Chapter 49: Sunset Glow

At dusk, Mo Hua first returned home to have his mother prepare some food: two bowls of steaming noodles, some braised beef, refreshing pickles, several plates of pastries, and a few pots of osmanthus rice wine.

He then packed all the food into food boxes, placed them in his storage bag, and brought them up the mountain.

Halfway up the mountain, the two children—a boy and a girl—and the veiled woman were still standing perfectly upright.

Carrying his storage bag slung over his shoulder, Mo Hua walked up to them and got straight to the point

"You have disturbed Mr. Zhuang's peace. You should go back; Mr. Zhuang does not wish to see you."

Hearing this, the two children looked somewhat dejected. The veiled woman spoke up

"We would be grateful if you could inform him that old friends have come to visit regarding an important matter. Please, insist that Mr. Zhuang meets with us."

Mo Hua replied, "Why do you think he doesn't know why you've come? If he doesn't want to see you, he simply won't. Waiting any longer is a waste of time."

The boy said with a determined expression, "As long as I can see Mr. Zhuang, I will wait however long it takes."

The girl beside him said nothing, but her gaze showed no sign of retreat either.

Curious, Mo Hua asked, "And if Mr. Zhuang never sees you, will you truly wait forever? Even for ten or a hundred years?"

The boy stiffened his neck and remained silent.

*He's quite handsome and looks smart enough, but he's just too stubborn,* Mo Hua thought to himself.

"Then what are you eating?"

"I have Inedia Pills."

"Eating too many Inedia Pills will harm your body," Mo Hua said.

Inedia Pills are one of the many medicinal pills refined by alchemists. They are made by refining ordinary ingredients combined with preservation medicines into pill form. They are easy to store and serve to stave off hunger and replenish vital energy. They are essential for cultivators on long journeys or in long-term seclusion, but consuming them for extended periods can damage a cultivator's vital essence.

Of course, another reason rogue cultivators don't rely on Inedia Pills is that they aren't cheap; using them just to satisfy hunger is not cost-effective.

"Hmph," the boy snorted, "none of your business."

However, he still stole a glance at the veiled woman beside him.

The woman said, "We appreciate your kindness, little friend, but we must see Mr. Zhuang on this trip. Otherwise, we will not leave."

"You are staying here to see Mr. Zhuang, but no matter how long you stay, you won't see him. Given Mr. Zhuang's temperament, the longer you stay, the less he will want to see you," Mo Hua said.

The veiled woman hesitated for a moment. Although she had never met Mr. Zhuang, she had heard rumors of his ways and knew that what this young boy was saying was likely true.

If Mr. Zhuang did not wish to see them, they would not see him even if they waited here until they turned to bone.

Seeing her waver, Mo Hua continued, "Those who practice the Dao must respect destiny. Mr. Zhuang is not seeing you because the timing is not right. Since the destiny has not arrived, no amount of persistence will change the outcome."

The woman couldn't help but ask, "Then when will the destiny arrive to see him?"

Mo Hua said, "That depends on the gentleman's mood. When you come to visit, choose a day with beautiful weather. You don't need to stay long; just pay your respects at the gate. If the doors are wide open, it means he wishes to see you. But if the courtyard gates are tightly closed, it means the timing is not right and he does not wish to see you. You should simply leave on your own."

The woman was still somewhat hesitant. "My lady instructed us that we must bring the young master and young lady to see Mr. Zhuang. If we leave now..."

"If you wait bitterly for eight or ten years and neglect your cultivation, staying awake without rest and damaging your vital essence, what would be the point? Even if you eventually see Mr. Zhuang and take him as your teacher, your foundation will be damaged, making it difficult to glimpse the Great Dao," Mo Hua countered.

The woman nodded, then suddenly frowned. "We never said we intended to take Mr. Zhuang as our teacher. How did you know?"

Mo Hua thought to himself: *You're bringing two children of apprenticeship age to visit him; if not to seek apprenticeship, what else could it be? If it were a simple visit to an old friend, you wouldn't be loitering here for seven days without leaving.*

On the surface, however, Mo Hua maintained an air of nonchalance and invoked Mr. Zhuang

"As I said, everything is within Mr. Zhuang's expectations. Just go back for now. When Mr. Zhuang is willing to see you, he naturally will."

Having said his piece and feeling the timing was right, Mo Hua opened the food boxes, and a delicious aroma wafted out.

"Do you want something to eat?"

The girl was fine, but the boy could hardly stay composed. Although he tried to act calm, his eyes couldn't help but dart toward the food boxes.

