Hidden moth

Chapter 158: See the Picture and See Immortal Tan

After leaving the Zongfa Hall, Qi Nansheng practiced in seclusion in Taihua Mountain. It is said that he is also expected to break through to the seventh-level great pharmacist.

However, such rumors may not be very reliable, because the breakthrough in cultivation is not a continuous process, but a critical state. Certain hurdles cannot be passed, and once they are passed, the results are unknown.

For example, Jiang Daozhen did take that step back then, and it seemed like he could break through at any moment, but he waited for twenty-three years. Only in that critical state could he be said to have a chance of breaking through to the seventh level.

Mei Guyu might be in a similar state, but Qi Nansheng might not be... This is not the point, it's just some gossip that Old Man Jiang casually interjected when he was telling the whole story.

The so-called seclusion does not mean finding a cave to hide away from people, but living in a villa with a quiet mountain view.

That villa complex project was developed by Danding Sect and designed by disciples of Shu Sect. It blends in with the natural environment, but its geographical location is not remote. Not only can express delivery be delivered directly, but you can also order takeout, but it requires a transfer at the service desk.

During the Spring Festival this year, Wan Zhongle went to pay New Year's greetings to his senior Qi Nansheng again. In addition to the usual New Year gifts, he also brought the painting "Tan Xian Holding a Cane", which he got from Zhang Yanfei.

Of course, this picture was not given to Qi Nansheng. It belonged to the sect. After it was brought back, it was kept in the Xianhu Cave.

But in the second half of last year, trouble broke out in Qiyuan, and many things were revealed and had to be re-examined... As expected, the top leaders of Dandingmen also suspected that the painting they had taken back was not the real thing.

Normally, the most important thing about a painting like that should be its symbolic value. After all, it was created by the founder, and the person in the painting is also one of the most important founders in the history of Danding Sect, Tan Jun, who is said to have reached the heavens in terms of cultivation.

But after so long since it was brought back, the senior members of the Danding Sect still haven't figured out what other mysteries this painting has? It's as if it's just an ancient artifact with superb painting skills, which everyone feels shouldn't be the case.

Once this thing is placed in the sect's ancestral hall, it cannot be easily taken away. Wan Zhongle took it out to show Qi Nansheng under the pretext of asking a senior to identify it.

Qi Nansheng studied the painting carefully for a long time and concluded that it was a replica rather than an original.

According to Qi Nansheng, Danding Sect has a long tradition of this painting. This painting is truly a magical artifact, so what is its magical purpose? It is said that "seeing the painting is like seeing the immortal Tan."

Although the image of Tan Xianren in their paintings is lifelike, it is definitely not what the ancestors of all generations called "as if seeing the person".

Mei Guyu had actually seen this painting before, and she had only said, "So this thing really exists, but it's a shame it's not as good as the rumors say."

Why did she say this? Because no one in the Danding Sect had ever seen this painting in the past thousand years; it was only a rumor.

Any gossip that circulates through the village would probably have long since changed beyond recognition, let alone a story that has been circulating for a thousand years. So it is normal for rumors to differ from the facts.

For example, if you take the exam, you won’t get a whole box of gold bars.

But no matter what, this painting is still of commemorative significance, so let's collect it in the Ancestral Hall for future generations to admire... Mei Guyu was in seclusion in the Fairy Pot Cave just for cultivation, and he didn't have much interest in worrying about this matter.

But when it came to Qi Nansheng, the former elder had a different opinion. He first judged the painting to be a forgery, then believed that there was another authentic one, and then he thought that the authentic one might be as mysterious as the legend said.

The old man also explained it.

Rural rumors are not trustworthy, but the legend of "The Picture of Tan Xian Holding a Cane" has been passed down from generation to generation in the Danding Sect, and some of the statements are only understood by the elders of the past generations.

This cannot be simply regarded as a legend, but rather a kind of knowledge inheritance.

If you see a replica, it means there must be an authentic one, because although this painting is a replica, the content in the painting is not fabricated and the copier cannot fabricate it.

Since the authentic work exists, it is very likely that it has the legendary magic - seeing the painting is like seeing the immortal Tan!

Qi Nansheng did not say this to Wan Zhongle, but to his close disciple Yu Pingzhou after Wan Zhongle left.

Yu Pingzhou was Qi Nansheng's direct disciple. When Qi Nansheng was the elder of the clan's law hall, he served as the deacon of Dandingmen, responsible for helping his master manage the affairs of the sect.

For some things, Qi Nansheng only needs to give instructions, without having to tell him how to do it specifically, and Yu Pingzhou will find a way to complete it.

After Qi Nansheng left office, Yu Pingzhou also resigned from his position as deacon and followed his master to Taihua Mountain to practice diligently while taking care of his master's daily life.

Yu Pingzhou is already a fifth-level pharmacist, but it is probably still difficult for him to break through to the sixth-level pharmacist level.

Meanwhile, Qi Nansheng had been a sixth-rank pharmacist for years, yet he hadn't been able to break through to the seventh-rank Grand Pharmacist level. He seemed to see a glimpse of a path, but he felt that if he truly took that step, his entire cultivation would be wasted.

