Chapter 382: Dao partner
Chapter 382: Dao partner
It was obvious what Grace wanted Liam to do. He had forced her to do the same two weeks ago. It was unnecessary in her case, but his hand was already there.
Liam closed his eyes, filtering his Qi as he did with the alchemical flame before branding it with his awareness. He couldn’t risk poisoning Grace, especially in such a vital area, so he double-checked everything before sending his energy into her dantian.
A reddish, pulsating canvas appeared in Liam’s mind, identical to his own, but everything else was different.
Grace’s core was pale, carrying no specific colors. Five spiritual roots spread from it, with twenty-five protuberances growing from them. Twenty of those looked fully developed.
As if to confirm the Clan’s evaluation, Grace’s talent was at the upper edge of the ordinary. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t good, either. She was the best among common cultivators, but nothing remotely special.
’Eugene felt stronger,’ Liam recalled, immersed in the inspection. ’Did he have a greater talent? Was it just because he had developed more minor roots? Does reaching the stage’s peak require more nutrients?’
As far as Liam knew, all that could be true, especially the last part. He had seen that trend in himself, too. His cultivation was becoming more demanding, accumulating more power.
Chances were that Grace’s fully developed twenty-five minor roots would still feel stronger than Liam’s once he surpassed that number by virtue of the steeper requirements she had to fulfill.
Luckily, Grace had an easy path toward that goal. She just had to devour spirit stones. That might change at higher stages, but the breakthrough issue came first. Actually, it was closer than Liam had predicted.
’Will something like what I made for Melissa work?’ Liam calculated. ’I’m not even sure if it worked for her. It should have, but Grace’s product would need a different foundation.’
Qi was more ethereal than water. It lacked any striking feature Liam could isolate and enhance, as confirmed by the absence of colors in Grace’s cultivation.
’I need to review Master’s inheritance,’ Liam concluded. ’Alchemy probably isn’t the best art for this, but there should be a way. Alchemy is limitless.’
Alchemy wasn’t the problem. Liam was, or at least might be, so he had to work on fixing himself to turn the unlikely into the possible. He even lost himself in his pondering while the reddish canvas filled his mental view.
That was how Liam always was. The mountain had taught him patience and focus, and his Master had pushed that further when it came to alchemy. He achieved utmost, complete immersion, forgetting everything but the issue at hand.
So, it took longer than Liam was willing to admit for him to recall where he was.
Liam suddenly retracted his awareness and reopened his eyes, noticing the changes in his sitting condition. Instead of rejecting the intrusive practice, Grace had made herself comfortable, leaning against Liam’s chest, intertwining her fingers in her hand on her waist.
That was nothing short of a hug, a very intimate one. Grace didn’t seem to mind, but Liam spotted the faint redness on her cheeks, as well as the urges inside him.
If Liam hadn’t recalled his status in time, he would have pulled Grace even closer so that his arms could have expressed how much he treasured her.
"Sorry," Liam said, pulling his hand away. "I lost myself in thought."
"You have nothing to apologize for," Grace responded, leaning forward and avoiding looking at Liam. "As your possession, you don’t need my consent for anything concerning my being."
"I still want to handle you with care," Liam declared, standing up. "That’s what you like, don’t you?"
Liam didn’t see it because he approached the goods, but Grace’s expression went deadpan. He could say such absurdly romantic things that it was honestly beyond her how they weren’t an official couple already.
Truth be told, Liam was a bit tired. His talent and cultivation level gave him endurance far beyond mortals, but he still hadn’t rested since leaving the Frozen Peak.
However, the cultivation journey was ruthless. Liam and Grace might have finally reached a safe place where they could take their sweet time, but they shouldn’t. After all, both of them would consume resources daily.
Periods of drought were still distant enough to give Liam some leeway, but he didn’t dare to be complacent. He could keep going, so he would push himself more.
The footsteps that resounded distracted Liam from the goods. Grace approached the sheets and scrolls stolen from the Brigade, skimming through them to rearrange everything for a proper study.
"Shouldn’t you rest?" Liam asked. Grace hadn’t fought as hard as he had, but she had been busy reuniting with Liam while he was in the Frozen Peak, meaning she had rested even less.
"We are new players in an unknown environment," Grace calmly explained, focused on the sheets. "We aren’t as inconsequential as to not make waves, both due to our strength and the wares we plan to unload."
