When these messages reached Jin Buhuan’s ears, he knew they had nothing to do with him.
The Jin family redistributed their interests, but he received no benefits whatsoever.
The pressure Jin Buque endured also had nothing to do with him. Even if Jin Buque wasn't the legitimate grandson, it wouldn't be Jin Buhuan’s turn.
In his memory, Jin Buhuan said:
“The only thing I found slightly interesting was having someone who saw me as a competitor.”
“My motivation to Cultivate will be greater.”
“Although this person named Jin is not, and never will be, my opponent.”
In the end, Jin Buhuan’s memory was:
“In the 9779th year of Daoyuan, winter, Elder Li summoned me to leave the Sect and search for mines in the Chifeng Mountain Range. The mission reward was two thousand gold coins. After completing it, I planned to purchase a high-grade Mortal Weapon and a first-grade Medicinal Pill to prepare for the Ghost Head Secret Realm, striving for Silver Liquid Foundation Establishment…”
“However, Elder Li suddenly changed his expression and attacked me. Fortunately, I was prepared. I used all my strength and the trap I had set beforehand to kill him, taking his Medicinal Pills, Magic Treasures, and miscellaneous items. Among them, the Golden Toad waist belt was very strange.”
“I knew that Elder Li’s attack on me was still instigated by Jin Buque. Severely injured, I fled back to the Sect, was treated as the murderer of the Elder, locked in Jail, and even forced to participate in prison fights.”
After reading Jin Buhuan’s memory, Qian Duoduo’s mouth tasted bitter.
“Master, things are bad. Meng Yuan Legion Palace Lord Tang Honggong is Jin Buhuan’s maternal uncle. But I am not Jin Buhuan, I am Qian Duoduo. How about we run?”
Qian Duoduo looked pitifully at Liu Boli.
In his heart, he was indeed somewhat afraid of Jin Buque’s omnipresent and relentless persecution of Jin Buhuan.
“Run?” Liu Boli smiled.
“Where would you run? Can your two legs outrun someone who flies in the sky?”
“Besides, if you run, whether you killed Elder Li or not, it will be considered that you killed him. You won’t be able to explain it clearly.”
He absolutely could not take this blame.
Qian Duoduo stood up, “Running is not suitable. I won’t run. I am Jin Buhuan, and Jin Buhuan is me.”
“Right. Don’t run, why run? You and Jin Buhuan look almost identical. The Formation didn’t detect that you weren’t Jin Buhuan, so your maternal uncle certainly won’t detect it either. If your maternal uncle asks you any questions and you can’t answer, just say you were severely injured and can’t remember.”
Liu Boli’s words gave Qian Duoduo three points of confidence.
He thought, “It has to be Master; the reasons he finds are so reasonable.”
The next day, the prison door opened, and Kang Shenjun, with his sallow skin, stood outside.
Qian Duoduo was a little surprised; normally, Hu Qingyin would come.
“Jin Buhuan, come out with me,” Kang Shenjun said lazily.
Qian Duoduo scrambled up from the ground and walked to his side.
Kang Shenjun covered his nose, “Stay away from me, and follow behind me.” He found Qian Duoduo smelly.
Following Kang Shenjun out, as he passed the Jail gate, Qian Duoduo felt a terrifying energy sweep over him, not even sparing a strand of his hair.
This was the Formation that Old Liu mentioned.
If this energy willed it, it could tear him into pieces in an instant, finer than he could tear a chicken leg.
This time, stepping out of the Jail gate, Qian Duoduo had Spiritual Qi in his body, and only then did he realize that the iron chains outside, flashing with electric light, were actually a large Spiritual Qi net spread outside the Jail. Anyone who dared to escape the net would be instantly killed.
Kang Shenjun walked unhurriedly in front, never looking back once.
Qian Duoduo knew that his every move had not escaped his perception.
He knew that Qian Duoduo was only at the First Level of Qi Condensation, so he wasn't afraid of any unusual actions.
After leaving the iron chain area, Qian Duoduo felt the pressure on his body ease, and a dense Spiritual Qi rushed towards him.
He finally stepped onto the free land of the Refining Spirit Sect.
On this land, there were countless treasures he didn't recognize.
There were countless delicious dishes he had never tasted.
Qian Duoduo followed behind Kang Shenjun, turning seven or eight corners, and stopped in front of a tall building.
In front of the building was a huge stone with three fiery red characters on it: “Protectorate.”
After waiting outside the door for a moment, an old voice came from inside: “You two, come in.”
This voice was the same as the one that rang out above the Jail on the Sect Founding Festival.
Upon entering the room, a greater pressure than that in the Jail enveloped Qian Duoduo.
A gaunt old man with completely white hair and glowing eyes, dressed in a green robe, sat in the center of the hall.
Kang Shenjun respectfully bowed to the gaunt old man, “Greetings, Elder Bi.”
Qian Duoduo quickly followed, nodding and bowing.
Elder Bi nodded his chin, “Are you Jin Buhuan?”
His gaze seemed to penetrate Qian Duoduo’s Soul.
“Yes.” Qian Duoduo felt that Elder Bi was much more formidable than Jin Buque.
Fortunately, his gaze did not linger on Qian Duoduo’s waist, so he probably didn’t see the secret of the Golden Toad.
His heart pounded, each beat like a hammer striking stone.
