Hidden Moth

He Kao arrived under the parasol tree before three o'clock in the afternoon, feeling that time hadn't passed long, yet when Jiang Daozhen left with a cheerful step, it was already past six.

He had no choice but to take the bamboo chair, the small stool, the small table, the chessboard, the chess pieces, the small bamboo basket, and a single-hand cart used for setting up a stall back to his home... and then he drove back to the Qi Yuan City District.

Recently, work tasks have been quite tense, so he couldn't often apply to work outside. Although he took a temporary leave this afternoon, the work still had to be done, and he had to return to work overtime at night, otherwise, it would delay his colleagues' work progress.

With the Invisibility Ability of the Hidden Moth, he could travel through space directly to return. So why drive? This is where He Kao is cautious, whether or not there is someone secretly investigating him, he does not want to leave such obvious flaws.

During the day, He Kao was very busy, and that night even busier.

He worked overtime until late before returning to Sesame Apartment, took a brief rest, then went to Bishu Renjia District, stayed there for more than two hours, and then rushed to his small building in Pugang Town... If it weren't for the ability of the Hidden Moth, it would be impossible to run to so many places.

Then he used the Stealth Skill to go out, feeling his way to the parasol tree... it was up in the tree, not under it. In the middle of the night, he wasn't sleeping and sneakily came to climb the tree.

It was not because there was treasure hidden in the tree, but he needed to find a suitable marking point to facilitate using the Hidden Moth ability to arrive at any time. The spacious place under the tree was of course inappropriate; only the lush canopy above was suitable.

Old Man Jiang had left the things for setting up the chess stall behind, which He Kao seemingly took back home but actually hid in a secret cave mansion deep in Gu Mountain and carefully studied them.

The small bamboo chair that Old Man Jiang sat on was the same model as one used at a complaint office window in some anti-corruption TV drama, but the material was certainly different. The bamboo skin's color looked mottled and was made of Purple Bamboo.

The small table for the chessboard was actually quite stable. The reason it toppled over in the afternoon was mainly because the ground was uneven and the stone propping up the table had loosened. Its material was not precious, but very sturdy.

He Kao, born in a family of carpenters, could tell by a glance and feel that it was made of old elm wood.

These two items were ordinary daily objects, not considered treasures, but He Kao discovered their material processing methods were very special, making them very sturdy and durable.

As for the small stool, it was quite ordinary, probably worth just a few coins at a large agricultural market.

But the chessboard and pieces were rare magical artifacts or rather, an array artifact set. He Kao had received the array heritage of the Heart Plate Sect, but with his current cultivation, he couldn't use them yet.

But it's alright, Elder Gu had already set up the existing array. The core of the array was this parasol tree,

The "ordinary rural old man" Jiang Daozhen, who couldn't use any techniques outwardly, could activate the array, so He Kao certainly could as well.

The operation of this array was very intricate. Jiang Daozhen mastered it easily, but for He Kao, it was very difficult, as if his CPU was overheating. He could only achieve simple control.

The "control system" of the array was the chessboard. Just move the pieces on the chessboard in a specific way, and the array's range could theoretically cover the entire Pugang Town, but it mainly encompassed the large agricultural market area.

This wasn't Jiang Daozhen's mana, but the mana injected by Gu Chun using the chessboard. Each activation consumed mana, and if the full power of the array was unleashed, it could only be activated once; if the power was controlled to be smaller, it could be activated three or five times.

In the past, Gu Chun would periodically come here to check the state of the array artifact, akin to recharging it. Now Gu Chun would not do that anymore, but how many times could the chessboard still be used?

If He Kao encountered any danger or some formidable person arrived, he could bring the chessboard and pieces to the parasol tree here and use the array to fend off for a while.

Even if it could only block the opponent's Divine Sense, and then seize the opportunity to use the Hidden Moth ability to escape, it would be enough.

Unfortunately, this is an array set up with the Earth Qi Spirit Core and can only be activated at this location; it cannot be moved elsewhere.

If the mana Gu Chun injected into the chessboard was exhausted, but the array was still there, as long as He Kao's cultivation reached the fourth tier in the future and he also practiced the array heritage of the Heart Plate Sect, he could operate the array, though it wouldn't be as powerful as when Gu Chun personally controlled it.

He Kao certainly respected Jiang Daozhen, but dealing with this old man also made him feel quite tiresome. The old man never spoke directly and always left many hints for people to guess.

Only someone as meticulous as He Kao could handle it; if it were Huang Xiaopang, the old man's efforts would be in vain.

Qian Guran played a move with the Heaven-Reaching Ladder, telling Yu Shangzhen and Wan Zhongle that He Kao was the Secret Disciple of Elder Jiang. Some people, like Gu Yunteng, even speculated he was the Secret Disciple of Elder Gu.

But when they met, Jiang Daozhen said nothing on the matter, which was quite intriguing.

Jiang Daozhen used the rules of the magic sect from twelve hundred years ago to give He Kao the complete inheritance of the Seven Great Magic Sects. What does this mean? For He Kao, the greatest threat is the potential exposure of his identity as the Hidden Moth.

He can't guarantee that he won't use any techniques under any circumstance. Even when walking on the street and practicing the Stealth Skill, a sorcerer with keen eyes might discern it.

But the essence of the Stealth Skill is to practice it in daily life, in crowded places.

In such a situation, it at least indicates he possesses magic cultivation. If there is no clear master, and he can't be found in the disciple register of the Magic Sect, combined with his special identity, it would be hard not to suspect he is the Hidden Moth.

