Chapter 677

"Master Gu?" Mo Hua said, surprised.

Master Gu smiled warmly at Mo Hua and bowed his hands.

"Young Master Mo."

"Aren't you in Gushan City?" Mo Hua asked.

"I had urgent business and came to Qingzhou City," Master Gu said gently.

"Oh."

Mo Hua nodded.

Master Gu hesitated slightly, then smiled and said:

"Last time in Gushan City, I failed to entertain you properly. This chance meeting is fate—I'd like to invite Young Master Mo for a simple drink. Do you have time…?"

Though Master Gu had already shown great warmth, a Jin Dan cultivator smiling deferentially to a Foundation Establishment cultivator like Mo Hua still felt unnatural.

And it was clear Master Gu wasn't skilled at such obsequious behavior.

Mo Hua shook his head. "I don't drink."

Especially strong liquor—it's too harsh.

Fruit wine is fine, but most cultivators don't even consider fruit wine to be alcohol.

Master Gu's gaze grew dim with disappointment.

Mo Hua said: "I can eat."

Master Gu froze, then felt a great weight lift—he smiled faintly on his stern face: "Good."

As long as he agreed, that was enough.

The sky was still early; Master Gu guessed Mo Hua had other matters, so he didn't disturb him, only made an arrangement:

"Inside Qingzhou City, there's a Immortal Crane Pavilion—the spirit fish there are delicious. At noon, I'll have the banquet ready there, awaiting Young Master Mo."

"Just call me Mo Hua. No need for 'Young Master,'" Mo Hua said.

Master Gu nodded: "Alright, Young Master Mo."

Mo Hua didn't know what to say.

After bidding farewell to Master Gu, Mo Hua went to greet Xu Wanyi.

Xu Wanyi was playing with Yu'er.

Yu'er's complexion improved daily, and so did his energy—he was once a frail, pitifully small child, but now he bounced around, already showing a touch of mischief.

Xu Wanyi was deeply grateful to Mo Hua, increasingly convinced that sending Yu'er to Grand Void Gate to stay by Mo Hua's side had been the most correct decision.

"If you encounter trouble within the sect and can't resolve it, seek Elder Murong—I'm like a sister to Elder Murong…"

"For matters outside the sect, go to Changhuai."

Xu Wanyi pointed to Gu Changhuai, who sat quietly sipping tea.

"He's Gu Diansi. Though he's only a third-grade Jin Dan, he still holds some influence in Dao Ting Si."

"If you're in trouble and Changhuai doesn't help you, just come back and tell me…"

After speaking, Xu Wanyi glanced at Mo Hua again, inexplicably pained, and sighed:

"Across the entire Qianxue Province, so many sects, so many disciples—no one else is like this child, so young, alone here studying, with no parents or family nearby, no one to rely on, no one to care for him…"

"He probably even dares not speak up if bullied within the sect…"

Xu Wanyi still felt worried.

Gu Changhuai sat silently beside her, expressionless and unwilling to speak.

Who would even bully him?

Huo Fotuo, that cruel demonic cultivator, chased Mo Hua but failed—his own chest got blown clean through.

Others? Even less likely.

In the Qianxue Province, on the surface, beyond sect elders and Laozu Sect…

Among the Sida Sect, only the true scions of the greatest clans—the naturally born Heaven Spirit Roots, the prodigies among prodigies—who else could possibly bully him?

Besides, these great figures, these true prodigies, live far above, in another world entirely—they might never cross paths with Mo Hua in their entire lives.

Why would they bother deliberately bullying a lowly Grand Void Gate disciple?

Gu Changhuai sighed.

He had previously hinted gently to Xu Wanyi that Mo Hua only looked innocent—he was actually full of tricks, petty and dark, and didn't need any concern.

How many demonic cultivators and heretics had already fallen into his hands?

But he failed to convince her; instead, Xu Wanyi scolded him for his narrow-mindedness, for speaking ill of a child behind his back, shameless.

People only believe what they want to believe.

Gu Changhuai, helpless, thereafter wisely kept silent and never mentioned it again.

