Chapter 131: Chapter 69: It Can’t All Be Coincidence

He Kao originally thought that the portal would be a more suitable place for cultivating the Hidden Moth Temple, but he discovered that what he was cultivating should have been called the Nihility View, which was only the entry-level technique for the Hidden Moth Technique.

If you want to cultivate various techniques of the Hidden Moth Sect, it’s mainly in the real world outside the portal. The reason is simple: the state inside the portal hardly matters whether one is stealthy or not, as there is no concept of “movement,” nor is there any content to perceive.

The portal is primarily a place for inheritance and comprehension; when facing an impasse in the real world or about to break through, one might attempt to enter the portal for cultivation, but it isn’t suitable for most times of the day.

Realizing this, He Kao sat back on the bed to continue cultivating, focusing on the fundamental technique of the first tier of the Hidden Moth Technique, also known as the “Observing Me” technique.

He is now not only a Hidden Moth but also a Tier One Stalker of the Hidden Moth Sect. The next step in cultivation is a matter of patience and perseverance, until he mastered the first tier technique to perfection, and during this process, trying to learn and acquire various applied techniques as much as possible.

The next day was October 7th, the last day of the Golden Week long holiday. After experiencing an unforgettable peril, it was time to go out and relax, to ease the state a bit.

That day, they got up much earlier, set off by car at eight thirty. Both wore sportswear, Gao Xue’e’s outfit was still He Kao’s high school uniform.

They didn’t eat in Pugang Town but in a food stall at the junction of the two provinces, having both breakfast and lunch. It was a place found by Gao Xue’e using an app, with great reviews online, and it was indeed proven to be good.

According to Gao Xue’e, the chef at this stall had about seventy percent of He Kao’s skill. According to He Kao’s self-assessment, the facts should be reversed; he had at most seventy percent of the chef’s skill.

This was already quite good; he was just a programmer from a large factory, not someone running a restaurant. As the saying goes, every profession has its specialty. If compared on carpenter skills, he would far surpass the chef here.

During the meal, Gao Xue’e asked, “Shouldn’t you also buy a car now? It’s not good to always borrow Huang Si’s car… How about I buy one first, then lend it to you?”

He Kao laughed, “What’s the difference from me buying one myself? Besides, your car should be suitable for you to drive, I might as well buy another one myself. Now I can actually afford it.”

He Kao had savings of slightly over seventy thousand, with a monthly income sufficient for living and still able to save several thousand, making him an exception among today’s young people living paycheck to paycheck.

When he considered buying a car, even if his savings weren’t enough, he could choose installment payments.

But he didn’t think about loans, as his budget was mainly the rental payment from Lin Qingshuang. Lin Qingshuang had given him a two hundred thousand deposit, fifty thousand of which he could use. It should be enough to buy a car.

Initially, He Kao hadn’t thought about buying a car mainly because he didn’t have money, and secondly because it wasn’t necessary, since his workplace was close to the rented apartment.

But now that he became the Hidden Moth, he had to consider buying a car. If his cultivation deepened in the future, and he mastered the ability of space traversal like Huang Xiaopang, he would have to prepare in advance.

Hidden Moth could ignore distances to reach places they had visited and could remember, so he had to visit as many places as possible, including quiet and secluded spots, to conveniently open space portals.

Hearing this, Gao Xue’e became interested, “I suggest you buy a hybrid car, suitable for long distances. The model could be an SUV, which seems to match your temperament…”

Saying this, she was already looking down at her phone, searching for suitable brands and models, planning to send them over one by one for He Kao to choose from.

Just then, He Kao received several consecutive messages. He had gone to see Lin Qingshuang two days ago, asking her to help find clues about Qian Guran’s whereabouts. He finally received a reply at the moment.

Lin Qingshuang told He Kao she had already approached Gu Yunteng, but Gu Yunteng firmly denied doing anything related to Qian Guran. According to Lin Qingshuang’s judgment, Gu Yunteng didn’t seem to be lying.

Because Lin Qingshuang had pointed out Gu Yunteng’s suspicion, if Qian Guran eventually disappeared, the Magic Sect’s Hall of Sect Rules, especially the Qi Observation Sect, would certainly investigate. If Gu Yunteng had really done something, it might be hard to deny then.

In a way, this was good news; Gu Yunteng probably hadn’t acted, so Old Qian was likely caught up in something else.

Perhaps Old Qian knew what happened that night and didn’t want to get involved, so he hid, and then he could say he wasn’t related to the disappearance of those Magic Sect disciples.

This matter indeed had nothing much to do with him; it was all between Xiaopang and He Kao.

Through Lin Qingshuang’s reply, He Kao could also determine that Gu Yunteng hadn’t mentioned what happened on the night of October 4th; either he wasn’t aware, or even if he could guess, he didn’t want to be associated with the matter at all.

But not all the news was good; Lin Qingshuang also informed He Kao that Gu Yunteng had already seen the documents and knew the contents, and certainly could think about the possibility of the documents being leaked, and would make targeted preparations.

So Lin Qingshuang reminded He Kao again, if he planned to send the documents, he must be careful not to let the authorities verify the sender’s identity.

The documents spoke of matters from twenty years ago, so even if He Kao exposed himself, it wouldn’t really have any effect, and might instead cause trouble for him.

