Teacher by day, Farmer by passion-Chapter 108: Stalker (NEW!)

Ace entered the system space once again, this time with a clear goal—to find the most useful variant humans for the development of the Divine Garden.

As he strolled through the bustling Immortal Market, his mind wandered to a peculiar realization.

Updated from freewёbnoνel.com.

Unlike the Spirit Cows and Spirit Pigs he owned, Spirit Chickens were granted the prestigious title of Phoenix Chickens.

Back when he first acquired them, he hadn't paid much attention to the name.

Even the system had once dismissed it, claiming that just because something was called phoenix didn't make it special.

Yet, reality was proving otherwise.

He had recalled overhearing someone offering one Red Immortal Bead in exchange for a Phoenix Chicken—not that he had caught the exact grade they were asking for.

But still, that was enough to make him reconsider their worth.

And just earlier, he had traded twenty dwarves and human-grade mining equipment for one medium-quality Spirit Chicken.

It was ridiculous.

Instead of running around searching for deals, setting up a stall would've been far more efficient.

But unfortunately, he had no idea how to do that—so haggling it was.

And haggle he did.

Voices shouted over each other, merchants and buyers fought tooth and nail for the best bargains, and Ace, weaving through the chaos, negotiated like a man possessed.

When the dust finally settled, after two grueling hours of bartering, his spoils were as follows:

— 519 Crystal Humans in exchange for 60 Level 2 Spirit Chickens.

— 5 Dragonkins for 20 Level 2 Spirit Chickens.

— 410 Dwarves for 20 Level 2 Spirit Chickens.

And just when he thought it couldn't get more absurd, he sealed his final deal.

— 1,000 normal humans for 100 Level 2 Spirit Chickens.

Ace let out a slow breath, staring at his newly acquired workforce.

A chuckle escaped him as he shook his head in disbelief.

"Guess we live in a world where chickens can buy humans."

Next he left the Immortal Market, and the moment he stepped out, he was greeted by an overwhelming sight—an absolute sea of people.

Hundreds of new recruits, from crystal humans to dwarves and even dragonkins, stood in neat lines, waiting for orders. Perhaps.

He let out a tired sigh and turned to Lily.

"Lily, you are in charge of them all."

She grinned. "Sure thing, Master!"

With that settled, Ace wasted no time. He left the system space and collapsed onto his bed, sleeping like a dead log the moment his head hit the pillow.

As Ace snored the night away, his little two troublemakers were up to no good.

Liu Mei and Shan Yifeng were currently at a restaurant—though the place was completely empty. Well, it was in the dead of the night, it should be.

Shan Yifeng stood by the window, peering outside.

"They can see everything we're doing from up here," he muttered.

Liu Mei, who had been crawling across the rooftop just moments ago, landed gracefully beside him.

"Yes, yes, you're right." She dusted herself off before flashing a mischievous grin. "So… when are we scaring the kids?"

"Just wait."

Shan Yifeng sighed internally. Is she getting crazier than before?

Liu Mei suddenly turned to him, her golden eyes gleaming.

"Junior Brother," she sang, "you just thought I was crazy, didn't you?"

"H-Huh? No, no! What?"

"Oh please…" she smirked. "Just be careful next time, Junior Brother."

"Yeah, yeah…" Shan Yifeng waved her off before pausing. His eyes narrowed.

"Did you see that?" he asked.

Liu Mei followed his gaze. "See what?"

Was it just me, or… am I seeing things? Shan Yifeng thought.

"You're seeing things," Liu Mei said immediately.

His head snapped toward her. She stared back, utterly unfazed.

"…You can't read minds," he said flatly.

Liu Mei's smirk widened.

"Oh but I can read minds, did I not just showed you?"

Shan Yifeng remained impassive. Yeah, right. You're only hearing what I want you to hear.

Liu Mei let out a small tch. "Is this not proof enough? I'm literally chatting with you while you think."

Doesn't matter, Shan Yifeng countered. You can't hear my original thoughts.

Then, in his mind, he gave a command.

Let's go hunt. Your prey is on the rooftop.

Liu Mei giggled. And in the next breath, she vanished.

"Don't disturb me," Shan Yifeng thought to himself, determined to focus.

"Roger that!" Liu Mei's voice rang out from the rooftop.

Meanwhile, their observer—the hidden stalker—jerked in surprise.

She had been carefully tailing them from a distance, ensuring she remained unnoticed.

But now, a shout just came from behind her.

Panic surged through her veins. Without hesitation, she leaped forward, attempting to escape.

But Liu Mei was already on her.

The stalker bolted through the shadowed streets, weaving through tight alleyways and scaling rooftops with practiced ease.

She was fast, precise, and experienced; no doubt, a trained hunter.

But no matter how fast she ran, Liu Mei was faster.

Their gap closed at a terrifying speed.

Realizing she couldn't shake her pursuer, the stalker spun mid-air, her dagger flashing as she slashed toward Liu Mei's throat.

*Clang!*

Liu Mei parried with two fingers, redirecting the attack effortlessly.

A blur of movement.

A counterattack.

The stalker twisted, barely dodging the retaliatory strike.

Then another.

And another.

Blades clashed in the moonlight, sparks flying as their silhouettes danced across the rooftops.

The stalker fought fiercely, her strikes sharp and deliberate.

Liu Mei responded in kind, but there was something unsettling about her movements.

At first, it seemed like they were evenly matched.

But as the fight dragged on, a chilling realization settled in.

Liu Mei wasn't fighting seriously.

She wasn't even trying.

She was toying with her.

The stalker gritted her teeth. If this continued, she wouldn't last.

With a desperate burst of speed, she broke away from the battle, sprinting toward the city outskirts

Liu Mei let her go for a moment, watching with a smirk before resuming the chase.

They ran past the quiet districts, through the abandoned fields, until finally, they arrived at a pond on the outskirts of the city.

The stalker didn't hesitate. She leaped into the water, vanishing beneath its surface.

Liu Mei skidded to a halt at the edge of the pond, tilting her head curiously.

"Hmm… So she either has an underwater base or an escape tunnel down there," she mused aloud. "But why make it so obvious?"

Not that it mattered.

With a snap of her fingers, a brilliant light flared beside her. A beautiful white fox materialized in the air, its pristine fur shimmering under the moonlight.

Her soul bound spirit beast, White Fur.

The fox's icy blue eyes locked onto the pond, and in an instant, the entire body of water froze solid.

A thick layer of frost spread outward, encasing everything in a crystalline sheen of ice.

Liu Mei giggled, utterly delighted.

"Oops," she said innocently. "I hope she didn't forget how to breathe."

She tapped her chin thoughtfully before waving her hand dismissively.

"Eh, let's go back."

With that, she turned away, still grinning.

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(A/N: I am sorry for being too lazy that you had to see the unedited versions first.

I'll make sure it never happened again in the near future. I'll prepare stockpiles.)