Chapter 97: The Request

Yesterday, Seeing Mo Shan hunted and killed a beast, skinned it, removed its bones, and collected its beast core; after tidying everything up, he was just about to descend the mountain and return home when a hunter with some acquaintance approached him, speaking with great courtesy.

"Big Brother Mo, there's something I'd like to ask you for a favor…"

The hunter's surname was Zhou, name Cheng, of medium height and a slender build.

Seeing Mo Shan was always generous; he assumed the man was in trouble and said, "Speak up—if I can help, I will."

Zhou Cheng looked slightly embarrassed. "It's not that I'm asking you to act—I have a small matter, and I'd like your son to help me…"

Seeing Mo Shan froze. "My son? Mo Hua?"

"Yes, yes," Zhou Cheng said. "I have some acquaintance with you, Big Brother Mo, but I've never even met your son. To go directly to him would be improper, so I came to you instead…"

Seeing Mo Shan eyed him suspiciously. "My son Mo Hua is only at Qi Condensation Fourth Layer. What can he possibly do for you?"

"He can! He can!" Zhou Cheng hurried to say. "I have a younger son, fifteen or sixteen, Qi Condensation Sixth Layer—he just became a hunter not long ago. But his talent is average, and his martial cultivation is poor. I'm afraid that if he encounters a stubborn beast in the mountains and something happens…"

Zhou Cheng sighed. "So far, he's been lucky—no serious beasts have crossed his path, and he's remained unharmed. But you and I are both fathers and hunters—we both know that once you enter Great Heishan, anything can happen. Just thinking about it keeps me from sleeping soundly."

Seeing Mo Shan deeply understood and nodded.

"A few days ago, I heard there's a young arrayist on your side who can inscribe arrays onto vine armor—something that, at a critical moment, can buy you an extra second against a beast and save a life. Later, I inquired further and learned this young arrayist's surname is Mo, and his father is Seeing Mo Shan. I thought, how convenient—so I came to ask you."

Zhou Cheng stared at Seeing Mo Shan, afraid he would refuse.

Seeing Mo Shan hesitated. "It's not that I don't want to help you—it's just… I know Mo Hua is studying arrays, but I don't understand arrays myself, and I don't know how well he's learned. Your array seems complicated—he may not even be able to draw it."

"He can! He can!" Zhou Cheng hurried to say.

"How do you know he can?" Seeing Mo Shan asked, puzzled.

"I heard it from Old Xu—the man who used to hunt with me in the mountains—the one who used to be rude to you, challenged you to a fight, and got punched down by you…"

Zhou Cheng smiled and continued. "He said Old Meng's son, Brother Da Hu, was pierced through the chest by a scorpion beast—but because his vine armor had an array inscribed on it, his heart meridian wasn't damaged, and he survived. He also said you're lucky to have such a good son, though he said it in a sarcastic tone. Don't hold it against him—who else would you blame for having beaten him?"

"Oh, Old Xu…" Seeing Mo Shan remembered.

He had heard about Brother Da Hu's injury, but at the time he was still in the mountains; after returning, he learned Da Hu was fine and didn't pay much attention.

Hunters get injured all the time. As long as they don't lose limbs, damage meridians, or die, it's considered normal—it's the price of the job.

If it's Brother Da Hu, then it's plausible—Mo Hua grew up playing with them; helping him inscribe an array on his armor would be natural.

Seeing Mo Shan pondered this.

Zhou Cheng gripped Seeing Mo Shan's hand. "Big Brother Mo, you absolutely must help me—otherwise, I simply can't rest easy about my younger son!"

Seeing Mo Shan thought for a moment. "I'll go home and ask. If Mo Hua really can draw the array you mentioned, he'll draw it for you. But if he can't, then there's nothing I can do…"

Zhou Cheng beamed. "Thank you, Big Brother Mo! If he can draw it, I'll pay any amount of spirit stones."

Then his expression turned ashamed. "But lately… I don't have many spirit stones. If it's not enough, could I owe you? I'll pay you back next month after I hunt and split the spoils."

