Chapter 1028 -658 Year-End Assessment (Thanks to the Alliance Leader, Chocolate of the Wind~)_3 Chapter 1028 -658 Year-End Assessment (Thanks to the Alliance Leader, Chocolate of the Wind~)_3 If culinary skills were truly tested, with his cooking talent, he could utterly crush the entire cohort of disciples! Unfortunately, culinary skills aren’t included in the assessment… Not a single one of Mo Hua’s strengths were tested. Everything tested was what he wasn’t good at. Except for one thing: “Chess proficiency.” Mo Hua used to think he was good at that… Because whether he was in Tongxian City or wandering on the road, Mo Hua often played chess with Grandpa Gui, whenever he had some downtime. Mo Hua believed Grandpa Gui was an expert, and his chess abilities must be exceptional. Since he could go neck-and-neck with Grandpa Gui in chess and maintain a fifty-fifty win rate, that surely meant his chess skills were decent! But when the actual assessment came, he was left dumbfounded… The Sect’s chess proficiency test was too utilitarian, too calculated, every move painstakingly strategized, full of scheming—there was no joy in it whatsoever… He played eighteen games and only won two… That’s when Mo Hua realized a possibility… Either the Sect’s chess philosophy was inherently flawed, or… Both he and Grandpa Gui were just terrible chess players… *Mo Hua was a little shaken.* *He was bad, sure, but to think even Grandpa Gui’s reputation took a hit because of him…* Mo Hua let out a deep sigh. The Sect valued theory over practicality. Perhaps, it wasn’t just Taixu Gate; maybe the entire Qian Learning State Boundary operated this way. Because of this, for the “Hundred Arts Tao Cultivation” course, Mo Hua scraped by and earned a “Grade C”… … This “one Grade A and six Grade Cs” report card had to be sent home to his parents. Some other disciples who also received the same grades were visibly distressed and didn’t dare to send theirs home. Mo Hua, on the other hand, didn’t mind. He mailed his report card back to Li State, along with a family letter that read roughly: Dear Father and Mother: 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦 I did my best to learn, but the Sect is full of geniuses, and I couldn’t quite measure up. I narrowly lost and ended up with six “Grade Cs.”… What a pity… Fortunately, my Formation skills are still excellent! Even among the Eight Great Gates of the Qian Learning State Boundary, in Taixu Gate, my Formation skills are not much inferior to those of the Heavenly Prides… Elder Master Xun even praised me highly. … Additionally, I’ve settled quite well in Taixu Gate… The connection with the Taoist Court has been established too! You don’t need to worry. The new year is around the corner; Father and Mother, please treat yourselves to something delicious! Once I achieve Golden Core, I’ll come back home! Mo Hua. Mo Hua sent both his report card and letter back home. The journey to Li State was long. Even within Li State, Tongxian City was quite remote. He didn’t know when the family letter would reach them or when he might receive a reply… … Following the year-end assessment, there was a month-long New Year holiday. Disciples within the Sect could either return home or stay at the Sect. Mo Hua decided to stay in the Sect. Li State was too far away; he couldn’t return home. He could only imagine his parents in his mind, along with Elder Yu and other neighbors, friends, and childhood buddies from Tongxian City… *What were they doing right now?* *Were they bustling about, strolling the streets, enjoying beast fights, and eating all kinds of delicious food?* *Was Tongxian City lit up with colorful decorations, vibrant and lively? Were there dazzling fireworks lighting up the nights?