Just as Yutan Zhi's forehead was about to meet the floor,
a strange gravitational force lifted him up and set him back on his feet.
"Sigh... you really need to stop kneeling to everyone you meet,"
Lucoa said helplessly.
"Please, I beg you, teach me!"
Yutan Zhi sat back down, his tone filled with desperate pleading.
He'd had enough of this miserable life.
If Lucoa truly had a way to change his relationship with A-Zi —
even just a little —
he was willing to do anything for Lucoa and Ronn.
Lucoa smiled, eyes narrowing like crescents.
"Well... it might be difficult. You'll need to change your personality first.
And from today onward, stop blindly obeying everything A-Zi says."
She had already used her magic to read through Yutan Zhi's memories.
After weighing all possibilities,
this seemed like the most direct way to shift how A-Zi saw him.
Hearing that, Yutan Zhi's face darkened.
That was... too hard.
It wasn't that he wanted to be spineless —
he simply couldn't bring himself to refuse A-Zi anything.
Her every word was an imperial decree,
her requests the only reason he kept going.
"People don't change easily,"
Ronn sighed.
"Your advice won't work on him."
"In that case..."
Lucoa thought for a moment, then curved her lips into a sly grin.
"There's actually a simpler way.
Kill your rival. Then the girl is yours."
Ronn's face darkened immediately.
She's really trying to get this guy killed, huh?
If Xiao Feng died and A-Zi followed him in grief...
Yutan Zhi would probably bash his own head against a wall next.
"Forget it," Yutan Zhi said bitterly, forcing a smile as he downed another drink.
"This is fine. At least I can still see her every day."
He wanted to kill the man who'd destroyed his family —
but as long as A-Zi was there, he couldn't lift a hand.
...
The hours passed.
Yutan Zhi kept drinking, glass after glass,
treating the fiery liquor like plain water.
There was no pause, no restraint — only desperate self-destruction.
Behind his mask, pain flickered in his eyes.
He could picture himself:
pathetic, broken, a lost dog without a home.
When the third jug was empty,
he didn't ask for more.
Instead, he laid a gold bar on the counter and said quietly,
"I should go. A-Zi will worry if she can't find me. I'll come again another day."
Just before stepping out the door,
he turned toward Lucoa, voice firm with new resolve.
"I'll consider what you said. Thank you."
Then he left.
His back was straight,
but somehow still carried the weight of sorrow —
a proud man bowed by heartbreak.
"What a pitiful soul,"
Tohru murmured, her tone low.
"In my travels, I've met many people who loved and lost.
But this kind of twisted, self-destructive love... that's new to me."
Ronn patted her head gently.
"You'll see a lot more of that here. Take it all in slowly."
"Mm~."
Tohru leaned into his touch, clearly enjoying the affection.
At that moment, the system's mechanical voice echoed in Ronn's mind:
[Ding — Customer: Yutan Zhi has finished his confession.]
[Reward Options: Battle Experience / Ice Silkworm Palm.]
[Choose one.]
"Select Ice Silkworm Palm," Ronn said softly,
"and store it as a skill book in the system vault."
Since he already possessed the Ice Teigu,
learning the technique himself would be redundant.
Better to keep it for a future trade.
[Ding — Skill stored.]
A faint red glow shimmered inside the system vault.
...
After Yutan Zhi's departure,
the tavern remained quiet until lunchtime.
The meal was luxurious —
soft-shell turtle soup, marinated abalone, fresh sashimi.
Just as Ronn picked up his chopsticks,
the door slammed open with a bang!
Rayleigh swaggered in, shaking a heavy money pouch.
One look at him and you could tell —
he'd "liberated" another wealthy fool last night.
"You started eating without me, huh?"
By now, mooching meals had become second nature to him.
He plopped down beside Ronn like he owned the place.
Ronn was about to scold the old freeloader,
but then Rayleigh set two wooden boxes in front of him.
When Ronn lifted the lids,
two Devil Fruits rested inside — each carved with strange swirling patterns.
Instantly, his irritation vanished.
"System, analyze them."
[Ding — Detected: Zoan-type Cat-Cat Fruit, Tiger Model.]
[Detected: Zoan-type Bug-Bug Fruit, Rhinoceros Beetle Model.]
Two animal-type fruits.
Not bad — but not amazing either.
A small profit.
With a sigh, Ronn closed the boxes and casually slid Rayleigh's turtle soup to his side.
"You little brat! That's robbery!" Rayleigh snapped.
Ronn shot him a glance.
"You're too old for supplements. I'm saving your life."
The two glared at each other,
their playful bickering echoing through the tavern.
Rem, Tohru, and the others could only smile helplessly.
When lunch finally ended,
Rayleigh washed his irritation down with several gulps of tiger tonic wine.
Just then, the tavern's bell chimed again.
Ding-ling—
The door opened.
A short, white-haired man with a trimmed beard stepped inside.
He wore a dark crimson robe, his face stern, his presence overwhelming.
Though small in stature, the weight of his aura made everyone's chest tighten.
He surveyed the tavern,
and his sharp gaze fixed on Lucoa and Tohru.
At the same moment,
the two women turned to look back.
Their voices overlapped—
"End Emperor?"
"Father?"
The newcomer was none other than the End Emperor —
the ruler of the Chaos Dragon Faction,
and Tohru's father.
In his true form, he was a massive crimson dragon.
"Come home," he said sternly.
"We cannot interfere with this world."
"I want to stay here,"
Tohru lowered her head, eyes filled with conflict.
"This place… feels like home."
She loved this tavern —
its warmth, its strange and lively guests,
the twin maids, the black cat, and… Ronn.
It was nothing like the grim, endless war of the dragon world.
"This is no time for childish whims,"
the End Emperor's voice grew heavy,
and outside, the sky darkened to match his tone.
Before Tohru could reply,
Rayleigh stood up, completely unaware of who he was dealing with.
He walked over, patted the mighty dragon emperor on the shoulder,
and said cheerfully,
"Come on, old man, let the kid stay if she wants.
And lighten up a bit—try smiling once in a while."
Then, with a grin, he pinched the End Emperor's wrinkled cheek.
Tohru froze.
"...!!!"
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