https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-381-The-Spirit-Fields-End-of-excerpt-/12541366/
Chapter 382: The Array
Chapter 382: The Array
Old Man Ding's grandson, a little boy of five or six years old named Ding Miaoer, lay on the table, sipping the thin porridge with not a single grain of rice in it. He forced himself not to look at the chicken on the table, but occasionally, he couldn't help stealing a glance.
The name Miaoer was probably chosen with the hope that he would grow up strong and healthy like the rice seedlings in the fields.
The growth of rice seedlings signified a bountiful harvest.
A child's growth symbolized a safe and smooth journey through life.
Mo Hua finished the porridge in his bowl, ate a piece of chicken, and then pushed the entire plate towards Miaoer.
"I'm full. Miaoer, you eat the rest."
Old Man Ding quickly objected, "We can't let you do that."
Mo Hua said, "I'll ask you some questions, and you can answer them as payment for drawing the array."
"Young master, go ahead and ask. I'll tell you whatever you want to know. This is already part of my job, but..." Old Man Ding started to say.
But Mo Hua didn't let him refuse. "It's settled, then."
Miaoer shook his head and said in a childish voice, "Big brother, eat."
Mo Hua patted his head gently. "You eat."
Miaoer wanted to refuse. His grandfather had taught him that they must always treat guests well. But he was truly hungry, and it had been a long time since he had tasted meat.
He couldn't resist and took a bite of the chicken. Then, captivated by the delicious flavor, he began to eat piece after piece...
Mo Hua patted his little head again.
Miaoer looked up at him, his eyes sparkling as he chewed on the meat.
Old Man Ding's heart ached at the sight. This was his own grandson, and not only had he rarely had his fill of rice, but he also rarely tasted meat...
Miaoer focused all his attention on the plate of chicken.
Mo Hua then asked Old Man Ding, "Mr. Ding, were all the arrays in the fields created by the Sun family?"
Old Man Ding nodded. "Yes, the Sun family has been modifying and maintaining them for hundreds of years, starting with their ancestors."
"The Sun family's ancestors?" Mo Hua asked.
Old Man Ding sighed and began to tell the story. "The Sun family's ancestors, especially the first ancestor, were renowned array masters and incredibly kind-hearted. He was an outsider cultivator who, for some reason, ended up here. Seeing the hardships faced by the cultivators of Qianjia Town, he was filled with compassion and decided to help by drawing arrays in the spirit fields."
"These arrays made the soil fertile and ensured abundant harvests of spirit rice, guaranteeing that we would never go hungry or lack clothing."
"The cultivators of Qianjia Town were incredibly grateful to him and tried their best to keep him here, even building him a mansion..."
"That's the mansion that now belongs to the Sun family. Of course, they've renovated it several times at great expense, so it no longer looks like it used to."
"What happened after that?" Mo Hua asked.
Old Man Ding sighed again. "Later... the first ancestor of the Sun family passed away, supposedly because he studied arrays too intensely and his sea of consciousness shattered. But that's just a rumor; I don't know the real reason..."
"After the first ancestor's passing, we were mindful of the Sun family's kindness and continued to express our gratitude. Every year after the harvest, we would send them some spirit rice."
"Gradually, the Sun family's descendants began to take this for granted. They felt that we owed them and that it was our duty to 'pay tribute' to them."
"In some years when the harvest was poor and we couldn't give them as much, the Sun family would scold us, calling us 'ungrateful wolves who forget kindness shown to them'."
"What's worse, they became greedy and demanded not only the produce from the fields but also our village girls to serve them as maids... How could we possibly agree to that?"
"So, the gratitude turned into resentment..."
"As the rift between us solitary cultivators and the Sun family deepened, they took advantage of their control over the arrays and made unreasonable demands. We had to give them most of our harvest every year."
"But we couldn't refuse because this land is close to the mountains, and without the arrays, the spirit rice in the fields would wither and die..."
Old Man Ding sighed deeply.
