Chapter 112: Gift-Giving
One hundred sets of Iron Armor Formations, finished in just a little over a month and a half?
Elder Yu frowned deeply, silent for a long while.
Seeing this, Yu Chengyi asked, "Father, what's wrong?"
Elder Yu handed him the storage pouch. "Count them."
Yu Chengyi took it, swept his Divine-Sense through, counted once… then twice… then a third time.
A moment later, his jaw dropped. "They're… all finished?"
Elder Yu glared at him. "You can't count properly?"
Yu Chengyi scratched his head awkwardly, then couldn't help asking, "Did he… draw all of these himself?"
Elder Yu opened one of the vine armors and compared the array patterns on the Iron Armor Formations. Though some strokes were a little rough, the structure and flow were seamless, clearly all drawn by a single hand.
Father and son stared at each other in speechless shock.
"Mo Shan's kid… could he be some kind of little monster?" Yu Chengyi muttered without thinking.
Elder Yu slapped him on the head. "What nonsense are you spouting?!"
Yu Chengyi rubbed his scalp, grumbling under his breath, "I was just saying…"
Elder Yu shot him a dark look.
After a moment's thought, Yu Chengyi said, "Could someone have helped him draw them?"
"Who would help him?"
Elder Yu snorted. "I'm a Foundation Establishment cultivator, when I went around asking for help drawing arrays, no one would agree."
At that, Elder Yu's expression darkened slightly. Not because others refused him outright, just that the price he offered was too low.
"If he really drew them all himself, the loss to his Divine-Sense must be immense. That Mo Hua kid's only at the fifth layer of Qi-Refining, right? And still so young…"
"Exactly." Elder Yu sighed, a flicker of pity rising in his chest. He said, "Gather all the nourishing pills and spirit herbs we have at home, I'm going to visit the Mo family."
Yu Chengyi hesitated.
"Out with it!" Elder Yu barked.
Yu Chengyi muttered, "We don't really have many nourishing pills left at home…"
"Then bring whatever there is!"
"But—"
Elder Yu's face darkened like storm clouds.
Yu Chengyi immediately shut his mouth, hurried off, and gathered up all the spirit herbs, spirit ginseng, and pills that replenished spiritual power or blood essence, wrapped them in parchment, and sealed them in a storage pouch before handing it over.
Elder Yu took it, turned to leave, then stopped and said, "You're coming with me."
Yu Chengyi blinked. "What for?"
"If that Mo Hua kid really becomes a Formation Master in the future, it'll be a blessing for all of us demon hunters. I'll take you to get acquainted, so if anything happens later, it'll be easier to ask for help."
Yu Chengyi, a dignified ninth-layer Qi-Refining demon hunter, felt somewhat displeased about going to "build connections" with a child. But seeing his father's grim expression, he could only nod obediently.
"Yes, sir."
...
Elder Yu brought his son to the Mo residence.
Mo Shan was greatly surprised. He hadn't expected Elder Yu to come in person, much less with his son. Thinking something serious had happened, his expression grew tense.
Elder Yu waved a hand. "Nothing urgent. I just came to see Mo Hua. You can continue your work."
Mo Shan blinked in confusion but relaxed a little, guessing it must be about the formations.
Mo Hua, too, was startled when he saw Elder Yu.
He thought the Elder had come to scold him for being too slow with the arrays.
But… surely not, right? A dignified Foundation Establishment Elder wouldn't be that petty…
"Elder Yu, were you looking for me?" Mo Hua asked quietly.
Elder Yu hesitated, coughed lightly, and said, "That formation… must've taken you quite a while to draw, eh?"
Mo Hua's heart tightened.
So he was upset about the delay?!
Well… to be fair, Mo Hua had spent most of the time training his movement arts, and only remembered the Iron Armor Formations after nearly a month.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, he admitted:
"Elder, I was slow. I only managed to draw two or three sets a day, it wasn't until yesterday that I finally finished them all."
Elder Yu and Yu Chengyi exchanged glances.
So it really was all him!
A six-pattern Iron Armor Formation, drawn entirely by a ten-year-old boy, two or three a day!
And he'd still been cultivating on top of that!
The two were utterly shaken inside, though they kept straight faces.
"Not slow at all, not slow at all!" Elder Yu said quickly. "Much faster than I expected!"
He'd originally thought that if Mo Hua could finish one a day, that would already be impressive. Even if he only completed eighty or ninety in three months, that would still be acceptable.
But now, Mo Hua's speed was far beyond that!
A true prodigy!
Elder Yu was overjoyed. Taking out the storage pouch, he spoke kindly, almost tenderly:
"I was just worried you might be overworking yourself, so I brought some nourishing pills and spirit herbs. There's also some spirit meat, nothing rare or fancy. Take it, don't be polite."
Yu Chengyi stared in disbelief. His father, talking in such a warm, gentle tone?
He must've been possessed!
A chill ran down Yu Chengyi's spine.
"How can I accept this…" Mo Hua said politely, trying to decline.
Elder Yu deliberately put on a stern face. "I'm giving it to you, so you'll take it!"
Mo Hua could only accept obediently. Elder Yu nodded with satisfaction, then pulled Yu Chengyi forward.
"This is your Uncle Yu. If you ever run into trouble, go find him, no need to be polite."
Yu Chengyi found himself staring into Mo Hua's bright, clear eyes, completely unsure what to say. He forced a stiff smile and echoed:
"Yes, yes… if you have any trouble, come to your Uncle Yu. Don't hesitate."
Elder Yu sighed inwardly, this useless son can't even hold a conversation properly!
Mo Hua bowed slightly. "Thank you, Elder Yu! Thank you, Uncle Yu!"
Elder Yu smiled with genuine warmth and patted Mo Hua's shoulder.
"Cultivate well. Study the art of formations diligently. We won't disturb you any longer."
Then he left with Yu Chengyi.
At first, Mo Hua had been nervous, thinking Elder Yu was angry about the delay. But now, seeing the Elder not only pleased but even happy, he finally relaxed.
Beaming, Mo Hua brought the gifts to his father.
"Father, Elder Yu gave me these, you keep them for now."
Mo Shan nodded and opened the storage pouch for a look. After a few glances, he froze.
"Who gave these to you?"
"Elder Yu," Mo Hua said, confused.
"Elder Yu?" Mo Shan frowned. "You mean… that Elder Yu who just came by?"
"Of course. There's only one Elder Yu in Tōngxiān City, right?" Mo Hua tilted his head curiously.
Mo Shan was stunned.
That ill-tempered, stone-faced, stingy-as-an-iron-rooster Elder Yu… gave gifts?
And to his son, no less?!
Mo Shan was left speechless, utterly shaken.
(End of Chapter)