Legacy of Hatred-Chapter 50: Monster

Beasts were beasts, be it magical or not. Some rules were universal, and they applied to humans, too.

The moment an animal attacked was also the time when it was most vulnerable. Without battle stances to compensate for that flaw, any seasoned hunter could exploit that weakness.

Liam didn’t have the time to arrange traps, so he once again became the trap. Just like he had done with the jailer, he had welcomed injuries to create the opportunity for a deadly blow.

However, Liam was different now. He had to rely on his teeth back then, fighting like a mere beast. Instead, his opponent was the beast now, while he was a cultivator.

Where Liam’s knife had failed, his iron, Qi-empowered fingers had succeeded. His steel grip had pierced the wolf’s hide, ripping away a significant chunk of its throat.

The magical beast was still alive and tried to put strength into its bite, but the effort only deepened the gravity of its injuries. It couldn’t breathe, and its strength quickly dwindled, allowing Liam to overpower it.

Liam pushed the huge mouth away, throwing the wolf to the ground. The beast tried to straighten, but a heavy palm strike immediately landed on its head, slamming it down again.

Blood spurted everywhere from the injury on the wolf’s throat. Liam’s fingers had cut deeply, but the hunt wouldn’t be over as long as the magical beast lived.

So, when the wolf tried to stand up again, Liam jumped on its back, wrapping his arms around its neck. He squeezed with all the strength he was capable of, pulling as much as possible until a cracking noise resounded in the area.

The magical beast never got the chance to utter a last wail before going limp, crashing dead on the ground once Liam let it go.

The strain of the run and battle caught up with Liam at that point. He took deep breaths to prevent it from becoming ragged, feeling the exhaustion his reckless charge had left him with.

Despite the circulation technique being active, Liam had depleted a lot of Qi, which his core was failing to refill. It wasn’t that he had run out of energy, but refining new Qi for his body took time, causing that temporary, partial absence.

Still, Liam merely took a mental note of that aspect before his cold, still angry gaze went on Lucy.

"Did the Elders tell you to protect me?" Liam asked, slowly approaching Lucy.

Lucy had a lot to say about everything that had unfolded. It wasn’t just about Liam’s incredible battle prowess. That cold demeanor had nothing to do with the innocent boy she thought she knew.

However, the direct question took priority, making Lucy lower her head in guilt.

"Elder June said she’d give me one of the Sect’s gardens," Lucy revealed. "I’m sorry. I wanted to tell you, but Erik joined us, and ..."

Lucy had actually warned Liam about that, and he had agreed, but that didn’t absolve her from her unforgivable action.

"Let me be clear," Liam announced, placing his bleeding hand on the wall behind Lucy, partially trapping her. "My name means protector. I protect. Me!"

Lucy timidly lifted her gaze, stunned once again by Liam’s cold expression. Yet, she couldn’t deny the truth. Despite how angry Liam looked, he had still rushed back to save her and had even succeeded at that.

"I’m not hiding behind anyone ever again," Liam added. "I’d rather die."

There was a deeper truth to be found there, but Lucy decided to avoid connecting dots, instead focusing on the close, now manlier-than-ever face. Still, warmth rushed to her cheeks, so she lowered her head again.

"I’m sorry," Lucy muttered, nodding.

Liam’s anger didn’t subside, but he couldn’t blame Lucy for that. Truth was, he hated himself for having been so clueless and swore to learn from it.

However, Liam’s following helpless sigh told Lucy that the scolding session was over, allowing her to notice something else. A large red patch had expanded on the left side of Liam’s chest, hinting at the presence of a bleeding injury.

That wasn’t even the end. Liam’s left palm was bleeding, too, and more injuries became visible when he turned. Two large, red, and half-torn patches expanded on his back due to the damage the wolf’s claws had inflicted.

Nevertheless, Liam completely disregarded his state, instead approaching the dead magical beast and half-crouching toward it.

"Should we bring this to the Sect?" Liam asked. "I don’t think I’m in the mood to collect feces now."

"Aren’t you in pain?" Lucy probed. The wolf had hit her, too, but only once, and that was already enough to annoy her. So, Liam was bound to fare even worse.

"How can this little even be pain?" Liam scoffed, mostly to himself. After what he had gone through in the Divine Cult, a few deep cuts were hardly classified as injuries.

Lucy didn’t understand Liam but didn’t really care. Her attention fell on Liam’s broad back instead, partially captivated by feelings she didn’t want to acknowledge but that were too understandable to ignore.

Liam was someone Lucy could trust, despite the nature of the cultivation world. He had even risked his life to protect her, showcasing great battle prowess.

On top of that, Liam was a legendary genius bound to achieve incredible status, and his face wasn’t bad at all. There was a limit to how much Lucy could deny the obvious before it caught up with her.

Luckily, before Lucy could delve into anything coy, Liam looked up, glaring at the hole’s edge until a blonde head peeked over it.

"You are alive!" Erik exclaimed, his sigh of relief interrupted by the sight of the dead magical beast. "You killed it?!"

"I ripped out its throat," Liam explained, his lingering anger making it sound like a threat. "What should we do with it? Is this more important than its feces?"

Erik was utterly shocked. The black wolf was at the same level as a foundation expert, but magical beasts held the advantage due to innate physical superiority and natural weapons.

Cultivators typically needed martial arts and traps to compensate for that gap, but Liam had killed the wolf despite receiving the circulation technique little over a week ago.

That wasn’t only proof of Liam’s advanced foundation and immense talent. It also showcased his keen battle sense, which his inexperience in the cultivation world had failed to affect.

’He is a monster!’ Erik concluded in his mind, searching for Lucy’s gaze for support, only for her to avoid looking at him.

"It’s far more important," Erik eventually was forced to admit. "Junior Brother, let me help you carry-."

Before Erik could finish his polite offer, Liam had already stood up, lifting the huge dead wolf with him. He placed the carcass on his shoulders, wanting to split its weight evenly, but the magical beast remained heavy nonetheless.

"Let’s return to the Sect then," Liam ordered, his robe growing loose while he kept adjusting the carcass on his shoulders, only for Lucy to promptly fix it, unable to look him in the eye during her gesture.