Legacy of Hatred-Chapter 126: Defective

Liam didn’t find anything in Homer’s robe, so he moved to his pouch, only for its contents to disappoint him, too.

Supplies and a few flasks fell over Homer’s naked, floating back, with the latter being Liam’s Master’s rank 1 Qi-recovery elixirs. Liam could take one to replace the one he had just drunk, but everything else was useless to him.

In hindsight, that scarcity made sense. Foundation experts didn’t have the time and opportunities to accumulate valuable resources. Most of their finances went on martial arts and nutrients for their cores, which they didn’t carry around.

It had been the same in the mission in the ruins. Despite killing four foundation experts, Liam had only found two elixirs and the rank 1 knife, the latter probably coming from that very destroyed Demonic Sect.

Liam was the only exception to the rule since he was an alchemist and his recent privileges had allowed him to rob his Sect. Instead, everyone else was forced to complete low-paying missions that couldn’t possibly create the finances to afford powerful items.

’It’s not like I could carry much more anyway,’ Liam thought, pushing away his disappointment while replacing his empty flask with one of Homer’s. ’And what was I even expecting to find?’

Liam actually had an answer for that question. He wanted a space-ring, a bow to call his own, and, especially, martial arts, namely something that could complement his fighting style.

Of course, Liam would have accepted basically anything, but refilling his stash of elixirs was a fine, too. His Sect’s ingredients had already been an incredible reward, and the same went for removing one of the five foundation experts who wanted to kill him.

’I wonder if the Sect will give me something else if we win this,’ Liam considered, not knowing how much hope he should harbor after what the Sect Leader had said.

Still, another realization hit Liam as he followed that train of thought. ’Have I become greedy?’

Liam had spent most of his life with food and arrows as his only concerns. He had never wanted much besides his revenge. His desire to become a cultivator had only been a means to an end.

Yet, the Alchemy Elder had lit the spark of desire inside Liam, which had unburdened him of guilt and grown with each discovery. Part of that was because Liam now knew what to pursue, but he still recognized how unusual that was for him.

But, before Liam could decide whether that was a natural change or an insidious aspect of his bloodline, another detail became too glaring to ignore. He had already felt observed for a while, and it was clear it wouldn’t stop until he addressed it.

"Senior Brothers," Liam called, glancing at the motionless scene several meters to his left. "What is it?"

Maxwell and Joel had remained stuck in their inspection of Liam’s rummaging of Homer’s remains. Despite the predicament and personal involvement, even the blue cultivators had ended up staring at how casually he plundered a corpse while sitting in a red swamp.

Moreover, using Homer’s corpse as a floating table went far beyond the definition of disrespect. It seemed that Liam wanted to insult the very memory of his fellow foundation expert, but his perplexity depicted something even more shocking.

Liam couldn’t see anything wrong with what he was doing. Actually, he saw those speechless stares as the odd aspect of the situation.

"Did the Pale Moon Sect recruit a demonic lone cultivator?" The brown-haired woman gasped, unable to conceive how someone could behave in such a way while wielding such blatant nonchalance.

Maxwell could understand where the woman was coming from, even doubting his own certainties. He had seen Liam’s cluelessness, and those reactions had appeared beyond genuine, but there clearly was something defective in his Junior Brother’s brain.

Nevertheless, that strangeness was beside the point. Liam’s quirkiness had no weight in front of his talent. He was the most promising asset the Pale Moon Sect and the cultivation world had seen in ages. He only needed a proper education.

If anything, the scene reassured Maxwell in the only way that truly mattered. Liam had defeated a fellow foundation expert in no time. He was strong enough to take care of himself and more, which was the most important aspect of the cultivation world.

The unexpected kill changed Maxwell’s plans. His strategy had been to deal with the initial teams peacefully to avoid reinforcing their alliance. Maxwell would have moved to the side-quest only after reducing the mission’s danger, but that wasn’t an option anymore.

There was no warning or other ultimatums. The brown-haired rooting expert was still staring speechlessly at Liam when she caught a trail of blood with the corner of her eye.

Following the blood to its source made the woman’s eyes go wide. The guardless sword had beheaded her kneeling companion, and his blonde head was now spinning through the air, spelling a clear fate.

Death was the only outcome left. That guardless sword was bound to come for the woman now, so she summoned her Qi, ready to control the red waters in a desperate attempt to create an escape route.

However, the factor that had been unable to affect the battle struck first this time. Maxwell’s clean kill had made the woman forget about Joel, and the latter had been ready for that development, slamming his palm on her back before she could perform any technique. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

An explosion of Qi unfolded inside the woman’s torso. Her belly became warm while she lost all sensations in her legs. She saw herself falling before the guardless sword’s deadly tip filled her vision, removing her light forever.

Just like that, the Rising Waterfall Sect’s team was no more, Maxwell having played the main role in that victory. Yet, he didn’t waste time in pointless celebrations or boasts, instead catching the sword flying toward him and storing it in his ring.

Next, Maxwell went for the headless corpse’s pouch, and Joel promptly imitated him. Liam was also done with Homer’s belongings, so he hurried to his Brothers, the still-shining blue light above telling him what the next move was.

However, specific noises reached Liam’s ears as soon as he rejoined his Brothers, making him draw the bow and start creating an ethereal arrow, only for Maxwell to place his hand on the weapon and make it vanish.

"Brother Liam, preserve your strength," Maxwell ordered, calmly resuming browsing through his opponent’s pouch while the surrounding noises grew closer, ultimately gaining physical shapes.

And, all of a sudden, four teams of three people appeared around Liam’s group, some standing on trees while others walking on the shallow waters, but all part of a perfect encirclement that eliminated possible escape routes.