Legacy of Hatred-Chapter 182: Best

Amid the grandiose, inspiring declaration, Liam’s sore mind reached another conclusion, proving him utterly wrong.

Melissa had accepted Liam despite his secret, but she didn’t know its nature, something he believed had to remain that way since her safety was paramount.

Yet, life had still shown Liam a way to be close to people despite the barrier he had to uphold, and his Master had pushed that even further.

The Alchemy Elder hadn’t said it out loud, but he had understood. Even Liam could read between such obvious lines. His Master had learned the secret no one should have ever known, only for nothing catastrophic to happen.

Sure, the Elder was now in additional danger. If something ever happened, the Dragon King himself might descend upon him to flush out his disciple. Yet, he didn’t seem to mind it.

And there, Liam saw a path Cyrus had hinted at, a third way between two extremes. Liam’s desire to protect was genuine but naive. He couldn’t stop others from willingly accepting dangers to remain close to him.

Of course, Liam’s values wouldn’t change. He would still opt for the safest option, no matter how awful he felt implementing it.

However, the Alchemy Elder had further proven that Liam might not be cursed to a lonely life until his revenge was complete. It would still require compromises, but there were nuances, shades of grey that tasted bad but were somewhat acceptable.

Liam had to try to believe as much, if not for himself, for the people who had accepted him despite the problems he might bring. Protecting them remained the priority, but they deserved more from him than a safe distance.

As for how Liam would implement that, he wasn’t sure. It was a fine line to tread that his inexperienced brain couldn’t picture clearly. Still, he had to try because that was the life he desired.

Luckily, one certainty existed among that inexperience. Liam didn’t know the answer yet, but he was aware of what he needed to achieve it, both for himself and those who wouldn’t allow him to remain alone.

The more Liam had in life, the stronger he had to be to keep it. That truth applied to animals, hunters, and cultivators.

"It would have been impossible with nine spiritual roots," The Alchemy Elder announced, retrieving his cane and turning, pacing around as his brain churned plans. "But, with your you-know-what, there’s a chance."

Liam ignored his sense of weakness and headache, keeping the pipe in his mouth as he stood up, wanting to show a proud stance toward his Master.

"Proper rank 2 concoctions are still out of the question," The Elder mumbled. "However, adding a single rank 2 ingredient to rank 1 recipes might work."

The Elder stopped, crossing his arms as his brain kept exploring the issue loudly.

"Inventing recipes isn’t really a problem," The Elder said. "Qi is the issue. Your affinity can close the gap, but you don’t have enough of it for anything more complex. It’s not even strong enough to melt rank 2 ingredients."

The Elder turned, pointing his cane at the old tome in Liam’s hands.

"A high-grade circulation technique might fix the first issue," The Elder declared. "Still, be wary of it. That’s not something foundation experts can endure, but you just might."

Liam didn’t nod, but his brain had already decided that he would do anything to master the new technique, no matter what it required from him.

"It might even fall short at higher stages," The Elder sighed. "You’ll have to look for extreme-grade circulation techniques to overcome the harsher bottlenecks."

’Was there an even stronger grade?’ Liam thought. That was actually new to him, something that had never come up in his studies.

"Rank 2 ingredients are another problem," The Elder mentioned. "Same with a suitable cauldron, but I can take both from the Sect this time."

"Master," Liam finally called, unable to ignore the issue anymore, glancing at the book in his hands. "Can you really give me all this?"

Aside from feeling unworthy of such kindness, Liam saw actual problems. He had long since maxed out on what his status could earn him for free, but his Master had sounded willing to use his authority to compensate.

Still, as a response, the cane pointed at Liam’s face swung at his head, and it actually hurt this time.

Liam uttered a groan and squinted his eyes since the physical pain intensified his headache. The cane’s tip reappeared in his vision when he reopened them, as well as his Master’s properly threatening glare.

"This will be my only warning," The Elder declared. "Horace Rauret hasn’t fallen so low as to need his disciple’s protection. A foundation expert like you is a century too young even to harbor such thoughts."

Liam gulped. He couldn’t understand how his Master had guessed that part, but his guilty face explained how on point he had been.

"Never insult me like this again," The Elder insisted. "Your only duty is to learn and grow strong while your Master takes care of everything else."

Liam knew he would never stop trying to protect his Master, but he got the message, so he performed a simple nod.

"But," The Elder continued, lowering his cane and turning. "The cultivation world has many investigative methods, some that can probe your very mind. The less I know, the better it is."

Despite the previous warning, it seemed Liam’s wariness had been justified. He couldn’t control every variable, so the safest option was for no one to know anything.

"This applies to Disciple Melissa, too," The Elder warned. "You are a novice with no idea of how high the sky is. Don’t let your feelings get the better of you and involve her in problems bigger than all of us."

The Elder affirmed Liam’s wariness once more, but something else stood out. It sounded like he was ready to be an accomplice to that secret, offering guidance on a path he shouldn’t have learned about.

"As for my old Sect and the Pale Moon Sect," The Elder sighed before scoffing loudly. "Screw them! My disciple needs it, so I’ll take it!"

Something shifted inside Liam, similarly to what had happened after Melissa’s acceptance. He felt like hugging his Master, but that gesture would fall short of expressing the scorching, raging feeling inside his chest.

The Alchemy Elder not only barged through Liam’s barrier to stand right beside him. He was even changing his priorities, providing whatever his authority could seize at his expense.

That was just too much, beyond what Liam could ever hope to repay. He should be beyond hopeless or worse, but his Master was lighting a path in ways that went far past the physical.

From the spark of desire to the solution to the insurmountable issue, Liam knew he owed all that to the Alchemy Elder. The latter had changed his life, not only by emboldening him to pursue something worthy of that name, but also by clearing hindrances he would have never overcome on his own.

And Liam had to believe that there was something he could give his Master, something on par with literally granting him a life. A foundation expert like him obviously had nothing so valuable, but he eventually thought of a worthy goal.

So, Liam did the most meaningful thing he could think of. He got to his knees, prostrating himself to the floor to kowtow like he had done when that relationship became official.

"Master, thank you," Liam said, a new vow settling in his mind.

Liam had already promised to surpass his Master’s alchemical expertise. That had been a core requirement of their relationship, but it just wasn’t enough for him anymore.

In order to repay the Alchemy Elder, Liam would become the very best of the best so that the entire world would forever chant tales about the great Horace Rauret and the disciple he had produced.