Chapter 100: Blinded by the Light

Finally, Li Wenjun crawled out of the tunnel. In front of him appeared another cave, which was smaller than the previous one, roughly the size of two or three rooms, with a height of about ten feet.

The Dang Kang beast lay in the middle of the cave. Upon hearing Li Wenjun's footsteps, it weakly opened its eyes, glanced at Li Wenjun, let out two feeble cries, and then died with a final kick of its limbs.

Li Wenjun only glanced at the Dang Kang beast before his gaze was drawn to something else. He was startled to find that dozens of colorful gems were embedded in the cave walls, mostly red, with a few being a light red or pink, and only a few being a deep red.

Then, Li Wenjun noticed that being in this cave gave him a particularly refreshing feeling, as if he were in a hot spring.

Li Wenjun closed his eyes to feel it, and then opened them in pleasant surprise. This cave was a spiritual site, and the comfortable feeling was due to the dense spiritual energy in the area.

Li Wenjun's heart stirred. If this was a spiritual site, then the gems embedded in the cave walls were likely the legendary crystals.

With this thought, Li Wenjun quickly drew his Dragon-Headed Goose Feather Knife and pried all the gems that seemed to be crystals off, placing them in his storage bag and carefully storing them.

After Li Wenjun had pried all the gems off, he felt the concentration of spiritual energy in the cave decrease significantly when he sensed it again.

Li Wenjun sighed. If not for the Black-Striped Python hot on his heels, he would have really wanted to cultivate in this cave. Unfortunately, time did not wait for him, and it was better to avoid unnecessary risks.

Li Wenjun glanced at the dead Dang Kang beast. A pool of black blood lay beneath its body, which was quite intimidating. Li Wenjun shook his head, deciding not to take the Dang Kang beast's corpse. The Dang Kang beast had been poisoned by snake venom, and its flesh was inedible. Its skin and bones were also difficult to remove and might be contaminated with the venom. Without effective measures to prevent the venom from spreading, rashly attempting to skin and extract the Dang Kang beast's bones was not a good idea.

Li Wenjun carefully examined the cave walls again, confirming that no gems had been left behind, and then began searching for an exit.

Indeed, there was an exit in one corner of the cave ceiling, but it was more like a ventilation hole, only large enough to fit an adult's fist. To crawl out from here, he would need to enlarge the opening.

This was no problem for Li Wenjun. He first used his Dragon-Headed Goose Feather Knife to cut a block of stone, placed it under his feet, and then stepped on it, using the knife to dig into the stone.

The Dragon-Headed Goose Feather Knife was a precious blade that could cut through iron like butter. When he infused it with his magical power, the blade became even sharper. Cutting through the stones was as easy as piercing tofu.

In no time, Li Wenjun had enlarged the ventilation hole enough to crawl through. He dared not waste any more time and immediately squeezed out of the opening. Outside the cave was Wufeng Mountain. Li Wenjun identified the direction and then slapped a Wind Control Talisman on himself, fleeing at top speed.

Less than half an hour after Li Wenjun left, a man and a snake appeared in the cave. The man let the Black-Striped Python devour the Dang Kang beast's corpse while he frowned and examined the cave.

After a while, the man's face changed, and he angrily said, "This is actually a spiritual site. If I cultivated here, my chances of advancing to the Foundation Establishment stage would increase by at least half a percent. Who the hell destroyed this spiritual site and dug out all the crystals? To ruin my good fortune, you truly deserve to die a thousand deaths. You had better pray to the heavens that I don't catch you, or I will tear you to pieces."

Li Wenjun had no idea that digging out a few stones would provoke a cultivator at the peak of the Qi Condensation stage. If he had known, he would still have taken the crystals without hesitation.

When treasure is in front of you, why would you let it go?

Li Wenjun's cultivation in Wufeng Mountain had been highly rewarding, but the risks were also significant. He had encountered Liu Zhiyun and Qian Kun's pet, the Black-Striped Python. His intuition told him that continuing to cultivate in Wufeng Mountain was not wise. Even if he retreated deeper into the mountain, the danger might not be far away.

It was time to leave Wufeng Mountain.

Li Wenjun rode the clear wind, made a wide circle, and found a place to hide for a while before flying toward the county town of Sanshan County.

The journey was uneventful, and Li Wenjun smoothly flew out of Wufeng Mountain. He landed from the sky and walked toward the county town of Sanshan County with a calm demeanor.

Just as he reached the county gate, Li Wenjun heard the sound of gongs and drums. After a gong sounded, a voice rang out.

"Announcement to all the villagers: The county official Qin Yue, the criminals Sun Jianing, and Sun Baicao have colluded with bandits, harming the people, and killed imperial officials. Their crimes are heinous, and according to the laws of the Song Dynasty, they are sentenced to death. The magistrate has ordered that they be publicly executed at the market square at the third hour of the day. All villagers must attend. Each household must send at least one person. Those who do not attend will be fined three taels of silver."

Upon hearing this, Li Wenjun's eyes flashed with a cold light. He tapped his foot, and his entire body shot forward like an arrow.

On the street, a bailiff wearing a soapberry hat was holding a copper gong, walking and striking it. Every so often, he would repeat the announcement.

Li Wenjun rushed forward, slapped the copper gong away, and then reached out, grabbing the bailiff by the neck and lifting him up.

The bailiff, who weighed about 140 to 150 pounds, was like a small chicken in Li Wenjun's hands. He kicked his feet helplessly, his hands tightly gripping Li Wenjun, and soon his face turned red, on the verge of suffocation.

Li Wenjun loosened his grip, stepped on the bailiff's chest, and looked at him expressionlessly. "Do you want to live or die?"

The bailiff gasped for air, and just as he was about to curse Li Wenjun, he quickly recognized Li Wenjun's face, shuddering in fear and pleading, "Master, spare my life."

Li Wenjun had once caused a massacre in the county office of Sanshan County, and everyone there knew him as a killer. This bailiff was no exception.