Hidden moth

Chapter 334 Jingwu Lake, Shuicheng

Elder Zong spoke for three hours straight. After he finished, everyone stood up, bowed, and dispersed, while Elder Zong nodded to each of them.

After most of the people had left, a few were still standing in the courtyard, clearly still having questions to ask, including He Kao.

Elder Zong waved his hand and said, "You all go... He Kao, you stay here."

Ignoring the curious looks of the others, Zongzheng kept He Kao behind and said with a gentle tone, "Why are you here too?"

He Kao, standing below the steps, replied, "A wise man advised me that you would be giving a lecture here today, and I would also like to ask you for guidance."

Zongzheng chuckled and reached for the teacup on the table: "What do you want to ask me?"

Seeing that the teacup was almost empty, He Kao quickly stepped up the stairs, picked up the teapot, and poured some tea: "I would like to ask about the way of 'first breaking through illusions, then breaking through barriers'."

Zongzheng put down his cup, looked up at He Kao and said, "The last person to ask me this question in person was Mei Guyu. It seems you have a good relationship with her, and she even instructed you to ask me?"

This was an interesting misunderstanding. It wasn't Mei Guyu who had guided He Kao here, but Zhao Sanjin, the founder of the martial arts school, who was two generations above Zongzheng. However, He Kao didn't explain, but simply waited patiently for what was to come.

Zongzheng continued, "After reaching the fifth level of perfection, if one wishes to attain the sixth level of cultivation, one must break through illusion and realize truth. This stage was also known in ancient times as the Dream Realm. Often, one can achieve great success without even realizing it."

There is no shortcut to breaking through delusion. Since ancient times, masters have not spoken much or asked many questions. Even if they give specific guidance, such as recounting their own experience of breaking through delusion, it is inevitable that it will cause the disciple to develop obstacles in their understanding.

When I broke through the illusion, it was indeed a little different from others. I was already forty-seven years old that year and was not favored by my fellow disciples. Even if I could successfully break through, it would probably take a lot of energy.

But in hindsight, I passed this hurdle very easily, as if it hadn't been a problem at all.

Actually, when I first entered the realm of delusion, I was unaware that I was in the realm of delusion; I was just acting as usual. That's why Master said that I broke through the barrier before breaking through the delusion.

The so-called breaking through the barrier before breaking through the illusion is probably even more difficult than breaking through the illusion itself. It lies in the fact that you already have the mindset of a true person, but your cultivation has not yet reached the required level. Once you reach the fifth level of perfection and can take that step, it will happen naturally.

There are no shortcuts or clever tricks, no secret techniques or guidance. It all depends on who you are. Success is success, failure is failure… Now, I ask you, what is the main point of today's discussion?

At this point, Zongzheng finally took a sip of tea. His cup was very small, so he drank it down in one gulp, just like drinking wine. He Kao quickly poured him another sip and said, "The key point is the investigation of things and extension of knowledge in the classics, but it is not quite the same as what I learned before."

Zongzheng: "What did you study? Why are you teaching this?"

He Kao: "I found books to read on my own."

Zongzheng: "The Confucian school of thought is far beyond what I can explain in just one afternoon. I have only barely managed to explain what I have seen about the study of things—how people acquire knowledge and how they test it."
I am not a Confucian scholar, but many people call me Master Zong. My art of observing qi (vital energy) also involves observing interactions between people.” At this point, the Zongzheng (official in charge of the imperial clan) asked a rather puzzling question, “Are you wearing a watch?”

He Kao: "No, I only brought my phone."

Zongzheng: "If a phone can tell the time, then it counts as having one. But if I have a watch, does that mean I won't be late?"

He Kao: "No, that's not true. People who are supposed to be late will still be late."

Zongzheng: "Then what's the point?"

This is an old joke, and I didn't expect the Zongzheng to ask about it at this time. He Kao didn't try to be clever and honestly gave the original answer: "At least you can know whether you are late and how late you are."

Zongzheng nodded: "Sometimes, dealing with each other is like handing over shifts."

If the shift handover time is 8:00 AM, how early you arrive is entirely up to you. But if you arrive late, it's not just your problem anymore.

"Investigating things" tells you what you should and shouldn't do. But many people still fail to do so, not because they don't know... Let me ask you again, who in this world is most adept at breaking the law?

It seems that Elder Zong has a similar habit to Elder Jiang: he wants to tell He Kao something, but chooses to ask a question first.

He Kao thought for a moment and replied, "The people who make a living from this job."

Because the old man asked "who is best at it", not "who is most used to it" or "who likes it the most", He Kao could only answer in this way.

Laws and regulations are not limited to laws in the narrow sense; they also include various administrative orders, industry standards, regulations, and so on. Those who make a living in this field include not only practitioners in the narrow sense, but also the creators and enforcers of various laws and regulations.

They know best the purpose of a law, its loopholes, its actual implementation, and even the process of its execution.

Zongzheng nodded slightly again: "Moral principles and legal regulations vary from country to country, and even within the same country, they have changed over time."

Some laws are found in the present but not in the past, and are found there but not here.

How do we know how to act? Only by doing what is right.

But what should be done, and what should not be done? It lies in investigating things! From ignorance comes knowledge, and from the known comes verification of the known.

By cultivating oneself in this way, one can remain unperturbed in all matters, and act naturally without deviating from one's understanding, thus approaching the level of a true person. However, approaching the level of a true person is not yet being a true person; further cultivation is still required.

I can explain it clearly, but it's very difficult to do. Because true mastery isn't just about cultivation, but also about ability. This is my method; it may not be yours, but it's offered as a reference.

