normal, and so tasty!"
Jingliu, puzzled, frowned slightly, "What, the Divination Commission's food is that bad?"
Zero hesitated. He wasn't sure if it was appropriate to complain about the Divination Commission's bizarre dishes over a meal.
But seeing she'd asked, he said, "It's always strange combinations, stuff like celery stir-fried with strawberries, bananas stewed with watermelon… I even heard our Divination Commission is considered pretty good. The Crafts Commission's food is supposed to be even worse…"
Jingliu, "..."
So she, Jing Yuan, and Dan Feng had worked so hard to shower gifts on Yingxing, and in the end, the meals their short-lived friend got were these unspeakable abominations?
After they finished eating, she would have to talk to Jing Yuan and Dan Feng about this. They couldn't let their short-life friend suffer from meals like that.
Jingliu's gaze slipped uncontrollably onto Zero, and before he could notice, she quickly lowered her head.
When Zero lifted his eyes, his line of sight caught the flush at the tips of Jingliu's ears.
He blinked slowly, and came to a conclusion.
Jingliu really did like him.
But… this was not a rational, nor a correct choice.
Zero instinctively discarded the thought, forcing himself into the calmest, most objective mindset.
After all, the age difference between them was far too great.
He still wanted, in this lifetime, to live as a human being.
So he needed to think carefully about how to politely reject her.
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