* “I wonder if they’re thinking about me…” Mo Hua sighed deeply. … The next day, Yu Er was also heading home. Before leaving, his small hand clenched tightly onto Mo Hua’s sleeve, teary-eyed as he gazed at Mo Hua. Wenren Wei saw this and said, “Young Master Mo, why not come to the Shangguan Family and spend the New Year?” Mo Hua thought about it and shook his head. “I’ll pass on the Shangguan Family…” The Shangguan Family wielded immense influence and surely had many rules and restrictions. He wasn’t familiar with them, so he wouldn’t feel at ease there. Moreover, the Shangguan Family likely had some elders who were as tricky and cunning as old foxes. Mo Hua instinctively didn’t want to deal with such “ancestors” and risk drawing their attention. “How about heading to the Gu Family instead?” Wenren Wei suggested again. Mo Hua paused. The Gu Family… That might be okay. With Uncle Gu there, he had been to the Gu Family a few times before. Plus, Elder Master Xun mentioned the Gu Family was considered “upright” within the Taoist Court, and their family ethos was rather proper. But Mo Hua was still hesitant. He also wanted to take the New Year holiday to study the Fireball Forbidden Skill on his own. Yu Er tugged on Mo Hua’s sleeve again, his eyes filled with reluctance. *Mo Hua’s heart softened, and he sighed, “Alright then.”* Yu Er immediately broke into a beaming smile. So, little Yu Er happily held Mo Hua’s hand, skipping and hopping all the way to the Gu Family. Wenren Wan was delighted to see Mo Hua. She casually asked about his Sect assessment results. Upon hearing about Mo Hua’s “one Grade A and six Grade Cs,” Wenren Wan was somewhat surprised. She had initially thought Mo Hua’s claim of being “skilled in Formation” was just talk, but she hadn’t expected that he was truly proficient at it… At Taixu Gate, one of the Eight Great Gates, achieving Grade A in Formation studies was certainly remarkable. Wenren Wan felt genuinely happy for Mo Hua. As for the six Grade Cs that followed the lone Grade A, Wenren Wan instinctively dismissed them. *No one’s perfect, after all.* *Mo Hua’s circumstances were different, so it wasn’t fair to judge him too harshly.* “Treat this place like your own home; don’t feel constrained,” Wenren Wan said warmly to Mo Hua. “Thank you, Aunt Wan,” Mo Hua replied with a smile. Gu Changhuai, who was standing nearby, couldn’t help but look resigned. *This is the Gu Family after all…* *But in Wenren Wan’s presence, he wouldn’t dare assert his authority.* Mo Hua ended up staying at the Gu Family temporarily and played with Yu Er for a few days. Yu Er wouldn’t be staying at the Gu Family for long, as he was the legitimate heir of the Shangguan Family—someone with a unique status and a pre-arranged schedule, whether he liked it or not. According to the plan, Yu Er would first play at the Gu Family for a few days, then go back to the Shangguan Family for the New Year, and afterward visit the Wenren Family to pay respects for the new year. He would return to the Gu Family for a brief two-day break before heading back to Taixu Gate as the New Year holiday ended. Mo Hua couldn’t possibly follow Yu Er around everywhere; he only had these few days before the New Year to accompany Yu Er at the Gu Family. After a few days of fun, Yu Er said goodbye to Mo Hua, looking utterly glum as he returned to the Shangguan Family, where strict rules awaited him. Following that, Mo Hua wandered around Qingzhou City for a while, observing its local customs and traditions before preparing to bid farewell and return to the Sect. You couldn’t just depart without informing the Gu Family, though. Mo Hua went to find Gu Changhuai. Gu Changhuai wasn’t surprised, nor did he try to persuade him to stay. *This kid was too full of slippery tactics. He couldn’t handle him and didn’t want to bother trying.* “There’s one thing,” Gu Changhuai said, “The Demon’s Cave has been destroyed, and the Fire Buddha is dead. The Taoist Court will allocate Merit Points accordingly; I’ll count some for you…” “But for this sort of thing, there’s a lot of paperwork and red tape, so you’ll have to wait for a while…” Mo Hua’s eyes lit up, and he quickly nodded, “Alright, alright!” *Merit Points were amazing!* *A bit of a delay was fine, as long as they eventually arrived.* *Uncle Gu is pretty trustworthy after all…* There wasn’t much else to talk about. Gu Changhuai was generally a distant person, so Mo Hua prepared to leave. But just as he was getting up, someone walked in from outside. It was an older woman with a ruddy complexion and a cheerful demeanor—she appeared to be a senior member of the Gu Family’s extended relatives. The Gu Family elder walked in and immediately smiled as she said to Gu Changhuai, “Changhuai, it’s rare to have you back. I wanted to discuss a marriage proposal with you…” Gu Changhuai’s face turned dark. Mo Hua, who had just stood up, blinked, then quietly sat back down again. He sneakily extended a small hand, grabbed a slice of melon from the fruit platter on the table, and took a bite.