Chapter 719: Chapter 566 Returning Home_1
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A hundred miles outside Tongxian City, the mountain forests were lush, and streams babbled.
On the mountain path, a caravan of more than ten people, pulling several storage carts, moved slowly forward.
Mo Hua sat on one of the caravanâs carts, swinging his legs leisurely while looking at the nearby familiar yet slightly unfamiliar mountain scenery. He thought of his parents, the acquaintances, and childhood friends back in Tongxian City, feeling excited yet suddenly seized by a nervous trepidation as he neared his hometown.
From the Third Grade Dali Mountain State boundary to Tongxian City.
The journey had been long and arduous. Mo Hua stopped along the way, visiting Formation Masters, seeking out Formations, taking nearly half a year.
Now he was fifteen years old.
A First Grade Formation Master, at the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment, with fourteen patterns in his Divine Sense, his Divine Thought had undergone a qualitative change, becoming as concentrated as mercury.
Compared to when he left home, Mo Hua had grown a bit taller.
His eyebrows and eyes had also broadened, carrying a trace of heroic spirit between them.
However, at the tender age of early teens, he was still too young for a Cultivator.
Mo Hua had achieved Foundation Establishment early. Even though he had gone through many experiences, he still appeared as an uncut jade, naive and carefree.
âMo lad, your parents really trust you to travel aloneâŠâ
An elder from the caravan couldnât help but ask.
On this trip, he must have asked this question at least seven or eight times.
The elder was the boss of the caravan, who had traveled far and wide, trading Spirit Stones and Pills to make a living.
His surname was Zheng, with a sharp look in his eyes, everyone else called him Old Zheng.
Tongxian City was growing more prosperous, and the number of Cultivators and traders coming and going had increased. Old Zhengâs caravan was specifically there to sell some Tao Cultivation merchandise.
Only, the caravan had been attacked by Monster Beasts on the way, and the Formation on the cart was damaged.
Mo Hua came across them and helped fix the Formation. They were very simple Formations, around First Grade four or five patterns; it barely counted as lifting a finger.
But Old Zheng was amazed.
This young Cultivator was so young, yet he could already repair a Formation with five Formation PatternsâŠ
His future was bound to be immeasurable!
In gratitude to Mo Hua, Old Zheng treated him well with food and drink. Learning that Mo Huaâs destination was also Tongxian City, he offered Mo Hua a lift along the way.
Mo Hua, tired from the journey, conveniently took the opportunity to hitch a ride.
Along the way, there was food, drink, and company for conversation, so it was not dull.
Anyway, they were already very close to Tongxian City, and it would only cause a few daysâ delay.
But every time Old Zheng looked at Mo Hua, his expression was one of incredulity.
Just a kid, yet with such talent in Formations, did his parents really feel reassured, letting him travel alone?
If it were him, he wouldnât bear to let go.
Mo Hua spoke softly, âWhen I traveled, there were others with me. Now on my return, Iâm by myselfâŠâ
As he said this, a hint of melancholy was hidden in the depths of Mo Huaâs eyes.
Old Zheng nodded and did not ask further.
Among the steep mountains and ridges, the caravan followed the winding mountain roads step by step, heading for Tongxian City.
Mo Hua looked up and saw the rolling Big Black Mountain range in front of him, and the outline of Tongxian City, partly hidden by the mountains and mists, emerging faintly in the distance. He silently breathed a sigh of relief.
âNo matter what, Iâm nearly homeâŠâ
Since he left home, only a few years had passed.
A Cultivatorâs lifespan is long, and a few years do not count for much, but to Mo Hua, it felt like a very long time had gone byâŠ
At last, he was finally returning home.
A slight sourness welled up in Mo Huaâs heart.
Several more days passed, and after traveling tens of miles, Mo Hua saw acquaintances.
They were several uncles who were Monster Hunters.
Dressed in iron armor and wielding Pu Blades, their faces stern, they were all fully alert, tracking Monster Beasts, and happened to come across the caravan Mo Hua was with.
They were midst pursuing a Monster Beast, their armor and blades covered in blood, their faces bearing an aura ready for a fight to the death.
Seeing this, the other Cultivators of the caravan also became alert, their expressions tense.
Old Zheng felt a chill in his heart.
It was their first time trading in Tongxian City, and in this desolate Black Mountain region, encountering Monster Hunters with bloody blades and stern expressions, they couldnât help but feel uneasy.
Fearing that a misunderstanding might lead these Monster Hunters to rob and kill themâŠ
Such incidents, they had encountered and heard of plenty during their travels.
What was more troublesome was that these Monster Hunters were clearly very powerful.
The caravan had hired guards, but these guards were merely at the latter stages of Qi Refinement, not exceeding the ninth level.
They could handle ordinary Mole Gangs, but compared to these Monster Hunters with profound cultivation, exquisite Spiritual Artifacts, and rich experience in combat, and moreover, those covered in blood, they were clearly outmatched.
Although nervous, Old Zheng tried his best to smile apologetically:
âFellow Taoist friends, my name is Zheng, and I am on my way to Tongxian City to do some modest trade. I hope you would be lenientâŠâ
He started to calculate in his mind how much âtollâ he would have to pay to pass safely and minimize his losses.
The Monster Hunters remained silent.
They were on the hunt for Monster Beasts, and speaking little was a rule among Monster Hunters.
Seeing that they did not respond, Old Zhengâs forced smile grew ever more stiff.
Just then, one of the Monster Hunters, by chance, glanced at the carriage and saw a child with fine features, looking at him kindly with a smiling face.
He was shocked, widening his eyes in disbelief, and exclaimed:
âMo⊠Mo Hua?!!â
The other Monster Hunters glared at him angrily.
âWhat are you doing? Yelling and startling everyone like that?â
âYour voice is so loud; what if it alerts the Wind Listening Wolf?â
âBeing a veteran Monster Hunter, donât you know the rules?â
âItâs not⊠Itâs Mo Hua!â
âWhat Mo Hua? Even if itâs Mo Hua, you canâtâŠâ
This Monster Hunter was interrupted halfway through his sentence, then he too froze, âMo Hua?!â
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