Legacy of Hatred

Chapter 390: Proposal

The border between regions was more welcoming than other lawful areas, but only when it came to lone cultivators. They were inconsequential, so they wouldn’t experience outward rejection or the suppression that the Guilds enforced elsewhere.

However, things changed with actual players, especially big ones. The border might have a lot of space, but powerful forces weren’t after mere holiday homes. They wanted resources, and those were limited.

Much of the border’s political environment was fluid, with only its strongest players having some degree of stability. Scraps were available to anyone interested. Liam and Grace had done the same with the Axe Brigade.

Yet, scraps weren’t enough to satisfy a powerful force, and there was only one way of going about that. Since big players had already monopolized the best resources, some had to disappear to allow others to replace them and take over their businesses.

Realistically, a powerful force had options that wouldn’t necessarily involve that border, but Liam’s statement had crushed those faint hopes. Whatever backer he and Grace had, it was set on using that unique area.

Mairis’ families had no way of preventing that. They had no say in the workings of such a powerful force. They could only steer those intentions in the right direction, benefiting from them.

The alternative was a conflict in which Mairis could easily be a trivial casualty.

"Fellow Daoists," Duke finally spoke, smiling politely. "Your strength fills me with confidence about the value of your proposition, but would you be willing to be more detailed?"

Grace scratched Liam’s thigh, as if praising him for the good job, before her grip tightened a bit. That was no flirt. It was anxiety. The time for Grace to play her cards had arrived, and while she had always managed on her own, she wanted to feel that Liam was with her.

A wave of Grace’s hand created a small pile of items on the floor at the table’s side. She revealed her space-ring, but Silas reacted with anger now.

"Is this a joke?" Silas coldly questioned. He wanted to glare at Grace, but his instincts brought his eyes to the feral intensity Liam was shooting at him.

"We’ll also add that broken toy," Grace added, adjusting herself on Liam’s arm, pretending not to understand what Silas meant.

"You think us so scared as to accept such a shameless rip-off?" Silas questioned, his glare remaining on Liam, his words acting as an ultimatum.

The pile had all the answers Liam needed. Grace had taken out their loot from the Axe Brigade. The Suron family had been its business partner, probably providing those items, meaning Grace’s desire to sell them would add insult to injury.

Liam and Grace had not only removed one of the Suron family’s sources of income. They also wanted to earn from it.

Still, Grace just laughed cutely, hiding her mouth behind her long sleeve, bringing confusion to the table, Liam included.

"Forgive me," Grace exclaimed, lowering her arm to show her smiling face. "That was terrible of me. My beloved is the only one who can handle me when I get like this."

Silas’ gaze sharpened, but his seriousness also relented. He realized he had fallen for Grace’s trap. She had never said what she meant by those items, but her ploy had been enough to bait an unbecoming reaction.

"Let’s get something out of the way," Grace continued, her expression growing serious. "We don’t care about your petty squabbles. We have no interest in joining whatever political conflict you are engaged in."

That had to be said. Liam and Grace weren’t dealing with a united front. The three families likely actively suppressed each other, attempting to change Mairis’ hierarchy, and the couple didn’t want that to get in the way of their business.

"We aren’t unreasonable, either," Grace declared, nodding at the pile of resources. "The Brigade insulted us first, so we must receive something as compensation. However, we won’t go overboard. At the very least, we’ll allow the Suron family to cut down its losses."

Grace’s stance was far milder than what she had shown earlier. Arrogance still filled her words. She still spoke as if she were in control, but was opting for reason rather than bullying.

While reassuring, that sudden switch increased the Mairis’ trio’s wariness. As justified as arrogance could be, it was also a weakness that could be exploited, but Grace didn’t suffer from such shortcomings, meaning she would be harder to deal with.

"How would you plan for us to cut our losses?" Silas asked. He hid it, but he was intrigued, that feeling stretching beyond the pile on the floor.

"Which of Mairis’ businesses can bring benefits to the sellers and the force hosting the service?" Grace responded with a question, one that sounded rhetorical.

"Auctions are Mairis’ most profitable attraction," Duke commented, calmly drinking. "Senior Silas, that’s a generous compromise."

"I take it this is your show of goodwill?" Silas nodded.

"For this little?" Grace scoffed, throwing a pitiful look at the trio. "I know you are still wary. It’s wise for you to be, so we’ll agree to show some of our cards first."

Grace leaned forward, leaving Liam’s arm, but keeping her hand on his thigh while the other went to the table.

"Put up an auction worthy of our time," Grace exclaimed, dangerous foreboding in her voice, "And we’ll show exactly how much we are willing to invest in this backwater place."

Another big hook entered the playing field, and there was no hiding the interest it caused. Grace had basically hinted that she would focus on buying first, implying that the three families would be the only ones to earn in that initial phase.

"Fellow Daoists," Erika called, clearing her throat, trying to leave behind her personality to sound as polite as possible. "You might not know this, but Mairis’ auctions are jointly managed by our families. It would reflect poorly on us if two outsiders were able to affect them."

That issue involved reputation. If the three families were willing to bend over backward so easily, other forces would try to do the same, creating permanent damage to that authority that could very well lead to Mairis’ downfall.

"That’s a risk you’ll have to take if you want us to move to the next phase," Grace said, returning to Liam’s arm. "While auctions and other ordinary channels might serve us, I believe you’d rather have some of our goods traded privately."

The cultivation world had countless wonders, but they fell under a specific number of categories. Among those, there was one that minor forces couldn’t gain access to, no matter how much they were willing to pay.

That category of resources was the reason why Sects could groom superior cultivators. It was a resource that the greatest forces in the cultivation world never shared because their power depended on it.

The Mairis’ trio grew more serious than ever before. Even their eyes couldn’t help but go wide for a whole second as they understood what Grace was talking about.

And, as if that wasn’t enough, Grace delivered a finishing blow. "Have you ever wondered what this place could be if only it had access to several sets of martial arts?"