"This isn't politeness, it's what's deserved."
Yueyu shook her head. "Those with ability should repay their benefactors in some way, even if it's just a formality."
"If the Alliance wasn't planning to reward you personally, I would want to repay your kindness myself."
Yueyu said with a serious expression, "Though it's unlikely, if you ever run into trouble in the future, you can always come to the Yaoqing."
"No matter what it is, we will certainly offer our humble assistance. That won't change, even if you leave the Xianzhou!"
Yueyu promised.
"The Fanghu as well."
Seeing the grand prize she was about to secure being coaxed away by someone else, Xuanquan quickly made her stance clear.
"What's with all this formal talk? We're all bros here!"
Leon was never one for pleasantries; his go-to was always to call everyone "bro."
Besides, even if he let these people repay him, what could they give him?
Could they increase his stats?
They couldn't, so a simple "thank you" for the emotional value was enough.
Better to just go eat. That was more practical!
"Let's go, let's go. Time for the feast."
Leon, who only wanted to get to the banquet, urged the two to lead the way.
...
...
The Fanghu.
Sanze Grotto-Heaven, Chishui Bay.
A breathtaking sea of water flowed silently across the grotto-heaven's dome.
In the ocean overhead,
the massive bodies of Shangguan Sea Serpents passed through, Lanternfish gathered together like fireflies in the water, and Sirimant Conches hunted among the schools of fish like agile missiles.
In this war against the Denizens of Abundance, the Fanghu had undoubtedly suffered the most catastrophic losses.
Besides Sanze, most of the grotto-heavens had sustained heavy damage.
The East Sea was the most severe; otherwise, today's victory celebration would have been held there.
"Everyone, let us raise the wine in our hands and toast the Reignbow's savior!"
Xuanquan stood from the main seat, raising the slender cup in her hand.
After today, the grievously wounded Fanghu would certainly be unable to participate in any external affairs and would need a period of recuperation.
"The reason we can still see our fellow countrymen beside us, safe and sound,
the reason we can still raise our cups together, talk freely, lament our survival, and celebrate the retreat of the Abundance, is all thanks to him!"
Xuanquan was grateful to him from the bottom of her heart.
If he hadn't intervened, even if the Fanghu had survived the calamity under the Reignbow Arbiter's arrow of light, its losses would have been dozens of times greater.
"Many among you may not yet know his name, but that doesn't matter. His name will be forever etched in the annals of history."
"But is being recorded in history enough? No! Words eventually fade with time, just like the Reignbow Arbiter. We must ensure the events of today are passed down through the generations!"
Xuanquan said with great earnestness, "Let everyone who hears his name remember what he did for the Fanghu!"
"Leon."
She slowly uttered the two syllables.
"That is his name. Let us never allow the name of our savior to fade from the Fanghu!"
"Leon! Leon! Leon!" xN
Below, the Cloud Knights and Vidyadhara, seated at tables like at a grand feast, raised their cups and sincerely chanted the hero's name.
"Xuanquan is really going all out..."
Yueyu watched the sensational scene, seeing only one objective written all over Xuanquan's face.
She truly wanted to keep him on the Fanghu.
Creating such a huge spectacle certainly had some sincerity behind it, but it was more about making her stance clear.
Or rather, subtly currying favor with the promise of status.
Look, the residents of the Fanghu will adore you for a lifetime, just as they revere the Reignbow Arbiter!
No one will be above you; you will be completely above the masses!
The average person would find it impossible to refuse a position that was practically equivalent to being a ruler.
'Will he choose to stay?'
Yueyu wondered, shifting her gaze to the person in question sitting beside her.
She was quite curious about his reaction to all this.
And amidst this grand display of gratitude, what was the man of the hour doing?
"These chicken wings aren't bad."
Leon was gnawing on a crimson roasted wing made from something called a Fruitwood-Grilled Shattan Terror-bird.
The man of the hour was frantically chowing down.
Yueyu was no longer surprised.
After all, his entire person was an aggregate of surprises. He couldn't be judged by conventional standards.
If he truly wanted status, the Xianzhou Alliance would surely offer him a position even higher than one on the Fanghu.
But no one knew what he actually wanted.
Even the Xianzhou Alliance couldn't cater to his desires if they tried.
"Hey, let's see what this happy water is all about."
Leon picked up the orange glass bottle of soda beside him.
He didn't drink alcohol, so the Fanghu had sent a few bottles of this to their table.
It seemed to be called something like Soul-Soda. It looked like it would taste no different from orange soda.
Clink!
He placed the opener on the bottle's mouth and flicked it upward. The sound of fizzing bubbles emerged!
Then, with a flick of his wrist, the cap came off completely and went flying with a pop!
And just at that moment, Jingtian returned with the short, pink-haired girl.
"Haha, I'm back."
He called out, and the bottle cap, by sheer coincidence, landed right in his mouth.
"Cough, cough!"
Feeling a foreign object in his throat, Jingtian quickly coughed a few times and immediately spit the cap out.
"I should have performed a divination before coming."
Jingtian looked at the bottle cap in his palm, finding the situation rather awkward.
"What's wrong?"
Fu Xuan was too short to see what had happened.
She only knew that her bastard master had suddenly stopped and looked like he was having trouble breathing.
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"It's nothing."
Jingtian clenched the cap and looked down at his disciple. "You came for the newly appointed Heavenly General of the Reignbow Arbiter, didn't you?"
"Indeed."
Fu Xuan nodded.
The General had her greet this direct disciple of the Reignbow Arbiter on behalf of the Luofu. Wasn't the subtext an attempt to recruit him?
You have to understand, there are only six Xianzhou ships left now.
The Daiyu, the Yuanqiao, the Cangcheng.
Three Xianzhou ships. One fell in the Star Calendar year 1200 during the Shrouded Wraith campaign.
One went missing after stalling out during the "Birth of Calamity" civil unrest on November 21, Star Calendar year 3287.
One was devoured in Star Calendar year 6300 by the living planet "Ketu-Rahog."
Given the current situation, it's highly unlikely they would let Leon command a Xianzhou ship.
Although the Alliance holds the Reignbow Arbiter's direct disciples in the highest regard, it still has its bottom line.
It's impossible for them to ask any of the currently serving Heavenly Generals to step down and yield their position, even though many would surely be willing.
But the Alliance isn't that opportunistic.
In other words, if Leon were to stay, the most likely outcome would be him choosing one of the six Xianzhou to serve as a second-in-command.
He'd have the treatment of a Heavenly General, but the status of a free agent.
No duties, but he could draw a normal stipend, and his status would be equivalent to that of a Heavenly General.
Rather than recruiting him into the Alliance, it's more like enshrining Leon as a weapon of war.
"Why do you ask?"
Fu Xuan asked, puzzled.
Although she had come specifically to see this bastard master of hers, she definitely couldn't say so.
Lest he think she agreed with him and get some satisfaction from it.
Besides, if she could really recruit Leon for the Luofu, it would be a great achievement.
Not to mention it would speed up the progress of her usurpation.
In the future, after she truly takes over the position of General, this would be her indelible contribution to the Luofu!
____
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