Hidden moth

Chapter 310 The Mirror Reflects One's Image—Who Can Be Fooled?

Although this mirror is not a divine artifact, the requirements for its wielder are not low; one must have at least a fifth-level cultivation to properly refine it. If the refiner is well-versed in the art of body observation, and preferably has a foundation in it, it will be even more helpful in comprehending its subtle uses.

He Kao communicated with the mirror through divine sense all night long, and only put it down when the sky was just beginning to lighten. It wasn't that he had figured out how to refine it, but rather that he was a little tired.

After a short rest and recuperation, he picked up the mirror again at noon.

It took He Kao an entire afternoon to finally achieve a preliminary success in refining it. He discovered that it could actually transform between tangible and intangible forms, just like the Hidden Silk. The creator was indeed an extraordinary weapon-refining master.

This makes it very convenient to carry around, and the simplest way is to refine it into the shape of a tattoo. He Kao doesn't like tattoos, but he also adopted this idea and kept it in the palm of his left hand.

The mark doesn't look like a tattoo; it's more like a scar with a banana leaf-shaped outline, or a peculiar palm print.

It is unknown what this magical artifact was originally called. Since it fell into He Kao's hands, He Kao called it the Reflection Mirror to describe its wondrous uses.

Using the Reflection Mirror to cast spells, you can first project a scene into the mirror, such as the medicinal field where phoenix feather knots grow, and then observe this scene in the mirror, like a seamless surveillance camera.

It can greatly extend the user's consciousness, while also greatly suppressing the consciousness of the attacked.

For example, He Kao's divine sense can only extend to about five kilometers at most, but with the help of this mirror, he can still monitor the scene in the mirror from ten kilometers away.

It can lock onto people or things appearing in the monitored scene; this is called "Mirror Image Reflection," which is why He Kao named this treasure "Mirror Image Reflection."

For example, when He Kao approached that medicinal field yesterday, his figure appeared in the mirror and was immediately spotted by the assassin.

Once the reflection in the mirror is locked, no matter how He Kao moves, as long as he doesn't exceed the mirror's viewing distance, the scene in the mirror will change according to his position.

Most importantly, the person holding the mirror can cast spells remotely by looking at their reflection, unleashing a variety of wondrous uses.

Its main function is like the legendary Bone-Penetrating Mirror, which can diagnose and treat injuries and illnesses, but the caster does not need to be a doctor, or even know any advanced medical skills.

As for the effectiveness of the treatment, He Kao has only just begun the process of refining the alchemy and has not yet had time to conduct experiments to verify it.

Therefore, this mirror seems to be a life-saving treasure, but we can't be too sure; it all depends on how it's used.

Although this item is said to be a replica of the legendary Bone-Penetrating Mirror, it cannot possibly have the same wonderful uses as the Bone-Penetrating Mirror. The alchemist cannot forge a divine artifact, but can endow it with some other functions, as He Kao has personally experienced.

For example, locking onto a reflection in a mirror can immobilize a target, restricting their movement and consciousness, and even extinguishing their life force. More importantly, this is a remote technique that can be used without anyone noticing.

The most powerful feature of the Reflection Mirror is that it can cast spells remotely. If you get close, the reflection in the mirror loses its meaning.

For example, when two people are face to face, there is no need to look at the reflection in the mirror. A beam of light can be shot directly from the mirror, achieving the same effects as mentioned above, but without the concealment.

As for what other intricacies this precious mirror may hold, He Kao needs to continue refining and studying it in depth.

As night fell, he put away the mirror and appeared outside Jinghua Village. He had been here before, and now there was no one around. He flashed again to the entrance of the cave, stepped towards the cliff, and his figure disappeared.

……

At the end of a mountain basin, where Fengwei Township is located, lies a cluster of quaint and ancient buildings. Their style is almost identical to the ancestral halls in various grotto heavens, with only some modern structures and facilities added.

In remote ancient villages, such places are usually ancestral halls. However, the people enshrined here are not the ancestors of any particular local family, but rather the sages and worthies of Fengwei Township throughout the ages.

Above the main gate of the building is a stone slab inlaid with three characters: "Ancestral Hall of Sages". On the wall next to it hangs a bronze plaque: "Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit of Shanping County".

Fengwei Township is a unique place. It is not dominated by any one or a few large clans, but rather by a diverse mix of surnames. The reason is simple: it is the headquarters of various sects, and throughout history, many high-ranking sorcerers from all over have settled here.

The Ancestral Hall is quite large, covering an area of ​​about 15 acres. It can be roughly divided into three courtyards in the front and back, and three spans on the left and right. When viewed from the air, it has a nine-palace layout. There are many towering ancient trees in the courtyard that obscure the view.

This is actually the location of the sect's Dharma Hall.

