Chapter 14: Ji Qingbai

Mo Shan didn't know why Ji Qing Bai suddenly asked this, so he nodded and said, "What Elder Brother Ji said is not wrong. Hua Er cultivates at Tong Xian Men and is now at the second layer of Lian Qi cultivation."

Ji Qing Bai was a little disbelieving. "The second layer of Lian Qi, and he can already draw arrays?"

Mo Shan said, "It shouldn't be to that extent. He just learned some superficial knowledge at the sect, copying a few strokes like drawing a gourd."

"Elder Brother Mo is too modest. This is already extraordinary. The few strokes just now had form and style, which shows that Mo Hua has talent."

Mo Shan laughed, "If it's really like that, then I'll borrow Elder Brother's auspicious words."

Ji Qing Bai sighed and said, "Among the later generations of us demon hunting masters, not to mention array masters, there are few who can even roughly understand arrays and draw a few array patterns. A few years ago, I went to find an array master and asked him to help draw some arrays. I suffered a lot of grievances and still had to smile at him, afraid of offending him."

Ji Qing Bai became angrier the more he thought about it. "It was nothing more than drawing a small array, but not only did he ask for two hundred spirit stones with a lion's mouth, he also wanted my niece to accompany him to eat and toast him. If I were in the Da Hei Shan, I would really want to chop him with a single knife!"

Mo Shan's face also sank. "He was actually so unreasonable?"

"Isn't that so? But what could I do?" Ji Qing Bai sighed. "We don't know about arrays, and the later generations don't learn them either. Once something happens, we can only swallow our pride and go find those family array masters. They hold their noses up high, and we still have to smile at them."

"Elder Brother Mo," Ji Qing Bai looked at Mo Shan and said solemnly, "If Mo Hua is really willing to learn arrays, you must let him learn it. If there are any difficulties, just come find me. As long as I can do it, I will definitely help you!"

"Elder Brother Ji, don't say that! If Mo Hua really wants to learn, I will definitely let him learn." Mo Shan said with a serious expression.

Ji Qing Bai nodded.

The two chatted for a while longer, discussing some matters about demon hunting. Then Ji Qing Bai took his leave.

Mo Shan sent Ji Qing Bai and his son to the door.

After Ji Qing Bai left, he took his son to the home of a former acquaintance on the west side of Nan Da Jie to stay.

On the way, Ji Qing Bai instructed his son, Ji Li, saying, "Over there in Qing Xuan City, the demon hunting is becoming more and more difficult. So this time I came to find your Uncle Mo to go to the inner mountain of Da Hei Shan together to see. You have good talent and are at the seventh layer of Lian Qi, so you can come along and gain experience. But when it comes to demon hunting, leave it to your Uncle Mo and me. Unless it's absolutely necessary, don't easily intervene."

Ji Li said, "Dad, I know."

"I know you know, but you are still young after all, and you don't understand enough. Demonic beasts are the most ferocious and cunning. It's good if you don't act when you have the lowest cultivation. Once you act and let it see your flaw, you will suffer a great loss."

Ji Li nodded, then asked curiously, "Dad, is Uncle Mo's cultivation powerful?"

"Naturally. Your Uncle Mo is the most talented demon hunting master I have seen in so many years. He has good talent, quick reactions, and rich experience in demon hunting. It's just a pity that like us loose cultivators, once we start a family and have children, all the spirit stones we save are given to the children for cultivation, and our own cultivation is less..."

Ji Qing Bai sighed and continued, "Otherwise, with his aptitude, if he kept cultivating, it would even be possible to become a foundation-building cultivator."

Ji Li was silent for a moment. His father's cultivation could also continue to advance, but the spirit stones earned later were all for his cultivation.

Speaking of foundation-building cultivators, Ji Li asked softly again, "Elder Grandpa Zheng's health..."

"He's not doing well," Ji Qing Bai's expression was bleak. "Uncle Zheng is the only foundation-building elder in the demon hunting line in our Qing Xuan City. Once the old man is gone, we loose cultivators in the Lian Qi period will probably be bullied by those few families again. The days to come will be harder and harder..."

"Are there any foundation-building elders in Tong Xian City?"

