The atmosphere inside the room tightened once again.
Lian lowered his gaze toward the crystals resting on the table.
Then slowly—
a faint smile appeared on his face.
"…At least you're straightforward."
Wa Shi silently watched him.
Lian continued calmly,
"But you're also trying to figure me out."
A brief pause.
"You think I have more than this."
Wa Shi's expression did not shift.
But his silence alone confirmed it.
Lian exhaled softly through his nose.
"…You're not wrong to suspect that."
Wa Mie blinked in confusion.
"…Lian?"
But Lian never looked toward her.
His gaze remained fixed entirely on Wa Shi.
Then slowly—
he spoke again.
"…Fine."
Wa Shi's eyes sharpened slightly.
Lian raised one hand lightly.
"…I'll agree."
Wa Mie immediately looked relieved.
But Wa Shi did not relax.
Because Lian had not finished speaking.
Lian's raised hand lingered in the air for another second.
The room did not react immediately.
Not Wa Mie.
Not Wa Shi.
Even the air itself felt strangely still for a fraction too long.
Then Lian lowered his hand slowly and continued, his voice calm—
but no longer casual.
"…But you should understand something first."
Wa Shi's gaze narrowed slightly.
Lian met his eyes directly this time.
Without hesitation.
"I still have more."
Wa Mie's breath caught instantly.
"…More?"
Lian nodded once.
"But I have no intention of giving it away."
Silence deepened immediately.
The spiritual pressure in the room did not increase—
but it changed.
Sharper.
More focused.
Wa Shi remained motionless.
Lian continued evenly.
"At least not right now."
His fingers tapped lightly against the edge of the table once.
"Like before… if I need something, I'll come exchange with you."
A brief pause followed.
His tone remained steady.
But something beneath it had become noticeably sharper.
"But if that arrangement doesn't suit you…"
His eyes lifted slightly.
"…then you could always use force."
Wa Mie's face instantly lost color.
"Lian—!"
But she never finished speaking.
Because Wa Shi raised a hand slightly, stopping her immediately.
His gaze never left Lian.
Unblinking.
Unmoving.
Lian did not flinch beneath that stare.
Instead, he calmly finished his sentence.
"…But if that happens, then I'll stop seeing you as a teacher."
A faint pause followed.
"…And start seeing you as an enemy."
The final word landed cleanly inside the room.
No anger.
No hostility.
No emotion at all.
Just a line being drawn.
Wa Mie's eyes widened immediately.
"…Lian?!"
Her voice came out sharp and almost panicked.
But Lian still did not look toward her.
His gaze remained locked onto Village Head Wa Shi.
Calm.
Steady.
Direct.
For the first time since the conversation began—
Wa Shi did not respond immediately.
His fingers rested lightly against the table.
The crystal still remained in his other hand.
Untouched.
Unclaimed.
Then slowly—
he placed it back onto the table.
Click.
The sound was soft.
Yet somehow heavier than anything spoken so far.
Wa Shi's eyes slowly lifted.
"…Enemy."
He repeated the word quietly, as though testing its weight.
Then his gaze sharpened slightly.
"You are willing to say such words inside my house."
Lian nodded once.
"Yeah."
No hesitation.
Wa Mie stepped forward quickly.
"Lian, stop. He's not threatening you!"
But once again—
Wa Shi raised a hand.
And she stopped instantly.
Silence returned.
Deeper this time.
Wa Shi studied Lian carefully.
Not with anger.
Not with offense.
With evaluation.
Understanding.
Then finally—
he spoke.
"…You are not foolish."
Lian gave no reaction.
Wa Shi continued calmly.
"You understand the value of those crystals."
A pause.
"And you understand what I am capable of."
Lian shrugged slightly.
"Yeah."
Another pause followed.
"…That's exactly why I said it clearly."
Wa Shi's eyes narrowed a fraction.
Lian continued.
"I don't like being cornered."
His voice remained even.
"Even if the deal itself is fair."
Wa Mie looked between the two of them nervously.
"…This is still a deal," she muttered weakly.
But neither of them acknowledged her.
Wa Shi slowly leaned back slightly.
For a long moment—
he said nothing at all.
Then calmly asked,
"…And if I accept your condition?"
Lian answered immediately.
"Then nothing changes."
A beat passed.
"I still come to you when I want to exchange."
His eyes flicked briefly toward the crystals.
