Asking About Longevity

Chapter 676 Past

 “Master Gu?” Mo Hua was a little surprised.

Master Gu showed a kind smile to the ink painting, cupped his hands and said:

 “Little Mr. Mo.”

"Aren't you in Gushan City?" Mo Hua asked.

"I have something to do and I have to come to Qingzhou City." Master Gu said in a kind tone.

"oh."

Mo Hua nodded.

Master Gu hesitated for a moment, then smiled and said:

“Last time in Gushan City, Mr. Gu didn’t treat me well. This meeting was also fateful. Mr. Gu wanted to treat Mr. Mo to a glass of wine. I wonder if Mr. Mo is free..."

　　Although Master Gu has already behaved very cordially, he is a Jindan monk, and he is smiling apologetically at Mo Hua, a Foundation Establishment monk, and his face is still a bit inconsistent.

 And it can be seen that Master Gu is not very good at doing this kind of flattery.

Mo Hua shook his head, "I don't drink."

“If you encounter trouble in the sect and it’s difficult to solve, go to Elder Murong. Elder Murong and I are sisters..."

 Let alone others.

What's wrong with him? He came here specifically to bully a small disciple of Taixu Sect.

 He had mentioned to Wen Renwan tactfully before that Mo Hua looked innocent, but in fact he was full of bad intentions and was very cautious. There was no need to worry about him at all.

Wen Renwan pointed at Gu Changhuai who was sitting aside drinking tea.

The two of them chatted a few more words, talking about some gossip in the sect and Yu'er's practice in Taixu Sect.

"Just call me Mo Hua, no need to call me 'gongzi'." Mo Hua said.

“I’m afraid I’ll be bullied in the sect, so I don’t dare to speak out…”

Wen Renwan was playing with Yu'er.

It would be great if you can agree.

 “For matters outside the sect, go to Chang Huai.”

I don’t know what to say about ink painting.

Mo Hua said: "It's okay to eat."

In the end, the persuasion was not successful, but Wen Renwan scolded him, saying that he was petty and shameless for speaking ill of a child behind his back.

Fruit wine is fine, but most monks don’t regard fruit wine as wine.

It was still early at this time. Master Gu guessed that Mo Hua still had something to do, so he did not disturb him and only agreed:

"You are in trouble. If Chang Huai doesn't take care of you, just come back and tell me..."

 Especially strong wine, it is too spicy.

 Master Gu's eyes were a little disappointed.

People only want to believe what they want to believe.

Mo Hua was also a little embarrassed and said:

Every time he heard that Renwan was concerned about Mo Hua and worried that Mo Hua would be bullied, he would pretend not to hear.

There are countless evil cultivators who fell into his hands.

"There is a Xianhe Tower in Qingzhou City. The spiritual fish is delicious. At noon, I will prepare a banquet in the Xianhe Tower to wait for Young Master Mo."

Among the four major sects, who are the direct descendants of the truly great families, those who are born with spiritual roots, and the most prodigious among the prodigies? Who can bully him?

 Wen Renwan was still a little worried.

 Wenren Wan then nodded happily.

"He is a Diansi. Although he is only a third-grade golden elixir, he still has some prestige in the Daotingsi."

Master Gu nodded and said, "Okay, Mr. Mo."

“Aunt Wan, the sect elders, brothers, sisters, and fellow disciples are all very kind to me, so you don’t have to worry.”

Furthermore, these big shots, really talented people, are all aloof and live in another world entirely. They may never interact with ink paintings in their entire lives.

Wen Renwan was very grateful to Mo Hua for this, and felt more and more that it was the right decision to send Yu'er into Taixu Gate and stay with Mo Hua.

Gu Changhuai was helpless, and he realized what was going on and stopped mentioning the matter.

 In this Qianxuezhou boundary, except for those sect elders and ancestors...

Yu'er's complexion is getting better and better day by day, and she is also becoming more lively. Before, she was still weak and distressed, but now she is lively and naughty.

Master Gu was startled for a moment, then he felt relieved, and a smile appeared on his determined face: "Okay."

Gu Changhuai sighed.

Farewell to Master Gu, Mo Hua went to say hello to Aunt Wan again.

