Chapter 55: A Stroll in the City
Chapter 55: A Stroll in the City
After setting off the lotus lanterns, it was still relatively early. The group continued to wander along the streets.
Perhaps it was because they had bickered a few times, but Bai Zisheng and Mo Hua became more familiar with each other, and he no longer held back, chatting more freely.
"Mo Hua, what are those cultivators doing?" Bai Zisheng asked, pointing at a platform curiously.
Mo Hua followed his gaze and saw several cultivators dressed as demon hunters fighting a cow-like "demon beast" on a simple platform. The "demon beast" had a copper head and a brocade hide, its fur shimmering with a lifelike luster. However, it was also a disguise worn by a cultivator underneath.
"Oh, it's a demon-fighting play," Mo Hua replied.
"Fighting demons? Fighting demon beasts?" Bai Zisheng's interest was immediately piqued.
"Most cultivators in Tongxian City make a living by hunting demons," Mo Hua explained. "They often have to fight demon beasts, so during festivals and celebrations, demon hunters put on these plays to liven up the atmosphere, and it's also a tradition among them."
Just then, the demon-fighting play on the stage reached its climax.
Several demon hunters, each holding a knife, let out a loud shout. Instantly, their blades were engulfed in blazing flames. One of them threw a punch, the wind from it whistling through the air. Another stood at a distance, forming intricate hand seals, causing several fireballs to appear before them. In the blink of an eye, they were engaged in a fierce battle with the "demon beast," their spiritual energy overflowing and light swirling around them.
"Wow, Blazing Flame Blade, Whirling Wind Fist, and Fireball Technique!"
A child beside them shouted excitedly, clapping his little hands together.
Bai Zisheng was no better, his face flushed with excitement.
Mo Hua couldn't help but ask, "You're already at the late-stage of Qi Refinement, right? Have you learned any techniques yet...?"
He seemed to have never seen the world before...
Bai Zisheng shot Mo Hua a glance. "Of course, I know techniques. It's just that my mother doesn't allow me to use them. She says that for cultivators at the Qi Refinement stage, laying a solid foundation is the most important. Learning a few basic techniques and fighting with others is what brute warriors do. If you get injured and damage your foundation, it could hinder your future cultivation."
"Oh." Mo Hua nodded.
For noble families, the Qi Refinement stage was merely for laying a foundation. As long as one focused on cultivation, there was no need to learn techniques.
However, for ordinary solitary cultivators, they might remain at the Qi Refinement stage their entire lives. So, they had no choice but to learn various techniques during this stage, fight demon beasts, and scrape by, always at risk of losing their lives.
"I hope there comes a day when solitary cultivators at the lower levels won't have to live such difficult lives," Mo Hua sighed, his heart heavy.
In addition to the demon-fighting play, there were also novel technique performances, captivating shadow puppet shows, wooden dogs that would run around after being fed shattered spirit stones, and all sorts of fragrant snacks...
As they strolled, Bai Zisheng's excitement showed on his face, and Bai Zixi's little face was flushed, looking even brighter than the lights in the sky.
Even as night fell, they were still reluctant to part, but eventually, they had to bid each other farewell and return to their respective homes.
"Thank you for showing us the local customs and culture of Tongxian City," Xue'er said to Mo Hua, then took out a small box and handed it to him. "These are some snacks I bought along the way as a token of our appreciation. They don't cost much in spirit stones, so I hope you won't refuse."
Mo Hua no longer declined and accepted the gift gracefully, happily saying, "Thank you, Aunt Xue."
Xue'er smiled gently and nodded.
Bai Zisheng said to Mo Hua, "If you ever come to Qian Province, I'll take you to see the Grand Sacrifice Ceremony. It's not as lively as this, but it's grand and features all sorts of rare and exotic spirit beasts, flying boats, and palanquins. I guarantee it'll blow you away."
"Mmhmm!"
Mo Hua was quite intrigued, curious about the splendor of the ancient families and sects in Qian Province that had been passed down for countless years.
After bidding farewell to the Bai siblings, Mo Hua sought out Dahu and the other two children.
The trio had also enjoyed themselves immensely and presented Mo Hua with a bunch of strange and wonderful trinkets, including a small, white sugar tiger.
"You have to eat the sugar figurine quickly, or it'll melt," Little Tiger instructed Mo Hua, then enthusiastically introduced the other toys, explaining how to play with them.
These toys weren't expensive; most could be bought with a fragment or two of spirit stones, but they were novel and ingenious, and some were entirely new to Mo Hua.
Mo Hua shared the snacks Xue'er had given him with his three friends, licking the sugar figurine while examining the toys in his hands.
Dahu and the others munched on the snacks as they walked home with Mo Hua. Along the way, Little Tiger suddenly asked, "Mo Hua, are you going to be sticking with Young Master Bai and Miss Bai from now on?"
"What's it to you?"
Little Tiger shook his head, not answering.
Mo Hua thought they might have some grudge against the Bai siblings, but after a moment's hesitation, Little Tiger said, "That Miss Bai… she's too pretty."
Mo Hua was taken aback. "Is it a bad thing to be pretty?"
"You can't play with girls who are too pretty," Little Tiger stated.
Dahu and Shuanghu nodded in agreement.
"Why not…?"
Shuanghu spoke seriously, "My mother told me that pretty girls make boys stupid. The prettier the girl, the dumber the boy becomes!"
"Yeah, my dad was the same. He left home because he saw a pretty girl, but he was tricked and lost everything. In the end, he even lost his life."
"That's right! I've also heard that many cultivators with good spiritual roots ended up with nothing because they married a beautiful female cultivator and neglected their cultivation."
"Yes, yes! I just glanced at that little girl, and my mind went blank. If I had looked at her a few more times, I might have turned into an idiot. It's too scary…"
"It is indeed too scary…"
Shuanghu patted Mo Hua on the shoulder. "Mo Hua, you're the smartest among us, and you might even become an Array Master in the future. If you turn stupid, it would be a big problem."
Dahu and Little Tiger looked at Mo Hua with concern.
Mo Hua couldn't help but laugh at their words, but after thinking about it, he felt that there was some truth to it, so he said, "But what can I do? We all study arrays with the same teacher, so we'll be seeing each other all the time."
"Then we're doomed," the three children said solemnly.
Mo Hua smiled and said, "Drawing arrays can make people smarter, so I'll just draw more arrays in the future, and I shouldn't become too stupid."
"Can drawing arrays really make people smarter?" Little Tiger asked.
"Of course," Shuanghu said, "Mo Hua draws arrays well, so he's smarter than us, right?"
"Do you guys want to learn how to draw arrays?" Mo Hua asked. "I can teach you."
The three children had good aptitude for cultivation, but when it came to drawing arrays, they lacked talent, and the intricate array patterns gave them headaches.
Little Tiger hesitated for a long time before finally making a difficult decision, "Never mind, I'd rather be stupid for my entire life than have to draw arrays!"
(End of Chapter)
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