Teacher by day, Farmer by passion

As the final, delicate note of the guqin faded into silence, the entire spirit herb garden seemed to hold its breath.

Even the breeze seemed to hesitate, reluctant to disturb the lingering melody in the air.

But the moment didn't last.

"Again!" a voice called out from behind a tree.

Heads turned. Emerging from the shade was none other than Angie, the young dragon girl.

Ace narrowed his eyes. Is she going to be spinning her tail in excitement? He blinked. Wait—no tail? Am I hallucinating? I'm sure I saw one earlier.

Though, aside from him, no one else seemed to have noticed this particular peculiarity.

"What are you doing over there?" Mati asked, her voice as soft and soothing as a lullaby. "Come join us."

"Come here, little girl. What's your name?" Akha added warmly, her hands open as if ready to embrace her into their fold.

Khani and Kathum had already trotted over, chatting and smiling like they had found a new playmate.

Aunt Hong and Ruby, meanwhile, had dozed off beneath a tree, lulled to sleep by the peaceful music that still hung in the air.

Ace turned slightly, casting a thoughtful look across the garden. "Qiong Qi," he asked softly, "don't you think this is beautiful?"

The beast huffed, unimpressed.

[Beautiful? That's only because there's no man around that you think this is beautiful. Wait until a single guy shows up… I'm going to really enjoy your reaction when that happens. Watching your harem gets stolen.]

Ace's eyes widened in sudden panic. "Oh no… I forgot to call Aqua!" He began pacing in frantic circles. "What do I do, what do I do…"

So caught up in his own whirlwind, he didn't hear the voice calling him at first.

"Master! Master!"

Qiong Qi, clearly unimpressed, dropped onto his head like a warm, fuzzy hat.

"Turn around. Lunch is calling."

Ace froze, then turned. There stood Tushan, hands on her hips, a playful smile tugging at her lips.

"Master, when are we going to the kitchen?"

Ace blinked, momentarily disoriented. "Don't you want to stay and hear the melody again?"

She grinned. "I've heard her sing and play every day since I was a kid. I'm used to it. Let's go, I'm more excited about the kitchen!"

Ace lingered a moment longer, his eyes drifting back to Xi Chun, the last of the melody still echoing faintly in his mind.

He wanted to stay. The garden, the music, the peace, it was rare. Soothing.

But there was work to be done. Shane had been cooking nonstop, dedicated yet overburdened. Even shaving off a bit of that strain would help.

He exhaled softly, brushing off his robe. "Alright. Let's get going."

Tushan beamed. "Yes, Master!"

Qiong Qi licked mango juice from his snout and gave a low purr.

[Human, wait. I must retrieve my prize.]

He swooped down and snatched up a plump spirit pig he had stashed earlier, dangling it from his jaws like a greedy gremlin.

Ace took a brief detour before leaving, walking over to Rei, who stood quietly at the edge of the clearing.

"Rei," he said gently, "could you bring Aqua over?"

She nodded after a pause. "Alright."

"Thanks." He smiled before turning away.

Together, the trio, Ace, Tushan, and Qiong Qi, descended from the herb garden.

Tushan skipped with a bounce in her step, practically humming with anticipation.

Overhead, Qiong Qi flapped in lazy circles, then swooped down to retrieve a plump spirit pig he'd left behind.

With it dangling from his jaws, the once-mighty beast looked more like a hungry gremlin than a divine guardian.

Ace glanced up, exasperated. "If you drop that spirit pig for more than 5 seconds, the ground devil will contaminate it and you won't be able to eat it anymore."

"As if I'd ever drop food," Qiong Qi grumbled, words muffled by the pig's squirming body.

Soon, the Spirit Kitchen came into view.

But instead of the quiet workspace Ace had imagined, it was a hive of activity.

Men bustled in and out with trays and baskets, voices rang out over the clatter of pans, and steam curled through the air like smoke from a battlefield.

Tushan's eyes sparkled. "Wah!" she cried, dashing straight inside without waiting for Ace.

Qiong Qi hovered beside Ace, then transmitted a dry thought.

[Human, what are we standing here for? Let's go in and see the interior.]

Ace shook his head, collecting himself. "Right… Let's go."

Inside, the kitchen was chaos incarnate. The scent of spirit herbs mixed with sizzling meat, bubbling broths, and the sharp tang of spices.

Human voices overlapped, and cauldrons hissed.

But amidst the noise, Ace spotted Shan, and Shane spotted him.

"Master!" Shane called, weaving through the crowd with surprising agility.

As he passed, nearby helpers paused, bowing with a mix of reverence and awe.

Ace raised an eyebrow. "What's all this?"

"Oh, them?" Shane grinned, gesturing to the busy cooks. "Helpers. Elder Lily arranged everything."

He cleared his throat, then mimicked her voice with uncanny accuracy: "'Shane, you don't need to feed them star-tier food every time. Grab some people. Teach them how to cook. That'll do. You'll drop dead trying to cook for everyone yourself.'"

Ace stared at him, stunned. "Lily… actually said that?"

Shane nodded, pride swelling. "Every word. I even got the rasp right."

Ace shook his head in disbelief. "I didn't know she had that in her…"

"Neither did I," Shane chuckled. "But honestly, she's right. It's helped a lot."

Ace smiled faintly, letting the warmth of the bustling kitchen settle over him. Maybe this little corner of chaos was exactly what they needed.

"Master, what brought you here?" Shane asked, his voice curious.

Ace turned his head here and there. Unable to spot Tushan, he gave up.

"I actually came here to drop off another person who can cook to help you lessen your work. But it seems that won't be really necessary now."

Shane's face lit up, his grin widening. "Ah, Master! You thought of me? Ah, how kind-hearted Master is! I really lucked out being your subordinate!"

Before Ace could respond, Shane dropped to the floor with a dramatic thud, kneeling in reverence.

"Hey, hey, stand up!" Ace felt awkward, his face flushing as Shane's sudden display of gratitude caught him off guard. He had never experienced something like this before!

"What's with the kneeling? Get up, it's... it's not necessary!"

Shane, however, seemed to be really devout as he continued to kneel while saying,n"Ah, Master, you truly are the best!"