Teacher by day, Farmer by passion

Chapter 79 Bluff the tiger.

Ace arrived shortly after, with Shan Yifeng trailing behind him.

Ahead, Liu Mei and Icehart were locked in a heated argument, their voices sharp. But the moment Liu Mei turned and saw Ace, her demeanor changed in an instant.

"Master!" she cried, her earlier smugness vanishing as she rushed toward him, arms outstretched.

Ace caught her effortlessly, lifting her up before pulling her into a hug.

"Liu Mei, who's this? Your friend?" he asked, glancing at Icehart.

"What?!" Liu Mei recoiled in horror, as if the very suggestion was an insult. "I'm friends with no monkey!"

Ace nearly choked. What the heck? He barely stopped himself from saying it out loud.

On the other side, Icehart stiffened, his eyes flickering to his escort for support. The imposing figure of Elder Lukas stepped forward, his expression calm but his presence heavy.

With a warm yet subtly chilling smile, he addressed Ace.

"Young man, your disciple has just insulted the young master of the White Ice Sect. I assume you have an explanation before I demand an apology?"

Though his tone remained even and calm, Ace could sense the underlying bloodlust behind his words.

Ace remained unfazed, turning to Zhao Mei instead.

"Little Mei, thanks for looking after my little puppy these past few days."

A stunned silence followed.

Lukas blinked. Did... did he really just ignored me?

And Zhao Mei nearly stumbled. Little Mei? Since when was I your Little Mei?

But the most dramatic reaction came from the girl in Ace's arms.

"Ahh! Master!" Liu Mei shrieked, her face turning bright red. "How dare you call me a puppy! I hate you! I hate you!"

She pummeled his chest with her tiny fists, but her hits were light, her embarrassment evident.

Lukas cleared his throat sharply, trying to reclaim the conversation. "Ahem. Young man."

Shifting topics, he asked, "What happened to Zhao Yun?"

She had grown on him over time that if she ever asked him to take her in as his disciple, he might probably accept—though he suspected she would end up more of a nanny than anything. Ahem.

Zhao Mei gave him a knowing look. "Younger Sister Yun is on a sect mission. She's missed out on a lot because she was too busy babysitting a certain someone's disciple."

Ace coughed. "Oh... oh, right. That's... good. Good for her."

After a brief exchange, Ace and his disciples didn't linger any longer.

Zhao Mei bid them farewell, and they soon resumed their journey.

_____

As they walked, Shan Yifeng hesitated before speaking up. "Master, what will you do about the princess?"

Ace raised an eyebrow. "What princess are you talking about?"

Shan Yifeng looked at him like he had just asked whether the sky was blue.

"Soho Verilith, Master! She's not letting me cultivate at all. She comes every day to disturb me!"

Liu Mei, walking beside him, giggled. "Isn't that a good thing, Junior Brother? She's beautiful."

"No, no! How is that a good thing?!" Shan Yifeng wailed. "I can't get stronger if this keeps happening! Master, help me... Please do something!"

Ace hummed, rubbing his chin. It seems the princess is more of a problem than I thought.

"Alright, alright," he finally said. "I've already made preparations. We're moving to the capital soon."

Shan Yifeng blinked. "Wait... what why?"

Liu Mei, on the other hand, looked uneasy. "Master... but we're not going by boat again, are we?"

Ace frowned. "Huh? Why do you ask?"

Liu Mei puffed up her cheeks. "Did you already forget? Sarah?"

"Who's Sarah, master?" Shan Yifeng asked from the side.