"Yes, he's surnamed Yu. His temper isn't very good, but he's also protective. The demon hunting line in Tong Xian City all relies on him for support. Those few families don't dare to go too far. If things really don't work out in the future, just come to Tong Xian City, find a dao companion, and settle down here. I'll also feel more at ease."

Ji Li was young and blushed a little. "Dad, it's still early to talk about this."

Ji Qing Bai smiled, "It's not early. You have to plan ahead for this kind of thing."

Ji Li then thought of changing the subject and asked, "Can that little brother at Uncle Mo's house, Mo Hua, really be an array master?"

"I don't know," Ji Qing Bai frowned. "It's not easy to be an array master. From an apprentice to an unranked array master, and finally being able to get a rank and become a first-rank array master."

"First of all, it's not easy to be an apprentice. We loose cultivators don't have an inheritance. To learn arrays, you have to find a specialized array master as a teacher." Ji Qing Bai said.

"Doesn't the sect also teach arrays?" Ji Li asked.

"It's very different," Ji Qing Bai said. "What the sect teaches is just superficial knowledge, just to let you know there's such a thing as an array, not to let you be an array master."

Ji Li clicked his tongue. When he was learning arrays at the sect, he found it incredibly difficult. So that was just superficial knowledge.

"Finding an array master as a teacher, how can it be so easy? Which of those array masters doesn't have eyes higher than the top? Their threshold is higher than the sky. To seek them to take an apprentice, even if you give them everything you have, it's not enough."

Ji Qing Bai got angry as soon as he mentioned this. "Arrays are so difficult, with no inheritance and no teacher, how is it possible to learn them?"

Ji Qing Bai couldn't help but shake his head.

Ji Li asked, "Then can an apprentice become an array master?"

"Being an apprentice is just the beginning. You still have to endure many years, constantly learning, constantly practicing, to slowly raise your level, and then you can be an array master. This is still just unranked. You have to endure more, learn more, gain a little fame, and then you have the qualification to get a rank. Getting a rank is done by the Dao Court itself, which is another big hurdle... Some array masters, trying to get a rank can kill them."

Ji Li was already numb with listening and couldn't help but say, "Then can little brother Mo really be an array master?"

"Let's hope," Ji Qing Bai sighed. "Just consider it my foolish delusion. At least there's something to look forward to."

Mo Hua went back and continued to draw the Bright Fire Array. A few days later, he finished drawing all the Bright Fire Arrays. This time he was much more skilled. Nine out of ten copies were successful, and he could earn eight spirit stones.

On the day before the last day of the year, Mo Hua went to You Yuan Zhai again to exchange spirit stones with the fat manager.

The fat manager looked at the arrays Mo Hua delivered and was quite satisfied.

"This is more like it! Since you have a teacher and are an apprentice, you should be drawing to this level!"

When settling the payment, the fat manager gave Mo Hua ten spirit stones. The other two were a gift. "This is a gift for the New Year. Although it's not much, it's for good luck!"

To the fat manager, it wasn't much, but to Mo Hua, it was quite a bit.

Mo Hua was very happy and then said some auspicious words like "Wishing the manager a great and strong business, creating more glory."

The fat manager nodded happily.

The next day was New Year's Eve, and Mo Hua's family of three spent a warm and lively year.

The New Year customs in the cultivation world were very similar to Mo Hua's memories from his other life, but there were also some differences.

For example, although they all pasted spring couplets, the words on the spring couplets would emit light, the cloud patterns on the Fu characters would float, and the Qilin auspicious beasts on the New Year's paintings would stare at you with big eyes, sometimes even snorting at you disdainfully, which was very novel.

The New Year's Eve dinner was also the most sumptuous meal of the year. There would be some meat, and they could eat their fill of delicacies that they usually couldn't eat.

Mo Hua had a very happy New Year. After the New Year, he played with his little friends for a few days, and then continued to draw arrays for You Yuan Zhai.

With constant effort day and night, Mo Hua could draw the diagram of the Bright Fire Array with his eyes closed. It only took him three days to draw ten copies, and the success rate was maintained at over ninety percent.

Like this, until the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, which was the day before the enrollment at Tong Xian Men, Mo Hua had already earned nearly fifty spirit stones.

After the evening meal, Mo Hua was packing his luggage for entering the sect to cultivate tomorrow. Mo Shan and Liu Ru Hua were discussing the matter of tuition fees.