Chapter 4: The Fire-Repelling Hairpin
Chapter 4: The Fire-Repelling Hairpin
The marketplace was a bustling hub for low-level cultivators to trade and purchase cultivation resources. An assortment of items filled the stalls, ranging from pills and elixirs to array formations and spiritual artifacts. While the quality and grades of these items were usually mediocre, the marketplace offered a diverse selection.
As the new year approached, the marketplace was packed with cultivators, creating a lively and chaotic atmosphere.
Mo Hua walked straight to a small stall at the end of the street, owned by an elderly man surnamed Sun. Regular customers called him Old Sun, and his son worked as a low-level manager at the Wanbao Tower. Occasionally, his son would get his hands on some slightly defective goods from the tower and sell them to his father at a low price for him to peddle on the street.
Old Sun was touting his wares when he looked up and saw Mo Hua running towards him, his fair face flushed from exertion. Old Sun teased, "Little friend, are you here to browse spiritual artifacts again? You're not going to be like the other day and just look without buying, are you..."
Mo Hua waved his small hand and said, "I'm buying today!"
Old Sun asked curiously, "The new year is still a few days away. Did you get your lucky money early?"
Mo Hua frowned and said, "What lucky money? This is money I earned myself!" He patted the pocket at his waist to emphasize his point.
Old Sun's spirits lifted at the crisp sound of spirit stones clinking together. He quickly asked, "Pills, arrays, talismans, artifacts—I have it all here! Quality goods at reasonable prices, and all from the Wanbao Tower. You can trust me, young friend. What are you looking for today?"
If the items were truly of excellent quality, the Wanbao Tower wouldn't let them go so easily, and they certainly wouldn't end up in the marketplace. However, Mo Hua didn't mind; he knew he couldn't afford the tower's prices anyway.
"Do you have any fire-repelling artifacts?" Mo Hua asked.
Old Sun's expression turned knowing, and he rummaged through a cloth bag before spreading out its contents in front of Mo Hua.
"I remembered your request from the other day, so I kept an eye out. I even made a special trip to find a few more. All of these are excellent fire-repelling artifacts. They're portable, beautifully designed, and very effective. Take a look."
Mo Hua gave Old Sun a curious glance, thinking that the old man's decades of experience in the marketplace had prepared him well for even the slightest business opportunity.
The artifacts laid out before Mo Hua were diverse: rings, jade pendants, lampstands, a cover, and even a scarf. Just based on their appearance, this was already the most comprehensive selection in the marketplace.
After examining each item carefully, Mo Hua picked up a hairpin with a simple yet exquisite design and asked, "What kind of hairpin is this?"
Old Sun replied, "It's called a Fire-Repelling Hairpin. It's a standard spiritual artifact with uniform materials and craftsmanship. It's engraved with a basic fire-repelling array formation. You need to infuse it with spirit stones to activate the array, which will then isolate fire energy and keep you feeling refreshed. Although it consumes spirit stones, one stone can power it for three months, making it very economical and practical."
Mo Hua asked skeptically, "If it's a standard Wanbao Tower artifact, there must be some defect for you to be selling it here, right?"
Old Sun laughed and said, "You're quite perceptive, young man. I won't hide it from you. If there were no defects, it would be sold at the Wanbao Tower for at least double the price. But it's not that defective either..."
He pointed to the peony pattern on the hairpin. "When the artificer was carving this peony, he added a few extra strokes, which deviated from the standard design. That's why it's considered a defective product. However, the array formation inside is intact and fully functional."
Mo Hua nodded and felt that this hairpin was indeed the most suitable choice. "How many spirit stones?" he asked.
Old Sun stroked his beard and said, "A fixed price of fifteen spirit stones!"
Mo Hua shook his head. "Five."
Old Sun widened his eyes in surprise. "Who taught you how to haggle like that?"
Mo Hua looked a little embarrassed. "I overheard it from another stall. That's how they bargain..."
Old Sun shook his head in dismay. "The world is going downhill. Even good kids are learning bad habits!" He continued, "Fourteen spirit stones, and not a coin less!"
Mo Hua tried to push his luck a little further. "Six?"
...
After some back and forth, they finally settled on ten spirit stones.
Old Sun felt he couldn't lower the price any further, and Mo Hua had also inquired about the prices at other stalls, finding that they were more or less the same. So, he agreed.
Old Sun took the spirit stones from Mo Hua, carefully wrapped the hairpin in an inexpensive but elegant paper box, and handed it over, muttering, "If my grandson had half your wit, I would have him help me with this stall. Alas, he's as slow as they come and can't even speak to strangers."
Mo Hua was delighted to have gotten the hairpin and bade Old Sun farewell with a wave before leaving with light steps.
A neighboring stall owner laughed and said, "Old Sun, you're taking a loss this time!"
