Chapter 54

If it were in the past, Li Wenjun would have jumped for joy at the sight of so much gold and silver. But now, apart from sighing over how many people Wang Yonggui must have killed, he felt little else. However, if the box were filled with the herbs he needed instead of gold and silver, he might have gone crazy with joy.

Li Wenjun had already realized that after becoming a cultivator, obtaining money was far too easy. The role of gold and silver in their community was minimal; only herbs, magical artifacts, and the like were truly valuable. But acquiring these things was infinitely more difficult than obtaining gold and silver.

Of course, the money wasn't entirely useless. He could wait until he found his parents and let them live a life of comfort. He could also give the money to Sun Baicao, who could use it to purchase the herbs he needed.

However, Li Wenjun had a vague feeling that he couldn't keep using gold and silver to buy herbs. When the herbs from Wangyue Cliff became useless to him, the little bit of help gold and silver provided for his cultivation might also disappear.

Putting down the gold and silver, Li Wenjun continued to explore other parts of the cave. To his surprise, he found a pool of water on one side of the cave.

The pool was about the size of a water vat, with a small opening at the bottom connecting it to the outside. He tried using a bucket to draw water from it. The water level dropped a bit, but it quickly returned to its original position after a moment.

Li Wenjun guessed that the pool was connected to an underground river or some other water source within the mountain. As long as the water source didn't dry up, the pool would always have water.

Li Wenjun stood up and looked at the pots, bowls, and food in the cave, then at the pool. A sudden, irresistible idea came to him.

This cave was far from any town, deep in the mountains, almost unseen by people, and free from disturbance. It had food and water, making it an excellent place for cultivation.

Wang Yonggui must have made ample preparations before hiding here. Now that Wang Yonggui was dead, Li Wenjun could fully utilize the cave. He didn't need to rush back to the county town and could cultivate here in peace.

During his fifty to sixty days in the mountains, he had gathered enough herbs to make over a hundred baths. Using two baths a day, he could cultivate for nearly two months. Even using three baths a day, he could last for over a month.

Li Wenjun carefully considered his options. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that staying here to cultivate was a wise choice. If he returned to the county town, he would likely face many distractions.

Apart from the Sun family, his small courtyard had already seen several visitors, each causing significant disruption. Especially during Fan Yibo's visit, he had to kill Fan Yibo to maintain peace.

Additionally, staying in the mountains had another advantage: he could search for herbs nearby without having to travel between Wufeng Mountain and the county town.

Of course, staying in the mountains had its downsides. There was no way to resupply, and he would need to leave the mountain to buy food once it ran out. The same applied to oil, salt, vinegar, and other necessities.

Moreover, staying in the mountains meant he wouldn't be the first to know about his parents' whereabouts, which could delay his reunion with them.

Fortunately, before entering the mountains, Li Wenjun had asked Sun Baicao to keep an eye out for any news about his parents and arrange for them to be brought to the county town if any news came. He trusted the Sun family and knew they would handle his request, so whether he left the mountain or not wouldn't affect his search for his parents or their well-being.

As for resupplying, it wasn't an immediate concern. The cave had a rich supply of provisions. Li Wenjun estimated that even if he ate three meals a day, the supplies would last him a month. Besides, once he started cultivating, he might go a day or two without eating, so the supplies would last at least one to two months.

After weighing the pros and cons, Li Wenjun quickly made his decision: he would stay and cultivate here.

However, to cultivate here, he needed to make some necessary preparations. First, he needed to ensure the cave was safe. Second, he needed to ensure that no outsiders or wild animals could discover the cave. Even if someone did find it, he needed to prevent them from getting close or entering.

Li Wenjun first thought of using the traps and mechanisms left by Wang Yonggui. He also needed to thoroughly inspect the cave to eliminate any potential hazards.

He began by checking everything in the cave, focusing on whether Wang Yonggui had poisoned the food or water. Using a silver strip he had prepared, he tested the food, salt, and water. The results were good; there were no signs of poisoning. Still, he wasn't satisfied and caught a few small animals from nearby to feed them. The animals were all fine, and Li Wenjun finally felt at ease.

Next, Li Wenjun used a hunting spear to tap around the entire cave, ensuring there were no hidden mechanisms. To his surprise, he found a massive stone at the bottom of the cave, weighing several thousand pounds. This large stone was blocking the bottom of the cave, rooted in place. No matter how hard Li Wenjun tried, he couldn't move it.

He couldn't determine why the stone was there or whether Wang Yonggui had placed it. He doubted Wang Yonggui had the strength to move such a large stone into the cave from the outside. The stone was larger than the cave's entrance, so logically, it couldn't have been pushed in from outside. After much thought, Li Wenjun was still puzzled.

The stone couldn't be moved, but it didn't pose a significant threat to his safety. Li Wenjun rolled the three stone balls he used to break the passage mechanism around the stone and found a few smaller stones to wedge them in place, making it even less likely for the large stone to move.

After handling the cave's interior, Li Wenjun went outside. He picked up the animal traps, reset them, and placed them in more hidden locations. He then reviewed Wang Yonggui's manuscripts and restored all the mechanisms he could.

By the time he finished, Li Wenjun was exhausted, panting heavily and nearly sprawled on the ground.

After resting for a while and regaining some strength, Li Wenjun forced himself to get up. He returned to the cave and selected some of the herbs he had gathered, preparing two doses of the Qi-Gathering Powder. He then took out a piece of the wild mountain spirit, cut a small piece, and mixed it with the herbs in a clay pot. He started a fire and began to boil the medicinal soup.

As the soup was almost ready, Li Wenjun found a piece of cloth and tightly sealed the opening at the bottom of the pool. He then poured the medicinal soup into the pool.

In an instant, the water in the pool changed color. Li Wenjun stripped off his clothes, jumped into the pool, and sat cross-legged, beginning his cultivation.