Chapter 28

On the second day, Mo Shan also rushed back in a hurry.

When Mo Shan arrived at Apricot Forest Hall, his clothes were tattered and still covered in dirt. His arm was wrapped in a bandage, as if torn open by some demonic beast, and bloodstains had seeped through.

He must have just finished fighting with a demonic beast with the demon hunting team and hadn't had time to treat his wound before rushing back.

Hearing that his wife's life was not in danger, Mo Shan breathed a sigh of relief. After checking Liu Ru Hua's condition, Old Mr. Feng also conveniently helped Mo Shan treat the wound on his arm.

A few days later, Liu Ru Hua went home to recuperate. Following Old Mr. Feng's instructions, she had a light diet, could not do strenuous labor, had to take dan medicine on time, and likewise could not use spiritual power within one month.

Mo Shan and his son stayed at home for a few days, then both were chased out of the house by Liu Ru Hua. Mo Shan was the captain of the demon hunting team and needed to lead his members to hunt demonic beasts. Mo Hua was a sect disciple and needed to go to the sect to cultivate; he couldn't delay his lessons too much.

Fortunately, Liu Ru Hua could only not use spiritual power; her normal life was actually not greatly affected.

Mo Shan had to entrust a neighboring auntie to help look after her. He himself would often come back when he was free, and Mo Hua would also ask for leave from his instructor every time during the ten-day rest period to go home and see her.

The strict instructor was understanding and reasonable and did not make things difficult for Mo Hua, only admonishing him not to waste his cultivation and the sect's lessons.

One month later, Liu Ru Hua's body was almost recovered. Although she could still only stay at home and couldn't do things that required spiritual power, otherwise she would cough incessantly, there was no other damage.

Mo Hua finally felt relieved, but he also noticed that his mother was not very happy. Although she would still smile, her expression was clearly much more dejected than before. Sometimes she would also often sit alone in a daze.

Mo Hua was very worried but couldn't figure it out, so he went to ask Mo Shan.

Mo Shan sighed and said to Mo Hua: "Your mother's ideas are very simple. The thing she wants to do most is to save some spirit stones for you, supply you well with your cultivation, watch you grow up to adulthood, and in the future, marry a wife and have children... But your mother can't use spiritual power now. Without spiritual power, she naturally can't do anything, let alone earn spirit stones."

"Busy for half a lifetime, suddenly she can't do anything and can't help you with anything. How can she not feel empty and lost in her heart..."

Mo Hua felt a bad taste in his heart. After thinking for a bit, he asked: "Then does mother have other things she wants to do?"

"Other things?"

"Yes, just things she's interested in, like dan, fu, array, and such..."

Mo Shan thought for a bit and said: "Your mother indeed doesn't seem to like these very much, but she quite likes to cook. I'm not boasting about her, but among the neighbors within ten li around here, no one cooks better than your mother."

Mo Shan sighed again: "Initially, when I and your mother got married and became dao companions, I even boasted that I would open a dining hall for her, letting her specialize in researching various dishes. As a result, for so many years, she has been suffering hardships with me. All the things I promised back then haven't been done..."

Mo Hua looked at his somewhat self-blaming father, knowing in his heart that this couldn't be blamed on him.

Mo Shan's cultivation and dao methods were also outstanding among the surrounding demon hunters. For so many years, he had been desperately fighting with demonic beasts. Every time he came home, his body was covered in blood. Despite this, the family's income was still less than its expenditure.

Ultimately, it was because the lives of the bottom loose cultivators were too difficult, and they were exhausted just trying to make ends meet.

Mo Hua then said: "Dad, you can rest assured. In the future, I will definitely help mother open a big dining hall!"

Mo Shan knew his son was comforting him. He touched Mo Hua's head and said with some gratification: "Good!"

But his wife was unable to use spiritual power. Even if she worked as a chef, she would still need to use spiritual power. Even if they opened a restaurant, without spiritual power, it would be very difficult for her to be a chef.

Thinking of his wife's depressed and unhappy appearance, Mo Shan felt some heartache. He then patted Mo Hua's shoulder, "Talk to your mother more when you have time. Sometimes your words are more effective than mine. Don't let your mother think too much."

"Okay." Mo Hua nodded.

Afterwards, when Mo Hua was free, he would actively accompany Liu Ru Hua to talk. Liu Ru Hua's complexion did indeed improve a bit, but when she was alone, she would still have a lonely expression.

"It would be great if mother could use spiritual power." Mo Hua thought so, but he also knew this wasn't very likely.

Illness comes like a collapsing mountain, and illness goes like drawing silk. What's more, this kind of long-term accumulated illness root could only rely on slow recuperation. It probably couldn't be cured in a short time.

There were definitely heavenly materials and earthly treasures in the cultivation world that could cure it. Old Mr. Feng also mentioned a few, but with a family like Mo Hua's, they simply couldn't find a way, and even if they found a way, they simply couldn't afford it.

Mo Hua could only give up.

