Mo Hua thought quietly in the room for a while, and after Mo Shan had finished speaking with Liu Ruhua and changed into casual clothes, Mo Hua pretended to know nothing and walked out of the house cheerfully.
The family of three was eating; Mo Shan had already eaten, so Mo Hua started telling him all about the interesting things that had happened while Monster Hunting.
Mo Shan picked and chose what to share, talking about wolves with one eye, tigers with two heads, and wild boars with three legs.
One team had killed a mature Monster Beast but neglected to take the Demon Core, taking only some worthless fur. When they realized their mistake and went back, the Demon Core had already been taken by others. The leader regretted it so much that he vomited blood and fainted.
Someone else had captured a Beast with an ancient bloodline, which was bought by a Great Sect for a high price, ensuring they no longer had worries concerning food and clothing. However, no one knew when the person would just disappear completely...
Mo Hua listened with relish, understanding that these stories were inevitably filled with blood, danger, and cruelty, which his father had intentionally omitted.
Parents never want their children to know about the cruel realities, hoping they could have a pure and happy childhood.
After Mo Hua heard the stories, three little heads peeked out from the gate, their eyes looking attentively into the house. Seeing Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua at home, they quickly stood in line to greet them:
"Hello, Uncle Mo! Hello, Aunt Liu!"
The three children were surnamed Meng and lived on the same street, with families that also made a living by Monster Hunting.
The Meng Family elders were friends with Mo Shan and lived nearby. Therefore, Mo Hua had grown up playing with them. Their names, based on the order of their birth, were Meng Dahu, Meng Shuanghu, and Meng Xiaohu.
Among the Monster Beasts near Tongxian City, those of the tiger kind were the strongest. Naming their children with the character "Hu," which means tiger, was a way of wishing them tiger-like strength and prestige in the future.
The three kids indeed lived up to their names, robust and energetic like little tigers.
Mo Hua was the youngest and had been sickly since birth. Mo Shan thought it was unlikely for him to grow up tiger-like. Noting his delicate and fair features, resembling a porcelain doll, he took a character from his wife Liu Ruhua's name to call him Mo Hua.
When Liu Ruhua saw the three children, she handed each of them a bun. They said they didn't want it, but their hands involuntarily reached out to grab the buns and stuff them in their mouths, their cheeks puffing up as they said, "Thank you, Aunt Liu!"
Liu Ruhua's cooking was the best around the neighborhood, and because of this, the three little kids envied Mo Hua greatly.
Mo Shan waved his hand, "Go play together, and remember to come back for lunch!"
Mo Hua and the three children nodded in agreement and dashed out the door.
Among the Meng Family children, Dahu was honest, Shuanghu was clever, and Xiaohu was talkative. They were all older and taller than Mo Hua, and it was usually they who led Mo Hua in their games.
Dahu and the others talked non-stop along the way about places where dragon dances were held, fireworks set off, crowded areas, and the lively young girls who could dance...
However, they talked about so many things that they were unsure where to go and play.
Finally, the kids agreed that adults choose for adults, children want everything, so they would visit every place!
As the new year was approaching, disciples who had gone to Sects to study were on holiday, and Cultivators who made a living outside returned home, making Tongxian City much livelier than usual, and the streets were quite crowded.
Some Qi Refinement Realm Body Cultivators showed off their martial skills, brandishing swords and spears, while Spiritual Cultivators displayed fancy but practically useless Spells, provoking envy and amazement from the kids;
Those skilled in Artifact Refining made small toys, like wooden rabbits, dogs, and cats that would move on the ground with a bit of Spiritual Power, and there were many other miscellaneous items, overwhelming the senses.
Dahu, Shuanghu, and Xiaohu had a blast, finding everything fresh and exciting, and let out exclamations of joy, while Mo Hua played while also paying attention to any opportunities on the street to earn Spirit Stones.
After looking around, Mo Hua realized that most ways to earn Spirit Stones were already taken, and those that weren't, he was not currently capable of doing.
Seeing the Cultivators who performed with all their might and shouted out for attention on the streets, Mo Hua sighed inwardly, considering that making a living was indeed not an easy task.
Shuanghu noticed Mo Hua seemed unhappy and asked, "Mo Hua, do you have something on your mind?"
Upon hearing this, Dahu instantly said, "Has someone bullied you? I'll go beat them up!"
Xiaohu nodded eagerly, "Beat them up! Beat them up!"
The Meng Family elders had always reminded them since childhood to take care of the sickly Mo Hua, and Liu Ruhua, with her cooking, would also specially save a portion for the three kids.