“Three months ago, you left the Sect with Outer Sect Elder Li to perform a mission. Elder Li died, but you fled back to the Sect. Someone accused you of being a Sect spy, colluding with outsiders, and setting a trap to harm an Elder. What do you have to say?”
“I didn’t do anything bad that violated the Sect,” Qian Duoduo replied, shivering with fear.
This Jin Buhuan actually carried such a huge blame.
Kang Shenjun shouted from the side, “Then are you saying we arrested the wrong person?”
Elder Bi glanced at him, and Kang Shenjun immediately shut his mouth.
“When Elder Li and you were attacked, did you see the killer clearly?” Elder Bi continued to ask Qian Duoduo.
Qian Duoduo shook his head vigorously.
When Jin Buhuan returned to the Sect, he lied to the Sect, claiming he encountered an attack from an enemy Sect.
“Do you think the person who attacked was from the Ba Ling Sect or the Shengling Sect?” Elder Bi’s tone was as steady as a straight line, without any emotional fluctuations.
But Qian Duoduo understood that his every subtle emotional change could not escape Elder Bi’s observation.
“I don’t know,” Qian Duoduo still shook his head.
He truly knew nothing about what the Ba Ling Sect or Shengling Sect were.
Jin Buhuan’s memory also didn’t record any relevant information.
Elder Bi leaned back in his chair, “The Sect needs time to investigate the truth, to investigate your whereabouts before leaving the Sect, to investigate your relationships in the Jin family, to investigate the movements of all parties… You’ve been imprisoned for three months. Do you resent the Sect?”
Qian Duoduo still shook his head.
He thought to himself: “If anyone should resent, it’s Jin Buhuan, it has nothing to do with me, Qian Duoduo. However, since this old man’s tone has shifted here, it probably means he’s confirmed I’m innocent. All the previous questions were just to trick me. I don’t know how Zhu Anquan communicated with him, but anyway, they’re releasing me from Jail.”
Elder Bi’s face relaxed slightly, “Your past Cultivation was at the Ninth Level of Qi Condensation, but now it’s less than the second level. Do you know what this means?”
Qian Duoduo thought for a moment, still couldn’t answer the question, and had to shake his head again.
“The Ninth Level is for Inner Sect Disciples. You are now at the first level, not even an Outer Sect Disciple, and can only do odd jobs in the Outer Sect.”
Elder Bi asked, “From a high-ranking Inner Sect Core Disciple to doing odd jobs in the Outer Sect, do you have any complaints?”
“I am willing to do odd jobs!” Qian Duoduo answered loudly with a joyful face, looking up at Elder Bi.
Out of Jail, he was no longer a prisoner, he had freedom.
With freedom, he could fully Cultivate immortal techniques, get food and drink, and reach the Ninth Level of Qi Condensation.
Elder Bi was a little surprised, sensing that Qian Duoduo’s beaming smile didn’t seem to be feigned, and nodded again.
He took out a Jade Slip from his 懷 and, after looking at it, said:
“The Sect’s Gold Vault lacks a vault keeper. You can go there. Kang Shenjun, take Jin Buhuan to the Inner Sect so he can collect his personal belongings, then take him to the Gold Vault.”
“Thank you, Elder, thank you, Elder!”
Qian Duoduo was overjoyed, almost wanting to kneel down and kowtow a few times to the gaunt old man.
He thought to himself: “This old man isn’t confused; he wasn’t deceived by anyone, and he didn’t judge me as an internal spy. This old man is quite benevolent; he didn’t make me clean toilets. The Gold Vault, it sounds like a warehouse for gold, which must be a good place. From now on, I won’t have to worry about food and drink.”
Kang Shenjun glared at Qian Duoduo, “Follow me.”
Regaining his freedom, Qian Duoduo’s steps became a little lighter.
Kang Shenjun led him towards a tall mountain to the south.
That mountain was over ten thousand feet high, and its base extended far beyond ten thousand feet.
The path was paved with bluestone, with Spiritual Plants like a carpet on both sides, and Spirit Birds occasionally flew through the air. Qian Duoduo felt his eyes weren't enough to take it all in.
Suddenly, he saw an ox on the grass.
A Golden Ox, with huge horns as thick as his thigh.
“Hurry up!” Kang Shenjun shouted impatiently from the front.
Qian Duoduo quickly ran two steps, but then was amazed by a bird flying in the sky.
The bird’s tail was two or three zhang long, and its feathers glowed, appearing like a ball of fire floating in the air.
“Oh no.” Engrossed in watching, Qian Duoduo suddenly bumped into the person in front of him.
The person backhanded him with a palm, and a huge force struck, instantly knocking Qian Duoduo to the ground.
He had bumped into Kang Shenjun.
After pushing Qian Duoduo down, he completely ignored him.
Straightening his clothes, he smiled broadly and bowed forward, respectfully saying, “Greetings, Senior Sister Yixiang!”
On the path ahead, a young girl, just blossoming into womanhood, walked towards them.
She was exquisitely beautiful, with skin as white as snow and long hair reaching her waist, like a fairy who had just descended from the heavens. Although she was only wearing a blue robe, her expression was cold and aloof, keeping everyone at a distance.
She glanced at the two of them, paused, and blurted out, “A handyman hitting an Inner Sect Disciple?”