Aksai’s mind raced as Haitin’s words hung in the air.
His instincts flared, putting him on high alert.
The Heretic Talismanic Inheritance was not something that could be casually discussed—especially not with someone as clever as Haitin.
Aksai quickly suppressed his initial panic. Keeping a calm exterior was key. Still, Haitin knowing about this inheritance was unsettling.
He replayed the events in his head: Mao Yahui, a notorious demonic cultivator, had tried to kill him when Aksai was in disguise. In self-defense, Aksai ended up killing Mao and, as a bonus, acquired his prized Heretic Talismanic Inheritance.
At the time, Mao was on the brink of death, his potential was spent, and his cultivation stagnated. There was no reason to assume a powerful figure like Haitin would care about Mao’s demise. The two seemed like they would have had little in common.
But Aksai couldn’t ignore the loose ends. He hadn’t only taken Mao’s life. Several Foundation Building experts from the righteous sects, AKA sect elders, had also met their end during that bloody altercation.
Aksai had been thorough, disposing of his pursuers and then disappearing under a fake identity, which kept the righteous sects clueless about his involvement.
If they found out that he had Mao’s inheritance, those sects would immediately connect the dots, and it would open a Pandora’s box of problems.
Still, Haitin wasn’t acting hostile. He appeared calm, almost too calm for the gravity of what he’d just revealed. Aksai studied Haitin’s posture and the casual tone in his voice.
There was no accusation, no threat. Instead, Haitin had reassured Aksai that this wasn’t about revenge for Mao’s death. Aksai slowly processed Haitin’s earlier words: “The reason I know you have it is very special.”
It started to click. Perhaps Mao had been planning to make a deal with Haitin’s sect in exchange for something—life-prolonging resources, maybe. The demonic faction was full of such transactions.
It wouldn’t be too far-fetched to think that Mao intended to trade the inheritance in return for a few extra years of life.
After all, Mao was a demonic cultivator famous throughout the Dadangar Subcontinent because of his Heretic Talismans. He had a strong presence in the Wild Devil Lands before his death. He might have made many deals with the demonic faction as well regarding his one-of-a-kind talismans.
Did Mao leave behind some sort of way to let Haitin know who had his inheritance at the time or just before his death? Perhaps Mao wanted Aksai to face some kind of retribution for killing him and did something behind Aksai’s back without the latter knowing about it.
There were many strange Spirit spells– especially demonic Spirit spells. These strange spells could help Haitin figure out the fact that he had Mao’s inheritance, especially when it was Mao who had established the deal with Haitin. Perhaps getting close to Aksai made Haitin know?
Aksai had many guesses. However, the reason behind Haitin’s awareness of the inheritance’s possession didn’t matter. What mattered was the fact that he was in the know.
Of course, the righteous sects would also have some special means to get to the bottom of the truth if they really tried hard. However, Aksai didn’t give them enough reason to go after him with all that they got.
After getting his hands on the Heretic Talismanic Inheritance, he discarded his fake identity and disappeared. He didn’t target the remaining sect elders of the Big Five Sects.
Aksai didn’t have any intention to ask Haitin about the specifics of the deal he had with Mao. Doing something like that wouldn’t gain him anything. Mao was already dead. And he had already obtained the inheritance.
What mattered was the kind of situation Aksai had to deal with at this point. Mao’s previous deal with Haitin would explain why Haitin knew about it. And if that were true, then only Haitin, or perhaps a small circle within his sect, knew about Aksai’s possession of the Heretic Talismanic Inheritance.
This wasn’t a righteous faction problem. At least, not yet.
Aksai silently breathed a sigh of relief. Sure, Haitin had leverage over him, but this wasn’t about blackmail. Not directly, anyway.
But the fact that Haitin knew was enough to keep Aksai on edge.
He wasn’t dealing with some foolhardy young master from a rich sect—Haitin was dangerously intelligent. Aksai could feel the exhaustion creeping in from the mental chess game he was playing.
Sometimes, dealing with arrogant brats from powerful families was simpler. They were predictable. Haitin, however, was always several steps ahead, which made him far more dangerous.
