In Jing Wen's eyes, Mo Juren was undoubtedly far more valuable than Yu Zitong.
A mortal with no aptitude for cultivation had actually plotted the death of a cultivator at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer, Yu Zitong. Such cunning and courage made Jing Wen see him in a new light and deem him worthy of becoming a pawn in his hands.
Jing Wen made a grabbing motion through the air, and spiritual power steadily lifted the unconscious Mo Juren like a kite with its string cut.
With a flash of movement, Jing Wen carried Mo Juren swiftly toward the latter's residence.
At first, Jing Wen had intended to take Mo Juren back to his own quarters. But with so many disciples coming and going through the valley, such an act in broad daylight would be far too conspicuous and could easily invite unnecessary trouble.
Besides, the Storage Bag Yu Zitong had mentioned kept lingering in his mind. Finding it was his most pressing concern.
Meanwhile, after learning that Jing Wen would move against Mo Juren today, Han Li had spent the entire night tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep.
At the first glimmer of dawn, Han Li quietly left his quarters and arrived early at a concealed spot with a clear view of Mo Juren's residence.
He huddled behind a large boulder, his eyes fixed on Mo Juren's house, scarcely daring to breathe.
Wary of Mo Juren's methods, he never dared approach and could only watch from afar.
When he saw Mo Juren leave his residence to treat people at the valley entrance, Han Li's heart leaped into his throat. His anxious gaze swept back and forth around the entrance, alert to every stir of wind and grass.
Before long, he saw Jing Wen appear like a phantom, holding Mo Juren before tossing him into Mo Juren's house.
Han Li froze, his mind going blank as though he had been rooted to the spot.
A moment later, Han Li came to his senses, and wild joy flooded his heart.
He realized that Mo Juren was dead and that he no longer had to fear his threats.
Unable to contain his excitement, Han Li stumbled toward Jing Wen.
"Senior, is Doctor Mo dead? What are you doing?" Han Li ran up to Jing Wen, his eyes filled with anxiety and curiosity.
At that moment, Jing Wen had only one thing on his mind-finding the Storage Bag.
Without it, there was no way to properly store Mo Juren's belongings.
He immediately dragged Mo Juren into the room and slammed the door shut with a bang, then turned to warn Han Li, "There's poisonous gas inside. Don't go in. Wait until I return."
Seeing Han Li fret like an ant on a hot pan, his fists clenched tight, Jing Wen paused and added, "Tomorrow at the latest. I might even be back this afternoon."
Han Li's mind was brimming with questions. He neither knew whether Mo Juren was dead or alive nor could fathom Jing Wen's plans. But having already witnessed Jing Wen's methods, he dared not ask more and could only grip the hem of his clothes and nod silently.
Jing Wen formed hand seals, activating the Wind-Riding Technique.
In an instant, Jing Wen felt strength fill his entire body, and his speed abruptly increased severalfold.
The place Yu Zitong had described was not far away. At Jing Wen's current speed, he could reach it in a little over two hours.
Racing along the way, Jing Wen soon arrived at his destination.
It was a remote, desolate valley permeated by a putrid stench. The surroundings were frighteningly quiet, with only the occasional birdcall breaking the deathly silence.
Jing Wen searched the valley carefully for over an hour before finally discovering a skeleton in a secluded corner.
"These should be Yu Zitong's remains! He's been dead for years, so it's only natural that nothing but bones are left!" Jing Wen murmured to himself.
His hands rapidly formed seals as he chanted, "Object-Driving Technique!"
As he cast the technique, an invisible force spread outward from Jing Wen, rummaging through the remains.
Soon, a drab gray pouch appeared in Jing Wen's sight.
"Found it!" Joy stirred in Jing Wen's heart. With a beckoning motion, he sent the Storage Bag flying into his hand.
He infused a strand of magical power into the pouch. It responded at once, and an ancient aura washed over him.
Upon examining it, Jing Wen discovered that the Storage Bag's interior actually spanned a full ten feet across, making it exceptionally spacious among Storage Bags of the same grade.
With a smile on his face, Jing Wen slowly extended his spiritual sense inside and began examining it carefully.
The Storage Bag contained many items. The first to catch his eye was a small azure sword. Though its blade was covered in dust, it still emanated keen sword qi, making it plainly no ordinary item.
Next, Jing Wen spotted a red spirit flower. Its bloom was so vibrant it seemed ready to drip with color, and it radiated rich spiritual energy. This was the precious spirit herb Yu Zitong had mentioned, capable of helping cultivators below the ninth layer of qi refining break through to the next realm.
Jing Wen would most likely have no use for it. Practicing the Black Fiend Cult's cultivation arts brought few bottlenecks, which was precisely the allure of such sinister arts.
In addition, several sharply faceted Spirit Stones lay quietly inside the Storage Bag, slightly cool to the touch;
Several bottles of pills remained securely sealed, with a faint medicinal fragrance barely discernible. There were also several talismans stacked together, their patterns faintly shimmering with weak spiritual energy.
Aside from these commonly used items, Jing Wen also dug out several books. A casual flip through them revealed that they were basic texts of the cultivation world, of little use to him now.
Just then, a thought suddenly entered his mind, making his hands pause: the manuals in Yu Zitong's Storage Bag did not seem to contain orthodox cultivation arts. Quite a few passages from demonic manuals were mixed among them.
He suddenly recalled that the Yin Soul Curse Yu Zitong had cast on Mo Juren earlier was a technique commonly used by the demonic path.
Could Yu Zitong's family be a demonic cultivation family?
The thought flashed through Jing Wen's mind, but he paid it little heed.
It was merely a demonic cultivation family. Such things were hardly rare in the cultivation world.
He was only at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer, with a meager cultivation base. Whether the orthodox path or the demonic path, neither had much to do with him.
Setting his thoughts aside, Jing Wen continued examining the other items in the Storage Bag.
There were also two stacks of talisman paper, a talisman brush, and some demonic beast blood-all essential materials for crafting talismans.
Finally, the pouch held some mundane gold and silver, along with changes of clothing.
After taking inventory of the Storage Bag's contents one by one, he tossed everything he had no use for into a pile to one side.
Next, Jing Wen rapidly formed seals with both hands, and a searing fireball instantly condensed in his palm.
With a slight flick of his wrist, the fireball shot like a meteor toward the discarded items.
In an instant, flames soared skyward. The items swiftly burned in the raging fire, turning to ashes that scattered on the wind.
After dealing with everything, Jing Wen looked up at the sky. The sun still hung high overhead, and it was early yet.
He lightly tapped the ground with his toes, and his figure streaked like a bolt of black lightning toward Divine Hand Valley.
Before you continue