The Fourth Sacred Waterfall existed at the boundary between mortal and immortal realms, which meant it belonged fully to neither.

  This metaphysical ambiguity explained many of its unusual properties: the way it occasionally phased partially out of mortal existence, its water's ability to reflect events from other timelines, and, most relevantly to Xiaolong's current predicament, the fact that the stone pathway leading to it hadn't been designed to support the weight of a dragon pretending to be human.

  Her first step onto the ancient flagstones produced a sound like a temple bell being struck with a war hammer. The stone cracked in a perfect spiderweb pattern, tiny fragments skittering over the edge into the misty abyss below.

  "Ah," Xiaolong said to no one in particular. "This may present a challenge."

  She had spent the better part of a day mastering basic human movements—walking, gesturing, facial expressions that didn't terrify small animals—but had neglected to consider that her physical form, while appearing human, still contained the compressed density of her true nature.

  She had effectively created a human-shaped object that weighed approximately the same as a small mountain.

  The path to the waterfall consisted of over three hundred such stone steps. At her current rate of destruction, she would announce her approach with the subtlety of an avalanche and arrive at a basin of rubble rather than a sacred site.

  "Adaptation is key to survival," she reminded herself, recalling one of the few draconic principles that might actually prove useful in this situation.

  With careful consideration, she modified her approach, stepping only on the edges of each stone where they connected to the mountain itself. Even so, each footfall produced an ominous crunch.

  It was all rather humiliating.

  Dragons were beings of grace and cosmic significance, not clumsy oafs who couldn't navigate a simple staircase. Yet here she was, Longying Huaxia, five thousand years old, ancient and revered, inching down a pathway like a hatchling afraid of falling.

  By the time she reached the basin surrounding the waterfall, Xiaolong had compiled a mental list of previously unappreciated human capabilities. Walking without destroying the ground beneath one's feet was now at the top.

  The waterfall itself remained as magnificent as before, a shimmering curtain of water that occasionally revealed glimpses of other realms in its spray. The difference was that she now perceived it through drastically limited senses.

  Where before she had perceived the complex dimensional mathematics of its boundary-crossing properties, now she merely saw beautiful water with an unusual shimmer. It was like going from reading a symphonic score to merely hearing the melody.

  Li Feng sat once again in meditation beneath the falls, having apparently recovered from their previous encounter.

  His posture was perfect, his breathing regular, and his spiritual energy flowed through his meridians with the smoothness she had noticed before. In his lap rested his wooden sword, unassuming yet humming with quiet potential.

  Xiaolong paused at the edge of the clearing, suddenly uncertain. Dragons did not experience hesitation—it was fundamentally contrary to their nature—yet here she was, fidgeting with the sleeve of her robe like a nervous courtier awaiting imperial audience.

  "This is ridiculous," she muttered. "I am Longying Huaxia. I have witnessed the birth and the death of civilizations. I am not intimidated by a human barely into his third decade."

  Yet she remained rooted in place, rehearsing her carefully crafted backstory one final time. She was Xiaolong, a wandering cultivator with unusual affinity for multiple elements, recently emerged from seclusion, seeking guidance in the Way of Flowing Water after witnessing his exceptional technique...

  Li Feng's eyes opened.

  "You've returned," he said simply, rising from his meditation with fluid grace. "Though not as before."

  Xiaolong took a careful step forward, mindful of both her excessive weight and the need to appear appropriately human. "You recognize me?"

  "Your energy signature remains distinctive, though changed." His hand rested lightly on his wooden sword, neither drawing it nor dismissing its necessity. "Are you the mist entity from yesterday, or merely connected to it?"

  An unexpected question, and not one she had prepared for. Dragons prided themselves on absolute truthfulness—not from moral principle, but because lies were beneath their dignity. Yet her entire current existence was, in essence, a deception.

  She settled on a partial truth. "I am Xiaolong. We did indeed encounter each other yesterday, though the circumstances were... less than ideal for proper introduction."

