Way of The Demon

Edward having spared the pair felt empty. While its true killing babies is not something he partakes, woman were another story. Maybe it was his thoughts towards his own mother that allowed the child to have his. 

"I live cause who my mother is, she lives cause what her son is. Funny"

"Young master!" Liam who had heard the ruling

"What is it?" Edward arm stretched out feeling the cold rain against his palm thinking how long he not felt it, living above the clouds and such

"About the family, I personally will ensure-" 

"No" Edward cutting him off "Assign a single carriage for the two and 5 guards capable of slaying rank 3 spirit beast. Give this to a receptionist at the keep." carving orders into a jade slip

"I understand, before morning I will see the party off" 

"Find me in my chambers when you're finished" 

Stepping through the garden, floral aroma thick in the air smothering the petrichor, Edward thinks of what the little flower Sven will become. A child fatherless, a mother who had cultivation but nothing major, wondering if he had truly spared him. 

Edward as a demonic practitioner was not inherently a bad person, a product of his environment he grew to hold the values of those around him. Naturally as he got older and independent his dao became more and more differential to his family and peoples. Experiencing ranges of high, low, deep, and shallow emotions Edward honed them, remained true to them. He felt them to their ends. That was his demonic way, unshackled by restraint he indulged. His actions were on a whim, or a thought-out process of emotion, or on causes and effect analysis like everyone else. Edward feeling strongly towards something had its own saying in the Immortal Yiqi "If it's good, it will become better. If bad, there won't even be ashes." 

Which is why he feels empty, for the first time he was not true to himself, when he allowed Veronica to live. The taking of her life would not only establish himself as a ruler in the eyes of his people, but he also wanted to. He felt the need to make an example of what treason gets you, of where trying him will lead you.

Unable to ascertain why he made that decision, he counties his walk to chambers in deep thought. Unknowing that the songs of his kind and firm leadership are starting to be sung

"I forgot of you" Edward holding his nose staring at the corpse of Roose "Move!" a black aura enveloping his arm all below the elbow, lifting the seared betrayer and placing him in the far corner of the chamber in the way of nothing. Easily able to throw the toast into the void and forgetting of it, Edward knows the body will come in handy one day. Now ripping the bed clothes from his bed, and tossing them at the door, he assumes the quarter lotus position. "My body is much better than it should be. Using the soul of an immortal in a body of this plane and cultivation should be much worse, evermore so mine. Incredibly after patching it up last time its grown slightly stronger in the places I mended. My flames have done more good than bad. My soul has never had any healing or tempering factor, only destructive force. So why did my Chi become so thick? This will require experiment once im fixed up."

KNOCK KNOCK

Sir Liam arriving outside the chambers, his long wavy middle part wet of rain and sweat, servant girls mopping the trail of his path 

"Sir Liam, enter" Edward announces while tidying his robe and climbing off the bed

Liam unsure why he was invited to his young masters' quarters, opens the door to see bed clothes blocking the path. Slightly upset wondering why Roose who he never liked isnt tending to Edwards needs properly, turns to the servants outside pointing at the doorway. The maids flustered hurry to gather the dirtied and foul-smelling bed clothes. 

Steeping into the room finally, Liam balls his hands and bows "Young master"

"Sir Liam do you know why I called you here?" Edward pouring multiple glasses of water one hand behind his back asks with expectation 

Liam Hearing the tone and demeanor of Edward, doesn't know why he is here but realizing the test, starts to think back on the entire day. Thinking of the multiple matters he handled under Edwards directive "To punish or thank me, maybe to reward me"

Edward smiling a demons smile 

[cleaver shit he is]

"Correct Sir Liam! I indeed had you come to be rewarded." gesturing for Liam who is exhaling in relief to sit "You handled my matters swift and clean something I appreciate." taking a drink of his water waiting for Liam to respond

"Thank-"

"Quiet" Edward says calmly placing his cup down

"Sir Liam your talent is far and a cut above people your age, not on the level of a genius but still first rate. The fact you have forged your spirit at age 20, speaks so." again taking a drink from his glass while Liam having learned, remained silent eyes focused on Edward

[really cleaver shit] Edward enjoys Liams sharp intellect, appreciating smart men over strong ones

"Your talent as good as it maybe will soon hit a wall. The body tempering technique provided by the family has been trained to its limit, your body is at the peak of what you can accomplish with it. Similarly, you won't step beyond your current realm with the inner Chi method you have."

Edward aware Liam doesn't shy away from hard truths pours himself another cup, awaiting his prey to bite the hook

Nearly a minute of silence has passed before Sir Liam takes a drink from his class "Then young master, you mean to help my cultivation?" burning with passion inside, having seen the mysterious arts Edward holds, suppresses his great excitement and remains calm 

"Correct but not in any of the ways you are thinking." standing from his chair and placing spirit stones almost exactly where the old ones were. Raising both hands creating signs with his fingers a blue light covers the room before turning transparent

Liam who had an idea of what this was stood in shock glancing the chambers in frenzy "Young master... that... was not an array was it?" chin low mouth wide still thinking it might not be true

"Sit Sir Liam." Edward surprised by the reaction but kind of anticipating it demands

[the memories and information I had absorbed from Edward Albert did not contain information of arrays, in the keep there were none when its prime real estate. Then there is Sir Liams reaction, he seems to know but doesn't at the same time] confused Edward takes his seat again 

"This is a sound restraining array. It contains the sound inside from being heard outside, also with the option of blocking the sounds outside from being heard inside." nonchalantly counting his remaining spirit stones

'hahah" Liam seeing something he thinks he shouldn't chuckled in disbelief 

"Is something like that possible? I've heard of multiple people working together using Chi to create similar barriers, but an array? hahah"

"Sir Liam what do you know of arrays?" 

Reaching for his glass and downing all it had in a gulp that refreshed Liam more than any drink had before, he slams his cup back upon the table "Not much young master. Arrays are a somewhat lost practice. Only royal and powerful families would have them. Our own royal family in Terrene has many but few array masters, so they are hard to maintain."

"Any array masters in our family?" 

"None"

Edward now thinking that if Liam does not come under is direct command, then he must kill him

"Okay enough of arrays, lets get back to topic" Edward eyes slightly cast a purple hue. Liam about to ask of the array shutters at the sight, having flashbacks of the garden earlier that day

"What I now offer as rewards for your service is a choice. One is you learn new martial arts directly from me. The other is monetary compensation equal to what we pay to widows of our guards." Edward calmly states while pouring Liam another glass. Ready to send him into nothingness shall he choose wrong

[5000 golds and 20 spirit stones, or some of the young masters knowledge and purview. Is this even a debate? The young master is an expert of arrays and marital arts, he has shown me both, learning from him is a once in a lifetime opportunity] 

"Young mas-" Liam unable to curb his enthusiasm rises, lifting both arms and balling his hands together about to bow

"Sir Liam before you choose, know this. Learning under me requires you to throw away everything you have. You must retire from your current post, and abandon everything you know of the dao. What I teach will be painful not only to your body but mind and soul. It will not be easy, and once you begin you can never retreat from or step off the path. HOWEVER, I promise should you walk alongside me you will experience changes you could not dream."