“This cannot be acceptable. We can’t let this happen.”

  Su Koi’s voice trembles with restrained fury as he paces inside the dimly lit courtyard. “They use us to achieve their goals. All the benefits go to them, and if we listen, we’ll live like stray dogs. I cannot accept that. What’s your plan?”

  Across from him, Yin Zhufu remains seated, fingers tapping lightly against the wooden table. His expression is calm, but his eyes are sharp.

  “This is a tight situation,” Yin Zhufu says slowly. “We have four cultivators. All of us are only at the first stage of Qi Condensation. Do you really think we are qualified to destroy the village head?”

  Su Koi stops pacing. His lips curl into a cold smile. “Destroy the village head? No. That’s not realistic. But assassinating the new village head…” He leans closer. “That’s possible.”

  Yin Zhufu narrows his eyes. “Possible, yes. But what about the aftermath? If they discover it was us, do you think they’ll let us live?”

  “Once the new village head is dead, there will be chaos,” Su Koi replies. “They don’t have experience. They won’t know how to respond. We four will wait until the old village head leaves the village. Then we strike.”

  He lowers his voice.

  “You three deal with Yan Four. I’ll handle the new village head myself. I’ve heard the new head is just a small child. That’s why they didn’t show him during the meeting. Probably hiding him out of embarrassment.”

  Yin Zhufu’s gaze darkens. “You think all of this planning came from a little kid?”

  Su Koi pauses.

  “…It doesn’t matter. We make a plan for assassination first. If we succeed, this village will bring far greater benefits to our families than the previous agreement ever could.”

  The room falls silent.

  Outside, the wind moves through the trees like a whisper of conspiracy.

  Meanwhile, Lu Yan walks quietly toward the village library.

  The building is modest, built from dark wood and stone, but to Lu Yan it feels like a treasure vault. He pushes open the door and steps inside, lighting a small oil lamp.

  He has already finalized the future blueprint of the village. Agricultural reform. Military structure. Tax reallocation. Resource distribution. He has handed all strategic notes and development documents to Yan Three, ensuring smooth execution.

  Now, he focuses on something far more important.

  Cultivation.

  He opens the first book and begins reading carefully.

  Cultivation begins with the Body Refining Realm.

  A mortal can enter this realm through proper techniques and discipline. It contains five stages:

  First Stage — Skin Hardening

  Second Stage — Muscle Hardening

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  Third Stage — Blood Refinement

  Fourth Stage — Bone Tempering

  Fifth Stage — Internal Organ Refinement

  With each stage, both general and special bodily sensations grow sharper. Strength increases. Endurance improves. Reaction time becomes faster.

  Lu Yan nods slightly.

  Everything begins with foundation.

  He turns the page.

  Beyond Body Refining lies Qi Condensation.

  Above that stands Foundation Establishment.

  And further still — Core Condensation.

  According to the guidebooks, cultivation methods are classified by levels:

  Black Level

  Qi Level

  Foundation Level

  Core Level

  Each method corresponds to a cultivation realm.

  The higher the level of the cultivation method, the more efficient and stable the growth.

  But accumulation of Qi alone is not enough.

  To use Qi, one must master skills.

  Lu Yan reads carefully.

  If someone uses a Foundation-level cultivation method to accumulate Qi, but performs a Qi-level skill, the power will be enhanced.

  However, if someone attempts to use that accumulated Qi to execute a Core-level skill beyond their foundation, the output becomes unstable and weaker than expected.

  Balance between cultivation method and skill level is crucial.

  “Interesting…” Lu Yan murmurs.

  So efficiency depends on compatibility.

  He continues reading through the night.

  Most of the books available in this village are at the Qi Condensation level. Some skills correspond to that realm as well.

  For an ordinary village, this is already an unimaginable treasure.

  But to Lu Yan, it is only the beginning.

  He carefully documents all cultivation methods he finds — Black Level, Qi Level, Foundation Level.

  He rewrites them into structured manuals.

  Then he begins something far more ambitious.

  He creates modified versions.

  Military-focused variants — emphasizing endurance and explosive strength.

  Economic-focused variants — enhancing stamina and concentration for long labor hours.

  Administrative variants — focusing on clarity of mind and resistance to mental fatigue.

  Even simplified versions for common villagers.

  He writes quickly, his mind operating like a calculating machine.

  However, he soon notices a problem.

  There are very few books on alchemy.

  Almost none on medicine refinement.

  Very limited texts on gardening techniques for spiritual herbs.

  Talisman crafting? Barely mentioned.

  Artifact refinement? Nearly nonexistent.

  Academic disciplines beyond cultivation are scarce.

  His brows furrow.

  “This won’t do.”

  If the village wants to rise, it cannot rely solely on brute strength.

  Knowledge is power.

  Infrastructure is power.

  Specialization is power.

  He begins drafting plans for a multi-tiered library.

  Lower floors for general literacy and common manuals.

  Middle floors for scholars and officials.

  Upper floors for cultivators and military elites.

  Separate sections for alchemy, medicine, herb cultivation, talismans, and artifact refinement.

  He even drafts a basic education curriculum for children.

  “If we monopolize knowledge,” he whispers softly, “we control the future.”

  The oil lamp flickers.

  Night deepens.

  Outside, shadows grow long.

  Lu Yan closes the final book and leans back.

  Silence.

  Too much silence.

  He looks toward the window.

  “They should have moved by now.”

  He has predicted resistance. Opposition. Perhaps even assassination.

  Power transitions always produce backlash.

  Yet nothing happens.

  He taps his finger lightly against the wooden desk.

  “Are my predictions wrong?”

  His lips curve slightly.

  “Or are they more patient than I expected?”

  He stands and walks toward the window, parting the curtain just slightly.

  The moonlight spills across the courtyard.

  Still quiet.

  “Are they truly willing to be subdued by me?” he murmurs.

  His eyes narrow.

  “No… people driven by greed don’t surrender so easily.”

  He closes his eyes briefly, analyzing possibilities.

  If they attack tonight, they will aim for speed and surprise.

  If they delay, they are gathering information.

  If they do nothing…

  Then they are either fools.

  Or plotting something deeper.

  A faint smile appears on his face.

  “You have to show yourselves this time,” he thinks.

  “Otherwise I’ll be disappointed.”

  He returns to his desk and calmly pours himself a cup of tea.

  Steam rises slowly into the night air.

  He sits in stillness.

  Waiting.

  Watching.

  Calculating.

  Somewhere in the village, four cultivators whisper of assassination.

  Here, in the library, a child calmly reconstructs the future of an entire settlement.

  The moon climbs higher.

  The night holds its breath.

  And the first move has yet to be made.