CHAPTER 58: CHAPTER 28: BREAKING THE THRESHOLD (PART 2)

Cultivating the Spirit Awakening Skill, promoted from a Tier One Disguiser to a Tier Two Angler. The content of the ceremony was also to design a performance that completely gains a person’s trust.

Telling a lie to make someone believe is not difficult, but gaining their complete trust through it is challenging. The ceremony’s requirements have particularities; how to design it depends on each person’s understanding.

Back then, Peng Xian designed an almost perfect ceremony. According to his understanding, since a Tier One Sorcerer of the Spirit Awakening Skill is called a Disguiser, the core of this performance should be mainly disguise.

At that time, he happened to meet an innocent and lively girl, which was Meng Ya. He inadvertently revealed his identity as a sorcerer, yet told her he was a sorcerer of the Observing Body Sect practicing the wondrous Observing Body Skill.

Meng Ya’s reaction was similar to He Kao’s when he met Xiaowu, and was also very curious to learn the Observing Body Skill. So, Peng Xian took her as a disciple and taught her the technique of the Observing Body Sect, and Meng Ya actually managed to learn it, becoming a Tier One Sorcerer.

Peng Xian, originating from the Xingshen Sect, how could he know the techniques of the Observing Body Sect? He managed to find out one way or another! Though the techniques of each sect are not passed on, throughout the centuries, there have been Magic Sect disciples scattered outside, making it possible to collect low-tier techniques.

Peng Xian’s method was certainly taboo, breaching the rules of neither his sect nor the Observing Body Sect, but to design a perfect promotion ceremony, he couldn’t care about that too much.

Meng Ya, having cultivated the Observing Body Skill, personally experienced the magical nature of the technique, naturally becoming enthralled with Peng Xian, trusting him wholeheartedly, never doubting his words... Peng Xian’s promotion ceremony was a complete success.

He cautioned Meng Ya to keep the secret of the technique to herself, and to this day, she remains in the dark!

The last promotion ceremony went unusually smoothly, leaving Peng Xian with an inflated impression, that a Magic Sect promotion ceremony is just that, with slight cleverness sufficing. However, this time the ceremony proved time-consuming and laborious, ultimately failing.

As he had been busy recently, he only managed to organize a "pool activity" to create an opportunity to approach Gao Xue’e, which unexpectedly didn’t succeed.

Now that he finally has his hands free, he can continue investigating the whereabouts of the Hidden Moth.

He had also heard about Liang Kai’s affair these past few days, finding it amusing, while also feeling that perhaps he wasn’t so unlucky, as everyone had wasted time on the wrong person.

Peng Xian obtained clues about the Hidden Moth relatively early, but he ended up late to the party, acting later than the others, yet by now it doesn’t seem late at all!

Interestingly, Peng Xian had also investigated the Zhou Du case from twenty years ago, but he hadn’t traced it back to He Kao. The reason was simple—being too busy, he hadn’t visited Pugang Town for on-site investigation, so his collected data was incomplete.

He Kao’s name had changed, not bearing the family name Zhou, and since his grandparents passed away, he now lives alone, appearing to have no connection to Zhou Du. Without field inquiry, no one would think he was Zhou Du’s son.

Many others did manage to find out, but everyone was after the Hidden Moth Object, keeping it quiet, thus making information sharing implausible. Hence, Qian Guran spied the spectacle of five people successively swapping the same item.

By the time Peng Xian figured out He Kao’s identity, it was after the Liang Kai incident, by which time it was confirmed He Kao was not the Hidden Moth—someone made a major blunder.

The Liang Kai incident reinforced Peng Xian’s judgment, that the Hidden Moth must be connected to Gao Xue’e. Liang Kai’s misfortune was clearly the Hidden Moth’s revenge, and surprisingly, He Kao was an employee in the department overseen by Gao Xue’e.

This proves one thing: the real Hidden Moth must be very familiar with both Gao Xue’e and He Kao! Peng Xian also had an edge in that everyone focused solely on He Kao, while he alone noticed Gao Xue’e.

As the saying goes, "The cat has the cat’s path, the mouse has the mouse’s path,"—the matter of apples mysteriously turning into oranges at Gao Xue’e’s home, only he knew, at least within the sorcerer circle.

Placing Meng Ya into the 110 Command Center was indeed a brilliant move.

In dealing with women, Peng Xian has always been confident, believing he can easily "manage" Gao Xue’e with his means, gaining her trust and favor to thus entice her.