Whenever Xu Wanyi showed concern for Mo Hua, worrying he'd be bullied, he simply pretended not to hear.

Mo Hua felt slightly embarrassed, so he said:

"Wan Yi, the sect elders, senior brothers and sisters, and fellow disciples have all treated me very well. You don't need to worry."

Xu Wanyi then nodded happily.

Afterward, they exchanged a few more pleasantries, sharing gossip from the sect and Yu'er's progress in Grand Void Gate.

Xu Wanyi was about to leave.

She wouldn't be idle in Qingzhou City—besides caring for Yu'er, she managed all the properties of the Shang, Wen, and Gu clans across a dozen nearby Xiancheng.

But before leaving, Xu Wanyi's gaze darkened slightly, and she still warned Mo Hua:

"That Master Gu… if you have any requests, you may ask him. But if he has any ulterior motives, ignore him."

Mo Hua froze.

Wenren Wan gently said: "Not long ago, he sent people to inquire about your identity with the Gu family."

Mo Hua suddenly understood and smiled.

"Thank you, Aunt Wan, I understand."

Wenren Wan, seeing Mo Hua had grasped the situation, smiled softly and rose to leave.

The parlor was now left with only Mo Hua and Gu Changhuai.

Gu Changhuai sat in the corner, sipping tea with a cold, indifferent expression.

Mo Hua crept quietly closer and whispered:

"Uncle Gu, why are you free today?"

Gu Changhuai didn't lift his eyelids, using the cup lid to skim the floating foam from his bowl: "Dao Ting Si cultivators aren't donkeys pulling millstones—we still get days off."

Gu Changhuai took a sip of tea and set the cup down. "Speak. What do you want from me?"

Mo Hua frowned. "How do you know I came to you for something?"

Gu Changhuai glanced at Mo Hua. "Guess."

Mo Hua blinked. "Uncle Gu, why are you copying my way of speaking?"

Gu Changhuai fell silent, then couldn't help saying:

"Are you going to speak or not? If not, I'm leaving."

"Mm-hmm," Mo Hua nodded vigorously, then dropped all pretense and spoke plainly:

"Uncle Gu, if I get a lead on a criminal cultivator, can you directly issue a bounty through Dao Ting Si?"

"Then I take the bounty, complete the task, earn merit, and Dao Ting Si captures the criminal—two birds with one stone!"

Gu Changhuai's expression froze, and he glanced at Mo Hua: "You've got quite the plan…"

Mo Hua humbly said: "It's not bad…"

Gu Changhuai shook his head and refused: "This violates regulations."

Mo Hua pursed his lips, clearly unconvinced.

He had compared it—he was certain his plan matched Dao Ting Si's procedures from start to finish.

Dao Ting Si receives leads from elsewhere, issues bounties; receiving leads from me and issuing tasks is no different.

There's no bribery involved here.

Besides, I don't even have spirit stones to bribe Uncle Gu.

It's simply that Uncle Gu doesn't want to help.

Mo Hua began to negotiate: "Uncle Gu, if you won't help me, I won't help you anymore either."

Gu Changhuai snorted. "What do I need you to help me with?"

As soon as he spoke, he realized something was wrong.

Mo Hua grinned slyly and held up his fingers, counting them off one by one:

"Like leads on criminal cultivators, array inspections, restoration of transmission orders, deciphering sealing marks and secret marks…"

"And I'm only at Foundation Establishment early stage—I'll only get better at arrays."

"If you don't help me now, when you need me later, don't blame me for not showing favor!"

Mo Hua wore a stern little face.

Gu Changhuai suddenly found the fresh tea in his mouth turning bitter.

He was being blackmailed!

He, a senior Gu Diansi of Dao Ting Si, was being blackmailed by a child barely ten years old…

This was outrageous.

Gu Changhuai fell silent for a long time, turning thoughts over—but after much deliberation, he still had no solution.

