Chapter 575: Request

With Laurel dropping the hostilities, everything that followed was so smooth that an outside spectator would never have believed a deadly battle had preceded the meeting.

The conclusion earned Liam nothing tangible. The dead centipedes he had stolen had been his only loot, but that didn’t imply the absence of compensation, far from it.

Liam saw part of that rip-off while smoking on the floating tent’s edge, watching the rocky formation grow distant on the horizon. The number of bony platforms hadn’t increased, but a crawling army followed them now.

Fifty level one black centipedes rushed through the sand, led by five level two leaders that wore slave collars. It turned out those magical beasts followed orders as long as superior specimens gave them, so enslaving the stronger ones was enough to control the small army.

The Red Sandstorm Tribe didn’t rely on slave collars. Still, its taming method was key to its identity, apparently, like a secret technique at the core of its power, so even the overbearing Uriah couldn’t request it.

Of course, the Red Sandstorm Tribe had added spirit stones and some minerals unique to its location to the compensation. The Invincible Oasis Tribe had been part of that, too, including technical deals involving trade routes, resizing of dominions, and more.

Nothing had ever touched upon rank 3 resources since Rachel was the excuse behind the rip-off. Yet, the Dark Heaven Tribe had still earned far more than any rooting expert could ever be worthy of, creating an edge that could escalate in far greater gains if played right.

By comparison, Liam seemed to have come out short on the deal despite his achievements in battle. In theory, he had also been an insulted party who should have been compensated.

However, Liam’s goals weren’t with the Invincible Oasis and Red Sandstorm Tribes. His deal was with the Dark Heaven Tribe, and he had just proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he had taken its side.

The real negotiations Liam had been waiting for could finally start, and they promised far more than what he could rip off from others by claiming offense.

Actually, Liam planned to go all-out, no matter how unreasonable he sounded. Having an inscription master and formation master at his disposal was too rare an opportunity not to give free rein to his greed.

"The Invincible Oasis Tribe won’t let this slide," Rachel’s voice reached Liam’s ears before her figure appeared at his side. "Senior Daniel has tried to undermine the Dark Heaven Tribe since before this little Sister was born. He can’t ignore Big Brother’s arrival."

Daniel was Andrew’s brother, Chester’s father, the high-stage branching expert from the Invincible Oasis Tribe and its sole leader. He was also a formation master, completing the political picture for Liam.

The Aetacia region had one megacity with mortals and Guilds, but the three Tribes were its acknowledged rulers, its highest powers.

Until recently, the Red Sandstorm Tribe only had Laurel as a branching expert, making it the weakest of the three. She didn’t even know noble arts. Her secret enslavement technique gave her an edge but nothing close to parity.

That was why Caspar was such a big deal for Laurel. His breakthrough finally gave her Tribe the second branching expert the other two Tribes already had.

Of course, cultivators typically would have never allowed that to happen. They would have seized the Red Sandstorm Tribe and its resources by force instead of letting it sell them and accumulate wealth that could turn it into a contender for the region’s rule.

But that was where the other two Tribes came in.

Andrew, Daniel, Amber, and Uriah were evenly matched in terms of cultivation level. However, the Dark Heaven Tribe had an inscription master over the Invincible Oasis Tribe.

That advantage was far from slight, but the Invincible Oasis Tribe apparently had an edge of its own in the form of a unique resource only found in its location. The liquid that had healed Caspar came from it.

Still, money was no substitute for power. As decades and centuries passed, the Dark Heaven Tribe would have built up its advantage enough to take over the Invincible Oasis.

Leaving a third party alive had been the solution. The Red Sandstorm Tribe had basically been allowed to live as a deterrent since no single Tribe could face two. Like that, a balance was created, enabling a semblance of peace.

With Liam, all that was ready to fall apart, especially since the Red Sandstorm Tribe was more interested in pursuing its shot at power than continuing to act as a deterrent. Repercussions were basically a certainty.

"I’ll kill him, too," Liam calmly said. "Then, I’ll destroy the Invincible Oasis Tribe."

Talking about killing a high-stage branching expert as someone who had just had his breakthrough was ludicrous, but Liam wielded the confidence of alchemical calculations.

