Repairing the Array

"It's actually a Molten Array..." Mo Hua said.

"Correct." Master Chen nodded. Seeing that Mo Hua had recognized the Array Technique at a glance, he gained a measure of approval for him, and his tone turned more solemn. "Little Brother Mo, take a look and see whether there's something wrong with this Array Technique. I don't understand any of this—I can't make heads or tails of it."

Master Chen had someone wipe the soot from the Artifact Refining Furnace. Mo Hua then lay beside the furnace opening, carefully examining the Molten Array Patterns on the furnace walls.

Though he could not yet draw it in its entirety, after practicing day and night, the methods for drawing its Array Patterns were already etched into his mind. Before long, he pointed to several spots and said to Master Chen, "It is indeed a problem with the Array Technique. The Array Patterns in these places have worn away, so Lingli can't be conducted, and the Array Technique has failed."

Seeing Mo Hua speak so clearly and logically, Master Chen could not help but look at him in a new light. Then he frowned. "Then we can only ask an Array Master to repair it. Sigh, business is already poor enough as it is. Who knows how many more Spirit Stones this will cost..."

"Is it expensive to hire an Array Master to repair an Array Technique?" Mo Hua asked.

"Of course it is," Master Chen replied. "Array Masters are scarce to begin with. For a job like this, where the Array Technique specifically needs repairing, you have to offer extra Spirit Stones, or else they won't be willing to come."

Mo Hua considered his words. "How about I give it a try?"

"You?" Master Chen was greatly startled. "You're already an Array Master?"

Mo Hua modestly waved his hand. "Not yet. I've merely been learning Array Techniques from a teacher at the sect, and I just happen to have studied this Array Technique."

Looking at Mo Hua, who was barely half a man tall and still wore an utterly childish face, Master Chen said as tactfully as he could, "Better forget it. You're just a child—don't wear yourself out."

Mo Hua knew Master Chen still had reservations. His eyes shifted as he asked, "Uncle Chen, the people you hire might not necessarily be real Array Masters either, right?"

"Well..." Master Chen said, "that's true. Some are really only apprentices, not Array Masters yet. But when you're asking someone for help, you naturally have to say something nice. Whether they're Array Masters or not, calling them Array Masters can't hurt. They're happy to hear it, and things go more smoothly. We don't know much about the rest, nor is it appropriate to ask too many questions. As long as they fix the Array Technique, that's enough."

"Then have they fixed it every time?"

Master Chen thought for a moment. "A few times, it went smoothly, and they finished quickly. But sometimes they'd scribble and alter things for ages and still fail. In the end, we had to bring in someone else before it was fixed."

"Exactly. Most of those people who come are probably just apprentices too. Even if their skill with Array Techniques is better than mine, it can't be that much better." Mo Hua spoke confidently.

Of course, proper apprentices should be somewhat more skilled than Mo Hua, but some apprentices truly might not be better than him.

Mo Hua continued, "They'd be repairing it if they came, and I'd be repairing it if I did. At worst, if I can't fix it, you can hire them afterward."

That... actually seemed to make some sense...

Master Chen was somewhat persuaded, though he still hesitated. Seeing this, Mo Hua continued, "Even if you hire an Array Master, they can't necessarily come right away. It depends on whether they have time. For every day of delay, the artifact refining shop loses a day's income. If it drags on too long, expenses will outstrip income."

The artifact refining shop's business was decent, but its profits were not high. Master Chen was unwilling to cut corners, so all he earned was hard money. On top of that, he had several apprentices to feed and house. If work stopped for too long, it would indeed be difficult to keep things turning over.

Master Chen's head began to ache. At last, he gritted his teeth. "Fine, Little Brother. Give it a try."

Then he carefully added, "But just try it. Don't force yourself, and don't damage the Array Technique..."

"Don't worry," Mo Hua promised. "At most, I won't be able to fix it."

Master Chen felt reassured, yet somehow not reassured at all.

Mo Hua asked Master Chen to wait, then went home to fetch a brush and Fire-Attribute Ink. He also brought along the Molten Array Diagram. When he returned to the artifact refining shop, he first showed the diagram to Master Chen.

When Master Chen saw that the Array Technique on the diagram did indeed resemble the one on the Artifact Refining Furnace, he relaxed somewhat. At least it was not completely unreliable.

This was Mo Hua's first time drawing an Array Technique on a Spirit Artifact, so he was somewhat nervous. Fortunately, he had practiced the Molten Array countless times. Once he put brush to surface, his mind instead calmed down.

Repairing an Array Technique differed from drawing one. It did not consume much Divine Consciousness, because the Array Technique itself was already complete. He only needed to use ink to reconnect the damaged Array Patterns.

What it tested was an Array Master's eye, meticulousness, and familiarity with the Array Technique.

Mo Hua lay by the Stove, drawing with his full attention.

In less than half an hour, Mo Hua finished repairing the Array Technique. He then spent the time it took to drink a cup of tea checking it over once more. Only after confirming that there were no problems did he finally let out a breath.