And Mo Hua was right: with his current array expertise, Dao Ting Si might indeed need his help in the future…

Gu Changhuai sighed. "Even if I issue a bounty, you still won't be able to claim it easily…"

"Bounties are issued to sects, not individuals. Anyone eligible can claim it. Even if I issue it, the task may not land on you."

Mo Hua frowned. "Isn't your approval required?"

Gu Changhuai said: "Bounties have requirements. If others meet them, we usually can't refuse."

"Then set stricter requirements?" Mo Hua said.

Gu Changhuai raised an eyebrow. "For example?"

Mo Hua thought. "Like: Foundation Establishment early stage, skilled in concealment arts, proficient in second-rank arrays, skilled in Water Prison technique… something like that?"

Gu Changhuai's face remained expressionless. "Why not just label it: This bounty is exclusively for a Foundation Establishment early stage disciple of Grand Void Gate named 'Mo Hua'?"

Mo Hua looked embarrassed. "Isn't that… a bit too obvious?"

Gu Changhuai snapped: "You know it's obvious?"

Mo Hua muttered under his breath: "It's not like there's anything wrong with that…"

Gu Changhuai sighed helplessly, thought for a moment, then said:

"I'll think of a way. I'll tell you later."

Mo Hua beamed. "Thank you, Uncle Gu!"

Gu Changhuai gave a slight nod.

He considered…

Though this might seem like favoritism, it wasn't entirely "against regulations"—exchanging merit for achievement was Dao Ting Si's very principle.

Moreover, Mo Hua's array expertise was… frighteningly profound.

In the future, Dao Ting Si's most difficult cases involving complex, obscure arrays might truly require this boy's help.

This was not me being coerced, but rather Dao Ting Si seeking to recruit "special formation talent" through a mutually beneficial partnership.

With this thought, Gu Changhuai felt considerably more at ease.

He picked up his teacup, sipped the tea, and nodded slightly, finding the flavor less bitter.

Having achieved his purpose and with the hour already late, nearing noon, Mo Hua took his leave from Gu Changhuai.

"Young Master Gu is inviting me to dinner—I'll be off first."

Gu Changhuai blinked in surprise. "Young Master Gu?"

"Mm." Mo Hua nodded.

"Which Young Master Gu?"

Gu Changhuai frowned. He recalled the "Young Master Gu" Wenren Wan had mentioned earlier, then added: "Our Gu family's armorer?"

Mo Hua nodded. "The Jin Dan–level Young Master Gu of Gu Family's Gushan third-grade armory!"

Gu Changhuai stared at Mo Hua, momentarily stunned.

Remote Gushan City, third-grade armory, Young Master Gu—and a Jin Dan cultivator…

"Inviting you to dinner?"

Gu Changhuai's expression grew even more perplexed.

Mo Hua sighed. "Alas, I can't refuse—Young Master Gu's hospitality is too generous to turn down."

Gu Changhuai fell silent.

He couldn't understand it.

In the Gu family, Cousin Wan treated Mo Hua like her own child or nephew;

Aunt Red, the Elder, often said Mo Hua was clever, bright, and handsome, and that when he grew older, she'd personally find him a good match;

Gu An and Gu Quan frequently referred to him as "Little Master Mo."

Now even a remote third-grade armorer of the Gu family was going out of his way to invite Mo Hua to dinner…

Gu Changhuai drew in a sharp breath.

How long has this child been here? Just over a year—and already he's risen to this…

If another ten years pass, won't the entire Gu family end up bearing the name "Mo"?

Seeing Gu Changhuai's forlorn expression, Mo Hua assumed it was because he himself had been invited to dinner while Gu Changhuai hadn't, and whispered softly:

"Uncle Gu, how about… you come along too?"

"I heard they're serving spirit fish at Immortal Crane Pavilion—delicious beyond words…"

Gu Changhuai's face darkened instantly.

Mo Hua wisely fell silent, muttering under his breath: "Fine, don't go then—ungrateful soul…"

Gu Changhuai heard it.

Seeing Gu Changhuai's face grow even darker, Mo Hua immediately rose. "I can't keep Young Master Gu waiting—I'm off!" Then he dashed out like a puff of smoke.

