Chapter 721: Xie Ling

"Senior Brother, Brother Cheng said you can help me, so he sent me to ask for your assistance."

The disciple said very politely.

Cheng Mo, standing beside him, puffed out his chest and nodded:

"This kid's name is Xie Ling. Like me, he's from Gen Province."

"Gen Province is huge, and my Cheng family has no real connection with his Xie family, but since we're from the same province and both studying in Qian Province, that makes us old acquaintances of a sort. If he has something going on, naturally I have to help…"

Cheng Mo patted Xie Ling on the shoulder.

Xie Ling smiled gratefully.

He was quite a bit shorter than Cheng Mo, and standing beside him, he looked like Cheng Mo's little lackey.

Mo Hua asked curiously:

"What is it?"

Xie Ling then said, "I took on a few bounties to apprehend a criminal cultivator, but that criminal cultivator practices top-tier fire-element spells with extremely powerful force. None of us are a match for him."

"There are also other accessories that are lighter, more attractive, and easier to carry, but these kinds of spiritual artifacts are fine for everyday use. In actual combat, their defensive effect is far inferior to armor."

"Young Master?"

"Have you been cultivating diligently? Have you reached Foundation Establishment…"

"This is the basic refining approach for standard-issue spiritual artifacts."

Within the entire Grand Void Gate, there wasn't a single person short on money.

Master Gu nodded and continued:

"This type of spiritual artifact is more troublesome to refine. If it's custom-made, the process is even more tedious, the cost is higher, and the price is probably going to be…"

After Xie Ling left, Mo Hua pondered some more.

Of course, except for Mo Hua…

"Otherwise, if you buy a 'Jade Water Armor' that only resists fire and nothing else, that would be too much of a white elephant."

Mo Hua sighed inwardly, then thought again:

"I wonder how Mother is doing in Xiancheng, whether the daily grind of running the restaurant is wearing her out…"

Mo Hua was briefly lost in thought.

Xie Ling's face lit up, and he nodded hurriedly. "Thank you, Senior Brother!"

"Senior Brother, you…"

"Even if you learned it, cramming at the last minute with shallow spell cultivation, you might not necessarily be able to defend against it."

"To defend against fire-element spells, naturally the 'Water Armor Art' is better, but none of us have a water spiritual root, so we can't learn it."

"These two are the most commonly used, and they're the two types of spiritual artifact armor that our Gushan Refinery has refined before."

Cheng Mo patted Xie Ling on the shoulder again. "Quick, thank Senior Brother."

"If you go buy fire-resistant spiritual artifacts, either the grade isn't good, or the quality isn't sufficient, or the fire resistance is lacking, and some are just too expensive—not worth it…"

But what Xie Ling and the others mainly feared was being injured by fire-element spells, so naturally fire-resistant defensive spiritual artifacts would be best.

If it were a positional assault, they could still rely on formation disks to set up formations, drive water to extinguish fire, or borrow earth to block fire.

Defending against fire-element spells…

Xie Ling looked a bit troubled, glanced at Mo Hua, and asked in a low voice:

"The Water Armor Robe has slightly lower cost and is lighter. It specializes in defending against fire-element spells, but its other defensive effects are considerably worse than the Jade Water Armor."

Ordinary loose cultivators couldn't afford this type of spiritual artifact either.

But Mo Hua had one question: "The Jade Water Armor—does it defend against everything, and on top of that, has extremely high fire resistance?"

"The Jade Water Armor has a higher cost. It can defend against both force-based attacks and spell damage, and it specializes in defending against burns from fire-element spells."

Only then did Master Gu feel reassured.

He couldn't help but recall that back when he was at the Tongxian Gate, drawing formations for fellow disciples to earn spirit stones, the first gift he had bought for his mother was a Fire-Warding Hairpin of less than first grade.

Mo Hua started, came back to himself, and said with a smile, "I was just reminded of something. Master Gu, please continue…"

"After all, one is armor, the other is a robe."

Mo Hua understood, took a sip of the sweet-and-sour plum juice, and nodded slowly:

"Got it. Come back in three days."

Seeing this, Master Gu called out softly.