"And you still get first refusal."
Wa Shi's gaze sharpened slightly.
"…First refusal."
Lian nodded.
"I'm not giving anyone ownership over my path."
Silence settled once more.
This time—
Wa Shi's expression shifted slightly.
Not colder.
Not warmer.
Just… more precise.
Then he finally spoke.
"You speak like someone who has already experienced helplessness."
Lian's expression did not change.
"…I have."
That was all he said.
Simple.
Direct.
But the weight behind those words settled heavily inside the room.
Wa Mie's lips parted slightly before slowly closing again.
This time—
she did not interrupt.
Wa Shi watched Lian for several long moments.
Then—
very slowly—
he nodded once.
"…Understood."
That single word subtly changed the atmosphere.
Not lighter.
But steadier.
Like something important had finally been acknowledged rather than resisted.
Wa Shi extended one hand forward slightly.
Not to demand.
Not to force.
But to finalize the agreement.
"…Then the arrangement will remain as you stated."
Lian looked at the offered hand briefly.
Then reached forward and shook it firmly.
No hesitation.
Their hands separated shortly afterward.
Wa Shi immediately spoke again.
"In return…"
His tone became calm and businesslike once more.
"You will receive what you requested."
A brief pause followed.
"Two Spirit Refining techniques suited to your water foundation."
Then his gaze sharpened slightly.
"Because your current condition is unstable."
Lian frowned slightly.
"…Unstable?"
Wa Shi's eyes deepened.
"You are refined…"
"…but not structured."
A brief pause.
"Your cultivation advanced through external resources and uncontrolled spiritual environments."
His fingers tapped lightly against the table once.
"Without proper technique layering, your foundation will eventually fracture."
Lian remained quiet.
That part—
he could not deny.
Wa Shi continued calmly.
"One technique alone will not stabilize your condition."
"So you will cultivate two paths simultaneously."
His voice lowered slightly.
"One path for control."
"…And one path for compression."
Lian slowly nodded.
"…Understood."
Wa Shi studied him for one final moment.
Then added calmly,
"And one warning."
Lian met his gaze again.
Wa Shi's tone cooled slightly.
"If the day ever comes when you truly consider me your enemy…"
A brief pause followed.
"…then leave this village before you cross that line."
Wa Mie's eyes widened again.
"Grandfather!"
But Wa Shi ignored her completely.
His eyes never left Lian.
"Because if that boundary is crossed…"
His voice remained calm.
"…I will not restrain myself simply because you once called me teacher."
Silence followed.
Heavy once again.
But Lian only nodded calmly.
"…Fair."
No fear.
No retreat.
Only acknowledgment.
Wa Shi slowly exhaled through his nose.
Then stood.
"Good."
He turned toward the inner section of the house.
"Then follow me."
Lian blinked once.
"…Hm?"
Wa Shi gestured toward the back room.
"I will give you the first technique now."
A brief pause followed.
"Before you change your mind."
Without waiting for a response—
Wa Shi walked toward the inner room.
Without checking behind him.
As though he already assumed Lian would follow.
And after only a brief moment—
Lian stood as well.
Then quietly followed after him.
Wa Mie remained frozen behind for a second longer, still stunned by everything that had just happened.
Then she hurried after them quickly.
Neither man slowed down.
The atmosphere inside the inner room felt noticeably different.
Quieter.
Heavier.
Not because of pressure—
but because of control.
Wa Shi walked toward a simple wooden shelf built against the wall.
Unlike the rest of the house, this section had been carefully organized.
Several scrolls rested neatly to one side.
Old bamboo slips sat stacked nearby.
And at the center—
a small locked wooden box carved with protective markings.
Wa Shi did not hesitate.
His hand moved once.
Click.
The lock released cleanly.
Wa Mie unconsciously held her breath at the doorway behind them.
Lian stood only a step behind Wa Shi now, watching carefully.
The village head reached into the box and slowly pulled out two thin, worn books.
Not scrolls.
Not jade slips.
Books.
That alone felt strangely unexpected.
Wa Shi turned slightly and held them out.
"Take them."
Lian hesitated briefly.
Then finally reached out and accepted both books carefully.
The covers felt completely ordinary beneath his fingers.
Old paper.
Worn edges.
No spiritual pressure.
No glowing runes.
No overwhelming aura.
Just…
books.
Lian blinked once in confusion.
Then glanced down at them again.