After Wen Renwan finished speaking, he looked at the ink painting again, feeling a little distressed for no reason, and sighed:

"In the entire Qianxue State, there are so many sects and so many disciples, but there is no one like you. At such a young age, you are studying here alone. Your parents and relatives are not around, and you have no one to rely on. It hurts…”

Gu Changhuai sat silently aside, expressionless and not wanting to speak.

 Who will bully him?

Fire Buddha, a ferocious demon cultivator, chased Mo Hua to no avail, and ended up having his chest blown through.

 Wen Renwan was about to leave.

She will not be idle when she stays in Qingzhou City. In addition to taking care of Yu'er, she is responsible for the properties of the Shangguan family, the Wenren family and the Gu family in the dozen or so large and small fairy cities nearby.

Before leaving, Wen Renwan’s eyes darkened slightly, but he still told Mo Hua:

"That Master Gu...if you have any appeal, you can ask him. If he has any intentions, you don't have to pay attention."

Mo Hua was startled.

Hearing Renwan, he politely said, "A few days ago, he asked some people to inquire about your identity from the Gu family."

Mo Hua suddenly understood and smiled:

“Thank you, Aunt Wan, I understand.”

Wen Renwan saw that Mo Hua knew what he was doing, so he smiled gently, got up and left.

 The only two people left in the living room were Mo Hua and Gu Changhuai.

Gu Changhuai was sitting in the corner, drinking tea with an indifferent expression.

Mo Hua quietly came up to him and whispered:

“Uncle Gu, why are you free today?”

Without even raising his eyelids, Gu Changhuai used the cup lid to brush away the foam in the bowl, "The monks in the Dao Tingsi are not the donkeys who pull the mill, so they always have some days of rest."

Gu Changhuai took a sip of tea and put down the cup, "Tell me, what do you want from me?"

Mo Hua was confused, "How do you know that I have something to do with you?"

Gu Changhuai glanced at Mo Hua and said, "Guess."

Mo Hua was stunned and said, "Uncle Gu, how can you learn to speak like me?"

Gu Changhuai was suffocated and couldn't help but said:

 “Are you going to tell me? If you don’t tell me, I can leave.”

 “Hmm,” Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, and then he didn’t hide it, but said straight to the point:

“Uncle Gu, if I have clues about the criminal cultivator, can you issue a reward directly from the Daoting Division?”

“Then I accepted the reward, completed the task, and earned merit, and Daotingsi also caught the guilty cultivator, killing two birds with one stone!”

Gu Changhuai looked startled and couldn't help but glance at Mo Hua: "You're pretty good at abacus..."

Mo Hua said modestly: "It's not bad..."

Gu Changhuai shook his head and refused: "This is against the rules."

Mo Hua curled his lips with a look of disbelief.

He compared it and found that his plan from start to finish was similar to Daotingsi's process.

 Daotingsi got clues from elsewhere and issued a reward, and it was no different from getting clues and issuing tasks from himself.

There was no bribery involved.

What's more, I don't have any spiritual stones to bribe Uncle Gu.

 It's purely because Uncle Gu doesn't want to help.

Mo Hua bargained: "Uncle Gu, if you don't help me, I won't help you in the future."

Gu Changhuai snorted, "What do I need from you?"

 After saying this, he was startled and realized that something was wrong.

Mo Hua smiled slyly, raised his fingers, and counted them to him one by one:

“Like the clues of sin cultivators, the investigation of formations, the restoration of messenger orders, the cracking of seals and secret patterns...”

“And I’m only in the early stages of foundation building now, so I will definitely learn the formations better and better.”

“If you don’t help me now, if you come to me for help in the future, don’t blame me for being unfriendly!”

 The ink painting has a small face.

Gu Changhuai felt that the fresh tea in his mouth was a little bitter.

　　 Being held hostage!

He, a dignified Taoist minister, was threatened by a teenage kid...

 This is really unreasonable.

Gu Changhuai was silent for a long time, his mind turning, but after thinking for a long time, he still couldn't do anything.

Moreover, Mo Hua is right. With his current level of formation, he might really need help with Daotingsi matters in the future...

