Chapter 32: The Restaurant

Using the Dao monument in the sea of consciousness, I constantly refine my array methods and enhance my divine sense. Although this method is clumsy, it is currently the only way I have.

"Fortunately, I have the Dao monument in my sea of consciousness, otherwise even this clumsy method wouldn't be possible."

I thought with some gratitude. In reality, drawing array methods consumes too much divine sense, and recovery is too slow. To enhance divine sense through this method would require several times the time and effort.

Since that was the case, I calmly settled down and focused without distractions on practicing the Molten Fire Array on the Dao monument. As long as I kept practicing, I would eventually learn it.

I first tried my best to draw the first four array patterns. When my divine sense was almost exhausted, I would erase the array patterns. After resting for a moment, I would continue to draw, and then erase again. I repeated this cycle until I felt a slight surplus in my divine sense. Then, after drawing the four array patterns, I would add one more stroke.

A whole night passed, and I had only drawn two more strokes than when I started, but these two strokes at least proved that my divine sense was indeed growing.

The next day when I woke up, I went to the market to buy some ink for the Molten Fire Array. The ink is made with the blood of fire-type demon beasts as the base, mixed with some herbs. It's not particularly expensive, so I bought more than ten portions at once.

Because array masters are rare and there are few cultivators who can draw array methods, there are also few buyers of ink. The boss rarely encountered a large customer like me and even gave me several extra portions.

After returning home, I immediately used the ink to start practicing drawing the Molten Fire Array. Because the ink was bought with spirit stones, I drew particularly seriously, with each stroke being extra careful.

Of course, my divine sense is limited. At most, I can still only add two extra strokes after drawing the four array patterns, unable to draw the complete five array patterns of the Molten Fire Array. After finishing drawing like this, I had to stop my brush and rest for an hour to recover my divine sense. After my divine sense was full, I would pick up my brush again to draw.

This efficiency is much lower compared to drawing on the Dao monument in the sea of consciousness. It also requires consuming ink and spirit paper, which means spending spirit stones. However, for the sake of learning the Molten Fire Array quickly, I didn't care.

Practicing the array method day and night like this, after half a month, I could draw ten or so extra strokes outside the four array patterns, roughly equivalent to half an array pattern. According to this progress, it's estimated that in another half month, my divine sense will be sufficient to draw a complete Molten Fire Array containing five array patterns.

I silently let out a sigh of relief. Considering that refining the stove also takes time, some matters need to be planned early.

During the day, I went for a walk on the street. In the evening, I returned home and ate dinner with my father and mother. Under the flickering candlelight, the table was set with fragrant rice porridge, white and soft steamed buns, two dishes of fresh vegetables, and a small dish of pickled salted vegetables. For the meal table of ordinary loose cultivators, this was already quite rich. Normally, it would be basically impossible to have meat.

Liu Ru Hua's cooking skills are excellent. Although the meal is simple, it's very tasty, and I ate very heartily. However, although the meal was made by Liu Ru Hua, it was Mo Shan who used spirit power to supply the fire.

Liu Ru Hua's expression was as usual, but in her glances, her eyes always held some loss, and occasionally she would be in a daze.

I quickly ate a steamed bun, my cheeks bulging, and suddenly asked: "Mother, have you thought about opening a restaurant?"

Liu Ru Hua, who was carefully drinking porridge, was startled and said with a smile: "Why do you suddenly ask this?"

"Mother, your cooking is so delicious, opening a restaurant will definitely earn a lot of spirit stones."

"Opening a restaurant also requires capital. How can loose cultivators like us, from this kind of background, have spirit stones to open a restaurant?"

Liu Ru Hua said with a smile, then pointed her fair finger at my nose and teased: "Wait until you grow up, cultivate to a high level, and can earn a lot of spirit stones, then we'll open one."

I quietly said: "Then let's open a small one first."

"What small one?" Liu Ru Hua was stunned for a moment.

"A food stall," I said, "I went for a walk on the street and found many food stalls selling some drinks, dishes, snacks, noodles, and such. Business is all quite good."

Liu Ru Hua hesitated to speak, her expression somewhat downcast.

Seeing the situation, Mo Shan lightly said: "Hua'er, your mother... she cannot use spirit power."