If he establishes an intimate relationship with Gao Xue’e, investigating traces of the Hidden Moth wouldn’t be difficult. Given Gao Xue’e’s looks and figure, he’s not at a loss anyway.

But today he got a fright—how had Qian Guran suddenly popped up, claiming to be a sorcerer of the Qi Observation Sect and asking his identity?

Peng Xian’s first reaction was suspecting that Qian Guran might be the Hidden Moth! Who says a sorcerer can’t be the Hidden Moth? Otherwise, why are so many Magic Sect disciples here?

Qian Guran, being a project team employee, naturally fits the condition of being familiar with both He Kao and Gao Xue’e! But on second thought, while possible, it’s not very likely; if Qian Guran really was the Hidden Moth, why would he expose himself and cause suspicion?

Qian Guran’s actions have a dismantling, gate-crashing air, likely with similar aims as his own—to find the Hidden Moth and the Hidden Moth Object, so Peng Xian simply feigned ignorance.

However, Peng Xian was unaware that he had brushed past Huang Xiaopang the last time by the pool, and had even done a psychological profile on the Hidden Moth in front of Meng Ya. But the situation was a bit chaotic then, and he didn’t pay much attention to Huang Xiaopang, who was only clad in swimming trunks.

Today, though, during the department event he hosted, Huang Xiaopang happened to be absent.

Qian Guran seemed intent on disrupting matters, yet couldn’t always prevent Peng Xian from approaching Gao Xue’e. Seeing He Kao occupying the spot he prepared for himself, Peng Xian casually picked up a stool and went over, thinking that if He Kao was sensible, he should voluntarily move aside.

He Kao was indeed sensible, but deliberately playing the fool had its irritating side. Seeing Peng Xian approach and greet them, both Gao Xue’e and He Kao smiled in response, but He Kao stayed firmly seated, not getting up from his chair.

He Kao didn’t pour tea for Peng Xian, nor did Gao Xue’e, so Peng Xian had to nonchalantly pour tea for himself and also refill Gao Xue’e’s cup, naturally starting a conversation.

This made He Kao seem quite disrespectful; the leader of the cooperating unit and his own department’s head were discussing work, with Peng Xian sitting on a plastic stool, while he occupied a leisure chair, making Peng Xian appear like a subordinate reporting work.

But so what? He was just a young person newly at work. Who hasn’t had immature moments? Moreover, it wasn’t a formal occasion; they were all out to have fun.

Just then, He Kao suddenly felt a strong sensation of being watched, even detecting the direction of this gaze, and instinctively turned to glance at the farmhouse diagonally across.

The farmhouse here was bordered by a wall of bricks less than two feet high, primarily serving to mark the boundary, easily traversable by foot, let alone obstructing vision.

The yard diagonally opposite was smaller, with only one person sitting there, in front of a whole roasted sheep. He was slicing the lamb with a knife, pulling off the sliced meat with his other hand dipped in seasoning, while his gaze was fixed in this direction.

It was a middle-aged man with a buzz cut, gaunt cheeks, wearing a gray-and-white striped jacket, and his gaze was tangible.

He Kao felt a bit stunned—the feeling of being watched was so evident, could it be what Xiaowu referred to as "Spiritual Sense"?

Wu Yanjun had once told him that even a Tier One Sorcerer possessed Spiritual Sense. When He Kao asked what Spiritual Sense was, Xiaowu explained for quite a while but couldn’t clarify, finally asking, "Do you ever feel like you’re being watched?"

He Kao: "Yes, it happens often."

Xiaowu shook his head and said, "To ordinary people, that’s just a déjà vu. You feel like you’re being watched only after discovering someone is watching you. If someone watches you from behind and you’re unaware, surely, you wouldn’t feel it.

If someone is secretly observing me, and I don’t initially notice but suddenly sense it, that could be a demonstration of Spiritual Sense."

Recollecting now, He Kao realized what Xiaowu described seemed exactly like what he was feeling. Did he possess Spiritual Sense? Could it be due to persistently cultivating the Secret Technique recently, showing its effects?

He Kao only glanced over, then turned his head back. As he did so, Peng Xian also looked over and was immediately taken aback.

Being a Tier Two Sorcerer, Peng Xian had a different perception than He Kao. The middle-aged man was openly unleashing his Divine Sense, at the very least a Tier Three Sorcerer, and Peng Xian actually recognized him!

Peng Xian quickly stood up and said, "Excuse me, just noticed an acquaintance, seems like they came to have fun today too. This place’s roasted whole lamb must be quite popular... I’ll go say hello."

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