Legacy of Hatred-Chapter 192: Birgan Falls

It was pointless to ask anything else without tangible clues, so Liam spent the rest of the trip immersed in his circulation technique. Every second he meditated improved his self-control, and he would need that soon enough.

By dawn, the carriage stopped at the edge of a thick forest that expanded over a hill. The trio hopped off the ride, and Elliot didn’t hesitate to lead the way inside.

Truth be told, Liam didn’t need a guide at that point. Even from the forest’s edge, his ears captured something, which half an hour of travel eventually revealed.

The hill wasn’t straightforward. A vast depression stood alongside one of its slopes, creating a valley where the thick vegetation partially receded to make room for mud.

Most importantly, a vast shimmering lake occupied the depression, setting Liam’s perception alight. That clear water was Qi-enhanced, so much so that Liam glanced at Melissa.

The scene also captured Melissa’s interest, calculations happening behind her emotionless mask. However, once she noticed Liam’s gaze, she shook her head.

That water might have helped Melissa advance through the foundation stage, but she needed something stronger for the breakthrough.

Naturally, Elliot couldn’t understand anything from that silent interaction, but an interruption arrived. Liam sensed it first, glancing at the rising forest on his left, before his companions caught up with the incoming event.

Two figures soon came out of the trees. Two foundation experts in their thirties, a man and a woman, stopped in front of the trio and cupped their fists.

"Esteemed guests," The man announced. "Mary warned us about your arrival. We have been ready to welcome you."

The newcomers’ robes highlighted their affiliation. They both wore those brown clothes bearing the emblem with crossed swords. Liam and Melissa had just arrived, but the Mercenary Guild was already trying to manage them.

"Fellow Daoist Elliot," The woman added. "You are known to us. If the esteemed guests wish to, you are free to follow us."

"The Guild honors me," Elliot bowed. "But I’d never be so arrogant as to presume my Seniors’ invitation."

"Elliot can come," Liam directly agreed. "Fellow Daoists, we’ll follow you."

The two members of the Mercenary Guild straightened themselves and led the way into the forest, climbing the hill until more of the lake became visible. Eventually, Liam managed to spot the tall waterfall at the depression’s edge, as well as an open wooden structure.

A shorter version of the Pale Moon Sect’s Outer Hall stood in the middle of the forest, just a hundred meters away from the waterfall’s origin. A few more brown robes occupied it, as well as a handful of tattered foundation experts with no clear affiliation.

Even when it came to the Guild’s members, Liam couldn’t see a single rooting expert. It truly seemed like the mission had artificial limits to the manpower it could employ.

That, or Liam still couldn’t conceive how deeply the Sects’ monopoly stretched.

"Esteemed guests, this way," The brown-wearing man invited, leading the group under the wooden building.

A desk stood near the open floor’s corner, featuring refreshments, as well as a map. The five Guild members gathered on one side, while Liam and Melissa settled on the opposite.

"Esteemed guests, this is a drawing of what the Guild explored," One of the foundation experts explained. "We mapped out the outermost and middle sections, but we are still working on the innermost one."

Liam knew maps more than he knew people, so a brief look at those drawings gave him a complete understanding of the area. Some spots were also marked red, probably indicating magical beasts.

"The Guild was about to form hunting groups," The foundation expert continued. "One representative will lead the other cultivators through the outermost section, but the esteemed guests can follow the main group into the inner areas."

"I have a question," Liam declared. "What would happen if I focused on retrieving spirit stones rather than hunting magical beasts?"

As always, Liam was quite straightforward with words, even if they involved theoretically illegal plans. Luckily, the Guild’s members mistook that for simple curiosity. After all, no one would be stupid enough to reveal such things so openly.

"That’s the actual mission," The man behind the desk revealed. "Eradicating the magical beasts is just a way to clear the path to the spirit stones."

"And, how many would I be able to keep?" Liam questioned.

The question put the man on the spot, exchanging looks with his companions. It was rare for cultivators from the Sects to join that mission, so they didn’t have a proper strategy, especially when those guests wanted to ignore certain unwritten rules.

"The six Sects issued this mission to the Mercenary Guild," The man eventually said. "We are merely facilitators. However, since esteemed members of the Pale Moon Sect have come directly, we’ll obviously forsake our cut."

"So," Liam said, navigating through that series of complicated words, "I’ll get to keep one sixth of my findings?"

"That’s correct," The man confirmed. "Yet, Senior, I must warn you. Our findings of spirit stones have been scarce lately. We believe the main bulk is stuck underground somewhere."

Liam looked at the map again. The underground area was indeed poorly explored. Chances were it stretched deep inside the hill, or even beyond that, so as to reach the depths where the spring originated.

"If you wish to," The man continued, "The main team can explore the area where the spring surfaces today. There is a level two magical beast patrolling it, but the Guild has a scout following its moves."

’Just one,’ Liam thought, partially confirming his guess about the place, not forgetting to ask what really pressed him. "What about these caves?"

"We marked at least four level two magical beasts," The man responded. "They are the reason our exploration is slow."

"Doesn’t the Guild have rooting experts at its disposal?" Liam wondered.

"Such experts are busy managing larger operations," The man explained, trying to give a vague hint. "And, as long as the Guild meets its yearly quota, the Sects are willing to leave the spring in its hands."

’It is on purpose,’ Liam seemed to realize. After all, the moment the area was clear, the Sects would intervene to seize it, which would require agreements no different than what the Mutated Battlefield featured.