Inedia Pills did not taste good, and eating too many inevitably caused discomfort. Their color, aroma, and taste could not compare to the meat, wine, and pastries in Mo Hua's boxes.

Seeing that the young master and young lady's faces were as pale as paper and their lips lacked any color, the veiled woman thought of how the two children had always been raised in luxury. They had never suffered such hunger and exhaustion before, and her heart softened.

She had watched the two children grow up. Even if she failed to take Mr. Zhuang as a teacher and violated her lady's instructions, she could accept the punishment from her lady herself; she could not bear to let the young master and lady suffer.

Moreover, the young boy was right. If they ate Inedia Pills every day, stayed awake without rest, and allowed the mountain's harsh elements to damage their foundations, it would affect their future cultivation in a way that could never be repaired.

"Then we thank you, little friend."

The woman thanked Mo Hua and then said to the two children, "Young master, young lady, please eat something first. Since Mr. Zhuang is unwilling to see us, it simply means the time is not yet ripe. We shall visit again on another day."

The two children also thanked Mo Hua.

They then took out the noodles and various snacks from the food boxes and began to eat. Despite their ravenous hunger, their movements remained poised and dignified, clearly marking them as children from a well-bred, noble family.

The boy took a bite of the spicy beef. At first, there was a slight oddity to the taste, but as he chewed, the flavor spread, and he couldn't help but ask, "What kind of meat is this?"

"Meat from a demon beast."

The boy's eyes widened. "Demon beast meat is edible?!"

Mo Hua rolled his eyes at him. "You're eating it right now, aren't you..."

"But didn't they say that eating demon beast meat would damage your vital essence and cloud your mind?"

"This is Wild Ox Demon meat. It eats plants, so it won't damage a cultivator's vital essence. It's the demon beasts that eat meat and humans whose meat cannot be eaten."

Mo Hua looked at him as if he were being incredibly ignorant.

The boy looked at the meat in his hand with a bit of fear, but not wanting to be looked down upon by Mo Hua, he took a few more bites. He then discovered that the more he ate, the more delicious it became, and he found himself unable to stop...

The girl beside him looked at the pastries in Mo Hua's box. "This pastry..."

"My mother made it by hand. It's delicious!" Mo Hua said proudly.

"Your mother... makes pastries for you to eat?"

"Besides pastries, there are many other delicious things," Mo Hua nodded.

A trace of envy appeared in the young girl's cold eyes. She picked up a pastry from the plate, parted her lips slightly, and took a gentle bite.

It was crisp and sweet.

The girl lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes veiling her gaze so her thoughts could not be read. After a long moment, she looked up at Mo Hua and praised him, "It is very delicious."

Her voice was clear and melodious, perhaps comparable to the legendary celestial music played on a zither by heavenly beings.

Mo Hua was very happy and smiled with squinted eyes.

"Mm, my mother's cooking is the best!"

After they finished eating, before they departed, Auntie Xue took out a shimmering jade pendant and handed it to Mo Hua

"This is a First-Grade Heart-Clearing Jade. Wearing it will help you maintain focus during cultivation. It is not overly precious, but please accept it as a token of our gratitude."

Though Auntie Xue said it wasn't precious, the flowing light upon it proved it was no ordinary item. For a rogue cultivator like Mo Hua, it was even more valuable.

Although Mo Hua wanted it, he knew he could not accept it.

They were being so polite to him solely because of Mr. Zhuang. If not for that, given the vast difference in their status, they likely wouldn't have spoken a single word to him.

He was already indebted to Mr. Zhuang for teaching him formations; he could not trade Mr. Zhuang's reputation for personal gain.

Mo Hua politely declined. When Auntie Xue insisted, Mo Hua said

"If you truly must give something, then just give me the cost of the meal. Five spirit stones will do."

Auntie Xue froze, as if she had never heard such a request, but she then produced a storage bag containing forty or fifty spirit stones.

Mo Hua took only five from it and returned the bag to Auntie Xue. Before she could say anything, he waved his small hand and walked down the mountain with his storage bag slung over his shoulder.

Auntie Xue watched him blankly. Just as Mo Hua was about to walk far away, the young girl suddenly spoke, her voice clear and melodious

"What is your name?"

Though the voice was soft, Mo Hua still heard it.

Mo Hua turned back and said with a smile, "My name is Mo Hua."

At that moment, the sunset was like spilled ink, and the mountain scenery was like a painting.

Amidst the brilliant glow of the clouds, Mo Hua stood in the mountains, looking as if he were standing within a magnificent landscape painting.

The name Mo Hua, along with the vast, colorful clouds, remained etched in her consciousness.