Arrays of Immortality

Chapter 6: Spirit Stones

Mo Hua sat in his room for a while. After Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua finished talking, he changed into casual clothes, pretended as if nothing had happened, and happily walked out of the room.

The family of three ate together. Mo Shan had already eaten earlier, so Mo Hua clung to him, asking him to share stories about hunting demons.

Mo Shan selectively shared a few tales, like the one-eyed wolf, the two-headed tiger, and the three-legged boar.

One team had killed an adult demonic beast but failed to retrieve its demon core. They only took the worthless fur and skin. By the time they realized their mistake and returned, the core had already been taken by someone else. The team leader was so regretful that he coughed up blood and fainted.

Another story involved someone capturing an ancient bloodline beast, which a major sect purchased at a high price, ensuring the man's lifelong wealth and comfort. But one day, he mysteriously disappeared…

Mo Hua listened with interest, knowing full well that these stories must include blood, danger, and cruelty—parts his father deliberately left out.

Parents always wish to protect their children from the harsh realities of life, hoping they can have a pure and happy childhood.

After listening to the stories, three small heads peeked through the front door. Bright, dark eyes looked into the house. Seeing Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua there, the children neatly lined up and greeted:

"Hello, Uncle Mo! Hello, Aunt Liu!"

The three children, all surnamed Meng, lived on the same street. Their family also made a living hunting demons.

The Meng family elders had a good relationship with Mo Shan, and their homes were close, so Mo Hua had grown up playing with them. The three children's names were also similar: Meng Dahu, Meng Shuanghu, and Meng Xiaohu, named according to their birth order.

Among the demonic beasts near Tongxian City, tiger-like beasts were the strongest. Naming the children with "Hu" (tiger) in their names reflected the hope that they would grow up with the power and vigor of tigers.

The three children truly lived up to their names, looking sturdy and tiger-like.

Mo Hua was the youngest and had been frail and sickly since birth. Mo Shan felt that Mo Hua would never grow up to be as strong as a tiger. Seeing his delicate, porcelain-like appearance, Mo Shan took the character "Hua" from his wife Liu Ruhua's name and named him Mo Hua.

When Liu Ruhua saw the three children, she handed each of them a steamed bun. Although the children said they didn't want it, their hands instinctively reached out to grab the buns, stuffing them into their mouths and saying with full cheeks, "Thank you, Aunt Liu!"

Liu Ruhua was known as the best cook in the neighborhood, which made the three children envious of Mo Hua.

Mo Shan waved his hand. "Go play together. Be back for lunch at noon!"

Mo Hua and the three children agreed and ran off.

Among the Meng children, Dahu was honest and straightforward, Shuanghu was clever, and Xiaohu was a chatterbox. All three were older and taller than Mo Hua, so they usually led him in play.

On their way, Dahu and the others chattered endlessly—where there were dragon dances, fireworks, large crowds, or dancing girls with colorful costumes.

But they talked too much and couldn't decide where to go.

Finally, they agreed: adults make choices, but children want everything—they would visit every place!

As the year-end approached, students returning from sects and wandering cultivators coming home for the holidays made Tongxian City livelier than usual. The streets were packed with people.

Some body-refining cultivators in the Qi Refining stage showed off their martial skills with weapons, while spiritual cultivators performed flashy but impractical spells, drawing admiration and awe from children.

Those skilled in crafting mechanical devices created small toys—a wooden rabbit, puppy, or kitten powered by a trace of spiritual energy that could run across the ground. There were all sorts of fascinating things on display, leaving people dazzled.

Dahu, Shuanghu, and Xiaohu played joyfully, excitedly shouting at every new sight. Mo Hua played with them while quietly observing the streets, trying to spot any opportunities to earn some spirit stones.

After looking around, he realized that most ways to earn spirit stones were already occupied by others. As for the things no one was doing, Mo Hua currently lacked the ability to do them.

Watching the hardworking performers and vendors, Mo Hua sighed inwardly. Making a living was no easy task.

Shuanghu noticed Mo Hua wasn't as cheerful and asked, "Mo Hua, do you have something on your mind?"

