Translator: Cinder Translations
Song Wen had arranged for Shan Yue to be placed on a deserted island, which was located ten thousand miles away from Ji Yin Island.
He left two Shadow Gu behind to protect Shan Yue while keeping her under soft confinement. Song Wen then flew through the air towards Wu Ji Island.
He could not return to Ji Yin Island for now, and the identity of 'Ji Yin' was temporarily no longer usable. He planned to find a place far from Wu Ji Island to enter seclusion for a period of time. His purpose for coming to Wu Ji Island was to purchase some spiritual herbs needed for body-refining and to gather information.
Two hours later, Song Wen arrived at Wu Ji Island.
After changing his appearance and disguising himself as a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, Song Wen entered Shadow City.
Inside Shadow City, as usual, people came and went, and it appeared peaceful on the surface, with no signs of anything unusual.
After purchasing the spiritual herbs, he hesitated for a moment, unsure of whom to approach for information.
On Wu Ji Island, the person Song Wen was most familiar with was Chu Qian.
However, Chu Qian was a typical person who only cared about personal gain, and his friendship with Song Wen was based on mutual benefits and exchanges.
If Song Wen were to contact him now using the identity of 'Ji Yin,' Chu Qian would not hesitate to betray him.
While Song Wen was hesitating, he realized he had already arrived at the entrance of the Corpse King Valley, where Jing Kai was currently on duty.
A plan quickly formed in his mind.
Jing Kai had not been doing well recently. Guarding the entrance to the Corpse King Valley was a secure job, but his pay was low, and the spiritual stones he earned were not enough to support his cultivation.
This forced him, during his free time, to take on some dangerous demon-hunting missions to earn extra spiritual stones.
At the time of Shen (3-5PM), when his shift was over, he handed over his post to a fellow disciple and began to head outside the Corpse King Valley.
He planned to complete a mission to hunt a second-stage sea demon.
However, before setting off, he still needed to buy some healing and energy-restoring pills.
Two quarters of an hour later, after visiting several pharmacies, Jing Kai finally bought the pills he needed.
The reason he visited so many shops wasn't because the pills were particularly rare, but simply because he was comparing prices and looking for the most affordable option.
"These are simply rip-off shops. Three healing pills and five energy-restoring pills cost me a total of five hundred spiritual stones. A complete corpse of a seventh-stage demon beast is only worth one or two thousand spiritual stones," Jing Kai grumbled to himself.
Suddenly, a voice transmission entered his mind.
"Jing Kai, my young friend, how have you been lately?"
Jing Kai looked up and scanned the bustling street, only to spot a mid-stage Foundation Establishment male cultivator smiling at him from a few meters away.
He felt a bit suspicious. He didn't recognize this person, and a sense of wariness began to rise within him.
"Who are you? How do you know my name?"
"Don't be alarmed, Jing Kai. It's me, Ji Yin," came the voice transmission from Song Wen.
"You're really Ji Yin, Senior?"
Jing Kai's eyes flashed with panic, and his body trembled slightly, becoming visibly uneasy.
Song Wen noticed his abnormal reaction and, with a warm smile, continued the transmission.
"Jing Kai, my young friend, what's going on today? Why do you seem so disturbed?"
"It's... nothing," Jing Kai replied, feigning calmness.
"I have some matters I would like to discuss with you. I wonder if you would be willing to meet with me?"
Song Wen's face remained full of smiles, but the smile made Jing Kai feel an inexplicable chill rise from deep within.
"Senior, may I ask what you wish to know? I will certainly tell you everything I know," Jing Kai said, his eyes evasive and filled with hesitation.
"This is not a good place for conversation. Let us go to a quieter place outside the city and speak in detail," Song Wen gestured toward the outskirts of the city.
Initially, Song Wen had planned to invite Jing Kai to a tavern within the city to gather information, attempting to pry some useful details from him. However, from Jing Kai's earlier reaction, Song Wen suspected that Jing Kai knew something significant, something potentially harmful to him.
Thus, Song Wen changed his approach and decided to force Jing Kai to go outside the city. That way, in case of any unforeseen events, Song Wen could quickly escape and ensure his own safety.
Jing Kai appeared anxious, his face showing clear unease and hesitation.
"Rest assured, my young friend, I mean you no harm. I only wish to ask you about some matters. If you answer truthfully, not only will I not harm you, but I will reward you generously," Song Wen said.
Jing Kai, realizing he couldn't escape from Song Wen's grasp, reluctantly nodded.
"Since you have invited me, how could I refuse?" he replied.
Slowly, Jing Kai ascended into the air and headed towards the outskirts of the city, with Song Wen following closely behind.
Soon, the two arrived at a secluded forest just outside the city.
"Senior, what is it that you wish to know? Please speak frankly, and I will answer truthfully," Jing Kai said respectfully.
He understood that only by cooperating with Song Wen and satisfying him could he hope for any chance of survival.
Song Wen asked, "Has anything major happened on Wu Ji Island recently?"
Jing Kai replied, "Half a month ago, Elder Ji Qing's soul lamp suddenly extinguished, causing the Demon Sovereign to be enraged and order a full investigation to find the true culprit. Perhaps to avoid alerting the enemy, the murderer fled far away. The Demon Sovereign has been investigating secretly. Therefore, only Inner Sect Foundation Establishment cultivators know about it; even the Outer Sect Golden Core elders are unaware."
"Have any clues been discovered?" Song Wen asked.
Jing Kai responded, "I am not sure about the specifics. But I suspect they haven't yet found the true culprit."
"The Demon Sovereign suspects all the Golden Core elders on Wu Ji Island. On the day Elder Ji Qing's soul lamp went out, the Demon Sovereign sent people to gather all the Inner and Outer Sect Golden Core elders to the Corpse King Valley for questioning."
"However, among the Golden Core elders gathered that day, no true culprit was found. The Demon Sovereign then considered those elders who hadn't been investigated as the main suspects. He sent people to secretly monitor their caves. Once these elders return, they will be captured and brought to the Corpse King Valley for further questioning."
After hearing Jing Kai's explanation, Song Wen understood why someone was monitoring Ji Yin Island.
He also understood why Jing Kai had been so fearful earlier—it was because Song Wen was one of the suspects in Ji Qing's death.
"Has Zhu Yin returned to the Corpse King Valley?" Song Wen asked.
"I personally saw Elder Zhu Yin return to the sect yesterday while on duty. Moreover, Elder Zhu Yin seemed seriously injured, and her aura appeared somewhat unstable," Jing Kai replied.
"Was Zhu Yin investigated as a suspect?" Song Wen asked.
"I'm not sure about that," Jing Kai answered.
Song Wen raised his hand and flipped it, producing a storage bag.
"Thank you for being truthful with me. Here are fifty thousand spiritual stones as a reward for you," Song Wen said with a smile.
Upon hearing the sum of fifty thousand spiritual stones, Jing Kai's eyes lit up with intense excitement as he looked at the storage bag in Song Wen's hand.
This amount of spiritual stones would solve his immediate financial problems.
Just as he was about to reach out to accept the bag, his hand suddenly paused in mid-air.
"Senior has always taken care of me; how could I accept your spiritual stones?" Jing Kai said, trying to refuse.
But Song Wen directly placed the storage bag into Jing Kai's hands.
Earlier in the city, Song Wen had noticed that Jing Kai was currently in a financially precarious situation.
To buy someone's loyalty, it was natural to provide them with what they lacked most.
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