"It's nothing," Mo Hua said. "They have plenty of spirit stones."

"First get the general-purpose functions right, then consider specific effects."

Master Gu gave Mo Hua a few options:

Mo Hua was startled upon hearing this.

Although Xie Ling looked like a little sidekick, coming from a noble clan, he was certainly not short on money.

"And these kinds of accessories aren't cheap either, like Cold Water Jade, Fire-Proofing Pendant, Fire-Warding Hairpin…"

Fire-Warding Hairpin.

Mo Hua had an idea in mind, so he consulted Master Gu again.

Master Gu nodded. "An armor-type spiritual artifact must first be 'armor,' and only then can other functions be considered."

"Extreme-effect spiritual artifacts like this were refined by refineries in the past, but they're destined not to suit the average cultivator—very few people buy them, sales don't pick up, the refineries' losses are extremely severe, and gradually no refinery refines them anymore…"

Master Gu glanced at Mo Hua. "Young Master, you intend to…"

"Mm," Mo Hua nodded. "We'll make this kind of extreme spiritual artifact."

"This way the process is definitely simpler, the cost is lower, and the refining time is shorter."

"Besides, this is a custom spiritual artifact to begin with. It doesn't need to excel at everything—just push one thing to the extreme."

Master Gu pondered for a moment, then nodded and said:

"This is best—just as the Young Master wishes."

Afterward, Mo Hua spent some time designing a forging array, combining the method with the old alchemy blueprints provided by Master Gu.

The two then discussed for half a day, refining the details.

Master Gu returned to begin work.

Three days later, Xie Ling came to find Mo Hua again.

Mo Hua told him everything was arranged, but the spiritual artifact would take time to forge.

With Mo Hua's assurance, Xie Ling felt a great weight lift.

About eight days later, Master Gu, following Mo Hua's design, forged five Fire-Repelling Dao Robes and, through Mo Hua, inscribed the arrays onto them.

These robes had no other use—they could repel fire only.

But the fire-repelling effect was nearly perfect.

Mo Hua handed the five Fire-Repelling Dao Robes to Xie Ling.

Xie Ling accepted them solemnly, and during his ten-day leave, went to apprehend the cultivator skilled in fire arts.

Two days later, the leave ended.

Xie Ling came to see Mo Hua, bringing four others with him.

The group approached Mo Hua and bowed in unison, saying:

"Thank you, Young Brother!"

Xie Ling was deeply moved: "Wearing the Fire-Repelling Dao Robes you gave us, we fought that cultivator—his fire spells burned against us, yet we felt no fear, only slight scorching pain. Compared to before, it was like heaven and earth…"

"In the final clash, we finally captured that villain."

The other four also looked excited.

Though they were in the same cohort as Mo Hua, their talents were not particularly outstanding—at least not compared to the prodigies of Grand Void Gate.

In truth, they were all geniuses from major clans across the Nine Provinces.

But gathered in Qian Province, where geniuses abounded, their talents no longer seemed so exceptional.

They were not ordinary, but relatively mediocre.

Their pressure was immense.

Unlike Mo Hua, who ranked Jia Six Bing Three and remained as calm as still water, unaffected.

These prodigy disciples must strive forward.

They bore the expectations of their parents and clans—they had to learn everything, master everything, and not let any skill fall behind.

The cultivation curriculum of Grand Void Gate was heavy and time-consuming.

Beyond their heavy coursework, their progress on bounty missions was slow.

Especially those who, though talented, had been raised within their clans, disliked combat, and were unaccustomed to killing—they rarely undertook such bounty hunts.

Like Xie Ling and the others, though they had been in the sect for three years, their experience in apprehending criminal cultivators remained minimal, their methods crude.

Moreover, the opponents they faced were battle-hardened and cunning.

Initial setbacks were inevitable.

Now, with the aid of the Fire-Repelling Dao Robes, they had successfully defeated a "strong enemy," captured the criminal, completed the mission, gained experience, and earned merit.

Their hearts could not help but swell with joy.

Xie Ling and the others specially invited Mo Hua to eat chicken legs.

