Chapter 610: Master

The discussion between Maximilian and Vyomendra continued for over an hour. During this time, Maximilian told him many shocking things. He naturally didn’t believe all of them, but he was convinced of one thing: Maximilian meant no harm to the Tiger Clan.

"So... will you help me, Lord Vyomendra?" Maximilian asked as the discussion ended.

"I will be honest with you, Lord Maximilian," Vyomendra said in a calm tone. "I’m not an ambitious man like you. All I care about is the safety of my clan. I apologise, but I cannot help you."

His rejection made Maximilian release a sigh. "If that is your decision, I will respect it."

"However... the same cannot be said for Vyaghra and Lady Gumiho," Vyomendra continued. "My son has given his word to you. He will definitely help you in the future. As for Lady Gumiho, she is destined for greatness. Her clash with the Dragon Clan is only a matter of time."

Vyomendra looked upward, a hint of sadness in his eyes. "Lady Gumiho is the daughter of my deceased friend. If I could, I would have just kept her here to live a normal life. But that wasn’t what she wanted, nor was it what she was destined for. If she decides to join your plan, I will not object."

A few moments later, Vyomendra called in Gumiho and Vyaghra and made a shocking announcement.

"F-father, are you sure?" Vyaghra asked, his brows raised in bewilderment.

"Do I have the choice to reject?" Gumiho added, clearly unwilling to accept Vyomendra’s decision.

He had told them to become Maximilian’s disciples, after all.

"You have already seen Lord Arthur’s combat abilities in the battle," Vyomendra said to Vyaghra. "I don’t have enough time to train you because of the war. Lord Arthur can help you with your cultivation."

He turned to Gumiho and continued, "You may reject if you want, Lady Gumiho. No one can force you to do something that you are against. But just so you know, Lord Arthur possesses many array formations that he found in the Immortal Cave. Some of them are so profound that even I can’t see through them."

His coaxing words had an immediate effect on Gumiho, her eyes widening in excitement.

Her head turned towards Maximilian as if demanding confirmation of Vyomendra’s words.

Understanding the question in her eyes, Maximilian drew a chart from his storage pouch.

He passed it to Gumiho through the air.

The moment she opened it, her eyes widened as she read the profound diagram of the array drawn on it.

"D-dear Heavens. I have never seen such a defensive arr—"

Only two seconds had passed when the chart vanished from her hand.

"What are you doing?" she muttered at Maximilian, who had snatched it away from her hand.

"You are too weak to understand it just yet," Maximilian said, putting it back into his storage pouch.

"No, I was just about to have a major breakthrough in my array formation.... Why do I feel so weak?" Her eyes rolled back, and she was about to fall, but Maximilian grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Your Soulforce is being drained by your brain to understand the array," Maximilian revealed with a sigh.

"F-forgive me for the offence..." Gumiho whispered weakly before completely fainting.

She lost all strength in her legs and was about to fall to the ground, but Maximilian lifted her in a princess carry. His heart began beating again at the strange, familiar feeling.

Maximilian was sure that this was the first time he had breathed in the natural, sweet fragrance of plum blossoms from her body. Yet, for some reason, it gave him a deep sense of nostalgia.

"I will take her to the guest room to rest," Maximilian told Vyomendra before taking his leave.

---

"Ahh, my head," Gumiho groaned as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Should I call a physician?" Maximilian asked with a smirk, sitting on the chair at her bedside.

She found the situation awfully similar to a few hours ago. Only the roles had been reversed.

She immediately rose to a sitting position, and her first instinct was to check her face. Thankfully, it was still covered behind the veil.

"So, have you made up your mind?" Maximilian asked her.

"Will you show me those arrays again?" She answered his question with a question of her own.

"Yes, when you are ready," Maximilian answered.

"Please accept my bow, Master Arthur." She was about to make a deep bow when Maximilian grabbed her head firmly.

"Let’s not do that," he said awkwardly.

"Why?" Gumiho asked, tilting her head in confusion.

According to the dragon’s age, he wasn’t even an adult yet. He was already feeling like an old man accepting two disciples at such a young age. He felt that if he made them bow, he might sprout a few grey hairs.

He definitely didn’t want that.

"Well, if I made the Goddess of Beasts bow before me, I might invite Heaven’s wrath," he spouted the nonsense with a straight face.

"Don’t worry. That won’t happen," Gumiho replied, her tone laced with innocence. "If the heavens really cared about me, they wouldn’t have taken everything from me."

An awkward silence fell inside the room. He had learned from Vyomendra that the Battle God Aruma, who was arguably the strongest cultivator on the Western Continent, was in fact Gumiho’s father. He and his wife, Hana, had sacrificed their lives to save her.

Maximilian formed a warm smile and said, "Not everything. You still have to fulfill your father’s wish, right?"

A low gasp escaped Gumiho’s lips. She took a deep breath and nodded.

"I think you have rested enough," Maximilian stated, rising from the chair. "Find me in the front yard in five minutes."

Before Gumiho could ask the reason, he had already vanished from the room, its door swaying back and forth.

---

"Oh, so you are finally here," Maximilian’s focus shifted to Gumiho, who had just reached the front yard.

She was left flabbergasted by the sight before her.

The beautiful green grass in the front yard had been rooted out, the ground covered in deep footprints and slashes.

Before Maximilian, Vyaghra lay... dead? No, he was still breathing, barely. His body was covered in bruises, though.

"Now, show me your skills," Maximilian ordered Gumiho with a wide smirk, cracking his knuckles.