Chapter 1430: Temp - Chapter 1428: "Gentleness"

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Chapter 1428: “Gentleness”

The address “Young Master Mo” carried a soft, coquettish tone, and when it came from Hua Ping’s lips, it was as if she had switched to a different “voice.”

Mo Hua took a slight, cool breath, the hairs on his body standing on end, unsure what expression to wear.

Hua Ping smiled and said, “Young Master Mo, please have a seat.”

Mo Hua remained standing.

Hua Ping forced a smile and repeated, “Sit.”

Mo Hua slowly sat down.

Bai Zixi glanced at Mo Hua, then at Hua Ping, and asked, “Are you two so close?”

“Of course,” Hua Ping replied with a smile. “Young Master Mo and I are old acquaintances from the Great Wilderness. We share a deep bond.”

As she spoke, she extended her fair right hand, picked up a jadeite skewer, speared a piece of fruit from the table, and with her left hand cupped beneath it, brought it to Mo Hua’s lips. With a shy, timid expression, she said: “Young Master Mo, please.”

A storm of shock and disbelief raged in Mo Hua’s heart.

This woman… is she out of her mind?

She’s feeding me fruit?

Is this fruit poisoned?!

Mo Hua’s gaze sharpened, fixed on the fruit in Hua Ping’s hand.

Seeing his reaction, Hua Ping restrained her impatience and said, “It’s not poisoned.”

You say it’s not poisoned, so it’s not? Mo Hua grumbled inwardly, still refusing to open his mouth.

Hua Ping’s eyes instantly turned as cold as if she were about to kill someone. Through gritted teeth, she said, “Eat!”

Mo Hua remained silent for a moment, then slowly opened his mouth.

Hua Ping immediately stuffed the fruit into Mo Hua’s mouth, then instantly switched to a beaming smile, asking: “Young Master Mo, is it sweet?”

Mo Hua thought to himself, Sweet my foot.

Bai Zixi watched the two of them, one feeding and the other eating, her gaze also turning peculiar.

Mo Hua chewed the fruit in his mouth, confirming it wasn’t poisoned before swallowing. However, he figured that in front of his little senior sister, this “vase” probably wouldn’t dare to poison him.

After finishing the fruit, Mo Hua asked her, “Why have you come?”

Hua Ping said, “I came to see Zixi.” Her beautiful eyes, sparkling with moisture, looked at Bai Zixi before turning to Mo Hua. “And incidentally, to see you, Zixi’s junior brother.”

Mo Hua always felt there was more to Hua Ping’s words than met the ear.

Just then, Xiao Ju walked in from outside, holding a teapot.

Hua Ping immediately put on a warm, affectionate smile and said, “Xiao Ju, I brought you an orange.”

After speaking, she picked up an orange from the fruit platter and offered it to Xiao Ju.

Xiao Ju glanced at it and sneered coldly. “Lady Xiao Ju does not accept oranges offered with condescension.”

Hua Ping gritted her teeth. “You little brat.”

Bai Zixi sighed helplessly. “Alright, don’t pick on a child.”

Hua Ping’s face softened again, radiating gentleness like a spring breeze. She then peeled the orange intended for Xiao Ju and offered a segment to Mo Hua’s lips. “Young Master Mo, please.”

Mo Hua opened his mouth and ate it.

Xiao Ju was shocked, then looked at Mo Hua with disdain, muttering, “So spineless.”

Seeing that Mo Hua had eaten the orange she offered, Hua Ping finally seemed satisfied.

With Mo Hua present, she had nothing more to say, so she turned to Bai Zixi: “Zixi, I won’t disturb your quiet cultivation any longer. I’ll visit you again next time.”

Bai Zixi gave a slight nod.

Hua Ping stood up to leave but suddenly turned back, looking at Mo Hua. “See me out.”

Mo Hua said, “No.”

Hua Ping narrowed her eyes, her gaze unfriendly.

Bai Zixi shook her head slightly and said to Mo Hua, “Junior brother, please see her out.”

Out of respect for his little senior sister, Mo Hua finally stood up and said to Hua Ping, “Let’s go.”

Hua Ping couldn’t help but glance once more at Bai Zixi, whose skin was like ice and bones like jade, before following Mo Hua out of the courtyard and heading toward the exit of the minor blessed land.

As they passed through a landscape corridor, with no one else around and Zixi no longer present, Hua Ping’s gentle and elegant demeanor vanished instantly. With a cold expression, she asked Mo Hua: “During the days I was away, you didn’t do anything to Zixi, did you?”

Mo Hua couldn’t be bothered to respond.

Hua Ping sneered, “Don’t think you’re anything special. Zixi is only so tolerant of you because you’re her junior brother. Don’t overstep your bounds.”

Mo Hua let out an indifferent “Oh.”

If it came to bickering, Mo Hua had a hundred ways to make this “vase” lose her temper.

But there was no need—arguing with a woman would only end up costing him.

