Guidance

Mo Hua sighed, "I originally thought Qian Xing, despite his arrogance, was at most a libertine who bullies people. I never imagined he could do such vile things behind the scenes..."

Hearing this, Zhang Lan's gaze slightly hardened, and he said seriously, "Mo Hua, you've often heard the phrase 'the human heart is treacherous,' haven't you?"

Mo Hua nodded.

"The treachery of human hearts is sometimes invisible. Bad people don't wear the word 'bad' on their faces. Many despicable individuals appear just like ordinary people, or even more like good people on the surface."

"What people show to others is mostly what's visible in the light. What's hidden in the dark, who knows what secrets are concealed there..."

Mo Hua was amazed that Zhang Lan, who usually idled about, could speak such words. It deeply impressed him.

"So, it means that someone like Qian Xing, even the things visible to others aren't good, not to mention what's hidden in the shadows. It's no wonder he could commit any kind of wrongdoing," Mo Hua remarked.

Zhang Lan glanced at Mo Hua in surprise. "Well said, you think quickly."

"What a shame..." Zhang Lan noticed Mo Hua's regretful expression and asked, "What's the pity?"

"The power of the formation was a bit insufficient..." Mo Hua said.

It didn't blow Qian Xing to death.

Zhang Lan nodded in agreement. He had thought the same.

"Although he wasn't killed, he was seriously injured. The Qian family is now seeking Pill Masters of at least first-grade to treat his injuries. I don't know if he can be saved. In my opinion, they shouldn't bother treating him. It's just a waste of pills."

Zhang Lan said, then suddenly remembered something and asked, "If Qian Xing survives, would he know it was you?"

"I used Spirit Ink to splash his eyes, so he shouldn't be able to see," Mo Hua replied.

"Oh?" Zhang Lan thought, but you just admitted it.

Mo Hua looked up at the sky, pretending he hadn't said anything.

"What if he finds out?" Zhang Lan asked.

Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, "If he finds out, given his pride, he definitely won't tell the family. Being injured by a Qi Refining Fourth Level cultivator is quite shameful."

"What if he seeks revenge on you privately?" Zhang Lan couldn't help but ask.

"Then I'm even less afraid. If he could be secretly attacked once, why couldn't he be attacked a second time? The first time was luck; the second time might not be..." Mo Hua smirked.

Although he didn't seek trouble, he wasn't afraid of it either. He had suffered a bit because the incident caught him off guard. If he were prepared, he wouldn't fear Qian Xing even more.

Zhang Lan paused, puzzled. "How can you be sure his luck won't turn the second time?"

Mo Hua pretended not to hear.

Zhang Lan whispered, "Even if you use the Earth Fire Formation, you can only severely injure him, not kill him. You're only at Qi Refining Fourth Level, and you don't have any other methods..."

At Qi Refining Fourth Level, without magic techniques, even if you knew magic techniques, their power wouldn't be high.

Mo Hua wasn't suited for body refining, and close combat would be suicidal.

As for formations, being able to create the Earth Fire Formation with seven rune formations was about his limit at the Qi Refining Fourth Level. Even if there were more powerful formations, they wouldn't be much stronger.

Even if there were such formations, they would be secret formations treasured by major families and wouldn't be easily passed on.

Zhang Lan couldn't think of what other means Mo Hua might have.

"You're not thinking of gathering those apprentice craftsmen to gang up and beat Qian Xing to death, are you..." Zhang Lan suddenly said.

Mo Hua looked at Zhang Lan with a hint of disdain in his eyes and whispered, "One Earth Fire Formation can injure, but two Earth Fire Formations... wouldn't that kill him?"

Zhang Lan: "..."

He was accustomed to approaching problems from a cultivator's professional perspective, so he hadn't expected such a simple and straightforward solution.

Mo Hua leaned closer to Zhang Lan and whispered, "I've figured it out. I'll do as you said: after the explosion, wash away the ashes with water, then mold a spirit stone on the spot to obscure the spiritual energy. That way, they won't know I used a formation..."

Zhang Lan nodded, then suddenly realized something was amiss. "Wait, what do you mean by 'do as you said'?"