  Li Feng studied her with eyes that missed very little. "You appear human now, yet your spiritual essence echoes something far greater. What manner of cultivator transforms so completely in a single day?"

  Another unexpectedly perceptive observation. This human continued to surprise her.

  "An unconventional one," she replied, taking another careful step forward. The stone beneath her foot gave an almost imperceptible groan of protest. "I apologize for my approach yesterday. Observation without introduction was discourteous."

  "As was attacking without provocation," he countered, though without obvious rancor.

  "A misunderstanding," Xiaolong said, inclining her head slightly. The human gesture of apology felt strange—dragons never bowed to lesser beings. "I was merely testing your capabilities, not seeking harm."

  "Testing?" His eyebrow rose slightly. "By what right?"

  The question caught her off guard. In dragon society, the strong tested the weak as a matter of course. It was the natural order. She had never considered that permission might be required, or that the tested subject might object to the process.

  "I..." For perhaps the first time in her long existence, Xiaolong found herself at a loss for words. "It was presumptuous," she admitted finally.

  Li Feng studied her for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then, unexpectedly, the corner of his mouth quirked upward.

  "At least you admit it." He relaxed his stance fractionally. "Few cultivators would acknowledge such an error."

  Xiaolong wasn't certain whether to be pleased by this small victory or offended that he considered her just another cultivator.

  She settled on the former, if only because it served her immediate goals.

  "May I approach?" she asked, gesturing toward the stone dais where he had been meditating. "I wish to speak with you properly."

  Li Feng nodded, stepping aside to allow her access while maintaining a respectful distance. As Xiaolong crossed the basin, she concentrated on appearing naturally graceful rather than ponderous. Each step still produced a subtle vibration in the stone, but nothing catastrophic.

  Until she reached the dais itself, where her first footfall sank a full inch into the supposedly impervious spirit stone.

  Li Feng's eyes widened slightly. "Your physical cultivation must be extraordinary."

  If only you knew, Xiaolong thought. Aloud, she merely said, "I have pursued some unorthodox methods."

  "Clearly." He watched as she carefully lowered herself to sit cross-legged on the dais, the stone protesting quietly beneath her. "Why have you sought me out in human form, Xiaolong? What do you want?"

  Direct questions deserved direct answers, even if those answers couldn't be entirely truthful. Xiaolong drew a breath—still a novel sensation—and launched into her prepared explanation.

  "I have spent many years in isolated cultivation, pursuing multiple elemental affinities rather than specializing as most do. Yesterday, observing your technique, I witnessed something I had not encountered before—true harmony with water's nature rather than mere control of its form."

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  This much was entirely true, which made the words flow more naturally.

  "Your River Cutting Sword Art, in particular, demonstrated principles that contradicted my understanding of water techniques. Where I have always seen water as a force of erosion and overwhelming persistence, you wield it as an adaptive, yielding power that still achieves its purpose."

  Li Feng tilted his head slightly, clearly surprised by the specific observation. "Most opponents focus on countering the technique, not analyzing its philosophical underpinnings."

  "I am not most opponents," Xiaolong said, allowing a hint of draconic pride to color her tone. "Nor do I wish to be your opponent at all."

  "What do you wish to be, then?"

  The moment had arrived for her true purpose. Xiaolong straightened her spine, causing another subtle creak from the stone beneath her.

  "I wish to be your disciple."

  Had Xiaolong announced her intention to sprout wings and fly to the moon—which, ironically, would have been considerably easier for her than what she was actually proposing—Li Feng's expression of blank shock could not have been more complete.

  "My... disciple?" he repeated, as if the words themselves were in a foreign language.

  "Yes. I seek to understand the Way of Flowing Water as you practice it."

  Li Feng's surprise gave way to suspicion. "Elder disciples of major sects do not typically take personal students, especially not cultivators who appear to already possess advanced capabilities. There are proper channels for sect admission, beginning with outer disciple status."

  "I do not wish to join your sect," Xiaolong clarified. "I seek personal instruction in specific techniques and principles, not institutional affiliation."

