Chapter 13: Chapter Thirteen: The Lamp

In the following days, apart from meals, Mo Hua locked himself in his room to draw the Minghuo Array.

Five days later, Mo Hua used up ten sets of materials, but sadly succeeded in drawing only eight arrays—one due to carelessness, the other due to a brush technique error he had never noticed before.

The Minghuo Array was already the simplest and most basic array in the cultivation world, yet despite drawing it so many times, Mo Hua still occasionally made mistakes, even repeating errors he had made before.

"Arrays are truly profound and intricate—not a single slip can be allowed!" Mo Hua silently warned himself.

Mo Hua took the opportunity to deliver the completed arrays to the fat manager of Youyuan Zhai.

The manager was slightly more satisfied this time, believing Mo Hua's older brother had become diligent in attitude and his brushwork noticeably more refined; he was happy to continue cooperating, handed Mo Hua six spirit stones, and gave him another ten sets of materials.

Mo Hua had already earned twelve spirit stones; at this rate, he could complete one more batch before the year's end, earning at least six more spirit stones.

Mo Hua drew with even greater care, grew more adept with the Minghuo Array, and his spiritual sense strengthened considerably—he could now complete a full Minghuo Array without exhausting his spiritual sense, greatly reducing the time he spent drawing arrays.

Several days later, after finishing dinner, Mo Hua was about to return to his room when he suddenly heard a knock at the door.

Mo Shan rose to open the door and found two people standing outside.

One was a boy, wearing a clean, neat Daoist robe, his cultivation level clearly high, his manners polite.

The other was a middle-aged cultivator, with several faint scars on his face, his gaze calm yet sharp in every glance, his spiritual energy evidently far more substantial—he must be at least a Qi Refinement eighth or ninth-layer cultivator.

"Young lad, does a Brother Mo Shan live here?"

"Are you looking for my father?" Mo Hua asked, tilting his small head.

The middle-aged cultivator's gaze softened as he looked at Mo Hua. "You must be Mo Hua!"

Mo Shan stepped out as well, clasping his fists. "Brother Ji!"

The middle-aged cultivator returned the gesture. "Younger Brother Mo, sorry to disturb you so late—we came all the way from Great Heishan City, traveling day and night, and only arrived now."

"Do you have a place to stay?"

"Yes—my father's old brother, I'm going to visit him and will stay there temporarily. I came to see you to discuss that matter you mentioned earlier…"

"Come in and talk."

Mo Shan ushered them inside. Liu Ruhua cleared the table and brought tea. Mo Shan invited the two to sit, then introduced Mo Hua:

"This is your Uncle Ji, Qingbai; beside him is your Brother Ji, single name Li."

Mo Hua bowed formally. "Uncle Ji, hello. Brother Ji, hello."

Ji Qingbai nodded with a smile, intending to praise him, but seeing Mo Shan's towering, muscular frame and sharp, star-like brows, then glancing at Mo Hua's delicate, well-behaved form and pale skin, the phrase "a tiger father has no dog son" stuck in his throat.

Usually, when a father was tall and strong, and the son was sturdy and robust, that phrase fit perfectly.

But he was a demon hunter, accustomed only to fighting beasts; when praising a child, he always defaulted to "a tiger father has no dog son." Now it didn't fit, and Ji Qingbai suddenly found himself at a loss for words.

"This child…" Ji Qingbai hesitated, then finally said, "He looks so good!"

To avoid sounding dismissive, Ji Qingbai added: "He's handsome, resembles Brother Mo closely, yet his eyes are gentle, his demeanor matches your late wife's—cultivated, refined. I've never seen such a beautiful child."

Mo Shan didn't think so deeply—any praise of Mo Hua made him happy.

Mo Shan exchanged a few polite remarks, then told Mo Hua: "Your Uncle Ji and I have matters to discuss. Go back to your room and play."

"Alright!"

Mo Hua bowed to Ji Qingbai, then returned to his room.

Ji Qingbai was likely also a demon hunter, here to speak with his father about demon hunting.

Mo Shan was tall and sturdy, with excellent body refinement talent, at Qi Refinement eighth-layer, skilled in multiple powerful body refinement arts like Rending Gold Claws and Flame Fist, with abundant demon hunting experience; plus, he was righteous and loyal, so he had considerable fame among Qi Refinement demon hunters in Xiancheng.

"Ji Qingbai came to see Father—probably to discuss hunting demons in the inner reaches of Sun Dahei after the New Year…"

The inner reaches must be very dangerous…

Mo Hua thought about it, then sighed.

These were matters beyond his current concern—he was only Qi Refinement second-layer, couldn't train his body or learn martial arts, hadn't even chosen a cultivation scripture, didn't know a single spell—he couldn't help at all.

Better focus on drawing arrays.

Mo Hua took out paper and brush, poured ink into the inkstone, and began drawing the array with full concentration, hoping to finish a complete Minghuo Array before falling asleep and entering his spiritual sea.

Dipping the brush in ink, following the rhythm of start, flow, turn, and conclusion, pale red ink traced one line after another of array patterns.

The Minghuo Array was second nature to Mo Hua—he drew it effortlessly.

After a few incense sticks' time, the flame in the lamp suddenly flickered and went out, plunging the room into darkness.

Did the lamp break?

Mo Hua stopped writing, and by the dim light from the main room, picked up the lamp, turning it over and over. He muttered: "Could it be worn out from too much use?"

It was still long before midnight—he still wanted to draw more arrays.

What should he do?

Mo Hua held the lamp, walked to the door, and peered through the crack—he saw Mo Shan and Ji Qingbai still talking in the main room.

Mo Hua didn't want to disturb Mo Shan at this moment; he was just about to pull his head back when Mo Shan said: "Hua, what's wrong?"

Mo Hua realized he had been spotted.

Mo Shan's cultivation was around Qi Refinement eighth-layer; Uncle Ji's was surely higher—just glancing through the crack couldn't escape their spiritual sense.

Mo Hua had no choice but to say: "Father, the lamp's broken."

Mo Shan waved his hand. "Bring it here."

Mo Hua handed over the lamp.

Mo Shan took it, twisted hard, opened the base, glanced inside, and said:

"Used too long—the array inside has faded. I'll buy you a new one tomorrow. Go to bed early tonight."

"Array?" Mo Hua's eyes lit up. "Father, let me see."

Mo Shan was slightly startled, but still handed the lamp to Mo Hua.

Mo Hua took it and noticed the array on the base looked familiar—similar to the Minghuo Array's patterns, but clearly cruder, and only two lines.

It must have been a cost-cutting, shoddy version of the Minghuo Array.

The Fire-Lighting Array—Mo Hua knows it well.

"Father, wait a moment."

Mo Hua ran back to his room, fetched brush and ink, and tracing the faded array on the base, sketched a few strokes. Then he looked at it, picked a different spot, and re-traced a few more strokes.

Seeing Mo Shan and Ji Qingbai both fell silent, watching him attentively from the side.

After a while, Mo Hua finished drawing. "Father, try it again."

Seeing Mo Shan took the lamp, screwed the base back on, then flipped the small mechanism on the lamp. The lamp lit up once more, and the room grew a little brighter.

"It's fixed?" Seeing Mo Shan was mildly surprised, then fondly rubbed Mo Hua's head. "Not bad. Take it back. Remember to rest early—don't study too late."

Mo Hua hummed an acknowledgment and said, "Father, Uncle Ji, you two keep talking—I'm heading back to my room first." So saying, he grabbed the lamp and ran back inside.

Seeing Mo Shan said to Ji Sihai, "Sorry, Brother Ji—let's continue."

Ji Sihai, however, seemed not to have heard anything. Staring at Mo Hua's retreating back as he went inside, he was lost in thought for a long moment before cautiously saying, "That child Mo Hua should only be at the second layer of Qi Refining, right?"