After that brief moment of lightness, the atmosphere turned solemn once more.

  The old protector looked at Jin with a serene expression.

  “Come,” he said simply.

  The middle-aged man nodded in silence, and the two of them walked deeper into the hall. Jin followed without objection; his face remained calm, but his mind moved swiftly.

  They passed through a side door leading to a more secluded section of the building. The air there felt different—cooler, denser… carrying a faint scent of aged wood and polished metal.

  Before them stretched a space resembling a private storage room. It was neither chaotic nor neglected; on the contrary, everything was arranged with meticulous precision. Dark wooden shelves held sealed boxes, finely carved chests, and jars labeled with ancient characters. Even weapons lay wrapped in special cloth that dampened Qi fluctuations.

  Jin observed in silence.

  This isn’t a simple warehouse… it’s the clan’s resource vault.

  The elder leaned slightly toward the little girl and gently patted her head.

  “Qin Er, go fetch the reward for our young friend.”

  Her eyes lit up as if entrusted with the most important task in the world.

  “Yes, Grandpa!”

  Without wasting a second, she ran toward the inner section of the storage room, her small footsteps echoing excitedly against the stone floor.

  The middle-aged man followed immediately, but before moving further, he exchanged a brief glance with the elder—subtle, almost imperceptible. A silent confirmation.

  Jin said nothing, but he noticed.

  So this isn’t improvised… it was decided beforehand.

  Standing straight with his hands tucked calmly inside his borrowed sleeves, he maintained the humble demeanor expected of an outer disciple. Internally, however, every detail was being analyzed: the elder’s attitude, the seriousness of the man, the decision to send the girl to retrieve the reward.

  A symbolic gesture? Something to maintain appearances? Or do they truly intend to give something valuable?

  Possibilities moved quickly through his thoughts—weapon, medicinal herbs, spirit stones… perhaps even a favor from the clan.

  Whatever it was, being brought to a private vault instead of receiving a pouch in the main hall meant one thing: what came next would not be trivial.

  His gaze lowered slightly, concealing the calculating gleam in his golden eyes.

  Outwardly calm and respectful; inwardly prepared to negotiate with words if necessary… or refuse elegantly should the gift carry an invisible debt.

  The silence stretched longer than expected. From deeper within the storage room came soft sounds—chests opening, careful footsteps, wood brushing against wood. The elder appeared perfectly at ease, as though capable of waiting all day.

  Jin, on the other hand, began to grow bored.

  After a brief hesitation, he decided to take advantage of the moment and cupped his hands in a light martial salute.

  “Excuse me, Senior… this junior has a question that has been troubling his mind.”

  The elder regarded him with interest.

  “Speak.”

  A faint pause.

  “Were you… able to recover my spear from the battlefield?”

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  Silence followed.

  For a few seconds, the elder studied him, as if weighing how much to reveal. Then he replied with a calm smile.

  “Unfortunately, it was beyond recovery. The amount of Qi you poured into it pushed it to its limit… and the demonic energy ultimately corroded and destroyed it completely.”

  Time seemed to stop.

  Jin froze. Outwardly, his expression barely shifted.

  Inside, his mind exploded.

  What? Beyond recovery? Completely destroyed?

  How is that possible?! It was the first real battle I used it in—and I broke it!

  My two hundred spirit stones… no…

  The pain cut deeper than his physical wounds.

  Damn demons… the next time one appears, it’ll repay those stones with interest. Compound interest.

  A shadow passed through his golden eyes.

  Was that demonic energy truly so dangerous? Enough to disintegrate a refined weapon?

  Even while lamenting the financial loss, his thoughts seized upon the crucial detail.

  The spear hadn’t broken from overload alone—it was the combination with demonic Qi.

  Which meant that “demon” had been far from trivial.

  A slow breath in. A measured exhale.

  Calm… at least I’m alive. Spirit stones can be earned again.

  Even if the financial wound still throbbed.

  Just as he was about to ask something else, approaching footsteps echoed from deeper inside the storage room.

  They grew lighter—and in the next instant, a small figure shot out.

