Path of the Heart

Among the mountains, there were clouds and mist, within which lay a courtyard. The courtyard had a bamboo gate, and at the gate was a small winding path that led to Mo Hua's feet.

At first glance, everything seemed normal.

Mo Hua took a step and stepped onto the path. Soon, his spiritual awareness sensed a wave of fluctuations, as if something had been triggered.

But looking around, the mountains were still mountains, trees were still trees, flowers and grass remained unchanged. There was no apparent difference.

Mo Hua stopped and looked around, but still couldn't see anything unusual.

Mo Hua had heard that some senior experts liked to set up formations or tests to challenge others. He wondered if the gentleman on the mountain had this habit as well.

Or perhaps, was this seemingly ordinary path already a test?

Mo Hua felt a slight nervousness for no apparent reason.

Since it was a formation master and there was a spiritual fluctuation, this path likely had a formation set on it.

But what kind of formation was it?

With Mo Hua's limited experience in formations, he had no clue at all. Moreover, no matter how he looked, he couldn't perceive any changes in the surrounding scenery.

Mo Hua pondered as he walked, but couldn't come up with anything. He could only remember Instructor Yan's instructions: keep a clear mind, go with the flow, neither push too hard nor get discouraged.

As he walked, he eventually arrived at the gate of the courtyard.

The bamboo gate of the courtyard was simple yet elegant.

Beyond the bamboo gate, his vision suddenly opened up to a beautifully scenic courtyard. There were several unique and elegant bamboo houses, green grass covering the ground, misty ponds, and cranes drinking dew. Just looking at it was refreshing and pleasant.

Standing in the courtyard was a thin old man. Mo Hua quickly bowed and said, "Hello, sir."

The old man's voice matched his appearance—hoarse and dry, like the sound of weathered wood:

"I am not the sir you seek; he is inside. Follow me."

Saying this, he led Mo Hua into one of the bamboo houses. The interior was elegant, with a breeze flowing through.

Sitting in the middle of the room was a middle-aged cultivator dressed in white. His appearance was extremely handsome, his demeanor naturally elegant. In his gaze, there was a hint of casualness and unconventionality, as if he had never been entangled by worldly matters.

This was the most ethereal and refined person Mo Hua had ever seen.

Seeing Mo Hua, the middle-aged cultivator smiled amiably. "You must be Mo Hua. Instructor Yan has told me about you. Just answer my questions honestly; there's no need to be formal. Speak your mind freely."

Mo Hua bowed again. "Yes, sir."

The middle-aged cultivator said, "My surname is Zhuang. You can call me Mr. Zhuang."

Mo Hua bowed again. "Mr. Zhuang."

Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly and asked, "As you passed by that path on the mountain earlier, what did you see?"

Mo Hua thought for a moment and replied, "I saw mountains, trees, flowers, grass, and a small path."

"Was there anything else?" Mr. Zhuang asked with interest. "Did you see anyone or anything unusual?"

Mo Hua shook his head.

Mr. Zhuang said, "That path has a formation on it. A friend of mine gifted me this formation called the Water Mirror Formation. The first time you step on it, it reveals some of your current circumstances or predicts some future events."

Mo Hua was shocked. There was actually such a formation? It could reveal current circumstances and predict the future?

If I didn't see anything, what does that mean? Does it mean I have no future...?

Mo Hua felt uneasy for a moment, but recalling Instructor Yan's instructions, he decided to be honest. "I didn't see anything else..."

Mr. Zhuang looked surprised for a moment, then nodded. "I see." He then took out a formation diagram and continued, "Here are brushes and ink. Draw this formation diagram; draw as much as you can."

Mo Hua glanced at the formation diagram—it was the Fixed Water Formation, the same one Instructor Yan had used to test him before.

"Yes."

Mo Hua took the paper and brush, compared it with the diagram, and began drawing the formation.

An hour later, Mo Hua's spiritual awareness was depleted, yet he could only manage to draw five and a half circuit lines of the formation.

It had only been a few days since he last drew the Fixed Water Formation, and Mo Hua's spiritual awareness had not grown fast enough to complete six circuit lines of the formation in such a short time.