When He Kao entered the Awakening Flower Cave, four people were talking in a small side hall of the Ancestral Hall.

Behind the central table sat two elders. The one on the left was fair-skinned, without a beard, and wore glasses, looking like a retired old teacher. He was the head of the Wangqi Sect and the Zongfa Hall Elder Zongzheng. Many people privately called him the Second Elder, and he also had a nickname, Master Zong.

Li Xiuyuan sat next to Master Zong.

There were seats on both sides in front of the table, but a man on the left was not sitting; instead, he was standing next to the chair.

This man is named Zheng Yisi, a grand-disciple of Zhao Sanjin, the founder of the Body Observation School, and the master of Zhao Ci. Zheng Yisi looks only in his forties, but he is actually seventy years old and is a fifth-level Zhuyou practitioner in the Body Observation School.

Standing opposite the two elders was another man, who appeared to be around thirty years old. He was lowering his head and pursing his lips, looking as if he had suffered a great injustice. This was Zhao Ci, the owner of Beiyuan Manor.

Zhao Ci has been in Fengwei Township lately, trying to find someone to negotiate terms with, hoping that someone can take the Pure Yang Pill with him.

The person he most wanted to find was actually Wild Phoenix, but he couldn't get a word in at all. So these past few days, his main target was Deacon Xingrui, but Xingrui hadn't agreed yet.

Zhao Ci was still thinking about finding an opportunity to visit again to see what conditions would be enough to win over Xing Rui. But yesterday, Elder Li suddenly returned to Fengwei Township, took him to the Clan Court and detained him, preventing him from having any contact with the outside world.

Zhao Ci had no idea what he had done wrong. He was detained for a whole day until the Clan Court summoned his master, Zheng Yisi, and he was then brought out for questioning.

Li Xiuyuan had just finished recounting everything he could about He Kao's experiences in Dangguan County and the Bashan Medicinal Herb Garden.

Zheng Yisi initially listened sitting down, but later became too afraid to sit and stood beside the chair. Zhao Ci, on the other hand, looked completely bewildered, as if she had no idea what was going on.

Li Xiuyuan frowned and asked, "Zhao Ci, are you still going to insist that you have nothing to do with this matter?"

Zhao Ci: "I've been in Fengwei Township for the past few days, and many people can testify to me that I have no idea what happened at the Bashan Herb Garden. I swear, that assassin has nothing to do with me; I neither hired him nor do I know him at all!"

Zongzheng nodded at Li Xiuyuan upon hearing this: "Yes, I think these are probably the truth."

Li Xiuyuan nodded and said, "That's what I think too."

Zheng Yisi, who was standing next to him, breathed a sigh of relief, but still didn't dare to interrupt.

A high-level sorcerer from the Qi Observation Sect and a high-level sorcerer from the Spirit Rising Sect are the standard personnel for the Clan Law Hall when carrying out interrogation missions. It is difficult for the interrogated person to lie in this situation, not because they cannot tell lies, but because lies are easily detected.

Today, the leaders of the Wangqi Sect and the Xingshen Sect are personally questioning Zhao Ci, so it's highly unlikely that Zhao Ci will be able to pull any tricks.

Li Xiuyuan continued to ask, "Zhao Ci, did you deliberately leak He Kao's travel information?"

Or to put it another way, you simply informed the staff that someone had booked a hotel room and provided He Kao's name and contact information, and asked the front desk to enter the information into the computer as usual, right?

Zhao Ci opened his mouth for a long time, seemingly wanting to explain something, but in the end he lowered his head and said, "It is indeed as you said... but I did not intentionally reveal He Kao's whereabouts to anyone."

Zongzheng: "You should know his current situation, yet you didn't keep it a secret as is customary. Anyone who wants to investigate can find out. According to the rules of the sect, deliberately setting a trap to put someone in mortal danger is tantamount to harming a fellow disciple and should be executed!"

Zheng Yisi was startled and quickly said, "It's not that serious, really! In the end, Zhao Ci just didn't think things through and let his hotel enter He Kao's reservation information normally."

In such cases, instruction is usually all that is needed. If there are no other circumstances, even instruction is unnecessary; a reminder is sufficient.

The one who should be blamed is the assassin, and he has nothing to do with Zhao Ci. If He Kao were to suffer any harm because of this, Zhao Ci should punish him severely. But fortunately, Elder Li was present, and He Kao is safe and sound now..."

Zongzheng nodded slightly and said, "That makes sense. The assassin wasn't hired by Zhao Ci. In the end, what's so wrong with opening a hotel and registering customers normally?"
Even if he harbored resentment towards He Kao and deliberately refused to grant him any favors, at most he would only need a reprimand. Zheng Yisi's expression was somewhat strange. Just now he had said "should be executed," but now he said only a "reprimand" was necessary. These were the most severe and lightest punishments that the Sect Law Hall could impose on disciples of the Magic Sect, and the Elder had given them both.

