Have the fleet return to Finis! News of the successful rescue of the King and Queen had already spread like wildfire across Jingzhou before they even arrived. The entire Oasis Palace was enveloped in a wave of jubilation. A grand celebration ceremony was prepared upon the fleet's return. While the King and Queen were naturally the focus, Yang Ying was undoubtedly the most conspicuous figure.

The King and Queen, along with Haler, had learned the full story from Idni on the way back. The involvement of thirteen Third-Tier Peak masters had shocked them profoundly. Third-Tier Peaks commanded universal respect throughout the galaxy; seeing even one was rare for ordinary people, let alone thirteen!

Later, the Kingdom’s intelligence services on the Capital Star relayed more detailed reports: a scene of desperate fighting at the castle gates, the souls of thirty or forty Third-Tier masters scattered to the void, and the death of the Pseudo-Republic’s Secretary of State, Vatti—that was the crowning jewel, lending the entire narrative an added brilliance, truly a case of 'diamonds are forever, one lasts for ages.'

Thirteen. Those invisible masters had achieved such a glorious feat in those brief few minutes that it could almost be recorded as a legend, ensuring their eternal renown in Flin, discussed with relish centuries later. Perhaps only the personal intervention of a Fourth-Tier existence could overshadow such dazzling glory.

After the welcoming ceremony and the subsequent banquet concluded, the King and Queen gathered with their seven children in a small hall within the core area of the Oasis Palace to recount the recent chain of events.

"Alas, your mother and I were determined to share the fate of the Capital Star, to live or die with it. But when the Capital Star fell and we were about to take our own lives, we were interrupted by a spy mixed in with the palace guards. We were captured by the rebels, becoming bargaining chips for them. This forced you all to exhaust yourselves sending people to rescue us, even putting up the planet designated as our final retreat. We even had to ask someone to secure it," the King sighed, looking immensely regretful of his past decision.

"Father, although a planet is precious, what is it compared to you and Mother? Before the Capital Star fell, you ordered the seven of us to scatter to find aid. If we had known you wouldn't flee, all seven of us would have found a way to escape with you," said Crown Prince Hiyde.

"Indeed, Father and Mother, you were too cunning, tricking us into leaving while you prepared to die," added the Second Princess, Halwin, whose health had slightly improved.

"Good, you are all good," the King said, looking at his children with satisfaction. "Through this experience, your mother and I have come to an understanding. We will no longer seek death, but will exert all our energy to reclaim the Kingdom's land from the rebels."

"That's wonderful!" The princes and princesses were immensely relieved to see their father regain his resolve.

King Haffen turned to his youngest daughter. "Your judgment is excellent; you actually found a Third-Tier mercenary group possessing thirteen Third-Tier Peak masters."

"That was simply my luck," Princess Haffen beamed under her father's praise. She recounted meeting Yang Ying on Vida Planet. "Master Yang Ying had just established the mercenary group, and his Spiritual Power test result showed a deep violet light. I had never seen a violet so deep it was almost black, so I decided to try my luck. Master Yang Ying initially refused. But fate intervened when the assassin Tarlin came for me, pulling Master Yang Ying into the conflict. Afterward, I don't know exactly how it happened... I heard it was because of the singer's appeal that Master Yang Ying finally agreed to help us. So, a few days ago, he arrived on Finis Planet, along with Master Sinidi!"

Meanwhile, Yang Ying returned to the temporary encampment. The desert at night was intensely cold, but Yang Ying was unfazed by the chill. Moreover, the air conditioning equipment inside the tent regulated the temperature perfectly, making it feel like a crisp autumn day the moment he stepped inside.

The seven royal family members had all sent gifts, which piled up into a small mountain inside the tent. The gift list was meticulously detailed, covering everything from sustenance to clothing. Items provided by the royal house were naturally exceptional, all expensive luxuries. Yang Ying felt it would be impolite to refuse such heartfelt gestures, so he accepted them without ceremony.

At midnight, a violent sandstorm swept through. Because the weather had been forecasted days in advance, it caused no significant disruption. Although the temporary camp tents were makeshift, they were extremely sturdy and were not blown away by the storm.

However, there were always unfortunate souls. Some who chose not to stay put in the tents at night, but ventured outside. Those with strength braced themselves like ancient, deeply rooted trees, impossible to blow away. Those with less strength but good luck might be swept away but could be found later. But those lacking both strength and luck simply vanished.

The next morning, a servant from the Oasis Palace was dispatched to find Yang Ying again, relaying that the King requested an audience.

