"Who the hell would ever want to stay in that godforsaken place?" Fan Jin waved his hand dismissively, a clear look of distaste on his face.
But Mo Hua’s eyes grew deeper as he caught a subtle shift in Fan Jin’s expression.
His face said disdain, but deep within his eyes, there was something else—wariness, maybe even a trace of... deep-seated fear.
Fear...
What was he afraid of?
What was there in Solitary Mountain City to be so scared of?
Mo Hua squinted, his gaze sharpening.
Fan Jin, however, had no interest in mentioning "Solitary Mountain City" again. Instead, he quickly changed the topic, looking toward Mo Hua with a worried expression:
"Kid, since I’ve been around the block, let me give you a piece of advice. If you think it’s worthwhile, take it to heart. If not, just pretend... just figure I’m talking nonsense."
"Master Fan, please go ahead," Mo Hua nodded in response.
Fan Jin spoke from the heart,
"You’re at Foundation Establishment Late Stage. Next step is Core Formation. When it comes to your own Magic Treasure... you’ve got to choose carefully. Even if your Sect doesn’t value you, even if you’ve got no family backing, you can’t treat this lightly."
Originally, he’d wanted to use Mo Hua as a bridge to cozy up to Elders from his Sect, but Fan Jin was a warmhearted guy—after talking with Mo Hua for a bit, he’d actually forgotten all about his original plans and began offering sincere advice instead.
Not that Mo Hua really needed advice like this anymore.
Seeing Mo Hua’s calm and indifferent look, Fan Jin assumed he was being ignored and got a bit anxious:
"Seriously, kid, I’ve been where you are, I wouldn’t lie to you. I totally screwed myself over—just thought if I could form my core, I’d be set. Figured I could skimp on the Magic Treasure and just use whatever would do the trick. Now I’m in Core Formation, but my Magic Treasure’s holding me back everywhere I go..."
Mo Hua asked curiously, "Master Fan, what is your Magic Treasure?"
"A hammer."
"Your own Magic Treasure is a hammer?"
"Yep."
Fan Jin looked as if he’d swallowed a bitter pill, but couldn’t spit it out.
"So when it comes to choosing your own Magic Treasure, you can’t be too careful. You’ve absolutely got to pick the right one. No shortcuts."
Mo Hua nodded slowly.
He’d been considering the issue of Magic Treasures for quite some time, so honestly, it didn’t matter much what Master Fan had to say. What he truly cared about was what had happened in Solitary Mountain City.
Mo Hua wanted to know—what exactly had happened in Solitary Mountain City that made this Golden Core Steward so scared?
But before he could ask, Elder Xun Zixian called out to him:
"Mo Hua, come have some tea."
"Oh, sure," Mo Hua quickly replied.
Fan Jin turned toward the voice and saw, to his shock, that the one calling Mo Hua over was none other than a Taixu Sect Elder: sword brows, star-bright eyes, the bearing and looks of a truly extraordinary Late Golden Core Stage Elder. Fan Jin’s heart jumped in his chest.
An Eight Great Gates Late Golden Core Stage True Transmission Elder—compare that to a small-timer like him, just an Initial Golden Core Steward. The gap between them was truly massive, like heaven and earth.
Fan Jin kind of wanted to thick-face his way over and network, but the difference in status was just too intimidating.
He basically had no confidence even speaking up.
Just then, a Taoist Court Enforcement Leader approached him. "Master Fan, Supervisor Gu needs you. The operation’s about to start."
Fan Jin nodded, "Got it." Then he cupped his fists toward Mo Hua, "Fate brought us together today. I won’t disturb you further, little brother. If we get the chance, let’s chat again some time."
Mo Hua clasped his hands in return. "Demon Cultivators are vicious, Master Fan, be careful."
"Thanks for the heads up, little brother."
Fan Jin said his piece and turned to leave, though he couldn’t help feeling a bit disappointed inside. Damn, what a chance—if only he’d lingered a little longer, maybe chatted a bit more, he might actually have managed to connect with one of those Taixu "big shots."
"Such a shame..."
Fan Jin walked a few steps, but couldn’t resist turning around for another look.
Right then, Elder Xun Zixian had Mo Hua sit down, poured him a cup of tea, and said kindly, "A Taoist Friend gave me this—it’s called Snow Clear. Give it a try."
The tea leaves were white as snow, the tea itself was crystal clear, its fragrance fresh and mellow.
Mo Hua lifted the cup, took a sip, and squinted with a soft laugh, "Thank you, Elder Zixian!"
Fan Jin saw the whole scene and felt his brain buzz like it had exploded.
No way...
This can’t be right.
Isn’t it always the Disciple pouring tea for the Elder? Since when do Elders pour tea for the Disciple?
Just what kind of customs does the Taixu Sect have?
And not just any Elder, but one who was obviously of extremely high status and profound knowledge—a Late Golden Core Stage Elder at that.
This kind of great cultivator—even saying "hello" would’ve made Fan Jin nervous as hell, but here he was, pouring tea for this little brother with his own hands...
Fan Jin just stood there, dumbfounded, muttering to himself: