"Traitors!"
"Backstabbers!" Chief Omar wailed.
"After all the talk of the shadow sisters being invincible and never renegading on their clients, this is how you treat me?!"
"BASTARDS!" This chief raged.
While Chief Omar raged, Brutus pretended to sheath his Blade of Chaos. He didn't want to show the old man nor anyone present here that he had a spatial treasure since that would only give them wild ideas.
In actuality, the old man was already having wild ideas.
There was only one reason why he came down from his cave in the mountains after so many decades in isolation to Luvre Village, and that was the mortal that he met just yesterday.
The encounter with the mortal left a deep imprint in his life.
This old man was once a renowned cultivator in the Red Phoenix Prefecture, a notorious traveler. Travelers are cultivators who leave their hometown, never settling in one place, preferring the life of a pilgrim.
Most people only knew him as an exceedingly powerful cultivator though. In truth, he took more pride in his other profession, alchemy.
This old man journeyed through foreign lands in search of more knowledge of alchemy. Having traveled through most lands in the continent already, this old man thought he already had access to all alchemy knowledge of his realm, until yesterday when he met the mortal.
When Brutus finally left his shell, showing his true colors, commanding him and displaying his incredible knowledge of alchemy, this old man was amazed.
This old man felt young again.
And then he thought. 'Is this fate?'
'After decades of isolation, searching for an epiphany to no avail, hoping to live the rest days of my lifespan in this cave, is this fate?'
'This mortal, is he my key to new alchemy knowledge?'
For the first time in almost 50 years, this old man felt his will to live blossom again. He no longer wanted to live out his lifespan anymore; ambition blossomed again and with it the will to live.
This was why he secretly tracked Brutus when he went home yesterday. After finding Chief Rarluk's farm, this old man returned to his cave.
But in the night, when the tremors started, knowing that it came from that village, this old man left his cave again immediately.
He arrived even before Brutus, and he watched the whole battle from the start. When Brutus entered, showcasing his ability, this old man was shocked, not due to his combat power but because of something else.
'H-he is a cultivator?!'
And then he thought back to the potion that he helped this young man forge. 'What?! Is this the effects of the potion?'
'What happened?'
Cultivation was common but dual cultivation was not.
To many, it was an impractical technique, inefficient at best. All across the realm, only Colonel Brutus, the Lord of Profanity had discovered the true secret of the ancient technique of dual cultivation.
This was why this old man never thought in that direction.
But he did arrive at a conclusion. His conclusion?
'This young man…, he definitely has a secret!'
'Is he an inner disciple of the Red Phoenix Sect?'
'No! Not even those people have alchemy knowledge of this level, I should know after joining them for a few years'.
'In fact, I'm a wanted fugitive of the Red Phoenix Sect'.
'If I should guess, he is not from here. He's definitely the inner disciple of a sect far more powerful and knowledgeable than the Red Phoenix Sect!'
'That's it, my chance!'
'This is fate!' He was excited.
Having sensed the presence of the 3 shadow sisters who hid through a complicated shadow spell, something that evaded even Brutus' soul sense since he was not a mage, this old man knew that the young man would lose.
And when he was losing, what would he think if he suddenly swooped into the battle, being the knight in shining armor who saved his life?
'A debt!'
'Yes, I'm going to make him owe me a debt'.
'In the future, when he finally reveals his identity, I will ask for my debt to be paid in the form of alchemy knowledge!'
Once this old man arrived at his perfect plan, he no longer hesitated, simply biding his time and waiting till Brutus was cornered.
Once the young man was cornered, he finally made his appearance in emphatic fashion. He felt good with himself.
By this point, the shadow sisters already left after giving Brutus the antidote to the deadly poison.
'Insidious,' Brutus thought. 'Even I don't have an easy antidote to that poison, the fastest means I have is countering and nullifying it with another potent poison'.
Chief Omar was still wailing in regret and anger when Brutus gave Leah the signal. Without hesitation, this bounty hunter went forward, unleashing a ruthless slap across the chief's face to shut him up.
This bounty hunter tied him up after even as this chief looked at her, shamelessly begging for his life.
"You should have known better than to come after my life". Leah said coldly. She took a brief glance at Emily and looked away soon after without saying a word.
"I owe you a debt now". Brutus looked at the old man.
"It's nothing," this old man waved a hand dismissively. "I see a lot of talent in you young man. I just hope when you eventually realize it someday, you remember this old man who helped you forge a potion".
Brutus nodded seriously. "I won't forget".
The old man looked at Chief Omar. Understanding his intentions, Brutus nodded. "Don't worry, you can leave now, I'll take care of the rest".
"If so, take care". This old man was about to leave but he stopped. "Young man, I never got the chance to know your name".
"So, what is your name?"
Hearing that question, a look of reminiscing came over Brutus' face as he remembered the countless names he had been called in his life.
In the end, he looked at the old man.
"My name is Colonel Brutus".