I shuffled along with my hands bound in front of me as Hein guided me by the arm towards the gangplank leading to the top of the prison roof. I got about halfway across the skiff when Governor Tai Su Long suddenly cried out.

“Wait, stop!” he said.

Sweat beaded on his brow as his eyes darted back and forth rapidly in thought.

“How much did you communicate about the battle, General Gong?” he asked. “Did you give details?”

Gong shrugged. “Not much. Qi stone pair communications are limited after all.”

“Good, good,” he said, looking to Jei Su Long. “We will tell the princess the role your legionnaires played in the defeat of the Thrantor, nephew. She will be very impressed.”

“Indeed,” General Gong said. “The Iron Bull’s disobedience of Master Jei Su Long’s command to not intervene, especially. He should be well punished for not respecting the chain of command, as you said.”

I paused for half a second, shocked at what the General had said, until I caught the irony in his voice.

That slick son of a bitch, I thought with an inward grin. He just played Tai Su Long like a fiddle.

My men quickly picked up on it too, jumping on the bandwagon to expose Jei Su Long and his uncle’s idiocy.

“Yes,” Juk Sui suddenly called out. “The princess should know how the Iron Bull forced all of us to defy the Senior Platoon Commander’s orders to follow him in slaying the Thrantor and not to stay aboard the skiff!”

“Yes, I agree!” Dim Wei chimed in. “We followed the wrong orders. We should have stayed on the skiff along with the Senior Platoon Commander. We should be rightly joining the Iron Bull in prison for what we did.”

“Silence!” Tai Su Long shouted. “We need not mention any of that to the princess. Those are trivial details far below the royal audience we have before us.”

Gong stopped short. “But how else do we explain us coming to the prison, Master Tai Su Long?”

Tai Su Long’s mouth hung open in silence.

I nearly laughed out loud as the tables were suddenly turned, but I kept the smile off my face with a grimace of [Indifference].

“And who knows what the princess herself might have been observing of the battle in her spectral form.” Gong shrugged. “She would have clearly seen the Iron Bull disobeying the direct orders, if so.”

That caused another wave of dismay to flash across Tai Su Long’s face.

“Of course,” General Gong added quickly. “It was quite a hectic series of events on the skiff. I’m not quite certain which command the Senior Platoon Commander did give. Remind me, Governor, was it to assist or to not assist?”

“What madness are you speaking of?” Jei Su Long shouted with a scowl. “My order was clearly to not a—!”

“It was to assist!” Tai Su Long shouted ahead of him and then let out a laugh. “Clearly we all heard that, didn’t we?”

As he looked to each of my platoon members, pandering to them with a smile, the shit-eating stares he got in return were palpable.

What a piece of work, I thought.

But his pathetic cultivator mindset was working in my favor now. And props to General Gong for the simple yet effective plan he had sprung on him to earn me my freedom. I gave the old man an appreciative smile as the silence drew on.

“Yeah,” I spoke finally. “That’s what he said. We were all just following his orders, right platoon?”

“Yes, sir!”

“Aye commander!”

“Following his orders, sir.”

As my men all chimed in, I held up my chains. “Don’t know why I’m in these shackles then.”

The anger within Jei Su Long flared. “Because you are a disobedient piece of—”

“Remove his shackles,” Tai Su Long said. “The princess need not see those.”

“And us stopping at a prison?” Gong asked.

Tai Su Long harrumphed, flustered. “I’m sure that you can think of some valid reason for us to rendezvous with the Princess at a prison, General? Can you not?”

“Oh, why yes,” Gong said with a smile. “It was perhaps simply the closest landmark. Wasn’t it?”

One of his aides snapped to attention with a bow. “That it was, General.”

“There we have it,” Gong said.

Tai Su Long snorted and then fixed his robes. “Very well.”

He then pushed Jei Su Long ahead of him. “Go on, nephew. It is time for you to receive the honor of having saved this planet.”

* * *

I held my tongue as we approached the assembly of imperial officials.

Jei Su Long was grinning excitedly like an idiot, having been prepped in the last two minutes by his uncle on exactly what to say and do.

I was trading my fifteen minutes of fame for my freedom, but I didn’t care.

It was a good trade in my books.

I didn’t crave or require the attention like these two vain-glory-chasing schmucks.

