The room quieted slightly.
Lian hesitated.
For a brief moment, his mind flickered elsewhere—
cold moonlight beneath the lake…
the silent pressure of something vast…
Lizarius' calm, unnatural presence…
But he did not speak of any of that.
Instead, he simply shook his head lightly.
"…Not really."
Wa Shi held his gaze for several long seconds.
Then, at last, he slowly leaned back.
"…Then perhaps it truly was just luck."
Though the tone in his voice made it clear—
he did not entirely believe in "just luck."
Wa Mie finally exhaled, still looking half-stunned.
"So basically…"
She pointed toward Lian again.
"You fell into some miracle cave, survived it, became stronger, and then casually came back?"
Lian nodded slowly.
"…When you say it like that, it somehow sounds worse."
Wa Mie let out a short laugh.
"I'm not trying to make it sound better."
Wa Shi spoke again soon afterward, calmer now.
"Regardless of how it happened…"
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"…you are alive."
A brief pause followed.
"…and you have stepped onto the path of cultivation."
Lian unconsciously straightened slightly at those words.
Wa Shi continued.
"That alone is what matters for now."
Wa Mie looked surprised.
"That's it? You're not going to question him more?"
Wa Shi gave her a calm glance.
"I already have."
Then his gaze returned to Lian.
"And pushing further will not change what has already happened."
His voice lowered slightly afterward.
"But understand this carefully."
Lian focused immediately.
Wa Shi's expression grew serious once more.
"Your luck brought you back alive."
A pause.
"…Do not assume it will always protect you."
The room fell quiet again.
Even Wa Mie stopped speaking.
Lian slowly nodded.
"…I understand."
Wa Shi studied him for another moment.
Then, for the first time since the conversation began, his tone softened slightly.
Less interrogation.
More acknowledgment.
"…Still."
A faint pause.
"You are extremely fortunate, boy."
He leaned back slightly.
"To go from an ordinary village child to First Stage Spirit Refining in only three months…"
A faint exhale escaped him.
"…with your roots, such progress should have taken years."
Wa Mie's eyes widened slightly.
"…Grandfather?"
Wa Shi did not elaborate further.
He simply added, almost like a final judgment,
"You should be grateful."
Then, after another pause—
"…and careful."
Lian lowered his head slightly.
"…I am."
Outside, the morning sunlight shifted gently across the wooden floorboards.
And for the first time since Lian had entered the house—
the tension in Wa Shi's gaze eased slightly.
But the thought behind it remained unchanged.
This boy's path…
was far from ordinary.
Silence settled once more inside the room.
The atmosphere had already calmed somewhat after Lian's explanation.
But it was not peace.
It was evaluation.
Observation.
Assessment.
Then—
Wa Shi's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…You are still not telling me everything."
Lian blinked once.
Wa Mie stiffened immediately.
"Grandfather?"
But Wa Shi did not look at her.
His gaze remained fixed entirely on Lian.
Not aggressive.
Not hostile.
Just… certain.
"There is something else inside you."
Silence dropped heavily.
The air within the room subtly tightened.
Lian felt it immediately—
that pressure again.
Not spiritual suppression exactly.
But perception.
Like someone was trying to see through him completely.
Wa Shi leaned forward slightly.
"…Something you are deliberately not mentioning."
Wa Mie looked nervously between the two of them.
"Lian…?"
Lian let out a short, awkward laugh.
"…Seems like the village head already noticed."
Wa Shi's eyes narrowed another fraction.
Lian scratched lightly at the side of his neck.
"So I guess there's no point hiding it anymore."
Slowly—
he reached into his coat.
Wa Shi's gaze sharpened instantly.
But he did not stop him.
Lian pulled out two crystals wrapped loosely inside a cloth bundle.
The moment they were exposed—
the atmosphere inside the room subtly changed.
A faint cold-blue glow seeped through the fabric.
Wa Mie's eyes widened immediately.
"…What is that?"
Lian looked down at the crystals resting in his palm.
Then answered casually,
"Water Essence Crystals."
He held them carefully.
"I found them near the pool inside the cave."
A brief pause followed.
"When I hold them…"
His fingers tightened slightly around the crystals.
"…I can feel the energy inside reacting to my spiritual energy."
He looked at them quietly.
"My Qi starts surging on its own."
Wa Shi did not move.
But his eyes sharpened instantly.
The calmness in his expression fractured ever so slightly.
Not shock.
But unmistakable focus.
"…Give them here."
Lian blinked once.
Wa Mie immediately stiffened again.
"Grandfather—"
Wa Shi raised a hand slightly.
Not harsh.
Just absolute.
"Let me inspect them."
The room quieted again.
Lian stared at him for a moment.
Then Wa Shi spoke slowly, his tone calm but colder in logic.
"…You hesitate."
A brief pause.
"Do you think I would steal from you?"
Wa Mie looked alarmed instantly.
"Grandfather wouldn't—"
But Wa Shi continued, his gaze never leaving Lian.
"If you feared that…"
"…then you should never have brought them here."
His voice remained calm.
Measured.
But heavy.
"And if I truly intended to take them by force…"
A faint pause followed.
"…there is currently nothing you could do to stop me."
Silence filled the room.
The words were not spoken like a threat.
Only truth.
Wa Mie looked increasingly anxious.
"…Grandfather…"
But suddenly—
Lian laughed softly.
The tension loosened slightly.
"I'm not afraid."
Wa Shi's eyes narrowed faintly.
Lian shrugged lightly.
"You already said it yourself."
"If I was afraid, I wouldn't have shown them."
