Upon hearing Mo Shan say he only wanted five spirit stones, Zhou Cheng couldn't help but open his mouth, then earnestly said:
"Brother Mo, how can this be? How about I give you another five?"
He wanted to give more, but he truly had no more spirit stones left.
He quietly inquired in Tong Xian City and found out that for inscribing an Iron Armor Formation, most formation masters typically charged fifty stones. Some newly minted formation masters, lacking confidence in their own abilities, might ask for thirty stones, which was already considered the lowest rate.
Last night, he had been anxious for a long time, not knowing how much Mo Shan would require. Today, Mo Shan asked for only five spirit stones, which made him feel extremely guilty.
Mo Shan patted his shoulder. "Use the extra spirit stones to buy some good spiritual ink. It's all for the children's sake, so don't refuse."
Zhou Cheng felt grateful in his heart and didn't say anything more.
In the afternoon, he took the time to buy Golden Stone Spiritual Ink and brought it personally to Mo Hua's home along with the Vine Armor. Mo Hua spent less than an hour inscribing the Iron Armor Formation, then handed the Vine Armor to Mo Shan.
This earned him five spirit stones and half a bottle of unused Golden Stone Spiritual Ink.
Mo Hua felt this transaction was fair.
"Should I tell others that I'm already a formation master and have them come to me for formations?" Mo Hua asked.
After thinking about it, he shook his head.
He was still young, and such a move would attract too much attention. He remembered what Mr. Zhuang had said: cultivators should conceal their abilities and bide their time. When a beam protrudes too much, it rots; when a pig gets too fat, it gets slaughtered. The world of cultivation was filled with dangers that Mo Hua, with his current cultivation and experience, was not prepared to face.
Moreover, his proficiency in formations was still far from sufficient. There was much more to learn about formations, and he couldn't afford to lose sight of his original intention to seek Dao for the sake of temporary gain.
So, he let the matter pass. The next day, the demon hunter who had commissioned Mo Hua to inscribe the formation suddenly arrived at his door, accompanied by a simple-looking young man.
"Da Píng, quickly thank Uncle Mo and Brother Mo."
The young man also didn't hesitate to bow and say, "Thank you, Uncle Mo, thank you, Brother Mo!"
Mo Shan introduced them to Mo Hua, saying, "This is your Uncle Zhou, surnamed Zhou Cheng. This is his younger son, named Zhou Da Píng. The formation you inscribed was commissioned by Uncle Zhou Cheng."
"Hello, Uncle Zhou, hello, Da Píng!"
"Hello," Zhou Cheng smiled repeatedly, "No need to be so polite. Just call me Da Píng."
Zhou Da Píng touched his head. "Just call me Da Píng."
Zhou Cheng handed over a pile of things: some wine and food, vegetables, fruits—these were all fine, but the most valuable was a bottle of spiritual ink.
Mo Hua had only accepted five spirit stones for inscribing the formation. When Zhou Cheng saw the meticulous and beautiful lines of the formation, gleaming with a faint golden light, he couldn't understand formations, but he could tell the penmanship of this formation was very skilled. Such precision couldn't be achieved without great effort.
Originally, Zhou Cheng had thought Mo Hua was young and that as long as the formation was usable, it would suffice. Now he realized that even compared to formation masters who had been inscribing formations in Tong Xian City for twenty or thirty years, Mo Hua's work was not inferior at all.
Zhou Cheng also tested the Vine Armor and found it far more effective than he had anticipated. In a critical situation, it might actually save his son's life.
Now feeling even more guilty, he scraped together more spirit stones and specially bought some gifts, personally visiting to express his gratitude.
Mo Shan adamantly refused, "Keep these things for yourself. It's not easy for you to earn spirit stones."
However, no matter what Mo Shan said, Zhou Cheng was determined to give these things away.
The two of them stood in a deadlock like this, seemingly without resolution by nightfall.
Mo Hua could only say, "Dad, Uncle Zhou's intentions are sincere. Just accept them. If you need any formations inscribed in the future, feel free to come to us."
Zhou Cheng smiled broadly, "Brother Mo is right. Please don't refuse."
Mo Shan, feeling helpless, could only accept in the end.
Later, Zhou Da Píng went up the mountain to hunt demons, wearing the Vine Armor inscribed with formations by Mo Hua. There were a few instances where he got injured, but thanks to the sturdy armor, he was unharmed each time.
Upon learning this, Zhou Cheng finally breathed a sigh of relief. He thought to himself that all the effort he had put in hadn't been in vain. Just the savings from not needing medical treatment amounted to quite a sum of spirit stones, not to mention that in case of real danger, the formations on the Vine Armor truly could save lives.
For cultivators like them, living as independents was tough. They had raised their children with great difficulty, and if they were to lose their lives hunting demons, Zhou Cheng would truly be inconsolable.
Having worked as a demon hunter for so many years, Zhou Cheng knew of young cultivators who lost their lives hunting demons every year.
Even experienced hands like theirs could end up as demon food with a single misstep, let alone those inexperienced youngsters.
Every time he thought of this, Zhou Cheng felt deeply grateful to Mo Hua. However, being poor, he couldn't produce spirit stones, so he could only express his gratitude with words.
Afterward, whenever he met people, Zhou Cheng would praise Mo Hua, saying that despite his young age, Mo Hua's formations were excellent. After Mo Hua inscribed formations on the Vine Armor, it became impenetrable to blades and spears, making his son fearless in demon hunting.
His words were somewhat exaggerated and a bit contrived, but everyone who enjoyed lively conversations loved to hear them.
Some people, especially those in their early teens, didn't believe it, but naturally, some did.
Every now and then, someone would invite Mo Shan for a meal and a drink, then subtly inquire whether his son truly knew how to inscribe formations and whether the formations on the Vine Armor truly made it impenetrable.
Mo Shan could only explain helplessly, "My son indeed knows how to inscribe formations, but even with formations inscribed, the Vine Armor cannot make blades and spears completely ineffective. It just enhances its toughness."
"I thought so. If it truly made them ineffective, that would be something."
"I've seen that Vine Armor. After formations were inscribed, it did become significantly tougher, but it still has its limitations. It might be useful in the mid Qi Refining stage, but not so much in the late stage. It wouldn't withstand a strike from a mid-grade demon beast."
"It's usable in the mid Qi Refining stage?" someone asked.
"It is. The effect is quite good. At the very least, it can protect vital areas."
"In that case, I should get a set for my son. Every time he goes up the mountain, I'm on edge. When I was young and went into the mountains, I never felt this nervous. I'm tough, I can handle demon bites, but I fear those beasts biting my son. If something goes wrong before my son can give me peace, I'll have to burn paper for him first..." A big man chuckled bitterly.
"In the end, it's still something for the mid Qi Refining stage. Its usefulness is limited..." Someone else sneered.
"You don't have a son, of course, you think it's not useful. It's different for me. I have three sons! Mo Shan, we've been friends for so many years. You have to have your son inscribe a few sets for me, three... no, six sets. I'll keep a few spares..."
"Oh, count me in too."
"Then I want a set too..."
"You don't have a son, what do you need it for?"
The person retorted, "I don't have one now, but can't I have one in the future?"
"That's not necessarily."
"Quit the nonsense. If he wants to, he will. Maybe he has several illegitimate children out there."
"You bastard, what are you saying!"
Several people got into a drunken scuffle.
Mo Shan could only smile wryly.
(End of the Chapter)