Morning light filtered through the paper window of Tae-Won's guest quarters as he opened his eyes, ending his meditative state. His expanded meridians had fully stabilized during the night, the new pathways of Qi now feeling as natural as if they had always been part of him.

  "System, status," he whispered.

  [Current Realm: Body Refinement Stage 2]

  [Cultivation Progress: 5.7% toward Body Refinement Stage 3]

  [Qi reserves: 100% of maximum capacity]

  [Physical condition: Optimal]

  [Meridian stability: 100%]

  Even in the few hours of light meditation, his cultivation had continued to advance. Tae-Won rose and moved through a series of subtle stretches, testing the limits of his enhanced body. Each movement felt effortless, precise—a stark contrast to the constant aches and limitations he'd endured in the slums.

  A knock at his door announced Liu Feng's arrival.

  "Good morning, young guest!" the disciple called cheerfully. "Elder Jin has requested your presence after the morning meal. Have you considered his offer?"

  Tae-Won opened the door, offering a polite bow. "I have been giving it serious thought," he replied, noting Liu Feng's surprised expression at his improved appearance.

  "You look... different," Liu Feng said, tilting his head. "Healthier."

  "The Jin Clan's hospitality has been most restorative," Tae-Won replied smoothly. "A comfortable bed and proper meals can work wonders."

  Liu Feng nodded, though his eyes retained a hint of puzzlement. "The dining hall is serving congee with preserved eggs this morning. Shall we?"

  As they walked, Tae-Won considered his options. His breakthrough had forced a revision of his plans. The Jin Clan offered resources he couldn't easily obtain elsewhere—and with his accelerated cultivation rate, even a short period as a disciple could yield significant benefits.

  "Liu Feng," he said carefully, "what happens when someone becomes an Outer Disciple of the Jin Clan?"

  The young disciple brightened at the question. "Well, you'd be assigned quarters in the eastern compound with the other Outer Disciples. You'd receive basic cultivation manuals, three days of orientation, then be assigned to a senior disciple for training. After demonstrating sufficient progress, you'd be eligible for mission assignments."

  "And what sort of missions do Outer Disciples perform?"

  "Mostly patrols in our territory, message delivery, escort duty for clan shipments. Sometimes resource gathering expeditions to the nearby forests." Liu Feng lowered his voice. "The truly promising ones might be selected for special training under an Elder."

  Tae-Won nodded thoughtfully. "And how long does one typically remain an Outer Disciple?"

  "It varies greatly. Some never advance further. Others with exceptional talent might become Inner Disciples within a year or two." Liu Feng's expression grew wistful. "I've been an Outer Disciple for three years now. I hope to advance by next spring."

  The dining hall was already bustling with activity when they arrived. Tae-Won observed the strict hierarchy on display—Outer Disciples sitting at long tables near the entrance, Inner Disciples at elevated tables along the sides, and Core Disciples on a raised platform at the far end. Elders were nowhere to be seen, presumably taking their meals privately.

  As Tae-Won collected his bowl of congee, he felt eyes upon him. Glancing up, he noticed several Outer Disciples watching him with open curiosity—word of his potential recruitment had clearly spread.

  "Those are Jin Sung and Jin Mao," Liu Feng whispered, nodding toward two young men with particularly intense stares. "They're the ones you... encountered in the slums."

  Tae-Won met their gaze evenly, noting the bruising still visible on Jin Sung's face. The two disciples looked away first, muttering to each other.

  "They won't cause trouble," Liu Feng assured him. "Elder Jin has made it clear you're to be treated as an honored guest."

  After finishing their meal, Liu Feng escorted Tae-Won to a small courtyard where Elder Jin sat beneath a flowering plum tree, a tea set arranged on a stone table before him. The morning sun cast dappled shadows through the branches, painting patterns on the weathered stone path. The scene held a tranquil beauty that belied the importance of the conversation to come.

  "Ah, young Tae-Won," the Elder said, his voice deceptively gentle despite the power Tae-Won could now sense more clearly with his enhanced perception. "I trust you slept well? Please, join me for tea."

  Tae-Won bowed respectfully before taking the offered seat. Elder Jin dismissed Liu Feng with a gesture, waiting until they were alone before speaking again.

  The Elder poured tea with practiced movements, his gnarled hands moving with surprising grace. Steam curled upward from the delicate cups, carrying the fragrant aroma of high-quality oolong. The ritual of it felt ancient, timeless—a dance performed countless times across centuries.

  "I understand there was some disturbance in your quarters last night," he said, his voice casual but his eyes sharp as blades. "A cultivation accident, I'm told."

  "Yes, Elder," Tae-Won replied, carefully measuring his response. "I attempted a basic circulation technique I found in a manual. My inexperience led to unexpected results."

