Chapter 249: Help
’Did I say it right?’ Liam wondered, his superhuman perception focused on reading the armored trio.
The three foundation experts stiffened even further, but exchanged troubled looks.
The politics were intricate there. Liam might be a rooting expert and a promising asset, but the Enforcent Guild was a far greater force that couldn’t be bullied in such a shaless manner.
However, each force had different factions, often conflicting ones. The three weren’t even carrying out the Guild’s official business. The order had co from their Young Master, aning that he would be the one to face eventual repercussions.
Opposing Liam now would remove Isaac’s chances of befriending him, enabling other factions inside the Guild to pursue similar goals. Isaac would push that lucky finding into soone else’s hands, making the latter stronger, basically losing twice.
"Senior," One of the armored cultivators eventually said. "We are but foundation experts. We can’t possibly hope to repay the wrong done to an expert of your caliber."
"But, Senior," Another foundation expert added, "If you would discuss the matter with Young Master, we vow that you will be appropriately compensated."
’Damnit,’ Liam cursed internally.
Horace Rauret knew what to say and how to act even in the terrifying presence of the Crimson Warrior Sect’s Leader. However, Liam wasn’t him, not even close.
Soone savvy in social interactions could also spin a believable story and achieve results. Yet, Liam was acting on imitations of practices he barely understood.
In short, Liam didn’t know how to proceed from there.
"I said that I’m busy," Liam exclaid, his tone conveying the annoyance he felt, which ca from more than his current inability to replicate his Master.
Liam had gained much, solved many pressing issues, and more promised to be fixed in two weeks, even enabling strategies that could help him in the long run.
However, everything had co at the price of Liam’s patience. Old Joe, Ronnie, Grace, and Isaac were all variables that might have common goals, but that also existed in their own complicated side of the world.
In retrospect, the Sect had been far simpler. Everyone lived it differently, but it was one system with distinct and unified rules.
Instead, the open world had countless systems, multiplied by how its inhabitants approached them. Life could be both beautiful and terrible, but it was undeniably complex.
Now that Liam’s cultivation level had failed to smooth things out, he wasn’t sure what his next step should be, what new approach he should rely on. That wasn’t even re confusion between viable options. It was pure cluelessness.
Nevertheless, Liam’s uncompromising simplicity ended up working out because the three perceived his annoyance as displeasure.
"Senior, I have these Qi-enhanced arrows!" The bow-wielding cultivator gasped, quickly removing his quiver. "I’m certain they will find far better use in your hands."
"Senior, I have ten spirit stones!" Another cultivator said, rummaging through his sleeve to retrieve translucent crystals. "They aren’t much, but I hope they convey my genuine regret."
"Senior, I beg forgiveness," The third cultivator announced, getting to his knees. "I do not possess anything to offer but my life."
Liam looked at the items on display, clearing his throat as his mories promptly fueled more imitation.
"I consider the insult repaid!" Liam declared, quickly retrieving everything. "But don’t follow
anymore!"
Polite promises resounded, but the three were t by silence. By the ti they lifted their heads, they saw that Liam had long since disappeared.
The interaction had been short. Old Joe hadn’t even considered opposing Liam’s order, but he had eventually mustered the courage to peek past the shallow crevice.
However, sothing unnoticeable suddenly grabbed Old Joe and dragged him away. He would scream, or at least beg forgiveness, but the speed was debilitating, forcing the entirety of himself to focus on not throwing up or fainting.
Liam didn’t care about Old Joe’s limits now. He had decided to continue getting involved against Liam’s wishes, so his issues didn’t make the list of priorities anymore.
The trio had stopped tailing Liam, but he was still too close for comfort, both to the six Sects and the open market. He needed to settle down and start concocting, but that could only happen once he found sowhere safer.
A few hours after dawn, Liam stopped on a mountain slope. The tundra was widespread, even featuring a small river, and Liam settled near it, inside a relatively spacious, rocky natural cavity.
