Teacher by day, Farmer by passion

"You want me to actually teach?" Ace asked, brows furrowing in confusion.

"Yes," Milson replied smoothly. "I'll be sending you a class of specially selected students from the academy itself."

"Special, you say..." Ace muttered, narrowing his eyes.

He leaned in, voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "After all, Soho speaks very highly of you, you know."

"That's Princess Soho," Ace corrected, crossing his arms.

Milson waved a dismissive hand. "Oh, whatever. It's just the two of us here, unless, of course, you are her obedient little dog?"

Ace chuckled. "Funny, coming from the one who's only here because of her orders."

Milson let out a bark of laughter. "Oh no, no! It was not an order. She begged me to help you, you see."

He paused, then added with a sly grin, "Well, in return, I made her serve me for a night in bed,she was talented."

He watched Ace closely, waiting for some sign of jealousy, anger, anything.

Yet Ace didn't even blink.

Instead, he turned away with a yawn. "You don't have to try so hard, little man. The princess and I share no such relationship. Stop sullying the master you serve."

Milson clicked his tongue, looking disappointed. "Tch. And here I thought I'd found her secret lover."

Ignoring him, Ace exhaled. "What exactly happened while I was unconscious?"

Milson, now holding a cup of tea, Ace had no idea where it came from, took a leisurely sip before answering.

"A lot, actually. I'll start from when I arrived. First, there was a massive explosion right in the heart of the village."

He paused, tilting his head. "By the way, did you know this village has a brothel? Strange, isn't it? In a place like this?"

Ace shot him a flat look.

With a light cough, Milson continued.

"So my troops and I rushed to the explosion site. It was absolute carnage, limbs scattered everywhere, far too many to count. Very bad for morale, I might add."

He took another sip of tea. "Oh, and that's also where I noticed the formation."

Ace's curiosity piqued. "What kind of formation?"

The teasing smirk faded from Milson's face, replaced by a calculating look. "An ancient formation. Old magic, designed to seal space itself."

Ace's brows furrowed.

"It's not just a seal,"

Milson continued, voice quieter now. "It feeds on limbs, both fresh and rotting, arranged in a unique pattern. Sort of a ritual of blood, locking a person in place, can't leave the space. Including the garden of yours that allowed for smooth carrying."

Ace's fingers clenched. "So, you think this was aimed at me?"

Milson took another sip, giving him a pointed look. "Well, considering reports from White Oak City, where your disciples allegedly saw a similar limb-based formation… I'd say yes."

Ace fell silent. How many lives were sacrificed just to trap me?

Milson set his cup down. "Now, officially, you, the divine garden holder, died in that very explosion. That's the report that is going to be spread around. Which means you now have the perfect opportunity to adopt a new identity, to hide the fact that you own the Divine Garden."

He leaned back, a smirk playing on his lips. "And that's why, to start anew, the princess is requesting that you join an academy."

Milson set his empty cup down with a quiet clink. "The road has been paved. The only question is… what choice will you make?"

Ace was quiet for a long moment.

Then, he finally turned to Milson.

"The name's Ace," he said. "I can teach when it comes to alchemy."

Milson's eyes lit up. "Good! That settles it!"

Straightening his posture, he adopted a more formal tone.

"Now that everything's in order, allow me to properly introduce myself."

"My name is Milson Edinburgh, the only son of Duke Lion Edinburgh. I specialize in formations and, as of recently, I've reached Grade 4 as a Formation Master. Oh, and I just turned twenty-one."

The way he said it carried unmistakable pride, as if expecting admiration.

Just then an armored man strode into the tent, drawing the attention of both Ace and Milson.

Without a word, he leaned in and whispered something into Milson's ear. Milson's expression shifted as he stood abruptly and gestured for Ace to follow.

"Come on," Milson said, already moving.

Ace followed without question. As they stepped outside, the air was thick with the scent of blood and scorched earth.

The aftermath of the explosion was everywhere, wounded villagers groaning in pain, makeshift bandages hastily wrapped around limbs, and soldiers tending to the injured.

The two passed through the grim scene, Milson occasionally nodding at soldiers who greeted him respectfully as he walked by.

After navigating through the wreckage, they arrived at a large, still intact formation site.

Standing at its edge, staring intently at the glowing sigils etched into the ground, was Shan Yifeng.