Lin Qingshuang lastly reassured He Kao that as long as he didn’t interfere further with the matter, Gu Yunteng shouldn’t directly target him anymore.

Gao Xue’e didn’t know He Kao was reading Lin Qingshuang’s reply, and thought he was also browsing car models on his phone, tentatively asked, “What is your budget? If what’s on hand isn’t enough…”

He Kao: “I still have some money on hand, with a budget within five hundred thousand, preferably around two hundred thousand, as long as it gets the job done.”

Gao Xue’e suddenly remembered something: “I almost forgot, you recently acquired a pair of golden paperweights, they must weigh ten kilograms together? Calculating with the current gold price, they’re worth five million, enough to buy a car.

Apart from the golden paperweights, there’s also the property deed for the house in Guanliu District. Houses there aren’t cheap, have you checked the situation? If there are any issues with the paperwork, I can find someone to help.”

Not only did she almost forget, He Kao himself had put this matter to the back of his mind.

According to Qian Guran’s suggestion, He Kao originally planned to hide the materials, claiming there were only gold bars and the property deed in the safe. If no unexpected events had occurred later, this should have been his most important matter recently, something he’d surely worry about.

However, compared to what happened later, the gold bars and the property deed seemed insignificant. He had been so busy these past days that he hardly thought about it, possibly subconsciously avoiding the thought.

Having mentioned it now, He Kao’s mood suddenly turned low, because on the night of September thirtieth, he was having a feast with Old Qian and Xiaopang, chatting about various topics.

Qian Guran mentioned that he would find a lawyer to handle the procedures, so He Kao himself wouldn’t need to worry. Xiaopang also voluntarily said he would help sort out the house’s current situation, as he knew some acquaintances in Guanliu District.

But of those two from that night, one has now disappeared, and the other has lost their memory.

Rarely getting to relax with Gao Xue’e, He Kao didn’t want to show this emotion, so he thought for a moment and said: “No rush for now, anyway, the house is there, it won’t run away, it’s been twenty years, I don’t mind a few days or months.”

A little after ten in the morning, they smoothly arrived at Jing Lake City’s main post office. All along the way, He Kao occasionally paid attention, ensuring that no one was tailing them.

In theory, it’s almost impossible to tail Hidden Moth without being detected. As long as Hidden Moth is awake, even if he doesn’t know who is watching him or how, he’ll sense that he’s being observed.

If there is no one nearby watching, and there’s no surveillance, then surely he is being tailed.

After becoming a true Hidden Moth and subsequently a Tier One Sorcerer of the Hidden Moth Sect, He Kao realized he had always seemed to possess a certain indescribable ability, one that allowed him to discern who was friendly and who was malicious towards him.

This seemed like mere intuition, sometimes seemingly baseless, like an occasion in childhood when he was playing by the village entrance, and a stranger lady passing by offered him candy with a smile; suddenly, his heart raced, and he fled back home.

The feeling at that time stayed crystal clear in his memory.

According to Old Qian’s introduction, this was a skill Qi Observation Sect sorcerers excelled at; how could an ordinary child possess such an ability?

Upon reflection, many ordinary people have this ability to some extent, drawn from character habits and life experiences, such as growing up in an environment where one needs to interpret expressions and cautiously gauge others’ attitudes.

Undoubtedly, He Kao was such a person, but his intuition had another reason, which was the Beast Claw Pendant. From as far back as he could remember, the pendant had been practically a part of his body, eventually forming some kind of innate instinct.

That’s why he got along so well with Huang Xiaopang, hit it off immediately with Wu Yanjun, and was willing to let Gao Xue’e stay over in his room. When Old Qian went missing and needed help, Lin Qingshuang was the first person he thought of.

Though Lin Qingshuang always had a cold expression, he couldn’t sense any malice from this senior; instead, he felt warmth.

The pendant’s marvels were “Malicious Detection” and “Calm the Spirit and Settle the Qi,” cultivating his instinct to discern hostility and maintain calm. If deliberately orchestrated, rather than preparing a Qi Observation Sect sorcerer, it seemed like preparation to cultivate Hidden Moth.

That precious pendant, worn by the son of Hidden Moth from a young age, was indeed too coincidental.

If it were his father’s, it might be explainable. However, the pendant wasn’t related to his father; it was a leopard claw acquired by his grandfather years ago, later fashioned into his personal ornament, said to ward off evil spirits according to folklore.

Who exactly helped Grandpa craft it? This isn’t ordinary skill, and what was the other party’s purpose?

His father’s becoming Hidden Moth must have been a mere accidental coincidence, just like the legendary woodsman. But what unfolded on himself couldn’t all be coincidence; firstly, that pendant was highly suspicious.

It’s possible someone predicted he would become the next Hidden Moth and made arrangements as if to ensure he became a true Hidden Moth, not a Fake Moth like his father.

If there hadn’t been any accidents, Zhou Du indeed intended to pass the Hidden Moth title to his son. Unfortunately, human effort couldn’t match heaven’s, inevitable accidents occurred, and the later Hidden Moth was Huang Cankui and Huang Si, father and son.

After so many twists and turns, He Kao finally became the Hidden Moth, as if something had deviated from someone’s plan, yet eventually returned to its original path, just delayed by many years.

When his mind and body finally relaxed, as he watched Gao Xue’e walk into the post office, these were the thoughts that came to He Kao.

**

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep