Immortality Through Array Formations

Chapter 1089: Chapter 676: The Past_3 Chapter 1089: Chapter 676: The Past_3 In another decade or so, might the Gu Family simply switch to the surname “Mo”?

Seeing Gu Changhuai with a look of melancholy on his face, Mo Hua thought it might be because he had been invited to dinner while Gu Changhuai had not, leading to a sense of loss. So, Mo Hua quietly said:

“Uncle Gu, why don’t you… come along too?”

“I hear we’re going to Crane Pavilion to eat Spiritual Fish, the taste is absolutely delightful…”

Gu Changhuai’s expression immediately darkened.

Mo Hua promptly got the hint and stopped talking, only muttering under his breath, “Fine, don’t go. Can’t recognize when someone’s trying to be nice…”

Gu Changhuai heard this comment.

Seeing Gu Changhuai’s face grow even darker, Mo Hua immediately got up and said, “I mustn’t keep Master Gu waiting, I’ll be off then!” and dashed away like a wisp of smoke.

The living room lay empty, leaving Gu Changhuai alone seated in his original spot, sighing helplessly once more.

…

Qingzhou City, Crane Pavilion.

In an elegant room on the third floor.

The table was set with an array of four dishes and one soup, all full of color, aroma, and taste.

The dishes consisted of various types of Spiritual Fish, and the soup was a crystal-clear and delectable fish broth.

As Mo Hua savored the tender fish and sipped the flavorful soup, his eyes squinted with sheer happiness.

Seeing Mo Hua enjoy his meal, Master Gu breathed a sigh of relief.

The two chatted about trivial pleasantries while eating, and then Mo Hua broached a serious topic:

“Master Gu, there’s something I’d like to ask for your help with.”

Not only did Master Gu not find the request bothersome, he was actually delighted and generously responded:

“Young Master Mo, just say the word. If it’s within my power, I will spare no effort to assist you.”

Mo Hua smiled and asked, “Master Gu, could you help me craft some Formation media?”

“Formation media…”

Master Gu was neither surprised nor did he ask further, but promptly replied:

“No problem!”

Then he inquired, “May I ask, what kind of Formation media would you like, Young Master?”

Mo Hua was well-prepared and pulled several blueprints from his Storage Bag, handing them to Master Gu.

On the blueprints were designs for various Formation media that he had crafted during his spare time, based on Formation structures and his own requirements.

The types of Formation media were quite basic, primarily Array Plates and Formation Flags.

Master Gu took a quick glance and could tell they were somewhat rough, clearly the work of a novice, but he didn’t say a word.

Although they were crude and would waste some Refining Materials, they were functionally complete and structurally sound, so they would work without issue.

“Young Master, how many do you need?” Master Gu asked.

Mo Hua wasn’t wealthy, nor did he like pretending to be lavish and ‘play the tycoon’, so he honestly inquired:

“How many Spirit Stones per item?”

Master Gu was somewhat surprised; he rarely encountered “young masters” with such unpretentious ways like Mo Hua.

“If you only need a few dozen, consider them a gift from me.”

“If you need more, several hundred to a thousand, I will only charge you the cost…”

Master Gu took another look at the blueprints and roughly estimated the cost:

“Since they are all Second Grade Formation media and don’t use precious materials, the cost won’t be much. An Array Plate would be about fifty Spirit Stones each, and the Formation Flags, given their special materials, would cost sixty-five Spirit Stones each…”

Mo Hua nodded slightly.

The price was even lower than he had expected.

But he was also a bit conflicted.

He had only planned to craft a dozen or so Formation media for fun, but it seemed almost disrespectful to ask a Third Grade Artifact Refiner like Master Gu to refine such a small amount.

Crafting them in large quantities would be a waste of Spirit Stones, and he was not a noble family’s son to squander so many Spirit Stones.

Master Gu seemed to sense Mo Hua’s hesitation and after a moment of thought, he proposed:

“How about this: I’ll first craft twenty of each item, and when they’re done, I’ll deliver them to Young Master so you can review their quality and share any thoughts on the Formation media…”

Mo Hua didn’t really have any expertise in Formation media.

His few blueprints for Formation media were copied from an Artifact Refining book and modified blindly.

The only Formation media he had any experience with was the “earth” on the ground.

But he knew this was Master Gu’s way of offering a good turn.

“Isn’t this going to be troublesome for you?” Mo Hua quietly asked.

Master Gu waved his hand dismissively, “What trouble? It’s just a few Second Grade Formation media pieces. I have some free time anyway, so consider it a warm-up for my skills…”

Mo Hua opted not to decline further, “Then I must thank Master Gu.”

Master Gu clasped his hands together, “It’s nothing, Young Master. You are too kind.”

Subsequently, a waiter brought in two more dishes, one a steamed bighead carp and the other a deep-fried goldfish, both of which Mo Hua had never tasted before.

