"Many thanks, senior, for your righteous assistance, which has allowed this junior to escape calamity. This kindness and sentiment, I dare not forget!"
In the sky, after the tall and thin middle-aged man had been bisected by the crimson Flying Sword, Zhou Chun glanced at the Corpse Refinement plummeting due to its master's death and promptly clasped his hands in thanks to the bearded middle-aged man.
Unlike the Contract Spirit Beasts of Cultivators, the Corpse Refinements crafted by the Corpse Demon Sect's disciples would also lose their consciousness upon their masters' deaths, becoming truly inanimate objects. Discover hidden content at My Virtual Library Empire
However, it is said that the Corpse Demon Sect possesses a secret technique that can cause a Corpse Refinement to regain a faint consciousness after its master's seated transformation and demise, continuing to fight for the Corpse Demon Sect.
The legions of Corpse Refinements of the Corpse Demon Sect are said to have come about in this manner.
But at least for now, that Corpse Refinement posed no further threat to Zhou Chun.
Meanwhile, upon seeing the Corpse Refinement fall to the ground motionless, the Fire Divine Jackal returned to Zhou Chun's side.
The crimson light in its eyes had dissipated at some point, and its gaze had regained its clarity.
At this time, after hearing Zhou Chun's words of thanks, the bearded middle-aged man's smile receded instantly, and he couldn't help but turn to wave his hand toward Zhou Chun, saying, "Fellow Daoist is too courteous. With your abilities, even without Zhao here, you would surely have escaped unharmed."
Having said this, he spoke again in a more subdued voice, "Moreover, if we are to speak of gratitude, it should be Zhao who thanks you, fellow Daoist. Without your assistance today, Zhao would not have had the opportunity to exact vengeance on the traitor of the Corpse Demon Sect, avenging those deceased relatives of mine!"
Upon hearing his words, Zhou Chun also felt relieved.
Since he did not take credit for himself, it seems unlikely that he would turn against Zhou Chun after crossing the river.
However, just to be cautious, Zhou Chun quickly said, "Senior avenging his deep hatred is indeed a joyous matter, but with the disciple of the Corpse Demon Sect dead here, I fear it will soon cause quite a stir. We'd better leave quickly."
"What you say makes sense, fellow Daoist. The Corpse Demon Sect is powerful, and we indeed cannot afford a direct confrontation with them."
The bearded middle-aged man nodded slightly, then raised his hand to beckon, and the crimson Flying Sword wrapped in a swirl of light brought back the severed remains of the tall and thin middle-aged man.
He looked at the two halves of the corpse in front of him and, after a moment of contemplation, said to Zhou Chun, "This fiend was killed by the joint efforts of Zhao and you, fellow Daoist. His belongings should naturally be divided between the two of us. What do you think?"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Chun promptly shook his head and waved his hands, saying, "Senior exaggerates. Without your help, this junior would have faced a life-threatening peril by now, and since it was senior who made the kill, how could I brazenly share the spoils with you?"
Zhou Chun wasn't being falsely modest; he truly didn't want any trouble.
Although the bearded middle-aged man seemed easy to talk to, Zhou Chun didn't even know his name. How could he judge his character based on this brief encounter?
If the other party's words were only a test and he foolishly agreed, it might arouse the man's killing intent.
Another major reason was that Zhou Chun didn't want to attract the attention of the Corpse Demon Sect out of greed.
However, the bearded middle-aged man seemed to have pierced Zhou Chun's thoughts and directly asked, "Are you worried that taking these items will alert the Corpse Demon Sect that it was you who killed their person?"
Without waiting for Zhou Chun to respond, he smiled faintly and continued, "If that's the case, fellow Daoist need not worry. Zhao can distribute the Spirit Coins and other Spiritual Object materials from this fiend's Storage Pouch to you, ensuring that no one will connect today's events with you because of these items!"
Now Zhou Chun found himself at a loss for words.
He stared at the bearded middle-aged man, somewhat disbelieving of the other's generosity.
Yet his concerns had already been exposed, and to deny or refuse at this point would seem too insincere. He wasn't sure how to respond.
"Fellow Daoist need not hesitate. Zhao and the Corpse Demon Sect share an irreconcilable hatred, as deep as the sea of blood. Any Cultivator who is an enemy of the Corpse Demon Sect is a friend of Zhao's, and Zhao would never allow a friend to suffer losses!"
The bearded middle-aged man once again discerned Zhou Chun's hesitation and straightforwardly expressed his position.
Then he paused and added in a lower voice, "Of course, if you truly do not want anything, Zhao will not insist. I only hope that you won't consider Zhao small-minded because of this!"
With the conversation reaching this point, Zhou Chun knew he would truly offend the man if he didn't speak up.
So he nodded slightly and said, "Since Senior Zhao is so magnanimous, then this junior will accept with a thick face and shame."
"Hahaha, fellow Daoist is forthright. Then please accompany Zhao to the Marketplace of Jingguo Country to lay low, and then we'll open this Storage Pouch to see what's inside!"
The bearded middle-aged man laughed heartily, clearly laying out his plans.
Hearing this, Zhou Chun also breathed a sigh of relief.
Since they were heading to Jingguo Country, there was nothing to worry about.
Zhou Chun's Zhou Family was now somewhat renowned throughout Jingguo Country. With the Fire Divine Jackal by his side, he wasn't afraid of the bearded middle-aged man trying anything tricky.
Without hesitation, he immediately agreed.
The bearded middle-aged man then released a burst of intense flames to burn the tall and thin middle-aged man's body to ashes and placed a seal on the Corpse Refinement on the ground before storing it in a stone coffin inside his Storage Pouch.
Seeing how adept he was at this, it didn't seem like his first time dealing with disciples of the Corpse Demon Sect.