Teacher by day, Farmer by passion-Chapter 158: Aftermath [4]

Liu Mei narrowed her eyes. "Don't look at me like that. I am their age. It's just that I'm way stronger, way smarter, and way more—"

Before she could finish, Stupid Fool tugged on her sleeve.

"Grandma, why are you talking to a fox?"

Liu Mei blinked. Then, without missing a beat, she straightened up and patted White Fur's head like a wise sage.

"I'm not talking to her. I'm listening to her wisdom."

The kids gasped in awe. "Whoa… Grandma speaks fox!"

White Fur rolled its eyes.

Liu Mei, ignoring the skepticism of her own soul beast, whispered again, "See? I'm stuck here, White Fur."

The fox let out a low huff.

Liu Mei sighed again. "I know, I know. Suffer in silence."

"Liu Mei," Lily called out casually.

Liu Mei barely turned her head, her fingers idly running through the soft fur of her silvery-white fox.

"What?" she asked, clearly annoyed.

Lily smirked. "Hmm… looks like someone is disappointed we don't train hard enough," she teased.

Liu Mei's expression darkened further.

Of all people, Lily had no right to say that. This was the same woman who delighted in beating her up every single time they sparred. It was unbearable.

"I'm still a kid, and you're an adult. Act like one," Liu Mei had once complained in frustration.

She remembered Lily's response all too well.

"I'm a spirit bot, not a human. I don't have morals. So consider yourself lucky."

Lucky, her foot! Just remembering it made her want to punch something.

Liu Mei let out an irritated huff, forcing herself to snap back to the present.

"Well? What do you want now, Elder Sister?" she said, deliberately dragging out the title with exaggerated formality.

The others didn't catch the odd tone in her voice. Lily, however, did, and that smug glint in her eyes told Liu Mei that she found it hilarious.

But instead of responding to her mockery, Lily simply tilted her head and said, "Don't you want to leave the space? Master is here."

For a moment, there was silence.

Then…

"Really!?" Liu Mei's eyes lit up like stars. All traces of her forced maturity vanished in an instant, replaced by the unfiltered excitement of a ten-year-old girl.

She leaped to her feet so fast that her fox yelped in protest. "Go, go, let's go! What are we waiting for? Kids, kids, run already! Why are you all so slow!?"

She bolted ahead without waiting for anyone, her energy contagious as the children scrambled after her.

Lily smirk widened as she lazily strolled after them. "Master better appreciate the effort I put into handling this little gremlin."

* * *

Meanwhile, in the heart of the Immortal Market, Ace leaned against his stall, arms crossed, watching as the cat girl strutted over with confidence.

Her fluffy ears twitched as her sharp golden eyes scanned his lineup of humans and dragonkin, all standing in neat rows, bound by enchanted shackles.

She tapped her chin in thought before flashing Ace a playful grin.

"I'll take the lot of them… for Twenty Red Immortal Beads."

Ace stared at her. Blinked. Then let out a sharp laugh. "Twenty? Are you out of your mind? All this are worth at least forty!"

The cat girl pouted, flicking her tail. "Oh, come on. I'm doing you a favor."

Ace rolled his eyes. "Right. Just like last time when you 'did me a favor' and left me feeling like I'd been robbed in broad daylight."

She placed a hand on her chest, her expression full of mock offense. "Robbed? Now that's unfair. Those four bald sisters were a bargain."

Ace's face twitched. "One of them didn't even know how to refine pills."

She waved a hand dismissively. "Details, details. Besides, they were charming, weren't they?"

Ace exhaled sharply. "Forty beads."

She gasped dramatically, placing a hand over her heart. "Forty? How cruel! Do I look like someone made of Red Immortal Beads?"

Ace raised an eyebrow. "Yes."

She snickered. "Flattering. But no. Twenty beads."

Th𝗲 most uptodate novels are published on ƒгeewёbnovel.com.

Ace exhaled sharply. "hmm Thirty five beads. That's final."

She let out a theatrical sigh. "Thirty five!? How heartless. You'd drive a poor girl to ruin."

Ace raised an eyebrow. "You? Poor? Go away if you ain't buying."

The cat girl let out a dramatic sigh, her ears drooping slightly as if she were truly suffering.

She glanced around, as if searching for an escape, then finally shook her head, shoulders slumping in apparent defeat.

"Alright, alright… You win." She hesitated, biting her lip before sighing again, this time even heavier.

"But can we settle for thirty beads? You're bleeding me dry, you know."

Ace narrowed his eyes, unconvinced. She was putting on a show, he knew it.

But at this point, dragging it out any longer would just waste his time.

"Fine," he grumbled, crossing his arms. "Thirty beads it is."

The moment the words left his mouth, the cat girl straightened, all traces of reluctance vanishing.

In a blur of motion, she reached into her sleeve and flicked Thirty shimmering Red Immortal Beads toward him with practiced ease, her tail swishing behind her.

Ace caught them effortlessly, but the sight of the smug grin creeping back onto her face made his stomach sink.

"Pleasure doing business with you, esteemed merchant."

She giggled, snapping her fingers.

The enchanted shackles on the two dragonkin and humans disappeared in an instant, and they hesitantly followed her as she turned on her heel, tail swaying like a banner of victory.

Ace watched her leave, gritting his teeth as he muttered, "Why did I feel like I got scammed?"