Legacy of Hatred

That slight crack opened the floodgates, unleashing a tide of questions.

Liam omitted some names and details, making a few of his decisions sound forced, but otherwise explained everything he had faced in the past years.

Adrian learned about the two men who tried to rob Liam as soon as he escaped the Divine Cult and Randall’s attempt to kill him out of fear of losing his privileged position to a more talented disciple.

Liam even spoke about the events in the ruins, how surviving the trio’s machinations had earned him Cecilia’s enmity, with his talent involving entire Sects plotting to snuff him out.

Then came the white-masked man’s attack, the escape alone, the lucky meeting with Grace while Liam was once again about to fall prey to the machinations of bigger forces.

The tournament, Dominic, the Assassins Guild’s attack, the deal with the Roaring Thunder Sect, and the inheritance followed.

Lastly, there were more recent events. The Church’s attempt at suppression, Dominic’s attack, the Axe Brigade, the theatrics the couple had put in the border, only for all that to force the two to join a stronger force that had kept them caged for half a year.

Liam described everything in a matter-of-fact way, neither praising nor admonishing himself or the environment. He wasn’t quite the storyteller, but Adrian’s perspective shifted nonetheless.

The Church had made the hunt for Liam sound like a public service, which wasn’t necessarily false. Liam’s story confirmed that he was a destabilizing factor, one that was better suppressed to maintain peace. Chaos tended to hurt the frail and powerless the most, after all.

Adrian honestly would have been of the same opinion if he weren’t personally involved. He could have seen that destabilizing factor as causing problems for no reason, selfishly pursuing his goals at everyone else’s expense.

Nevertheless, Adrian was personally involved. He could put himself in Liam’s shoes, even experiencing part of what he must have felt in that journey.

Truth was, Liam had just been a kid, powerless and clueless, doing his thing to the best of his ability, only for everyone to cause problems for him out of greed, because they felt threatened, or due to misplaced righteousness.

Big forces had established iron-clad rules, and anyone who stepped out of line had to be kicked back in, suppressed, or eradicated. These gargantuan organizations could be for the good of the people, but only if the latter remained subservient and weren’t a threat to the status quo they had imposed.

Liam had somehow been painted as this devilish criminal, a demonic rebel, before he could even understand what he was doing wrong, blamed by everybody for finding solutions to problems they had manufactured.

There was no real right or wrong. Adrian himself had played the part of the big, scary force with Liam back in Krosstoen’s mountain, driving away desperate foreign hunters. It hadn’t been fair. It had simply been an act of self-preservation.

That was exactly what was happening to Liam, just on a far bigger scale. Adrian would instinctively take his side, but he also saw the opposite perspective, especially since he was more in contact with the frail and powerless masses who would suffer if the Kingdom’s organizations were to disappear.

Silence fell in the hall once Liam finished the story. He inspected his friend as the two kept drinking, but Adrian was lost in thought, understandably so. Liam had dumped three and a half years’ worth of transformative experiences on him in mere minutes.

At the very least, Liam found some reassurance in the absence of disgust. If anything, Adrian looked a bit guilty.

"You know, I..." Adrian eventually spoke, his gaze lowered, his mouth hidden behind his cup. "I’ve always known it would have been hard, but hearing it first-hand ..."

Adrian had also been just a village kid. He had warned Liam back then, but he had no idea about what the danger entailed. He still mostly didn’t, since most of it existed in the cultivation world.

"I don’t think I can call you monkey-boy anymore," Adrian said, finally lifting his gaze to show a smile. "I’d like to say that I want to help but-"

"No," Liam interrupted, instantly refusing. "You stay away from all this. It’s the best way to protect you and Cyrus."

Even if Adrian were strong enough to be of any help, Liam would refuse him. His debt toward him and his father was already eternal. Liam couldn’t bear to take anything else, especially if it put them at risk.

Besides, Liam could see that Adrian was conflicted about the matter. He was speaking out of affection for Liam, not because he agreed with his world.

"Alright," Adrian agreed rather quickly. Honestly, all the stuff Liam had revealed was too grand, distant, and grim for him.

It could sound selfish and cowardly, but the story had actually made Adrian miss the life in the village. He had never been against it, but every boy occasionally dreamt of going on adventures and exploring the world.

That wasn’t the case for Adrian anymore. He had seen and heard enough. He only wanted to put all that behind him now, settle down with a wife, take over his father’s shop, and live far away from that world of monstrous forces and constant murder.

But Adrian couldn’t forget about Liam entirely, so he added something else.

"Liam, once you are done with everything," Adrian announced. "Do come back. Krosstoen village will always be your home. You could settle down with that beautiful wife of yours. Our children would be playmates and all."