According to Cheng Mo, Young Brother's favorite foods included chicken legs—when asking Young Brother for a favor, one must "offer" chicken legs.

Mo Hua ate the chicken legs while chatting with Xie Ling and the others.

As they talked, Mo Hua suddenly asked curiously:

"Does your Xie family of Gen Province have a lineage?"

Sister Situ inherited the Fire-Dispelling Sword Art, Yang Qianjun inherited the Yang Family Spear Art, and Cheng Mo, also from Gen Province, inherited the Mountain-Splitting Axe Art.

But Xie Ling…

Mo Hua truly saw nothing special in him…

Xie Ling nodded: "Gen Province is mountainous. Our Xie family's heritage is the art of geomancy—discerning mountain and river qi veins, determining life and death burial sites, transmitting the Yin-Yang Fengshui Secret Array…"

"Yin-Yang Fengshui Secret Array?!"

Mo Hua was startled: "You know this array?"

Xie Ling blushed: "My array talent is poor—I never mastered it. I only learned methods to discern qi, traverse mountains, locate tombs, and suppress malevolent spirits."

Mo Hua frowned: "Discern qi, traverse mountains, locate tombs, suppress malevolent spirits?"

Xie Ling said: "Discerning the qi of heaven and earth, using mountains and rivers to conceal one's form, reading fengshui to determine burial sites, preventing corpse transformation, expelling ghosts and curses—and deeper still, severing life through death, reversing heavenly fate…"

Mo Hua's pupils contracted, his heart reeling.

Severing life through death, reversing heavenly fate…

Xie Ling scratched his head, apologetic: "But I'm unskilled—I only know a little of the surface. These are family secrets; my grandfather warned me not to speak of them…"

Mo Hua's gaze grew thoughtful, his thoughts churning.

Seeing this, Xie Ling thought Mo Hua was displeased and hurriedly said:

"But Young Brother, if you have time, visit Qiongyin Mountain's provincial border in Gen Province—you may come to my Xie family's home. Some of these secret arts are beyond my authority, but if my grandfather approves, perhaps he might teach them…"

Mo Hua's gaze turned solemn, and he nodded deeply:

"Good!"

Gen Province, Qiongyin Mountain's provincial border…

Mo Hua firmly committed this place to memory.

……

After that, whenever Xie Ling had questions he couldn't answer or wasn't sure about, he would go to the disciples' dining hall during meals, offer a chicken leg, and ask Mo Hua for advice.

Mo Hua was extremely experienced in handling bounty requests.

Even Huo Fotuo had been outwitted by him, let alone these "little shrimp" criminal cultivators.

Thus, every time Xie Ling asked, he got a precise answer.

Whatever he asked, Mo Hua always answered.

With Mo Hua's guidance, combined with matching arrays and spirit instruments, Xie Ling's subsequent bounty missions went smoothly and were highly efficient.

As a result, Xie Ling greatly admired Mo Hua.

Though young, he knew so much, his arrays were excellent, he planned ahead, calculated without omission, and treated others with sincerity and warmth.

No wonder Master Xun chose him as "Little Senior Brother."

No matter how difficult the bounty, as long as one followed Little Senior Brother's instructions faithfully and meticulously, failure was virtually impossible, and risks dropped significantly.

This wasn't just "Little Senior Brother"—he was practically the sect's wise elder guiding lost souls.

From then on, Xie Ling would brag about Mo Hua to anyone he met.

Thus, barely had Mo Hua sat down in the dining hall when disciples would often approach, bow respectfully, and politely call out, "Little Senior Brother!"

"I have a favor to ask."

"I want to buy a spirit instrument…"

"I need to capture a criminal cultivator, but I can't find him…"

"Please, Little Senior Brother, guide me…"

Among these disciples, some were familiar, others not.

Mo Hua treated them all equally and did his best to answer.

Occasionally needed spirit instruments varied widely.

There were compasses for reconnaissance, spirit mirrors to reveal hidden targets, armor to defend against spells, swords, and fists, as well as weapons that pierced armor, caused bleeding, and carried elemental damage.

Mo Hua designed spirit instrument crafting arrays for each of these needs, and through Master Gu, had the finished spirit instruments forged.

