Chapter 396: Stealing the Array
Chapter 396: Stealing the Array
Mo Hua had successfully drawn the Houtu Array, and he nodded in satisfaction, feeling a sense of accomplishment.
True mastery of array techniques comes not just from knowledge but also from their application.
Mo Hua stood in the vibrant spirit field, the mountain breeze caressing his cheeks as the spirit rice gently brushed against his palms.
Even the land seemed to be expressing its gratitude to him.
Mo Hua felt that his perception of the earth's qi, the very essence of the Earthen Dao, had become clearer and more profound.
Despite his exhaustion, he knew that all his efforts had been worth it.
A gentle smile curved Mo Hua's lips as he narrowed his eyes.
Having completed his array, Mo Hua was now ready to depart.
He had accomplished what he set out to do, and it was time to move on to the next location in search of other arrays.
They didn't have many possessions, so packing was quick and easy.
After a good night's rest and with their belongings neatly organized, they were ready to set off the next day in their horse-drawn carriage.
As they prepared to leave, the spiritual farmers of Dongshan Village gathered to bid Mo Hua farewell.
Not having many spirit stones, they offered him local specialties instead—spirit grains, vegetables, fruits, and even poultry like chickens and ducks.
Mo Hua couldn't refuse their heartfelt gifts, so he accepted them and stored them in his storage bag, placing them carefully in the carriage.
With these ingredients, he would be able to experiment with different dishes during their journey and treat Mister Zhuang to some delicious meals.
Little Ding Miao tugged at Mo Hua's sleeve, reluctant to let him go.
Mo Hua crouched down and gently instructed him, "Work hard on your cultivation and don't be lazy. And remember to practice what I taught you diligently."
"Yes!" Ding Miao nodded solemnly. "I won't let big brother down!"
Then, his expression turned a little glum as he asked, "Will I be able to see big brother again?"
Mo Hua smiled and encouraged him, "As long as you cultivate diligently, we will definitely meet again in the future."
Ding Miao's small face lit up with anticipation, his eyes sparkling with hope.
Mo Hua waved goodbye to the villagers of Dongshan Village and then climbed into the carriage.
Kui Lao urged the horses forward while Da Bai pulled the carriage at a leisurely pace onto the main road.
However, they hadn't gone far when a group of cultivators blocked their path.
At the forefront was none other than Sun Yi, the head of the Sun family.
Standing behind him were hundreds of Sun family cultivators.
They spread out, surrounding the carriage and blocking the road completely.
Mo Hua glanced at Mister Zhuang.
Mister Zhuang, with his eyes closed, seemed to be meditating and was either unaware or unconcerned about the situation.
Mo Hua understood his master's intention—he was being given the responsibility to handle this matter.
Mo Hua drew back the carriage curtain and stepped out, standing atop the carriage to face Sun Yi. His expression was calm and composed, betraying no signs of nervousness or fear despite the opposition of a Jinshi cultivator and hundreds of Lianshi cultivators.
Even Sun Yi couldn't help but admire his composure in his heart, thinking, "What a remarkable young man! Despite his young age, he possesses such courage and composure in the face of adversity."
No wonder he has achieved such a profound understanding of arrays.
Sun Yi glanced at his son, Sun Ze.
At the moment Mo Hua appeared, his son's body trembled slightly. If it weren't for the crowd supporting him, he might have wanted to flee and hide his face in shame.
Perhaps the fireball technique had left a deep psychological impact on him.
Or maybe the blow to the head from the Thousand Jun Rod had affected his courage.
Now, Sun Ze's gaze shifted nervously, unable to meet Mo Hua's eyes directly.
Sun Yi's eyelids twitched in anger as he glared at his son.
Back at home, Sun Ze had been excited and vocal about seeking revenge against Mo Hua. But now that they were face to face, he had turned into a coward.
He was more than twenty years older than this young array master!
It was true that comparisons bred discontent.
Sun Yi looked at his son with a mixture of disappointment and frustration.
However, now was not the time to dwell on such matters.
The most important thing at hand was the ancestral array of the Sun family.
