Chapter 5: Mo Shan
Mo Shan was an eighth-level Qi Refining Demon Hunter who made a living by hunting Yao Beasts and stripping them of their materials. It sounded impressive, but it was actually very arduous and risky.
Most Yao Beasts in the Cultivation World were far stronger than human Cultivators, making hunting them extremely difficult.
Generally, hunting Yao Beasts of the same Realm required a team of at least five to ten Cultivators, and success was not guaranteed. Even if the hunt was successful, some of the Yao Beast's more valuable parts were easily damaged during the battle, preventing them from being sold for many Spirit Stones. The final earnings were then distributed according to each teammate's contribution, making the shared Spirit Stones quite meager.
If one accidentally got injured, the Medicinal Pills for treatment were also a significant expense, often leading to a deficit. And once severely injured, it was often difficult to make a living by Demon Hunting again.
Mo Shan was burly and a Body Cultivator, with a heroic and chiseled face. By Cultivator age standards, he was not yet middle-aged, but due to years of hunting Yao Beasts and living in the open, his face already bore the marks of hardship.
After Mo Shan entered the door, he put down his saber and the fur of some unknown Yao Beast he carried on his shoulder, then finally let out a slight sigh of relief.
His outer coat was worn out and stained with blood, some fresh, some dark. This was mostly Yao Beast blood, but possibly his own or his companions'.
This Demon Hunting trip must not have gone smoothly, Mo Hua secretly guessed.
Mo Shan's brows were unconsciously furrowed, his expression heavy, and combined with the bloodstains on his clothes, he exuded a cold, unapproachable aura.
However, this hint of fierceness dissipated the moment he entered his home and saw his wife, as if a general who had endured a bitter battle had returned home and shed his heavy, scarred armor.
Mo Shan's voice was hoarse from fatigue, but he still asked gently, "Is everything alright at home?"
Liu Ruhua helped him pack his belongings, while also taking out a clean cloth to wipe his face. "Everything is fine at home, you don't need to worry."
Seeing his dusty face, she couldn't help but say, "You must take good care of yourself when you're out."
Mo Shan smiled, then looked around the room, "Has Hua'er returned?"
"He just came back yesterday. The Sect is also on New Year's holiday. He should still be sound asleep right now. I'll go call him; he'll be overjoyed to know you're back."
Mo Shan looked at the bloodstains on his clothes and the wounds on his body, stopping his wife and saying, "Let him sleep more. Cultivation in the Sect isn't easy either. I'll take a bath first, apply some herbal medicine, and change out of these clothes."
Liu Ruhua nodded and said, "Alright, then have something to eat first."
Mo Shan had been traveling all night and was already famished.
Liu Ruhua's cooking was excellent. Even though it was just some simple dishes, Mo Shan devoured them.
When hunting Yao Beasts, he often lived in the open, eating cold, hard dry rations when hungry, and even begrudgingly consuming Fasting Pills. Now, eating his wife's cooking at home, he suddenly felt all the hardship and fatigue vanish.
Mo Shan ate a lot, then took a big gulp of the fragrant, thick porridge, letting out a long sigh of relief. Liu Ruhua looked at the bloodstains on his clothes and then asked worriedly, "Did someone get hurt again this time?"
Mo Shan sighed, "Three were injured, and Old Chu is severely wounded."
Mo Shan continued to recount the Demon Hunting incident:
"Eight of us were chasing a wolf Yao Beast over ten feet tall. We had already trapped the wolf Yao Beast, and by slowly exhausting its demonic power, we would have been able to kill it. Unexpectedly, another Demon Hunting Team passed by, most of them new recruits who hadn't even bled much. They were so reckless as to try to pick up a freebie, and when they rashly attacked, two of them were eaten alive by the Yao Beast..."
"That beast replenished its blood Qi by eating people, and then went berserk. Old Chu and I fought with all our spiritual power to kill that wolf Yao Beast, but the losses were heavy. Old Chu lost an arm and bled a lot, suffering a severe depletion of Origin Qi. I'm afraid he won't be able to make a living as a Demon Hunter anymore..."
Mo Shan then said bitterly, "Old Chu's child is only two years old, and his wife only grows some vegetables to supplement their income. Now that he's severely injured, he'll also have to spend a large sum of Spirit Stones to treat his wounds. Even if his injuries heal, his family of three won't know how to make a living afterward."
Liu Ruhua also sighed, saying, "When our family was in hardship before, Old Chu, though not wealthy himself, still lent us Spirit Stones. We still have some Spirit Stones saved up at home; why don't we give them to Old Chu first, at least to get his injuries treated?"
Mo Shan nodded, "That wolf Yao Beast hasn't been sold yet, but it should fetch around three hundred Spirit Stones. We'll give Old Chu a larger share then, and we'll lend him some more Spirit Stones to help him get through this. It's just..."
Mo Shan felt a bit guilty. "Hua'er's tuition for joining the Sect next year... I originally thought that by killing the wolf Yao Beast, we'd have enough. Now, with something like this happening..."
Liu Ruhua held Mo Shan's hand and said, "It's most important that our family is safe. There's always a way to earn Spirit Stones. I've saved some from helping out in the restaurant kitchen, and I'll borrow some more from others. It won't delay Hua'er's enrollment and Cultivation next year."
Mo Shan silently looked at his wife; her once young and graceful face now showed a hint of weariness, and he felt even more self-reproach.
"Don't do that kitchen work anymore. The heat invades the body and will harm your heart, lungs, and Meridians. Next year, I'll find a few more people, kill more Yao Beasts, and earn more Spirit Stones so you don't have to work so hard."
Liu Ruhua pursed her lips and smiled, with a hint of pride, pointing to the hairpin on her head. "Look what this is?"
Mo Shan hadn't noticed when he came in, but now looking closely, he found the hairpin was different from what his wife usually wore.
"This hairpin is?"
"Hua'er gave it to me. He said it's called a Fire Aversion Hairpin and can ward off the heat from the stove. My heart, lungs, and Meridians feel much clearer when I wear it."
"Hua'er is truly sensible."
Mo Shan felt both comforted and ashamed. "As your husband, I haven't given you a gift in many years..."
Liu Ruhua laughed, "Hua'er is your son; his gift counts as yours."
Mo Shan chuckled, then gave a bitter smile. "Cultivation often talks about Luck. My Luck in this life is probably marrying a wife like you and having a sensible son like Hua'er!"
Liu Ruhua gave her husband a chiding look, but couldn't help but laugh as well.
Mo Shan looked at his wife's smile, silently making a decision in his heart: after the New Year, he would find a few more powerful Demon Hunters, try to enter the Inner Mountain, kill more Yao Beasts, earn more Spirit Stones, and absolutely not let his wife toil like this anymore. He also had to find a way to secure a good future for his son.
Mo Hua heard his parents' words from inside the room, and the young him sighed.
Without his knowledge, his parents had always endured the hardships of Cultivation life like this. Perhaps in any world, the burdens parents carried were far greater than what their children imagined.
Even Cultivators had to busy themselves with Spirit Stones and hustle for a living.
Cultivators and Mortals seemed different, yet also seemed not so different.
Mo Hua sighed, then silently pondered in his heart, "Is there any way I can earn Spirit Stones too?"