Hidden moth

Chapter 14 Unknown
One must cultivate magic to the fourth level before being able to skillfully use magic tools, and magicians above the fourth level can be called cultivators. Qian Guran's level is still a little short, and he can only simply comprehend some of its effects.

A cursory glance at this item revealed a rare passive effect. Passive meant that it didn't require any spells to activate, allowing even ordinary people without any knowledge of magic to sense its effects.

For example, this animal claw has at least two functions: calming the mind and detecting malicious intent. Wearing it can help ordinary people calm their minds and sleep better, and it can also inexplicably alert them to malicious activity, though they may not understand why.

Creating something like this requires immense skill and ingenuity. The "energy" that powers it can be left behind by the maker or drawn from the surrounding environment.

Does this violate the laws of physics? Probably not. The energy used to perform various spells comes from nowhere, at least not entirely from the food people eat. But it must have a source anyway!

Qian Guran's assessment of the hidden moth's object was that it was a passive artifact. The artifact was inherently obscure, with no apparent abnormalities. Only by carefully sensing it in the hand could one discover anything.

Artifacts were rare, at least for Qian. Passive artifacts, however, could grant ordinary people incredible powers, and were more like legends. Yet, the legends were true!
But how do ordinary people use it? Money is something you contemplate secretly, perhaps by pouring your mind into it daily. For example, you might carry it close to your body, turning it over a few times before going to bed, probably from childhood to adulthood.

It is not possible to become a hidden moth as soon as you get this thing. You still need to feel, sense and comprehend it. Of course, there is no need to rush for money. Anyway, you already have the thing and can think about it slowly.

In fact, even if He Kao is not the Hidden Moth and this beast claw is not the Hidden Moth's, the money is certainly not lost, because preliminary identification shows that this is at least a passive magic weapon with more than one function.

Qian was worried that there might not be enough time, but the result was much smoother than he expected. He quickly returned to the locker room and put the fake back in its place.

He had been there a long time ago and wanted to tamper with the surveillance, but he found that there was no surveillance in the locker room, at least there was no surveillance in the changing and bathing areas, which made things easier.

After doing all this, Qian did not go back to the department's gathering point directly. Instead, he changed into swimming trunks and swam a few times in the water. Then he put on a bathrobe, took a towel and a mobile phone, and went to his colleague, pretending that he had just been swimming.

In fact, Qian Guran has plenty of time to commit crimes, because when people come here to play, they almost never go to the locker room to change clothes all day.

When you come out of the swimming pool, you just need to dry yourself with a towel and change into a bathrobe. You only need to swipe your card to pay for various purchases.

After lunch, they went to a private room on the third floor to sing in the afternoon, while some people played a script-killing game in another room on the second floor. Although Qian was there the whole time, he didn't leave early because he wanted to see He Kao's reaction.

Some people left after lunch, others stayed until late at night, and He Kao left after dinner. Qian's worries didn't happen, and there was nothing unusual about He Kao's departure.

This was exactly what Qian Guran had hoped for, but it left him puzzled. Yin Mo's item had been swapped, so Yin Mo itself should have noticed immediately. Could it be that He Kao had no telepathic connection to it?
This was exactly what Qian was worried about, so he didn't dare leave the beast claw in the club. Instead, he quietly went out at noon while everyone was having the buffet and stored the thing in a safe and secret place.

But looking at He Kao's reaction, his worries seemed unnecessary. What was the reason? Qian Guran thought about it and came up with a possible judgment.

He Kao is just an ordinary person after all, and he doesn't have the perception ability of a sorcerer. Even though he is a hidden moth, he may not realize that something is wrong until he uses his beast claws to activate his hidden moth ability, right?
Perhaps by then, He Kao wouldn't even notice the swap, and would simply think his ability had failed? This possibility wasn't out of the question. If that were the case, everything would be perfect...

In fact, Qian was overthinking it, because He Kao was not a hidden moth at all. As for the pendant, although it was very special, He Kao himself was not aware of it. When he put it back on his chest, he didn't even look at it.