Ever since he had sensed the unique qi in the spirit field yesterday, Sun Yi had been unable to rest. He had immediately gathered the Sun family disciples and blocked all the roads leading out of Qianjia Town.
His goal was clear: to prevent Mo Hua from leaving.
And when he had secretly visited the spirit field and felt the vibrant vitality of the field up close, he was both astonished and overjoyed.
With such a spirit field, the annual yield of spirit grains would increase by more than 50%! In other words, the Sun family's production of spirit stones would also increase by the same margin.
This spirit field was indeed a treasure!
But even more precious than the field itself was the array that had created it.
An array that could enhance the fertility of the land and increase spiritual production was a true secret legacy, the kind of array his ancestor should have passed down!
Previously, Sun Yi had been hesitant.
Even though he was a member of the Sun family and had reached the Jinshi stage, he wasn't sure if he could learn the array left by his ancestor.
But now, his perspective had changed.
If a young Lianshi cultivator like Mo Hua could learn it, how could he, a Jinshi cultivator, possibly fail?
Therefore, Sun Yi was determined to obtain this array at all costs.
Sun Yi and his entourage surrounded Mo Hua's carriage, but Mo Hua faced them without the slightest hint of fear.
He recalled Mister Zhuang's teachings—posturing and acting the part was also a skill in the path of cultivation.
So, Mo Hua remained silent, portraying the image of a confident and skilled cultivator.
After all, true masters rarely spoke first; it was beneath them and something only underlings would do.
Sure enough, Sun Yi was the first to break the silence, "Hand over the Sun family's array, little brother."
Mo Hua had expected as much and was about to respond when he suddenly feigned a startled look and glanced behind him.
But there was nothing there.
Sun Yi furrowed his brows slightly, wondering what this young man was up to. He followed Mo Hua's gaze but soon found himself equally puzzled.
Because, not long after, a group of spiritual farmers appeared behind Mo Hua.
They carried pitchforks and simple spirit tools, forming a protective circle around the carriage with Mo Hua at its center.
Leading them was a burly man, Ding Dachuan.
Remembering the elder's instructions, he faced Sun Yi, the Jinshi cultivator and head of the Sun family, with a resolute expression, "Don't push us too far, Sun family! We won't let you harm Young Master Mo!"
"We won't let you lay a finger on him!"
"We'll protect Young Master Mo!"
The other spiritual farmers echoed in agreement, brandishing their assorted spirit tools.
Sun Yi let out a cold laugh, "Quite bold, aren't you? Daring to rebel against your masters?"
His expression remained calm, but his heart sank as he realized the situation was more complicated than he had anticipated.
What he feared was not the spiritual farmers.
Among the spiritual farmers, there may not have been many Qi Refining cultivators, and even those with nine layers of Qi cultivation might not outnumber the Sun family by much.
If it came to a fight, they wouldn't be a match for the Sun family.
What he truly feared was that the Sun family would incur the wrath of the masses.
The Sun family relied on these spiritual farmers to toil in the fields and provide for their luxurious lifestyle.
If they angered the spiritual farmers and caused them to rebel, the Sun family would lose their source of spirit stones and their comfortable lives.
After all, the Sun family disciples couldn't be expected to work under the sun, tending to the fields themselves.
Moreover, if they incurred the wrath of the spiritual farmers, the Dao Court would not turn a blind eye.
As long as the Dao Court maintained stability, they would turn a blind eye to the hardships endured by the cultivators of Qianjia Town.
However, if instability arose and a large-scale cultivator riot occurred without cause, the Dao Court would not hesitate to make an example of the Sun family.
If the Dao Court was ruthless and unconcerned with face, they might even directly raid the Sun family, profiting from the raid while earning favor with the spiritual farmers, thus demonstrating their impartiality.
This would be a twofold benefit for the Dao Court.
And the scariest part was the generational grudge that would follow if they angered the masses.
Currently, with their strong position, the Sun family could suppress the spiritual farmers.
But if the Sun family declined in the future and no longer had a Core Formation cultivator to lead them, an outburst of pent-up resentment could result in the spiritual farmers wiping out the entire Sun family.
Such incidents had occurred before.
And the spiritual farmers, being meek, would only fight if their lives were at stake.
