Teacher by day, Farmer by passion - Chapter 251

Chapter 251: Farm Life [1]
Five years passed in the blink of an eye.

Time, as it always does, marched forward—quiet and relentless, carving the world anew in its wake.

And in those five years… much had changed.

The Tharz Kingdom, left weakened after its internal collapse and civil unrest, became a ripe target.

The Falmuth Kingdom, under the banner of ambition, launched a full-scale invasion—millions of soldiers marching across the borders with flags held high and chests puffed with pride.

They never made it past the Dark Valley River.

Without warning, without even the whisper of battle, they vanished.

No bodies.

No signs of struggle.

Just silence.

Panic gripped the Falmuth court. The king’s warnings, once ignored by smug nobles and greedy lords, came back to haunt them.

Many perished in madness or infighting, their ambitions swallowed by the very shadows they sought to control.

In the wake of the disaster, the old king quietly abdicated, passing the crown to his only daughter—the woman now known as Queen Arlen of Falmuth.

As for Tharz kingdom…

It also no longer remained a shattered kingdom of intrigue and bloodshed, it reforged under the will of a single name.

Queen Soho Verilith.

The girl ruled with a tempered grace forged in survival.

Beneath her rule, Tharz became stronger. Not through conquest. But through unity.

But not all legends settled.

Xiao Ziyun, the shadow with a silver dagger and crimson smile, had vanished into myth.

Her bounty soared past 3 billion gold, and yet, none who hunted her returned.

Whispers said she walked among warlords.

Others claimed she had become a ghost.

And Ace?

Ace was on a chair.

A sturdy, creaky wooden chair.

Set beneath the shade of a wide, lazy tree that overlooked a golden sea of corn swaying in the wind like waves.

He wore a straw hat now.

He didn’t need it.

But it looked right.

He leaned back, arms resting behind his head, and let the wind brush through his hair.

“Hah… This is the peace I want.”

Not the quiet born of death. But the kind that grows—slow, patient, honest.

.He hadn’t slacked in those five years either. While his hands learned how to plant and build, his mind kept the old instincts sharp.

Peaceful days. Dangerous nights. All quiet, all clean.

A breeze rustled through the cornfield, golden stalks swaying like dancers under the mellow afternoon sun. Ace let out a long breath, the scent of soil and growing things filling his lungs.

A far cry from the stench of blood and burning cities.

He reached to his side, picked up a wooden ladle, and took a sip from the jug of cold tea resting on the ground beside him. Earthy. Crisp. Just a hint of plum.

“Perfect,” he murmured to himself with a small smile.

Footsteps approached—light, quick, and full of energy. He didn’t even need to look.

“Master, master!” came the familiar voice of Liu Mei, now a little taller, her long hair tied in twin buns, bouncing as she ran. “The chickens are bullying the ducks again!”

Ace raised a brow. “Is that so?”

“Yes!” she huffed, arms flailing. “And Shan Yifeng said it’s because I gave them too much spirit grain! He said they’ve developed an ego!”

From behind her, Shan Yifeng, now nearly twice her height, followed at a more measured pace.

His expression was as flat as ever, though a bit of mischief danced behind his eyes.

“I didn’t say that. I said you gave them sentience. Which is worse.”

Liu Mei stomped. “I did not! You’re just mad they don’t listen to you anymore!”

Ace sighed and stood, brushing off his pants. “Alright, alright. I’ll go see the poultry.”

The kids followed as he walked toward the barn, Liu Mei skipping beside him while Shan Yifeng kept to the shade.

The midday sun cast a golden glow across the fields as Ace approached the barn, the scent of wildflowers mixing with the faint odor of feathers and pride.

There, a familiar smile, stood Lily, graceful as ever, dressed in a simple white dress dusted with flour from morning baking, her hair braided over one shoulder like a lazy waterfall.

“Master,” she greeted, her voice like birdsong. “Still entertaining those two brats?”

Her smile was warm, but the tease was unmistakable.

“Teacher,” Liu Mei said quickly, bowing her head just slightly. Respectful. Controlled.

Lily raised a brow and pointed at her. “Look at that. So polite now. Amazing what a few sparring sessions and a bruised ego can teach.”

Liu Mei flinched, her posture stiffening.

No matter how much she trained, how strong she grew, Lily remained an immovable wall. A gentle wall, yes but one with fists of divine steel.

Even White Fur, now with her ninth tail, refused to spar with Lily anymore.

The fox pretended to nap whenever Lily entered the training ground.

Ace didn’t notice the silent exchange of fear and reverence between the two.

He simply nodded. “How does it feel out here?”

Lily tilted her head, eyes wandering across the fields and the blue sky above.

“…Better,” she said thoughtfully. “The Divine Garden has richer land, Sure, better mana density too. But the mood there… it’s still. Cold. Like everything’s already decided.”

She looked at the barn, where voices and the occasional quack echoed from inside.

“Here, we get people. Stories. Visitors. Life.”

Her smile deepened, genuine and soft. “It feels real here.”

Ace offered a rare smile and walked with the kids toward the barn.

Inside, the chaos was already being handled.

Ruby stood in the middle of a feather-strewn battlefield, her sleeves rolled up, gently separating a duck from a pompous-looking rooster.

Her calming aura settled over the barn like warm mist.

She turned at the sound of their footsteps.

Her eyes widened.

A flicker of emotion passed through them—then she dropped her gaze.

“…Brother,” she whispered, her voice unsure, soft like a bell on a snowy morning.

But then, she lifted her chin, took a deep breath, and smiled.

“Master.”

Ace’s gaze lingered on her, then gave a single nod.

Indeed, over the years, Ruby had become his third disciple.

Quiet. Determined. Healing from old wounds and walking into the light of something new.