Teacher by day, Farmer by passion - Chapter 104

Chapter 104: Dead.
The illusion shattered like fragile glass, rippling outward in waves of distortion.

What had seemed like a solid wall dissolved into reality—a crumbling, half-broken structure barely standing.

Dust and old rot clung to the air, but something was wrong. Terribly wrong.

The massacre they had seen before… the grotesque pile of severed limbs, the undeniable evidence of slaughter… was gone.

The ground, once slick with fresh blood, was dry. Not a drop remained. Not a single limb, not even the smallest trace of death.

It was as if the massacre had never happened at all.

Shan Yifeng’s brows furrowed. Liu Mei’s amused expression faded, replaced by a rare moment of stillness.

Someone had cleared the evidence, and the method had been too clean.

But before either of them could react—

“Hah!”

Xiao Ling burst into laughter—loud, mocking, triumphant. He took a step forward, arms crossed, his sneer widening.

“You really thought you were clever, didn’t you?” His eyes gleamed with cruel satisfaction. “Not only are you dumb, but you’re completely stupid!”

His confidence swelled, the tables seemingly turned in his favor.

He turned to General Ming, his voice carrying authority beyond his years.

“General Ming, the evidence is clear. That boy—” he pointed at Shan Yifeng

“—is the one responsible for the formation in the inn. And with this blatant attempt at deception, it’s obvious—they are the real culprits!”

Xiao Ling’s words sent a ripple through the soldiers. Murmurs rose—uncertainty lacing their voices.

Some nodded in agreement, while others hesitated, glancing toward General Ming for guidance. The weight of authority pressed down on the air.

But General Ming remained silent, his sharp gaze scanning the area, taking in every detail. He instinctively felt that something was amiss.

Without a word, he turned to Shan Yifeng.

“What did you see here before?”

Shan Yifeng didn’t hesitate. “Limbs. Arms and legs. Many of them, piled up into a mountain.”

General Ming’s gaze darkened.

He gestured subtly, and one of his soldiers immediately stepped forward. The man was experienced, a veteran in his own right.

Without waiting for instruction, he began moving—walking past Shan Yifeng and Liu Mei, heading directly toward Xiao Ling and the other young masters.

The shift in atmosphere was palpable.

Xiao Ling’s sneer deepened, emboldened by the murmurs around him.

“Finally, some justice—”

But he stopped speaking when the soldier was approaching straight toward him.

His smirk twitched, uncertainty creeping in. “W-what are you doing?”

The soldier said nothing. He merely stopped in front of Xiao Ling, his expression unreadable.

Meanwhile, Ace, who had been watching everything unfold with his usual lazy disinterest, stretched his arms and turned to Liu Mei.

“Alright, we’re done here. Let’s go.”

Liu Mei tilted her head. “Already?”

“Yep. Something reeks about this whole thing—and I don’t just mean that boy’s desperation. I’m not wasting my time cleaning up another sect’s mess.”

Just as they took a step to leave—

“Not so fast, mister.”

General Ming’s voice stopped them in their tracks.

Ace raised a brow but didn’t turn around. “Hmm?”

It was Hua Lin who stepped forward this time.

“He needs to go,” she said, her tone firm but respectful. “It’s urgent.”

General Ming studied her for a long moment.

Then, finally, he exhaled through his nose.

“Fine.” His gaze flickered toward Ace. “But expect a visit later.”

Nearby, Hua Lesy glanced at Hua Lin but said nothing.

Ace, on the other hand, grinned. “Looking forward to it.”

With that, he turned, motioning for Shan Yifeng and Liu Mei to follow..

As Ace and the Hua family disappeared from sight, the tension in the air gradually dissipated.

With Xiao Ling and his group also dismissed, only General Ming and his soldiers remained in the now eerily silent streets.

One of his subordinates, a sharp-eyed woman named Rose, finally spoke up.

“General, did you figure out who was responsible for what happened in the inn?”

General Ming’s gaze remained fixed on the now-empty street, his thoughts running deep.

“Most of the bodies we found belonged to suspected criminals and wanted fugitives,” Rose continued, flipping through a small scroll. “However, there were also a few unidentified individuals mixed in.”

General Ming’s expression darkened. “Keep an eye out for missing person reports. We can’t have a repeat of the limb cutter incident.”

Rose hesitated. “General… you don’t actually believe what that boy said, do you?”

General Ming exhaled through his nose. “If he were an ordinary child, I wouldn’t give his words a second thought. But don’t be mistaken—that boy is already a Level two Formation Master.”

Rose stiffened. “Level two Formation Master? At his age?!”

Ming nodded. “And the girl? She’s already at the Dark Gold rank.”

Rose nearly dropped the scroll in her hands. “You’re joking.”

“I don’t joke about these things.”

She struggled to process the information. “General, even after ten years of dedicated study, I’ve barely touched the second level of formation mastery… And you’re telling me that boy is already there?”

General Ming smirked. “Not just ‘there.’ He seems to be even more skilled than you.”

Rose groaned. “Did you really have to say it like that?”

Ming chuckled. “It’s fun to mess with you.”

Her scowl deepened. “So? What’s the plan?”

Ming’s gaze sharpened. “That boy has potential. And girl is no joke either. We need to have both of them on our side.”

Rose crossed her arms. “Well, for that, don’t you think we need to earn their master’s trust first.?”

Ming’s smirk returned. “Exactly. And since I’ve already gone and antagonized him, you can go play the ‘good soldier.'”

Rose sighed. “Why do I feel like I just got tricked into doing all the hard work?”

Ming clapped her on the shoulder, grinning. “Welcome to strategy.”

As soon as Ace returned to the Hua Mansion, he wasted no time.

He gestured for Liu Mei and Shan Yifeng. “Go to your rooms and rest. We’ll talk later.”

The two disciples didn’t argue and quickly made their way inside.

Ace, on the other hand, had a different destination in mind.

He made his way toward Hua Hua’s quarters, intending to personally thank him for sending his family elder for intervention.

But just as he was walking, a message arrived from the system.

[One of the crystal humans just died.]