Three months without being able to leave.
'What's the difference between this and just killing me?'
"You've already made a move. This matter is no longer simple," the interrogator said.
Jiang Man replied helplessly, "They were the ones who attacked. I was just defending myself."
"And what about the Spiritual Steed?" the interrogator retorted.
Jiang Man fell silent. They had circled back to that again.
The interrogator looked at Jiang Man and said, "Actually, if you have someone backing you, you can try calling them."
Jiang Man understood. This was his chance to reveal his background.
Unfortunately, he had no background to speak of.
After a moment's hesitation, he thought of something.
He then took it out. "Will this do?"
The interrogator took Jiang Man's Token and asked with a puzzled look, "What is this? Don't make me show it to the Steward only to get an earful later."
Jiang Man handed over another ten Spiritual Sources.
The interrogator's expression immediately turned serious. "You should have taken this out sooner. I'll go find our Steward."
Jiang Man: "..."
Once the man had left, he reviewed the day's events.
'That Chang Qiweng was definitely targeting me.'
Qi Refining Sixth Layer, ranked third in the Sixth Courtyard.
He was qualified to compete for the top two spots.
'Why would he attack so directly? He wasn't desperate like Song Qing, who was driven into a corner and had to find someone to serve as a guard.'
Fang Yong hadn't attacked, just followed along intentionally.
'That's how a normal person would act.'
Still, he had to learn a lesson from today's incident.
The next time he saw a Spiritual Steed collapse, he had to flee immediately.
That way, he could avoid disaster.
While Jiang Man was still pondering, the interrogator returned.
He approached Jiang Man, his attitude completely different from before. With a smile, he said, "Young Master Jiang, it was all a misunderstanding. If you had just told us about your mysterious origins, you wouldn't have had to sit here."
As he spoke, he came closer and furtively returned the ten Spiritual Sources. "We're all on the same side. This makes us seem like strangers."
Jiang Man looked at the returned Spiritual Sources, a bit surprised. "You should still take it. Even brothers must keep clear accounts."
The interrogator gave an awkward smile, pushed the ten Spiritual Sources back to him, and said, "Let's not worry about accounts. We're all on the same side."
Jiang Man accepted the Spiritual Sources and smiled along. "I'll listen to you, brother."
He then asked, "So, can I leave now?"
"You can, but the case isn't closed yet. The results will be out in three months at the latest," the interrogator said after a moment of thought.
"If the other party insists on compensation, it might still be a bit troublesome."
"I have to pay?" Jiang Man asked.
"It's hard to say. It all depends on the results of the investigation," the interrogator said.
After a pause, Jiang Man asked about the other two.
The interrogator didn't hide anything. "That Fang Yong has already left. The other one, Chang Qiweng, has been detained."
Jiang Man was confused.
Why had Fang Yong been allowed to leave?
Weren't they all supposed to wait for three months?
However, the man just smiled.
Jiang Man understood. It was more or less the same reason as his own release.
He either paid a hefty sum of Spiritual Sources or had someone backing him.
Besides, Fang Yong was in a better position; he had only followed along and hadn't attacked.
The price to get out was lower for him.
But for Chang Qiweng, the price was much higher.
As for whether Young Master Yang and the others would bail him out, Jiang Man thought it was impossible.
After leaving the Law Enforcement Department, Jiang Man went to buy some Elixirs.
Then he returned to his residence.
He didn't go to the Sixth Courtyard, since word of his arrest had already reached there.
"The fodder was poisoned by one of that Young Master Yang's people," the Old Yellow Ox said.
Jiang Man was a bit surprised. "Brother Niu, did you see it?"
"No." The Old Yellow Ox shook its head. "I smelled a similar scent."
"I think there's something strange about this," Jiang Man said after some thought. "Normally, if all three of us were arrested, none of us would be able to compete for the qualification spots.
"That wouldn't do Young Master Cheng and his group any good.
"Why would they go to all this trouble?"
Jiang Man thought for a moment and realized that the ones who got arrested were the second and third-ranked members of the Sixth Courtyard, as well as the biggest dark horse.
So, if all three of them were unable to compete for the spots, who would benefit the most?
The fourth-ranked member, Cheng Yu.
