The elder was taken aback and thought it made sense. After all, it was already ruined, and they had no other options. Yet, since the Formation was crucial to their livelihood, he still couldn’t let go of his worry.
After hesitating and struggling with himself, the elder seemed to resign himself to his fate and said despondently,
"Young man, go ahead and draw..."
He truly had no other solution.
Mo Hua took out his Formation Pen and dipped it in ink.
The elder’s expression changed subtly. This young Cultivator seemed to know what he was doing...
He couldn’t help but look forward with anticipation.
Then he saw Mo Hua approach the edge of the field, his small hand holding the pen. He casually drew a few strokes and then looked up, clearly saying to the elder,
"All done."
The elder hadn’t even regained his senses, nor seen what Mo Hua had drawn, his expression one of disbelief,
"Is it... is it really fixed?"
Just a glance, a few strokes, and it was repaired?
"Yes," Mo Hua nodded, "It’s quite simple."
The elder walked over to the field, examined the Formation, and indeed saw a faint yellow light glowing. He felt as if he were still in a dream.
The water vapor in the field was accumulating again.
The Spirit Rice no longer looked wilted, and their color turned a shade greener.
The old man couldn’t help but smile. As he was smiling, he seemed to think that with a harvest secured, neither he nor his grandson would starve to death. Then he squatted by the field and began wiping his tears.
Mo Hua felt an inexplicable heartache.
Some cultivators in this world live such humble lives.
Merely being able to survive had already driven them to tears of joy…
"Thank you, young brother…"
The old man said earnestly, filled with gratitude. Having dealt with the fields all his life, he was at a loss for words and could only utter a "thank you".
Mo Hua asked:
"Your Formation broke, haven’t you asked someone to fix it?"
The old man replied helplessly, "We asked, ten Spirit Stones to fix it once, but once fixed it breaks again, and when it breaks we repair it…"
"For the sake of repairing this Formation, I’ve poured in all the remaining Spirit Stones in my home, and now I’m in debt to the Sun Family for dozens of Spirit Stones… If we continue repairing, even if we give this year’s entire harvest to the Sun Family, I still won’t be able to pay off the debt."
"The Sun Family?"
The old man pointed towards Thousand Families Town, "The wealthiest Sun Family in town."
"This Formation is their ancestral skill. The Sun Family says only they can draw it and only they can fix it. So, whatever amount of Spirit Stones they ask for, that’s what we have to give."
Mo Hua asked with confusion, "Haven’t you asked another Formation Master for help?"
The old man’s face grew troubled. "In Thousand Families Town, there are no other Formation Masters…"
"Occasionally, if a Formation Master passes through, they also wouldn’t help us to stay in the Sun Family’s good graces."
"The Sun Family is like a local bully; those people don’t dare to offend them…"
Mo Hua’s feelings were complex.
He looked again at the Formation in the Spirit Field and noticed that there had indeed been attempts to repair it, but it was done with the cheapest ink, costing next to nothing, and the craftsmanship was extremely crude, showing only the most basic level of expertise.
It was likely the work of an apprentice or an unskilled Formation Master.
Or perhaps, the Sun Family had intentionally done a shoddy job.
Fixing it well meant it would be less likely to break again, which would mean they couldn’t exploit Spirit Stones from repairs as easily.
Ten Spirit Stones to fix it, just once...
Over time, it’s clearly not something an ordinary Loose Cultivator could afford to do.
Mo Hua then asked, "What if you can’t repay the Sun Family’s debt?"
The old man sighed, "Then we sell our sons and daughters to them. The boys become servants, the girls become maids."
"Once they enter the Sun Family as slaves, they have to change their names, and they can no longer recognize their own parents. They can only work for them like cattle and horses…"
Mo Hua’s gaze grew sharp.
He finally understood where the numerous servants and maids serving the Sun Family had come from…
As the old man spoke, he suddenly came to his senses and apologized:
"I’ve taken up half the day with my complaints…"
Then, as if recalling something, he showed a look of shame, "For the spiritual stones to repair the Formation, I…"
He wanted to offer them, but his home was so poor that he couldn’t even produce a single Spirit Stone.
Mo Hua waved his hand dismissively, "It was nothing; don’t mention it."