Grace couldn’t see Liam’s face, but she knew. He was being genuine.

Lone cultivators, and Guild members for that matter, wouldn’t even have the capability to harbor such insane thoughts, and for good reason.

The Sects had superior manpower down to their very outer disciples. They provided streamlined paths toward better resources, be it nutrients, martial arts, or magical items.

Even without accounting for the higher cultivation the easier-to-access nutrients enabled, the potential superior arsenal created a huge gap, one that even the most affluent Guild members couldn’t close easily.

Extending that reasoning to the Elders and Sect Leaders turned the gap into an insurmountable barrier for anyone without access to that superior education.

And yet there Liam was, a single rooting expert claiming he would destroy those fearsome forces if one of their branching experts became hostile.

It was truly mental, especially from Grace’s perspective. She was a businesswoman to her core, perfectly embodying the mentality of the Ancestral Beast she was loosely related to. Her mind only saw financial gains and losses, and she knew which one she was there.

As a business partner, Grace wasn’t worth incurring a Sect’s, or even a single branching expert’s, enmity. The math couldn’t be clearer, but Liam’s mind worked on a different wavelength.

And, honestly, it was a first for Grace. Her idea of relationships saw mutual benefits as a mandatory requirement. Such was the way of the world, especially hers, but Liam was something else.

’How naive,’ Grace thought, despite a sense of security spreading inside her, lifting a weight she never knew was there.

"Don’t even think about that," Grace snorted, finishing lowering Liam’s hand and snatching the small crown. "Do you have any idea how many customers a Sect has? You will not destroy our best possible clients."

Grace directly turned, stepping away, but not forgetting to wave her hand. "This is your half for today."

Spirit stones fell on the carpet, and a glance told Liam their rough amount. They were fewer than the previous day, only about a thousand, which was understandable due to the shorter shop’s open time and the cost of the ingredients.

Still, Liam felt no disappointment as he stored everything. That was literally free money, only requiring his alchemical skills and Grace’s social mastery to generate. They were creating wealth from nothing at a more than satisfactory pace.

That pace was so satisfactory that Liam decided on something he had pondered inside the warehouse. ’I’ll improve the smoking powder.’

The face-off with Elder Dominic had proved how weak Liam still was compared to the world, but he now had the finances to compensate for that.

Just like the Divine Cult’s drug had done, Liam would feed his core stronger nutrients to accelerate his growth. His current batch was almost over anyway, and he had already devised a better recipe. He only had to test it a few times to concoct it.

Liam summoned the pipe to smoke on the spot, wanting to quicken the impending scarcity to justify concocting the upgrade right away, only to feel observed.

Grace had gotten further away, but her gaze had fallen on Liam again, summoning conflicting helplessness. She had a definition for what Liam was. She wasn’t ignorant about those aspects of life. She just didn’t know where to place him in her mindset built on money.

’He earned it,’ Grace thought. ’Might as well.’

"Mind joining me for a drink tonight?" Grace invited, settling behind a small table on the tent’s side while summoning wine and two cups.

Liam studied the scene for a few seconds before sitting on the other side of the table, fuming pipe still in his mouth. Whatever Grace had in mind, it smelled important.

"I’ve already placed my business life in your hands," Grace announced, elegantly pouring the wine. "Just like with everything else, I do see myself as a currency to be spent to earn profits."

Grace didn’t drink, instead staring meaningfully at Liam, conveying a silent request that made him lower his hood.

"I kept myself pure in case you were wondering," Grace smiled faintly. "My business mind more than suffices anyway, and that’s a currency I can only spend once, so I have been saving it for someone worthy."

Honestly, that whole partnership was making Grace question whether the time to spend that currency had come, but there was no need to press the issue or for Liam to know. Only time would tell.

"But me relying on you so radically," Grace continued, "And you risking losing everything to defend me ... That’s more than partners, isn’t it? It’s a genuine friendship."

Liam kept smoking but diverted his gaze in thought, eventually deciding to be blunt.

"I’m not that smart," Liam warned. "This difference you mentioned ... I don’t see it."

Liam’s Master was different. That was a relationship unique even in the cultivation world. Melissa was also an exception, the only one in that sense.

Yet, when it came to everyone else, Liam only had two categories. He had allies he would do anything in his power to help, or enemies who would become the target of his boundless hatred. Anyone in between didn’t even register in his mind.

Grace had guessed that simplicity, which could be worrisome in that ruthless world, but a chuckle still escaped her mouth, which she half-hid by bringing the cup to her lips.

"You should have a higher opinion of yourself," Grace suggested, "But that’s beside the point. The fact is, I’m quite unsure of how to behave with a friend. I only know that you are giving me more than I’m giving you, and I loathe being in debt."