Yang Ying returned to the palace and met with the King. After a night's rest, His Majesty’s entire demeanor had drastically changed. When Yang Ying had first rescued him, he still carried a trace of (decadence/despondency). But this feeling had now completely vanished. Standing before Yang Ying was an elder radiating mental sharpness, his eyes filled with vitality, his gaunt body seemingly charged with inexhaustible energy. This meeting felt like having morning tea. Yang Ying and the King sat across a small table holding two cups of richly aromatic beverage. The liquid was an oily, milky yellow, smooth and sleek like the finest silk. Each held a cup, and at a glance, it seemed as if they were merely engaging in casual conversation.

"Master Yang Ying, did you rest well last night?" The King took a sip and gestured for Yang Ying to try as well.

"That sandstorm last night was quite fierce. The howling wind must have made it hard for many to sleep," Yang Ying tasted the drink. The sensation upon entry was exquisite; the rich aroma lingered in his mouth, and the first touch on his tongue was unforgettable. He couldn't help but muse that royalty truly knew how to enjoy life, even while situated in the harsh desert, they hadn't abandoned comfort.

This wasn't to say they were decadent, but rather a habit of royalty. The royal family and ordinary people lived in different worlds. Such behavior might seem luxurious to commoners, but for royalty, it was simply daily life. Luxuries, in their eyes, were necessary provisions. It was much like how modern people eat white bread—utterly common—but in ancient Europe, white bread was a high-end food only nobles and the wealthy could afford; commoners ate hard, dark bread. Could we say modern people are all extravagant just because they eat white bread? Clearly not.

Thus, Yang Ying approached the King's hospitality with an even keel; it was the most normal thing in the world, nothing to be surprised about.

The two chatted idly about insignificant topics for a while. The King felt the time was right and gradually steered the conversation toward the internal conflict.

"Master Yang Ying, to be frank, a mercenary group like yours, possessing so many masters, is being wasted fighting naval artillery duels on the front lines," the King set down his cup, his expression serious. "The front lines are for the regular army to handle. Masters should be used for surprise attacks on enemy vital points, or for assassinating enemy leaders, destroying supplies, and other military actions requiring few personnel, high agility, and powerful combat ability. Making masters waste away fighting attrition on the front lines means they are no longer masters."

Yang Ying also set down his cup. "What does Your Majesty mean?"

The King continued, "Master Yang Ying must also know that a planet loyal to the royal family was recently subjected to an extermination policy by the rebels—almost the entire populace was slaughtered, and the blame was pinned on us, claiming it was a suicide attack by the Kingdom's forces."

Yang Ying nodded. "I heard about that incident. The rebels truly went too far."

"Yes, Master Yang Ying is right, they went too far. How could our Kingdom's army stand by and allow such an atrocity to happen under our very noses without any reaction?" The King slapped the table. "If we make no move, those from other species who know the truth will think we fear the rebels. And those who don't know the truth might even suspect us of having a guilty conscience and believe the rebels' distorted narrative. Therefore, we must react."

"Does Your Majesty mean you will be sending troops out soon?" Although he asked this, Yang Ying already knew the King's answer. The planet's annihilation had been discussed by the General Staff, who unanimously agreed that the Flin Royal Family must retaliate, or the royal family's interstellar prestige would suffer greatly—this was not the time to worry about reputation.

"Yes, the deployment schedule is being arranged. All soldiers have been mobilized. I estimate the military can produce a specific timetable for departure as early as tonight, and we will certainly take to arms before noon the day after tomorrow to demand justice for the innocent people who died on that planet," the King stated decisively.

Yang Ying picked up his cup and took another sip, recalling a strategic plan previously drafted by the General Staff. That plan outlined the most suitable role for the Tran Mercenary Group in this war.

The King's earlier assertion that masters shouldn't waste themselves in front-line attrition roughly matched the General Staff's proposal: the Tran Mercenary Group should avoid frontal engagements with the enemy's main force as much as possible, instead focusing on flanking maneuvers to sabotage enemy strongholds, bypassing the main enemy contingent to strike critical targets—this was the essence of 'avoiding the strong and striking the weak' in military strategy. Furthermore, they could loot rebel supplies. With the Floating Continent, they could carry virtually unlimited resources. This was the true path to enduring victory.

Setting down the cup, Yang Ying stated, "Avenge the innocent; that is certainly a necessary course of action. We wholeheartedly support it."

"That's excellent!" The King was overjoyed by Yang Ying's affirmative reply and smiled. "I have a military task I hope your esteemed group will undertake: harassing the rebel supply lines from the rear. Specific requirements include taking down several crucial supply planets, etc. Here is a document; please study it carefully, Master."

As he spoke, the King took out a data disk and placed it before Yang Ying.