Chapter 398: Inheritance
Chapter 398: Inheritance
Sun Yi felt apprehensive. This young cultivator was a first-rate array master, and the Sun family couldn't afford to offend him.
Sun Ze, however, had other ideas. "But father, we've already offended him..."
Sun Yi was taken aback.
Sun Ze continued, "Even if we let him go, he'll still hold a grudge against us..."
Sun Yi's heart turned cold. Indeed, they had crossed this young array master. At this point, hoping for peace was probably out of the question...
But should they really go through with it and sever all ties? Sun Yi hesitated. He wasn't from a barbaric background, and he lacked the heartlessness required for such an act.
Mo Hua could sense the inner turmoil of the Sun family's patriarch, and his heart stirred. He released his spiritual sense and probed Sun Yi, doing so openly and without any attempt at concealment.
Sun Yi, who had been deep in his thoughts, suddenly sensed something and was startled. His eyes widened in astonishment.
This spiritual sense?! He turned to Mo Hua, his voice trembling, "It's... it's you..."
Mo Hua didn't answer, merely gazing at him silently.
Sun Yi's heart sank. It's over. I've encountered a little monster.
The spiritual sense he had felt earlier, which belonged to a Foundation Establishment cultivator, actually belonged to this young array master before him?
A Refinement cultivator with a Foundation Establishment spiritual sense...
The Sun family had not only offended a first-rate array master but also one with exceptional spiritual sense, whose future potential was unknown.
Sun Yi's face fell, and he stammered, "I... my Sun family..."
Mo Hua replied nonchalantly, "I can let bygones be bygones."
Sun Yi was shaken by his words. "Do you truly mean it?"
"I'm not lying to you."
Sun Yi gritted his teeth. "Good!"
The heavens have their constants. Those who transcend the norms of cultivation are either of noble birth, possess extraordinary talent, or have a heart and methods that set them apart from the ordinary.
When it came to such cultivators, the Sun family could only treat them with respect and keep their distance. Otherwise, they might bring great misfortune upon themselves.
Fortunately, this young man was willing to let things go.
Whether he truly meant it or not, the Sun family had to seize this opportunity to send this divine being on his way and prevent the situation from spiraling out of control.
Moreover, Sun Yi recalled something even more terrifying.
A Refinement cultivator at the seventh layer, with a Foundation Establishment spiritual sense, and a first-rate array master...
And this person was merely the junior disciple.
He still had a senior female disciple, a senior male disciple, a low-key master, and a carriage driver whose abilities were unclear, like a wooden man.
Who were they? What kind of cultivators were they, and how powerful were they truly?
Just thinking about it made Sun Yi's scalp tingle. He didn't even dare to think further.
Sun Yi immediately raised his voice and commanded, "Let them pass!"
Sun Ze, however, understood his father's intentions. He whispered, "Father, you're planning to pretend to let them go and then take advantage of their momentary lapse of attention..."
Sun Ze made a slitting throat gesture.
Sun Yi immediately grabbed Sun Ze by the neck to silence him.
At that moment, he truly wanted to strangle his son.
Although Sun Ze's voice was soft, Mo Hua overheard it and gave him a meaningful look.
Sun Yi quickly apologized, "My son is ignorant and speaks without thinking. He is unfit to shoulder responsibilities. I hope you will forgive him, young master."
Ignorant, speaks without thinking, unfit to shoulder responsibilities...
This meant that Sun Ze would never become the next family head of the Sun family.
Mo Hua nodded.
Sun Yi breathed a sigh of relief and then bowed, saying respectfully, "Farewell, young master. I wish you a safe journey!"
The other Sun family cultivators exchanged glances, perplexed by the sudden turn of events. They had no idea what had transpired during that brief moment.
However, they followed their patriarch's lead and bowed as well, saying, "Farewell, young master!"
The Sun family cultivators stepped aside and bowed respectfully.
The surrounding spiritual farmers were also confused, but seeing the Sun family's respectful treatment of Mo Hua, they relaxed, believing that the matter had been resolved peacefully.
Ding Dachuan bowed and said, "Farewell, young master. Safe travels!"
Mo Hua waved his hand and smiled, "Take care, everyone!"
