Chapter 621: Return

Even with Liam prioritizing finalizing the Heavenly Blossom project, he still took two full months to return to the Dark Heaven Tribe.

Travel distance had played a major role there, but it wasn’t the only time-consuming hindrance. Liam actually had to find suitable Drought Berry, which meant occasional run-ins with magical beasts to fight for that resource.

Plundering mines along the way also wasted time, and there was acupuncture to account for, too. With its initial success, the experimental project moved to the next phases, meaning tests that demanded short breaks.

In total, the hunting trip had lasted almost five months, which wasn’t too long for cultivators, but had a different meaning for Liam. After all, he had now spent the better part of a year away from Grace.

At that pace, the separation risked lasting longer than the time the couple had spent together, and that wasn’t the only thought souring Liam’s mood as he flew toward an inconspicuous sandy area.

A bracelet on the woman hanging from Liam’s arm released a short ring that changed the scenery. Colors appeared in the dunes ahead, followed by shapes that eventually depicted the Tribe he remembered.

On the surface, the Dark Heaven Tribe was the same as always, with its small oasis, stone habitations, mining and taming areas, and marble palace. Nothing had changed, but its surroundings carried faint traces of battle.

The sand didn’t show it, but Liam could easily taste those old leftovers in the air.

’They might have probed the Tribe’s defenses after I killed Andrew,’ Liam guessed before addressing the woman under his arm. "Get your spear."

Dealing with Uriah’s anger was the last thing Liam wanted with so much weighing on his mind, and the optics promised to trigger it.

"Honey could take this chance to announce our relationship," Rachel suggested, her voice growing teary. "Or does he want to deny all the nights we spent together? Was little Sister so meaningless to him?"

Of course, nothing incriminating had happened. Liam and Rachel had indeed grown closer, but he had never crossed the line. The nights she mentioned referred to her massages and acupuncture.

As for the statement’s first part, it referred to how Liam was carrying Rachel.

"That wasn’t the deal," Liam reminded. "I’m even letting all your rubbing slide."

"Little Sister doesn’t remember any deal," Rachel pouted. "And she would have fallen if she hadn’t clung to her Honey tightly."

Rachel’s backup spear couldn’t even come close to the fan’s speed, so Liam had decided to carry her to save time. Amidst that, Rachel had somehow successfully negotiated to be touched directly rather than hanging from her belt.

If Liam had to be honest, he didn’t even remember how the conversation had started or how he had lost it. He had also long since stopped asking himself questions when Rachel was involved. He was only glad he had settled for a reasonable compromise.

Princess-carrying Rachel couldn’t happen. That place belonged to Grace. Liam’s back was an option, but that was how the whole story with Melissa had started. In a way, it was her spot, so Liam couldn’t give it to another woman.

The solution still left Rachel hanging, but with Liam’s arm wrapped around her waist. That wasn’t the most appropriate way to carry anyone, let alone someone like her, but she had been satisfied enough to stay put.

Liam just preferred Uriah not to see that for obvious reasons. He also wouldn’t cave to Rachel’s ploys, so he just threw her away.

Rachel’s figure spun in the air, rising, before descending back to Liam’s side atop her backup spear. She grinned fearlessly as she hugged his arm to lean toward his ear.

"You are so rough," Rachel whispered sensually. "But is my virtue being intact really worth anything after all we have done and will keep doing? You could accept the obvious and start enjoying me from this very moment."

Liam turned a deaf ear to the tease, and Rachel also let him go, wrapping her arms behind her back. The two had kept flying forward throughout the interaction, and they had now reached their destination.

Normally, Rachel’s return would have caused an uproar, or at least a formal ceremony, but she had argued vehemently against it, the reason being evident once the pair crossed a balcony on the palace’s third and last floor.

Uriah and Amber were waiting for the pair in the luxurious marble hall connected to the balcony, but they flinched at the smell that hit them. Amber even covered her nose with her sleeve.

Obviously, anger didn’t take long to follow.

"Dark Wanderer, how dare you smear my daughter in this filth?!" Uriah cried.

"Father dear, Honey only had this unfilial daughter’s safety in mind," Rachel argued, unleashing her teary voice.

Uriah paled. His burly, imposing figure wavered as he choked on his words. "H-honey?"

Liam had seen rank 3 spells inflict less damage, but Rachel had ways to mend it.

Before Uriah could faint, Rachel reached him and took his arm between hers. He wrinkled his nose at the vicinity with such a foul smell, but the puppy eyes looking up at him revitalized him, and the following request brought him back to peak condition.

