Chapter 42: A Journey of Self-Discovery
Chapter 42: A Journey of Self-Discovery
In the misty mountains, hidden within the clouds, lay a courtyard with a bamboo gate. A narrow path wound its way from the gate, leading to Mo Hua's feet.
At first glance, nothing seemed amiss.
Mo Hua took a step forward, placing his foot on the path, and immediately, his spiritual sense detected a disturbance, as if something had been triggered.
Yet, as he looked around, the surrounding peaks, trees, and flora remained unchanged.
Mo Hua paused, looking around cautiously, but still couldn't discern anything unusual.
He had heard that some senior experts enjoyed setting up arrays or creating scenarios to test others, and wondered if the master who resided in these mountains shared this hobby.
Or perhaps, the path before him was already part of the test? Mo Hua felt a twinge of nervousness.
Since this was a formation master's abode, and his spiritual sense had detected a disturbance, it was likely that there was an array on this path.
But what kind of array was it?
With Mo Hua's limited experience in arrays, he had no clue. No matter how hard he looked, he couldn't discern anything unusual about his surroundings.
As he walked, he pondered, but couldn't come up with any answers.
He could only remember the instructor's instructions to maintain a clear mind, go with the flow, neither forcing nor discouraging his thoughts.
Before long, he found himself at the bamboo gate of the courtyard.
The gate was simple yet exuded a quaint charm.
Beyond the gate, the view opened up to a picturesque yard. Elegant bamboo residences were nestled amidst verdant grass and misty ponds, with cranes drinking the morning dew. The mere sight of it brought a sense of peace and joy.
Standing in the yard was a wizened old man, and Mo Hua quickly bowed in greeting, "Good day, Master."
The old man's voice was as dry and raspy as his appearance, like the sound of decaying wood, "I am not the master. The master is inside. Follow me."
He led Mo Hua into one of the bamboo residences, a serene space open to the breeze.
Seated in the center was a middle-aged cultivator dressed in white. His features were exceptionally refined, and his demeanor carried an air of nonchalant grace. In his gaze was a hint of freedom and unrestraint, as if the affairs of the world held no sway over him.
He was the most ethereal and otherworldly person Mo Hua had ever met.
The middle-aged cultivator, with a friendly smile, addressed Mo Hua, "You must be Mo Hua. Instructor Yan mentioned you. I will ask you some questions, and you may answer freely, without restraint or hesitation."
Mo Hua bowed respectfully, "Of course, Master."
"My surname is Zhuang. You may address me as Master Zhuang," the cultivator introduced himself.
Mo Hua bowed once more, "Master Zhuang."
Master Zhuang nodded slightly, "As you walked along the path in the mountains, what did you observe?"
Mo Hua thought for a moment, "I saw mountains, trees, flowers, grass, and a path."
"And beyond that?" Master Zhuang asked with keen interest, "Did you not see any other beings or witness any events?"
Mo Hua shook his head.
"There is an array on that path," Master Zhuang revealed, "a gift from a fellow cultivator many years ago. It is called the Water Mirror Array, and it can reveal one's encounters or foretell the future to those who walk upon it for the first time."
Mo Hua was astonished. He had never heard of such an array before—one that could reveal encounters and foretell the future?
'What does it mean that I saw nothing?' he wondered anxiously. 'Does it signify that I have no future ahead of me…'
Mo Hua hesitated for a moment, but then recalled Instructor Yan's instructions and spoke honestly, "I didn't see anything else…"
Master Zhuang looked mildly surprised, then nodded, "I see." He took out a scroll depicting an array and said, "Here is some ink and paper. Try to replicate this array, as much as you are able to."
Mo Hua glanced at the scroll. It was the Calm Water Array, the same one Instructor Yan had used for the assessment.
"Yes, Master," he replied.
Taking the brush and paper, Mo Hua began to draw the array, referencing the scroll.
An hour later, Mo Hua's spiritual energy was depleted, and he could only manage to draw five and a half array lines, falling short of completing the sixth line.
It had only been a few days since he last attempted to draw the Calm Water Array, and his spiritual sense had not improved enough in such a short time to enable him to draw a sixth line.
