Chapter 6: Spirit Stones
Chapter 6: Spirit Stones
Mo Hua stayed inside the house for a while, thinking. After Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua finished their conversation, he changed into casual clothes and pretended to be oblivious, happily leaving the house.
The family of three sat down for a meal. Mo Shan had already eaten, so Mo Hua pestered him to share some interesting stories about hunting demons.
Mo Shan selectively told a few tales, including a one-eyed wolf, a two-headed tiger, and a three-legged wild boar. He spoke of a hunting team that had slain a mature demon beast but failed to retrieve its demon core, only taking some worthless hides. By the time they realized their mistake and returned, someone else had claimed the core, leaving the team leader devastated to the point of spitting blood and fainting.
He also mentioned someone who had captured an ancient-blooded beast and sold it to a prominent sect for a high price, ensuring a life of ease. But one day, that person mysteriously vanished...
Mo Hua listened intently, aware that these stories likely involved bloodshed, danger, and cruelty, but his father deliberately omitted those details.
Parents always shield their children from the harsh realities, wishing for them to enjoy a pure and joyful childhood.
After the storytime, three little heads poked through the front door, their eyes gleaming as they spotted Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua inside. The trio greeted them in unison, "Hello, Uncle Mo and Aunt Liu!"
The three children were from the Meng family, living on the same street, and their family also relied on hunting demons for a living.
The elders of the Meng family were acquainted with Mo Shan, and given their proximity, Mo Hua had grown up playing with them. Their names were similarly tiger-themed: Meng Dahuhu, Meng Shuanghu, and Meng Xiaohu, in order of their birth.
Among the demon beasts near Tongxian City, tiger-type beasts were the strongest. The choice of the character "Hu" (tiger)
in their names reflected the hope that they would grow up to possess the strength and prestige of tigers.
Indeed, the three children lived up to their names, each with a robust and tiger-like appearance.
Mo Hua was the youngest and had been frail and sickly since birth, so Mo Shan didn't expect him to become as robust as a tiger. Noting his delicate features and fair complexion, akin to a porcelain doll, Mo Shan drew inspiration from his wife's name, Liu Ruhua (willow painting)
, and named their son Mo Hua (ink painting)
.
Liu Ruhua noticed the three children and offered each a steamed bun. They refused verbally, but their hands reached out involuntarily to take the buns, which they promptly stuffed into their mouths. Cheeks bulging, they mumbled, "Thank you, Aunt Liu!"
Liu Ruhua was renowned for her culinary skills in the neighborhood, and the three children couldn't help but feel envious of Mo Hua for having such a talented cook as a mother.
Mo Shan waved his hand and said, "Go play together, but remember to come back for lunch!"
Mo Hua and the three children nodded in agreement and dashed out the door.
Among the Meng siblings, Dahuhu was honest and straightforward, Shuanghu was clever, and Xiaohu was a chatterbox. All three were older and taller than Mo Hua, and they often took the lead in their games.
Along the way, Dahuhu, Shuanghu, and Xiaohu couldn't stop talking, pointing out places with dragon dances, fireworks, crowds, and pretty girls dancing gracefully...
However, with so many options, they couldn't decide where to go first.
After much discussion, they decided to visit all the places the adults had suggested and let the children choose what they wanted to do.
With the approaching new year, disciples studying in sects were on holiday, and cultivators working away from home returned, making Tongxian City livelier than usual. The streets were bustling with people.
Some Qi Refining physical cultivators showed off their martial arts skills, wielding knives and guns, while elemental cultivators displayed flashy but not very useful spells, eliciting awe and envy from the children.
Those skilled in artifact and mechanism techniques crafted small toys, like wooden rabbits, dogs, and cats that could run on a bit of spiritual energy, along with various other trinkets that caught the eye.
Dahuhu, Shuanghu, and Xiaohu were thoroughly entertained, finding everything fascinating. They exclaimed in excitement, while Mo Hua played and watched, his mind quietly noting opportunities to earn spirit stones on the street.
After observing for a while, he realized that most of the profitable activities were already being done by others, and he currently lacked the capability to take on the unclaimed opportunities.
Watching the performing and hawking cultivators on the street, Mo Hua sighed inwardly, acknowledging that making a living was no easy task.
