Jin Chuan knew a fair amount about Zhou Wuji. Whatever the man had been like in the past, ever since his master, Daoist Yiyuan, met a sudden, violent end, Zhou Wuji had turned into a cold-blooded swordsman.
From early October until now—scarcely over two months—Zhou Wuji had slain at least fifty people, including two of his own junior martial brothers.
On top of that, Zhou Wuji had killed Zhang Xinhu.
Zhang Xinhu, the strongest Rank 7 martial artist in Siming County, had the backing of an Iron Clothes Guard centurion from the prefectural seat. Yet Zhou Wuji had killed him all the same—and while heavily wounded, no less.
From this, it was plain to see that Zhou Wuji was fiercely vindictive. To seek vengeance, he feared neither danger nor making enemies, and was exceptionally ruthless.
It was precisely because Jin Chuan understood Zhou Wuji so well that he knew his status in the Iron Clothes Guard was utterly useless; it would never preserve his life.
Kneeling and begging for mercy was merely buying time, but he had to try.
Zhou Wuji drawled, "If kneeling and begging for mercy could buy your life, then your life would be far too cheap."
He had no intention of sparing Jin Chuan. The man was Wu Di's lackey, and colluding openly with a demonic cultivator to ambush him made him thoroughly deserving of death.
Even so, there were things he wanted to clarify first. He would let Jin Chuan draw a few more breaths.
Though the Rank 6 demonic cultivator was dead, the boundary ward he had cast would not disperse immediately.
Nor did the villagers of Baizhu Village possess the nerve to venture this deep. It was the perfect opportunity to tend to his business.
Although Jin Chuan did not quite grasp Zhou Wuji's meaning, instinct drove him to pass the buck at once. "It was all Chief Banner Officer Wu's orders! Daoist priest, I had no choice—"
As he recounted his grievances, Jin Chuan even began to choke up—driven mostly by terror, and secondly by even more terror.
Only at a moment like this did Jin Chuan realize that nothing mattered more than his own life.
The more he thought about it, the more terrified he grew.
Zhou Wuji asked, "Wu Di and I have no grievance between us. Why has he tried to harm me time and again?"
"At first, it was because Zhang Xinhu offered a massive bounty. Later, Centurion Zhang Yunfeng handed down the order."
At this point, Jin Chuan wept and pleaded his case once more. "They were all orders from my superiors! My hands were tied! I beg the Daoist priest to spare me!"
Zhou Wuji was somewhat surprised to hear Zhang Yunfeng's name. He had only laid eyes on the man once, back when he had been gravely injured and lacked even the strength to speak with him. Why would that fellow want him dead?
It made no sense whatsoever!
Moreover, this was only Jin Chuan's side of the story; it could not be taken as absolute truth.
On second thought, he reflected, *Still, the world is treacherous, and one cannot let down one's guard. Otherwise, why would Zhang Yunfeng have looked at me twice back then?*
Zhou Wuji said coolly, "These words alone won't buy your life."
Jin Chuan's heart clenched again, tight enough to leap into his throat.
Suddenly, he remembered the strange treasure he had obtained only a few days prior—the bronze figurine.
He had sensed it was a treasure, but days of study had yielded nothing. Perhaps this object could buy his life...
"Daoist priest, I am willing to trade a treasure for my life!" Jin Chuan had no other tricks left; he could only give it a try.
"A treasure?"
Zhou Wuji sneered. "You mean the object in your pack?"
Before Jin Chuan could react, Zhou Wuji flicked his blade, and the leather backpack on Jin Chuan's back landed in his hand.
The pack was actually a pouch sewn from pigskin with broad, thick shoulder straps, packed with quite a few items.
There were dry rations, medicinal remedies, clothes, and a wine gourd.
Zhou Wuji rummaged through it casually and soon drew out the most unusual item: the bronze figurine.
Seeing the figurine's eerie, smiling face, Zhou Wuji felt a chill in his heart. This thing was rather sinister...
Just now, while observing through the Six Yang Dharma Eyes, he had sensed a peculiar presence in Jin Chuan's pack, though it had been exceptionally faint and concealed.
Had he not been standing so close, even the Six Yang Dharma Eyes would not have caught the anomaly.
The bronze figurine was about a foot long. Its limbs were jointed and moveable, and even its fingers and toes could articulate.
It looked like an exquisitely crafted doll.
Yet craftsmanship so refined was extraordinarily rare in this ancient world; it could never be an ordinary plaything.
Zhou Wuji vaguely sensed a sliver of spirituality within the bronze figurine. It was precisely this spirituality that gave off an aura of life, allowing the Six Yang Dharma Eyes to detect its peculiarity.
He had originally intended to dispatch Jin Chuan with a single slash, but on second thought decided to keep him alive for now. If this bronze figurine truly possessed a significant origin, he would need to question the man thoroughly.
For the moment, however, there was no time. The villagers had suffered heavy casualties, and he could not simply ignore them.
Jin Chuan stared up at Zhou Wuji with pleading eyes, hoping the man would be generous and spare his life. But all he saw was a flash of blade light falling toward him. A single thought rose in his mind: *It's over—*
Then his vision went dark, and he knew no more.
Having knocked Jin Chuan unconscious, Zhou Wuji used the Five Yin Pouch to store the demonic cultivator's corpse, along with the scattered mess of banners and sacrificial offerings on the ground.
Returning to the village entrance, Zhou Wuji saw a crowd of villagers holding torches, huddled together as they fed water and medicine to several severely injured men.
Several villagers who had been struck head-on by the bear demon had their sternums shattered and had died on the spot.
The remaining six or seven had merely been grazed by the bear demon, though most of them still suffered broken bones.