“Please try this, young master.” Master Gu called out.

Mo Hua tasted it and nodded in approval, “Delicious.”

Master Gu smiled in response.

Afterward, the two chatted for a while more. It was all Mo Hua asking and Master Gu answering.

If Mo Hua did not ask, Master Gu would just serve him more dishes, but he never initiated any question nor volunteered any information on his own.

Mo Hua had thought that Master Gu inviting him for a meal must have been for a reason.

But now, it seemed he simply invited him as a guest without any hidden agenda.

After eating his fill, Mo Hua remembered another question and took the opportunity to ask:

“Master Gu, Solitary Mountain City is within the Third-Grade State Boundary, right? So why does it look…”

Mo Hua paused, but then decided to tell the truth, “…so poor?”

Master Gu was taken aback, his face revealing a bitter smile.

“Should we not speak of it?” Mo Hua asked.

Master Gu shook his head, “There’s nothing that can’t be said. Since Young Master Mo asks, speaking openly is no harm…”

Master Gu sighed and slowly said:

“The matter is actually simple…”

“Centuries ago, Solitary Mountain City was a mining town with continuous mines, rich in mineral resources, actually quite prosperous.”

“And back then, the mined ore was highly compatible with spiritual power, making it very suitable for refining into ‘Formation media’.”

“There’s an old saying that goes, ‘One takes advantage of what’s available locally.’ Backed by the mines, the cultivators in the city mostly made a living from artifact refining, particularly the refining of ‘Formation media.ʼ”

“Though they didn’t become incredibly rich, life was quite good.”

“What happened later?” Mo Hua sipped some fish soup and asked curiously.

“Later…”

Master Gu sighed again, “Later, some of the Great Families from Qian State took a fancy to the extensive mines of Solitary Mountain City and aimed to buy them to refine some luxurious spiritual artifacts.”

Mo Hua frowned, “Luxurious spiritual artifacts?”

Master Gu explained: “These are items like colorful glazed roof tiles, multicolored lamps, splendidly bright bricks and stones, gold and silver adorned carriages, and the like…”

“These things, while costly to make, have an even more expensive selling price.”

Mo Hua was puzzled, “Apart from looking good, do these things serve any other purpose?”

Master Gu sighed, “These are symbols to flaunt one’s status. To some people, this is more useful than anything else.”

“Did the cultivators of Solitary Mountain City agree?”

Master Gu furrowed his brow, “Some agreed, some didn’t, but those who didn’t were eventually forced into agreement.”

“Faced with the overwhelming power of the Great Families, the cultivators of Solitary Mountain City, including the loose cultivators and some smaller families, didn’t stand a chance to resist.”

Master Gu’s expression was filled with bitterness.

“Doesn’t the Taoist Court do anything?”

Master Gu did not dare to speak outright but instead asked rhetorically, “Where do you think the cultivators holding office in the Taoist Court come from?”

Mo Hua’s gaze darkened.

Master Gu sighed again, “Moreover, on the surface, all procedures were legal and above board.”

“The Great Families indeed ‘bought’ or ‘leased’ these mines from the hands of the cultivators of Solitary Mountain City.”

“The Spirit Pacts were clearly marked with spiritual power signatures.”

“The Great Families ‘acted by the book,’ and the Taoist Court ‘followed the law,’ leaving the cultivators of Solitary Mountain City without any recourse.”

“Thereafter, various Great Families set up Refinery Shops within Solitary Mountain City, mining the ores day and night without cease.”

“At first, the cultivators of Solitary Mountain City protested and caused disturbances, leading to some turmoil.”

“Latterly, the Great Families decided to only hire local cultivators for the mining and paid a not insignificant amount.”

“With the income of Spirit Stones, the local cultivators gradually quelled their dissatisfaction and settled down.”

“But then…”

Master Gu shook his head, “The noble families, with the help of large spiritual machines and formations, mined too aggressively.”

“In just under a century, all the ore veins were exhausted.”

“After the Great Families left, they only left behind a scoured wasteland of mines.”

“The very foundation the cultivators of Solitary Mountain City relied upon for their livelihood was destroyed overnight, and thereafter the city gradually fell into decline.”

“Some smaller families went bankrupt, struggled together, became unable to afford even a bowl of rice, had to fend for themselves, split apart, and returned to being loose cultivators.”

“As for the loose cultivators, they were even more on their own.”

“Those who could leave, did; those who were unable, without any means of livelihood outside, could only stay in Solitary Mountain City, picking up scrap ores from the abandoned mines to exchange at the decaying Refinery Shops for one or two Spirit Stones, barely scraping by to survive…”

…

Mo Hua’s expression became solemn and pensive.

He was clearly in Qian State, but it felt as if he had returned to Li State, to those low-grade, impoverished small state boundaries.

The principle of humanity, to take from the insufficient to give to those who have more than enough…