Chapter 50: Chapter Fifty: Siblings

After that, the three of them came to visit Mr. Zhu every morning, bowing from afar at the door, waiting half a cup of tea's time; if the door remained shut, they would descend the mountain.

Mo Hua actually wanted to tell them that Mr. Zhu slept late in the morning, often until afternoon—you came at the wrong time.

But he thought again: at least for now, Mr. Zhu didn't seem to want to see them.

If they came early, they wouldn't see Mr. Zhu; if they came late, they still wouldn't see him. Since they'd never see him anyway, when they came hardly mattered.

They entered the mountain in the morning and could still see the peaks bathed in morning glow—hardly a loss.

Mo Hua occasionally met them on the mountain, sometimes exchanged greetings, and if time allowed, chatted casually.

Though they were scions of noble families and appeared haughty, both were quite easy to talk to.

In casual chats with them, Mo Hua learned they were surnamed Bai, both older than him; the tall, imposing boy was named Bai Zisheng, and the delicate girl, like a porcelain doll, was named Bai Xi.

They were siblings, having traveled far under their family elders' orders to study array techniques under Mr. Zhu.

Bai Zisheng talked a lot; Bai Xi talked little.

They bore some resemblance, but Bai Xi was clearly more beautiful.

And beautiful in an almost absurd way…

From afar, Mo Hua thought her merely dainty and charming; up close, he saw that though young, her face was flawless, exquisitely beautiful, pale and unblemished.

Could a human truly grow such a face…? Mo Hua was stunned.

They say Nüwa molded humans from clay—some clearly were made of earth, but others clearly weren't; at least, Bai Xi wasn't.

When Nüwa molded her, she must have used snow, moonlight, and the essence of wind and splendor, crafting ice-skin and jade-bone.

Mo Hua stole another glance at Bai Xi, silently thinking:

"They say beauty brings calamity—Nüwa wasn't creating humans, she was creating sin…"

The veiled woman who accompanied the Bai siblings was called Xue Yi, likely sent by the family as a bodyguard.

Mo Hua didn't know Xue Yi's realm, but her cultivation was certainly high; she carried a subtle pressure he'd never felt from other cultivators.

The highest-cultivation cultivator Mo Hua had previously met was the old patriarch of Tongxian Gate, at Foundation Establishment mid-stage. But the old patriarch was gentle, and aged, his spiritual power waning—his pressure didn't match Xue Yi's.

"At least she's Foundation Establishment…"

Mo Hua guessed silently.

With a Foundation Establishment cultivator as a bodyguard, these siblings' status must be extraordinary. The Bai family was surely a prominent great clan beyond Li Province. What kind of great clan exactly, Mo Hua wisely didn't ask.

These noble clans were far removed from Mo Hua's world.

For a lone cultivator, breaking through to Foundation Establishment was extremely difficult; and a Foundation Establishment cultivator, in this small Tongxian City, held considerable status.

His own lifetime's cultivation might never surpass the bodyguard beside someone else.

Mo Hua remembered his original aspiration: focus on learning array techniques, become a Grade-One Array Master, and only then might he find his place in the cultivation world.

The Bai siblings visited every morning; Mr. Zhu said nothing, seemingly tacitly accepting it, yet still showed no intention of meeting them.

But Mr. Zhu seemed to relax, his daily routine returning to normal.

He still woke only in the afternoon, sat in the courtyard, drank wine with beef or tea with pastries, gazing at the mountain scenery in reverie.

Mo Hua still studied arrays, drew arrays, meditated, drew arrays again, then went to ask Mr. Zhu when doubts arose.

One day, Mr. Zhu suddenly asked Mo Hua to draw an array called the "Three Talents Array."

This array contained six array lines; with Mo Hua's current spiritual sense, he couldn't complete it, and its structure was unusual, differing from the Five Elements arrays he'd previously encountered.

Mr. Zhu gave Mo Hua only one day—he must present the array the next day, drawing as much as he could.

Mo Hua spent the day studying the Three Talents Array diagram, attempting to draw it several times; at night, he practiced on the broken stele in his spiritual sea the whole night.

The next day, before Mr. Zhu, he drew the array haltingly and reluctantly, but due to insufficient spiritual sense, several lines were ineffective.

Mr. Zhu said nothing; seeing Mo Hua's exhaustion and pale face, he knew this was the result of overusing spiritual sense, so he lit an incense stick. Pale white smoke curled up, carrying a crisp, refreshing fragrance that soothed the spirit.

Mr. Zhu said: "This is Anshen Incense—it nourishes spiritual sense. Sit here and meditate. When the incense burns out, return to rest. Don't draw arrays today."

"Thank you, Mr."

Mo Hua bowed, then sat in meditation; indeed, his spiritual sense recovered faster. After roughly two cups of tea, the Anshen Incense burned out, and Mo Hua bowed and took his leave.

After Mo Hua left, Mr. Zhu stared at the drawn Three Talents Array, frowning in thought, silent for a long while.

Gui Lao entered, saw this, and asked: "Did he draw it poorly?"

Mr. Zhu shook his head. "It's not about good or bad… His spiritual sense is insufficient, time is short—this array couldn't be drawn well no matter what; errors were inevitable. But…"

Mr. Zhu frowned. "This child, Mo Hua, learns too fast."

"What's wrong with learning fast?"

"It's not fast—it's too fast…"

Mr. Zhu unfolded the Three Talents Array diagram and said:

"The Three Talents Array uses a completely different array pivot than the Five Elements Array, and its lines differ. I gave him the diagram yesterday; in just one day, he grasped it seven or eight out of ten. Had his spiritual sense been sufficient, he might have clumsily completed it…"

Mr. Zhu's gaze sharpened. "Most puzzling: in one day, with Mo Hua's spiritual sense, he could have practiced this array at most three or four times. Yet the brushwork here is already quite fluent—likely practiced ten or more times."

Gui Lao's expression didn't change, but his tone grew somber: "Are you saying… this child is hiding something from you?"

Mr. Zhu shook his head. "I never asked, so there's no question of hiding. But judging from this, Mo Hua likely has some hidden opportunity."

Gui Lao raised his eyebrows: "Every cultivator has an opportunity. Did you have fewer? All beings born into this world inherently carry immense fortune."

Mr. Zhu fell into thought.

Gui Lao said: "If you truly care, just ask him."

Mr. Zhu blinked. "Ask him?"

Gui Lao snapped: "You, who claim to be perceptive, are just overly suspicious—you assume everyone hides things like you do. I think Mo Hua is fine. Unlike you, who hides eighteen secrets in his heart, acting all hesitant and roundabout."

Mr. Zhu lay back in his chair, voice calm: "If I were truly suspicious, I wouldn't be in this state now."

"Birds of a feather flock together. You think yourself clever, prefer dealing with cunning people, yet your heart isn't as dark as theirs—so naturally, you get manipulated. This is your own doing; don't blame others."

Mr. Zhu smiled bitterly. "Yes, so now I can only stay with someone like you—heartless—to find peace."

Old Kui's face was expressionless, and he said nothing more.