  Elder Jin's ancient eyes studied him with unsettling intensity. The old man said nothing for a long moment, simply sipping his tea and observing Tae-Won as though reading an intricate text. The silence stretched between them, becoming a test of patience that Tae-Won refused to fail by speaking first.

  Finally, Elder Jin set down his cup with deliberate precision. "Unexpected results indeed. So, you've broken through to Body Refinement Stage II, haven't you?"

  Tae-Won nearly choked on his tea, his mind racing. Had he underestimated the Elder's perception so severely? He set his cup down carefully to hide the slight tremor in his hands, masking his surprise with a slow, measured breath.

  Elder Jin chuckled, the sound like dry leaves rustling in autumn wind. "Come now, young Tae-Won. I'm a cultivator who stands at the final stage of the Nascent Soul. Did you really think I couldn't notice?" His expression shifted to one of mock offense. "I'm almost wounded that you underestimated me so."

  As he spoke the words, a monstrous aura briefly pressed down on Tae-Won, making his blood run cold. It was like standing at the base of a mountain that had suddenly decided to acknowledge your presence—overwhelming, ancient, and utterly implacable. A bead of sweat rolled down his temple as realization struck him—he had made a rookie mistake. He had been calmly progressing his plan, relying on his Qi sense to gauge the power around him. He knew Elder Jin was strong, but not how strong. He had been careless.

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  The pressure vanished as quickly as it had appeared, leaving Tae-Won slightly breathless. Elder Jin now wore a benign smile, as though he hadn't just demonstrated power that could snuff out Tae-Won's life with as much effort as extinguishing a candle.

  "Yes, I have," Tae-Won admitted, seeing no point in further deception. "I apologize for the attempted subterfuge."

  Elder Jin waved a dismissive hand. "No need for apologies. Caution is the first instinct of the wise. It would be more concerning if you trusted too easily." He refilled their teacups, the mundane action a stark contrast to the revelation of his true power. "I understand why you'd keep it secret. Such potential makes you a valuable asset—something any clan would be eager to secure."

  He leaned forward slightly, his eyes twinkling with genuine curiosity. "But I have a question for you, Tae-Won, and I would appreciate your honesty. I can assure you—" his tone grew subtly heavier "—I will know if you are lying."

  Tae-Won inclined his head respectfully. "What is it, Elder?"

  "How long has it been since you started cultivating? And I do mean truly cultivating, not merely trying to sense Qi or performing simple breathing exercises."

  Tae-Won opened his mouth to lie, to claim a month or more of secret practice, but something in Elder Jin's gaze stopped him. The Elder's eyes seemed to peer not just at him but through him, as though his very soul was laid bare. I'll be caught if I tell a lie, he realized, but it would be too suspicious to admit I started just two days ago. What do I do?

  He mentally queried his System: Do I have anything to bypass lie detection?

  [No skills available to bypass lie detection. Recommend partial truth or direct honesty based on calculated risk assessment.]

  Tae-Won weighed his options rapidly. The risk of being caught in a lie by someone of Elder Jin's caliber could destroy any trust before it was established. And perhaps the truth, in this case, might actually serve his interests better than deception.

  "Two days," he said finally, meeting Elder Jin's gaze steadily. "I have only been actively cultivating for two days."

  A profound silence fell over the courtyard. Even the birds seemed to pause their songs. Elder Jin stared at him with an inscrutable expression, neither moving nor speaking for what felt like an eternity. Then, the Elder's face transformed through a series of emotions—disbelief, shock, and finally, something that looked remarkably like joy.

  The old man sighed deeply, then broke into genuine laughter that echoed through the courtyard. "Well! I knew I'd caught a big fish, but I didn't realize I'd hit a jackpot!" His eyes gleamed with an excitement that made him appear decades younger. "Two days and two realms? You're one of the heavenly geniuses of this generation."

  "The heavenly what?" Tae-Won asked, momentarily forgetting his calculated persona in the face of this unexpected reaction.

  "The heavenly geniuses," Elder Jin explained, leaning forward with enthusiasm. "In the vast tapestry of cultivation, talent manifests in countless ways. Every generation has its gifted youth, its prodigies who excel and advance faster than their peers. But only a few individuals in each era possess enough innate potential to be called heavenly geniuses."

  Elder Jin rose from his seat, pacing slightly as he spoke, his excitement palpable. "These rare talents exhibit monstrous cultivation speeds, comprehension that defies common understanding. They can grasp techniques just by observing them once—techniques that might take others months or years to master. Their meridians form pathways that others cannot even imagine." He turned back to Tae-Won, his gaze intense. "These are the ones meant to become true Immortal Cultivators—to ascend beyond mortal limitations and touch the eternal."

