After a moment, he asked softly, “Dad, I am your son, right?”
Elder Yu’s eyes widened at the question and immediately scolded, “What nonsense are you spouting? If you’re not my son, do you think I picked you up from the streets?”
Yu Chengwu thought about the pleasant demeanor he had when talking to Mo Hua just now, and comparing it to the current attitude, he felt somewhat disheartened.
However, he also breathed a sigh of relief.
This fiery temper and scolding tone were familiar and comforting; it was indeed his father, no mistake about it. He wasn’t dreaming.
“I’m finally home.”
Yu Chengwu reflected with some emotion.
Mo Hua, on the other hand, went to the Refinery Shop in Southern City and found Master Chen, who was clanging away at the forge. He said, “Master Chen, please refine a Spiritual Artifact for me.”
“Have you decided what kind of Spiritual Artifact you want?”
“Yes.”
Master Chen was halfway through forging a blade and let Dazhu take over. He stepped aside, took a sip of water, and asked Mo Hua, “What do you want to forge?”
Mo Hua gestured with his hands, “A Wolf Fang Club this long!”
Master Chen choked on his water and couldn’t help asking, “What do you need a Wolf Fang Club for?”
“Wolf Fang Clubs are practical, can be used for sneak attacks, and since they don’t have blades, you can’t hurt yourself.”
Mo Hua had thought it through; if he chose a sabre or a sword, with his meager strength, he wouldn’t be able to wield it properly. And if he accidentally hurt himself with it, that would be a big loss.
Blunt weapons like staves or clubs were perfect; even if he made a mistake and hit himself, it wouldn’t be a big deal.
“Oh, and the club can’t have actual fangs.” Mo Hua added.
The sharp fangs were too dangerous.
“Without the fangs, can it still be called a Wolf Fang Club?” Master Chen was puzzled for a moment.
“Then let’s not call it a Wolf Fang Club. I’ll come up with a new name,” Mo Hua said.
“Alright, it’s your weapon, so whatever you call it, that’s what it is,” Master Chen replied, then expressed a bit of concern, “But Wolf Fang Clubs are quite heavy. Are you sure you can handle it?”
“It doesn’t need to be very heavy, just sturdy and durable.”
“Then what use is this wolf… whatever club you’re making?” Master Chen wondered.
Without fangs and not heavy, wouldn’t it be like scratching an itch when hitting someone?
Mo Hua said, “I’ll just paint a Formation on it.”
A Formation?
Master Chen understood then. A plain staff might not be of much use, but with a Formation painted on it, it should be a different story.
“As long as you have an idea, that’s all that matters.”
Master Chen nodded, not bothering to inquire about the type of Formation; he wouldn’t understand too much about it anyway.
“I have some Artifice Manuals for various staves and clubs here. Browse through and see if there’s anything suitable. Pick one as a template, and I’ll make the modifications based on your ideas.”
“Thank you, Master Chen!”
Mo Hua took the Artifice Manual and flipped through it, finding a Spiritual Artifact that matched his idea pretty closely. It was made of fine steel, about four or five feet long, neither too long nor too heavy.
“This one, just remove the spikes on it,” Mo Hua directed Master Chen, as he took out a piece of paper and drew a rough sketch. He marked a few locations on the sketch, saying,
“I plan to paint Formations at these spots.”
Master Chen briefly looked it over and nodded, “No problem. Give me five or six days, and you can come and pick it up.”
“Great!” Mo Hua said cheerfully.
After returning home, Mo Hua told Mo Shan about Ji Qingbai’s situation.
Mo Shan sighed upon hearing the news and shook his head, “I didn’t expect the circumstances of Loose Cultivators in Qingxuan City to be this dire.”
Mo Hua asked, “Are Loose Cultivators oppressed by Clans everywhere in the world?”
“Even if they’re not oppressed by Clans, there are still Sects and the Taoist Court to deal with.”
“Is it because Loose Cultivators are too weak?”
Mo Shan nodded, “Correct, the strong have always bullied the weak; it’s human nature. Moreover, some Clans and Sects exist solely to compete with Loose Cultivators for profit and to exploit them. They grow stronger with the benefits extracted from the Loose Cultivators.”
“Many benefits in this world aren’t created out of thin air but merely transferred from some Cultivators to others.”
Mo Hua nodded in understanding.