Liam saw that the other way around. For all his skills, the benefits he was getting were thanks to Grace. She was enabling him like he would have never thought or succeeded at on his own.

"So, it’s only fair I give you something," Grace declared, "What little I’m still keeping for you."

Naturally, Liam didn’t connect that to Grace’s previous words. He hadn’t really understood what kind of purity she was talking about anyway.

"I come from the western region," Grace revealed, "From one of its wealthiest Clans, actually. The blood of the Ancestral Qilin runs thick in it. I was merely the runt of the litter."

’A Clan?’ Liam wondered. That word wasn’t exactly new to him, but he hadn’t encountered it often in his studies. After all, the eastern region didn’t have those forces.

"My Clan’s rule was simple," Grace explained. "Wealth. The faction that earns the most gets to rule it."

Grace’s smile grew wistful, which she didn’t hesitate to hide behind her cup as she looked away.

"The Ancestral Qilin’s titles are Wealth, Abundance, and, well, Greed," Grace mentioned, "But I was less than an illegitimate descendant, little more than a common one. The other factions saw that as a weakness and destroyed mine."

A familiar hiss surged in Liam’s ears, no differently from when Melissa told him her story.

"It’s ironic, isn’t it?" Grace commented. "Before I could even show what I was capable of or compensate through studies, my potential was deemed unworthy enough to unite the Clan against my faction."

Grace sighed. "As if I, as a mere human, had no hope to match an Ancestral Beast’s gifts. I mean, I would have done the same if I were them."

Except for specific cases, Liam had believed that those legendary bloodlines weren’t too relevant in politics. He had seen that with Anastasia. She might have been an illegitimate descendant, but Simon hadn’t treated her differently.

Yet, it seemed different cultures had different approaches. For most of the world, those lineages were only synonymous with talent and special abilities, but they were a matter of life and death for Grace’s Clan.

"But I wasn’t them," Grace stated, focusing on Liam again. "Of my faction, only I survived, and only because I migrated so far. I don’t even dare to wield my Clan’s name, but that doesn’t mean I gave up."

Grace placed her cup on the desk, resolve filling her serious face.

"I will buy my Clan," Grace declared, "All of it, even if only to prove the judgment from their lineage wrong. I’ll show them that a human can beat the Ancestral Qilin at its own game."

It turned out that Liam hadn’t bet on the Qilin. All along, his partnership with Grace went against that Ancestral Beast. Of course, he didn’t care, his hissing ears vouching for that.

’Defeat the Dragon where the Snake has failed,’ Liam thought. ’Defeat the Qilin, who never makes wrong bets, as a human. Ironic indeed.’

Liam couldn’t help but find the two goals similar. It was as if both he and Grace were on a journey to surpass the Ancestral Beasts.

"This is my story," Grace concluded. "My goal. Quite greedy, isn’t it? Maybe I am more of the Qilin than my Clan thought."

"That’s why you said you might clash with several Guilds," Liam pointed out. He knew the limits of established systems too well not to understand that inevitability.

"There’s a limit to how much I can get from them," Grace confirmed. "Definitely not enough to fulfill my goal. I ran the math. I’ll use them until they can’t provide benefits anymore."

Liam drank, his pipe still releasing smoke.

"I planned to do the same with you," Grace chuckled, "But this friendship took me by surprise. The least I can do is warn you about where being with me will lead you."

"I don’t mind," Liam admitted. "It’s a bit comforting, even."

Since Grace was also ready to pillage what she could and remain on the move, Liam half-believed he wouldn’t need to leave her as he had done with the Sect.

There was no need to depart to protect someone if that someone would also need to leave eventually. The way Liam saw it, he and Grace could abandon everything together, and he wasn’t alone in that perspective.

"I won’t ask you what your secrets are in exchange," Grace said, reassured and pleased by that reaction, "But can you share your destination? If anything, it would make it easier for me to follow you."

"I don’t plan to go there in a straight line," Liam revealed, "But my goal is the Inner Circles."

"I see," Grace responded, already thinking of a plan. "I suppose you have no problem heading north, do you?"

Grace had already guessed Liam was running from something, and he had explicitly said that he wouldn’t stop for too long in one place.

However, both the warehouse and the tournament had been north of the open market, and Liam hadn’t argued against it, meaning the direction had to be fine with him.

"It’s preferable," Liam said, that vague reply being genuine rather than calculated. He could also head west after all, but north would bring him further away from the six Sects quickly.

"North it is," Grace exclaimed. "William, I’m sorry to say it, but it is now officially impossible for you to get rid of me. As my first friend, you shall have all my trust, loyalty, and especially greed."

Grace threw a meaningful glance at Liam, one even she wasn’t sure what truly meant, but still opted for a tease. "There are no takebacks, so don’t regret it."