I stood before the kneeling crowd, their heads bowed in submission. The sight of Proseponia's most powerful cultivators on their knees before should have felt triumphant. Instead, a strange emptiness filled my chest. This was necessity, not victory.
"Rise," I commanded. "Heaven Gate begins today."
As they stood, I surveyed their faces—so resigned, others calculating, all fearful. Good. Fear would keep them loyal until respect could take its place.
"Your resources now belong to Heaven Gate. Your disciples now train for Heaven Gate. Your loyalty now lies with Heaven Gate," I declared, my voice carrying across the silent crowd. "Specific rules and structure will follow. For now, return to your sects and inform your people of the change."
I reached into my spatial ring and withdrew a jade box.
"Before you depart, you will each consu one of these."
The Man with the Mustache stepped forward, opening the box to reveal rows of gleaming pills—each radiating a faint golden light.
"Divine Seal Pills," I announced. "They contain a portion of my power. They will strengthen you... and ensure your compliance."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd. A brave sect leader near the front spoke up.
"What exactly do these pills do, Lord Knight?"
"They create a connection between us," I explained bluntly. "If you betray Heaven Gate, I'll know. If you plot against , I'll feel it. And I can activate the seal to cause... discomfort."
Fear flashed in his eyes. The word "discomfort" hardly captured the excruciating pain the seal could inflict.
"Form a line," I ordered. "Each of you will take one before leaving."
As they shuffled forward, the Man with the Mustache leaned toward .
"Three straight days refining these pills," he whispered. "No wonder you look exhausted."
I didn't respond. The truth was that creating Divine Seal Pills had drained more than the battles against the Crimson Fla Sect. Each pill contained a trace of my essence, a fragnt of my cultivation base. It was a calculated risk—weakening myself temporarily to ensure long-term control.
One by one, the sect leaders approached, took a pill, and swallowed it. So hesitated, but none refused. The alternative was too clear in their minds.
Herman Avery observed from the sidelines, his expression a mixture of awe and concern. When the last leader had taken their pill and departed, he approached .
"I never thought I'd see this day," he admitted, voice low. "The Proseponia Kingdom united under a single banner."
"This is just the beginning," I replied.
Herman studied carefully. "And what's the end, Liam? Where does this path lead?" Ch apt*e#r$ p*ro-vi^de^d via M|V|L.@E#M&PY R.
"To Isabelle," I said simply. "Everything I do is to reach her."
His eyes softened slightly. "I hope she's worth the man you're becoming."
The comnt stung more than I wanted to admit. I turned away, signaling the conversation was over.
---
Later that evening, I found Herman in his study, maps of the kingdom spread before him.
"Your Heaven Gate now controls nearly eighty percent of the cultivators in Proseponia," he remarked as I entered. "You've accomplished in days what emperors failed to do in centuries."
"Because I wasn't asking for their allegiance," I pointed out. "I demanded it."
Herman nodded slowly. "Force over diplomacy. Effective, if brutal." He rolled up a map and faced . "What's your next move?"
"I'm leaving tomorrow," I announced. "I have personal matters to attend to before returning to Pyro."
"The Veridia City Martial Guild?"
"Not yet. I need more power first." I paused, considering how much to share. "There's soone I need to see. A friend who helped when I had nothing."
"The Hansen family?" Herman asked, surprising with his knowledge.
"You've done your research."
He chuckled dryly. "I make it my business to know everything about potential allies... or threats. Kathleen Hansen. Her family was once prosperous in the textile trade but has fallen on hard tis recently."
I frowned. This was news to . "How bad?"
"Bad enough. Rumors say they've taken loans from unsavory characters." Herman gave a pointed look. "Are you going as Liam Knight the friend, or as Lord Knight of Heaven Gate?"
"Just Liam," I replied firmly. "The Man with the Mustache will accompany . We'll return in a week to continue organizing Heaven Gate."
Herman nodded, apparently satisfied. "I'll handle things in your absence."
---
The Man with the Mustache and I set out early the next morning. As we left the city boundaries, he finally voiced what had clearly been bothering him.
"You've changed, Liam," he said quietly. "The golden cores, the Divine Seal Pills... you're becoming sothing different."
"I'm becoming what I need to be," I countered.
"And what's that?"
I didn't answer imdiately, reflecting on the past few days. The brutality I'd shown, the fear I'd instilled, the empire I'd begun building.
"Power is neither good nor evil," I finally said. "It's a tool. And I need every tool available to save Isabelle."
He tugged at his mustache nervously. "Just be careful you don't lose yourself in the process. Power changes a man."
I glanced at him sideways. "You sound concerned."
