Lian stood quietly outside the wooden residence beneath the pale morning sunlight.
For a brief moment—
he genuinely considered turning around and leaving.
Because the moment Village Head Wa Shi saw him—
everything would immediately become troublesome.
Questions.
Explanations.
Attention.
And now—
with his cultivation no longer completely hidden from sharper senses—
things could become even worse.
Lian exhaled softly through his nose.
"…Too late now."
Then finally—
he raised his hand and knocked against the wooden door.
TOK.
TOK.
The sound echoed lightly through the quiet courtyard.
Several seconds passed in silence.
Then footsteps approached from inside the house.
Light.
Quick.
Not Village Head Wa Shi.
The wooden door slowly creaked open.
And immediately—
the young girl standing behind it froze completely.
Wa Mie stared blankly at the figure outside the entrance.
At the familiar face standing beneath the morning sun.
The dried clam meat hanging loosely in his hand.
The awkward expression on his face.
Alive.
For several long seconds—
she said absolutely nothing.
Lian slowly lifted one hand in greeting.
"…Uh."
"Morning?"
Wa Mie's eyes widened violently.
The color drained from her face—
only to return all at once.
"You—"
She pointed at him with a trembling finger.
"Lian?!"
Lian immediately winced.
"…Yeah."
Her mouth opened.
Closed.
Then opened again.
"You—"
"But—"
"You died!"
Lian sighed helplessly.
"Apparently everyone thinks that."
Wa Mie still looked completely stunned.
For three entire months—
the village had searched the lake repeatedly.
Search parties had entered the forest over and over again.
Nothing had been found.
Not a body.
Not even a trace.
Eventually—
even her grandfather had concluded that survival was impossible.
Yet now—
Lian stood casually at the front door beneath the morning sunlight, chewing dried meat as though absolutely nothing had happened.
Wa Mie continued staring at him suspiciously.
Then slowly—
her eyes narrowed.
"…Wait."
Lian immediately felt a sense of danger.
Her gaze sharpened further.
"…You're eating."
Lian blinked.
"…Yes?"
Wa Mie instantly crossed her arms.
"Ghosts don't eat."
Lian's eye twitched violently.
"YOU TOO?!"
Wa Mie flinched slightly at his sudden outburst.
Then she coughed awkwardly and looked away.
"…I mean…"
"The villagers already started spreading rumors."
Lian dragged a hand down his face in exhaustion.
"Of course they did."
Wa Mie continued observing him carefully afterward.
Then slowly—
her expression began to change.
Because now that the initial shock had faded—
she finally noticed something else.
Something strange.
Lian looked… different.
Not physically stronger exactly.
But lighter.
Sharper.
The weak exhaustion that constantly lingered around him before had completely disappeared.
Even his eyes looked clearer somehow.
Calmer.
And strangely—
standing near him now felt faintly similar to standing near her grandfather.
Very faint.
Almost impossible to notice.
But definitely there.
Wa Mie's expression gradually shifted into confusion.
"…Lian."
He looked up.
"What?"
She hesitated briefly before quietly asking,
"…Did you become a cultivator?"
Lian's heart skipped instantly.
Before he could answer—
a calm elderly voice suddenly echoed from deeper inside the house.
"First Stage Spirit Refining."
Both Lian and Wa Mie froze.
Slow footsteps approached steadily afterward.
A moment later—
Village Head Wa Shi emerged from the inner room with his hands folded behind his back.
His old eyes remained fixed directly on Lian.
Sharp.
Focused.
Completely unlike the relaxed village elder most people usually saw.
The moment his gaze settled fully onto Lian—
the faint spiritual fluctuations surrounding the boy became unmistakable.
Wa Mie's eyes widened even further.
"…Grandfather?"
But Wa Shi did not answer immediately.
His gaze remained locked onto Lian in silence.
Careful.
Measured.
As though he were trying to determine whether what he sensed was truly real.
Meanwhile—
Lian could feel immense pressure building invisibly around him.
Not hostile.
But heavy.
This was the first time he had directly faced a true cultivator after entering Spirit Refining himself.
And immediately—
he understood the difference between them.
Wa Shi's spiritual energy was far steadier than his own.
Denser.
More refined.
More controlled.
Like the difference between flowing mist and solid stone.
Several long moments passed in complete silence.
Then finally—
Wa Shi spoke again.
"Three months missing."
"You return alive."
