Arrays of Immortality

Chapter 4: Fire-Repelling Hairpin

The market district is a place where lower-level cultivators trade their cultivation materials. The goods sold are diverse and varied, including pills, formation arrays, and spiritual tools. However, the quality of the items is often mediocre, and the prices vary greatly.

With the year drawing to a close, the market was bustling with activity, crowded with cultivators and filled with noise.

Mo Hua made his way to a small stall at the end of the street. The stall owner was an elderly man named Sun, often called "Old Sun" by familiar customers. His son worked as a junior manager at Wanbao Tower. Occasionally, when Wanbao Tower discarded defective items, his son would buy them at a low price and hand them to Old Sun to sell at his street stall.

Old Sun was calling out to attract customers when he looked up and saw Mo Hua running toward him, breathing heavily. Mo Hua's pale face was flushed with exertion, prompting Old Sun to tease him, "Little brother, back again to look at spiritual tools? Don't tell me you're just browsing again like last time without buying anything..."

Mo Hua waved his hand and replied, "I'll buy!"

Old Sun was curious. "There are only a few days left until the New Year. Is your New Year's money already prepared so early?"

Mo Hua frowned and said, "What New Year's money? I earned this myself!" He patted the pocket at his waist.

Hearing the sound of spirit stones clinking inside, Old Sun's spirits lifted, and he quickly responded, "Pills, formations, talismans, spiritual tools—I've got it all here, high-quality and affordable. Everything comes from Wanbao Tower, so the quality is guaranteed. What would you like to buy, young friend?"

If the items were really high-quality, Wanbao Tower would sell them themselves, not let them slip to a street stall. But Mo Hua didn't mind; he couldn't afford anything from Wanbao Tower anyway.

"Do you have any fire-repelling spiritual tools?" Mo Hua asked.

Old Sun nodded knowingly and pulled out a burlap bag, opening it to reveal a variety of items.

"Earlier, you mentioned fire-repelling tools. I kept an eye out and specially brought back a few. These are all top-quality fire-repelling tools, easy to carry and exquisitely crafted. What do you think?" Old Sun said with a smile.

Mo Hua was surprised by how well-prepared Old Sun was. "As expected from someone who has been selling at the market for decades," he thought.

The spiritual tools displayed in front of Mo Hua included rings, pendants, lamps, a cover, and a scarf. The variety was already the most complete in the market.

Mo Hua took a closer look, then picked up an ancient-looking yet finely crafted hairpin. He asked, "What is this?"

Old Sun explained, "This is a Fire-Repelling Hairpin, a standardized spiritual tool. Its material and craftsmanship follow a unified standard, and it has a beginner-level fire-repelling formation inscribed on it. It needs to be charged with spirit stones. When activated, it creates a barrier that blocks fire energy and keeps the user cool. Though it consumes spirit stones, you can use it for three months with just one spirit stone. It's quite economical."

Mo Hua eyed the hairpin suspiciously. "Since it's a standardized spiritual tool from Wanbao Tower, if it's here for sale, it must have some flaw."

Old Sun chuckled. "You know a lot! Let me be honest with you. If it were flawless, it would be sold at Wanbao Tower for at least double the price. But it's not really flawed..."

Old Sun pointed at the peony design on the hairpin, "The craftsman drew a few extra lines when carving this peony, which doesn't conform to the standard. That's why this hairpin is considered a substandard product. But the formation inside is intact, and it still works just as well."

Mo Hua nodded, feeling that this hairpin was the best choice. He asked, "How much for it?"

Old Sun stroked his beard and said, "Fixed price—fifteen spirit stones!"

Mo Hua shook his head. "Five spirit stones."

Old Sun's eyes widened. "Who taught you to haggle like that?"

Mo Hua felt a little embarrassed. "I heard others negotiating prices at another stall. They all bargain like this..."

Old Sun sighed dramatically. "The world has gone downhill... Good kids are being led astray." He then added, "Alright, fourteen spirit stones, but that's the lowest I can go!"

Mo Hua cautiously raised his offer. "Six spirit stones?"

...

After some back-and-forth haggling, they finally agreed on a price of ten spirit stones.

Old Sun felt it was the lowest he could go, and Mo Hua, after comparing prices at other stalls, knew it was about as cheap as he could get. So, he accepted the deal.

Old Sun took the ten spirit stones and wrapped the hairpin in a simple yet elegant paper box, handing it to Mo Hua while muttering, "If only my grandson were as clever as you, I'd have him help me run the stall. Unfortunately, he's too dumb to even talk to strangers."

