Teacher by day, Farmer by passion

Chapter 33 Internal Chaos

Zhao Yun, who had just finished her meditation, finally turned to look at Ace.

"Master Xiao," she began, her tone carefully measured. "Would you be willing to sell Spirit Chickens to our sect?"

Ace leaned back slightly, a faint smile playing at his lips.

"And what exactly are you willing to offer?" His voice carried a hint of amusement.

"Gold? Surely not. You must realize by now that I have no use for such things."

Zhao Yun frowned, clearly deep in thought. Her brows knitted together as she tried to come up with a proper offer.

Ace watched her struggle, entertained by the rare sight. It was almost... cute.

"Zhao Yun." His voice broke her train of thought still she straightened, looking expectantly at him.

"I won't be selling any Spirit Chicken."

Her expression immediately fell.

Ace had to suppress a chuckle—she looked like a child who'd just had her favorite barbie doll taken away..

"But," he continued, "I am willing to exchange for a few materials."

Zhao Yun's eyes lit up again. "Which materials, Master Xiao?"

Ace tapped his fingers against the table, considering. The materials he needed weren't for simple trades; they were essential for experimenting with different grades of beast feed.

He couldn't just give high-grade feed to low-grade Spirit Beasts—it was a costly mistake, though not in the way most would assume.

He dismissed the thought for now, turning his attention back to Zhao Yun.

"I need spiritual-grade ingredients—rare herbs, beast cores, and essence stones. The purer, the better."

Zhao Yun nodded, already mentally taking stock of what their sect could offer.

Ace smirked. "Now, let's see if your sect can afford my chickens."

Zhao Yun's eyes gleamed with determination. "Which rare herbs?"

Ace didn't even hesitate. "Sunfruit, Corali, Negril."

She nodded firmly. "Alright. I'll get those Spirit Chickens, Master Xiao."

Without another word, she spun on her heel and strode out, her mind already focused on the task ahead.

Outside, her summon Dixie lay sprawled, belly full after devouring the last of the biscuits. The large beast let out a satisfied huff, clearly enjoying her well-earned rest.

Zhao Yun, however, had no patience for laziness.

"Wake up, we have to go."

Dixie let out a low, grumbling growl in protest but ultimately obeyed, stretching her powerful limbs before standing.

Zhao Yun wasted no time, swiftly mounting her. With a firm grip on the reins, she leaned forward.

And now, in the wake of those storms, a new force had risen.

One that even she could not predict.

.....

.....

Xie Ninger adjusted her mask, her breath steady despite the weight of the task ahead.

Dressed as an assassin, she blended into the darkness, a mere shadow amidst the others. The elder's words echoed in her mind— "Your escape path is secured. Make it look realistic."

Realistic? She scoffed inwardly. This staged assassination could spiral out of control in an instant.

Below, the training grounds swarmed with Xiao family prodigies, their postures tense, eyes sharp with focus.

At the front stood Elder Xiao Shiyang, his voice carrying over the crowd. "Remember, whatever you do, stick together. We will be on standby. He may be the strongest, but united, you all will be fine."

Her words settled over them like a cold wind, a silent warning wrapped in encouragement.

Not far from her, Elder Xiao Bo scoffed. "Elder Shiyang, you're too old-school. Let the kids go in already."

Xie Ninger's grip tightened on her dagger as her gaze flickered to Xiao Bo. It was because of elders like him that the family head remained unchallenged.

Why not take the kids to the family head directly? Why the hesitation?

Her thoughts drifted to Xiao Wuzi, the man who had once lifted the family to greatness.

The whispers around the family weren't baseless. His past was shrouded in something dark—an incident from years ago. He had assaulted a young girl of the Xiao family as soon as she was of age and though she had later taken her own life, he remained untouched, protected by his elder supporters.

Despite his past, they were sending the younger generation straight to him. Was it really guidance Xiao Wuzi intended to offer?

Xie Ninger didn't know. But she knew this mission wasn't about Xiao Wuzi—it was about Xiao Lin.

Her gaze flickered to her fellow sisters, all clad in black, their faces unreadable beneath their masks.

This is it, she reminded herself. We don't need to kill her, just make it look like an accident.

The plan was simple—staged assassination attempt on Elder Shiyang, and in the chaos, Xiao Lin would be caught in the crossfire.

A whisper broke through the tense air.

"...This is stupid."

Xie Ninger glanced at the girl who had spoken.

She wasn't wrong.

The elder had the power to simply forbid her daughter from attending. No one would dare question her decision.

And yet, she had chosen deception.

Xie Ninger exhaled slowly, her grip tightening on her weapon.

Orders were absolute. Questioning them was not an option.