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What the hell was the Warden thinking?

I hid my reaction with [Indifference] and [Struggler’s Resolve] but couldn’t pass up the opportunity to express how I truly felt about the matter.

“Damn,” I said. “Was their level of competence so far below Master Hei Dong’s that you had hire all three of them to make up for it?”

Fia let loose a startled laugh, clearly taken off guard by my off-handed comment but then cut it short immediately, struggling to maintain composure in front of her cousins and sect leader. The three bird sisters were—not surprisingly—a bit slower on the uptake and reacted with delayed scowls and sneers.

“How dare you!”

“You think you can openly disrespect us like that?”

“We are Vice Wardens now! You must respect us!”

I raised my hands in surrender. “Hey take it easy. Just wanted to know what my taxes were going towards, is all.”

“I should kill you where you stand for that remark,” one of them said, taking a step forward. “You have insulted not just a royal lady but a high official of the imperial throne!”

I still couldn’t tell them all apart, but by her bravado I figured she had to be Lady Silver Hawk, the seemingly oldest of the three. Or whom they deferred to like an older sister anyway.

“Look Wi Shen, or are you Silver Hawk? I can never tell you two apart. Anyway, there’s nothing to be gained here. Just take it easy.”

I grinned at her, reminding her that I knew her secret of when she impersonated her younger sister in the ring. Her insides boiled with anger and indignation, but she didn’t say anything else.

Dumbasses indeed, I concluded and then cultivated her impotent anger to add fresh Frenzy to my growing Dantian.

The Warden herself then stepped forward, ahead of her nieces. “You should count yourself lucky that this is your last day in my city, Iron Bull. For make no mistake, every stray word from that loose tongue of yours will held to account one day.”

“I guess it’s a good thing I haven’t violated any laws then,” I said, matching her gaze and my heart began to pound. I still couldn’t believe I was standing this so close to her. The Lady Silver Tear, the ice-cold bitch who had left my parents and sister for dead. The woman I had vowed to destroy from the time I was eight years old. The thought surged through my mind, tapping into the root of my Dao. But I would have to wait. As strong as I was, she was a Diamond Bracket contender and a Sacred Soul Realm cultivator to boot.

A full realm above where I stood right now.

I would need to take every advantage the training at the Legionnaire’s Academy would afford me, not only for my imperial status, but to gain the cultivation strength and fighting skills I would need to defeat the warden as well.

The Lady Silver Tear smirked. “Still clever but not very wise.”

I raised a brow, trying to figure what the hell she meant by that, but then her eyes shifted towards Fia.

“Lady Silver Light,” she said and then paused. “Or perhaps I will begin to refer to you as your new title now…Fia Dong, the betrothed of the Iron Bull.”

Despite the disparaging remark, Fia bowed to her with respect. “Yes, honorable warden?”

“You would do well to know that I have tasked my new vice wardens to review the regulations surrounding the Terran populace in the Native Housing District and to ensure the enforcement of the same. As you are soon to enter into that sect, I thought you should know in advance that reform is swiftly on its way.”

Ire stirred in my gut. Was she actually going to let those three boneheads loose on my people? I was just about to say something when she continued ahead of me.

“I have also heard rumor of your father engaging in some sort of commerce within his private home. I will of course ensure that one of my Vice Wardens visits him personally to ensure he has the proper license to conduct such business.”

My ire turned to outright rage as her gameplan became clear.

She wasn’t just targeting me and my people.

She was gunning for Fia and her family as well.

The thought brought on a new sense of oppression and control. A control I wished I had to power to eliminate with a stroke of my blade, but I just didn’t have the strength or status to deal with it now.

Curse this damn bitch, I thought.

She had probably dragged her ass and that of her three incompetent nieces up here just to belabor the point right before I would depart. A farewell that would make it clear that all would not be well while I was away from home. Damn cultivator society manipulation at its best. I could sense the subtle fear in Fia’s soul as she no doubt saw the gameplan for herself.

But I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of a win.

I steeled myself with [Indifference] and gave a cheery smile.

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“Good to hear it,” I said. “It’s about time the Warden’s office paid some attention to the Native Housing District. I’m sure my sect would welcome any change to come and adapt accordingly.”

“Let’s hope they do,” Lady Silver Tear said. “The punishment for disobeying Imperial law is quite steep.”

“You’d be one to know,” I said without missing a beat. “The Princess herself called you out on your own infraction, didn’t she?”

I gave her a shit-eating grin and her insides surged with rage.

“You insolent little cur!” she shouted, finally losing her composure. “I hope you do succeed in surviving the academy and return here so that I can kill you with my own hands. I will make you pay for every stray word that filthy mouth of yours as uttered.” Her eyes then shifted to Fia as she gave a leer. “But not before I make you suffer the loss of everything you hold dear.”

My hand was on my axe before I knew it, brandishing it before her face. The move was so sudden that the three bird sisters let out a gasp along with Fia, but to the Warden’s credit she didn’t flinch at all and merely held her stare.

“Oh? Am I the one to have finally struck a nerve now?” she said.

Damn bitch…

“You even think about doing something to her and I’ll make sure even your ancestors will feel wrath, you got me?”

The Demon surged within me as my Flame roared, the outright threat begging me to have our duel right here and now. But luckily the Struggler was also at the controls, easing me back from what would be a disastrous error in judgement.

“Bold words,” she said. “We will see how much of that bravado is left if you ever do return. Odds are that you won’t however.”

“I work best when the [Odds are Against Me], bi—!”

“Greetings all.”

