Turbulence

"Old Mo... Mo Shan, no, Big Brother Mo!" A demon hunter rested his hand on Mo Shan's shoulder.

"Tell me, with our friendship, if I lower my old face and ask your son to draw a formation for me, will he agree?"

Before Mo Shan could reply, another demon hunter beside him said:

"Huh, Your face is worthless!"

"At your age, stop relying on your face to get by."

Others laughed and joined in.

"Mo Shan, just tell me, how many spirit stones would it take to have this formation drawn? I'm interested."

Mo Shan sighed. "I'll have to ask my son when I get back. This formation shouldn't be easy to draw."

The others nodded thoughtfully.

A formation capable of withstanding a late-stage one-rank demon's attack indeed wouldn't be easy to draw.

Another demon hunter whispered to Mo Shan, "Is your son not engaged yet?"

Mo Shan nodded. "He's still young."

"Not that young anymore. These matters need consideration sooner rather than later."

"What are you suggesting?"

The demon hunter smirked. "I have a daughter, very pretty. How about we become in-laws?"

"Mo Shan, don't listen to his nonsense. My niece is the beautiful one."

"Big Brother Mo, this isn't something to rush. Let's wait a bit longer. By next year, my daughter will be born..."

"How old is your daughter? Shameless!"

...

Mo Shan watched their banter helplessly and smiled.

Despite some twists, this demon hunt went smoothly overall and didn't take too much time.

After descending the mountain, they sold the demon beast, divided the spirit stones, and went their separate ways.

As dusk fell, street lamps lit up one by one.

Mo Shan walked through familiar streets, pushed open the familiar courtyard gate, and returned home.

Liu Ruhua had already prepared dinner, with vegetables, beef, and steaming rice porridge on the table.

During dinner, Mo Shan asked Mo Hua, "Did you draw a formation inside that vine armor?"

"Yeah." Mo Hua held a piece of white steamed bun in one hand and stuffed meat into his mouth, nodding. "I drew the Golden Armor Formation!"

"The Golden Armor Formation? Is it a higher grade than the Iron Armor Formation?"

"Yes, its effectiveness is much higher than the Iron Armor Formation."

Mo Shan thought for a moment, then asked, "Some uncles in the demon hunting team also want you to help them draw this formation."

"I can do that, but they'll have to wait a while."

Mo Hua needed time to learn a new first-rank formation. Once his proficiency stabilized, he would revisit drawing the Golden Armor Formation to improve his skill.

Mo Hua added, "For the Golden Armor Formation, they'll need gold-based ink and a fair amount of spirit stones as compensation for my efforts."

After all, freelance cultivators weren't wealthy.

Mo Shan felt relieved and smiled. "I'll have them prepare first. When you're available in a while, you can help them."

"Okay!" Mo Hua agreed, then curiously asked, "Dad, is this Golden Armor Formation effective?"

He wanted to know the efficacy of a first-rank Golden Armor Formation.

Mo Shan was about to say "very effective," considering how even a late-stage Wood Wolf demonic beast hadn't torn through this vine armor.

In his life, he'd never worn armor tougher than this.

But just as he was about to speak, Mo Shan hesitated again.

Saying "effective" implied that he had encountered danger in the mountains.

To avoid worrying his wife and son, Mo Shan had never spoken about the grave dangers he faced.

Mo Shan hesitated for a moment before saying, "It should be effective. However, today's demon hunt went smoothly without encountering much danger. We'll talk about it next time if we do."

Mo Hua nodded, feeling somewhat regretful.

But then he thought again; not encountering danger was always a good thing.

Whether it was vine armor or the Golden Armor Formation, they were all meant to reduce danger. But even with these precautions, danger still existed.

The best scenario would be not encountering danger at all.

Thinking this, Mo Hua relaxed and happily started eating.

While eating, Mo Hua remembered something else. "Dad, how's Uncle Zhao doing?"

Mo Shan furrowed his brow. "Not particularly well. He still hasn't woken up."

Old Zhao had entered the mountains, pursued by unknown cultivators. During his escape, he fell off a cliff and was caught in branches until Mo Hua found him with his spiritual awareness.

Old Zhao's life hung by a thread, and he barely survived. Otherwise, the outcome would likely have been much worse.

"Was it the Qian family's doing?"

"No concrete evidence, but it's highly probable."

Mo Hua pondered for a moment. "Is the Qian family targeting Uncle Zhao out of spite, or are they trying to cover something up?"

"Elder Yu is investigating, but there are no leads. I suspect once Uncle Zhao wakes up, things will become clearer," Mo Shan sighed.

Mo Hua was concerned. "When will Uncle Zhao wake up?"

Mo Shan patted Mo Hua's head reassuringly. "Don't worry. Elder Feng said it'll be within these few days. You can go see him when you have time."

"Okay." Mo Hua nodded.

The next day, Mo Hua went to Medical Hall.

Old Zhao, severely injured and unconscious, was placed in a side room of Medical Hall.

Old Zhao's wife, pregnant and unable to exert herself, could only visit her husband for a short time each day.

Elder Yu often came by, arranging helpers to care for Old Zhao. Despite his stable condition, Old Zhao remained unconscious.

When Mo Hua arrived, he found Elder Yu there as well.

Initially serious-faced, Elder Yu instantly brightened upon seeing Mo Hua. "Mo Hua, you're here."

"Yeah, I came to see Uncle Zhao."

Mo Hua walked up to the sickbed and saw Uncle Zhao lying there like a white sheet, feeling worried. He quietly asked Elder Yu, "Elder, any progress on the Qian family matter?"

Elder Yu hesitated briefly, then whispered, "My men have been investigating. Over the past month, members of the Qian family have been sneaking into the Great Black Mountain, acting suspiciously. We don't know what they're up to."

Mo Hua frowned. "I've been in the mountains too, but I haven't come across them."

"They mostly move under cover of night, sneaking in and out without a trace once inside the mountains. It's not just you; other demon hunters haven't noticed them either," Elder Yu explained.

Mo Hua thought for a moment. Suddenly, he asked, "Did Uncle Zhao encounter them?"

Elder Yu nodded. "He went up the mountain that evening and probably ran into people from the Qian family. They might know what the Qian family is up to, so the Qian family wanted to silence him..."

Silence him!

Mo Hua's heart skipped a beat.

What exactly was the Qian family doing in the Great Black Mountain that they needed to resort to silencing people?

At that moment, Elder Feng entered, and Elder Yu and Mo Hua didn't continue their conversation.

Elder Feng carried a tray with pills, acupuncture needles, and a small heater emitting hot air.

"Grandpa Feng, what are you going to do?" Mo Hua asked.

"I'll use acupuncture to clear his meridians and stimulate the medicine's effect. He should wake up soon," Elder Feng replied.

"Oh, I see." Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, curious as he watched.

Using the heater, Elder Feng smoked the medicine, extracted its essence, and then used gold needles to infuse the medicine into Old Zhao's acupuncture points.

Old Zhao's skin gradually reddened, blood oozed out, and the chaotic spiritual energy within his body gradually stabilized. Suddenly, he opened his eyes.

Everyone rejoiced.

Elder Yu looked slightly relieved and was about to comfort him to "rest well" when Old Zhao suddenly gripped his arm tightly.

Old Zhao's breathing was unstable, and he struggled to speak.

But he held onto Elder Yu tightly, gritted his teeth, and finally managed to say:

"In the Great Black Mountain... There's a spiritual mine!"

"What!?"

Hearing this, Elder Yu shot up from his seat.

(End of the Chapter)