I'm your master_1

Ace moved to a quiet corner, opening his system shop to browse for useful items. His eyes landed on Spirit Tomatoes—known to significantly boost vitality and aid in energy recovery. Tempting, but with only two more hours until his Spirit Cabbages ripened, he had no intention of replacing them.

Then, as he scrolled further, he noticed the full effect of Spirit Cabbages. Not only did they promote overall health, but they also possessed healing properties—capable of treating internal injuries and mildly accelerating the recovery of external wounds.

....

....

Spirit Tomato Seeds – 20 Gold Credits per seed

Effect: Enhances vitality and slightly accelerates energy recovery.

Spirit Cabbage Seeds – 50 Gold Credits per seed

Effect: Soothes minor internal injuries and has mild healing properties.

A plan formed in his mind.

"Zhao Yun," he called, snapping the girl out of her daze. She had been staring at her injured sister, her expression clouded with worry.

She turned to him, confused.

"What do you think of Spirit Cabbages? Do you think making a soup with them would help your sister recover?"

Zhao Yun blinked, momentarily stunned by the odd question. But when she registered his words, her eyes widened in shock.

"Yes! Yes, absolutely! If you can secure spirit cabbages, I'll do whatever I can to assist you," she said eagerly, desperation lacing her voice.

Ace nodded, his expression calm as he continued, setting his plan into motion.

"My master will be sending over some Spirit Cabbages. They'll arrive in less than three hours."

Zhao Yun's face lit up with hope—until she heard the next part.

"But."

The word made her stiffen. Of course, there was always a price. She knew better than to expect charity, especially in a world where nothing came for free. Gritting her teeth, she braced herself for whatever demand this mortal was about to make.

"My master's wish is to spread his farm products far and wide," Ace continued smoothly. "He wants you to first spread word of their effectiveness. And then, once the business is established, you'll need to protect me while I develop it."

Zhao Yun didn't even hesitate.

"I swear," she said firmly, her voice unwavering. "I'll uphold my promise and fulfill your master's wish."

Ace smiled inwardly.

A promise made under desperation was a powerful thing.

____________

Two hours passed, and the Spirit Cabbages had finally matured.

Ace harvested nine fully grown cabbages, their leaves thick and vibrant with spiritual energy. Instead of selling them as he usually did, he withdrew them from the system and carefully placed them on the table.

Zhao Yun's eyes widened in shock.

"These are really Spirit Cabbages!" she exclaimed, stepping closer in disbelief. But as she examined them, another question arose. "Why are they so big? I've never seen Spirit Cabbages this size before!"

Ace didn't even blink. "My master is amazing," he said smoothly, lying through his teeth.

Zhao Yun was too awestruck to doubt him.

"Go and make the soup," he instructed, waving her off. "If you don't know how, ask Xie Ning'er—she's in the courtyard with the kids."

As Zhao Yun hurried off, Ace turned back to his system. He spent another 450 Gold Credits, replanting all nine plots with fresh Spirit Cabbage seeds, bringing his balance down to around 3,600 Gold Credits.

A satisfied smirk tugged at his lips.

If he couldn't be the strongest, then he'd be the richest.

The Spirit Cabbage proved to be highly effective.

Zhao Mei, who had been bedridden just hours ago, was already able to stand and walk on her own. The rapid recovery left both sisters in awe.

Before departing for their sect, the Zhao sisters expressed their sincere gratitude to Ace, bowing deeply before taking their leave.

By then, the sky had darkened. Ace saw off Ning'er and the kids, watching as they disappeared into the night.

With a tired sigh, he returned to his house, harvesting another two baskets of Spirit Cleansing Apples before finally heading to bed.

The next day, there were no classes.

The night before, he had received a system message, but exhaustion had claimed him before he could bother reading it. Now, as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, he finally opened it.

[New obstacle arrived.]

[Clear it, and you'll be given 100 years' worth of 'wisdom.']

Status: completed.

And just like that, the system had delivered.

Without warning, his vision shattered. The world around him blinked from blinding white to an abyssal black. A crushing weight pressed against his chest—he couldn't breathe, couldn't move, as if drowning in endless darkness. Then, just as suddenly, he was weightless, floating aimlessly, a speck in an infinite void.

Then came the pain.

His mind was flooded, an unstoppable tide of knowledge crashing through every corner of his consciousness. It clawed into his skull, tearing through his thoughts like a raging storm. He felt his bones ache, his nerves burn, his head ready to split open.

And then he was somewhere else.

A vast library stretched endlessly in every direction, filled with books that seemed to whisper their secrets directly into his mind. He reached for one, only for the knowledge to pour into him without him even opening it. The weight of a hundred years pressed into his thoughts, drowning him in theories, calculations, and cultivation techniques he had never even imagined.

And then—he was back.

On his bed.

Screaming.

Hours passed, his voice hoarse from the endless wails that tore from his throat. His limbs jerked as if trying to reject the flood of wisdom forced upon him. Every answer, every formula, every lost ancient method rattled in his skull like a chaotic symphony of information, too much, too fast.

By the time his body finally stilled, six hours had passed.

Gasping for breath, he stared at the ceiling, drenched in sweat, his heart still racing.

This... this wasn't what he had expected.

The so-called "hundred years of wisdom" wasn't just knowledge neatly arranged in his mind—it was experience, instincts, and information that no normal human could process all at once.

Yet, as the pain dulled to a lingering throb, the benefits became clear.

He now knew things—countless things. The intricate ways of cultivation, the secrets of pill refinement, the subtle art of breaking formations. Solutions to problems he hadn't even considered before swirled effortlessly in his mind.

It was overwhelming. Terrifying.

And also, just a little bit exciting.