An Idea

The next day, Mo Shan hurried back as well.

When Mo Shan arrived at Apricot Forest Hall, his clothes were ragged and caked with mud. A bandage was wrapped around his arm, as though some demon beast had torn it open, blood seeping through the cloth.

The Monster Hunting Squad must have just finished a fierce battle with demon beasts. Without even having time to tend to his wound, he had rushed back.

Only after hearing that his wife's life was no longer in danger did Mo Shan finally let out a breath of relief. After Elder Feng examined Liu Ruhua's condition, he also treated the injury on Mo Shan's arm.

A few days later, Liu Ruhua returned home to recuperate. Following Elder Feng's instructions, she ate lightly, avoided exertion, took her pills on time, and likewise could not use Lingli for a month.

After staying home for a few days, Mo Shan and his son were both driven out by Liu Ruhua—Mo Shan was the captain of the Monster Hunting Squad and had to lead his team in hunting demon beasts, while Mo Hua was a sect disciple who needed to cultivate at the sect and could not fall too far behind in his studies.

Fortunately, Liu Ruhua simply could not use Lingli. Her ordinary daily life was not affected much.

Mo Shan could only ask one of the neighboring aunties to help look after her. He himself often came home whenever he had time, while Mo Hua would ask Instructor Yan for leave during every ten-day break and return home to visit.

Instructor Yan was understanding and did not make things difficult for Mo Hua. He merely reminded him not to neglect his cultivation or his sect lessons.

A month later, Liu Ruhua had mostly recovered. Though she still had to remain at home and could not do anything that required Lingli—otherwise, she would cough without end—there was no other harm.

Mo Hua finally put his mind at ease, only to discover that his mother was not very happy. She still smiled, but her spirits were clearly much lower than before, and sometimes she would sit alone, lost in thought.

Mo Hua was worried, but he could not understand why, so he went to ask Mo Shan.

Mo Shan sighed and said to Mo Hua, "Your mother's thoughts are simple. What she wants most is to save up some Spirit Stones for you, so you can cultivate properly. She wants to watch you grow into an adult, marry, and have children... But now your mother can't use Lingli. If she can't use Lingli, naturally she can't do anything—much less earn Spirit Stones."

"She's spent nearly half her life working herself to the bone, and then suddenly she can't do anything or help you with anything. Of course her heart will feel empty..."

Mo Hua felt miserable. After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Then does Mother have anything else she wants to do?"

"Anything else?"

"Mm, something she's interested in, like pills, talismans, formations, and such..."

Mo Shan pondered it, then said, "I wouldn't say your mother particularly likes those things. But she does quite enjoy cooking. I'm not just praising her—in all the neighborhoods within ten miles, no one cooks better than your mother."

Mo Shan sighed again. "Back when your mother and I pledged ourselves to each other and became Dao companions, I bragged that I'd open a Dining Hall for her, so she could focus on studying all kinds of meals and dishes. But all these years, she's only suffered alongside me. I never fulfilled any of the promises I made back then..."

Looking at his somewhat self-reproachful father, Mo Hua knew it was not his fault.

Mo Shan's cultivation and Dao techniques ranked among the best of the Monster Hunters in the area. For all these years, he had risked his life fighting demon beasts, returning home covered in blood every time. Even so, the family still spent more than it earned.

At its root, the life of a low-level Rogue Cultivator was simply too difficult. Just making ends meet was enough to leave one exhausted.

Mo Hua said, "Don't worry, Dad. One day, I'll definitely help Mother open a huge Dining Hall!"

Mo Shan knew his son was trying to comfort him. He rubbed Mo Hua's head and said with some gratification, "Good!"

But his wife could not use Lingli, and even being a Dietary Master required Lingli. Even if they opened a restaurant, without Lingli, it would be difficult for her to be a Dietary Master.

Thinking of his wife's despondent appearance, Mo Shan's heart ached. He patted Mo Hua's shoulder. "Talk to your mother more when you have time. Sometimes, what you say works better than what I say. Don't let her overthink things."

"Mm." Mo Hua nodded.

After that, whenever he had time, Mo Hua would take the initiative to keep Liu Ruhua company and talk with her. Her complexion did improve somewhat, but whenever she was alone, she still looked forlorn.

It would be nice if Mother could use Lingli. Mo Hua thought so, but he also knew it was unlikely.

Illness came like a mountain collapsing, but left like silk being pulled from a cocoon. Besides, this was the root of an illness accumulated over many years. She could only recuperate slowly; there was likely no way to cure it completely in a short time.

There were surely heavenly treasures in the cultivation world that could cure her completely. Elder Feng had mentioned several, but a family like Mo Hua's had no way to obtain them—and even if they found a way, they could never afford them.

Mo Hua could only give up on the thought.