Shuanghu noticed Mo Hua's subdued mood and asked, "Mo Hua, do you have something on your mind?"
Dahuhu immediately jumped in, "Is someone bullying you? I'll beat them up!"
Xiaohu nodded vigorously, "Beat them up! Beat them up!"
The elders of the Meng family had always instructed the three siblings to look after the frail Mo Hua, and Liu Ruhua's delicious cooking often included a special portion for them.
Seeing their eager and belligerent expressions, Mo Hua couldn't help but find the situation a bit amusing. "No one's bullying me," he said with a smile. "I'm just thinking about how I can earn some spirit stones."
Earning spirit stones...
The three Meng siblings also fell into a thoughtful silence, as they didn't have an answer either.
While they could help with fighting, they were at a loss when it came to earning spirit stones.
An idea occurred to Mo Hua, and he asked, "Then, do you know how array masters earn spirit stones?"
The cultivation world was vast, and Mo Hua's daily routine consisted mostly of cultivating and drawing arrays, limiting his exposure to other aspects. He knew that becoming an array master guaranteed a comfortable life, but he genuinely had no idea how ordinary array masters, especially low-level apprentices, earned their spirit stones.
The three Meng siblings often roamed the streets and might know something that Mo Hua didn't.
Dahuhu thought for a moment and shook his head. "The assessment for array masters is extremely difficult. There isn't a single first-rate array master in our neighborhood... I'm not too sure about that."
"Forget about our neighborhood," Shuanghu interjected. "Even in all of Tongxian City, there aren't many array masters, and those who truly become first-rate are even rarer. Our distant uncle from the Meng family studies arrays day and night, but he still couldn't pass the assessment after trying for twenty years..." Xiaohu shook his head in disbelief.
"You must have misheard," Shuanghu said. "Uncle Meng is just an array apprentice. He wanted to find a master to learn from, but when the master tested him, he couldn't answer the questions, so he was turned away."
Shuanghu curled his lips and then started counting with his fingers. "There's the apprentice level, the ordinary array master, and the first-rate array master... Uncle Meng wasn't going for the assessment. Those who take the assessment are already somewhat renowned array masters. He's still far from reaching that level!"
Intrigued, Mo Hua asked, "Then how does he make a living?"
"I heard he helps businesses draw some simple arrays and earns spirit stones that way. Then he uses the spirit stones to buy ink and paper for his practice, but he still can't find a master to accept him as a disciple, so he continues to help businesses with their arrays..."
"Businesses, huh..." Mo Hua mused.
"Yes," Shuanghu continued. "Even if you can't become a first-rate array master, just being an ordinary one is enough to earn a decent living. You won't have to worry about food and shelter."
Shuanghu then asked Mo Hua, "Do you want to become an array master?"
"Yes," Mo Hua replied honestly. "My physique is too weak, and I'm afraid I won't be able to become a demon hunter. If a demon beast swiped at me with its claw, I'd probably lose half my life. I need to find a way to make a living. But it's too early to think about that now. For now, I just want to see if I can earn some spirit stones. If I do, I'll treat you all to pastries!"
The mention of treats instantly brightened the three siblings' moods.
"Great! Great!"
"You're so smart; you'll definitely be able to earn spirit stones and become an array master in the future!"
"Pastries! Pastries!"
For children from ordinary commoner families like them, even the most common pastries sold on the street were a rare treat.
The group continued their stroll, taking in all the sights except for the gaily-dressed young ladies, and by noon, they had all satisfied their curiosity and returned home for lunch.
After finishing his meal, Mo Hua bid his parents farewell and set off alone towards the North Street of Tongxian City.
The North Street of Tongxian City was bustling and vibrant, while the South Street was lively and bustling with activity.
The South Street was home to many small vendors and stalls, while the North Street was lined with businesses offering a wide range of products, from spiritual talismans to pills and artifacts. The items sold on the North Street were more regulated, of better quality, and naturally, more expensive.
However, Mo Hua hadn't come to shop; he didn't have the spirit stones for that anyway.
Mo Hua walked from one end of the street to the other, observing all the businesses. Eventually, he stepped into the most dilapidated shop with the simplest array hanging outside, and it also happened to be the least busy.
(End of Chapter)
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