Legacy of Hatred

The question in the man’s words didn’t go unnoticed. He wanted to know the couple’s goals. He had also revealed that the other Guilds were coming, on top of everything he had learned about Liam and Grace, but that still wouldn’t stop him from doing his job.

The Enforcement Guild protected the peace, so the man would act if he spotted a threat.

Naturally, Grace had countless ways to handle that silent question, but ended up not doing it. A shift in Liam’s aura that only she could recognize told her that he wanted to speak.

"Is that it?" Liam questioned. "A threat?"

In the past, Grace would have stepped in, even scolding Liam in private. Negotiations were her realm after all. While she wouldn’t engage in demeaning back-and-forth anymore, compromises were the norm.

However, Liam had grown into someone Grace could discuss plans with, into a proper partner. He didn’t need her to show the way anymore. Considering their relationship’s development, Grace’s new role was to enable whatever stance he took.

Liam was the leader, the head of the family. Grace’s role was to support him, knowing he would take care of her. Her wits were at his service, not for them to command him.

As for Liam, he was more tired than angry. He had expected a similar treatment. It honestly was the norm in the cultivation world, but not something he would accept anymore.

"Master Black Qi, how do you expect to be treated after all your crimes?" The man asked. His rough face might not have suggested it, but he was savvy enough to read Liam.

A hiss resounded in the back of Liam’s mind. The branching expert hadn’t opposed him, not yet. He had merely probed, but Liam hadn’t liked his tone or the one-sided evaluation. Yet, that was still within what Liam could answer with words instead of death.

"I destroyed the branch after it attacked us," Liam explained. "There is no crime I acknowledge against the Church. Archbishop Ignatius’ inheritance was open to everyone, and I was guarding my Dao partner during her breakthrough in the second instance."

The man’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t speak, letting Liam continue.

"We didn’t learn about the rebellion until we escaped ourselves," Liam revealed. "We accepted imprisonment because the righteous forces couldn’t accept that we had bested them."

Liam had broken rules, but he didn’t acknowledge any of them. He had merely reacted to unfair environments, and now the Enforcement Guild wanted to blame him for that.

"The betrayal of the Merchants Guild was an act of self-preservation," Liam added. "Or should my Dao partner have allowed herself to be captured and used as bait to draw me out?"

Of course, those in power would never hear the other side of the story, but Liam had to make himself clear. He knew what he would do if bad-faith negotiations started otherwise.

"You want to know if we came here to disturb the peace," Liam said. "Let me answer with a question. Is defending ourselves a crime? Is the Kingdom a place where we are forbidden to protect our lives if righteous forces demand them for whatever reason?"

The Enforcer had no interest in talking philosophy or ethics. That was exactly the kind of conversation he had wanted to avoid with Grace, but it seemed Black Qi was sharp with words, too.

Truth was, everyone knew how the world worked, and there was no way around it. The strong would bully the weak. No amount of rules or punishments could change that.

In a different situation, the Enforcer would have labeled the complaint as the cry of the weak, not even bothering to hear it.

However, Liam and Grace weren’t weak. It was exactly because they were strong that someone at the Enforcer’s level had heard them. They had earned that right through strength.

"A compelling tale," The Enforcer exclaimed. "But that’s your word against the Guilds’."

"I suggest the Enforcement Guild improves its information gathering," Grace declared. "For you to be able to learn so much without seeing the truth, I can only blame it on incompetence or malice."

Now that Grace had understood how Liam wanted to play, she had no problem joining in.

"Even then," The Enforcer responded, ignoring the veiled insult. "The Enforcement Guild’s job is to deal with such misconduct. You resorted to crimes, opting for the proper channels only when you were cornered."

"The Enforcement Guild plotted to rope me in when I first partnered with Grace," Liam revealed. "It was Grace who saved me from being unjustly punished."

That wasn’t in the Enforcer’s report, and for good reason. Liam had just been a nobody back in the open market. Such trivial problems weren’t even worth noting down. The entirety of that meeting was because Liam and Grace had overcome every instance of suppression.

Normally, the Enforcer could call the couple liars and punish them, but their status once again prevented that course of action. Sadly for him, Grace had joined the fray now.

"What my beloved is trying to say is," Grace declared. "We have always only wanted to enjoy our journey in peace. If no one disturbs us, we don’t disturb them."

That wasn’t a satisfactory answer at all, the couple’s strength being once again the reason. Liam and Grace weren’t inconsequential to the cultivation world. No matter what they did, they would create waves, forcing someone to act.

The answer the Enforcer wanted was subservience. The only way the addition of such valuable outsiders could work was if they submitted themselves to the established powers, having them decide how their lives would go.

Clearly, that wasn’t an option, not after all the suppression the couple had already overcome. Still, Grace wasn’t done yet.

"But if the Guilds are set on not letting us face our journey peacefully," Grace stated, "We’ll join one of the Sects in the area. I’m sure a few would be more than willing to welcome us."

That was a blatant lie. Liam knew as much because no single Sect could ever satisfy his and Grace’s needs. Yet, the threat didn’t have to be genuine to hit the mark.

"My beloved could affect the politics of the entire border," Grace highlighted the danger the Enforcer had already understood. "I’m afraid the peace you want to protect will suffer once we swear ourselves to a single force."

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