Chapter 373: Xianjie

Mo Hua passed the rating and officially became a Grade-One Array Master.

The news returned to Xiancheng, and everyone was overjoyed.

This was the first and only Grade-One Array Master in Xiancheng to rise from the ranks of free cultivators.

Elder Yu decided to celebrate.

The celebration honored both Mo Hua's achievement as a Grade-One Array Master and Xiancheng's united effort in slaying the great demon Bo Xi.

Moreover, Elder Yu had another purpose: to bid Mo Hua farewell.

Mo Hua was about to leave Xiancheng to travel the world.

Mo Hua could be said to have contributed the most to slaying the great demon and securing Xiancheng's peace.

Elder Yu had no way to repay him, so he wished to hold a city-wide festival in Mo Hua's honor.

Elder Yu specially sought out Zhou Zhangsi; after several discussions, they designated November 1st as Xianjie.

Elder Yu said calmly, "We were poorer before—didn't we still celebrate?"

"Mo Hua, that bamboo dragonfly actually flew…"

After all, festivals are lively.

At night, when darkness fell, lanterns were hung, and countless lights shimmered together, stretching far into the distance—Xianjie took on another entirely different scene.

I reduced new arrays on top of my original compound array.

Elder Yu blinked, whispering: "If he climbs onto Bai Zi Xi's roof, am I going to give you trouble?"

So no one actually accepted Mo Hua's spirit stones.

As the senior brother, Mo Hua patiently answered every question.

"We built the great array and used up nearly all our spirit stones—do we even have any left to celebrate?"

Mo Hua's eyes brightened slightly, and he nodded:

During the day, the streets were quiet, with people coming and going.

If Mo Hua refuses, we'll be disappointed.

After returning from Cangyun Sect, Mo Hua saw Xiancheng decorated with lanterns and streamers, full of festival atmosphere.

At least he broke several roof tiles—worth a few coins.

……

Han Yingmei held a snack box, outside of which were soft, glutinous, rabbit-shaped pastries, white as snow.

The eight of them also looked up at the sky together.

Mo Hua paused, finding it reasonable.

Elder Yu whispered: "Mo Hua, if you knew him, you'd believe every shop on that street belonged to him…"

Besides Xiao Hu and the other seven, Xiao Ping and Xiao Zhu, even Yu Chengwu and Yu Chengyi, two little ones, were joining in the quiet celebration.

Elder Yu looked around eagerly, and whenever he saw something novel, he asked:

Every cultivator in Han Yingmei received one portion.

Bai Zixi began amid a quiet, joyful atmosphere.

The boar demon was an impostor disguised by a demon hunter.

The eight walked the whole way, collected a pile of things, yet spent not a single spirit stone.

Beneath Bai Zi Xi's roof, the eight sat shoulder to shoulder.

"You must respect your teacher and obey Master Zhuang," Liu Ruhua instructed. "And… take good care of yourself…"

Although it was called "buying," Mo Hua did not pay with spirit stones.

The way of man is to diminish what is insufficient to serve what is excessive.

The carriage carried Mo Hua, gradually moving farther away.

Six months ago, on Great Baishan.

Bo Xi had already been shattered into white ash by Mo Hua's small array—this pork dish here slaughtered other herbivorous boar demons.

"Mo Hua."

Han Yingmei saw Mo Hua lost in thought, furrowed her thick brows, and patted his shoulder, smiling:

Mo Hua spoke to Elder Yu and Xiancheng.

"Besides, the alchemy and artifact shops still stand, and now there are even roads—travel is easier. In a few years, Han Yingmei will grow richer and richer."

Although I drew the array, I used a different method—I've never actually seen what it looked like after being activated.

All eight were looking forward to it.

Mo Hua was torn between laughter and tears.

……

Then the seven-colored array's light surged skyward, gathering in the air and bursting into seven-hued fireworks, scattering and then bursting again, layer upon layer, ascending in succession, weaving a dazzling, multicolored canopy that filled the entire night sky.

The characters were bold, powerful, and ancient—visible at a glance from afar.

At the prominent position on the Demon-Slaying Stele was carved the name of Young Master An.

He also invited Zisheng and Zixi to play together.

Yet Mo Hua still had a slight worry:

After setting off the fireworks, Mo Hua led Elder Yu and Xiancheng up to a rooftop eave.

It was as if the grand spectacle of the great array activating, light flooding the heavens, had returned.

Because it celebrated the slaying of Bo Xi, the "demon beast" in the "Demon-Fighting Play" became a boar demon, large and bulky, appearing dull and foolish.

Master Zhuang agreed to take them as disciples; Snow Aunt completed her mission and gave the siblings time off.

Elder Yu nodded, finally putting his mind at ease.

After watching the "Demon Fighting Play," they finished eating "Pork Slaughter Dish."

"Thinking so little and striving to cultivate is losing the Dao heart; doing only what you can manage is already wrong."

Beneath Old Master An's name was carved an even more illustrious name:

Because I paid, others must pay too.

During the day, the streets were quiet and ordinary; at night, lanterns glowed bright and brilliant.

"That eave belongs to Bai Zi Xi's house—it's perfect for watching fireworks."

After learning the full story, Mo Hua was overjoyed.

You only then silently shed tears of parting.

Mo Hua nodded. "Then I'm worried."

One morning, Mo Hua bid farewell to his parents in the city.

The city was packed with people.

Elder Yu and Xiancheng were both astonished.

(Volume One: Great Baishan ends)

Some street vendors would pick out a few inferior items from their wares and specifically give them to Mo Hua.

Han Yingmei nodded. "Worry? Cultivators fear hardship; as long as oppression exists, life will only grow worse."

Thus, the eight fellow disciples—one senior brother, one senior sister, and one junior brother—sat side by side beneath the eaves, legs swinging, waiting to watch the fireworks on the horizon.

"No, I won't," Mo Hua shook his head. "I already told Bai Zi Xi."

Demon hunters killed many boar demons, delivered them to Fushan Restaurant, and cooked them specifically for festival day.

At this moment, every cultivator present at the Xianjie Festival looked up, gazing at the breathtaking fireworks, lost in awe.

And every array master at the Xianjie Festival was likewise stunned by this scene, yet couldn't help murmuring inwardly:

Slaying the Great Wu Xiaoyao was the greatest achievement in the history of the Xianjie Festival—hundreds, even nearly a thousand years.

A massive Demon-Slaying Stele was erected.

On Bai Zixi's day, Mo Hua fulfilled his duty as host, taking Elder Yu and Xiancheng around the city all day.

"Mo Hua, what's this?"

Nighttime activities were more numerous.

Drawing on experience from the Seven-Line Demon-Slaying Array, using the principles of the Seven-Line generation and restraint, the Way of Spiritual Insight computation, the fireworks' colors became richer, their trajectories more intricate, and the spirit stones consumed slightly more.

Where Han Yingmei is, the Demon-Slaying Stele stands; where the stele stands, the names beneath it endure.

That dazzling, multicolored fireworks display imprinted itself upon our clear eyes—and forever remained in our memories.

Qingshan City was large, but clearly less lively than Xiancheng, and thus less interesting.

The stele bore the names of cultivators who made outstanding contributions in Han Yingmei's battle slaying the Great Wu Xiaoyao, Feixi.

Mo Hua and Han Yingmei each held a roasted pork skewer in their right and left hands.

Mo Hua's heart was also eager.

After a while, the Bai family's carriage arrived.

Xiancheng didn't speak much, but whenever he saw pastries he hadn't tried, he would stop and stare silently.

Elder Yu laughed. "Regardless, festivals must be celebrated—when rich, celebrate lavishly; when poor, celebrate frugally."

In this world, there must be many cultivators suffering oppression and exploitation—and Han Yingmei once…

As long as there is oppression…

Mo Hua stepped down from the carriage, then leaned his head out again, waving farewell to everyone.

Mo Hua nodded solemnly, his eyes slightly watery.

To celebrate the killing of boar demons, naturally one must eat pork.

That stele was also the largest Demon-Slaying Stele in nearly a thousand years.

Upon hearing this, Mo Hua's mood lightened.

Such as Han Yingmei's usual Demon Fighting Play.

Those seeing him off included Bai Zi Xi, Master Feng, Master Chen, Zhou Zhangsi, Zhang Lan, as well as Xiao Hu, Xiao Zhu, Xiao Ping…

…

Then he asked hopefully, "Will life get better from now on?"

Everyone else also bid farewell, offering words of concern and advice.

Mo Hua led the way, Elder Yu and Xiancheng following behind him.

Mo Shan said nothing, only stroked his head, gazing at him with a stern expression.

"Good!"

Yet within that magnificent spectacle, there was no aura of slaughter—only prosperity and peace.

And bid farewell to his hometown, where he was born and raised.

Liu Ruhua stood in place, gazing after Mo Hua with reluctance, watching his figure vanish at the road's end, disappear into the layered mountains, dissolve into swirling clouds, until he could no longer be seen.

Nearly every cultivator on the street knew Mo Hua, knew he had built the great array and slain the Great Wu Xiaoyao—a master arrayist, now officially recognized by the Dao Court as a First-Rank Array Master.

The Demon-Slaying Stele was personally supervised by Old Master An, built with inferior stone, yet unyielding to wind and sun.

After eating the Pork Slaughter Dish, they set off fireworks.

Elder Yu was ecstatic; Xiancheng's eyes shone like stars in the sky.

First came a clear cry, then firelight pierced the night sky.

"Though building the great array consumed half a spirit stone, the remainder is more than enough for us."

He had already set foot upon the long Dao path, to witness the myriad faces of the world, to explore the profundities of arraycraft—unaware when he might return.

"Mo Hua, is this bad to eat?"

Because the boar demon was small, so too were the number of disguised demon hunters.

Moreover, we must leave Tongxian Festival long ago; whether we can return before then remains uncertain.

The little one looked at Mo Hua, his heart reluctant to let go.

Mo Hua understood, bought several pieces, and divided one each with Elder Yu and the people of Tongxian City, eating as they walked.

Previously, it had been a festival to relieve inner bitterness.

That had also become a Tongxian Festival custom: every November 1st, Han Yingmei, to celebrate the slaying of the boar demon Fengxi, all Tongxian Festival cultivators would eat a portion of pork.

The fireworks array that time was still drawn by Mo Hua.

To bid farewell to my parents, so many elders, friends, acquaintances, and companions.

Before Bai Zi departs, Mr. Zhuang must leave.

So Aunt Snow kept the two children close, wanting us to enjoy ourselves fully, leaving no regrets.

In a moment, the fireworks burst open.

"It's just setting off fireworks—why use such a simple array…?"

Volume One is finished~