Lucas didn’t seem fond of Liam’s strategy, but he still described everything he knew.

Apparently, the battle cages were no different than any other system for cultivators that the more central areas of the Kingdom provided. Still, instead of being righteous or of mixed management, that service was fully controlled by unorthodox forces.

That implied several criminal activities, with gambling being the tamest. There was rigging, prostitution, slavery, and even experiments on unsanctioned cultivation methods involved.

The fighters themselves didn’t earn much, but there were significant fluxes of money and powerful interests around the battle cages, meaning fearsome backers. The ordinary cultivator wouldn’t even notice it, but there were players best not to mess with.

As Liam understood it, the best comparison he could find came once again from the Mutated Battlefield, albeit with a force Sects had planted to manage it.

Meanwhile, since the activity was theoretically illegal, its location was in the magical beasts’ domain, toward the border’s northern edge, near the central mountain chain and a bit further away from where Liam had spotted the level four overlord.

That was by design. Having a level four magical beast nearby acted as a deterrent. No one would risk striking out of fear of enraging the monstrous overlord.

The place was also underground, so safe from that risk. Liam even saw value in its location inside the border. A swift escape to the northern region was possible from there, and moving to that half of the area would put some distance between him and the eastern branches he had enraged.

Of course, while suitable, Liam couldn’t just head to the battle cages. He had lost that freedom after destroying the Guild’s branch.

There was an angry branching expert searching for Liam and his companions. Lucas and Troy could regain a modicum of freedom through the Heavenly Sword Cult, but involving them would alert interested parties.

Liam needed Lucas and Troy for his plan, but the world couldn’t know they were involved. Grace also had to reopen shop, extending the issue to Mairis’ families, no matter how much they denied knowledge of the couple.

The group indeed decided on middlemen, just a horde of them. Lucas, Troy, Mairis, and Grace would be involved, but only through endless layers that didn’t know about their true leaders.

The strategy would be complex to manage, stretching timelines and costs, but it was the only way of muddying the waters enough for the couple to resume pursuing their goals without leaving.

Liam listened because he wanted to learn as much as he could, but the field remained Grace’s specialty. Even Lucas and Troy didn’t really have a say on the matter. They could only add information for Grace to manage.

Still, Liam’s turn soon arrived because the meeting moved back to the loot.

"So," Lucas exclaimed, seriously inspecting the huge carcass and the roses. "How do we split this?"

Liam felt the group waiting for him. Lucas had already guessed that he was an alchemist, and he had been the one to kill the bear, so he would have the last word.

Liam also knew alchemical ingredients better than Grace and had even expressed interest, so she left that matter to him.

There were twelve Rainbow Roses, four of each color. Liam needed the violet ones because they were poisonous, but he still had two to pick, as well as six to give the swordsmen.

Liam wanted the split to be equal, but that depended on personal needs. Some colors were more common than others, but rank 3 ingredients were rare enough for the price not to vary too much.

"You said you need your Elders to protect you," Liam announced. "Do you know the nature of their dantians?"

Unlike Liam, Lucas and Troy would benefit indirectly from the rank 3 ingredients, but they could maximize that by providing what their Elders needed. It could even earn them a huge favor.

"Our sword arts don’t rely on that," Lucas threw an empty smile at Liam. "Let’s say the Heavenly Sword Cult is the intense kind."

’They have demonic arts,’ Liam understood. The veiled answer and what he had seen in the minor spar confirmed that point, while also making him curious.

"What do you know of the Rainbow Roses?" Troy asked instead.

"Red is close to fire," Liam summarized. "Blue is water, yellow is earth. The other colors have more complex properties, which can be both a benefit and a disadvantage."

"Why?" Troy probed, the question attracting Lucas’ attention, too, because Liam had declared interest in the violet roses. The swordsmen wouldn’t contest that, but they wanted to know how it fit in that description.

"The purer the property," Liam explained, "The easier it is to extract. The other colors might have rarer properties, but in minor quantities, which might be lost during the extraction."

Liam didn’t hide anything because he wanted the swordsmen to make an informed decision, which quickly arrived.

"Four blue and two indigo?" Lucas checked with his companion, whose emotionless face confirmed agreement.

"The level three carcass?" Troy wondered.

Liam glanced at Grace. He had no idea what magical beasts were worth, especially in terms of their individual pieces, but she could handle that part.

"You can have the core," Grace calculated. "We’ll keep the rest of the body."

