Zero realized that he actually got along quite well with Yingxing.
The man was just as proud as the rumors said, but surprisingly talkative.
Even though Yingxing had been tricked by Jing Yuan, he didn't really get angry, just argued a bit for show.
His verbal "attacks"… how to put it? About the level of an elementary school kid, probably.
By the time everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, night had already fallen deep.
Before parting, Zero and Yingxing exchanged contact information.
The drunken craftsman, swaying as he spoke, started praising Zero's views on the Long-Life Species.
"If any of those long-life species want to start trouble! Or if any of their subordinates slack off! I'll argue right back at them!"
"You're all long-life species now, you don't eat, you don't drink, you can work twenty-four hours a day and still not die! Why aren't you working harder then, huh?"
Yingxing was filled with righteous indignation. He clenched his fist and went to smash the expensive, rare-material table that Dan Feng had specially made.
But before the punch could land, Jing Yuan stopped him.
Jing Yuan coaxed him patiently, "That's all money, Brother Yingxing… think about your strength, will you…"
Those hands of Yingxing's could forge a three-thousand-pound sword.
If he really slammed that punch down… his friend would fall into endless debt repayment hell.
Even if Dan Feng wouldn't mind, Yingxing certainly would.
After Jing Yuan's advice, Yingxing gave up on smashing anything and slumped over onto the table, completely out cold.
Beside him, Baiheng soon followed, her fox ears no longer twitching, she'd lost consciousness completely.
With a wave of Dan Feng's hand, the well-trained attendants immediately stepped forward and swiftly carried the two drunkards out of the sacred realm.
Jing Yuan's eyes darted; then he quickly got up and ran after the attendants.
In an instant, only Dan Feng, Jingliu, and Zero were left in the sacred realm.
As the host, Dan Feng naturally hadn't indulged like the others. He had only sipped lightly when raising his glass.
Now, the Dragon Lord was perfectly sober. With polite composure, he gestured to an attendant.
The attendant brought forward a gift box. Dan Feng handed it to Zero, apologizing once again before changing the subject, "Then, I won't keep you any longer."
Jingliu, "…"
Dan Feng, you're making it too obvious.
Jingliu's expression turned cold, as if she couldn't control it.
Zero chuckled softly, accepted the gift box, and said to Jingliu, "Let's go, I'll walk you home."
This time, Jingliu didn't refuse.
The two of them walked in silence, neither speaking a word.
As they neared Jingliu's residence, she suddenly started talking, about the barbecue, the fine wine they had drunk earlier.
Then she said quietly, "Next time, let's drink together again?"
Zero stopped walking, looked at her quietly, then smiled and said, "Are you sure? You might regret it, you know."
Ignoring Jingliu's attempt to argue, he continued on his own, "Just like how a dazzling diamond, in essence, is nothing more than a common substance you see every day, put it under high heat, and it reveals its true form. Swordmaster, you might want to think that over."
He looked at the door just a few steps away and urged her, "Alright, go on in."
Jingliu didn't move. She stood there in silence, gazing at Zero, and finally let out a quiet sigh.
Even when poisoned, he could brush it off lightly; he'd eaten countless terrible meals…
She wanted to say, There's no need to test me like this.
But facing Zero, she could only swallow those words, shake her head slightly, and say, "The weapon I wield is a divine blade. To be honest, I'm not like Yingxing, I only know how to use a sword, not how to forge one."
"But even if I don't understand forging, I know that a weapon worthy of praise must have gone through countless strikes and grindings in places unseen."
"I don't know how long or how painful that process is for the divine blade itself, but if it ever ends up in my hands, I'll make sure it never gathers dust."
Zero understood the deeper meaning behind Jingliu's words. For a moment, he didn't know how to describe what he was feeling.
He knew his own views didn't quite fit the common sense of ordinary people.
In most people's eyes, some of his thoughts, just like Baiheng had said, made him a proper living demon.
But what he hadn't expected…
Was that after hearing his ideas, Jingliu didn't distance herself from him, instead, she said something like that.
He had sworn he'd try to be human this time…
Zero said nothing, remaining silent.
Jingliu smiled faintly and said, "It's getting late. Go back."
"Alright. Rest early."
Zero's mind was a mess. After a hasty goodbye, he turned and left.
When he got home and lay on his bed, his thoughts started running wild.
From Jingliu, he thought of the other Aeons… and as he thought, his pyrophobia began acting up again.
Tossing and turning, unable to sleep, Zero opened his jade communicator and messaged Hua.
He needed to confirm something.
[Zero: I'm not sure if I can still be human.]
[Zero: I remember you said you'd grant me one request.]
Guessing she was probably still working overtime, Hua replied quickly.
[Hua: As long as it doesn't violate the Xianzhou laws or public order and decency.]
Zero typed again.
[Zero: Then starting up the Aether-Link Engine and taking all the Xianzhou people to ascend to a higher-dimensional realm, doesn't count as violating Xianzhou laws or public order, right?]
Almost the instant he sent it, Hua rejected him.
[Hua: …Pick another one.]
Zero's suspicion was confirmed.
In that moment, everything became clear.
So that was his backup plan, the Aether-Link Engine.
To be honest, Zero didn't want to trust anyone. He thought for a while, trying to recall the feelings he'd had when he first met Hua from his fragmented memories.
Then he went over every little detail in his mind, the way Lan personally delivered the arrow, inviting him to be the Arbiter; the way Hua had once told him to relax.
If only the Aeon of The Hunt had been behind him, Hua wouldn't have treated him so casually, not when he had provoked so many Aeons.
If it were him, and someone like that existed under his command, unstable and dangerous, he'd have eliminated the threat long ago.
But Hua hadn't struck, she'd told him to relax instead.
That could only mean the backup he'd left behind was something even the Aeons feared.
And as Hua's successor, she must have known about it too.
There was no other option, it had to be the Aether-Link Engine.
Fuli had made concession after concession just to stop him from using it.
The more he thought about it, the darker his expression became.
Fuli had given him his past-life memories just to make him give up on the Engine, to stop him from stirring up trouble.
Anyone else, after learning they'd already worked five thousand years straight in their past life, would just give up on the spot!
And then she'd lied to him about "fate being unchangeable"…
What did fate have to do with someone like him, a high-dimensional intruder?
Oh right, back then, he had even respected Fuli, speaking to her politely…
No wonder she'd personally used divine power to record it all.
If Fuli, or any other Aeon, had ever lost their memories and then treated him with that kind of deference…
He'd have recorded it too. Backed it up hundreds, even thousands of times. Hired an ad agency to play it on a loop.
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