Zhu Muchen nodded. “Our Zhu family has farmland in the Great Spiritual Field Realm. Now that I’ve formed my Golden Core, my father wants me to gradually get involved in the family’s properties. He says I don’t have to be an expert at everything, but I must understand them. So in a few days, I’ll be going to the Great Spiritual Field Realm to look over the Zhu family’s fields…”
The Great Spiritual Field Realm…
Mo Hua’s brows twitched slightly as he fell into thought.
Seeing Mo Hua’s expression, Zhu Muchen’s heart leaped. “Little Senior Brother, would you like to come along?”
“I…” Mo Hua hesitated.
Zhu Muchen grabbed his wrist enthusiastically. “Little Senior Brother, come with me! I can play host and show you around the Zhu family’s holdings.”
“But…” Mo Hua asked, “Wouldn’t that take a lot of time, going back and forth?”
Zhu Muchen said, “No worry. Our Zhu family has its own highway.”
“Highway?” Mo Hua was startled.
“Mm,” Zhu Muchen nodded. “It’s a road paved with formations, specially designed for carriages and horses. It’s incredibly fast—a thousand li in a single day.”
Mo Hua was surprised. “Your Zhu family has something like that?”
Zhu Muchen nodded again. “They say it was originally used by the Dao Court for military campaigns, to suppress the demonic path and unify the Nine Prefectures. It allowed rapid troop movement and transport of supplies.”
“Later, when peace reigned for a long time and wars ceased, the highway fell into disrepair. Our Zhu family managed to keep one section. We repaired it ourselves and use it to connect our territory to the Great Spiritual Field Realm, making it easier to manage the farmland.”
Mo Hua asked, “Is the highway really that fast?”
Zhu Muchen said, “Normally, it takes at least half a month to reach the Great Spiritual Field Realm, but on our Zhu family highway, it takes only three days.”
Only three days…
Mo Hua asked further, “Do all the great clans in Kun Prefecture have their own highways?”
Zhu Muchen thought for a moment. “The major ones do. Kun Prefecture is rich in land, and many properties are built on land. Every great clan will find a way to control their own highways. Otherwise, with poor transportation, if something happens in the Great Spiritual Field Realm, they wouldn’t be able to manage it.”
“But these array highways are long and enclosed. Only the great clans can afford to maintain them, and they are never opened to the public. If a smaller clan wants to borrow a highway, they need either a very close relationship—often through long-standing marriage ties—or they have to pay a hefty maintenance fee.”
Mo Hua nodded, understanding.
So this was the “express lane” for the great clans.
The major clans of Houtu City had operated in Kun Prefecture for many years; they couldn’t ignore the issue of transportation.
Only such convenience was beyond the reach of ordinary people.
Zhu Muchen asked again, “Little Senior Brother, do you want to go to the Great Spiritual Field Realm?”
Mo Hua hesitated. “I… would like to…”
Zhu Muchen was delighted and said warmly, “Then come with me, Little Senior Brother! I was just worried about going alone and being bored—” He almost said “bored,” but felt that sounded too lazy and disrespectful in front of his little senior brother. So he corrected himself solemnly: “I was worried about having no one to guide me in cultivation and formations, afraid I’d neglect my practice.”
“If you come along, you can give me some pointers. Besides, the Zhu family highway is fast—we’ll be there in three days.”
Zhu Muchen had even thought up the excuse for Mo Hua.
Seeing the eager look in Zhu Muchen’s eyes, Mo Hua suddenly felt that not going would be letting his little junior brother down.
Mo Hua sighed. “I’ll… think about it…”
Zhu Muchen nodded repeatedly. “Mm, mm.” Then he added apologetically, “But Little Senior Brother, I’ll need your answer in the next few days. This trip is arranged by the family, so I can’t change the schedule.”
Mo Hua nodded. “Alright.”
Zhu Muchen beamed. “Then I’ll wait for your news, Little Senior Brother.”
Mo Hua responded with a warm “Mm.”
…
Back at the Little Luan Mountain Blessed Land, Mo Hua was still considering the matter.
His original plan was to earn enough spirit stones, reach the mid-stage Golden Core, and preferably set a date for the third-rank array master examination. He wanted to temporarily wrap up his cultivation matters before heading to the Great Spiritual Field Realm to investigate what exactly was going on there: what the Dao Court Department, the Earth Sect, and the various factions intended to do.
But now, plans changed.
With his little junior brother Zhu Muchen offering a “ride,” he could reach the Great Spiritual Field Realm in three days.
If he missed this opportunity, he might not get another chance for a long time.
Without the ride, even if he took a spirit horse, it would take at least half a month. A round trip would cost a month just on travel.
After much deliberation, Mo Hua sighed and decided he shouldn’t let the chance slip. He had to go to the Great Spiritual Field Realm first.
At least he could take a look at the situation there, check the fate of the living beings in Kun Prefecture, and deduce the geomantic terrain and the pattern of Heavenly Fate.
…
Once Mo Hua made up his mind, he went to find his Little Junior Sister. But when he entered her bamboo room, he found Rong Zhenren was also there.
