Humming to herself, Sophia browsed the bookshelves in search of the most basic and easy-to-understand techniques—whether for movement or for fist training. She believed that, if Noah was a complete beginner in everything beyond meditation, starting with the fundamentals was the best decision.
The building was large and, despite the shortage of techniques to fill it, it still had three floors in total. The first floor housed the basic martial arts techniques that any member of the Radiance family could attempt to learn—and that's where most of the books were kept.
On the second floor, however, were the intermediate arts, which required at least a minimal mastery of Qi; in other words, the user needed to be at least at the Qi Refinement stage before trying to train them. Sophia hadn't yet reached the level necessary to set foot on that floor. There, a single full shelf of techniques was laid out—two shelves fewer than on the first floor, even though there was room for dozens.
Climbing up another flight of stairs brought one to the third floor—where only two books were stored. No one had managed to master them for ages—many leaders had tried, but over the years, all had failed, even Arthur. The most obvious explanation was a lack of power, since to use such techniques it was believed one had to be at the Foundation Establishment stage—a level no one in the family had reached for centuries.
"What are you doing here, Soph?" questioned Guang So. His steps were so silent that Sophia hadn't even noticed his approach. "I thought you were training the Gentle Fist Technique… You know—"
"Shouldn't train more than one martial art at a time—you must master one before beginning another. I know, Grandpa," she finished his sentence with a smile. Sophia had heard those words so many times that she'd practically memorized them.
"So, if you're not here looking for a technique for yourself… is it about that boy?"
"Yeah. Noah asked Dad to buy a technique for him to learn, but instead he said I could get one from the archive that was simple enough for him to try out."
"Oh, he did ask…?"
Fearing a misunderstanding, Sophia quickly added:
— He was the one who was going to pay for the techniques, Grandpa, don't worry… Noah even offered that we keep any leftover money, but Dad refused.
"He offered something like that?!" the elder thundered, clenching his fist and crumpling the book in his hands. "To think our family would stoop so low as to be offered handouts…"
"Handouts…" Sophia giggled shyly.
Noticing the girl's laughter, Guang So replied:
— If they aren't handouts, then what are they? After all, how much money could that boy possibly have if he doesn't even carry a spatial pouch with him?
With a trace of irritation—though not directed at Noah—his anger surfaced as a minor consequence of his frustration with the current state of the family.
"That…I can't say, Grandpa…" Sophia turned her face away and resumed her search for books.
"What? You… girl, how could you say something like that to your grandfather?! Are you disregarding me, is that it?"
"N-Never, but… Mom and Dad told me to keep it a secret."
"Hmm, I see… in that case, you're doing the right thing by not saying it," he teased, running his long beard through his fingers for a few moments. He didn't leave Sophia's side—his curiosity wouldn't let him walk away without knowing the answer. "But… if I don't tell anyone, it stays a secret, right?"
"Really, Grandpa?"
"Come on, girl! Or I'll tell your mother who ended up killing one of her fish by taking it out of the water just to play with it."
Sophia sprang to her feet. "You wouldn't do that…!" she said, her cheeks puffed out in indignation.
"Humph!" Guang So turned his face away, ignoring her.
"Grandpa!!"
He didn't even react—despite Sophia employing her infallible technique, her eyes welling with tears—he simply refused to meet her gaze, sidestepping the effectiveness of her method.
Here was a side of the elder of the Hall of Laws that few had seen—a man everyone regarded as cold and distant, yet respectable and trustworthy. A man who, when any family member broke a rule, imposed punishment without compromise—even if it was his own child. And now, here he was engaged in a "tantrum contest" with one of his granddaughters, unable to contain his own curiosity.
"Alright! Fine, I'll tell you… but don't tell anyone else, got it?" Sophia finally conceded.
She tiptoed closer so she could whisper in his ear—while Guang So, for all his years, still tried to salvage what little dignity remained.
When he heard the number of crystals Noah had handed over to Arthur, the elder froze for a moment—it was as if his mind had halted for an instant.
"That idiot!" he bellowed, snapping back to reality.
The elder nearly lost his balance, but Sophia caught him.
"Grandpa, calm down…" she pleaded, worried that people outside might have heard him. "Stop yelling!"
"No! That imbecile—how dare he reject something like that just to maintain that pathetic pride?! How dare he—"
At that moment, as shadows passed in front of the hall's door in the distance, elder Guang So straightened his posture and cleared his throat; his expression became stone-cold.
Sophia sighed—the drastic change in his demeanor no longer affected her.
"Anyway, as I was saying, besides these basic techniques, I think it's best that you also take at least one intermediate-level technique," he said, his tone and expression unchanging.
"But—"
"Girl, just do what I'm telling you! I mean… trust me… even if it's only a movement technique."
He left without a lengthy farewell, clicking his tongue in irritation. His footsteps thumped on the floor with more force than necessary, and throughout the remainder of her time in the hall, Sophia could still hear his murmurs and incessant tongue clicks.