Teacher by day, Farmer by passion - Chapter 253

Chapter 253: Farm Life [3]
Ace exited the bustling Immortal Market and reappeared in the tranquil expanse of the herb garden.

The sharp contrast between the two worlds, one filled with chaos and and the other calm, settled over him like a soft breeze.

With a thought, he turned his steps toward the riverside.

It’s been a while… Aqua should be tending to the fish around this time, he mused.

The gentle rustle of leaves accompanied him as he made his way down the winding path, the distant sound of flowing water growing clearer with every step.

When Ace arrived, he found Aqua by the riverbank, gently tossing feed into the water.

The river shimmered under the soft light, reflecting the peaceful rhythm of Aqua’s task.

“Aqua,” Ace called out with a small smile. “Hard at work again?”

A translucent screen flickered beside Aqua’s head, displaying a thought he hadn’t voiced aloud:

[Huh? Master still remembers my name?]

Ace read it, but said nothing as he just smiled knowingly.

Despite the stray thought, Aqua straightened up and gave a respectful bow.

“Yes, Master. It’s been a while since you last visited.”

Ace nodded thoughtfully. “How are the fish coming along?”

Aqua’s face brightened with quiet pride. “Perfectly. It’s almost time for the harvest to be done. And I guarantee they will taste awesome.”

“Good, good.” Ace gave an approving nod, watching the calm waters ripple as fish darted below the surface.

“Aqua, you’re doing a really good job,” Ace said, watching the young man scatter feed into the shimmering river. “If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”

Aqua turned and gave a deep, respectful bow. “Thank you, Master! In that case… I would like a hundred spirit pigs.”

Ace blinked, then let out a light chuckle. Some things never change. Even back then, Aqua’s eyes had always sparkled at the mention of spirit chickens or pigs.

“Alright,” Ace said with a faint smile. “If this batch turns out well, I’ll give you the hundred… plus ten more.”

A visible thought flickered across the invisible screen above Aqua’s head:

[Ahhhh yes!]

But when he spoke, his tone was nothing but graceful. “Thank you so much, Master.”

Ace gave a final chuckle, shimmering away in a blur of light and reappeared moments later, the lacquered black box still in hand.

But he paused.

Off in the distance, children dressed in white robes tended to the cornfields, barefoot, sleeves rolled up, laughter rising with the wind.

The sight softened something in him.

For a moment, he forgot all about the box in his hand.

Instead, a quiet thought crossed his mind:

“I wonder what the sect is like these days…”

He hadn’t planned to build a sect.

Not really.

But sometimes… life just kind of decides for you.

And in his case, that decision came in the form of a very insistent, a firm, collective “You’re making a sect whether you like it or not.”

It started with Lily.

She made herself very clear:

Liu Mei was hers to teach. She even added about how no one was strong enough to even teach her and if anyone had an issue they could challenge her.

True to her words, Lily beat Liu Mei and even her majestic nine tailed snow fox into submission.

Sure, Liu Mei was Ace’s disciple on paper, Lily would never challenge that, but that did not stop her from fiercely guarding the girl’s development like a dragon over its hoard.

And so it went…

Then there was his second disciple, Shan Yifeng had already been snatched up by Elder Akha before anyone else could even blink.

She practically stamped “PROPERTY OF AKHA” on his forehead.

Next came the chaotic trio: Khani, Kathum, and Tushan.

Khani and Kathum, both a variant of humans, the bald humans, who were known for their terrifying alchemy ability, claimed they wanted to “impart wisdom” to the younger generation.

Which was great.

And then… there was Tushan. The twin sister of Xi Chun who is knowned around the place for her amazing musical skills.

She wanted to teach cooking.

Yes. Cooking.

Now, this may have sounded lovely on the surface.

She did make mouthwatering dishes.

It was truly irresistible.

Until they started to find out what went into them.

One student cried after learning he had eaten shadowworm kidneys.

Another fainted upon realizing the “tender meat” was flame lizard tongue marinated in pigs urine.

Tushan’s defense was,

“Hey! I grew up poor, I’m just a little creative! Besides,it’s more cost efficient this way.”

A little?

She didn’t just think outside the box, she burned the box, cooked with its ashes, and called it seasoning.

The other girls, Mati and Xi Chun, were much easier.

They didn’t really care what the sect was about.

Their motto was simple:

“If Master says it’s fine, then it’s fine.”

End of discussion.

And finally, there was Shane.

The second cook.

A man with a dream.

He didn’t want to be famous.

He didn’t want to rule the kitchen.

He just wanted to cook…

for more people.

Atleast… With normal ingredients.

Bless his soul.

Ace took a step forward, planning to greet the children, but just then, he heard the unmistakable sound of frantic, heavy footsteps pounding the dirt path behind him.

He turned around.

There, red-faced and panting like a dying bull, was Shane, apron flapping, flour on his cheek, clearly in a state of full-blown kitchen panic.

“Master! Master! Big trouble!” Shane wheezed, barely managing to stay upright.

Ace blinked, confused.

“…What happened, Shane?”

“Huff… huff… it’s the Fairy Pavilion! Some of their members just arrived for a visit!”

Ace tilted his head. “And…?”

“We’re trading partners,” he added, brows furrowed. “That’s nothing new.”

Shane gave a helpless wheeze.

“Yes, but… the person meeting them right now is—”

A long pause.

“…Elder Lily.”

Ace went still.

A bird chirped in the distance.

A child laughed somewhere nearby.

Slowly, like a man contemplating a spiritual catastrophe, he whispered:

“…It’ll be fine. Right?”

But his eyes said something else entirely.