  The Elder retook his seat, his expression growing somber. "They are also, invariably, targets. Every sect, every clan, every hidden master seeks to claim such talents as their own disciples, to nurture them along paths of their choosing." He sighed. "Many heavenly geniuses never reach their potential because they become pawns in games of power they do not understand until too late."

  "I see," Tae-Won said carefully, allowing genuine uncertainty to color his voice. "I believe I understand better why you've been so interested in me, Elder Jin."

  "Oh?" Elder Jin raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in his expression.

  Tae-Won met his gaze directly. "You've been watching me, haven't you? Before I was even brought here. You knew about my activities in the slums."

  A slow smile spread across Elder Jin's weathered face. "Very perceptive, young Tae-Won. Indeed, I've had my eye on you for some time now."

  "Since when?" Tae-Won asked, unable to suppress his curiosity.

  "Since you somehow managed to defeat Jin Sung and Jin Mao despite having no formal cultivation training," Elder Jin replied. "At first, I thought you might be a spy from another clan—someone with advanced training attempting to infiltrate our territory. So I set people to observe you, to determine your origins and intentions."

  Tae-Won tensed slightly. "And yet they didn't report back to you that I was nothing more than a slum child?"

  Elder Jin chuckled. "Oh, they tried to follow you. But they lost track of you repeatedly. Somehow, you managed to completely cloak your Qi signature—an advanced technique that even my Inner Disciples struggle to master. And yet," his eyes gleamed with appreciation, "you did it instinctively, without formal training."

  Tae-Won's eyes widened in genuine surprise. "Cloaking Qi is a technique?" He had always assumed it was just a unique feature of the system—something it did automatically to keep him hidden. The revelation that others could learn this ability, and that it was considered difficult, gave him a new perspective on his system's capabilities.

  Elder Jin's brows rose slightly at Tae-Won's reaction. "You didn't realize? Most cultivators spend years mastering such concealment." His gaze sharpened with interest. "Curious that you would possess such an ability without understanding its significance."

  A thoughtful expression crossed Elder Jin's face as he stroked his beard. After a moment of contemplation, his eyes lit up with certainty. "Exactly," he nodded with satisfaction, connecting invisible threads of logic. "Advanced martial techniques, no apparent clan backing, yet extraordinary talent... it could only mean one thing." He looked at Tae-Won with newfound respect. "You are simply that gifted—a true diamond in the rough."

  Tae-Won absorbed this information, recalculating his plans. Being identified as a "heavenly genius" and now knowing the Elder had been observing him all along changed the dynamics significantly. This explained Elder Jin's unusual interest in a slum child, but it also meant his plans for escape and independent growth might be far more difficult than anticipated. In fact, Elder Jin might already know about his plan, but why doesnt he say anything about it.

  "I see," he said carefully. "Then you understand why I must reconsider your offer, Elder Jin."

  "Reconsider?" Elder Jin's eyebrows rose in mild surprise.

  "While I deeply appreciate the Jin Clan's resources and your personal interest," Tae-Won said, the words flowing naturally now, more aligned with his true feelings than the calculated acceptance he'd planned, "allying exclusively with one clan when there are many to choose from—becoming a pawn tied down to a single faction—isn't something I wish to do."

  He paused, gathering his thoughts. "I've lived my entire life with the freedom to make my own choices, limited though they were. That freedom is precious to me."

  Elder Jin studied him for a long moment before letting out a resigned sigh. His weathered face softened with an emotion Tae-Won hadn't expected to see—understanding, perhaps even respect.

  "I expected you might say this," the Elder admitted. "My confirmation of your genius status was correct—you truly are gifted in ways beyond mere cultivation aptitude." He gazed up at the plum blossoms overhead, watching as a gentle breeze scattered a few petals across the courtyard. "Tying you down to the Jin Clan would benefit us tremendously, but you're someone meant to fly high among the immortals one day. I would just be clipping your wings before you even learned to soar."

  The Elder's tone carried something Tae-Won hadn't expected—a hint of genuine care beneath the calculation, perhaps even a touch of regret. Was this truly the same cold, calculating clan leader who ruled the northern district with an iron fist?

  "However," Elder Jin continued after a moment, his eyes refocusing on Tae-Won, "I still wish to witness your growth firsthand. In my long years, I've seen many promising talents, but few with your particular combination of potential and... perspective." He smiled faintly. "There's wisdom in your eyes that belies your age, young Tae-Won. It intrigues me almost as much as your cultivation aptitude."

  He seemed to come to a decision, nodding to himself. "I have a proposal for you—an alternative path that might satisfy both our interests. Instead of joining the Jin Clan as an Outer Disciple, bound by all our rules and hierarchies.

  "What if you were to become my personal disciple?"

  -End Of Chapter