Chapter 12: Remuneration

After wandering for a while, Xiao Hu suddenly asked, "Where are we going next?"

Mo Hua patted the storage bag at his waist. "First, let's go to North Street!"

When they arrived in front of Youyuan Pavilion on North Street, Mo Hua stepped onto the threshold, but when he looked back, he saw his three friends standing still. He couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you coming in?"

The three friends shook their heads in unison

"I get dizzy whenever I see arrays..."

"Me too..."

"I'm not destined for arrays in this life, so I'm not going in either..."

Mo Hua had no choice but to say, "Then wait for me here; I'll be out in a moment."

The three friends nodded in unison.

Mo Hua entered the shop. The bell above the door chimed, and the manager, following the sound, saw Mo Hua standing at the entrance, head held high with a storage bag slung over his shoulder. He couldn't help but chuckle. "It's you again. Well? Has your older brother finished drawing all the arrays?"

Mo Hua nodded. "Yes."

The manager perked up a bit. "Oh? It’s only been five days, that’s quite fast." He beckoned to Mo Hua, "Bring them here and let me see."

Mo Hua took the arrays out of his storage bag and stood on his tiptoes to place them on the counter.

The manager picked up the arrays, examined them, and frowned.

Mo Hua felt a bit nervous. "Are they drawn incorrectly?"

The manager pondered for a moment and said, "They are correct, but the level of skill doesn't look like that of an experienced hand. A few of these are fine, but these ones here..."

The manager flipped through a few. Mo Hua took a look; they were the ones he had drawn at the very beginning.

"These are quite poor. The brushwork is very stiff and disjointed, as if they were pieced together bit by bit. Is your brother sure he’s learning arrays from an array master? This level is quite lacking..."

Mo Hua felt a bit embarrassed. It was his first time drawing them, and he had done his best.

"Then, can these arrays be used?"

The manager tapped his fingers on the counter, examined them carefully, and said

"Although the brushwork is a bit poor, there’s nothing wrong with the arrays themselves. They can still be used... it’s just that the technique is a bit lacking."

Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief. "That’s good." He then added, "Maybe it’s my brother’s first time drawing this specific array, so he wasn't very familiar with it at the start. See, aren't the ones at the back much better?"

The manager looked at the later arrays and nodded slowly. "That is true. These last few are indeed better; at least they are up to standard."

"Right?" Mo Hua promised, "Don't worry, I... my brother will definitely draw better and better in the future!"

The manager was amused by Mo Hua. "You have quite a lot of confidence in your brother. Fine, for your sake, this order is considered complete. But next time, the arrays must be at least at the level of these later ones. You are not allowed to use those practice pieces to make up the numbers."

Mo Hua nodded repeatedly.

The manager put away the array diagrams and counted out a few spirit stones, placing them on the table.

"Eight successful, two failed. Two spirit stones will be deducted for the deposit. Your payment is six spirit stones."

"If your brother wants to continue, the deposit remains ten spirit stones. Your brother already has the diagram for the Minghuo Array; I’ll just give him ten more sets of paper and ink materials."

The manager handed another storage bag containing the paper and ink to Mo Hua.

Mo Hua put away the materials and picked up the six spirit stones, unable to stop himself from feeling happy.

Earning six spirit stones in five days was already comparable to the income of an average mid-to-late-stage Qi Refining cultivator.

Mo Hua’s mother, Liu Ruhua, worked as a kitchen helper at a dining hall and earned only one spirit stone a day. His father, Mo Shan, earned more from hunting monsters, but it wasn't stable; sometimes he earned more, but if he didn't hunt any valuable monsters, the income was even lower.

Mo Hua thanked the manager and left Youyuan Pavilion. His three friends were waiting for him with eager eyes.

Mo Hua patted his storage bag and waved his small hand. "Let's go, I'm treating you to snacks!"

Dahu and the others all cheered "Wow!" and happily crowded around Mo Hua as they headed to a pastry shop on the street.

There were many shops in Tongxian City that made pastries. The expensive ones used precious ingredients, which Mo Hua and his friends naturally couldn't afford. They went to a shop on the side of the street called "Wang's Pastries." It was also run by an ordinary Qi Refining cultivator; the storefront was simple, and while the ingredients weren't high-end, they were very affordable.