The events with the Brigade more than confirmed Grace’s point. A force established enough to control a small spring of spirit stones had fallen because of the pair’s arrival. The border’s political environment had already shifted because of them, and things would only worsen.
"Realistically," Grace continued, taking all the sheets in her ring, summoning them once she settled on a mat again, "Only Sects and Guild’s branches can handle our wealth. Demonic Sects would be our ideal targets, but we can’t just knock on their doors."
"I’m surprised you don’t have a plan already," Liam admitted, meaning the comment as a compliment.
"My dear, handsome Master," Grace called, her eyes never leaving the sheets. "Your trust is endearing, but I can’t employ my tricks without information. Knowledge is the foundation of business."
Liam didn’t even attempt to disagree. He understood the issue since he had faced it before joining hands with Grace. While they had reviewed their goods already, the border’s political situation would likely force them to rearrange them again.
"Your concern also limited the tools at my disposal," Grace added, sighing. "Your prized possession will have to alter all her business strategies, starting from how we present ourselves to our clients."
Liam ignored the jab at his zeal over wanting Grace to treat herself better, but the last part of her statement reminded him of a previous doubt.
"Grace, what’s a Dao partner?" Liam questioned.
Grace finally diverted her gaze, inspecting Liam, realizing something she now had a complete explanation for. She had long since guessed as much, but Liam’s knowledge clearly had peculiar gaps caused by his upbringing.
If the timeline Grace had guessed was right, it was honestly praiseworthy how much Liam had learned in such a short period. He had gone from a clueless mountain boy to a fearsome master alchemist. He simply hadn’t had the opportunity and time to learn everything about people and the cultivation world yet.
Naturally, Grace also connected that to Liam’s naive but resolute stance on relationships. She saw the struggle on his face and the confusion it caused in him. If she had to guess, Liam probably didn’t even know it was possible to fall for someone else despite having a lover.
Of course, solving that issue required subtler, slower methods, which Grace would make sure to implement even with unrelated topics, like the question Liam had asked.
"Mortals have marriage," Grace explained. "Cultivators have a deeper, grander outlook on life. They also live far longer. Their bonds can last centuries, becoming more spiritually profound, requiring different titles."
The world itself had changed in Liam’s eyes. He saw it as brittle now, so he could understand that language had to evolve accordingly.
"A Dao partner is a lifelong companion who shares the nature of your cultivation journey," Grace continued, "Walking it at your side, facing its tribulations with you."
That definition did indeed seem perfect for Liam and Grace, and she didn’t hesitate to highlight that point.
"Our journeys might have material goals," Grace stated, "But our spirits are aligned. We have vowed mutual support and growth. In the eyes of the Heavens, we are one, two parts that will walk together throughout hardship, enforcing our joint philosophy on the world."
Liam couldn’t deny any of that, even if some embarrassment rose inside him. Actually, that helped him spot the veiled trap.
"What aren’t you telling me?" Liam asked, throwing a knowing look at Grace.
"Such bonds often imply romantic entanglements," Grace shamelessly revealed, "But not necessarily. As centuries pass, carnal desires can lose appeal, but their spiritual counterparts deepen to levels unthinkable to mortals. It might not be sexual, but such a profound affection is undoubtedly love."
There were indeed different forms of love, from simple affection toward friends, the one reserved for family members, and the romantic one.
"Of course, if you hate such implications, I’ll call us something else during our negotiations," Grace reassured while her gaze returned to the sheets. "However, they would help keep me safer from indecent attention."
It was basically a lie, similar to what Liam and Adrian had done with Krosstoen’s mountain when they pretended it was haunted to keep foreign hunters away.
Actually, the lie would be partial at best in Grace’s case. She and Liam did indeed fit the definition of Dao partners. The title could simply create misunderstandings.
Now, Grace wasn’t Liam’s lover, but if the world believed that she was, she would indeed be safer, especially once he established his reputation once more.
"You can continue calling us that," Liam decided, uncaring of falling prey to another trap, the goods reclaiming his attention.
"Are you sure?" Grace asked, her face snapping up. "I wouldn’t want to create problems for my Master."
Grace had meant that as another tease, but her body had reacted on its own. That was her trap, but also something deeply meaningful, especially for a young woman like her.
"We fit the definition, don’t we?" Liam casually said. "No one can have goals greater than ours anyway."
Grace didn’t reply, but Liam couldn’t help but steal a glance at her figure. She tried to hide it while reviewing the sheets, but her cheerfulness had leaked into her surroundings, brightening the world and putting a smile on Liam’s face.