Gu Changhuai sighed, "Even if I offer a reward, you won't be able to accept it..."

“The reward is issued to the sect, not to you alone. If you can accept it, others can also accept it. Even if I issue it, the task may not fall on you..."

Mo Hua asked doubtfully: "Don't I need your consent?"

Gu Changhuai said: "There are requirements for the reward. If others meet the requirements, it is generally difficult for us to refuse."

“Then the requirements should be stricter?” Mo Hua said.

 Gu Changhuai raised his eyebrows, "For example?"

Mo Hua thought for a while, "For example: in the early stage of foundation building, you know the concealment technique, the second-level formation, the water prison technique...these?"

Gu Changhuai's face was expressionless, "How about I just mark it and this bounty is only for a disciple named "Mo Hua" in the early stage of Taixu Sect's foundation building."

Mo Hua was a little embarrassed and said, "Isn't it... too obvious?"

Gu Changhuai said angrily: "You still know the obvious?"

Mo Hua muttered in a low voice, "It doesn't matter..."

Gu Changhuai had no choice but to think for a moment and said:

 “I’ll think of a solution and I’ll tell you later.”

Mo Hua was overjoyed, "Thank you, Uncle Gu!"

Gu Changhuai nodded slightly.

 He thought about it...

Although this kind of thing is somewhat suspected of going through the back door, it is not completely "irregular". It is the principle of Daotingsi to exchange merit for merit.

Moreover, Mo Hua's formation skills are so profound...it's a bit scary.

In the future, some difficult cases in Daotingsi involving tricky and complicated formations might really be blamed on Mo Hua.

This is by no means being blackmailed, but a "mutually beneficial" cooperation by Daotingsi in order to win over "special formation talents".

Thinking about it this way, Gu Changhuai felt much calmer.

 He picked up the tea cup, took a sip of tea, nodded slightly, and felt that the tea taste was not so bitter.

With the goal accomplished, it was not too early, and it was almost noon, so Mo Hua said goodbye to Gu Changhuai.

“Master Gu wants to invite me to dinner, so I’ll leave first.”

Gu Changhuai was slightly startled, "Master Gu?" "Yes." Mo Hua nodded.

 “Which Master Gu?”

Gu Changhuai frowned. He thought of the "Master Gu" mentioned by Renwan just now, and asked: "Our Gu family's weapon refiner?"

Mo Hua nodded and said: "Master Gu is a third-grade weapon refiner in Gushan, the Gu family, and is in the Golden Core realm!"

Gu Changhuai looked at the ink paintings and felt a little startled for a moment.

 In the remote Gushan City, there is a third-grade weapon refining shop. Master Gu is still in the Golden Core realm...

 “Invite you to dinner?”

 Gu Changhuai's expression became even more puzzling.

Mo Hua sighed, "Oh, I can't help it. Master Gu's kindness is hard to refuse, and I can't shirk it either."

Gu Changhuai was speechless for a moment.

 He couldn't understand.

In the Gu family, cousin Wan'er treats Mo Hua as her own son and nephew;

Aunt Hong, the elder, also often said that the child Mo Hua was well-behaved, smart, and handsome. When he grew up, he must personally find a match for the child;

Gu An, Gu Quan, and the two of them also talked about "Little Master Mo" from time to time.

Now even in a remote place, a third-grade weapon refiner from the Gu family has to specially invite Mo Hua to dinner...

Gu Changhuai took a slight breath.

This child has only been here for a long time. It took more than a year to get mixed up like this...

If more than ten years pass, the Gu family won't just have the surname "Mo", right?

Mo Hua saw Gu Changhuai's melancholy look. He thought he was being invited to dinner but no one was inviting him, so he felt disappointed and said quietly:

"Uncle Gu, how about... you go too?"

“I heard that I went to Xianhe Tower to eat spiritual fish, and it tasted delicious…”

Gu Changhuai's face suddenly turned dark.

Mo Hua wisely stopped talking, and only muttered in a low voice, "If you don't want to go, then I won't go. I don't know a good heart..."

 These words were heard by Gu Changhuai.