That, or a proper war would start since the place had no mediator like the Church of the Man there.

Of course, Liam didn’t care for politics. The Sects might have their way of managing resources and maintaining the balance, but he had to make the best of the opportunities he found.

Actually, that behavior sounded necessary now. Liam couldn’t clear his insane requirements by following rules, so he had to break them.

"I wish to see the underground section," Liam announced.

The request created problems for the Guild members again, but only smiles unfolded after a series of looks. Refusing cultivators with affiliations with the Sects wasn’t an option, but that lair could do that in their stead.

"As you wish, esteemed guests," The man said. "We’ll arrange the escort and warn our assets patrolling the area."

Liam was about to turn already, but the man didn’t forget about Elliot.

"Is Fellow Daoist Elliot joining the esteemed guests in the innermost section?" The man questioned.

Elliot had to contain his excitement. That was an incredible opportunity. After all, a lone cultivator like him couldn’t access those richer sections. All his past trips to Birgan Falls had involved the lake in the end.

Yet, as soon as Elliot bowed, ready to utter the politest words he could think of, Liam intervened.

"He won’t," Liam refused. "Thank you for guiding us here, but I’m not confident I can protect Senior Sister and you down there."

"Senior," Elliot gasped, promptly lowering his head again. "You honor me with such concern, but I should be the one to offer protection."

"No," Liam refused again. "I protect."

Liam disregarded Elliot at that point. His presence hadn’t exactly been superfluous, but Liam couldn’t involve him any further. He even considered giving him a share of his findings, but that could only happen after he actually retrieved something.

"Very well," The man behind the desk said. "Esteemed guests, if you will."

Two brown foundation experts had split from the main group, and Liam and Melissa didn’t hesitate to reach them, following them once they dived into the forest.

There was no beaten path, but Liam heard the flowing water to his right, and some presences eventually touched his perception. He felt observed, and not by humans, all his senses telling him that whatever occupied the area had noticed his arrival.

Yet, nothing attacked. It seemed the group was moving outside the magical beasts’ territory, keeping them in a defensive stance, eventually reaching the point where the hill rose again.

Liam could only rely on his ears to check where the river was, but the brown cultivators headed in the opposite direction, arriving at an elliptical, grass-filled hole that delved underground.

The grass receded as the group dived deeper underground. Rocks and moss replaced the previous vegetation, illuminated by candles and braziers that the Guild had probably placed in the past.

However, that steep descent was soon cut short.

The cave was large and stable, the opposite of what Liam had seen in the Demonic Sect’s ruins. However, it soon ended in a vast underground hall that kept stretching in the distance.

A shimmering river ran through the hall, splitting it in half and filling it with a faint halo. Moss and short grass also grew from the muddier banks, and small animals occasionally peeked past the rocks to eat or satisfy their thirst.

Nevertheless, the eight, yellow-furred figures curled on mossier spots claimed the entirety of Liam’s attention. He finally saw the famous coyotes. Six were in the first level, while two were level two magical beasts, seemingly one and a half meters tall.

The magical beasts were big, but Liam had seen far bigger.

’They don’t look as strong as the monsters in the Mutated Battlefield,’ Liam thought. ’Even the wolf seemed stronger, but they might have abilities.’

Of course, Liam knew that size wasn’t everything when Qi was involved. Yet, he had a nagging doubt that showed its presence again at that sight.

’I can probably kill a level two coyote, can’t I?’ Liam considered. ’It should be physically stronger than Cecilia, but without abilities ...’

Liam’s reasoning was cut short by the arrival of another foundation expert. His cave had opened around the middle of the hall’s wall, quite high enough from the ground, and a brown figure silently ran over the tilted wall to reach it.

"Reporting to the Guild," The newcomer, the woman, bowed, limiting her voice to a whisper. "The other two level two creatures are out patrolling. One moved toward the surface while the other is deeper inside."

"Esteemed guests," The other woman among the brown cultivators called. "As you can see, we can’t advance any further. Even if we could sneak past this point, the caverns narrow down, so we’d have no way of avoiding the creature ahead."

Liam didn’t look at the brown cultivators. He kept checking the river below, occasionally spotting translucent spots. Those could very well be spirit stones, but he had no way of checking them with the pack occupying the area.

Moreover, there were probably better deposits deeper underground, and only a single level two magical beast stood in their way.

"You shouldn’t follow me from here on out," Liam casually announced, drawing his bow, a dark arrow forming as soon as he pulled on its heavy string.

"Esteemed-," The woman tried to say, only for Liam to release the arrow, sending it to the farthest edge alongside the underground river’s flow.

The event alerted the curled coyotes. Their ears twitched as they lifted their heads, looking at the spot where the arrow had landed, only for its explosion to make them jump to their feet.

And, as Liam had hoped, the cloud of stones, mud, and grass earned itself a series of barks from the pack before it charged at it, temporarily distracting the creatures from Liam’s cave.

"Senior Sister," Liam called, storing the bow on his shoulder. "You should lean on me. I’m going to pick up the pace."

Melissa had remained silent the whole time but had never distracted herself. Liam’s sudden request was strange, but she didn’t hesitate to comply, leaning on his side so that he could wrap an arm around her back.

Then, Melissa felt the wind blowing on her face, the speed burst so mighty that her senses failed to keep track of it.