Jin Chuan knew Zhou Wuji to some extent. Regardless of what he was like before, Zhou Wuji had become a cold-blooded swordsman ever since his master, Yiyuan, suddenly died.
From the beginning of October until now, in just over two months, Zhou Wuji has killed at least fifty people, including two of his junior brothers.
Oh, and Zhou Wuji also killed Zhang Xinhu.
Zhang Xinhu, the strongest Seventh-Rank Martial Artist in Siming County, was protected by a centurion of the Ironclad Guard of the prefectural city, yet Zhou Wuji still killed Zhang Xinhu, even though Zhang was severely injured.
This shows that Zhou Wuji is vengeful and ruthless, willing to take risks and offend people for revenge.
Because he knew Zhou Wuji so well, Jin Chuan knew that his identity Ironclad Guard was useless and he couldn't save Zhou Wuji's life at all.
Kneeling down and begging for mercy would only buy him time, but he had to try.
Zhou Wuji said slowly, "If kneeling down and begging for mercy could save your life, then your life would be worthless."
He had no intention of letting Jin Chuan off the hook. This guy was Wu Di's lackey, and this time he openly colluded with Devil Cultivator to ambush him; he deserved to die.
However, there were some things he wanted to figure out. So he let Jin Chuan catch his breath for a bit.
Although the Sixth Rank Devil Cultivator is dead, the restrictions he set up will not immediately dissipate.
The villagers of White Bamboo Village didn't dare to venture deep into this area, which made it convenient for him to carry out his business.
Although Jin Chuan didn't quite understand Zhou Wuji's meaning, he instinctively tried to shift the blame, "It was all Commander Wu who made me do it, Daoist Master, I was forced into it—"
When talking about his grievances, Jin Chuan even choked up, mainly because he was afraid, and secondly because he was still afraid.
It was at this moment that Jin Chuan realized nothing was more important than his own life.
The more he thought about it, the more afraid he became.
Zhou Wuji asked, "I have no grudge against Wu Di, so why has he repeatedly tried to harm me?"
" Zhang Xinhu spent a lot of money in front, and Zhang Yunfeng, a centurion, gave the order behind."
At this point, Jin Chuan began to sob and complain, "It was all orders from my superior; I had no choice. Please, Daoist, spare me!"
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Zhou Wuji was also somewhat surprised to hear Zhang Yunfeng's name. He had only met her once, when he was seriously injured and too weak to even speak to her. Why would this guy want to kill him?
That makes no sense!
Moreover, this is only Jin Chuan's side of the story, and it cannot be entirely believed.
He then thought, "However, the world is a dangerous place, and we must be careful. Otherwise, why would Zhang Yunfeng have glanced at me twice?"
Zhou Wuji said calmly, "But these things can't save your life."
Jin Chuan's heart tightened again, so tight it felt like it was about to jump out of his throat.
He suddenly remembered the rare treasure he had acquired just a few days ago: a bronze doll.
He felt it was a treasure, but after pondering it for days, he gained nothing. Perhaps this thing could save his life—
"Daoist Master, I'm willing to exchange my treasure for my life." Jin Chuan had no other options left but to try.
"Treasure?"
Zhou Wuji chuckled, "You mean that thing in your backpack?"
Before Jin Chuan could react, Zhou Wuji flicked his knife, and the leather backpack on Jin Chuan's back was in his hand.
A backpack is actually a bag sewn from pigskin, with wide, thick straps, and it's filled with quite a few things.
There were dry rations, medicine, clothing, and a gourd for drinking wine.
Zhou Wuji casually flipped through the pages and found the most unique bronze doll among them.
Seeing the doll's eerie smile, Zhou Wuji felt a chill; this thing was a bit sinister.
Just now, through his Six Yang Dharma Eye, he sensed a special, albeit extremely subtle, energy emanating from Jin Chuan's backpack.
If they weren't so close, even the Six Yang Dharma Eye wouldn't have noticed anything unusual.
The bronze figurine, about a foot long, has joints in all four limbs that can move, and even the fingers and toes can move.
It looks like a delicate doll.
Such exquisite craftsmanship is extremely rare in this ancient world; it could never be an ordinary doll.
Zhou Wuji vaguely sensed a trace of spirituality within the bronze puppet. It was this spirituality that emitted a life-giving light, allowing the Six Yang Dharma Eye to discern the clues.
He initially intended to kill Jin Chuan with a single blow, but then thought it best to spare him for now. If the bronze puppet truly had some origin, he would need to find out more about it.
But there was no time right now; after all, the villagers had suffered heavy casualties, and he couldn't just ignore it.
Jin Chuan stared expectantly at Zhou Wuji, hoping he would spare his life, when he saw the blade flash and fall. A thought immediately crossed his mind, "It's over—"
Then everything went black before his eyes, and he knew nothing more.
After knocking Jin Chuan unconscious, Zhou Wuji used the Five Yin Pouch to collect the Devil Cultivator's corpse, along with the messy banners and offerings scattered on the ground.
Upon returning to the village entrance, Zhou Wuji saw a group of villagers holding torches, gathered around and feeding water and medicine to several seriously injured people.
Several villagers who were directly struck by the bear demon died instantly with shattered sternums.
The remaining six or seven were scratched by the bear demon, and most of them had broken bones.