"Take care, young master!"
"Safe journey!"
"Good people will be blessed!"
...
The other spiritual farmers also bade farewell, wishing him well from their hearts.
And so, with the respectful send-off from the Sun family cultivators and the warm farewells from the spiritual farmers, Mo Hua left Qianjia Town and embarked on his journey toward the distant horizon.
It wasn't exactly a thrilling or dangerous encounter.
Nevertheless, Mo Hua felt relieved now that the matter was concluded.
Sun Yi might have been a bit slow when it came to arrays, but he knew how to back down when necessary.
Being able to leave without a fight and ensuring the safety of the spiritual farmers was the best outcome.
Mo Hua had already prepared the Thick Earth Array, which would nourish the land and make the soil fertile. From now on, the people of Qianjia Town would no longer have to endure famine.
What happened from this point onward would be up to them.
Whether they could protect their spirit fields, safeguard the array, stand against the Sun family, and ensure that their descendants would never go hungry again...
These were matters beyond Mo Hua's control.
He was merely a passing array master, and he had already done as much as he could.
Bai Zisheng felt a bit disappointed. "We didn't get to fight... I wanted to test my skills against a Foundation Establishment cultivator."
He had been standing behind Mo Hua, waiting for the Sun family to make a move so that he could step in and showcase his abilities in front of his junior disciple.
Unfortunately, the Sun family didn't give him that opportunity.
Bai Zixi remained silent.
However, Mo Hua noticed that she had drawn a golden sword and was standing quietly behind him.
Mo Hua felt a warmth in his heart and silently acknowledged the good intentions of his senior male and female disciples.
When he had the time, he would cook delicious meals for them.
The spiritual farmers from Dongshan Village had given them plenty of ingredients, which might not have been expensive but were certainly local specialties that couldn't be easily found elsewhere.
Mo Hua turned to take one last look at Qianjia Town, feeling a sense of emotion. "The Sun family's ancestor was such an incredible person. It's a pity that his descendants neither inherited his array mastery nor his character."
Zhuang Xian, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, slowly opened his eyes and sighed softly, "The blessings of ancestors fade with the third generation and are severed by the fifth."
Bai Zisheng muttered softly, "Our Bai family has been around for many generations..."
The Bai family had indeed endured for numerous generations and remained prosperous, defying the notion of decline in the third generation and severance in the fifth.
However, he felt that his words might be seen as contradicting Mr. Zhuang, so he didn't dare to speak too loudly.
Mr. Zhuang smiled gently and said, "The Bai family has endured for many generations without interruption because the ancestors of your family from the first and second generations might not have actually passed away..."
Upon hearing this, Bai Zixi was startled, and Mo Hua and Bai Zisheng both gaped in shock.
If the ancestors from the first and second generations were still alive, how long had they lived?
Bai Zisheng said with disbelief, "The tombs have been built, the people buried, the ancestral tablets erected, and offerings made. How could they not have passed away?"
Mr. Zhuang teased, "Now, now, do you really wish for the ancestors of your Bai family to be dead?"
Bai Zisheng immediately covered his mouth.
This was not something to be discussed lightly.
It was fine to casually mention other matters, but speaking ill of the ancestors could result in punishment and confinement.
However, he was still very curious and quietly asked, "Could it be that they're really still alive...?"
Mr. Zhuang just smiled enigmatically without giving a direct answer.
Bai Zisheng's heart was filled with questions.
Bai Zixi thought for a moment and then asked Mr. Zhuang, "Master, what about some of the smaller families that have survived for over ten generations? They're not particularly prosperous, but they haven't declined either. Why is that?"
Unlike the Bai family, the ancestors of these smaller families didn't have high cultivation levels or long lifespans. After ten generations, the ancestors had likely passed away, but the families were still able to maintain stability and didn't seem to fit the concept of "decline in the third generation and severance in the fifth."
Mr. Zhuang sighed, "Whether there's a decline in the third generation or severance in the fifth depends not on how many generations have passed but on the family precepts and values..."
"If the predecessors are selfless and achieve great things, and the descendants uphold the family precepts and values, then the family will naturally thrive for a long time."
