Lían glanced down at the **Flowing River Steps** in his hands.
Then—
his gaze shifted toward the remaining books.
"Village Head Wa."
Wa Shi looked at him.
"Hmm?"
"You said the trade was for two techniques, right?"
Wa Shi nodded.
"Yes."
Lían smiled slightly.
"Then I'll follow your advice."
"I'll focus on this one."
Wa Shi gave a satisfied nod.
"Good."
Lían paused.
"But..."
Wa Shi raised an eyebrow.
"There are a few other things I'd like."
The old man's expression immediately became cautious.
"Other things?"
"Some talismans."
Lían nodded.
"Preferably defensive ones."
"Maybe something stronger than the one you gave me."
He thought for a moment.
"I can trade for them."
Wa Shi stared at him.
Then—
he asked,
"What are you planning to offer?"
Lían scratched his cheek.
"That's the problem."
He smiled.
"I'd like to see what you're willing to offer first."
Wa Shi's eyes narrowed slightly.
Inside—
his thoughts shifted.
*This child...*
*It seems he really does possess some valuable things.*
*Otherwise, he wouldn't be so confident about making another trade.*
Wa Shi remained silent for several breaths.
Then—
he nodded.
"Alright."
"If that's what you want..."
His hand slowly disappeared into his robe.
He searched through it for a moment.
Then—
he pulled something out.
A small jade token rested between his fingers.
It was roughly the size of a palm.
Its surface was smooth and pale green.
Several faint spiritual patterns had been carved across it.
Lían's eyes immediately focused on it.
Wa Shi held it up.
"This is a defensive artifact."
"Low-Tier Mortal Grade."
Lían stared at the jade token.
Inside—
his thoughts immediately became active.
*So the old man really did have one.*
*He just didn't want to bring it out earlier.*
His eyes narrowed slightly.
*Then why show it to me now?*
He glanced at Wa Shi.
*What changed his mind?*
The answer came quickly.
*My cultivation.*
*Or perhaps...*
*The fact that I revealed my Spiritual Physique.*
Wa Shi slowly rotated the jade token between his fingers.
"It can automatically form a defensive barrier when activated."
"It is considerably stronger than the talisman I gave you."
Lían nodded.
"How strong?"
"Enough to withstand several attacks from a cultivator around the late stages of Spirit Refining."
"But..."
Wa Shi paused.
"It cannot withstand a Foundation Establishment cultivator."
Lían considered it.
*Still useful.*
Wa Shi looked directly at him.
"So..."
"What are you offering in exchange?"
"Whatever you offer should be of comparable value."
Lían stared at the jade token for another moment.
Then—
he scratched his head.
"Alright."
He reached toward his waist.
His hand grasped his storage pouch.
The moment it appeared—
Wa Shi's expression changed.
His eyes widened.
"...A storage pouch?"
For the first time—
his composure visibly cracked.
"You have a storage pouch?"
Lían blinked.
"Yes."
Wa Shi stared at the pouch.
Then—
his gaze slowly returned to Lían.
Inside—
his thoughts were already racing.
*Storage artifact...*
*Even among ordinary cultivators, this isn't something every Spirit Refining cultivator possesses.*
*Where did he get it?*
His eyes narrowed.
*His master.*
The conclusion was almost immediate.
Wa Shi looked at Lían.
"Did your master give you that?"
Lían smiled.
"Yes."
Wa Shi's expression became slightly uncomfortable.
"...I see."
His gaze briefly shifted away.
The realization made him feel somewhat awkward.
*So even his storage artifact came from that mysterious master.*
*Just how many things has that existence given this child?*
Lían quietly watched his reaction.
He could already guess what the old man was thinking.
But—
he said nothing.
Instead—
he calmly opened the storage pouch.
"Let's see..."
His hand reached inside.
Wa Shi's gaze followed the movement.
Lían smiled faintly.
"I should have something suitable for the trade."
Lían reached into the storage pouch.
His hand disappeared inside.
Wa Shi watched closely.
A moment later—
Lían pulled something out.
**Thud.**
A pair of enormous claws landed on the table.
Wa Shi's eyes flickered.
Lían reached inside again.
**Thud.**
Several bundles of thick fur followed.
Then—
a row of sharp fangs.
Each one was several times larger than an ordinary beast's tooth.
Lían continued placing the materials onto the table.
**Thud.**
**Thud.**
**Thud.**
Before long—
the small wooden table was covered with demon beast materials.
Claws.
Fangs.
Fur.
Pieces of thick hide.
Several scales.
And—
a few pieces of bone that still carried faint traces of spiritual energy.
Wa Shi stared at the growing pile.
His expression slowly became serious.
*These...*
He reached toward one of the claws.
His fingers stopped just before touching it.
He could feel the faint spiritual pressure radiating from the material.
*Third Stage demon beast.*
His eyes narrowed.
*And not just one.*
He carefully picked up a fang.
Its surface was smooth and extremely hard.
Even without refining it—
it was already an excellent material for crafting weapons or defensive artifacts.
Wa Shi looked toward Lían.
"Where did you get these?"
Lían calmly answered.
"From demon beasts."
Wa Shi's mouth twitched.