Despite this, Qian was still very cautious and sent the items to a secret storage place over a hundred kilometers away overnight. In this case, even if He Kao and the beast claws could sense each other, they would definitely not be able to find it.

After receiving the claw, Qian felt that it was extraordinary. As he played with it, its magical effects became clearer and clearer, and he simply couldn't let it go. However, for safety reasons, he did not bring it with him.

He Kao moved to Building No. 2016, and Qian Guran soon moved into Building No. 2114 as well.

The reason He Kao chose 2016 was because this was the only empty apartment on this floor, but some things were beyond his understanding.

2114 is just above 2016, so it is still possible for Qian to spy on him secretly, and it is even more convenient than before.

Of course, Lao Qian acted very cautiously. He did not give up the original apartment, nor did he rent a new apartment using his own identity. Instead, he found a reliable person and rented it using the other person's identity.

When he entered and left Building No. 3, he not only put on makeup to change his facial features, but also did not meet acquaintances such as He Kao and Huang Si.

He got so close to spy on him, firstly to confirm when He Kao would realize that the item had been swapped, and secondly to find out how He Kao used it, such as if there were any special techniques or rituals?
Although he had obtained the beast claw and was certain that it was a treasure and had wonderful uses, he had not yet figured out the hidden moth's abilities. This might be because he had only been in contact with it for a short time, or there might be other considerations.

If He Kao hadn't discovered that the item had been swapped, he would have used it sooner or later, and the money was certainly waiting in the dark. Unexpectedly, he didn't wait for He Kao to "cast the spell", but instead waited for his companions.

It was the third night after he moved in. Someone quietly opened He Kao's door, as if it was unlocked with just a touch of the hand... Judging from the method, the person was most likely a third-level warlock.

Qian Guran, who had secretly witnessed this scene, was terrified and withdrew his spiritual consciousness to prevent being noticed by the person who came. After the person left, Qian Guran found that He Kao was still sleeping soundly, but his carefully crafted fake had been swapped and turned into a fake of a fake.

Qian felt a little scared. Although he had thought that other colleagues or fellow practitioners might also target He Kao, deep down he still hoped that only he could do it.

He was cautious enough and thought he had done everything naturally without any flaws. During this period, he also paid attention to the suspicious people around He Kao, but did not find much.

But the facts proved that he was wrong. It was not that there were other people targeting He Kao, but he did not notice it. It seems that he is still inexperienced in the world of martial arts and needs to be more humble and cautious in the future.

He recognized the uninvited guest tonight, who was also his neighbor in Sesame Apartment. He lived on the first floor at 911 and moved in after he rented 915. However, he had never noticed anything unusual about this person.

After feeling scared, Qian felt relieved. Fortunately, he acted early and his colleague drank his foot washing water.

Then he burst into silent laughter again, because he thought of another very interesting thing. If someone else was targeting He Kao, then the colleague who appeared tonight would become the scapegoat. Who could believe that this person had swapped the goods with a fake?
In this way, even if another expert comes to investigate, he probably won’t be able to find the person!
After laughing secretly, he couldn't help but complain. The person who just took action was most likely a third-level warlock, perhaps from other schools of magic. He didn't do anything with any technical skills. He just broke into the house and stole the things while the people were sleeping?

If he hadn't switched the items, the counterfeit would have lost its "malicious detection" function, and the man wouldn't have succeeded so easily, and he might have messed things up.

He was complaining about others upstairs, but forgot that he had once had the same idea.

Qian Gu was laughing happily, and the comedy continued. In the next few weeks, the same play was performed one after another, and Qian Gu was almost tired of watching the hidden audience.

According to incomplete statistics, within one month and five days, the poor beast claw pendant was swapped five times. Finally, the guy's skills were a bit poor, and he was worried about waking He Kao, so he simply cut the silk thread and took away the beast claw.

The man did not forget to replace the fake one, but instead of giving it back to He Kao, he put it next to the pillow.

