Teacher by day, Farmer by passion - Chapter 33

Chapter 33: Internal Chaos
Zhao Yun, who had just finished her meditation, finally turned to look at Ace.

“Master Xiao,” she began, her tone carefully measured. “Would you be willing to sell Spirit Chickens to our sect?”

Ace leaned back slightly, a faint smile playing at his lips.

“And what exactly are you willing to offer?” His voice carried a hint of amusement.

“Gold? Surely not. You must realize by now that I have no use for such things.”

Zhao Yun frowned, clearly deep in thought. Her brows knitted together as she tried to come up with a proper offer.

Ace watched her struggle, entertained by the rare sight. It was almost… cute.

“Zhao Yun.” His voice broke her train of thought still she straightened, looking expectantly at him.

“I won’t be selling any Spirit Chicken.”

Her expression immediately fell.

Ace had to suppress a chuckle—she looked like a child who’d just had her favorite barbie doll taken away..

“But,” he continued, “I am willing to exchange for a few materials.”

Zhao Yun’s eyes lit up again. “Which materials, Master Xiao?”

Ace tapped his fingers against the table, considering. The materials he needed weren’t for simple trades; they were essential for experimenting with different grades of beast feed.

He couldn’t just give high-grade feed to low-grade Spirit Beasts—it was a costly mistake, though not in the way most would assume.

He dismissed the thought for now, turning his attention back to Zhao Yun.

“I need spiritual-grade ingredients—rare herbs, beast cores, and essence stones. The purer, the better.”

Zhao Yun nodded, already mentally taking stock of what their sect could offer.

Ace smirked. “Now, let’s see if your sect can afford my chickens.”

Zhao Yun’s eyes gleamed with determination. “Which rare herbs?”

Ace didn’t even hesitate. “Sunfruit, Corali, Negril.”

She nodded firmly. “Alright. I’ll get those Spirit Chickens, Master Xiao.”

Without another word, she spun on her heel and strode out, her mind already focused on the task ahead.

Outside, her summon Dixie lay sprawled, belly full after devouring the last of the biscuits. The large beast let out a satisfied huff, clearly enjoying her well-earned rest.

Zhao Yun, however, had no patience for laziness.

“Wake up, we have to go.”

Dixie let out a low, grumbling growl in protest but ultimately obeyed, stretching her powerful limbs before standing.

Zhao Yun wasted no time, swiftly mounting her. With a firm grip on the reins, she leaned forward.

“Let’s move.”

With a powerful leap, Dixie dashed forward, kicking up dust as they sped into the distance.

Meanwhile in the quiet of another chamber, the soft clink of porcelain echoed as tea was poured into two delicate cups. Steam curled into the dimly lit room, carrying the faint fragrance of jasmine.

Xie Ninger sat across from the elder, fingers tracing the rim of her cup before she finally broke the silence.

“Elder,” she began hesitantly, eyes flickering toward the woman before her. “Do you not think the family head has changed?”

The elder lifted her cup in silence, taking a slow sip as if weighing her words. The dim candlelight deepened the shadows across her aged face.

Finally, she exhaled. “Yes.”

Her fingers tightened around the porcelain, a distant look in her eyes.

“He has changed… and I have already foreseen the future our family will have.”

Xie Ninger leaned forward slightly, waiting.

“It will stand tall,” the elder continued, her voice steady.

And then a pause.

“But—”

Xie Ninger frowned. “But what?”

The elder set her cup down with deliberate care, the soft clatter unnervingly loud in the silence.

“It stands tall on one single mighty pillar.”

A shudder ran down her spine at the weight of those words.

Her mind flickered between two equally unsettling thoughts—either the students who attended his private lessons were unremarkable, unworthy of mention, or…

Or she did not dare imagine what the other possibility meant.

Something about Xiao Wuzi had changed. It wasn’t just his demeanor, though that alone was unsettling. The way he spoke, the unwavering authority in his tone, the weight of his gaze—everything about him seemed… absolute.

He even had stopped hesitating when he spoke in the chamber today.

And the strangest part? He did not focus on the immediate issue, the market which he painstakingly grew.

That was what disturbed her the most.

The elder’s lips pressed into a thin line. “By any means necessary,” she said at last, her voice laced with quiet urgency, “stop my daughter, Xiao Lin, from partaking in the private tutoring. Fake an assasin attempt on elder Shiyang.”

Xie Ninger’s brows furrowed. She did not fully understand—but she did not question the order.

With a bow, she rose, her steps light as she left the chamber.

The elder remained seated, her fingers absentmindedly tapping against the table. She turned to the window, staring out at the silver glow of the moon, its cold light washing over her aged features.

“Xiao Zhi…” she murmured, voice barely above a whisper. “Ever since you left, our family has faced crisis after crisis…”

And now, in the wake of those storms, a new force had risen.

One that even she could not predict.

…..

…..

Xie Ninger adjusted her mask, her breath steady despite the weight of the task ahead.

Dressed as an assassin, she blended into the darkness, a mere shadow amidst the others. The elder’s words echoed in her mind— “Your escape path is secured. Make it look realistic.”

Realistic? She scoffed inwardly. This staged assassination could spiral out of control in an instant.

Below, the training grounds swarmed with Xiao family prodigies, their postures tense, eyes sharp with focus.

At the front stood Elder Xiao Shiyang, his voice carrying over the crowd. “Remember, whatever you do, stick together. We will be on standby. He may be the strongest, but united, you all will be fine.”

Her words settled over them like a cold wind, a silent warning wrapped in encouragement.

Not far from her, Elder Xiao Bo scoffed. “Elder Shiyang, you’re too old-school. Let the kids go in already.”

Xie Ninger’s grip tightened on her dagger as her gaze flickered to Xiao Bo. It was because of elders like him that the family head remained unchallenged.

Why not take the kids to the family head directly? Why the hesitation?

Her thoughts drifted to Xiao Wuzi, the man who had once lifted the family to greatness.

The whispers around the family weren’t baseless. His past was shrouded in something dark—an incident from years ago. He had assaulted a young girl of the Xiao family as soon as she was of age and though she had later taken her own life, he remained untouched, protected by his elder supporters.

Despite his past, they were sending the younger generation straight to him. Was it really guidance Xiao Wuzi intended to offer?

Xie Ninger didn’t know. But she knew this mission wasn’t about Xiao Wuzi—it was about Xiao Lin.

Her gaze flickered to her fellow sisters, all clad in black, their faces unreadable beneath their masks.

This is it, she reminded herself. We don’t need to kill her, just make it look like an accident.

The plan was simple—staged assassination attempt on Elder Shiyang, and in the chaos, Xiao Lin would be caught in the crossfire.

A whisper broke through the tense air.

“…This is stupid.”

Xie Ninger glanced at the girl who had spoken.

She wasn’t wrong.

The elder had the power to simply forbid her daughter from attending. No one would dare question her decision.

And yet, she had chosen deception.

Xie Ninger exhaled slowly, her grip tightening on her weapon.

Orders were absolute. Questioning them was not an option.