A day had passed since Ace escape with his two disciples.
Like clockwork, Ace was already getting ready for class again. Dressed up in his usual attire, a sword, a fan and small jade bottles of pill.
Next to him, staring at him straight was Lotus, his supposedly loyal assistant.
[Tch! And I thought he'd vanished for good…]
Ace chuckled quietly, having read the thought lingering in Lotus's mind, all while she maintained her polite smile like a perfect assistant.
Oh dear assistant he thought with a trace of amusent, there are only a select few who could make disappear for good. It's always entertaining to see that expression.
"Lotus, how was the class while I was gone?" he asked aloud.
[Hiek! H-He called by my na?!]
"Ah—Professor," Lotus stamred, regaining composure, "well, luckily, the class managed to stay on track in your absence."
[Not for long. You're going to be fired the mont you step onto academy grounds… How unfortunate. I won't get to be the assistant of a true alchemy master. But you are just too arrogant.]
Ace gave a polite nod, blinking slowly.
Welp, not like I'm in love with teaching anyway, he mused with a smirk. Might as well enjoy life a little more… be more like Liu i.
"Let's get going then, assistant. The sun's still up."
Lotus offered a low, formal bow and took the lead.
Inside the system space…
"Ahhhhhh! Whyyyyy is Master sooooo cruel?!" Liu i flailed dramatically, rolling back and forth across the ground in a whirlwind of frustration.
Shan Yifeng, deep in alchemy practice with Elder Akha observing, finally snapped.
"Will you shut the hell up?! I can't concentrate!"
Boom!
The cauldron belched smoke and fire.
"And that," ca Elder Akha's calm, unhurried voice, "is how your refinent explodes."
She slowly opened her eyes, unfazed.
"Yifeng," she said gently, "if you wish to master alchemy, the first step is mastering yourself."
Shan Yifeng threw an accusatory finger toward Liu i. "Even when she's like this?!"
"Yes," Akha replied without hesitation, then turned to Liu i with a mischievous glint.
"Oh, i'er~ Did you know that with Great Elder Lily gone, the spirit apple orchard is just sitting there… una-"
She didn't even get to finish her sentence.
Liu i shot upright in an instant, all flailing forgotten.
"I'm on it! No thieves are getting near my treasure trove!" And with that, she vanished in a blur.
Akha smiled faintly. "Sotis, motivation just needs the right flavor."
"I see, I understand now master." Shan yifeng said as he stares at Liu i back dissapearing from view soon.
Liu i dashed through the herb garden like a streak of silver light, wind whipping at her robes, her hair trailing behind like a cot's tail.
Her eyes blazed with righteous determination.
"No thief shall touch the orchard on my watch!" she cried, voice echoing like a heroine charging into battle.
Just as she rounded a bend near the stream, a soft rustling sound t her ears.
She skidded to a halt, a cloud of dust billowing beneath her feet.
There, waddling peacefully through the grass, was a spirit pork, a plump, content creature with shimring fur that glowed faintly with a warm pink hue.
It was nibbling on spirit grass, utterly oblivious to the incoming storm.
Their eyes t.
Ti seed to slow down.
Followed by~
BOOM!
Liu i vanished.
And in the next blink—
"VOILÀ!" she declared, spinning to a stop.
The pig? It was also gone.
Of course, there was no magic trick involved.
Liu i stood proudly, arms wrapped around the surprised, oinking spirit pork now squished against her chest like a treasured prize.
"I'm sure Mom will love the dinner I'm bringing back!" she bead, spinning joyfully in place as golden sparkles trailed behind her, forming little heart-shaped illusions in the air.
As she marched triumphantly away grinning from ear to ear, spirit pork kicking gently in her grasp.
She had clearly forgotten about the spirit apple orchard.... Good thing she was the only spirit apple thief in this whole system space.
After a few short sprint through, Liu i suddenly stopped mid-step, hands still holding on to the spirit pig.
"Phew... That's enough cardio for today," she muttered, chest rising and falling dramatically. "I'm a cultivator, not a marathon runner…"
With a dramatic flick of her sleeve, she stood tall and called out,
"Little Aoki!"
In a shimr of golden light, a massive bear, easily the size of a carriage, materialized beside her with a lazy yawn and glowing blue eyes.