The parlor stood empty, leaving only Gu Changhuai seated where he was, sighing helplessly once more.

…

Qingzhou City, Immortal Crane Pavilion.

Private room on the third floor.

On the table sat four dishes and one soup, each perfect in color, aroma, and taste.

The dishes were various kinds of spirit fish; the soup was a clear, savory fish broth.

Mo Hua ate the tender fish meat, sipped the delicious broth in small sips, his eyes half-closed, utterly delighted.

Seeing Mo Hua enjoy his meal, Young Master Gu quietly exhaled in relief.

As they ate, they exchanged trivial pleasantries like plain water, until Mo Hua brought up the real matter:

"Young Master Gu, I'd like to ask a favor."

Young Master Gu didn't find it troublesome—he was delighted, and replied generously:

"Little Master Mo, speak freely—anything within my power, I shall spare no effort."

Mo Hua smiled. "Young Master Gu, could you help me forge some formation media?"

"Formation media…"

Young Master Gu was not surprised, asked no further questions, and replied promptly:

"No problem!"

Then he asked: "But what kind of formation media does Little Master want?"

Mo Hua had prepared in advance. He took several blueprints from his storage pouch and handed them to Young Master Gu.

The blueprints were his own designs, drawn during spare moments, based on formation structures and his personal needs.

The formation media were simple—mostly basic formation flags and formation discs.

Young Master Gu glanced at them at once and found them crude, clearly the work of a novice—but he said nothing.

Though crude, they were fully functional and structurally complete—perfectly usable.

"How many does Little Master need?" Young Master Gu asked.

Mo Hua himself was not wealthy and disliked pretending to be rich; he asked plainly:

"How many spirit stones per piece?"

Young Master Gu was surprised—he rarely encountered a "Young Master" with such humble, straightforward habits as Mo Hua.

"If you need only a few dozen, consider them a gift from me."

"If you need hundreds or even thousands, I'll charge only material cost…"

Young Master Gu studied the blueprints again, making a rough estimate:

"Since they're all second-grade array mediums, and the materials aren't precious, the prices won't be high—an array disc costs about fifty spirit stones each, while the array flags, due to their special material, cost sixty-five spirit stones per flag..."

Mo Hua nodded slightly.

This was even cheaper than he had expected.

But he felt conflicted.

He had originally only planned to forge a dozen or so array mediums just for fun, but Gu Shi Fu was a third-grade artificer; it was truly embarrassing to ask him to make just a few.

Making too many would be a waste of spirit stones—he wasn't a scion of a prominent clan and didn't have that many to squander.

Gu Shi Fu seemed to sense Mo Hua's hesitation, and after a moment of thought, he said:

"How about this: I'll forge twenty of each type first, then bring them to you, Young Master, so you can inspect their quality and judge their merits—consider it an exchange of insights on array mediums..."

Mo Hua had no insights on array mediums at all.

His few array medium blueprints were copied straight from artificer manuals, then modified by himself at random.

The only array medium he had any real insight into was the "earth" beneath his feet.

But he knew this was Gu Shi Fu's way of showing goodwill.

"Wouldn't this be too much trouble for you..." Mo Hua asked softly.

Gu Shi Fu waved his hand. "What trouble? They're just a few second-grade array mediums—I'm idle anyway, might as well warm up my hands..."

Mo Hua stopped pretending to refuse. "Then thank you, Gu Shi Fu."

Gu Shi Fu bowed. "Young Master, you're too kind."

Afterward, the waiter brought two more dishes: steamed giant-head fish and fried golden fish—both entirely new to Mo Hua.

"Try them, Young Master," Gu Shi Fu urged.

Mo Hua tasted them and nodded in praise. "Delicious."

Gu Shi Fu smiled.

Afterward, the two chatted a while—Mo Hua asked questions, and Gu Shi Fu answered.

If Mo Hua didn't ask, Gu Shi Fu would serve him food, but he never initiated any topic or volunteered any information.

