Immortality Through Array Formations

The next day, Mr. Zhuang, who rarely rose early, saw Mo Hua and waved him over, “Mo Hua, come with me.”

Mr. Zhuang brought Mo Hua to his study and asked, “How many times have you practiced the Formation of the Three Talents?”

Mo Hua held a deep gratitude for Mr. Zhuang and didn’t want to hide anything, but the affair with the Taoist Stele was somewhat mysterious, and he found it difficult to speak of it. However, he didn’t want to lie either, so he honestly said,

“Gentleman, I practiced it three or four times on paper, then another seven or eight times in my dreams.”

He told the truth, just omitted the Taoist Stele.

Mr. Zhuang was slightly stunned, “In your dreams?”

“Yes,” Mo Hua replied, “After I fall asleep, I can continue Drawing Formations in my dreams.”

Mr. Zhuang’s brows furrowed slightly as he looked at Mo Hua but found his expression sincere, his eyes so clear it seemed as if one could see their own reflection in them.

Mr. Zhuang chuckled, “I see.”

See what…

Mo Hua watched Mr. Zhuang, puzzled.

After a moment of contemplation, Mr. Zhuang turned to Mo Hua and instructed,

“Let’s keep this conversation between us. In the future, no matter who asks, you don’t need to answer, and certainly don’t mention anything about Drawing Formations in a dream.”

“What if someone probes further?”

“If they probe further, you just say as I told you before, it’s because you’ve learned Meditation Techniques, so you’ve picked up Formations quickly.”

“And what if they ask me for the spell point of the Meditation Technique?”

Mr. Zhuang replied nonchalantly, “If you can avoid giving it, then don’t. If they try to force it from you, you kill them. If you can’t kill or defeat them and can’t escape, then give them the Meditation Technique. Spell points are external things; your life is your own.”

Mo Hua thought for a moment, feeling there was sense in that, but still asked,

“But what if someone learns the Meditation Technique and discovers it doesn’t speed up learning Formations?”

“In that case…”

Mr. Zhuang thought for a bit, then said, “You can only claim you have an exceptional talent, an eidetic memory, and that you can master Formations after looking at them a few times. Remember, when you say this, you must be arrogant, adopt a scornful attitude as if you’re superior to everyone, to make them believe you’re a one-in-a-million genius.”

“A scornful attitude?”

“I’ll do it once; watch and learn from me.”

After saying that, Mr. Zhuang’s usual languid demeanor changed as if an Azure Dragon resting its head suddenly rose, expressing a proud, self-important air and a disdainful overlook as if all mountains were beneath him.

After a brief moment of arrogance, Mr. Zhuang’s demeanor returned to its usual languor and he said to Mo Hua,

“Just like that. Practice this whenever you have time.”

Mo Hua was profoundly shaken inside.

Mr. Zhuang usually had the appearance of a sage, but when it came to nonsense and deceiving others, he was altogether unambiguous.

When Mo Hua was alone, he stood by the pond, placed his hands on his hips, puffed out his chest, and tried to look arrogant, but he could never seem as imposing as Mr. Zhuang.

“Cultivation is a profound study, it seems. It’s not just about Cultivation and Formations; there’s much more I need to learn from the gentleman.”

Mo Hua resolved to master the skill of pretense whenever he had a moment to spare.

As dusk approached and evening set in, Mo Hua said goodbye to Mr. Zhuang and went home.

After Mo Hua left, Mr. Zhuang lay on a recliner in the bamboo pavilion, lost in thought. Old Kui played chess by himself.

A gentle breeze passed through the pavilion, and after a long bout of silent contemplation, Mr. Zhuang suddenly said, “This isn’t right.”

Old Kui lifted his eyelids, “What isn’t right?”

“The boy, Mo Hua…”

Old Kui glanced at Mr. Zhuang, “You think he didn’t tell the truth?”

“Whether he told the truth is of little importance. Some things are just not suitable to be spoken aloud.”

“Then what’s the issue?”

“He’s learned too quickly,” Mr. Zhuang said with a frown.

Old Kui was slightly stunned, “Haven’t you said that before?”