There were no proper doctors in the village, but they had some experience in treating injuries and illnesses, such as using some pain-relieving herbs.
Upon seeing Zhou Wuji arrive, the old man, leaning on his cane, hurried to greet him.
Before Zhou Wuji could speak, the old man knelt down and kowtowed, pleading, "Daoist Master, please have mercy and save these young men! They all have wives and children; they can't die!"
Those who hunted the bear demon were the strongest and youngest men in the village, often the pillars of their families and the most important laborers.
The loss of more than ten able-bodied men in such a short time is an enormous blow to White Bamboo Village, which has a population of several hundred.
The village head now deeply regrets his actions. He shouldn't have listened to a few hunters' boasts and set up an ambush. Instead of killing the bear demon, he suffered such a huge loss.
The leading hunters were already dead; now he was only thinking about surviving as many as possible.
Zhou Wuji reached out and helped the old man up, saying, "Old man, there's no need for that. I will do my best."
He didn't like this cunning old man, who started by using moral blackmail, and even knelt down to lift him up.
Such petty tricks are a bit annoying, but since human life is more important, Zhou Wuji had no interest in arguing with the old man.
Zhou Wuji examined several seriously injured people; all of them had broken bones, but fortunately, their internal organs were not severely damaged.
He had suffered a serious injury and had considerable experience in treating fractures.
With his Six Yang Dharma Eye and profound True Qi, he could also "see" the specific details of the broken bones of the crowd.
He had just mastered the Five Tigers Fist, and his finger strength was formidable, no less than Yang Shuling's Eagle Claw Force, allowing him to accurately set the bones of several people.
The bone setting was naturally very painful, and several people screamed in agony. Fortunately, there were many people around, and they managed to hold them down relatively smoothly.
After setting the bone and securing it with bamboo strips, Zhou Wuji used his Rejuvenation Technique to relieve pain and accelerate bone healing. As for the life force consumed, it was negligible compared to the serious injury.
The Rejuvenation Technique flashed with a brilliant green light, and the complexions of all the wounded improved noticeably; no one cried out in pain anymore.
The effects are immediate!
The villagers had never seen anything like it before, and their faces were filled with shock, awe, and respect.
Some people were so moved that they knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly, saying, "Thank you so much, Daoist priest, for saving my life!"
"Please have mercy, Daoist Master!"
"Immortal Master's Immortal Techniques----"
Although most of the villagers were illiterate, their gratitude was palpable as they watched their dying loved ones being saved.
Zhou Wuji was very pleased with these words and actions of gratitude, but on the surface he remained calm and composed, and gave each of the five injured people a Purple Gold Pill.
One-Turn Purple Gold Pill, everyone's complexion improved, and their breathing became even.
Zhou Wuji wore a warm, spring-like smile, but he was still a little reluctant to part with them. These were all pills refined by Wuzheng, and they could fetch a lot of money if sold.
These calculations couldn't be shared with the villagers, as they certainly couldn't afford to pay.
Zhou Wuji sighed inwardly. The Devil Cultivator had lured the bear demon here to ambush him.
In truth, these people have been burdened by him, so there's no need to haggle over this small expense with them.
He decided to adopt an air of superiority and said, "The bear demon's flesh, bones, and tendons are all worth some money. Several people in the village died; disposing of the bear demon will compensate those families."
The main reason is that the bear demon has eaten many people, so flesh and blood are no longer useful to him.
Zhou Wuji looked at the village head, "What do you think?"
The old man nodded hurriedly, "I will follow the Daoist priest's arrangements."
Many villagers kowtowed repeatedly in gratitude, and some women even hugged Zhou Wuji's legs, crying and holding their children. The scene was both chaotic and lively.
Zhou Wuji offered a few words of comfort, and the village head, being very understanding, arranged a clean and quiet room for Zhou Wuji to rest in.
After everyone had left, Zhou Wuji returned to the bamboo grove and brought Jin Chuan back to his room.
He hit him hard; Jin Chuan won't wake up anytime soon, and it's even possible he won't wake up at all.
After confirming the situation in Jin Chuan, Zhou Wuji took out the bronze figurine and began to fiddle with it.
The bronze puppet is a single, integrated structure; unless forcibly disassembled, it can only be obtained by examining its Divine Sense.
Zhou Wuji lightly touched the bronze doll's brow with his finger, silently circulating his Sword Intent as he tried to penetrate deeper into the doll.
Only through Sword Intent can he truly and effectively condense and project his Divine Sense.
A spark of light shone deep within the bronze doll's head, establishing a connection with Zhou Wuji's Sword Intent.
Then, Zhou Wuji saw the bronze puppet's mouth open even wider, its smile becoming more exaggerated, and the patterns carved into the shape of its eyes also shone with a certain light.
"Something's not right!" Zhou Wuji sensed something was wrong and immediately cut off the Sword Intent that was penetrating into the puppet.
Although he reacted quickly, he was still a step slower than the bronze puppet.
The bronze puppet suddenly disintegrated into pieces, which clung tightly to his hand like a bronze centipede and quickly spread up his arm.
The bronze doll sprouted tentacles, attempting to pierce his skin.
The sudden, bizarre change startled Zhou Wuji: What the hell is that?