Chapter 141: Hosting a Meal (Five Updates)_1 After they parted ways, Mo Hua returned home. The next day, she found Elder Yu and told him about the matter. Once Elder Yu heard about the “silver-white Taoist robe,” he was livid. “It must be those damned bastards from the Qian Family!” Elder Yu placed his hands on his hips, standing in the room, and went on to curse the Qian Family from the old to the young, from top to bottom, using coarse language without repeating a word, leaving Mo Hua astounded… After Elder Yu had his fill of cursing, he realized Mo Hua was there, staring at him with wide, shiny eyes. Elder Yu felt a bit embarrassed and thought to himself: “In a moment of anger, I forgot this child Mo Hua was still here. Next time I must be careful not to lead the good child astray…” Elder Yu coughed and said: “Forget what I just said.” “Oh.” Mo Hua nodded but quietly took note of all the curses Elder Yu used, keeping them for future reference. Cursing isn’t very nice, but if you have to curse, you can’t lose the battle. “Elder, has the Qian Family done a lot of bad things?” Mo Hua asked. Elder Yu was about to answer, but he stopped himself and said: “This is a matter for adults, you don’t need to worry about it.” Then he muttered under his breath, “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree; the Patriarch of the Qian Family is a bastard, and you can’t expect to find many good ones below him… It’s really like a rat’s nest in a sewer…” Talking to himself, Elder Yu unconsciously started cursing again. Mo Hua found this both sad and funny. It was true that people from the Qian Family wore silver-white Taoist robes, but that didn’t mean that everyone wearing a silver-white Taoist robe belonged to the Qian Family. Mo Hua decided to let Elder Yu investigate the matter and not to inquire any further. Two days later, after Zhang Lan had dealt with the evil cultivators, he decided to treat them out of his own pocket, inviting Mo Hua to have a meal at the Spiritual Meal Building on North Street. Situ Fang was also there. The Spiritual Meal Building was run by the An Family. Mo Hua was acquainted with the An Family’s young master, An Xiaopang, having helped him with his Formation homework. She had been here before to consult the shopkeeper on the making of stoves, but she had never eaten here. After all, the meals served at the Spiritual Meal Building were filled with Spiritual Energy and were very expensive. However, Zhang Lan was not short of Spirit Stones, and Mo Hua was not shy about accepting his hospitality. “It was hard work for you to catch that evil cultivator; eat up,” Zhang Lan said, gesturing to the table full of dishes. Situ Fang nodded repeatedly by the side, “Eat up. If it’s not enough, we can order more.” With her cheeks puffed out, Mo Hua asked, “What about that big brother called Situ Xiu?” “He’s gone back to report.” “Oh,” Mo Hua responded, not really caring and asking just out of politeness. Mo Hua ate ravenously, while Zhang Lan leisurely sipped his drink, barely touching the dishes. He had been eating these spiritual meals since he was a child and was tired of them. Although they were rich in Spiritual Energy, the taste was nothing remarkable, and he wasn’t fond of them. He felt that the Bull Monster Meat at Mo Hua’s home, both fragrant and spicy, had a much better flavor. Situ Fang, on the other hand, found Mo Hua’s cheek-puffing way of eating adorable, and thus merely propped up her cheeks, watching Mo Hua eat. A table full of poultry and meat from various Spirit Beasts was being consumed by Mo Hua alone. Mo Hua also felt they were not as delicious as the dishes her mother made, but these meals were just too expensive to waste by not eating them. However, despite Mo Hua filling her stomach, there was still a lot of food left on the table. Zhang Lan said, “I’ll have the shopkeeper pack these up later and you can take them home with you.” Then he took out a Storage Bag and handed it to Mo Hua: “There are a hundred Spirit Stones in here for you.” Mo Hua was thrilled and just about to reach out, but then frowned and whispered: “With food to eat and things to take, you aren’t trying to bribe me for some reason, are you…” “What are you thinking?” Zhang Lan sighed in resignation. “Inviting you to eat is indeed because you were of great help. These Spirit Stones are the reward from the Taoist Court.” “I see,” Mo Hua thus accepted the reward without any guilt. Zhang Lan continued, “I spoke with the Court Leader. Originally, the Taoist Court would have given you other rewards, but those rewards are often empty honors, flashy but not substantive, and can easily cause trouble.” Curious, Mo Hua inquired, “What kind of trouble?” “These evil cultivators may not be alone; some have accomplices, some belong to the same sect, and some may even have Sect backing. Once the Taoist Court rewards you, they might come after you for revenge,” Zhang Lan explained while taking a sip of his drink. “So, I had them attribute your visible achievements to the Taoist Court and convinced them to give you some extra Spirit Stones. After all, for you, Spirit Stones are more tangible,” Zhang Lan raised his cup as he spoke. Mo Hua nodded in agreement, “Exactly, making a fortune in silence is the best way!” After a moment of thought, Zhang Lan added, “There’s one more thing, Old Master An wants to meet with you.” “Old Master An?” Mo Hua’s brows furrowed, then with a flash of insight, he whispered to Zhang Lan: “Was the evil cultivator replenishing from an An Family girl?” Zhang Lan took in a breath of cool air, “How did you know?” “Didn’t you slip up that day? You said it’d be difficult to explain to the An Family…” Zhang Lan cut in, “I didn’t say that!” Mo Hua looked at him meaningfully, giving Zhang Lan a headache. This kind of information couldn’t be leaked… Situ Fang noticed the two conversing in low voices and frowned, “What are you whispering about?” Immediately, Zhang Lan said, “It’s nothing,” then gave Mo Hua a meaningful look and whispered, “I’ll treat you to another meal next time.” Mo Hua also played along, “Uncle Zhang didn’t say anything.” Situ Fang glanced at Mo Hua, then looked suspiciously at Zhang Lan. Zhang Lan, feeling uncomfortable under their gazes, stood up and started to pack Mo Hua’s meal. Afterward, the two escorted Mo Hua to the An Family residence. The An Family’s business was crafting spiritual meals, priding themselves on taste, aroma, and exquisite hospitality. The An Family wasn’t as overbearing as the Qian Family. Their pavilions and towers favored luxurious comfort with a touch of subtle opulence, never too ostentatious. Along the way, Mo Hua looked around curiously. He wasn’t interested in the An Family’s decorations, only in the Formations they had set up. From the moment he entered, he had been studying the various Formations on the doors, walls, and floors. Some Formations were obvious and could be recognized at a glance, but for the more subtle or complex ones, he had to deduce their purpose based on the Formation Patterns and characteristics of the Spiritual Power. Mo Hua found them fascinating, while the An Family guards accompanying him grew increasingly nervous. They felt that Mo Hua was not so much a guest but rather someone scoping out the place. Scouting during the day to prepare for a theft at night. The key was that, despite his youth, Mo Hua had a clear and penetrating gaze, which seemed capable of peering through walls and wood to discern the inner workings of the Formations. He even muttered phrases like “Solid Earth Formation,” “Gold Stone Formation,” “Flame Fire Formation”… He had identified all the Formations used in their An Family walls, floors, and rooftops… What kind of guest was this? The An Family guards were inwardly lamenting. However, since guests had arrived, they couldn’t be impolite. Fortunately, it wasn’t long before Mo Hua reached the living room. The guards breathed a sigh of relief, saluted an Elder sitting inside the room, and respectfully withdrew. In the finely decorated living room sat an Elder. Mo Hua covertly studied the man. Seeing his entirely white hair and beard and rosy, dignified face that nevertheless carried a gentle expression, he surmised this must be Old Master An, the true authority of the An Family.