Legacy of Hatred

Liam wasn’t one to dwell on emotions when other priorities needed attention. The cloaking effects might still be active, but so was the yellow cloud in the mountain.

The Church’s team had been the first to arrive because it was probably reinforcements, but other forces had definitely located Liam during the break and were bound to be nearby. The battle and the yellow cloud would also make for easy tracks to follow.

Yet, before Liam could turn to leave, Grace slid toward him, leaning her back against his torso, lifting her free hand to caress his face.

"Are you worried about him?" Grace asked.

Almost out of habit, Liam wrapped his arms around Grace. His embrace was where she liked to be the most, where she always wanted to be.

"I’d be more worried if he were with us," Liam admitted. "I guess I never stopped to consider that he might die of old age before I’m even close to completing my revenge."

It was truly an eerie thought to walk the same soil, drink the same wine, and yet see such unavoidable finality, especially with someone Liam had grown up with.

"I might be at a loss here," Grace commented. "I was born in the cultivation world. Nothing in my studies or experience taught me this."

Grace hadn’t meant to talk about herself, as proven by her following gesture. She clung to Liam’s neck to pull him down, kissing his cheek, before resting her head on his.

"I can only promise you will never face such thoughts with me," Grace vowed, reassuring Liam to the best of her ability. That was once again a declaration that she would always be at his side.

Maybe it was due to the poignant moment or the thoughts about time’s involvement, but Liam looked down at Grace, comparing her words and body language to what she had been two and a half years ago, when they first met.

Grace used to be so guarded, each of her gestures calculated, all the words that left her mouth with a goal in mind.

Instead, Grace acted more naturally now, as if following her whims, with no real plan behind it. Her words could still be sharp and inescapable, but there were plenty of sweet statements, expressions of her affection that she didn’t hide behind teasing follow-ups anymore.

Of course, almost all those instances were only for Liam to see, especially the most glaring ones. Either she felt at ease showing her true self without adding manipulation, or she was discovering those parts of her as she went.

It could also all be a trap that Liam had yet to discover, but that hardly worried him. It was way too late for him even to think to get away.

"You have changed a lot," Liam voiced what ran through his mind. There was no reason to hold his thoughts back with Grace. After meeting Adrian, she truly knew everything there was to know about him.

"I’d be surprised if I hadn’t," Grace sighed. "I’m hopelessly in love, and my man is quite literally the best there is in the entire Kingdom. He can turn pebbles into piles of money, overpower superior cultivators, and his raw potential can’t be matched."

For some reason, Liam felt that the hand on his neck had become slightly more inescapable, but Grace wasn’t done.

"He is also handsome," Grace continued, "Caring, and gentle despite how manly he is. He gave me the life I thought I had no right to have and makes me happy beyond what I believed possible."

’Is she still talking about me?’ Liam began to wonder. He was doing his best to be a good partner for Grace, but her praises sounded a bit extreme.

"But Master Liam, you are one to talk," Grace scoffed. "You looked ready to carve out your own eyes whenever you found yourself ogling me. Now? You are all over me the second I start to tease you."

Grace heaved another sigh. "Not that I want you to stop. I don’t know what you see with those senses of yours, but you made me thank the Heavens that I was born a woman more times than I can count."

Liam felt some pride stemming from the most basic parts of his brain. He was a man after all, and he knew exactly what Grace was talking about.

Liam did sense a lot, and he had memorized everything about Grace while working on her cultivation, down to her very meridians. That knowledge could have other uses. They could be basic compared to elevating Grace’s dantian, but they still fell within his duties as a partner.

Also, Liam simply liked watching Grace squirm in pleasure. He didn’t know precisely what it was, but his brain lit up whenever he succeeded.

Before Liam knew it, his mouth had already made its way past Grace’s hair, landing on her neck.

"Here? In the open?" Grace giggled, unable to suppress the deeper breath the kiss caused. "I’m not opposed to it if that’s what you want, but I won’t be able to check the area once we start. Master, may I suggest relocating first?"

Liam smirked but pulled away. That had never been his intention, at least when it came to doing it in the open. The couple was enjoying a few minutes for themselves after the emotional departure, but they were still on the run.

"I made you wait," Liam said once he lay his head on Grace’s. "Haven’t I?"

"It was worth it," Grace reassured, half-turning in Liam’s embrace, her hand sliding down toward his chest. "Your heart is mine now, isn’t it?"

Liam had seen that scene before. He had already made up his mind about the matter, and he hadn’t forgotten, but he knew the answer to that question.

"It is," Liam confirmed, taking the hand on his chest. He really couldn’t say anything else. The woman in his arms was his eternal companion, his soulmate. Their lives were intertwined beyond individual distinctions. For all intents and purposes, they were one.

Grace wore a small smile, one of her genuine ones she couldn’t suppress, before closing her eyes and resting her head on Liam’s chest. Meanwhile, he held her, absorbing the sight, feeling the urge to treasure her even more.

The urge reminded Liam of something Adrian had mentioned, and it was with some unexpected embarrassment that he opened his mouth.

"Grace, do you ...," Liam called, finding it hard to speak for some reason. "... Want to marry?"

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