The next day, He Kao woke up and touched his chest as usual, but found that the pendant was gone. He looked around and saw that the pendant had fallen beside his pillow. He picked it up and put it on - he didn't suspect anything at all!

Why is it an incomplete statistic? Because He Kao was not always in Qian Guran's sight, and Qian Guran left after a month, pretending nothing happened.

Why did he leave? Because he was a little scared after what he saw. His colleagues were all coming and going, and he didn't want to get into a collision and expose him. It was better to stay away. Qian was certainly modest. After observing for so long, he didn't dare to think that he was better than all the other colleagues who came after him. There must be some whose magic level was higher than his.

He just had the first-mover advantage, responded quickly to relevant clues, conducted timely investigation and analysis, and locked on He Kao, so he was the first to take action - this is luck!
The first clue that caught Qian Guran's attention was not the Zhou Du case twenty years ago, as he had never heard of it before; nor was it the strange incident of apples turning into oranges in Gao Xue'e's house, as that happened after he had set his sights on He Kao.

The story all began with a piece of social news three months ago, when the police released a notice about a case of artwork swapping.

The suspect is Zhang Yanfei, the dean of the Nanhua Academy of Fine Arts. Dean Zhang used his professional skills and position to swap many precious paintings in the library of the Nanhua Academy of Fine Arts.

Qian Guran had also heard of Zhang Yanfei, knowing that he was a practitioner of the Ruwei School, and was probably a "poet" or "appraiser." The first level of Ruwei was commonly known as an "imitator," the second as a "poet," and the third as an "appraiser."

Dean Zhang's specific practice was to replace the real ones with his own forgeries. Over a period of several years, he stole dozens of precious ancient paintings and works by famous artists from the museum's collection. Most of the works were transferred to overseas auctions, and he illegally earned more than 80 million yuan.

After the incident, the police confiscated several authentic famous paintings that were still in the hands of Dean Zhang, but many works have not yet been recovered.

This case spanned a long period of time, involved a large amount of money, and was complex. The police investigation should have taken a long time, but the final notice was very brief and contained basically the above content.

Qian Guran happened to see this news at the time, and it immediately brought back an old memory. Two years ago, there was an art exhibition themed around traditional mystical culture, featuring artworks from collectors and individuals across the country.

This was a touring exhibition, showing in more than a dozen cities in the East, with Qiyuan as its final stop. At the time, a painting titled "Tan Xian Leaning on a Cane" had caught the attention of the jianghu community.

The immortal Tan in the painting was originally named Tan Jun, who was the founder of the Danding School a thousand years ago. Judging from the signature, the author of the painting is a disciple of Tan Jun, who is also the ancient founder of the Danding School.

Qian Guran also went to the exhibition in Pingjing, the capital of the Eastern Kingdom, and admired the thousand-year-old painting. At that time, he also met a sorcerer from the Danding Sect and jokingly asked him privately if he wanted to take back the ancestor's item.

The other party replied that they had already contacted the collection unit, but the Nanhua Academy of Fine Arts claimed that the piece was a national asset and a precious cultural relic and could not be sold. They simply sent someone to make a copy for me to take back as a souvenir and testimony.

Zhang Yanfei, the dean of Nanhua Academy of Fine Arts, happened to be a practitioner of the Ruwei Sect, and he provided them with many conveniences.

Because of this incident, Qian certainly remembered the name Zhang Yanfei, and also remembered the collection unit of this painting, the Library of Nanhua Academy of Fine Arts.

When it comes to cultural relics, many people first think of museums and private collectors. In fact, many university libraries also have a large collection of cultural relics, including ancient books, authentic works of famous artists, documentary artworks, etc.

Later, Qian Guran passed by Qiyuan on business and happened to see the exhibition near the hotel. He went in and took another look around. When he saw the painting "Tan Xian Holding a Cane", he was dumbfounded.

This wasn't the original painting he'd seen in Pingjing; it had been replaced with a fake. He estimated it was most likely the work of the alchemists from the Danding Sect, but such things could only be done, not spoken of.

