Chapter 301: Progress

Mo Hua considered for a moment, then sighed again.

His current cultivation level is low, and his array knowledge is limited; even if Mr. Zhuang is in trouble, he cannot help.

"I should just focus on cultivation and study arrays diligently; when I achieve success in the cultivation world, I will properly repay Mr. for teaching me the Dao."

Mo Hua nodded; seeing that Zi Shi had arrived, he sank his spiritual sense into his mind sea and, using the Dao Stele, began practicing the Reverse Spirit Array with meticulous care.

Days passed as calmly as still water; Mo Hua cultivated and drew arrays as usual.

Besides that, Mo Hua was deeply concerned about Great Heishan, but he did not know how things were progressing at Dao Ting Si.

Several days later at noon, Mo Hua visited Old Master Feng and received some daily-use pills; on his way home, he encountered Zhang Lan.

Mo Hua quickly greeted Zhang Lan.

Zhang Lan was walking with his head down; hearing a child's voice call "Uncle Zhang," he knew without thinking it was Mo Hua.

Mo Hua walked up to Zhang Lan, lowered his voice, and asked quietly: "How's it going?"

"If Dao Ting really sends Dao Soldiers, can you go take a look?"

If Dao Ting investigates, it won't land him in prison, but if Zhou Zhangsi does nothing, it's over.

Zhang Lan sighed, "Last time I ate with him—I didn't eat enough, but I got full from being angry."

Mo Hua's eyes sparkled brightly; I've always wanted to see what Dao Soldiers in the cultivation world look like.

Mo Hua said loudly: "Uncle Zhang, fooling others is fine, but you know each other so well—no need to be so formal…"

Mo Hua nodded, clearly relieved.

But Zhang Lan knew the difference between being dismissed by Dao Ting and retiring honorably was as vast as heaven and earth; Great Heishan's inner feelings wouldn't be as calm as he claimed.

Zhang Lan's face paled again; his earlier emotion vanished instantly:

Zhang Lan, hearing this, felt both angry and amused, shook his head, "You kid…"

"You've served as Zhangsi for half your life, middling and unremarkable, never achieving anything. Later, wandering cultivators built their own alchemy and forging shops on their own; you, instead, received their benefits and claimed credit. Honestly, don't you feel guilty?"

Mo Hua recalled the first time he saw Zhang Lan and tried to describe him:

Yet in the end, Great Heishan still chose to report Zhou Zhangsi's case to Dao Ting Si.

All of these are merely Mo Hua's own words.

"If what you saw is true—that Zhou Zhangsi has seven or eight hundred evil cultivators and is killing people to make human pills—Dao Ting could never allow such evil to run rampant; they must send Dao Soldiers. You've worried needlessly."

Zhang Lan was momentarily stunned, feeling a touch of emotion.

Zhang Lan came back to himself and smiled: "Don't rush; have some wine."

I'm growing old, and I'm about to retire peacefully, ending my term as Zhangsi with honor.

Zhang Lan remembered Gui Zhenzhi's words:

Zhang Lan looked around and said: "This place is too crowded and noisy; let's go to the eatery."

"The best outcome is merely being investigated and dismissed by Dao Ting, then living a quiet life."

As Mo Hua ate, he looked up and noticed Zhang Lan watching him; he couldn't help asking:

Besides that, there are no other witnesses or physical evidence.

Mo Hua watched him silently.

If someone else had uncovered this information, Dao Ting Si wouldn't believe them, and Great Heishan would never risk dismissal by submitting a report to Dao Ting…

Zhang Lan glanced at Mo Hua and sighed inwardly.

Moreover, Mo Hua has no rank; his status as a First-Rank Array Master cannot be used.

Drinking here afterward, outside duty hours, is "understanding the sentiments of cultivator civilians"—how can that be called idleness?

"Uncle Zhang, aren't you eating?"

Now that Gui Zhenzhi's incident has happened, I'm feeling torn.

The only evidence is the two drawings Mo Hua made: one is a map guiding through the Mist Forest, and the other is a strategic map of Zhou Zhangsi's situation.

Zhang Lan took a gloomy sip of wine.

"What did he look like back then?"

He probably wasn't this lazy-looking…

Great Heishan's expression was very hesitant.

