Chapter 414: Tang Yuan
Chapter 414: Tang Yuan
Haggling was an art, and Mo Hua was an expert at it, having learned the skill during his time in Tongxian City.
Ya Ren's face twisted in discomfort as he hesitated, "No one bargains like this..."
"Is there a problem with the array?" Mo Hua probed.
"Yes..." Ya Ren reluctantly admitted, then suddenly paused, "No, I don't know..."
"Stubbornness won't get you anywhere!" Mo Hua exclaimed, confidently. "Remember what I said earlier. If you ask another array master to come and take a look, they'll confirm that every word I said is true."
Ya Ren was left speechless. "Then..."
"Is there a problem with the array or not?" Mo Hua asked again.
"Yes... I suppose so," Ya Ren mumbled.
"And is this problem a major one?"
"Yes..."
"If there's a significant issue with this cave mansion, why are you selling it for such a high price?" Mo Hua asked, his tone challenging.
Ya Ren's expression turned bitter. "That doesn't mean we can lower the price by so much, does it?"
"I didn't say we couldn't haggle," Mo Hua retorted. "How much are you willing to take off?"
Under the intense gaze of Mo Hua, Ya Ren tentatively suggested, "Thirty-seven thousand?"
Mo Hua shook his head. "Twenty thousand and five hundred."
"Thirty-six thousand?"
"Twenty-one thousand..."
...
After a back and forth negotiation, Mo Hua finally agreed to a price of twenty-nine thousand.
Ya Ren gritted his teeth and reluctantly agreed, "I'll go and ask my boss. Please wait a moment."
"Go ahead." Mo Hua waved his hand dismissively.
Bai Zisheng looked at Mo Hua with curiosity. "You really know how to haggle..."
"Of course," Mo Hua nodded.
For a wandering cultivator, every spirit stone was valuable, and haggling was a necessary skill to ensure they didn't overspend.
Having spirit stones was one thing, but not wasting them was another matter entirely.
After a while, Ya Ren returned with a spirit contract in hand, a forced smile on his face. "I informed my boss about the situation, and he deeply apologizes for the issues with the cave mansion. He feels embarrassed that you discovered these problems, so he's willing to sell it to you at a lower price as a gesture of goodwill."
Ya Ren presented the spirit contract, his hands cupped respectfully. "The price is now twenty-eight thousand, eight hundred, and eighty-eight spirit stones. It's a lucky number."
Mo Hua glanced at the contract and saw that it indeed stated twenty thousand, followed by a string of eights.
"Your boss is very accommodating," Mo Hua remarked, a hint of suspicion in his voice.
They had bargained down nearly ten thousand spirit stones...
Ya Ren smiled. "Firstly, the cave mansion does have its flaws, which you astutely pointed out, causing us some embarrassment. Secondly, our boss wants to establish a connection with you. By buying our cave mansion, you're giving us face."
Mo Hua's eyes narrowed slightly. "Does your boss know me?"
"Not yet, but he hopes to meet you," Ya Ren replied.
Mo Hua's eyes sparkled with curiosity, and he asked, "Who's backing your business? Is it the Lu family or the Nanyue Sect?"
Ya Ren was taken aback for a moment before answering, "To be honest, we have backing from both the Lu family and the Nanyue Sect..."
Mo Hua was surprised. "Your business has quite the influential backers."
Ya Ren gave a self-deprecating laugh. "It's not that impressive. We have financial support from the Lu family, but our manager is an inner disciple of the Nanyue Sect."
"Although we have connections to both sides, we're still considered a small business because we don't have direct ties to the elders or the family heads," Ya Ren explained.
The Lu family, the Daotang Court, and the Nanyue Sect...
It seemed they were all working together.
Mo Hua sighed.
As an outsider, it wasn't his place to pry too much, so he simply bowed and said, "Please convey my thanks to your boss."
Ya Ren returned the bow respectfully. "I dare not take your thanks."
The rest of the process involved exchanging spirit stones, signing the spirit contract, and handing over the array diagrams and keys.
When it was time to sign the contract, Bai Zixi spoke to Mo Hua, "You sign it."