Mo Hua smiled sheepishly, "Isn't it thanks to your guidance earlier?"

Zhang Lan blurted out, "I didn't guide you!"

"Well, even if you didn't," Mo Hua replied.

"What do you mean 'even if'? Not guiding is not guiding!"

Mo Hua tried to reassure him, "I was just speaking casually. How could a Qi Refining Fourth Level like me dare to do something so dangerous?"

"Alright, alright, let's drop this," Zhang Lan waved his hand. If they continued, he might end up being seen as the mastermind.

Initially, he had been a bit worried about Mo Hua, but now it seemed he was more concerned about that brat Qian Xing.

The Qian family might not want this matter to escalate. After all, they were at fault initially. If word got out about their disgraceful actions resulting in such a state, it would only embarrass themselves.

If they dug deeper and exposed Qian Xing's private misdeeds, it could cause a lot of trouble for the judicial authorities.

As long as the Qian family didn't act, even if Qian Xing sought revenge privately, Mo Hua should be careful but wouldn't suffer much.

Mo Hua's concerns were mainly for the Qian family. As for Qian Xing, while he verbally abused him as worthless, deep down he always thought of him as such. As long as he wasn't caught off guard and attacked unexpectedly, with preparation, dealing with Qian Xing wouldn't be difficult.

"Oh, by the way, since you study formations, you must have a master, right?" Zhang Lan had been wanting to ask this question.

Among the myriad paths of cultivation, formation techniques were the most difficult to learn. The assessments and rankings for formation masters were also the strictest.

Generally, cultivators studying formations would have a master. Self-taught success stories were virtually nonexistent.

Even talented formation masters needed guidance; otherwise, even basic formation patterns would require a considerable amount of time to study and comprehend.

Mo Hua was a wandering cultivator who hadn't trained in a sect, yet his level in formations was not low. Besides his diligent self-study, Zhang Lan guessed he must have had a guiding master.

"Not a master, just a teacher. I'm a named disciple of my teacher," Mo Hua admitted without hiding.

"Does this teacher have a name?" Zhang Lan inquired.

Mo Hua shook his head, "The teacher lives in seclusion, enjoys tranquility, and prefers not to disclose their name."

Zhang Lan nodded. There were many cultivators like this in the cultivation world—eccentric, avoiding social obligations, and choosing remote places to pursue their interests. It was Mo Hua's fortune to encounter such a teacher.

He didn't press further; there was a limit to everything, and probing further would be meddling. Many experts disliked others prying into their lives.

"However... this teacher actually didn't take you as a formal disciple?" Zhang Lan couldn't help asking. He felt Mo Hua was quite good—a hard worker, diligent, and with high understanding, though sometimes his words could be provocative. If it weren't for the fact that Zhang Lan wasn't adept at formations, he would have considered taking Mo Hua as his disciple.

"My talent is quite ordinary. I'm already very happy that my teacher teaches me formations," Mo Hua replied.

Zhang Lan nodded and didn't say anything more. After finishing the meat and wine and giving Mo Hua a few more reminders, he left the restaurant.

Walking on the street afterward, feeling the gentle breeze clear away the slight intoxication, Zhang Lan suddenly thought of something, "Qi Refining Fourth Level, drawing seven formation runes, Earth Fire Formation... Is this talent considered ordinary?"

"I can draw several formation runes at Qi Refining Fourth Level? Four runes? No, even so, I can draw five or six, right? Mo Hua can draw seven..." Zhang Lan mused.

"He wants to become a formation master, so drawing seven is normal. I don't study formations seriously, just learn casually. Drawing five or six runes shouldn't be excessive..." Zhang Lan nodded to himself.

"However, how many formation runes can an average Qi Refining Fourth Level formation master draw? Is it four runes?" Zhang Lan pondered but shook his head, still uncertain.

During his clan studies, he had detested studying formations the most. Spiritual energy consumption was extremely fast, and it often gave him headaches. Therefore, he never paid much attention to such matters.

"When I have time, I'll write a letter back to ask the clan how many runes a Qi Refining Fourth Level disciple can draw..."

Zhang Lan thought silently.

(End of the Chapter)