Legacy of Hatred

Liam didn’t realize it, and he would address much of it to his mental preparations during his seclusion, but the social interaction would have been impossible for the old him.

Liam had shown uncompromising decisiveness, sticking to his necessities despite the confusing gibberish that reached his ears.

There had also been confidence, unaffected by inexperience in those social aspects of life. Truth was, the time in the Sect had provided that experience. Liam was still clueless about much, but far from lost.

Lastly, Liam had shown a vague social sharpness, obtaining exactly what he needed through mere words without committing revealing mistakes.

Of course, Liam’s superior cultivation had played a major role, preventing conflicts. He would have never won a proper argument, not with words.

Also, Liam knew exactly what he needed and what to avoid, preventing useless thoughts that would have complicated the social interaction in ways he didn’t know how to tread.

Still, there was value in simplicity. Liam might not recognize it, but he had found a way to advance through the social side of the world. It was very basic, but that suited him. He had matured enough to have a relatively firm standing among humans.

Mere foundation experts, lone cultivators at that, couldn’t hope to keep up with Liam, even when carrying someone.

Yet, the two brothers didn’t even try. Liam had technically accepted spirit stones that had been stolen from them, but his extensive perception gave the all-clear.

’Being a rooting expert sure makes things easier,’ Liam accepted, running at full speed to leave the area. ’Does this already count as being a demonic cultivator?’

Liam didn’t know the exact definition and didn’t really care. He wouldn’t dwell on broad ethical conundrums. The very Kingdom wanted him dead for merely being alive, so it was only fair that he seized everything it had to offer.

Liam still had a moral compass, but accepting stolen money for a service didn’t even attempt to move the needle. He needed it more than anyone else anyway, and his journey was the only thing that mattered to him.

It was Liam’s life against the world. He knew what he wanted, and he wouldn’t shame himself with half-assed resolve.

’Impose my will on the world,’ Liam recalled his Master’s teachings. ’Make my way of life the only truth.’

However, despite not resorting to deadly force, Liam’s way of life still risked killing someone.

The warning came from Liam’s perception, prompting him to stop in the middle of a plain before the cover of night could even begin to descend.

Liam let go of the old man, wanting to leave him on his feet, only for him to drop down and gasp loudly, his attempts to catch his breath interrupted by retches.

’How was this too much for him?’ Liam wondered, studying the old man.

Even when the Alchemy Elder dragged Liam away, it had taken him hours to approach his physical limit, and his reaction hadn’t been as violent.

Sure, Liam was a special case, and the old man was just a lone cultivator, but the gap was immensely shorter, featuring one cultivation stage instead of two.

But what unfolded under Liam was undeniable. His perception even confirmed its authenticity, forcing him to seek explanations that weren’t hard to find.

Liam had just reached the rooting stage, but his Qi mastery had carried through. His talent had also accelerated that training since his body was more suitable for that energy, reaching levels closer to Maxwell’s rather than what average cultivators would possess after the breakthrough.

Of course, Liam wasn’t as fast as Maxwell. Even with the high-grade circulation technique, his cultivation had barely sprouted minor roots that couldn’t compare to someone at the stage’s peak.

Yet, the synchrony was between Qi and body, and the breakthrough had changed the latter, too. Liam had confirmed as much when lifting the old man.

’The body is the soil,’ Liam calculated, ’And the breakthrough improved my soil more than usual.’

If that reasoning were reliable, Liam could hope to exert more power not only through the number of minor roots that no one could match. When everything else was equal, his synchrony would still be stronger since it stemmed from superior individual factors.

’And then there’s the extreme-grade circulation techniques,’ Liam thought. ’Other cultivators can get most of this, too, but I’ll always be stronger if I max out all my advantages.’

The old man recovered and got to his knees, wiping his mouth before apologizing. "Senior, I’m sorry you had to witness such an unsightly scene. Your greatness is too much for these old bones to withstand."

"How long until we reach the market?" Liam asked, feeling a bit bad about the whole matter in front of the old man’s pale face. It was his fault after all.

The old man inspected the area before gulping and lowering his head.

"The open market I mentioned only happens one night every month," The old man admitted. "There are still two days until its opening."

The old man was ready to bow down and beg for forgiveness. After all, he had half-tricked Liam by omitting that detail, but a hand grabbed his collar before he could do anything.

"Hold your breath," Liam ordered, looking in the direction of distant trees he could smell.

Liam sprinted again until a small patch of trees finally offered some cover. It wasn’t much due to the mostly absent leaves, but it was better than the exposed plain.

"Help me understand something," Liam said as soon as he dropped the old man to the ground. "Are you someone important?"

"Absolutely not, Senior!" The old man responded, adjusting himself to his knees, not needing time to recover now. "I’m known as Old Joe by the locals, but I’m merely a minor character who gained a reputation by staying for over a decade in the area."

It would make sense for someone who had lived as a lone cultivator for so long in the same area to be known, at least to some level, especially if Old Joe resorted to stealing often.

Yet, that wasn’t the point of Liam’s question.

"If you are just a minor character," Liam pointed out, "How did you learn about this open market?"

A market that only happened twelve times a year and changed location every month sounded secretive, and the other two lone cultivators’ apparent unawareness seemed to confirm it.

Markets also needed buyers. Liam guessed trades were allowed, but lone cultivators generally had nothing. The two brothers had claimed it had taken them years to accumulate six spirit stones after all.

So, the open market had to target affluent cultivators, who could only come from Sects and Guilds, which Old Joe didn’t, making his knowledge suspicious.

"Senior, your wisdom is enlightening," Old Joe praised. "You figured that something was wrong before I even had the chance to explain. I merely have a friend in the Enforcement Guild with whom I trade information."

’What wisdom?’ Liam wondered. ’Wasn’t it obvious?’

Liam dismissed the praise as the usual gibberish. He only saw that he had needed so many clues for something to click in his mind before different thoughts took over.

Old Joe embodied what Liam could become if his resources ran out, but also suggested something else. That lone cultivator’s predicament wasn’t too terrible all things considered. Liam had indeed saved him, but there were positive aspects.

First of all, Old Joe’s foundation was advanced, not complete, but advanced nonetheless.

Then, Old Joe knew secrets beyond his reach, which was a praiseworthy achievement.

"Were you planning to attend the market with the six spirit stones?" Liam asked.

"Obviously not, Senior," Old Joe shook his head. "Six spirit stones are too few to buy anything there. My knowledge is just my lowly attempt at remaining aware of this area’s opportunities."

The topic wasn’t that obvious for Liam since he had only used spirit stones as charcoal, but reading the market’s prices was bound to fix that shortcoming.

’If I ask,’ Liam considered, ’Would I be revealing too much?’

Liam didn’t want to remain in the area, but knowledge about its opportunities was priceless. In the Sect, he had merely needed to ask. Even the Mercenary Guild had opened its doors freely due to that affiliation, but Liam was alone now.

Yet, requesting additional information might expose Liam too much, and Old Joe had just admitted to sharing information with the Enforcement Guild, which basically managed cultivators’ activity among mortals, on top of other functions.

The Enforcement Guild was why cultivators didn’t just conquer towns of mortals to live as Kings, but it also prosecuted criminals, and Liam didn’t know if he belonged to that category yet.

"Will we reach the market in time?" Liam eventually asked, deciding to avoid risking exposing himself.

"Yes, Senior!" Old Joe immediately confirmed. "We are only one day away from its location, half at your incredible speed."

"We’ll take a break then," Liam ordered. "Tell me more about this market in the meantime."