Hidden Moth-Chapter 440 - 249: Constant Virtue Remains in the Taste of Tea
As the saying goes, "A teacher opens the door, but cultivation depends on the individual." Although others can practice the same Sword Control Skill, it’s hard for them to achieve the accomplishments of Mei Guyu. Everyone must find the path that suits them best.
Take He Kao, for example; he has a special connection with the Crane-shaped Sword. If he combines it with the Moth Wings’ utility, it could lead to a different kind of change. He is inevitably tempted, but he definitely can’t practice it within his own yard.
The best place to train, of course, is the Floating Colors Grotto Heaven. If it were an ordinary day, he might have turned around and gone there. However, having just been reprimanded by Elder Li and at such a sensitive time, he restrains himself.
Entering the Grotto Heaven would sever his connection with the outside world, leaving him unable to react to any situations. More importantly, he has only just begun to understand the Sword Form and must practice it proficiently before considering anything else.
On the first day of learning, attempting to perform some Crane Form Sword Control with the Moth Wings is akin to trying to play basketball before learning to walk.
He practiced for about an hour, familiarizing himself with the Entry Level Sword Form, which wasn’t too difficult given his current cultivation. He broke out in a light sweat, and some unknown restlessness in his chest seemed to ease quite a bit.
After taking a shower and changing his clothes, He Kao sat down in the main room to drink tea. He seldom had such a calm moment to slowly drink tea, possibly due to the pace of life and work, which left no time to form this habit.
Yet, several masters he knew seemed to enjoy this, appearing very calm and composed. Today, in imitation of those masters, he felt like he somewhat resembled them, though only just barely.
Without chatting or browsing his phone, he simply sat at the table, sipping tea now and then. There was a thermos for refilling water nearby and a coaster on the table, but he didn’t place the cup on it.
The coaster was bamboo, shaped like a lotus leaf, and didn’t touch the table surface. There was less than half a millimeter’s gap between the bottom and the table, so it was suspended in air, though it was hard to tell.
With He Kao’s Object Manipulation Skill, lifting a coaster in the air was easy, but keeping it steady for long was challenging. Any slight disruption in control would cause the coaster to touch the table, making a faint sound.
Every time he heard that sound, it felt as if Elder Li was whispering in his ear, "See, your willpower is still lacking!"
He Kao wasn’t staring at the coaster but made a casual pretense as he drank tea. Nevertheless, the tea-drinking felt somewhat unnatural, giving a vague impression of formality.
Any form of magic requires a state of clear mindfulness, termed "Zhi Chang," meaning one can focus at any moment. Otherwise, in magical combat, would one need to ask their opponent to wait, sit down, focus, and then perform techniques?
Drinking tea and refilling water didn’t affect his Object Manipulation. When holding the teacup with no extraneous movements, the coaster usually stayed steady. However, when he stood up to refill water, he often heard the sound.
Apart from occasionally hearing two sounds, the coaster mostly maintained its steady state.
He Kao drank tea for about another hour until the coaster finally fell back to the table. The so-called willpower is a hard-to-describe concept, but Elder Li taught him a very straightforward way to measure it.
The reason for the coaster falling could be multiple: mana depletion, divine thought fatigue, etc. However, as long as the coaster fell, it indicated insufficient willpower.
The tea was repeatedly refilled and ended up quite bland, but He Kao never tasted anything from it. When he returned to his senses, he realized something: even drinking water can fill one up. He rushed to the bathroom.
While in the restroom, he checked his phone and happened to see a message from Gao Xue’e, asking about his work progress today. It seemed very normal; when he checked the time, it was already 10:30 PM.
If someone else had witnessed this, they would definitely complain that this manager is hard to please. He Kao thought it over and replied, "Don’t worry, boss, I’ll be done soon."
After confirming that he wasn’t being monitored, he went up to the third floor. He’d recently taken some time to do some renovations on his house, focusing mainly on the largest room in the southeast corner of the third floor.
He put up wallpaper, installed a marble window sill, and especially laid down teak floors, which cost him a lot. They were made from recycled old ship planks. Before investing in the Huishiming Brand, his finances were relatively ample.
There were windows on both the east and south walls, and the door was in the northwest corner of the room. The north wall was lined with a mirror wall, giving it the appearance of a practice or dance room. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞
The west side was lined with cabinets occupying the entire wall. He Kao reached out and opened two cabinets like double doors, revealing a wallpapered wall. With another push, a heavy secret door appeared.
Behind the secret door was a secret room. When his grandfather built the house, he specifically left this space, and now He Kao had completely turned it into a secret room.
The walls, floor, and ceiling of the secret room were all lined with special materials that could obscure Divine Sense. These spiritual materials were originally used by Bitter Tea to create an underground secret chamber and were mined from a cave guarded by Gao Chenshu.
After eliminating Gao Chenshu, He Kao sealed the cave but could still enter using the Invisibility Ability, and he privately collected a batch of materials to construct the secret room.
In fact, many people knew his old house had such a space. Last year, during a certain period, many came to check it out, including Qian Guran.
