Chapter 179: The Craftsman

The little cultivator looked about ten years old, with delicate features, seeming obedient and cute. But he was sprawled on the ground, his body smeared with dirt, looking rather filthy.

"Whose child is this? How did they end up playing around here?"

Master Ban was startled for a moment, then quietly walked over. Following the little cultivator's gaze, he saw the boy was looking at the foundation stones below, where it seemed a spot had been left for drawing array formations.

What would a little kid want with these foundation stones?

Master Ban didn't quite understand, so he leaned out and studied it for a while, finding nothing special—just dirt and stone. Just then, he heard the child say beside his ear:

"Are you Master Ban?"

Master Ban was startled. "You know me?"

"Mm, my name is Mo Hua. Elder Yu sent me over."

Mo Hua stood up and brushed the dirt off his clothes.

But he only brushed the front; his back was still stained with mud. He didn't know where he'd crawled in to get so dirty, and his little arms couldn't reach.

Master Ban came over, gently patted his back to dust it off, and asked curiously:

"What did Elder Yu send you here for?"

"Elder Yu told me to come take a look."

"Look at what?"

Mo Hua gave a sheepish grin and didn't answer.

He'd come to see where the array formations needed to be drawn, whether the planned array diagrams met the standards, and whether the rooms the craftsmen were building would interfere with the array's layout.

But Elder Yu had told him not to let anyone know he could draw arrays yet, in case someone with ill intentions learned of it and harmed him—especially fearing that the Qian family would seek revenge if they found out.

Seeing Mo Hua wouldn't say, Master Ban had a rough guess in his heart.

Probably just a child's whim—seeing the bustle here, he'd snuck over to play, but afraid of being scolded, so he used Elder Yu as an excuse.

Anyone could figure it out—what could Elder Yu have sent a child here to do?

But from the child's tone, he must be quite close with Elder Yu. If not a relative of Elder Yu's, then probably the child of some other demon hunter.

As long as he wasn't from the Qian family, that was fine.

Master Ban set his mind at ease, but kindly reminded him: "Play a bit and then go back. There's nothing fun here, and for a child like you, it's a little dangerous."

Mo Hua nodded. "I'll just look around for a bit, then head back."

So Master Ban stopped minding Mo Hua. He had too much work to do and no energy to spare on the boy. With so many craftsmen and demon hunters around, so many pairs of eyes watching, no one would really let a child come to any harm.

Master Ban focused his attention and got busy with his own work. After a while, he looked up and found Mo Hua was still there.

On a half-built wall, Mo Hua walked slowly along it with his little hands behind his back, surveying everything around him, muttering something about patterns, wood, and stone.

Several demon hunters nearby neither stopped him nor watched him, seemingly so used to everything the child did that it didn't even register.

Master Ban was a bit baffled—what on earth was this kid doing…

Why wasn't anyone stopping him?

Could he be Elder Yu's actual grandson? That's why the demon hunters didn't dare interfere?

Master Ban silently speculated to himself.

"Mo… Hua?" Master Ban recalled Mo Hua's name and called out to him.

Only after calling did he remember—the child's surname was Mo, so he probably wasn't Elder Yu's grandson.

Mo Hua heard Master Ban call him, waved at him, then leapt lightly, drifting down from the wall as gently as a falling leaf.

Master Ban was secretly astonished. Setting everything else aside, that movement technique alone was extraordinary.

"Aren't you going home yet?" Master Ban asked.

"I'll head back in a bit."

"Mm, mm." Master Ban nodded. He casually picked up a few bricks, stacked them on the ground, and without any ceremony, sat right down on them.

He'd been busy for half the day, so it was a good time to sit and rest.

Mo Hua copied his manner, hugged a brick over, set it on the ground, and sat down beside Master Ban.

"Master Ban, would you like some wine?"

Mo Hua pulled a bottle of fruit wine from his storage bag. The alcohol content wasn't high, but it was just right for quenching thirst.

