Treating Guests

After parting ways, Mo Hua returned home. The next day, he sought out Elder Yu and told him about the incident.

Elder Yu exploded upon hearing "silver-white Dao robes."

"It must be those bastards from the Qian family!"

Elder Yu stood with hands on hips, cursing the Qian family from top to bottom, using coarse language without reservation, leaving Mo Hua astonished...

After venting his anger, Elder Yu noticed Mo Hua standing there, staring at him with wide eyes.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Elder Yu silently thought to himself, 'I got carried away in anger and forgot Mo Hua was here. I should be more careful next time and not corrupt such a good kid...'

Elder Yu cleared his throat and said, "Forget what I just said."

"Okay."

Mo Hua nodded, but he quietly remembered all of Elder Yu's curse words for future reference.

It wasn't good to curse, but if one had to, they shouldn't lose.

"Elder, has the Qian family done a lot of bad things?" Mo Hua asked again.

Elder Yu was about to answer but stopped himself, saying instead, "This is for adults to worry about, not you."

Turning away, he muttered to himself, "A bad tree bears bad fruit; the Qian family's ancestors were bastards, and the rest aren't any better... It's like a nest of rats in a stinking ditch..."

As he spoke, Elder Yu unwittingly resumed his tirade.

Mo Hua couldn't help but smile wryly.

Just because people from the Qian family wore silver-white Dao robes didn't mean every cultivator who wore them was from the Qian family.

Elder Yu would handle this matter; Mo Hua decided not to get involved.

Two days later, after Zhang Lan had settled matters with the demonic cultivator, he treated Mo Hua to a meal at the Spiritual Feast House on North Street. Situ Fang was also present.

The Spiritual Feast House was run by the An family. Mo Hua had some acquaintance with An Xiaopang, the young master, having helped him with his formation homework. He had also come here before to learn about the stove's crafting techniques but had never eaten here.

Note: Previously introduced as Ling Shan Restaurant

After all, the dishes at the Spiritual Feast House were infused with spiritual energy and were quite expensive.

However, Zhang Lan had no shortage of spirit stones, and Mo Hua didn't need to be polite.

"You worked hard capturing that demonic cultivator. Eat more." Zhang Lan gestured at the table full of dishes.

Situ Fang nodded beside him. "Eat more; if it's not enough, we can order more."

Mo Hua's cheeks were bulging as he asked, "Where's Senior Brother Situ Xiu?"

"He went back to report."

"Oh," Mo Hua replied nonchalantly. He wasn't really interested; it was just small talk.

Mo Hua ate voraciously, while Zhang Lan leisurely sipped his wine, barely touching his chopsticks.

He had grown tired of Spiritual Feast House meals since childhood. Despite their abundant spiritual energy, the taste was mediocre, and he wasn't fond of them.

He felt that Mo Hua's family's wild buffalo demon meat was more delicious, fragrant, and spicy, offering a more enjoyable eating experience.

Situ Fang simply found Mo Hua's chubby cheeks adorable and watched him eat while resting his chin on her hand.

The table was laden with various meats from unknown spiritual beast species, yet only Mo Hua was eating.

Mo Hua also felt that nothing compared to his mother's cooking, but these meals were too expensive to waste.

Once Mo Hua had filled his stomach, there were still many dishes left on the table.

"I'll have the innkeeper pack them up for you later," Zhang Lan said.

Then he took out a storage pouch and handed it to Mo Hua.

"There are one hundred spirit stones inside, for you."

Mo Hua was initially happy and reached out to take them, but then furrowed his brows and whispered, "Some for eating and some for taking... You're not trying to bribe me for something, are you?"

"What are you thinking?" Zhang Lan sighed helplessly. "I treated you to dinner because you helped immensely. These spirit stones are considered a reward from the Daoist Court."

"Oh, I see."

Mo Hua accepted them without further concern.

Zhang Lan continued, "I mentioned to the manager that originally, the Daoist Court was planning to reward you further, but those rewards are often just empty praise, more trouble than they're worth."

Mo Hua was curious, "How could they cause trouble?"

"Some of those demonic cultivators aren't alone; some have accomplices, some have fellow disciples, and some even have sects behind them. Once the Daoist Court rewards you, they might come looking for revenge."

Zhang Lan lifted his cup and took a sip of wine. "So, the public recognition goes to the Daoist Court's credit. I persuaded them to give you more spirit stones. After all, for you, spirit stones are more substantial."

Mo Hua nodded in agreement. "Right, staying low-key and making a fortune quietly is the best!"

After a moment of thought, Zhang Lan added, "There's another matter. Old Master An from the An family wants to see you."

"Old Master An?"

Mo Hua furrowed his brow, then suddenly understood and whispered to Zhang Lan, "Was that demonic cultivator collecting from An family's girls?"

Zhang Lan drew in a breath. "How did you know?"

"You let it slip that day, talking about being accountable to the An family..."

"I didn't say anything!" Zhang Lan interrupted.

Mo Hua looked at him meaningfully, causing Zhang Lan a headache.

Such matters couldn't be leaked...

Seeing the two whispering, Situ Fang frowned. "What are you muttering about?"

Zhang Lan immediately said, "Nothing." Then he signaled to Mo Hua with his eyes and quietly added, "Next time, I'll treat you again."

Mo Hua replied, "Uncle Zhang didn't say anything."

Situ Fang glanced at Mo Hua suspiciously and then at Zhang Lan.

Zhang Lan felt uncomfortable under the scrutiny, so he stood up and arranged for Mo Hua's leftovers to be packed.

Later, the two of them took Mo Hua to the An family's residence.

The An family dealt in spiritual feasts, emphasizing elegance and hospitality.

Unlike the ostentation of the Qian family, the An family's pavilions and buildings were luxurious yet restrained, exuding a quiet extravagance.

As they walked, Mo Hua glanced around. He wasn't interested in the An family's decorations but rather in the formation arrays they employed.

From the moment he entered, he focused on studying the various formations on the doors, walls, and floors.

Some formations were obvious and easily discernible, while others were subtle or complex, requiring him to deduce their purpose from the patterns or spiritual energy signatures.

Mo Hua found it fascinating, but the guards accompanying the group felt uneasy.

To them, Mo Hua didn't seem like a guest but rather someone scouting the premises.

Scout during the day, and rob at night.

What worried them most was Mo Hua's young age, yet his clear and somewhat profound gaze seemed capable of seeing through walls and stones, understanding the intrinsic formations.

He even muttered quietly about things like "Earth-Stabilizing Formation," "Metal-Stone Formation," "Flame-Fire Formation"...

He accurately identified all the formations used by the An family on their walls, floors, and roofs...

What kind of guest was he?

The guards of the An family felt bitter in their hearts.

But guests were guests; they couldn't say anything.

Fortunately, Mo Hua soon arrived at the main hall.

The guards relaxed a bit and greeted an elderly man sitting dignifiedly in the refined and elegant hall.

Mo Hua glanced discreetly at him, noting his white hair and ruddy complexion. Despite his stern appearance, his demeanor was pleasant. Mo Hua guessed this was Old Master An, the actual head of the An family.

(End of the Chapter)