Chapter 726: Chapter 568 Scarcity_1 Afterward, Mo Hua paid a visit to Court Leader Zhou. Court Leader Zhou was very enthusiastic and grateful. He was of advanced age, and had served in his position for many years. Though diligent, his accomplishments had been modest, and he had been considering retirement to enjoy his remaining years in peace. Yet, to his surprise, in just the last few years, Tongxian City had undergone remarkable changes. With the opening of Refinery Shops, the establishment of Alchemist’s Businesses, the construction of Large Formations, the slaying of Big Demons, and the safeguarding of the region, his achievements as Court Leader could truly be described as “remarkable.” Even with his busy schedule, Court Leader Zhou still found time to take out his treasured tea, brew and taste it with Mo Hua, chatting for a while. They mostly talked about the various big and small stories of Tongxian City during Mo Hua’s travels over the past few years. Mo Hua chatted casually with Court Leader Zhou and after a while, he couldn’t help but ask about Zhang Lan. He was quite concerned about Zhang Lan, the “passing, unnamed, kindly” uncle. Court Leader Zhou, somewhat comforted, told Mo Hua everything there was to know about Zhang Lan. Zhang Lan had returned to his clan. The Zhang Family was far from Tongxian City. Zhang Lan had chosen to settle in the remote Little Immortal City of Tongxian to avoid his clan’s complicated affairs. Now that he had achieved Foundation Establishment, there was no avoiding it; he had to return. As for what happened after his return, Court Leader Zhou didn’t know the details of the Zhang Family’s internal affairs. Mo Hua felt regretful. He really wanted to see Uncle Zhang Lan again and “by the way,” show off that he had achieved Foundation Establishment too… But now that he had returned to his clan, there’s no telling when they could meet again. He wondered whether, by the time they met again, Zhang Lan would have found a Dao companion… Hopefully, he hadn’t been forced into marriage by his family, only to marry a woman he didn’t love and then fall for another woman he couldn’t have on the outside… As Mo Hua chatted with Court Leader Zhou, his little head began to work, recalling cliché romance stories he had read and vividly imagining a dramatic love and hate saga for Zhang Lan… After a while, when the tea was finished, Mo Hua rose to take his leave. With Court Leader Zhou busy with his duties, Mo Hua did not want to impose any longer. Court Leader Zhou personally saw Mo Hua to the door and went back to his official duties. Moments later, he thought of Mo Hua and shook his head with a mix of regret and concern. “Boundless prospects…” “It’s just… Tongxian City’s waters are too shallow to nurture a great dragon…” … After parting with Court Leader Zhou, Mo Hua made time to visit some childhood friends who had grown up with him. Most of them had become Monster Hunters and were gradually maturing and taking on responsibilities. Dazhu was still apprenticing under Master Chen in Artifact Refining, becoming increasingly skilled, to Master Chen’s great satisfaction. Da’hu and the others were no longer in Tongxian City, though. Upon asking Dazhu, Mo Hua learned the reason why. As Tongxian City grew more prosperous and more Cultivators passed through, a Sect Elder saw the trio, noticed their aptitude for Body Refinement, and took all three as Disciples to the Sect for cultivation. The name of the Sect, it was said, was the Great Wilderness Sect, located south of Li State, bordering the barbaric lands, and so far away they could only return once every few years or even a decade. “Great Wilderness Sect…” Mo Hua silently noted the name, unsure if he would ever have the chance to go there and meet Da’hu and the others again… … After wandering for several days and meeting everyone he intended to, with nothing particular to do, Mo Hua thought of the Big Tiger. He had his mother prepare a heap of “big” dried fish. The Little Demon Cat had transformed into a Big Tiger, a Second Grade Monster Beast, and small dried fish were hardly enough for it to munch on, so they had to make large ones. Tongxian City was rich in mountains, but scarce in water; they couldn’t produce big fish. The fish, brought in from outside, varied in size, with the largest being taller than Mo Hua and the smallest at least a foot or two in length. The fish had thick scales, looked peculiar, and had a strong fishy smell. Cultivators seldom ate them, so they were plentiful and cheap. Based on his experience as a Monster Hunter, Mo Hua guessed that the big feline-like tiger would like them. Living creatures couldn’t be put into Storage Bags. Dead fish could. Mo Hua used several large Storage Bags to pack several large bundles and, taking advantage of the early morning light, with the sunrise on his back and the dried fish slung over his shoulder, he entered Big Black Mountain. After searching the deep mountain for a while, Mo Hua found the tiger in a cave, gnawing on the bones of some unknown Monster Beast. Sensing the presence of an outsider, the Big Tiger instantly became alert, its gaze fierce. When it saw it was Mo Hua, the Big Tiger hesitated for a moment before returning to its bone. Mo Hua offered it the dried fish. The Big Tiger sniffed it, wrinkled its brow, and even let out a “roar,” seeming somewhat repelled. It was a Big Tiger, not a big house cat. Big Tigers have their pride. “Doesn’t suit your taste…?” Mo Hua was a bit puzzled. He remembered that when the Big Tiger was younger, it quite liked eating small dried fish. But the Big Tiger didn’t want to bother with him, continuing to lick the bones. Mo Hua didn’t insist and, with nothing better to do, just sat at the entrance of the cave, observing the mountain scenery. As the Big Tiger licked the bone, unable to find any meat on it, it eyed the fish in front of it, hesitated for a long time, then smelled Mo Hua not looking its way and stealthily grabbed a fish, gulping it down… It swallowed too quickly to taste anything, glanced at Mo Hua, then tried another fish… Then, unable to resist, it tried yet another one… Munching along, the Big Tiger looked up to find Mo Hua staring at it, smiling broadly. The Big Tiger’s gaze flitted about, and it quietly covered the fish by its mouth with its paws, hiding them from Mo Hua’s view… Mo Hua threw the rest of the fish to it, saying with a smile: “Eat it slowly. Next time I have the chance, I’ll bring you some more…”