"That is a heavy price you want from me. What if my master learns about it?" Wu Han spoke without raising his voice, though his eyes had a sharper edge.
The elder looked calm. "You agreed to this meeting. That means you already understood your part."
"I understand it well." Wu Han stepped closer. "You are asking me to cripple a talent who shows up once in a thousand years. She is the strongest man's daughter in this town. She is also my master's patient. That is a serious job. So tell me what you are offering."
Luo Mianyu felt something tighten in her chest. His presence grew heavier with each step he took toward her. Her throat caught, and she felt her breath drag.
"I need to think," she said. Her voice shook and she hated how it sounded.
"You did not think at all," Wu Han replied. His tone dropped. "You rushed here to see what kind of person I am. You came empty handed. You wanted to test me, then leave. You judged me too lightly."
He stared down at her. "You cannot kill me. You cannot harm me. You have nothing prepared. So what was your plan?"
Her heart throbbed once, hard. He had read every motive she tried to hide. She had sprinted to this meeting, wanting to catch the miracle doctor's disciple off guard. She did not expect the disciple to be this sharp or this calm.
Then the weight lifted.
"You are lucky," Wu Han said. "I can do the job."
She blinked. "What?"
"I said I will do it. Breaking Luo Lan's cultivation is possible. The price must match what you are asking."
His agreement had never been part of her plan. Luo Mianyu had prepared for this for a long time and was ready to use any method she could find to pressure the miracle doctor or his disciple. Now the whole matter had shifted into a negotiation faster than she expected.
"At least I can give you the three foundation tomes of the Luo clan, plus ten thousand spirit stones to start."
Wu Han let out a light laugh. "So, the plan is to kill Luo Chen to take his position. Noted."
Luo Mianyu drew a sharp breath. She covered it with a smile. "I don't know what you are talking about."
"You said the tomes only open when both the clan leader and an elder approve it. That leaves two paths. Take his seat or force him to agree. And I know Luo Chen. He looks lenient, but he holds his own line." Wu Han kept his voice steady.
Luo Mianyu pressed her lips together, trying to hide her reaction.
"Someone with your strength should have taken full control already, yet I have never seen the Luo clan abuse their authority. He must be holding your clan back from profit for quite some time."
Wu Han smiled as if he had put the last piece into place.
The Luo clan stood as the strongest in Azure Peak Town, yet they allowed the Flaming Cloud Sect and the Han clan to build their strength year after year until both groups were close to becoming rivals.
A shrewd clan would have crushed them early and absorbed their talent and resources to secure an unmatched position.
But from what Wu Han gathered, the Luo clan never acted that way.
They behaved like judges, the pillar that kept the town steady.
They ignored the advantage that came with being the strongest and refused to bully anyone. Instead, they used their power to shield the people under them.
It was a noble choice.
"Did I get it all right?" Wu Han asked, wanting to confirm his guess.
It had been a long time since he handled politics himself.
He used to pass that work to the smarter subordinates he had, then skimmed their monthly reports to pick out targets of interest.
That was the part he handled best.
"You are perfectly correct. To think I let so much slip out," Luo Mianyu said with a tired breath. Her plan and her goal had been seen through.
She had nothing left to use as a leverage.
She could force a soul searched and pin everything on the boy, but that would expose her group as well, so she left that thought alone.
At this point he had her by the neck.
That's a bingo! A slow grin crept across Wu Han's face.
"To show the first sign of respect, and to give you something that will help you argue my price with your people," Wu Han said as a magic circle formed above his palm. He tossed it toward the stone tablets.
The circle lit up and expanded as its sigils crawled over the tablets.
The runes shifted with a few sharp clicks.
A quiet snap followed, and the barrier fell away without a trace.
"As for these three tomes you treasure so much, I do not need your permission."
On the stone tablets lay a thin tome with its title carved across the top.
Origin Ember Heart Law
The Origin Ember Heart Law tempers the heart until it becomes the main engine that drives qi through the entire body. Instead of relying on the dantian alone, the cultivator uses the heart as a second center of circulation.
"Interesting." Wu Han skimmed the tome with a small smile.
He could bend reality with magic, but magic rarely changed flesh. The only way he strengthened bodies in his old world was by melting them down and forging them again, or grafting beast parts and divine limbs. Internal refinement was scarce where he came from. One trained the body normally or fused with something stronger. That was the only path.
In his world, a person's worth was decided at birth.
This world was different. A technique like this could raise a weak body to divine status without stealing from anyone. It took time and resources, yet the risk was far lower, and anyone could grow stronger with the right method.
"That, you cannot!" Luo Mianyu shouted when she saw Wu Han casually reading their most guarded secret. She rushed forward, but he waved her off like an annoying fly.
"What are you going to do, call the authorities? Ha." Wu Han closed the tome and placed it back on the stone tablet. He laughed at the disbelief on her face.
"Relax. I am not stupid enough to let anyone know I learned it." As a gesture of goodwill, he restarted the protective array and restored the barrier as if nothing had happened.
Luo Mianyu let out a slow breath. There was no way he learned a foundation technique in that short time. Even with perfect memory, the comprehension needed was far too high. At least, that was what she told herself.
She regained her composure. "Then I must raise the price. The ten thousand spirit stones will be sent to your room as a show of good faith. We can settle the full amount later. For now, I need protection."
She pulled out a sheet of refined parchment from her spirit ring. The surface gleamed with stored energy. "This is a parchment of vow. Break the agreement, and the dao heart shatters. We only sign the first part today. It keeps both sides safe."
"Both? More like your side, but fine." Wu Han chuckled. They wrote the terms and signed their names.
The agreement stated that neither would speak of today's meeting and that negotiations would continue within thirty days.
"Thirty days?" Wu Han asked.
"Next month is the yearly tournament. I want her destroyed by then." Luo Mianyu held nothing back. If Luo Lan was disqualified, the next heir would claim her seat, and her reputation would break along with Luo Chen's. The elder council would use that moment to seize control of the clan.
"You are betting a lot on a stranger." Wu Han laughed. One refusal from him would ruin their entire plan.
"If your master had not interfered, her illness would have taken her life soon. We did not even need to act," Luo Mianyu said with disdain. Their plan had been smooth until a so-called miracle appeared.
"Fine. I will find a method in the meantime. Make sure the payment is worth it. Good doing business with you." Wu Han smiled and extended his hand.
That earned a confused look from Luo Mianyu.
"Oh right, you people do not do this."
Wu Han forgot about the culture difference. Old-world habits died hard, so he waved away the confusion and walked off, leaving the old lady stumbling and breathless.
"That will be it then. See you!"