Chapter 126: Yu Chengyi
Mo Hua followed Mo Shan around to get familiar with the outer mountain, then drew a detailed topographical map himself.
This so-called map was what monster hunters used, it marked the mountain terrain, streams and rivers, areas filled with miasma and poison swamps, and regions where beasts often appeared.
Mo Shan also had one, but it was extremely crude, basically just some rough mountain paths, nothing more.
For veteran monster hunters, maps weren't drawn on paper, they were engraved in the mind.
After all, when a monster's chasing you, you can't exactly stop to unroll a map and figure out where to run next...
But Mo Hua wasn't a veteran hunter. He wasn't even a real one. So he wanted to draw a detailed version.
Using Mo Shan's old map as a base, Mo Hua began marking things anew.
From the terrain to the waterways, he carefully noted every hazard along the trails.
After Mo Shan took him around the outer mountain several more times, Mo Hua gradually refined the map, until the entire outer mountain was not only drawn clearly on paper, but also etched deep into his mind.
Mo Shan casually tested him.
Where were the poisonous swamps? Where did monsters appear? Where were the campsites? If danger struck, where should one hide?
Mo Hua answered fluently, clearer than even some seasoned hunters.
Mo Shan sighed, then exhaled in relief. After that, he basically stopped worrying about Mo Hua.
So Mo Hua found the Meng Brothers again, and they went hunting together.
The Hu trio killed the beasts, Mo Hua collected their blood, and they split the spirit stones.
Division of labor, simple, efficient.
"Still can't believe Uncle Mo let you into the mountains..."
Xiao Hu was incredulous.
"You guys go into the mountains, why can't I?"
Mo Hua replied as he drained the blood from a boar-like monster.
"That's different..."
"Yeah, that day when that Flame-Mane Hound charged at you, I nearly pissed myself from fear..."
"Good thing your movement technique's amazing, or it would've been terrifying."
Even recalling it now made them shiver.
"But seriously, Mo Hua, your movement art's incredible!"
Shuang Hu couldn't help but exclaim.
He'd never seen anything like it, fluid as water, fluttering like a butterfly, unpredictable and graceful.
That Flame-Mane Hound had gone berserk and tried to bite him for so long, yet hadn't even touched his robe hem.
Mo Hua scratched his cheek, a bit shy. "I was lucky. That was all thanks to a kind uncle I met passing by… I just learned a little."
After sealing the jade bottle of monster blood, Mo Hua said,
"I'm done with the blood. You guys can skin it now. This boar's huge, it should fetch quite a few spirit stones."
The three brothers perked up and began skinning and butchering, eager for the profit.
With nothing to do, Mo Hua peeked into his storage pouch, there were already dozens of bottles of monster blood.
But he felt it still wasn't enough.
The Nine runes Formation were a major threshold for any formation master.
After reaching the sixth level of Qi-Refining, one had to break through that bottleneck of the Celestial Evolution Art, which was another huge hurdle.
Both required drawing countless formations, and naturally, that meant an endless need for spiritual ink.
Monster blood? The more the better.
But… how could he stockpile more?
Mo Hua frowned.
The Hu brothers were only at the sixth level of Qi-Refining. Killing even one monster per day was already impressive.
As for Mo Hua himself, sure, he could dodge a dying monster with his movement technique, but actually killing it was hard work. He had to rely on Fireball Technique.
But Fireball Technique wasn't that strong. Against thick-skinned beasts—especially fire-aligned ones—its effect was halved.
To finish off a dying monster, he often needed to hurl several more fireballs.
He practiced constantly, though, and now his fireballs were fast and accurate, he could even cast before a beast reacted.
Still, even if he could kill ten monsters this way, one mistake could mean getting clawed, and that risk wasn't worth a few bottles of blood or spirit stones.
Mo Hua thought it over for days, but found no good solution.
Until one day, while exploring the outer mountain and updating his map, he ran into Yu Chengyi.
Yu Chengyi—the eldest son of Elder Yu—had reached the ninth level of Qi-Refining, a strong cultivator with high prestige among the hunters.
Normally, he led hunting parties into the inner mountain, but news had come that a particularly troublesome monster had appeared in the outer range. Though only mid-grade first rank, it was extremely hard to handle.
That day, with some free time, Yu Chengyi brought a few hunters to take care of it.
He was focused, scanning the woods for traces of the beast, when suddenly someone called out to him in a childish voice.
Yu Chengyi froze, looked up, and saw a small young cultivator standing on a rocky outcrop, waving enthusiastically.
His jaw nearly hit the ground.
A kid?
In Black Mountain?
How in the heavens did this child get in here?! Wasn't he afraid of being eaten alive?!
When Yu Chengyi recognized who it was, he nearly jumped out of his skin.
"Mo Hua?!" he shouted.
He remembered the boy well—Mo Shan's son: young, well-mannered, and a talented little formation painter whom his father had specifically asked him to look after.
Yu Chengyi's heart went cold.
A junior formation master among the hunters, if he got eaten, that would be a huge loss!
With a flash of movement, Yu Chengyi appeared beside Mo Hua in a blur, scooped him up from the rock, and set him safely on the ground.
"Uncle Yu, your movement art is amazing!"
Mo Hua smiled.
"It's… all right," Yu Chengyi said modestly, then caught himself. Wait, was this really the time to chat?!
He glanced at Mo Hua, then around the area, and asked cautiously, "Where's your father?"
"My father's in the inner mountain."
"No, I mean, he's not with you?"
"I can't go into the inner mountain," Mo Hua said honestly.
Mo Shan had told him to stay in the outer range and never enter the inner mountain, and Mo Hua was obediently following orders. Wild horses couldn't drag him across that line.
Yu Chengyi pressed on. "What I mean is, your father isn't beside you right now?"
"Mm. He's hunting in the inner mountain. He can't babysit me all day."
Yu Chengyi gaped. "You mean Mo Shan brought you into the mountains… and then left you here in the outer range?!"
Had Mo Shan gone insane?!
"Not exactly," Mo Hua said. "I came with the Hu brothers. My father just said I could go to the outer mountain, but not the inner one."
Yu Chengyi repeated slowly, "You mean… Mo Shan allowed you to enter the outer mountain?"
Mo Hua nodded.
Yu Chengyi nearly burst a vein.
Was this a joke? This was still Black Mountain! Full of miasma, poison, and beasts!
Outer mountain or not, it was dangerous!
He was so upset it took him a while to calm down.
"Anyway," Mo Hua said, "Uncle Yu, could you help me with something?"
Yu Chengyi blinked, thrown off. "Help? You mean… send you home?"
"No," Mo Hua waved his hand. "I just got here, why would I go back?"
Then, lowering his voice and glancing at the hunters behind Yu Chengyi, he said quietly:
"Could I borrow a few of your men?"
(End of Chapter)