Mo Hua picked up a piece of meat and placed it in Zhang Lan's bowl: "Uncle Zhang, eat more!"

Zhang Lan looked worn out; he must have been running around tirelessly over Zhou Zhangsi's case, growing tired and thinner.

It's too hard to handle here at Great Heishan.

After bantering with Mo Hua, Zhang Lan felt somewhat refreshed, as if less tired.

Zhang Lan thought for a moment and shook his head: "No."

"Will it take long?"

"What if Dao Ting doesn't act soon?" Mo Hua asked.

If we report to Dao Ting and Mo Hua's information is wrong—if there's no such mountain stronghold in Shenshan, or if the stronghold isn't inhabited by evil cultivators—then the old Zhangsi's crime becomes minor.

"What do you mean 'now he looks more serious'? I've always been a proper cultivator—not just now, but always, a truly upright cultivator!"

Zhang Lan felt somewhat indignant, then uncertain, so he asked Mo Hua:

"Gui Zhenzhi's extermination report must be submitted to Dao Ting!"

Mo Hua added another chopstick of meat to Zhang Lan's bowl: "Then Uncle Zhang, hurry up and eat, or you'll get full from anger and won't be able to eat."

"The clan?" Zhang Lan recalled and said: "He was handsome, elegant, charming, admired by countless male cultivators, many young male cultivators vying to become his Dao partner…"

Zhang Lan took a sip of wine and pondered:

A little more—I'd be a playboy if I were, would I really care about your little bit…

"How long will it take if Dao Ting refuses?"

It's not a bad choice at all.

We suspect Mo Hua, but on the Dao Ting Si's side, would they suspect a young cultivator of around ten?

Zhang Lan glanced again at Mo Hua, who was buried in eating meat, silently guessing in his heart.

Should he settle down peacefully and secure a good end for himself, or take the risk and seek peace for Xiancheng?

Where am I not devoted to my duties? Where am I idle and wasteful?

"Mm-hmm," Mo Hua replied vaguely through his mouthful of beef.

This matter isn't as complicated as it seems; the hardest part lies in proving that within Shenshan, there truly exists a Shanzhai, and that within that Shanzhai, there really are seven or eight hundred evil cultivators who are indeed refining Life-Prolonging Pills.

What Mo Hua meant was naturally the matter of the Dao Bing.

Since the matter involved secrecy, Mo Hua carefully did not speak of it.

Worried Zhang Lan might feel down, he added emphatically: "Just a little."

Mo Hua's eyes flickered, and he asked again: "Uncle Zhang, what are you like within your family?"

If we do not report it and allow the evil cultivators to remain entrenched in Shenshan, letting them grow stronger, every single cultivator in Xiancheng will one day face great calamity.

Zhang Lan was speechless.

"He looks a bit like someone who isn't devoted to his duties, idle and wasteful…"

"I told the details to Zhou Zhangsi, and Zhou Zhangsi has already submitted a memorial to Dao Ting Si. Now we only need to wait for Dao Ting Si's approval. If Dao Ting Si refuses, not long after, they will dispatch Dao Bing to exterminate Zhou Zhangsi."

Seeing that the surrounding patrons were all regulars, mostly demon hunters, laughing and drinking heartily and unlikely to notice their corner, Zhang Lan lowered his voice to Mo Hua:

Zhang Lan choked on his wine and couldn't help saying: "Who's lying?"

After eating and drinking his fill, Zhang Lan rose to leave, but Mo Hua called out to stop him:

Zhou Zhangsi's decision was probably also made out of consideration for Mo Hua, that child.

The two arrived at the eatery, sat at their usual spot, and Jiang Yun brought over some wine and dishes.

These past days, because of Zhou Zhangsi's matter, I've indeed been running around nonstop and worrying constantly; there aren't many cultivators in Xiancheng who can chat with me like this.

Mo Hua added: "Uncle Zhang, you seem more serious now, and you even look a bit like a Dao Ting Si Gu Diansi."

The two talked and ate like this.

"Now that Xiancheng is hiding great danger, you are its Zhou Zhangsi; your honor and disgrace are tied together—you naturally cannot preserve yourself by staying aloof and doing nothing."