Chapter 81 - 81 Qian Xing_1
Looking at the extraordinary aura of Aunt Xue, Zhang Lan’s eyes could not move away.
Mo Hua looked at him with even more disdain.
Zhang Lan coughed and straightened up his appearance, facing Aunt Xue with a serious expression, yet with a hint of sycophancy, he said,
“I am Zhang Lan, may I ask the name of this Taoist friend…”
Aunt Xue didn’t even bother with him and directly said to Mo Hua, “Mo Hua, we will wait for you up ahead.” After finishing her sentence, she left with Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, leaving Zhang Lan standing there dumbfounded, with that sycophantic look still rigid on his face.
Mo Hua looked at Zhang Lan with a bit of sympathy. He wanted to pat Zhang Lan on the shoulder, but being too short, he could only manage to pat his waist and said,
“Everyone goes through setbacks, Uncle Zhang, just take it easy…”
The supposed words of comfort, coming out in his childish voice, didn’t comfort at all.
Zhang Lan was still confused, “I’m not bad-looking, my cultivation isn’t low, and even my actions are refined with the etiquette and grace of a Disciples of the Worldly Family, why won’t she say a single word to me?”
Although Mo Hua did not like his self-absorbed appearance, he felt there was some truth to his words.
“Maybe Aunt Xue also heard your name as ‘scumbag’, so she avoided you at all costs? How about you try changing your name?” suggested Mo Hua.
Zhang Lan looked at Mo Hua with a speechless expression.
Mo Hua comforted him a few more words, and Zhang Lan finally didn’t take the incident to heart. After talking a few more sentences, Zhang Lan left with a look of disappointment.
Mo Hua then caught up with Aunt Xue and the others and continued strolling the streets. When it was about halfway through the hour of the rat, they all went home.
Bai Zisheng returned home with a bounty, forcing a bunch of odd and interesting things on Mo Hua that he couldn’t refuse to take.
Mo Hua also bought some gifts for his parents; for Liu Ruhua, it was a Fire-Resistant Hairpin, purchased the day before, much better crafted than the one he had given her before.
Mo Hua erased the Formation inside the hairpin and drew a new one himself, a Formation with even more intricate Patterns.
For this, he had specifically sought out Master Chen before going home, asking Master Chen to help him dismantle the hairpin. After redrawing the Formation, he had Master Chen put it back together.
He presented to Mo Shan a Jade Pendant, which he had also dismantled and redrawn a purifying formation inside. Once the Formation was activated, it could eliminate the poisonous gases or miasma in the mountains to a certain extent, although the range was limited.
Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua were both very happy, not only because of the gifts Mo Hua had given but also because they contained Formations hand-drawn by Mo Hua.
After the hustle and bustle of the Monster Hunting Festival, Tongxian City quieted down; Cultivators returned to their routine lives.
Mo Hua was no exception; he needed to enhance his cultivation and there was much to learn about Formations.
One day, as Mo Hua was walking home from Mr. Zhuang’s place, pondering Mr. Zhuang’s teachings while considering what other Formations he needed to learn. As he walked, he was suddenly stopped by a group of people blocking his way.
Looking up, Mo Hua saw a thin young man dressed in brocade, fluttering a gold-papered fan, with a frivolous look in his eyes, standing in front of him.
“Young Master Qian?”
Qian Xing, the youngest son of the Family Head of the Qian Family.
The Qian Family was the most powerful and wealthiest Clan in Tongxian City. Qian Xing, being the son of the Family Head and of the direct line, was pampered the most as the youngest.
Since Qian Xing was the youngest, he didn’t have to think about taking over the family business, so his life was all about indulging in pleasures. Mo Hua’s only interaction with him was when they were at the Tongxian Gate, where he wrote some Formation Patterns as homework for him.
“Is there something you need?”
Qian Xing smiled amiably, “Indeed, there is something I need your help with.”
“What is it?” Mo Hua had a feeling he wasn’t up to any good.
Qian Xing coughed lightly and said, “On the night of the Monster Hunting Festival, by chance, I saw you and behind you was a young girl wearing a veil. Do you know her?”
A girl with a veil? Is he talking about Bai Zixi?
“I suppose I know her…”
Qian Xing was delighted, his eyes revealing a trace of excitement, “Call her out, I’d like to get to know her, make friends.”
