Legacy of Hatred

Chapter 399: Wager

Liam had done the math. Dealing with the rank 1 concoctions would take him three months, while he needed around one and a half months to make full use of his rank 2 ingredients.

Then, there was the training phase to account for. With ingredients finally at hand, Liam could devise better ways to nourish his dantian. Grace had also given him an idea, but the process promised to be lengthy.

Moreover, while the concoctions could happen in seclusion, the training session Liam had in mind would unfold in the open. There was no way around it.

In total, that could amount to over half a year stuck in the same place, meaning Liam couldn’t choose randomly. Temporary hiding spots wouldn’t work anymore. He and Grace needed a proper home.

Silas’ green jade helped greatly in that regard. It featured a truly comprehensive mental map of the border, almost covering the entirety of that Outer Circle.

The mental map didn’t only account for topography. It highlighted places of interest and known forces. It also had blank spots, probably marking the powers Mairis’ families hadn’t been at liberty to reveal.

From the look of it, the Kingdom’s righteous forces preferred to dwell on the border’s edges, closer to the eastern and northern regions. Meanwhile, the central zones were the most lawless, even straight-up unruly, since magical beasts seemed to dominate them.

Still, there seemed to be no Sects anywhere, not righteous ones. The mental map actually didn’t mark anything of the sort, but Liam connected the blank spots to those forces, at least their unorthodox, demonic versions.

Minor forces littered every remaining area, which actually reinforced Mairis’ value. There were few places like that settlement, basically making the three ruling families a quasi-Guild’s branch.

Finding a home in that complicated environment wasn’t easy, but Liam had few options left after accounting for his needs and current location. He led Grace outside Mairis, green jade still in hand, but their departure was far from silent.

Night had descended, but Mairis was still bustling with guests, and everyone had seen the treatment the couple had received. News from the auction had also spread, claiming more than simple attention.

Even after Liam and Grace left Mairis, he felt observed. People were following them, keeping their distance, but still showing interest in where they were going.

Liam could address that attention, putting on the only show he knew how to put on. He could also run or show the fan, but didn’t and kept heading north, toward the border’s center. He and Grace had already talked about it, and he couldn’t be more in agreement.

As the night turned into morning and then into night again, the general attention Liam felt in his nape receded. It didn’t disappear, but it kept its distance even more to make room for sharper sets of eyes.

The couple was traversing a long stretch of uneven ground, with tilted soil and long crevices that prevented it from being a plain, when Liam stopped in his tracks. Grace followed his lead, even lifting her gaze when he looked at the dark, cloudy sky.

The night tried its best to hide everything, but two dark silhouettes eventually became visible, descending toward the couple, flying on top of guardless swords.

Liam felt no surprise seeing those familiar faces. They were the two young men from the auction, the tall, brown-haired one in the lead, while his shorter companion with unruly black hair followed closely behind.

The two didn’t land. They stopped a few meters from the ground, hovering on their swords, looking down at the couple. The one in the lead wore a calm, empty smile, while his companion had an emotionless face and brown eyes that never left Liam.

An aura of confidence enveloped the pair, one that didn’t seem to come from arrogance. They looked almost used to those interactions.

"Fellow Daoists," The tall rooting expert greeted. "You offered to settle the matter privately. Here we are."

"Do you wish to settle this while looking down on us?" Grace asked, her question being quite literal.

"Ah, Sister," The tall rooting expert sighed without losing his empty smile. "We didn’t interfere with your little ploy against Mairis’ families. Do you still refuse to give us any face?"

"You didn’t have the money to beat us fairly," Grace scoffed. "Don’t pretend it was a favor."

"She has a sharp tongue," The tall rooting expert chuckled to himself before nodding at Liam. "You. Are you the more reasonable one?"

"I definitely am not," Liam responded honestly. "What do you want?"

Truth be told, a hiss had resounded in the back of Liam’s mind for a while now. There wasn’t outward hostility, but he could taste it in the air.

Luckily, the comment about Grace had mostly sounded like a groan. It was no insult. Also, it was accurate, but it still tickled Liam’s personal line.

If the tall rooting expert had taken it a bit further, Liam would have already leaped into the air.

"These two are serious," The rooting expert commented, slightly surprised, "And over some measly ingredients."

The tall man crossed his arms, tilting his head, giving another look at the couple on the ground, before glancing at his companion.

"What do you think?" The tall rooting expert asked. "This is getting annoying."

The short man had yet to divert his gaze from Liam, and that didn’t change when he gave his reply. "He is the Black-Qi User."

"The who?" The tall man questioned, frowning.

"They beat the Axe Brigade," The short man explained.

"The what?" The tall man said, his frown deepening.

"Big axe, big man," The short man explained.

"The one who made his rank 2 weapon his whole identity?" The tall man inquired.

"Him," The short man confirmed.

"Doesn’t sound much of an achievement," The tall man admitted.

"He isn’t weak," The short man stated.

"Is he now?" The tall man whistled, peeking down at the couple. "It seems we have some interesting new players in our neighborhood."

The tall man jumped down, grabbing his sword in the meantime. He landed lightly on the ground, weapon on his shoulder, standing a few meters from the couple.

"I’m intrigued," The rooting expert declared. "Unreasonable Brother, shall we get to know each other a little?"

If Liam hadn’t met Lancelot, he wouldn’t have understood the young man’s intention. His sworn Brother believed that fights were the best way for two cultivators to learn about each other, and he seemed to have met someone with a similar mindset.

Yet, Liam wasn’t one for random spars. Battles always involved a degree of financial losses, and he fought to kill. There was reputation to be earned there, but he also risked revealing more than necessary.

Of course, even with Lancelot, Liam had found a way to justify that stupid practice.

"Money," Liam declared, showing his hand. "You want to fight me, pay me."

The sudden request took the tall cultivator aback, but a genuine laugh soon escaped his lips.

"This guy is a riot," The tall man stated, pointing his sword at Liam. "What if I just attack?"

"I’ll kill you and loot your corpse," Liam responded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Most sensible answer I’ve heard in a while," The tall man praised. "What about a wager instead? If I win, you give us the ingredients for our mission freely."

’Right, wagers are an option,’ Liam realized, glancing at Grace. He didn’t mind fighting, but she knew what he should ask better than he did.

Grace didn’t look too pleased with that development, but it was too late to take it back, so she quickly came up with something.

"If my beloved wins," Grace announced, "You tell us who you are, where you come from, and listen to our offer."

"That’s a big list of demands," The tall man happily commented. "Very well. I’ll play the gracious host and welcome it."

Liam’s gears were about to switch when Grace pulled his arm, making him lean toward her. She delivered a sneaky kiss to his cheek, using it to hide the whisper that had preceded it.

"Don’t kill our potential customers," Grace warned. Liam didn’t look at her, but he knew a certain dangerous glint was shining in her green eyes.