Teacher by day, Farmer by passion-Chapter 196: Abyss [4]

As Liu Mei gleefully poked at a suspicious-looking gem on the wall, a faint click echoed through the hall.

Shan Yifeng's eyes widened. "Liu Mei, wait—"

Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!

A flurry of arrows burst from the walls, shooting straight toward them. But before either could react, a massive shadow shifted.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Little Aoki, with a loud huff, had already flung himself in front of Liu Mei, his bulky frame taking the brunt of the volley.

The arrows struck his thick fur and bounced off harmlessly, barely making him flinch, though he groaned theatrically and collapsed onto his side, tongue lolling out in exaggerated defeat.

"Aoki!" Liu Mei cried out dramatically, running to his side.

She dropped to her knees and placed a hand over his snout, eyes gleaming with pride. "You're such a brave little meat shield—I mean, my heroic companion!"

The bear cracked one eye open at her words, then promptly shut it again, clearly playing dead.

Shan Yifeng, watching from a safe distance, stared in disbelief. "Is… is he pretending to be unconscious?"

Before he could make sense of the scene, Liu Mei bent down and—without even straining—hoisted the giant bear onto her shoulders like a bundle of firewood.

"Come on, Aoki! You've earned yourself a ride!" she said cheerfully, his legs flopping on either side of her head.

Shan Yifeng's jaw slackened. "You're carrying a full-grown bear… on your head."

Liu Mei grinned. "Of course. He saved my life. It's the least I can do."

Shan Yifeng rubbed his temple. "No, the least you could do is not use him as a trap-tester."

"Trap tester, what do you mean? Oh .... Ohhhhh!", Liu Mei's eye lid up as a new idea formed in her head.

Behind them, Little Aoki let out a soft whimper. Whether from pain, exhaustion, or embarrassment, no one could really say.

As the trio stepped deeper into the chamber, Liu Mei suddenly came to a stop. Her eyes already sparkling with mischief.

"Hmm… that floor tile looks suspicious." Without warning, she grabbed Little Aoki by the scruff.

"Wait, wait, what are you—?" Shan Yifeng started, but it was already too late.

Whoosh!

With alarming ease, Liu Mei hurled the massive bear through the air like a boulder launched from a catapult.

Thunk — click — BOOM!

Little Aoki crashed down on the pressure plate, and instantly, a dozen arrow traps burst to life.

The air filled with shink! and fwoosh! as arrows shot toward the prone bear, only to harmlessly glance off his thick fur or snap against his sheer bulk.

It was as if not a single arrow was worthy enough to damage the tyrant bear.

"Aha!" Liu Mei declared with a proud gleam in her eye. "I knew it! All these traps are useless against Little Aoki! The heavens smiling on us, junior brother. I'm so happy I found you, little Aoki."

The bear gave a tired grunt, half-buried in rubble now, his fur bristling with arrows that failed to pierce anything meaningful.

He tried to rise and move out, just in time to sink into a hidden pit trap.

But instead of falling through, his chubby frame wedged firmly into the opening, completely blocking it.

"See?" Liu Mei clapped her hands. "Not only is he immune, he's trap-proof! He's a walking, snorting fortress!"

Shan Yifeng, standing a safe distance away, slowly turned his back on the scene.

"I didn't see anything. I didn't hear anything," he muttered to himself.

Meanwhile, Liu Mei was practically glowing.

She skipped over to the pit, lifted Aoki like a sack of rice, spun once, and with a delighted "Wooooosh!" flung him forward into the next suspicious area.

Thunk! Click! Shnk!

"Good boy!" she sang, hands on her hips. "Let's clear this whole place, one toss at a time!"

Little Aoki gave a pitiful groan, but his fate was already sealed.

* * *

Ace stepped into the bustling mountain peak, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. It didn't take long to notice that the people were separated into distinct groups, easily identifiable by the cut and color of their robes, clan emblems gleaming under the sun.

Just as he was about to move forward, a familiar voice rang out from behind him.

"Ahh! Master Zhi! What a pleasant surprise to see you here!"

Ace turned, narrowing his eyes slightly as he recognized the approaching figures. It was the twin elders of the Hua family, Hua Tiger and his brother, Hua Ting, grinning with far too much enthusiasm.

"It's Master Ace," he corrected calmly, his eyes drifting past them toward the source of the gathering. "What's exactly going on here?" ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

Hua Tiger chuckled, completely unfazed by the correction. "Ah yes, yes, of course. This? This is the bi-annual Abyss Exploration Program. Every two years, we send our finest disciples into the Abyss dungeon, fully equipped with Abyss Repellant Pills. They venture in to seek ancient treasures and if the heavens are kind, a few lost inheritances. Although, there's likely only a handful is left, considering the amount of time we've send expeditions in."

Ace's expression darkened slightly as the words clicked into place. Of course.

One of the clauses in the contract he had signed with the Hua family during that brief window where he had assisted them with refining pills—at Hua Lesy's personal request—was to refine the Abyss repellent pills.

The Abyss Repellant Pill had been the central point of the contract.

It was a low-grade pill. Rank One. Akha had refined several batches under his supervision. It had been nothing more than a routine task back then.

He hadn't thought much especially when they had been in a pill war with the Xiao family.

"I see…" Ace muttered, more to himself than anyone else. "I didn't expect them to implement it so soon."

His thoughts turned sharp. His tracker from the system indicated that both Liu Mei and Shan Yifeng were currently

the Abyss.

Yes, somehow the system came equipped with a lot of things. And the divine library, divine herb garden, immortal market, etc.. were not the last of it.

Still, a flicker of unease sparked in his chest.

'Those two… what the hell are they doing in there?'