Unable to use spirit power means being unable to supply fire and unable to make meals for cultivation. Even if she could use spirit power, with guests coming and going at a food stall, she would need to make many dishes, which is not something a Qi Refining stage cultivator's spirit power can support.

I raised my delicate eyebrows and said proudly: "We'll build a stove."

"Stove?"

Mo Shan and Liu Ru Hua looked at each other.

I took out a large sheet of design drawing from my storage bag. "This is the design drawing for the stove. I asked Master Chen at the refining workshop about the materials to use, the size, and how many spirit stones are needed. He calculated everything. I will figure out the array. If this stove is refined well, there's no need for cultivators to use spirit power to urge it. You just need to put in spirit stones, and it can continuously supply fire. Cooking dishes and stewing ingredients will be much more convenient."

Mo Shan and his wife didn't expect their son to have already made a drawing. For a moment, they were both a bit stunned.

"Refining a stove will cost a lot of spirit stones, right..."

"We'll make a small stove first. I asked Master Chen, and the spirit stones needed are not too much. For a small food stall, a slightly smaller stove is also enough."

"Then what about the array?" Liu Ru Hua asked.

I pretended to be calm, but my expression couldn't hide the pride. "I'll draw it myself. I already got the array diagram from Manager Mo, and the array isn't difficult..."

After exhausting my divine sense for several evenings, practicing diligently over and over again, I still haven't completely learned the Molten Fire Array. Saying this, I felt a little guilty.

Liu Ru Hua looked at me suspiciously, "Is it really not difficult?"

I chuckled, "Although I haven't learned it yet, I'll practice for a few more days, and it will be fine."

No way, an array with five array patterns is not that easy to learn.

Liu Ru Hua also nodded, thinking that I was young and hadn't been learning arrays for long. If I could learn it, it shouldn't be a particularly difficult array.

But she thought for a moment and still shook her head, saying: "Opening a store isn't that easy. Even a small food stall requires renting a storefront and hiring people to help, and there are many things to manage. It will also cost a lot of spirit stones. If income doesn't cover expenses, things at home will be even harder to manage. The most important thing now is to save some spirit stones so you can cultivate properly..."

Mo Shan, who had been silent, suddenly said: "We will open this food stall. I will figure out the matters of the storefront and people. You don't need to worry."

Mo Shan took out another storage bag and handed it to me. "Inside there are more than a hundred spirit stones. I earned them hunting demon beasts these past few months. I know you also earned quite a few spirit stones helping others draw arrays, but the spirit stones needed to refine the stove should be deducted from here first..."

Just as I was about to refuse, Mo Shan had already stuffed the storage bag into my hand.

Holding the storage bag, I thought about the spirit stones inside that my father had earned fighting desperately against demon beasts, and I felt that they were heavier than ordinary spirit stones.

Mo Shan had already agreed, so the matter of opening a food stall was basically settled. After finishing the meal, I returned to my room and continued practicing drawing the Molten Fire Array.

Liu Ru Hua's expression was still somewhat worried.

Mo Shan comforted her: "Alright, don't think too much. Opening a food stall is just a small business. Even if we lose, we won't lose much."

Liu Ru Hua sighed, "Hua'er is talented and smart. In the future, his cultivation, learning skills, Dao methods, and wanting to be an array master and learn arrays will all require spending a lot of spirit stones. If we use up the spirit stones now, what will happen when Hua'er needs spirit stones for cultivation in the future?"

Mo Shan gently said: "Don't underestimate Hua'er. He can already help the firm draw arrays now. Although they are some simple arrays, it's still remarkable. Perhaps after ten or twenty years, his arrays will be refined further, and he can truly become an array master."

Mo Shan laughed: "At that time, we might have to rely on our son to support us."

Liu Ru Hua smiled, but she was still not completely at ease.

Mo Shan held Liu Ru Hua's hand, "Then we'll just make the food stall business good, save more spirit stones, and later find a way to find a good wife for Mo Hua and watch him get married and have children."

Liu Ru Hua thought about Mo Shan's words and a smile appeared on her face, but she was still not quite at ease: "What if..."

"Even if there is a 'what if', there is still me. No matter how hard life is, there will always be ways. It's nothing more than working harder and killing a few more demon beasts, that's all."

Mo Shan's tone was gentle and firm.

Liu Ru Hua no longer spoke and silently leaned into Mo Shan's embrace.