Plus, I had enough attention from my own damn princess.

“You truly are the luckiest man alive,” Hein whispered next to me. “How you weasel in and out of trouble unscathed is beyond the realms of comprehension.”

“Just got to stick to your path no matter what, man,” I said with a satisfied smile. “It’ll always see you through.”

Hein looked at me quizzically and was about to say something else, when a gray bearded man at the front of the assembly greeted Tai Su Long with a deep bow.

“A thousand greetings to you, honored Governor Tai Su Long,” he said. “I am her majesty’s Chief Aide, Teu Sen. May I be the first to officially welcome you to the planet El D’shar.”

Tai Su Long returned the bow with a mere head nod. “One would wish the visit were under more pleasant circumstances, Master Teu Sen, but perhaps a timely visit in any case.”

“This One would have to agree, Governor,” Teu Sen said. “The Princess is very appreciative of your most timely response to our crisis.”

“You would have to thank the general here,” Tai Su Long said, gesturing to General Gong. “His troops did most of the work. As well as my nephew of course.”

“Oh?” Teu Sen said and then turned to bow to Jei Su Long. “The legionnaire commander. The princess is very much interested in meeting you.”

Jei Su Long beamed like a peacock. “No doubt she would. I would indeed be most honored.”

Teu Sen chuckled politely at the ‘not so subtle’ self-aggrandizement. “I shall let her know that you have arrived.”

Teu Sen then turned to venture towards the skiff, while Jei Su Long wiggled excitedly like a stupid little kid. I suppressed an eyeroll as I stood at attention with the rest of my men. As I studied the other officials in front of us, I couldn’t tell if there were a security detail or political cronies. Some were armed and look fit as cultivators, while others looked more like scholars or barristers. All members of her royal court I supposed.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

They all remained as stiff as statues, the same as we were, until Teu Sen reappeared to address us all with a loud shout.

“Presenting her royal majesty, First Princess Ul’vera, One Hundred and Twelfth heir to the Imperial Yee Dynasty, ruler of planet El D’shar and the greater D’shar system.”

At the call, the imperial staff immediately fell to their knees in a kowtow, pressing their foreheads to the floor. We all did the same, including Tai Su Long who now stood at the head of our assembly, being the highest ranked in status, I presumed.

From my vantage, the only thing I could see of the princess approaching were long, sheer robes that were white with gold trim.

“You may all rise,” a matronly voice said.

As I did so, I took in the full view of the princess, and she looked nothing like I was expecting her to. The woman now standing behind Teu Sen looked in her fifties with pale skin that was kissed with but the slightest wrinkle of age. Her tall, slim stature was slightly bent at the neck, giving her another impression of maturity. Her hair was golden like Lunalah’s but was cut short in a style that reminded me of Blue Rose. Her features were striking, with thin lips and a sharp nose. Below a set of dark brows, her eyes were a brilliant blue and held a playful gaze as a smile curled the corner of her lip.

“Governor Tai Su Long,” she said in an elegant almost sing-songlike tone. “What a pleasure indeed. I trust my older sister is still treating you all well within the core worlds?”

Tai Su Long smiled and bent at the waist. “That she is, your majesty. Princess Rheutera remains as just and benevolent as ever. I will be sure to give her your regards when I return to Lu Shui prime in just a few days.”

Her brows arched high. “Oh? Are you to venture there so quickly? If so, I must provision you with gifts for my dear sister. If it is no bother, of course.”

“I am certain it will not be,” Tai Su Long said before looking to General Gong. “Will it General?”

“We live to serve the Great Soul Emperor and his heirs, your majesty,” Gong said with a bow. “Our hold is yours to fill. We will ensure it reaches the realm of Princess Rheutera unharmed.”

Princess Ul’vera smiled. “My thanks, general. And excuse me for imposing upon you so quickly for a favor after you have just liberated my fair planet from the tyranny of the Cursed Stars. You have my deepest gratitude. I will see to it that your battalion is commended for their responsiveness and sacrifice.”

With that she performed a small curtsey with a bow of her head.

Gong chuckled and even blushed a little. “Only doing our job, your majesty.”

