Zhen Jin

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Zhen Jin (针金)
Alias(es)	Hei Juan; “the real Zhen Jin” 173
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Hundred Needles Family; Temple Knights; allied with the Purple Vine Merchant Guild 173 174
Occupation/Role	Sole heir of the Hundred Needles Family; Temple Knight; contender for the White Sand City Lord position 173 174
Status	Alive 206
First Appearance	Chapter 173 (first confirmed appearance as the real Zhen Jin)

Background / History

Zhen Jin is the sole surviving heir of the declining Hundred Needles Family. As a child, he witnessed the murder of his brothers and sisters; the killer spared him because she considered him timid and compliant. The trauma left him fearful and deeply concerned with survival and status. 173

He entered the Temple Knights to secure protection for his family, swearing to revere the Saint Brilliance Great Emperor, protect his family, oppose tyranny, and uphold justice. His position as a new noble’s heir subjected him to humiliation from old-noble youths such as Qing Kui. 4 173

His father trained him in the Hundred Needles Family’s inherited techniques, emphasizing endurance and concealed strength. Zhen Jin struggled to progress in the Aura Concealment Technique, and his father reprimanded him for neglecting cultivation. 5 173

When ordered to compete for White Sand City’s lordship, Zhen Jin initially objected because he was only Black Iron-level. He also resented his arranged engagement to Zi Di due to her lack of noble blood, though he later recognized the Purple Vine Merchant Guild as a valuable political ally. 173 174

Identity and Substitute Plan

Zi Di arranged for a Beast Transformation Human to serve as Zhen Jin’s double. The substitute was customized to match Zhen Jin’s appearance, height, and physical features, possessed Silver-level Battle Qi, and received Zhen Jin’s memories through a Memory Crystal. 174

The substitute was further modified with a Gold Bee Queen bloodline and the memories and combat conditioning of a powerful Hundred Needles Family member, allowing him to convincingly perform the family’s techniques. 190

Zhen Jin approved the plan because it let the substitute face the dangers of the White Sand City competition while he remained safe. He retained the Gold-level thin sword Silver Lightning rather than entrusting it to his double. 174

During the island crisis, the substitute was publicly regarded as “Zhen Jin” and became revered as a heroic Temple Knight. After the substitute’s death, Zhen Jin—then using the identity Hei Juan—claimed his true identity, with Jia Sha supporting the revelation. 173

Appearance

Zhen Jin and his substitute are physically indistinguishable by design. He is a youthful, fair-skinned human with golden hair, a high nose bridge, and a notably handsome appearance. 29 174

• Golden hair and fair skin. 29
• Eyes compared to morning stars. 29
• Tall, slender frame with concealed resilience and strength. 2 95
• His duplicate was customized to share his appearance, height, and other physical characteristics. 174

Personality

Zhen Jin is cautious, status-conscious, and ambitious. He values the protection offered by his noble birth, family backing, and political alliances, viewing the substitute primarily as a means to secure White Sand City while avoiding personal danger. 174

His childhood trauma and repeated humiliation left him fearful of weakness and resentful toward those who looked down on him. He privately imagined revenge against Qing Kui and Qing Kui’s family, while his father’s teachings gave him a justification for enduring humiliation as “accumulating strength.” 173

He is possessive of Zi Di and reacts with jealousy toward her attachment to the substitute. When he becomes convinced that Zi Di has betrayed him, he turns cruel and tortures her despite her refusal to yield. 176 202 206

Abilities & Skills

Black Iron Battle Qi

Zhen Jin is a Black Iron-level Fighter. His cultivation is substantially below the Silver-level substitute created to replace him in the White Sand City competition. 173 174 202

• His lower cultivation was a principal reason for adopting the substitute plan. 174
• He expected to eventually reach Silver-level, but had not done so during the island events. 202

Aura Concealment Technique

The Aura Concealment Technique is the foundation of the Hundred Needles Family’s combat system. It conceals a user’s Battle Qi aura and accumulates strength for later techniques. 5 173

• Required as the basis for Hundred Needles Wind. 5 173
• Zhen Jin had difficulty making progress in it during his training. 5 173

Hundred Needles Wind

Hundred Needles Wind is the Hundred Needles Family’s signature stabbing technique, performed through rapid, continuous thrusts rather than slashing attacks. 5 173

• Relies on profound Aura Concealment Technique cultivation. 5 173
• The family deliberately kept the technique’s true strength inconspicuous while politically weakened. 173

Sharp Needle Rumble

Sharp Needle Rumble is a hereditary Hundred Needles Family Secret Skill that launches a needle charged with Battle Qi and destroys its target in an explosive impact. 32 173

• Requires a White Crystal Flying Needle to perform. 32
• Consumes an immense amount of Battle Qi; even a Gold-level user can only fire roughly ten consecutive needles. 32
• Zhen Jin’s Battle Qi reserve could barely support one use, leaving him depleted afterward. 32 173

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Silver Lightning — Zhen Jin’s Gold-level thin sword and an auxiliary sword of the Nine Lights Sword. He insisted on keeping it rather than giving it to his substitute. 174
• Memory Crystal — Used in the plan to overwrite the substitute’s memories with Zhen Jin’s own. 174

Relationships

• Zi Di — His fiancée and political ally through the Purple Vine Merchant Guild. Zhen Jin initially opposed the engagement but came to value the guild’s usefulness; later, his jealousy of the substitute strained their relationship. 173 174 176 202
• The Substitute Body — A customized Beast Transformation Human created to impersonate Zhen Jin. Zhen Jin views him as a valuable but disposable tool and resents the admiration he receives. 174 177 202
• Hundred Needles Clan Leader — Zhen Jin’s father, who trained him in the family’s techniques and ordered him to compete for White Sand City. 5 32 173
• Jia Sha — A Saint Brilliance Priest who assisted Zhen Jin’s identity revelation and attempted to direct him during the struggle for control. 173 206
• Qing Kui — An old-noble Temple Knight candidate who bullied and humiliated Zhen Jin during his youth. 4 173

Story Role / Major Arcs

White Sand City Succession Scheme

Zhen Jin accepts Zi Di’s proposal to use a Silver-level duplicate in the White Sand City Lord competition. He remains disguised as Hei Juan while the substitute publicly acts as Zhen Jin. 174 175

Exposure of the False Zhen Jin

After the substitute dies while attempting to save Zi Di, Jia Sha announces that the dead youth was an impostor. Hei Juan identifies himself as the real Zhen Jin, overturning the survivors’ understanding of their leader. 173

Conflict with Zi Di and the Substitute

Zhen Jin’s jealousy intensifies as Zi Di grows emotionally attached to the substitute. He eventually interprets her actions as betrayal and subjects her to torture while Jia Sha attempts to seize greater control. 202 206

Notable Quotes

“I am Zhen Jin! I am the real Zhen Jin!” 173

“I will become a Silver Knight sooner or later!” 202