Seeing Mo Shan waved his hand. "It's a small matter—we'll settle it later."

If it were him helping, whether to take spirit stones or not didn't matter—but this was about Mo Hua. He had to go home and ask his son's opinion first.

But… could Mo Hua really draw this kind of armor array?

Seeing Mo Shan returned home and asked Mo Hua directly: "Can you do it?"

"I can," Mo Hua nodded.

"Are you free these days?"

"Yes."

"Can you draw it for him?"

"Of course."

Seeing Mo Shan hadn't expected it to be this easy.

Yesterday, when others begged him, they were utterly earnest—he thought it must be something difficult. Yet to Mo Hua, it seemed like a trivial matter?

"How long will it take?"

"Very quickly—half a day," Mo Hua said.

In truth, it would take less than an hour—Mo Hua's spiritual sense was strong, his control precise, and he was thoroughly familiar with the Iron Armor Array; drawing it posed virtually no difficulty. Still, it was better to allow extra time.

Seeing Mo Shan nodded, then asked: "What's the usual payment for drawing an array?"

Seeing Mo Shan's hesitant expression made Mo Hua say: "Father, is there something else you want to say?"

Seeing Mo Shan thought for a moment, then said: "His family isn't well-off. His younger son is a hunter—he needs to buy everything. He probably doesn't have many spirit stones. If you can charge less, charge less. But it's still your decision—after all, you're the one drawing the array."

Previously, Seeing Mo Shan assumed Mo Hua's low cultivation meant his array skills were also shallow—helping neighbors repair arrays, taking or not taking spirit stones didn't matter; losing a little was fine.

But now he realized it was different—arrays useful to hunters were certainly not simple arrays with only two or three array lines.

Mo Hua could draw such arrays—he was nearly on par with ordinary arrayists in Xiancheng.

Seeing Mo Shan knew how hard it was to become an arrayist—even the most basic one required ten to twenty years of relentless study.

Yet Mo Hua was only eleven or twelve—he must have devoted every spare moment to studying arrays. While other children complained about cultivation and dreamed of where to play, Mo Hua studied day and night.

Seeing Mo Shan recalled: every time he returned from hunting, Mo Hua was always drawing arrays. Sometimes, when he came home late, Mo Hua's room light was still on.

Seeing Mo Shan felt a pang of sorrow—and now he was even more determined not to let his son be taken advantage of.

Mo Hua hadn't noticed all these thoughts. He calculated briefly and said: "Bring the vine armor and a bottle of metal-affinity spirit ink. Better ink improves the array's effect—but if you can't afford good ink, ordinary ink is fine. As for payment—Father, how much spirit stone do hunters earn in a day?"

"About five spirit stones per person."

Five per day—but hunters couldn't be in the mountains every day, couldn't always find beasts, and even if they did, they might not kill them. If they encountered a tough beast and got injured, they'd have to spend spirit stones on pills. So the income was never much—and hunting was inherently dangerous.

"Then charge five spirit stones," Mo Hua said.

Seeing Mo Shan nodded, then couldn't help asking: "Five spirit stones… aren't you losing out?"

Hiring an arrayist to draw an array cost a lot of spirit stones. Seeing Mo Shan had never hired one—he had no spirit stones to spend—but after living in Xiancheng so long, he knew the general prices.

Mo Hua said: "I'm still learning arrays. Earning more or less doesn't matter—I just want more chances to practice. Besides, Father, you always tell me that cultivators should help each other. When our family was struggling, these uncles and aunts helped us. Now that we can, helping them is only right."

Mo Hua smiled. "It helps others, lets me practice arrays, and earns me spirit stones—a triple benefit. Isn't that good?"

"Good," Seeing Mo Shan reached out and gently patted Mo Hua's head. "I'll have him prepare everything tomorrow, and you'll draw the array."

After finishing his meal, Mo Hua returned to his room to rest.

Mo Shan sat alone, growing more and more pleased as he thought about his son's words and realized his son was already considered a Array Master; even the usually composed and calm Mo Shan could not hide the smile on his face.

Tired, he would rise at the usual fifth watch today.