He Kao stepped down the stairs, kowtowed, and said, "Thank you for your teachings, Elder!"

Zongzheng smiled slightly: "Oh, I only asked a few questions. What did I teach you?"

He Kao replied, "Things I haven't encountered, people I haven't met."

He Kao already knew before he arrived that when someone at the fifth level of perfection wanted to break through to the sixth level of cultivation, it wasn't just a matter of diligent practice; often, one might not be able to take that step even after a lifetime of cultivation. It required a high level of physical and mental maturity.

Zongzheng provided a line of thought, but it was by no means a shortcut or trick. For those who couldn't do it, it was still impossible. But at least he vaguely explained the principle.

Zongzheng reached out and pushed up his glasses: "You're a promising young man, get up!"

After bidding farewell to Elder Zong, returning the cushion to Lu Xiaoji and expressing his gratitude, He Kao walked eastward along the mountain road of Fengwei Township. Like a tourist enjoying the scenery, he strolled through a tunnel, arrived near Guanshu Village, and then turned and walked into the mountains.

When they arrived at Longlinpo, Li Xiuyuan and Gu Chun were already waiting there. He Kao immediately opened the door and welcomed the two elders into Piaocai Cave.

He didn't know why Elder Li had come, or why he had brought Elder Gu along. After entering the cave, Gu Chun immediately summoned a flying artifact, a cloud.

As the white clouds spread out like a carpet beneath their feet, Gu Chun said, "Let's try to save some time. Xiao Kao, tell me, which of the mountain lakes here has the most large pieces of submerged wood? Take us there directly."

He Kao then realized that Elder Li had come to help.

Hearing that the Hidden Moth Sect was going to build a cave here and planned to use local materials, Li Xiuyuan felt that the project was too big and decided to lend a hand, also bringing Gu Chun along.

From the perspective of karma, this is not only to help He Kao, but also because Li Xiuyuan, Gu Chun, Jiang Daozhen and others have also received the second transmission of the Hidden Moth Technique here, and it is only right that they contribute to the creation of the cave heaven.

If Jiang Daozhen hadn't been in seclusion undergoing tribulation, Li Xiuyuan might have dragged him along as well.

Based on the actual terrain of Fengwei Township, there is the largest lake in the mountains between Guanshu Village and Xianhu Village, named Xianshu Lake.

At the pass where Xianshu Lake leads out of the mountains, Fengwei Township excavated and built a dam, sluice gate, and irrigation canal, transforming it into a reservoir. While it serves as the township's water source, within the scenic area it remains a natural lake.

The group landed on the lake. The water was very clear and the visibility was extremely high. They could vaguely see many large piles of wood on the lakebed nearby, with schools of fish swimming among them. There should be even more wood in the distance.

Not all the wood in the lake is submerged wood; much of it has long since rotted and become unusable, but the truly good pieces are extremely precious.

A cloud turned into mist and disappeared into his sleeve. Gu Chun raised his right hand, and there was something suspended in the air in his palm. At first glance, it looked like a golden apple, but upon closer inspection, it was the Eight Trigrams Purple Gold Furnace, the sect's treasure artifact, which had now turned into the size of an apple.

He Kao exclaimed in surprise, "Is this the Eight Trigrams Purple Gold Furnace?"

Li Xiuyuan had recounted the great battle in the Immortal Pot Cave to him through divine thought, but in reality, this was the first time He Kao had ever seen this legendary sect-protecting artifact in person.

Gu Chun didn't speak, but just nodded. He Kao asked in surprise, "How did you manage to take it out of the Immortal Pot Grotto?"

Li Xiuyuan explained from the side: "Everything that happened in the Immortal Pot Cave is still kept secret and has not been made public. Even the matter of Mei Guyu going to Qiyuan for training is theoretically still classified information."

Therefore, the Eight Trigrams Purple Gold Furnace has not yet been officially returned to the sect and stored away.

Immortal Pot Grotto remains closed to the public, with Elder Gu overseeing it and Deacon Xingrui on duty. Qi Nansheng is still in seclusion within the grotto. Elder Gu's temporary removal of it is not considered a violation of the Clan Law Hall's regulations.

However, he cannot leave for too long, nor can he take the Eight Trigrams Purple Gold Furnace out alone; he must be accompanied by at least one other elder, and that is me…”

Elder Gu frowned slightly: "You two, do you like to talk so much? One of you can't not ask, and the other can't not tell?"

Stop arguing and get to work!

As he spoke, he tossed the Bagua Purple Gold Furnace into the air, where it transformed into a ten-foot-wide circle that hovered above the lake and began to rotate. As the rotation accelerated, it appeared to have turned into a ball of golden light.

Li Xiuyuan pointed at the lake surface and muttered incantations, as if he were chanting a spell or talking badly about someone. Then, with a flick of his middle finger, a giant log flew out of the water.

The giant tree was thick, round, and straight, several tens of meters long and more than one meter in diameter. After removing the excess branches, it flew into the golden light and disappeared.

Then Li Xiuyuan flicked his fingers repeatedly, his movements like playing the piano with one hand, and giant logs flew out of the lake and disappeared into the golden light.

After collecting dozens of pieces, Gu Chun said, "You're scooping up such large pieces of wood, are you planning to build the Hall of Supreme Harmony? Bring more pieces of other sizes too!"

Li Xiuyuan smiled, and then other pieces of wood of various sizes flew into the light cluster in mid-air one after another; they were all top-quality thousand-year-old submerged wood.

Not long after, Gu Chun said in a deep voice, "It's ready!"

**
(End of this chapter)