Mo Hua listened with a sigh as well, then asked, "What about the arrays in the fields? Were they also passed down by the first ancestor of the Sun family, or have they been changed over time?"
Old Man Ding scratched his head, trying to recall. "I don't think so..."
"According to the older generation of cultivators in the village, the arrays drawn by the first ancestor of the Sun family were invisible and didn't require maintenance. They could last for many years."
"Most of the arrays we have now were drawn by the later generations of the Sun family. They often break down and need frequent repairs."
However, he didn't know any more specific details. The story of the Sun family's first ancestor was something he had heard long ago, and he knew nothing about arrays, so he couldn't provide any further insights.
Mo Hua frowned.
This was strange.
How could an array be invisible? If the later generations of the Sun family knew about the arrays drawn by their ancestor, why would they redraw them? Was it just a way to extort the cultivators who tended the fields?
Did the Sun family even understand the true nature of the arrays drawn by their ancestor?
Mo Hua couldn't make sense of it, and he thought of another question. "Why didn't the Sun family force you to sell them the fields instead of making you sell your children?"
Usually, the spirit fields themselves would be the most valuable asset.
It was strange that the Sun family would leave such a juicy piece of meat untouched. There had to be a reason.
"The Sun family has a ancestral precept..." Old Man Ding explained.
"A precept?" Mo Hua asked.
Old Man Ding nodded. "The first ancestor of the Sun family established a precept that none of his descendants should ever seize a single field from Qianjia Town. If they did, they would be stripped of their surname, removed from the family tree, and expelled from the family."
Mo Hua was slightly startled and exclaimed, "What a generous and noble array master that first ancestor was! It's a shame..."
It was a shame that his descendants didn't live up to his example.
Over in the corner, Miaoer had finally finished the chicken. He looked at Mo Hua, feeling a bit embarrassed, his cheeks flushed.
The chicken had originally been prepared by his grandfather to treat Mo Hua, but he had eaten it all.
Mo Hua smiled and said, "I want to take a look at the fields. Can you take me there?"
Mo Hua asked a few more questions, to which Old Man Ding readily provided answers.
However, Mo Hua still couldn't find any clues about the Absolute Array.
No matter where he looked, all he saw in the spirit fields were the six-patterned Soil Nurturing Arrays.
As evening approached, Mo Hua bid them farewell and returned to the Sun family's residence.
After greeting Mr. Sun, Mo Hua retired to his room to share information with Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi.
Bai Zisheng spoke up first: "The head of the Sun family, Sun Yi, is an idiot!"
"In what way?" Mo Hua asked, puzzled.
Bai Zisheng glanced around furtively before lowering his voice. "He's been studying arrays for seventy or eighty years, and even though he's reached the Foundation Establishment stage, his arrays are still not even first-rate, and his spiritual sense can't perceive more than ten patterns..."
Mo Hua's eyes widened in surprise. "Is he just a blockhead?"
Bai Zixi glanced at Mo Hua and replied calmly, "Not everyone can learn arrays as quickly as you."
Mo Hua paused, then whispered, "But is it normal for him to be this slow?... What does he do all day?"
Bai Zisheng made a face. "Eating, drinking tea, watching women dance, and even inviting me and Zixi to watch with him..."
"Doesn't he study arrays?"
"He does," Bai Zisheng replied. "But he only practices one array every day..."
Mo Hua fell silent.
No wonder...
If he only practiced one array per day, it was no wonder he hadn't even mastered a fraction of what Mo Hua had.
It would take him forever to become a first-rate array master.
It seemed that Sun Yi's problem wasn't a lack of comprehension but rather a complacent and lazy mindset.
"What about the array proficiency of the other Sun family members?" Mo Hua asked.
Bai Zisheng scoffed, "A bunch of good-for-nothings."
"If the family head is like this, you can't expect much from the rest. His son, Sun Ze, can only draw four-patterned arrays so far..."
Mo Hua sighed.
The Sun family's ancestor was once a second-rate array master who could truly benefit the local cultivators.
