Chapter 368: Legacy
Master Zhuang was leaving in a month.
He told Mo Hua and the Bai siblings to use this time to prepare, settle personal matters, and get ready.
After that, they would leave Tōngxiān City and travel elsewhere.
Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi didn’t have much to prepare.
This month was mainly for Mo Hua—to spend time with his parents, bid farewell to familiar friends, and take care of some miscellaneous affairs.
Mo Hua was about to leave…
When Liu Ruhua made the decision, she was determined, but as the moment approached, realizing Mo Hua, who had been by her side for over ten years, was leaving, her heart ached with reluctance.
She worried about him sleeping poorly, going hungry, enduring hardships.
She fretted about the dangers he might face and the injustices he might suffer…
So Mo Hua stayed home longer, accompanying his parents and easing their minds.
Elder Yu, upon learning this, felt reluctant to see him go but was happy for him.
It was not easy for a wandering cultivator to become a formation master, especially one with Mo Hua’s extraordinary talent.
But a dragon cannot swim in shallow waters.
Tōngxiān City was too small; if Mo Hua stayed, his potential would be limited. Although Elder Yu regretted it, he was glad to see him apprentice and travel.
After Mo Hua left, there would be no formation masters among the wandering cultivators in Tōngxiān City.
Considering this, Mo Hua had already planned ahead.
He went to Master Qian and said,
“Master Qian, I have a request.”
Master Qian hurriedly said, “I wouldn’t dare…”
He neither dared to call himself “Master” before Mo Hua nor refuse his request, so he said:
“Mr. Mo, just tell me what you wish. If it’s within my ability, I will do it without hesitation.”
The Qian family’s patriarch had been convicted by the Dao Court, their wealth donated, and the clan scattered. They no longer helped one another and would even fight over minor gains.
Previously, the Qian family prized profit over righteousness; their disciples were wolf-like.
Now in decline, with no benefits and fragmented loyalty, this was only natural.
The Qian family was no longer truly a family, more like a group of wandering cultivators surnamed Qian—less united than ordinary wanderers.
Master Qian, being a formation master, had a special status; even without family backing, he could manage.
Yet after numerous upheavals, he had grown detached from worldly affairs and focused solely on formations.
Mo Hua asked,
“Master Qian, could you teach wandering cultivators formation arts?”
Master Qian was stunned. He never imagined Mo Hua would ask such a thing.
He hesitated:
“Of course I could teach… but…”
He had never considered this path, never thought he would one day teach wandering cultivators.
Mo Hua said,
“If you agree, I’ll speak with Elder Yu. If any difficulties arise, he’ll assist you in the future.”
Master Qian was surprised but gradually understood.
Mo Hua was giving him an opportunity and a safeguard.
The Qian family was fallen, and old grievances would resurface. Though he was a formation master and could ignore them, being named Qian still carried consequences.
Now Mo Hua offered him a chance to teach wandering cultivators and a connection to Elder Yu, ensuring support if needed.
With Elder Yu backing him, he would not face trouble in Tōngxiān City.
This arrangement benefited both parties and was thoughtfully planned.
Master Qian agreed:
“As long as Mr. Mo does not find my knowledge shallow, I am willing to teach wholeheartedly.”
Mo Hua nodded.
Though the Qian family did not build their legacy on formation arts, they had experience passing them to disciples.
Mo Hua requested Master Qian to teach wandering cultivators based on that.
But that was not enough.
Mo Hua handed him a book, Complete Guide to First-Rank Formations:
“I compiled this in my spare time. It records methods for general first-rank formations, arranged progressively, with appendices sharing insights…”
“Please, Master Qian, guide me if you see fit. If all is well, use this Complete Guide as the foundation to teach wandering cultivators.”
Mo Hua spoke politely.
Master Qian smiled wryly:
“Mr. Mo, ‘guide’ is far too generous…”
With Mo Hua’s level of mastery, he had no qualifications to guide him.
Curious, he opened the book and froze.
This was no ordinary formation manual.
It covered everything from a single formation pattern to nine-pattern formations, including all first-rank and below formations.
It explained principles and energy flow from shallow to deep, from surface to essence, step by step.