So, while he had exploited the spiritual farmers, Sun Yi had also ensured they had enough to survive, not letting them starve.
When the spiritual farmers fell into debt, he would only demand that they sell themselves to repay it.
This young man with the surname Mo had shown kindness to the spiritual farmers.
Sun Yi wanted to capture him, but he hadn't acted in Dongshan Village. Instead, he had waited until they were almost at Qianjia Town before intercepting them.
But he never expected that these usually timid spiritual farmers would chase after them to protect this young man.
Sun Yi's expression turned grave, his eyelids twitching uncontrollably.
Unless absolutely necessary, he didn't want to resort to violence and cause a large-scale battle.
Mo Hua also didn't wish to see that happen.
Sometimes, unity and standing together could be a powerful deterrent.
It didn't always have to end in a bloody battle to the death.
These spiritual farmers led difficult lives, and even if they rebelled, it should be for themselves and their families.
They shouldn't risk their lives on a whim.
If they died, they might leave their families without a breadwinner, making their lives even more difficult.
Mo Hua thought for a moment before asking, "Sun Yi, what do you want?"
Being addressed directly by his name by a junior cultivator caused Sun Yi to lose some face.
But with Mo Hua standing among the spiritual farmers, it was clear that they listened to him.
Even though he was young, he did have the qualifications to negotiate with Sun Yi.
Sun Yi forced himself to set aside his concerns about face and minor details.
He replied coldly, "My request is simple. Hand over my Sun family's ancestral array, and I will let you go and not make things difficult for the others."
Sun Yi waited for Mo Hua to bargain after making his demand.
But to his surprise, Mo Hua immediately replied, "Alright!"
Sun Yi was caught off guard by this response.
For a moment, he didn't know how to continue the negotiation.
Was this young man so naive that he didn't haggle when making a deal? Or was he being too straightforward?
Sun Yi was stunned for a while before he managed to blurt out, "Don't play tricks on me."
Mo Hua scoffed, "You're an adult, so your heart may be filled with deceit. I'm just a child, and I act with sincerity. I scorn those who play petty tricks."
Sun Yi didn't know how to respond to this, and he frowned, "Are you really going to give me the array?"
"I always keep my word!"
Mo Hua's voice was crisp and resolute.
Sun Yi still found it hard to believe. "Why?"
Mo Hua felt that Sun Yi, as the head of the Sun family, was being overly suspicious and nitpicky. Nonetheless, he patiently explained, holding up his little finger, "First, this array originally belonged to your Sun family's ancestor. By learning it, I've already owed your ancestor a favor. Returning it now is merely returning what rightfully belongs to your family.
"Second, arrays are not meant to be hoarded but to benefit the masses. Especially an array that nourishes the earth like this one; the more people who know it, the better.
"Third, while I'm not afraid of trouble, I don't want to invite it unnecessarily. If we each take a step back and leave room for each other, we can part ways amicably and meet again in the future..."
Mo Hua's words were articulate and logical.
Hearing this, Sun Yi sighed and glanced at his son, who stood speechless by his side.
He couldn't help but think that his son was truly inferior to this young man.
After Mo Hua finished speaking, he asked, "Well?"
Sun Yi hesitated for a long time, still unsure of what to do.
Mo Hua's sincerity had caught him off guard, and after a moment, he slowly said, "How do I know you're not trying to deceive me and give me a fake array? Show me the array first."
Mo Hua nodded nonchalantly, "Alright."
He then took out a booklet from his chest and threw it to Sun Yi from a distance.
Sun Yi was taken aback, finding it hard to believe.
Was he really giving it to him? How could this young man, who seemed so clever, be so straightforward and calculative?
Sun Yi scanned the booklet with his spiritual sense to ensure it was genuine before carefully opening it. He glanced at the contents, and his eyes widened in shock.
Indeed, there was an array recorded in the booklet.
The array patterns were intricate and complex, the array core structure was completely foreign to him, and the array eyes were noted with dazzling variations. The entire array consisted of eleven array patterns, which was truly bizarre...
Sun Yi, with his limited knowledge and shallow cultivation, felt his scalp tingle.
What is this? Why can't I understand any of it...
(End of Chapter)
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