Daiyang's body wavered, her back trembling.
She knelt on the ground, one hand bracing against the floor to steady herself.
Her other hand was clenched into a fist, pressed against her lips to block out the sound of her crying.
'You're right.'
'From beginning to end, you have always respected our thoughts, never interfering with our choices, never stopping us.'
'Even when we rushed toward death… you wouldn't say a word to stop us.'
'You once helped so many planets, saved so many people…'
'You loved us so much, doted on us Xianzhou people…'
'But what about us?'
'We treated you as an omnipotent "god."'
'When you needed us the most, we weren't there.'
'We just…'
'Let someone as warm and radiant as the sun…'
'Let someone who loved all humanity equally…'
'Be left alone in some corner no one knew, to die by himself.'
Tears streamed down Daiyang's face.
'How could I possibly open my mouth to stop you? Do I even deserve to?'
'If that's the case…'
'Then I can only… wish you… everything you desire.'
Daiyang's vision darkened, a ringing filling her ears.
Her sight and hearing lost their usual sharpness.
She couldn't see clearly, couldn't hear clearly. All she could do was kneel there, forcing her tear-filled eyes open, focusing hard, waiting for the sound of footsteps.
In her heart, Daiyang prayed.
'Please leave.'
'Please don't stop walking.'
'Please don't stay here.'
'Please… don't comfort me.'
This time, the "god" who always granted the wishes of the Xianzhou people didn't hear Daiyang's prayer. He slowly walked up to her.
Zero crouched down, gently rubbing the top of her head like he was soothing a child.
"You don't need to kneel to me.", After saying that, he fell silent.
He couldn't find the right words.
After a long pause, he spoke stiffly, "…Don't cry."
Daiyang's body shook, tears falling endlessly.
'What am I even doing?'
'A sun about to fall…'
'A compassionate father who became a "god" in a human body…'
'Even now, when you've been drained dry of your last drop of blood and are about to fall, you're still comforting me.'
Daiyang lowered her head and bit down hard on the hand pressed to her lips, trying to use the pain to suppress her sobs.
With her head lowered, she nodded sharply at Zero.
Zero patted her shoulder and said softly, "Alright, get up."
Daiyang opened her mouth.
She tried to suppress the tremor in her voice. After several attempts, she could only speak with a shaking tone, "But I look terrible right now."
"I… don't want you to see me like this."
As expected, the father who doted on them withdrew the hand on Daiyang's shoulder and said softly, "…Alright."
Chanzhen was crying so hard she could barely breathe. She supported herself with one hand and crawled on her knees to Daiyang's side.
She urgently reached out and tightly grabbed the hem of Zero's pants.
Chanzhen raised her head, revealing her tear-filled eyes.
Zero looked at her, bent down, and raised his hand, gently wiping away her tears.
But no matter how he tried, he couldn't keep up with the speed of her tears.
After a few attempts, he had no choice but to stop.
Just as he was about to pull his hand back, Chanzhen leaned forward, pressing her cheek against his palm.
Then she let go of his pant leg, placing one hand over the back of his hand and gripping his wrist tightly with the other.
Even while crying, Chanzhen's words were exceptionally clear, "Daddy, I missed you."
Because of that special title, a crack instantly appeared in Zero's otherwise expressionless face.
He looked at Chanzhen in a daze, not pulling his hand away for a long time.
Guanliang seemed thoughtful.
But with Zandar standing beside him, he lowered his gaze, restraining his expression.
Daiyang felt something was off. She hurriedly wiped her tears, straightened her upper body, and looked at the person beside her.
Chanzhen looked like she was about to cry again. Facing his gaze, she forced a fragile smile and spoke in broken phrases, "We've been apart for so long… don't you miss me?"
"I missed you so much."
"Me, Daiyang, Guanliang, Her Highness the Crown Princess… we all missed you."
Chanzhen kept rubbing her cheek against his palm.
As she did, she obediently lowered her head, exposing the vulnerable back of her neck to him.
"I missed you…"
After speaking, Chanzhen reluctantly rubbed against his palm once more.
She gradually loosened her grip, allowing Zero to pull his hand away.
Chanzhen lifted her head. With tears in her eyes, she curved a soft, harmless smile and spread her arms toward Zero, as if waiting for a hug.
Seeing Zero's expression shift as he was about to bend down, Guanliang quietly stepped back a few paces, moving behind Zandar.
Chanzhen is another name for dodder.
People always think it's fragile, soft, unable to live without other plants.
But in reality, as it grows, it keeps parasitizing and absorbing nutrients from them, until in the end… it strangles them.
Next, Zero would be knocked unconscious by Chanzhen.
All Guanliang needed to do was keep an eye on Zandar.
Just as he was thinking this, Daiyang suddenly reached out and grabbed Zero's wrist.
Guanliang and Chanzhen's expressions froze at the same time.
Zero straightened up, silently asking Daiyang what she intended.
Daiyang looked at him, tears falling again without a sound.
Her lips trembled. Under his gaze, she let go and knelt down once more.
Daiyang choked out, "I had a dream last night..."
She said a name.
Zero froze for a long time before finally searching through his memories and finding that familiar yet unfamiliar face.
He realized that the face he should have remembered clearly had become so blurred.
How could he forget? How could he?
Zero instinctively lowered his head, spreading his hands, staring blankly at his palms.
He looked for a long time. After confirming there were no traces of blood, he slowly lowered his hands.
Daiyang continued in a broken voice, "He… he came to me in a dream…"
"That guy kept going on about wanting you to take the throne. He scolded me and Chanzhen, saying we didn't take good care of you…"
"He said… you've gotten thinner…"
'So… that guy never hated you! Never blamed you!'
Daiyang spoke a few more words, then couldn't help but cry again, choking until she couldn't continue.
Zero's expression was blank.
Zandar quietly stepped back.
Only then could he avoid seeing his student's face.
Chanzhen's eyes shifted, and she also knelt down, her voice carrying a trace of tears, "You might not believe this, but Chaoyan also came to me in a dream..."
Zero, "..."
Chanzhen pretended to be dissatisfied, "That Chaoyan is really too much! He showed off your photo to me!"
"Isn't it just that limited edition of you attending the Star Sea Council, with a high ponytail and wearing a round-collared robe? It's not like I haven't seen it. I was there with you at the time! I watched the whole way!"
Zero, "..."
He had no idea what expression to make, so he could only say stiffly, "…I understand."
Chanzhen seized the opportunity, "For your wedding this time, can you let me take tens of thousands of photos as keepsakes?"
Zero was silent for a long time, his body stiff as he walked toward the stairs.
Zandar followed one step behind.
In the next instant, a small figure rushed forward.
"Waaah… Marshal…"
"I… I didn't learn from you…"
"I've always remembered what you said…"
Zero blinked slowly. Realizing something, he quickly hugged the small figure in front of him.
Cold limbs, not like a human.
It was a puppet from the Ten Lords Commission.
Zero's mind went blank.
He heard himself ask, his voice distant and unfocused, "…Marty?"
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