No one would be foolish enough to linger at the crime scene after committing a murder, so finding the killer's trail would require considerable effort. While others might struggle, he was facing Qian Xunji. The Qian family's Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul was extremely sensitive to Evil Soul Masters, almost like having a tracking device implanted in them.
There are many methods of killing, each unique and distinct. To hone one's skills to perfection, understanding each method, even deducing how the killer operates based on these methods, and considering one's own actions in their place—all these are essential. This was one of the training plans Qian Xunji devised for himself.
Bloodsucking murder—this was a rather special method. It wasn't too difficult to identify.
According to Qian Xunji's deduction, this Evil Soul Master's Martial Soul was a bat, as could be seen from the previous corpse.
Bats prefer shade and generally live in damp forests or caves. Qian Xunji came from the south and hadn't encountered any suspicious people along the way. The north leads to Wuhun City, and although it's some distance, there's a chance Wuhun City law enforcement might appear. Moreover, if this person is a repeat offender, they certainly wouldn't choose that area, because the murderous aura and bloodstains on a person are impossible to hide after killing. If that person is cautious enough, they wouldn't hide there. As for the east, it's a plain that has long been turned into farmland, offering nowhere to hide. Finally, only the west remains,
which is the most suitable place. Not only is the terrain complex, making it easy to hide, but the Wuhun Hall's strength is relatively weak, so there's no need to worry about provoking powerful figures. Therefore, the most likely place for him to hide is the west.
During the search for the evil spirit master, Qian Xunji inquired about the child's basic information. He learned that the child was an orphan from Jiangjia Village, whose parents had long since passed away. He had been raised by the old village chief. After encountering the evil spirit master, the village chief gave his own life to the child, instructing him to hide, and resolutely faced the evil spirit master alone. The result was obvious: a rather tragic death.
"Child, don't you have a name?" Qian Xunji asked gently.
The child shook his head and continued, "Everyone in the village calls me Gou Dan (Dog Egg), because it's easy to raise."
Qian Xunji's face darkened; what kind of name was that, but he didn't show it.
"Then I'll give you a name. In Jiangjia Village, you'll have the surname Jiang. As for your given name, well... how about a single character, Hao? I hope you have a strong will and soar high," Qian Xunji said.
The little boy's face finally showed a smile, and he nodded heavily. Although the death of his family had somewhat lessened his grief, Qian Xunji understood that the child had simply buried all the pain deep in his heart and hadn't forgotten it at all.
"From now on, you'll follow me, Jiang Hao. Are you willing to join the Spirit Hall?" Qian Xunji asked calmly.
"Yes, I am. My family is all dead. You saved me, so I'll follow you from now on. I must become a Soul Master, slay evil Soul Masters, and avenge my village chief," Jiang Hao said firmly, his eyes filled with hatred and resentment when he spoke of evil Soul Masters.
Qian Xunji's spiritual power was immense, and he naturally saw the undisguised hatred and resentment in Jiang Hao's eyes, his entire body radiating a murderous aura. Qian Xunji thought to himself: I wonder if it's a good thing for this kid to have hatred. Hatred can motivate people to pursue great power, but it can also easily lead people astray, turning them into monsters who only know how to kill. Oh well, I'll deal with this for him later. They
traveled westward and slowly arrived at a valley. This valley was filled with poisonous vegetation, and venomous creatures and ferocious beasts were everywhere. Jiang Hao raised his small arms and nervously hugged one of Qian Xunji's legs. After all, he was still a child; it was normal for him to be afraid of these things.
Qian Xunji slowly erected a barrier using his own soul power, enveloping himself and Jiang Hao inside.
Jiang Hao immediately showed a curious expression, like a curious child, stretching out his small, slender white finger and poking at the soul power barrier little by little, having a great time.
Qian Xunji found it amusing. This kid, didn't he know what was going on? Was this a time for playing around? He stretched out his leaf-like hand and slapped Jiang Hao on the back of the head, causing Jiang Hao to fall forward and land on the ground.
Jiang Hao got up and looked at Qian Xunji with a resentful expression, as if to say, "Why did you push me?"
Qian Xunji said, "Alright, don't you know what time it is? We're looking for an evil soul master. When you become a soul master, you'll naturally learn this move. Let's go, let's find the evil soul master."
As the sun set, the two figures, one tall and one short, formed a beautiful scene.
Qian Xunji activated his spiritual power, carefully sensing the evil soul master's tracks, and descended from the side of a hillside. Soon, they saw a cave covered by many vines and creepers. Undoubtedly, this was the thief's lair.
Qian Xunji wielded his sword with both spiritual and soul power. The ancient black sword hanging at his waist seemed to be drawn by something, and with a 'whoosh,' it swiftly slit the throats of several evil soul masters at the cave entrance at supersonic speed.
Qian Xunji was satisfied with this sword technique. If his spiritual power reached a level where it was both intangible and tangible, combined with his soul power, this move would be even more powerful, capable of beheading generals from a thousand miles away. When Qian Xunji first acquired this move, he could barely sleep, practicing it every day, his heart filled with excitement. Who wouldn't want to ride the wind on a sword, roaming freely between heaven and earth?
Just then, a muffled explosion rang out from within the cave, followed by a cacophony of curses and shouts, along with muffled thuds and intense fluctuations of soul power.
"Be careful, stay behind me," Qian Xunji commanded.
Jiang Hao nodded, his steps faltering as he moved forward.
The cave entrance wasn't large, but the interior was quite spacious. Besides the corpse at the entrance, more corpses appeared after walking nearly 50 meters forward.
A strong stench of blood assaulted the senses, causing Jiang Hao to instinctively cover his face in disgust. But turning his head, he seemed to see something terrifying.
"Ah!" Jiang Hao screamed violently, his body trembling. There, hanging from the cave walls on both sides, were over a dozen human skins, and even the corpse of an infant, pierced and hanging from a bamboo shoot. Jiang Hao had noticed the blood dripping from the corpse and looked up.
"Bastards!" Qian Xunji roared angrily. This was the atrocity of evil spirit masters! At that moment, Qian Xunji felt blood rush to his eyes, his hair standing on end in fury. These evil spirit masters didn't even spare children; they were worse than beasts.
At this moment, Qian Xunji silently swore in his heart that he would never share the same fate with evil soul masters. He would make these despicable fellows pay the price, nail them to the pillar of shame, and forever be despised by the people of Douluo Continent, ensuring they would never be reincarnated. His fists clenched tightly, his handsome face flushed red.