Another half month passed, and then came the hottest month of the year. The sun hung high, and the ground was hot enough to burn. Tong Xian Gate also, as was customary, released a summer vacation period of more than a month.

The annual leave and the summer vacation were the two longest holidays of the year.

The weather was hot, and demonic beasts also didn't like to appear too much. And the demonic beasts that were willing to appear were fire attribute, whose demonic power was even stronger in such weather, making them extremely difficult to deal with. Therefore, the summer vacation period was also the off-season for demon hunting.

Mo Shan would also stay at home for a relatively long time, only occasionally going out for a few days if members discovered some valuable demonic beasts. Then he would bring back some spirit stones or demonic beast fur and such.

Once Mo Shan went out for a few days, when he came home, he brought back a big package. When Mo Hua opened it, he discovered it was a large pack of tendon meat. He couldn't help but open his mouth wide, "Dad, this is..."

"This is wild mountain cow meat. It doesn't have much spiritual energy and isn't worth much money, but compared to other demonic beasts, the meat quality is still not too bad, and the strange smell isn't too strong."

"The demon hunting team hasn't had much of a harvest recently, just this one wild mountain cow. As a result, after skinning and cutting the meat, it simply couldn't be sold. Everyone disliked this cow meat because it was hard and old, couldn't be cooked soft, and couldn't be chewed. So we each divided some to bring back and eat," Mo Shan explained.

Mo Hua said with some uncertainty: "Dad, you want to cook this meat?"

Mo Shan rubbed Mo Hua's head, "What? Do you dislike your dad's cooking as not delicious?"

Mo Hua smiled and didn't speak.

At noon, Mo Shan cooked the beef. It took half a day of effort to stew it properly. He used a large, wide white porcelain bowl to serve it on the table.

"Taste it and see how it is!"

Inside the white porcelain bowl was reddish-brown beef.

After looking at the appearance of the beef, Liu Ru Hua put down her chopsticks. She only used a spoon to scoop a mouthful of soup and drank it slowly.

Mo Hua, instead, picked up a piece of beef and put it in his mouth. He chewed a few times, and his teeth ached. The meat was still stubbornly firm, with no sign of being chewed open.

Mo Hua awkwardly but politely spit out the meat. He also picked up the spoon, scooped a mouthful of soup to drink, and then praised: "The soup is not bad!"

Mo Shan glared at him unhappily, "The soup was stewed using the sauce ingredients your mother prepared. Of course it's not bad."

Liu Ru Hua pursed her lips and smiled, "I know you have good intentions, but this cooking isn't something you can just do casually. Even if you use spiritual power to urge the stove fire to stew things, there are still quite a few details. When to use a strong fire, when to use a low fire, and when to add which sauce ingredient, how much to add, all have their measures..."

Upon hearing this, Mo Hua suddenly asked: "Then if it's cooked for a long enough time, can this beef be cooked soft?"

Liu Ru Hua said: "In principle, yes, but this also requires a cultivator to guard the pot for a day and a night, continuously using spiritual power to urge the stove fire..."

"Normal cultivators definitely can't do it, and cultivators who can probably aren't that bored," Mo Shan also said.

"Then what if we use an array?" Mo Hua's eyes lit up.

"Array..." Liu Ru Hua thought for a bit and said:

"I'm not clear about this, but I heard the head chef of the dining hall say that some large dining halls have weapon refiners refine good stove furnaces, and then array masters draw arrays on them. That way, you only need to use spirit stones to urge them to stew ingredients for a long time without consuming the cultivator's spiritual power. But hiring an array master is very expensive. At least the dining hall before couldn't build such a stove furnace."

"So that's how it is..."

Mo Hua was thoughtful.

Mo Shan also picked up a piece of beef and put it in his mouth. He chewed a few times but couldn't chew it, so he had to admit: "It is indeed not very easy to chew." Then he swallowed it directly and urged his spiritual power to forcibly refine it away.

In the evening, Mo Hua practiced arrays on the remnant stele while thinking about the dining hall matter.

The next day, Mo Hua did not draw arrays at home but braved the strong sun and went directly to North Big Street.

The weather was hot, and he was sweating profusely after just a few steps. Even so, there were still some small vendors on the street, enduring the scorching sun and shouting about their wares, but their voices were also weak.

Mo Hua arrived at North Big Street and found the largest dining hall on the street - Fu Lu Dining Hall. He then asked the shopkeeper: "Is your young master surnamed An, and is he called An Xiao Pang... no, An Xiao Fu?"

The shopkeeper did not look down on Mo Hua just because of his ordinary clothes. On the contrary, because Mo Hua's tone was too familiar, he guessed that he might actually be the young master's acquaintance. He then politely said:

"Little Young Master is correct. The Young Master is just upstairs. Do you need me to help notify him?"

Mo Hua also politely said: "Trouble the shopkeeper to notify him. Just say that a fellow sect member surnamed Mo has a matter to discuss with him."