When Hou asked the question, Mo Huai made a motion and flicked his wrist. Again, the outside sound of the street dimmed.
"I've actually been meaning to tell you about it but every time I did something seemed to come up. Although that might be a blessing, it'll be easier to explain now. The writing is actually written in a special ink, it captures true meaning from conversation and puts that into writing. The reason I wanted to tell you about it more recently is it's creator, True Sage of Celestial Ink!"
'The True Sage! He's the creator the Celestial Ink and the person I inherited his Flowing Divine Script! That's why it looked so familiar!'
Mo Huai continued on,
"It's called Flowing Script but there's a lost art by True Sage of Celestial Ink, which is an enhanced form of Flowing Script. The basics of how the script works is that the ink captures the meaning and memory of a thought and turns that into writing. Then it can be used like a universal language really."
"But what sort of laws are in the ink, how does it work?" Hou understood what it did, but he didn't understand still how it did it.
'By learning about Flowing Script it might help my understanding of Flowing Divine Script!'
"Hard to say, since few make the ink and they keep the exact formulas secret. But from what I can gather, the ink laws form a base, in which river laws form a conduit to go from script to reader. But to actually encode the meaning, I can't quite deduce the law it makes use of."
"Even you can't? But you're an elder?!"
"Even Elder's have specialities and weaknesses. Even my deduction of river laws is quite advanced. Most would not think of a river to transmit the meaning from script to reader. I happened to come across this conclusion one day while watching a river and pondering."
"So, it's the flow of a river moving the message?"
"Not exactly, I'll explain but that will only be a starting point. True understanding comes from yourself. The river flows, it carved rock and carries things downstream. This is the 'flow', the important aspect the Flowing Script uses."
"Flow.." Hou thought about the word and a river in conjunction.
"Like a river, everything can flow. By only using the power of flow in the ink, the meaning inside can be leaked out; therefore visible to everyone who looks into it."
While Hou was thinking of the meaning and how this might apply to his Flowing Divine Script and Celestial Ink, he realised he was already at the Midnight Dance Troupe.
From the outside it looked like a striped blue and white tent, but as Hou listened...he heard nothing. While it looked ordinary, the sound inside was completely isolated.
"This is it, from now on we are Shu Daizi and Zhao Ritian. I'll be wanting to show the people my servant's, you, strength. This will be your reason to fight. Only one rule, you may only use one spirit stone, the rest must be in your body, in the treasures or around you."
Hou nodded, and as he did he recalled what he had to use. He has the brush, with Flowing Divine Script, his wings, the transformation ring, laws in his body including some strength and one spirit stone.
'What spirit stone should I choose.... I should choose the sword one right? It's the most applicable to real fighting...'
As Hou was thinking, Mo Huai swiped his hand and shattered the privacy dome. Even still, Hou could not hear the inside of the Troupe. He followed Mo Haui as he walked into the tent, the striped canvas flapped like as they entered, all sound from the bustling street outside swallowed and replaced by silence. Then as they walked in further, the silence turned to a shouting bustling atmosphere of a gambling fighting arena.
"Ayyy, this is the uhh.. what was it? Midnight Dance Troupe, I bet you all wusses couldn't even beat my servant haha" Mo Huai, as soon as he entered the tent, shouted aloud and aggravated the whole audience.
Hushed voices and the occasional shouts resounded from the audience and fighters. Inside the tent, there was a large open area and in the middle a lowered arena with two fighters.
Mo Huai had aggravated everyone there, insinuating they were all weak. Instantly, a large man with a carefully groomed moustache came up to him.
"Are you willing to bet on that? That scholar boy against some of my fighters."
"And who are you!?"
"A dirty mongrel thinking it a king. I am the establishment's owner, sponsor of many fighters here. What say you then, you all bark with no bite, eh?"
Mo Huai feigned frustration and dragged Hou by the soldiers in front of the boss.
"Take 'em on. I bet your weak fighters won't last long at all!" Mo Huai only heightened the tension.
Just before the boss was going to do something, a fighter stepped up. He was not sponsored by the boss yet and wanted to show his worth.
"I can do it, let me at him"
The fighter who stepped up was a young boy, fifteen or so, with ragged clothing and tight wraps around his fists. He bounced in his feet, punching the air to Hou.
Hou took on a cowardly scholar look and pretended to be scared. When in reality, he was thinking which laws to use. If he used sword laws, it might kill him...
"Daizi, go fight him!" Mo Huai pushed Hou on the back and secretly injected his purple miamsa.
Unbeknownst to Hou, Mo Huai set up a formation that would protect him if he got in mortal danger. This was all an act, after all.
Hou pretended to be scared and shivered while clutching his book and brush,
'I'll start off by only using my Flowing Divine Script and body. Then in the spur of the moment is when I'll choose my one spirit stone!'
"I-I'll do it!"
The whole tent erupted in laugher,
"A thin scholar boy Vs a rough fighting kid. This could be interesting, deal!" The boss held out his hand in front of Mo Huai.
Mo Huai, acting as the spoiled young master, shook the boss's hand with a disgusted face and a light grip. This only made the boss' grip tighten, punishing the 'spoiled young master'.
Then, with a theatrical whip of his hand, Mo Huai used his other hand to pick up his Clean Body Pill from the previous night.
"Ugh, your poor hands," he sneered and flared his nostrils
Then he crushed the pill between his fingers and a burst of clear warm water erupted, swirling around only his hands in a visible vortex. The water turning into small snakes and carrying away nigh invisible impurities.
The boss's face turned purple with rage as the audience gasped. Wasting a pill that cost more than a day's lodging on his handwashing, this was either the height of arrogance or madness.
"You spoiled brat!" the boss shouted out, droplets of spit flying from his mouth.
"I'll enjoy watching your scholar servant get beaten! If you lose to a scholar boy, I ain't ever signing you a contract, you get it?! Clear the arena NOW!"
The boss quickly shifted from speaking to Mo Huai, to the fighter, to the management. His expertise in management showing off despite his rage.