Liam let go of Old Joe at that point. He was unresponsive, having fainted, his face wet with drool and more. It seed Liam’s speed had acted no differently than a proper attack, and the silence gave him ti to think.
’What should I do with him?’ Liam wondered.
The simplest answer was the first to pop out in Liam’s mind. Killing Old Joe would remove that annoying thread to so clues Liam had revealed.
But Old Joe wasn’t the only one who knew where Liam had first shown his hood. The two brothers had also been part of that interaction. The Enforcent Guild hadn’t seen that direct connection with Liam, but it was out there.
As for Old Joe specifically, he might have guessed that Liam was a foreigner, but Grace and Isaac might have, too. They had both hinted at that by highlighting how rare unaffiliated rooting experts were.
Old Joe’s behavior hadn’t even focused on hurting Liam. He was looking out for himself, like every other cultivator did. He had simply been more desperate and bolder in his manners than Elliot.
Killing Old Joe would be an act of extre zeal, of utmost safety, Liam considered enforcing after seeing what his Master had felt compelled to do.
’How could he have predicted that he was getting into sothing far bigger than him and
combined?’ Liam thought. ’He was unlucky, just like my family was. He is also powerless like I was and still am.’
Actually, Liam wasn’t completely powerless now. He had power over Old Joe’s life. It was just about deciding how to use it.
’What do they even know anyway?’ Liam considered. ’Grace aside, everyone else has only seen the cloak and my cultivation stage. Won’t changing robes and showing my face remove those tracks?’
Most importantly, while riskier, Liam just didn’t want to regret killing, especially after the white-masked man had made him re-experience that foul feeling.
Still, a solution didn’t exist in Liam’s mind, so he asked for help.
"Wake up," Liam ordered, poking at the fainted cultivator with his foot.
Old Joe didn’t wake up. He wasn’t pretending, either. Liam sensed it, so he resorted to more drastic asures.
"Wake. Up," Liam repeated, slowly, this ti adding his presence to the equation.
Just like with Liam’s killing intent, his superior Qi echoed his feelings in a more profound manner, one that alerted Old Joe’s survival instincts and snapped him awake.
Old Joe gasped, confused and rattled, fluids still leaking from his mouth. However, the threat was too real, removing whatever confusion he felt once he noticed Liam and bringing his head to the ground.
"Forgive , Se-," Old Joe began to say, but Liam had run out of ti for pleasantries.
"Shut up," Liam interrupted. "Everything tells
that I should kill you, so convince
otherwise."
"Ah, Senior!" Old Joe gasped. "I will be your servant for life. I’ll call you Master and-!"
"I told you already," Liam interrupted again. "I’m not becoming your Master, and I don’t need a servant. Right now, you are just a liability."
Old Joe knew he had overplayed his hand, so he racked his brain to find a way out of the predicant.
"Senior, I know everything about the area," Old Joe declared. "Everything. No foundation expert knows as much as I do, be about the land, the opportunities, and the factions."
Knowledge was power. It was what had fixed Liam’s pressing issues, what had prevented him from dealing with Ronnie without Grace’s help, and what had failed to make him consider the repercussions of ignoring Isaac.
Liam didn’t plan to linger in the area for long, but he could benefit from second opinions, especially on social matters. He had to learn that stuff. He didn’t believe he could master it, but it had to beco sothing he could consider and keep in mind.
"I’ll speak," Liam declared, "And you’ll tell
what you think honestly. I’ll know it if you lie. Then, I want to learn everything you know. Lastly, I’ll go in seclusion for a week or so, and you must wait outside."
"Senior, thank you!" Old Joe cried, lifting his head, only for Liam to squat down, staring deeply at him from under the hood.
"Let
be clear," Liam stated. "You fail to do any of those things, or you act on your own again, causing
problems, and I’ll find it justified to compromise my values."
Old Joe had no idea what Liam’s values were, but his threatening voice more than conveyed the ssage. He might have succeeded at joining hands with a rooting expert, but his life was now on the line.
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