Since Grace had stepped in, Liam instinctively gave her full management of the situation and focused on what truly mattered to him.

First, there was Lancelot, and that short interaction with his black-haired friend told Liam something he had guessed even before that fiery bird came to be.

Lancelot had held back. The Ancestral Phoenix’s bloodline might have made him crazy with passion, but a different goal had stood behind his challenge to Liam.

In hindsight, that was obvious. Lancelot had only relied on igniting his Qi, which his strange chant seemed to empower, until Liam managed to deliver strikes.

Also, Liam had seen Simon and Maxwell fight. Since those core disciples were capable of so much, Lancelot had to possess more, far more, be it due to his talent, bloodline, or riches from a Sect close to the Inner Circles.

Liam believed he would have been fine in melee. His just-perfected Qi mastery and high-grade circulation technique made him more terrifying than he had any right to be in that regard.

Sure, Lancelot had his fully developed minor roots, which were bound to provide unfathomable physical enhancements. That empowerment wasn’t as drastic as the breakthrough, but it existed.

Yet, Liam was the son of an Ancestral Beast. Lancelot might be a direct descendant of the Ancestral Phoenix, but Liam had him beat there.

The problems lay everywhere else.

When it came to long range, Liam had the Black Bow, which he had to hide. He had the rank 2 Cloud Pill, but that item might have just exploded too early once Lancelot became wary of his needles.

The rank 2 venom worked, but an expert of Lancelot’s caliber had ways to remove it before it dealt too much damage. It would never work in small quantities, and Liam didn’t really have reliable ways to inject more of it from a distance.

Liam could see himself putting up a good fight if he went all out, even winning, but the price would be huge. It would also require subterfuge, which wasn’t what he wanted the math to point at.

Of course, Liam had become a rooting expert barely two months ago. He shouldn’t even compare himself to someone with Lancelot’s status, but he did, and his brain was already devising ways of closing that gap.

Then, there was the second issue, and that one had no fix.

Liam glanced at the slope in front of him while his perception updated him on the opposite one.

Everyone in the audience was inspecting Liam, from his face down to every inch of his frame. He was exposed, his features now known to the world. He had also shown what many would connect to poison, and there was no taking it back.

Liam may have earned big, but there had been a price to his greed, one he still didn’t know how steep it was.

The murmurs Liam heard from the audience only involved his young age and physique, both conflicting with what alchemists should be, but he couldn’t read minds. Someone might have figured out who he was and kept it to himself.

The urge to run away to a different Circle surged inside Liam, but Grace was on the same page, addressing the matter even before she read Liam’s face.

"We’ll collect ourselves first," Grace declared. "Fellow Daoists, give us some time before meeting us in our tent."

Grace didn’t wait for Lancelot and his companion to reply. She threw a meaningful glance at Liam, which he understood, and the two immediately departed to return to their tent.

Once inside, Grace prepared everything for a meeting, replacing the small table with a big, low one, placing pillows on the carpets as chairs. She also put all her valuable belongings in her space-ring, as if getting ready for a sudden departure.

Meanwhile, Liam watched everything absent-mindedly, puffing from the pipe, reviewing what he knew. Things might not be as drastic as he feared, but that probably was the worst aspect of the issue. Liam even lacked the information to calculate how bad it was.

"William," Grace called once Liam finished swaying, "How exposed are you?"

Liam puffed more debilitating smoke, finding comfort in feeling his minor roots growing, eventually mustering the only honest answer. "I don’t know."

Grace just looked at Liam. She knew he had a secret or several, and she had guessed that he was on the run. His name was also obviously fake, but her own cluelessness brought some reassurance.

As a merchant, it was Grace’s job to know things. The fact that she couldn’t connect Liam to anything meant that his secret was safe. Of course, she hadn’t looked too hard, and everyone else might now.

"We decided to head north," Grace pointed out, half-scolding, half-sighing, "But I hoped you would have given me more time to prepare."

Liam’s gaze snapped on Grace, the meaning of her words clear in his mind. Things had gotten rough, but they would be together in that.