Moreover, this second-rate array master might have even comprehended the Absolute Array.
Who would have thought that his descendants would turn out to be so oppressive and indulgent?
Even after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, Sun Yi hadn't become a first-rate array master.
"What about you? Did you find out anything?" Bai Zisheng asked Mo Hua.
Mo Hua shared what he had learned, including the story of the Sun family's ancestor, their monopoly on arrays, and how the spirit farmers were struggling without rice to eat.
Bai Zisheng grew angry as he listened. "I didn't think he was just an idiot, but also a villain."
"Shouldn't the Court of Laws manage this kind of thing in the Sun family?" Mo Hua asked.
Bai Zisheng looked to Bai Zixi for an explanation.
Bai Zixi thought for a moment before replying softly, "They usually don't get involved."
"The Court of Laws is established in the Immortal City and governs that area. Regions outside the Immortal City are managed by local clans, sects, or local elders, who only need to pay a spiritual stone tax each year."
"While they technically have the authority to manage this small place, they usually don't bother unless something major happens."
Mo Hua nodded.
The Court of Laws was strict in its hierarchy, but its reach was fragmented and scattered in some areas, with interests intertwining and management being relatively loose.
As long as it didn't affect the stability of the Court of Laws, they often turned a blind eye to many matters.
Mo Hua looked at Bai Zixi and praised, "Sister, you know so much."
Bai Zixi nodded slightly, her expression calm, but her long eyelashes fluttered, adding a touch of pride to her charming appearance.
"So, you still haven't found any clues about the Absolute Array?" Bai Zisheng asked.
Mo Hua nodded reluctantly.
"What do you plan to do next?"
"I'll visit Dongshan Village and the spirit fields again when I have time. My derived calculations suggest that there should be clues in the spirit fields."
Those hundred acres of spirit fields might not have any traces now, but it was highly likely that the Sun family's ancestor had once inscribed the Absolute Array there.
That was the "traceless and invisible" array that Old Man Ding had mentioned...
In the following days, Mo Hua continued to find time to visit Dongshan Village.
The Sun family members kept track of his movements and reported them to Sun Ze.
Sun Ze, in turn, informed his father, Sun Yi, the head of the Sun family.
"Father, what is that little brat up to?" Sun Ze asked, annoyed.
Sun Yi furrowed his brows but remained silent.
"I asked around," Sun Ze continued. "A few days ago, that brat went into the spirit fields and set up a Soil Nurturing Array. Then he went to some old man's house for a meal before wandering around the fields again."
"He's been going there almost every day since then."
Sun Yi's eyes glinted sharply. "You said he set up a Soil Nurturing Array?"
Sun Ze nodded.
Sun Yi found it hard to believe. "Such a young kid can already set up a six-patterned Soil Nurturing Array?"
He glanced at his son, his expression filled with disappointment. "If you spent less time on frivolous pursuits and more on your studies, you wouldn't be embarrassing our family by only being able to draw four-patterned arrays!"
"Father, you're not much better yourself," Sun Ze muttered under his breath. "You've reached Foundation Establishment, but you're still not a first-rate array master..."
Sun Ze's thoughts were rebellious, but he dared not voice them aloud or talk back. Instead, he asked, "Father, what is that brat up to, lurking in the shadows like that?"
Sun Yi's expression grew solemn, and his eyes suddenly lit up. "Arrays... Could he be targeting our Sun family's array legacy?"
Sun Ze was taken aback, then frowned in disappointment. "But, Father... what legacy do we have worth targeting?"
Aren't our arrays just common and mediocre?
They only deceive those who don't understand arrays and are mere farmers.
They claim that only the Sun family can maintain the arrays in the fields.
But anyone with eyes can see that they're just ordinary Soil Nurturing Arrays.
"Father, stop deceiving others and yourself..." Sun Ze said.
Sun Yi rebuked him. "You understand nothing! Our Sun family has a secret legacy that has been passed down only within the family!"
(End of Chapter)
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