“And a splendid job they did,” Tai Su Long said with an unabashed grin. “But there is one group that went beyond their remit to also assist, your majesty.” He then gestured to Jei Su Long. “The Xing Long was fortunate enough to have a platoon of graduate legionnaires on board. Their commander, my nephew, Jei Su Long, valiantly commanded his platoon to assist the battalion in defeating the Thrantor. And, as General Gong will no doubt attest, should they not have intervened, the losses to your planet would have been catastrophically worse.”

I nearly burst out laughing.

What a shit heel turn around, I thought.

Luckily, I was able to stifle my laugh with a mild cough and a clearing of my throat.

“Why yes,” Ul’vera said, squinting her eyes as she looked at Jei Su Long seemingly confused. “The intervention was most timely and appreciated. For a moment, I feared that I myself, might have had to put these old bones to use once more to vanquish that monster.”

“Heavens forbid it,” Tai Su Long said. “A task far below your station. Although, I must admit that I too was fearing that I would have to soil my hands on so base a task, until my valiant nephew opted to do so in my place with his legionnaires.”

I stood there baffled at the exchange.

Instead of being thankful for all the lives being saved, the princess was grateful for not having to dirty her hands? It was incredible, but it sort of mirrored Tai Su Long’s original reaction to the situation. Their status mattered more than outcomes. It made me wonder what the hell these cultivators did with their power besides beat each other up for bragging rights.

The twisted irony of it all triggered the root of my Twin Dao.

These people were the worst.

“Well received, Master Legionnaire Commander,” Princess Ul’vera said with another bow of her head. “Your assistance spared me much discomfort and perhaps even embarrassment at my ripe old age.”

She then threw her head back with a loud and obnoxious fake laugh that sounded like a cackle. I cringed inwardly but managed to put on a smile of politeness along with the rest of the assembly.

The laughter died out and she eyed Jei Su Long with that strange look again. “You are the platoon commander, yes?”

“No, your majesty,” Jei Su Long said and then straightened himself with pride. “I am the Senior Platoon Commander.”

Princess Ul’vera looked at him nonplussed, clearly unimpressed by the additional title. “Oh… I see,” she said, with a little laugh. “Where then is the man I saw? Clearly you are not he. Is he one of your subordinates? I pray he hasn’t died.”

The princess craned her neck to look over Jei Su long’s head and before I could even duck for cover, she made eye contact with me. A pulse of lemonade exuded from her soul as her eyes grew wide with excitement.

“There you are!” she exclaimed with a wide smile and pushed between Jei Su Long and his uncle to make a bee line straight for me. She was a tall lady, even with her craned neck, coming just a head shorter than me as she got up close and personal.

“Now this is the man I came to see,” Ul’vera said with a lingering grin. “I watched you kill that beast in a single technique and with no regard for your person, diving into those flames like you were born to them. Tell me your name, young man.”

The sudden attention was a bit startling, but the reaction from everyone else was even more so. Hein was literally shitting bricks next to me as were most of my men. They’d probably never been this close to an actual princess before. And granted, neither had I, but I had spoken to mine and had even gotten weird pseudo love letters from her. So perhaps I was a bit immune to being star struck, or maybe it was just my natural [Indifference] kicking in, but I maintained my composure as I responded.

“They call me the Iron Bull, your majesty,” I said with [Struggler’s Resolve]. “Platoon Commander of the 8th Deployment of the 5073rd Legionnaire Campaign.”

“Junior!” Jei Su Long shouted from behind her. “Junior commander!”

But Princess Ul’vera wasn’t paying attention to him anymore, her eyes now locked with mine.

“Your name suits you well,” she said. “It mirrors the image of your Sacred Soul perfectly. The sign of a truly powerful core.”

She paused to study me some more without saying anything, the stare becoming almost uncomfortable. But I played it off with more [Indifference] which seemed to only crank up the lemonade.

“Tell me, where do you hail from?” she said finally. “As a legionnaire, I assume you are a native, but I am not familiar with those from your world. Where is it?”

“My planet is called Terra,” I said. “We are on the outskirts of the empire. Far from the core worlds. Or so I understand.”

“Terra,” she echoed me quizzically. “I have not heard of it. Tell me, who is your ruler?”

“You mean my princess?” I said with a smile. “Third Princess Lunalah, Two-hundred and...”

Shit, what was it?

“Two hundred and Fifty-Seventh heir to the throne, your majesty,” Hein answered for me.