Mo Hua was taken aback. "Why me?"
"You're the one who chose this place," Bai Zixi explained.
"But it was Little Sister who paid the spirit stones..." Mo Hua pointed out.
"I can't sign it," Bai Zixi said firmly.
Bai Zisheng nodded in agreement. "Snow Auntie doesn't allow us to sign spirit contracts with others."
Mo Hua paused, then understood.
They were probably disciples of a prominent family and had certain restrictions to protect them from being deceived or ambushed.
"Alright then," Mo Hua agreed, signing the contract. After he finished, he handed the contract to Bai Zixi. "Little Sister, you keep it."
Bai Zixi initially wanted to refuse, but after a moment's thought, she accepted it.
With the cave mansion purchased, it was time to spruce it up, starting with the arrays.
The previous arrays were lackluster and didn't impress Mo Hua. He wanted to redesign them himself to feel more at home.
Mo Hua spent some time crafting a new array diagram, incorporating first-grade arrays and even the Thick Earth Array.
Together with his senior martial brothers, Mo Hua revamped the arrays within the cave mansion according to his new diagram.
They then asked Ya Ren to send people to clean the place thoroughly.
Once the mansion was spotless, Mo Hua set to work, painting arrays in every corner of the mansion—on the doors, windows, corridors, flower gardens, and courtyards. These arrays interconnected to form a complex and exquisite first-grade composite array.
Only then was Mo Hua satisfied.
After they had finished tidying up, Mo Hua and his companions returned to the inn to fetch Mr. Zhuang and bring him to the cave mansion.
Mr. Zhuang surveyed the serene courtyard, the tranquil bamboo room, and the peaceful pond. He also noticed the intricate arrays that seamlessly blended with the surroundings, forming a harmonious whole with the courtyard, the rooms, the grass, and the steps. He nodded in approval.
That evening, they dined under the large tree in the courtyard, sitting on a short table set up on the grass.
The table was laden with various dishes.
Due to their recent experiences in the mine—the foul smells and the gruesome deaths of the mine cultivators—Mo Hua, Bai Zixi, and Bai Zisheng hadn't had much of an appetite lately.
Mo Hua was doing alright, and Bai Zixi, whose eyes he had covered, seemed unaffected.
It was Bai Zisheng who struggled the most with eating anything meat-related.
As the gentle breeze blew, the leaves danced in the wind.
While eating the tang yuan, Mo Hua asked Mr. Zhuang, "Master, is the flow of spiritual energy important?"
Mo Hua had been pondering this question for a while.
Within the cave mansion, what did the flow of spiritual energy signify? He guessed that it had something to do with wind direction and qi mechanisms, but these were just his speculations, and he couldn't be sure of the deeper reasons.
Mr. Zhuang replied concisely, "The flow of spiritual energy is related to spirit veins."
"Spirit veins?" Mo Hua asked, slightly taken aback.
Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly. "The so-called spirit veins refer to the flow of vast spiritual energy in the heavens and earth, forming qi meridians."
"Vast spiritual energy..." Mo Hua said, "So now, are there no more spirit veins?"
This was because the spiritual energy in the heavens and earth had become extremely scarce.
"There are still some," Mr. Zhuang said calmly. "It's just that ordinary cultivators can't see them..."
Mr. Zhuang paused for a moment, ate a tang yuan, and nodded. Then he continued, "The remaining spirit veins are either in the Daoting or in some ancient families or sects that have survived to this day without declining."
"Some medium-sized forces, if they have far-reaching ambitions and want to ensure their longevity, will also try to create artificial spirit veins using array formations..."
Mo Hua was surprised. "Artificial spirit veins?"
"Indeed." Mr. Zhuang sighed. "By spending a large amount of spirit stones and using special array formations, one can construct a massive flow of spiritual power, thus forming an endless and ever-lasting spirit vein."
"The spiritual energy within the spirit vein is used for the cultivation of future generations."
"But it's incredibly difficult and costly..."
"And the spirit veins that ordinary cultivators see are actually in another form."
Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and said slowly, "You've seen them too."
