Nan Shuishui lifted her teacup and took a small sip. Then she set it down and spoke to Lin Fan with striking candor.
"Lin Fan, to be honest, deep within our Earth Dragon Gate's secret realm lies a peculiar cavern."
"It contains many strange ores, but the temperature there is so low that even our ancestors who reached the rank of Titled Douluo could not remain inside for long."
"One of our ancestors did manage to mine a piece of ore rich in ice-attribute energy, though it took everything they had. For generations, the Earth Dragon Gate has believed there must be an exceptional Ice-Attribute Metal Vein down there."
"But we don't know how vast that vein is, or what else lies at its heart."
Lin Fan showed no eagerness at her words. He simply sat in his chair, watching Nan Shuishui calmly.
He was plainly waiting for her to continue.
After all, he had just made it clear that the terms were hers to propose.
Yet instead of naming a price, Nan Shuishui had begun explaining the secret realm's history. She clearly had her own plans.
To Lin Fan, though, this was a transaction and nothing more.
If what lay below was worth the price, he had no objection to making the deal.
Nan Shuishui smiled at his composure and continued.
"Pavilion Master Lin, I've said all this because I can't put a precise price on what's in that cavern."
"So rather than name a fixed price, I'd like you to see it for yourself. As the well-traveled Pavilion Master of the Hidden Azure Pavilion, you can judge its value."
Lin Fan smiled too and nodded his agreement.
"If that's what you'd prefer, Gate Master Nan, that's fine with me."
He paused, then looked her straight in the eye