The core was the most valuable part, but Grace had taken into account her connection with Mairis’ Suron family. They had an inscription master who could work directly with the bear’s body parts, which could net a lot and earn additional favor.

Lucas and Troy exchanged another look, moving to the next order of business, which confirmed their agreement.

"The Guild’s belongings?" Lucas wondered.

Honestly, Liam and Grace had already taken what they needed from that loot. He had seized the ingredients, while she had amassed all the relevant information. There were only ordinary items and products left.

Grace needed replacements for the swords Jessica had broken, but she would rather opt for top-tier items since the enemies’ quality had increased, and the Guild’s loot didn’t have those. Some she had kept from the inheritance, while the rest would have to be bought.

"You can take what you wish from it," Grace sighed. "I’m not one to forget debts. You helped me return to my beloved’s embrace. For that, I shall be eternally grateful."

Grace lowered her head in respect, and Liam couldn’t help but inspect her. She hadn’t played the businesswoman nor the temptress now. She was just being honest, her behavior and the hand he was still holding proving it without a shadow of a doubt.

The two swordsmen couldn’t possibly know what an achievement it was to make Grace give up on money, but Liam didn’t miss how it was all for him.

Truth be told, the two swordsmen noticed something. They had done so ever since Liam’s first laugh. He was not only more relaxed toward them. The whole air around the couple had changed.

"Now I don’t really want to ask that favor," Lucas cursed under his breath, searching for his companion’s approval.

"What is it?" Liam asked.

"We were wondering," Lucas coughed, "Since we are all eternal friends, could we indulge in your hospitality for a while?"

"We must contact our Elders and receive their approval," Troy added. "Hiding in the wilds carries risks."

"We also don’t have storage items," Lucas continued. "If you could keep our share until we are ready to depart. There’s also much that would be easier to finalize face to face."

The space-rings did indeed offer better preservation, and arranging the horde of middlemen would take a while, on top of coming from both sides. Moreover, the hall had room for two more people.

Liam didn’t mind. At that point, there wasn’t much he would hide from Lucas and Troy, but Grace reminded him of one specific new practice.

"You are free to stay here," Grace invited. "We could also arrange our departure together."

Grace stood up at that point, letting go of Liam’s hand.

"However, I hope you don’t expect our hospitality to preclude our privacy," Grace warned. "I’m afraid my demeanor suffers greatly when I’m denied my beloved’s embrace."

"Sister, we wouldn’t dare," Lucas reassured. "You are already as scary as I can take."

"Make yourselves at home then," Grace nodded. "My dear?"

Liam couldn’t help but throw a warning look at the two as he stored everything but the Guild’s containers. He didn’t like the idea of a naked Grace in the same space as someone else, but he soon realized he had gotten ahead of himself.

Grace led Liam to the hall’s corner, where she summoned a spacious tent. He also placed talismans on the floor to block sound, but came to his senses once Grace sat on a series of pillows.

"The management will be intense," Grace sighed. "The Guild’s information gave me a rough idea of what many minor parties are, but we’ll have to rely heavily on Mairis’ connections, which I’d rather test first."

It turned out Grace had just resorted to the usual facade to plan with Liam in private, which made sense considering the many topics no one else could hear.

"We could use the Qilin’s Idea," Liam considered, joining Grace on the pillows. "I’ve improved it and have antidotes. Depending on how many people are involved, I might need more ingredients to make more."

Liam actually wanted to put that poison to use, if anything, to test it.

"Qilin’s Idea?" Grace wondered, looking up at Liam.

"Oh," Liam muttered, realizing that Grace didn’t know about that name. "It’s a slow-acting poison, like the one you once suggested I made you drink."

"And," Grace continued, leaning her back on Liam’s arm, "Am I right to understand that you named it after me?"

"You are right," Liam nodded, smiling at the teasing face under him. "I named it while we were traveling to the tournament."

Grace suppressed her desire to ask whether Liam had a poison named after his lover, too, instead deciding to enjoy the discovery. She clung to Liam’s chest, her vulnerable face and voice taking over.

"Liam, I know we have guests," Grace exclaimed, "But I still wish to spend time in your arms."

Grace’s request had nothing impure, but she obviously added a smiling tease. "Unless my handsome Master has more improper wishes."

"I do," Liam instantly replied, and Grace’s eyes went wide, but she could do little about it since he was already kissing her, pushing her down.