Thinking back, all Jiang Man could remember was that Cheng Yu was lively and cheerful, seeming bright and magnanimous—not at all like someone who would secretly plot against others.
Jiang Man shook his head.
Regardless, the ultimate beneficiary of this incident was Cheng Yu.
For that reason alone, he had to be wary of this person.
'Cheng Yu, Cheng Moyang… perhaps there was a connection between them.'
'But could the direct beneficiary truly have no ulterior motives?'
In any case, Jiang Man didn't believe it.
Afterward, Jiang Man decided to focus on his Cultivation.
There were only about ten days left before the hundred-day mark.
Therefore, he had to obtain the Visualization Skill this time.
He had used the Token, so his score had to be good.
Otherwise, it would be troublesome if he was eliminated.
Jiang Man spent the entire night in Cultivation, absorbing the medicinal power of a Spirit Gathering Pill.
By early morning, he had finally opened the sixth "Gourd."
Instantly, he felt the Gourd become heavier. Not only that, but the Spiritual Qi flowing through his body also grew denser.
Even a casual strike now carried immense power.
This was due to the inherent weight of the Spiritual Qi itself.
He then tried to execute the Six Harmonies Palm and circulate the Divine Step.
And he came to a conclusion.
Chang Qiweng had held back yesterday.
He had deliberately slowed his pace to wait for Fang Yong.
Otherwise, he would have been in a much sorrier state by the time he reached the guards.
So his original goal was to drag them all down with him, to get them all arrested together.
Not only that, but fighting recklessly within the Yunqian Bureau could also lead to direct disqualification from competing for the spots.
As for whether Chang Qiweng was still qualified, Jiang Man didn't know.
But today, he was going to reach the top of the Sixth Courtyard.
If he didn't take first place, he feared he would be eliminated by the Sect.
If he couldn't obtain the Top-grade Observation Method, he would never have a chance to become number one in the future.
So, even if he wanted to hide his strength, he couldn't hide too much now.
Whether it was Luo Xuan, Fang Yong, or the hidden Cheng Yu.
This time, Jiang Man would suppress them all.
After cleaning the stables, Jiang Man finally headed to the Sixth Courtyard.
This time, he specifically glanced around the stables, prepared to flee at a moment's notice.
Fortunately, nothing happened.
Although the Old Yellow Ox mocked him for it.
But there was no need to pay it any mind.
「The Sixth Courtyard.」
When Xiaopang saw Jiang Man, he was a little surprised. "Brother Jiang, what are you doing here? Weren't you detained?"
Jiang Man looked at him and said, "I got out."
"How did you get out?" Xiaopang thought for a moment and said, "Did Luo Xuan bail you out? It's good that you're her guard, but it still feels like a bit of a pity.
"If you weren't a guard, it would be easier for me to boast when I go back home."
Jiang Man gave a mysterious smile. "Don't worry. When the rankings are released on the seventeenth, you'll have plenty to say."
Hearing this, Xiaopang was delighted. "Brother Jiang, is your rank going to move up? Can you make it to the top ten?"
Jiang Man thought for a moment, then shook his head. "The top ten isn't quite right."
"Not the top ten?" Xiaopang looked disappointed again. "Well, eleventh or twelfth is still good. It's impressive enough, just not stunning.
"Do you need more Elixirs? I still have some."
Jiang Man shook his head. He didn't need any for now.
He would wait until he passed the Celestial Pride Fate Chart trial first.
Otherwise, he would owe Xiaopang too much and might not have a chance to repay him in the future.
Soon, everyone from the Sixth Courtyard had arrived.
The return of Fang Yong and Jiang Man surprised the others.
"Everyone in the courtyard was just talking about it. They were wondering how Young Master Fang could get arrested, since he's from a prominent family. They were also wondering how you, a guard supposedly backed by Luo Xuan, got arrested as well."
"Now everyone is sure: Young Master Fang really is a Young Master, and you really are being backed by Luo Xuan. Only Chang Qiweng is truly poor," Xiaopang said.
Jiang Man: "..."
It seemed the three of them were all from poor backgrounds.
However, he couldn't be sure about Fang Yong's specific situation.
But in front of people like Young Master Cheng, Fang Yong was undoubtedly just as poor as he was.