He had also heard about Jiang Daozhen's situation. Elder Jiang was in a critical state, trapped for twenty-three years. It was extremely dangerous...

But Elder Jiang finally completed his practice recently and broke through to the seventh level, which touched and stimulated Qi Nansheng.

Qi Nansheng is nearly a hundred years old. Although he looks young and has no health problems, his life span is running out... He also wants to achieve immortality and ascend to heaven.

Among the eight major schools of magic in ancient times, especially the founders of the Danding School, all practiced with the goal of immortality and ascending to heaven. Even if they could not achieve their wish in the end, being able to see the scenery along the way would make their life worthwhile.

Tan Jun, the immortal Tan, is said to have ascended to heaven and become an immortal!

In the eyes of outsiders, Qi Nansheng's cultivation is already very high, but he himself knows that he is still far from the achievements achieved by his ancestors. Unfortunately, in today's world, there is no one who can guide him anymore.

So after seeing the imitation of "Tan Xian Holding a Cane", he made some inferences and analysis and came to the conclusion that the real one should be there. Thinking of the legendary magic of this painting, he couldn't help but have another idea.

Seeing the picture is like seeing Immortal Tan. So, can we get guidance from Immortal Tan and improve our cultivation... or even achieve immortality and ascend to heaven?
He did not tell his disciple Yu Pingzhou about this idea, but only told Yu Pingzhou to try to find the authentic one. As for how to find the authentic one, Qi Nansheng did not say.

In fact, Yu Pingzhou himself was also tempted without his master's instructions.

Yu Pingzhou re-investigated the Zhang Yanfei case, but unfortunately Zhang Yanfei was dead and many clues were lost, so he set his sights on Wu Yanjun because Wu Yanjun was indeed suspicious.

Under normal circumstances, who would accept disciples in a place like a detention center? Forget about selecting disciples for a martial arts sect. Even if it was an administrative agency recruiting civil servants, wouldn't the people there pass the political review?
But Zhang Yanfei had no choice but to accept a disciple, perhaps intending to make arrangements for his future. So what would he leave behind? The Danding Sect had taken back a forged painting, and the only person who knew the truth was probably Wu Yanjun.

Those who work in large organizations are familiar with the term business outsourcing. Yu Pingzhou is obviously an expert at this, so he found Zeng Hongye, a rising star in Xingshenmen.

The two had dealt with each other before and had a good relationship. They had helped each other a lot and shared secrets. Therefore, Yu Pingzhou was relatively confident in Zeng Hongye's work. He also knew that Zeng Hongye was very capable... The Zongfa Hall had already apprehended Yu Pingzhou and the investigation results had been released.

The two of them were talking about this over a voice call. Although He Kao couldn't see Elder Jiang's expression, he could feel that the old man seemed very worried. He couldn't help but ask, "Uncle Jiang, your tone is a little off."

Jiang Daozhen: "My tooth hurts!"

He Kao: "With your cultivation level, you should have been free from all diseases long ago. Why do you still have a toothache?"

Jiang Daozhen: "You are only at the third level of cultivation. You should practice well before you break through to the fourth level. You must keep a low profile and stay quiet!"

Jiang Daozhen is indeed very optimistic about He Kao and is also training him carefully, hoping to restore the Yin E lineage of the Shu Sect in the future, but he has no intention of forcing things to happen, as many things cannot be rushed.

Less than half a year after entering the sect, He Kao had already broken through to the third level of cultivation. This was certainly due to the foundation he had laid in previous years, but his progress was already quite rapid. Jiang Daozhen had nothing to be dissatisfied with.

But what had He Kao done? Before he even broke through to the third level, he had already overthrown the Huiming Shi family. And just after breaking through to the third level, he brought up this recent incident, even involving the Supreme Elder.

The former elder who left the clan hall to practice seclusion was the supreme elder, wasn’t he?

Although this is what Jiang Daozhen hopes He Kao will do in the future, he doesn't expect him to do it now.

Each time, the situation was far beyond the control of He Kao himself, and the elders of the clan hall had to take collective action.

When this kid breaks through to the fourth level of cultivation, won't he have to poke the gods in heaven? By then, I'm afraid even the elders of the clan law hall won't be able to deal with it - Jiang Daozhen had such an absurd idea for no reason.

Among the thousands of disciples officially enrolled in the sect, who could be as reckless as He Kao? It wasn't that He Kao shouldn't do this, but since his cultivation was still weak, he had to keep a low profile and first of all, pay attention to protecting himself.

He Kao: "I went on a road trip during the Chinese New Year, and I went to a cold and deserted place. Isn't that low-key enough?

Apart from visiting my uncle and second uncle, I didn't do anything else, but I ended up encountering trouble in the deep mountains of Maoro Country. Can you blame me for this?
Now that I've encountered it, can I just ignore it?"

Old Man Jiang sighed: "I didn't say you did anything wrong, but you must be quiet for the next period of time."

