Legacy of Hatred-Chapter 110: Ploy

"The Pale Moon Sect isn’t as harsh as other Sects," The Alchemy Elder declared, pacing left and right. "It doesn’t resort to bloody competitions so that only the most promising disciples will survive."

Liam nodded in agreement. It wasn’t only about the comparison with the Divine Cult. Liam had read about other possible challenges the Sects could host, and most were far from safe.

Instead, the Pale Moon Sect only had its annual tournament. It still didn’t hold outer disciples in high regard, but it didn’t throw their lives away, either.

"But inner and, especially, core disciples are expected to bring honor to the Sect," The Elder continued, interrupting his pacing to head to the shelves. "Winning competitions against other Sects is one way of doing that."

The Elder retrieved a scroll and joined Liam on the floor, unfurling the vast map it depicted.

"The Mutated Battlefield is a forbidden zone the six neighboring Sects use to show off their best disciples," The Elder explained, pointing at one location on the map. "It’s crawling with level one and level two magical beasts, and there are more than a handful of level three creatures, too."

Liam instantly thought about the snake in the ruins, before his brain made another connection. Melissa’s warning and his Master’s seriousness suddenly made perfect sense, and the situation’s stench even intensified.

Level two magical beasts were for rooting experts to face, but Liam had been chosen for that dangerous mission despite being unsuited for it, which he could only blame on his fame.

"I’ll spare you the technicalities," The Elder exclaimed. "You can read them on your own. Just know that the Sects only allowed rooting experts to enter the Battlefield, but the rules changed this year."

The Elder sighed, anger rising through his face, only for his tone to remain stern and direct. "The new agreement wants each team to have two rooting experts and one foundation expert."

The agreement sounded too perfect to be a random occurrence, which Liam guessed it wasn’t. The only reason the Sects might have to send foundation experts to such a place was to kill them, and Liam seemed to be the target now.

"Did the Pale Moon Sect choose this?" Liam questioned, a familiar hiss already resounded in his ears.

"The other Sects had already reached a unanimous decision," The Elder explained. "The Pale Moon Sect had to accept it to retain access to the Mutated Battlefield."

Those words hinted at value beyond the mere showing off of disciples, but Liam focused on a different clue. It sounded like the other Sects had conspired to make that happen, cornering the Pale Moon Sect into accepting their ploy.

Nevertheless, there was another important point that confused Liam far more than those politics. The new rules only imposed the presence of a foundation expert. They said nothing about Liam specifically.

"Master, did the Sects do this because of me?" Liam probed, wanting to confirm that guess. "But if that’s the case, why did the Pale Moon Sect assign me to the Battlefield?"

Liam was starting to understand politics better, but that decision sounded contradictory. If the Sects had truly done all that to flush Liam out, the Pale Moon Sect could have simply decided to send someone else.

"Disciple, I warned you," The Elder reminded. "I told you the other Sects wouldn’t have stood by watching a nine-spiritual-roots talent flourish. You even proved your worth by killing those disciples."

It was still shocking for Liam how quickly news ran in the cultivation world, but he remained silent since his Master had yet to clear his doubt.

"There have been clear requests to see you in action," The Elder revealed. "The Pale Moon Sect could have feigned ignorance, but keeping you hidden might have given the other Sects an excuse to resort to harsher actions."

Liam’s understanding of politics ended there. His Master lost him, but he realized as much.

"What if the Crimson Warrior Sect claimed that you were an assassin sent to weaken the Sects?" The Alchemy Elder questioned.

"But, Master, that’s not true," Liam responded.

"Does it matter?" The Elder asked. "Disciple, don’t be a fool. Truth has no value in the face of superior power. It would only take the other Sects to agree with the claim to start an investigation."

"But an investigation-," Liam began to say, only for his Master to interrupt him.

"You killed those disciples in the ruins of a Demonic Sect," The Elder pointed out. "With that martial art, the Sects might decide that you have received the inheritance of some old demon and destroy your foundation under the pretense of preventing another demon from being born."

Clearly, the Elders knew everything, but Liam could think of even bigger issues that were still a secret. It would take a mere look at his dantian to expose his ten spiritual roots, bringing certain doom upon him.

"Of course," The Elder moved to reassuring points after Liam’s expression showed traces of understanding, "Orthodox Sects can’t openly break rules or start wars without reason. They can only bend them and find excuses."

That playing field sounded needlessly convoluted, but the Elder’s words hinted at a way out.

"The Sects can’t even outright kill you," The Elder explained. "That’s why they want to hide behind the Mutated Battlefield, where anything can happen."

The Elder didn’t need to say it for Liam to understand. He realized the danger of a competition where five out of six teams were after his life.

"But, if you survive," The Elder continued, "The Sects won’t know what to do for a while, which is why the Pale Moon Sect is offering unlimited access to alchemical ingredients to prepare for the mission."

The news was good, but Liam felt unable to rejoice. After all, he knew the reason behind that bullying with extra steps. He was a mere foundation expert whose life was in the hands of powers far bigger than him.

Those temporary benefits didn’t trick Liam, either. After all, the Pale Moon Sect had been the one to spread the news of his talent. It had bragged with the other Sects, creating that problem for Liam.

On top of that, the unlimited access to ingredients hardly counted as compensation for that problem. Liam knew what true protection meant. His family’s sacrifice and his actions with Melissa belonged to that category, while the Pale Moon Sect’s behavior didn’t.

The Pale Moon Sect was only giving away what didn’t affect its bottom line while hoping to continue to use Liam’s talent for its benefit. It was nothing to be grateful for, and the issue once again stemmed from weakness.

"Master," Liam called, the hiss in his ears growing louder. "If it were you, the old you, what would you have done?"

The two situations were incomparable. The Alchemy Elder had been a proper expert back at his prime. He still was even now, and his strength prevented him from becoming the target of such blatant ploys.

Yet, the Elder also understood that Liam hadn’t asked about that. His question had been deeper, involving life as a whole and how he should navigate it.

"I would have also come up with excuses," The Alchemy Elder admitted. "Maybe I would have concocted an illness, infecting all six Sects and holding the cure for ransom so that I could have six times the unlimited resources."

Liam found the answer reassuring. He had feared the hiss screaming in his ears was affecting his reasoning, but his instinctive decision had aligned with his Master’s.

After all, if Liam could, he would destroy the Sects instead of playing by those complicated rules. That would be way simpler.

"But you aren’t the great Horace Rauret, disciple," The Elder reminded, "Not yet. So, you must do what you can."

And Liam knew what that was. It was actually quite simple. Since the Sect wanted to use him, he would use it back.

"Master, I must go to the Alchemical Hall," Liam announced, standing up.

"Why?" The Elder probed, wanting to hear Liam’s plan.

"I have unlimited access to ingredients, right?" Liam wondered. "I’ll just take them all."