As expected of the Second Elder, I've heard he's best at smoothing things over, and today he's practically smoothed over steel bars.

But Zheng Yisi didn't dare to complain, and said, "After all, something still happened, so Zhao Ci should be punished more severely, not just given a reprimand... Zhao Ci, quickly kneel down and admit your mistake!"

While speaking, fearing that Zhao Ci might be stubborn, he secretly cast a spell and forcibly forced his disciple to kneel.

Li Xiuyuan said expressionlessly, "Zhao Ci, what do you have to say? It's fine, just say what you want to say. I know you're holding back your anger, and the Clan Court should give you a chance to defend yourself."

Zhao Ci, who was kneeling on the ground, straightened his back and raised his head, saying, "Someone wanted to make a move against He Kao, and He Kao just happened to come to Dangguan County. Even if he didn't stay at Beiyuan Villa, couldn't the assassins have intercepted and killed him there?"

Li Xiuyuan nodded ambiguously and said, "What you said makes sense. He went by high-speed rail. Even if he didn't stay at Beiyuan Villa, his itinerary might still be known, and he might still be ambushed."

But that's someone else's business; today I'm asking about yours.

Zhao Ci: "I have already made my matter clear. If I have violated any of the sect's rules, the Clan Law Hall shall punish me accordingly, as long as it satisfies the public!"

Zongzheng sighed, "Elder Jiang booked a room at Beiyuan Villa for He Kao, probably for no other reason than to see what you would do. But you really didn't understand!"

This statement is tantamount to making things clear.

He Kao could go to Dangguan County or somewhere else; he could stay at Beiyuan Manor or another hotel. Jiang Daozhen was just killing two birds with one stone, and also testing Zhao Ci.

As for Zhao Ci's little scheme and what he would do, Elder Jiang should have already anticipated it. However, one thing is puzzling: given Elder Jiang's cultivation level and status, why would he specifically scheme against a junior like Zhao Ci?
At this moment, Li Xiuyuan and the Zongzheng exchanged a glance, and then the Zongzheng spoke up: "It's really hard to decide whether to execute him or reprimand him! Let's leave him in the Zongfa Hall for now, and then we'll discuss how to deal with him."

Before Zhao Ci could say anything more, Li Xiuyuan had already ordered someone to come in and take him away, leaving only Zheng Yisi in the room.

Zheng Yisi said with a forced smile, "There's no need to drag this out any longer, is there, how exactly does the Clan Court intend to conduct its research?"

Zongzheng: "He is, after all, a disciple of the Observation Sect, so we should listen to Elder Ye's opinion. Moreover, this matter mainly involves Elder Jiang, so Elder Jiang must express his opinion... How about this, we'll wait until all the elders are gathered before discussing and deciding together."

Zheng Yisi was startled again. What a big deal! It required seven elders to discuss it together. Even if Zhao Ci was killed, it shouldn't have caused such a big fuss, right?
Moreover, as far as he knew, several elders were busy with something somewhere, and it was unclear when they would be able to make a decision.
But he wasn't stupid; he had already figured out a bit of the situation. It seemed that the two elders in front of him wanted to detain Zhao Ci in the Clan Law Hall, deliberately delaying the decision on punishment, and they were even making very serious statements.

Zheng Yisi: "In that case, I'll take my leave now. We'll wait for further instructions from the Clan Court if anything comes up."

Li Xiuyuan: "Junior Brother Zheng, don't rush off. Let's leave Zhao Ci's matter for now. We haven't finished talking about your matter yet... Don't be so tense, sit down first!"

Zheng Yisi sat down, bowed, and said, "Zhao Ci is my personal disciple. If he makes any mistakes, I am also responsible for failing to discipline him properly. Please punish him as you see fit."

Zongzheng: "Punishment is out of the question, and this matter cannot be blamed on you. But there is another strange thing. You are clearly an elder, and your cultivation is also higher. Why is Zhao Ci appointed as the head of the direct branch of the Huailin lineage?"

Zheng Yisi explained, "Both elders should understand the situation. After all, Zhao Ci is a direct descendant of Patriarch Huailin, and it is rare for him to break through to a high level of cultivation. I am also getting old, and I should let my disciple gain experience."

Zongzheng said unhurriedly, "First, you are not even older than me. Second, the lineage of magic sects emphasizes inheritance, not kinship. Third, this matter has proven that Zhao Ci is not suitable."

Zheng Yisi quickly nodded and said, "Elder Zong's instructions are all correct. Zhao Ci does indeed lack experience and has made many mistakes in his actions."

Take today's incident, for example. He acted like a child throwing a tantrum, deliberately going against the established customs of the sect to do He Kao a favor. We all know the reason, though; it's still because he's resentful about the Pure Yang Pill.

