Hidden moth

Chapter 322 A Painting of a Colorful Walking Stick

The day before yesterday, He Kao accompanied Jiang Daozhen on the way out of Jinghua Cave. During the journey, the old man gave Jiang Daozhen a lot of instructions, and he specifically mentioned the various arrangements made by the Zongfa Hall against the Xiaomeng.

One of the Great Completion cultivators in the Free Alliance has contacted the Sect Law Hall, expressing his willingness to convey the information the Sect Law Hall wants to convey to every member of the Free Alliance.

However, this person has three conditions: first, the information that the clan hall needs to convey must be true and not misleading; second, the safety of him and his family must be guaranteed; and finally, there must be two Pure Yang Pills and matching Peonies.

Jiang Daozhen instructed He Kao to make contact with this person. Since the person wanted two Pure Yang Pills and matching Peony Pills, he would probably need to use the Tai Chi Yin Yang Formation when taking the pills.

If the Tai Chi Yin Yang Formation of a certain sect were to be dismantled rashly, it would inevitably attract attention, which is why the elders came up with this idea.

This way, the operation can be carried out as discreetly as possible. Even if the news leaks out, there is a reasonable explanation. At worst, some people will gossip about Gu Chun and Lin Qingshuang behind their backs, but no one will dare to discuss it openly.

Lin Qingshuang asked He Kao to pass on a message to Elder Gu, which was like a godsend, so Jiang Daozhen readily agreed.

Lin Qingshuang was unaware of the inside story; she had simply inadvertently helped the Clan Law Hall. Some might ask again—what would have happened to the Clan Law Hall if Lin Qingshuang hadn't done that?

It's very simple. Just dismantle the Taiji Yin-Yang Array in Jinghua Cave and have He Kao take it to Qiyuan to settle it. The most suitable place is probably still Qihuang Lingyuan... because Elder Mei Guyu is also in Qiyuan.

Elder Mei has already announced that she will "take" He Kao to take the pill, so He Kao secretly borrowed the Lingxi Sect's Taiji Yin Yang Formation... Even if the news leaks out, it can still be perfectly explained.

Lin Qingshuang happened to have He Kao deliver that message, making this arrangement even more perfect.

The Great Completion cultivator from the Free Alliance is codenamed "Mr. Mi" by the Sect Law Hall. I remember Elder Jiang mentioned it the day before yesterday, but he hadn't said that codename yet, and now he has.

Presumably, when He Kao and Wei Luo took the pill, the elders had further discussions and made more specific arrangements.

Jiang Daozhen explained the task of the Taiji Yin Yang Formation to them in person. If someone had been nearby and witnessed their words and actions, they probably wouldn't have noticed anything wrong.

He Kao then asked Gu Chun, "Why aren't you in the Immortal Pot Grotto-heaven? Could it be that the second batch of Pure Yang Pills has already been refined?"

Gu Chun chuckled: "So you've really mastered the Spiritual Rhinoceros Technique, huh? You knew what happened just by seeing me."

Jiang Daozhen snorted and said, "What need is there for the Spiritual Rhinoceros Technique to judge such matters!"

Gu Chun took out a wooden box and handed it over, saying, "The second batch of Pure Yang Pills, including the matching Peony Pills, has been refined recently. Three sets of these are for you."

One set is the compensation Zhao Ci awarded to you, as determined by the Clan Court. The other two sets are for your contributions… only a few of us elders know that, actually, given your contributions, three pills from two batches of Pure Yang Pills is far too few!

The first batch of Pure Yang Pills was mainly distributed to those who contributed to thwarting the Xiaomeng's conspiracy. The second batch of Pure Yang Pills was mainly distributed according to contributions to the pill refining process.

In whatever the case, He Kao made a very significant contribution. The first batch yielded only one coin, and the second batch only yielded two coins, which was indeed a bit low.

