Teacher by day, Farmer by passion

Chapter 44 It's Reward Time!

Ace and Liu Mei searched their surroundings, but there was no sign of Sarah.

Did she fall into the Dark River? Or—was she some kind of high-level cultivator who couldn't fly but could teleport?

No matter how Ace tried to make sense of it, nothing added up.

Liu Mei clutched White Fur tightly, her small hands trembling against the thick, soft fur. The unease in her eyes was unmistakable.

Ace noticed. As the adult, it was his responsibility to reassure her.

"Oh, right," he said suddenly, as if recalling a long-forgotten detail. "She did mention she was a Legend Rank cultivator, didn't she? How could I forget?"

"Really?" Liu Mei whispered, her voice barely audible, tinged with hesitant hope.

Ace tapped his chin, feigning deep thought before sighing dramatically.

"Oh, wait. She was a ghost."

For the first time, Liu Mei let out a high-pitched shriek—one that could probably be heard halfway across the valley.

In an instant, she bolted toward Ace, throwing herself at him with a terrified wail.

"Master, master! Hold me! Don't leave me!" she sobbed, burying her face into his robes.

Tears spilled onto White Fur's pristine coat, but the five-tailed snow fox didn't so much as twitch.

She remained nestled in Liu Mei's arms, calm and unmoving, as if she understood the little girl's fear.

Ace sighed, shaking his head with a fond smile. Without hesitation, he scooped Liu Mei up into his arms.

She was still just a child—light as a feather in his grasp. And besides, he was Silver Rank now. He could carry her all day if he had to.

Liu Mei clung to him tightly, sniffling against his shoulder.

Ace patted her back. "Alright, alright. No ghosts will take you while I'm here. Happy now?"

She gave a tiny nod against him, but her arms didn't loosen.

Ace exhaled, adjusting his grip. "Looks like I'm stuck carrying you for a while."

But as he held her close, he didn't really mind.

"Now you finally act like a child," Ace muttered, adjusting his grip on Liu Mei as she nestled against his shoulder.

A tiny voice, barely above a whisper, reached his ears—so soft that only he could hear.

"But... but they said I should grow up quickly and stop being useless..."

Ace's grip tightened slightly. His steps slowed.

[Ding!

Host... You have been neglecting cultivation for a while.]

Ace nearly tripped. "Oh, come on! Can't I have one peaceful moment?"

[Peaceful moment? You've been slacking. Where's the discipline? Where's the motivation?]

"Oh, I don't know," Ace drawled. "Maybe still recovering from the part where I had to cross a nightmare-infested valley with one kid and one ghost in tow?"

[Host, please. Crossing Dark River was nothing.]

Ace scoffed. "Nothing? You made it feel like I was trudging through the River of Reincarnation itself!"

[Ah, well then, congratulations. Your reward for completing the quest will still be oxygen.]

Ace blinked.

"...What?"

[Did you not breathe during this entire trip?]

Ace opened his mouth, then closed it.

"...You're telling me my reward was breathing?"

[Correct. I'm sure I mentioned that before the trip began.]

Ace's eye twitched.

[If you had a brain, you'd realize the quest reward was already being handed out before you even started. That only means one thing.]

Ace exhaled sharply. "...And what's that?"

[It means you were guaranteed to complete the quest from the beginning.]

Ace paused, processing that information.

"Huh. That's... allowed?"

[Of course. Why would I try to kill my own Host? When did you become this stupid?]

Ace took a slow, measured breath, his fingers itching to strangle something..

Liu Mei, completely unaware of the war raging in her master's head, happily swung her legs in his arms. "Master, master! Tell me more about the cars! The big, roaring ones!"

Ace sighed, adjusting his grip on her before continuing the story.

Meanwhile, the snow fox yawned and curled her tails around his head, thoroughly enjoying her personal ride.