Master Luo continued:
"If you don’t wish to enter Lanshan Sect’s Inner Gate but only seek temporary shelter, or wish to use Lanshan Sect as a springboard for pursuing a higher position..."
"Then it’s best to start as an Outer Gate Instructor and then become a Guest Elder. But you can push for more conditions and better treatment."
"But if you do so, there’s no need to get overly close to the Inner Gate of the Lanshan Sect, at least don’t take the initiative to get close."
Mo Hua was somewhat confused, "Shouldn’t we forge good relationships?"
Master Luo shook his head, "If you’re too close, they’ll perceive it as disrespect; too distant, and it’s considered ingratiating. You don’t need to deliberately alienate them, nor do you need to deliberately get close."
"If you distance yourself from the Inner Gate, it will lead to their enmity; if you get close to the Inner Gate, it will lead them to look down on you. Even if they don’t say it out loud, they will look down on you in their hearts."
"Just focus on learning the Formation, try not to cause any troubles, be transcendental, and thus you won’t offend anyone."
"What if the Lanshan Sect gets involved in infighting, and I’m forced to take sides?" asked Mo Hua, seeking guidance from Master Luo.
"That depends on the situation," Master Luo said.
"Depends on what situation?"
Master Luo spoke thoughtfully:
"It depends on whether you want to continue staying, who is pressuring you, whether their methods are excessive, and if it touches upon your principles."
"If it’s trivial, you can tolerate it appropriately. If the other party acts outrageously, then you can resign directly, using it as leverage."
"Will that work?" Mo Hua was surprised.
"It may not work for others," Master Luo silently added to himself, "like me..."
"But it will definitely work for you!"
Looking at Mo Hua, Master Luo continued:
"The point remains the same, as long as your Formation drawing is good, you’ll be in demand wherever you go. If you offer to resign, it’s they who will be afraid..."
"One is that skilled Formation Masters are truly rare and difficult to recruit; second, if others find out that they’ve driven a Formation Master to resign through their overt and covert battles, then the Lanshan Sect will lose its dignity, and their reputation will suffer. Therefore, they won’t dare to go too far..."
Mo Hua nodded, then discovered a problem:
"Master Luo, didn’t you say that the Lanshan Sect doesn’t have that much ’entanglement of interests and intrigue’? What you’re telling me now seems like you’re teaching me how to ’scheme’..."
Master Luo was at a loss for words; in speaking back and forth, he inadvertently contradicted his own statements.
Master Luo smiled awkwardly and could only say:
"There aren’t that many, but as long as there are people, intrigue is inevitable."
Mo Hua also smiled, knowing that what Master Luo said was the truth.
He pondered for a moment and became somewhat hesitant.
Going to the Lanshan Sect seemed like a good choice, but Mo Hua always felt that this shouldn’t be the path he chose for himself.
Master Luo added, "Little Mo Gentleman, if you go to the Lanshan Sect, your honored father and mother can also go with you. The Lanshan Sect has agreed to give them positions within the sect. Although not very prestigious, they are leisurely and good positions."
Mo Hua was stunned, then became somewhat tempted.
He didn’t want his parents to suffer; being able to enter a sect and have a stable position also means they can enjoy some blessings.
"What about other Loose Cultivators from Tongxian City?"
Master Luo sighed, "Little Mo Gentleman, I’ll tell you the truth, and you might not like to hear it..."
"The fate of other Loose Cultivators is not something we can consider. If we can take care of ourselves, that’s already good enough."
"Moreover, even though you are a Loose Cultivator, you... are actually not really considered a Loose Cultivator anymore."
"If you are willing, there will be plenty of sects to recruit you, numerous clans to ingratiate themselves with you. Your status and position are already different from other Loose Cultivators."
"In times of great disaster, Loose Cultivators only have one way out, uncertain and full of thorns..."
"But Little Mo Gentleman, you are different; you have many possibilities, and whichever path you take, it’s very promising..."
Fluctuating emotions swept over Mo Hua, who fell silent for a long while and said nothing, his gaze gradually lowering.
Master Luo observed Mo Hua’s expression, and seeing that he wasn’t angry, he finally put his mind at ease.
These words carried the suspicion of "sowing discord."
And his saying them did indeed have ulterior motives.
In his eyes, Mo Hua was very important, far more so than other Loose Cultivators; while he had sympathy for the fate of other Loose Cultivators, it was not something he took to heart.
However, what Mo Hua chose mattered a great deal to him.
He hoped that Mo Hua would have a future as bright as brocade, a smooth path ahead, and one day become a Formation Master renowned throughout the region.
In this way, he too could "cling to a powerful thigh" and make further progress in the Formation.
As for other matters, he was just a common Formation Master, who had neither the time nor the ability to concern himself with them.
"Little Mo Gentleman, you can take some more time to think it over. If you’re willing to go to the Lanshan Sect, I will talk to them and strive for better treatment for you."
"If you’re not willing, it’s also no matter; I’ll say some kind words and tactfully decline on your behalf."
Master Luo was very thorough in his considerations.
Mo Hua nodded and thanked him, "Thank you, Master Luo, for your efforts. Regardless of the outcome, I’ll remember this favor."
Outwardly humble, Master Luo said, "It’s just a small effort; you are too kind, Little Mo Gentleman."
Internally, he heaved a sigh of relief.
If Mo Hua went to the Lanshan Sect, and he was the intermediary, it meant he had rendered a great service; if Mo Hua didn’t go, he would still remember his goodwill.
No matter what, he would have done a good deed, and his thoughtfulness would not have been in vain.