“Good. There’s only one entrance and exit to the Phoenix Mountains, making it a natural place for a Jail. I agree.” Tang Honggong was the first to express his stance.

Ping Yundan, Shang Wutui, Chu Wannian, and Zhu Erkang all nodded in agreement.

Niu Jinshui smiled, “Then it’s settled. Due to the Helou Family’s previous betrayal, and with some others harboring ill intentions, the Refining Spirit Sect has decided to implement martial law starting immediately. All Disciples, families, and visitors within the Sect’s territory will be strictly investigated. Those who violate Sect rules will be thrown into the Jail. The martial law will be outwardly relaxed but inwardly strict, known only to those present in this Hall.”

“The construction of the new Jail will be handled by Hall Master Ping, with Elder Bi assisting. The protective Formation will be the highest Advanced in the Sect. Both inside and outside the Jail, one visible and one hidden teleportation Formation will be built. The transfer of existing personnel from the old Jail will be handled by Elder Bi, with Elder Jin assisting.”

“The protection of the new Jail, in addition to Elder Bi’s daily responsibilities, will be rotated among the five Palace Lords. The Palace Lords must personally oversee it, with no less than ten Inner Sect Disciples and no less than one hundred Outer Sect Disciples. The protection activities will be conducted under the guise of outdoor training.”

“The old Jail will be converted into a secret Winged Vehicle shed, managed by the Artificer Hall. Jin Buhuan can participate throughout the entire process.”

One by one, commands were issued from Niu Jinshui’s mouth, allowing Qian Duoduo to witness the Sect Leader’s authority.

From the solemn expressions of the five Palace Lords, Qian Duoduo sensed that they had guessed something, but not very clearly.

Such strict protection was certainly aimed at the Jail, but also had other intentions. As Palace Lords, they would soon know these intentions, but not now.

“...Anyone who dares to leak this plan will be dealt with as a traitor to the Sect.”

Niu Jinshui’s voice was stern, sending chills down everyone’s spines. As soon as he finished speaking, the Palace Lords, Elders, and Qian Duoduo all stood up.

“Sit down.” Niu Jinshui waved his hand in satisfaction. “Oh, by the way, have you all decided on the rewards you just gave Jin Buhuan?”

...

Coming down from Preaching Mountain, Elder Jin secretly slipped Qian Duoduo a Storage Pouch containing two million gold coins. “This is my personal investment in the Manor. I hope Bu Huan won’t dislike it.”

After much polite refusal, Qian Duoduo clarified that the money had to be a genuine investment, with annual returns. Only after Elder Jin nodded in agreement did Qian Duoduo accept it.

On one hand, Qian Duoduo truly wasn’t short of money; he could earn money by refining more Magic Treasures. On the other hand, Qian Duoduo didn’t want this to influence his judgment. If this Elder Jin was involved in framing Jin Buhuan, no amount of money could save him.

Riding Elder Hu’s Flying Sword back to Purple Gold Manor, there were even more people outside the Manor, and five or six tents had appeared.

Qian Duoduo was speechless. Were they going camping, or having a picnic?

“Fellow Daoist Jin, I am Huang Xueyou. May I borrow a moment to chat inside the tent? My daughter is sixteen, beautiful—”

“Brother Bu Huan, don’t listen to his nonsense. Old Huang’s daughter is almost twenty. My name is Zhao, I’m the Zhao Family’s Grand Elder.”

“Fellow Daoist Purple Gold, here’s one million. Please accept it. There’s more, even more exciting, inside the tent.”

Cultivators from who-knew-where pulled Qian Duoduo, urging him to accept the gifts they offered.

...

Just then, Qian Duoduo saw a figure emerge from his courtyard. It was Jin Yongqiang.

“What are you doing in my house?” Qian Duoduo didn’t show any pleasant expression.

Facing Qian Duoduo’s questioning, Jin Yongqiang was very calm. “You are a Purple-Gold Disciple of my Jin Family. Your house is the Jin Family’s house, of course it should be tidied and managed by the Jin Family. If I hadn’t stopped them just now, who knows how many people would have entered your house.”

“I’ll say it again. I have no relation to the Jin Family.” Qian Duoduo turned around and said to Elder Hu at the mountain gate, “Elder Hu, please clear out anyone who is not a Disciple of the Sect.”

After a chaotic scene, over a hundred people who had come to offer money and beautiful women outside the Manor were all driven away from the mountain gate, and Qian Duoduo’s ears finally had some peace.

Just then, a sickeningly sweet “Brother Bu Huan” rang out.