"…Hm?"
Wa Shi noticed immediately.
The old man's brows lifted faintly.
"…What exactly were you expecting?"
Lian looked up awkwardly.
"…I don't know."
He glanced back toward the manuals.
"I thought cultivation techniques would feel more…"
He searched briefly for the right word.
"…special."
Wa Mie immediately nodded from behind.
"Honestly, same."
Wa Shi stared at both of them silently for a long moment.
Then slowly exhaled through his nose.
"…You two have read far too many stories."
Lian scratched the side of his cheek awkwardly.
Fair enough.
Wa Shi continued calmly.
"These are copied manuals."
He tapped lightly against one of the books.
"I transcribed them personally."
A brief pause followed.
"They are no different from ordinary books except for the knowledge they contain."
Lian lowered his gaze toward them again.
That actually made sense.
Cultivation techniques were not valuable because of the paper.
They were valuable because of the understanding recorded within them.
Wa Shi slowly walked toward a nearby table before sitting down again.
"The true inheritance techniques used by sects are different."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Some are stored within jade slips."
"Some contain spiritual intent."
"And the stronger inheritances…"
A brief pause followed.
"…may even carry traces of the original creator's comprehension."
Wa Mie blinked slowly.
"…That sounds terrifying."
Wa Shi answered plainly.
"It is."
Lian lowered his gaze toward the books again.
Only now noticing the carefully written titles across the covers.
Water Control Art.
And—
Flowing Deepwater Compression Method.
His eyes lingered slightly longer on the second title.
Compression.
That matched what Wa Shi mentioned earlier.
Wa Shi noticed immediately.
"They are exactly what their names imply."
He gestured calmly toward the first manual.
"Water Control Art teaches circulation stability, spiritual flow regulation, and fine manipulation."
Then toward the second.
"Flowing Deepwater Compression Method focuses on density refinement."
His voice deepened slightly afterward.
"You currently possess spiritual energy…"
"…but you do not yet control its structure properly."
Lian listened carefully.
Wa Shi continued.
"Your foundation advanced too quickly."
"External resources pushed your cultivation upward before your understanding could stabilize."
A brief pause.
"That is dangerous."
Lian slowly nodded.
He already understood that much himself.
His advancement truly had been abnormal.
Wa Shi leaned back slightly.
"If Water Control Art teaches you how to guide water…"
"…then Flowing Deepwater Compression Method teaches you how to condense it."
Wa Mie frowned slightly.
"…What's the difference?"
Wa Shi answered immediately.
"One controls movement."
"The other controls quality."
He looked directly at Lian.
"A pond and an ocean are both water."
"…But they are not equal."
Lian's eyes sharpened faintly.
He understood immediately.
Wa Shi gave a slight nod after noticing.
"Good."
Then he continued calmly,
"Most Spirit Refining cultivators at your stage only learn a single basic circulation technique."
"But your situation is unusual."
His gaze briefly flicked toward the crystals still resting outside in the other room.
"With resources like those…"
"…if your spiritual energy remains loose, your body eventually will not withstand it."
Wa Mie's face paled slightly.
"…That serious?"
Wa Shi answered plainly.
"His meridians could rupture."
Lian's expression twitched slightly.
"…Right."
"That sounds bad."
Wa Shi completely ignored the comment.
"The Water Control Art will stabilize your circulation first."
"Only after that should you begin practicing compression."
Lian lowered his gaze toward the books once more.
And for the first time since entering this house—
he truly felt it.
Not power.
Not danger.
Direction.
A real cultivation path.
Something structured.
Something solid.
Not blindly absorbing spiritual energy beneath a lake while relying entirely on instinct and luck.
His fingers tightened slightly around the manuals.
"…Thank you."
Wa Shi studied him quietly afterward.
Then finally nodded once.
"…Do not waste them."
Silence settled softly inside the room again.
Then suddenly—
Wa Mie leaned slightly closer toward the books.
"…Can I see?"
Lian blinked once.
Then instinctively pulled the manuals slightly closer to himself.
Wa Mie immediately stared at him.
"…You protected them instantly."
Lian paused.
"…Did I?"
Wa Shi calmly answered from the side.
"Yes."
Lian awkwardly loosened his grip slightly afterward.
Wa Mie crossed her arms.
"…You became strange after becoming a cultivator."
Lian sighed tiredly.
"Everyone keeps saying that."