Since we’re all from the same sect, Mr. Zhuang probably wouldn’t blame me if he knew.
A faint smile appeared on Bai Zixi’s immaculate face, like a hibiscus flower touched by the dawn’s rosy light, clear and bright.
Bai Zixi took out a coverless booklet from her storage bag and passed it to Mo Hua, “This is the Bai Family’s collection of formations below first rank. Take a look, and if there’s anything you want to learn, I can teach you.”
Mo Hua’s eyes lit up, and he happily took the booklet and flipped through it.
Although the formations recorded in the booklet weren’t as numerous as those given by Mr. Zhuang, some more basic formations were much more detailed and easier to understand, obviously meant for entry-level disciples. Many sections also included handwritten notes, in elegant and beautiful handwriting that seemed to be Bai Zixi’s.
“Wouldn’t this be against the clan rules?”
Mo Hua was a bit concerned. He knew that some clans were very strict about the transmission of their formations.
“I guess so…” Bai Zisheng nodded.
“It won’t be!” Bai Zixi denied.
“Why not?”
“Because I’m giving it to you!”
Bai Zixi stated lightly yet categorically.
Although he didn’t understand why, Mo Hua felt that Bai Zixi who said this had a certain inexplicable coolness.
In the days that followed, besides studying formations on his own, Mo Hua occasionally learned from Bai Zixi. He realized that Bai Zixi’s foundation in formations was much deeper than his own by countless measures, which served as a reminder to himself that the way of formations was boundless, and he must not become complacent.
When learning formations, Bai Zixi sometimes had questions, which Mo Hua would jot down and then go to ask Mr. Zhuang. After getting clear answers, he would share them with Bai Zixi. This led to Mo Hua consulting Mr. Zhuang more frequently.
One day, after Mo Hua finished asking Mr. Zhuang and left, Mr. Zhuang furrowed his brows and said, “This isn’t good.”
“What’s not good?” Old Kui asked carelessly.
“This kid Mo Hua comes to me every day with questions, and I don’t get the chance to close my eyes and understand the Tao!”
“You mean sleep…” Old Kui bluntly revealed.
Mr. Zhuang acted as though he hadn’t heard and pondered, “What to do about this…”
“Just don’t answer, right?”
Remembering Mo Hua’s clear, inquisitive eyes sometimes filled with admiration, Mr. Zhuang shook his head, saying,
“How could I do that? When a disciple has a question, it would not befit a good teacher to know and not answer.”
“Since when did you start caring about such things?”
“Starting just now.”
Old Kui couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to him, holding a piece of wood, carving something unknown. The carving knife moved across the wood, and the shavings fell silently.
Mr. Zhuang lay leisurely in the mountain chair, eyes gazing skyward toward the overhead wooden beams of the pavilion, lost in thought for a long moment before snapping back to reality.
“I need to find an excuse to sleep in,” Mr. Zhuang thought to himself.