Liam followed everything perfectly, even better than Grace, due to his unique knowledge in some aspects of that offer.

And, honestly, Liam had decided to join Lancelot even before he explicitly asked for no less than four reasons.

The first involved the benefits. As Liam’s Master had said, he couldn’t just claim strength when it was handed to him. He had to seize every opportunity he found, even if he thought he didn’t need it.

Liam had to take everything he could and give nothing back, a sentiment his unique predicament had only reinforced.

That led to the second reason. The spar against Lancelot had highlighted what Liam still lacked. Theoretically, he was an alchemist, so he had to fill those gaps through alchemy.

Yet, as boundless as it was, the cultivation world had more than alchemy. It would be dumb of Liam to ignore everything else. His Master himself hadn’t limited his preparations to ingredients in the end.

There lay the problem. While expensive, rare, and limited in power, the broader market sold magical items, but martial arts were a different beast altogether.

The Sects monopolized those techniques, especially the best ones. It was how they retained power, where most of their superior status came from, and what allowed them to groom manpower that the outside world had no hope of matching.

However, Liam couldn’t purchase martial arts from the Sects. They simply weren’t up for sale, meaning he had to get them elsewhere, and inheritance grounds were one of the few locations that could provide them.

Even the Primal Urge that had enabled Liam to accomplish the unthinkable feat of killing a rooting expert as a foundation expert came from a similar place.

The third reason was simpler. Liam had to be on the move, and Grace had even agreed to leave the area after his face had been exposed. Old Joe hadn’t mentioned Archbishop Ignatius’ inheritance, so it had to be decently far away, which fit the strategy perfectly.

Lastly, Liam had reacted to the words "sacred ground". The Mutated Battlefield had been one of such places, and he knew which secrets he had found there. The Church was involved with the ancestral bloodlines, so it was in his interest to learn more about the topic.

Nevertheless, instead of a one-sided announcement, Liam glanced at Grace. She had already scolded him twice about making decisions without consulting her, and she seemed to know more about the inheritance, too.

"Archbishop Ignatius’ inheritance is very far north-west," Grace explained, wanting to give Liam the full picture. "It’s at least one full month of travel. The border with the northern region gets closer, too, making it a complicated political environment to navigate."

The direction suited Liam, and Grace knew it. Everything else was the problem. She had just launched herself as a merchant of alchemical products, and an uninterrupted trip would lead to an immediate shortage.

"And the inheritance has remained unclaimed for centuries," Grace continued, "With most information about it monopolized by the Church. Aside from minor rewards, unaffiliated cultivators never made the trip’s money back."

"I’ve never been among those unaffiliated cultivators," Lancelot confidently said.

"Senior Isabel, is the Secret Jade Sect in agreement with this mission?" Grace questioned, knowing that Isabel was a far better source of answers.

"The Secret Jade Sect is used to cleaning Young Master’s messes," Isabel revealed, a hint of helplessness in her voice that she drowned in the wine. "But I understand business owners like you would be hesitant to insult the Church."

That was actually confusing for Liam, and not due to politics.

The Church of the Man was different than what mortals believed. The respect the six Sects had shown toward its ownership of the Mutated Battlefield proved as much.

Priest Eustace had also been a branching expert, basically an Elder. No ordinary force could possess such powerhouses, highlighted by the fact that Liam had yet to see a single cultivator at that level from the Guilds.

Yet, except for what Liam had discovered by himself, his studies hadn’t shed any light on the Church’s true nature. It was as if the entire cultivation world was in on that secret, never daring to discuss it openly.

But Liam didn’t ask, not yet. He planned to, but only once he remained alone with Grace, especially since she perfectly matched his intentions.

It was Grace’s turn to look at Liam now, and she read what he wanted, even connecting it to their previous conversation. He was ready to join Lancelot but was letting her handle the logistics.

"When were you planning on entering the inheritance ground?" Grace wondered.

"As soon as possible," Lancelot declared.

"With the time required to reach the location and gather the experts Young Master recruited," Isabel added, "One and a half months."

"It’s too soon," Grace directly refused. "We need double that at the very least."

"The most rewarding adventures are the unplanned ones," Lancelot said, winking at Grace. "That applies to love, too."

"Three months it is," Isabel agreed. "We won’t enter the inheritance immediately, either. With Master William in the team, we can arrange far better preparations."

Isabel summoned a black jade and placed it on the table, continuing. "We can remain in contact with this. I’ll notify the gathering point once the time comes."

"It’s settled then," Lancelot laughed, standing up and lifting his cup. "We should celebrate the arrival of our new teammate all day!"