If nothing goes wrong, then what he's doing is fine, but if something goes wrong..."

Li Xiuyuan interrupted, "Junior Brother Zheng, after you broke through to the fifth level of cultivation, you have been unwilling to serve as a steward of the Observation Sect. As a result, you didn't get the Pure Yang Pill today. Are you also quite regretful?"

Upon hearing this question, Zheng Yisi looked somewhat embarrassed and chuckled awkwardly, "At first, when I heard the news, I was indeed a little annoyed, but after thinking about it again, I felt relieved. Everything has its gains and losses."

Li Xiuyuan: "It seems you can understand the reasoning behind what the Clan Court is doing."

Outsiders probably wouldn't understand what they meant.
Among the seven major sects, the Observation Sect has the most disciples. Unlike the Spirit Rhinoceros Sect, which can only muster three stewards, the Observation Sect currently has a full nineteen fifth-level Zhuyou practitioners.

Given Zheng Yisi's qualifications, it would be natural for him to serve as a deacon, but he has never served as a deacon. It's not that no one nominated him, but that he himself was unwilling. He even made a nice point, saying that he wanted to give more opportunities for experience to his fellow disciples and juniors.

The real reason is quite simple: he didn't want to worry or get tired.

The deacons manage the sect's affairs on a daily basis, which means they bear responsibilities, such as having to oversee the grotto-heaven for four months each year. As for the rest of the time, things are fine unless something unexpected happens, but if something major occurs, they will be busy enough.

In the past two years, various unexpected events have occurred in the field of magic, which has caused you deacons quite a bit of worry.

On the other hand, serving as a steward certainly has its advantages, such as the various resources allocated by the sect, including intangible opportunities. For example, while guarding a grotto-heaven may seem like a chore, it allows one to control the central cultivation area, which is very helpful for comprehending one's realm.

However, Zheng Yisi did not lack these benefits.

Therefore, the Clan Law Hall's proposed distribution plan for the Pure Yang Pills would not include "idle people" like Zheng Yisi. This is also why the leaders and deacons of the various sects were able to receive one, and why the Clan Law Hall made the matter public.

After saying this, the two elders dismissed Zheng Yisi. Li Xiuyuan suddenly asked, "Master, do you think Elder Jiang's plan will succeed?"

Zong Zheng countered, "I don't even know how many schemes he has up his sleeve. Which plan are you referring to?"

Li Xiuyuan thought for a moment: "Will Patriarch Zhao Sanjin show himself?"

Zongzheng: "If Zhao Zu were still alive, he might show up. But if he really came, he wouldn't come to the Clan Court to find us; he should go directly to Old Jiang."

Li Xiuyuan: "You detained Zhao Ci here, but leaked the news to Zheng Yisi. Could it be that he was able to contact Zhao Zu?"

Zongzheng: "If there is anyone in the world who can find Zhao Zu, it should be Zheng Yisi. Don't be fooled by the fact that Zhao Ci is Zhao Zu's great-grandson; Zheng Yisi was raised by the Three Gold Ancestors from childhood, and is even closer to them than their own grandsons..."

The patriarch Zhao Sanjin once saved a frail and sickly orphan and instructed his disciple, Zheng Yisi, to guide him in the initial stages of cultivation. Zheng Yisi was nominally Zhao Sanjin's grand-disciple, but in reality, he was also a child adopted by Zhao Sanjin.

If Zhao Sanjin is still alive, perhaps only Zheng Yisi can contact him.

Normally, Zheng Yisi would never dare to disturb his master, but since his master's great-grandson had been arrested by the clan law hall, and could potentially lose his life if severely punished, he had to find a way to let his master know about this matter.

Li Xiuyuan: "How do you know so much?"

Zong Zheng: "I heard it from Lao Jiang. Lao Jiang knew Zhao Zu when he was a child."

Li Xiuyuan: "And you?"

Zongzheng: "I don't know him! When Zhao Zu was in the sect, I was still young, so even if I had seen him, I wouldn't know him. But Jiang Laogui and Guo Dachui both had dealings with Zhao Zu back then."

After saying this, the two fell silent for a while, seemingly lost in thought. Then Zongzheng muttered to himself, "Old Jiang may not be able to get Zhao Zu to show himself."

Li Xiuyuan sighed, "Yes, we don't even know if the person is still alive... Whether or not we can get Zhao Zu out, it won't affect the next step. Old Jiang's plan is actually half successful."

Zongzheng: "This is an unexpected surprise; no one expected it."

Their conversation was somewhat like a riddle, neither revealing their plan nor the unexpected joy they were expecting. Meanwhile, in the Awakening Flower Cave, He Kao encountered yet another set of challenges.

**
(End of this chapter)