Jin Jolan's smile grew wider. His reluctance from before melted away instantly.
"Well, well," he said with a chuckle. "It seems I underestimated you, Zinnia. To think you had something of this level hidden all along."
Zinnia didn't answer. She stood still, watching as Jin motioned for one of his men to bring forward two other jade boxes.
"As agreed," Jin said, handing them over, "two imperfect Aurous-level Compendiums in return. Our researchers have been working on refining them, but they're still unstable. Consider this a fair exchange between fellow martial artists."
Zinnia accepted the boxes, her face showing no emotion, though inside she could barely contain her distaste.
Once the exchange was confirmed, Jin clasped his hands behind his back and looked at her fondly, as if talking to an old companion rather than someone he had harassed for years.