The moment he turned and spotted Ace, his eyes widened. Without hesitation, he rushed forward, throwing his arms around Ace in a tight embrace.

"Master! You're awake!" Shan Yifeng's voice was thick with relief.

Ace let out a small chuckle and patted his disciple's head. "I'm fine," he reassured him, his voice softer than usual.

Shan Yifeng pulled back, quickly wiping his eyes before straightening up.

"By the way, Master, this way. You need to see this," Shan Yifeng said, his tone unusually serious.

Without hesitation, he turned and led Ace and Milson deeper into the formation site.

They stepped past scattered remains, severed limbs, blood-stained earth, until they reached something different.

A body.

Ace's steps faltered.

Xiao Wuzi lay still, the arrogance he once carried stripped away, leaving only hollow eyes staring at the uncaring sky.

The man who had once loomed over him, who had nearly taken his life, was now nothing more than another corpse in the dirt.

Ace inhaled sharply.

"For all his schemes… in the end, death makes us all the same."

Milson crouched beside the intact body, pressing his fingers lightly against the cold flesh.

He stayed there for a moment, eyes scanning over the corpse with careful scrutiny before finally nodding.

"Looks like another piece of good news for you," he said, his voice carrying an eerie calm.

The intense stench of blood still clung to the air, thick and suffocating.

Ace exhaled slowly, then stepped back, motioning for Shan Yifeng to follow. Milson simply nodded, choosing to stay behind.

As they moved away, Shan Yifeng looked up at his master. "Master, have you met with Sister Xie and Elder Lily yet?"

Ace paused, recalling something that had happened in the last few days. His lips curled slightly,

"Shan Yifeng, remember when you asked me what a Wild Card Elder meant?" he asked.

Shan Yifeng nodded slowly.

Ace said. "Well, what happened today explains it well."

Shan Yifeng gulped, his mind flashing back to Lily's effortless defiance of the tribulations.

"I get it now, Master," he murmured, his voice filled with awe. "She was truly… wonderful."

They continued walking until they arrived at a makeshift outdoor kitchen.

Fires burned low, fueled by hastily gathered wood, while women moved in and out, carrying pots and trays.

The air smelled of charred food and sweat, mingling with the ever-present scent of blood.

As they stepped closer, one of the women passing by noticed them. She wiped her hands on her apron and offered a warm, motherly smile.

"Alright, kids, what brings you here?" she asked casually.

Ace blinked. It took him a second to realize, she was talking to him.

The woman looked to be in her forties, perhaps even fifties, with no hint of cultivation in her aura.

To her, Ace was just a tall young man, barely in his twenties, and Shan Yifeng was nothing more than a child.

Shan Yifeng stepped forward. "We're looking for my elder sisters, Sister Lily and Sister Xie Ninger," he said politely.

Ace glanced around curiously. "Do all these people cook for the military every day?"

The woman scoffed, shaking her head.

"Oh, please. The Duke isn't that foolish. We're volunteers from the village," she explained.

Then, with a chuckle, she turned to a group of women nearby. "Yes, we're all from the same village."

A chorus of murmurs followed; some in agreement, some… less so.

"The prostitute women aren't one of us," one of the older women muttered darkly.

"Yeah, right! They seduced our husbands, bunch of snakes," another spat.

"Thanks to you folks, I had to raise my son alone!" someone else chimed in bitterly. "And now look, he even injured his arm today!"

The tension in the air was palpable. The accused younger women lowered their heads, avoiding eye contact, their shoulders tense with quiet shame.

The first woman, the one who had spoken to Ace and Shan Yifeng, sighed heavily, rubbing her temple. "Well… some aren't from our village," she admitted, sounding annoyed. "But does it matter? At least we need the extra hands."

She hesitated before adding in a quieter, almost reluctant tone, "And not all of them are bad… some were forced into it."

Just then, a familiar voice broke through the chatter.

"Xiao Zhi, you're awake already?"

Ace turned to see Xie Ninger approaching, exhaustion evident in her every step.

Her usually sharp eyes were dulled with fatigue, her robes stained with soot and sweat.

Before Ace could respond, another voice chimed in, this one smooth and elegant.

"I told you so," Yuu said, stepping out from behind Xie Ninger, her expression smug yet unreadable.