Evening Glow

At dusk, Mo Hua first went home and had his mother prepare some food: two steaming bowls of noodles, some braised beef, refreshing pickled vegetables, several plates of pastries, and a few jars of osmanthus rice wine.

He packed all the food into a food box, placed it in his Storage Bag, and brought it up the mountain.

On the mountainside, the two children—a boy and a girl—and the veiled woman were still standing ramrod straight.

With his Storage Bag slung over his shoulder, Mo Hua walked up to them and got straight to the point.

"You've disturbed Mr. Zhuang's peace and quiet. You should go back. Mr. Zhuang doesn't want to see you."

The two children both looked dejected at those words. The veiled woman said, "Please inform him that an old acquaintance has come to call, with an important matter to discuss. We must ask Mr. Zhuang to grant us an audience."

Mo Hua said, "Why you've come—how could Mr. Zhuang not know? If he doesn't wish to see you, then he simply won't. Waiting any longer will be waiting in vain."

The boy said resolutely, "As long as I can see Mr. Zhuang, I'll wait as long as it takes."

The girl beside him said nothing, but her gaze held not the slightest intention of retreating.

Mo Hua asked curiously, "What if Mr. Zhuang never sees you? Will you really keep waiting? Even for ten years? A hundred years?"

The boy stiffened his neck and said nothing.

He was quite handsome, and he looked clever enough, but he was far too stubborn. Mo Hua grumbled inwardly.

"Then what will you eat?"

"I have Inedia Pills."

"Eating too many Inedia Pills will harm your body," Mo Hua said.

Inedia Pills were one type of Pill refined by Alchemists. Ordinary ingredients were combined with medicinal substances that preserved freshness, then refined and condensed into Pills. They were easy to store and could stave off hunger while replenishing blood and vitality, making them one of the essential Pills for cultivators traveling long distances or entering prolonged seclusion. But consuming them over a long period would damage a cultivator's blood and vitality.

Of course, Rogue Cultivators had another reason for not eating Inedia Pills: they were not cheap. Using them to fill one's stomach simply was not worth it.

"Hmph." The boy snorted. "It's none of your business."

Still, he secretly glanced at the veiled woman beside him.

The veiled woman said, "We appreciate your kindness, little friend, but we must see Mr. Zhuang on this journey. Otherwise, we will not return."

"You're staying here to see Mr. Zhuang, but no matter how long you remain, you won't see him. With Mr. Zhuang's temperament, the longer you stay, the less he'll want to see you," Mo Hua said.

The veiled woman hesitated for a moment. Though she had never met Mr. Zhuang, she had heard a little of how he conducted himself and knew that this young boy before her was very likely right.

If Mr. Zhuang did not wish to see them, then even if they waited here until they became withered bones, they would never see him.

Seeing that she had wavered somewhat, Mo Hua continued, "Those who cultivate the Dao value fate and opportunity in all things. Mr. Zhuang isn't seeing you because the destined chance has not yet arrived. Since it hasn't arrived, no amount of persistence will do anything but make things go against your wishes."

The woman could not help asking, "Then when will we have the chance to meet Mr. Zhuang?"

Mo Hua said, "That depends on Mr. Zhuang's mood. Choose a day with fair skies and gentle winds to visit him. There's no need to linger—simply offer a bow before his door. If the gate stands open, then Mr. Zhuang wishes to see you. But if the gate remains tightly shut, then the karmic chance has not arrived and Mr. Zhuang does not wish to see you. You should leave on your own."

The woman still hesitated. "Madam instructed me that I must bring the young master and young miss to see Mr. Zhuang. If we leave now..."

"If you stubbornly wait for ten years or eight, delaying your cultivation, going without sleep or rest, and damaging your blood and vitality, then even if you do meet Mr. Zhuang and become his disciple, your foundation will already be impaired. You'll struggle to glimpse the Great Dao. What meaning would there be in that?" Mo Hua asked in return.

The woman nodded, then suddenly frowned. "We never said we wanted to become Mr. Zhuang's disciples. How did you know?"

Mo Hua thought, You brought two children of apprenticeship age to visit Mr. Zhuang. If not to seek him as their master, then what else could it be for?

And if they were merely visiting an old acquaintance, they would not have stubbornly remained here for seven days without leaving.

Outwardly, however, Mo Hua put on an unruffled air and invoked Mr. Zhuang's name. "I told you already. Everything is within Mr. Zhuang's expectations. Go back for now. When Mr. Zhuang wishes to see you, he naturally will."

Once he had finished speaking, Mo Hua felt the time was about right and opened the food box. Fragrance immediately drifted out.

"Would you like something to eat?"

The girl was all right, but the boy immediately found himself unable to stand steadily. Though he pretended to be calm, his eyes could not help stealing glances into the food box.

Inedia Pills did not taste good, and eating too many inevitably caused discomfort. Neither their color, aroma, nor flavor could compare to the wine, meat, and pastries in Mo Hua's food box.

