Teacher by day, Farmer by passion - Chapter 88

Chapter 88: Plan (NEW!)
“What do you mean by that? I only told you to investigate! How is that so hard to understand?”

Lukas’ voice lashed through the dimly lit chamber, his patience hanging by a thread.

Before him, a trembling figure knelt, forehead pressed into the cold, hard floor.

The man dared not look up, his entire body rigid with fear.

Lukas clenched his fists, resisting the urge to snap completely.

He had given explicit instructions—observe, gather information, report back. And yet, somehow, these ignorant fools took matters into their own hands and attempted an assassination!

Now all forms of communication withose send out had been severed! Gone!

His plan had gone wrong, terribly wrong.

Worse still, he was no closer to understanding the true strength of the man behind those two monstrous children.

His jaw tightened as he paced back and forth, his sharp footsteps echoing like a metronome in the suffocating silence.

He loathed uncertainty.

The unknown was like a blade waiting to be turned against him.

One wrong step, and his own head could be served on a silver platter before he even saw the blade coming!

The sound of a sliding door interrupted his thoughts.

“What’s got you so riled up, Elder Lukas?”

A calm voice, controlled and effortless.

Lukas halted immediately, turning sharply before offering a small bow. “Elder Frea.”

Straightening, he wasted no time.

His irritation bled into his words, direct. “A child, looks no more than ten years old, at Gold Rank.”

Frea barely raised an eyebrow. “What of it?”

Lukas stared at him, disbelief flickering in his eyes. “What of it?! Are you even listening? That’s a prodigy! Ten years old and already at Gold Rank—do you know how absurd that is?”

Frea sighed, his voice calm. “Lukas, keep it down.”

Lukas cleared his throat but didn’t bother hiding his frustration. “Ahem. Fine. But listen—there’s not just one. There are two of them.”

This time, Frea’s brow furrowed. “Which sect are they from?”

Lukas exhaled sharply. “That’s the problem. They’re not from any sect.”

The room went abrupt silence for a while as Lukas revelation slowly sinked in.

Frea’s expression shifted slightly,. “And who is teaching them?”

Lukas pressed his lips together before answering. “An outsider.”

Frea leaned back, fingers tapping against the wooden armrest—a slow, rhythmic sound. “An outsider?”

His gaze sharpened, the amusement in his voice fading.

That word alone carried weight. In the eyes of sect cultivators, an outsider was anyone who had not begun cultivation within a recognized sect.

Most outsiders were either children of influential families or rare, lucky individuals who stumbled upon a technique—though the sects rarely let them live long enough to become a threat.

Lukas scoffed. “Yes, an outsider. You know how this ends. The sects hoard all the treasures, leaving nothing for those outside their system. If he’s truly an outsider, he either got his hands on something rare—or stole it. And if it’s the latter, we both know how this story plays out.”

“What’s this outsider’s background?”

Lukas hesitated for a brief moment before inhaling deeply. “Xiao Zhi.”

Frea’s eyes narrowed. “Xiao? Like the Xiao family?” His voice dropped slightly. “If it’s them, we might not be able to handle this.”

Lukas clicked his tongue. “Listen to me first.”

Frea raised a hand in surrender. “Alright, alright. No need to get worked up.”

Lukas exhaled, regaining his composure. “He was banished from the Xiao family..”

Frea raised an eyebrow, his expression unreadable. “And?”

Lukas’ expression darkened. “And that’s when things got strange.”

He leaned forward, voice dropping into a near whisper. “He arrived at a village and took in two disciples. Then, he introduced himself as the envoy of the Divine Garden.”

The words hit Frea like a hammer. His fingers stilled against the armrest. “He’s the envoy of the Divine Garden?”

Lukas nodded. “That’s where it gets suspicious. Ever since he left the Xiao family, he’s been full of surprises. Did you remember the last event in that village? That was no minor gathering—it was a grand spectacle. He wasn’t hiding the fact that he was the envoy. No… he was announcing it for the whole world to know.”

Frea’s eyes sharpened, his mind working quickly. “He should’ve kept that hidden…” he murmured before realization struck. “Unless… he wanted everyone to know.”

Lukas smirked. “Exactly.” His tone turned grim. “And then there’s Xiao Wuzi.”

Frea frowned. “Xiao Wuzi…”

Lukas nodded, his voice filled with suspicion. “The banishment was one thing. But why did he go out of his way to confront Xiao Zhi during the tournament? And not just that—he didn’t just threaten him. He made it a public spectacle.”

Frea’s fingers curled slightly. “If they truly severed ties, why go through all that trouble? If they wanted him dead, they could’ve killed him quietly before they even banished him…”

Their eyes met, the same thought forming between them.

“Unless…” they muttered in unison.

A heavy silence followed before Lukas finally spoke. “They’re deliberately trying to make it seem like Xiao Zhi has no connection to the Xiao family… while secretly preparing something in the shadows.”

Frea exhaled slowly giving Lukas a thumbs up on agreement. “You’re right, the Xiao family is definitely plotting something.”

Lukas smirked. “Good thing I came to confide with you.”

Frea chuckled. “Indeed.”

Lukas turned to the man still kneeling on the ground, his head buried in the dirt. “Get up.”

The man trembled before scrambling to his feet, head still bowed.

Lukas’ voice was firm. “Gather your men. This time, you will not do anything unnecessary. Follow my orders exactly.”

The man bobbed his head quickly. “Y-yes! Understood! Thank you, Elder Lukas!”

He practically sprinted out of the room, desperate to escape.

Then, just as he stepped past the threshold, his vision blurred. The world tilted. Cold steel pressed against his throat for a split second before his consciousness faded.

A lifeless body crumpled to the floor.

Frea barely blinked. “And here I thought you’d actually let him live.”

Lukas lowered his hand, shaking off the lingering warmth of blood. His voice was cold. “I don’t keep incompetent fools.”

(A/N: Sorry for the eyesore.)