Legacy of Hatred

Liam forced his face to stay as still as possible, which was far from challenging. When it came to that topic, his expression defaulted to his most feral, predator-like traits.

Nevertheless, the declaration piqued Liam’s interest. He was just wary of using words since he would reveal something no matter what he said.

’Our ancestors’ alliance?’ Liam wondered, knowing what that implied, but not finding clues anywhere in his superhuman perception.

If the Aetacia region had any predominant trace of the Ancestral Beasts, Liam would have smelled it. Even if descendants existed, they had to be common or, at most, illegitimate.

It had been the same with Red Boar, but that still didn’t explain Rachel’s declaration. It was too deep to be casual.

’Is she scared I’d do something to her Tribe?’ Liam considered.

The declaration had revealed that Rachel had understood the truth, which wasn’t surprising. Liam had hissed nonstop and even fired literal snakes. She might have failed to see something due to her lower cultivation level, but that had clearly been enough, and for obvious reasons.

So, it could stand to reason that Rachel was wary of repercussions from Liam’s side. His bloodline was Hatred after all.

Rachel obviously had nothing to worry about. Liam had already crossed that bridge and knew he would rather escape than kill her, but she couldn’t know that.

Nevertheless, what Liam saw couldn’t be more different from fear. Rachel was brimming with excitement and interest, and her actions had even vouched for her stance.

Rachel had helped in the battle, sacrificing her rank 3 spear despite Liam having hissed for a while already.

Moreover, Rachel hadn’t tried to run afterward. She had gone straight for Liam as soon as the battle ended.

As paranoid as Liam could be, he couldn’t deny that Rachel was a willing ally, so he would treat her as such, even if he exposed himself in the process. He had already decided to protect her and her Tribe anyway.

"Which ancestor?" Liam asked, no hisses joining his voice. Even his fangs were nowhere to be seen.

"The Wolf of Hunger," Rachel revealed.

Liam half-turned toward Rachel, his expression finally mustering a frown. Much was still unclear, but she answered his questions before he could voice them.

"Our history dates back to the daughter of the Ancestral Wolf," Rachel explained, "Mother of the Tribes, before the southern region and the Dragon Kingdom came to be."

That was undeniably interesting. The only other sons and daughters Liam had heard about were the Dragon King and Crazy Uncle, after all. The Ancestral Wolf also was the last lineage he had to learn from to complete his set of external influences that could transcend the Ancestral Snake’s Hatred.

"The Wolf Mother had thousands of children," Rachel continued. "Her grandchildren were incalculable. Her blood still runs in us all, no matter how thin."

The new tassels expanded a puzzle Liam aimed to complete with a vague question. "The Dragon King?"

"Tales tell us that the Dragon King defeated the Wolf Mother," Rachel nodded. "Guilds replaced the Tribes. Traditions were lost, but some still remember."

The picture couldn’t be more complete. One of the Ancestral Wolf’s titles was Bonds in the end. Instead of the Phoenix’s mere lust, the Wolf Mother was probably driven by family, be it birthing it or taking care of it.

Thousands of children sounded like a lot, but cultivators had long lifespans, and the Wolf Mother might have received help from her lineage in that regard.

The matter also explained the Tribes’ connection between family and authority. It probably was a custom that had survived the passage of time and the Kingdom’s creation.

’The western region has Qilins,’ Liam summarized. ’The southern Wolves. I met two Phoenixes in the eastern region and an Ape in the northern one.’

That division suggested a vague pattern which Liam connected to historical and behavioral reasons. It was no iron-clad rule, but he could see some lineages being more widespread in specific parts of the Kingdom.

While more knowledge was always good, Liam was mainly concerned about the issue at hand. The forbidden secret was out, but it had ended up in relatively trustworthy hands.

Liam obviously wouldn’t rely on alliances dating back to the Ancestral Beasts. While instinctive parts of them had remained, humans were the ones wielding them. He wouldn’t have a Qilin as his soulmate otherwise.

Sure, the Wolf of Bonds didn’t sound big on betrayals, but the matter still involved almost certain death. Rachel might have been quick to side with Liam due to her peculiar character, but her parents could object to going against the Dragon King just as quickly.

Honestly, if Liam were in Uriah and Amber’s shoes, he would object, too. The quest was too impossible to wager their daughter’s life on it.

’But it’s not like I can just leave her now,’ Liam cursed internally. ’Master is Master. Brother Lancelot has his Sect keeping him safe, but Rachel ...’

The Church would be onto the Dark Heaven Tribe once Liam was discovered, and he now had even more reason to protect it due to what investigations could reveal.

’Should I take only Rachel?’ Liam considered. ’Should I tell Uriah and Amber the truth? Should I convince them to condemn me publicly?’

The strategy Grace had devised for Adrian could suit the Dark Heaven Tribe. The latter could denounce Liam, exposing his identity without mentioning his lineage. He would go back to being on the run, but the Tribe would be safe from suspicion.

’But,’ Liam thought, realizing the flaw in that plan. ’Would she let me go?’

Rachel wasn’t wearing her usual grin, but it was almost there. Liam saw it behind her serious but excited expression, and the situation degenerated in the next second.

Liam was so busy studying Rachel that he didn’t notice his torn pants finally giving in. The screams in his mind were also to blame, and he had never cared much about nakedness in the first place, but he soon realized what mistake that had been.

Rachel’s gaze inevitably went to Liam’s now exposed groin. Her eyes widened slightly as she tilted her head, needing that better perspective to absorb the full size of what she was looking at.

Then, Rachel thought out loud, never once diverting her gaze. "That’s definitely going inside me."