Old Sun stroked his beard and replied, "It's not a loss, just a smaller profit."
As Mo Hua's figure gradually disappeared into the distance, Old Sun sighed softly, "He's such a good child."
Mo Hua's home was located on a secluded street at the edge of Tongxian City. The house was old and not particularly large, just enough for a family of three. The surrounding residents were also low-level rogue cultivators who made a living by taking on odd jobs and temporary work. Though they were not wealthy, the area bustled with lively energy.
As evening fell, smoke rose from the kitchens, and warm, yellowish lights illuminated the homes.
Mo Hua rushed through the door, calling out, "Mother, I'm home!"
From the inner room, a plainly dressed woman with a gentle and beautiful face emerged. Seeing Mo Hua, her eyes lit up with delight, and she pulled him closer, stroking his head and pinching his cheeks affectionately. After a moment, she said, "Have you been too exhausted from your cultivation? You seem to have lost weight."
"I haven't lost weight," Mo Hua replied, before reaching into his pocket and taking out the box. "Mother, this is for you!"
The woman, whose surname was Liu and name was Ruhua, was Mo Hua's mother and a Foundation Establishment cultivator in Tongxian City.
The life of a Lone Cultivator was challenging, with limited opportunities to earn spirit stones. Raising a child made it even more difficult, as there were expenses for clothing, food, and education, not to mention the fees for joining a sect and the various materials needed for cultivation, all of which were significant costs for ordinary cultivators.
Liu Ruhua was skilled in cooking and worked as a kitchen helper in a small restaurant within the city.
Larger restaurants typically used stoves crafted by artifact refiners, which were imbued with arrays that converted spirit stones into fire for cooking.
However, to save costs, smaller restaurants like the one Liu Ruhua worked at did not use spirit stones for fuel. Instead, they employed cultivators with fire-attributed spirit roots to expend their spiritual power to generate the necessary heat for cooking. Over time, this constant exposure to fire energy took a toll on the body, causing the meridians to dry up and leading to symptoms like lung pain and a persistent cough.
As Liu Ruhua assisted in the kitchen, she had to periodically expend her spiritual power to fuel the fire. Her monthly wage was around thirty spirit stones, and despite the harm it caused to her body, it was considered a decent job for a Loose Cultivator. Many cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage desired such an opportunity but couldn't find one.
Holding the hairpin in her hand, Liu Ruhua pressed her lips together and remained silent.
Mo Hua quickly added, "I earned the spirit stones for the hairpin by helping a fellow disciple. I didn't cheat, steal, or rob anyone!"
Liu Ruhua couldn't help but smile, her heart warming and her eyes pricking with tears. "I can't accept this gift, my child. You're still young, and you'll need a lot of spirit stones for your future cultivation. We must save where we can. I can take care of myself, so you don't need to worry about me..."
Mo Hua confidently replied, "Let's not worry about the future now. Who knows, maybe I'll become a powerful cultivator with a Golden Core or Nascent Soul one day, and then I'll have all the spirit stones I could ever need."
Liu Ruhua laughed aloud, her finger gently tapping Mo Hua's forehead. "Such a young age, and you've already learned to boast."
"Mother, please take it," Mo Hua pleaded. "I haggled for a long time to get a good price for this hairpin. If you don't accept it, then my efforts would have been for nothing."
Mo Hua took the hairpin and carefully placed it in his mother's hair bun, then ran inside to fetch a mirror.
"Look, how do I look?"
Seeing her reflection, Liu Ruhua noticed that the simple yet elegant hairpin added a touch of grace to her appearance. She couldn't help but soften at the sight of her son's eager, shining eyes, and she gently replied, "Alright, I'll accept this gift. But next time, don't buy me anything else."
"Yes, yes," Mo Hua readily agreed. "Mother, is dinner ready? I'm starving."
"It's ready, and it's all your favorites. Eat as much as you like!"
Liu Ruhua was indeed a skilled cook, and even though the dishes were simple vegetarian fare without any spiritual essence, they were prepared with care and tasted delicious. After finishing his meal, Mo Hua chatted with his mother for a while before returning to his room to continue studying.
After the hour of the rat, Mo Hua once again entered his spirit realm and spent the entire night practicing arrays on the stele. When he woke up, it was already the hour of the rabbit.
Mo Hua sat cross-legged, his eyes closed as he held a spirit stone and began his daily cultivation routine.
When he opened his eyes again, the sky had brightened, and warm sunlight streamed into the room. Stretching lazily, Mo Hua prepared to get out of bed, but then he heard heavy footsteps outside.
Curious, Mo Hua rolled over and peered through the crack of the door. He saw a man covered in bloodstains and dust enter the house. It was Mo Hua's father—Mo Shan.
(End of Chapter)
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