Chapter 24: Seeking the Dao

When Mo Hua went to find Fat Manager again, he was told that the market situation had changed.

Bright Fire Array and Solid Earth Array, the array methods from You Yuan Zhai, were no longer being accepted.

Mo Hua was astonished, then said suspiciously: “Bright Fire Array is used for illumination, Solid Earth Array is used for building houses. Unless Tong Xian City has no one living in it, otherwise there must be a market for them, right?”

Fat Manager grumbled in his heart about Mo Hua. This child being smart was not necessarily a good thing; it was too easy to deceive him. Instead of making excuses, which would be harder to keep consistent the more he made, he simply waved his hand:

“How would I know? The market situation is just the market situation. I have no way either!”

Mo Hua was speechless. He had only saved half the spirit stones for his cultivation methods. He could only ask: “Then what array methods do you accept?”

Fat Manager coughed once, took out an array diagram, on the cover of which were written the words Gold Stone Array Diagram.

“We now accept the Gold Stone Array method. It also contains four array patterns, not much different from the Solid Earth Array.”

Mo Hua looked at the array diagram and asked: “Manager, what is the Gold Stone Array method used for?”

Fat Manager said: “It’s a bit like the Solid Earth Array, both are used for reinforcing the doors, windows, and walls when constructing cave mansions or cultivators’ residences. The only difference is that one reinforces earth and wood, and the other reinforces gold and stone.”

Mo Hua frowned slightly. “Its function is almost the same as the Solid Earth Array. If no one uses the Solid Earth Array, then will people use the Gold Stone Array?”

Fat Manager glared at Mo Hua and stubbornly said: “The market situation is just the market situation. Don’t ask so many questions, child!”

“Then is this array method also three spirit stones for one set?”

Originally, it should have been…

Fat Manager felt a bit pained, but still raised the price and said:

“According to reason, this should also be three spirit stones, but it has been quite scarce recently, so the price has increased a bit. Drawing one set costs four spirit stones. However, we don’t accept many; we only accept five sets every half month.”

Quite scarce, yet they weren't letting people draw more?

Mo Hua felt that Fat Manager was a bit strange, but this was You Yuan Zhai's business, and he wasn’t in a position to ask too much, as long as he could earn spirit stones.

If all the paintings were successful, he could earn twenty spirit stones every half month, which could be said to be quite abundant.

“Okay, deal!”

Fat Manager let out a breath and directly pulled out a storage bag from under the counter, as if he had already prepared it, and handed it to Mo Hua.

Mo Hua took the storage bag, checked it once, confirmed that it contained the Gold Stone Array Diagram and five portions of paper and ink, then bowed and said goodbye to Fat Manager.

Just as he was about to reach the door, Fat Manager couldn't help but call out to stop him:

“Mo Hua.”

Mo Hua turned back. Fat Manager hesitated a bit and asked: “Do you find this array method difficult?”

Mo Hua thought for a moment. It had four array patterns in total, and there were also similarities with the Solid Earth Array, so it wasn’t particularly difficult to understand. Then he said: “It’s still okay.”

Mo Hua turned and walked a few steps, then turned back and added: “My brother should be able to draw it.”

“Oh,” Fat Manager looked at him with a complex expression, nodded and said: “Draw it well.”

“Right,” Fat Manager called out to stop Mo Hua again, saying: “My surname is Mo, the Mo of ‘not angry’. Just call me Manager Mo.”

Mo Hua nodded, “Okay, Manager Mo, I’ll remember.”

Mo Hua returned to Tong Xian Gate and took some time to study the Gold Stone Array. Because it was similar to the Solid Earth Array, and he had benefited from asking Strict Teacher about the Solid Earth Array drawing method before, it was not too difficult to comprehend.

Before one of the array method classes, Strict Teacher had people send down the corrected array method homework from before. On Mo Hua’s array diagram, he only received a “B” grade.

Mo Hua looked left and right, then compared it with the sect’s detailed explanations of array methods again, and discovered that he hadn’t drawn a single place wrong. Why did he only get a “B”?

Mo Hua was a bit puzzled.

The disciple sitting next to him saw the word “B” on Mo Hua’s array diagram and exclaimed loudly: “Wow, Mo Hua, you actually only got a B.”

Mo Hua looked at the word “C” on his array diagram and didn’t speak.