Adrian wished that Liam would accept the offer. It had always been his desire that Liam could put his revenge aside, and the life he was living reinforced that feeling.

The blinding smile that broadened in Adrian’s vision almost gave him hope, only for it to turn bitter in the next second, forcing him to wear a similar expression.

Liam had been truly happy to hear Adrian speak the same words Cyrus had given him before his departure. However, the limits of a mortal mindset had immediately stood out.

At the very least, Liam had to complete his personal revenge. Two butchers were dead, one killed by him. Another butcher was missing, while the last one and the team leader were in Dimmere, a city on the eastern border of the Inner Circles.

Considering what Liam now knew about the cultivation world, he guessed only the leafing stage would grant him the strength to approach the Inner Circles safely.

Even if things weren’t as bad as Liam dreaded, he would at least need to be a high-stage branching expert to deal with the consequences of his actions.

It had taken Liam over two years to get to ninety-five minor roots, and he wasn’t done yet despite the constant influx of nutrients Grace had provided. Meanwhile, things promised to be more challenging, longer, and slower at the branching stage.

Liam lacked the data to make accurate estimates, but even his most generous ones involved decades, and that just for his main goal. He would still have Grace’s Clan, his obligation toward his Master, and the Dragons to deal with afterward.

By the time Liam felt safe returning to Krosstoen village, half a century might have passed, if not far, far more.

’Would Adrian even be alive by then?’ Liam wondered. ’Would his children? Would my family’s tombstones still be standing? Would Krosstoen village still exist?’

Truth was, that might very well be Liam’s last meeting with Adrian in this life, and he didn’t know how to explain it since his own mind could barely project itself across such long stretches of time.

Yet, there was something Liam was sure of.

"I don’t know what will happen," Liam exclaimed, "But I’ll always be yours and your descendants’ ally."

Liam even wanted to shower Adrian with healing pills and a communicator so that he could be set up for life and call him if needed. However, he couldn’t. He couldn’t give Adrian anything that might make the Church think that he was on his side.

As for Adrian, the word "descendants" hit harder than anything else since the reunion. Liam hadn’t used children, or even grandchildren. He was speaking in terms of bloodlines, like a mortal never would, suggesting something sadder.

That was goodbye, and it was likely forever.

Maybe to dodge the sadness of it all, or because the finality of the event removed any hesitation, Adrian stood up and circled the table to sit at Liam’s side, placing a hand on his shoulder like he always did years ago.

"Liam, there’s something you must tell me before I go," Adrian said, leaning in and lowering his voice. "How is it?"

"How is what?" Liam asked, tilting his head in confusion. For some reason, Adrian was reminding him of Lancelot.

"Sex!" Adrian half-cried, shooting a wary glance at the tent, continuing only after its entrance didn’t move. "You are married, so you did it, right?"

Liam blinked, also glancing at the tent, before diverting his gaze. He felt some embarrassment, which wasn’t enough to stop him, but the protective stance toward his woman’s honor was.

"We are Dao partners," Liam specified, dodging the question. "It’s sort of the same thing, but for cultivators. Still, we never officially marry."

"She liked it when I called her wife," Adrian pointed out, smirking. "Marry her already and make a few little monkeys. If she leaves you because of your indecisiveness, you’ll never find another woman like her."

Liam threw another look at the tent. No matter how much Grace had started to tease him after sharing what the Demoness had said, they had a mutual understanding around children. As for marriage, it was superfluous for cultivators, but also not something Liam would oppose.

"Come on," Adrian insisted. "Friends always talk about this stuff. Just give me a little hint for old times’ sake."

"You were the only one talking about this stuff," Liam stated, but still considered the matter. Intimate details were definitely out of the question, but Adrian was one of the few people in the entire world he was willing to open up to about certain stuff.

Liam also lowered his head and leaned in, and the two men threw a simultaneous look at the tent before refocusing on that extremely serious topic.

"It’s like," Liam whispered, trying to find the right words. "Nothing else even comes close, and it somehow gets better every time."

Adrian’s eyes narrowed, unable to hide the annoyance in his response. "Now you are just bragging."

"You are the one who asked," Liam argued.

"You could have toned it down," Adrian complained. "You know that I have to spend another one and a half years among nothing but men, don’t you?"

"She always tells everyone how much I pleasure her," Liam revealed. "When she is the one doing-"

Liam sealed his lips before intimate details could slip out, looking away, but Adrian’s hand remained on his shoulder.

"Liiiaam," Adrian called.

"Not telling," Liam denied.

"Do you know how long I’ve waited for you to gain an interest in this stuff?" Adrian asked.

"Not happening," Liam refused, but the nagging didn’t stop, and laughter soon resounded.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!