Chapter 48: The Guests
At the foot of the mountain path leading to Forgetful Meditation Abode, three cultivators stood waiting.
Among them were two children standing at the front, and behind them, a veiled woman.
The two children—one boy and one girl—looked a little older than Mo Hua. Their clothes were fine and elegant, clearly not of ordinary quality, and their bearing suggested noble origins. At the moment, they stood respectfully at the steps before the gate, bowing toward the mountain above.
The boy was handsome, his eyes bright and spirited.
The girl was strikingly beautiful—sunlight fell upon her face, and her skin seemed even fairer and more translucent than ice and snow.
From a distance, the two looked like the golden boy and jade maiden who served beneath the immortals' thrones.
Behind the children stood the tall veiled woman. Her face could not be seen, but she seemed to be either a steward or a bodyguard of the family. Though no spiritual power fluctuations could be felt from her, there was a pressure about her that Mo Hua had never experienced before.
"They look like the children of some aristocratic family, here to seek teachings from Mister Zhuang…"
Mo Hua made his own guess, but this sort of matter was obviously for Mister Zhuang to decide—it had nothing to do with him.
All Mo Hua needed was to study Formation Arts well under Mister Zhuang. After all, he was only a registered disciple and didn't even know how long Mister Zhuang would be willing to teach him.
Mo Hua went up the mountain as usual. The three at the gate naturally noticed him, but seeing his plain clothes and weak spiritual aura, they only gave him a cursory glance and paid no further attention.
He walked right past them, up the long mountain path, and reached the courtyard hidden in the mists.
Then he reached out his small hand and pushed the bamboo door open with ease—the same door that those three had been waiting in front of for several hours through the night, unable to open it even once—and stepped inside as if it were his own home…
Only then did the three show complicated expressions.
The two children unconsciously looked toward the woman behind them. The woman shook her head slightly, signaling them to be patient. The two children thus steadied their hearts again and continued to wait respectfully.
Inside, Mo Hua set down the bamboo basket he was carrying. From it, he took out a plate of braised meat and several dishes of pastries, placing them neatly on the small table in the courtyard—so that when Mister Zhuang woke up, he could enjoy wine or tea while gazing at the garden.
Mo Hua peeked toward the inner room—sure enough, Mister Zhuang was still sleeping lazily.
He then carried two boxes of roasted pine nuts to Grandpa Kui. Grandpa Kui had risen early and was sitting alone playing Five Elements Chess, his face calm and unreadable—whether entertained or bored, none could tell.
Mo Hua set the pine nuts to the side. Grandpa Kui tasted one and his expression shifted slightly.
"The flavor is different."
Mo Hua smiled. "There are two flavors—one roasted with the light sweetness of licorice, the other with spicy seasoning. My mother said to let you try both, to change your taste a little."
Grandpa Kui tried one from each box, nodded, and said, "Go study your Formations. When you're tired, come play chess with me."
Mo Hua then went to the study, picked up the formation manuals he hadn't yet finished reading, and sat under the big locust tree in the courtyard. There, on a small stone table, he sat on a little wooden stool and continued studying Formation Arts.
The table and stool had been specially made for him by Grandpa Kui and placed in the spot Mo Hua liked best. Their size fit him perfectly.
Mister Zhuang was easygoing and didn't place too many demands on Mo Hua, but Mo Hua understood how rare this opportunity was. He might never again have the chance to learn Formation Arts under such a master.
Thus, Mo Hua studied diligently.
For a loose cultivator like him, even being accepted as a registered disciple was already an immense stroke of fortune.
He was deeply grateful, never once growing slack.
Studying formation texts and copying formation diagrams both consumed Divine-Sense. When his Divine-Sense was exhausted, he would use meditation techniques to restore it, then continue reading and drawing until his Divine-Sense was depleted again. When it was exhausted a second time, it was no longer suitable to continue meditating.
As Mister Zhuang said, "Too much is as bad as too little." Though Mo Hua didn't personally feel any harm, he still obeyed his teacher's advice.
At such times, when his Divine-Sense was spent and he couldn't read or draw Formations, Mo Hua would go play chess with Grandpa Kui.
Five Elements Chess was simple and easy to understand, requiring no deep thought, so it was relaxing to play.
After a few rounds, as the day dimmed, Mo Hua would bid farewell to Mister Zhuang and return home—taking the empty plates and boxes back with him.
By sunset, the mountains were bathed in rosy light. As Mo Hua left Mister Zhuang's courtyard, he saw that the same three people were still standing at the gate. Their postures and expressions were still respectful, but weariness had crept in.
Even for cultivators, standing motionless all day without food or water would bring discomfort—let alone for two children not much older than Mo Hua.
Still, Mo Hua didn't concern himself.
If they'd been standing outside all day, there was no way Mister Zhuang didn't know. Clearly, this was because he didn't want to see them.
Whether he met them or not was Mister Zhuang's decision; it wasn't Mo Hua's place to worry about it.
So he merely gave the three a polite nod of greeting and silently walked down the mountain with his small basket.
When he came again the next morning, Mo Hua was surprised to find that the three were still standing outside.
The mountain was hot during the day, but at night, the air cooled and dew grew heavy.
The veiled woman was fine—her cultivation was deep enough to resist the elements.
But the two children now looked haggard. The boy's face showed exhaustion, yet he clenched his teeth and held on, stubborn determination burning in his eyes.
The girl's complexion had turned even paler, delicate as a pear blossom glistening with dew—yet her clear eyes held the same unyielding resolve.
Mo Hua secretly glanced again and couldn't help sighing—beautiful people really were beautiful no matter when one looked at them.
But in his heart, he felt nothing.
In this world, the prettier a girl was, the less she had to do with you.
So, just like the day before, he pushed the bamboo door open without hesitation and, under their complicated and faintly resentful gazes, walked in carrying his little basket.
Mo Hua thought that in three or four days at most, they would leave. But to his surprise, the three continued waiting at the gate for seven full days.
The two children's faces had gone paper-white, yet they never once showed a thought of retreat. Mo Hua couldn't help but admire their perseverance.
He even felt a little embarrassed—when he had gone to meet Mister Zhuang, he'd faced no obstacles at all, while these three had stood hungry and sleepless for seven days, still without being allowed through the door.
The next day, Mo Hua prepared a few questions about Formation techniques and went to consult Mister Zhuang.
Mister Zhuang's demeanor was as calm as ever, answering patiently. Only occasionally did his gaze drift toward the gate outside, his eyes deep with unspoken thought.
Mo Hua finally asked, "Teacher, do you not wish to see the ones waiting outside?"
Mister Zhuang came back to himself. He hadn't intended to explain, but after a glance at Mo Hua, he said softly:
"They are the descendants of an old acquaintance. There are tangled causes and fates involved. I prefer not to get involved—and so, better not to meet."
Mo Hua said, "Then should I tell them to go back?"
Mister Zhuang's expression shifted slightly. "They've stood there seven days. If they were willing to retreat, they'd have done so long ago. At this point, do you think they'll listen to you?"
Mo Hua smiled. "How can we know if we don't try? They've been outside seven days already, disturbing Teacher's peace. You can't even sleep well anymore."
These days, he'd been rising at noon instead of in the afternoon…
Mister Zhuang chuckled with interest. "Very well. Go and try, then. Tell them to leave, and not to disturb the tranquility of this mountain."
(End of the Chapter)