Chapter 129: Spices (Third Update)_1
The effects of the Earth Fire Formation exceeded expectations.
Yu Chengyi was not mistaken, with the Earth Fire Formation in place, just a few cultivators at the sixth level of Qi Refinement could hunt down a rank one, middle phase monster beast, and as long as they were careful, there wouldn’t be any significant casualties.
Previously, the Monster Hunting Team consisted of veterans mentoring newcomers, with several experienced hunters bringing along some rookies.
This not only protected the newcomers but also allowed them to familiarize themselves with the environment, gain experience, hone their Taoist skills, and even share some spirit stones to subsidize their household income.
However, this method of teaming up significantly reduced the hunting efficiency of the experienced monster hunters.
Now with the formation in place, as long as the novices were taught some basic techniques, they could hunt on their own.
Because the Earth Fire Formation would directly blast the monster beasts into severe injuries, their channels would be damaged, their demonic power would circulate slowly, and many of their tricky maneuvers could not be deployed, so these newcomers would also be relatively safer.
Thanks to the Earth Fire Formation, the novices could earn spirit stones, and the veterans could hunt more easily, making the lives of all monster hunters more comfortable.
However, Mo Hua was just one person, and although she could draw the formations quickly, there was still a limit to how many Earth Fire Formations she could produce in a day.
Yu Chengyi thought it over and decided to save some Earth Fire Formations and assign more manpower instead.
Using five Earth Fire Formations required three or four monster hunters to finish off the beasts.
Now, with three formations, but six or seven monster hunters to deal the final blows.
The results were more or less the same.
Mo Hua was extremely familiar with the Earth Fire Formation, drawing them faster and more efficiently over time, and the number of monster hunters using her drawn Earth Fire Formations for hunting increased.
As time went on, nearly all the cultivators who were at the middle phase of Qi Refinement became acquainted with Mo Hua.
Some wore Rattan Armor with Iron Armor Formations drawn by Mo Hua; some used Earth Fire Formations drawn by Mo Hua for hunting; others had formations on their family’s doors and windows drawn by Mo Hua.
Even the cultivators in the latter stages of Qi Refinement mostly recognized Mo Hua.
Some had life-saving ties with Mo Shan and naturally knew Mo Hua well; some had asked Mo Shan to have Mo Hua draw formations for them; even if some had no direct connection with Mo Hua, they had heard about this Junior Formation Master from relatives or Taoist friends;
And there were some who had been personally instructed by Yu Chengyi to take extra care of Mo Hua inside Big Black Mountain.
In this manner, Mo Hua had been mixing in the mountain for over a month and found that almost everyone in the external part of the mountain had become an acquaintance.
Often, as he walked around, cultivators he recognized would greet him.
There were also cultivators who would offer him wild fruits picked from the mountainside.
Sour and sweet, crispy and delicious.
Beyond wild fruits, there were those who offered dry food, jerked meat, pine nuts, and rice wine.
Even without bringing anything, Mo Hua could eat to his heart’s content and return home full and satisfied…
Since it’s rude not to reciprocate, Mo Hua began to ask his mother to pack several pounds of sliced beef in various flavors into his storage bag for every mountain expedition.
When others treated him, he would treat them to his beef.
As this went on, some people started hoping to encounter Mo Hua in the mountains.
Especially some veteran monster hunters who had a craving for liquor but lacked meat to go with it.
Previously, when they were not hunting monsters, they did not wish to stay in the mountain for a moment longer.
Now, with time to spare, they would even deliberately wait on the mountain paths of the external mountain, eagerly anticipating Mo Hua’s arrival. Then they’d offer Mo Hua pastries and wild fruits, and Mo Hua would offer them meat to pair with their drinks.
These monster hunters had been entrusted by Yu Chengyi to keep an eye on Mo Hua, and sometimes when Mo Hua encountered difficulties on the mountain, they would lend a hand.
Mo Hua remembered their kindness.
So sometimes, even when he had no particular reason to, Mo Hua would bring some meat to the mountain, sit with them on the large rocks amidst the mountainscape, enjoy the meat, and listen to their tales of monster hunting.
Occasionally they would comment on the taste of the meat.
