Hidden Moth

Chapter 648: Chapter 381: Putting Personal Grievances Aside to Support an Ally

The so-called wager duel involves both parties selecting individuals to compete in magical combat, with the outcome determining the negotiation results, as long as it falls within acceptable conditions, the loser will concede.

It was Kang Rulin who proactively proposed this wager duel, as this elder knew he couldn’t stay in Luoshan City permanently to act as a bodyguard for the Stone Gang, and the Stone Gang itself had some fault.

The Stone Gang indeed received considerable benefits from the Xiao Alliance in the past; after all, there is no principle in this world that dictates one would only take advantage without paying a price, but the opposing side’s conditions shouldn’t be too excessive.

Kang Rulin himself would be the one from the Stone Gang to enter the duel. This wasn’t in his capacity as a Sect Law Hall elder, but as a private action, since he was a son-in-law of the Shi Family, and the core members of the Stone Gang considered him as a relative or junior.

As for who the Supreme Council of the Xiao Alliance would appoint to act, there was still no definite information.

He Kao learned about these circumstances through Shi Yunfeng, with Shi Yunfeng himself not having met Kang Rulin but hearing it from elder family members... Given Shi Yunfeng’s status, he could connect with the core secrets of the Stone Gang, though he wasn’t yet the most central member.

Upon hearing the news, He Kao immediately reported it to Li Xiuyuan, inquiring if the Sect Law Hall was aware of the situation?

Li Xiuyuan confirmed its existence, stating the Sect Law Hall neither directly intervened nor hindered Kang Rulin’s personal actions. As for who from the Xiao Alliance will act, the Sect Law Hall was unaware.

Based on the Sect Law Hall’s investigation, the Supreme Council had not yet made a decision.

He Kao had two questions about this situation: First, the wager duel was only a few days away—has the Xiao Alliance yet to decide who will act? Second, does the Sect Law Hall plan to merely watch as Kang Rulin handles everything alone from thousands of miles away?

While the wager duel appeared as one-on-one on the surface, there might be covert maneuvers behind the scenes. With only the Stone Gang supporting Kang Rulin, he was up against the entire Xiao Alliance. Surely, there’d be someone significant backing him, at least in secret, right?

The answer to the second question soon came when He Kao, as usual, arranged to meet Elder Li at Dragon Scale Slope in the first half of the night. However, Li Xiuyuan said he was unavailable but instructed He Kao to come as someone else wanted to meet him.

When He Kao arrived at Dragon Scale Slope, Gu Chun was already there, leaning on a long staff and gazing at the stars.

He Kao quickly approached and greeted, "Isn’t Your Lordship stationed at the Immortal Pot Grotto Heaven? How do you have time to meet me?"

Gu Chun turned and laughed, "The Immortal Pot Grotto Heaven is nearby, just a step away. I heard you are now a Tier Six Master Yan, so I came to offer my congratulations, though I was in such a rush, I didn’t bring a gift..."

He Kao waved his hand, "Your blessing is enough, a gift is not necessary at all, for you’ve given me plenty already."

Gu Chun wasn’t modest as he continued, "Indeed! When the Hidden Moth Sect officially returns, then I’ll present you with a gift."

He Kao asked, "You agree with my idea?"

Gu Chun: "Li Huazi told me, and I also think it’s better to be cautious, not to disclose your news for now.

Today, I called you here mainly to discuss the situation in Luoshan City. After all, Kang Rulin is a Sect Law Hall elder, so we can’t let him suffer injustice alone in the shadows. I’m planning to go and provide him with hidden support.

If the Xiao Alliance is secretly up to something, which the Shi Family members cannot handle, I’ll help resolve it... Of course, the less need to act, the better. If I must act, it’d be best to remain unseen."

He Kao shook his head, "You shouldn’t go!"

Gu Chun asked, "Why can’t I go?"

He Kao: "You still need to oversee the Immortal Pot Grotto Heaven."

Gu Chun: "The matters of the Alchemy Sect are mostly resolved; I don’t need to be stationed constantly, and besides, thanks to what you sent me, it won’t take long to come and go."

Unable to resist, He Kao spoke the truth, "As far as I know, the Xiao Alliance’s Supreme Council has already identified you as ’Hidden Moth.’ Should you appear, you might be targeted for siege...