"Not bad. Are you willing to become my registered disciple? I won't teach you the secret sect formation techniques, but if there are any common formation techniques used in the cultivation world that you wish to learn, I can instruct you."
Although he didn't know the reason, Mo Hua seemed to have passed Master Zhuang's test.
Overjoyed, Mo Hua respectfully bowed to Master Zhuang and said, "Thank you, Master! I am willing!"
The teacher-student relationship in the cultivation world was divided into two types: registered disciples and personal disciples.
Personal disciples addressed their masters as "Master" and received their personal guidance. The bond between a personal disciple and their master was believed to be as deep as the relationship between a father and a son, with the saying, "One day as a master, a lifetime as a father."
The relationship with registered disciples was more casual. Masters taught them whatever they wished, and the disciples could not address them as "Master" but only as "Mister." While there was affection between registered disciples and their masters, the bond was not as profound as with personal disciples.
Nevertheless, Mo Hua was grateful that Master Zhuang was willing to accept him as a registered disciple.
Master Zhuang nodded, "Go back today, and come back tomorrow at the hour of the dragon. I will start teaching you some formations then."
"Yes, Mister!"
Mo Hua bowed once more, this time as a disciple to his master, and then took his leave. His steps were light and quick as he departed from Master Zhuang's courtyard.
When Mo Hua reached the foot of the mountain, he found Instructor Yan still waiting for him. Upon learning that Master Zhuang had agreed to take Mo Hua as his apprentice, Instructor Yan also heaved a sigh of relief. With a smile of contentment, he said, "It's your blessing to have gained Master Zhuang's recognition. You must cherish this opportunity. Master Zhuang is an extraordinary person, and you should always show him respect."
"Yes, Instructor," Mo Hua replied.
As they walked along the mountain path, Mo Hua suddenly asked, "Instructor, have you been to Master Zhuang's courtyard before? What did you see when you passed by that path?"
Instructor Yan turned to look at Mo Hua, gazing silently for a moment before answering.
"When I walked along that path, I vaguely saw some scenes. Those fleeting visions told me that Master Zhuang would accept you as his disciple and that you would one day become an extraordinary formation master."
By the time Instructor Yan finished speaking, they had reached the fork in the road that led to Tongxian City.
Instructor Yan looked at Mo Hua, his expression turning solemn. "Mo Hua."
Mo Hua turned back, and after a brief pause, Instructor Yan continued, "Formation masters seek the way of heaven, but the way of heaven is infinite, while our lives are finite. Only by passing on formation techniques from generation to generation can cultivators hope to unravel the mysteries of heaven, and only then can formation techniques benefit all beings."
"In the future, if you become a first-rate formation master or even surpass that rank, I hope that you will also willingly guide those cultivators with good temperament and talent for formations. The way of formations is like water; only by passing it on will it flow long and far. Otherwise, it will stagnate and become a pool of dead water."
Mo Hua suddenly felt a weight on his shoulders. He bowed to Instructor Yan and said solemnly, "I will remember your words!"
Instructor Yan's expression softened with relief.
Mo Hua couldn't help but ask, "Instructor, are you leaving Tongxian City?"
Instructor Yan nodded, "I can no longer stay at the Tongxian Sect, and I also have some personal matters to attend to. I will be leaving soon."
"Will I be able to see you again?" Mo Hua asked.
Instructor Yan looked into Mo Hua's clear, dark eyes and smiled gently, "Let fate decide."
Instructor Yan reached out and ruffled Mo Hua's hair affectionately. "Go back now and inform your parents."
Mo Hua turned towards the city gate and began to walk away. After taking a few steps, he turned back and bowed once more to Instructor Yan.
Instructor Yan waved his hand and said warmly, "Go on now." He continued to watch as Mo Hua walked away until the young man's figure became a distant silhouette.
At that moment, Mo Hua also turned back and bowed deeply to Instructor Yan once more.
Instructor Yan's figure gradually faded into the misty mountains, becoming one with the ethereal landscape.
(End of Chapter)
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