Hidden moth

Chapter 252: Meeting People with Excitement and Forgetting Thoughts
This is the company's parking lot. A middle-aged man is standing next to He Kao's car, as if waiting for someone.

He Kao had actually seen this person before. He recalled that he had just realized the magical power of traveling with his soul, so he went to the old Qiyuan Railway Station and met a strange sorcerer in a fast food restaurant. He also told Li Xiuyuan about this situation.

Apart from the tasks assigned by the Zongfa Hall, any sorcerers who appeared in Qiyuan without permission during this period were suspicious, but they were just suspicious.

Whether traveling, visiting relatives, looking for a job, or even just wandering around aimlessly, entering and leaving Qiyuan is not against the law, and no one can do anything to people because of it... But this person's behavior today is obviously unusual.

Before He Kao could say anything, the man had already seen him and quickly came over to him and asked, "Excuse me, are you Fellow Daoist He Kao?"

The other party was actually looking for him, but the term "Daoyou" was a bit strange. Nowadays, the order of seniority in the martial arts sects is actually very clear, and only the wandering people in the martial arts world with unclear order of seniority would address each other like this.

He Kao asked with some confusion: "It's me, may I ask who you are?" While speaking, his consciousness had already let go of the ruler, because he felt that the other party had no ill intentions, but he was a little nervous.

The man extended his hands and said, "Nice to meet you! Nice to meet you! My name is Zhang Jingui, a fourth-level sorcerer and a wanderer in the martial arts world."

The newcomer was indeed a wandering cultivator. He Kao had once been very sensitive to wandering cultivators, but after meeting Chang Anju in Sawa, he had gradually lost his sensitivity. There were so many wandering cultivators in the world, and their uniqueness lay in the word "wandering." It was impossible for all of them to be Fabre's group.

This person dared to show up in public and greet him like this, so at least he didn't mean to fight. He Kao also extended his hand and shook it, saying, "What do you want from me?"

Zhang Jingui: "It's rare to meet a fellow cultivator. I've heard of your great name. Could I have a moment to speak?"

Shaking hands is a basic etiquette, and usually the hands are shaken off after a while. If two grown men keep holding hands, it will seem a bit awkward.

Zhang Jingui's right hand was still clenched, but He Kao didn't find it unnatural. When he heard what he was saying, he subconsciously asked, "Where are you going?"

Zhang Jingui: "I have already booked a restaurant nearby. Let's eat and talk. I have a lot to ask you."

As he spoke, he took He Kao's hand and was about to walk out, but He Kao said, "Is it far? Let me drive!"

Zhang Jingui: "Not far, just a few steps."

But He Kao subconsciously wanted to drive, because even if the restaurant was not far away, he would have to come back to get the car after eating, so it would be more convenient to park the car in front of the restaurant.

Now the two of them were moving in the wrong direction, and their hands loosened as soon as they were pulled. He Kao suddenly realized how could he be so "obedient" and completely defenseless!
A strange sorcerer said he wanted to treat him to a meal, and he immediately planned to go with him. He would do whatever the sorcerer said. What if the sorcerer wanted to lure him somewhere to do something bad?

There are ways to curb hostility in this world. Even if Zhang Jingui has no hostility, he might have companions with ulterior motives... In short, he shouldn't have reacted like this.

At this time he also realized that the other party was indeed a high-level sorcerer, and was practicing the art of raising gods.

Each technique possesses unique and mysterious abilities. For example, when the Hidden Moth Technique is mastered to a high level, one can actually comprehend the primordial spirit's journey. From the very beginning, the techniques that practitioners of the Xingshen Sect excel at are essentially about reading expressions and understanding people's minds.

They also practice techniques similar to "synesthesia", which allows them to feel people's various emotions and desires, similar to the "telepathy" mentioned in Buddhism, but not as exaggerated as the telepathy described in Buddhist scriptures.

He Kao also had a kind of innate "telepathy" instinct, the ability to sense whether someone had ill intentions towards him. It was hard to explain, it seemed like a kind of intuition, related to his childhood experiences.

His beast claw pendant not only calms the mind but also has the function of detecting malicious intent. "Malice detection" is actually the magical power of the Xingshen Sect, and he has been wearing it on his body for more than 20 years since he was three years old.

The beast claw pendant was created by three masters, including Li Xiuyuan, the elder of Xingshen Sect.

Although the low-level sorcerers of Xingshen Sect are good at prying into people's hearts, their cultivation is limited. They can only "sense" but not "control". In order to achieve a certain goal, they usually use means to cater to the people's preferences and take advantage of the situation.

If it is changed to a derogatory term, it can also mean sweet-talking and misleading people.

It is different for the high-level sorcerers of Xingshen Sect. The magical powers they have comprehended are difficult to explain in a few words. They can be roughly compared to some kind of instant hypnosis method. There is a very low-end name called "flower-slapping technique", and a very high-end name - the technique of granting every wish.

"I will answer any request. Doesn't it sound like a great power only Bodhisattvas possess?" This is actually the opposite of what I meant. It actually means "I will ask, and they will answer."

Take this scene for example, Zhang Jingui wanted to take He Kao out for dinner, and He Kao actually agreed... Not only can they see into people's hearts, but in a sense they can also control their hearts.