I’m worried about Your Lordship’s safety and even concerned that someone is baiting you into a trap deliberately here."

Gu Chun: "Do you think I’m that foolish that I’d easily fall into a trap?"

He Kao: "Of course not! You’ve not revealed yourself during this period, under the pretense of stationing at the Immortal Pot Grotto Heaven, let them be suspicious as they will. That’s true brilliance... So you mustn’t act rashly."

Gu Chun retorted, "You’re the real ’Hidden Moth,’ aren’t you also going? Aren’t you afraid of danger?"

He Kao: "Well, I... I’m cautious enough and haven’t exposed myself."

Gu Chun: "Am I reckless and imprudent in my actions?"

He Kao: "I don’t mean that..."

Gu Chun didn’t make things difficult for He Kao anymore, instead, he raised his head again and stated, "If a master is needed to provide hidden support, who would be more suitable than me?"

This question stumped He Kao. Upon mulling it over, indeed, there seemed to be no one more suitable than him.

Jiang Daozhen was still in seclusion, Mei Guyu was thought to be in a vacuum by everyone, among the Sect Law Hall elders, Gu Chun was the best at fighting.

Elder Gu not only excelled at magical combat but was also adept at arrays, hiding, and tracking. His role at the Sect Law Hall was to monitor the conduct of sorcerers around the world—in simple terms, to catch the bad ones.

The bad ones are not willing to be caught willingly, especially those with magical cultivation, possessing all sorts of methods, meaning Gu Chun’s business skills must be comprehensive and robust.

Even though Mei Guyu had already broken through to Tier Seven, purely comparing magical combat, she might not be weaker than Gu Chun, but in many other aspects, there were differences.

He Kao thought it over for once and suddenly turned his tone, "If the master has something to do, the disciple will take on the task."

Gu Chun elongated the sound, "You—?"

He Kao puffed his chest, "You can’t underestimate me either; I’m now a Tier Six Master Yan as well!"

Gu Chun laughed heartily, "Very well, very well, I never underestimated you, and now I should regard you even more highly than before. You were able to discern the weight and ignored the fact that it’s Kang Rulin..."

At this moment, He Kao realized he seemed to have volunteered to take on the task. No wonder Gu Chun met him, not Li Xiuyuan today—it likely was the plan of both elders to entrust this matter to him.

Compared to Gu Chun, He Kao is indeed the more suitable choice.

Being the supporter does not require public appearances, just to stay hidden and provide a safety net in case of unexpected events. No one knows Stone District and Stone Gang better than He Kao, and no one is more suited for this task than Hidden Moth.

Gu Chun analyzed the situation from his perspective once more and reminded He Kao about various precautions, even considering lending him the Flying Divine Artifact Cloud and teaching him the Divine Soul Mark technique to refine the artifact.

However, He Kao said it’s unnecessary; he has other means for detection and evasion, which are even more effective than the Cloud.

He Kao was merely curious, as Gu Chun mentioned in his words that if there were a public challenge, Kang Rulin could not possibly lose... He would never speak without reason. Could Kang Rulin truly possess such great skill?

The task of the supporter includes preventing third-party attacks. According to Gu Chun’s judgment, unless someone attacks secretly, Kang Rulin can remain invincible in magical combat?

If so, He Kao truly wants to witness this, which successfully aroused his curiosity.

After discussing the business at hand, He Kao asked Elder Gu if there were any other instructions. Elder Gu looked at him meaningfully and asked, "Did you gather this information using the newly comprehended Divine Techniques?"

He Kao replied, "Yes, using the Possession Technique, through a person named Shi Yunfeng."

Gu Chun suddenly changed his tone, "I have heard an old saying - True deity does not possess!"

He Kao was almost choked, momentarily at a loss for what to say.

Gu Chun paused and then joked, "I think that old saying isn’t quite right, you don’t seem like a wicked deity."

He Kao finally caught his breath and quickly said, "I’m not a wicked deity; I’m a person... Besides, what I did was mere transference, not possession."

In his words were explanations of Divine Thought, as He Kao had seen various videos online of inviting spirits, which were completely different from his Possession Technique.