"Thank you," Liam genuinely said, "And I’m sorry."

"What for?" Grace dismissed. "And you did earn us a lot of money. With everyone knowing your products’ worth, we have more than achieved our goals."

Grace crossed her arms, wanting to recheck the tent to make sure that everything was ready, only for her eyes to go down, dwelling on aspects of Liam she hadn’t expected.

"You have been holding out on me," Grace commented. "If I had known, I would have made you concoct shirtless."

Liam tilted his head in confusion and looked down, only seeing his abdomen and trousers, unsure of what Grace was referring to.

"But I guess it’s too risky," Grace dramatically sighed. "I’ll have to keep it all for my poor, poor self."

There was no set agreement, but Lancelot and his companion eventually crossed the tent’s curtains, finding Grace and Liam sitting behind the short table. Wine and food were already in the open, and Liam had even donned an ordinary grey robe in the meantime.

"Ah, Fairy, you have incredible taste," Lancelot praised. "I promise I’ll surprise you during our date." 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"Why is he calling you Fairy?" Liam whispered as the newcomers settled on the other side of the table. He had been confused about that name earlier, too, but that was the first time he could voice his doubts.

"It’s a title for women renowned for their beauty and cultivation," Grace explained.

"It’s more common in the Inner Circles," The black-haired woman added, obviously having heard the whisper. "Although I’ve seen Young Master use it on the lowest courtesans."

"Sister, don’t insult the noble arts cultivated in the pleasure districts," Lancelot complained. "They are among the oldest professions."

"Fellow Daoist, I’m Isabel," The black-haired woman introduced herself, completely ignoring Lancelot. "I’m a core disciple of the Secret Jade Sect, sadly, the only one who can manage the Young Master, except for the Sect Leader."

Liam had half a mind to ask how powerful the Sect Leaders were in a Sect near the Inner Circles, but he let Grace handle that social part.

"It’s an honor to meet you both," Grace politely declared, pouring wine into the four cups. "I’m Chief Grace of the Mercenary Guild, and you have met my partner, Master William."

Once the cups were full, Grace retreated to her pillow to continue. "I must say, your payment was generous, but the damage we suffered is considerable. I believe we earned the right to know what goal can warrant your actions."

"I apologize for Young Master’s behavior," Isabel declared. "As many news have correctly reported, Young Master’s core evolved from fire to living fire some years ago, and even our Elders are quite lost on matters of nutrients."

"It took me years to complete the rooting stage by eating ordinary flames," Lancelot added. "It was a pain, and I can’t overcome the bottleneck with those, especially mine."

’It’s like the worst aspects of Melissa and me,’ Liam realized.

"I suggested to Master that I could just set myself on fire," Lancelot revealed, spreading his arms. "What’s more living fire than that? But he gave me a beating and sent me on a trip to find a solution."

"The search has been unfruitful," Isabel got to the point, "But the Outer Circles are vast and mostly untamed, featuring plenty of unchecked lairs of magical beasts, hidden treasures, and unconquered inheritance grounds."

"You want to claim Archbishop Ignatius’ inheritance," Grace gasped.

"You are smart," Lancelot laughed before diverting his gaze seriously. "That actually makes you less enchanting."

"It is said the Archbishop was knowledgeable in all natures of the Heavens," Isabel stated, "That the Church refused to make him a Cardinal out of fear his wisdom might have outshone the Pope. His inheritance might have what Young Master needs."

"We hadn’t set out to go there," Lancelot admitted. "The idea was to reach the edge of the Kingdom and ride back, but I heard about it by chance, and it sounded interesting."

"And you want Master William to join you," Grace concluded.

"You might know this better than us," Isabel said. "Archbishop Ignatius’ inheritance is a sacred ground for the Church, so both Sects and Guilds stay away. Young Master was forced to recruit experts among lone cultivators."

"But I am in luck," Lancelot declared. "My passion actually delivered me an alchemist. What do you say, Master William? Did I arouse your spirit for adventure?"