Chapter 76: Zhang Lan

As long as Mo Hua didn't question him, then there was nothing to fear. The green-clothed man regained his composure and secretly vowed in his heart that he would absolutely never again blindly seek trouble and show off. Especially in front of a small cultivator who looked cute and well-behaved and was reading a book in his hand. Before showing off, he should at least first look carefully at what book he was holding.

"Uncle, are you an array master?" Mo Hua couldn't help but ask.

"No, why would I be an array master?" The man shook his head.

"You're not an array master, but you understand so much. You're really amazing." Mo Hua sincerely praised.

"It's alright. These things are very simple, they don't count for much," the green-clothed man said a little guiltily.

"Then can I ask you questions later?" Mo Hua asked.

"No!"

The man's heart panicked, and the refusal blurted out. Then he felt it wasn't appropriate, so he earnestly explained:

"Uncle, I'm also very busy, I don't necessarily have time. And the path of cultivation always emphasizes inheritance, the Way cannot be lightly transmitted. You and I are not relatives or friends. Regarding this knowledge of arrays, it's not convenient for me to say more..."

"Moreover, I might not even be able to answer..."

The man silently added in his heart.

Mo Hua was a little disappointed, but he could still ask the Bai family siblings and Mister Zhuang, so he didn't care too much. Mo Hua opened "Fu Zhen Chu Jie" and continued to look at the content behind. The green-clothed man was a little afraid that Mo Hua wouldn't understand and would ask him again, so he made conversation, saying: "Where's your dad?"

"He went into the mountains to hunt demons."

"Hunt demons? How many cultivators nearby rely on hunting demons for a living?"

"That's right. The land here isn't fertile, and there aren't many products. Only demon beasts are rampant, so most cultivators make a living by hunting demons," Mo Hua said, and then curiously asked: "Uncle, what do you do?"

"I work in the Dao Court Si," the man replied.

Mo Hua's mouth dropped open. He actually worked in the Dao Court Si... The Dao Court unified the Nine Provinces and was the largest force in the cultivation world, somewhat similar to the imperial court in a feudal dynasty. It had the most powerful authority, and the Dao Court also gathered the most powerful cultivators from the Nine Provinces. The Dao Court was located in Dao State in the center of the Nine Provinces, making it the center of the cultivation world. In each of the other states, Dao Court Si were set up to manage specific affairs, including spirit stone taxes, civil engineering and water conservancy, the hundred industries of cultivation, and laws and criminal cases, etc.

In other words, it was an "iron rice bowl," "eating imperial grain"!

The status of Dao Court cultivators goes without saying. Even serving in a subordinate Dao Court Si was a lifelong dream and pursuit for many cultivators.

Mo Hua's shocked expression made the man quite enjoy it, feeling he had somewhat regained some face.

"Then you came here to drink wine, are you slacking off?" Mo Hua asked curiously.

The green-clothed man corrected him, saying: "This is called experiencing the human geography and cultivator customs of this state boundary."

"Oh," Mo Hua's expression was a little perfunctory, obviously not believing it. "Aren't you afraid the head of the Dao Court Si will reprimand you?"

The man chuckled lightly, "No harm, I just pretend I didn't hear what he says."

Mo Hua nodded, "I understand."

"What do you understand?" The man asked curiously.

Mo Hua thought for a moment and said: "If I'm not mistaken, you are a family disciple."

The man raised his eyebrows. Mo Hua continued: "Probably from a not-small family. Coming to Tong Xian City here, either you committed a wrong and were sent out, or you were demoted to our small place for experience and will go back after a period."

The man was astonished and said, "You can tell this?"

Mo Hua pursed his lips and pointed to the diners nearby: "People come and go here, and there are many diners. When eating and having fun, all sorts of idle talk is chatted about. Regarding family disciples who can come here, there are only those few reasons."

The green-clothed man looked at Mo Hua, "Looking at your well-behaved face, I thought you weren't very smart, but unexpectedly you're quite clever."

Mo Hua chuckled a little, then softly asked: "Were you kicked out by your clan for committing some wrong?"

"What nonsense are you talking about!"

The man was slightly annoyed.

"Then why?" Mo Hua asked.

The man sighed, saying with a somewhat self-pitying and romantic air:

"I won't hide it from you, I just have a good family background, high talent, and I'm also quite handsome. Some famous big clan's females, they see me once and secretly fall for me, wanting to marry me as their dao companion. I find it troublesome, so I just came out to hide for a bit, seeking some peace..."

Mo Hua looked at him with a face full of doubt.

"You don't believe it?"

"I don't believe it," Mo Hua nodded.

"Where don't you believe it?"

"'See you once, secretly fall for you' – even street storytellers don't concoct such clichéd words, they can't deceive people. Er Hu's dad was just deceived by a female like this, resulting in him abandoning his wife and children, and having his waist and kidney cut off. No one even knows where his body is buried."

The green-clothed man: "..."

"So if a female tells you that she secretly fell for you just by seeing you once, she's definitely deceiving you, you have to be careful."

The green-clothed man's face was blank.

"However, there's still one possibility," Mo Hua said.

"What possibility?" The man couldn't help but ask.

"That you were just messing around with others' feelings and then didn't want to be responsible and marry them, so you ran out to hide."

The man almost spat out a mouthful of old blood. "What messing around? What playing with feelings? How old are you, what's in your little head?"

"Although I have little experience, I've read many stories," Mo Hua said reasonably. "The cultivation world is dangerous, the more you know, the less likely you are to be deceived in the future."

The man was both angry and amused, "You little kid, you speak really interestingly."

Mo Hua said with a serious face, "Uncle, I'm doing this for your own good. As the saying goes, listen to people's advice and you'll be full."

Zhang Lan's heart was filled with mixed emotions, and for a moment he actually didn't know what to say. After a while, he suddenly thought of something and asked: "Oh, what's your name?"

"Mo Hua."

"Mo Hua?" The man looked at Mo Hua's fair small face and clear, handsome eyebrows, feeling that he really lived up to his name.

"Uncle, what's your name?" Mo Hua also asked.

"Zhang Lan."

"Scum man?" Mo Hua repeated.

Zhang Lan choked on a mouthful of wine, coughed for a long time, then gritted his teeth and corrected him:

"Zhang! Lan! Zhang from the Zhang that changes strings more, Lan from the Lan that fiercely pulls out the mad! Not scum man!"

"It's not 'scum man' then it's not, why are you so loud?" Mo Hua mumbled.

Zhang Lan felt really confused himself, why was he arguing with a small child? He took out a jade pendant from his storage bag and threw it to Mo Hua, "Here, for you."

Mo Hua shook his head, "No merit, no reward. I can't take your things."

"You invited me to drink wine, I'm giving you a jade pendant. Keep it. I'll come find you to play again next time."

Zhang Lan waved his hand, preparing to leave, when he suddenly turned his head and asked: "Let me confirm something, what's your cultivation level?"

"Refining Qi fourth layer!"

Mo Hua was still a little proud.

Only Refining Qi fourth layer... Zhang Lan sighed. Thinking about the earlier Fu Zhen, calculating, his head just hurt. Zhang Lan waved his hand and left as if escaping.