Teacher by day, Farmer by passion - Chapter 223

Chapter 223: Midas Touch [5] (NEW!)
Ace remained silent for a moment longer, then rose to his feet.

“I’ll figure out the rest later,” he murmured.

Just as he opened the portal, Angie hopped to her feet, tail flicking with interest. “Wait, wait! That was super weird and confusing—but also kinda cool. You’re just gonna leave?”

He glanced back. “Yeah?”

“Oh.” Angie’s eyes dimmed. “Don’t you have more?”

“I’ll show you if I find more,” Ace said dryly.

Just as Ace turned back to the portal, a loud voice echoed across the garden.

“Lizard! I cooked your favorite food!”

Tushan came skipping into view, holding up a tray of something suspiciously steaming and slightly charred.

Angie screeched. “Stop calling me lizard!”

Tushan blinked innocently. “But it’s your favorite: grilled salamander tails with spicy plum sauce!”

Ace stepped through the portal with a faint chuckle as Angie chased Tushan around the herb garden, shrieking threats while her tail flailed wildly behind her.

Arriving back on the fourth floor, Ace found the place in ruins.

Debris was scattered everywhere, and the space itself seemed to be slowly mending.. walls shifting, cracks sealing, as if the palace was alive and healing.

From this vantage point, he could even glimpse the sea in the distance, shimmering faintly below.

“I wonder if my disciples were the ones who caused all this,” he muttered.

Then he chuckled to himself. “Wouldn’t even be surprised if they were.”

He stepped over a broken treadmill and passed through a shattered doorway.

Then he stopped.

The path ahead was completely gone, collapsed into darkness.

“What kind of palace is this?” he muttered. “The deeper I go, the stranger it gets.”

Just then, a voice echoed around Ace.

“Hello, everyone.”

He froze.

Where’s the voice coming from? The palace..?

The voice was calm, almost cheerful.

“Do not panic. The Abyss has been conquered. The treasury will open in three hours. During this period, all trials are suspended. Please enjoy your stay.”

Ace blinked.

“So the palace really is alive,” he muttered.

Then again, he should have seen it coming.

When he tried to enter the 2nd floor by skipping the whole tower climb altogether.

The voice had been there, and everyone did hear that.

Suddenly, the shattered path ahead lit up, golden lines weaving across the floor, forming a stable walkway.

Ace stepped forward and in an instant, the world shifted.

He now stood in a new space, vibrant and warm, like a hidden realm untouched by time.

“Master!” a voice called out, bright and giddy.

“Master…” came another, laced with pure relief.

Two different tones. Two different children.

Liu Mei dashed toward him, nearly skipping, her dress rippling like it was spun from fire itself. Her smile was radiant, practically glowing.

Not far behind, Shan Yifeng stood stiffly—shoulders relaxed for the first time in ages, as if the arrival of Ace was a divine shield from some invisible tormentor.

“Master, look!” Liu Mei twirled, showing off her fiery dress. “Isn’t it pretty?”

“It’s… hot,” Ace replied dryly, eyeing the literal flames licking at the hem.

“Jealous?” she teased.

Ace didn’t reply, his glance turned towards Shan Yifeng.

The boy gave a faint sigh of relief. “You have no idea what I’ve endured…”

Ace chuckled, a hint of warmth in his eyes. “Well, I’m glad to see you’re both safe. Now, catch me up… what did you two blow up this time?”

Liu Mei and Shan Yifeng exchanged a brief, guilty glance.

“Technically…” Liu Mei began, drawing the word out, “it was already unstable when we got there. So really, we were doing it a favor.”

Ace raised an eyebrow.

She pressed on, fingers fidgeting behind her back like a child caught sneaking sweets. “And, um… I had a headache. A really bad one.”

Shan coughed lightly. “I caught a cold.”

Liu Mei perked up, nodding vigorously. “Yes! That too! Can you believe it, Master? A cultivator catching a cold! Isn’t that absurd? That alone should excuse everything.”

She spoke with such animated sincerity—hands gesturing wildly, eyes wide in mock disbelief—that Ace couldn’t help but smile.

Ace shook his head softly, his smile deepening. “You really are something else.”

Liu Mei paused mid-sentence, blinking. “Eh?”

“Greetings, Grandmaster,” a deep, smooth voice called out from behind.

Ace turned, blinking in confusion. A tall man with golden eyes and a regal air bowed politely.

“…Who are you?” Ace asked, genuinely puzzled.

Before the man could answer, Liu Mei chimed in, proudly puffing out her chest. “He’s my new soul bond!”

“Oh?” Ace blinked again, then snapped his fingers. “Little Aoki!”

He strode forward, offering a firm handshake.

“I always thought you’d be a bear,” he muttered under his breath.

“Ahhh! Master, master!” Liu Mei suddenly shrieked, rushing over in a flurry of flaming silks. “Little Aoki is over there!”

She pointed energetically to a large, furry creature sprawled dramatically by the side—an enormous black bear, clearly pretending to be dead.

Ace’s brows shot up. “Wait—then you have three soul bonds now?”

Liu Mei gasped. “Master, you knew I have three soul bonds?!”

She twirled and hugged herself with glee. “Ah yes! What did I tell you, Junior Brother? Master knows everything! So… I can keep both Little Aoki and Black Dragon, right?”

The golden-eyed man sighed heavily.

“It’s Midas Touch, Master,” he corrected flatly, clearly worn down by the nickname.

“It’s okay, Black Dragon,” Liu Mei said sweetly, patting his arm as if consoling a child.

“I’ll treat you just like I treated White Fur.”

Ace glanced at the sprawled bear lying belly-up like a fallen rug.

“…Is your bear dead?” he asked, genuine concern creeping into his voice.

Liu Mei let out a soft giggle, delicately covering her mouth.

“Oh nyo! Of course not! He’s just tired. He tried so hard to protect me and Junior Brother earlier—but, um, turns out we weren’t actually in danger.”

She beamed. “So now he’s pretending to be dead to hide his shame. Isn’t he the cutest?”

Ace stared at the bear, whose dramatic pose looked far too deliberate. One leg twitched, just a little too late.

He rubbed his temple, a headache forming. For a moment, he wasn’t sure if his disciples had survived a deadly trial in the Abyss… or just spent the day playing house with monsters and melodramatic spirit beasts.

…I need to stop worrying about these two, don’t I?