After the call ended, He Kao quickly arrived at the Gushan Secret Residence. He had no say in how the clan law hall would investigate and deal with the case, but he was quite interested in what Old Man Jiang had said.

The picture of Tan Xian holding a staff, seeing the picture is like seeing Tan Xian himself!
He had now transformed the Gushan Secret Residence into a small doomsday survival base. This cavern deep within the mountain wasn't the largest of the caves, being about the size of a basketball court and seven or eight meters high.

However, it is the place with the best environment and the most comfortable environment among the complexly structured caves, and its structure is also the most stable.

He Kao had leveled the ground in the center of the cave hall, near the flattest part of the wall, and laid teak floors. He didn't cut the wood himself, but recycled materials from old ships.

There are shelves and cabinets here, which store a lot of supplies. He Kao's treasures are also collected here. In addition, it is equipped with a full set of furniture and various tools and supplies.

If there was electricity, He Kao would probably want to buy a full set of household appliances.

He had just built a diesel generator and placed it in a nearby, elevated tunnel to prevent odors from seeping in. The most commonly used electrical appliance was the camping lantern, which could be charged via a mains outlet or taken out to use solar power.

In short, He Kao built this secret base with great care, and the process was very enjoyable, just like playing a real game.

Otherwise, He Kao wouldn't be able to get all the supplies whenever he went out. He spent a lot of money on purchasing these things. Just the professional equipment for outdoor exploration in different environments was quite expensive.

So when he told Lin Qingshuang that he didn't have much cash on hand, it was the truth.

He didn't spend any money on some treasures, such as a tiger skin and a tiger bone he recently collected, which he had processed for preservation. These were things Zeng Hongye and Xiao Si had left in the mountains of Maoluo Country, and he had picked them up.

The temperature of this cave hall is kept at 18 degrees Celsius all year round, and the humidity is also very stable and appropriate, which can almost reach the standard of a museum warehouse.

The cave hall is connected to three passages. At the entrance of an upward passage, He Kao also built a large stove, an old-fashioned stove with a chimney that can burn firewood. It cleverly utilizes the cave structure and prevents smoke from coming into the cave hall.

But He Kao built the stove just for fun and rarely used it on weekdays. Even if he occasionally heated something in the cave hall, a camping stove would be enough.

Arriving in the cave hall, He Kao lit the camping lantern. Although he could clearly perceive external objects in the dark, he still needed lighting to observe all the details of a painting.

He Kao had this painting for quite some time and often took it out to observe and study it. Apart from the fact that it could not activate the ability to hide in front of the people in the painting, it was also made of a special material, and he had not discovered any other mysteries.

He had already mastered the basic uses of the Yin'e Sha and the Earth Spirit Banner, but no matter how he fiddled with the painting, there was no response.

This painting, "Tan Xian Leaning on a Cane," must be the authentic one. Zhang Yanfei also died in an unclear manner. But why would Zhang Yanfei risk his life to preserve the authentic painting?
Since the original was preserved, why send it to the exhibition? Zhang Yanfei could have made a replica that was indistinguishable from the original, so he could have made a second one and sent the replica to the exhibition. It made no sense to send the original!

There must be a reason for abnormal things. I guess Zhang Yanfei has studied "Tan Xian Holding a Cane" for a long time but still can't get it right, so he wants to try a different approach and send it to an exhibition to see if it can undergo any other changes when viewed by everyone.
Why can't I decipher the mystery of this painting? Is it because my cultivation level is insufficient? The Danding Sect has said for generations that seeing the painting is like seeing the Immortal Tan, but that doesn't seem to be the case.
Seeing the picture is like seeing the person, He Kao suddenly thought of something.

Perhaps the key to this sentence is not whether or not one can see the person in the picture, but what the person who sees the picture should do. Remember, Immortal Tan is the founder of the Danding Sect. Wouldn't his disciples kowtow to him when they see him?

He gave it a try when he thought of it. There was a concave part on the stone wall on one side of the cave hall, like a naturally formed shrine. He hung the "Tan Xian Holding a Cane" there and then kowtowed to it.

His head was banging against the wall, but the picture didn't change at all. Tan Jun in the picture was just looking at him meaningfully.

Is this not acceptable? Think about it again: what would happen if this painting was placed in the sect's ancestral hall? Either it would be treasured in a storeroom, or according to ancient tradition... it would have to be hung up and offered as a sacrifice!
How to offer sacrifices to the ancestors? He Kao couldn't help but think of the ancestor worship ceremony of the Shu sect.

After breaking through the fourth level of cultivation, one needs to go to the sect's ancestral hall to undergo the second inheritance ceremony. One of the steps is to worship the ancestor according to ancient rituals.

This ceremony was presided over by the elders, and the disciples did not know the specific content in advance.

However, as the current head of the Yin'e Sect, He Kao had already passed on many of the techniques to Old Man Jiang through his divine mind seals. The contents of the secondary inheritance ceremony were also included in the complete inheritance of the six major sects.

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(End of this chapter)