But a problem soon arose.

Mo Hua was overwhelmed.

Designing crafting arrays was manageable, since they related to arrays—he could learn from them.

But other trivial matters, especially buying and selling spirit instruments—setting prices, accounting, delivering goods—were a terrible waste of time.

He thought for a while and came up with a solution.

On his day off, Mo Hua went to Master Gu and asked:

"Master Gu, does the Gu family have any merchant halls, market stalls, or shops in Tai Xu City?"

Master Gu paused, surprised:

"Are you suggesting…?"

Mo Hua said: "All custom spirit instruments should be sold in your shop. Keep whatever profit you make—you handle the accounting."

Though earning spirit stones was good, he now had more important things to do.

Moreover, he intended to use these spirit stones to subsidize Master Gu and his team.

Especially the impoverished spirit forgers at Gushan Spirit Forging Shop.

Mo Hua himself was content to spread and apply the arrays he'd learned, practicing what he preached to deepen his understanding—that was enough.

He had no desire to profit greatly from this.

He didn't approach Xu Wanyi because he knew she had her own difficulties; such minor matters shouldn't trouble her.

Master Gu's heart trembled slightly, and he immediately said:

"I'll go find out."

Though he was a Jin Dan of the Gu family, he oversaw the forging shop and wasn't especially familiar with business operations.

But he knew this might be a once-in-a-millennium opportunity.

Master Gu used some connections to gather details, then told Mo Hua:

"Near Tai Xu Gate, in Tai Xu City, the Gu family owns only one merchant hall."

"This merchant hall earns little, so it sells everything—medicines, spirit instruments, arrays—anything to make a little profit."

"I have some influence in the clan, so I've arranged for custom spirit instruments to be placed in the merchant hall for sale."

"The merchant hall will take a ten percent cut of the profits."

Mo Hua nodded.

But he didn't really understand business matters.

He'd leave it to Master Gu to handle.

This matter was settled.

Though Mo Hua said nothing, Xu Wanyi still found out.

Most of the Daoist enterprises jointly operated by the Gu and Wen families near Qian Xue Province were overseen by Xu Wanyi.

Previously, there had also been some Gu family forging shops and merchant halls under the Shangguan family.

But these had been reclaimed by the Shangguan family and leased to the Shen family.

This was Shangguan Ce's decision; Xu Wanyi had no power to stop it.

Yet other Daoist enterprises jointly held by the Wen and Gu families still remained under Xu Wanyi's control.

Master Gu's inquiries within the Gu clan about the merchant hall naturally didn't escape her notice.

Even Master Gu's ability to mobilize connections and secure permission to sell custom spirit instruments in the merchant hall had been approved by Xu Wanyi.

Wen Renwan agreed only because of Mo Hua's face.

Otherwise, in a Xiancheng like Tai Xu City, adjacent to a major sect, the spirit stones required just to rent a merchant pavilion were extremely expensive.

Even Master Gu might not afford this cost.

The commission was set by Wen Renwan.

This commission was reserved by her for Mo Hua.

Wen Renwan feared Mo Hua would be cheated in business with Master Gu, so she directly took a ten percent cut from the merchant pavilion, thinking that if the spirit tools failed to sell and the business collapsed, she would at least have secured some spirit stones for Mo Hua, ensuring he didn't suffer a loss.

The matter was settled thus; henceforth, all custom spirit tools were sold at Gu Family's Merchant Pavilion.

Mo Hua became a hands-off shopkeeper, completely at ease.

As more of his fellow sect members sought his "guidance," more people bought spirit tools, and more Tai Xu disciples became acquainted with him.

Mo Hua's network within the Tai Xu Sect grew ever broader.

From the sect's ancient ancestors down to the teaching elders, senior disciples, and fellow students, Mo Hua knew everyone.

Especially among his fellow disciples, Mo Hua commanded great prestige.

When in doubt, ask Little Senior Brother—this had become routine.

At the dining hall, disciples paying tribute to the "dining group" grew increasingly numerous.

The chicken legs in the dining hall were nearly sold out…

(End of Chapter)