Chapter 6: Spirit Stones
Mo Hua thought for a while in the room. After Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua finished speaking, and she had changed into her casual clothes, he pretended as if nothing had happened and happily walked out of the room.
The family of three ate dinner. Mo Shan had already eaten, so Mo Hua pestered him to tell interesting stories about Demon Hunting.
Mo Shan selectively recounted a few, such as a one-eyed wolf, a two-headed tiger, and a three-legged wild boar.
Some teams hunted a mature Yao Beast but didn't retrieve its Yao Core, only stripping off some worthless furs. When they realized their mistake and returned, the Yao Core had already been taken by others. The captain was so regretful that he spat blood and fainted.
There were also those who caught an exotic beast with an ancient Bloodline, which was directly bought by a large Sect at a high price, ensuring a life of comfort. But then, one day, the person completely disappeared...
Mo Hua listened with great interest, knowing that these stories must contain elements of blood, danger, and cruelty, but his father deliberately omitted them.
Parents always hoped their children wouldn't know the cruel realities and could have a simple, happy childhood.
After Mo Hua finished listening to the stories, three small heads peered in from outside the main door. Their bright eyes looked into the room, and upon seeing Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua at home, they lined up neatly and greeted them in unison:
"Hello, Uncle Mo! Hello, Liu Ayi!"
The three children were surnamed Meng and lived on the same street; their families also made a living by Demon Hunting.
The Meng family elders had a friendship with Mo Shan, and they lived close by, so Mo Hua had played with them since childhood. Their names were also similar, and in order of birth, they were called Meng Da Hu, Meng Shuang Hu, and Meng Xiao Hu.
Among the Yao Beasts near Tongxian City, tiger-type Yao Beasts were one of the most powerful. Naming children with the character "Hu" (tiger) also expressed the hope that they would have tiger-like strength and prestige in the future.
The three children truly lived up to their names, growing up with sturdy, tiger-like builds.
Mo Hua was the youngest, and when he was born, he was frail and often ill. Mo Shan felt it was unlikely he would grow up to be like a tiger. Seeing his delicate features, fair skin, and resemblance to a porcelain doll, he took the character "Hua" from his wife Liu Ruhua's name, naming him Mo Hua.
When Liu Ruhua saw the three children, she gave each of them a steamed bun. The three children verbally refused, but their hands involuntarily reached out, grabbed the buns, and stuffed them into their mouths, saying with puffed cheeks, "Thank you, Liu Ayi!"
Liu Ruhua's cooking was the best in the neighborhood, and the three children were therefore very envious of Mo Hua.
Mo Shan waved his hand, "Go play together, remember to come back for lunch!"
Mo Hua and the three children nodded in agreement and darted out the door.
Among the three Meng children, Da Hu was honest, Shuang Hu was clever, and Xiao Hu was a chatterbox. All three were older and taller than Mo Hua, and usually, they were the ones who led Mo Hua in play.
Da Hu, Shuang Hu, and Xiao Hu talked incessantly along the way, mentioning where there were Dragon dances, where fireworks were set off, where there were crowds, and where there were dancing, flamboyant young girls...
But they talked so much that they didn't know where to play.
Finally, the few of them discussed, adults choose, but children want everything, so they would visit all of them!
As the New Year approached, Disciples returning from Sects for holidays and Cultivators working outside returning home made Tongxian City much livelier than usual, with dense crowds on the streets.
Some Qi Refinement Stage Body Cultivators showed off their martial arts, brandishing swords and spears, while Spiritual Cultivators performed some flashy but useless Spells, drawing envious gasps from children;
Those skilled in Artifact Refining and mechanisms made small toys, such as wooden rabbits, puppies, and kittens that would run on the ground with just a bit of spiritual energy, and various other dazzling items.
Da Hu, Shuang Hu, and Xiao Hu were having a blast, finding everything new and excitedly yelling. Mo Hua played and watched, but secretly, he was paying attention to any ways to earn Spirit Stones on the street.
After looking around, he finally realized that most ways to earn Spirit Stones were already taken, and those that weren't, Mo Hua currently lacked the ability to do.
Watching the group of Cultivators performing and shouting energetically on the street, Mo Hua sighed inwardly, realizing that making a living was indeed not easy.
Shuang Hu saw that Mo Hua was a bit unhappy and asked, "Mo Hua, do you have something on your mind?"
Upon hearing this, Da Hu immediately said, "Is someone bullying you? I'll go beat him up!"