Seeing that Gu Changhuai's face turned darker, Mo Hua immediately stood up and said, "Master Gu can't be kept waiting, I'll leave first!" Then he ran away quickly.

 The living room was empty, leaving only Gu Changhuai sitting there, sighing helplessly.

 …

 Chingzhou City, Xianhe Tower.

 Elegant room on the third floor.

Four dishes and one soup with delicious colors and flavors are placed on the table.

 The dishes are different types of spiritual fish, and the soup is crystal clear and delicious fish soup.

Mo Hua ate the tender fish meat and sipped the delicious fish soup. He narrowed his eyes slightly and was very happy.

Master Gu was silently relieved when he saw that Mo Hua was enjoying his meal.

As the two of them ate, they talked nonsense like boiled water, and then Mo Hua got down to business:

“Master Gu, I have something to ask you for help.”

Not only did Master Gu not find it troublesome, he was very happy and said generously:

　　　"Young Master Mo, you may say that as long as it is within your power, Gu will definitely spare no effort."

Mo Hua smiled and asked, "Master Gu, can you help me refine some formation media?"

 “Media array…”

Master Gu was not surprised and did not ask any more questions. Instead, he said cheerfully:

"no problem!"

Then he asked: "I just don't know, what kind of matchmaker does the young master want?"

Mo Hua was already prepared. He took out a few drawings from his storage bag and handed them to Master Gu.

 On the drawings are some array media that he designed by himself based on the array structure and his own needs.

 The types of formation media are also relatively simple, most of them are some basic formation flags and formation disks.

As soon as Master Gu saw it, he felt it was a bit rough, and it did look like something designed by a novice, but he also said nothing.

Although it is a bit rough and some refining materials will be wasted, it has complete functions and complete structure, so there is no problem in using it.

 “How much do you want, young master?” Master Gu asked.

Mo Hua himself is not rich, and he doesn’t like to pretend to be “rich”, so he asked honestly first:

“How many spiritual stones are there?”

Master Gu was a little surprised. He rarely met a "gongzi" with a simple and simple behavior like Mo Hua.

“Young master, you only want a few dozen items, so I will give them to you.”

“If you want more, hundreds or thousands of pieces, I will only charge the cost...”

Master Gu looked at the drawing again and made a brief estimate:

“Because they are all second-grade formation media, the materials used are not expensive, and the price is not too high. The formation plate is about fifty spiritual stones each, and the formation flag is made of special material, costing sixty-five spiritual stones each..."

Mo Hua nodded slightly.

This is cheaper than he had expected.

 But he was a little confused.

 He ​​originally just wanted to refine a dozen pieces of medium-formation for fun, but Master Gu is a third-grade weapon refiner, so he was really embarrassed to speak up about this.

He has practiced too much, but it is too much of a waste of spiritual stones. He is not a member of a noble family, so he does not have that much spiritual stones to waste.

Master Gu seemed to notice Mo Hua’s concerns, and thought for a moment and said:

“Let’s do this, I will refine twenty pieces of each kind first, and then send them to the young master to check the quality, evaluate the quality, and use it as an exchange of experience as matchmakers...”

 There is no experience of matchmaking in ink paintings.

His several sets of formation and media drawings were all copied from the weapon refining book and modified by himself.

 The only matchmaker he has any experience with is the "soil" on the ground.

 But he also knew that Master Gu was trying to show his good will.

"Isn't this too troublesome for you..." Mo Hua asked in a low voice.

Master Gu waved his hand, "No need to worry, just a few pieces of second-grade array matchmaking. I have nothing to do, so I'll just use it as a hot hand..."

 Ink painting was no longer pretentious, "Then thank you so much, Master Gu."

Master Gu cupped his hands and said, "Young master, you're welcome."

 The waiter then served two more dishes, one steamed big head fish and one deep-fried large goldfish, both of which Mo Hua had never eaten before.

“Master, let’s have a try.” Master Gu greeted.

Mo Hua tasted it, nodded and praised: "It's delicious."

 Master Gu is smiling.

 After that, the two chatted for a while. They all asked questions from Mo Hua and Master Gu answered them.

If Mo Hua doesn't ask, Master Gu will pick up food for Mo Hua, but he won't take the initiative to ask or say anything.