Dahu immediately said, "Is someone bullying you? I'll go beat them up!"

Xiaohu nodded repeatedly, "Yeah, beat them up! Beat them up!"

The Meng elders had instructed the three to take care of the frail Mo Hua. On top of that, Liu Ruhua often shared delicious food with them, leaving an impression of kindness.

The three kids were loyal and grateful. Whenever someone tried to bully Mo Hua, they would roll up their sleeves and charge into a fight without a second thought.

Mo Hua, regarded as the smartest among the neighborhood's scattered cultivator families, was also their go-to when they couldn't solve their school assignments. This strengthened their bond.

Seeing them eager to fight, Mo Hua laughed helplessly and said, "No one's bullying me. I'm just thinking about how I can earn some spirit stones."

"Earning spirit stones…"

The three of them looked equally troubled. They could fight, but earning spirit stones was beyond them.

Mo Hua thought for a moment and asked, "Do you know how array masters earn spirit stones?"

The cultivation world was vast, but Mo Hua's daily life only involved practicing and studying arrays. He knew that becoming an array master would ensure a stable livelihood. However, he had no idea how ordinary or apprentice-level array masters earned spirit stones.

The three Meng children often roamed around, so they might know something Mo Hua didn't.

Dahu shook his head after thinking it over. "It's hard to pass the array master ranking exam. There's not even a single first-grade array master in our neighborhood, so I don't really know…"

"Not just our neighborhood—there aren't many array masters in the whole Tongxian City. Even fewer can officially rank as first-grade array masters. My distant uncle in the Meng family has been studying arrays for twenty years but still hasn't passed the exam!" Xiaohu said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"You heard wrong," Shuanghu corrected. "Uncle Meng is just an array apprentice. He wants to learn from an array master, but he can't pass their entrance tests, so no one accepts him."

"Then what does he do for a living?" Mo Hua asked curiously.

"I heard he draws simple arrays for merchants to earn some spirit stones. Then he uses those stones to buy materials and keep practicing," Shuanghu explained.

"Merchants, huh…"

"Yes! Even if you can't rank officially, you can still make a living as an ordinary array master. Drawing arrays for merchants earns enough spirit stones to live comfortably," Shuanghu added.

Then he turned to Mo Hua. "Do you want to become an array master?"

Mo Hua nodded. "Yes. My body is too weak to become a demon hunter. If a demonic beast smacks me, I'd lose half my life. I need to find a way to make a living. But for now, I'll just see if I can earn a little spirit stone. If I do, I'll buy you all some pastries!"

The three Meng kids instantly cheered up.

"Great!"

"You're so smart; I'm sure you'll earn spirit stones and become an array master one day!"

"Pastries! Pastries!"

For children from ordinary cultivator families, even simple street pastries were a rare treat.

They wandered around a bit more, exploring everything except the "colorfully dressed dancing girls," which they didn't find. Satisfied, they returned home for lunch just before noon.

After lunch, Mo Hua told his parents he was going out to play. He then went alone to the North Street of Tongxian City.

The North Street was prosperous, while the South Street was lively.

South Street had markets filled with small vendors and stalls, while North Street featured formal shops selling high-quality goods like talismans, pills, and artifacts, albeit at higher prices.

But Mo Hua wasn't there to buy anything—he didn't have the spirit stones for that.

He walked from one end of the street to the other, surveying all the shops. Finally, he chose the least impressive and sparsely visited shop that specialized in arrays and stepped inside.

(End of Chapter)

Note:

"Hu (虎)" means "tiger", the meanings are:

1. Meng Da Hu (梦大虎): "Big Dream Tiger"(Big Tiger) — Symbolizes immense power or a significant challenge

2. Meng Shuang Hu (梦双虎): "Twin Dream Tigers"(Twin Tiger) — Represents balance, duality, or two formidable forces.

3. Meng Xiao Hu (梦小虎): "Little Dream Tiger"(Little Tiger) — Symbolizes latent potential, growth, or a smaller challenge.