He Kao quickly said, "These are already quite a few precious elixirs. Taking too many will only attract resentment. You gave me three more this time, and I'm worried that others will covet them."

Gu Chun smiled and said, "You don't need to worry too much about that. The distribution of the second batch of Pure Yang Pills will mainly depend on the size of the contribution to the pill refining. Qi Taishang, who is in charge of refining the pills, should get the most, and the rest will be distributed to the people who provide the medicinal materials."

As for the specific list, it will not be made public this time, nor is it necessary to make it public; we just don't want to cause trouble for everyone.

If we're talking about people who are constantly on someone's radar, then Qi Taishang is the one who's the most targeted right now, because everyone knows he has the most Pure Yang Pills. So Qi Taishang simply hid in the Immortal Pot Cave and went into seclusion, never showing his face.

As for you, I haven't finished speaking yet. Three pills may seem a bit few, but your destiny is more than that, and you are destined to take more than just three pills..."

That's true. He Kao and Wei Luo had already taken two pills yesterday, and now they had three more, making a total of five. Besides that, he might have other opportunities to take pills.

It doesn't matter how much you give him; what really matters is how much he actually eats.

The wooden box Elder Gu gave him was specially made, capable of both sealing the spiritual essence of the pills and preventing divine sense from prying into them. Elder Gu's words just now also contained divine thought, telling him that the Pure Yang Pill plus Peony in the box was actually not three sets, but five sets.

As for the two extra sets, those were promised to Mr. Mi by the Clan Court, and He Kao needs to hand them over to him at the appropriate time. Now, what do you want to hide, and where is the safest place? That would naturally be the Hidden Moth Sect's Floating Color Cave.

He Kao thought that the elders had finished explaining things, but Li Xiuyuan came over and patted him on the shoulder, saying, "Xiao Kao, you've worked hard, but the capable should do more!"

There was also divine insight in his words, and he was given another task.

Guo Qianhuai gave him the Four Seasons Flower Screen, then returned the Reflecting Mirror, and also taught him the mental seal for refining and using the artifact. These benefits were not given for free.

The Zongfa Hall wanted to use Zhao Ci to lure out the holder of the Bone-Penetrating Mirror, while He Kao needed to secretly monitor Zhao Ci's movements.

The Zongfa Hall must have other arrangements for monitoring Zhao Ci, while He Kao's mission is a separate, clandestine operation, mainly to prevent accidents and provide a safety net at critical moments.

He Kao has two advantages: first, his ability to hide moths; and second, his ability to reflect images.

Zhao Ci's cultivation has been sealed, and now only two people and two items can lift the seal on him. The two people are Jiang Daozhen, who personally placed the seal, and Ancestor Zhao Sanjin, while the items are the Bone-Penetrating Treasure Mirror and the Reflection Mirror.

He Kao, holding the Reflecting Mirror, could also break Zhao Ci's seal, a function akin to the wondrous power of the Bone-Penetrating Mirror. More importantly, he could also use the Reflecting Mirror to observe whether Zhao Ci's seal had already been secretly broken.

For Zhao Ci, this is both supervision and protection.

He Kao cannot and does not need to keep an eye on Ci 24 hours a day; he only needs to check on his situation secretly on a regular basis.

These jobs are not easy to do; they are not only mentally and physically demanding but also very risky. But what can you do when he is Yin'e? Besides, there are some things that only he is most suitable to do.

He Kao simply nodded. As the saying goes, "When the teacher has something to do, the disciple should do it." Several elders regarded him as their successor, so he couldn't just take advantage without putting in any effort.

Seeing that everything that needed to be explained had been explained, Jiang Daozhen clapped his hands and said, "It's time to eat! Before I go into seclusion, I'd like to try Xiao Kao's cooking one more time and have a meal of Fengwei Township's specialties."

As they walked out, He Kao casually asked, "I sensed recently that someone had broken through to a higher level in the Hidden Moth Technique. Which one of you is it?" He Kao initially thought it was Jiang Daozhen, but after learning about Jiang Daozhen's recent condition, he knew it was unlikely. So it must be one of Elder Gu or Elder Li.

Unexpectedly, all three elders shook their heads and said, "It wasn't me."

Then they all stopped in their tracks. Gu Chun and Li Xiuyuan didn't look at He Kao, but instead cast questioning glances at the great fortune teller Jiang Daozhen. Even He Kao looked at the old man.

Besides them, He Kao has only taught the Hidden Moth Technique to four people so far: Ye Liangcheng, Lan Jiuwan, Gao Xue'e, and Chang Anju. Among them, Lan Jiuwan, who has the highest cultivation level, has just broken through to the fourth level of the Microscopic Technique and become a fourth-level craftsman.

Even if Lan Jiuwan started cultivating the Hidden Moth Technique from scratch, it would be impossible for her to break through to a higher level in a short period of time. Moreover, even if it were her, He Kao should have known immediately... So who exactly is it?

We really need to consult Jiang Daozhen about this. But I wonder if he can deduce anything about something that seems so puzzling?

Jiang Daozhen closed his eyes slightly, pondered for a moment, and then said a name: "Zhang Yanfei".

Is this the thought process of a seventh-level grand mathematician? The answer was given immediately! He Kao had heard of the name Zhang Yanfei before; he was the master Wu Yanjun had apprenticed under in the detention center.

Zhang Yanfei is a practitioner of the "Entering the Microcosm" school of magic. He previously served as the director and dean of the library at Nanhua Academy of Fine Arts. He was arrested four years ago due to an unexpected incident.

That was the last stop of the "Traditional Mysterious Culture of the East" tour exhibition. On the last day of the exhibition at Qiyuan, visitors discovered that the painting "Tan Xian with a Staff" submitted by Nanhua Academy of Fine Arts was actually a poorly made modern reproduction.

The exhibitor insisted that the item was switched during the exhibition, while the organizer claimed that the item sent from the beginning was a fake.

He Kao knew that the painting had indeed been switched, and it was Huang Xiaopang who did it. Although Huang Xiaopang had artistic skills, his ability to forge such a work was far too poor; anyone could tell at a glance that something was wrong.

But none of that matters. After the police intervened in the investigation, they discovered that many precious ancient paintings in the collection of Nanhua Academy of Fine Arts had appeared in overseas art auction markets in recent years, and the original works had been replaced with clever forgeries.

As a result, Zhang Yanfei, the prime suspect in the case, was arrested.

However, the case ultimately became an unsolved mystery. Due to the complexity of the case, the prosecution continued to gather evidence. Zhang Yanfei was released on medical parole after spending more than half a year in the detention center, and died a month later.

Zhang Yanfei's death meant she took all the blame, the truth would never be found out, and everyone else was safe and sound.

He Kao heard another hidden story about the case from Wu Yanjun, which Zhang Yanfei told his disciple in the detention center.

It turns out that ten years ago, Zhang Yanfei discovered that a painting titled "Tan Xian Leaning on a Staff" in the collection of Nanhua Academy of Fine Arts might be a relic of the founder of the Danding Sect, so he notified the Danding Sect.

The Dan Ding Sect sent people to the Nanhua Academy of Fine Arts to confirm that it was indeed a relic of their ancestor. They also provided various ancient materials and asked Zhang Yanfei to make a replica that was indistinguishable from the real thing, so that they could take it back as a souvenir.

After the replica was completed, the two sides made some kind of negotiation, and in any case, Dan Ding Men took the original away.

This gave Zhang Yanfei leverage over his embezzlement, which was later used by someone with inside knowledge to blackmail him into continuing to replace genuine works in the Nanjing Academy of Fine Arts' collection with forgeries, involving a huge sum of money, until the case was uncovered...

Wu Yanjun is unlikely to lie, but Zhang Yanfei may not be telling the truth. Because He Kao knows very well that the original painting was not taken away by Dan Ding Men, and was later sent to participate in a national tour exhibition... and is now in He Kao's hands.