During festivals, ordinary cultivators often bought them to satisfy their children's cravings.

Wang's Pastries was famous for its "Five-Color Cake," made from five different colors of spirit grain steamed together. It was fragrant, sweet, and soft, and one piece cost only two-tenths of a fragmented spirit stone.

The income of low-level rogue cultivators was very low; many earned less than one spirit stone a day, so they had to break the spirit stones into smaller pieces to use. One spirit stone was divided into ten equal parts, and ten fragmented spirit stones were equivalent to one spirit stone.

Fragmented spirit stones were not recognized by the Dao Court or the major clans and sects; they only circulated among low-level cultivators, and only poor cultivators in the Qi Refining stage used them.

Mo Hua spent two spirit stones and bought ten Five-Color Cakes. Seeing that Mo Hua bought so many and was just a child, the shopkeeper even gave them two extra pieces.

Mo Hua divided them, giving two to each person, and kept the remaining four to take home for his parents.

The four of them walked along, each holding a fragrant, sweet, and steaming piece of cake. Xiao Hu was burning his mouth, but he couldn't stop talking

"This cake is so delicious! When I earn spirit stones in the future, I'll eat this every day!"

Shuanghu said, "Then you might as well take a wife who knows how to make cakes as your Dao companion. That way, you can eat them every day."

Xiao Hu realized with a start, "That's right! Why didn't I think of that!" Then he became conflicted. "But I already have someone I like. You can't be fickle in love..."

Shuanghu’s eyes widened. "Who do you like?"

Xiao Hu said, "The little girl who sells tofu on the west side of the street. I’m telling you first that I like her, so you aren't allowed to compete with me!"

Shuanghu scoffed and waved his hand. "Don't worry, she has a terrible temper. I wouldn't dream of competing with you..."

As Shuanghu and Xiao Hu chatted, Dahu focused on eating his cake, finishing both pieces in a few bites and licking his fingers afterward.

Mo Hua gave him the one he hadn't eaten yet.

Dahu smiled sheepishly but couldn't resist taking the cake and eating it.

Shuanghu suddenly asked, "Mo Hua, did you really help that... whatever pavilion draw arrays?"

Mo Hua nodded.

Xiao Hu’s mouth fell open. "You can actually draw arrays for people?"

Shuanghu rolled his eyes at him and said, "Otherwise, where do you think the spirit stones for these cakes came from?"

Xiao Hu froze, holding his cake. "So these cakes were bought with the spirit stones from your array drawing? That’s incredible! Mo Hua, will you really be able to become a First-Grade Array Master in the future?"

Mo Hua said, "It’s too early to say that. Being an array master isn't that simple. Let’s keep this between us; don't tell anyone else. Once I earn more spirit stones, I’ll treat you to more cakes."

Hearing the word "cakes," the three of them nodded quickly. Xiao Hu even promised, "If I let it slip, I’ll never have snacks again for the rest of my life!"

The group wandered the streets a bit more, looking at various strange and novel items, and once it grew late, they each returned home.

Mo Hua gave the snacks to Liu Ruhua. She steamed them in a pot and put them back into Mo Hua’s bowl. Mo Hua firmly disagreed, and after some back-and-forth, Mo Hua ended up eating two, while Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua each tasted one.

The steamed cakes were hot and fragrant. As Mo Hua ate, he felt they tasted even better than the ones he had at noon, so he couldn't help but ask, "Mom, do you know how to steam cakes?"

Liu Ruhua laughed. "What’s hard about that? I can cook even more complex dishes. It’s just that many meals require stoves specially forged by artifact refiners, equipped with special arrays, and we just don't have the conditions for that at home."

"Are stoves very expensive?"

"Stoves have to be commissioned from artifact refiners, so they aren't cheap. But the arrays are even more expensive. It’s not easy to hire an array master to draw arrays, especially for large items like stoves. So, unless someone is opening a restaurant or an eatery, no one would spend a fortune on a stove..."

Mo Hua nodded. It seemed that the application of arrays in the cultivation world was even more extensive than he had imagined. He wondered what kind of array was used on a stove.

Mo Hua made a mental note, planning to learn about it when he had the time.

(End of chapter)