Even as a rooting expert, Liam had made the Inquisitor, a mid-stage branching expert, bleed. The battle would have been impossible on his own, but he had stepped into the superior level now, so he had no excuses anymore.

Besides, with everything Liam had discovered in the recent fight, he had found a new path toward fighting as an alchemist. His breakthrough might have partially wiped the slate clean, only for him to uncover a world bigger than anything he could have ever imagined.

The answer to killing anything and anyone in the branching stage had to be there. Liam just had to create it.

Sadly, Liam’s genuine, dark vows seemed to cause no fear in Rachel. The opposite, actually, forcing him to move the fuming pipe away.

"Little Sister hasn’t forgotten how valiantly Big Brother protected her," Rachel whispered in Liam’s ear. "She can still feel his big, strong hand on her skin."

This time, Rachel didn’t retreat immediately, remaining on her toes while leaning toward Liam.

Liam didn’t dare to turn. After what he had overheard and smelled, he couldn’t deny the truth anymore, and he wouldn’t put himself in a position where something could happen, especially with the glare coming from inside the tent.

"You interfered with my training and made it harder for me to protect you," Liam opted for a scolding against that overt sensuality. "Don’t do it again."

"Would Big Brother treat me roughly again if I did?" Rachel asked suggestively. "Is that a promise?"

Rachel finally retreated, and Liam almost regretted looking at her. Her eyes were shining in excitement and something else, something he recognized as clear as day.

"Father dear wants a word," Rachel said, feigning ignorance and hopping happily inside the tent, her arms wrapped behind her back.

’Master, I would rather die than bring shame to your great name,’ Liam engaged in an imaginary conversation while watching Rachel retreat. ’But is the women crawling at my feet part truly necessary? What exactly should I do with them anyway?’

Lancelot’s face flashed in Liam’s vision, but he promptly shook it away, heading for the tent’s center, too, his brain luckily finding an excuse to switch gears.

Rachel and Amber were already at the furnished table while Uriah was on his feet, seemingly waiting for Liam. Still, no greeting unfolded. Uriah glared at him for a whole second before slamming his arm on his chest.

There was actual strength behind the blow, but Liam was nothing but sturdy. He endured it easily, even feeling a vague similarity to his Master’s cane, which triggered a genuine frown.

Uriah didn’t address Liam’s confusion. He only snorted, sounding both annoyed and pleased, before taking a seat at his wife’s side.

Liam could only follow suit, and Rachel ruined his attempt to pick an empty spot by scooting close to offer a drink. He truly couldn’t refuse it in front of her parents and inside the safety of the tent, but the conversation didn’t take long to start.

"Dark Wanderer," Amber called, her expression gentle but serious. "You showed your trust in us by fighting at our side without previous agreements. You even protected our daughter when your presence already put us in debt. If you are in need of anything, please tell us."

The initial supposed deal was about alchemical ingredients and a foothold. The second part was pretty much set in stone, while the first was impossible to fulfill due to the hostile environment.

Given that Liam had fought, he had accumulated credit even before getting anything in return. Since Amber had given him the all-clear, he just blurted out everything.

"I need three cauldrons," Liam declared. "All from rank 3 materials."

That already was a huge request. It wasn’t the same as asking for three rank 3 magical items, but it remained far from cheap.

Sadly, Liam had only just begun.

"Ideally," Liam continued. "I’d want a pipe from rank 3 materials, too. The earlier I check that one off, the better."

With a new pipe, Liam could put the others through the Alchemical Refinement, starting to prepare for the future far earlier than he had believed possible.

"Also," Liam exclaimed. "A rank 3 bow would be great. I don’t know if a proper magical weapon is possible, but something sturdier than my current one will probably become necessary soon."

The Black Bow had served Liam well, and he didn’t want to abandon it, but he had just learned to fire arrows made of poison. He planned to improve in that regard, and he didn’t know if his weapon could take it.

The greatsword fell in the same category. As a weapon made from a rank 3 material, it had a chance to transform under Liam’s Qi before being devoured by it, but nothing was certain, which was why he summoned it.

"And this," Liam added, wielding the hulking piece of metal with one hand, tilting it over the table as if it were weightless. "I don’t know how good this is, but if you can make something better, I’d take that too."