Legacy of Hatred-Chapter 186: Mountain

Liam blinked in speechlessness, only for the gears in his brain to switch and start brainstorming. His Master had given him an order, so he would fulfill it. That was the least his newfound resolve demanded.

Over two months had passed since Liam had considered gathering spirit stones. He had spent much of that time in secluded training, but he had also grown as a cultivator.

There were ways to tackle the issue, strategies Liam had the clues for back then, but that could now translate into actions. He was a proper member of the cultivation world now, so he had begun to learn how to move inside it.

The Pale Moon Sect had no missions that awarded spirit stones, at least not in the Outer and Inner Halls. Liam had checked their boards and found nothing connected to that currency.

That was probably on purpose, but Liam didn’t dwell on Sect’s politics now. He didn’t have access to the Core Hall, but the Pale Moon Sect wasn’t the only place that issued missions.

’I could go to the Mercenary Guild,’ Liam considered. ’I don’t know about a mountain, but they should have missions that award spirit stones.’

Guilds also dealt with mortals, but the moment they included cultivators, spirit stones had to be involved. That was their currency after all. It was just about finding the right mission and completing it.

However, there were issues. Actually, Liam was the problem.

The three weeks of training had given Liam a modicum of self-control, but he wasn’t exactly ready. He was close, but that small gap could be the difference between life and death in dangerous situations.

Also, Liam’s stashes weren’t exactly in an ideal state. He had concocted five more Cloud Pills before switching to other recipes, only ending up with the slimy poison for his weapons.

The Boar’s Touch had been part of and the very culmination of that alchemical session, but Liam had drunk it, leaving him with that relatively small arsenal.

The weapon training hadn’t even borne fruit yet. Liam had only attended those lessons for three weeks before secluding himself. He was learning quickly, but being combat-ready was something different altogether.

However, Liam had the Black Bow now and two more martial arts. He wasn’t weak by any stretch of the imagination. He was simply incomplete, but testing everything in real-life situations could be beneficial.

After all, Liam had already seen his inclination to improve faster outside his cave, and that could be the opportunity he needed.

Besides, Liam trusted his Master too much. If the Elder believed he could face the world’s dangers, then he could.

Liam suddenly stood up, browsing through his cave and making the point of the situation before jumping over the clutter to reach the small pool in the corner.

After leaving the cozy water, Liam got ready. He donned pants and let his wet hair cling to his shoulders while retrieving the case with the green paste and carefully applying it to his metal needles and arrows.

The arrows had a quiver, while the needles needed something Liam already had in his cave. He wrapped leather harnesses on both his forearms, carefully placing those now-deadly weapons inside their specific folders, before covering them with the Sect’s robe.

The five Cloud Pills went in the robe’s sleeves, while the rank 1 wooden knife and pipe were in its belt. Then, Liam wore a black, hooded cloak on top of it, abiding by the poison masters’ proper appearances.

The Black Bow and quiver came last, which Liam wore on his shoulders before attending to his pouch. He only stuffed some basic supplies, the three rank 1 elixirs, the poisonous powder, and a map in it, before finally being ready.

The Alchemy Elder had observed the whole scene. Truth be told, what Liam possessed was quite the enviable arsenal for foundation experts’ standards, and that without accounting for his martial arts.

The Elder also knew that Liam wasn’t fully ready to go out. He would have him glued to a cauldron otherwise. Yet, a cave made for a poor teacher, especially after an experience as traumatic as the attempted breakthrough.

Besides, Liam had welcomed the high-grade circulation technique and was learning ingredients in record time. The feat demanded a reward.

"Disciple, forget the mountain," The Elder commented, "Just don’t come back empty-handed."

The Elder stepped aside and opened the boulder before Liam could say anything, and the night scene outside made him forget about that change in stakes.

For some reason, Melissa was standing outside Liam’s cave, hair tied into a simple ponytail and a pouch on her shoulders. She looked ready to depart, that timing too coincidental to be random.

Melissa bowed at the Elder while Liam pointed a questioning look at him, only for the cane to hit his head.

"Did you expect me to send a fool like you outside on his own?" The Elder snorted. "Get out of my sight now. I’m busy."

Liam could only bow before complying. Melissa even departed right afterward, leading the way and forcing Liam to follow her to the Sect’s entrance.

Meanwhile, the Elder remained on the descending path, watching the duo’s departure from above, an irksome feeling rising through him as his mind summoned a specific thought.

’This isn’t me being difficult,’ The Elder scoffed internally. ’That fool has to get at least one spirit stone on his own before he can get mine.’

As for Liam, everything had happened too quickly for him to stop and think. That opportunity only arrived when the duo had finished descending the Three Peaks, reaching the forest around it.

"Senior Sister, did you also want to join a mission?" Liam questioned, already retrieving the map in his pouch. "Or did you come just for me?"

Realistically, Melissa would benefit from missions, too. She was quite stuck in her cultivation journey, and the Sect alone couldn’t and wouldn’t fix it, so gathering resources outside was wise.

Yet, Liam didn’t want to become a hindrance to someone else’s growth, especially Melissa’s. If she had a better strategy, he would rather help her than the other way around.

Still, Melissa provided an answer so stunning that Liam forgot about the matter entirely.

"I-I was also looking for non-Sect m-missions," Melissa said, "A-and ... I missed you."

The passage of time finally showed its weight. Liam suddenly felt the three weeks he had spent without his just-declared lover. It was strange that Melissa wasn’t all over him already, but his brain hardly recorded that as he approached her.

To Melissa’s surprise, Liam leaned in for a sudden kiss, even clinging his hand on her neck to pull her closer. Still, he kept the gesture short, turning and pulling up his hood before she could savor the event.

Naturally, the kiss pleased Melissa. She loved it when Liam initiated, but there was an issue she couldn’t ignore.

"Y-you b-brute," Melissa scolded, her emotionless facade faltering. "We a-are in public."

Liam looked back at Melissa before inspecting his surroundings. There was no one around at that late hour, only trees.

"I can’t kiss you outside caves?" Liam wondered, trying to guess what public meant.

Melissa knew it was time to educate Liam on matters of decorum, but her new status featured duties, and they happily blended with her manipulative sides. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

"I’m yours to kiss whenever and for as long as you want," Melissa declared, her face regaining its detached mask as she crossed Liam. "L-let’s go."

Melissa directly darted ahead, and Liam could only follow, putting the matter aside. Clearly, Melissa becoming his lover didn’t prevent her from being an incomprehensible creature.

Still, the confusion didn’t distract Liam. Despite wanting to do far, far more, he had always planned to limit himself to a single kiss.

After all, the Alchemy Elder had requested a mountain of spirit stones, so Liam would bring him exactly that.