That evening during the Monster Hunting Festival, Qian Xing had also mingled among the Noble Clans’ Disciples and from afar, he noticed the young girl behind Mo Hua. Despite her young age and wearing a veil, he couldn’t forget the ethereal aura she possessed after just one glance.
He asked people to inquire about the young girl’s background, but there was no news, so he thought of approaching Mo Hua. For the past few days, he and his attendants had been looking for Mo Hua, and now they had finally encountered him.
“I’m not close enough to call her out,” Mo Hua dismissed.
Qian Xing said, “You were strolling down the street together, don’t tell me you’re not close. Don’t worry, as long as you agree, I won’t treat you unfairly. Do you want Spirit Stones, or a Spiritual Artifact?”
Mo Hua replied calmly, “What if I don’t agree?”
The smile on Qian Xing’s face gradually faded, “I’m trying to give you face here.”
Your face isn’t worth any money. Even if it were thrown on the ground, nobody would pick it up…
Mo Hua didn’t plan to deal with him and simply said, “I need to get home. Could you step aside?”
“Step aside?”
Qian Xing was stunned for a moment, then sneered, “You go and ask around. In Tongxian City, it’s always others who make way for me, the young master. There’s never been anyone who dares to ask me to make way!”
Qian Xing’s expression became gloomy.
“I’ll say it once more, call out that little girl so I can get acquainted with her, and I won’t pursue your earlier offense. Otherwise, I’ll make sure your parents regret bringing you into this world and having you suffer for nothing!”
Mo Hua’s eyes also began to show disdain.
“Your father should be the one to regret first, for having brought into the world such a waste like you and embarrassing himself!”
Insulting people? Who can’t? Since Qian Xing had started it, Mo Hua didn’t hold back either.
Mo Hua felt he had only uttered a common insult, but Qian Xing’s reaction was beyond his expectations.
Qian Xing turned ashen, then his face slowly twisted.
The surroundings also quieted down substantially.
The lackeys behind Qian Xing were somewhat dumbfounded. They had followed him around, swaggering and bullying others for so long, but this was the first time they had seen someone dare to publicly insult Qian Xing.
Mo Hua was taken aback as well.
He hadn’t said much, so why did it break his defenses?
If he couldn’t handle that, what if he spat out the swear words he had been fermenting in his stomach? Wouldn’t Qian Xing directly vomit blood?
It seems that those coddled from birth do have a more fragile Taoist Heart…
In an instant, Qian Xing felt a surge of rage, his eyes reddened, and bloodshot appeared in them. His fingers trembled as he pointed at Mo Hua, his expression ferocious as he screamed:
“I want him dead! Dead!”
Mo Hua frowned. Just because of a few insults, he wanted to kill?
In a frenzy, Qian Xing’s followers hesitated, “Young master, do you really want to beat him to death?”
Qian Xing glared with blood-red eyes, “Either he dies, or you die, choose for yourselves!”
Most of them were either secondary members of the Qian family or affiliated outsiders. Following Qian Xing allowed them to share in the spoils, so they had no choice but to obey him. If they displeased Qian Xing, they would be discarded like dead dogs from the Qian Family.
But having followed Qian Xing for so long, they were not strangers to dirty work, so they felt no burden on their conscience.
A disciple from the Qian Family said maliciously, “Kid, it’s your bad luck, try to see more clearly in your next life.” With that, his fist shot straight for Mo Hua’s forehead.
That punch was both insidious and ruthless, clearly meant to be fatal.
Only, when the fist was still a few feet away from Mo Hua, it was caught by someone.
The disciple whose fist was caught struggled to break free, but couldn’t. Instead, he felt his bones creaking. Before he could cry out in pain, he received a punch to the face. Nose bleeding, his body was pushed back by the force repeatedly, and he finally fell and lost consciousness against the wall like a broken sack.
The others were intimidated for a moment. Looking up, they saw the strapping young man who had somehow come to stand behind Mo Hua.
It was the apprentice of Master Chen from the Refinery Shop—Dazhu.
The normally jovial Dazhu now stood expressionless, his arms muscled like iron, emanating an imposing aura without anger, silently standing behind Mo Hua.
Mo Hua appeared unfazed.
In this district of South Main Street in Tongxian City, his “connections” were fairly extensive if it came to a fight.