Hidden Moth-Chapter 279 - 152: Lies, Falsehoods, and the Search for Truth

"Anyway, you can make up any story you want, as long as you pin the Joint Punishment Order on you."

Wu Yanjun: "Why, why are they targeting me like this? I’m not a big figure..."

He Kao: "Maybe you’re connected to something or someone important."

Wu Yanjun: "The most prominent person I know in the Magic Sect is my Uncle Ye Hui."

He Kao: "What about something important?"

Wu Yanjun: "I apprenticed in a detention center, and my master passed away before I was released; what important stuff could there be?"

He Kao: "Do you remember the affair with Tan Xian’s Walking Stick Painting?"

Wu Yanjun: "Of course I remember, I was the one who told you! The genuine article was taken by the Alchemy Sect long ago, and even the replica my master made was mysteriously swapped out during the exhibition... Later, it was suspected to have been the work of the Hidden Moth."

The story of Tan Xian’s Walking Stick Painting, looking back now, is increasingly bizarre, with three versions.

The first version was provided by Qian Guran.

Three years ago, during the nationwide tour themed "Mysterious Ancient Culture of the Eastern Country," a Tan Xian’s Walking Stick Painting from Nanhua Academy of Fine Arts was exhibited in Pingjing as the genuine article and was still genuine at the first display in Qi Yuan.

But on the last day of the Qi Yuan exhibition, it was inexplicably replaced with a clumsy replica. The exhibition and insurance companies didn’t want to acknowledge this and could only claim the work was a fake when it was sent for exhibition.

The police stepped in to investigate, which uncovered another major case. Multiple authentic ancient paintings in Nanhua Academy of Fine Arts’ collection had been swapped for fakes, and some had even appeared in overseas auctions, involving enormous sums of money.

The biggest suspect was Zhang Yanfei, who was the former curator and current dean, and he ended up in jail...

This was Qian Guran’s version of the story, as he had seen the painting in Pingjing, and as a Tier Three Zongheng Scholar, Old Qian couldn’t tell it was fake.

In other words, Old Qian believed the exhibited piece was genuine until it was swapped on the last day.

The second version was narrated by Wu Yanjun himself.

Nanhua Academy of Fine Arts indeed sent a fake for the exhibition, crafted by Zhang Yanfei, and the genuine one had been swapped out years earlier.

Zhang Yanfei had discovered the Tan Xian’s Walking Stick Painting in the collection and kindly informed the Alchemy Sect, even offering to make a replica for them to take back as a memento.

The Alchemy Sect sent many people, bringing numerous precious ancient painting and calligraphy materials, demanding that Zhang Yanfei create a replica to remain at the Academy while they took the original.

Wu Yanjun was unsure how the negotiations unfolded, but in the end, Zhang Yanfei had to agree. So, the Tan Xian’s Walking Stick Painting sent for exhibition was the replica by Zhang Yanfei.

The person handling this matter for the Alchemy Sect was Steward Wan Zhongle.

Due to Zhang Yanfei’s high skill level and the use of materials matching the genuine piece, even a master like Qian Guran couldn’t spot any flaws... but an unexpected incident occurred during the exhibition.

With just the painting, there might have been more to discuss, but it led to other issues, leaving Zhang Yanfei with no way to defend himself.

This was what Wu Yanjun had told He Kao, but He Kao himself had a third version.

On the last day of the Qi Yuan exhibition, Tan Xian’s Walking Stick Painting was indeed stolen. The perpetrator was the Hidden Moth at the time, a Tengxin Group’s gold medal AI artist, and skilled at depicting various two-dimensional ladies, Huang Xiaopang.

He Kao could guess why Huang Xiaopang took the painting; because standing in front of it, it felt as though Tan the Immortal in the painting was watching, rendering the Invisibility Ability unusable.

He Kao could conclude that Nanhua Academy of Fine Arts indeed sent the genuine item for exhibition. Zhang Yanfei never handed the genuine piece to the Alchemy Sect, instead using a bait-and-switch move.

Zhang Yanfei did create a convincing replica, which he gave to the Alchemy Sect, and Wan Zhongle and his associates failed to notice! In terms of expertise, Zhang Yanfei far surpassed Wan Zhongle.

The genuine piece remained in Nanhua Academy of Fine Arts, only to be stolen by the Hidden Moth during a later exhibition, leading to numerous complications. The genuine piece is now in He Kao’s possession, stored in the Gu Mountain Secret Mansion.

Of course, He Kao couldn’t directly tell Wu Yanjun the truth of this last version; he mused, "I’m currently wondering about something. Your master’s cultivation back then may not have been just a Tier Two Scholar, perhaps he had already broken through to Tier Three Appraiser."

In the Micro Realm Sect, a Tier One is called an Imitator, capable of observing the details of various objects.

A Tier Two, called a Calligrapher, can not only observe but also reproduce the findings, achieving a level where body control matches sensory input.

As for a Tier Three Appraiser, it’s akin to a humanoid 3D scanner, mastering Divine Sense, with a clear Primordial Spirit capable of replicating an object within, achieving a flawless level of detail.

Only then can the applied techniques of the Micro Realm Sect’s Artifact Identification Skill be fully mastered.

To use a replica to fool Wan Zhongle, although there are professional factors involved, Zhang Yanfei must have been at least a Tier Three Appraiser. He might have broken through to Tier Three by successfully replicating this piece.

Wan Zhongle was a Tier Five Sorcerer, and trying to deceive him with a replica required flawless details down to material characteristics. He Kao, already knowing the truth, formulated this hypothesis.

Wu Yanjun opened his mouth wide, "Ah, why would my master do such a thing?"

He Kao: "If someone wanted to harm you, and you didn’t know what tactics they might use, wouldn’t you keep a card up your sleeve and not reveal all your strengths?"