"I am." His voice dropped to a near whisper. "Those Divine Seal Pills... I've only heard of such techniques in ancient texts. They're forbidden for a reason."
"They're necessary," I insisted.
"Maybe." He fell silent for a while before asking, "So, who's this friend we're visiting?"
"Kathleen Hansen. When I was nothing but the Sterling family's whipping boy, she treated with dignity." I felt a rare smile form on my lips. "She never looked down on , even when everyone else did."
"Ah, an old fla?" he teased.
"A true friend," I corrected firmly. "Nothing more."
We traveled for the rest of the day, making good ti along the main roads. The further we got from the Avery compound, the more I felt the weight lifting from my shoulders. I hadn't realized how suffocating my new role had beco.
As night fell, we stopped at a roadside inn. Over dinner, I contemplated the path ahead.
"The Divine Seal Pills will ensure loyalty for now," I mused. "But I need to establish a proper structure for Heaven Gate."
The Man with the Mustache nodded thoughtfully. "You should divide it into departnts—combat, alchemy, formations, intelligence."
"You've given this so thought."
He shrugged. "I've seen organizations rise and fall. The successful ones have clear hierarchies and specialized roles."
We continued discussing possibilities, and for a brief ti, I felt like my old self again—before the golden cores, before the killing. It was... refreshing.
---
We reached the Hansen estate two days later. Sothing felt wrong imdiately. The once-pristine grounds were noticeably neglected. The main gate's paint was peeling, and one of the guardian lion statues was cracked.
"Your friend's fallen on hard tis indeed," the Man with the Mustache observed quietly.
I frowned. "Herman ntioned financial troubles, but this..."
We approached the front entrance. A servant I didn't recognize opened the door, eyeing us suspiciously.
"We're here to see Miss Kathleen Hansen," I announced. "Please inform her Liam Knight has co to visit."
The servant's eyes widened slightly before he ushered us into a waiting room. "Please wait here, sir."
The interior of the mansion wasn't in much better shape than the exterior. Faded spots on the walls showed where valuable paintings had once hung. The furniture, though clean, was worn.
Fifteen minutes later, Kathleen herself appeared in the doorway. She looked thinner than I rembered, her elegant features strained. Despite this, she smiled brightly when she saw .
"Liam!" she exclaid, rushing forward to embrace . "It's been so long!"
I returned the hug, noting the tension in her shoulders. "Kathleen. It's good to see you."
She pulled back, eyes scanning my face. "You look... different. Stronger."
"A lot has changed," I admitted.
Her smile faltered montarily before returning. "You must tell everything! But first, who's your companion?"
I introduced the Man with the Mustache, who bowed gallantly. Kathleen invited us to follow her to the sitting room, her movents a bit too hurried, her smile a bit too forced.
"Would you like so tea?" she offered. "I'll have the housekeeper prepare so."
"That would be nice," I replied, studying her carefully.
Sothing was definitely wrong. Kathleen's hands trembled slightly as she rang for the housekeeper. Her eyes kept darting to the windows, checking the ti.
"So," she began once we were seated, "what brings you to visit after all this ti? Last I heard, you were still with the Sterling family."
"That ended so ti ago," I explained. "I've been... establishing myself."
She nodded, though I could tell she was only half-listening. "That's wonderful, Liam. I always knew you were destined for more."
The housekeeper arrived with tea, an elderly woman with sharp eyes. She gave Kathleen a aningful look that didn't escape my notice.
"Kathleen," I said after the housekeeper left, "is everything alright? You seem... distracted."
"What? Oh, of course!" She laughed too brightly. "Everything's fine. Just busy with family matters."
The Man with the Mustache caught my eye, subtly shaking his head. He'd noticed her unease too.
"Actually," Kathleen continued, setting down her teacup, "perhaps we should go out for dinner? There's a lovely restaurant in town that just opened."
"I'd prefer to catch up here," I replied, watching her reaction carefully. "It's been a long journey."
Panic flashed in her eyes for just an instant. "Oh, but the food here isn't... that is, our cook left last month, and I—"
"Kathleen," I interrupted, leaning forward. "Tell what's wrong."
"Nothing's wrong!" she insisted, voice rising. "I just thought—"
The door burst open, and the elderly housekeeper rushed in. "Miss Hansen, he's coming early! The carriage just passed the outer gate!"
All color drained from Kathleen's face. She stood abruptly, tea sloshing over the rim of her cup.
"You need to leave," she whispered urgently. "Now. Please, Liam—"
"Who's coming?" I demanded, standing as well. "Kathleen, what's happening?"
The housekeeper grabbed my arm with surprising strength. "If Mr. Westwood sees you, he'll kill you all! And then you'll get Miss Hansen involved!"
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