He Kao can't just kill everyone he discovers, can he? So the identity of a secret disciple of an elder serves as a great shield or, perhaps, a red herring.

At this moment, He Kao still didn't realize that Jiang Daozhen's "guidance" to him was actually a kind of "secret transmission." Since it's a secret, the master doesn't have to clearly state it, and often the disciple themselves doesn't quite understand.

As for people like Qian Guran and Lin Qingshuang, they're not very clear about the nuances of secret transmission either; they only know that it's a way the high-ranking sorcerers of the Magic Sect pass down their knowledge.

He Kao is now considering which elder's secret disciple he should pretend to be. Based on the situation, he can choose for himself, and it doesn't necessarily have to be Jiang Daozhen.

Elder Jiang was quite considerate and gave him a multiple-choice answer through hints. There are three candidates in total: Jiang Daozhen, who is aware of He Kao's identity, Earth Master Gu Chun of the Heart Plate Sect, and Illusion Master Li Xiuyuan of the Xingshen Sect.

Why include the other two elders? Because the techniques of the Lingxi Sect are really difficult to combine with others, and even if one does, they are mostly unsuitable for direct confrontation, especially in situations requiring face-to-face combat.

As for the Heart Plate Sect and the Xingshen Sect, there are many techniques suitable for direct encounters. Moreover, He Kao doesn't necessarily have to study the fundamental techniques of the Heart Plate Skill or Spirit Awakening Skill; he only needs to learn and master some applied techniques.

These applied techniques are the clues to determine a cultivator's origin. For instance, the "Earth Formation Skill" from the Heart Plate Sect, some effects of which resemble the Stealth Skill.

Additionally, the "Medicine Identification Skill" of the Alchemy Sect, the "Artifact Identification Skill" of the Micro Realm Sect, and the "Poison Detection Skill" of the Hidden Moth Sect are all similar applied techniques, just focusing on different aspects.

Theoretically, as long as one's realm is reached, one can practice similar applied techniques.

However, due to the different focuses of each sect's techniques, some specific applied techniques may particularly resonate with certain sect disciples, making cultivation more efficient.

After long-term summarization and continuous improvement, these applied techniques gradually form unique secret transmission techniques.

For example, the Stealth Skill particularly resonates with sorcerers of the Hidden Moth Sect, making cultivation much more effective. However, if practiced by sorcerers of the Heart Plate Sect, the effect might be only half as good, and for those of the Qi Observation Sect, it might be twice the effort for half the result.

Yet, there are exceptions, such as the Tier Five wanderers of the Lingxi Sect, who mysteriously always get lost; while the Tier Five Jianghu people of the Heart Plate Sect, theoretically, would never get lost.

So at least at this stage, some specific applied techniques are impossible to be combined with others.

Jiang Daozhen couldn't possibly openly tell He Kao, "If you accidentally expose your magic cultivation, you can hint to the other party that you are a secret disciple of an elder.

But you can only hint, not say it outright, secret transmission means not saying a word!

Specifically which elder, you must choose based on the situation, depending on the methods exposed at that time. The candidates could be me, Elder Gu, or Elder Li, leaving it for the other party to guess..."

So these hints require He Kao to ponder independently and grasp the subtleties.

Combining the applied techniques of other Magic Sects certainly won't be in time shortly, but the array left by Elder Gu can be used now; otherwise, the old man wouldn't have specially left the board, so He Kao came to scout overnight.

Those who were mischievous as children should know that both trees that are too thick and too thin are not easy to climb.

This parasol tree is an ancient tree several people could hug around; its trunk is very straight and tall, with smooth bark, the most difficult type to climb without special tools.

But this posed no problem for He Kao, now a Tier Two Assassin. He first climbed to the canopy over five meters high and then continued upward, finding a suitable position about ten meters from the ground.

Here was the fork of the main trunk, capable of wholly concealing a person, even making a small nest where one could sleep. Since the Jade Phoenix Tree remains evergreen throughout the year, the surrounding branches and leaves block the view, and no one would specifically look here.

At this time, unlike the daytime with no other disturbances, He Kao sat for a while on the branch and found this place exceptionally comfortable! It's a kind of spiritual sense… no wonder Old Man Jiang chose to set up a stall under the tree.

It's the Earth Qi Spirit Core of the surrounding dozens of miles. If someone could encircle this tree to build a yard, they could fashion an exclusive cave mansion or small Dao field.

However, the environment is too noisy during the day, with many people coming and going. Even hiding in the canopy, space is limited, unsuitable for practicing moving techniques like the Eight Pieces of Brocade, and only suitable for sitting meditation at night.

He Kao has excellent hands-on ability, acting quickly. He didn't carve into the tree branches with an ax but went home for tools and materials, shaping a base according to the branch's shape.

He brought the base back to the tree in a blink, fitting perfectly with the shape created by the branches, forming a small platform after placement. Some camouflage and decoration could be added, making it unnoticeable from below the tree.

At night, he could bring a cushion and practice the Insect Concealment Skill here.

Should he encounter any unexpected threats during cultivation, he could quickly activate the array to protect himself… Resting on the treetop platform for a moment, He Kao felt utterly satisfied with the place.

Now, he has three "cave mansions," one here, one in a house in Guanliu District, and a secret base deep in Gu Mountain… It doesn't just feel like a Hidden Moth but also like a sly rabbit!

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