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At the foot of the mountain road in front of Zuowang Residence, three cultivators stood.

Among the three cultivators, two children stood in the front, while behind them was a veiled woman.

The two children, a boy and a girl, appeared slightly older than Mo Hua, dressed in luxurious attire that didn't seem ordinary. Their status was evidently exceptional. At this moment, the two of them were respectfully standing on the steps in front of the door, bowing towards the mountain.

The boy was handsome, with bright and sparkling eyes.

The girl was extremely beautiful, sunlight reflecting on her face, her complexion even fairer and more translucent than snow.

From a distance, the two of them looked like celestial beings with their golden and jade-like appearance.

Behind the two children stood a tall woman with a veil, her face indiscernible. She seemed like a steward or guard of the family, surrounded by no spiritual fluctuations but exuding a pressure Mo Hua had never experienced.

"They seem to be descendants of a prestigious family, here to study under Mr. Zhuang..."

Mo Hua speculated to himself, but such matters were clearly decided by Mr. Zhuang and had nothing to do with him.

Mo Hua only needed to learn formations from Mr. Zhuang. After all, he was just a registered disciple and didn't know how long Mr. Zhuang would teach him.

Mo Hua walked up the mountain on his own, and naturally, the three people at the door saw him. However, seeing Mo Hua dressed plainly with low spiritual power, they only glanced lightly at him and didn't pay much attention.

It wasn't until Mo Hua walked past them and ascended the distant mountain road, reaching the courtyard enveloped in clouds and mist.

Then, he stretched out his small hand and pushed open the bamboo gate that had not been opened for several hours of overnight waiting, entering as casually as if he were entering his own home...

The expressions on the faces of the three people finally became complicated.

The two children couldn't help but glance at the woman behind them. The woman secretly shook her head, signaling them to be patient. Only then did the two children calm down and continue to wait respectfully.

Mo Hua entered the courtyard, put down the bamboo basket he was carrying, took out a plate of sauce meat and several plates of snacks from the basket, and placed them on the small table in the courtyard. This way, when Mr. Zhuang woke up, he could enjoy eating or drinking while admiring the courtyard scenery.

Mo Hua secretly glanced into the inner room and confirmed that Mr. Zhuang was still lazily sleeping.

Mo Hua then brought two boxes of roasted pine nuts to Old Kui. Old Kui woke up early and was playing Five Elements Chess alone, his face calm, whether he found it interesting or boring was unclear.

Mo Hua placed the pine nuts aside. Old Kui tasted one and his expression slightly changed, "The taste is different."

"These are two different flavors. One was roasted with fragrant licorice, and the other with spicy spices. My mother said to let you try them out, for a change of taste."

Old Kui tasted one pine nut from each box, nodded, and said, "You study formations first. When you're tired, come play chess with me."

Mo Hua then ran to the study to find several formation books he hadn't finished reading, and then sat under the big locust tree in the courtyard, sitting on a small wooden stool, leaning on a small stone table, studying formations.

This small table and wooden stool were specially made by Old Kui for Mo Hua and placed in Mo Hua's favorite spot. The height of the table and stool was also just right.

Mr. Zhuang was lazy and didn't demand much from Mo Hua. However, Mo Hua knew that the opportunity to receive guidance in formations from Mr. Zhuang, such a master, was rare. Therefore, Mo Hua studied very seriously.

For a wandering cultivator like Mo Hua, even just becoming a registered disciple was a great opportunity.

Mo Hua felt grateful and never slackened.

Studying formation books and sketching formations consumed mental energy. When Mo Hua's mental energy was depleted, he used meditation techniques to recover, then continued reading and sketching formations until his mental energy was depleted again. At that point, it was not suitable to continue meditating.

As Mr. Zhuang put it, "Too much is as bad as too little." Although Mo Hua didn't feel there was a problem, he still followed Mr. Zhuang's teachings diligently.

When his mental energy was depleted like this and he couldn't read books or sketch formations, Mo Hua would go play chess with Old Kui.

Five Elements Chess was simple and easy to understand, requiring no deep thought, so playing it was relaxing.

After playing several rounds of chess with Old Kui, as the sky darkened, Mo Hua bid farewell to Mr. Zhuang and went back, taking the empty plates and food boxes with him.

As the sun set in the west and evening glow kissed the mountains, when Mo Hua left Mr. Zhuang's courtyard, he noticed that the three people he had seen in the morning were still standing outside the gate. Though their posture was still respectful, they showed signs of weariness.

Even for cultivators, standing without eating or drinking for a day was uncomfortable, let alone two children not much older than Mo Hua.

However, Mo Hua didn't want to meddle in their affairs.

They had stood outside the gate for a day, and Mr. Zhuang must be aware. In this situation, it was clear that Mr. Zhuang didn't want to see them.

To see or not to see was Mr. Zhuang's decision, and it was not for Mo Hua to worry about.

Therefore, Mo Hua simply nodded politely to the three people and, without saying a word, carried his small basket and descended the mountain.

The next day when Mo Hua went up the mountain again, he found the three people still standing outside the gate.

The mountain was scorching hot during the day and cold and damp at night.

They had been standing there for a day and a night. The veiled woman coped better due to her deep cultivation, enough to withstand heat and cold.

The two children looked somewhat exhausted. The boy's expression was weary, clearly struggling to endure, his eyes full of stubbornness.

The girl's face was paler, resembling a pear blossom in dew, her clear eyes revealing determination.

Mo Hua glanced at them secretly again and couldn't help but sigh. Handsome people always looked good no matter when.

But Mo Hua remained unaffected.

In this world, the more beautiful a woman was, the less she had to do with you.

Mo Hua continued as usual, casually pushing open the bamboo gate as if no one was around. Amid the three people's complex and somewhat resentful gazes, he carried his small basket and entered Mr. Zhuang's courtyard.

Mo Hua estimated that in three or four days at most, these three would probably leave on their own. However, they had been waiting at the gate for seven days. The two children, their faces as pale as paper, showed no sign of retreat. Mo Hua couldn't help but admire their determination.

Especially when he remembered that when he first visited Mr. Zhuang, he hadn't faced any obstacles. Yet these three had stood there for seven days without eating or drinking, not even entering the door. Mo Hua felt somewhat embarrassed.

The next day, Mo Hua prepared several questions about formations and specifically went to consult Mr. Zhuang.

Mr. Zhuang's demeanor was as calm as usual, patiently answering Mo Hua's questions. Occasionally, he would glance towards the gate, his eyes deep, lost in thought.

Mo Hua asked, "Does Master not want to see the people outside?"

Mr. Zhuang came back to himself. Originally, he didn't want to say anything, but looking at Mo Hua, he said, "After old acquaintances, entanglements of fate, if I don't want to get involved, it's better not to meet."

Mo Hua said, "Then shall I send them away?"

Mr. Zhuang's expression twitched slightly. "They've been standing for seven days. If they could retreat, they would have done so long ago. At this point, will they listen to you?"

"Why not give it a try?" Mo Hua smiled. "They've been disturbing Master's peace for seven days. Master must have had trouble sleeping."

Previously, he used to sleep in until the afternoon, but now he woke up at noon...

Mr. Zhuang said with interest, "Alright, you go and try, send them away, don't disturb the tranquility of this mountain."

(End of the Chapter)