Mo Hua had assumed Gu Shi Fu invited him to dinner for some reason.

But now it seemed he simply wanted to treat him, with no hidden agenda.

After eating his fill, Mo Hua remembered another question and seized the moment to ask:

"Gu Shi Fu, Gushan is a third-grade prefecture, right? But why does it seem..."

Mo Hua paused, then decided to speak plainly. "... so poor?"

Gu Shi Fu froze, then a bitter smile appeared on his face.

"Can't you tell me?" Mo Hua asked.

Gu Shi Fu shook his head. "There's nothing forbidden about it—if Young Master asks, I'll tell you..."

Gu Shi Fu sighed, then spoke slowly:

"This matter is actually quite simple..."

"Centuries ago, the mines of Gushan City stretched endlessly, rich in minerals—it was once very prosperous."

"At that time, the ore extracted had high spiritual affinity, making it ideal for forging 'array mediums'."

"As the saying goes, live off the land—Gushan City, backed by its mines, had most of its cultivators earning their living through artifice, especially forging 'array mediums'."

"Though they didn't become fabulously wealthy, their lives were decent enough."

"Then what happened?" Mo Hua sipped his fish soup, curious.

"Then..."

Gu Shi Fu sighed. "Later, some great clans from Qian Province took interest in Gushan City's vast mines and wanted to buy them to forge luxurious spiritual artifacts."

Mo Hua frowned. "Luxurious spiritual artifacts?"

Gu Shi Fu said: "Things like glazed tiles, colorful lanterns, gilded bricks and stones, carriages adorned with golden Jin Yicai..."

"These items cost a fortune to make—and even more to sell."

Mo Hua was puzzled. "Besides looking pretty, what use do they have?"

Gu Shi Fu sighed. "They're for displaying status—for some people, that's more valuable than anything else."

"Did the cultivators of Gushan City agree?"

Gu Shi Fu frowned. "Some agreed, some didn't—but those who refused were eventually forced to comply."

"Before the overwhelming power of the great clans, the cultivators of Gushan City—including cultivators without sects and small families—had no room to resist."

Gu Shi Fu's expression was bitter.

"Didn't Dao Ting Si intervene?"

Gu Shi Fu dared not speak plainly, only asked indirectly: "Do you know where the cultivators serving in Dao Ting Si come from?"

Mo Hua's gaze darkened slightly.

Gu Shi Fu sighed. "Moreover, on the surface, every procedure was perfectly legal and compliant."

"The great clans truly 'bought' or 'leased' these mines from the cultivators of Gushan City."

"The spirit contracts bore clear spirit seals."

"The great clans followed the rules; Dao Ting Si followed the law; the cultivators of Gushan City had no recourse whatsoever."

"Afterward, the great clans established artifice workshops within Gushan City, mining the ore day and night without pause."

"At first, the cultivators of Gushan City protested and rioted, causing some unrest."

"Later, the great clans decided to hire only local cultivators for mining, paying them fairly well."

"Once the local cultivators received spirit stones, their discontent gradually faded, and they became quiet."

"But..."

Master Gu shook his head. "The great clans have exploited the mines too ruthlessly, using large spirit machines and arrays."

"In less than a hundred years, they completely drained every vein."

"Then the great clans simply left, abandoning the entire mine."

"The foundation upon which the cultivators of Gushancheng relied for survival was destroyed, and the city gradually declined."

"Some minor families went bankrupt outright, gathered together, and couldn't even afford a meal; they scattered to seek their own livelihoods, split apart again, and became scattered cultivators."

"As for the scattered cultivators, they were on their own."

"Those who could leave, left; those who couldn't had no means of survival outside, so they stayed in Gushancheng, scavenging broken ore from the abandoned mines, trading them at crumbling smithies for a few spirit stones just to barely get by…"

……

Mo Hua stared blankly.

He had been in Qianzhou, but in a daze, he felt as if he had returned to Lizhou, back to those low-grade, impoverished little state borders of Lizhou.

The way of man is to take from the insufficient to feed the surplus…

(End of Chapter)