Teacher by day, Farmer by passion-Chapter 106: Night escapade (NEW!)

Ace arrived at the Immortal Market once again.

No matter how many times he came here, it was always a novel experience.

He turned his head slightly, eyes flickering with curiosity.

*Would this be how VR games developed if I were still alive in my old world?*

The thought lingered for a moment before fading, drowned out by the ever-present noise of the market.

As expected, the air was filled with loud shouts—merchants advertising their wares, customers haggling, the occasional burst of laughter or heated argument.

This place was chaos. But it was a structured kind of chaos.

And at its heart, it was exactly what its name suggested—a market.

Ace navigated through the bustling streets with ease. The sights, the smells, the sheer energy of it all—it was overwhelming to some, but to him, it was just another day.

It didn't take him long to find what he was looking for.

A large wooden stall stood at the far end of the market, distinct from the others.

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.

Behind it, several short, stocky figures sat in neat rows, their expressions ranging from dull indifference to quiet defiance.

The *dwarves*.

Ace's eyes gleamed with interest as he approached.

[Host, your current Red Immortal Bead count is zero. The next production is in two days.]

The system's interface popped up just as Ace was about to step into the stall.

"I know," Ace muttered under his breath.

[Host, would you like to tap into the energy reserve Immortal Beads?]

Ace blinked. *We have that?*

He was genuinely surprised, but he quickly shook his head.

"No need. I already have a plan."

If he didn't, he wouldn't be here in the first place—he would've just waited two days for the Red Immortal Bead to regenerate and then purchased the dwarves.

With that settled, he entered the stall.

The owner was… well, something.

A ghostly figure floated behind the counter, translucent and unsettling. No legs. Stark white. A round, eerily smooth head. Sharp, needle-like teeth. Bloody red eyes that gleamed in the dim light.

Ace took one look and thought, *Huh. Not that scary.*

He smirked at his own joke and stepped inside.

The ghost stall owner narrowed his eyes.

"What brings you here?" His tone was flat, slightly irritated, as if Ace had already wasted his time by existing.

Ace pulled something from his inventory with a flourish. A Spirit Chicken (Level 1).

"I want one dwarf for this," he said casually.

The stall owner snorted. "Pfft. You think you own 'Phoenix Chickens' or something?"

Ace's smirk widened. "Oh, but it really is."

The ghost squinted and reluctantly inspected the chicken. He held it up, turned it around, even sniffed it.

Then, with an unimpressed grunt, he shoved it back into Ace's hands.

"*Blegh*. It's still low grade. Useless."

Ace tapped his chin, pretending to think. Then, with a casual shrug, he said, "Fine. I'll do two chickens."

The stall owner rolled his eyes and, to Ace's surprise, took out a Spirit Chicken of his own from a subspace.

"Listen here, kid. I own low-grade Phoenix Chickens too. Unless you're bringing medium-grade ones, don't bother wasting my time."

Ace raised a brow. *Oh?*

If Level 1 was low-grade, then that meant Level 2…

"How much for one medium-grade?"

The stall owner narrowed his eyes. "You own one?"

Ace smirked. "Just answer the question."

The ghost stall owner scoffed but finally said, "I'll do a 1:1 trade."

Ace grinned.

"Twenty for one."

The stall owner choked. "NO WAY!"

"Fine, then." Ace turned on his heel and started walking away.

He didn't even make it five steps before—

"OKAY, OKAY!" The ghost's voice shouted after him.

Ace stopped but didn't turn around right away. He let the silence stretch just long enough before finally tilting his head back.

"Hmm… but should I?" He mused aloud. "This is the only medium-grade Spirit Chicken I own…"

The stall owner gritted his teeth. "I'll throw in some mortal-grade mining equipment."

Ace's smirk sharpened.

"Deal."

With the new recruits secured, Ace wasted no time and left the stall immediately.

Meanwhile, Lily was practically bouncing with excitement. The moment the dwarves arrived, she sprang into action, issuing orders with enthusiasm.

"Alright, you lot! Get to work!" she commanded, her voice brimming with energy.

The dwarves, experienced in mining, didn't hesitate. With practiced efficiency, they began setting up their tools, chipping away at the earth to extract the precious soul stone.

[ ] [ ] [ ]

The Divine Garden was vast—far larger than when he first obtained it.

Back then, it had been nothing more than a small plot of land with just enough space for farming.

Now? He could till anywhere and turn it into fertile ground. It was magical in every sense.

Of course, Yuu would literally transform into a *hoe* whenever they worked the fields.

Shaking off the thought, he turned to Lily. "Take care of things here. I'll head to the surface."

He had no time to waste. His two disciples deserved a good scolding about what happened at the inn today.

With firm steps, Ace stormed his way toward their room, fully prepared to lecture them—only to stop dead in his tracks when he saw them.

Shan Yifeng and Liu Mei were curled up together on the bed, fast asleep, their breathing soft and even.

Ace blinked.

Shan Yifeng had an arm draped protectively over Liu Mei, while the girl had instinctively nestled closer, hugging him like a younger sister seeking warmth.

They looked… peaceful. Just two exhausted kids, clinging to each other like real siblings.

Ace sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Hah… This…"

His frustration flickered, then faded.

They looked… different like this. Smaller. Weaker. Less like two troublemakers and more like two exhausted kids who had clung to each other for comfort.

Ace exhaled. *Damn it.*

"Fine," he muttered, closing the door. "I'll scold you both in the morning."

"Told you," Shan Yifeng smirked, shoving Liu Mei off.

Liu Mei snorted. "Yeah, and we're still getting scolded tomorrow. Great plan."

"Oh, relax." He stretched, yawning. "Master's memory is terrible."

Without another word, he hopped onto the windowsill, the night breeze ruffling his hair.

Liu Mei narrowed her eyes. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm off to wander."

"Hey! Take me with you!"

Before he could protest, she leaped after him, landing gracefully by his side.