Chapter 71: Xinglin Hall

When Chen Dazhu delivered the water poria to the Mo household, Mo Hua was eating a steaming bowl of beef noodles at the eatery, just like the other patrons.

Liu Ruhua opened the box, saw the glowing blue water poria, and declined: "This is too valuable—I can't accept it."

"Aunt Liu, just take it. Mo Hua helped my master greatly; my master specifically told me to bring this."

Liu Ruhua smiled gently: "Hua'er is just a child—what big help could he possibly have given?"

Mo Hua saw Chen Dazhu, set down his bowl, and ran to the door, glancing at the box in Chen Dazhu's hands: "What's this?"

Chen Dazhu beamed: "This is water poria—it clears heat, reduces fire, calms the mind, and soothes the spirit. A herb collector owed my master for a spirit tool and couldn't pay in spirit stones, so he offered this instead. Aunt Liu's health is weak; this is perfect for recuperation."

Mo Hua's eyes lit up and he took it immediately: "Thank my Master Chen for me!"

"No problem, no problem!" Chen Dazhu waved his hand.

Seeing this, Liu Ruhua could only relent and asked Chen Dazhu: "You haven't eaten yet, have you? Come in and have a bowl of noodles."

Chen Dazhu lied: "I'm not hungry."

Mo Hua pulled Chen Dazhu inside and sat him down: "Eat first, then go back."

Liu Ruhua served Chen Dazhu a heaping bowl of noodles, topped with beef, steam and aroma rising thickly.

Chen Dazhu ate until sweat drenched his forehead.

Liu Ruhua knew these children worked hard physical labor and rarely got full meals, so she brought another bowl.

Chen Dazhu's face lit up with joy.

Liu Ruhua glanced at the box of water poria and said to Mo Hua: "This water poria is very valuable. Go thank Master Chen when you have time—if it truly helps, help him more."

"Don't worry, Mom. If Master Chen needs any array diagrams drawn in the future, count on me." Mo Hua patted his chest, then added, "Anything below first-rank."

Mo Hua still couldn't draw arrays containing nine array lines.

"Be humble. Don't make grand claims about things you can't do." Liu Ruhua stroked Mo Hua's head.

"Little Mo-ge is amazing—he draws arrays so well! My master praised him, said he'll become a first-rank array master someday." Chen Dazhu said earnestly.

"No one can predict the future. On the Dao, arrogance is forbidden."

Though Liu Ruhua spoke this way, she was secretly pleased her child was praised. She prepared a dish of beef and rice wine for Chen Dazhu to take back to Master Chen, plus some pastries for his fellow apprentices.

Chen Dazhu slung several food boxes over his shoulder and returned home happily.

That night, under Mo Hua's supervision, Liu Ruhua boiled the water poria into medicine and drank it; her meridians indeed felt much cooler, though she still regretted the spirit stones spent.

Such fine medicinal material—had Mo Hua not insisted, she would never have used it herself.

Seeing her mother take the medicine, Mo Hua relaxed and returned to his room to resume studying arrays.

"The quality of spirit ink affects array efficacy..."

"Array lines adhere and spirit flows differently on different array media..."

"Spiritual energy at the third layer of Qi Refinement is too weak..."

"Practical application truly enhances memory and comprehension of arrays—the Molten Fire Array with six array lines, once unfamiliar, now feels etched into my mind; each stroke emerges like instinct..."

Learning to apply knowledge—Master Zhuang was right!

Drawing arrays on different media and making them functionally active reveals many problems and greatly deepens understanding of arrays.

But opportunities for practical application are hard to find—others won't ask a third-layer Qi Refinement cultivator to draw arrays, and the arrays used by low-level cultivators are too crude, mostly containing only two or three array lines; those with four or more are rare.

What should I do?

I need an array with at least five array lines, preferably on refined iron, and from someone I know—otherwise no one will let Mo Hua draw it, and if the array fails, I can't explain it.

After thinking it over, only Master Chen and his furnace are suitable.

But I just dismantled that furnace—I can't ask him to dismantle it again to redraw the array.

Are there other furnaces?

Mo Hua sneakily glanced at the family's cooking stove and thought: the fire here seems a bit weak.

The next day, Mo Hua tentatively mentioned his idea to his mother—and received an immediate refusal.

"This stove is used for business and to cook for you and your father. The heat is sufficient. Unless it breaks, don't even think about touching it."

Liu Ruhua was Mo Hua's mother; she had watched him grow up and saw through his scheme at a glance.

Mo Hua had no choice but to give up.

Several days later, Liu Ruhua went to Xinglin Hall for a follow-up with Master Feng. Mo Hua went with her.

Master Feng diagnosed her pulse with silk threads and nodded:

"Good. Your heart and lungs are well-nourished. You may occasionally test your spiritual energy to let your meridians adapt, but don't sustain it long—still damaging. The residual fire poison is nearly gone."

"I'll write a few herbs. Go get them, and I'll refine them into pills for you to take home."

Master Feng wrote several herb names on paper. Liu Ruhua took it to collect the herbs and told Mo Hua not to wander off, to keep Master Feng company.

After Liu Ruhua left, Master Feng sipped tea and looked up to see Mo Hua staring at the alchemy furnace.

"Hua'er, why are you staring at that alchemy furnace?"

Mo Hua asked: "Grandpa Feng, do you think this alchemy furnace can break?"

"Any spirit tool can break," Master Feng stroked his beard.

"Has it broken before?"

Master Feng nodded. "Yes, several times."

"If it breaks next time, can I fix it?" Mo Hua whispered.

Master Feng was slightly startled: "You've studied spirit tool crafting?"

"No," Mo Hua waved his small hand. "I can't fix the outside furnace. I mean—if the array inside breaks, can I repair it?"

Master Feng smiled at Mo Hua: "Very well. If the array inside the alchemy furnace breaks, I'll let you fix it."

Mo Hua's eyes crinkled with joy: "It's a deal!"

Master Feng laughed: "It's a deal!"

Liu Ruhua walked out holding several medicine packets; seeing Mo Hua and the other chatting happily, she smiled gently and asked, "What are you talking about?"

"I just made a small deal with Grandmaster Feng," Mo Hua said with a cheerful smile.

"You're trying to swindle Grandmaster Feng's spirit stones again?"

"It's about friendship, not spirit stones," Mo Hua said.

Liu Ruhua shook her head with a smile and handed the medicine packets to Grandmaster Feng, "Thank you, Grandmaster Feng."

Grandmaster Feng accepted with a smile, then rose and walked to the alchemy chamber, placing the herbs into the alchemy furnace; as he prepared to ignite it, he suddenly froze, staring at the furnace before him with a complex expression.

"Grandmaster Feng, what's wrong?" Mo Hua asked in surprise.

Grandmaster Feng wiped the furnace's edge with his hand, checked the spirit stones, then said with a hint of helplessness, "The alchemy furnace is broken."

Mo Hua was stunned; after a moment, he whispered:

"This… it didn't break because it listened to me, did it…?"