*Obviously.*
He stared at the pile again.
"How many did you kill?"
Lían thought for a moment.
"Several."
Wa Shi remained silent.
*Several?*
He looked at the amount of material covering the table.
*And he carries all of this inside that storage pouch...*
His gaze became increasingly complicated.
Lían pointed toward the materials.
"I don't know their exact value."
"But you should be able to tell."
Wa Shi slowly nodded.
"I can."
He picked up another claw.
"This material alone is worth considerably more than you can imagine."
Lían's eyes brightened slightly.
"Really?"
Wa Shi glanced at him.
"Of course."
"This is material from a powerful demon beast."
"With proper refinement, the claws can be turned into weapons."
"The fangs can be used for blades, arrows, or other spiritual tools."
He touched the fur.
"The fur can be refined into armor."
"And these scales..."
He picked one up.
"...can be used for defensive equipment."
Lían nodded.
"So..."
He looked at the jade token.
"Is this enough?"
Wa Shi stared at him.
Then—
he gave a faint smile.
"Enough?"
He shook his head.
"You've given me far more than necessary."
Lían scratched his cheek.
"Then I'll take the artifact and some talismans."
Wa Shi's eyebrows lifted.
"You really don't intend to waste an opportunity, do you?"
Lían smiled awkwardly.
"I need them."
Inside—
he thought quietly.
*If I can get more defensive talismans for Mother, the better.*
*And if I can get something useful for myself...*
*Even better.*
Wa Shi looked over the materials again.
Then—
his expression became thoughtful.
"Since you've brought this much..."
"I can give you the jade token."
"And..."
He reached into his robe again.
"...two additional defensive talismans."
Lían's eyes immediately brightened.
"Two?"
Wa Shi nodded.
"Of course, they're considerably weaker than the artifact."
He placed both talismans on the table.
"These should be enough for your materials."
Lían carefully picked them up.
He examined the spiritual patterns.
Then—
he nodded.
"Deal."
Wa Shi smiled.
"Then the trade is settled."
Lían gathered the remaining beast materials and pushed them toward him.
Wa Shi accepted them.
But as he looked at the pile—
his gaze became complicated once again.
*This child...*
*What exactly has that mysterious master been doing with him?*
Lían carefully gathered the jade token and the two defensive talismans.
One after another—
he placed them inside his storage pouch.
Once everything was secured—
he looked back toward Wa Shi.
"There is one more thing I'd like to ask, Village Head."
Wa Shi raised an eyebrow.
"Another request?"
Lían nodded.
"Yes."
"What is it?"
Lían hesitated for a moment.
Then—
he spoke plainly.
"I'd like to ask if my mother and I can stay here for the time being."
Wa Shi stared at him.
For several breaths—
he said nothing.
Then—
a faint smile appeared on his face.
"I see."
Lían remained silent.
Wa Shi leaned back slightly.
"It seems you're not as naive as I thought."
Lían's eyebrows lifted.
"What do you mean?"
Wa Shi glanced toward the window.
"The rumors about you have already spread throughout the village."
"Everyone knows you emerged from that clam."
"Everyone knows you possess a mysterious master."
"And now..."
His gaze returned to Lían.
"Some people may become curious."
"Some may become greedy."
"And there will always be people who are willing to take risks when they believe they can obtain something valuable."
Lían's expression became serious.
Wa Shi continued.
"I suppose that's why you wanted those defensive talismans."
Lían nodded.
"Yes."
"Even with the defensive artifact..."
He paused.
"My mother should be relatively safe."
"But I don't want to take chances."
Wa Shi nodded slowly.
"I understand."
"There's nothing wrong with being careful."
His expression became somewhat serious.
"People are often more dangerous than you expect."
Lían stared at him.
For a moment—
he almost smiled.
*I know.*
*I think the same thing about you, old man.*
He glanced at Wa Shi.
*But staying close to you is probably safer than staying somewhere else.*
Lían understood the situation between them.
Neither completely trusted the other.
Wa Shi was wary of the mysterious master behind him.
And Lían—
was equally wary of the Village Head.
But neither had a reason to turn that wariness into hostility.
For now—
they could coexist.
And as long as his mother remained here—
Lían was willing to accept that arrangement.
He reached into his storage pouch.
Then—
he pulled out a small pearl.
**Clink.**
The Water Essence Pearl landed on the wooden table.
Wa Shi's eyes immediately focused upon it.
A faint spiritual fluctuation spread through the room.
He recognized it immediately.
*Water Essence Pearl.*
*And the quality isn't low.*
Wa Shi's expression remained calm.
He slowly picked it up.
"Hmm."
"That should be enough."
Lían nodded.
Wa Shi placed the pearl beside him.
"Although..."
He cleared his throat.
"I would've allowed you and your mother to stay here even without this."
Lían stared at him.
Silence.
Wa Shi maintained a completely serious expression.
Lían's mouth twitched.
*Really?*
*After taking the clam shell...*
*The demon beast materials...*
*And now this pearl...*
He looked at the old man.
*You should really stop pretending.*
Wa Shi calmly avoided his gaze.
Lían sighed inwardly.
*Forget it.*
*At least I know exactly what kind of person I'm dealing with.*