Frustration.

The only thing that stopped Xiao Lee from going on a rampage, was ironically, a reminder of his own weakness. That, of course, sent him into another round of frustration.

When he had regained consciousness for the second time in barely a week, it took all his self-control not to either wreak havoc or have an emotional breakdown.

Even now, five minutes later, he was still fighting to maintain his composure.

Becoming a Great Lord was, primarily, about truly conquering mortality. Since he’d entered that realm, he had no need for food, drink or rest. In that way, he had attained what every cultivator on Xenus craved:

He truly conquered his mortality.

In the past decade, he had only lost consciousness twice. Both times, he was fighting life and death battles to decide the fate of millions of people.

Yet in the short time he had spent in this realm, he had managed to double that number. It was even made worse by how mundane both cases seemed. The first one was simply a cultivator flexing her spirit in his presence. And the second time, he had nearly died just for a single fruit.

So, he stayed on the bed that their hosts had thankfully included for a few minutes until his emotions were much easier to control.

Just on a whim, he opened up his social media. Perhaps it could help him blow off some steam. A picture and a short caption politely ranting about his weakness later, he did feel slightly better.

The temptation to inspect the fruit was potent, it was the one thing he actually gained throughout the entire trip, but he managed to hold himself off. He was still in the Fifth’s palace, after all, and he had no idea if the prime minister could somehow sense it.

He also had no intention of even trying to find out.

A quick glance at the door told him the footsteps he heard belonged to Lisa. Not that he really needed to look.

“Lee,” she greeted, tilting her head towards him.

“Hello Lisa,” he returned, with even less enthusiasm than he expected.

“What were you expecting?”

She sounded legitimately curious.

He shook his head. He had avoided asking himself that question too.

Mostly because he wasn’t sure he liked the answer, in hindsight.

“You’re not the first, you know.”

He wasn’t sure what she meant.

“First what?”

“You aren’t the first Ascendant to act like you’re still back on your home world,” she clarified. “It’s a pretty well-documented thing. You grew up in a place where might makes right. Where strength is mostly gotten through throwing yourself in danger. Do you want to know something interesting?”

“What is that?” he asked.

“I have never been placed in a situation where my life was in danger,” she laughed. It was not a pleasant sound. “My mother wanted me to. It was all she knew. She was overridden, thankfully. Yet here I am, one of the youngers Pre-Master's in history.”

He filed away the frankly terrifying fact that Lisa’s mum, a Lone Power, could be overridden when it came to decisions regarding her own daughter.

“I know you have the urge to put yourself in risky situations to advance faster, but there’s no need for that here. We have enough simulations and other aids that mean you’ll simply be taking a lot of risk for no significant reward,’ her lips cracked open in a small smile that he thought was genuine. “Look at me shouting praises for cultivation technology, Bornie will be proud. But I hope you understand. It really would be a waste to lose you. You need to be alive to prove me wrong, after all.”

“It’s hard,” he confessed. “So much of what I see on this world goes against all I have been trained with. Change is difficult. Though I will try.”

“That is all anyone can ask of you for now, yes,” she agreed. “Acclimating is always hard, I think. You just have to try and adapt.”

“Thank you. I will adapt. I have to,” he said, as much for himself as her. “How else would I reach Master by thirty-two?”

She stared at him for a moment then flashed him an unexpected smile.

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“You know, perhaps I underestimated your determination before. Master by thirty-two, huh? I’ll hold you to those words then.”

He wasn’t sure how to respond to that. He had expected her to laugh at him, not take him seriously. He planned on keeping his word, of course, but the way she smiled briefly made him have second thoughts.

It was the kind of predatory smile Liu would often give him.

He decided it was best to change the topic.

“How did you find me?” he asked, curious. “The Haven shouldn’t have let anyone not touched by the Fifth in.”

“We knew you would go to one of the Fifth Havens even before we got here.”

“What? How?”

“We have our ways,” she replied cryptically. “As for how, Yeller was chosen as our security detail for a reason. She isn’t affected by those kinds of restrictions.

“Still, thank you for saving me,”

He was trying not to think of what would have happened if he was alone.

“Don’t worry, there was no way we would have lost you,” she confessed. “I don't even want to imagine what would happen if we got back without you. There would be a lot of outrage, at least.”

