Escape, and Human's nature

After consuming the 6 fragments, Lin Xueqin noticed the difference in his comprehension speed akin to a galloping horse.

In less than an hour, he had advanced to the intermediate level. At this level of mastery, it was simple to disguise his presence from a Spirit Refinement Realm.

Skill mastery was classified into six levels by layman term: beginning, intermediate, late, peak, perfection, and transformation.

Using the Encompassing Concealment Technique at the beginner and intermediate level, Lin Xueqin was able to conceal his presence across the Spirit Refinement Realm.

At late and peak level, experts in foundation establishment would have had a difficult time detecting him.

At perfection level, golden core experts were nothing to him.

Finally, at the level of transformation, even Violet Palace experts may be unable to spot him.

Lin Xueqin didn't stop cultivating for the next few hours.

Just like this, six more hours flew by in the blink of an eye. The moon quietly cascaded down and darkness fell.

Lin Xueqin's mastery of the technique has reached the Peak of Late Level.

While Lin Xueqin cultivated, the sun slowly rose up.

Rays of light crept through the cracks in the cell, illuminating the young man meditating inside.

When morning finally came, Lin Xueqin opened his eyes. He grinned happily and there was no sign of fatigue in his eyes.

"At last, half perfection mastery. Only a bit more, I'll reach the pinnacle of perfection. Regrettably, I must call it a day today."

"But that's okay. Experts of the Lin Family are only at the Foundation Establishment level."

"I'm safe as long as I don't run into a big shot like the Patriarch and Grand Elder in the realm of golden core."

Lin Xueqin took a deep breath. Now that he had a trump card at his disposal, the worry on his heart slowly eased up.

No. He must maintain his vigilance.

When a transmigrator obtains his golden finger, arrogance would sprout inside him. These kinds of protagonists suck.

"I'd best not become like them."

Lin Xueqin inhaled deeply.

He gazed at the cell door.

"Today, I can absorb a new thing. What should I assimilate?"

Suddenly, footsteps sounded out.

His eyes narrowed, but he composed himself. Following which, the servants from the day before emerged in his line of sight.

"What happened to the rats?" The escort servant was surprised by the fact that there were no rats within the cell.

"Most likely, hiding. Stop stressing about it. The priority is to bring the sinner to the public square!" The guard unlocked the cell door.

As soon as it opened up, the guard slapped Lin Xueqin on his cheeks.

"What are you staring at? Stop dazing off and come out!"

Lin Xueqin did not flinch as he sneered in his heart. He'll never forget what the guard had done to him.

He obediently stepped outside as the guard took out a prison chain.

"This is?" Lin Xueqin's eyes shrank.

If he wore the prison chain around his arms, it would be a hindrance to his escape.

"Lead the way." Lin Xueqin told the servants, "I regretted my acts and had submitted to my fate; the jail chain is unnecessary."

"Do you think we're stupid, do you? You killed your father and you want us to believe you? Stop farting and wear it!" sneered the escort servant.

At that point, the guard said, "Let him be; a person without a cultivation, do you think he can get away from us?"

"I am truly powerless," Lin Xueqin grinned evilly on his heart. 'I desperately need an idiot like you, thank you very much.'

The escort servant sneered and shrugged. Without the prison chain, Lin Xueqin followed the servants out of the secret tunnel.

Soon after, the escort servant lamented, "Hey, have you heard? Last night, Lin Mingyue had broken through Foundation Establishment. Today, the clan permitted her access to the clan treasury."

"Lin Mingyue?"

Lin Xueqin thought as memories flashed across his head.

Lin Mingyue, an arrogant bitch with decent talent. The predecessor of his body had feuds with the lady.

"Lady Lin is a genius," The guard adored her, "the clan will naturally bestow her a treasure. In addition, she is the Grand Elder's daughter."

Lin Xueqin's eyes shone as he listened to the conversation between them.

What if I sneak into the clan treasury, steal the valuable treasures, and absorb the spirit stones and pills?

After a contemplation, Lin Xueqin rubbed his hands eagerly.

After he ransacked the clan's treasury, he'd be wealthy!

As for empathy, he was unconcerned about what would happen to the Lin Family in the future.

First and foremost, he had no sense of belonging to the Lin Family. Aside from the Third Elder, he had no close relations in the family.

Second of all, the Lins attempted to reverse black and white. Rather than punishing the Grand Elder, they blamed him and planned to behead him today. He despises such deceitful behavior.

Lastly, if he came across a Grand Elder whose cultivation was at the first level of Golden Core, he could use the Encompassing Concealment Technique to flee.

At the moment, the servants halted in front of the secret tunnel's gate.

The gate was sturdy, and not even a golden core expert could force his way into the gates. Only the keys in the guard's possession could unlock it.

Lin Xueqin gazed indifferently at the barred gate, but he was eagerly waiting.

The key to opening the gate was in the hands of the guard, which was why he didn't leave sooner.

Furthermore, he had yet to rebuild his cultivation. Hence, he couldn't leave discreetly and wait for an opportunity.

The guard took out a bundle of keys. He then chose a short, thin key and handed it to the escort servant.

Using the key, the escort servant slowly unlocked the gates, whereas the guard lowered his head to put the keys back in their place.

The exact moment the gate opened up, Lin Xueqin acted.

He landed a powerful kick on the guard's legs. He then ran forward and punched the escort servant in the face.

"Encompassing Concealment Technique!"

Lin Xueqin was worried that the servants would realize right away, so he immediately activated the skill. With a shift of his feet, he bolted out the gates like an arrow leaving the bow.

"They are panicking right now."

"Let's see who of you two can make it through the wrath of the elders."

"Let me think. If I flee the Lin Manor immediately, I'll be besieged at the gates."