When He Kao performed the Possession Technique, he merely borrowed the senses of the transferee to obtain information without affecting their actions or even alerting them.

"I know!" When speaking again, Gu Chun surprisingly sighed, "The ancestors have never found the legendary demons and spirits, yet magical techniques and divine techniques have appeared.

I heard some people are excited about being possessed, only to find it’s not the case... You are not a demon or spirit, which is rather uninteresting."

He Kao replied, "Why is it uninteresting?"

Gu Chun said, "If the legendary demon truly existed, I, with my cultivation, could vanquish it."

He Kao replied, "There are demons and spirits among us, you can also vanquish them."

Gu Chun looked at He Kao again, "Never recklessly practice possession, even the Possession Technique requires caution, do you understand?"

He Kao replied, "I understand, overusing the Possession Technique for a long period can lead to confusion in self-awareness, a sign of falling into the demon. Even in the Hidden Moth Sect, I wouldn’t teach it to those who haven’t broken the Sixth Realm."

Gu Chun said nothing further, finally asking, "If you don’t want the Cloud, do you need anything else from me?"

He Kao replied, "Could you tell me the appearance of Ancestor Master Huailin Zhao Sanjin?"

Gu Chun said, "Haven’t you seen him?"

He Kao replied, "I want to know not the current appearance of a high school student, but his appearance seventy years ago in the Magic Sect, Supreme Elder Guo Qianhuai should have seen him."

Zhao Sanjin, titled Huailin Daoist, according to the Magic Sect’s internal records, is over 140 years old. Seventy years ago, he was the Sect Leader of Observing Body Sect and the Ancestral Hall Elder.

Zhao Sanjin created the Ba Mountain Medicine Garden, and his disciples within the Magic Sect are known as the Huailin Lineage. He is honored as Ancestor Master Huailin. He hasn’t been seen in years, yet there are rumors he is still alive.

At the time, when He Kao first went to Phoenix Tail Town, Jiang Daozhen arranged his itinerary and booked the hotel, staying at Beiyuan Manor at Dangguan County in the southern foot of Ba Mountain.

Beiyuan Manor is close to Ba Mountain Medicine Garden, which is the property of Zhao Sanjin’s great-grandson, Zhao Ci, who betrayed He Kao’s whereabouts, leading to precise assassination by Xiao Alliance experts.

But He Kao also gained; he eliminated the assassin sent by Xiao Alliance and obtained the Magical Treasure Shadow Mirror.

This incident brought Zhao Sanjin out; he personally visited Flower Shocking Grotto Heaven and met Jiang Daozhen, Guo Qianhuai, and others. Zhao Sanjin stated he no longer intervenes in Magic Sect’s affairs; the Ancestral Hall should punish Zhao Ci as they see fit.

Later on, Zhao Ci was indefinitely sealed in cultivation to observe if he sincerely repents.

He Kao suspected Uncle Jiang knew Zhao Ci had problems long before, deliberately arranged it this way to draw certain people out... but He Kao only speculated and never voiced it.

The reappearing Zhao Sanjin looked like a high school student of fifteen or sixteen; he already has Tier Eight Cultivation, the only Tier Eight Cultivator He Kao has seen until now.

Currently, Zhao Sanjin indeed is a high school student; he replaced a child named Liu Jingze’s identity, comforting his mother to repay a kindness... that’s another story.

What He Kao wants to know is not Liu Jingze’s appearance, but Zhao Sanjin’s original looks.

At night saying farewell to Elder Gu, He Kao appeared again at the outskirts of Luoshan City under the rising sun and met Great Elder of Xiao Alliance Supreme Council, newly appointed Tier Six Alchemist Hu Weidong.

He Kao still appeared as Feng Zilong, and upon seeing him, Hu Weidong felt somewhat uneasy within, generating various conjectures.

The location was still the woodland where the two had met, Hu Weidong arrived first, having carefully probed the surroundings with Divine Sense, finding only small animals and no traces of humans.

Yet He Kao emerged from the forest Hu Weidong just scrutinized, if he wasn’t a spirit squirrel, there must be another explanation.

Hu Weidong first asked, "Meeting me again, is there an urgent matter?"

He Kao startled with his words, "Great Elder Hu, your trouble is approaching!"

**