After that, Mo Hua continued to draw the Earth-Solidifying Array, doing so for two months straight.
Whenever he encountered something he didn't understand regarding the arrays, he would go to consult Instructor Yan. Instructor Yan was a stern man who held others to high standards, but he was always forthcoming with his students' questions, answering everything he knew in exhaustive and earnest detail.
Instructor Yan naturally felt that Mo Hua’s foundation was not yet solid and that it was too early for him to delve into such advanced arrays. However, as long as Mo Hua asked, he would explain them tirelessly, which made Mo Hua very grateful.
Sometimes, when Mo Hua skipped class to secretly draw arrays to earn spirit stones, Instructor Yan would not pursue it too strictly. He would only urge Mo Hua
"A cultivator may have their specialties, but one should not be too lopsided. There are some techniques you don't have to master, but you must at least understand them. Otherwise, once you graduate and leave the sect to venture into the cultivation world, having blind spots in your knowledge will make it very easy for you to be taken advantage of."
Mo Hua humbly accepted the advice and benefited greatly from it.
It was just that he currently lacked the spirit stones for his cultivation techniques, so he had no choice but to keep skipping class and drawing arrays to save up some money.
One Earth-Solidifying Array consisted of four array patterns and could earn him two spirit stones. Thanks to this, Mo Hua’s speed at accumulating spirit stones increased significantly.
One day, two months later, Mo Hua went to the Fat Manager’s shop to deliver an order as usual. Upon entering, he discovered a middle-aged man in green Daoist robes drinking tea inside the usually quiet Yuanyuan Pavilion.
The man had his back to Mo Hua, and his silhouette looked very familiar. When the man turned around, Mo Hua was stunned.
The man in the green Daoist robes was Instructor Yan...
Mo Hua suddenly felt the sensation of being caught skipping class.
"Mo Hua?"
Instructor Yan also saw Mo Hua and looked somewhat surprised.
The Fat Manager, sitting across from Instructor Yan and pouring him tea, looked up upon hearing this and asked in surprise, "You two know each other?"
Instructor Yan said, "He is a student I teach at the Tongxian Sect."
Mo Hua bowed and saluted, "Disciple greets the Instructor!"
Instructor Yan nodded in acknowledgment and asked, "What are you doing here?"
Before Mo Hua could speak, the Fat Manager explained, "He’s running errands for his older brother. His brother draws arrays for our Array Pavilion, and when he finishes, he sends the boy to deliver them."
Instructor Yan nodded and did not press further.
Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief. He handed the arrays to the Fat Manager, took his spirit stones, and quickly said, "This disciple will take his leave now; I won't disturb the Instructor any further."
Instructor Yan likely had business to discuss with the Fat Manager. Seeing Mo Hua being so sensible, he couldn't help but nod and say, "Return to the sect early, and mind your safety on the way."
Mo Hua respectfully agreed, bowed, and left the Array Pavilion.
The Fat Manager watched Mo Hua’s retreating figure and said to Instructor Yan
"That child is quite polite and very clever. You’re lucky to have taught such a good student."
Instructor Yan gave a soft "Hmm" and then asked, "You said his brother draws arrays for you?"
The Fat Manager took out the Earth-Solidifying Array Mo Hua had delivered and handed it to Instructor Yan to look at. "He draws quite well."
Instructor Yan was slightly startled to see it was an Earth-Solidifying Array. "His brother drew this?"
"Who else?" the Fat Manager said. "Don't tell me you think he drew it? At his age, even if he drained his divine sense dry, he wouldn't be able to draw a complete array."
Instructor Yan nodded. Recalling that Mo Hua had once used an Earth-Solidifying Array to ask him questions, he figured that Mo Hua must have seen his brother drawing it and, having questions in his heart, came to consult him.
"Having a thirst for knowledge regarding arrays is a good thing," Instructor Yan thought to himself. "If he can maintain this state of mind, he might truly achieve something in the field of arrays in the future."
Thinking this, Instructor Yan stopped dwelling on it. He glanced around the remote and quiet shop, then looked at the Fat Manager and asked, "Do you want to spend your whole life like this?"
The Fat Manager said, "We studied under the same sect, so you should know me. I’m different from you. You are now an instructor at the Tongxian Sect with impressive attainments in arrays, only a step away from the First-Grade realm. Once you cross that threshold, you’ll be a genuine First-Grade Array Master. By then, in this Tongxian City, you’ll have connections and status, and you certainly won't lack spirit stones. The Tongxian Sect will surely grant you the position of an Elder."
"As for me," the Fat Manager took a sip of tea, "I’m just the type to muddle through life. I only dabble in arrays, and I lack the patience for the solitude of cultivation. As long as I can get by day to day, I’m satisfied. Don't look down on me; look at those busy, struggling rogue cultivators on the streets. This kind of leisurely life is something they can only dream of."
Instructor Yan remained silent.
The Fat Manager looked at Instructor Yan and sighed helplessly. "Tell me, what do you want me to help you with?"
Instructor Yan said solemnly, "Help me find the *Lingshu Array Diagrams*."
The Fat Manager rubbed his temples. "After all these years, you still haven't given up? If you ask me, you’re not young anymore; you should find a Daoist partner and live a proper life."
"One's personal life is a small matter; the inheritance of arrays is a great one."
"Even if you find it, so what? The Grandmaster couldn't learn it, and the Master couldn't learn it—do you think you can? A First-Grade array with twelve patterns? That’s absolutely insane! Even a First-Grade Array Master only needs to know nine patterns. You haven't even become a First-Grade Array Master yet; what good will getting the *Lingshu Array Diagrams* do you? You might not even be able to learn it by the time you’re in the grave!"
Instructor Yan remained silent.
The Fat Manager tried to persuade him earnestly, "Senior Brother, let it go. Besides, you can't find it anyway. That person betrayed the sect and stole the diagrams all those years ago. There hasn't been a trace of them for so long, and even the Dao Court Division can't track them down. You’re an array master, not skilled in Daoist combat arts—what can you possibly do?"
Instructor Yan was unmoved. He said hoarsely, "The Master treated me with great kindness. Everything I know about arrays was taught to me by him. Now that the Master has passed away, the sect is scattered, and the techniques are lost, I cannot sleep or eat in peace whenever I think of it. As long as I can recover the diagrams and pass on the techniques to fulfill the Master’s dying wish, nothing else matters."
Instructor Yan looked at the Fat Manager again and added, "I know you like comfort, and I won't ask you to do much. You only need to let me know if you find any clues about the *Lingshu Array Diagrams*. You don't need to worry about anything else."
"How do you know there will be clues about the *Lingshu Array Diagrams* in Tongxian City?" The Fat Manager frowned.
Instructor Yan did not speak.
The Fat Manager waved his hand. "Fine, knowing too much won't do me any good. I’ll agree to this, but I’ll give you a piece of friendly advice: you’re putting so much effort into this, but in the end, you might just be drawing water with a bamboo basket—you won't catch a single shadow."
Feeling that trouble was looming, the Fat Manager couldn't help but add
"If you ask me, you should spend some effort finding a Daoist partner and having a child. Even if you can't find it, your child can continue the search in the future. At least you wouldn't end up all alone and miserable when you die. While you’re not too old yet, hurry up and find a partner, just one, so you don't end up..."
"The tea has gone cold. I’m leaving."
Instructor Yan stood up and flicked his sleeves, leaving without paying any more attention to the nagging Fat Manager behind him.