"And somehow become a First Stage Spirit Refining cultivator."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Interesting."
Lian forced out an awkward laugh.
"…Yeah."
"Honestly, it's been a strange few months."
Wa Mie snapped her gaze back toward Lian in disbelief.
"You actually became a cultivator?!"
Lian scratched the side of his cheek awkwardly.
"…Apparently."
"Apparently?!"
Wa Shi slowly stepped closer.
The old wooden floor creaked softly beneath his feet.
Then—
he stopped directly in front of Lian.
Close enough now that the spiritual fluctuations became even clearer.
Wa Shi's expression finally shifted slightly.
Not disbelief anymore.
Shock.
Genuine shock.
Because the spiritual foundation within Lian's body was unexpectedly stable.
This was not the unstable aura of someone who had recklessly consumed random treasures and forced a breakthrough.
Nor was it the chaotic spiritual energy of a lucky accident.
No—
this was a proper cultivation base.
Clean.
Refined.
Stable.
His spiritual energy flowed smoothly and naturally through his meridians without the slightest sign of imbalance.
Wa Shi's gaze sharpened even further.
And for the first time since stepping outside—
the old village head truly began looking at Lian as an actual cultivator.
Wa Shi's gaze lingered on Lian for a long moment.
Then the old man turned slightly and spoke in a calm, steady voice.
"Come inside."
It wasn't a suggestion.
It was a decision.
Wa Mie quickly stepped aside, though she still looked as if her mind had not fully caught up with reality yet.
Lian hesitated for only a brief second before following them inside.
The wooden house somehow felt smaller than he remembered.
Or perhaps—
it was simply the pressure filling the room.
Wa Shi sat down first at the low wooden table near the center of the house and gestured for Lian to do the same.
Lian obeyed quietly.
Meanwhile, Wa Mie lingered near the side of the room, clearly uncertain whether she was supposed to stay or leave.
But Wa Shi never dismissed her.
Silence settled over the room afterward.
Heavy.
Controlled.
Then finally—
Wa Shi spoke.
"Start talking."
Lian's heart skipped once.
Then slowly steadied again.
He lowered his gaze slightly, as though organizing his thoughts carefully.
After a moment—
he exhaled softly.
Then he began.
"…I went into the forest again like before."
Wa Shi did not interrupt.
Not even a blink.
Lian continued, his voice calm but carefully measured.
"I was attacked by a spirit beast."
Wa Mie's eyes instantly lifted toward him.
Wa Shi's expression remained unchanged.
Lian scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, as though recalling something unpleasant.
"I tried to escape… but I got turned around. The deeper I went, the worse it became."
A brief pause followed.
Then he added more naturally,
"I think I fell down a slope at some point."
Wa Mie flinched slightly.
Wa Shi still remained silent.
Lian continued speaking.
"When I woke up, I was inside a hidden cave."
That line finally caused Wa Shi's eyes to sharpen ever so slightly.
Lian noticed—
but he didn't stop.
"The cave wasn't normal. The air inside felt… strange."
He paused briefly, as if trying to describe it properly.
"Heavy with spiritual energy."
His gaze lowered slightly.
"As if something had been left there for a very long time."
Wa Mie unconsciously leaned forward a little.
Lian continued steadily.
"There were… remnants inside. Old traces that someone had once lived there."
He lifted his hands slightly.
"I stayed because I couldn't find a way out immediately."
Wa Shi finally spoke.
His voice remained calm and precise.
"How long?"
Lian answered without hesitation.
"…At first, I thought only a few hours."
Then he lowered his eyes slightly again.
"But time felt strange in that place."
It was a good lie.
Close enough to truth that it did not feel fabricated.
"I think I stayed there much longer than I realized."
Wa Shi's fingers tapped lightly against the table once.
Only once.
Then stopped.
Lian continued before the silence could become dangerous.
"I found a few things inside the cave."
Wa Shi's gaze instantly locked onto him.
"What things?"
Lian paused briefly.
Then answered carefully.
"Some strange fruits… a few pills… and a glowing liquid pool deep underground."
Wa Mie blinked.
"A liquid pool…?"
Lian nodded.
"Yeah. It emitted faint light, and I could sense spiritual energy coming from it."
His expression became thoughtful.
"I didn't know what it was at the time, but even standing near it made my body feel… lighter."
Wa Shi's eyes narrowed slightly.
Now he understood where this was leading.