Legacy of Hatred-Chapter 197: Wealth

Elliot hadn’t moved from the wooden structure beside the waterfall. He could have joined the hunting party in Birgan Falls’ outermost section, but the potential rewards there were incomparable to what Liam and Melissa could offer.

Sadly, Elliot hadn’t been the only one to reach that conclusion. The other lone cultivators had also avoided joining the hunting team, hoping to take part in whatever opportunity Elliot was seeking.

Of course, no one said anything openly. They also avoided the usual greetings and pleasantries, merely pretending to study the map or meditating on the floor.

Words were pointless among fellow lone cultivators who had nothing to offer. The Guild’s representative also ignored that group, so the building remained in perfect silence, which everyone believed would stretch until sunset.

Nevertheless, the most unlikely scene unfolded before lunchtime.

The two brown cultivators who had played escort returned to the building, followed by the enchanting-as-usual Melissa and her probably brawny, cloaked Brother, only for the latter to feature an eye-catching difference.

Melissa had taken the quiver, while Liam now had two hilariously bloated pouches on his back. Those containers seemed ready to burst, clinking noises resounding at each of his steps.

The Guild’s representative under the building couldn’t help but freeze in shock at the sight, his wide eyes searching for explanations from his companions, only for them to wear stiff smiles.

Meanwhile, the lone cultivators became so excited they almost started drooling. They could guess what those pouches contained, and their brains went into overdrive.

After experiencing nothing but the scarcity common to lone cultivators, the tattered group saw the greatest loot in their lives. A mere fraction of those riches could turn their cultivation journey upside down, and it was there, standing within reach.

Of course, what most saw as life-changing was nothing but fodder for experiments that Liam hoped would bring a solution to his insurmountable issue.

Actually, after Liam saw how quickly one spirit stone had expired under his Qi, he wondered whether those bursting pouches would be enough to make any meaningful progress at all.

Still, arriving at the building put Liam before Elliot, with the group of lone cultivators gathering behind him, adding a faint, specific, and ethereal stench to the atmosphere.

"Seniors, you are back!" Elliot declared, cupping his fists. "I’d be humbled by your findings if I hadn’t already been certain of your greatness!"

Liam turned a deaf ear to that series of useless words, focusing on what his nose had started to recognize. His feral upbringing had involved his other senses in basic human pattern recognition, making him alert.

Obviously, Liam wasn’t alone there. People savvy with the ways of the world didn’t need transcendent senses to understand what could happen, and one of the brown envoys didn’t hesitate to act upon it.

"The esteemed guests have done the Guild a priceless service," The man among the representatives announced. "They killed one level two specimen and cleared the path to a richer section."

The announcement was three-faced. It wanted to update the representative who had stayed behind, highlight Liam and Melissa’s feat, and warn the group about the full extent of their foolishness.

Melissa caught up on that, while Liam did only partially, and mostly out of willful disregard. It was good that his reputation would improve even further, but his brain was already yearning for his cave.

After all, that trip had fulfilled Liam’s two goals. It had provided him with the resources his Master needed for whatever experimental method he had devised, and it had solidified his improvements.

Real-world experience truly was incomparable to secluded training, at least in Liam’s case. He now felt confident in his mastery of the high-grade circulation technique, meaning he could concoct again, meaning his struggle toward the rooting stage could resume.

Still, Liam didn’t forget about Elliot, and he preferred to address him now before his brain switched gears completely.

"Fellow Daoist, your knowledge has been useful," Liam exclaimed, trying his best not to mess up his words. "Do you want some spirit stones as a reward?"

"I haven’t done anything deserving of such kindness!" Elliot promptly declared.

Liam honestly agreed. He had accepted Elliot’s help out of mere inexperience. Liam didn’t know how those environments worked, so he had opted for additional support to be as prepared as possible.

However, Liam had gotten an idea of how things in that lower world worked now. Knowledge was important, but Liam could get it freely from the Guild, so he saw no reason to accept guides anymore.

Exceptions could still exist, but with experience came independence, and Liam could save unnecessary splits with it.

"However, if I could be so arrogant as to ask for something," Elliot continued, his head still lowered. "It is my life’s wish to join the Seniors’ Sect so that one day I can hope to achieve a fraction of their greatness."

’Can’t anyone speak normally?’ Liam wondered, glancing at Melissa from under his hood. "Can we do that?"

"We can bring the matter to the Pale Moon Sect’s disciplinary committee," Melissa responded to Elliot directly. "That’s the extent of support we are willing to provide."

It was peculiar how Melissa’s stammer was absent in those public environments. Still, Liam now knew that wasn’t the real her. It probably was something she felt compelled to learn, both to navigate the world and to deal with how it treated her.

"This favor is so grand I wouldn’t have dared to dream about it," Elliot exclaimed. "Seniors, I vow to repay your kindness for the rest of my life."

The matter was settled in ways that Liam inevitably preferred. After all, he had gotten to keep all the retrieved spirit stones.

Yet, the crowd behind Elliot was still there, and the end of the conversation prompted someone to step forward, only for Melissa to cut all that short. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

"We shall take our leave now," Melissa announced. "We thank the Mercenary Guild’s hospitality, but it is time for us to return."

The unilateral declaration forced the crowd to make way for Liam and Melissa’s departure. Elliot obviously came along, and the same went for one of the Guild’s representatives.

As for the group of lone cultivators, they remained on the wooden floor, watching the four departing figures before exchanging probing but knowing looks.

"Birds die for food," The female representative under the building casually said, seemingly as a warning. "Men die for wealth."

And, as the representative had expected, her warning fell on deaf ears since the lone cultivators scattered right afterward.

Naturally, Liam’s understanding was limited to the faint stench only his nose could smell, but that changed after the carriage started moving, heading directly for The Three Peaks.

The voyage promised to be a bit longer than a day, so Liam took occasional smoking breaks, peeking past the carriage’s inscribed curtains so that none of his poison would get inside.

And then, at night, when the carriage was deep into the empty grassland, Liam sensed it during one of his breaks. He felt observed, and his body acted instinctively, mimicking what Carl had once done.

"Stop the carriage," Liam said, directly jumping off onto the grassland, wielding his still fuming pipe while a shout escaped his mouth. "Come out!"