Chapter 219: Coming and Going

However, this is something that will happen a year from now.

Recently, things have been relatively busy and bustling. Drawing arrays has also been quite tiring. At least this year, Mo Hua can relax a bit and doesn't need to think too much.

But Mo Hua immediately realized that even if he didn't think about cultivation and array matters, there were still many things to be busy with. This was because he had to give and receive gifts.

Moreover, many gifts had to be sent by Mo Hua, and many gifts had to be returned by Mo Hua.

Before, he was just an obscure ordinary small cultivator, so naturally there was nothing he needed to manage.

But now, he is already a somewhat famous small array master, knows many cultivators, and some interactions are unavoidable.

For example, the old head of Dao Ting Si sent him a jade pendant, the An family sent some fine wine and spirit meat, and other small families also more or less sent some New Year's gifts.

None of them were too valuable, but they were all thoughtful.

Mo Hua then found some familiar families or cultivators with whom he had deeper interactions, and visited them one by one to express his thanks.

For example, the old head and An Laoren are prominent cultivators in Tong Xian City. If they send gifts, Mo Hua cannot not return them.

Mo Hua also brought some gifts.

These gifts were relatively simple, something he bought casually with spirit stones. However, what was not simple was that he had drawn arrays on all of them.

For instance, a Fu character lantern had a bright fire array drawn inside. Once lit, the Fu character would emit brilliant light. There was also a small screen with a cold air array drawn on it, and a blanket with a warm air array, etc.

They were neither luxurious nor very practical, and although they looked simple, it was clear that he had put in effort.

They were very fitting for his identity as a small array master, and most importantly, they fit his financial resources. He simply didn't have that many spirit stones to buy valuable gifts for people.

Both the old head and An Laoren were very happy.

Other cultivators were already content to receive a return gift from Mo Hua. When they saw that the gifts also contained arrays personally drawn by Mo Hua, they were even more overjoyed.

Mo Hua also sent some things to Chen Shifu.

As the New Year approached, Chen Shifu was still busy in the refining workshop. A crowd of refining masters were also refining spirit tools, probably so they could finish before the big day and then celebrate the New Year peacefully.

Although it was hard work, they also earned a lot of spirit stones from selling the spirit tools, so they didn't feel it was very difficult.

Chen Shifu had no children, only Da Zhu as a disciple, so it was even more so.

Mo Hua brought Chen Shifu a lot of delicious food and several jars of fine wine. Chen Shifu smiled so wide his mouth couldn't close.

"These wines are good, as long as there's wine, that's enough!"

Alone, with wine and meat as companions, he could also be considered to be celebrating the New Year.

Chen Shifu had been like this for so many years and didn't feel lonely. Moreover, after the New Year, a bunch of disciples would come to pay him New Year's respects, and it would be very lively then.

Mo Hua and Chen Shifu chatted for a few sentences, and then Chen Shifu said:

"Do you want a spirit tool or not?"

"What spirit tool?"

"Alright, it's best not to choose a sword. That's relatively difficult to refine, and I'm not good at refining them either."

"Knife, spear, staff, and so on?"

Chen Shifu nodded, "Thanks to your refining furnace, my refining skill has improved greatly recently. I can refine first-grade spirit tools. You choose one, and I'll help you refine it for self-defense."

Mo Hua thought for a bit and still didn't know what to choose.

"I'm not a body cultivator, choosing these won't be of much use, right..."

"It doesn't matter." Chen Shifu smiled, "Mainly, my hands are itching, and I want to refine some spirit tools to try them out."

Mo Hua didn't know what to say...

"Then why don't you help others refine them?"

"Some people also ask me to refine things, but those aren't urgent. It doesn't matter if they're early or late. I'll help you refine one first."

Mo Hua actually really wanted to refine a "Zhangba Snake Spear" or a "Green Dragon Crescent Moon Blade" and so on, but he couldn't use these things after refining them, and he wasn't a body cultivator.

"Then can you help my dad refine one?"

"You don't need to worry about that. Elder Yu has his own arrangements, you don't need to worry about it."

Mo Hua frowned.

Chen Shifu then said, "Really not, I'll refine a small knife for you. It's fine for cutting beef or peeling fruit."

Mo Hua's expression was complex, "I'll think about it again."

It was rare to refine a first-grade spirit tool, at least refine a proper one. What was the point of refining a fruit knife...

Chen Shifu nodded: "Okay, tell me after you've thought about it."

Mo Hua said goodbye to Chen Shifu and then went to Feng Laoxiansheng's place.

Before, Feng Laoxiansheng only diagnosed illnesses at Xinglin Tang. Other than consultations, he never went out.

Now that the alchemy workshop was built, Feng Laoxiansheng would come over when he had free time. Some sick cultivators would even come to the alchemy workshop to ask Feng Laoxiansheng to examine them and refine pills.

Feng Laoxiansheng was just in the alchemy workshop next door, tallying pills, organizing pill formulas, and also checking the quality of the refined pills.

Mo Hua gave Feng Laoxiansheng the New Year's gift, and Feng Laoxiansheng then stuffed a pile of pills to Mo Hua.

There were pills for treating fire and water poison, for warding off miasma, for clearing the heart and concentrating the mind, for filling hunger, and for stopping bleeding, as well as several small return pills that could save a life in an emergency.

Each kind of pill was neatly arranged and labeled, with notes on their uses.

Mo Hua thanked Feng Laoxiansheng. Before leaving, Feng Laoxiansheng called him back again and stuffed a bottle of pills to him.

Mo Hua took a sniff and asked:

"Grandpa Feng, what kind of pills are these? They're sweet and sour, quite fragrant."

"Digestion pills, for digestion and stomach health. I'm afraid you'll eat too much and upset your stomach. Usually eat a few after meals. If you're greedy, you can also eat them as snacks."

Mo Hua happily said: "Thank you, Grandpa Feng."

After being busy with giving and receiving gifts for a while, Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief. He originally thought he was almost done, but then he received New Year's gifts sent by someone from Luo Shifu.

They were placed in a vermilion red inlaid gold storage box in Mo Hua's courtyard, looking very substantial.

Mo Hua opened it and was surprised.

Inside, not only were there gifts from Luo Shifu, but there were also gifts from Qian Shifu...

Perhaps they were afraid of others knowing, so they used Luo Shifu's name to send them together.

Luo Shifu's gifts were standard, mostly related to arrays.

Qian Shifu's gifts were much more precious, including things to eat, wear, and use. He probably wanted to apologize to Mo Hua and also express his attitude.

Mo Hua thought for a bit and accepted them.

He had no direct conflict with Qian Shifu, so it was good to tie a good karma. Moreover, he might need Qian Shifu's help with some matters later.

Since Luo Shifu had sent a gift, Mo Hua also prepared some gifts and personally went to visit and express his thanks.

Luo Shifu was much older than him, and this was also basic etiquette.

Luo Shifu's cave mansion was one of the most luxurious in Tong Xian City, magnificent and imposing, rich and splendid.

In front of the door, there were many cloud carriages, which belonged to the disciples or managers of various families who had come to send gifts.

Only Luo Shifu was a first-grade array master, and the threshold was quite high. Therefore, they either couldn't enter, or they had to line up in order and wait outside for Luo Shifu to receive them.

The carriages outside were crowded, and the scene was very grand, broadening Mo Hua's horizons.

The status of an array master is indeed high, especially a first-grade array master who has truly been rated by Dao Ting.

However, there were too many people outside, and Mo Hua estimated that he couldn't even get through the door.

Just as Mo Hua was considering whether to go back first and come back in a few days, Luo Shifu's disciple had already discovered Mo Hua.