Another half month passed, bringing the hottest month of the year. The sun hung high overhead, and even the ground was hot enough to scorch. As usual, Immortal Gate gave its students a summer break lasting more than a month.

The annual break and the summer break were the two longest holidays of the year.

The weather was scorching, and demon beasts did not like to appear often either. The ones willing to emerge were mostly fire-element demon beasts, whose demonic power was even stronger in such weather and who were extremely difficult to handle. Thus, summer was also the off-season for hunting demon beasts.

Mo Shan also spent longer periods at home. Only when squad members occasionally discovered some valuable demon beast would he head out for a few days, then return with some Spirit Stones or things such as demon beast pelts.

Once, after Mo Shan had gone out for several days, he came home carrying a large bundle. When Mo Hua opened it, he found a huge package of shank meat and could not help opening his mouth wide. "Dad, this is..."

"This is Wild Mountain Ox meat. It doesn't have much spiritual energy and isn't worth much, but compared with other demon beasts, its meat isn't too bad, and the gamey smell isn't too strong."

"The Monster Hunting Squad hasn't had much of a haul lately. There was only this Wild Mountain Ox, but after skinning it and cutting up the meat, no one would buy it. They all said the beef was too tough and old, impossible to stew soft and impossible to chew through. So we each took some home to eat," Mo Shan explained.

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Mo Hua asked uncertainly, "Dad, are you going to cook this meat?"

Mo Shan rubbed Mo Hua's head. "What? You think your dad's cooking isn't good?"

Mo Hua smiled but said nothing.

At noon, Mo Shan cooked the beef. It took him a great deal of effort before he finally stewed it, then brought it to the table in a large white porcelain bowl with a wide mouth.

"Try it and see how it tastes!"

The white porcelain bowl was filled with sauce-red beef.

After Liu Ruhua looked at the beef, she set down her chopsticks. She only scooped up a spoonful of soup and drank it slowly.

Mo Hua did pick up a piece of beef and put it into his mouth. After chewing several times, his teeth began to ache, yet the meat remained stubbornly unyielding, showing no sign of being chewed apart.

With awkward politeness, Mo Hua spat the meat out. He also picked up a spoon, scooped up some soup, took a sip, and praised, "The soup is good!"

Mo Shan glared at him irritably. "The soup was made with the sauce your mother prepared. Of course it's good."

Liu Ruhua pursed her lips and smiled. "I know you mean well, but preparing food isn't something that can be done casually. Even using Lingli to fuel the stove fire while stewing something involves quite a lot of know-how—when to use high heat, when to use low heat, when to add which sauces, and how much to add. There's a proper measure to all of it..."

Hearing this, Mo Hua suddenly asked, "Then if it's cooked long enough, can this beef be stewed until tender too?"

"In principle, yes," Liu Ruhua said. "But that would require a cultivator to watch over the pot day and night, constantly using Lingli to fuel the stove fire..."

"Ordinary cultivators definitely couldn't manage that. And the cultivators who could probably wouldn't be bored enough to do it," Mo Shan added.

"What if we used an Array Technique?" Mo Hua's eyes lit up.

"An Array Technique..." Liu Ruhua thought for a moment, then said:

"I'm not sure about that. But I heard the head chef at the restaurant say that some large restaurants have Artifact Refiners make the stoves first, then have Array Masters inscribe Array Techniques on them. That way, they only need Spirit Stones to power them, and they can stew ingredients for a long time without consuming a cultivator's Lingli. But hiring an Array Master is very expensive. At the very least, the restaurant I used to work at couldn't afford to build stoves like that."

"I see..."

Mo Hua fell into thought.

Mo Shan picked up a piece of beef and put it in his mouth as well. After chewing a few times without managing to chew through it, he had no choice but to admit, "It really isn't easy to chew." Then he simply swallowed it and used Lingli to forcibly refine it.

That night, Mo Hua practiced Array Techniques on the Broken Stele while thinking about the restaurant.

The next day, instead of drawing Array Techniques at home, Mo Hua braved the blazing sun and headed straight for North Street.

The weather was scorching. After walking only a few steps, he was drenched in sweat. Even so, there were still small vendors along the street, enduring the fierce sun as they hawked their wares, though their cries were listless and weak.

Mo Hua arrived at North Street and found the largest restaurant there—Fortune and Prosperity Restaurant. He then asked the shopkeeper, "Is your Young Master surnamed An, named Fatty An... no, An Xiaofu?"

The shopkeeper did not look down on Mo Hua because of his plain clothes. Instead, Mo Hua's overly familiar tone made him suspect that he might truly know the Young Master, so he politely said:

"You are correct, little young master. The Young Master is upstairs right now. Would you like me to announce you?"

Mo Hua replied with equal courtesy, "Please trouble the shopkeeper to inform him that a fellow disciple surnamed Mo has come to see him about something."