Translator: 549690339
At the foot of the mountain path leading to Forgetful Residence, stood three Cultivators.
Among the three Cultivators, two children stood in the front, followed by a veiled woman behind them.
The two children, a boy, and a girl, seemed slightly older than Mo Hua, dressed in bright and luxurious clothes that suggested high status. At this moment, they were respectfully standing on the steps in front of the gate, bowing towards the mountain.
The boy was handsome, with eyes that sparkled brightly.
The girl was exceedingly beautiful, her complexion even whiter and clearer than snow under the sunlight.
From a distance, the two looked like a Golden Boy and Jade Girl serving beneath an Immortal.
Behind the two children stood a tall woman with a veil, whose face was unclear. She seemed like a housekeeper or a guard from a Clan, with no sign of Spiritual Power fluctuations around her; however, she exuded an oppressive feeling that Mo Hua had never sensed before.
“They look like they are disciples from Noble Clans, here to seek Mr. Zhuang’s teaching…”
Mo Hua speculated in secret, but such matters were obviously for Mr. Zhuang to decide, and they were of no concern to him.
Mo Hua only needed to learn Formation well from Mr. Zhuang, after all, he was merely a registered Disciple, and he did not know how long Mr. Zhuang would teach him.
Mo Hua headed up the mountain on his own, and the three people at the door naturally noticed him as well. Seeing that Mo Hua was plainly dressed and possessed low Spiritual Power, they only gave him a brief glance and didn’t pay much attention.
That is until Mo Hua walked past them and stepped onto the distant mountain path, reaching the courtyard hidden in the mist.
Then, with a small push of his hand, he opened the bamboo door that the three had waited all night to enter and that had not been opened for several hours, entering as if into his own home…
A complex expression began to show on the faces of the three people.
The two children couldn’t help but glance at the woman behind them, who shook her head in secret, signaling them to be patient. Only then did the children calm their minds and continue to wait with respect.
Once Mo Hua entered the courtyard, he set down the bamboo basket he was carrying, took out a dish of sauce-coated meat, and several plates of snacks, and arranged them on the small table in the courtyard. This way, Mr. Zhuang could enjoy wine or tea overlooking the scenery when he woke.
Mo Hua sneaked a peek into the inner room, and sure enough, the Gentleman was still enjoying his lazy sleep.
Mo Hua then took two boxes of fried pine nuts to Old Kui, who got up early and was currently playing Five Elements Chess alone, his face showing no emotion as if he were either amused or bored.
After placing the pine nuts aside, Old Kui tried one and his expression slightly changed, “The taste is different.”
“There are two different flavors, one fried with a fragrant licorice and the other with a spicy spice, my mother said to let you try them, to switch up the flavors,” Mo Hua replied.
Old Kui tasted one from each box, nodded, and said, “You study Formation now. Come play chess with me when you are tired.”
Mo Hua ran into the study to find the Formation Books he had not finished yet, and then went to the big locust tree in the courtyard, sitting on a small wooden stump, leaning over the small stone table, studying Formation.
This table and stump were specially made by Old Kui for Mo Hua, then placed in Mo’s favorite spot, with heights that were just right.
Mr. Zhuang was indolent, not making too many demands on Mo Hua, but Mo knew that an opportunity was rare and it was unlikely that he’d get guidance on Formation from such an expert as Mr. Zhuang in the future.
Therefore, Mo Hua studied very diligently.
For a Loose Cultivator like Mo Hua, even just being a registered Disciple was already a significant opportunity.
Mo Hua was full of gratitude and never slacked off.
Studying Formation Books and Drawing Formation both consumed Divine Sense, and when Mo Hua had exhausted his Divine Sense, he used Meditation Techniques to recover before continuing to read and Drawing Formation. After depleting his Divine Sense again, he would meditate to recover once more; when it was depleted yet again, he shouldn’t continue to meditate.
According to Mr. Zhuang, moderation is key; although Mo Hua didn’t feel any problem, he still strictly followed Mr. Zhuang’s teachings.
When his Divine Sense was depleted and he couldn’t read books or draw Formations, Mo Hua would go to play chess with Old Kui.
Five Elements Chess is simple and easy to understand, and doesn’t require much thought, so it’s relaxing to play.
After Mo Hua and Old Kui had played a few games of chess, as dusk approached, Mo Hua took his leave from Mr. Zhuang and went back, taking the empty plates and food containers with him.
As the setting sun dipped below the horizon and twilight caressed the mountains, Mo Hua left Mr. Zhuang’s courtyard and noticed the three people he had seen in the morning were still standing outside the gate, their demeanor still respectful but showing signs of weariness.
Even for a cultivator, standing all day without food or drink would be somewhat uncomfortable, especially for the two children who weren’t much older than Mo Hua.
However, Mo Hua had no desire to meddle.
If they had been standing outside the gate all day, Mr. Zhuang must have been aware, and the present situation clearly indicated that Mr. Zhuang had no wish to meet them.
Whether to meet them or not was for Mr. Zhuang to decide, not for him to worry about needlessly.
So Mo Hua simply gave the three a perfunctory bow as a gesture, and then without a word, took his basket and walked down the mountain.
When he went up the mountain the next day, Mo Hua found that the three people were still standing outside the gate.
In the mountains, the days were scorching, but at night it became cool and dew-laden.
After standing for a day and a night, the veiled woman was still alright, as her profound cultivation was enough to withstand the cold and heat.
The two children, on the other hand, looked rather haggard. The boy’s expression was exhausted, clearly forcing himself to endure, his eyes filled with obstinacy.
The girl’s face had turned even paler, resembling dew-laden pear blossoms, yet her clear eyes also revealed determination.
Mo Hua stole another glance and couldn’t help but marvel, “Beautiful people really do look good at all times.”
Yet Mo Hua’s heart remained undisturbed.
In this world, the more beautiful a woman is, the less she has to do with you.
Mo Hua, just like the day before, pushed open the bamboo gate as if nothing were amiss, passing the three people with their complex gaze of slight resentment, carrying his basket into Mr. Zhuang’s courtyard.
Mo Hua thought that in at most three or four days, the three people would leave, but they continued to wait at the door for seven days, their faces as white as paper and still without any sign of backing down. Mo Hua couldn’t help but admire their persistence.
Especially considering that when he himself had come to see Mr. Zhuang, he hadn’t been obstructed, yet these three had stood without food or drink for seven days and had not even passed through the gate, which made him feel slightly ashamed.
The next day, Mo Hua prepared a few questions about Formation, specifically to ask Mr. Zhuang.
Mr. Zhuang’s demeanor was as usual, patiently answering questions, but occasionally he would look outside the door, his expression inscrutable, as if lost in thought.
Mo Hua asked, “Gentleman, do you not want to see the people outside the gate?”
Mr. Zhuang came back to his senses, not intending to say much, but looking at Mo Hua, he said:
“After old acquaintances, there is a tangle of karma I do not wish to be involved in, thus it is better not to meet.”
“Then I will tell them to leave,” Mo Hua offered.
Mr. Zhuang’s expression flickered, “They have stood for seven days; if they were able to leave, they would have done so by now. After all this, will they listen to you?”
“How would we know without trying?” Mo Hua smiled, “They’ve stood outside for seven days, disturbing your peace, and you’re not even sleeping well because of them.”
Before, you often slept in until the afternoon, now you’re getting up at noon…
Mr. Zhuang, amused, said, “Alright, go, try and make them leave, do not disturb the tranquility of these mountains any longer.”