Teacher by day, Farmer by passion

They continued to devour every last bite while Lily kept effortlessly bringing out more and more pork.

It wasn't long before everyone was leaning back, patting their stomachs, some even letting out deep, satisfied burps.

Even Zhao Yun had a

Pleased and satisfied smile plastered across he face.

Meanwhile, Liu Mei who had just finished her meal—which, frankly, was enough to feed an entire banquet--was staring at a second basket.

Even Ace couldn't help but feel a little shy.

"Was she starved for days? Did he not feed her?I'm sure this are the thoughts in everyone's mind." Ace cursed silently.

Taking a deep breath, he clapped his hands and declared, "Alright! Now that all of you have eaten like kings, let's get to work!"

Silence.

Then—

"Right after eating? Are you MAD?!"

The sheer horror in that question was palpable.

Lily and Rei emerged just in time, walked out the portal carrying baskets filled with gleaming spirit apples and ripe mangoes.

The cultivators grumbles instantly died down as the fragrant fruits were distributed among them.

James took one bite of a mango and even nearly shed a tear.

"Heavenly… I might cry. Sweet, juicy, yet with a slight tang— this is perfection!"

The other cultivators also couldn't stop praising when they took a bite, happily munching on the fruits.

After a few minutes of pure blissful snacking, Zhao Yun stood up, dusted herself off, and clapped her hands together.

"Alright! Break's over. Let's dig!"

Ace, arms crossed, watched as the cultivators got to work. Some used graceful techniques, channeling their energy into the soil like true masters of their craft.

Others… well, some simply brute-forced their way through, resembling wild boars gleefully wrecking a vegetable patch.

Hua Hua stared at the ground being dug up, his expression grim.

His hands were meant for signing important trade deals, not shoveling dirt!

But he understood the situation—his family now relied on the spirit vegetables supplied by Ace. He needed to form a positive image in his mind.

With a deep breath, he resigned himself to the task.

Still, before lifting a finger, he cast a glance at the two elders he had brought along. The sight made him wince.

Hua Ting and Hua Tiger were already at it with their own way of doing things.

"Brother, watch this!" Hua Tiger activated his technique, sending a perfect arc of dirt soaring into the air.

"Hah! That's amateur work!" Hua Ting scoffed, flexing his fingers. A sharp blade of wind sliced through the earth, carving a neat trench with surgical precision.

Ace stroked his chin, amused. "You guys are surprisingly good at this… Have you done manual labor before? Or is it a hidden talent."

Hua Hua immediately choked on air, his face twisting in indignation. "O-of course not! We are dignified cultivators!"

Ace blinked at the unexpected outburst and held up his hands.

"Alright, alright, old man—relax! No need to have a heart attack over it. I was just joking."

After hours of blood, sweat and tears, the irrigation project was finally complete.

The once-rough patch of land had been transformed into a properly dug irrigation channel, ready to guide water towards the dried fields.

With their work done, Zhao Yun along with her sister Zhao Mei and the cultivators disciple they brought bid their farewells and departed the area.

After the dust settled, Hua Hua approached Ace.

"Master Zhi, about Gryphon Mountain…"

Ace raised an eyebrow. "Ah, you want it back?"

"No, no, of course not! How could we take back something we've already given?" Hua Hua hurriedly waved his hands.

"Good," Ace replied with a nod. "I was quite fond of that place."

But deep down, his screamed in his head:

Hell no! The Xiao family is right next to the mountain! You think I'm dumb enough to live next to that walking disaster, Xiao Wuzi?

Unaware of the internal monologue playing in Ace's head, Hua Hua exchanged glances with his two elders. With a single nod, they came to a silent agreement.

So he really was testing our sincerity.

With newfound determination, Hua Hua straightened his back. "Master Zhi, the Hua family would like to purchase your spirit products at twice the market rate."

It was a bold claim, yet neither of the elders objected.

Both brothers knew that Master Zhi's spirit products were leagues above anything found in the market.

Honestly, if I had the money, I'd pay triple, Hua Ting admitted to himself.

"Twice the amount, you say?"

Ace looked tempted by the offer.

Well… he really was—until he remembered all the gold coins stashed in Gryphon Mountain.

Just like that, the desire vanished completely.

"I don't need gold coins," he replied flatly.

Hua Hua's mouth opened, then closed and then his mind began to race, trying to come up with a better offer.

Before he could speak, Ace tapped his chin, pretending to consider something.

Then, an idea struck him.

"How about this? Instead of paying double, I want you to spread the word about this village. In return, I'll sell you the products at their full price."

Hua Hua blinked. "Advertisement?"

"Exactly," Ace nodded. "My master wants to build a business, a legacy of sorts. She says she wants to show the world what she's truly capable of—just once—before she takes her rest."

His tone was casual, almost dismissive, as if it were just a passing request.

Well, even if it's an imaginary master, I'll make sure it's a female. Ace added inside his brain.

Now, instead of prying into his affairs, they'd be chasing after his so-called 'master.'

Of course, that didn't completely eliminate the possibility of someone trying to beat the information out of him… but well, it was what it was.

"We'll do just that then, Master Zhi. We'll depart to make preparations," the three said in unison before leaping away, vanishing into the distance like the wind.

As they traveled, Hua Tiger exhaled in satisfaction. "I'm glad we came in person."

Hua Ting nodded from behind. "Yes, now that Master Zhi recognizes our sincerity, we can establish a strong alliance."

Hua Hua chuckled, shaking his head. "You two are still too green. Don't go around bragging that you're from the Hua family if anyone asks."

"Hey!" The two shot back in unison, clearly offended.

Meanwhile, Ace, still walking with Shan Yifeng and Liu Mei, frowned in thought.

Wait a minute…

Why had the three of them arrived at such a convenient time? Had they somehow known about the digging? How kind of them… but really, they didn't have to—

His thoughts abruptly derailed as his sister came into view.

Standing in front of the door like a devoted wife awaiting her husband's return, she waved enthusiastically.

"Danna-sama! Ruby was lonely without you," she called sweetly.

Before Ace could even process it, Liu Mei suddenly latched onto him in a tight hug.