The interruption came from a gentle voice I didn’t recognize and I paused to see a petite woman in imperial robes addressing all of us. She was plain looking, short hair, not a martial cultivator by any means, but she had a gold and jade pin on her robes that looked very official.

“A thousand apologies for the interruption,” the woman said. “This One is Ling Wei, personal aide to her royal majesty, Third Princess Lunalah. I have come to escort you Master Iron Bull to the transport vessel now waiting in orbit for departure.”

Holy crap, I thought, lowering my axe. Talk about being saved by the bell.

The Warden and her lackeys gave the woman swift bows, clearly recognizing who she was and-or the authority she represented perhaps.

I followed suit as did Fia.

“It seems we will have to continue this conversation later,” the Warden said. “Or perhaps not at all. Farewell Iron Bull.”

She spun on heels and dragged her three lacky nieces with her.

It took all my wherewithal to not just toss my axe into the back of her head.

“You must be the Lady Silver Light,” the woman Ling Wei said, giving Fia a separate bow. “You are as beautiful as the reports claim.” She then smiled at me. “I see why the Iron Bull has fought so hard to wed you.”

Her statement took us both by surprise and Fia blushed with a laugh. “Why, thank you. You are too kind.”

The woman merely smiled but with a confidence that betrayed both her station and stature. She was clearly one used to dealing with people of authority and being aide to the princess, it made sense. “We must be away quickly, Master Iron Bull. I will leave you some privacy to have your final farewell with your betrothed.”

With that she left and headed for the waiting skiff.

“Wow,” I said looking back at the woman. “I didn’t expect an escort.”

“Max, what just happened?” Fia said. “I don’t feel like I want you to go at all now.”

I shook my head. “Don’t worry. Scare tactics is all.”

But deep down I didn’t feel too comfortable either. I suspected the Warden would have liked nothing more than to make my time away from home be hell by threatening Fia and even my clan, but surely she wouldn’t oppose the authority of the Princess to do so.

No, it had to be mind games she was playing at.

“If she were going to do anything for real, why tell us?” I said. “She’s doing this to get inside my head. Inside both of our heads. Just to get a rise out of us.”

“Yes, but she has still made Wi Shen and her sisters Vice Wardens now,” Fia said. “Even that is an afront to my father’s legacy. She’s seeking to destroy him and not to mention what the three of them might do to the sect.”

That part I couldn’t really argue with. “Yeah, they’re bound to wreak havoc back home. Shit. Wish I could get Jian Yi in on this.”

“Don’t worry,” Fia said. “I’ll tell her. The Terran sect is our sect, remember? I’m as much a part of it as I am the daughter of Master Hei Dong. I’ll take care of both of our families while you are gone, Max. Don’t worry about a thing.”

A warmth filled my heart as her courage took center stage.

“I keep forgetting you’re an absolute badass sometimes,” I said, caressing her cheek with a smile. “What the hell am I worried about? You can mop the floor with all three of those birdbrained bitches and then some.”

Fia let out another surprised laugh. “I swear, only you could come up with such colorful insults, Max.”

I pulled her into an embrace and felt my own emotions slip as I realized this might be the last time I ever held her. I pushed it away and tried to focus on the positives. Fia was strong. She could take care of herself and our clan. And as much as I now wanted to stay behind to be assured of that, I’d have to trust her and have faith that she would be alright.

“I miss you already,” I said and heard her choke back some tears.

“Don’t take big risks, okay?” she said. “Just do enough to get back here alive. Promise me, please?”

She pulled away and looked up at me with tearful eyes.

No way would my path allow me to take the easy road with anything, but for the sake of easing her fears, I lied.

“No big risks…got it.”

“I love you, Max,” she said and then with a flick of her hand produced a silver quill in her palm. “Read it once you’re on the transport. Not before. Promise me.”

“I will,” I said. “And I promise I won’t lose it this time either.”

She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

“What? Too soon to make a joke about it?”

“You’re insufferable.”

I let out a laugh. “I love you, Fia. Thank you for everything.”

We kissed and embraced again, staying like that for what felt like an hour.

“I’ll write,” I said once we finally pulled apart.

She smiled. “You’d better.”

I couldn’t keep my eyes off her as I walked away nearly backwards, waving as she blew me kisses from afar. When I finally did turn about, I found I had already reached the domed skiff with the small figure of Ling Wei standing outside.

“All set?” she asked.

I blew out a sigh. “As I’ll ever be, I guess.”

“Let us hurry onboard then,” she said walking ahead of me. “The trip into orbit will not take long, but I have much to discuss with you on the way up.”

* * *

Fia watched the skiff grow smaller and smaller in the distance until it finally fell out of view. And with it her countenance fell as well.

There it was, she thought.

He was actually gone.

A shudder of uneasiness ran through her as the reality hit and the weight of the world fell on her shoulders. Three long years and who knew what else now lay ahead of her thanks to her Great Aunt and her cousins Wi, Fi and Di Shen. But more than that, it was simply the thought of not having Max by her side that caused her soul to grieve.

It was far too soon to start missing him, she knew, but she couldn’t control her heart.

“I’ll stay strong for you, Max,” Fia whispered like a prayer. “I’ll protect our home. I’ll make sure it’s one you are proud to come back to.”

Just please come back.

She didn’t have the courage to say the last part out loud.

Deep down she had faith that not even the fates of heaven could keep them apart.

But nothing was promised.

A pang of guilt touched her soul.

She pushed it away.

She would still do her part, she would stay strong…but for them to be together again, it would be all up to max now.

And fate.

“Forgive me, Max,” she said. “I’m just not sure…”

And with an uneasy heart, Fia turned and left the sky port.