Chapter 375: Wandering the Lands
Chapter 375: Wandering the Lands
South of Tongxian City, on the mountain road outside Shangtai City, a horse-drawn carriage trudged along leisurely.
Seated within this carriage was the thirteen-year-old Mo Hua.
Accompanying Mo Hua were Mister Zhuang, Gui Lao, his junior martial brother Bai Zi Sheng, and junior martial sister Bai Zi Xi.
Snow Auntie had wanted to come along, but only after receiving Mister Zhuang's permission, so she stayed behind.
This carriage belonged to the Bai family.
While it appeared ordinary on the outside, it was exceptionally sturdy. The interior was not lavish, but it offered a comfortable and spacious ride, ample enough to accommodate five or six people.
Given that Mo Hua and his companions were still young and didn't take up much space, the carriage felt even more roomy.
However, they could only sit cross-legged and not lie down.
Gui Lao drove the carriage from the front while Mister Zhuang sipped tea inside. Mo Hua and the other two sat huddled around a small desk, working on the assignments Mister Zhuang had set for them.
These tasks primarily involved array formations, along with some cultivation secrets.
Occasionally, they would take breaks during their long journey.
Mo Hua would hop out of the carriage and head to the nearby hillsides to pluck grass and feed the horse.
This horse also belonged to the Bai family, and it was a spiritual beast with a gentle temperament. Even when encountering a demonic beast, it remained unflustered.
According to Bai Zi Sheng, although the horse looked ordinary and its mane wasn't particularly shiny, it possessed a unique bloodline and even had a rather impressive name—something along the lines of Cloud, Dragon, and Fine Steed...
Mo Hua found the name too much of a mouthful, so he gave the horse a new moniker: "Big White."
Bai Zi Sheng was displeased with this name, feeling that it lacked vigor and didn't sound majestic enough.
However, the horse seemed to take a liking to it. Each time Mo Hua called out "Big White," the horse would nuzzle him affectionately with its head.
Mo Hua grew increasingly fond of this big white horse, and whenever they stopped to rest, he would think of ways to find food for it. He would release his spiritual sense, scouring the area for grass to feed his equine companion.
Big White wasn't picky either; it ate whatever Mo Hua offered.
It was now approaching noon, and Gui Lao halted the carriage for a break.
As Mo Hua fed Big White, he turned to gaze at the towering mountains, the distant sky, and the long road they had traveled. They were already far away from Tongxian City, and he heaved a soft sigh.
It had been over half a month since he had left home.
Mo Hua gradually adapted to the life of wandering.
Contrary to his initial expectations, wandering wasn't about being ethereal and wandering the lands; it was about enduring the elements and enduring hardships.
Fortunately, they had Big White to pull their carriage; otherwise, the journey would have been even more arduous.
At the Qi Refining stage, cultivators couldn't fly, and wandering thousands of miles often meant traveling on foot.
Mo Hua hadn't met any cultivators who could fly yet.
Most likely, it was because the states he had been to were all second-rate, and the highest cultivation level one could achieve there was the Foundation Establishment stage.
Flying, he surmised, was probably a skill possessed by only those at the Golden Core stage or even higher.
If cultivators of such caliber were to fly in a second-rate state, they would likely attract tribulation lightning instantly upon taking to the skies, resulting in a swift and literal "ascent to heaven"...
Flying...
Mo Hua mused silently, his heart filled with yearning. He wondered if there would ever come a day when he could cultivate to the Golden Core stage and soar through the skies.
But the Golden Core stage felt like a distant dream, as he hadn't even reached Foundation Establishment yet.
Mo Hua sighed with emotion.
As he lost himself in his thoughts, his stomach rumbled.
However, when he considered the midday meal, his enthusiasm waned.
On this journey, their diet mostly consisted of Hunger Dispelling Elixir pills.
While these pills were convenient and could satiate a cultivator's hunger, prolonged consumption made them dull and caused stagnation of qi.
But since they were wandering, one couldn't be too particular about such things.
Mo Hua could endure this bit of hardship.
Aside from the pills, Mo Hua did have other options for sustenance.
Before he left, Liu Ruhua had also prepared a lot of dried meat, which she placed in his storage bag for him to take along.
However, Mo Hua couldn't bring himself to eat those.
Only when he was truly sick of the taste of the pills or when he felt homesick would he take out a piece to eat.
These were made by his mother with her own hands. He was drifting far from home, and each piece he ate brought him closer to finishing them...
Mo Hua sighed.
With no villages or shops in sight, their lunch once again consisted of the Hunger Suppressing Pills.
Bai Zi Sheng wore a frown, clearly unhappy with the monotonous fare.
Having grown accustomed to a life of luxury and spicy beef dishes, he was finding it challenging to adapt to the bland diet of pills.
Bai Zi Xi's face remained expressionless, but she didn't seem too pleased either.
Mister Zhuang knit his brows and suddenly spoke up, "Aren't you all thinking of preparing something else to eat?"
Mo Hua and the other two were taken aback, and they all turned to look at Gui Lao.
Mister Zhuang's gaze followed suit.
Normally, it would be Gui Lao's responsibility to prepare meals.
Gui Lao remained unperturbed and said, "I don't mind, as long as you don't mind."
Mo Hua, Bai Zi Sheng, and Bai Zi Xi exchanged glances, unsure what they were supposed to mind.
The next day at noon, when Gui Lao served them a pot of meat, they understood.
Just the appearance of the dish was enough to give them pause...
Out of politeness, they each took a bite but couldn't bring themselves to eat any more.
Mister Zhuang also sighed, "So, this is what I used to eat..."
Gui Lao shot him a glance, "Your taste has become too refined. It's not my fault if you can't appreciate this now. Take it or leave it."