Ul’vera raised a questioning brow at him.

“The Iron Bull and I happen to be from the same world,” he said.

She cocked her head with interest. “Oh, is that right?”

“Indeed, your majesty,” I said.

She chuckled. “What a small world.”

Ul’Vera then cupped her chin in thought a moment.

“Lunalah, you said?” Then suddenly her eyes lit up with recognition. “Why… that must be one of Revenah’s daughters. Your world must not be very old then.”

“No, your majesty,” I said. “We… joined the great empire about fourteen years ago now.”

Her eyes truly grew wide now as her mouth fell open. “You have achieved such power in only 14 years? Broken through to the Sacred Soul Realm in less than two decades?”

That got more attention than I wanted it to.

Even Tai Su Long now looked at me with eyes full of envy, incomprehension and hate.

Jei Su Long mirrored the same.

Shit, I thought. My cover of anonymity was blown.

“You are clearly a prodigy,” Ul’vera said, sounding almost out of breath. “I swear, were I not old enough to be your grandmother’s, grandmother, I would perhaps make room for you as my 4th husband!”

She let out another one of her overly fake cackle laughs again, and everyone joined in with mild discomfort. She was clearly joking, or so I hoped, but the lemonade pouring out of her soul and the coy look in her eyes sent me mixed signals.

This was a new kind of ick, but I endured it with [Struggler’s Resolve].

“Perhaps I should introduce you to my granddaughter upon your return from the Hell Worlds, Master Iron Bull,” she said. “She is yet in her prime. A fitting match you would be.”

I was taken aback by her forwardness, but I suppose at her age and power, nothing was out of her reach to request.

“I… ah.”

“He’s spoken for,” Hein said.

“Oh?”

“Yes. He is betrothed,” Hein said and then shot me a threatening side glance. “To my sister.”

Ul’vera blinked shocked. “Oh my. How small a world indeed. Brothers-in-law-in-arms?”

“To be,” Hein added, as if for clarity.

I laughed it off with a grin. “Yes, to be.”

“Well then,” Ul’vera said. “I suppose that is that. I certainly wish you the best, Iron Bull and thank you so much again for your valiant assistance today. It was a treat and a marvel to see.”

Ul’vera performed her little curtsey bow again and then spun on her heel.

She got a few steps away and then paused. “And should things not go as planned, or if, per adventure, you grow tired of your first bride, as most inevitably do, be sure to remember me.” She then looked over her shoulder with an almost predatory smile. “I have many granddaughters that would relish the chance at being even your second wife.”

* * *

I scratched the back of my head with confusion as I watched the imperial skiff depart.

What the hell even was that? I wondered.

Hein was standing next to me, looking up at the skiff and perhaps thinking the same. “How do you even do it, Chun? You had a damn tenth generation princess practically eating out of your hand. I just don’t understand it.”

I shrugged. “Women with power dig guys who aren’t impressed with them, I guess. And what the hell was with you outing me like that anyway? The whole empire doesn’t need to know I’m getting married.”

“Are you kidding me, Chun?” Hein said, narrowing his eyes at me. “You’ve gotten my sister pregnant out of wedlock. No way in hell am I letting you flee from her with some damn princess granddaughter.”

“As if, man,” I said shaking my head. “And for your information, getting through the Hell Worlds to marry Fia before the baby comes is exactly what I’m aiming to do.”

“So you say…” Hein harrumphed, folding his arms. “And speaking of being unimpressed. I am officially unimpressed by you, by the way. You’re still a Chun in my books. And furthermore, there are others who are now unimpressed with you, if you haven’t notice.”

“The hell are you talking about?”

Hein lifted his chin to where Jei Su Long and his uncle were eyeing me like I was public enemy number one. “You’ve caused them to lose face before the princess and now they are jealous of you as well. You must be wary of them now. They will perhaps seek to kill you somehow.”

I huffed out a laugh. “Yeah, no shit.”

“I mean it, Chun,” Hein said, his tone suddenly serious. “You must take care on your journey from here on. Your very existence is an afront to them now.” He then slapped me on the back. “And I would know. Because you were the same to me.”

Hein left me then and I stared back at Jei Su Long and his uncle.

Just great, I thought.

The target on my back just got Governor sized, and my next stop, would be on his home world.