  Qin Er ran like an agile rabbit, holding a pouch nearly as large as her torso with both hands. Without slowing down, she reached him and clung naturally to his leg.

  “Big Brother! This is Grandpa’s reward for saving Qin Er!”

  Jin blinked.

  The first thing noticed wasn’t the contents—but the size. That pouch was at least twice as full as his own.

  With faint hesitation—and growing suspicion—he accepted it from her small hands and glanced at the elder.

  The old man nodded calmly.

  “Take it.”

  Swallowing almost imperceptibly, Jin opened the pouch and looked inside.

  What in the world is this much…?

  It was packed with spirit stones. Though lower in quality, the quantity was absurd.

  His trained gaze began counting instinctively.

  One hundred.

  Two hundred.

  Three hundred.

  Breathing slowed.

  Four hundred.

  Five hundred.

  At minimum.

  Five hundred spirit stones… more than double what had been invested in his spear.

  The financial agony from minutes ago faded considerably. Very considerably. Nearly nonexistent.

  Well… perhaps breaking a spear wasn’t such a bad investment after all.

  His outward expression remained composed—even modest—but internally, a decision had already been made.

  The Feng Clan… I like them.

  Closing the pouch carefully, he looked at Qin Er, who watched expectantly.

  A warm smile appeared as he ruffled her hair.

  “Thank you, Qin Er. This reward is far too generous.”

  She puffed out her chest proudly before returning to her grandfather.

  The loss of the spear still annoyed him—but with five hundred spirit stones in hand… the wound in his heart was far easier to bear.

  Then the middle-aged man spoke again.

  “But that is not all. To express our goodwill and gratitude, the Feng Clan also wishes to present this.”

  He lifted a long object carefully wrapped in black cloth embroidered with fine silver patterns. The package was elongated, rigid… unmistakable.

  Jin’s heart skipped.

  No way…

  The cloth fell away gently, revealing a spear.

  Silver like the moon beneath the night sky, black engravings flowing along the shaft in elegant patterns. Between them, delicate golden runes shimmered faintly under the light.

  Longer than the previous one. Thicker. Heavier. More imposing.

  For a fleeting moment, it almost seemed ornamental.

  But Jin was no fool.

  This was no decorative piece.

  The moment his hand touched it, the weight became clear—far heavier than his previous spear. If he had to estimate, at least three times as heavy.

  Definitely not ornamental.

  A weapon forged for the battlefield.

  Seeking confirmation, he looked at the elder. The old man nodded.

  The spear was lifted.

  The weight hit instantly. Someone at the same cultivation level would find it extremely difficult to raise—his enhanced muscles and flesh, refined through the Jade Dragon Body Technique, were one of the reasons he could.

  Qi was circulated into it.

  And then—

  It flowed inside… but found no boundary.

  There was no sense of filling, no limit like before.

  It was like pouring water into a bottomless well.

  No matter how much entered… it never seemed enough.

  A strange sensation traveled up his arm.

  The physical weight was one thing.

  But this was different.

  A subtle, profound connection—as though the metal responded to intention.

  Not emotion. Not elemental affinity.

  Compatibility.

  After a few seconds, the Qi was withdrawn and the spear lowered carefully.

  “Senior… this reward is too excessive. This junior feels unworthy of accepting something like this.”

  A low chuckle escaped the elder.

  “Modesty is a virtue. Too much of it becomes counterproductive.”

  Then he added gently:

  “You saved Qin Er. You saved the future seeds of the clan. You saved our array master… and our soldiers.”

  The children straightened proudly.

  “And do not worry. Though this spear may appear extraordinary, it is only slightly better than your original one.”

  Jin blinked.

  Only slightly better?

  He remembered the Qi sinking without end. The weight. The connection.

  Old man… either your standards are absurdly high… or you’re blatantly lying, Jin thought.

  Outwardly, he bowed his head.

  “Then this junior will accept it with gratitude.”

  Inwardly, however, the loss of those two hundred spirit stones no longer hurt at all.

  If this was “only slightly better”…

  Then for the first time since arriving in this world, it felt as though he had obtained his first true loot.