He glanced at the crystals again.
"…And honestly, if you really wanted them, you could've already taken them earlier anyway."
A faint exhale escaped him.
"So there's no point worrying about it now."
Wa Shi studied him silently.
For a brief moment—
something resembling approval flickered within the old man's eyes.
Then Lian stepped forward and carefully placed the two crystals onto the table.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
Without hesitation.
Wa Shi immediately reached forward.
His fingers closed around one crystal.
The instant contact was made—
his expression shifted.
Subtly.
The calm exterior remained intact—
but his eyes sharpened noticeably.
"…Dense."
He slowly rotated the crystal between his fingers.
The faint blue light within pulsed irregularly.
Like a heartbeat trapped inside stone.
Wa Shi closed his eyes briefly and extended his spiritual perception into the crystal.
The moment his spiritual energy touched it—
his mind stilled.
Pure water-attributed essence.
Not diluted.
Not mixed.
Not contaminated.
Only condensed water Qi.
Compressed to an almost unnatural level.
Wa Shi slowly opened his eyes again.
"…I have never seen water essence condensed to this degree."
His gaze deepened slightly as he looked down at the crystal.
Not greed.
Recognition.
These were not ordinary treasures.
Even within a sect—
Spirit Refining cultivators would fight over resources like these.
His eyes slowly shifted back toward Lian.
"…These are not things a village child should casually carry."
Lian scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"…Yeah. I figured that much."
Wa Shi's voice lowered slightly.
"…You did not bring these merely to show me."
Silence.
Wa Mie stiffened immediately.
Lian blinked once.
Then exhaled softly.
"…You're right."
Wa Shi remained outwardly calm.
But his gaze sharpened slightly again.
Lian continued honestly.
"I brought them because I want to exchange them."
Wa Mie's eyes widened instantly.
"Exchange?!"
Lian nodded.
"…I'm already a Spirit Refining cultivator now."
He glanced toward the crystal in Wa Shi's hand.
"So I should at least have a proper cultivation technique."
Wa Shi studied him for a long moment.
Then finally spoke quietly.
"…I see."
His fingers tapped lightly against the table once.
"…Then tell me something."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Why are you still hiding?"
The room instantly went still.
Wa Mie slowly turned toward Lian again.
"Lian…?"
Lian's expression did not immediately change.
But his eyes sharpened faintly.
"…Hiding?"
Wa Shi's voice remained calm.
Precise.
"You did not bring these casually."
A slight pause followed.
"And you did not bring only these."
His gaze locked fully onto Lian.
"…You are testing me."
Silence.
Lian slowly exhaled.
Then, without unnecessary drama—
he reached into his coat again.
Wa Shi's eyes narrowed instantly.
But he still did not stop him.
Lian pulled out another crystal.
Larger.
Darker.
Its blue glow ran far deeper than the previous two.
The moment it appeared—
the atmosphere in the room shifted.
Wa Mie unconsciously took a small step backward.
"…That one is even bigger…"
Wa Shi's gaze sharpened immediately.
Not surprise anymore.
Confirmation.
Lian held the crystal carefully.
"…I was planning to keep this one."
He glanced down at it briefly.
"For my own cultivation."
A short pause followed.
"I need it."
Silence filled the room once more.
Wa Shi stared at the third crystal for a very long time.
Then finally spoke.
"…So you believe two crystals are enough to exchange for a cultivation technique."
Lian looked up calmly.
"…I don't know their exact value."
Honest.
Wa Shi's eyes remained fixed on him.
"…But you know they are valuable."
Lian nodded once.
"Just from sensing them."
Another long silence followed.
Then Wa Shi slowly leaned back again.
His expression became unreadable once more.
"…Let me make something clear."
Lian's gaze sharpened slightly.
Wa Shi spoke calmly.
"I want all three."
Wa Mie immediately snapped her head toward him.
"…Grandfather?!"
But Wa Shi never looked at her.
His attention remained entirely on Lian.
"Two techniques."
He spoke evenly.
"In exchange."
The room fell completely silent.
Wa Mie froze.
Lian did not move.
Only stared at him quietly.
Wa Shi continued.
"If you agree, I will personally provide you with techniques suitable for Spirit Refining."
A slight pause.
"…Far superior to anything you could obtain nearby."
Silence stretched heavily once more.
Not because of pressure—
but because of choice.
Lian slowly lowered his gaze toward the crystals.
Then back toward Wa Shi.
His expression remained calm.
But inside—
his thoughts moved rapidly.
He didn't say exchange first.
He said he wanted all three.
The structure sounded like negotiation.
But the meaning underneath was simple.
Wa Shi had already decided what he wanted.
Lian slowly exhaled.
Then spoke lightly.
"…You're not really asking, are you?"
Wa Shi's expression did not change.
"…I am negotiating."
A brief pause followed.
"But yes."
His voice remained calm and steady.
"I want them."
Silence again.
Wa Mie looked increasingly tense as she glanced between the two of them.
"Grandfather… isn't that a little—"
Wa Shi raised a hand slightly.
She stopped immediately.
Lian scratched the side of his neck again.
Then sighed softly.
"…And if I refuse?"
Wa Shi answered without hesitation.
"Then you keep them."
A brief pause followed.
"And I do not take them."
His gaze remained steady.
"But you will also remain at your current level."
A slight tilt of his head.
"…Without proper cultivation techniques or refinement guidance."
That was the true weight hidden beneath the offer.
Lian narrowed his eyes slightly.
"…That sounds like a warning."
Wa Shi did not deny it.
"It is reality."
Silence settled heavily across the room once more.