Legacy of Hatred-Chapter 62: Inner disciple

More details soon entered Randall’s vision. He followed those fingers to their source, finding Liam still looking at him coldly and emotionlessly, as if his attempted murder carried no weight in his mind.

Instead, following the hand on Liam’s wrist led to the Disciplinary Elder. He had intervened in time to save Randall’s eye and whatever might have come next.

Lastly, Randall looked behind Liam. The rocky tiles that had risen from the ground created a cone that had a hand-shaped hole at its center, and a deep one at that.

Of course, Randall recognized the Seismic Palm but had never thought anyone could use it like that. That martial art was a killing move, something that could do far more than destabilize someone’s foothold, especially when fueled by so much power.

And there, Randall realized another point, the scariest of them all. If that attack had hit him instead, his skin might have been fine, but anything beneath it would have been squashed into a pulp.

It turned out Liam didn’t only have the ability to kill Randall. He also possessed a sharp battle sense that made his hair stand on end. Despite being relatively new to the cultivation world, Liam could already think around martial arts, exploiting unclear weaknesses and relying on unorthodox uses.

Then, the finishing blow arrived. Murmurs spread from the audience, perfectly summarizing the situation.

"Did Senior Brother lose?"

"How is this possible?"

"Are the nine spiritual roots truly this powerful?"

The situation Randall had tried to create had turned against him, and there was no saving it. Also, Randall didn’t have the will to attempt that anymore.

Unlike the unaware crowd, Randall knew that mere talent couldn’t have led to that result. Liam’s battle sense had simply been immensely superior, featuring an intent to kill so pristine and natural that it terrified Randall to his very core.

So, as soon as the Disciplinary Elder let go of Liam’s wrist, Randall stepped back, almost stumbling on the uneven, cracked ground to put as much distance as possible from that fearsome opponent.

Yet, as Randall tried to turn to escape the public eye, a voice that sent a chill down his spine reached his ears.

"Wait," Liam called, abandoning his battle stance. "Senior Brother, you still have to explain."

"What?" Randall gasped, his legs unable to move, his brain failing to process those words as he peeked behind his shoulder.

"The flowers," Liam reminded, "And the maiden’s heart."

Randall couldn’t believe his ears, but Liam’s face was still cold, rekindling his fear and urging him to throw the quickest reply he could think of so that he could resume his departure.

"Women!" Randall exclaimed. "I meant women! Your Senior Sister told you not to toy with her!"

’Oh!’ Liam gasped in his mind, finally making that connection. ’But when did I toy with Lucy?’

Liam’s pensive state gave Randall the chance to leave. He hurried toward one of the paths, even unleashing the Ghost Step until his departing figure wasn’t visible anymore.

As for Liam, that wasn’t the only connection he made. If the flowers truly were women, there was another culprit in that whole situation.

Liam’s cold gaze snapped at the audience, searching for Alicia’s red ribbon, only for the Disciplinary Elder to hinder it.

"Disperse!" The Disciplinary Elder ordered, and the crowd didn’t hesitate to comply. The ribbon-wearing girl was even among the quickest to depart, but Liam could only focus on the stern face in front of him.

The Disciplinary Elder remained silent, but his mind churned thoughts nonstop. Speaking about killing was easy, but Liam had demonstrated the will to act on it, even lacking any hesitation.

As for how Liam could possess something so dark, the Elder didn’t know, but there were clues. Those fighting techniques came from a cruel world. They weren’t the stuff of warriors. They were the weapons of assassins.

However, instead of probing for secrets, the Elder ended up issuing a warning. "Disciple Randall is popular in the Sect. He is also favored among inner disciples. It was unwise to humiliate him in such public fashion."

For once, Liam had considered those repercussions beforehand. He knew he had damaged, or even ruined, Randall’s reputation. He was aware that his list of enemies might have increased.

Yet, that went both ways. Liam’s reputation must have also increased after that victory. His actions that day might deter future ploys that had him at their center.

Moreover, since the inner disciples had already learned about Liam, it was safe to assume that they would hear about his victory, too, deterring anyone with a higher status from trying to play tricks with him.

As for the status part, Liam also had an idea in mind. After all, if others could use him to pursue personal goals, he definitely could do the same.

"Disciplinary Elder, will I get a reward?" Liam asked, his face losing its cold traits to make room for his genuine honesty.

The Disciplinary Elder arched an eyebrow in surprise while his face remained stern. He had no idea what Liam was talking about, but remained silent to hear him out.

"You gave me a reward when I beat Senior Brother Kyle without using Qi," Liam reminded, "And another when I killed the magical beast. Now, I beat an inner disciple with one martial arts against two."

That wasn’t the right way to claim rewards at all. Even if Liam was indeed worthy of those, his words had sounded like a demand, as if he were owed such things.

The Sect didn’t work like that. Disciples couldn’t just demand rewards on their own terms. The mere idea was worthy of a punishment that would remind them of their place.

However, Liam was indeed a special case, who had become even more special after that victory. The Disciplinary Elder had also questioned Erik, so he knew that Liam hadn’t taken well the reward-based protection the Sect had enforced around him.

Punishing Liam, or even refusing to acknowledge his successes, might deepen his distrust in the Pale Moon Sect, making it lose the greatest talent to have ever crossed its doors.

And risking that over the mere lack of customary social skills from a boy who hadn’t even spent a full month inside the Sect felt foolish.

"And what would you ask for?" The Disciplinary Elder questioned. "You already are under the personal tutoring of the Sect’s highest Master, and I believe you are still mastering your martial art. Obtaining another will hinder your training."

Liam couldn’t deny those points. He had already received a lot, and his routine didn’t really have room for anything else now. Still, there was something that could help him in other ways, ways that played directly into the Sect’s hierarchy. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"I want to become an inner disciple," Liam declared.