Chapter 100: The Deal

Elder Yu had spent one hundred fifty years cultivating to the Foundation Establishment stage.

Over those more than a hundred years, he had interacted with all sorts of cultivators, naturally including quite a few array masters. Elder Yu generally didn't have very good feelings toward array masters.

Some array masters from families or sects looked down on independent cultivators. Some array masters who had been independent cultivators themselves felt they had "leapt over the dragon gate," rising above others, and ironically, they looked down on independent cultivators even more than those from families or sects.

And since array methods were difficult to learn and array masters were rare, array masters were always the most arrogant, with their eyes above everyone else. In the face of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, some array masters were still quite polite on the surface, but once you asked them to draw an array, they demanded exorbitant prices.

If you tried to bargain a bit, they would feel you were looking down on them, questioning whether you thought their array wasn't worth so many spirit stones. If you didn't bargain, these independent cultivators could hardly afford such high-priced spirit stones.

But in this world, array masters were few, while cultivators who needed arrays were many. Sometimes, even if he demanded a huge price, you still had to pay.

Because of this, Elder Yu showed respect to array masters on the surface, but in his heart, he had no good feelings toward them.

When Mo Hua frowned, Elder Yu immediately guessed in his heart that this deal probably couldn't be done. Eight spirit stones was the most he could offer; he couldn't afford any more. Although he was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he didn't belong to a sect or a family, so his spirit stones had to be earned himself. He also had to manage the trivial matters of the demon hunters, so he wasn't much richer than those Qi Refining stage cultivators.

Elder Yu felt a bit dissatisfied with Mo Hua in his heart. Although he was young and looked well-behaved, once spirit stones were involved, he was probably greedy and insatiable, just like those other array masters. Sure enough, it seemed all the array masters in the world were cut from the same cloth, none of them good people.

"How much do you want?" Elder Yu's tone was a bit unfriendly. He wanted to see how much Mo Hua would ask for.

Mo Hua calculated for a moment and said, "Three pieces."

Elder Yu snorted. The room instantly quieted down a bit. Elder Yu hesitated for a moment, then asked in disbelief, "How much?"

"Three pieces..."

"Three pieces?!"

Elder Yu raised an eyebrow. In his eyes, Mo Hua instantly became cute again. Then, he immediately suspected in his heart that this child might be foolish. Who bargains in reverse?

"Are you sure you only want three pieces?"

"Uh, three spirit stones is fine, but I have a small condition," Mo Hua said.

"Condition?" Elder Yu was a bit stunned. "Tell me."

"I want some spirit ink. I want all five element attributes: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. I need it for practicing arrays, and I don't need too much. You can just see how to handle it, consider it as extra compensation."

"Just this?"

"Just this," Mo Hua nodded.

"This is easy," Elder Yu immediately said. Spirit ink alone, although it also cost some spirit stones, was nothing compared to the price of one hundred sets of Iron Armor arrays. Moreover, as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he naturally had his own connections and could get quite good spirit ink without needing many spirit stones. This just saved a large sum of spirit stones.

Elder Yu looked at Mo Hua, suddenly feeling that this child was truly more handsome the more he looked at him. And he said this spirit ink was for practicing arrays himself?

"Not bad! Diligent and eager to learn, no wonder he can draw arrays so well at such a young age!" Elder Yu secretly praised in his heart.

Elder Yu then thought again, worrying that Mo Hua would suffer a loss, and said, "You only want three spirit stones, is that enough?"

"It doesn't matter, three spirit stones is not a small amount. Besides, we are all independent cultivators, we should originally help each other. This is what my dad often tells me," Mo Hua said in his childish voice.

These words struck a chord with Elder Yu, and he felt a warmth in his heart. He was also from an independent cultivator background and had struggled to reach the Foundation Establishment stage. He had originally wanted to go to a higher realm and seek opportunities, perhaps to cultivate further.

But then he looked back at the uncles, aunts, friends, and brothers he had taken care of, and they were living a truly difficult life. If there wasn't a Foundation Establishment cultivator to protect them, they would surely suffer bullying from those cultivators from families every day and live in hardship. He thought for a long time and finally decided to stay.

The cultivation world outside was vast and boundless. Even if he went out, he would just be one of the many cultivators with a humble cultivation base and a bleak future. But in Tongxian City, he was the top Foundation Establishment cultivator, who could make many people no longer suffer, shelter many people safe and sound, and also allow most independent cultivators to live a little better.

Now, hearing such words from the mouth of a small child like Mo Hua, Elder Yu was very gratified. Elder Yu stared at Mo Hua, looking him over and over, and the more he looked, the more he liked him. Look, how well Mo Shan taught this son!

Mo Hua felt a bit uneasy being stared at by Elder Yu and couldn't help but ask, "Elder Yu, is something wrong?"

"No, no, very right! Very right!" Elder Yu said, "Tomorrow I'll have someone send the rattan armor over. I'll also help you find the spirit ink. You want all five element attributes, right? I'll find them all and send them to you. Don't worry, this time you've helped me a great deal, I won't let you suffer a loss. Afterwards, if you have any problems, you can also find me."

Mo Hua was overjoyed and said, "Thank you, Elder!"

"Small matter, small matter!" Elder Yu waved his hand, then said with concern, "Then you rest first. At your young age, don't stay up too late."

"Okay," Mo Hua nodded.

Elder Yu then walked outside. After a few steps, he seemed to suddenly remember something and stopped. He hesitated in place for a while, then walked back.

Mo Hua looked puzzled and asked, "Elder Yu, is there anything else?"

Elder Yu coughed and quietly took out a storage bag. "I... cough, have two grandsons. Their... well, their arrays still need your help a bit."

"Is it urgent?" Mo Hua asked.

"This... a bit urgent, but not particularly urgent. Just draw them when you have time."

Elder Yu's two grandsons were from the same batch of demon hunters as Da Hu and the others, and they had already started going into the mountains to hunt demons. As the saying goes, "affection skips a generation." Elder Yu didn't inquire or care much about his son, but he doted on his two grandsons. Every time he saw them return from the mountains with injuries, his heart ached.

He was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, but he couldn't just casually go into the mountains. If a Foundation Establishment cultivator often went into the mountains, they would be regarded as a provocation by demon beasts, thus attracting second-grade large demons. In Tongxian City, second-grade large demons were basically without natural enemies.

There weren't many Foundation Establishment cultivators in Tongxian City to begin with, and it was even harder to get Foundation Establishment cultivators to hunt demons together. And even if Foundation Establishment cultivators joined forces, they would still find it difficult to be a match for second-grade demon beasts. And if they failed, letting one or two Foundation Establishment cultivators be eaten by second-grade demon beasts, that would be a big problem.

So, unless necessary, Elder Yu, who was in the Foundation Establishment stage, generally didn't enter the Great Black Mountain. At most, he would just wander around the outer mountain. If he wanted to enter the inner mountain, he would also try not to expose his cultivation base. Because he couldn't casually enter the mountains, he often worried about the safety of his two grandsons. Drawing an Iron Armor array on their rattan armor was a form of self-defense, and it would also give him a little peace of mind.

"Okay, I'll help you draw them when I have time!" Mo Hua promised.

Elder Yu nodded. Seeing that Mo Hua was about to return to his room, he warmly admonished him again, "Those arrays, just draw them slowly. It doesn't matter how many you do; absolutely don't tire yourself out."

The usually stern Elder Yu's voice at this time was indescribably kind and amiable.