Chapter 28: An Idea

The next day, Mo Shan also rushed back in a hurry.

When Mo Shan arrived at Xinglin Hall, his clothes were tattered and stained with mud, and a bandage was wrapped around his arm, looking as if it had been torn open by some demon beast, with blood soaking through.

He had likely just finished a skirmish with a demon beast with the hunting team and had rushed back without having time to treat his wounds.

Only after hearing that his wife's life was not in danger did Mo Shan breathe a sigh of relief. After Master Feng finished examining Liu Ruhua's condition, he took the opportunity to treat the injury on Mo Shan's arm.

A few days later, Liu Ruhua went home to recuperate. Following Master Feng's instructions, she was to maintain a light diet, avoid exertion, take her medicinal pills on schedule, and, similarly, could not use her spiritual power for a month.

After staying at home for a few days, Mo Shan and his son were both driven out of the house by Liu Ruhua—Mo Shan was the captain of the hunting team and had to lead his members to hunt demon beasts, while Mo Hua was a sect disciple and had to go to the sect for cultivation, as he could not afford to fall behind in his studies.

Fortunately, Liu Ruhua could only refrain from using spiritual power; her normal daily life was not much affected.

Mo Shan had no choice but to ask the neighborhood aunts to help look after her, and he would often return whenever he had free time. As for Mo Hua, whenever there was a scheduled break, he would request leave from his instructor to come home and visit.

Instructor Yan was reasonable and did not make things difficult for Mo Hua, only reminding him not to neglect his cultivation or his sect coursework.

A month later, Liu Ruhua's body had mostly recovered. Although she still had to stay at home and could not do anything requiring the use of spiritual power—otherwise, she would suffer from incessant coughing—there were no other lasting damages.

Mo Hua finally felt relieved, but he discovered that his mother was not very happy. Although she still smiled, her expression was noticeably more despondent than before, and she would often sit staring blankly into space by herself.

Mo Hua was very worried, but since he couldn't understand why, he went to ask Mo Shan.

Mo Shan sighed and said to Mo Hua, "Your mother's thoughts are very simple. The thing she wants to do most is to save some spirit stones for you so you can cultivate properly, watching you grow into an adult and eventually marry and have children... But your mother can no longer use spiritual power. Since she cannot use it, she naturally cannot do anything, let alone earn spirit stones."

"After being busy for half a lifetime, suddenly being unable to do anything or help you with anything... her heart feels somewhat empty..."

Mo Hua felt a pang of sadness and asked after thinking for a moment, "Does Mother have anything else she wants to do?"

"Anything else?"

"Yes, something she is interested in, like alchemy, talismans, or formations..."

Mo Shan thought for a moment and said, "I haven't seen your mother show much interest in those, but she does quite enjoy cooking. I'm not just praising her, but among the neighbors within ten miles, no one cooks better than your mother."

Mo Shan sighed again. "Back when I committed my life to your mother and we became Dao companions, I boasted that I would open a restaurant for her so she could specialize in researching all kinds of culinary dishes. As a result, all these years, she has done nothing but suffer alongside me. I haven't fulfilled the promise I made back then..."

Looking at his self-reproachful father, Mo Hua knew he couldn't be blamed for this.

Mo Shan's cultivation and Daoist arts were among the best among the surrounding demon hunters. He had spent many years risking his life in battles with demon beasts, and every time he returned home, he was covered in blood. Despite this, the family's expenses still exceeded their income.

At its root, the life of a low-level rogue cultivator was simply too difficult; just maintaining a livelihood was exhausting.

Mo Hua then said, "Don't worry, Father. In the future, I will definitely open a massive restaurant for Mother!"

Mo Shan knew his son was trying to comfort him. He patted Mo Hua's head and said with some gratification, "Good!"

However, since his wife could not use spiritual power, even being a chef required it. Even if they opened a restaurant, it would be difficult to be a chef without spiritual power.

Thinking of his wife's melancholy state, Mo Shan felt a pang of heartache. He patted Mo Hua's shoulder and said, "Talk to your mother more when you have time. Sometimes your words are more effective than mine. Don't let her overthink things."

"Mhm," Mo Hua nodded.

Afterward, whenever Mo Hua had free time, he would take the initiative to talk with Liu Ruhua. Her complexion did indeed improve somewhat, but when she was alone, she still looked lonely.

*If only Mother could use spiritual power,* Mo Hua thought, though he knew it was unlikely.

Illness comes like a mountain falling, but departs like a thread being pulled from silk; especially with a root cause accumulated over many years, it could only be treated through slow recuperation and might not be cured in a short time.