"Has this unfilial daughter gotten too old to have Father dear scrub her back?" Rachel childishly requested.

"My beautiful flower," Uriah chuckled warmly. "Doting on you is the greatest blessing of my life."

"Oh, Father," Rachel exclaimed, rubbing her face on Uriah’s arm.

Liam turned his brain off while watching the giggling father-daughter pair disappear past the hall’s entrance. Amber also followed the departure, but the two ended up looking at each other afterward.

"Please, don’t," Liam said as soon as he saw a spark of mischievousness in Amber’s eyes. "I understand that all the ingredients are in place, aren’t they? I’ll concoct the Heavenly Blossom after washing off this stench."

"I shall ready a bath," Amber responded. "And Dark Wanderer, welcome back. Thank you for taking such good care of my daughter. She told me your trip has been fruitful, among other things."

"It was," Liam confirmed, ignoring that veiled final jab. "I have plenty I’d be grateful to receive the Tribe’s help about."

That was just a polite way of asking to deal with Liam’s extra loot. Mineral aside, he had plenty of magical beasts’ corpses and even more cores. He had no use for either, but inscription and formation masters definitely might.

"Dark Wanderer, please," Amber scolded. "I can’t bear the shame of such politeness. Even calling you benefactor would be insulting after all you have done for us. Just treat us as family."

Liam ignored that second final jab, too. He had built tolerance to such tactics after being with Rachel for so long, and he just wasn’t in the mood. After all, he had an important decision to make now that he had returned to the Tribe.

"Was the battle that happened because of me?" Liam questioned.

Amber was still hiding her nose behind her sleeve, so reading her poker face was impossible. Yet, she had no need for lies there, not with Liam.

"The Tribe suffered attacks from wild magical beasts," Amber explained. "They looked random, but the timing makes the Invincible Oasis’ involvement very likely."

With what Liam knew about the Aetacia region, he could easily draw his own conclusions.

Killing Andrew had almost halved the Invincible Oasis Tribe’s power, making it a prime target for conquest. Replacing a mid-stage branching expert on the spot just wasn’t possible, so the Tribe had likely used underhanded methods to buy itself time.

Forcing the Dark Heaven Tribe to defend prevented it from exploiting that weakness, or at least delayed those plans, granting the Invincible Oasis breathing room.

"Oh, of course," Amber continued. "The Tribe will celebrate your victory against Andrew at your earliest convenience. My husband and I insist."

Liam’s escape path vanished before he could even consider it, but he didn’t mind it. Cultivators had their customs, and a guest defeating an enemy mid-stage branching expert was indeed worth celebrating.

Besides, the celebration would be as good a chance as any to make the point of the situation and announce Liam’s decision. He could see it as a glorified meeting.

"I should also add," Amber said. "Young Master Caspar is currently a guest of the Tribe. He stayed after delivering the Iron Bark, the Phantom Bone’s substitute, and negotiating for the Golden Bane."

"I’ll have to check the Phantom Bone’s substitute," Liam nodded. "But that works perfectly. The sooner he takes the Heavenly Blossom, the better."

"I shall warn him, then," Amber stated. "And would it be possible for you to concoct in public? With alchemy being so rare here, it would make for a great event. Your formal introduction is also long overdue."

The Tribe’s underlings had seen Liam. It would have been impossible not to notice him, especially with Rachel constantly orbiting him. Yet, no real announcement had happened. He was closer to a mysterious guest right now.

The celebration in Liam’s honor would take care of that, but showcasing his expertise beforehand would go a long way toward improving his image.

Rumors also had to be aplenty, making that step necessary. Liam had seen how wary cultivators were of outsiders there, and he obviously knew how Rachel’s evident interest in him played into all that.

Of course, Liam had his temporary anonymity to worry about, too, which a public alchemical session definitely wouldn’t help. The danger also applied to the Tribe, but the sad truth was of far simpler nature.

It was too late. Even Liam’s mental claims of having to make a decision were just an excuse to sort his mind. He knew where he stood anyway.

"I don’t mind, just ...," Liam began, continuing after adding a meaningful glance. "Don’t invite anyone from the Church of the Man."

Amber’s gaze sharpened. That was the first real information Liam had shared about himself, and its implications were massive. Guests could be banished for far less, but Amber was quick to announce her stance.

"I shall look forward to the celebration in your honor," Amber said, understanding that the event would mark a turning point in the relationship between the Tribe and Liam.