Such as it being not spicy enough, cooked too soft to have any chew, or the gamey flavor being too mild for their taste…
While commenting, they gorged on the meat as if it were the most delicious thing ever.
Some monster hunters even offered advice, suggesting that some of the herbs from the mountains were excellent, and adding them to the meat when cooking would enhance the flavor even more.
Mo Hua’s eyes lit up, and he immediately inquired about where these herbs could be found.
“There are many in the mountains; you’ll have to find them yourself.”
The Monster Hunter said this as he took out a thin booklet, which depicted various flowers, plants, and trees and also indicated which parts of these plants could be used as spices.
Some were flowers, some were leaves, some were stems and branches, and there were also dew, flower paste, tree resin, and more.
All in all, there were dozens of varieties.
The Monster Hunter gave the booklet to Mo Hua with only one condition—that he be allowed to taste the delicious meat once it was cooked.
Mo Hua, considering it a treasure, nodded eagerly.
Afterward, as Mo Hua crossed the mountains, he kept an eye out for the spices listed in the booklet.
If he found any, he would pick them and later take them home to his mother.
Liu Ruhua was also overjoyed; she had always been devoted to researching various Taoist culinary dishes, and with these spices, her cooking could only be enhanced.
Using the spices, Liu Ruhua made some meat dishes; Mo Hua tasted them and found indeed that the flavors were improved and the aftertaste more complex.
Mo Hua, as promised, brought some of the meat to the Monster Hunter to try.
After eating, the Monster Hunter’s expression was calm and open-minded, as if he tasted a kind of “death with no regrets” in this lifetime…
His expression was so exaggerated that Mo Hua didn’t know what to say.
Mo Hua also delivered some to Forgetful Residence.
Bai Zisheng tasted it and, finding the flavor improved, enviously said,
“Mo Hua, your mother is really great!”
After saying that, he had a brainwave and suggested, “Why don’t you ask your mom if she’d take me as a foster son?”
Mo Hua rolled his eyes at him.
Bai Zixi couldn’t help herself either and threw a paper ball at Bai Zisheng’s forehead.
The beef Mo Hua brought to Mr. Zhuang was the best, with an excellent presentation, comprising five or six dishes—each garnished with either vibrant green onions or fiery red hot sauce, every dish offering a unique flavor.
After tasting a bite, Mr. Zhuang furrowed his brow. Moments later, he couldn’t help but lament,
“The desires of the palate can corrupt a person’s determination!”
Yet he couldn’t resist taking another bite.
The spices were excellent, and the food business thrived even more.
Mo Hua was very happy and decided that while he was gathering spices, he might as well collect some medicinal herbs and other such things.
After all, setting up formations and hunting Monster Beasts didn’t actually require him.
He just needed to paint the formations and then bleed them at the end.
With the remaining time, he usually strolled around the outer mountains.
Gathering spices, harvesting herbs, and mining were all part of the same task.
Mo Hua sought out Old Mr. Feng and got a copy of “Tao Cultivation Herbalism,” then went to Master Chen and received a copy of “Tao Cultivation Mineral Records.”
He used the descriptions in the two books to search for medicinal herbs and various minerals.
It would both enhance his knowledge of Tao Cultivation and allow him to collect some medicinal herbs and minerals—after all, it was a matter of convenience and opportunity should not be wasted.
The herbs he collected, Mo Hua gave to Old Mr. Feng, while the minerals he mined, he gave to Master Chen.
They were not polite to Mo Hua and told him to seek them out whenever he needed pills or a Spiritual Artifact.
So Mo Hua went about his life outside Big Black Mountain, drawing maps, finding spices, picking some herbs, digging for minerals, and waiting for other Monster Hunters to kill the Monster Beasts before he would go bleed them, stocking up to mix Spiritual Ink.
Until one day, he noticed that more and more Monster Hunters were using the Earth Fire Formation. Often, by the time he finished bleeding a Monster Beast killed in the south, another would already be dead in the north.
By the time he heard about it, the Monster Beast in the north would already be too cold to bleed.
And just like that, ten bottles of Monster Blood were wasted…
After this occurred several times, Mo Hua frowned and pondered,
“I need to think of a solution, or it’s too wasteful…”