That disciple quickly used his hand to cover his own “C,” laughed awkwardly, then asked curiously: “How did you only get a B grade?”

Mo Hua also said doubtfully: “I didn’t draw it wrong, I don’t know why I only got a B.”

“You didn’t draw it wrong? How could the teacher only give you a B?”

Mo Hua gave him the array diagram to look at. “Can you see where it’s wrong?”

That disciple said righteously: “If I could see it, I wouldn’t have only gotten a ‘C’!”

The other disciples sitting around also craned their necks, looked at Mo Hua’s array diagram, and then all said:

“It looks like there’s no wrong place.”

“Mo Hua, did you offend the teacher?”

“Be careful the teacher punishes you, oh.”

“Strict Teacher isn’t that kind of person either…”

Before they finished speaking, Strict Teacher walked into the cultivation room. The group of disciples quickly pulled back their necks, pretending to be quiet quails, not daring to breathe.

Strict Teacher taught the class as usual. After class, he said one sentence:

“Cultivation is like sailing against the current. If you don’t advance, you retreat. The way of array methods is also like this. You must not be lazy and waste your time and talent in vain.”

Strict Teacher finished, his face stern as he swept a glance around. Finally, he looked at Mo Hua and said: “Mo Hua, come with me.”

“Yes.” Mo Hua respectfully stood up and followed Strict Teacher out of the cultivation room.

Seeing Strict Teacher leave, the disciples inside the room gathered their heads again:

“It’s over, it’s over. Mo Hua is in trouble this time.”

“The teacher said someone was lazy, wasn’t he talking about Mo Hua?”

“But I was also lazy, why didn’t the teacher find me?”

“Can you compare yourself to Mo Hua? Mo Hua draws array methods so well, he is very valued by the teacher.”

“It’s still good that the teacher doesn’t value me. He must not value me…”

Mo Hua followed behind Strict Teacher, out of the cultivation room, walked through the pill room, the refining room, and finally out of Tong Xuan Peak.

Strict Teacher didn’t say a word the whole way. Occasionally, disciples or other teachers and sect elders would greet him, and he would either nod or cup his hands in response.

Strict Teacher took Mo Hua all the way to his residence located on Tong Ming Peak.

Tong Ming Peak was where the head, elders, teachers, and inner disciples cultivated and lived. This was Mo Hua’s first time there. The environment was indeed much quieter and more beautiful. Many courtyards were planted with purple-red flowers and spirit grass, and some golden pheasants and other spirit beasts strolled leisurely around.

Only on Tong Ming Peak could these few golden pheasants be so leisurely. If they were on Tong Xuan Peak, they would definitely not see the sun the next day.

Mo Hua thought of the roasted charred chicken leg Double Tiger had given him.

Outside Strict Teacher’s residence, an array method was set up. There was a small Eight Trigrams plate on the door. This should have been arranged by Strict Teacher himself, as other courtyards and residences didn’t have one.

Strict Teacher’s finger drew on the Eight Trigrams plate a few times, a light flashed over the door, and then it opened.

After entering the room, Strict Teacher sat in front of his desk and directly asked Mo Hua:

“Do you want to be an array master?”

Mo Hua said humbly: “Disciple’s talent is limited, I probably cannot be an array master.”

Strict Teacher frowned and said: “Whether you want to or not is one thing, whether you have talent or not is another. Don’t only look at the result and lose your original intention. All beings in heaven and earth will eventually die. Should they therefore not live?”

Mo Hua heard this and then said seriously: “Disciple wants to be an array master!”

“Why do you want to?”

“Cultivation is difficult, array methods can make a living.”

“And then?”

“Cultivators seek the heavenly way to become immortal, comprehending array methods can seek the heavenly way.”

Strict Teacher frowned and said: “The heavenly way is remote and unreachable. Cultivators may exhaust their lifetime and still be unable to glimpse a corner of it.”

Mo Hua said: “As teacher said, obtain the way in heaven, seek the way in humans. Since cultivators seek the heavenly way, then no matter whether they finally obtain the way or not, they cannot lose the heart of seeking the way.”

Strict Teacher was silent for a moment, then nodded, “After finishing class every day from now on, come to my place. You can go back first today.”

“Yes.” Mo Hua wasn’t sure why, but he still bowed and said goodbye.

Strict Teacher watched Mo Hua leave. After a long time, he let out a breath:

“He is a good seedling, ah.”