Xiao Hu also nodded repeatedly, "Beat him! Beat him!"
The Meng family elders had instructed the three of them since childhood to take care of the frail and sickly Mo Hua, and additionally, Liu Ruhua would specially save a portion of her delicious cooking for the three children.
The three children were both grateful and loyal. Whenever someone tried to bully Mo Hua, they would roll up their sleeves without a word and rush to fight them.
And Mo Hua was recognized as the smartest among the Loose Cultivators in the neighborhood. Sometimes, when they didn't understand the assignments given by the Instructor, they would come to ask Mo Hua, so the children had a very good relationship.
Mo Hua saw them looking eager to fight and felt a bit helpless, saying,
"No one's bullying me. I'm just thinking if I can earn some Spirit Stones."
Earn Spirit Stones, huh...
Da Hu, Shuang Hu, and Xiao Hu also looked troubled; they didn't quite know either.
They could help with fighting, but earning Spirit Stones was beyond them.
Mo Hua's heart stirred, and he asked again,
"Then do you know how Array Masters earn Spirit Stones?"
The world of Cultivation was vast and boundless. Mo Hua spent his days only Cultivating and drawing Formations, so his exposure was limited, and there was much he didn't understand. He only knew that becoming an Array Master meant he wouldn't have to worry about food and clothing, but he truly didn't know how ordinary Array Masters, especially low-level apprentices, earned Spirit Stones.
Da Hu, Shuang Hu, and Xiao Hu often played around, so they might know some things Mo Hua didn't.
Da Hu thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, "The Array Master's grading assessment is very difficult. There isn't a single First Grade Array Master in our neighborhood, so I don't really know..."
"Let alone our neighborhood, even in the entire Tongxian City, there aren't many Array Masters, and even fewer who can truly pass the grading and become a First Grade Array Master. A distant uncle of our Meng family studies Formations every day and has been trying to pass the First Grade Array Master assessment for twenty years without success..." Xiao Hu shook his head and clicked his tongue.
"You misheard. Uncle Meng is just an Array Formation apprentice. He wants to apprentice himself to an Array Master to learn Formations, but when others test him, he can't answer, so they don't take him in."
Shuang Hu pouted, then counted on his fingers:
"Apprentice, ordinary Array Master, First Grade Array Master... Uncle Meng didn't go for the grading; those who can go for grading are already somewhat famous Array Masters. He's still a long, long way from grading!"
Mo Hua asked curiously, "Then how does he make a living?"
"I heard he helps businesses draw some simple Formations, then earns some Spirit Stones, and uses those Spirit Stones to buy brushes and ink to practice Formations, and then still can't find a master, so he continues to help businesses draw Formations..."
"Businesses, huh..."
"Yes, I heard that even if you don't get graded and don't become a First Grade Array Master, just being an ordinary Array Master and drawing Formations for businesses can still earn you a lot of Spirit Stones, enough to live comfortably."
Shuang Hu said, then asked Mo Hua,
"Mo Hua, do you want to be an Array Master?"
"Yes," Mo Hua didn't hide it, "My Physique is too weak. I probably can't be a Demon Hunter; one swipe from a Yao Beast would likely take half my life. I always need to find a way to make a living. But it's too early to talk about that now. I'll first see if I can earn some Spirit Stones. If I can, I'll treat you all to pastries!"
Upon hearing this, Da Hu, Shuang Hu, and Xiao Hu instantly became happy.
"Great, great!"
"You're so smart, you'll definitely earn Spirit Stones and become an Array Master in the future!"
"Pastries, pastries!"
Children from ordinary Loose Cultivator families rarely got to eat even common pastries from the roadside.
The few of them walked around again. Besides not seeing the flamboyant young girls, they visited everything else. As it neared noon, they all went home for lunch, feeling satisfied.
After finishing lunch, Mo Hua told his parents he was going out to play, and then he went alone to North Avenue in Tongxian City.
North Avenue in Tongxian City was prosperous, while South Street was lively.
South Street had many markets, primarily with hawkers and small stalls, while North Avenue had many businesses, offering everything from spiritual talismans to elixirs and artifacts. The goods sold there were more formal, of better quality, and, of course, more expensive.
However, Mo Hua wasn't there to buy things; he didn't have the Spirit Stones for it.
Mo Hua walked from one end of the street to the other, looking at all the businesses, and then entered the one that had a Formation hanging outside but was relatively the most shabby, simple, and had the least business.