  "That's highly irregular."

  "I am a highly irregular cultivator," she replied, which was perhaps the most honest statement she had made since arriving.

  Li Feng began to pace, a habit Xiaolong had noticed during their previous encounter when he was considering complex problems. His movements created small ripples in the basin water, perfect concentric circles that reflected his balanced spiritual state.

  "Why me?" he asked finally. "There are more advanced practitioners of our style, including elders who have achieved the Ocean Depth Realm."

  Xiaolong had anticipated this question. "Because you embody the principles in combat, not merely in theory. Your adaptations during our exchange demonstrated intuitive understanding, not rote application of teachings."

  A faint color touched Li Feng's cheeks—apparently humans experienced physical manifestations of emotional responses even to simple observations of fact. Interesting.

  "You overestimate my capabilities," he said, the words carrying the cadence of ritual humility rather than genuine belief.

  "I do not," Xiaolong stated flatly. "I have observed many cultivators across... many regions. Few demonstrate your level of harmony with their chosen element."

  Li Feng resumed his pacing, clearly conflicted. "Even if I were inclined to accept your request, I am on a sacred pilgrimage seeking breakthrough to the Waterfall Convergence Realm. Taking on a disciple now would be irresponsible."

  "I could accompany you," Xiaolong suggested. "My presence need not interfere with your pilgrimage, and I could offer assistance along the way."

  "Assistance?" His eyebrow rose skeptically. "What assistance could you provide that would outweigh the distraction?"

  Xiaolong considered her options carefully. Revealing too much of her capabilities would raise uncomfortable questions, but offering too little would fail to persuade him.

  "I have significant combat experience," she said, which was rather like saying oceans contained some water. "And knowledge of various cultivation styles that might provide useful perspective. Additionally..." She paused, searching for a persuasive human motivation. "I can help carry supplies."

  The last offer nearly made her wince.

  A dragon, offering to serve as a beast of burden! Her ancestors would rise from their eternal slumber in collective outrage.

  Li Feng's lips twitched, almost forming a smile before smoothing back to thoughtful consideration. "Generous, but unnecessary. My needs are simple."

  Xiaolong felt a flicker of frustration, an emotion she was experiencing with unprecedented frequency since beginning this experiment.

  In dragon society, negotiations followed clear protocols of power and status. Human interactions seemed needlessly circuitous by comparison.

  Time for a more direct approach. "What would persuade you to accept me as your disciple?"

  Li Feng stopped pacing and turned to face her fully, his expression growing serious. "Truth," he said simply. "Beginning with who you really are and why you're actually here."

  The directness of the demand caught Xiaolong off-guard. Dragons appreciated forthright speech, but coming from a human, addressed to one he believed superior in cultivation, it bordered on audacious.

  "I have told you who I am," she replied carefully.

  "You've told me your name and a carefully constructed explanation that reveals nothing of substance." Water rippled around him, responding to his emotional state despite no conscious manipulation on his part. "Your spiritual essence contains multiple contradictions. You move like a master cultivator but stumble over simple steps. You speak of water techniques with academic precision yet your own energy signature bears little resemblance to water cultivation."

  Xiaolong blinked, genuinely surprised by his perceptiveness. Perhaps she had underestimated human observational capabilities. Or perhaps this particular human was exceptionally gifted.

  "What do you believe I am?" she asked, curious what explanation he had formulated.

  "I'm not certain," he admitted. "Initially I thought you might be a boundary spirit, given your manifestation yesterday. But spirits don't typically shift forms so completely, nor do they seek discipleship."

  He began to circle her slowly, studying her from different angles. Under his scrutiny, Xiaolong felt an unfamiliar sensation that might, in a lesser being, be described as self-consciousness.

  "Your current form appears human," he continued, "yet moves as if unfamiliar with its own dimensions. Your spiritual essence is... contained, like water pressure building behind a dam. And your footsteps crack stone that has withstood centuries of elemental exposure."

