Chapter 86: Treating the Wounds
Zhang Lan furrowed his brow.
He didn't want to admit it, but the more he resisted the thought, the more it seemed likely true.
Could it be that the formation was drawn by Mo Hua? Then… the one who blasted that guy was also Mo Hua?
Although Mo Hua was only at the fourth layer of Qi-Refining, since he'd already begun studying complex formations, his level wasn't low. To draw a formation that could blow someone up, well, that shouldn't be too hard for him.
Zhang Lan pondered for a moment, then erased all traces of the formation. He decided to find Mo Hua later, share a pot of wine, and ask about it directly.
He had no moral qualms about favoritism.
Coming from a noble aristocratic clan, he'd seen plenty of spoiled young masters. What he despised most were people like Qian Xing, relying on family influence to bully others, acting arrogant and domineering. To Zhang Lan, such people didn't just waste their family's resources, they also dragged the family's reputation through the mud.
A pity, though—the formation's power wasn't quite enough. If only that Qian brat had been blown to death.
"This kid Mo Hua… still hasn't mastered his craft," Zhang Lan muttered under his breath.
...
In the Apricot Medicinal Hall, Elder Feng was treating the injuries of Dazhu and the others.
Elder Feng disliked meddlesome troublemakers and hadn't wanted to treat them at first. It was only after Mo Hua explained that he'd been bullied and Dazhu's group had stepped in to help him that the old man reluctantly agreed.
Of course, Mo Hua himself—who had been "bullied"—was bouncing around energetically, suffering only a few scrapes. Meanwhile, the ones who'd bullied him were… well, no longer recognizable. Better not to mention that part to Elder Feng.
Having watched Mo Hua grow up, Elder Feng was quite fond of him. Hearing Mo Hua's explanation, his attitude toward Dazhu's group softened. He mixed some herbs for them to apply to their wounds and even gave them internal medicine pills to promote blood circulation and dispel bruises.
Dazhu whispered, "Mo Hua, your face must be worth a fortune, you actually managed to get Elder Feng to treat us! Last time I got into a fight, no matter the reason, I didn't dare come to him. I was afraid he'd scold me."
Mo Hua smiled. "Elder Feng has a kind heart. If your injuries were serious, he'd definitely treat you. If he refuses, that means he knows it's nothing major."
Dazhu nodded doubtfully. Truthfully, if Mo Hua hadn't been there, none of them would've dared show their faces in front of Elder Feng.
After tending to Dazhu and the others, Elder Feng turned to inspect Mo Hua. Seeing that Mo Hua's injuries were only skin-deep, he finally relaxed.
"This frailty of yours is innate. It's best not to get into fights. If conflict is unavoidable, just find a way to run early. Don't throw your life away."
Mo Hua said helplessly, "Grandpa Feng, I did run… I just didn't manage to get away."
Elder Feng frowned. "In Tōngxiān City, who would be so unruly as to bully even a child like you?"
Mo Hua chuckled. "It's nothing serious, it's already over."
Elder Feng saw he didn't want to elaborate and didn't press further. He only said solemnly:
"Other places I won't speak of, but here in Tōngxiān City, I still have some influence. If anyone bullies you again and you can't fight back, you must come tell me."
"Mm-hmm! Thank you, Grandpa Feng!"
Mo Hua smiled gratefully. After applying the cooling ointment to his neck, the pain was already gone. He bowed slightly and said, "It's getting late. I'll head home now. Next time, I'll bring some of my mother's osmanthus wine for you to try!"
Elder Feng waved his hand. "Go on, then. Don't let your mother worry."
Mo Hua bid Dazhu and the others farewell. Seeing their gloomy expressions, he asked, "Are your injuries really that bad?"
"Not too bad," Dazhu sighed, "but it'll take a couple days to heal. Our master will find out for sure."
"Master Chen?"
"Yeah. He's warned us again and again not to stir up trouble or get into fights. Fighting means injuries, injuries mean healing expenses, and if we hurt others, we have to pay compensation in spirit stones…"
"Exactly! So every time we fight, no matter who's right or wrong, Master punishes us all the same."
The apprentices nodded in agreement.
Mo Hua felt guilty. Dazhu and the others had fought because they were helping him. If Qian Xing hadn't pushed things so far, this wouldn't have happened.
Mo Hua said, "Qian Xing bullies others with his family's power. You fought for my sake. Master Chen is a reasonable man, he shouldn't blame you too much."
"Hopefully," Dazhu said, still uneasy.
"If he does blame you," Mo Hua added, "tell him that in the future, whenever your smithy needs formation drawings, I can help, as long as they're not too difficult."
"Really?" Dazhu's eyes lit up. Hiring a formation artist cost a lot of spirit stones, and their master always felt the pain deeply. If Mo Hua helped, he'd be thrilled.
"But… won't you be at a loss?" Dazhu asked hesitantly.
"My father always says that neighbors and friends should look out for one another," Mo Hua said with a pat on his chest. "You helped me; I'll help you. That's only fair."
When the Mo family was struggling, many people had lent them a hand. Mo Hua had never forgotten that.
Dazhu grinned widely. "Next time that brat Qian Xing causes you trouble, we'll help you beat him up again!"
"Yeah! Beat him up!" the others echoed.
After parting ways, Mo Hua went home, had dinner, chatted briefly with his mother, then returned to his room to continue studying formations.
He didn't mention Qian Xing's incident, no need to worry his mother.
The Qian family's influence was vast; it was best to avoid provoking them whenever possible. Fortunately, they didn't know it was Mo Hua who'd used a formation to injure Qian Xing. He probably wouldn't face any trouble for now.
...
Under the lamplight, Liu Ruhua sat quietly sewing, her mind heavy. When Mo Shan returned, she said softly,
"Hua'er was injured today. He tried to hide it from me, covering his wounds, but I'm his mother, how could I not notice?"
Mo Shan comforted her gently. "He's a boy. It's good that he's learning to take responsibility. If he doesn't want to talk about it, that means he can handle it. It shouldn't be serious. Don't worry too much."
"Mm…" Liu Ruhua nodded, still uneasy. "But Hua'er has always been well-behaved. It's strange to think he'd get into a fight."
"I'll ask around tomorrow and find out what happened," Mo Shan said, his tone calm, though a sharp gleam flashed in his eyes. "Don't worry. Whatever it is, I'll take care of it."
...
Meanwhile, back at the smithy, Dazhu and the others were kneeling in front of the hall, being punished by Master Chen.
A stick was clenched in the master's hand, his expression dark as storm clouds.
"Well, well… you've grown bold, haven't you? Your wings are hard now, fighting others, even alarming the Dao Court Division! If I hadn't heard about this from someone else, would you have kept me completely in the dark? Do you still even see me as your master?"
(End of Chapter)