Master Chen had watched anxiously from the side, afraid that Mo Hua would damage the Array Technique. Seeing him finish, he hurriedly asked, "Is it... fixed?"

Mo Hua's clothes were dirty, and several streaks of soot marked his face. Somewhat uncertainly, he said, "It should be fixed. How about we light it and see?"

Master Chen's expression was complicated, but he still joined several apprentices in sealing the Array Technique back up and reassembling the Artifact Refining Furnace. Then they embedded Spirit Stones into the furnace and used Lingli to ignite it.

But no fire lit.

Mo Hua froze. He rubbed his chin, making his little soot-streaked face even grimier. "Why isn't there any fire? The Array Technique should have been repaired."

"Little Brother," Master Chen asked, "are you sure there's no problem with the Array Technique?"

Mo Hua pulled out the Molten Array Diagram and compared it carefully again. Then he nodded. "There's no problem with the Array Technique."

Master Chen placed a hand on the Artifact Refining Furnace and felt its temperature. He said to the apprentices, "There isn't enough Lingli. Put in a few more Spirit Stones, then heat up an iron rod and toss it inside."

The apprentices did as instructed. Sure enough, the Artifact Refining Furnace's temperature gradually rose.

Before long, flames sprang up with a whoosh.

Master Chen was overjoyed. "It's working!"

The apprentices were happy as well. As long as the Artifact Refining Furnace worked, they had work to do and could learn from their master. The looks they gave Mo Hua were filled with admiration.

Mo Hua was delighted as well. "Let's refine a Spirit Artifact and see whether there are any problems."

Master Chen casually tossed a blade inside. After refining it for a while, he said with a hint of regret, "There's no major problem using it, but the firepower is a bit weaker than before. Refining artifacts may take longer."

Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled. "Why would the firepower be weaker with the same Array Technique? Could it be that repairing an Array Technique reduces its effectiveness?"

Master Chen shook his head. "It's been repaired a few times before, but the firepower didn't drop by much."

"Then why is that?"

Mo Hua frowned, wondering whether he had drawn some part of the Array Technique poorly.

After pondering for a moment, Master Chen pointed at the ink in Mo Hua's inkstone and said:

"Maybe it's the ink? The people we hired to repair it before used ink that was clearly darker than yours—bright red, like flames were burning inside it."

Mo Hua suddenly understood. He had gone for convenience and thrift, buying the cheapest Fire-Attribute Ink. It was fine for practicing Array Techniques in daily life, but when it was actually drawn onto a Spirit Artifact, the effect would naturally be much poorer.

"For an Array Technique to work well, you need higher-grade Spirit Ink."

Mo Hua silently committed that to memory, then said somewhat embarrassedly, "Then it should be the ink's problem. I bought the cheap stuff, so its ability to stimulate Lingli probably isn't very good."

Master Chen said, "Why say that? The firepower may be a little weaker, but it's already good enough that it works. When all's said and done, this old man ought to be thanking you."

After thinking it over, Master Chen gritted his teeth and said, "As for that Stove you want, you won't need to pay the refining fee. I'll refine the Stove for you free of charge. Of course, I can't refund the material costs. After all, this whole bunch of lads still needs food on the table."

Mo Hua looked at the spacious yet crude artifact-refining shop, then at the soot-blackened Master Chen and the artifact-refining disciples beside him, drenched in sweat with black ash smeared across their faces. Knowing full well how hard it was for them to earn Spirit Stones, he said:

"Uncle Chen, just give me half off the refining fee."

Master Chen shook his head. "That won't do. Even this way, I'm the one getting the better deal. If I hired someone else to repair this Array Technique, it would cost at least one or two hundred Spirit Stones."

"You don't have to give me that much."

Master Chen's temper flared. "Cultivators live by honesty. A word once spoken is like a nail driven in—how can it be taken back so lightly? Since I said I wouldn't take your Spirit Stones, then I absolutely cannot take them!"

What an unbending temperament...

Mo Hua had no choice. With a quick turn of thought, he smiled and said, "Then how about this? I won't pay the refining fee. Once the Stove is finished, I'll give you some Spirit Stones as compensation for your and everyone's hard work."

"This..."

For a moment, Master Chen could not sort it out. A refining fee and compensation for hard work seemed to be the same thing, yet somehow they also felt a little different.

"Even when you ask friends for help, sometimes you still have to give them something for their trouble," Mo Hua added.

"Then... all right."

Master Chen felt that this did make sense.

The several disciples also looked at Mo Hua gratefully.

Their families were not well-off to begin with. Working as disciples' assistants let them earn a little to help support their households. If they could not earn Spirit Stones, their already difficult lives would become that much harder.

And if they could earn Spirit Stones, even just one more, life would become a little easier.

"Then it's settled! It's getting late—I need to go home for dinner!"

Mo Hua waved his little hand in farewell.

Master Chen reminded Mo Hua to be careful on the road, then added, "Come find me anytime you need an artifact refined. I'll give you a discount!"