Chapter 100: Transaction

Elder Yu spent one hundred and fifty years to reach Foundation Establishment.

Over these hundred years, he had dealings with all kinds of cultivators, including many array masters.

Elder Yu had little fondness for array masters.

Array masters from clans or sects looked down on free cultivators, while some free-cultivator-born array masters, feeling they had leaped over the dragon's gate and risen above others, despised free cultivators even more than those from clans or sects.

Array techniques are hard to learn, and array masters are rare, so they have always been the most arrogant, seeing no one worthy of notice.

Out of respect for Foundation Establishment cultivators, some array masters appeared courteous on the surface, but once asked to draw an array, they would demand exorbitant prices.

If you haggled, they'd think you disrespected them and demand whether you believed their arrays weren't worth so many spirit stones; if you didn't haggle, the exorbitant spirit stones were beyond the means of these free cultivators.

Yet array masters are few in this world, while the number of cultivators needing arrays is many—sometimes, even when they demanded exorbitant prices, you had no choice but to pay.

Thus, Elder Yu outwardly respected array masters but inwardly held no affection for them.

Mo Hua frowned, and Elder Yu immediately guessed this deal would likely fall through—he could offer at most eight spirit stones, and no more.

Though he was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he owed allegiance to neither sect nor clan; his spirit stones had to be earned himself, and he also managed the miscellaneous affairs of hunter teams, so he was no richer than a Qi Condensation cultivator.

Elder Yu felt some dissatisfaction toward Mo Hua: though young and seemingly well-behaved, when spirit stones were involved, he was probably just as greedy as other array masters.

Indeed, all array masters in the world were cut from the same cloth—not good people at all.

"How much do you want?" Elder Yu's tone turned sharp; he wanted to see how much Mo Hua would ask for.

Mo Hua calculated silently, then said: "Three."

Elder Yu snorted.

The room fell silent for a moment; Elder Yu hesitated, then asked incredulously: "How much?"

"Three…"

"Three?!"

Elder Yu raised an eyebrow—suddenly, Mo Hua looked adorable again in his eyes.

Yet he immediately doubted: could this child be foolish? Who haggles by lowering the price instead of raising it?

"Are you certain you only want three?"

"Yes, three spirit stones are enough—but I have a small condition." Mo Hua said.

"Condition?" Elder Yu blinked. "Go on."

"I need some spirit ink—of all five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, earth. I use it for practicing arrays, and I don't need much—just give me what you think appropriate, as extra payment."

"That's all?"

"That's all." Mo Hua nodded.

"That's easy," Elder Yu said at once.

Spirit ink was trivial—even if it cost some spirit stones, compared to the price of a hundred iron-armor arrays, it was nothing. As a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he had his own connections; he could obtain decent spirit ink without spending much, saving a large sum.

Elder Yu looked at Mo Hua and suddenly thought the boy was becoming more and more handsome.

He claimed this spirit ink was for his own array practice?

"Excellent! Diligent and eager to learn—no wonder his arrays are so skilled at such a young age!" Elder Yu silently praised him.

Then Elder Yu reconsidered, worried Mo Hua was being taken advantage of: "You're only asking for three spirit stones—is that enough?"

"It's fine—three spirit stones are already plenty. Besides, we're all free cultivators—we should help each other. That's what my father always told me." Mo Hua said in a childish voice.

These words struck deep into Elder Yu's heart—he felt warmth spread through him.

He too was born a free cultivator, barely reaching Foundation Establishment, and had once intended to seek opportunities in higher-grade prefectures, perhaps advancing further on the Dao.

But looking back, those uncles, aunts, friends, and elder brothers who had helped him lived hard lives—without a Foundation Establishment cultivator to protect them, they were constantly bullied by clan cultivators, barely surviving.

After much thought, he decided to stay.

The cultivation world beyond was vast and endless; if he left, he would merely be one among countless lowly, hopeless cultivators—but in Xiancheng, he was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, towering and upright, able to protect many from suffering, ensure their safety, and help most free cultivators live slightly better.

Now, hearing such words from a child like Mo Hua, Elder Yu felt deeply comforted.

Elder Yu stared at Mo Hua, looking left, then right, growing fonder with every glance.

Look at how well Seeing Mo Shan raised this son!

Mo Hua, unsettled by Elder Yu's gaze, asked: "Elder Yu, is something wrong?"

"No, no, everything's right! Perfect!" Elder Yu said. "Tomorrow I'll send someone with the vine armor. I'll also find your spirit ink—five elements, right? I'll gather them all and deliver them. Don't worry—this time you've done me a great favor; I won't let you lose out. If you need anything in the future, come to me."

Mo Hua beamed: "Thank you, Elder!"

"It's nothing, nothing!" Elder Yu waved his hand, then added warmly: "Rest now—you're still young, don't stay up too late."

"Mm." Mo Hua nodded.

Elder Yu turned to leave, but after a few steps, as if suddenly remembering something, he stopped. He hesitated in place, then walked back.

Mo Hua, puzzled, asked: "Elder Yu, is there something else?"

Elder Yu cleared his throat and quietly pulled out a storage bag: "I… cough… have two grandsons. Their arrays… could you help them a bit too?"

"Is this urgent?" Mo Hua asked.

"It's… a bit urgent, but not extremely so—whenever you have time, you can draw them."

Elder Yu's two grandsons were among the same batch of hunter teams as Brother Da Hu and had already begun hunting beasts in the mountains.

As the saying goes, grandparents dote on grandchildren—Elder Yu ignored his own son, but he adored these two grandsons deeply. Every time he saw them return from the mountains, bruised and wounded, his heart ached.

He was a Foundation Establishment cultivator and could not freely enter the mountains.

If a Foundation Establishment cultivator frequently entered the mountains, the beasts would see it as provocation and summon second-rank great beasts. In Xiancheng, second-rank great beasts were virtually without predators.

Foundation Establishment cultivators were already scarce in Xiancheng; getting them to cooperate in hunting was even harder—and even if they did, they stood little chance against a second-rank beast.

If they failed and a second-rank beast devoured one or two Foundation Establishment cultivators, the consequences would be dire.

Thus, unless absolutely necessary, Elder Yu, as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, rarely entered Great Heishan—usually only wandering the outer mountains, and if he entered the inner mountains, he concealed his cultivation as much as possible.

Because he could not freely enter the mountains, he constantly worried about his two grandsons' safety—drawing an iron-armor array on their vine armor gave them at least some protection, and eased his mind.

"Alright, I'll draw it for you when I'm free," Mo Hua agreed.

Elder Yu nodded, and as Mo Hua turned to return to his room, he gently added, "Take your time with those arrays—whether you draw more or fewer doesn't matter, just don't tire yourself."

Elder Yu, who was usually stern, now spoke with an uncommon gentleness.