Legacy of Hatred

’It’s close,’ Liam calculated as a map of the area filled his thoughts. ’Not even a week away on the fan.’

The target Liam was speaking about was none other than the Cathedral with the alleged teleport. He could even get there faster if he used the fan’s speed, but that wasn’t all Whispering Wind’s jades had revealed.

Whispering Wind’s scouting had been thorough, to say the least. She had tracked the Church’s unusual movements in great detail, noting down everything that had unfolded since the meeting.

Apparently, Priests and their teams had come out of the Cathedral nonstop in the past three weeks, taking positions in specific locations until everything was set to create the current encirclement.

As for the encirclement, Whispering Wind’s jades described it in great detail, too. She had noted down the teams’ arrangements, the locations of the magical items that generated the formation, and where each Priest was.

Things might have changed after the branching expert’s arrival, but vast battle formations took time to rearrange. As long as the group acted now, Whispering Wind’s information would be reliable.

’It’s doable,’ Liam thought, ’But ...’

Liam had his priorities straight. He had to keep Grace safe and send a message. He even had the perfect target at his disposal. The issue was that he would need to be alone.

Liam threw a look at his team. Whispering Wind, Black Hound, Red Boar, and Colleen seemed to have accepted the nature of their predicament and the need for cooperation, but he couldn’t trust them.

Master Vermillion was leagues more trustworthy, but Liam wouldn’t want to leave his Dao partner’s life in his hands, either. It wasn’t about loyalty. Master Vermillion just didn’t feel too strong.

Of course, Grace was resourceful and far from helpless. Liam could and would also load her with all the tools at his disposal, but the decision still carried risks, especially in her condition.

Grace had stood up after burning through her bed of spirit stones. She had begun to recover, but her Qi reserves were far from refilled. Liam only needed to look down at her face to see traces of paleness.

That was normal. Without suitable alchemical products, Grace couldn’t have possibly restored her reserves in what had been mere minutes. Still, because of that, Liam didn’t want to leave her side.

Grace was also inspecting a green jade but eventually put it down, meeting Liam’s eyes. She could read his worry, as well as connect the dots with what he had said earlier. After all, it wouldn’t be his first time.

"Dear," Grace called, knowing that everyone on the scene would hear her. "Are you planning to draw them away?"

The question brought every eye on Liam, but he kept focusing on Grace. As always, her wits were on point.

The fan offered incredible speed, probably even unmatched, but the sheer manpower and presence the Church had at its disposal made any attempt to escape unlikely.

Being permanently on the run wasn’t feasible, either. Liam and Grace had done it for six months to put distance from the border and because her breakthrough was near. However, they couldn’t live like that. They would stop growing otherwise.

Yet, Liam could play the bait. Once the group broke past the encirclement, Liam could head for the Cathedral, make a mess that would draw the Church’s attention to him, deliver a message, and remove the possibility of reinforcements.

It was the best plan Liam could see, and he was the best man for the job. He had innate cloaking techniques. His stashes of alchemical products could make him fight for months on end, and the fan’s speed would keep him safe.

As for the Cathedral’s destruction, that would be a declaration of war, but it was too late at that point.

Liam and Grace had played the game by the rules for once, but that possibility was gone before it could come to fruition, and it would be forever. There was no turning back from the current mess. The couple had become too public to attempt rejoining any righteous political environment.

"I can buy you some time," Liam explained. "You’ll be able to set things up in the meantime, being one step ahead for once."

The last card at the couple’s disposal was to create an organization. The righteous side of the cultivation world was out of the question now, but the criminal one would have a place as long as they carved it.

Nevertheless, building organizations took more than assets. Time was an important variable, and Liam could provide it if he played the bait properly.

Grace wanted to argue against that, but she also understood the strategy’s validity. Her gaze went to the other branching experts at that point, knowing where the issue was.

The group might be in the same boat, but they weren’t allies in the slightest.

"Master Black Qi," Master Vermillion spoke. "You’d be doing us a great favor. The least I can do to repay you is to protect your Dao partner."

"Master Vermillion, I appreciate your support," Grace declared. "But if my beloved has to play such a dangerous role for everyone’s safety, I expect you all to provide insurance."

"Lady Grace, do you mean it?" Colleen questioned.

"A rank 3 asset from each of you," Grace confirmed. "My beloved will hold them safe, giving them back once he reunites with us and finds me well."

Liam hadn’t even thought about that possibility, but Grace had shown her mental prowess once again. By holding valuable assets hostage, the group would be less inclined to indulge in foul play.

It was also a good way of ensuring prolonged cooperation. Not everyone would stick around after the escape, but those who did would need a reason to avoid betraying each other.

"I have a plan to take care of the encirclement, too," Liam announced. "As long as it stays still, we’ll have the initiative. The formation is made of Qi, isn’t it?"

"It is," Whispering Wind confirmed.

Liam nodded to himself. He knew how to handle that hunt, and the rest of the group could guess part of his plan. After all, most had seen the Sky-Splitting Bolt’s range.

"The deal is fair," Colleen eventually exclaimed. "I also own safe houses we could use."

"Master Black Qi, I’ll be in your care," Whispering Wind added. "Lady Chief, if you would be so kind as to double-check the safe houses with me."

"I shall look forward to our time as fellow wandering alchemists," Master Vermillion also agreed.

Felix and Red Boar hesitated. They were the less pragmatic of the bunch, or those with more attachments to the righteous politics, but answers eventually came from them, too.

"I suppose I owe you for saving me from a terrible fate," Red Boar declared. "I shall work together with you all, but I expect to get my assets back once everything is over."

Only Felix remained, and he stared sternly at Liam before focusing on the old woman.

"Whispering Wind, has the Barracks really been taken over?" Felix questioned.

Among Whispering Wind’s reports, she had also noted down what the Church’s troops had done while taking position, and the fate of those they had encountered and suspected of knowing the secret hadn’t been kind.

"Black Hound, I couldn’t invent such graphic details," Whispering Wind said.

"It seems you have truly spoken the truth back then," Felix sighed, eyeing the couple. "Maybe this is the Heavens’ punishment for enforcing corrupted justice for so long."

Felix was the most shaken about the development. He was a dutiful servant of the Kingdom, but the Church had been the one to break the peace he had wanted to protect so adamantly.

"Fear not, Master Black Qi," Felix continued. "You have shown me honesty. I shall keep your Dao partner safe in your absence."

Now that the matter was settled, there was just one last thing to do. Liam summoned a black cape, donning a poison master’s proper attire before pulling Grace from her waist.

Grace panicked. She realized what was happening, but people were watching, and her eyes remained wide when Liam’s lips fell on hers. Despite her many public displays of affection, she had always been refined, avoiding certain explicit acts.

’We are in publi-’ Grace began to think, only to give up soon enough. ’Ah, who cares anymore.’

By the time Liam pulled away, Grace had her arms around his neck, her voice gaining the vulnerable traits only he knew. "Be sure to come back. Always come back to me."

It was the departure from the border all over again, except that war was on the horizon now, and fights wouldn’t be optional.