Little Junior Sister was drawing formations at a table, while Rong Zhenren sat at the table drinking tea, as if keeping her company or watching over her.
When Mo Hua came in, Rong Zhenren glanced at him with elegant eyes that immediately turned wary, as if seeing some dangerous figure.
Mo Hua felt, in a daze, as if Rong Zhenren were guarding against him like a thief. He couldn’t help feeling puzzled.
I haven’t done anything, have I? Why would dignified Rong Zhenren be so wary of me…
Mo Hua bowed to Rong Zhenren. “Zhenren.”
Rong Zhenren nodded slightly. “Something wrong?”
Mo Hua said, “I’ll be going to the Great Spiritual Field Realm in a few days.”
Rong Zhenren was taken aback. “The Great Spiritual Field Realm?”
“Mm,” Mo Hua nodded. “I have a little junior brother in the Zhu family. A few days ago, he invited me to go with him to see the Great Spiritual Field Realm…”
Mo Hua turned to Bai Zixi and asked, “Senior Sister, do you want to come?”
Bai Zixi nodded. “I’ll go too.”
Rong Zhenren immediately said, “No.”
Bai Zixi silently looked at Rong Zhenren.
Rong Zhenren said, “It won’t help even if you look at me. No means no.”
Bai Zixi’s face cooled, showing no obvious anger, but clearly displeased.
Rong Zhenren sighed and advised, “The Great Spiritual Field Realm is too far…”
Too far, and it was a third-grade territory. She was at the Feather Transformation stage, so she couldn’t follow and couldn’t keep an eye on them.
If the two junior siblings caused some trouble again and things got out of hand, her guilt would be huge. How would she explain to the old matriarch later?
With that thought, Rong Zhenren said sternly, “It’s too far, too many uncertainties. You can’t go.”
Bai Zixi pursed her lips and said nothing.
Mo Hua understood. It was unlikely that Little Junior Sister could go to the Great Spiritual Field Realm, and Rong Zhenren probably wouldn’t allow it anyway.
Besides, Little Junior Sister still had to focus on cultivation.
If he kept taking her out to play, her mind would be scattered. Over time, he would really lead her astray.
Rong Zhenren had saved his life; he didn’t want to make things hard for her.
So Mo Hua said, “Senior Sister, you focus on your cultivation. I’ll be back in a while.”
Bai Zixi’s beautiful, jade-like eyes looked at Mo Hua, and she softly replied, “Oh.”
Sensing Little Junior Sister’s little mood, Mo Hua felt a bit helpless.
Rong Zhenren also looked at Mo Hua and asked, “You’re going alone to the Great Spiritual Field Realm?”
Mo Hua nodded and added, “And my little junior brother.”
Rong Zhenren asked, “There won’t be any danger, will there?”
She could guess that Mo Hua probably had many enemies, and quite a few people were secretly plotting against him.
Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, “Should be fine. In a third-grade territory, not many people can threaten me.”
In fact, he was being modest.
Within the third-grade realm, among Golden Core cultivators, Mo Hua couldn’t think of anyone he had to fear.
Unless his uncle personally came after him, setting up a net of Ghostly Path traps to capture him.
Otherwise, in most situations, even if Mo Hua couldn’t win, he could escape using stealth and movement techniques.
Rong Zhenren couldn’t really gauge Mo Hua’s true depth, so she simply nodded. “That’s good.”
Inwardly, Rong Zhenren wasn’t overly concerned about Mo Hua’s safety; she just asked out of politeness.
After all, Mo Hua was a huge “troublemaker”—precisely because all sorts of trouble couldn’t kill him, that’s why he was a troublemaker.
That kind of person rarely dies.
If he died easily, he’d be called “unlucky” and wouldn’t deserve the title of troublemaker.
After the Jade Fragrance Pavilion incident, Rong Zhenren became even more certain of that.
Moreover, Rong Zhenren knew well that although Mo Hua didn’t show it, he actually had profound skill in karma techniques, far beyond what his cultivation level suggested.
Such people are often the hardest to kill.
Worrying about him was less important than worrying about Little Orange’s orange tree.
…
Two days later, Mo Hua packed his bags, said goodbye to Rong Zhenren and his Little Junior Sister, and set off.
Before leaving, Mo Hua had asked Little Orange if she wanted to come along to the Great Spiritual Field Realm.
Little Orange really wanted to go, because she heard that there were orange trees in the Great Spiritual Field Realm. But after thinking it over, she sighed and said, “I’d better not. I’ll stay and keep Sister Zixi company. Maybe next time…”
Mo Hua didn’t insist.
The situation in the Great Spiritual Field Realm was unclear, with unknown fortunes and misfortunes. It really wasn’t suitable to bring Little Orange along.
So Mo Hua went alone to Fuguilou to meet his little junior brother Zhu Muchen. They chatted for a while and drank some tea. Once everything was ready, they took a carriage together to the Zhu family.
The Zhu family wasn’t particularly welcoming to Mo Hua; on the contrary, there was some wariness and inexplicable “hostility.”
But the Zhu family was a great clan, and they made sure to observe proper etiquette. The reception and hospitality were of high standard.
