Farm updates:

After packing up the food, Ace and Shan Yifeng walked Liu Mei home. The sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows along the road. Liu Mei skipped ahead, carrying the small food bundle carefully in her hands.

When they arrived at her house, Liu Mei turned to them with a bright smile. "Thank you, Teacher! Yifeng! I'll see you tomorrow!"

Ace gave her a small nod, while Yifeng crossed his arms. "Make sure to tell your mother how great I am for helping carry the food," he said with a smirk.

Liu Mei stuck her tongue out. "I'll tell her you were grumpy the whole time."

"I wasn't grumpy!"

"Yes, you were!"

Ace chuckled, cutting off their playful argument. "Go inside, Liu Mei."

She made a face at Yifeng before turning and running into her home, disappearing behind the door.

Ace and Yifeng started heading back, the road now quieter without Liu Mei's chatter.

For a while, they walked in comfortable silence, but then Yifeng kicked a loose stone on the path and sighed dramatically. "You know, Teacher, I think Meier should listen to me more."

Ace raised a brow. "Oh?"

"Yeah! I'm older than her, and I'm super smart." Yifeng puffed up his chest. "But she never listens! She just does whatever she wants. Even when I give her really good advice!"

Ace smirked. "Like what?"

"Like…" Yifeng paused, thinking. "Like how she shouldn't be so trusting! She believes everything people say. One time, she got tricked into giving away all her snacks just because someone said they were 'tasting experts.'"

Ace snorted. "And you didn't help?"

"I tried! But she said, 'Sharing is good, Yifeng!'" He imitated her voice in an exaggerated tone, throwing his hands up. "And I was like, 'No, Meier, not like this!'"

Ace shook his head, amused. "And what happened after?"

"She cried when she realized they tricked her." Yifeng sighed. "So I had to go beat them up and take her snacks back."

Ace raised a brow. "You fought them?"

"Of course! It was the principle of the thing, Teacher! You can't just go around taking advantage of people like Meier."

Ace hummed thoughtfully. "And did you win?"

"…No." Yifeng deflated. "They were older. But I did get the snacks back! So it still counts as a victory."

Ace chuckled. "You care about her a lot."

Yifeng huffed. "Well, yeah. She's my friend."

Ace glanced down at him. The boy was walking with his hands stuffed into his sleeves, his expression a mix of pride and embarrassment.

"…That's good," Ace said after a pause. "It's good to have people to care about."

Yifeng glanced up at him, then looked away, kicking another rock down the road. "…Do you have people like that, Teacher?"

Ace's steps slowed slightly.

Yifeng peeked up at him, his eyes shining with curiousity.

Ace thought for a moment before looking at him, answering. "I do."

Yifeng blinked, then grinned. "Then if anyone tries to trick you, I'll go beat them up too!"

Ace let out a short laugh. "You're going to protect your teacher now?"

"Obviously!" Yifeng smirked. "Just like I protected Meier."

Ace shook his head in amusement. "Alright, then. I'll count on you."

Yifeng nodded firmly. "You should. I'm a future top cultivator, after all."

They continued down the path, the air a little lighter now.

Ace found himself smiling. Maybe he was supposed to be the teacher here, but sometimes, these kids taught him things too.

_______

The next day, early in the morning, the swings of a wooden sword against an object woke Ace up.

Shan Yifeng, who now lived with him was practicing the sword early in the morning.

Ace didn't immediately disturb Yifeng's training. The boy was focused, his small frame steady as he practiced each swing.

Though his form was rough, there was determination in every movement.

Ace watched for a moment before turning his attention inward, summoning his system interface.

There were no new notifications. That, in itself, was unusual.

So everything's being handled by the Spirit Bot now?

The last time he entered the system space, the Spirit Bot had been sipping tea and reading a paper as if it were some elderly scholar. That alone had been strange.

But what was even stranger was that his farm animals had mysteriously doubled overnight.

Ace frowned. What's it up to this time?

Without hesitation, he entered the system space.

Inside, the usual serene farm scene greeted him. But right in the middle of it, the Spirit Bot stood, methodically feeding something to the cows.

Ace narrowed his eyes. "...Is this just a visual effect?"

From what he understood, spirit animals didn't need food to survive. They simply existed within the system's mechanics.

Yet here was the Spirit Bot, calmly feeding them as if they were ordinary livestock.

The bot turned its mechanical head toward him. "Master Ace, you've arrived."

Ace crossed his arms. "What are you doing?"

The bot placed down the feed container with a soft clink. "Optimizing efficiency."

Ace raised a brow. "What does that mean?"

The Spirit Bot didn't immediately answer. Instead, it gestured toward the cows, which were chewing contently.

"While Spirit Animals can survive without sustenance, proper nourishment improves their overall vitality. Stronger animals produce higher-quality products."

Ace blinked. Higher quality?

He glanced at the cows again. They did look a little shinier than before… maybe even a bit sturdier?

The bot continued, "This method applies to all spirit livestock. Spirit Chickens will lay better eggs. Spirit Pigs will provide more enriched meat. And Spirit Cows will produce enhanced milk."

Ace narrowed his eyes. "So you're saying feeding them makes their output better?"

The bot gave a slow nod. "Precisely."

Ace frowned in thought. That… actually made a lot of sense. He had been treating the farm like a game mechanic, assuming everything would remain static. But if the system was built to be more realistic—

Wait.

His gaze flickered to the feed container. "What exactly are you feeding them?"

The bot tilted its head. "A special blend created from unused system resources."

"…You're telling me you're making animal feed out of leftover system data?"

The bot nodded. "Efficiency is key."

Ace didn't know whether to be impressed or concerned.

Host Profile:

Level: 10

Talent: Semi-Common Talent [note: don't stop chomping those spirit apples!]

Rank: Peak Warrior

Assets:

Plot of Lands: 19

Tree-Grow Plots: 4

Gold Credits: 162

Farm Animals:

Spirit Chicken: 14 (level 1), 6 (level 2)

Spirit pig: 4 (level 1), 1 (level 2)

Spirit cow: 3

.....

.....

"162 gold credits? That's it?"

Ace stared at the number, his expression shifting from disbelief to exasperation.

He turned to the Spirit Bot. "Are you seriously telling me you used my gold credits to make animal feed, gold credits is leftover system data?"

The bot nodded, unbothered. "Yes Master, gold credits are just leftover data from the system that failed to visualize it's worth."

Ace rubbed his temples. "So, let me get this straight—you took my system funds, turned them into livestock feed, and now you're acting like it's some grand efficiency plan?"

The bot inclined its head. "Precisely."

Ace let out a long sigh. He had been worried about missing notifications, but clearly, the Spirit Bot was making executive decisions without him. At this rate, he'd wake up to find it running the entire farm on its own.

"Fine," he muttered, waving a hand in resignation. "But next time, at least tell me before you start reallocating my funds."

The bot remained silent for a moment before responding, "Acknowledged."

Ace had a feeling that acknowledgment meant absolutely nothing.