Chapter 362: Unsustainable |
Grace didn’t need to ask. Her whole journey stemmed from the fact that she wasn’t enough of an Ancestral Beast. Yet, she had interacted with countless people, read much that wasn’t available to the general public, seen Lancelot, and noticed the specific details in Liam’s story, so she could connect the dots.
Great Tutor Taiwlin was a legendary figure of unfathomable cultivation, but he had ways to get killed, especially if he was suicidal.
Instead, Liam carried the lineage with the title of Hatred. Grace knew he couldn’t have possibly controlled himself in front of the main culprit behind his life’s journey.
Grace saw how she reacted to money, and she wasn’t even an illegitimate descendant. Liam definitely had it far worse.
"I didn’t go to the Recruiters Guild for fear of being discovered," Liam continued. "I tried to find a Sect on my own, but was kidnapped by a Demonic Sect along the way."
Grace instinctively scooted closer, uncaring of what poked at her. Liam had been unable to catch a break, so she wanted him to feel that she was there.
"Their training involved a drug that ended up completing my foundation," Liam summarized. "I became immune to it and managed to escape, finding the Pale Moon Sect by chance."
Despite having heard the rumor, Grace didn’t know the Sect’s name. She had actually only guessed that Sects were involved, but the confirmation had arrived.
"I was lucky," Liam admitted, stopping the brushing at the tide of memories flooding him. "Lucky that I could cheat the talent test, lucky to have found Master, lucky to have met Melissa."
"She...," Liam said, sorting his thoughts, having to change his approach. "I didn’t really understand people, or that stuff. I lived most of my life alone in a mountain. I’m not sure I really understand now, either."
There was embarrassment, guilt, and shame about that whole story, so Liam chose his next words carefully.
"I don’t know what it was exactly," Liam admitted. "We went through something, and I became aware of her. I warned her, but she insisted, clinging to me, hugging me, kissing me."
Grace didn’t realize it, but she scooted even closer, her jealousy taking over many of her brain functions.
"She would do it whenever we were alone in my cave," Liam recalled. "I was going crazy and eventually kissed her. You know, like lovers do."
Grace now understood the difference between the two types of kisses, as well as something else.
’Did she force herself on him?’ Grace seemed to understand. ’Is he the one being swindled? Hmph, does she think she can manipulate my property better than me?’
"And I left her," Liam concluded, "Without even saying goodbye."
"Why?" Grace instinctively asked. That didn’t sound like Liam at all.
"The Demonic Sect that had kidnapped me attacked during a mission," Liam explained. "It’s probably the problem you heard about. Master told me to leave because an investigation would start, so I had no time."
Grace saw a flaw in that chain of events, but Liam ended up asking the question first this time.
"Did you hear anything else about that problem?" Liam questioned. "I don’t know what happened to the Sect, or Master, or Melissa, and I’m afraid that asking around would leave a trail."
Grace shook her head, replying. "That’s about what I heard, and it was just a rumor. Still, from what you described, chances are that the entire area is in a lockdown even now."
Liam resumed the brushing. What Grace had said made sense. With the Divine Cult having infiltrated as deeply as a Sect’s Elder, the entire neighborhood’s political environment would have to be rearranged.
"But why did your Master tell you to leave?" Grace wondered. "Did he know about your lineage?"
"Master understood when I failed the breakthrough through one of the best rank 1 poisons," Liam explained. "I needed a rank 2 one."
"So," Grace frowned. "You were a rooting expert already? How come the news didn’t spread further?"
"I became a rooting expert after leaving the Sect?" Liam replied, uncertain, before realizing where the issue was. "Oh. Master created a method for me to concoct higher-rank poison. It’s called compound concoctions."
Liam almost risked ripping Grace’s hair due to how suddenly she half-turned to stare at him in disbelief.
"You can concoct rank 3 alchemical products?" Grace gasped.
"Only poison," Liam specified. "I need to use my unfiltered Qi to produce enough heat, and that’s something only poison can use. I probably don’t have enough Qi reserves now, either. Also, I’d need a rank 3 ingredient and a lot of spirit stones. Multiple sets, actually."
Grace knew the cultivation world’s resources-wise state far better than Liam. She was a merchant after all. As unfair as it sounded, she also guessed that Liam would need a rank 3 poison to enter the branching stage, and so on.
That equation was impossible to solve, and it had nothing to do with Liam’s skills. Grace had even seen his cultivation. There might not be enough resources in the entire world to nurture such an unnatural talent.
"Wi-," Grace began to say before correcting herself. "Liam, I might pull off something with rank 3 ingredients, but what will we do about those of even higher rank? What about reaching the stage’s peak?"
"Plunder Sects," Liam revealed the only ideas he had found for now. "Loot leafing experts."
Grace’s expression went deadpan, recalling the anger she had put aside, but deciding to stick to business. "It’s unsustainable. You must find a cultivation method that doesn’t involve smoking. It’s too expensive, and there will come a point when powerful forces monopolize the resources you need."
Liam was very aware of the issue, and what Grace added next gave him an idea. "There should be suitable poisonous environments, especially at your current stage. Finding them might cut costs for now."
"If it’s about poisonous environments," Liam said, recalling what he had done in the Cathedral, "As long as I have the ingredients, I can just create them."