Chapter 93: Intimidation
At dawn the next day, within the Bai Residence.
As the first light broke the horizon, Bai Zixi was already awake and cultivating. Her daily schedule was packed—cultivation techniques, formation arts, talisman crafting, pill refinement, and artifact forging—all had to be studied.
The Bai Residence itself had been specially built by Aunt Xue for the Bai siblings. It included a pill refinement room, a forging room, a library pavilion, and a meditation chamber, though smaller in scale, it was modeled after the Bai clan's ancestral estate, complete with every facility a cultivator could need.
This had been the Madam Bai's personal instruction.
Even while away from home, her two children's cultivation must not slacken. Aunt Xue had come under Madam Bai's orders to care for the siblings' daily lives and guide their training.
Madam Bai placed great expectations on her children, and was thus especially strict.
Though Bai Zisheng was mischievous and lively, he was at least obedient. In contrast, Bai Zixi was almost worry-free—she completed all her studies flawlessly each day. Her spiritual roots and heart for cultivation were nearly impeccable—nothing short of exemplary.
At dawn, Bai Zixi would sit in the bamboo pavilion in the courtyard, meditating for an hour.
When Aunt Xue returned, she stood quietly in the bamboo grove, waiting.
A light morning mist hung in the air, greenery glistened with dew, and the spirit flowers were on the verge of blooming.
Bai Zixi sat amidst it all, clad in snow-white robes, skin as luminous as jade, her beauty serene and flawless.
The morning sun filtered through the mist, scattering gold upon the leaves and petals, casting a soft, golden radiance over Bai Zixi's figure.
Aunt Xue sighed, such a scene, she thought, she could watch all day and never get tire.
Bai Zixi's long lashes fluttered, and she opened her eyes.
Aunt Xue stepped forward and quietly relayed the news she had gathered, how Qian Xing had intercepted Mo Hua, the words exchanged, how the conflict had erupted, and how it had ultimately ended. She also mentioned that, even after being healed, Qian Xing still bore a grudge against Mo Hua and had sought him out again to threaten him.
That had been the scene Bai Zixi witnessed the previous day.
Bai Zixi frowned lightly and said softly, "We came to learn from Mister Zhuang. I do not wish to be disturbed."
Aunt Xue nodded and withdrew.
Yet as she left, she couldn't help but wonder, when Zixi said "we," did she mean her and her brother... or did that include Mo Hua too?
...
Later that day, Mo Hua visited Mister Zhuang for instruction as usual, then went to see the Bai siblings, bringing them beef, osmanthus cakes, and some sweet fermented rice wine. Along the way, he asked them a few questions about formation theory.
But as they chatted, Mo Hua couldn't shake the feeling that Bai Zixi was staring at his neck.
He turned his head curiously, meeting her gaze.
Their eyes met, and Bai Zixi asked, "You were injured on your neck?"
Mo Hua nodded. "Mm. Just a small wound, it's already healed."
He didn't elaborate further.
Bai Zixi didn't press him either. She quietly took small sips of the sweet rice wine.
...
After returning home from Mister Zhuang's, Mo Hua buried himself in formation books again.
Ever since Qian Xing had come looking for trouble—and knowing the man likely wouldn't give up—Mo Hua had started preparing countermeasures. He couldn't learn spells yet, so he relied on formations.
He picked a few to study intensely.
One was the Wood-Binding Array, which, once activated, unleashed verdant vines of wood-elemental energy to entangle and immobilize enemies.
Another was the Firework Array, similar to the Bright Flame Array he'd drawn before, though instead of illumination, it released a dazzling red firework into the sky.
Normally used for celebrations, these fireworks were common during festivals. Mo Hua, however, planned to use it as an emergency signal, to draw attention if danger struck unexpectedly.
The third was the Iron-Armor Array, which he inscribed onto a set of light vine armor. Once activated, it made the armor as hard as steel—potentially life-saving in a critical moment.
Originally, the Iron-Armor Array was meant to enhance metal armor, already durable, and made even more indestructible by the array. Body cultivators often used it in close combat, donning armor reinforced with such formations, becoming unstoppable like tigers with wings.
In melee battles, armor often decided victory or defeat, making it invaluable to physical cultivators.
But metal armor was expensive—requiring refined steel and great effort—far beyond Mo Hua's means. Even among Tōngxiān City's demon hunters, few possessed such armor. Most still used cheaper vine armor.
Mo Hua's own vine armor was small yet finely crafted, custom-made by Master Chen to fit his slight frame. It used so little material that Master Chen hadn't even taken payment in spirit stones.
Mo Hua, in return, flattered him profusely. Master Chen said nothing, but was secretly quite pleased.
Testing the armor later, Mo Hua found it could block blades, but not the impact behind them. Even if he avoided external injuries, internal ones were inevitable.
He could only sigh, vine armor was made for body cultivators, who could shrug off blunt force. He couldn't.
So, he added the Iron-Armor Formation atop it. It didn't fully block impact, but it strengthened the armor considerably. Where blades once left marks, now they left none.
Since the armor was uncomfortable to wear, Mo Hua stored it in his Storage Bag, ready to use in emergencies.
For offense, his only truly powerful formation remained the Earthfire Array. Its explosive force was already impressive, and most other arrays weren't stronger. The problem was... Earthfire took three breaths to detonate, giving him time to flee. Other arrays triggered instantly, risking self-harm from the blast.
That formation could cripple someone like Qian Xing, but if it detonated on Mo Hua himself, he'd be ash.
He also kept several minor formations ready for various contingencies.
Two days later, Zhang Lan came to see him, opening with, "Qian Xing's gone mad. He won't be bothering you anymore."
Mo Hua gaped.
Seeing his bewildered face, Zhang Lan realized he truly knew nothing, and sighed in relief.
"Qian Xing was sleeping," Zhang Lan said, "when someone poured fresh demon blood and raw entrails all over him. He soaked in it the entire night. By morning, he had completely lost his mind."
Mo Hua was dumbfounded. "He went mad from fright?"
"Not that simple," Zhang Lan shook his head. "Blood and viscera might cause shock, but incense and rest would cure that. This... no, this is different."
"Then what happened?" Mo Hua asked.
"My guess," said Zhang Lan, "is that besides the blood and gore, someone used Illusion Arts."
"Illusion Arts?"
"They say when Qian Xing awoke, his face was twisted in terror. He screamed, 'Don't eat me!' over and over. I suspect someone cast an illusion, making him dream that a demon beast was devouring him alive. When he woke to find real blood and entrails all around him, he must've believed he was still inside the beast's stomach. The terror and agony broke his mind."
Mo Hua was stunned. "There's a spell like that? That's... amazing!"
His eyes lit up. "Can I learn it?"
Zhang Lan gave him a look. "No." A swift death to Mo Hua's budding fantasy.
"Illusion Arts," Zhang Lan continued, "are extremely rare. To learn them, one needs special meridians and physique, plus deep lineage teachings. Ordinary cultivators have no access... and even if they did, they couldn't master them."
Mo Hua's shoulders slumped in disappointment. Then he asked hopefully, "Uncle Zhang... can you learn it?"
Zhang Lan hesitated. "…I can't either."
That cheered Mo Hua right back up. Somehow, that made him feel much better.
(End of Chapter)