Hidden Moth-Chapter 493 - 280: Fleeting Moments of Dawn and Dusk (Part 2)

He Kao wanted to try and investigate clues about Fabre’s activities, and incidentally look into another person’s situation, while the other clue was provided by Lan Jiwan.

Lan Jiwan’s abilities are beyond doubt; she had quietly infiltrated Qi Yuan University without even He Kao noticing her presence or knowing what role she was playing.

But Lan Jiwan discovered very important information and reported it to Senior Brother Huo Qing. That counselor Luo Mingzhi indeed had issues, as she was involved with a visiting scholar from the United States, who was very likely a high-ranking sorcerer.

This person, with the transliterated name Peter Qiao, was shown as 35 years old on his passport. However, he was actually from the Eastern Country, originally named Jiaobide, and was 40 years old.

Before immigrating, Jiaobide altered his age through connections, and after immigration, he changed his name, cleverly creating an international pun. He is currently a visiting scholar at the University of California, Berkeley.

Jiaobide arrived at Qi Yuan University in September the year before last, beginning a two-year academic visit. At that time, rumors of the Hidden Moth’s appearances at Qi Yuan were spreading, attracting many sorcerers to the area, so he did not attract much attention.

Lan Jiwan found that Luo Mingzhi would occasionally stay overnight at Jiaobide’s apartment, visiting three times in half a month, and they’d often meet for dates elsewhere, appearing like a couple.

Their private lives were none of outsiders’ concern, but Lan Jiwan discovered that Jiaobide was also a master of sorcery.

The most direct evidence was when, during an evening walk, Jiaobide casually waved his hand as if summoning a gust of wind, causing Luo Mingzhi to exclaim in excitement, even jumping up and then crouching down to examine something for a long time.

After they left, Lan Jiwan pretended to pass by to check and found that the fallen leaves by the roadside were stacked into the shape of a flower.

If other passersby saw this, they might be surprised but wouldn’t think much of it, as it could simply have been set up deliberately by someone. But Lan Jiwan observed that Jiaobide didn’t arrange the leaves, he simply waved his hand to summon the wind.

Theoretically, as long as one had a Third Realm cultivation and mastered the Object Control Skill, they could attempt to do such a thing. However, to accomplish it so effortlessly and control it so precisely would require at least a high-ranking sorcerer, likely one who had mastered the Micro-Entry Skill.

Even Lan Jiwan would need to train specifically for a period to achieve this. Jiaobide had evidently practiced this, actually using such a small trick to charm girls.

Jiaobide was not on the register of Magic Sect disciples, and considering his origin from Berkeley, and that Fabre had also been active in that region, it was very likely that he was a sorcerer from the Xiao Alliance.

Further investigation revealed that Luo Mingzhi not only arranged for Wang Yuheng, an alumnus, to stay at Sesame Apartment but also introduced two other people to rent apartments, one of whom lived in the same building as Mei Guyu.

Luo Mingzhi also frequently visited Sesame Apartment because she had acquaintances living there, going over five times in half a month.

It seems He Kao’s suspicions were correct, the Xiao Alliance forces had infiltrated Qi Yuan the year before last, likely targeting the Hidden Moth. However, due to the strict surveillance by the Ancestral Hall, they did not reveal themselves to act, choosing instead to lie in wait.

Now they encountered the occasion with Mei Guyu, and they seized the opportunity to engage in other activities.

Luo Mingzhi’s situation might be similar to Meng Ya’s in the past, unaware and being used by others, naturally longing for the marvelous sorcery she witnessed, making her susceptible to corruption.

Jiaobide utilized Luo Mingzhi to indirectly observe Mei Guyu’s situation and the arrangements of the Ancestral Hall, simultaneously creating diversions while he hid in the shadows to avoid exposure.

He Kao broke into a cold sweat, realizing that without Lan Jiwan’s discovery, even the Ancestral Hall would remain unaware of such a master already lurking in Qi Yuan for so long.

The initial clue to uncover all this was provided by two scene fragments from Wang Yuheng’s dream. Although He Kao had not trained in the Lingxi Skill, according to Elder Li, these could correspond with the mysteries of the Lingxi Skill.

However precise a master’s calculations may be, verification is still required; calculations only serve to point out the verification clues. He Kao conveyed Lan Jiwan’s findings to Elder Li while reminding Lan Jiwan to keep focused on Jiaobide without exposing herself.

Given the opponent’s cultivation level, Lan Jiwan dared not get too close to Jiaobide, nor recklessly meddle with his personal belongings. On another front, Chang’an Residence’s investigation into Shao Yong Festival was conducted more directly.

Shao Yong Festival only had Tier Two cultivation, hadn’t mastered Divine Sense, and didn’t anticipate anyone specifically investigating him, leaving himself completely unguarded.

Chang’an Residence pried into his residence, workplace, office computer, bank accounts, and even private cellphone information in secret.

Very few people can withstand such scrutiny; certain matters might be nothing if undisturbed, but become problematic if pursued.

As a sorcerer, besides interactions with his peers, Shao Yong Festival also befriended several Guests of Fate and independent cultivators, some hiring him as a "health consultant," providing consultations related to health and wellness.

Shao Yong Festival would sometimes resell some elixirs obtained from the Magic Sect at high prices, mostly Nourishing Essence and Qi Nourishing sorts of low-tier spirit medicine, with the Peiyuan Pill being the most popular among those accessible to ordinary people.

Shao Yong Festival himself probably didn’t possess that many elixirs; he was likely the sales channel for some people’s side ventures, involving not just disciples of the Observing Body Sect... but these matters weren’t major issues.

In the eyes of Chang’an Residence, his "peer," some transactions were evidently abnormal, as the compensation paid far exceeded market norms, while Shao Yong Festival provided merely dispensable "nourishment consultation" services.

Among the intelligence Chang’an Residence uncovered, a person named "Teacher Qiao" caught He Kao’s significant attention.

This Teacher Qiao should be an independent cultivator, claiming to have been introduced by a client, proactively adding Shao Yong Festival as a friend, and highly extolling Shao Yong Festival’s expertise in wellness medicine.

Teacher Qiao introduced several "high-quality clients" to Shao Yong Festival; although they never met face-to-face, they became intimate online friends, with Shao Yong Festival inadvertently sharing a lot of internal information about the Magic Sect.

Although some information wasn’t particularly secretive within the Magic Sect, openly discussing it with outsiders bordered on leaking.

Teacher Qiao was evidently well-informed. "Recently, a prominent figure from the Magic Sect quietly visited Qi Yuan to remain incognito; it’s not known for what purpose..." This was the information passed to Shao Yong Festival.

Teacher Qiao also subtly suggested during conversations with Shao Yong Festival, that he could take advantage of a trip to Qihuang Spirit Garden to inquire Lin Qingshuang about the specifics.

Although Teacher Qiao’s true identity had yet to be confirmed, various indications led He Kao to suspect he might actually be Jiaobide!

If this was indeed the case, then Jiaobide was likely the central liaison for the Xiao Alliance forces in Qi Yuan. The first collective action of the Hidden Moth Sect disciples had finally identified a core figure truly worthy of focus.

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