The cultivation world surely possessed heavenly treasures that could cure it completely. Master Feng had mentioned a few, but for a family like Mo Hua's, they had no way to find them, and even if they did, they could never afford them.

Mo Hua could only let it go.

Half a month later, the hottest month of the year arrived. The sun hung high, and even the floorboards were hot to the touch. Following tradition, the Tongxian Sect granted a summer break lasting over a month.

The annual break and the summer break were the two longest holidays of the year.

Because of the intense heat, demon beasts were less active, and those that were willing to appear were mostly fire-attribute, making them even stronger and harder to deal with in such weather. Thus, the summer break was also the off-season for hunting.

Mo Shan would stay home for longer periods, only heading out for a few days if a team member discovered a valuable demon beast, returning with some spirit stones or demon beast pelts.

Once, after being away for a few days, Mo Shan returned with a large package. When Mo Hua opened it, he found a large bag of beef shank and his mouth hung open. "Father, this is..."

"This is wild mountain beef. It doesn't have much spiritual energy and isn't worth much, but compared to other demon beasts, the meat quality isn't too bad and it doesn't have a strong odor."

"The hunting team hasn't had much luck lately, so we only have this wild mountain beef. When we skinned it and cut the meat, we couldn't sell it at all because everyone complained the beef was too tough and old, impossible to boil soft or chew through. So, we each took a portion to bring home and eat," Mo Shan explained.

Mo Hua asked uncertainly, "Father, are you going to cook this meat?"

Mo Shan rubbed Mo Hua's head. "What? You think your father's cooking isn't good?"

Mo Hua smiled but said nothing.

At noon, Mo Shan cooked the beef. It took him a long time to stew it, and he finally served it at the table in a large, open white porcelain bowl.

"Taste it and see how it is!"

The white porcelain bowl was filled with dark red beef.

After looking at the beef, Liu Ruhua put down her chopsticks and only used a spoon to scoop up a bit of the broth, sipping it slowly.

Mo Hua, however, picked up a piece of beef and put it in his mouth. After a few chews, his teeth felt sore; the meat was incredibly stubborn and showed no sign of being chewed apart.

Embarrassed yet polite, Mo Hua spat the meat out, picked up a spoon to sip some broth, and praised, "The broth is good!"

Mo Shan glared at him irritably. "The broth was simmered with the sauce your mother prepared; of course it's good."

Liu Ruhua smiled slightly. "I know you were being thoughtful, but cooking like this isn't something that can be done haphazardly. Even when using spiritual power to drive the stove to stew things, there are many nuances—when to use high heat, when to use low heat, and when to add which sauce and in what amount. It all requires precision..."

Hearing this, Mo Hua suddenly asked, "Then if the cooking time is long enough, can this beef be made tender?"

Liu Ruhua said, "In theory, yes, but that would require a cultivator to guard the pot for a day and a night, continuously using spiritual power to drive the stove..."

"A normal cultivator certainly couldn't do it, and a cultivator who could probably wouldn't be that bored," Mo Shan added.

"What if we use a formation?" Mo Hua's eyes lit up.

"A formation..." Liu Ruhua thought for a moment and said

"I'm not sure about that, but I heard the head chefs of large restaurants say that some major establishments have blacksmiths forge specialized stoves, and then formation masters draw formations on them. That way, they only need to use spirit stones to drive them, allowing ingredients to be stewed for a long time without consuming a cultivator's spiritual power. However, the fee for hiring a formation master is very expensive; at least the restaurant we knew before couldn't afford to build such a stove."

"I see..."

Mo Hua was lost in thought.

Mo Shan also picked up a piece of beef and put it in his mouth. After a few unsuccessful chews, he had to admit, "It really is quite tough to chew." He then swallowed it directly, using his spiritual power to forcibly refine it.

That night, while practicing formations on the broken monument, Mo Hua kept thinking about the restaurant.

The next day, instead of practicing formations at home, Mo Hua went out directly to North Street under the scorching sun.

The weather was sweltering; he was sweating profusely after just a few steps. Even so, there were still some street vendors enduring the intense sun, shouting to sell their goods, though their voices sounded listless.

Mo Hua arrived at North Street and found the largest restaurant on the street—the Fulu Restaurant. He then asked the shopkeeper, "Is your young master's surname An, and is his name An Xiaopang... no, An Xiaofu?"

The shopkeeper did not look down on Mo Hua because of his ordinary clothes; instead, because Mo Hua's tone was so familiar, he guessed that he might indeed be an acquaintance of the young master, and spoke politely

"The young master you mentioned is correct. He is currently upstairs. Would you like me to announce your arrival?"

Mo Hua also replied politely, "Please inform him that a fellow disciple surnamed Mo is here to see him regarding some matters."