Manager Mo chuckled as he returned the greeting, feeling rather nostalgic.
Never could he have imagined that the child, who once stood not even as tall as his counter and traded several Bright Fire Formation Patterns for spirit stones, would now possess such frightening talent and remarkable achievements.
Over these past ten-odd years, this story had become something he’d boast about whenever he drank with others, astonishing them and earning him much face.
With this legendary "resume," even if Foundation Establishment practitioners toasted him, he wouldn’t feel nervous.
After some reminiscing, Mo Hua stood up to take his leave.
Instructor Yan seemed to foresee Mo Hua’s impending departure, appearing somewhat regretful yet also gratified:
"The world is vast and formations are infinite, you’re still young, you should explore and see more."
"The dragon must not be confined in shallow waters."
Mo Hua smiled and said, "Yes."
"And also..." Instructor Yan held his wife Shen Ru’s hand and told Mo Hua, "I told you before, when you meet a good girl, you must hold on tight and never let go."
Mo Hua paused, nodded somewhat bashfully, "Hmm..."
Manager Mo also smiled and cupped his hands, saying, "With my little bit of insight, I have nothing to advise you on, I just hope you can have smooth sailing, achieve your aspirations, and one day achieve great ambitions and ascend to immortality."
Mo Hua smiled, cupping his hands in return, "I also hope that Manager Mo’s family harmonizes, the children become dragons, and that you prosper soon."
This struck Manager Mo’s heart, and he laughed heartily, saying, "Thank you for your kind words, Immortal Mo... Brother Mo."
...
After saying farewell to Instructor Yan, Mo Hua went to see An Xiaofu.
An Xiaofu had grown quite a bit taller, still chubby, and was just as innocent as ever, without any scheming.
Hearing that Mo Hua was leaving again, An Xiaofu felt quite down; after thinking for a bit, he gave Mo Hua a jade token with the words "Blessed Food" inscribed on it.
"What is this?"
"A free food token."
Mo Hua was puzzled, "Free food?"
An Xiaofu nodded, "Officially, it’s called ’Blessed Food White Jade Token,’ but in reality, it’s a ’free food token.’ With this jade token, you can eat and drink in the Fulu Building without spending spirit stones..."
"I plan to open Fulu Buildings all across the Nine State, so wherever you are, you can use this Blessed Food Token to eat and drink for free. I’ll cover all your meals in the future!"
An Xiaofu patted his chest with great ambition.
Mo Hua felt touched, smiled, and said, "Great!"
An Xiaofu also chuckled foolishly.
...
After parting with An Xiaofu, Mo Hua made several more visits, finally going to see Elder Yu.
Elder Yu was busy with the expansion of Tongxian City, so he simply handed a jade slip to Mo Hua.
"I thought about what I could still help you with, and after more than ten days of thinking, I couldn’t come up with anything."
"In terms of cultivation, you’re now in the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, while I’m still only in the Foundation Establishment Early Stage; in terms of status, you’re now a disciple of a Fifth-grade Major Sect, while I’m just an independent elder of a Little Immortal City; in terms of Tao cultivation knowledge and experience, I’m far inferior as well..."
"The only thing that might be useful to you," Elder Yu sighed, pointing to the jade slip in Mo Hua’s hand, "is simply this..."
Mo Hua looked surprised, and when his Divine Sense entered the jade slip, he skimmed through it and saw a full range of "sarcastic words" and "insulting speech," with angles so cunning and language so sharp, the likes of which he had never seen or heard before.
Mo Hua was shocked, "This is..."
Elder Yu spoke solemnly:
"I’ve recorded all the insulting words I could think of in my lifetime in this jade slip. You can go through it when you have time. If it can help you, all the better; if not... don’t say I gave it to you..."
Mo Hua held the jade slip with both hands, feeling its weight, as if receiving an extraordinary superior heritage not even possessed by the Qianxue State Boundary’s Fifth-grade Major Sect. His expression serious, he said:
"Elder Yu, rest assured, one day, I will definitely carry forward this heritage!"
Elder Yu, with a weak expression, waved his hand, "Not at all, not at all, and definitely don’t carry it forward..."
But Mo Hua could no longer hear these words.
He treasured the collection of sayings Elder Yu gifted him, storing it in his storage ring, intending to thoughtfully ponder and apply them in the future.
Elder Yu felt a tingle in his scalp, unsure whether what he did was right or not.
...