"The third and fifth generations are, in essence, like the first."
"If the descendants forget the family precepts and let the family values deteriorate, only relying on the achievements of their ancestors and abusing their power, then after the third generation, the blessings will gradually wane, and after the fifth generation, the blessings will be severed."
"Take the Sun family as an example. Their ancestor brought blessings to Qianjia Town."
"But his descendants are abusing that blessing and acting arrogantly."
"On the surface, the Sun family seems to be flourishing, living luxurious lives, but if they don't change their ways, their decline and downfall are just a matter of time."
Mr. Zhuang seemed to recall something and sighed with emotion, "For a family, having meager possessions or a lack of talented cultivators doesn't necessarily lead to their downfall..."
"It is the corruption of family values that marks the true beginning of decline."
Upon hearing this, Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi nodded solemnly, feeling the weight of his words.
As they were from aristocratic families, they had witnessed the rise and fall of many large and small families, giving them a deeper understanding of these matters.
Although Mo Hua, who was from a scattered cultivator background, didn't fully comprehend, he also nodded along.
...
The carriage continued on its journey, gradually leaving Qianjia Town behind. Mo Hua turned to look at the spirit fields one last time.
The spirit fields were lush and vibrant.
The Thick Earth Array was operating silently, gently nourishing the land.
However, it was unknown how long this array could continue to operate and keep the fields fertile.
Following Mo Hua's gaze, Bai Zixi also frowned slightly, "The Sun family won't let this go so easily."
These fertile spirit fields were like a juicy piece of meat dangling in front of a wolf.
Even if the Sun family had a change of heart, it wouldn't last long.
Eventually, they would be unable to resist the temptation.
The Sun family might be wary of Mo Hua, a first-rate array master, but they wouldn't hesitate to take advantage of these ordinary spiritual farmers.
Eventually, this array would likely fall into the hands of the Sun family.
But Mo Hua just smiled at his junior disciple and said, "Don't worry."
Bai Zixi was perplexed.
Mo Hua smiled again without elaborating.
...
Back in Dongshan Village, Ding Dachuan found the village elder and recounted what had happened.
The elder was relieved, "It's good that they were able to leave safely. We really have that young master to thank."
Ding Dachuan nodded in agreement.
Then he turned and noticed that Ding Miao was drawing something on the ground. Curious, he asked, "Miao'er, what are you drawing?"
"Array!" Miao'er replied in her childish voice.
Ding Dachuan was surprised, "Where did you learn about arrays?"
Miao'er took out a book from her clothes, "My brother gave this to me. He told me to draw according to the book and then teach it to others after I finish."
The elder's heart skipped a beat, "Which brother?"
Miao'er pointed towards the spirit fields, indicating the brother who had set up the array there.
"Can... can I take a look?"
The elder's voice was slightly trembling.
Miao'er thought about it and nodded.
Her brother had said that it was fine to show it to their own people, and the elder didn't count as an outsider.
The elder's hands shook as he accepted the array manual.
The manual was written in a simple and easy-to-understand manner. Although he didn't know much about arrays, he could still grasp the general idea.
It was a manual for earth-type arrays, detailing various earth-type arrays used in the spirit fields.
The arrays progressed from simple to complex.
From basic array formations that didn't require too much spiritual sense to the six-pattern Nurturing Earth Array, and finally to the top-grade eleven-pattern Thick Earth Supreme Array, each array was explained in detail with annotations.
It outlined which cultivation realm was suitable for learning each array, providing a step-by-step guide from beginner to expert.
This was a comprehensive array inheritance manual, closely related to the spiritual farmers.
With this manual, the spiritual farmers might not need to rely on the Sun family in the future and could possibly create arrays for themselves.
The elder suddenly understood the true meaning behind Mo Hua's words—people can only rely on themselves.
In that moment, the elder's heart stirred with emotion, and his cloudy eyes glistened with tears.
He was deeply moved and grateful. Despite his physical limitations, he bowed solemnly towards the distant mountains, expressing his gratitude.
The mountains loomed in the distance, shrouded in mist.
Mo Hua's carriage continued on its journey, gradually disappearing into the layers of rolling hills.
(End of Chapter)
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