Chapter 71: Apricot Forest Hall
Chapter 71: Apricot Forest Hall
When Master Zhu delivered the water poria to Mo Hua at the eatery, Mo Hua was enjoying a bowl of fragrant beef noodles along with other patrons.
Liu Ruhua opened the box and saw the translucent blue water poria within. She hesitated and said, "This is too valuable. I can't accept it."
"Aunt Liu, please take it. Mo Hua helped my master a lot, and he asked me to bring this especially for you."
Liu Ruhua smiled and said, "What help could a child like Mo Hua be?"
Mo Hua, seeing Master Zhu, ran to the door with his bowl in hand and glanced at the box in Master Zhu's hand. "What is this?"
Master Zhu proudly replied, "This is water poria. It can clear heat and fire from the body, and calm the mind. A herb collector couldn't afford to pay my master for refining a spiritual tool, so they gave this as repayment. Since you've been unwell, Aunt Liu, it will be good for your health."
Mo Hua's eyes lit up, and he readily accepted the gift. "Please thank Master Chen on my behalf!"
Master Zhu waved his hand. "Don't mention it."
Seeing this, Liu Ruhua let it go and invited Master Zhu in for a bowl of noodles.
Master Zhu reluctantly replied, "I'm not hungry."
Mo Hua then pulled Master Zhu inside and urged him to sit down. "You can go back after you finish eating."
Liu Ruhua served Master Zhu a large bowl of noodles topped with beef. The steam and aroma wafted towards them.
Master Zhu ate until his forehead was covered in sweat.
Knowing that these children usually did manual labor and often went without a filling meal, Liu Ruhua brought out another bowl of noodles.
A smile blossomed on Master Zhu's face.
Liu Ruhua glanced at the box containing the water poria and said to Mo Hua, "This water poria is very precious. When you have time, go and thank Master Chen. If he truly needs help, do what you can."
"Don't worry, Mom," Mo Hua assured her, patting his chest. "When it comes to drawing array formations, I've got Master Chen covered. I can handle anything below a first-grade array."
Mo Hua was still unable to draw array formations that incorporated nine array patterns.
"Humility is important. Don't make promises you can't keep," Liu Ruhua admonished, gently ruffling Mo Hua's hair.
"Little Mo is amazing at drawing arrays," Master Zhu piped in. "My master even praised him, saying he has the potential to become a first-grade array master."
"The future is uncertain," Liu Ruhua said. "Especially on the path of cultivation, one must never be arrogant."
Despite her words, Liu Ruhua was delighted to hear her child being praised. She prepared a dish of beef and rice wine for Master Zhu to take back to Master Chen, along with some snacks for his fellow disciples to indulge in.
Master Zhu happily returned with several food boxes in hand.
That evening, under Mo Hua's "supervision," Liu Ruhua brewed the water poria into a medicinal soup and drank it. As expected, her meridians felt much cooler, but she still couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret for the spirit stones spent.
If it weren't for Mo Hua's insistence, she would never have used such an expensive herb for herself.
Seeing his mother had taken the medicine, Mo Hua felt relieved and returned to his room to continue studying array formations.
"The quality of spirit ink affects the effectiveness of an array..."
"The adhesion of array patterns and the conduction of spiritual power differ depending on the material of the array medium..."
"The spiritual power at the third level of Qi Refining is too weak..."
"Putting it into practice indeed improves memory and comprehension of arrays. The Blazing Fire Array, which contains six array patterns, felt unfamiliar before, but now it's like it's imprinted in my brain, and each stroke seems to flow naturally from my instinct..."
Mr. Zhuang was right about the benefits of applying knowledge in practice!
Drawing array formations on different media and making them functional is a process that uncovers many issues and greatly enhances one's understanding of arrays.
However, finding opportunities to apply this knowledge is not easy. Others are unlikely to seek out a third-level Qi Refining cultivator like Mo Hua to draw arrays, and the arrays used in the daily lives of low-level rogue cultivators are too rudimentary, mostly containing only two or three array patterns. Rarely do they feature arrays with more than four patterns.
What should he do?
He needed to work with arrays that incorporated at least five array patterns, preferably on a medium of refined iron, and the request had to come from someone he knew well. Otherwise, people might not agree to let him draw their arrays, and it would be difficult to explain any mistakes he made.
After much thought, he concluded that Master Chen and his furnace were the most suitable candidates.
The next day, Mo Hua cautiously brought up his idea with his mother, only to be firmly rejected.
"This stove is not only for business, but also for cooking for you and your father. The fire is sufficient, and unless it breaks, don't even think about touching it."
Liu Ruhua was Mo Hua's mother, who had watched him grow up and immediately saw through his little scheme.
Mo Hua had no choice but to drop the matter.
A few days later, Liu Ruhua went to Apricot Forest Hall to ask Old Man Feng for a follow-up consultation. Mo Hua accompanied her.
Old Man Feng examined her pulse with his thread-hanging technique and nodded, "Indeed, your heart and lungs have been nourished well. You can occasionally try using your spiritual power to let your meridians adjust, but don't exert it for extended periods, or you will still harm your body. As for the residual fire poison, it has mostly been cleared."
"I will prescribe a few medicinal ingredients. Go and get them, and I will refine them into pills for you to take when you return."
Old Man Feng wrote down the names of several medicinal ingredients on a piece of paper. Liu Ruhua took the prescription to get the medicine and instructed Mo Hua not to wander off, asking him to keep Old Man Feng company.
After Liu Ruhua left, Old Man Feng took a sip of tea and looked up to see Mo Hua staring at the refining furnace in the room.
"Little Hua, why are you looking at that refining furnace?"
Mo Hua asked, "Grandpa Feng, do you think this refining furnace could break?"
"Any spiritual artifact has the potential to break," Old Man Feng replied, stroking his beard.
"Has it broken before?"
Old Man Feng nodded, "Indeed, it has broken a few times."
"Then, can I fix it the next time it breaks?" Mo Hua asked softly.
Old Man Feng was slightly taken aback, "Have you started learning artifact refinement?"
"No," Mo Hua shook his little hands, "I mean, if the array inside breaks, can I fix it?"
Old Man Feng smiled at Mo Hua, "Alright, if the array inside the refining furnace breaks, I'll let you fix it!"
Mo Hua smiled so widely his eyes narrowed, "Deal!"
"Deal!" echoed Old Man Feng with a smile.
Liu Ruhua returned with several packets of medicine in her hand. Seeing the two of them chatting happily, she couldn't help but smile as well. "What are you two talking about?"
"I was just discussing a little business with Grandpa Feng," Mo Hua replied with a beaming smile.
"Are you trying to earn more spirit stones from your Grandpa Feng?"
"It's all about our relationship, not the spirit stones," Mo Hua said.
Liu Ruhua smiled and shook her head, handing the medicine packets to Old Man Feng, "Thank you for your help, Old Man Feng."
Old Man Feng accepted them with a smile and then got up to go to the refining room. As he placed the medicinal ingredients into the refining furnace and prepared to ignite it, he suddenly paused, his expression complicated as he looked at the furnace before him.
"Grandpa Feng, what's wrong?" Mo Hua asked, unable to hold back his curiosity.
Old Man Feng wiped the edge of the furnace with his hand, checked the spirit stones, and then said with a hint of helplessness, "The refining furnace is broken."
Mo Hua was stunned. After a while, he whispered,
"This... it didn't break because I wanted it to, did it...?"
(End of Chapter)
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