He thought about his social media followers and all the supportive comments that were coming in even now and couldn’t disagree.

“I’ll leave you to think about what I said,” she spoke at last, before she left him alone in the room.

----------------------------------------

He spent the next two days doing a mix of meditation and cultivation. Meditation had actually let him see Lisa’s point and agree with her for the most part.

As much as he wished otherwise, it simply made sense that the Lasvanians had far more knowledge on cultivation than the masters on Xenus. He would still need to adjust his mentality to reflect that.

He didn’t make nearly as much progress with his cultivation. It was to be expected though, given the qi quality. He was glad they would be able to leave soon so he could check the fruit that was his reward when they got home.

“The prime minister is ready for us,” the ambassador said as she entered their suite, much to everyone’s relief.

“I’d hope we are not kept waiting today,” Lisa seemed sceptical. “We need to get home an address whatever mark the Fifth has left on Lee. The fact that it’s even there makes me uncomfortable.”

“Relax,” the woman waved away her concerns. “They aren’t playing those kinds of games anymore.

The ambassador was right. Thankfully for everyone, the prime minister wasted no time in seeing them.

“We have finalized our requests,” the tall woman spoke when they finished the customary greetings.

Servants came in distributing documents to everyone in the room. He skimmed through his own, noting words like absorbers, trade deal and equivalent exchange.

“We will not be able to remove tariffs for purified crystals,” Lisa pointed out.

And so began the negotiations. They stayed for hours, arguing, compromising and backtracking on different issues. He made a mental note to not try negotiating with Lisa after that.

How she even became that skilled remained a mystery to him.

Eventually, after all they had spent far too long, in Lee’s opinion, they finally agreed on the details. He didn’t focus much on the details of the agreement. He was honestly just glad that they had finally agreed on something.

Both parties signed it; the prime minister on behalf of the Fifth Republic, and Lisa representing President Liam.

“It’s time to hand over the prisoner,” Lisa mentioned after all the signings were concluded.

“Of course,” her counterpart agreed, then gestured to the Keeper who nodded her head and left.

* * *

Amile Fifthtouched sat in her cell wondering when another cursed day would be over.

Misery.

She had never known the meaning of the word, not really.

Not all those times she had been forced to lead the worship.

Not when she couldn’t go with her friends to a party in the Vague.

Not even when she felt trapped with her family.

No, at that moment, she was even grateful for her family. That they had not allowed her to feel true misery.

She heard familiar footsteps that filled her heart with dread. At first, when she had thought herself enough to be quickly rescued, she always perked up at the sound of footsteps, wondering if it was someone coming to tell her she was free.

She had long been disavowed of that notion, of course. Now she mostly felt indifferent when she heard footsteps. Unless, of course, those footsteps belonged to the Keeper, in which case she felt fear.

The woman still had not touched her so far, but she had been getting more unhinged the longer Amile stayed in the cell. She only hoped it was not today.

She had little hope of being saved now, but at least she could hope any torture was postponed as much as possible.

“Betrayer,” the woman spoke in her usual monotone when she came into view. “You are coming with me.”

Perhaps foolishly, she allowed herself to feel hope. The false hopes of a naive girl, she knew, but she wasn’t sure what would be left when hope was no more.

So, she held on.

Even as the Keeper took her past unfamiliar hallways and twisting corridors, she told herself that her hero had come to save her from this foul place. That she was loved and not abandoned by her family.

A naive girl’s dream.

Finally, the Keeper took her to a door that was excessively fancy. They passed an equally ostentatious waiting room and stepped into a room she immediately knew could only be the throne room.

On a raised chair modelled in the form of the Fifth sitting down, sat a woman she instantly recognised immediately.

Hukkah Fifthchosen was someone most of her family and the entire community would love to meet. She was the key to breaking the exile, after all. Yet she only took a small part of her attention.

On a seat opposite the prime minister sat two people that made her heartbeat faster. The newest Ascendant, Xiao Lee, sat on one seat looking every bit like the gentleman he was.

To his right, was the personification of her dreams and the object of her fantasies.

She made a sound that was halfway between crying and laughing, unable to control herself.

A naive girl’s dream, indeed.