Clear, comprehensive, and deeply grounded in formation theory.
Even beyond basics, it explained how to advance to complex composite formations after mastering nine-pattern formations.
This meant the Complete Guide could help even novice cultivators learn first-rank formations from scratch.
Even a “pseudo-first-rank” formation master like himself could benefit, surpassing thresholds and becoming a true first-rank formation master.
This book represented a thorough, continuous formation legacy.
Even centuries of Qian family teachings could not compare.
Master Qian held the book, trembling, overwhelmed, and asked:
“Do… you really want me to take this?”
He felt unworthy.
“Yes,” Mo Hua nodded.
“If formation arts are hoarded selfishly, they remain stale. Only by passing them on, letting more cultivators benefit, does it follow the Dao and become true formation art.”
Mo Hua’s eyes were clear, his tone sincere.
Master Qian felt ashamed and sighed, saying solemnly:
“Rest assured, Mr. Mo. I will honor this promise and dedicate the rest of my life to passing these formations on!”
Mo Hua was comforted and bowed:
“Thank you, Master Qian!”
Master Qian replied respectfully:
“You are too kind, Mr. Mo!”
Mo Hua then said,
“One more thing, I need your help.”
“Not ‘help,’ please speak,” Master Qian replied.
“I want you to take a child and personally teach him formations.”
Master Qian was surprised. “Who is this child?”
“He is surnamed Chu, called Zhou’er. I promised his father, Uncle Chu, to teach him formations. At that time, Zhou’er was too young to learn.”
“Now that I am leaving to travel, I cannot guarantee when I will return, so I ask Master Qian to teach him, so he has a skill to make a living in the future.”
“Chu Zhou’er…” Master Qian repeated the name, then nodded:
“Rest assured, Mr. Mo, I will teach him earnestly.”
“Thank you, Master Qian!”
Mo Hua left, and Master Qian respectfully saw him to the door.
Afterward, Mo Hua visited Master Luo, giving him a copy of the Complete Guide to First-Rank Formations.
Master Luo treasured it.
The basics were not critical for him, but the appendices offered priceless insights, helping him break through the first-rank bottleneck.
Mo Hua told Master Luo about Master Qian teaching wandering cultivators. Luo was surprised, considered briefly, then agreed:
“This is excellent!”
The formations would be passed on, and conflicts eased.
Seeing Master Luo leisurely drinking tea at home, Mo Hua asked curiously:
“You’re not going to Lánshān Sect?”
Previously, after the great monster appeared and Tōngxiān City relocated, Master Luo had found a way out: become an outer elder at Lánshān Sect.
He shook his head:
“I’d rather be the head of a small pond than the tail of a phoenix. I know my own worth. Unless forced, I wouldn’t leave Tōngxiān City.”
He smiled wryly:
“I’m respected as a first-rank formation master here. Outside, I’d just be a common outer elder, with limited influence, controlled by others. I’d appear impressive but feel constrained—I won’t endure that.”
Mo Hua asked:
“But the formations outside are better, aren’t they? Don’t you want to advance?”
“It’s not that you want to advance, you can just enter,” Luo replied.
“With greater forces come more benefits, and with benefits come intrigue.”
“Formation arts require detachment from fame and profit. A distracted mind hinders learning, even causing deviation.”
“Moreover, formation teachings outside aren’t necessarily better. You could strive and toil, yet only get scraps, while facing disdain…”
Mo Hua realized Master Luo had his own story, probably once venturing out, enduring hardships, achieving nothing, and returning to Tōngxiān City for a calm life.
“Don’t you feel regret?” Mo Hua asked.
“Everyone has their fate. You cannot force it,” Luo said.
“Sometimes legacy relies on opportunity…”
He patted the copy of the Complete Guide Mo Hua gave him:
“See, opportunity has come.”
Mo Hua laughed, finding Master Luo amusing.
They drank a few more cups of his treasured tea and discussed formations. As night fell, Mo Hua left.
Master Luo personally saw him out, muttering as he watched Mo Hua’s retreating figure:
“To travel with a teacher, this is true apprenticeship…”
“If he returns having mastered it, his formations will improve drastically… limitless potential…”
“Study well…”