Mo Hua frowned and thought for a moment before his eyes lit up. "Spirit mines?"
Mr. Zhuang nodded. "The spiritual energy within the spirit veins, influenced by the changes in the terrain and the heavens, seeps into the ground and merges with the mountains, rocks, and plants. Over time, it forms spirit mines."
"So, spirit mines are actually a form of non-flowing 'spirit veins,' a one-time 'spirit vein,' and a solidified 'spirit vein'..."
Mo Hua couldn't help but nod in agreement. He thought about it further and suddenly had a realization. He asked, "Master, if I can discern the flow of spiritual energy in the mountains and distinguish the past direction of the spirit veins, can I then calculate... where the spirit mines are?"
Mr. Zhuang smiled indulgently. "In theory, yes..."
"Divine sense calculations, spiritual power perception, array formation trajectories, and the flow of spiritual energy in the heavens and earth—all of these have connections and form their own systems."
"But in practice, it's very complicated."
"You should study and practice more on your own. Starting with the flow of spiritual energy, go from simple to complex and from shallow to deep. Perhaps in the future, you'll truly be able to calculate the location of spirit veins and, consequently, predict the location of spirit mines through the flow of spiritual energy..."
Spirit mines!
Mo Hua nodded vigorously, his eyes sparkling.
If they could really find a spirit mine, wouldn't they strike it rich?
They could dig up so many spirit stones!
Mo Hua looked like a little miser.
Mr. Zhuang shook his head with a smile.
It wasn't that simple.
After the Daoting's development over the past two thousand years, undiscovered spirit mines in the cultivation world were extremely rare.
And even if they found one, with such a huge opportunity, everyone would want a piece of it, often leading to bloody conflicts...
Mr. Zhuang's eyes shone with a mysterious light, and he sighed softly in his heart.
He turned to look at Mo Hua and hesitated for a moment, a trace of interest appearing on his face.
This disciple of his seemed obedient, but he was also mischievous and clever.
In the past, he had helped solitary cultivators and even snatched a spirit mine from the Qian family.
If they really discovered a spirit mine in the future, he might be able to take advantage of the situation and benefit greatly...
After a moment of silence, Mo Hua focused on eating his meal.
His cheeks were stuffed full.
The tang yuan were fragrant and sweet.
Mo Hua couldn't help but eat a little more. When he turned his head, he noticed that Bai Zixi, who was sitting next to him, was staring at the tang yuan in her bowl, lost in thought.
Mo Hua curiously asked, "Don't you like it?"
He remembered that Little Sister usually liked sweet things.
Bai Zixi shook her head.
Mo Hua's eyes showed confusion.
Bai Zixi looked at Mo Hua and then pointed to the tang yuan in her bowl. "It kind of looks like you."
Mo Hua was taken aback and furrowed his brows.
He looked at the tang yuan in his bowl.
They were white, round, and translucent.
Mo Hua thought for a moment and said uncertainly, "Are you saying I'm white, Sister?"
Bai Zixi shook her head again.
Mo Hua became even more confused.
Bai Zixi used a spoon to scoop up one of the glutinous tang yuan and took a small bite. The black sesame filling flowed out...
Mo Hua froze, and after thinking about it for a while, he finally understood.
Little Sister was calling him deceitful.
His face was fair, but he had a dark heart.
Mo Hua protested, "I'm not deceitful..."
Bai Zixi nodded firmly. "You are!"
In the mine, he had threatened, framed, deceived, and intimidated them. His methods were quite skilled.
Bai Zisheng also nodded in agreement. "Yes, yes. On the surface, he looks harmless, but he has so many tricks up his sleeve...
Mo Hua glared at Bai Zisheng, "Being cunning is better than being a fool!"
Bai Zisheng glared back, "How dare you call your senior brother a fool!"
"I didn't say that, you admitted it yourself..."
...
Under the big tree, Mo Hua and Bai Zisheng argued, creating a lively atmosphere.
Mr. Zhuang remained calm, a slight smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
Bai Zixi took another bite of her tang yuan, her eyes narrowing slightly as they sparkled with clarity.
(End of Chapter)
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