Mr. Zhuang said, “As my honorary disciple, he has learned too quickly and is likely to attract trouble.”

Old Kui played a piece, “He hasn’t learned that quickly. Mo Hua’s natural talent and perception are still far less than yours were. Compared to many Noble Family Descendants, he also falls short by quite a bit.”

Mr. Zhuang shook his head, “You can’t compare them like that. Noble Clans have their own foundations and legacies. Immersed from a young age, even a pig would learn Formation faster than ordinary people. As for me…”

Mr. Zhuang said indifferently, “In the Tao Cultivation World, those whose innate talent for Formation exceeds mine can be counted on one hand. It’s normal for them to be no match for me.”

Mr. Zhuang spoke arrogantly but with a calm tone.

Pity that there was no one to flatter him, as Old Kui continued to play chess without even raising his head.

Mr. Zhuang found himself missing Mo Hua a bit. If Mo Hua were here, his bright eyes would undoubtedly be filled with admiration.

Mr. Zhuang sighed and said:

“After all, Mo Hua is different. Born a Loose Cultivator, without family background or legacy, his foundational knowledge in Formation is too weak. If his proficiency in Formation advances too quickly, it will inevitably attract unwanted attention, and might even lead to deadly trouble.”

“You also think ahead and consider the consequences now, which is somewhat rare,” Old Kui said with a smile that was not quite a smile.

Mr. Zhuang stretched lazily, “As the tree stands out in the forest, the wind will destroy it. I didn’t understand the principle of hiding brilliance and nurturing obscurity in the past and didn’t think ahead, which is why I suffered losses.”

“So what do you plan to do? Stop teaching him?”

Mr. Zhuang lay on the bamboo chair, tapping the armrest lightly with his fingers, “I still have to teach him. Having become my disciple, even if he’s not a direct disciple, he can’t just learn so little. Otherwise, if others find out, it would damage my reputation and disgrace my Sect.”

Old Kui said, “You never used to care about such vanity.”

“As one gets older, one starts caring about face.”

Old Kui looked at the languid Mr. Zhuang, “I think it’s not necessarily so.”

Mr. Zhuang ignored Old Kui, closing his eyes as if in deep thought, or perhaps just dozing off.

Old Kui kept playing chess as always.

The night grew darker, and the evening breeze brushed through the mountains, causing the trees and shrubs to rustle.

Suddenly, Mr. Zhuang opened his eyes, gazing into the night-shrouded woods and murmured softly:

“As the tree stands out in the forest, the wind will destroy it… So if the tree does not stand out in the forest, the wind cannot destroy it.”

Old Kui glanced at him with a hint of confusion, while Mr. Zhuang’s gaze drifted with the undulating woods and said meaningfully, “Hide the tree in the forest, and it won’t stand out.”

Old Kui frowned.

Mr. Zhuang’s gaze then drifted beyond the woods and settled on the gate of the courtyard.

Every morning, the Bai siblings would come up the mountain to visit.

These two children were exceptionally gifted, truly the finest trees in the forest.

The next morning, as usual, the Bai siblings came to the mountain to visit, but unlike other days, when they arrived at the gate and paid their respects, the normally closed bamboo gate suddenly opened.

At the same time, the signboard of “Forgetful Residence” appeared in front of the gate.

Behind the gate was a courtyard with locust trees reaching into the sky, small bridges over flowing water, misty clouds enveloping the area, giving off an aura of immortality.

Bai Zisheng said in astonishment:

“Aunt Xue… the courtyard gate is open. Does that mean Mr. Zhuang is willing to see us?”

Always calm Aunt Xue also felt stirred for a moment, “It seems so.”

Then she thought to herself:

“It’s good that Mr. Zhuang is willing to see us. Even if he does not take the young master and young mistress as disciples now, they can at least start by serving by his side. With the young master’s and young mistress’s talents, Mr. Zhuang will agree sooner or later.”

Bai Zisheng looked a bit uneasy, turning to look at his sister, and noticed Bai Zixi’s delicate face was as cold as ever, devoid of any superfluous emotion.

A flicker of distress passed through Bai Zisheng’s eyes, and then he silently stepped in front of his sister, shielding her as he stepped into the yard.