Mo Hua happily took the hairpin, waved goodbye to Old Sun, and walked away with quick steps.

Another stall owner nearby chuckled, "Old Sun, you've made a loss this time!"

Old Sun stroked his beard and replied, "It's not a loss, just a little less profit."

The other stall owner was curious. "Ten spirit stones isn't a small amount. Do you know who that boy is buying the hairpin for?"

Old Sun replied, "The fire-repelling hairpin is for protecting against stove flames, so who else would he buy it for?" He watched Mo Hua's retreating figure and sighed, "He's a good kid."

Mo Hua's home was on the outskirts of Tongxian City, in a small, old house. It wasn't big, just enough for three people to live in. The nearby area was home to other cultivators at the Qi Refining stage—mostly scattered cultivators doing odd jobs to make a living. Though not wealthy, the area was full of life.

As evening approached, smoke rose from chimneys, and the yellowish light from lamps filled the homes.

Mo Hua ran inside, calling out, "Mother, I'm back!"

A woman dressed in simple clothes came out from the back room. Her delicate face lit up with surprise as she saw Mo Hua, and she couldn't help but pull him close, rubbing his head and pinching his cheeks. After a moment, she said, "You've been practicing too hard, you've lost weight."

Mo Hua replied, "I haven't lost weight," and took out the box. "Mother, this is for you!"

The woman paused, took the box, and opened it, revealing the hairpin.

"This is a fire-repelling hairpin. You've been working in the kitchen at the tavern, enduring the heat for long periods, which isn't good for your health. This hairpin can repel the fire energy and make you feel much cooler," Mo Hua explained.

The woman, named Liu Ruhua, was Mo Hua's mother. She was a Qi Refining cultivator in Tongxian City and worked as a cook at a small tavern.

Life for scattered cultivators was tough. There weren't many high-paying jobs available to them, and raising a child was even more difficult. Expenses like the sect fees and materials for cultivation were a heavy burden.

Liu Ruhua was skilled at cooking and worked as a helper in the tavern's kitchen. The larger taverns used specially made stoves with formations to convert spirit stones into firepower. Smaller taverns, however, relied on cultivators with fire spiritual roots to use their own spiritual energy, which over time could harm the body.

Liu Ruhua's job paid about thirty spirit stones a month, which was decent for a scattered cultivator, but it came at the cost of her health.

Looking at the hairpin in her hand, Liu Ruhua pursed her lips and remained silent.

Mo Hua quickly explained, "The spirit stones for the hairpin came from helping my fellow disciples. I didn't deceive or steal."

Liu Ruhua couldn't help but smile, her heart warm and a little emotional. "This hairpin isn't necessary, dear. You're still young, and you'll need spirit stones for your cultivation in the future. It's better to save them. I can take care of myself."

Mo Hua confidently said, "We'll see about the future. Who knows? I might become a powerful cultivator in the future, with as many spirit stones as I need."

Liu Ruhua laughed and poked his forehead. "At such a young age, you're already bragging."

"Please, Mother, just accept it. I spent so much time bargaining for it. If you don't take it, it'll be a waste of my effort."

After saying this, Mo Hua took the hairpin and inserted it into Liu Ruhua's hair, then ran to get a mirror from the other room.

"Look, doesn't it look good?"

Liu Ruhua looked at the reflection of herself in the mirror. With the elegant hairpin, she appeared dignified and graceful. Seeing her son's big, shining eyes, her heart softened, and she spoke gently, "Alright, I'll accept the hairpin. But no more gifts next time."

Mo Hua eagerly agreed, "Yes, yes. Thank you, Mother! Is dinner ready? I'm hungry."

"It's ready. It's all your favorite dishes. Eat more!"

Liu Ruhua's cooking was excellent. Though it was just simple vegetarian food without any spiritual energy, it was carefully prepared and delicious. After eating, Mo Hua chatted with his mother for a while before returning to his room to study.

After the midnight hour, Mo Hua entered his sea of consciousness and practiced formations on the stone tablet all night. When he awoke, it was already morning.

Mo Hua sat cross-legged, holding a spirit stone in his hand, and began his daily cultivation routine.

When he opened his eyes again, the sky had lightened. Bright sunlight poured into the room. Mo Hua stretched lazily, ready to get up, when he suddenly heard heavy footsteps outside.

Turning onto his stomach, he peered through the door crack and saw a man covered in blood and dirt walking in. The man was Mo Hua's father—Mo Shan.

(End of Chapter)