The three kids felt grateful and had a strong sense of justice. Whenever someone tried to bully Mo Hua, they would roll up their sleeves and rush into a fight without a second word.
Mo Hua was universally recognized as the smartest among the local Loose Cultivators of the neighborhood. Whenever they didn't understand the homework assigned by the Instructor, they would come to Mo Hua for help, which is why the children got along so well with each other.
Seeing them eager and ready to pick a fight, Mo Hua couldn't help but smile wryly and said,
"No one is bullying me. I'm just thinking about whether I can make some Spirit Stones."
Earning Spirit Stones...
Da'hu and the other two also started to worry. They didn't have much of an idea either.
They could help with a fight, but earning Spirit Stones was something they didn't know how to do.
A thought struck Mo Hua, and he asked,
"Do you guys know how a Formation Master makes Spirit Stones?"
The Tao Cultivation World is vast and boundless. Mo Hua spent his days cultivating and drawing Formations, which limited his exposure to various aspects of the world. He knew that becoming a Formation Master would mean not having to worry about basic necessities, but he honestly didn't know how an ordinary Formation Master, especially one at a lower apprenticeship level, made Spirit Stones.
Da'hu and the other two often played around everywhere and might know some things Mo Hua didn't.
After thinking for a moment, Da'hu shook his head and said, "The assessment to determine a Formation Master's ranking is very tough. In our neighborhood, there isn't a single first-ranked Formation Master. I'm not too clear about it..."
"Not just our neighborhood, even in the entire Tongxian City, there aren't many Formation Masters. Even fewer can genuinely pass the assessment and become a first-ranked Formation Master. An uncle from the Meng Family, back in our clan, has been studying Formations for twenty years and still hasn't managed to become a first-ranked Master..." Xiaohu said, shaking his head in amazement.
"You've got it wrong. Uncle Meng is just an apprentice in Formation study. He wants to take a Formation Master as a mentor to learn Formations properly, but when he gets quizzed with questions by others, he can't answer them, so they don't accept him."
Shuanghu curled his lips and then counted on his fingers,
"Apprentice, ordinary Formation Master, first-ranked Formation Master... Uncle Meng isn't going for an assessment. Those who are eligible for it are already somewhat famous Formation Masters. He's far, far away from reaching that point!"
Curious, Mo Hua asked, "Then what does he rely on to make a living?"
"I heard he helps draw some simple Formations for businesses to make some Spirit Stones. Then he uses those Spirit Stones to buy ink and brushes to practice more Formations; after that, he continues to be unable to find a mentor, so he goes back to drawing Formations for businesses..."
"Businesses, huh..."
"Yes, I've heard that even if you can't get your ranking set and become a first-ranked Formation Master, just being an ordinary Formation Master and drawing Formations for businesses can still earn you quite a few Spirit Stones, and you won't have to worry about food and drink," said Shuanghu. Then he turned to Mo Hua,
"Mo Hua, do you want to become a Formation Master?"
"Mm," Mo Hua didn't hide his intention, "My constitution is too weak. I'm afraid I can't become a Monster Hunter. If a Monster Beast hits me with one swipe, I'd probably lose half my life. I need to find a way to make a living. But talking about this now is still too far off. Let me first see if I can earn some Spirit Stones. If I can make some, I'll treat you guys to pastries!"
Upon hearing this, Da'hu and the others immediately lit up with joy.
"Alright, alright!"
"You're so smart, you'll definitely be able to make Spirit Stones, and you'll be able to become a Formation Master in the future!"
"Pastries, pastries!"
For children from ordinary Loose Cultivator families, even common pastries sold on the roadside were a rare treat.
The group wandered around for a while longer. Except for the charming young girl they didn't see, they browsed through everything else. When it was nearly noon, they all went home satisfied to have lunch.
After lunch, Mo Hua told his parents he was going out to play and then went alone to the North Main Street of Tongxian City.
North Main Street of Tongxian City was bustling, while South Main Street was lively.
South Main Street had more market towns mainly composed of peddlers and small stalls, whereas North Main Street had more businesses with all kinds of Spirit Runes and dan pills available. The items sold were more standard, the quality better, and naturally, the prices were higher.
However, Mo Hua wasn't there to buy anything—he didn't have the Spirit Stones for it.
Mo Hua walked from one end of the street to the other, looking over every business, and then he chose to enter one that had Formations hanging outside but looked comparably shabby, crude, and had the least amount of business.