Naturally, Mister Zhuang couldn't stomach the dish, and he fell into thought before turning to look at Mo Hua.
Bai Zi Sheng and Bai Zi Xi's eyes lit up, and they, too, fixed their gazes on Mo Hua.
Even Gui Lao was looking at him expectantly.
Mo Hua was taken aback, "I'm not that skilled either..."
Mister Zhuang stroked his chin, "Logically speaking, culinary skills should be hereditary, right? Your mother is such an excellent cook, so you should be decent at it as well.
Recalling his mother's cooking methods, Mo Hua attempted to make a meat soup.
Mister Zhuang tasted a mouthful and gave a slight nod of approval.
Bai Zi Xi also tasted it and gently nodded her head.
Bai Zi Sheng gobbled it all up and shook his head. "It's still not as good as Auntie Liu's."
"Then why did you eat it all?" Mo Hua asked.
"I was hungry..." Bai Zi Sheng admitted sheepishly.
While it wasn't exceptionally delicious, it was indeed the best meal among their limited options, so the task of cooking inevitably fell upon Mo Hua, the youngest disciple.
Perhaps it was due to inheriting Liu Ruhua's culinary skills that Mo Hua picked up cooking remarkably fast.
After a few days, he was already quite adept at it.
However, catering to everyone's preferences proved to be a challenge.
Mister Zhuang preferred bland food due to his weak qi, Gui Lao wanted something crispy that made a crunching sound when chewed, Bai Zi Sheng craved spicy meat dishes, and Bai Zi Xi desired sweet pastries...
Mo Hua scratched his head in bewilderment, trying to accommodate everyone's tastes.
Finally, he came up with a solution—he would build a separate stove.
He drew four array formations, each with a different stove burner.
One was for steaming, another for stir-frying, the third for stewing, and the last for steaming pastries.
Mo Hua drew the blueprints and designed the array formations. During their journey, they stopped at a small celestial city for a few days, where he spent extra spirit stones and engaged the services of an artificer to forge the stove.
After the artificer finished crafting the stove, he asked in confusion, "Young brother, while I can forge the stove, I'm afraid I can't help you with the array formations."
Mo Hua nonchalantly replied, "It's fine, I can draw them myself."
And so, Mo Hua proceeded to draw the array formations right before the artificer's eyes, leaving him utterly astounded.
Even after Mo Hua paid the spirit stones, took the stove, and left the artificer's shop, the artificer still couldn't snap out of his daze...
While Mo Hua drew the array formations on the stove, it was Bai Zi Sheng who ultimately paid for the spirit stones used in its crafting.
Once the stove was ready, Mo Hua put it to the test, utilizing all four burners at once.
He steamed a dish of fish, stir-fried a pot of pine nuts, stewed a pot of beef, and steamed some pastries.
The fish was a spiritual beast, as regular fish couldn't be steamed to such tenderness.
The pine nuts were for Gui Lao, who enjoyed cracking and munching on them noisily; he could skip meals, but he couldn't do without his pine nuts.
The beef was stewed with various spices, resulting in a fragrant and spicy dish.
The pastries were soft, sticky, and sweet...
Not only Bai Zi Sheng and Bai Zi Xi, but even Mister Zhuang and Gui Lao were astounded.
Mister Zhuang couldn't help but wonder if teaching Mo Hua array formations had hindered his culinary skills...
Bai Zi Sheng devoured everything but still lamented, "It's still not as good as Auntie Liu's."
Mo Hua was no longer indulgent. With a cold harrumph, he said, "Then why don't you cook yourself?"
Bai Zi Sheng boldly declared, "I'll give it a try!"
He figured that while he might not have cooked before, he had certainly eaten enough meat and observed Mo Hua's cooking process. With his quick wit, it shouldn't be a problem.
And so, Bai Zi Sheng attempted to cook a pot of meat.
However, the meat turned out dry and tough, lacking flavor, difficult to chew, and still carrying a gamey smell.
Bai Zi Sheng took a bite and scrunched up his face in dismay.
Intrigued, Bai Zi Xi also tried making a dough, but it didn't steam properly, ending up as a soft, white lump...
Once again, they could only look to Mo Hua with hopeful eyes.
Mo Hua sighed and set about cooking for them again.
After a while, Bai Zi Sheng was deeply touched as he ate Mo Hua's cooking, especially when compared to his own attempt.
Bai Zi Xi nibbled on the pastries, her eyes sparkling with delight.
And so, the carriage continued on its journey, and before they knew it, another half a month had passed.
During the day, they traveled and studied array formations with Mister Zhuang in the carriage.
When it was mealtime, Mo Hua cooked.
In the evenings, if they didn't come across any celestial cities, small towns, mountain hermitages, or minor sects, they would camp in the mountains.
Naturally, the carriage was reserved for Mister Zhuang.
As their master, it was only right to show him respect and give him a comfortable place to rest.
Moreover, even though Mister Zhuang's complexion had improved slightly since leaving Tongxian City, his qi was still somewhat weak.
Mo Hua also wanted him to have a good rest.
As for Mo Hua and the Bai siblings, they slept outdoors.
Before settling down for the night, Mo Hua would set up stone arrays and warning formations around their campsite to guard against demonic beasts or bandits.
Then, he and the Bai siblings would each wrap themselves in a blanket and sleep on the ground.
These blankets also belonged to the Bai family, but Mo Hua had re-inscribed them with array formations.
They provided warmth and ventilation, feeling snug and comfortable without being stuffy.
As night fell, the mountain moon hung cold and serene.
Wrapped in their blankets, the three of them resembled three little caterpillars, bathed in moonlight as they slept peacefully.
(End of Chapter)
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