Master Ban was a bit thirsty, but seeing Mo Hua was just a child, he still declined politely: "That would be too much trouble…"

Mo Hua said: "My family runs an eatery. We have plenty of wine and spirits, all brewed at home. Why don't you try some?"

Master Ban was curious at that, so he took it and had a sip, nodding in praise:

"Rich fruit aroma, crisp on the palate—nothing better for quenching thirst!"

"Right?" Mo Hua said happily, grinning.

This wine was brewed by his mother, so of course it was good. Mo Hua figured Master Ban must be a man who knew his stuff.

In this regard, Elder Yu's taste was a bit lacking. Elder Yu only liked hard liquor and couldn't tell what was good about a sweet fruit wine like this.

Mo Hua asked again: "Master Ban, do all of you craftsmen have earth and wood spiritual roots?"

Mo Hua was very curious. He'd just swept his divine sense over them covertly and found that these craftsmen and artisans all had spiritual power that was basically brownish, faintly mixed with a greenish-blue.

This was because their spiritual roots were earth-type with wood-type mixed in, and they cultivated earth-wood-type techniques.

Master Ban had drunk Mo Hua's wine, and now had some free time, so he explained:

"Generally, for craftsmen, earth-wood spiritual roots are best. Besides that, water-earth, metal-earth, and metal-wood also work. Because in earth and wood construction, you're basically dealing with earth, wood, bricks, and stone—you need the corresponding spiritual power to shape, excavate, carve, and so on. With the right spiritual roots, you get twice the result with half the effort in this trade."

Mo Hua listened and nodded repeatedly.

Master Ban took another sip of wine to wet his throat, then continued:

"It's not just us craftsmen—other paths of cultivation are the same. For instance, alchemy and artifact-forging require fire-type spiritual roots. Spirit-cuisine is the same—fire-type doesn't need to be high quality, but it absolutely must be present…"

"The rest, for example—shipping needs water-type spiritual roots, spirit-plant cultivation needs wood-type or water-type, building yin-residences needs metal-type or earth-type, and escorting goods is best with wind-type spiritual roots. None of it can be separated from spiritual roots…"

After chatting like this for a while, Mo Hua had learned quite a lot.

The cultivation world spans nine provinces, vast and boundless. In this world there are so many cultivators of every shape and kind, engaged in so many different branches of the Dao, living lives rich and colorful in form...

He wondered whether one day he too might travel the nine provinces and see the local customs and human warmth of cultivators everywhere.

Mo Hua thought this with a touch of longing.

Once the chatting was done and the wine finished, Master Ban had to get back to work, so he said:

"It's getting late — I've still got things to do. You should head back early, don't let your parents worry."

Mo Hua had seen everything he needed to see and had a rough idea in his heart, so he waved and said, "Goodbye, Master Ban."

Master Ban went back to watching the construction progress, his mind on nothing else, and put Mo Hua right out of his thoughts.

A few days later, when he saw Elder Yu, he chatted about the plans for the artifact-forging shop. As he was about to take his leave, he suddenly remembered and asked:

"Earlier I ran into a child, called Mo Hua — do you know him?"

"Mo Hua?" Elder Yu nodded. "I had him go take a look."

"What did you have him look at?" Master Ban frowned.

Elder Yu was about to speak, then stopped, and smiled. "Nothing — just let him have a look around."

Master Ban was a little displeased and asked, puzzled, "Is he a relative of yours?"

If only he were a relative of mine...

Elder Yu said silently to himself, then shook his head and said, "No, just an ordinary child. Whatever he wants to do, let him do it — you don't need to worry about it either."

Master Ban couldn't help muttering inwardly.

Whatever he wants to do, let him do it — how could that be an ordinary child?

You probably wouldn't be this indulgent even with your own grandson...

Master Ban shook his head, but knowing Elder Yu didn't want to say more, he stopped pressing and could only set the matter aside for now, returning to their talk about the artifact-forging shop.