When the veiled woman saw that the young master and young miss were pale as paper, with not a trace of color in their lips, she thought of how the two children had always been pampered and privileged. When had they ever endured hunger and grown so haggard? Her heart softened.

She had watched the two children grow up. Even if they could not become Mr. Zhuang's disciples and she had failed Madam's instructions, she could go accept punishment from Madam herself. But she could never bear to let the young master and young miss suffer.

Besides, this little boy before them was right. If they ate Inedia Pills every day, went without sleep or rest, and further damaged their foundation with the mountain's chill and heat, affecting their future cultivation, nothing could make up for it.

"Then we will accept your kindness, little friend."

The woman thanked Mo Hua, then said to the two children, "Young Master, Young Miss, have something to eat first. Since Mr. Zhuang is unwilling to see us, the time has naturally not yet come. We shall choose another day to call again."

The two children also thanked Mo Hua.

Then they took out the noodles and various snacks from the food box and began to eat. Though they were ravenous, every lift of chopsticks and every bite remained dignified. At a glance, they were clearly children of an aristocratic family with excellent upbringing.

The boy tasted a piece of fragrant, spicy beef. At first, there was a slightly unusual flavor upon entry, but as he chewed, the fragrance spread through his mouth. He could not help asking, "What kind of meat is this?"

"Demonic beast meat."

The boy's eyes widened. "Demonic beast meat can be eaten?!"

Mo Hua rolled his eyes at him. "Aren't you eating it right now..."

"Didn't they say that eating demon beast meat would damage one's vital energy and cause one to lose one's mind?"

"This is Wild Ox Monster meat. It eats grass and plants, so it won't harm a cultivator's vital energy. It's the demon beasts that eat meat and people whose flesh can't be eaten."

Mo Hua wore an expression as though the boy had never seen anything of the world.

The boy looked at the meat in his hand, somewhat afraid, but unwilling to let Mo Hua look down on him, he took several more bites. Then he discovered that the more he ate, the more fragrant it became. Before he knew it, he simply couldn't stop...

The girl beside him looked at the pastries in Mo Hua's food box. "These pastries..."

"My mother made them herself. They're delicious!" Mo Hua said proudly.

"Your mother... makes pastries for you to eat...?"

"Besides pastries, she makes lots of other tasty things too." Mo Hua nodded.

A trace of envy appeared in the little girl's cool, clear eyes. Then she picked up a pastry from the plate, parted her lips slightly, and took a gentle bite.

Crisp and sweet.

The little girl lowered her eyes slightly, her long lashes concealing them, leaving her thoughts unreadable. Only after a long while did she raise her head and praise Mo Hua, "They're very good."

Her voice was clear and beautiful. Even the immortal music said to be played by heavenly beings could perhaps be no more enchanting than this.

Mo Hua was happy as well. Squinting as he smiled, he said:

"Mm, everything my mother makes tastes the best!"

After they finished eating, Aunt Xue took out a Jade Pendant shimmering with flowing light before they departed and handed it to Mo Hua.

"This is a first-grade Clear Heart Jade. Wearing it can help keep your mind focused during cultivation. It isn't anything precious; please accept it as a token of thanks."

Though Aunt Xue said it was not precious, the flowing radiance upon it made it clearly no ordinary item. To a Rogue Cultivator like Mo Hua, it was all the more valuable.

Mo Hua did want it a little, but he knew he could not accept it.

They were treating him so politely only out of respect for Mr. Zhuang. Otherwise, given the vast difference in their status, they likely would not even have spoken a word to him.

He had already accepted Mr. Zhuang's kindness by studying Array Techniques under him. He could not use Mr. Zhuang's reputation to gain benefits for himself.

So Mo Hua politely declined. When Aunt Xue still tried to give it to him, Mo Hua said:

"If you really want to give me something, then just pay for the meal. Five Spirit Stones will do."

Aunt Xue froze, as if she had never heard such a request before. Still, she took out a Storage Bag containing forty or fifty Spirit Stones.

Mo Hua only took five from it, then returned the bag to Aunt Xue. Without waiting for her to say anything, he waved his little hand, slung his own Storage Bag over his shoulder, and headed down the mountain by himself.

Aunt Xue stared blankly after Mo Hua. Just as he was about to disappear into the distance, the little girl suddenly spoke, her voice clear and beautiful.

"What is your name?"

Though her voice was soft, Mo Hua still heard it.

Mo Hua turned back and answered with a smile, "My name is Mo Hua."

At that moment, the evening clouds sprawled like spilled ink, and the mountain scenery was like a painting.

Bathed in the resplendent glow of the sunset, Mo Hua stood amid the mountains, as though he were standing within a splendid landscape painting.

The name Mo Hua, together with the brilliant clouds filling the sky, remained in her Sea of Consciousness.