Teacher by day, Farmer by passion-Chapter 145: Rina? I’m back?

Yuu stood gracefully in her crimson robe, exuding an aura of quiet dominance.

A single horn jutted from her head, and her hair flowed like liquid fire, red as blood.

Tall and majestic, she was mesmerizing, her flawless features framed by an ethereal glow.

She smiled, serene and unbothered, her silver-white eyes fixed on the crackling thunder above.

The first bolt of lightning crashed down, only to dissolve into nothing the instant it neared her.

Then another. And another.

Each strike of tribulations fell, yet not a single spark could reach past Yuu's presence.

The sky raged. The ground trembled.

When the tribulation ended, around her, the world had been charred black, except for the untouched space where she stood.

Beneath her lay Ace, his breathing steady, lost in deep slumber.

She knelt beside him, brushing a stray lock of hair from his face.

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"Master, rest well," she whispered, her voice as warm as a summer breeze. "You did amazing."

Only then did she glance at her sleeve, where a faint burn mark marred the fabric.

A small smile played on her lips.

"It seems… I'm still not strong enough," she murmured, gazing up at the darkened heavens.

Shan Yifeng stood frozen, his breath caught in his throat.

Xie Ninger, on the other hand, had already given up trying to make sense of anything.

All she knew was that this ordeal had finally come to an end.

After a few while, Shan Yifeng successfully cracked the formation.

Yet, as he took the formation down, figures appeared from the dissipating barrier.

Men in arms, holding the flag from the Duke of Edinburgh.

At the front, a man, clad from head to toe in black, in his twenties stepped forward, his expression unreadable.

"Impressive. You cracked the formation from inside? I wonder… did you truly know what you were doing, or were you simply desperate?"

Shan Yifeng tensed, choosing silence over a response.

Xie Ninger and Yuu turned toward the new arrivals, their eyes narrowing.

The man in black didn't press further. His gaze flicked toward Ace, then withdrew just as quickly.

"I need to figure out what's going on in this village. Who volunteers?"

Silence. None of the trio moved.

He chuckled. "Figures. Well, in respect for your efforts, I'll spare you all."

With a casual wave of his hand, he commanded, "March."

The army advanced, ignoring them.

Without hesitation, Shan Yifeng hoisted Ace onto his back, quickly moving him aside.

The man in black smirked as he glanced at the unconscious Ace.

At that moment—

[Host… another fragment of the Divine Garden has been detected.]

The message rang in both Ace's and the man's minds simultaneously.

* * *

"Ace! Wake up! Please, wake up!"

A girl's voice, choked with sobs, rang in his ears.

"Ruby?" Ace muttered, his mind sluggish, his thoughts hazy as he stared at the girl.

The girl in front of him froze, confusion flickering through her tear-streaked face.

"Ruby?" she repeated, her voice trembling. "Who's Ruby? Ace… it's me, Rina."

She forced a smile through her tears, but her lips quivered. "Looks like you've already moved on and found someone new."

Ace's head throbbed. A dull, aching pressure. An undeniable headache.

He glanced up instinctively but there was no sky like he expected.

A steady beeping noise filled his ears. The scent of antiseptic lingered in the air, sterile and faintly sweet.

His limbs felt… sluggish, heavy, as if they weren't his own. A soft blanket covered him, and something cold pressed against his wrist.... a needle?

No, an IV drip.

Ace frowned. An IV drip? Hospital?

Didn't I lie down on the grass? he thought. Then how…

"Ace," Rina whispered, gripping his hands tighter.

"Look, whatever you think you saw—nothing is going on between the Duke and me. He was just helping me shop… for your birthday gift."

Her voice cracked at the end, desperate, pleading.

Ace barely heard her. He wasn't listening.

His gaze drifted, scanning the space around him, a gnawing sense of wrongness growing in his chest.

"This is an illusion, isn't it?"

Rina stiffened, her grip on his hands tightening as panic flashed across her face.

"Ace… what are you saying?" Her voice wavered, fear creeping in. "Did the crash hit your head? You're scaring me…"

She clutched his hands, trembling, her breath coming in uneven gasps.

But Ace had already turned away, pulling his hands free.

To his left he saw a mirror but what he saw made his heart lurched.

The reflection staring back at him, that was him yet not one he expected.

His breath hitched. "Isn't that… that's not Xiao Zhi… that's just me."

His voice trailed off, his mind refusing to accept it.

"Who's Xiao Zhi?" Rina's voice wavered, her sobs deepening. "What happened to you? I—I'm calling the doctor!"

"You'll be fine, Ace! You'll be fine!"

She turned whispering those words, as she ran out, her cries echoing through the empty space.

Ace exhaled slowly, shutting his eyes.

He could wait, whether for a doctor to arrive or for this illusion to finally shatter.

* * *

Not long after, he heard footsteps.

"Don't rush! Don't rush!" A voice called out from across the room.

"But—but, Doctor! He's finally awake!" Rina's voice trembled with urgency.

It wasn't long before Ace saw a beautiful woman enter the room alongside Rina.

So that's the doctor? he thought absently. At least the doctor in this illusion is beautiful… he muttered under his breath.

The woman's eyes widened in delight. "He's really awake!" she exclaimed, her excitement barely contained.

She stepped closer, checking his vitals before glancing at Rina. "Young man, did you know? If it weren't for this lady right here, you wouldn't even be alive."

Ace followed the doctor's gesture, his gaze settling on Rina.

He said nothing.

Rina's smile faltered, her expression turning heartbroken.

"It's been four months, Ace…" she whispered, tears brimming in her eyes.

The doctor busied herself with her examination, breaking the heavy silence.

"Physically, you seem fine, well, except for your reluctance to talk. Hmm… don't worry, it'll come back with time," she reassured him.

She offered a gentle smile. "Honestly, you're quite the miracle. In this hospital, no one has ever woken up from a coma in just four months."

Ace closed his eyes.

Four months?

If this is real… then had I been living a different life all this time?

Was the life I was living, just a dream all this time?

Yet when the thought stuck, the walls of the hospital room rippled. The beeping monitors distorted into a single, drawn-out wail.

Rina's voice warped. Her smile froze.

Then—darkness. Everything went so still.

"Master? Master? Are you awake today?"

A familiar, eager voice soon echoed through the silence.

"Master! Master! I taught the kids how to fight today! Hehe, now you're a grandmaster, Master!"

"Master, Master, you're awake, right? I know you are! You're just pretending to be asleep, aren't you?"

A pause—then a soft, trembling sob.

"Master... Master, when are you waking up?"

The voice wavered, holding back tears.

"Master, Lily beat me up again today—like always—but! I landed a punch on her face! Hehe!"

"Master! It's confirmed! That old man—Xiao Wuji or something—they found his dead body! He's really dead!"

Ace's ears twitched as the voices drifted in and out, time blurring around him.

Liu Mei... how cute, he thought to himself.

And then, a cold voice whispered in his mind.

[Host! A fragment of the Divine Garden is nearby!]