Seeing Mo Hua’s unyielding attitude, Hua Ping grew irritated and decided to ignore him as well.

It wasn’t until they reached the entrance of the minor blessed land that Hua Ping remembered something else and said to Mo Hua: “By the way, don’t do anything unnecessary.”

Mo Hua nodded, offering a perfunctory “Mm.”

But Hua Ping added, “This isn’t about Zixi.”

Mo Hua was slightly taken aback.

Hua Ping stared at Mo Hua, scrutinizing him for a moment before saying: “Back in the Great Wilderness, I could already tell—you seem harmless, but your actions are unpredictable and erratic. I don’t know what plans you have coming to Kun Province, or how much you know, but in any case… don’t do anything unnecessary. The affairs of Kun Province are different from those of the Great Wilderness. Don’t go looking for trouble.”

“If you cause trouble, it doesn’t matter—whether you live or die is of little consequence. But don’t drag Zixi into it. She’s not like you.”

Mo Hua’s eyes flickered, and he wanted to ask something more.

But Hua Ping had already turned around, stepped gracefully into her carriage, and driven away.

At the entrance of the minor blessed land, Mo Hua stood alone, lost in thought.

Was the “vase” afraid he might… ruin her plans, and that’s why she came to warn him?

“But in a place like Kun Province, what could I possibly ruin for her?”

“What plans does she have… that she’s afraid I might disrupt?”

Mo Hua’s gaze grew profound.

Kun Province seemed quite complicated—beneath its prosperous exterior, there were likely many hidden affairs.

Mo Hua shook his head and turned back into the minor blessed land.

Returning to the courtyard within the minor blessed land, Xiao Ju glared angrily at Mo Hua, the “traitor,” and asked: “Were that woman’s oranges really that delicious?”

Mo Hua chuckled inwardly and shook his head. “No, they weren’t.”

“Then why did you eat them? Have you no backbone?” Xiao Ju retorted.

Mo Hua replied, “I’ll only eat them this once. I won’t do it again.”

“That’s more like it,” Xiao Ju muttered. Then, unable to contain her curiosity, she asked, “Were they really not delicious?”

Mo Hua smiled and nodded. “Truly not delicious. They’re not worth eating.”

Reassured by Mo Hua’s confirmation, Xiao Ju nodded in agreement. “Right, they’re not worth eating. What good oranges could a bad woman possibly have?”

Bai Zixi then said, “Xiao Ju, go do your studies.”

Xiao Ju was a Dao attendant responsible for serving Zixi, but Zixi also assigned her daily cultivation tasks.

The tasks had to be completed.

Xiao Ju sighed, looking somewhat dejected as she left.

In the courtyard, only Bai Zixi and Mo Hua remained.

Bai Zixi glanced at Mo Hua, remained silent for a long while, and then asked softly, “What did Hua Ping say to you when she left?”

“Mm,” Mo Hua nodded, “She said some words of concern, telling me to behave and not meddle in others’ affairs.”

Bai Zixi silently glanced at Mo Hua, her thoughts unclear, and softly replied, “Oh.”

The days that followed continued as usual.

Mo Hua still studied various Third-Grade Formations every day, gradually improving his formation skills.

Through daily cultivation, like water dripping through stone, his cultivation also steadily progressed toward the mid-Golden Core stage.

He estimated it would take a little more time to reach the threshold of mid-Golden Core.

Regardless, Spirit stones still had to be earned.

Due to Mo Hua’s involvement, Manager Zhao could no longer organize the “Entering the Earth” events.

Mo Hua could only scrape by by drawing Second-Grade Formations.

Aside from that, sparring gradually became his main way to earn extra income.

A handsome young man, an outsider from Kun Province, with decent strength and a connection to Miss Lu…

With all these factors combined, even a passing dog would want to fight Mo Hua.

A single sparring match cost fifty thousand Spirit stones.

Thanks to this, the Spirit stones Mo Hua earned from sparring increased steadily, even surpassing his income from formations at times.

Mo Hua found this somewhat troubling and wondered if he should stop drawing formations for a while and focus on being a professional Spiritual Cultivator, earning Spirit stones by fighting others.

After all, drawing formations didn’t attract as many easy targets.

Of course, Mo Hua only thought about it casually.

As the number of sparring matches increased, so did his victories, and his reputation as a “Spell expert” grew.

More and more young masters from Kun Province’s prominent families began to seek him out specifically to “challenge” him.

As their numbers grew, Mo Hua’s “schedule” became too packed to manage.

So, he decided to raise his prices.

The “challenge fee” increased from fifty thousand to eighty thousand Spirit stones.

People cursed Mo Hua for being shameless, and their enthusiasm for challenging him cooled slightly.

After all, eighty thousand Spirit stones, while not an enormous sum, still stung a bit when it meant getting beaten up by Mo Hua.

Even so, there were still quite a few who wanted to challenge him.

Not only some young masters from prominent families but also some local cultivators with decent cultivation levels wanted to test Mo Hua’s true abilities.