Qian Guran was looking at the painting and complaining, saying that even if he did such a thing, the work should be more beautiful, his hands are too rough!

The aging technique is too crude, probably just a little bit of ginger stain after mounting. More importantly, the copying level is far from perfect, right? If you can't hire a painter, you can hire an artist. If you can't hire an artist, don't just hire a painter!

Is this artist a street poster maker or a corporate artist? By hanging such a fake painting here, are they afraid others won't be able to tell it's fake?
Not to mention the money, several passers-by who were viewing the exhibition were also muttering that this ancient painting did not look like an authentic work, nor did it look like the work of a famous artist. In short, it was very abstract.

Qian Guran had already determined that the Danding Sect was responsible, so he kept silent and stayed out of the matter. Two years later, when he suddenly saw the news again, Qian Guran suddenly realized that there was more to the story and he inquired about the inside story.

Dean Zhang was exposed precisely because of that exhibition and that painting. When it was on display at Qiyuan, many visitors pointed out that it was a crude modern imitation, a mockery of the audience's appreciation!

The organizers of the exhibition soon discovered the problem. The paintings had been swapped, so they called the police. However, the case remained confusing.

This is in an exhibition with strict security measures. There is no chance to take action during the day. After the exhibition closes at night, no one can touch the exhibit. There is no clue in the surveillance.

The organizers of the exhibition insisted that the Qiyuan was an authentic work when it was on display. Judging from the recollections of eyewitnesses who visited the site, it was probably swapped on the last day before the exhibition was withdrawn.

In this case, the organizer responsible for security at the Qiyuan site should be held responsible.

But the organizers can't admit it. There is no evidence to show that there were any loopholes in their security, so they insist that the original exhibits were fakes.

Exhibitions like this are all insured, but the insurance company is unwilling to acknowledge this and insists that the paintings are fakes. At least this possibility cannot be ruled out, and it is recommended that the police also investigate in this direction.

This investigation was disastrous. It turned out that many ancient paintings and authentic works of famous artists collected in the library of Nanhua Academy of Fine Arts had been replaced with fakes, so Dean Zhang was dug out.

It takes a long time to solve such a major case, so the police did not make a public announcement until two years later.

Dean Zhang was also wronged. According to his confession to the police, he did replace the "Tan Xian Holding a Cane", but the fake that was seen through by passers-by at the scene was not from his hand at all. It was replaced again and was a fake of a fake!

If you were to tell the truth, what Qian Guran saw in Pingjing was a fake forged by Zhang Yanfei, but his technique was so clever that it was not discovered. But later it was replaced by someone else... This is the logical truth.

Zhang Yanfei's testimony was dismissed, but its acceptance or rejection had no bearing on the judge's conviction. Several authentic works of art he swapped have yet to be recovered, including the painting "Tan Xian Leaning on a Cane," whose whereabouts remain unknown.

Qian was indeed an eyewitness to the case. After inquiring about the inside story, there was one question that he could not figure out: how did the fake painting on display get replaced?

It is certain that the incident occurred on the last day of Qiyuan's exhibition, but based on the situation at the scene, it is impossible to explain who did it and how.

This was a truly paranormal event! Ultimately, the only explanation was that the artwork submitted was a fake. This cleared the exhibitor, organizer, and insurer of any responsibility, and the police cracked the case.

Thinking back, Qian Guran also believed that using such a crude forgery as a substitution could not possibly be the work of the Danding Sect. Somewhere in his mind, a chord was struck, and he suddenly remembered the records of the hidden moth in the sect's texts.

So he continued to investigate and found clues that the hidden moth had appeared in Qiyuan in recent years, including the Zhou Du case twenty years ago.

Through the Zhou Du case, he naturally locked onto He Kao... It seems that there is a divine will in the dark. In fact, he was inspired by the substitution case when he thought of using the substitution plan.

He Kaoke had no idea that Qian Guran had such rich experiences and inner thoughts. The animal claw pendant he wore on his chest had been swapped six times in total, but he knew nothing about it.

**
(End of this chapter)