Isabel also stood up, only to elbow Lancelot’s side and perform a polite bow.

"Fellow Daoists, we have taken too much of your time already," Isabel exclaimed. "We’ll take our leave and let you prepare in peace."

"Fairy, you are invited, too!" Lancelot shouted as Isabel grabbed his arm to drag him outside. "You also don’t have to wait that long to contact me!"

The two soon crossed the tent’s curtains, and Liam heard the reaction it caused in the crowd outside, but the sigh Grace released remained far more relevant.

"Do you also want to go?" Liam wondered.

Grace threw a glare at Liam, even leaning toward him to voice her annoyance. "And who would handle our business if I join? Old Joe?"

A scoff escaped Grace’s mouth, which she watered down with some wine before continuing. "Selling your products outside would also give us plausible deniability. As long as you hide your face, I can claim that they mistook you for someone else."

Liam understood the strategy, but the time to ask why had arrived.

"What even is the Church of the Man?" Liam questioned.

Grace threw another look at Liam, this time without anger. She even diverted her gaze to sort her thoughts.

"Be it branches or members," Grace announced, "The Church is superior to any individual Guild. It also deals in all sorts of businesses. Moreover, it owns a lot of territory, scattered, but truly a lot."

Grace emptied her cup before delivering the finishing blow. "And no one really knows how."

Liam had an idea, but Grace wasn’t done.

"The Church is also united," Grace continued, "Its members are utterly devoted. It’s the biggest single force in the Kingdom, and it can work as one despite that."

The Guilds had countless factions. Even more limited environments like the Sects had infighting, but not the Church.

"That’s the power of faith," Grace stated, "Yet, if you were to ask me, the Church’s most terrifying aspect is its influence."

Grace lifted her hands, gesticulating slowly. "Imagine if such a big force said that one merchant sold bad products. That merchant would have to change profession because he wouldn’t be able to work anywhere in the Kingdom."

That was the power of reputation applied on a scale Liam couldn’t yet fathom.

"What if instead it claimed that someone was untrustworthy?" Grace wondered. "He or she would have their reputation destroyed instantly. They’d be forced to become criminals."

Grace leaned slightly back, supporting herself on her arms.

"It’s a form of soft power," Grace declared, "One that can’t be opposed. For all the individual peaks the cultivation journey provides, the Church instead weaponized the weaker masses."

The scope was still shocking, but Liam understood. It was the theory behind the compound concoctions. With two cauldrons, he had been able to touch upon the superior stage. The Church simply had hundreds of thousands of those.

’Terrifying,’ Liam couldn’t help but agree with Grace, prompting an obvious question. "Isn’t it better to avoid the inheritance then?"

"Stories say Archbishop Ignatius’ dying wish was to open his inheritance to everyone," Grace revealed. "On the surface, the Church can’t oppose that. In truth, it believes it’s owed those rewards. It’s why it demands a share of anything non-Church members manage to retrieve."

’Just like in the Mutated Battlefield,’ Liam recalled, inspecting Grace, her empty stare ahead, lost in thought.

"I’m not making things easy for you," Liam commented, "Am I?"

Liam wouldn’t care much during a mere trade. He hadn’t with Old Joe, but Grace was a friend, and he was basically forcing her to adjust her life to his wild plans.

"You are ...," Grace said, meeting Liam’s gaze, "Worried about me?"

"Obviously," Liam bluntly admitted. "First Elder Dominic, then Lancelot, and now the Church. I gave you three big problems in less than a week."

’Does he not realize how ruined I’d be without him?’ Grace sighed internally, feeling like strangling Liam again, but instead doing something different.

"Master William, I have survived far worse," Grace declared, turning and scooting closer to lie her back on Liam’s arm. "Besides, if I were unhappy with our agreement, you’d be the first to hear it."

Grace never refrained from scolding Liam, so he felt reassured, instead focusing on the curious stance she had chosen to assume.

"You should be worried about yourself instead," Grace continued. "You might be getting more than you bargained for, and I’m truly greedy."

Liam looked down at the small silver crown under him. Even if Grace was only supporting herself, he felt her back, and his mind recalled another, one he wished could be there.

"We can’t know how long you’ll be away," Grace said, tilting her head so that she could look up at Liam. "So, I’ll work you like a horse until my shelves are overflowing. We can’t risk leaving me with nothing to sell, can we?"

"Where will we get the ingredients?" Liam questioned. "Don’t you have to fire your merchants now?"

"Your inseparable partner obviously has a plan for that," Grace smiled. "It’s a bit shameless, but it might work in everyone’s favor."

Grace lowered her head now, tilting it in thought. "Of course, we have to get there alive first."