Chapter 353: The Offer
Chapter 353: The Offer
"If you donate spirit stones, once the grand array is completed and the beast is slain, we will erect a monumental Demon Suppressing Stele..."
Mo Hua gestured with his hand, illustrating the size of this stele—no, this monument—and then said to Old Man An: "At that time, your name will be inscribed at the top, in large characters outlined in gold, so that everyone who sees it will immediately notice it."
The tradition of erecting a Demon Suppressing Stele was an honored practice among demon hunters.
Whenever a powerful demon wreaking havoc was eliminated, demon hunters would forge a stele to commemorate the achievement, inscribing the names of all the cultivators who participated in the hunt.
However, since no one had ever killed a grand demon before, naturally, no one had ever erected a stele to commemorate such a feat.
Old Man An remained calm and asked, "What if you fail to kill it?"
Mo Hua was candid in his response: "Even in business, there are times when one incurs losses. Demon hunting endeavors can also end in failure, especially when dealing with such a formidable demon. The risk is immense."
"If we can't kill it, then we just have to find another solution. Your spirit stones, of course, would be considered a donation made in vain."
Old Man An frowned, "So, you're saying that I should donate my family's wealth in exchange for a reputation that may never materialize?"
"This is a solid reputation, not an empty one," Mo Hua corrected him.
"How is it not empty?"
Mo Hua explained, "Once the grand demon is slain and the Demon Suppressing Stele is erected, that stele will become the most important monument in Tongxian City's history."
"As long as Tongxian City stands, so will the Demon Suppressing Stele, and your name will be upon it. The An family will forever be remembered by the cultivators of Tongxian City."
"This is a rare opportunity that may never come again. If you miss it, no amount of spirit stones will be able to buy this honor in the future."
Old Man An was moved by these words, and he couldn't help but furrow his brows in deep thought.
Seeing this, Mo Hua quietly added, "Sir, let me put it bluntly..."
Old Man An paused, then nodded for him to continue.
Mo Hua blinked and said in a low voice, "The An family is still prosperous now, and everyone knows that you are the second largest family in Tongxian City. But what if, in the future, your family declines and loses all its wealth? Who will remember who you are then?"
"At that time, the An family will be like all the other insignificant small families in this world, forgotten and never mentioned or remembered again. Even your descendants may not take pride in the family name anymore."
Old Man An maintained a calm expression, but his gaze dropped, as he knew that Mo Hua was speaking the truth.
This was the fate of most small families in the cultivation world.
Where there was prosperity, decline would eventually follow.
Small families lacked a solid foundation, and once they declined, their clansmen would scatter, making it nearly impossible to rise again.
Not only small families like theirs but even large aristocratic families could fall from grace and eventually disappear into the annals of cultivation history.
Noticing that his words had struck a chord with Old Man An, Mo Hua's eyes lit up, and he seized the opportunity to continue, "But if your name is inscribed on the largest Demon Suppressing Stele in Tongxian City, it will be different. All the cultivators in Tongxian City will remember your name and the history of the An family. Even if the An family ceases to exist hundreds of years from now..."
Old Man An's heart trembled, and he gazed at Mo Hua with a hint of resentment in his eyes.
What did he mean by the An family ceasing to exist...
Mo Hua smiled awkwardly and softened his statement, "Even if the An family declines and loses its wealth hundreds of years from now, the people of Tongxian City will still remember your family's goodness..."
"In times like those, spirit stones are meaningless. It is this reputation that will be solid and lasting."
Mo Hua was eloquent and persuasive in his argument.
Old Man An's brows furrowed tighter as he pondered, unable to make a decision. Finally, he sighed and said slowly, "Let me think about it."
Mo Hua was merely seeking Old Man An's opinion and did not intend to force him. He actually had other ways to gather spirit stones.
However, the An family's current situation was indeed a difficult one.
Whether to donate or not was a tricky decision.
That was why he had suggested that Old Man An donate some spirit stones to buy a good reputation for future generations of the An family.
But the final choice was still up to Old Man An.
"Take your time then. I shall take my leave first."
Mo Hua politely bowed and then walked out of the An family residence with small steps.
Old Man An stared at Mo Hua's departing back, lost in thought.
Soon, the screen behind him stirred, and the current head of the An family, An Yonglu, emerged. He quietly walked up to Old Man An, poured him a cup of tea, and cautiously asked, "Father, how did it go?"
Old Man An thought of Mo Hua's calm and collected demeanor during the conversation, and then he saw his son's timid and subservient attitude, which only served to irritate him further.
"You, as the head of the family, can't even handle such an important matter properly!"
"Mo Hua, a child of only ten or so years, was able to find me openly and negotiate with me in a reasonable and well-argued manner."
"You, as the head of the family, can't be of any help, can't say a word, and can only hide behind and eavesdrop!"
"If the An family continues to be in your hands, it will surely be ruined sooner or later!"
...
An Yonglu was scolded relentlessly, feeling wronged in his heart: I want to take charge, but you don't trust me...
But he dared not retort.
After venting his anger, Old Man An sighed and said, "Let's donate it."
An Yonglu said, "Don't listen to that kid, Mo Hua... He's just trying to manipulate you..."
