Time is fair as it never stops for anyone or anything. And the events of this day had been no exception. People mourned for a time and then, they went back to their lives. They rebuilt. They moved on. Most people would never forget but they wouldn't let this define the rest of their lives.

It didn't take more than two weeks for the entire city to be repaired and people to return to their lives. During the entire time, neither Isla Crowe nor Hae-Hyuk had shown themselves. Most of those who had come in order to participate in the exhibition had left long ago and the only ones still here were the ones who lived here originally. In the end, none of them dared to go and claim the promised reward by Sophia. They even feared that Isla would come to them for some compensations...

As for Sophia, well, she remained in the tower for the two weeks. She stayed with her many fathers being gently taught what she did wrong and such. She had learnt a lot through all of it even though it had been painful. She had heavy regrets. She didn't think for a single moment that the price of this lesson was worth it. But it wasn't a deal she voluntarily took in the first place and even less one she could take back. As such, she could only try her best to live with it. And it would forever remain with her, shaping her future self in a way.

Min-Su and Jin helped with the reconstruction while being granted lodgings in the tower. They didn't do much else. Time was spent helping or cultivating. They had been waiting for quite some time for their Master to come or give them some news and could only keep waiting...

As for said Master, he was finally putting his robe back on. They had caught up more than enough already and it should be time for some proper business. Though Isla Crowe didn't bother putting anything more than underwear on, the seriousness of the talk was real. They sat at the table with some high-quality tea and began their important discussion:

"So, Isla, what kind of deal did you have for me this time?"

She smiled as she took out a box from her spatial ring. It was a red and gold box with carvings of dragons upon it. It emanated fresh, even slightly cold, gusts of wind. It was a preserving treasure box, the kind used to keep ingredients from expiring and losing their properties.

She pushed it slightly towards him, indicating with her expression for him to open it. Which he did. And as he did so, his expression changed. It changed for this was a treasure beyond treasures. It was a simple stalk of herb. To your average layman, it looked nothing more than a weed. But to a knowledgeable Master like Hae-Hyuk, it was nothing so. He was easily able to identify it.

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This was a Briarhorn's heart stalk. It was the kind of plant that only grew from the heart of a deceased mature Briarhorn. The rarity itself was beyond most plants as Briarhorns were rare creature and extremely powerful. In their mature state, they could reach the pinnacle stages of cultivation in this world which were the 70+ stages. They were incredibly powerful and, being spirits of the forest, had abilities that could turn the entire surroundings as part of themselves.

To find a mature Briarhorn was near impossible but to kill one? As for managing to keep its heart and use it as fertilizer to grow a plant... Well, there were a lot of ways to preserve the heart of a deceased being and throughout the eons, many Briarhorn's hearts were either harvested or found. Some powerful people were using them to keep on growing those plants. But it remained incredibly rare.

This one however was even beyond that. Just because the plant grew from the remains of a 70+ stage powerhouse doesn't mean it would be at the same stage itself. A plant needs nutrients and time to absorb them. While a newborn Briarhorn's heart stalk was already a grade 4 treasure, this one was actually a grade 7 treasure. It had been given an entire heart to feast and for a very long time.

Hae-Hyuk estimated that this stalk was at least two hundred thousand years old.

As for how it could be used? This thing had in itself the energy of a grade 7 and could be consumed. Or turned into a pinnacle-grade pill if handled properly. And Hae-Hyuk was obviously aware of how to do that. This kind of pill... It could help someone cross over one stage at the pinnacle realm. It was priceless.

Hae-Hyuk closed the box and pushed it back towards Isla: "I'm afraid I don't have enough to offer in exchange"

Isla chuckled as she told him: "Right. You don't. Well, that is, if we had that discussion 28 years ago. But times have changed"

Hae-Hyuk: "Alright, let me hear it"

Isla: "Take my daughter as your legacy disciple in exchange"

Hae-Hyuk pondered for a moment. A legacy disciple was very different from your average disciple. Take Min-Su and Jin for example, he only took them in as disciples and not legacy disciples. He didn't even have any plans to keep them with him for long. Only until he got that thing...

Having a legacy disciple meant keeping him or her with oneself at all times and teaching everything you knew to him or her. Secret techniques were generally only taught to those. Hae-Hyuk made an exception with Jin and Min-Su solely due to that item... But in truth, he had many more hidden techniques and such he could impart to others.

He had been a technique master for centuries now. The sheer amount he accumulated in knowledge was beyond what some countries would ever uncover throughout their existence.

Which is why it was difficult to agree.