There was no proper physician in the village, only rough experience in treating injuries, such as using a few pain-relieving herbs.
Seeing Zhou Wuji approach, the elderly village head hurried forward, leaning heavily on his walking stick.
Before Zhou Wuji could speak, the old man dropped to his knees with a thud and kowtowed. "Merciful Daoist priest, please save these young lads! They all have wives and children—they cannot die!"
Those who hunted the bear demon were the strongest, youngest men in the village, often the pillars of their households and their most vital laborers.
To have more than a dozen such prime men killed or wounded in an instant was a catastrophic loss that Baizhu Village, with its population of only a few hundred, could scarcely bear.
The village head now regretted everything deeply. He should never have listened to the boasting of a few hunters and laid an ambush. The bear demon had not been slain, and instead, it had brought about such devastating losses.
The hunters who led the effort were already dead; all he hoped for now was that a few more would survive.
Zhou Wuji reached down to support the old man. "There is no need for this, elder. I will do my utmost."
He was not particularly fond of this cunning old man, who immediately tried to guilt-trip him and had dropped straight to his knees to put him on the spot.
Such petty cleverness was somewhat irritating, but human lives were at stake, and Zhou Wuji had no interest in holding it against the old man.
Zhou Wuji examined the severely wounded men. All had broken bones, though fortunately their internal organs had suffered no catastrophic damage.
Having survived a grave injury himself, he had gained considerable experience in treating fractures.
Relying on his Six Yang Dharma Eyes and refined true qi, he could "see" the exact condition of the shattered bones.
As it happened, he had just brought the Five Tigers Fist to grand attainment, granting him formidable finger strength that was not inferior to Yang Shuling's Eagle Claw Force, allowing him to set their bones with precision.
Setting bones was naturally excruciatingly painful, and several of the men shrieked in agony. Fortunately, there were many hands around to pin them down firmly, and the procedure went smoothly enough.
After setting the bones and binding them with bamboo splints to keep them in place, Zhou Wuji cast the Rejuvenation Technique. It not only alleviated the pain but also accelerated bone mending; as for the small drain on vitality, compared to severe injuries, it was negligible.
As the clear emerald light of the Rejuvenation Technique flashed past, the complexions of the wounded visibly improved, and no one cried out in pain anymore.
The result was nothing short of miraculous!
When had the villagers ever witnessed such a feat? Each of them looked on with faces full of shock, awe, and reverence.
Some could not contain their emotion and dropped to their knees on the spot, kowtowing repeatedly. "Thank you, Daoist priest, for your life-saving grace!"
"The Daoist priest is truly merciful!"
"The immortal master's divine arts—"
Though most of the villagers could not read, seeing their dying kin rescued filled them with gratitude that overflowed beyond words.
Zhou Wuji found these words and gestures of heartfelt gratitude quite gratifying, yet on the surface he maintained an aura of serene detachment. He gave each of the five injured men a Purple-Gold Pill.
Once the First-Revolution Purple-Gold Pills were swallowed, their complexions grew even better, and their breathing steadied.
A gentle, spring-breeze smile graced Zhou Wuji's face, though deep down he felt a twinge of reluctance. These were pills Wuzheng had refined, and they could fetch a hefty sum if sold outside.
Such calculations could hardly be voiced to the villagers, who could certainly never afford to pay.
Zhou Wuji sighed internally. The demonic cultivator had lured the bear demon here precisely to ambush him.
Strictly speaking, these people had suffered on his account, so there was no need to fuss over this bit of expense.
He simply assumed the air of an exalted expert and said, "The bear demon's flesh, blood, and bones are worth some money. Several men from the village have perished. Once the bear demon is processed, use the proceeds to compensate those families."
In truth, it was also because the bear demon had consumed quite a few humans, making its flesh and blood useless to him.
Zhou Wuji looked at the village head. "What do you think?"
The old man nodded repeatedly. "We shall do entirely as the Daoist priest directs!"
The surrounding villagers kowtowed repeatedly in gratitude. Some women even carried their children, weeping and shouting as they rushed forward to embrace Zhou Wuji's legs, making the scene both chaotic and bustling.
Zhou Wuji offered a few comforting words. The village head, discerning and attentive, arranged a clean, quiet room for him to rest.
Only after everyone had dispersed did Zhou Wuji return to the bamboo grove to carry Jin Chuan back to the room.
He had struck with heavy force; Jin Chuan would not be waking anytime soon. In fact, it was entirely possible he might never wake at all.
After confirming Jin Chuan's condition, Zhou Wuji finally produced the bronze figurine to study it.
The bronze figurine was an integrated structure, impossible to take apart without brute force. Therefore, unlocking it required an approach through divine sense.
Zhou Wuji touched a finger to the brow of the bronze figurine, silently circulating his sword intent to probe inside.
Only through sword intent could he truly and effectively focus his divine sense to extend outward.
A speck of spiritual light flashed deep within the figurine's head, establishing a connection with Zhou Wuji's sword intent.
Immediately after, Zhou Wuji watched as the bronze figurine's mouth opened wider, its smile curving into an increasingly exaggerated grin, while the patterns etched into the shape of its eyes began to glow with an eerie light.
*Something isn't right!* Sensing danger, Zhou Wuji instantly severed the sword intent probing the figurine.
Swift as his reaction was, he was still a step behind the bronze figurine.
The bronze figurine suddenly disassembled into blocks and strips. Like a bronze centipede, it clamped tightly around his hand and rapidly spread up his arm.
Tendrils branched out from the bronze figurine, striving to pierce into his skin.
The abrupt, bizarre transformation gave even Zhou Wuji a fright. *What kind of ghostly thing is this?*
Chapter 70