Aksai’s mind buzzed with possible ways to deflect or at least manage the situation. He could try playing dumb, pretending he didn’t know what Haitin was talking about.
But that would insult Haitin’s intelligence and likely make the situation worse. Instead, Aksai decided to tread carefully, acknowledging the situation without giving too much away.
***
After half a minute.
“Brother Haitin,” Aksai began, his voice steady.
“I appreciate your directness. It seems you’ve known about this for some time, but you didn’t bring it up until now. That tells me you’re not looking to force my hand.”
Aksai glanced at the teacup in front of him, then back at Haitin. “What exactly are you asking for? You know as well as I do that this inheritance isn’t something given lightly.”
Only now did Aksai understand why Haitin was so polite to him. It seemed that Haitin already knew that Aksai had Mao’s inheritance. Even if he was not sure right after they met, he was sure after Aksai spent some time inside his sect.
Haitin made effective use of the soft approach to get into Aksai’s best books. He might have had many reasons for his actions. However, the dominant reason why Haitin was so friendly towards Aksai might be because of Mao’s inheritance.
Haitin’s expression softened, and he nodded, appreciating Aksai’s measured response.
“You’re right, it’s not. I’m not asking you to abandon the Heretic Talismanic Dao and give me sole possession of it. I understand the value of what you’ve obtained.
But I hope you can share that inheritance with me. After all, this inheritance deals with some advanced theories related to talismans and elemental attainments.
This inheritance has a lot of value if one were to train a batch of talisman creators using it as a foundation. It also complements some of the other inheritances that my sect currently possesses.
Of course, the main reason I want this inheritance is rather simple. There are parts of the inheritance that align with certain needs of mine. If we can come to an agreement, it could benefit us both.”
Aksai leaned back slightly, absorbing the offer. He had expected Haitin to demand the whole inheritance for himself, but instead, it seemed Haitin was after a specific portion. Or rather, Haitin was using Mao’s inheritance as a reference point to do something else.
Of course, Haitin’s needs didn’t matter to Aksai. He had no intentions to ask where he was going to make use of it. As long as it didn’t consider him, Aksai would not try to peek into someone else’s business.
In short, Haitin only wanted shared access to the inheritance. That was… manageable. But Aksai couldn’t afford to let his guard down just yet.
“And what parts are you interested in?” Aksai asked, his tone casual, though his mind was still racing.
“The talismanic runes related to barrier destruction methods,” Haitin said calmly.
“Mao Yahui developed some unique techniques, and my sect has had its eye on them for a while. We want access to those specific rune fragments. Of course, it would be better if you could share the whole inheritance with us.”
Aksai raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t even fully explored that portion of the inheritance yet, but he knew that barrier breach techniques could be valuable, especially for a sect like Haitin’s.
Still, this was a negotiation, and Aksai needed to play his cards right.
“I see,” Aksai said slowly. “I can consider that. But it’s not a small thing you’re asking for, brother Haitin. What would I get in return?”
Haitin smiled as if he had anticipated the question. “Anything within reason, of course—resources, information, protection. I think we both know there’s plenty I can offer.”
Aksai tapped his fingers on the table, pretending to mull it over. In reality, he already knew he would probably agree to Haitin’s request, but not without securing as much as he could in return. He would have to be careful in crafting the terms.
“Brother Haitin, you said some of the concepts in the Heretic Talismanic Inheritance complement the inheritances you already possess,” Aksai said finally, smiling. “May I know what these inheritances are?”
Haitin gave a broad smile before speaking further.
“I knew you were smart, brother Aksai. I just gave a small hint, and you picked it up so quickly,” Haitin laughed.
“That’s right. We already have the remaining two inheritances from the same series. While you have the Heretic Talismanic Inheritance, my sect possesses the Heretic Alchemy Inheritance and the Heretic Array Formation Inheritance.
Together, these three form the complete Heretic Talismanic Dao. So, how about it? Would you like to get your hands on the remaining two inheritances in exchange for what you have?”
Haitin laughed, seeing the shock and greed flicker in Aksai’s eyes.