Teacher by day, Farmer by passion

"Brother, I think you should help the princess," Ruby said, her tone unusually serious.

Ace glanced at her over the rim of his teacup. "And why do you think so?"

Ruby folded her arms, deep in thought. "Well, it's like this... Unlike her siblings, she's not vying for the throne."

Ace took a slow sip, unconvinced. "That's because she's the fifth child. She doesn't have much of a claim."

Ruby shook her head. "That's not the reason. Soho is already a Dark Gold Rank, while her siblings—especially the first prince—only just reached Gold Rank."

Ace raised an eyebrow. "And your point is?"

Ruby gave him a meaningful look. "Brother… don't you need a wife?"

Ace choked mid-sip, tea spraying everywhere as he coughed violently.

Ruby ran away laughing, leaving Ace baffled by her sudden matchmaking attempt.

Ace wiped his mouth, glaring after Ruby as she disappeared, still laughing. He sighed, setting his teacup down.

"Why is every person playing matchmaker?"

A new voice cut through his thoughts.

"Boo."

Ace nearly flinched. Turning around, he found Princess Soho standing there, arms crossed, a playful smirk on her lips.

"So, what do you say? Take me in?"

Ace narrowed his eyes. "How old are you even?"

She tilted her head, feigning innocence. "Well, I'm already legal, you know."

He let out a sigh. "I'm still not taking you in as a disciple."

Before she could argue, he raised a hand to stop her. "Stretch your arms out."

She hesitated but obeyed. Ace pricked her finger, collecting a single drop of blood.

From his system space, he retrieved a plain-looking book. As the drop of blood slid down its surface, the book pulsed with a faint glow before stabilizing. Color bloomed across its covers.

Soho stared, eyes wide with shock.

Ace handed her the book. "Here, take this. Consider it a transaction—you deal with Xiao Wuzi for me, and I'll take care of your problem."

She opened her mouth but hesitated. "But… but it's not…"

Ace met her gaze, his tone calm yet firm. "Don't worry. Normally, switching cultivation manuals causes severe setbacks. But this one is different."

She looked down at the book, uncertainty still lingering.

"The technique you just obtained… simply by being near a strong male, you'll grow stronger."

Soho blinked. Then, slowly, a sly grin formed on her lips.

Ace groaned, running a hand through his hair. "Hey, I'm not that shameless."

_____

Later in the evening, a group of cultivators arrived alongside the Hua family's servants, exchanging spirit pigs for rare herbs. With the transaction complete, Ace knew it was finally time to embark on his journey into alchemy.

He retreated to the old house he used to live—dust everywhere, overgrown weeds, yet peaceful. It was the perfect place to practice.

Standing amidst the rundown structure, he muttered, "So why do I still need your help when the system claims I've been rewarded with alchemy knowledge? If you stay silent, I get nothing."

A voice chuckled inside his mind.

— Hehe, don't trust the system too much. That Divine Garden is already impressive enough, but remember, we are still beings who long for freedom.

Ace frowned, recalling the previous voice that had taunted him.

"The last one didn't talk much… aside from mocking me," he muttered.

— That's because he was rebelling. He refused to share knowledge. In the end, he was forcibly crushed.

Ace frowned, gripping the furnace tighter. Crushed? What did that mean?

The voice in his head chuckled, sensing his curiosity.

— Don't think too much. You'll only slow yourself down. Find your next read on My Virtual Library Empire

He wasn't so sure about that.

— Oh please, don't dwell on it too much. In the world of cultivation, there is no right or wrong—only the strength of one's fist determines justice.

"If you say so, then."

He reached into his system space and retrieved the furnace he had received as a reward.

— Not bad, this furnace is at least at the Spirit Tier. Good enough for a beginner like you, the voice in his head remarked lazily.

Ace ignored the comment, instead focusing on the ingredients laid out before him.

Carefully selected from the spirit herbs he had traded for, each one pulsed with a faint aura of energy.

The Soul Calming Pill—his first attempt at alchemy—required precise control, a steady flame, and a keen understanding of balance.

"Alright," he muttered. "What's first?"

— You're lucky the system has already given you the knowledge. Otherwise, you'd be fumbling like a blind man trying to catch a fly.

Ignoring the comment, Ace focused on the ingredients. With a flick of his wrist, he summoned a controlled flame beneath the furnace. The fire sprang to life, burning with a steady blue hue.

— Keep it low at first. You don't want to burn the ingredients before they've released their essence.

Following the guidance, Ace began adding the herbs one by one. First, the Lunar Lotus—a delicate petal that emitted a faint silver glow—was tossed into the furnace.

Almost immediately, it began to dissolve, releasing a thin wisp of energy that swirled within the chamber.

Next was the Nine-Leaved Serene Grass, its deep green stalk curling as the heat extracted its essence. A faint medicinal scent filled the air, blending with the floral fragrance of the lotus.

And a bit of moonstone flower to work as the tonic.

— Good, good. Now, control the heat. Too much, and the refinement process will collapse.

Ace gritted his teeth, adjusting the flame with a slight flick of his fingers. The herbs inside the furnace began to fuse, their energies intertwining in a delicate dance.

The final ingredient—a droplet of Spirit Dew—was the most crucial. With precise timing, Ace flicked the glowing droplet into the furnace, watching as it spread like a fine mist, coating the swirling mixture.

— Now, comes the hard part. Compression.

Sweat formed on his brow as he focused his spiritual energy, guiding the fused essence into forming pill embryos. The furnace trembled slightly, resisting his will.

— Steady yourself. Let the flow guide you.

He took a deep breath, adjusting his technique. The embryos formed—small, glowing spheres, suspended in the air within the furnace.

— This is the last step—solidification. Don't fail here.

With a controlled burst of energy, Ace locked the pill embryos into their final shape. A sharp hiss escaped from the furnace as steam billowed outward, carrying with it a rich, medicinal fragrance.

The process was finally complete.

Opening the lid he peered into the furnace. Eight pills lay at the bottom—four dull, three faintly glowing, and one gleaming like a polished gem.

His breath caught. He had actually done it.

A slow grin spread across his face. His first successful refinement.

— Not bad. One high-grade Soul Calming Pill, three mid-grade, and four low-grade. A decent result for your first attempt.