This time, however, the formation was more refined than the last, and the strokes were more precise.

Mr. Zhuang examined the formation Mo Hua had drawn, raised his eyebrows slightly, and said:

"Not bad. Are you willing to become my named disciple? I won't teach you some sect-specific formations, but I can teach you commonly used formations in the cultivation world if you wish."

Though Mo Hua didn't understand why, he seemed to have passed Mr. Zhuang's test.

Mo Hua was overjoyed and respectfully bowed to Mr. Zhuang. "Thank you, sir. I am willing!"

In the world of cultivation, the relationship between master and disciple was divided into two kinds: named disciples and direct disciples.

Direct disciples called their master "Master," and their bond was deep—"a day as a teacher, a lifetime as a father."

Named disciples had more freedom; they could learn whatever the master taught but couldn't call them "Master." The bond was affectionate but not as profound as that of direct disciples.

However, Mr. Zhuang's willingness to accept Mo Hua as a named disciple was already very gratifying.

Mr. Zhuang nodded. "Today, you may return. Come back tomorrow at the hour of dragon, and I will begin teaching you some formations."

Note: Hour of the Chen (dragon) refers to time between 7-9AM

"Understood, sir!"

Mo Hua bowed again, this time as a disciple to his master. He then bid farewell to Mr. Zhuang and left his courtyard with light steps.

As Mo Hua descended the mountain, he found Instructor Yan still waiting at the foot of the mountain. When he learned that Mr. Zhuang had agreed to accept Mo Hua as his apprentice, Instructor Yan breathed a sigh of relief and said with satisfaction:

"It's your good fortune that Mr. Zhuang values you. Cherish this opportunity. Mr. Zhuang is an esteemed figure, so you must show him great respect."

"Yes, Instructor," Mo Hua promised.

The two walked along the mountain path for a while. Suddenly, Mo Hua became curious and asked, "Instructor, have you been to Mr. Zhuang's courtyard? What did you see when you passed that path?"

Instructor Yan turned his head, silently gazing at Mo Hua. After a moment, he said:

"When I passed that path, I faintly saw some scenes. These fleeting images told me that Mr. Zhuang was willing to take you as his disciple and that you would become an extraordinary formation master in the future."

After Instructor Yan finished speaking, the two had reached a fork in the road, with Tongxian ahead.

Instructor Yan looked at Mo Hua and suddenly said seriously, "Mo Hua."

Mo Hua turned back, and Instructor Yan paused for a moment before continuing:

"Formation masters seek the Dao of Heaven. However, the Dao of Heaven is infinite, and human life is fleeting. Only by passing down formations from generation to generation can cultivators possibly comprehend the Dao of Heaven and make formations beneficial to all beings."

"One day in the future, if you become a distinguished formation master, even beyond that, if you encounter cultivators with good character and talent in formations, I hope you won't hesitate to guide them. The way of formations is like water—it must flow continuously to remain profound. Otherwise, it will only be stagnant water."

Mo Hua suddenly felt a weight on his shoulders. He bowed to Instructor Yan solemnly and said, "I will remember, Master!"

Instructor Yan looked relieved.

Mo Hua couldn't help but ask, "Master, are you leaving Tongxian? Will I see you again?"

Instructor Yan nodded. "I can't stay at Tongxian, and I have some personal matters to attend to. I'll be leaving soon."

"Will I see you again?"

Instructor Yan looked into Mo Hua's deep black eyes and smiled. "Fate will decide."

Instructor Yan reached out and tousled Mo Hua's hair. "Go back early and tell your parents."

Mo Hua walked towards the city gate. After a few steps, he turned back and bowed to Instructor Yan again.

Instructor Yan waved his hand gently and said softly, "Go." He kept watching Mo Hua until his figure grew smaller and disappeared into the misty mountains.

At that moment, Mo Hua also turned back and looked at Instructor Yan, bowing deeply once more.

Instructor Yan's figure gradually receded, disappearing into the elusive mist between the mountains.

(End of the Chapter)