 Mo Hua originally thought that something must be going on when Master Gu invited him to dinner.

 But now it seems that he is just treating guests with no other purpose.

 After eating and drinking, Mo Hua remembered another question and took the opportunity to ask:

“Master Gu, Gushan is the boundary of the third-grade state. How does it look...”

Mo Hua paused for a moment, but decided to tell the truth, "...how to be so poor?"

Master Gu was startled, and a wry smile appeared on his face.

 “Can’t you say it?” Mo Hua asked.

Master Gu shook his head, "There's nothing I can't say. Since the young master is asking, it doesn't matter if I say it..."

Master Gu sighed and said slowly:

 “This matter is actually simple…”

“Hundreds of years ago, Gushan City had continuous mines and rich mineral resources. It was actually very prosperous.”

“And at that time, the ore produced had a high degree of spiritual compatibility and was very suitable for refining ‘array media’.”

“As the saying goes, you can eat the mountain if you rely on the mountain. Gushan City relies on the mines. Most of the monks in the city make a living by refining weapons, especially the ‘formation media’.”

“Although I can’t be rich and powerful, my life is pretty good.”

“What happened next?” Mo Hua took a sip of fish soup and asked curiously.

 “Later…”

Master Gu sighed, "Later, some big families in Qianzhou took a fancy to the vast mines in Gushan City and thought of buying them to refine some luxurious spiritual weapons."

Mo Hua frowned, "A luxurious spiritual weapon?"

Master Gu said: "It's just some glazed tiles, colorful lamps, magnificent masonry, gilded carriages, etc..."

“These things are expensive to make and even more expensive to sell.”

Mo Hua was puzzled, "Besides looking good, do these things have any other use?"

Master Gu sighed: "This is used to show one's identity. For some people, it is more useful than anything else."

“Do the monks from Gushan City agree?”

Master Gu frowned, "Some agreed, some disagreed, but those who disagreed were forced to agree in the end."

“In front of the giant aristocratic family, the monks in Gushan City, including casual cultivators, and some small families, have no room for resistance at all.”

 Master Gu looked bitter.

“Does Daotingsi not care?”

Master Gu did not dare to say it clearly, so he asked tactfully: "Where do you think the monks who serve in the Daoting Division come from?"

Mo Hua’s eyes darkened slightly.

Master Gu sighed, "And on the surface, all the procedures are in compliance with the law."

“The big family indeed ‘bought’ or ‘rented’ these mines from the monks of Gushan City.”

“On the spiritual deed, the spiritual fingerprints are clearly visible.”

“The big family ‘acts according to the rules’, the Daotingsi ‘acts according to the rules’, but the monks in Gushan City have nothing to do.”

“Since then, major aristocratic families have established weapon refining shops in Gushan City and mined ores day and night.”

“In the beginning, the monks in Gushan City would still protest and make trouble, causing some riots.”

“Later, the big family decided to mine the mines and only hire local monks, and the price they paid was not low.”

“After the local monks got the spiritual stone, they gradually calmed down their dissatisfaction and settled down.”

"But…"

Master Gu shook his head, "The rich family, with the help of large spiritual weapons and formations, mined too hard."

“It was only mined for less than a hundred years, and all the veins were mined out.”

“After that, the big family left, leaving only an abandoned mine.”

“The basis for the monks’ livelihood in Gushan City was destroyed in one fell swoop, and it has gradually declined since then.”

“Some small families went bankrupt, and when they got together, they couldn’t even afford to eat. They had to make a living separately, split up again, and became casual cultivators again.”

“As for casual cultivators, they are asking for more blessings.”

"Those who can leave can leave. Those who cannot leave, there is no livelihood outside, so they can only stay in Gushan City, pick up some broken ores from abandoned mines, go to the dilapidated weapon refining shop, and exchange for one or two spiritual stones. Living hand to mouth..."

 …

 The ink painting looks hesitant.

He was obviously in Qianzhou, but in a daze, he returned to Lizhou, back to those low-quality, poor small states in Lizhou.

The way of man is to lose more than you can give...

 (End of this chapter)