  He stopped directly before her, eyes meeting hers without hesitation. "You are powerful—far more so than you're revealing—yet something about water cultivation genuinely interests you. That contradiction is what I find most puzzling."

  Xiaolong considered her options.

  Complete honesty was impossible—he would either disbelieve her or, worse, believe her and react with appropriate terror. Yet his perception demanded more truth than she had planned to offer.

  "I come from a... tradition that values power accumulation above all else," she said carefully. "Strength through gathering and holding, never yielding or releasing. Observing your techniques yesterday revealed an approach fundamentally opposed to everything I have been taught, yet demonstrably effective."

  This much was true, if incomplete.

  "I seek not just to learn your techniques, but to understand the philosophy that informs them. To comprehend how strength can come from yielding rather than opposing."

  Li Feng's expression softened slightly. "And why does this interest you so deeply?"

  Because after five thousand years of draconic existence, I find myself inexplicably fascinated by a human who embodies principles contrary to my nature, and I wish to understand him in ways impossible from my true perspective.

  "Because," Xiaolong said instead, "I have mastered all that my original path can teach me, yet feel no closer to understanding the true nature of... existence."

  She hadn't intended such philosophical depth, but the words emerged with surprising sincerity. Perhaps this limited form allowed honesty that her draconic pride would have prevented.

  Li Feng studied her for a long moment, then nodded almost imperceptibly.

  "I cannot accept you as a formal disciple," he said finally. "That would require sect approval and proper ceremonies. But I can allow you to accompany me as a fellow cultivator seeking insight, and I can share what understanding I possess of our techniques."

  It wasn't exactly what she had planned, but it would serve her purpose.

  "That would be acceptable," Xiaolong acknowledged, inclining her head slightly.

  "However," Li Feng continued, his tone firming, "I have three conditions."

  Dragons did not typically accept conditions from lesser beings, but Xiaolong reminded herself that such thinking was counterproductive to her current goals.

  "Name them."

  "First, you will not interfere with my meditation schedule or pilgrim duties at each waterfall. Second, you will be honest about your capabilities—I cannot teach effectively otherwise. Third..." He hesitated briefly. "You will explain the nature of your unusual spiritual essence when you feel ready to do so. I will not demand immediate disclosure, but I will not accept permanent deception."

  The third condition presented an obvious problem, but Xiaolong could address it later. For now, securing his agreement was the priority.

  "I accept your conditions," she said, with far more gravity than a simple teaching arrangement would typically warrant.

  Li Feng nodded, then gestured toward the waterfall. "Then we begin now. The first principle of the Way of Flowing Water is observation. Sit beside me and simply watch the falls for one hour. Observe how water finds its path without forcing its way."

  As Xiaolong carefully shifted her position to comply, the stone beneath her gave another protesting creak. Li Feng's eyes flicked toward the sound, but he made no comment.

  They sat together in silence as the sacred waterfall cascaded before them, occasionally shimmering with glimpses of other realms.

  Xiaolong tried to focus on the water as instructed, but found her attention repeatedly drawn to the human beside her. His breathing was measured, his posture natural, his presence somehow both unremarkable and compelling.

  How strange that after witnessing celestial phenomena and cosmic wonders across millennia, she should find a simple human cultivator the most fascinating sight in her current field of vision.

  As if sensing her distraction, Li Feng spoke without turning. "Water teaches us that attention, like flow, should not be forced but channeled. If your thoughts naturally turn elsewhere, observe that tendency rather than fighting it. Then gently guide them back, as a stream returns to its course after navigating an obstacle."

  Xiaolong nearly responded with a cutting observation about humans presuming to instruct dragons on focus, but caught herself. That was precisely the mentality she needed to set aside if this experiment was to yield meaningful results.

  "I shall endeavor to flow more appropriately," she said instead, the faintest smile touching her lips.

  And so began the most improbable apprenticeship in the history of either human or draconic cultivation: an ancient dragon learning to be more like water from a human who, had he known her true nature, might have found the situation as absurd as trying to teach a mountain how to dance.