Chapter 23: Chapter Twenty-Three: Talent

Instructor Yan asked: "Is there any Qi Refinement Stage Three cultivator who can draw arrays?"

"Well, naturally there should be some." The Fat Manager pondered, then added:

"The cultivation world is vast; there are countless prodigies. I'd believe someone could draw arrays from birth—but these are all just rumors; I've never seen it with my own eyes."

"Even if someone is exceptionally gifted, yet disowns his ancestors, betrays his master and sect… cough, born into an array family, trained in arrays since childhood, by Qi Refinement Stage Three he could draw a simple array with three array lines."

"And the great Shijiahe Sects and Xiancheng clans have far deeper lineages; among their disciples, there are certainly array prodigies—only they never show it."

Instructor Yan said: "If so, then it's not impossible for Mo Hua to draw arrays at Qi Refinement Stage Three."

The Fat Manager didn't want to admit it, but now he had no choice.

His senior Yan, though stubborn, was always meticulous and sharp-eyed.

"If this is true, it's extraordinary—would you consider taking him as a disciple?"

The Fat Manager thought for a moment, then continued: "In my view, this child is truly a promising talent. Why not formally take him as your apprentice? That way, you can pass down the array techniques your master gave you."

Instructor Yan had never considered this; hearing it, he clearly wavered, but after deep thought, he still shook his head:

"Our sect is in ruins; the remaining array techniques are fragmented scraps—what's worth passing on? Taking him as a disciple would only mislead him. Besides, my master's final wish remains unfulfilled; that person still has no trace, and I have no heart for anything else."

The Fat Manager wanted to persuade further, but Instructor Yan merely waved him off.

The Fat Manager sighed, "Fine, I won't press you—you never listen anyway. Then what about this Mo Hua child…"

"Don't tell anyone for now. Trees that tower above the forest are struck by the wind—that's been true since ancient times. Besides, he's still young; don't let him develop arrogance, or he'll surely stray off the Dao."

The Fat Manager agreed: "That's true."

Instructor Yan continued: "Don't let him take any array commissions here—just give some excuse about poor business."

Though business truly was poor, hearing it said aloud still embarrassed the Fat Manager, who corrected:

"This isn't poor business—it's Buddhist-style business! Transactions depend entirely on fate!"

"Besides, this child draws arrays properly, earns Spirit Stones, and helps support his family—why stop him?"

Instructor Yan frowned: "At Qi Refinement Stage Three, even if he can draw arrays, how much spiritual awareness does he have? Draw too many, and his spiritual awareness will be overtaxed, inevitably damaging the foundation of his spirit sea."

"And he's still young—this is the time to solidify his cultivation foundation. He must understand all aspects of cultivation, not just arrays—especially his cultivation level. Don't let him neglect it for petty gains…"

The Fat Manager said: "Itinerant cultivators don't have such comfortable households; they barely have enough Spirit Stones."

"Even if impoverished, one can't ignore the future…"

"Then do you know just how poor ordinary itinerant cultivators really are?"

The Fat Manager's expression turned unusually serious.

Seeing the Fat Manager's expression, Instructor Yan's brow also furrowed slightly.

The Fat Manager spoke solemnly: "I know your childhood was hard—you had a family, but you were a bastard, not valued by the clan. Later, you joined the sect and were carefully taught by your master; you worked hard yourself and made progress in arrays, improving only slightly. But even your situation, however bad, had family support—you had food and clothing, no worries about survival, at most just an unhappy life."

"People often say cultivation is hard," the Fat Manager sighed, "but since leaving the sect, I've spent over ten years in Tongxiancheng, dealing with many itinerant cultivators, and I've learned that even when people say cultivation is hard, the degree of hardship varies wildly."

"Ordinary itinerant cultivators struggle to survive, earning meager returns—just feeding their families is a victory. The metallurgists lose half their bodies to furnace fires; the beast hunters lose arms to monsters; those who sell their spiritual power for menial labor suffer varying degrees of meridian damage. When sick or injured, they have no Spirit Stones to treat themselves—whether they survive depends entirely on heaven's mercy."

"Surviving is best; if not, they die. Worst of all are those clinging to half a life, spending Spirit Stones while draining their entire household dry. What can they do? They only want to live."

"Cultivators truly can't ignore the future—but these bottom-tier itinerants can't even manage today—how can they think of the future?"

The Fat Manager finished speaking, poured himself a cup of tea, and gulped it down.

Instructor Yan fell silent for a moment, then sighed with regret:

"I didn't think this through."

The Fat Manager gave him a side-eye.

Instructor Yan thought briefly, then said to the Fat Manager: "Bring me your array catalog."

"What do you need the catalog for?" The Fat Manager asked, puzzled, but still rose and fetched a book from behind the counter, handing it to Instructor Yan.

Instructor Yan took the array catalog, read through it entirely, then picked up the pen on the table, marked several arrays and numbered them in sequence after each.

"You're…"

Instructor Yan said: "Next time Mo Hua comes, give him the arrays I marked, one after another in order. This gradual progression will help him learn more solidly. Later, I'll give him some guidance in the sect—he'll do better than learning blindly."

"This way, he can earn Spirit Stones to support his family while learning arrays systematically."

Instructor Yan added: "One more thing—don't let him draw too many of these arrays. Collect only three or four every half-month; if his spiritual awareness is overtaxed and his spirit sea damaged, it'll be a serious problem."

The Fat Manager looked at the catalog in his hand, then at Instructor Yan, his expression complex: "You really won't take him as your disciple?"

Instructor Yan only shook his head, then stood up. Before leaving, he repeated: "Don't forget—have him draw them in the order I marked."

He walked off without looking back.

The Fat Manager stared at his retreating figure, speechless for a long while, finally letting out a helpless sigh.

Suddenly, the Fat Manager remembered something and called out to stop Instructor Yan.

Instructor Yan turned to look at him.

The Fat Manager hesitated, then said: "There's one thing—you might be wrong…"

Instructor Yan frowned. "Where?"

"When Mo Hua brought the Firelight Array, he was only Qi Refinement Stage Two. If these arrays truly were drawn by him, then that means…"

The Fat Manager paused, choosing his words carefully:

"He might have been able to draw arrays at Qi Refinement Stage Two!"

Instructor Yan's pupils shrank slightly, his expression one of disbelief.