Just now, Jiang Daozhen revealed another layer of the inside story—Zhang Yanfei faked his death to escape back then, and now he has cultivated the Hidden Moth Technique to the fourth level, and can sense the summoning of the cave heaven!

If Jiang Daozhen hadn't mentioned the name, He Kao would never have guessed that this person had already passed away. But once he heard Jiang Daozhen's reminder, it all made perfect sense, and many things that he couldn't understand before became clear.

The Grand Calculator is indeed amazing! He Kao felt like he was cheating on a test. When he didn't know the answer, he couldn't do it no matter what, but once he peeked at the answer, he realized how simple it was.

If anyone else were to inherit the Hidden Moth Technique, the most likely candidate would be Zhang Yanfei, who once possessed the original "Tanxian's Staff Painting".

Because that painting is the gateway to Piaocai Cave Heaven, or even Piaocai Cave Heaven itself, and the immortal Tan in the painting has a spirit, which is equivalent to the divine thought left by the ancestor. By worshipping according to specific rituals, one can obtain his guidance.

Even Jiang Daozhen was unaware of these circumstances at the time; he only learned about them later from He Kao.

Wu Yanjun also believed that his master's death was suspicious and suspected that he was murdered. He even begged his senior brother Ye to go back and investigate the cause of his death, but it is said that no evidence was found.

If Zhang Yanfei faked his death to escape, of course no evidence would be found that he was murdered. Even if Ye Hui discovered that he faked his death, he wouldn't tell anyone; he would only help cover it up, because that would be the best outcome for Zhang Yanfei.

Why did Zhang Yanfei send the original work on a national tour, with Qiyuan being the final stop? This is not surprising; he was likely searching for Yin'e.

Only Yin'e could see the secret of that painting. Just as Zongfatang tried to use Zhao Ci to lure out the Treasure Mirror of Penetrating Bones, Zhang Yanfei probably also wanted to use that painting to lure out Yin'e.

As for what he intends to do after finding Yinmoth, whether he wants to take his place or has other motives, only he himself knows.

Zhang Yanfei succeeded because he did attract the hidden moth, but he was also tricked. He probably never dreamed that he would fall into Huang Xiaopang's hands in such a way. Everything happened so suddenly.

To a normal person, Yin'e would most likely have simply taken the painting. Even if he were to switch it, he would have replaced it with a fake that wouldn't be easily noticeable. Who would have thought that Huang Xiaopang would have hung up such an unreliable imitation?

But based on He Kao's understanding of Huang Xiaopang, it's impossible for that kid to do something like this. It can only be said that it's fate!
Having figured out the whole story, He Kao asked again, "If that person really is Zhang Yanfei, what should I do?"

Jiang Daozhen shook his head and said, "You can't ask me about everything. You are the head of the Hidden Moth Sect. This is your duty. Investigate the facts first before making a judgment. This is also a test for you."

Gu Chun chimed in, "Little Test, with your current cultivation and abilities, dealing with Zhang Yanfei shouldn't be difficult. What you really need to be tested on is how you handle this kind of situation, which means whether you are a qualified sect leader."

Li Xiuyuan did offer some hints: "You can take a look at the recent civil service exams of the Clan Law Hall and refer to the ancient principles and style of the art school. If you encounter any difficulties, you can come to me, but it's best to handle it yourself."

Why could we contact Li Xiuyuan? Because Jiang Daozhen was going into seclusion, and before Mei Guyu returned, Gu Chun needed to continue to oversee Xianhu Cave Heaven. The only person we could easily contact was Elder Li.

As He Kao walked out of the courtyard where the Hidden Weapon Pavilion was located, he subconsciously rubbed his shoulders and straightened his chest. He had another task on his mind, but it was a matter for the Hidden Moth Sect itself.

**
(End of this chapter)