Legacy of Hatred-Chapter 157: Distressed

Naturally, Liam was completely oblivious to the grand talk between the Sect Leader and his disciple. However, he had no shortage of distant plans himself.

The revelation about the rooting experts’ Qi’s capabilities crossed Liam’s mind, but far more kept it occupied.

Liam hadn’t lost track of his main goal, and he had a clear clue now. One of the remaining butchers might be missing, but Liam had learned where Dimmere was in his studies. It was a city on the Inner Circles’ eastern border.

The exact road was unclear. However, if Liam wanted to, he could head to Dimmere right now, forsaking everything to prioritize his revenge.

Yet, that random, lucky encounter with the butcher had revealed massive problems. Liam would have killed that overweight man no matter what, but he would have preferred to employ a less revealing approach.

The problem lay exactly there. Liam had been unable to stop himself, and that probably couldn’t fly in a location so close to the Inner Circles.

Even if Liam succeeded in killing the butcher and team leader in Dimmere, he would probably get caught and punished for it, likely with death. After all, a foundation expert like him was the lowest possible cultivator in that world.

And, leaving the Sect so suddenly would ensure that Liam remained a foundation expert. Lone cultivators had it hard, and Liam’s core was expensive to nourish, both due to its peculiar nature and his talent.

Without the Sect’s support, Liam would remain stuck at his level for an unknown amount of time, maybe even forever, which would lead to the inability to deal with the consequences that his uncontrollable hatred would create.

The empty, almost sad experience with the butcher didn’t diminish Liam’s desire for revenge. Still, he wanted more from life now, and a reckless pursuit of that goal would kill any chance of that.

’Strength first,’ Liam thought during his absent-minded walk. ’Always strength first.’

That internal conflict almost made Liam miss how the Disciplinary Elder was now absent, but reaching the third plateau forced him to refocus on his surroundings.

The woman with a fancy hairstyle had disappeared, but the messy-haired, blonde man hadn’t, and he didn’t hesitate to approach Liam and Joel, even standing in their way to halt their advance.

"So, I finally meet the famous genius," The blonde rooting expert declared. "I thought he’d be taller by the stories around him."

Liam tilted his head in confusion. He smelled something foul in the man’s behavior, but his brain dwelt on that statement. Liam couldn’t understand why the rooting expert would mention height when he was taller than him by ten full centimeters.

Luckily, Liam had a valuable and knowledgeable friend at his side there.

"Senior Brother Simon," Joel greeted, cupping his fist. "I’m glad we could meet again."

Dots instantly connected inside Liam’s mind, filling his gaze with interest toward that messy-haired figure. It seemed he had finally met the rumored core disciple who fancied Melissa. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

That realization put a feral expression on Liam’s face. He wasn’t ready to classify Simon as an enemy yet, but he could be a potential prey worth inspecting beforehand.

As predicted, Simon felt strong, far stronger than Joel. However, he was no Maxwell, either. He actually didn’t look closer to the Elders at all, but there could be an explanation for that.

Simon’s sickish complexion reminded Liam of the Alchemy Elder. They weren’t the same, but their source might be. Simon was no branching expert, meaning that he had failed the breakthrough, probably injuring his cultivation in the process.

"That’s quite a strong look," Simon commented, smirking. "Is that how you greet your Senior Brothers? Or can geniuses have no respect for hierarchy?"

The stench only intensified at those words, but Liam knew he had been in the wrong, so he bowed, abiding by the few pleasantries he knew. "Senior Brother, it’s an honor to meet you. I’m Liam."

"You learned some manners, then," Simon mocked, "Between one unbelievable achievement and another."

Simon was hinting at something, but Liam didn’t catch on to that. He resumed his feral inspection instead, but Joel came to Liam’s aid once again.

"Senior Brother, we were on our way back to our caves," Joel politely announced. "The mission on the Mutated Battlefield tired us out greatly."

"Of course, of course," Simon nodded, stepping aside. "Junior Brothers, you have more than earned some rest."

Liam’s nose, the instinctive side of it, kept telling him that something was off. Yet, Joel placed a hand on his shoulder, prompting him to continue descending toward the Inner Hall.

Nevertheless, Simon made sure to throw a last comment before the two could depart.

"Oh, could you check on Junior Sister Melissa?" Simon mentioned. "Our last talk left her so distressed she hasn’t left her cave since, and I know you two have grown close."

The vagueness in Simon’s statement was by design. It created plausible deniability in an environment with rules like the Sect.

Normally, those vague words would fly right over Liam’s head. Yet, something clicked subconsciously, summoning a more personal version of the hiss in his ears.

The sole idea of a distressed Melissa snapped Liam’s chilling gaze at Simon. Still, Joel wrapped his arm around Liam’s shoulder and pushed him forward before anything could degenerate.

"Don’t fall for such tricks," Joel whispered. "Junior Brother, he is only baiting you into breaking the rules to claim self-defense."

Liam didn’t exactly calm down. The worry about Melissa replaced whatever inexplicable fouler urge he had felt toward Simon, even hurrying his steps.

Something similar but also completely different from the loss of control Liam had felt with the butcher invaded him. Melissa became his top priority, his expression so evident that Joel couldn’t help but chuckle by himself.

And, once the inner disciples’ caves started to appear, Joel stopped by his circular boulder, knowing that Liam had somewhere better to be.

"Junior Brother," Joel called, performing a polite bow. "Forgive me for not escorting you all the way to your cave."

"Senior Brother," Liam bowed back, linking the unnecessary escort to pleasantries, but not forgetting to mention something. "Thank you for taking my side against Senior Brother Simon."

Joel smiled but shook his head. It was almost surprising how much Liam could understand and misunderstand simultaneously. Yet, Joel could see how itching to leave Liam was despite his genuine gratitude, prompting him to keep things short.

"I would be too ashamed to call myself your friend otherwise," Joel declared. "The way I see it, I’m the only one receiving favors."

Before Liam could dwell on that statement, the boulder began to move, and Joel quickly disappeared behind it.

Liam didn’t let his slight confusion delay his steps. The crowd on the second plateau had dispersed, but something came first, making him pour his Qi into the number under the brazier beside a specific boulder.

"Senior Sister, it’s Liam," Liam called, using that way of communicating he had discovered later than he was willing to admit.

A strange, almost timid anxiety filled Liam, only to vanish as soon as the boulder moved. Yet, that entrance began to close as soon as a familiar figure peeked past it, barely giving her enough time to pull Liam inside.

And, as some rumblings still resounded, a stammering voice joined them.

"Y-you shouldn’t h-have come," Melissa said, her face lowered as she clung to Liam’s belt. "S-Senior Brother said h-he’d cause problems for you i-if we are t-together."

There was a lot to take in, both about the whole Simon matter and the latest concoctions of Liam’s brain when it came to Melissa.

However, despite the still-hissing ears, Liam focused on something else. He looked at Melissa’s disheveled hair, her golden strands attached to her sweaty skin. He felt her trembling hands and noticed her restrained stance.

Melissa looked fine, but also wasn’t. Her issue wasn’t tangible, but Liam still felt the urge to do something. He wanted to protect her from whatever was afflicting her, and the lack of a clear threat defaulted his brain to a specific gesture, one he had regretted not doing back then.

And, before Liam knew it, his arms went around Melissa, pulling her into a hug.

Unknowingly to Liam, he discovered the difference between protecting and treasuring someone that day.