His fur rippled like waves of moonlight, and each pawstep made the ground tremble ever so slightly.
Liu i pointed with a hand, dramatically at a spirit cow grazing peacefully a short distance away, its silky fur shining under the orchard sun.
"Go forth and feast, my beast, for I haven't fed you in days so fill yourself up and we shall go on a run!"
Little Aoki blinked once, as if sighing, and then began his slow march toward the spirit cow.
Before the cow could even raise its head—
"What are you doing?"
Liu i jumped. Literally. Nearly dropping the spirit pig in the process.
She spun around with wide eyes and found Elder Sister Mati standing there, holding a woven basket brimming with freshly picked spirit apples. Her expression was calm but stern—classic big sister energy.
"Ohhh it's just you, Elder Sister Mati!" Liu i giggled nervously. "Don't worry, I'm just trying to feed Little Aoki here. He's a gentleman! Or well... a gentlebear! Hehe…"
Little Aoki had stopped just a single step short of the spirit cow and simply stood there. Watching. Not moving a paw.
Mati looked between the cow and the towering bear, and gave a slow nod.
"At least he knows how to behave. But you—Liu i—you don't feed cattle to your soul beast! Master has an entire spirit beast feed silo sitting unused. Feed your soul bond with that!"
Liu i's eyes lit up with sudden realization.
"Ahhhh! Right! Spirit beast feed! I totally didn't forget!"
She snapped her fingers and, with a playful hop, leapt onto Little Aoki's broad furry back like a seasoned rider. Of course, she still had the spirit pig tucked in one arm like a plush toy.
As they began trotting off, Mati raised a brow.
"And what about the pig?"
Liu i glanced over her shoulder with a grin.
"Oh this? He's dinner!" she chirped cheerfully—and with that, both girl and bear vanished down the path in a puff of glimring mist, the pig oinking softly in confusion.
Mati watched them go, shook her head, and plucked a spirit apple from her basket.
".... I wonder what she would feel when she realises her mom has a group of spirit pigs near the house."
anwhile, in an office, alone, just Ace and Amon.
"So I'm fired? Just like that?" Ace raised a brow, his tone laced with disbelief.
"Well, yes, Professor Ace," Headmaster Amon replied calmly, stroking his long beard as he adjusted the monocle perched on his nose. "You were appointed through royal recomndation, but given the current... turmoil in the Royal Family, there's not much even they can do now."
"But I've barely even started teaching!" Ace protested. "It's only been a week!"
Amon opened a thick, leather-bound book on his desk and began flipping through its pages leisurely.
"Yes, and in that week, I've reviewed your classes. Let's see..." He tapped a finger against a line. "Ninety percent absentee rate for lectures. That's more than enough to dismiss a negligent professor."
Ace leaned forward, frowning. "I've already taught two days! How does that even qualify as ninety percent when it's barely even a week?!"
"Well, that's unfortunate," Amon said with an exaggerated sigh, pausing to flip to another page. "But let's consult the rules, shall we?" He pointed dramatically at a specific entry.
"Rule #991: The Headmaster's Word Is always Final."
Ace stared blankly. "Who the hell even reads that many pages into the rulebook?"
Amon's monocle glinted in the light as he gave a smug smile. "Oh, the very sa students who shut down your herb-growing class before it even took roots. Didn't they use academy bylaws to override your syllabus?"
Ace exhaled. "Fair enough… So do I at least get to keep my assistant?"
The Headmaster folded his hands and appeared to think deeply. Then, with a serene smile, he replied:
"No."
Ace gave it a mont of thought, then shrugged. "Alright. I'll move out right away."
Without another word, he turned and walked out of the room.
"Heh… that was easier than expected," he muttered to himself once outside. "Tch. I don't even know why I agreed to beco a teacher in the first place."
His steps were light, almost relaxed as he continued, "Co to think of it, I've got more than enough resources and gold to live a peaceful life in any kingdom. Stupid princess—like I ever needed that plot of land she promised."
A satisfied smirk tugged at his lips as he left the academy grounds, the late afternoon sun casting a warm glow over his figure.
Back in the office, Headmaster Amon slowly closed his eyes. For a brief mont, silence reigned.
Then, he opened them again—sharp, calculating.
"It's still not ti yet... The beast is still an infant."
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