Looking at the remarkable Aunt Xue, Zhang Lan couldn't take his eyes off her.
Mo Hua looked at him with even more disdain.
Zhang Lan cleared his throat, straightened his appearance, and looked at Aunt Xue with a serious but somewhat flattering expression:
"I am Zhang Lan. May I ask this Daoist friend..."
Aunt Xue ignored him completely and directly said to Mo Hua, "Mo Hua, we'll be waiting up ahead for you." With that, she left with Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, leaving Zhang Lan standing alone, dumbfounded in place, his somewhat flattering expression frozen on his face.
Mo Hua looked at Zhang Lan with a hint of sympathy. He wanted to pat Zhang Lan's shoulder, but he wasn't tall enough to reach, so he settled for patting his waist, saying:
"Everyone experiences setbacks, Uncle Zhang. Try not to take it too hard..."
This attempt at comfort, delivered in his youthful voice, did little to console Zhang Lan.
Zhang Lan still puzzled, said, "I'm not bad-looking, my cultivation is not low, and I conduct myself with the manners and style of a noble disciple. Why won't she even say a word to me?"
Although Mo Hua didn't like his self-absorbed appearance, he thought there was some truth in what he said.
"Maybe Aunt Xue misheard your name as 'Scumbag,' so she's avoiding you? Why not try changing your name?" Mo Hua suggested.
Zhang Lan looked at Mo Hua speechlessly.
Mo Hua offered a few more words of comfort, after which Zhang Lan seemed to let go of the matter. After a bit more conversation, Zhang Lan left with a look of regret.
Mo Hua found Aunt Xue and the others, continued strolling for a while, and when it was almost halfway through the ugly hour, they each went home.
Bai Zisheng returned with a full load, stuffing Mo Hua with all sorts of strange and exotic things, which Mo Hua couldn't refuse.
Mo Hua also bought some gifts for his parents. For Liu Ruhua, he bought another fire-warding hairpin, which he had purchased the day before, with much better craftsmanship than the previous one.
He wiped off the formations inside the hairpin and drew a new one with more intricate patterns himself.
For this, before returning home, he specifically sought out Master Chen to help him disassemble the hairpin, redraw the formation, and then reassemble it.
For Mo Shan, he gifted a jade pendant, which he also disassembled to redraw a Clear Miasma Formation inside. Once activated, it could to some extent dispel the poisonous or miasmic gases in the mountains, though its range was limited.
Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua were both very happy, not only because of the gifts Mo Hua gave but also because the gifts contained formations personally drawn by Mo Hua.
After the bustling Demon Hunting Festival, Tongxian City settled back into its usual tranquility, and the cultivators resumed their normal lives.
Mo Hua was no exception. He needed to improve his cultivation and had much to learn about formations.
On this day, after leaving Mr. Zhuang's place and walking on the street, Mo Hua pondered Mr. Zhuang's teachings while thinking about what other formations he needed to learn. Suddenly, a group of people blocked his way.
Mo Hua looked up and saw a slender young master dressed in fine silk, waving a golden paper fan, with a frivolous look in his eyes, standing in front of him.
"Master Qian?"
Qian Xing, the youngest son of the Qian family patriarch.
The Qian family was the most powerful and wealthiest family in Tongxian City. Qian Xing, being the youngest son of the patriarch and a direct descendant, was particularly favored.
Since Qian Xing was the youngest and not considered for inheriting the family business, he only needed to think about eating, drinking, and having fun. Mo Hua's interactions with him were limited to assisting him with his formation studies during their time at Tongxian sect.
"Do you need something?" Mo Hua asked.
Qian Xing smiled amiably, "Indeed, I do. I need your help with something."
"What is it?" Mo Hua had a feeling he wouldn't like whatever idea Qian Xing had in mind.
Qian Xing coughed lightly and said, "On the night of the Demon Hunting Festival, I happened to see you. There was a veiled young lady behind you. Do you know her?"
A veiled young lady? Was he talking about Bai Zixi?
"I know of her..." Mo Hua replied cautiously.
Qian Xing's eyes lit up with excitement. "Could you bring her out? I'd like to meet her and make a new friend."