The eighty thousand Spirit stones acted like a sieve, filtering out some of the “novices” and leaving more “experts.”

At least those who were confident in their abilities were willing to spend eighty thousand Spirit stones as a wager to spar with Mo Hua.

This time, Mo Hua could clearly feel the “pressure.”

Unlike Wu Gui and the other two, the cultivators who came to challenge Mo Hua now were clearly on a higher level in terms of Magical Treasures, Dao Arts, and combat experience.

Relying solely on the “Fireball Technique” was no longer enough for Mo Hua to win easily.

He had to use all the Five Elements Basic Magical Spells, linking them seamlessly, flowing continuously, and bombarding his opponents from start to finish, only then could he secure a relatively “slim” victory.

Without using his true skills like formations or Divine-Sense, and relying solely on the Minor Five Elements Spells, Mo Hua clearly felt a bit strained.

At the very least, his victories were slower and more hard-fought than before.

“Heroes are as numerous as fish in a river; there are experts everywhere. While these cultivators may not be overwhelmingly strong overall, they all have their own unique skills. I must not underestimate others lightly.”

“My own Spells still need deeper refinement.”

Mo Hua silently reflected in his heart.

However, the opponents who had faced Mo Hua were also inwardly astonished:

“A cultivator with an Inferior-Grade Golden Core, not using any Magical Treasures, nor revealing any characteristics of his Cultivation Method, yet able to suppress others with just basic Spells… With such insight, given time, he is sure to achieve something in Spells.”

“It’s just a pity that he has an Inferior-Grade Golden Core.”

And so, Mo Hua began to make a name for himself in Kun Province under the identity of an Inferior-Grade Golden Core cultivator and a “Spell expert.”

On this day, the “Spell expert” Mo Hua was once again in the Sword Debate Dao Arena, engaging in sword discourse and spell combat with others. With a narrow margin, exquisite micro-control, and a comeback from the brink, he ended the match with a two-fireball advantage.

The cultivator opposite him cupped his hands and handed over eighty thousand Spirit stones, saying: “Fellow Daoist Mo, impressive Spells. I admire you. I will go back and train further, and next time, I will spar with Brother Mo again.”

Mo Hua accepted the Spirit stones and returned the gesture, saying, “Certainly, certainly!”

The other cultivators around also discussed Mo Hua, but their words were mostly full of praise.

Mo Hua wasn’t good at anything else, relying solely on low-level Spells. Although his combat style seemed peculiar, it was quite impressive in actual combat.

These spectators also gave Mo Hua the respect he deserved.

As Mo Hua left the Spell Combat Arena, many cultivators along the way greeted him—some saluted, some offered greetings, some invited him for drinks, and others challenged him to a match.

Now, throughout the entire Eastern City Sword Discourse Dao Arena, the vast majority of the audience had come to know Mo Hua, the handsome-faced Spell expert.

Mo Hua smiled, responding to each one in turn, then left the arena, preparing to return to the minor blessed land.

He had been fighting all day—five matches in total—and had earned four hundred thousand Spirit stones. It was time to buy something and go back to feed Xiao Ju.

But just as he reached the entrance of the arena, a luxurious carriage suddenly stopped in front of him.

The carriage curtain was lifted, revealing the face of a woman as beautiful as flowers and the moon.

Upon seeing this face, Mo Hua turned and walked away.

The woman hurriedly called out sharply, “Stop!”

Mo Hua sighed and turned back to ask, “What is it?”

The beautiful woman frowned and asked Mo Hua, “Why do you run when you see me?”

Mo Hua replied helplessly, “What do you think?”

Didn’t you say yourself that you wouldn’t let me go, that you’d capture me and make me pay?

This beautiful woman was none other than Lu Zhenlong.

This time, although she had applied makeup and changed her appearance, Mo Hua could still recognize her.

Lu Zhenlong said to Mo Hua, “You, get in the carriage.”

Mo Hua shook his head. “No.”

Lu Zhenlong said, “Hurry up, don’t force me to use strength.”

Mo Hua sighed. “Why should I get in?”

Lu Zhenlong replied, “Come back to the Lu Clan with me.”

Mo Hua said calmly, “I won’t go.”

Lu Zhenlong gritted her teeth and said, “How dare you refuse?”

Mo Hua turned to leave.

Lu Zhenlong had participated in the Grand Sword Debate Assembly and knew that Mo Hua’s movement techniques were exceptional. If he wanted to leave, it would be hard to stop him, so she quickly said: “Don’t go! Ah!”

Seeing that Mo Hua ignored her, she added, “It’s not that I want to harm you, it’s… my father wants to see you.”

Mo Hua was slightly taken aback upon hearing this and turned back. “Your father? The head of the Lu Clan?”

Lu Zhenlong nodded, her fair face showing a hint of displeasure as she said: “My father… wants you to come to the Lu Clan… He wishes to meet you and sent me to find you.”