Mo Hua was also Zhu Muchen’s little senior brother, so even if the Zhu family wanted to slight him, Zhu Muchen wouldn’t allow it.
Thus, after being treated hospitably, Zhu Muchen led Mo Hua into an exquisitely crafted, medium-sized vermilion carriage.
The carriage had a smoother, more agile silhouette than ordinary carriages.
Its design was different; the internal structure and spiritual power hub had been specially improved to be more efficient and sturdy. Wind patterns were carved on the wheels, apparently adapted for specific road formations.
Even Mo Hua, an array expert, found it novel.
They boarded the carriage and entered the highway through an internal gate of the Zhu family.
The array patterns on the wheels and the formations on the highway activated each other. After a short acceleration, the entire carriage shot forward like a red fish-dragon swimming across the land of Kun Prefecture.
Scenery flashed backward like a rewinding tape. The wind howled as the vermilion carriage cut through the gale, whistling ahead with lightning speed.
It was Mo Hua’s first time in such a fast carriage. He felt as if he were riding the wind, floating among the clouds, and for a while he felt uncomfortable.
It took a full incense stick’s time before he gradually recovered.
Thoughtfully, Zhu Muchen lit incense for Mo Hua and brewed a pot of Cloud Mist tea. “Little Senior Brother, have some tea. This carriage focuses on speed, not comfort. It’s hard to adapt the first time, but you’ll get used to it after a while.”
Mo Hua nodded, drank the tea, and took in the fragrance inside the carriage to steady his mind. After some time, he gradually adapted and no longer felt disoriented.
Zhu Muchen inwardly nodded. As expected of Little Senior Brother.
He remembered that the first time he rode this carriage, he vomited seven times and still had a shadow of that experience.
But Little Senior Brother recovered in just a little while. Maybe it was because his divine sense and mental fortitude were too strong…
Once Mo Hua’s sea of consciousness settled a bit, he released his divine sense and silently began deducing the wind-type array patterns on the carriage and the formations within the highway.
After calculating for a bit, Mo Hua roughly understood.
This “highway formation” was a fusion of the five-element earth array and the eight-trigram wind array.
In terms of pure array difficulty, it wasn’t particularly tricky; the real challenge was the construction of the formation.
Building such a highway was clearly a massive project, spanning a great length from east to west, with high construction costs and even greater maintenance difficulty.
If it hadn’t been for the Dao Court’s need to wage cultivation wars and speed up troop movement, they might not have expended so much labor and resources to build these “array highways.”
Insight into the world is all knowledge.
For anything involving array theory and application, seeing more and learning a bit more is never a bad thing.
So Mo Hua, sitting in the carriage, conveniently deduced the wind-type array patterns on the carriage and the array structure and hub hierarchy within the highway, then recorded them all on a jade slip as part of his array accumulation.
Zhu Muchen sat quietly nearby, not disturbing Little Senior Brother while he was focused on thinking.
Only when Mo Hua had finished his deductions and stopped to rest did Zhu Muchen take out a bunch of things from a small box in the carriage. “Little Senior Brother, I specially picked these fruits and pastries—sweet, sticky, fragrant, and crispy—whatever you like. Which one do you want?”
“Also, there’s wine. I know you like fruit wine, so I prepared eighteen kinds. Also, there are five kinds each of clear wine and strong liquor.”
“And various spirit meats. If you get hungry later, we can roast them…”
“Also, there are spirit beast chess and five-element chess…”
“And…”
Zhu Muchen produced a pile of things like offering treasures, a dazzling array.
Mo Hua didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but he was deeply moved. He said, “We can deal with that later. Weren’t you asking me to guide you in cultivation and formations?”
Zhu Muchen was taken aback, his face slightly reddening as he smiled awkwardly.
He had spent nearly all his energy these past few days preparing to entertain Little Senior Brother.
Mo Hua said gently, “How far have you gotten in formations?”
Zhu Muchen felt guilty. “Only… the second-grade intermediate level…”
“How many patterns?”
“Just… around fifteen or sixteen patterns…”
This progress was clearly a bit lazy.
Mo Hua didn’t scold him. Instead, he took out paper and brush and wrote down some names of five-element formations. “Draw these formations for me, one by one. I want to see your current foundation in formations, so I can find your weak points…”
“Yes…”
Zhu Muchen obediently drew the formations as Mo Hua instructed.
For the patterns he couldn’t remember or had forgotten, he circled them.
After finishing, he handed the array diagrams to Mo Hua. Mo Hua shook his head slightly but said nothing. Instead, based on Zhu Muchen’s foundation, he taught according to his aptitude. He personally demonstrated with the brush while explaining basic concepts and insights about formations.
Mo Hua’s foundation in formations was extremely solid, his understanding deep, and his teaching was easy to understand, progressing from simple to complex. Even ordinary array patterns could reveal extraordinary subtleties.
Zhu Muchen was a bit uncomfortable at first, but as he listened, his eyes grew brighter and brighter.
He thought about how this was his little senior brother, a prodigy of the Tai Xu Sect, the double champion of the Qianxue Assembly in formations and arrays, patiently giving him one-on-one guidance in formations.
Zhu Muchen felt flattered and excited, his face flushing red.