Chapter 175: Homecoming
Chapter 175: Homecoming
Elder Yu continued to berate Qian Hong loudly.
Qian Hong, his mental state already unbalanced, could barely withstand the insults this time. Just as he was about to lose all restraint and make a move, the disciples from the Daotingsi arrived.
Elder Yu had sent someone to notify the Daotingsi beforehand, fearing that the Qian family would be unreasonable.
More than ten people came from the Daotingsi, led by the highest-ranking Master, along with the Vice Master and several officials, including Zhang Lan.
The involvement of the Daotingsi meant that the matter was now concluded.
Qian Hong had no choice but to leave with the Qian family disciples, his expression filled with resentment, as if he wasn't ready to let the matter drop.
He shot a cold glance at Elder Yu, then let his gaze sweep over Mo Hua before lingering on the other demon hunters, deep in thought.
Which one of these demon hunters was the array master who had caused him so much trouble? All of them were suspects, but he immediately ruled out Mo Hua, who was only about ten years old.
In Qian Hong's understanding, an array master capable of drawing a first-grade array should be middle-aged, if not older, and their cultivation should be at least at the ninth layer of Qi Refining.
Mo Hua was too young and his cultivation too low to be the one.
Seeing that Qian Hong's gaze didn't linger on Mo Hua, Elder Yu didn't bother to clarify, letting him guess.
"Go ahead and guess," Elder Yu thought. "I swear, if you can figure this out, I'll treat everyone with respect from now on and never insult anyone again!"
Not only was it impossible for Qian Hong to guess, but even if he knew that Mo Hua could draw a first-grade array, he would still find it hard to believe, like a dream. If Mo Hua hadn't drawn so many arrays in front of him, he might not have believed it.
A ten-year-old first-grade array master was simply inconceivable.
No matter how hard Qian Hong racked his brains, he wouldn't be able to guess.
After the Qian family left, Elder Yu discussed the matter with the Master of the Daotingsi.
Zhang Lan's gaze swept the area and landed on Mo Hua once more, letting out a soft sigh in his heart.
"Mo Hua, why are you always in the middle of trouble?" he thought. "You haven't missed a single incident."
Mo Hua noticed Zhang Lan and winked at him, his big, round eyes sparkling.
Zhang Lan shook his head helplessly.
After Elder Yu finished talking with the Master, he looked pleased. He then told everyone to go home and rest, and they could discuss the next steps later.
So Mo Hua and Mo Shan headed home.
Liu Ruhua was tidying up the bowls and dishes at the entrance of the eatery, her gaze frequently drifting towards the intersection, her expression a mix of anticipation and anxiety.
Soon enough, Mo Shan appeared at the intersection, holding Mo Hua's small hand.
Liu Ruhua quickly put down the bowls and dishes and rushed out to meet Mo Hua, hugging him tightly as if afraid he would disappear again in the blink of an eye.
Mo Hua felt a little embarrassed and said with a red face, "Mother, I'm fine."
Only then did Liu Ruhua carefully examine Mo Hua, seeing that he had no injuries, his complexion was good, although he seemed a little thinner. She finally relaxed.
Then she felt a twinge of heartache. "You must have been hungry staying there for so long. Did you finish all the food I prepared for you?"
Mo Hua patted his empty storage bag. "I ate it all!"
Liu Ruhua nodded. "You're still young, so you need to eat more."
"Yes, Mother," Mo Hua agreed.
Liu Ruhua examined Mo Hua once more before smiling gently. "You must be hungry. I've made a lot of delicious food for you."
Mo Hua's eyes lit up, and he said crisply, "Mother, you're the best!"
Liu Ruhua's smile blossomed like a flower as she led Mo Hua into the eatery.
Mo Shan, who had been left standing by himself the whole time, shook his head helplessly.
Mo Hua enjoyed a hearty meal, took a bath, changed into clean clothes, and then fell into a deep sleep.
Although he hadn't engaged in direct combat during his time guarding the mine, the constant use of spells and arrays to fend off enemies had left him mentally and physically exhausted.
Setting the fruits on the table, she tucked her son's blanket in gently, unable to resist stealing a few more glances at him before quietly leaving the room.
When Mo Hua woke up, he rubbed his eyes, realizing that night had fallen. Hearing voices, he walked into the living room and saw Elder Yu, Yu Chengyi, and Mo Shan deep in discussion.
Elder Yu beckoned him over with a warm smile.
"What are you discussing?" Mo Hua asked, curious.
"We're talking about the spirit stones from the split spirit stones," Elder Yu replied.
"Can I listen in?" Mo Hua asked.
Elder Yu nodded. "You have a share in this as well."
Mo Hua pulled up a small stool and sat down. Elder Yu began to explain, "This time, we've exhausted the spiritual mine, but the spirit stones within are impure and irregularly shaped, rendering them unusable. They need to be handed over to the Daotingsi, where they will be exchanged for a certain proportion of standardized spirit stones used by the Dao Court. These spirit stones are free of impurities and are refined to a consistent quality, making them suitable for both circulation and cultivation..."
"Of course, the Dao Court will take a cut, and some spirit stones will be used to grease the palms of the Daotingsi officials. Even so, we will still receive a substantial amount of spirit stones."
"Based on the level of contribution, these spirit stones will be divided into four categories: A, B, C, and D. They will be distributed monthly in batches to all demon hunters for their cultivation and daily needs."
"Among them, Mo Shan is ranked as Category A for his exceptional contribution and will receive the corresponding share of spirit stones. Mo Hua, you are also in Category A."
Mo Hua was surprised. "I'm in Category A too?"
Elder Yu nodded. "You should have been given an even larger share, but since your family already has two Category A shares, it wouldn't be appropriate to give you more."
In Elder Yu's heart, he knew that Mo Hua's contribution far exceeded that of a Category A ranking.
Whether it was using the Fireball Technique to repel the Qian family's spiritual cultivators, forcing the hidden cultivators to reveal themselves, or using formations to aid in defense and escape, Mo Hua's actions had been pivotal to their victory.
However, according to the demon hunters' tradition, the highest category they could assign was Category A, and Elder Yu did not want to make an exception.
Mo Hua, however, didn't seem to mind. He was already very happy to be given a Category A share.
After all, while he had contributed by using spells and drawing formations from the rear, it was the other demon hunters who had faced the brunt of the battle, shedding blood and risking their lives.
Mo Hua had merely assisted from the sidelines.
Suddenly, a somber expression crossed Mo Hua's face, and he said, "Quite a few people must have sacrificed themselves this time..."
Elder Yu patted Mo Hua's head gently. "Casualties are inevitable, and you shouldn't dwell on it."
Mo Hua understood, but he still felt sad.
"Death is inevitable," Elder Yu said. "People die of old age, illness, disasters, or hunting beasts. Compared to those possibilities, dying while defending the spiritual mine means their families will receive more compensation. This is the best outcome we could hope for."
Mo Hua nodded silently.
Elder Yu sighed as he looked at Mo Hua. "Hardships are unavoidable. Demon hunters have endured them for countless years, and we must always look forward."
"I understand, Elder," Mo Hua replied with a nod.
Elder Yu felt slightly comforted and did not say anything further.
However, Mo Hua understood that the root of all their suffering was their weakness.
If he had been powerful enough, the Qian family would not have posed such a threat, and if his formations had been stronger, they would have easily crushed the Qian family.
If only his formations were strong enough...
Mo Hua's eyes shone with determination as he silently vowed:
"One day, no cultivator will shed blood or perish within my formations!"
(End of Chapter)
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