From the mountain path, Wang Meiruo approached, wearing a brightly colored long dress embroidered with large flowers, her steps swaying with every stride.

“Wearing that in the middle of winter, is this girl sick?” Qian Duoduo was dumbfounded.

Wang Meiruo walked up to Qian Duoduo. Qian Duoduo saw that she had even applied rouge to her lips and wore three fragrant sachets on her body, smelling as fragrant as a blooming flower.

“My heavens, is she going to turn into a monster?”

Seeing Qian Duoduo looking as if he had gone silly, Wang Meiruo cast a sidelong glance at him. “Brother Bu Huan, am I not stunning?”

Qian Duoduo shook his head.

“Not stunning?” Wang Meiruo twisted her waist twice more, puffing out her chest.

Qian Duoduo shook his head vigorously. “Not stunning. But, astonishing, and even more frightening.”

“Astonishing, frightening?” Wang Meiruo retorted.

“I’m scared silly, isn’t that astonishing, isn’t that frightening?”

“Haha, I knew it—” Wang Meiruo tugged at her brightly colored outer dress, revealing the blue robe underneath. “This thing is ugly, Brother Bu Huan couldn’t possibly like it. My old man insisted I wear it.”

She bounced a few times on the ground, returning to her original relaxed and natural standing posture.

“Your old man?” Qian Duoduo’s head ached slightly. Could it be that Clan Chief Wang also fancied his Purple-Gold Disciple status?

Wang Meiruo’s face flushed. “—Don’t mention him. Brother, are you still short of money? If you are, just say so, I still have some.”

Qian Duoduo shook his head. “Come on, let’s go look around the Manor.”

The area of the ten-thousand-mu Manor had already been delineated. Wang Dahei led a group of Senior Brothers and Junior Brothers, setting up Formations on the periphery. Huang Guiren walked through the garden, pointing his finger and muttering to himself.

“Senior Brother, Huang Guiren, good news!” Qian Duoduo shouted to them.

When they gathered around, Qian Duoduo announced, “Our Manor is going to have some big guys moving in.”

As soon as Qian Duoduo spoke, Huang Guiren got excited. “What big guys? Are we bringing the battle bears and spirit snow leopards from the Ling Beast Research Institute?”

“Much more powerful than that.” Battle bears and spirit snow leopards are battle beast grades.

“Look at how arrogant you are, can you even bring Head Seat Chu’s Purple-Forehead Golden Tiger?” Wang Dahei said with a smile.

“You guessed right. And not just that, oh.” Qian Duoduo happily saw Huang Guiren’s tongue.

“Then there’s also Hall Master Ping’s Luan Phoenix.” Wang Dahei guessed correctly again.

Huang Guiren hesitated for a moment. “You can’t miss your Palace Lord Dajiu’s Seven-Colored Golden Bull, right?”

Qian Duoduo nodded heavily.

Huang Guiren stretched his neck and let out a long, strange cry towards the sky. “Purple Gold, Purple Gold, Number One Under Heaven.”

After a short while, he thought about it. “Junior Brother, our Manor has Golden Ox, but no Golden Tiger, no Luan Phoenix. Bringing Head Seat Chu and Hall Master Ping’s companion beasts won’t be easy to handle.”

“The Golden Tiger, we already have it, we’ll bring it back in a few days. As for the Luan Phoenix, we’ll study it slowly. Anyway, Hall Master Ping has already agreed to form a kinship.”

Huang Guiren rubbed his palms. “Our ten-thousand-mu Manor needs to be well-planned to properly house these big guys, so they won’t want to leave once they arrive, and once they arrive—haha—they’ll lay many, many eggs and have many, many offspring.”

“Just imagine, if our Manor had hundreds of Golden Ox, and dozens of Golden Tigers, then even if we didn’t want to be called Number One Under Heaven, we would still be Number One Under Heaven.”

The more they thought about it, the more excited they became, discussing animatedly. They decided to designate the highest point of the Manor for the Purple-Forehead Golden Tiger, reserve the giant trees by the Mengyuan River for the Luan Phoenix, and plant the most fertile patch of grassland entirely with violet clover, turning it into the Golden Bull Garden.

Their goal was to transform this ten-thousand-mu Manor into a home for the Palace Lords’ companion beasts. If the Palace Lords wanted to find their companion beasts, they would have to come here.

“How lively. I just happen to have a set of Dan artifact equipment suitable for Golden Ox. Is anyone interested in learning more?”

A crisp voice sounded behind them.