Uninvited guest.

The moment Liu Mei saw Ace exit from the room, her eyes widened in excitement.

"Teacher! You're a ghost!" She gasped. "I just looked inside the room, and you weren't there!"

Ace simply laughed and ruffled her hair. "If I were a ghost, would I be able to do this?"

Liu Mei giggled, swatting his hand away as they walked toward the courtyard.

Unlike how he had left shan yifeng, this time there was company.

A group of three stood nearby, their eyes scanning the area as if searching for something—or someone.

One woman. Two men.

Even without speaking to them, Ace could tell they were cultivators.

Their robes, their weapons, the way they carried themselves—it all pointed to the same conclusion.

The woman stood with an air of casual authority, while the two men focused on their search, eyes sharp and movements efficient.

Their swords rested at their waists, but the way they carried themselves made it clear they were ready to draw at a moment's notice.

Shan Yifeng and the female seemed to be chatting but Ace didn't know the content.

....

....

Shan Yifeng, still in the middle of his push-ups, had caught sight of three figures descending from the sky, their swords gleaming as they floated beneath their feet.

His arms trembled slightly—not from exhaustion, but from sheer excitement.

Real cultivators.

For a moment, caution flickered in his mind. He knew better than to approach strangers, as his parents had warned him countless times.

But the moment their swords sheathed themselves and the woman at the front locked eyes with him, all hesitation vanished.

Instead of running, he stood up, dusted off his clothes, and asked with barely contained excitement, "Are you real cultivators?"

The lady smiled at his enthusiasm. "We are."

Shan Yifeng clenched his fists, his eyes practically sparkling. "Can you fly anywhere you want? Is it really as fast as they say?"

She chuckled. "Not just anywhere. Some places have restrictions, and our speed depends on our cultivation level. But yes, it's quite fast."

Shan Yifeng nodded, as if filing this valuable information away. "Then… can you cut through a boulder with a sword strike? My teacher said cultivation isn't just about strength, but I still think a flying sword is the coolest part!"

The woman tilted her head, amused. "A strong enough cultivator can, but brute force alone isn't enough. You need precision, technique, and control."

Shan Yifeng listened intently, absorbing every word.

"Then, how do I become like you?"

The lady studied him for a moment. He was young—no older than ten—but his dedication was clear. She had seen him training before they landed.

"With patience, hard work, and the right guidance," she said. "Strength alone won't make you a true cultivator. It's the heart and discipline that count."

Shan Yifeng grinned. "Then I won't lose to anyone!"

The woman chuckled again, a glint of approval in her eyes. "That's the spirit."

.....

As long as he's unharmed.

Ace thought as he approached, Liu Mei trailing behind him, and cleared his throat.

"Anything I can help you esteemed cultivators with?"

The two men briefly glanced at him but said nothing, continuing their search.

The female cultivator, however, turned toward him with a smile.

Ace felt himself tense.

Cultivators were reckless beings. Mortals meant little to them, their lives mere inconveniences at best.

At least, that's what he had gathered from all the novels he had read.

And now, he would find out whether reality matched fiction.

"You must be the boy's teacher," the woman said, turning her attention to Ace. "I'm Zhao Yun, and these are my sect brothers, Wei Heng and Luo Chen."

She studied Ace, her sharp gaze sweeping over him from head to toe. A small laugh escaped her lips, though she quickly masked it.

A mere Warrior Rank, teaching two children with the potential to reach Silver Rank?

It was almost laughable.

She didn't say it aloud, of course. There was no need.

Instead, she shook her head slightly.

Silver Rank might be impressive by mortal standards, but within the sect she was in?

It was barely enough to earn a gatekeeper's position. A life of servitude, not glory.

Pushing the thought aside, Zhao Yun spoke again.

"By any chance, have you seen a woman around here? White hair. She's a beauty—you'd know if you saw her."

Ace frowned slightly, as if trying to recall. After a moment, he answered honestly, "I haven't seen anyone like that, but I did hear a woman crying for help in the forest. I was too weak to follow the sound so I can't be certain if I was hallucinating or a geniune cry for help.."

At his words, Wei Heng immediately tensed. "That's probably Senior Sister! She's in danger!"

Luo Chen, however, wasn't as quick to act. His sharp gaze landed on Ace, scrutinizing him.

"Are you certain?" he asked coldly. "If you're leading us into a trap… you'd best prepare your neck."

Ace glanced at Luo Chen, feeling a twinge of irritation.

I only said I heard a woman crying for help. I never claimed to have met her.

Still, he knew better than to argue. Instead, he turned his attention to Zhao Yun.

"Lady, I don't know if she's the senior you're looking for, but the forest is said to be dangerous—"

Before he could finish, a sharp gust of wind brushed past him.

A swoosh.

By the time he registered the movement, Zhao Yun was already behind him.

His instincts screamed at him—a sneak attack?—but before any thoughts of his head rolling off could fully form, she had already squatted down next to Liu Mei.

The young girl blinked at the sudden presence but continued munching on her apple.

Zhao Yun gently patted her head. "Little girl, where did you get these apples?"

Ace narrowed his eyes.

She can sense it.

The energy within Spirit Apples wasn't something an ordinary person could detect, but for a cultivator, it was unmistakable.

Zhao Yun's eyes lingered on the half-eaten fruit in Liu Mei's hands. Spirit cleansing Apples. In this backwater area?

Liu Mei, oblivious to the woman's curiosity, answered between bites.

"Teacher grows them! He magically provides them every day since yesterday!"

Ace resisted the urge to groan.

Damn it, Liu Mei! Don't just go telling people that!