On the night of the Demon Hunting Festival, Qian Xing had also mingled among the family disciples and had caught sight of the young lady behind Mo Hua. Despite her young age and the veil, he couldn't forget her otherworldly aura.
He had sent people to inquire about the girl's background but had received no news. Thus, he thought he could start from Mo Hua and had been looking for him with his entourage these past few days. Now, he had finally encountered him.
"We're not close; I can't bring her out," Mo Hua replied casually.
Qian Xing said, "You were shopping together. I don't believe you're not familiar. Rest assured, as long as you agree, I won't treat you unfairly. Do you want spirit stones or spiritual artifacts?"
Mo Hua calmly replied, "And if I don't agree?"
The smile on Qian Xing's face gradually faded. "I'm giving you face here."
"Your 'face' isn't worth anything, even if it's thrown on the ground where no one picks it up..."
Mo Hua didn't intend to engage with him and simply said, "I'm going home. Can you move aside?"
"Move aside?"
Qian Xing hesitated for a moment, then sneered, "Ask around. In Tongxian City, it's always been others making way for Young Master me. No one has ever dared to make way for me!"
Then his expression darkened:
"I'll say it again. Bring that young lady out for me to meet, and I won't pursue your earlier offense. Otherwise, I'll make your parents regret bringing you into this world, making you suffer here for no reason!"
Mo Hua's eyes also turned unfriendly. He scoffed, "If anyone regrets, it'll be your father first for bringing up such a waste who embarrasses himself in this world!"
Insults? Who doesn't know how to hurl them? Since Qian Xing started it, Mo Hua didn't hold back.
Mo Hua felt he just said something ordinary, but Qian Xing's reaction was unexpected.
Qian Xing turned pale, then gradually twisted with anger.
The surroundings instantly grew quieter.
Even Qian Xing's followers behind him seemed momentarily stunned. Despite following Qian Xing's lead in bullying others for so long, it was the first time they had seen someone dare to insult Qian Xing so openly.
Mo Hua was also somewhat taken aback.
He didn't think he had said much, so why did Qian Xing lose his cool?
If he couldn't handle this, would Qian Xing start spewing blood if he really let loose the dirty words brewing in his belly?
Indeed, those pampered people had fragile hearts, didn't they?
Qian Xing's blood surged instantly. His eyes were bloodshot, veins popping. His fingers trembled as he pointed at Mo Hua, roaring fiercely:
"I want him dead! I want him dead!"
Mo Hua furrowed his brow. Was Qian Xing going to kill someone over a few insults?
Qian Xing was raging madly. His followers hesitated. "Young Master, do we really need to kill him?"
Qian Xing stared at them with bloodshot eyes. "Either he dies, or you die. Your choice!"
Most of them were Qian family illegitimate offspring or those attached to the Qian family by marriage, just following Qian Xing to get some meat and soup. Hence, they had to obey Qian Xing. If they displeased him, they would be thrown out of the Qian family like dead dogs.
However, having followed Qian Xing for so long, they had done dirty work before, so they didn't feel much guilt.
One disciple of the Qian family sneered, "Kid, consider yourself unlucky. May you have better luck in your next life." With that, he aimed a punch straight at Mo Hua's forehead.
This punch was both sinister and brutal, clearly aiming to kill.
But just as the punch was a few feet away from Mo Hua, someone grabbed it.
The Qian family disciple who had his fist grabbed tried to break free but couldn't. Instead, he felt his bones creaking. Before he could cry out in pain, a punch struck him squarely in the face. Blood gushed from his nose, and his body, struck by the powerful force, staggered back, crashing against the wall, unconscious.
The others were momentarily stunned. Looking up, they saw a sturdy young man standing behind Mo Hua, who had appeared silently.
It was Da Zhu, Master Chen's apprentice from the Forge.
Normally jovial, Da Zhu's face was now expressionless. His arm muscles were as hard as iron, exuding a formidable aura of calm authority as he stood silently behind Mo Hua.
Mo Hua remained composed.
In this part of Tongxian City's South Street, if a fight were to break out, his "connections" were quite extensive.
(End of the Chapter)