Old Man An sighed, "Mo Hua does have his own agenda, but what he said is also true. When disaster strikes, we won't be able to protect all our wealth... It's better to exchange it for a good reputation."
An Yonglu was still unconvinced. "How can we not be able to protect it?
Seeing his son's timidity, Old Man An's expression grew weary. "I've been thinking about this for a long time, but I still haven't come up with a good solution."
"There are only two paths before the An family: to leave or to stay."
"If we leave, we can relocate our entire family to another Celestial City, but other powers already have a foothold there. They may not welcome the An family, let alone share their profits with us."
"Our family has been running the cafeteria for a long time, always striving for amicable profits. None of our descendants are ruthless enough. If we move to a foreign land, our family will surely decline within three generations."
"If we follow the loose cultivators to the new city, then we will be like a juicy piece of meat for others to take a bite out of."
At this point, Old Man An recalled the past.
Years ago, a caravan of the An family, escorted by direct disciples, was devoured without a single survivor by evil cultivators secretly instigated by the Qian family's old ancestor in the Great Black Mountain.
Even now, Old Man An shuddered at the memory of that incident.
Along the way to the new city, who knew how many more Great Black Mountains and Black Mountain strongholds they would encounter?
Their family would likely have their bones picked clean by the time they reached their destination.
"If we don't leave, then we have no choice but to stay and build the grand array."
"Since we've decided to stay and build the grand array, we must unite as one. Even those poor loose cultivators are donating their spirit stones. How can we, the An family, be selfish and let others look down on us?"
Old Man An had another reason he didn't mention.
He also had a personal motive.
His lifespan was nearing its end, and his cultivation couldn't progress any further. He knew that his life would soon come to a close, and although he held the position of a Home Master in the Foundation Establishment stage, renowned among others, he had not achieved anything remarkable.
Old Man An was not content with ending his life this way; he wanted to leave a legacy for himself and a good name for the An family.
Once his mind was made up, Old Man An felt much more relaxed. "Then let's donate."
An Yonglu was taken aback. "Donate all of it?"
Hearing this, Old Man An's temper flared up again. "Are you an idiot? If we donate everything, how will our large family survive? Can't you think before you speak?"
An Yonglu weakly asked, "Then how much should we donate..."
Old Man An felt a headache coming on. "Seven to eight tenths, then."
"Oh." An Yonglu tentatively suggested, "Then I'll make an inventory and hand it over to Zhou Palms?"
Old Man An nodded, then hesitated and shook his head. "No, after you've made the inventory, bring the list and personally hand it over to Mo Hua."
An Yonglu was slightly stunned and somewhat unhappy. "Isn't that giving him too much face..."
After all, Mo Hua was just a child of ten or so years who could draw grand arrays.
An Yonglu wanted to say more, but seeing Old Man An's eyelids twitching, holding back his anger, he knew that his father was about to lose his temper...
So An Yonglu immediately closed his mouth, knowing better than to push his luck.
Old Man An sighed helplessly, "When you go to find Mo Hua, remember to bring Xiao Fu with you. Unless it's necessary, keep your mouth shut and be respectful."
An Yonglu had no choice but to agree, though he still looked a little confused.
Old Man An took a sip of tea and pondered for a moment before continuing solemnly, "These spirit stones are to be exchanged for a good reputation."
"If we succeed in killing the grand demon, our An family's descendants will all have a good name."
"Even if we fail, the loose cultivators will still appreciate our efforts, especially Elder Yu. If we maintain a good relationship with him, the Demon Hunters will lend us a hand should the An family ever face any difficulties."
"But most importantly, these spirit stones will buy us Mo Hua's goodwill."
"That child, Mo Hua, still values personal relationships." Old Man An breathed a slight sigh of relief and sighed, "If the grand array is truly completed, then Mo Hua will be the main array master of a top-grade grand array at the age of thirteen. No amount of fame can compare to having him owe us a favor."
An Yonglu was stunned. "Is it really that important?"
Old Man An shook his head. "You don't understand the weight of the words 'main array master,' especially when that master is only thirteen years old. That's even more terrifying..."
An Yonglu's heart skipped a beat, and he nodded solemnly.
If his father said so, then the main array master must be even more formidable.
However, he felt that there wasn't much difference between a first-grade array master and a main array master.
Seeing his son's expression, Old Man An knew that he hadn't truly understood, and he couldn't help but sigh deeply once more.
A couple of days later, An Yonglu had made an inventory of the spirit stones and some array materials. He brought An Xiao Fu with him and personally delivered them to Mo Hua.
Mo Hua was delighted. "Thank you, Uncle An. Please convey my gratitude to Old Man An as well. Mo Hua will remember this favor!"
An Yonglu nodded. Feeling that his task was accomplished, he also remembered his father's instructions and didn't say anything unnecessary. After a brief chat, he left.
On the other hand, An Xiao Fu stayed behind.
He didn't have much of a mind for these things and didn't care about donating spirit stones. All he knew was that there was something going on, and it involved Mo Hua, so he happily tagged along and took the opportunity to enjoy a delicious meal at Mo Hua's house before returning home.
After all, in his heart, Mo Hua's cooking was the best.
(End of Chapter)
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