A fourth-level sorcerer of the Xingshen Sect, nicknamed "Hua Zi," is essentially a beggar. A beggar stands on the street and asks strangers for money, expecting them to give. This nickname alludes to his magical powers. Li Xiuyuan, already a sixth-level illusionist, is often jokingly called "Li Hua Zi" by Jiang Daozhen.

The so-called art of granting whatever you ask for is not complicated. It cannot control people's hearts out of thin air, but rather utilizes and amplifies a person's existing emotions, replacing the subconscious and thus affecting people's behavior and judgment.

For example, when people are in corresponding situations, they will inevitably develop fear, greed, luck, vanity, competitiveness, lust, etc. Few people's minds are intact, and as long as there is a gap, a door may be pried open.

Of course, the art of raising gods does not always succeed. It depends on each person's determination and self-reflection ability.

So what were He Kao's flaws just now?
He seemed to be very alert, and when he found the strange sorcerer, he used his spiritual sense to grasp the steel ruler, but in fact he was not afraid or nervous. Instead, he felt a little numb because he knew that there were masters of the sorcery watching here, and he did not realize that the other party was hostile.

Zhang Jingui didn't know why he had this mentality, but he sensed and magnified his numbness in time.

More importantly, Zhang Jingui exploited and amplified He Kao's curiosity, allowing it to replace his subconscious. In this scenario, He Kao's primary thought must have been: who was looking for him and what did he want?

Then Zhang Jingui let him stay in a state of intense curiosity and forget about everything else, and used the opportunity to talk about things, but He Kao accidentally fell into the trap and behaved like a fool.

Why did Zhang Jingui initiate the handshake and then hold onto it? Because the "Flower-Paoing Technique" also requires appropriate and skillful physical contact, which allows for faster casting and more subtle fluctuations in spiritual energy and magical power.

But He Kao wasn't so easy to control, and he came to his senses after accidentally pulling his hand away. Although he hadn't specifically practiced the Xingshen technique, he had inherited it and understood its methods.

In fact, He Kao had dealt with many Xingshenmen sorcerers, including Peng Xian, the former boss of Jinxing Media, Zeng Hongye and his apprentice whom he met in the territory of Maoluo last year, and Chang Anju whom he met by chance in Sawa not long ago.

Peng Xian was a second-level angler who was killed by Xiaopang and He Kao at the Happy Valley Amusement Park; Chang Anju was also a second-level angler who posed no threat to He Kao at the time, nor was he his enemy.

Zeng Hongye's situation was unique; he was also a fourth-rank Huazi. He Kao was secretly watching him, not giving Zeng Hongye the opportunity to perform his xingshen technique in person. In the end, he used a poisonous smoke trap to capture Zeng Hongye and his apprentice.

He Kao knew Zeng Hongye's identity and background, and understood his expertise. Wu Yanjun's inexplicable escape should be related to this, but no matter how powerful the "whatever you ask for" technique was, it could not deal with the poisonous smoke.

Today's encounter with Zhang Jingui, whose background is unknown, caught He Kao off guard.

He Kao reacted and took two steps back, his face darkening as he said, "How could someone act like this? Casting a spell to disturb someone's mind the first time they meet!"

Zhang Jingui rubbed his hands awkwardly and said, "Please don't misunderstand me. I don't mean any harm. I'm just nervous about our first meeting. I just hope the communication can go more smoothly... This place always makes me feel uneasy. I get a chill down my spine."

He looked uneasy, and it felt like he was the more nervous one, waiting for He Kao despite himself. It was no wonder, there must be more than one martial arts master lying in ambush nearby, and the atmosphere was definitely not right.

Zhang Jingui's use of the Xingshen technique was likely a subconscious habit. Unsupervised cultivators lacked the supervision and restraint of a sect, so they were prone to developing this "bad habit," employing whatever techniques they mastered.

It should be noted that "wisdom without use" is also a kind of practice, which tests one's concentration... But not to mention the eldest brother, the second brother, the former Huang Xiaopang and the later He Kao, have all made the same mistake to a greater or lesser extent.

At this moment, Li Xiuyuan's laughter suddenly rang out in He Kao's soul. The elder laughed quite happily: "Hahahaha, you kid finally saw the power of Xingshenshu. You almost got abducted!

Have you been practicing the little tricks I taught you these past few days? To be honest, they're also a way to test and avoid being distracted by the Xing Shen technique.

Didn't he want to treat you to a meal? Then go! This is a fool who doesn't understand the situation. What does he want from you? I feel like this fish is not small, maybe we can catch a bigger one.

What's so funny about this? He Kao couldn't help but secretly complain. A wandering Jianghu cultivator who practiced the Xingshen technique, after breaking through to a high level, didn't obey the call of the cave heaven and return to the sect. This wasn't something to be happy about. How could the great headmaster Li still laugh?
But he also listened to the advice and turned to Zhang Jingui and said, "You want to treat me to a meal, right? You've already booked a place. Who else is going to be there with you?"

Zhang Jingui quickly said, "There's no one else here, just me. I just want to find a quiet place to have a good chat with you."

He Kao: "Since you invited me, let me choose the place."

Zhang Jingui: "Okay, okay, okay, you pick the place and you can eat whatever you want!"

He Kao looked into his eyes and said, "Then get in the car and follow me. I'll take you to eat something good."

**
(End of this chapter)