Chapter 26: Diligence

Every day after class, Mo Hua would go to Instructor Yan's place to study array theory and seek guidance on array formations. With Instructor Yan's explanations, Mo Hua learned the Goldstone Array very quickly. Combined with the ability to practice repeatedly on the stone tablet within his sea of consciousness, it took Mo Hua only about ten days to complete the drawings for five sets of the Goldstone Array.

Because he had ample time, Mo Hua drew with great care; consequently, he only failed once. After deducting the cost of materials, he earned about twelve spirit stones.

During the scheduled rest period, Mo Hua handed the arrays over to Manager Mo. Upon inspection, Manager Mo was quite satisfied and nodded, saying, "Your... your elder brother's array drawings are becoming increasingly methodical."

Mo Hua looked at Manager Mo suspiciously.

For some reason, being stared at made Manager Mo feel a bit guilty. He coughed, waved his hand, and said, "If you have nothing else to do, go back to the sect. I am very busy here."

Mo Hua looked at the Youyuan Pavilion, which was empty without a single customer, and asked curiously, "There isn't a single customer here. What are you busy with, Manager?"

Manager Mo felt that this was what one called "Zen-style management," which was fundamentally different from simply having poor business.

However, it was indeed obvious at a glance that there were no customers.

Manager Mo grew a bit irritated. "What does a child know? I deal in big business here. I'm busy whether there are customers or not! If I say I'm busy, I'm busy!"

"Then you go ahead and be busy, Manager. I'll be going."

As Mo Hua took his leave and walked a few steps, he suddenly turned back and asked

"By the way, Manager, are you very close with Instructor Yan?"

Manager Mo said somewhat guiltily, "We aren't that close, just some fellowship from being fellow disciples. He has a foul and stubborn temper that most normal people can't stand. We haven't been in contact for many years; we just happened to run into each other a few days ago and had some tea to catch up."

"Oh..."

Mo Hua gave a meaningful "oh."

To say they weren't close while using such a familiar tone meant they were indeed very close, or at least had a significant friendship.

Manager Mo hurriedly waved him off. "Go, go! Don't disturb my business."

As Mo Hua left the Youyuan Pavilion, he thought to himself

"It seems there really is something fishy going on between Manager Mo and Instructor Yan privately..."

Afterward, Mo Hua's life returned to the dull and ordinary routine of the sect: attending classes daily, seeking guidance on arrays from Instructor Yan after class, returning to the disciple quarters to draw arrays, and entering his sea of consciousness after midnight to practice on the broken tablet.

It was simple yet fulfilling.

Mo Hua's proficiency in arrays improved day by day, and his divine sense grew increasingly profound. He had more than enough divine sense to draw Goldstone Arrays with at least four array lines, and he became more and more effortless, no longer feeling a lack of divine sense.

Manager Mo's array orders also changed several times. Each time, the excuse was, "The market has changed; we aren't accepting the previous arrays anymore, we need new ones," before presenting Mo Hua with new array diagrams.

When Instructor Yan taught array theory, he would conveniently include explanations for the arrays Manager Mo had given Mo Hua. For Mo Hua, it was essentially having food fed directly to his mouth.

This largely verified Mo Hua's suspicion: Manager Mo and Instructor Yan definitely had a private connection, and the fact that he was drawing arrays for the Youyuan Pavilion was likely known to both the Manager and the Instructor.

However, everyone maintained a tacit understanding, and Mo Hua pretended not to know.

What puzzled Mo Hua was why the Instructor was so attentive to him, answering every question regarding arrays, and why Manager Mo provided so many conveniences.

Was it truly just because he had talent in arrays?

Later, Mo Hua thought about it and decided he was likely overthinking.

Instructor Yan was a rigorous and serious person; he was meticulous in both teaching and arrays, and he never withheld knowledge from his disciples. His care for him was likely born of a desire to nurture talent—he didn't want Mo Hua to waste his talent and squander his life, and truly hoped he could make progress in the field of arrays.

As for Manager Mo's connection to Instructor Yan, it was likely that he had been entrusted by the Instructor to gradually arrange the arrays for Mo Hua to draw.

Mo Hua silently kept the kindness of both men in his heart.

However, he was currently only a low-level cultivator at the third level of Qi Refinement; he could do nothing. Even if he wanted to repay this kindness, he could only wait until the future.

Two months passed, and in addition to the Goldstone Array, Mo Hua learned the Mud-Sand Array, the Quicksand Array, and the Ventilation Array. Combined with the spirit stones he had saved from drawing arrays, he had a total of over one hundred and eighty spirit stones.

Mo Hua planned to save up two hundred spirit stones so he could select a mid-grade, low-tier cultivation technique, which would relieve much of the burden on his parents.

Once he had enough spirit stones and had chosen a technique, he would tell his parents; they would likely be much happier then.

But before Mo Hua could save enough spirit stones, trouble struck his family.

One day, during an alchemy class, Instructor Yan suddenly called Mo Hua out. With a solemn expression, he told Mo Hua that his mother was seriously ill and that he should hurry home to see her.

Mo Hua froze for a moment, feeling as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head, leaving his heart chilled.

Mo Hua requested a few days of leave from the Instructor and rushed home.

But the doors to his house were closed. Mo Hua knocked several times, but no one answered. Just as he was growing anxious, a neighbor, Auntie Yang, walked out upon hearing the noise and said

"Is that you, Mo Hua?"

"Auntie Yang, my mother..."

"I was just about to tell you. Your mother is seriously ill; she is currently at Xinglin Hall seeking treatment from Old Mr. Feng. Hurry and go see her!"

Mo Hua thanked her repeatedly and rushed toward Xinglin Hall.

Xinglin Hall was the only pill hall in the vicinity.

Pill halls were staffed by alchemists; generally, when cultivators were injured or ill, they would go to a pill shop to have an alchemist diagnose them and refine pills to treat their ailments.

Old Mr. Feng of Xinglin Hall was a well-reputed veteran alchemist in Tongxian City. He had studied the Dao of Alchemy for most of his life, and in his later years, he had passed the grade assessment to become a true First-Rank Alchemist, making him one of the few graded alchemists in Tongxian City.

At the same time, Old Mr. Feng was the only First-Rank Alchemist in Tongxian City who was willing to open a shop and hold consultations in a marketplace for low-level rogue cultivators.

When Mo Hua arrived at Xinglin Hall, Old Mr. Feng was in the middle of consultations, seeing patients.

Old Mr. Feng wore a clean but somewhat old, faded black Taoist robe. His hair and beard were completely white, and his expression was kind. Upon seeing Mo Hua, he gave a few final instructions to the patient before beckoning Mo Hua over.

Mo Hua hurriedly stepped forward to bow and said, "Greetings, Grandpa Feng! My mother, she..."

Old Mr. Feng nodded and said, "Good child, I have examined your mother's condition. Although it is somewhat serious, it is not life-threatening. You can rest easy for now."

Only then did Mo Hua breathe a sigh of relief. As he regained his composure, he felt parched, his throat feeling as if it were on fire.

Mo Hua had had a weak constitution since childhood. Because he had been so anxious and had run too fast, his entire body suddenly broke into a sweat as he came to a halt.

Old Mr. Feng pressed his right hand lightly against Mo Hua's back. A faint cyan light flashed between his fingers as he transferred some spiritual power. Mo Hua felt as if a spring breeze were brushing through his limbs and bones, and his breathing instantly became much smoother.

Old Mr. Feng poured a shallow cup of tea and instructed, "Drink slowly, in small amounts."

Following Old Mr. Feng's instructions, Mo Hua slowly sipped the steaming tea, and only then did his breathing settle.