"Since this is the case, I may as well raid the clan's wealth and let them suffer!"

Lin Xueqin grinned as he thought the rich trove that awaited him.

Soon after, he went to the clan's treasury.

——

In a daze, the guard stood up and swept his gaze quickly. However, he was unable to find the silhouette of the sinner.

"What the heck is going on?" The guard was frightened, "That guy...That guy escape!"

"Wait, what did you say?!"

The escort servant rubbed his swollen face. When he heard the guard, his expression fell.

"Hey, what are we going to do?" The guard was worried, "If the elders find out we let him go, they will condemn us."

"Don't you think this is strange?" The escort servant frowned.

The guard stared at him.

"It just been a few seconds, but I already can't sense him."

The guard swept his spiritual sense. Indeed, he couldn't sense Lin Xueqin in the twenty meters around him.

"I also didn't catch anyone who was beyond of my detecting range, "The escort servant furrowed his brows, puzzled.

The Lin Family's servants had a low social position.

Even if they are exempt from punishment for minor infractions, a big infraction, such as allowing Lin Xueqin to flee, has dire consequences. They could even die due to it.

"For the time being, we are fine." The guard let out a breath, "I'll search the north and east, You go south and west. Keep in mind that we only have 40 minutes before the execution."

The escort servant nodded and he separated from the guard. He proceeded to the secret tunnel and the peripheral area.

He headed south and west; he searched the courtyard, abandoned buildings, and hidden locations. Lin Xueqin, on the other hand, was nowhere to be seen.

He squinted his eyes and reunited with the guard in the secret tunnel.

"I can't find him. How about you?"

"I search the north and east, but can't find him either."

The escort servant and the guard both frowned. They sat in the corner, their looks dark and depressed.

The reason they didn't dare to report the escape of Lin Xueqin was because they would be punished for it; they might not able to avoid death due to it.

'This won't do. There are barely twenty minutes remaining. If we can't find Lin Xueqin, I'm going to die!'

'How about I blame Brother Wu instead? Then, there's a possibility I'll avoid this tribulation.'

'That's it! Even though he's my colleague, I can sacrifice him whenever I want!'

'I can't die here, Brother Wu. So you can only blame yourself for your foolishness.'

While he was thinking all of this, the guard heaved a sigh of relief. When his heart calmed down, he stared at the escort servant and said, "Brother Wu, come closer. I have a great plan."

"Plan?" The escort servant asked, puzzled.

'Don't tell me he wants to shift the blame on me?'

Despite his suspicions, he took a step closer to him.

"That's right. I've got a great plan to catch that brat." The guard smiled. 'Just a bit closer, and I'll cripple him!'

The escort servant's eyes squinted as he smirked mysteriously. He moved closer to the guard and said, "What is it, brother Meng?"

"The thing is..." The guard leaned closer to the escort soldier.

He shouted, "Die!" as his palm was an inch from his stomach.

Immediately after, spiritual Qi gathered in his arms as he chopped the escort servant's stomach.

However, before he could cripple his dantian, he felt a searing pain in his shoulder.

The surrounding area was instantly splattered with blood.

"When did you realize?" The guard felt bitter. He hadn't expected his surprise strike to fail. He even had his right arm severed!

"You're a moron, Brother Meng. I'm not a child you can trick whenever you want,' the escort servant grinned, "I know you're going to use me as a scapegoat."

The guard's jaws clenched. His face sunk deeper.

Originally, he intended to use the escort servant and shift the blame of the sinner's escape onto him.

When he reported this to the upper echelons, he would say escort servant assisted the sinner in escaping. It was a wonderful idea, but it backfired.

The escort servant sneered and struck the guard unconscious. His eyes resolute, he broke his left arm and punched himself till he bled.

Seeing that his cover was flawless, he went straight to the elders' chamber.

Elders were already present inside the chamber. Each expression they had changed when they saw the wretched appearance of the guard and the escort servant.

"What happened to you? Where's Lin Xueqin?" The Grand Elder felt something was wrong with them. The guard was missing an arm, and the escort servant appeared to have suffered serious injuries.

"Don't tell me that brat has beaten you both?" The Fourth Elder frowned.

"Reporting to the elders, Meng Xuero had allowed the sinner to escape. Although I've tried my best to fight and had managed to defeat him, Lin Xueqin took advantage of the chance to flee." The escort servant firmly slammed his head on the ground. 'My injury is nothing. I have to convince the elders to live!'

"What did you say?" The fourth elder was furious. If this was the case, he was convinced.

He would never believe Lin Xueqin could defeat these slaves whose cultivation had reached the fifth level of spirit refinement.

"How long has it been he flee?" The Grand Elder maintained his composure.

"My lord, it's been five minutes." The escort servant flat-out lied.

"There is still time. Go look for Lin Xueqin." The second elder commanded the servants on the chamber. "And behead this guard!"

"For the time being, find a replacement to be executed. Remember to keep the head covered." The Grand Elder said.

"But, will that work?"

The elders frowned.

The masses would never believe they had beheaded Lin Xueqin today if they covered the head.

They would never believe them unless they could see for themselves that it was Lin Xueqin who had died.

The people may even become more outraged and further labeled them as demonic cultivators.

The news of Lin Xueqin's escape quickly reached the upper echelons of the Lin Family.

As the commotion was bustling, the guards and servants searched the entire area.

Meanwhile, the Patriarch of the Lin Family entertained the crowds on the public plaza.

Despite his smile, he was enraged, that was because his subordinates reported that Lin Xueqin had escaped.

——

While the outside world was bustling and lively, Lin Xueqin, who was the source of the commotion, was following a lady in blue.

After a long wait, Lin Mingyue finally appeared. She appeared to be on her way to the clan's treasury.

Lin Xueqin grinned while he followed her silently.